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Former WWE Star Arrested On Battery, Referee Entered Rehab

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— Former WWE talent Sean Christopher Haire (a/k/a Sean O’Haire), 40, was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Savannah, Georgia on a simple battery charge, according to the official website of the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office. Bond was set at $1,850.00.

This is not the former WCW World Tag Team Champion’s first run-in with the law. In 1992, Haire was arrested for assault. In 2006, Haire was found guilty of assaulting a woman at “Club Hypnotic” in June 2004. He was also involved in a fight in Hilton Head on March 30, 2007, in which he sustained fractures to his face and skull, including his orbital bone. In September 2009, Haire was arrested for allegedly choking his girlfriend.

— Brian James (a/k/a Road Dogg), who now works as a producer for WWE, stated during a recent “shoot” interview that not only has the organization paid to put him in a rehabilitation center, but has paid for at least one stint for all three of his brothers—Scott, Steve and Brad.

Scott is WWE referee Scott Armstrong. He returned to the organization in February 2011 after being released one year prior. Steve briefly competed for WWE in 1992 as Lance Cassidy. Brad was under contract to WWE in 2006 and 2007. He made sporadic appearances on ECW as a guest commentator.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

October PPVs Draw Poor Numbers, WWE’s “Biggest Turkeys”

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— According to WWE’s latest performance indicators, the buy estimates for the October 2011 pay-per-view events—Hell in a Cell and Vengeance—totaled 322,000. Both shows drew under 200,000 buys, with Hell in a Cell drawing approximately 180,000 and Vengeance drawing approximotely 142,000. They are both down from last year’s shows in October.

— WWE.com has published a feature highlighting “the biggest turkeys” to ever step foot inside the squared circle. Among those profiled are Gobbledy Gooker, Vito, Bart Gunn, Fake Razor Ramon, Kizarny, Mike Adamle and Michael Cole.

— WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart is scheduled to appear at Dr Fleas 8 Westmore Drive Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Saturday, December 3 from noon to 3:00 p.m. Call 519-600-1831 for more information.

Many Rewrites At RAW, Foley’s WWE Status, HBK DVD

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– The script for Monday’s RAW from Hershey, PA was rewritten several times – which the reason that Brodus Clay and advertised guest host Jonah Hill did not appear on the show. Jonah Hill was never scheduled to appear at RAW in person. He filmed several taped segments for the show – but after all the rewrites, it was decided that his segments no longer fit with the show and the decision was made to not air them.

Jim Ross was reportedly backstage at RAW and originally booked to work an angle – but the segment was scrapped.

– Regarding Mick Foley’s status within WWE, creative team member Brian Gewirtz is a big supporter and feels Foley is creative and a good performer. On the other side of the coin, it’s said that Triple H always buries Foley, arguing that he doesn’t seem like a tough guy and fans don’t take him serious in the ring.

Foley performed a standup comedy show in New York City immediately after WWE Survivor Series last weekend – with Zack Ryder, John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler among the WWE superstars who attended.

– WWE has been holding announcer tryouts in recent weeks, with several former superstars being considered for the open spots.

– As noted before, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels has signed a deal with Total Gym to star in a workout DVD. If the first DVD does well, they plan to do a series starring The Heartbreak Kid.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Vince’s Vision For The WWE Network, WWE-Twitter News

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wwenetworknewlogo
The WWE Network

– WWE is looking to brand the WWE Network “the most interactive network on TV.” The idea is to feature programming that keeps people in front of their computers, cellphones and iPads.

One idea is to have tweets from fans scrolling at the bottom of the screen, like an ESPN news ticker.

– There’s a running joke going around WWE is that up-and-coming superstars should worry less about having good matches and interviews – and focus on being entertaining on Twitter.

– On a related note, Vince reportedly is wanting certain Superstars to change their Twitter usernames. Dolph Ziggler’s Twitter name @HEELZiggler is on the chopping block – since Vince doesn’t want to promote insider terms like “heel.”

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Update On Undertaker’s Status For WrestleMania 28

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After the latest round of surgeries on his hip and shoulder, the Undertaker is gearing up to push his WrestleMania undefeated streak to 20-0 next year.

Last year around this time, it was still too early to tell whether the Undertaker would be healthy enough to wrestle at WrestleMania. This year, the Dead Man’s health is in great shape and it’s virtually a lock that he’ll be wrestling in Miami on April 1st, 2012.

With just over 4 months to go, WWE has an opponent in mind picked for the Dead Man.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Original Plans For Awesome Truth, Punk vs. Miz Feud

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The Miz

Prior to R-Truth’s failure of a recent WWE drug test, there were plans for Awesome Truth to capture the tag team titles from Air Boom (Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston) after Survivor Series.

Evan Bourne’s suspension put those plans on hold. After R-Truth also failed a Wellness test, those plans were scrapped entirely.

As previously reported, it’s believed that both Evan Bourne and R-Truth violated the Wellness policy by smoking synthetic marijuana together at a party several weeks ago. WWE suspended Bourne almost immediately while allowing R-Truth to remain active until after his main event match at Survivor Series – which rubbed many superstars the wrong way.

The real winner in the whole situation will be the Miz. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the former WWE champion and WrestleMania 27 headliner is headed back into the WWE title picture – with a possible title shot at the Royal Rumble.

A Miz vs. CM Punk feud over the WWE title? Yes, please!

John Cena Giving Away Ford Mustang, WWE Renting Building

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— John Cena has teamed up with Ford to give you a chance to win a Mustang customized by the twelve-time world champion. Click here for details.

— WWE is renting 66,000 square feet of production space in South Norwalk, Connecticut as the Stamford-based entertainment company expands its business, city officials and the building’s landlord announced on Wednesday. WWE has been talking about expanding their production for several years and this is considered a major step towards their planned cable network launch.

A WWE spokesperson told The Hour they were expanding the company, but did not know how many positions would be working out of the facility. The full article is available here.

— Michelle will be participating in her first online chat since parting ways with WWE tonight at 6:00 p.m. on MichelleMcCool.net.

She tweeted, “6:00EST….michellemccool.net ~ be there!! LIVE chat with mwah!! Believe me, I don’t make promises I can’t keep~promise it’ll be FLAWLESS!”

John Morrison Done With WWE Next Week, TNA Interested

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John Morrison

After almost a decade with WWE, RAW superstar John Morrison’s days as a WWE superstar are almost over. His final scheduled appearance with WWE will be next Monday’s RAW Supershow.

According a source, Morrison’s WWE contract actually expired over the summer – and he signed a short-term extension that is now up.

Morrison has been unhappy with his role in WWE for quite some time – and the feeling is apparently mutual, with WWE not making much of an effort to keep the Prince of Parkour.

Word going around is that TNA is very interested in bringing in Morrison and Melina as a couple. With his star power coming off a lengthy run in WWE,  TNA would make Morrison the centerpiece of the company’s X-Division. No word yet if Morrison has spoke with TNA yet, directly or in-directly.

At to whether Morrison would be interested in TNA, we’ve heard conflicting stories. Morrison has been dealing with nagging back and neck injuries and will likely take time off to heal.

One reliable source said Morrison is interested in leaving the wrestling business entirely and getting into acting.

We Want To Know: What do you think about Morrison leaving WWE? Did he reach his full potential – or could WWE have gotten much more out of him? Would he be a good fit in TNA?

Chyna Says She Dated 1980s WWF Star, Bearer Discusses Austin

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— Kayfabe Commentaries recently sat down with “The Ninth Wonder of the World” Chyna to dish on a number of topics including Triple H, Sean Waltman, WWE, TNA, past suicide attempts and more. During the “YouShoot” interview, she reveals that she dated Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake when she was 18 years old. This would have occurred in 1989 when Beefcake was a top star in the World Wrestling Federation.

— Paul Bearer was interviewed for WWE’s latest Steve Austin video release, Austin: The Bottom Line on the Most Popular Superstar of All Time, and recalls seeing the future Hall of Famer at Chris Adams’ wrestling school in Dallas, Texas. He was teaching the young students how to do interviews and felt Austin stood out before he even saw him showcase his abilities.

“So when I first saw Steve, he just stood out. Head and shoulders above ’em all, before I ever heard him talk or see him get in the ring for the first time. You kind of scan all of them and he stood out,” Bearer said. “So once Chris Adams got the students into the ring, he started teaching them and then I got my chance to start teaching them about how to do interviews with the cameras; he was a natural.

— WWE filmed interviews for their upcoming video release on The Rock this past week.

source: PWInsider.com

Matt Hardy Jail Update, Michelle McCool On The Hotseat, Maria

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The Fayetteville Observer reports Matt Hardy remains jailed as of Wednesday in the Moore County Detention Center in Moore County, North Carolina pending one million dollar bond. Hardy, who was arrested Friday evening after being kicked out of rehabilitation center for failing a breathalyzer test, is scheduled for court next Monday in Moore County District Court due to three prior arrests.

— Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis will be hosting Top Rope Promotions’ Spindle City Rumble in New Bedford, Massachusetts on Thanksgiving Day. Click here for more information.

— The latest issue of Inside Wrestling features a lengthy interview with former WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool. The magazine is currently on newsstands.

— “Rowdy” Roddy Piper tweeted the following regarding the Penn State rape controversy: “I don’t know the truth on the Penn St. affair. I know this, if someone did that to my boy, I’d kill em, with my bare hands. I know that’s true.”

Kelly Kelly Scheduled For Court, WWE Offers Wrestler Contract

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— Kelly Kelly was recently caught running a red light in Tampa, Florida. She is scheduled for a mandatory court appearance in December and was fined $250. The fine now stands at $274 due to it being overdue.

— Among the U.K. wrestlers who WWE recently evaluated were Andrew Tyson, Adrian McCullum and Erin Marshall. Tyson was believed to have been offered a developmental contract pending visa application. McCullum worked a dark match against Justin Gabriel at the November 8 SmackDown taping in Liverpool, England.

— Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis said she resumed wrestling training on Tuesday. She tweeted, “Felt so good to be in the ring.”

She will be returning to the squared circle on February 25, 2012 for New York City based promotion Family Wrestling Entertainment. Her opponent has not been announced.

source: Wrestling Globe Newsletter

Sunny Trashes Ashley Massaro On Facebook, Ashley Responds

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Tammy “Sunny” Sytch trashed Ashley Massaro on Facebook after she failed to introduce herself to the WWE Hall of Famer this past weekend at a collectible memorabilia and media star show in Boston, Massachusetts.

“Ashley Massaro can kiss my hof ass…not once did she introduce herself to me,” she wrote. “Not once and she dressed like a stripper.”

The 2005 Diva Search winner was made aware of her inflammatory remarks and fired back on Twitter. Massaro explained that she did not introduce herself to Sytch due to previous insults.

Massaro writes, “Just a few words I’d like to share. This may be a bit long so bare with me. When I arrived at WWE I ALWAYS greeted every single talent there with the utmost respect and made it a point to shake hands and greet everyone my entire tenure. NOW when some piglet talks smack about myself and half the divas roster, and then gets bothered by the fact that I did not do the same after she bashed myself and my friends, she can go eat another meatball sub and stay the f away from me.

“Do you honestly think I respect you after the things you said? Well I don’t and I hope I’ve made that clear. Mind your own life and I’ll do the same. You got a problem HIT ME UP! Don’t cowardly talk about me on your Facebook or in interviews.

“Get a life you beached whale and stop with the jealousy because I see right through you. I love my life, my fans, my punx and my family. You’re just pissed because the rest of us you tried to throw under the bus haven’t gained 70 pounds. So hate on hater, I’ll be happy living my life and laughing at your poor attempts to make others feel bad. You make yourself look so foolish talking bad about others. Get some self confidence and maybe a diet. Lol.”

Massaro then retweeted twenty anti-Sytch remarks and closed, “Ok I’m done. I have no time for talking about this loser, too much positivity in my life to focus on. But if she wants a war, you know where to find me.”

Matches Taped For NXT & WWE Superstars, Low Attendance

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— The following matches were taped Tuesday night in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania for this week’s episode of NXT Redemption:

* Johnny Curtis vs. Yoshi Tatsu

* Jimmy Uso vs. JTG

* Percy Watson and Titus O’Neil vs. Darren Young and Tyler Reks

— The following matches were taped Tuesday night in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars:

* Jinder Mahal vs. Trent Barreta

* Ezekiel Jackson vs. Tyson Kidd

— A Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza employee told an attendee at tonight’s WWE television tapings that the event drew 4,000 fans. This is approximately half the venue’s capacity.

source: ProWrestling.net

Ratings Are In For Monday’s RAW Supershow

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Monday’s post-Survivor Series WWE RAW Supershow drew a 3.20 cable rating with 4,723,000 viewers.

This week’s show did hours of 3.24 and 3.17. As you can see, the trend continued this week of viewers tuning out from one hour to the other.

Hour one averaged 4.76 million viewers while hour two averaged 4.68 million viewers.

This is the 15th straight week that RAW’s final hour has dropped from the first.

*SPOILERS* WWE SmackDown Tapings Results

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Not so fast ... Click to enlarge

WWE taped Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown tapings from Wilkes Barre, PA. Credit to pwinsider.com for this report:

WWE SmackDown Spoilers (Airing This Friday)

– Mark Henry comes out on a crutch and cuts promo saying he will fight through his leg injury. Big Show comes out. H tells Henry that what he just did to him, Henry did to Show. Henry called Show the world’s largest loser. Show laid out Henry with KO punch. Daniel Bryan came out and cashed in MITB. We have a new champion.

Not so fast. Teddy Long comes out and says Henry was not cleared to compete. He takes Title off of Bryan and gives it back to Henry. This set up a Fatal 4 Way for the Number one contendership. The winner faces Henry for Title next week, then winner of that match faces Big Show.

– Hunico beat Justin Gabriel.

– Alicia Fox joins commentary. Divas tag match. Beth & Natty vs. AJ and Kaitlyn. Very quick. Natalya wins with The Sharpshooter on AJ.

– Zack Ryder was backstage playing the WWE ’12 video game. Sheamus comes in. Comedy ensues. They are tagging tonight vs. Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger. Now Long is on the screen and getting heavy boos. Henry comes in and is pissed about defending next week. Funny stuff from both. Long makes it a steel cage match for title next week.

– Ted DiBiase vs. Heath Slater. At the bell, Jinder Mahal pops up on screen speaking a foreign language. He is talking to DiBiase. He self translates saying that Ted turned his back on his wealthy family. The match begins while he’s talking.  The crowd is not into this match at all. It’s almost as if we haven’t been given a reason to care about either of these two in years. It’s a shame, they are working their asses off. Decent match. Ted DiBiase goes over clean.

– Cody Rhodes cuts promo backstage. He talks about throwing water at an announcer. Then says he’s gonna win the 4-way.

– The Fatal 4-way is up next. Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes.

– Daniel Bryan wins when Cody taps. Cody did a post match beatdown on Bryan until Orton made the save. That was the end of smackdown.

Orton Says He’s No Longer Bitter Over Rock Returning To WWE

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Dr. Pete and Steve of SportsTownChicago.com sat down with Randy Orton to discuss the release of THQ’s WWE ’12 video game, being “over the bitterness” of The Rock returning to while being excited to see him face John Cena at WrestleMania XXVIII, and more.

Brock Lesnar in WWE ’12: “I think it’s great. I’m a big Lesnar fan and I’ve always been. We came up together about 10 years ago. Me and him were buds. We’ve lost touch over the years’ as you usually do with guys like that. But I wish him the best. I know he’s had a few health issues as of late. But he’ll conquer those, just like he’s conquered every other obstacle that’s come his way. I truly feel he’s one of the few human beings I’ve ever met that have been able to accomplish as much as he’s accomplished. He puts his mind, body and soul into it and he’s gonna get it done.”

Bitterness with The Rock: “As far as The Rock and myself are concerned, you know I’d love to see that [himself vs. The Rock], are you kidding me? That’s huge.

“Right now, the WWE Universe is geared to see Rock/Cena at Wrestlemania 28. And to be honest, I’ve caught a little bit of the buzz too. We all want to see it. The crowd is ecstatic. When he comes out, there’s nothing else quite like it, it really is. Sure, I hate that the guy is back. I wish I was in his spot working with Cena at Wrestlemania 28… but yeah, I’m happy that Rock’s back. I’m over the bitterness (laughs) so to speak with him being back saying he never left and all that BS.”

The audio interview is available here.

WWE’s Future Plans For The Miz, Lawler Loses Voice, Sin Cara

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— “Awesome Truth” was split on last night’s Raw SuperShow in part to WWE creative’s plan to insert The Miz into the title picture over the next few months.

— Booker T handled broadcast duties during last night’s Raw SuperShow due to Jerry Lawler losing his voice.

— Sin Cara is believed to have undergone surgery today after suffering a patella tendon rupture when he jumped out of the ring during the Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match at Survivor Series.

— Santino Marella, who generally tweets in character, wrote the following this afternoon: “Stuck in DC airport since 730am and my flight leaves now at 5pm, so pissed.”

source: F4WOnline.com

Guest Host Announced For SmackDown, Wrestler Moved To Raw

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— Mick Foley will host next Tuesday’s live WWE SmackDown episode on Syfy. The official website of the Time Warner Cable Arena website is billing the episode as a “Smackdown Live Holiday Special.”

The website is also advertising a Steel Cage Match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Mark Henry and Randy Orton. Booker T will be the special guest referee. This will likely be a post-broadcast dark match.

— Epico, who has been competing on SmackDown since debuting on the November 4, 2011 episode, is now listed a member of the Raw roster on WWE.com. Epico and Primo beat Percy Watson and Titus O’Neil in a dark match at last night’s Raw SuperShow in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The two cousins were accompanied by SmackDown Diva Rosa Mendes.

— Arn Anderson has been added to K & S Wrestlefest, which takes place Saturday, December 3, 2011 at the Ramada Philadelphia Airport 76 Industrial Hwy. Essington, Pennsylvania.

Sheffield Removed From Raw Roster, Carlito Interested In Return

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–- Skip Sheffield has been removed from the Raw Superstars page on WWE.com. His page is also inaccessible.

This does not necessarily mean that he has parted ways with WWE. The company recently applied to trademark Ryback, which suggests that he will be repackaged with a new character upon his return from injury. Prior to assuming the cowboy persona in WWE’s developmental system, he appeared as Ryback, an indestructible “Terminator” style character billed from “The Future.”

— Carlito indicated on Twitter that he would be interesting in joining WWE or TNA Wrestling. However, he is currently tied to the “Unemployed Wrestling League.”

“For those who keep asking..I would love to go back to WWE but I just signed a long term deal with UWL. For info on UWL go to my bio,” he wrote. “That same answer goes for those asking if I’ll be joining TNA. I hope this clears everything up.”

Carlito has appeared for World Wrestling Council, Asistencia Asesoría y Administración and numerous independent groups since parting ways with WWE last year. He currently reigns as WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion.

Slammy Awards Announced, R-Truth Trends On Twitter

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— The official website of the Norfolk Scope Arena, which will hold the Raw SuperShow on December 12, 2011, is advertising the 2011 Slammy Awards for the three-hour television event.

The event will also feature a post-broadcast Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship between CM Punk, Alberto Del Rio and John Cena.

— Following WWE’s announcement this morning that R-Truth had been suspended for thirty days as a result of his first violation of the Talent Wellness Program, he began trending worldwide on Twitter.

— Shawn Michaels has reached an agreement with Total Gym for a workout DVD featuring the WWE Hall of Famer to be released. (Thanks to Carl Dantes)

Jericho Not Returning To WWE On 1/2/12, Mysterio Appearance

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— During Monday’s Raw SuperShow, WWE displayed a graphic pointing to a YouTube page. The page features a cryptic video teasing the return of a familiar wrestler on January 2, 2012—the first Raw of next year. WWE’s latest cryptic tease inevitably led to speculation that absent talent Chris Jericho could be returning to the organization. Jericho, however, has already dismissed the possibility.

When asked by a Twitter user what he’s doing on January 2, 2012, he responded, “Working in Hawaii.”

Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer reported over the weekend that contract negotiations between both parties recently fell through and that a possible return is now considered a “dead issue.”

— WWE has announced that Rey Mysterio will appear at the 52nd Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts AutoRama at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. His appearance is scheduled for Friday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. More details are available here.

— The November 19, 2011 episode of A.M. Raw garnered a 0.23 rating with 487,000 viewers.

source: PWInsider.com

Maryse Announces New Project, WWE Returning To Australia

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— Former WWE talent Maryse Ouellet has announced plans for a fashion and accessory line called House of Maryse. According to the project’s official website, HouseofMaryse.com, jewelry, bikinis, lingerie, sunglasses, handbags and more will be available in over 500 stores and online beginning next summer.

— WWE will be touring Australia in 2012. Dates and locations are as follows: August 30 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane; August 31 at Allphones Arena in Sydney; September 1 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

— WWE has asked talent to promote WWE ’12 on Twitter this week. WWE ’12 is on sale in the United States beginning today and in the United Kingdom on Friday.

sources: PWInsider.com, Wrestling Globe Newsletter

Video: Melina Talks About Her WWE Release

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Former WWE diva Melina talks to Diva Dirt about her WWE release backstage at WSU Breaking Barriers 2.

Breaking News: R-Truth SUSPENDED By WWE

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WWE has announced that RAW superstar R-Truth has been suspended due to a violation of the company’s Wellness Policy. The official statement from the WWE website reads:

“In accordance with the Talent Wellness Program, WWE has suspended Ron Killings (R-Truth) for 30 days effective immediately for his first violation of the company’s policy.”

This corroborates a weekend report here about one of the participants in the Survivor Series main event recently failing a drug test.

At the end of RAW, The Miz turned on R-Truth and delivered a vicious beat-down on his former tag team partner. Now, we know why.

Booker T & Cody, Layla Returning, JR On Young Talent

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– After undergoing knee surgery back in May for a torn ACL and MCL, WWE Diva Layla is almost ready to return to action. Layla took part in a live chat on the WWE website on Monday night and recently won a poll on the site about who should be the next challenger to Beth Phoenix’s Divas title.

– After Cody Rhodes threw a cup of water in Booker T’s face on RAW, Booker wrote the following on Twitter regarding the incident:

“What’s up universe hope all is well, just wanted to speak on that little drama that went down tonight, I’m really not what’s the problem is. Maybe Cody and I can sit down on FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN and talk about it we’ll see stay tuned…”

As we’ve been reporting recently, Booker T has been training for a final run as an active superstar – and will be feuding with Cody.

– Jim Ross feels that the younger WWE talents need to be more aggressive. He tweeted:

“Punk-Ziggler 1 of better matches on Raw in good while. Young, WWE talent needs 2 get HUNGRY/AGGRESSIVE. 2 many young guys on cusp of elevating in WWE aren’t aggressive enuf in their total approach 2 game WWE. Need squeaky wheels.”