– Dusty Rhodes tweeted that Shaul Marie Guerrero, daughter of Vickie and Eddie Guerrero, is his pick for the breakout FCW star of the year.
Guerrero, who is known as Racquel Diaz at FCW, is the current FCW Divas Champion and the “Queen of FCW.”
– Kevin Nash tweeted on Wednesday night that he is fine and should be back in action in a couple of weeks.
– Alicia Fox’s younger sister Caylee Turner has been ring announcing at FCW as of late.
Florida Championship Wrestling standout Seth Rollins wrestled Tyson Kidd at this week’s SmackDown live event in Detroit, Michigan. Rollins, working as a babyface, got the win in what was said to be a great match, despite the fact that the live crowd was not very into the action. Rollins and Kidd tweeted the following about the match:
Kidd: “Funny things happen when you mix a dose of Tyson Kidd with a talented and hungry athlete #workhorse”
Rollins: “Thank you Detroit! Holy $h*t that was awesome! So glad to be back! Can’t wait til next time. Get ready Buffalo…here we come!”
Multiple WWE sources have indicated that Rollins will debut on television “sooner than later.”
The following is a spoiler-free preview for tonight’s Impact Wrestling on Spike TV:
– Kurt Angle vs. Rob Van Dam
– Knockouts Championship Match: Gail Kim defends against Mickie James
– The Wild Card Tag Team Tournament continues with two semi-final matches:
* Eric Young & ODB vs. Samoa Joe & Magnus
* Abyss & Scott Steiner vs. AJ Styles & Kazarian
– The final match in the Best-Of-3 Series between Anthony Neese and Zema Ion, with the winner earning a shot at the X Division Championship.
Also scheduled to appear are World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode, Jeff Hardy, Sting, James Storm and more.
Mark Henry was recently interviewed by NorthJersey.com, Here are some highlights of what the former World Heavyweight champion said about:
His Current Push On Hold Due To Injury: “I’ve had my opportunities. Injuries are something that always seem to get in the way. I’ve gone almost a three- or four-year stretch, thank God, without an injury.”
20 Years Since Competing At The Olympics: “It seems like it’s been a long time to me and I would rather it feel that way. I’ve done a lot in my life. I’ve enjoyed the journey. I’ve had a chance to reflect and look back. But more than anything, the fact that I’m able to still be relevant and the world of sports and entertainment still know who Mark Henry is, it means a lot to me.”
Being An Ambassador Of WWE: “I’ve been that. I’ve never been a drug abuser. I’ve never been somebody that was abusive outside of professional entertainment. I’ve always done things necessary to grant and warrant carrying the gold.”
– WWE ring announcer Tony Chimel announced at Wednesday’s SmackDown live event in Detroit, Michigan that Randy Orton was absent due to injury and that refunds would be offered. Wade Barrett then cut a promo saying he put Orton out of action for six months.
– The first program to air on the WWE Network will be WrestleMania Rewind. The three-part series will air the day of WrestleMania XXVIII.
The program is based on last year’s The True Story of WrestleMania, but with additional footage from recent shows.
– Matches taking place on today’s episode of WWE Superstars on WWE.com include Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston vs. Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks, Alex Riley vs. JTG, Darren Young vs. Trent Barreta and Tyson Kidd vs. Yoshi Tatsu.
(sources: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, ProWrestling.net)
Speaking to Power Slam, Gail Kim explains why she deliberately eliminated herself from the Divas Battle Royal on the August 1, 2011 episode of Monday Night Raw.
“I have no regrets. They didn’t care. It didn’t affect the outcome of the match. If it was going to affect the outcome of the match, I wouldn’t have done it. It got to the point where … it’s just what I did, you know. Like I said, I don’t have any regrets.”
Kim quit WWE that night; she says it felt good.
“You know why? It was about my life and my happiness at that point, and having control of my life again. It felt good to know that I made that decision for myself. I wasn’t going to be unhappy anymore. And, most of all, I just wanted to wrestle again.
“The day that I told Johnny [John Laurinaitis) that I quit was a relief. He asked me why, and I said to him, “Really? Are you really asking me why?” And he knew: he knew my frustration. I know a lot of wrestlers are very happy in WWE. But, in my case, I had to move on.”
Kim was also asked whether her success in TNA Wrestling worked against her during her second run with WWE.
“Hmmm. I’m not sure. You always hear things about how that company thinks. I really don’t know. You know, that’s the whole reason they hired me back, because of the success I had in TNA. Kharma/Kong, she may not have even got hired, if it wasn’t for those matches we had in TNA. That’s what made our names in women’s wrestling at that time.”
She continues, “It’s funny that they knew we could do something like what we did in TNA and they didn’t do it. I don’t know what to say. But I can’t care about that now. I’m just trying to do the best with what I’m given now, and that’s on Impact Wrestling.”
— Participants for WWE’s annual Raw Elimination Chamber Match are tentatively scheduled to include Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, John Cena, Kane, R-Truth and The Miz. The outcome of the bout is expected to based on whether Cena’s match with The Rock at WrestleMania XXVIII will have the WWE Championship on the line.
— When Vince McMahon told Alberto Del Rio to work stiffer and appear more aggressive in the ring, it was indicated that he was due for another WWE Championship reign in 2012.
Del Rio is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks after suffering a torn groin during the Six-Man Tag Team Match on the December 19, 2011 Raw SuperShow.
— Darryl McDaniels, founding member of the hip hop group Run–D.M.C., was seated among the audience at Tuesday’s Raw live in New York City. McDaniels has past history with WWE as he performed the “Wrestlemania Rap” at WrestleMania V.
source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
WWE debuted a new set at this week’s live events, check out these pictures of the setup:
[nggallery id=21]
— Layla is slated to enter the Divas Championship picture upon her return from injury due to the feeling that Beth Phoenix’s feud with Kelly Kelly and Eve Torres has worn out. Natalya is also expected to vy for the title in 2012.
— WWE referee Justin King will undergo undisclosed surgery in a few weeks and is expected to be sidelined for several months. The surgery is not related to any injuries on the job.
— Will hold a Raw SuperShow at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan on April 23, 2012. Tickets go on sale February 25, 2012.
— WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts turns 32 years old Thursday.
source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
— Jim Ross believes John Morrison will return to WWE next year after parting ways with the organization in November.
He tweeted, “Morrison didn’t renew his contract. Taking time off to heal, rest, train. He’ll likely be back sometime in 2012. Smart move.”
Morrison, whose real name is John Hennigan, claimed in an online video earlier this month that he is taking time off to heal and re-train for a return to wrestling.
— Stacy Keibler now receives $25,000 per appearance due to her relationship with George Clooney and prominence in celebrity gossip pages.
source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
— Rosita posted several messages on her Twitter account Wednesday mocking an Asian woman she rudely encountered the night before at a Fuddruckers restaurant in Connecticut following her twenty-first birthday party. The TNA Knockout claims the woman tried to cut in line. She then posted a picture of her, calling her “Kung Foo Panda.”
She tweeted, “THIS IS KUNG FOO PANDA.. PERFECT PICTURE TO DESCRIBE HER IGNORANCE. http://yfrog.com/kicpkdzj.”
She then wrote to Velvet Sky, “You sooo shoulda been there! King foo panda was allllllll ready! Offered to order the bitch bamboo sticks but she wasn’t having it..”
— Samoa Joe faces Kazarian in a Maximum Impact tournament match on this week’s episode of TNA Xplosion (video available here). The winner of the eight-man tournament will receive a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship during TNA’s tour of the U.K. in January.
— Bobby Roode and Mickie James appear at the Poughkeepsie Galleria (located at 2001 South Road Poughkeepsie, New York 12601) this Friday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Jesse Neal appeared on the Running The Ropes podcast (interview available here). Highlights are as follows:
* Neal says that Christina Von Eerie (a/k/a Toxxin), his girlfriend, was never under contract to TNA Wrestling. Her status with TNA remains unknown following Neal’s departure from the organization.
* Neal says the widespread rumor that he received food stamps earlier this year isn’t true. He does, however, admit that he was almost evicted from his small one bedroom apartment three times this year because he couldn’t afford to pay rent.
* Neal says he rejected TNA’s request to move to Louisville, Kentucky and train at Ohio Valley Wrestling because the money they were offering “wasn’t anything close to live on.” Management told him to get a sidejob if he needed money, but felt that with three shows per week and training six days out of seven he wouldn’t have the time.
* Neal says he spoke to company president Dixie Carter over the phone regarding his situation and was promised it would resolved. He adds she was gracious to him on his final day with the company and was sure she’d see him in TNA again one day.
* Neal praised creative writer Vince Russo, who encouraged him with his promos.
— The December 26, 2011 episode of the Raw SuperShow garnered a 2.93 cable rating, up from 2.92 the week before. It is the fourth consecutive week in which Raw has drawn below a 3.00 cable rating.
Monday’s show averaged 4,460,000 million viewers overall, up from 4,290,000 the week before. It also snapped an eight week streak of viewership declining during the second hour.
The first hour of Raw averaged 4,330,000 viewers during the first hour and 4,590,000 in the second. Monday’s show drew the most second hour viewers since November 21, 2011, the night following Survivor Series.
— John Morrison is scheduled to appear at Middletown Indoor Flea Market 128 Dolson Ave Middletown, New York on March 11, 2012 from noon to 1:00 p.m. Contact [email protected] for more information.
source: Pro Wrestling Torch
Matt Hardy has posted a video message wishing everybody a happy holiday season. Hardy says he understands he can no longer talk about how great he’s doing or how his life is going to improve – he has to show us. Here’s the video and Matt’s description of the video:
“As we are faced with adversity and struggles in life, we can either continue our downward spiral, or learn from our mistakes. I start my journey on my second chance at life very enthusiastically. ”
– John Cena was booked to appear in the 10pm and 11pm segments of Monday’s RAW Supershow, because WWE is still not comfortable with CM Punk’s ability to draw ratings. While WWE appears to be teasing a potential heel turn for Cena, there are no plans for a full turn any time soon.
– Upon a recent look at WWE’s ratings, it’s been determined that only a handful of WWE’s top stars are able to draw fans and keep them tuned in. It’s been acknowledged that Michael Cole’s commentary (specifically, the burying of midcard talent) could be hurting ratings.
– WWE has reportedly changed creative plans this week for several top stars including CM Punk, The Miz, Dolph Ziggler and R-Truth. No word yet on exactly what changed, but it likely affects what was planned for these stars through the Royal Rumble.
(Source: f4wonline.com)
– Mexico’s Super Luchas Magazine is reporting that TNA star Jeff Hardy, who is set to headline the upcoming Genesis pay-per-view, is the man behind WWE’s cryptic January 2nd, 2012 promos. This report is completely false. Update: Today is “Innocents’ Day” in Latin America, which is similar to April’s Fools Day here in the United States, so that’s the origin or this story. Move along, nothing to see here.
– WWE Magazine is now available on the iPad.
– ESPN’s E:60 documentary piece on Scott Hall from earlier this year is nominated for Sports Illustrated’s “Best News Feature on a Sports Program” award.
– William Regal has once again addressed rumors of his retirement. Regal tweeted on Wednesday:
“Can I please make this clear.I have never said I’m retiring.Not at the O2 last year nor this week.Not wrestle as much,yes,but not retire.”
“Nor have I been removed from NXT or the WWE.Not been in trouble either(shock I know).”
With a helping hand from John Cena, 40-year-old heavyweight boxer Monte Barrett participated in a week long training camp with WWE’s developmental league Florida Championship Wrestling in late October/early November. As a close friend of Cena’s, Barrett has personal insight on the WWE Superstar. He commented on the hostile reaction Cena receives from grappling fans on a weekly basis to Power Slam.
“We talked about that on [November 14, 2011] and I asked him. A lot of the fans say, “John’s not great, and he’s only got a certain amount of moves,” Barrett says.
“The Rock [left WWE] and John took over. He just told me, “I don’t take it personally, so you don’t either. It’s a job.” Me, I was bothered because the people booed him to death [on Raw]. Rock got a standing ovation. Who knows? John might take a back seat for a while.
“People got tired of Michael Jordan always winning, the Green Bay Packers too. They want different champions, like Lennox Lewis in boxing. It’s our nature to want a changing of the guard. Maybe [Cena] needs to take a back seat, then rise up again in a year or two.”
WWE broke the news on Twitter on Tuesday night that Randy Orton was injured at the SmackDown tapings from Indianapolis, Indiana. We are hearing conflicting reports as to whether the injury took place during Orton’s Falls Count Anywhere match on SmackDown with Wade Barrett, or if it was a previous injury.
The match ended when Barrett threw Orton down a flight of stairs, a sign that Orton had pre-existing injury and the angle was used as a way to write Orton off television. Several readers have noted that Orton has not wrestled much in previous weeks, another sign that it’s been a nagging injury.
As noted before, Sheamus will be taking Orton’s place in SmackDown live events this week against Barrett. There’s talk that one of the RAW brand live event matches will be moved over to the SmackDown tour to add more talent in Randy Orton’s absence.
– Wade Barrett has commented on the injury suffered by Randy Orton at Tuesday night’s SmackDown tapings, which took place during their street fight (airing this Friday night). Barrett tweeted:
“Look, what happened at the taping was tragic. However, there are inherent risks in our profession. Play with fire, you get burned.”
– As Vickie Guerrero alluded to on Twitter this morning, WWE is set to debut a new stage at tonight’s live event. WWE champion CM Punk has posted (an admittedly crappy) preview picture of the set. Punk just tweeted:
“A horrible sneak peek picture of the new house show…er…LIVE EVENT set. Looks much better in person.”
Check out this preview of the new stage .. We’ll post a better quality picture when it becomes available:
WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has a new blog up on his official website, BrokenSkullRanch.com. Austin recently had a custom Broken Skull Ranch Championship Belt created, which was made by Dave Millican Belts. Austin noted on his blog that he wanted to pay homage to the classic Intercontinental title – the first belt he won in WWE.
Here’s what Austin said about the belt’s design:
“First off, I wanted the shape of the belt to pay homage to the old WWF Intercontinental Championship. The old IC belt is one of the coolest belts of all time and some of the greatest workers in the history of professional wrestling have held this title. I have the IC title I won from Owen Hart in Meadowlands NJ in my safe. It is one of my prize possessions. Anyway…that’s how the belt got its shape. The main plate features the BSR, of course, and the skull in a barb wire circle artwork was created by artist and friend Joe Romero. The state of Texas features three towns–Austin, my birth place…Victoria, my former home town, and where I was from as Stone Cold Steve Austin…And Tilden, where the BSR is located. The plate with the whitetail buck is a deer taken by me in 2010 here at the ranch. His name was Stomper and he scored 181 gross B and C points. He was the first trophy buck taken here at the ranch and was the one of the cornerstones of our deer management program. He also represents my passion for hunting. The other plate is a Texas plate with the same three towns on it. I’m proud to be from the great state of Texas. The belt tip is obviously my signature, and is a nice finishing touch to a super belt. Rico knocked this one out of the park. Great job.”
Check out these pictures of the Broken Skull Ranch championship belt:
Check out this video from after Monday’s RAW from Chicago. John Cena puts over CM Punk big time in front of Punk’s hometown crowd:
At Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown tapings results from Indianapolis (airing this Friday, 12/30), two PPV-caliber matches were announced for the first SmackDown of 2012.
The January 6th episode of SmackDown, which tapes 1/3 rom Little Rock, Arkansas, will feature:
Daniel Bryan vs. Big Show for the World Heavyweight championship
Cody Rhodes vs. Booker T for the Intercontinental championship
– WWE is currently discussing bringing back the Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania 28. If the match does return to WrestleMania, it’s a good sign the Money in the Bank themed pay-per-view could be rebranded in 2012.
– Jim Ross noted on Twitter that he’s not on WWE TV because WWE is not high on his look, plus company officials really like Michael Cole.
– After much speculation, we’ve heard that WWE legend The Iron Sheik will not be a part of the upcoming WWE Legends House reality show on the new WWE Network.
– WWE is set to debut a new stage at their live events. Vickie Guerrero tweeted this morning:
“Flying to Pittsburgh!!! I can’t wait to see the new stage setup tonight. See all of you there”
(Source: f4wonline.com)
Here are some live notes from Tuesday night’s WWE live event from Madison Square Garden in New York City:
– John Cena defeated Kane by DQ in the main event, their first match since Kane’s return. The match did not last long and was called off when Kane hit Cena with a chair. Kane left the ring, returned and got hit with the Attitude Adjustment.
– FCW Heavyweight Champion Leo Kruger was in action and lost a match to Aalex Riley. Kruger worked as a heel. The match was described as boring, not a great sign for the developmental star.
– Mick Foley was the official host for the night and wound up getting physical – giving Jack Swagger a taste of Mr. Socko after his match with Jerry Lawler.
– Among the notable names in attendance were rapper Run from Run DMC, Betty Skaaland (widow of WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Skaaland and Zack Ryder.
– WWE returns to Madison Square Garden with a Supershow on Sunday, March 18th. Tickets go on sale January 7th. The pre-sale begins January 4th and the code is WRESTLEMANIA.
