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Capitol Punishment Title Changes & Dark Match

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– In a dark match that took place prior to Sunday’s Capitol Punishment pay-per-view from Washington, DC, Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov defeated Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel.

– Dolph Ziggler captured the WWE United States Championship by defeated Kofi Kingston in the opening match at Capitol Punishment.

– Ezekiel Jackson became the new WWE Intercontinental Champion at Capitol Punishment by defeating his former Corre partner Wade Barrett. This is Jackson’s second title reign in WWE, as he was the final ECW champion. That title was retired the night he won it on the final episode of ECW on Syfy.

WWE Capitol Punishment PPV Results

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WWE’s Capitol Punishment pay-per-view opens up with a nice video package for the R-Truth vs. John Cena main event. We go to the arena and we’re live from Washington, DC.

WWE United States Title Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston

Out first comes the WWE United States Champion Kofi Kingston to kick off the show. Vickie Guerrero escorts Dolph Ziggler to the ring next and we’re ready to go.

The bell rings and they go at it. Lots of back and forth action to start. They eventually go to the corner. Kofi catapults Dolph out. He goes for Trouble in Paradise but Dolph ducks and turns it around. Dolph with a big leg drop and a 2 count. More back and forth. Dolph hits a dropkick and another 2 count. Dolph applies a submission from behind. Kofi breaks out and rolls Dolph up for 2.

More counters, Kofi with another 2 count. Dolph applies a sleeper hold but Kofi breaks out of it. Dolph goes for a splash in the corner but Kofi moves. Lots of back and forth action. Kofi with a big axe handle from the top for a 2 count. Kofi misses Trouble in Paradise. Dolph catches him for a powerbomb but Kofi hits SOS. Dolph kicks out at 2.

More pin attempts from both men. Dolph goes for Zig Zag but misses. Kofi with a big leap and another 2 count. Kofi goes up top but Dolph meets him and knocks him down. Dolph climbs up top and goes for a superplex but Kofi drops him on his face. Kofi with a high crossbody and another 2 count. Dolph blocks SOS again and Dolph applies a sleeper. Kofi blocks it and slams Kofi into the corner. Kofi misses Trouble in Paradise again. Dolph misses Zig Zag and distracts the referee. Vickie interferes and attacks Kofi. Dolph takes advantage and puts the sleeper hold on tight on the mat. Kofi passes out while in the sleeper to end the match, after Dolph used the bottom rope for leverage.

Winner and New WWE United States Champion: Dolph Ziggler

– A limousine pulls up backstage and out steps R-Truth with the WWE Title. He says the champion is in the house. Truth says he’s got a party to go to. He runs into Eve Torres and invites her. She says she doesn’t even know who he is anymore. He says she’s right, she doesn’t know. He says nobody knows who he is anymore. Truth goes on to Eve before walking off.

– We see The Miz backstage with Todd Grisham. Grisham says the critics are asking if he has what it takes to beat Alex Riley. Miz says really? Is this how far his career has sunk in the last month? Miz says he is a former WWE Champion and is sick of hearing about Alex Riley. Miz says Riley was only good for carrying his briefcase. Miz puts Riley down some more and says he can go back to being someone’s bag carrier after tonight. Miz says he’s going to show the world tonight the fine line between luck and awesome.

– We get a video package for The Miz vs. Alex Riley.

The Miz vs. Alex Riley

We go to the ring and out first comes The Miz. Alex Riley, introduced from Washington, DC, is out next to a nice reaction from the crowd. Miz has his briefcase with him tonight. Miz taunts Riley before the match with the briefcase. Riley attacks and the bell rings. Riley takes it to the corner but Miz fights out and rolls to the floor.

Riley chases Miz around the ring but gets taken down when they re-enter. Miz works Riley over with rights, kicks and a high knee. Miz with a running kick to the face. Miz stomps away now but takes his time. Riley gets up and fires back. Miz kicks him to the mat and hits a big DDT for a 2 count. Miz with knees to Riley’s back now. Miz with another running kick to the face. Miz continues the offense and knocks Riley down when he tries to get up.

Riley rams Miz back in the corner but gets sent out to the floor. Miz comes outside and hits Riley with another kick to the face. Miz brings it back in the ring but keeps Riley on the apron and punches him, talking crap. Miz with a running knee to the face. Miz rolls Riley over for another 2 count. Riley tries to make a comeback again but Miz stops it. Miz applies a sleeper hold and takes Riley down to the mat with it.

More offense from Miz, another DDT and a 2 count. Miz with a big clothesline in the corner now. Miz climbs to the top and comes down with a double ax handle for a 2 count. Miz takes Riley to the corner and then ties him up in a tree of woe. Miz stomps away at Riley as he’s hung upside down in the corner. Miz goes for a baseball slide into Riley’s face but Riley pulls himself free and Miz hits the ringpost. Riley with an elbow and a spear now. Riley with several right hands before taking Miz to the corners. Riley throws Miz into the ringpost and hits a big spinebuster for a 2 count.

Miz tosses Riley to the floor. Riley comes back in with a big right hand and another 2 count. Miz rolls to the floor and Riley follows him. Riley slams Miz into the fan barrier, the ring apron and then the announcer’s table. Michael Cole runs his mouth to Riley and eventually distracts him. Riley grabs Cole by his tie and pulls him over the annoucner’s table and to the floor. Miz runs over and kicks Riley in the gut and throws him back in the ring. Miz brings the briefcase in the ring but the referee stops him from using it. Riley takes advantage and drops Miz with a big DDT for the pin and the win.

Winner: Alex Riley

– We go backstage with a fake Barack Obama and his Secret Service. Sgt. Slaughter walks up and Obama cracks a joke on Obamacare. Vickie Guerrero walks up and says she’s so happy that Dolph is the new US Champion that she wants to sing. Vickie starts singing Happy Father’s Day to the fake Obama and blows him a kiss, trying to be Marilyn Monroe. Obama has the Secret Service carry Vickie off as she’s still singing. Slaughter thanks Obama.

– We get a video with highlights from the Alberto Del Rio and Big Show feud.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Big Show

We go to the arena and in comes Alberto Del Rio driving a Mercedes Benz. As Del Rio is making his way to the ring, Big Show attacks him from behind and starts beating him up. Show brings Del Rio in the ring but Del Rio rolls back out. Show with big chops on the floor. The bell still hasn’t rang as Show throws Del Rio hard into the barrier. Show brings Del Rio back in the ring. As Show is entering, Mark Henry attacks Big Show from behind. Henry beats Show down and throws him over the announcer’s table. Henry manages to pick Show up and hits the World’s Strongest Slam through an announcer’s table. Del Rio is in the ring, demanding that the referee starts the match. Henry storms back over and slams Show’s injured knee hard into the table. Show rolls around in pain as the referee checks on him. The referee enters the ring and talks with Del Rio as we go to replays.

Big Show starts to get up. The referee starts the count but the bell still never rang. Big Show rolls into the ring at the 8 count but is down on one knee. Show finally stands up and is ready to fight. The bell rings and here we go. Del Rio attacks and Show throws him into the corner. Show with huge chops. Show grabs Del Rio for a chokeslam. Del Rio fights out and kicks Show’s leg. Del Rio with more kicks and offense until he gets sent out to the floor.

Del Rio drops Show’s neck over the ropes and goes to the top rope. Del Rio leaps off but Show grabs him for a chokeslam. Del Rio fights out and goes for the armbreaker but Show hits him with a huge back drop. Show walks towards Del Rio now as Del Rio begs him to back off. Del Rio kicks Show’s leg out from under him and applies a submission hold on the leg.

The hold is finally broken but Show is hurt. The referee asks him if he can continue. Show keeps trying to stand up but he can’t. The referee calls for the bell and it’s announced that Del Rio wins due to Show not being able to compete.

Winner: Alberto Del Rio

– After the match, Del Rio celebrates as Show lays in pain and we go to replays. Del Rio continues the celebration as trainers help Big Show walk to the back.

– Another backstage segment with R-Truth. He’s telling a photographer to go ahead and do the photos now because he will be tired after tonight’s title match. And that’s when my feed goes out and comes back to a WCW Nitro DVD commercial.

– Josh Matthews is backstage with WWE Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett. Barrett takes the mic and says he will handle this. Barrett starts walking to the ring from backstage and is talking about being in our nation’s Capitol and how we need a Queen. Barrett brings up the recent Weiner scandal, the US education system and the national debt. Barrett says in 20 years, everyone in this building will be speaking Chinese. Barrett says America looks good from the outside, but when you get closer you see it’s nothing but a hollow shell. Much like Ezekiel Jackson, he says. Barrett calls him pathetic. Barrett goes on and on before we get the bell.

WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Ezekiel Jackson vs. Wade Barrett

Barrett is formally introduced and gets boo’d. Ezekiel Jackson’s music hits next and out comes the challenger.

The bell rings and they lock up to USA chants. They go at it and break. Barrett comes back with right hands. Zeke goes for the torture rack but Barrett slides out and goes to the floor. Barrett comes back in and misses a clothesline. Zeke goes to work on him with rights in the corner and beats him down. Barrett dodges a splash in the corner but Zeke knocks him to the mat anyway for a 2 count.

Barrett with a big kick in the corner and a pin attempt. Zeke tries to fight back but Barrett catches him with a big sideslam for another 2 count. Barrett with a headlock now. Zeke fights out with elbows but Zeke stops him with a knee. A “We want Ryder” chant breaks out in the crowd. Barrett tries to roll-up Zeke and finally gets him down for a 2 count. Zeke runs into a big back kick from Barrett. Barrett with a pumphandle slam and another 2 count. Barrett with a bunch of kicks in the corner now and right hands. Barrett runs into an elbow from Zeke. Zeke comes back with clotheslines and splashes, knocking Barrett down. Zeke with a big running splash in the corner.

Barrett misses a splash in the corner now. Zeke fights back and goes for his series of bodyslams but Barrett counters. Barrett hits Zeke with Wasteland but Zeke kicks out at 2. Barrett tries a running kick but Zeke catches him. Zeke starts hitting the series of bodyslams and puts Barrett in the torture rack. Barrett taps out and Zeke wins the match.

Winner and New WWE Intercontinental Champion: Ezekiel Jackson

– After Zeke celebrates his victory, Jerry Lawler comes in the ring to ask him how it feels to win. Zeke says it’s awesome and the greatest accomplishment of his life. Zeke talks about domination and continues the celebration.

– We go backstage and see Santino Marella, Beth Phoenix and Kelly Kelly run into the fake Obama and his posse. Santino asks Obama if he wants to see how the Cobra is done. Santino shows him the motions and when he finishes, the Secret Service tackle him and rush Obama off to safety.

– Josh Matthews is backstage with CM Punk. Punks talks about how bad Washington, DC is. He says any performer or “sports entertainer”, as he mocks the term, who says they are a hero is lying to you. Punk says he, like Rey Mysterio and everyone else, just wants to get rich. Punk says after he beats Mysterio tonight in Washington, DC, he is going to do the most honest thing the WWE Universe has ever seen.

CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio

We go to the ring and out first comes Rey Mysterio to a nice reaction from the crowd. Out next comes CM Punk, who stares Mysterio down the whole way to the ring.

The bell rings and they go at it after some taunting from Punk. Lots of back and forth action. Punk keeps an offense going and gets a pair of 2 counts. Punk with a back kick before working on Rey’s arm. Rey fights out but Punk takes him down for a 2 count. Rey dropkicks Punk into position for 619. Punk drops off the ropes but Rey kicks him to the floor instead of 619. Rey leaps onto Punk’s shoulders on the floor but Punk drops Rey’s face onto the fan barrier.

Punk brings Rey back in the ring for another 2 count. Punk goes back to stomping on Rey and keeping the offense going. Punk puts Rey in a surfboard maneuver and tries to make him tap. Rey turns it over and drops down on Punk. Before Rey can get some offense, Punk stomps and goes back to work on him for another 2 count. Punk with a body scissors now. Punk hits a tilt-a-whirl slam on Rey and goes back to the scissors. Rey fights out finally and drops Punk for 619 again. Rey goes for it but Punk takes him out with a counter for another 2 count.

Punk applies an abdominal stretch now until Rey fights out. Punk charges in the corner but Rey drops him face first into the turnbuckle. Rey goes up top but Punk knocks him down and he gets hung upside down in the corner. Punk takes advantage and kicks Rey in the face. Punk with two headbutts to the gut. Rey comes off the ropes and kicks Punk in the face and then sends him flying to the floor. Rey with a moonsault from the apron to the floor and both are down now. Rey brings it back in the ring and goes to the top. Rey with a diving headbutt for a 2 count.

More back and forth action. They trade kicks and kick attempts. Rey kicks Punk in the head and he goes down for a 2 count. They go back to the top and Punk brings Rey to the mat with a big back body drop. Punk with a 2 count. Punk with a big running knee in the corner. Punk charges again but Rey moves and he hits the ring post. More back and forth with some 619. Rey goes to the top for the big splash but Punk puts his knees up. Punk fires away with knees to the head on Rey. Punk goes for the GTS and holds it a minute while smiling. Rey blocks GTS and takes Punk down with a hurricanrana for a 2 count. Punk connects and drops Rey with a big kick this time for a 2 count.

Punk goes for GTS again but Rey counters again and puts him into position for 619. Punk blocks 619 and catches Rey on his shoulders. Punk nails GTS for the pin and the win.

Winner: CM Punk

– After the match, Punk heads to the back and doesn’t do that honest thing he was talking about earlier.

– We get a video package for tonight’s World Heavyweight Title Match.

World Heavyweight Title Match: Christian vs. Randy Orton

We go to the ring and out first comes the World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton to a nice reaction from the crowd. Christian is out next, playing the heel. We get formal introductions from Tony Chimel and we’re ready to go.

The bell rings and they go right at it. Orton gets Christian down and starts stomping. Christian turns things around and knocks Orton down to one knee with rights. Orton misses a clothesline but hits a Thesz Press and unloads with right hands. Orton with a headlock now. Orton with a shoulder block now and a 2 count. Orton goes back to the headlock, keeping in control.

They run the ropes and Orton with a shoulder tackle and another 2 count. Christian fights out of another headlock and goes to the second rope. Christian goes for an elbow from the second rope but Orton dodges it. Christian tosses Orton through the ropes and to the floor now. Christian runs and dropkicks Orton through the ropes, and down he goes. Christian goes for a crossbody over the top rope but Orton moves and he hits the floor. Orton with a clothesline on the floor before bringing it back in the ring for a 2 count. Orton fires away on Christian before sending him back outside. Orton follows and works him over. Orton goes for a DDT off the steel steps but Christian counters and sends Orton head first into the steps.

Christian rolls Orton back into the ring for a 2 count. Christian stomps on Orton and stands on him in the corner. Christian with a reverse neckbreaker for another 2 count. Orton comes back with a 2 count of his own until Christian comes right back and drops Orton on his head with a spinebuster for a 2 count. The announcers play up Orton’s recent concussion. Orton counters Christian and whips him hard into the corner. Orton with a big back drop and repeated forearm shots to the chest. Christian counters and goes for the inverted DDT. Orton counters and comes back with clotheslines and a scoop slam.

Orton with an uppercut in the corner and a belly to belly suplex for a 2 count. Orton tries for the second-rope DDT but Christian hits him with a right hand. They go back and forth by the apron before going to the top rope. Orton hits a superplex on Christian but only gets a 2 count. More offense by Orton. Christian grabs him for the Killswitch but Orton blocks it. Orton goes for the RKO but it’s blocked. They leave the ring and come back in. Christian goes to the second rope but Orton pulls him down. Orton hits Christian with the second rope DDT. Orton hits the mat and gets ready to strike. Orton goes for the RKO but Christian counters with an inverted DDT for a 2 count.

Christian readies for a spear. Orton leaps over him and goes for an RKO but Christian blocks it. Christian nails the spear this time but only gets a 2 count. Christian with a dropkick. Orton charges in the corner but Christian kicks him in the head. Christian comes off the top rope but Orton goes under him. Christian walks into an RKO for the pin and the win for Orton.

Winner: Randy Orton

– After the match, Orton celebrates as Christian argues with the referee about the pin being good. Christian says he had his foot under the ropes. Orton walks over and lays Christian out with a belt shot to the head. Orton goes back to the corner to pose for the fans.

– We go to the ring and out comes The Bella Twins with Keith Stone, the guy from the Keystone beer commercials. It looks like they just have a seat at ringside.

– We go to a promo video for tonight’s WWE Title Match.

Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger

We go to the ring and out comes Jack Swagger for a bonus match that wasn’t announced before. Out next comes his opponent Evan Bourne. They lock up and go at it. Another chant for Zack Ryder breaks out. Swagger clams Bourne back to the mat and keeps in control. Swagger keeps Bourne on the mat.

Swagger keeps in control until Bourne takes him down with a head scissors. Bourne tries to mount an offense but Swagger stops it and slams him on his shoulder for a 2 count. Swagger drops elbows into Bourne’s ribs and covers him for another 2 count. Swagger with a chinlock and a knee in Bourne’s back, still keeping in control. We see Keith Stone and the Bellas sitting at ringside. Swagger does a push-up over Bourne and poses.

Swagger with a big back drop and another 2 count. Swagger takes Bourne to the corner and nails him with forearm shots to the back now. Swagger whips Bourne hard into the corner and he goes down. Swagger hits the big Vader splash from the second rope but only gets a 2 count. Swagger puts the boot to Bourne’s chest and continues the beatdown.

Bourne starts to make a comeback but Swagger stops him. Swagger misses the second rope splash and Bourne comes back again. Bourne goes up top but has to come back down. Swagger hits a big boot to the face out of nowhere but can’t get the pin. Bourne ends up on the top rope and they go at it before coming down. Bourne hits a big DDT for a 2 count. Bourne with two big kicks to the head. Bourne goes up top for Air Bourne but Swagger moves. Bourne lands on his feet. Swagger goes for the gutwrench powerbomb but Bourne slides out. Bourne goes for a roll up but Swagger goes for the ankle lock. Bourne counters it with another roll up for the win.

Winner: Evan Bourne
– We go to the stage and the fake Barack Obama comes out to a podium. He tells us thank you about twenty times and says he has some great WWE memories. Obama says every Monday night when he tells people he’s working on the budget, he’s up in his office watching RAW. He says if he were RAW General Manager, we would see a lot more Jim Ross and less Michael Cole. Obama wishes good luck to John Cena and the crowd boo’s. He wishes good luck to R-Truth and that seems to get a better reaction. He goes on and thanks everyone again before walking off. Booker T speaks up and stops Obama from leaving. Booker invites Obama down to the ring.

Booker says it’s a pleasure to meet Obama and talks about him making history by being the first black President and winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Booker T asks him if he can do the spin-a-rooni however. Booker’s music hits and he shows the fake Obama how it’s done. Booker asks us if we want to see the Barack-O-rooni. The music hits and Obama starts dancing before hitting a weak-a-rooni to end the segment.

– We get another promo video for tonight’s pay-per-view.

WWE Title Match: R-Truth vs. John Cena

We go to the ring and out first comes R-Truth, still in possession of the WWE Title belt. John Cena’s music is on next and here’s his entrance. We get formal ring introductions before the bell.

The bell rings and they finally lock up. Truth takes Cena down first as the crowd does dueling chants. They square up again and go to lock up. Truth throws a kick but Cena grabs his leg and throws him to the mat. Truth rolls to the floor and starts talking to himself. Truth comes back in and hits Cena in the face, taking it to the corner and working him over. They go back and forth but Truth rolls back out to the floor when Cena starts to get on a roll.

Truth comes in and Cena goes for the Attitude Adjustment. Truth blocks it and suplexes Cena on his face. Truth takes it to the corner and works Cena over but Cena comes out fighting. Truth with a side kick to the face for a 2 count. Truth with more offense and another 2 count. Truth with a chinlock now. Cena fights to his feet and out of the hold. Cena whips Truth into the ropes but Truth comes back with a corkscrew elbow, good for a 2 count. Truth mocks Cena and continues the assault. Truth fights Cena on the apron. Cena drops him over the ropes and comes back in the ring but runs into a clothesline. Truth with a 2 count.

Truth takes Cena to the mat and puts on the body scissors. More dueling chants from the crowd. Cena rolls out of it and goes for the STF but Truth makes it to the ropes. Truth gets up and drops Cena with a clothesline for another 2 count. Truth with a suplex and yet another 2 count. Cena starts to make his comeback and hits the usual moves followed by the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena goes for the Attitude Adjustment but Truth counters it and drops Cena but can’t get the pin. Truth misses a big forearm in the corner and Cena counters with a drop toe hold. Cena locks the STF but Truth makes it to the ropes and breaks the hold.

Truth comes back and hits the scissor kick but still can’t get the win. Truth goes up top and comes down with a crossbody but Cena rolls through and stands up with Truth. Truth slides out again and lays Cena out. Cena still manages to kick out at 2 and roll out to the floor to regroup. Truth goes to ringside and starts drinking a Cena fans drink. The fan throws drink in Truth’s face. Cena takes advantage, brings Truth in the ring and hits the Attitude Adjustment for the win.

Winner: John Cena

– After the match, Cena goes to ringside and picks the fan up to bring him in the ring. Cena raises the WWE Title and the little boys hand before giving him a thumbs up and helping him back out of the ring. Cena goes to ringside and poses with some troops. Capitol Punishment goes off the air with Cena saluting the camera.

Paul Heyman Reveals How Close He Came To Signing With TNA

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During a recent radio interview with TVTrax, Paul Heyman spoke about how close he came to signing with TNA, what his vision for the company was and more:

J.R. Predicts John Cena vs. R-Truth, Responds To MMA Purists

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Jim Ross has posted a new blog entry on his official website, www.jrsbarbq.com. Highlights are as follows:

Tonight’s WWE Championship Match between John Cena and R-Truth: “Cena vs. Truth….WWE Title…Cena likely wins but if Truth upsets Cena as I mentioned earlier in the week the Raw deck is reshuffled considerably. Without question, this is Truth’s biggest professional opportunity ever IMO. The newly minted villain has only one chance to make an impact in his first ever, WWE PPV main event. How Truth comes out of D.C. is intriguing.”

Tonight’s World Heavyweight Championship Match between Randy Orton and Christian: “Orton vs. Christian…World Title…might be the show stealer especially now that Orton has been cleared of concussion issues. It would be interesting to see Christian win (Sheamus??) as Orton feels as if he would be a nice fit to ‘chase’ Christian for the World Title. Bottom line is that these two have the potential to have a great match. I like this paring because it can realistically go either way.”

Response to mixed martial arts purists that don’t take his opinions seriously due to his ties to professional wrestling: “MMA purists/internet geeks who enjoy damming my opinions about their beloved sport largely because I’m a ‘wrestling guy’ will someday realize that the MMA fighters who are organically able to verbalize will have a better chance to become big earners and it won’t have any thing to do with ‘cutting pro wrestling promos.’ Muhammad Ali did it quite well for many, many years although he was comfortable enough with himself to admit that watching pro wrestling as a kid helped him mold his in ring persona.”

“Ali once told me that he realized he could earn more money getting fans to buy tickets to see him lose than to see him win.”

Ross also comments on the other matches scheduled for tonight’s Capitol Punishment pay-per-view in Washington D.C. His blog can be read here.

Jillian Hall Returns To The Ring, Latest Shelly Martinez Video

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— Saturday night in Orlando, Florida, former WWE Divas Champion Jillian Hall competed in her first match since parting ways with WWE last November.

Competing for Pro Wrestling Xtreme, Hall scored a victory over Santana Garrett (who appeared on TNA programming last year as part of Orlando Jordan’s entourage).

Prior to her match, Hall noted on Twitter that she was incredibly nervous. She wrote, “I’m super nervous to get back in the ring tonight. Plus, I’m sick!… Just made myself cry.. Gotta pull it together!!!”

— Former WWE star Shelly Martinez is featured in the comedy web series The Megan and Miley Show. The latest episode, entitled “Quiet Please”, has been posted online.

To view it, click here.

— ECW founder Tod Gordon celebrates his 56th birthday today.

TNA Knockout Joins Twitter, Match Advertised For Impact, More

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— The official website of Miss Tessmacher, MissTessmacher.com, has confirmed that the TNA Knockout has launched an account on Twitter. Her account is located at twitter.com/BrookeAdamsTNA.

She noted that she’s in South Beach, Florida for the Miss Hooters International Pageant, which she will be competing in.

— The next match in the first-ever “Bound For Glory Series” will feature Bully Ray vs. Scott Steiner. The match will take place on this week’s episode of Impact Wrestling.

Rob Van Dam and Matt Morgan currently lead the series with 7 points apiece.

— Brian Kendrick competed at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s pay-per-view event, Dominion, Saturday in Osaka, Japan. He teamed with Gedo and Jado in a tag team match against Jushin Thunder Liger, Yujiro Kushida and Tiger Mask IV. The TNA star scored the win for his team after hitting the Sliced Bread #2.

New WWE Signee Averno Loses Mask,Update On Skip Sheffield

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— Averno, who’s reportedly heading to WWE to feud with former rival Mistico (a/k/a Sin Cara), lost his mask Friday night to La Mascara at CMLL’s Jucio Final event.

Following his defeat, Averno took his mask off and announced his real name as Renato Ruiz Cortez of Mexico City, 34 years old with 16 years experience as a wrestler.

— Skip Sheffield was spotted last week in Tampa, Florida on crutches and his leg in a cast. The former member of Nexus underwent a third surgical procedure last Tuesday, which he vowed on Twitter would be his last. He hasn’t appeared on television since breaking his leg and ankle on August 18, 2010 at a WWE live event in Honolulu, Hawaii.

— WWE returns to the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, New Jersey on September 3, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale July 16, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.

Alex Riley Cleared Of Driving Under The Influence Charge

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WWE talent Alex Riley has been cleared of charges stemming from driving under the influence in Tampa, Florida in November 2010, reports TMZ.com.

His lawyers went before a judge earlier this month and argued that police had no probable cause for a traffic stop that led to his client’s arrest. The judge agreed, rendering the field sobriety test and the officer’s observations about Riley inadmissible.

Riley was arrested in Tampa, Florida on November 17, 2010, at 1:14 a.m. on charges of driving under the influence, after refusing to be tested. He was released at 9:33 a.m. on a $500 bond. Riley was also charged with driving with a suspended license.

To read the story, which also includes his mug shot, click here.

Randy Orton Reveals Status For PPV, WWE Site Interviews HBK

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— Randy Orton stated on Twitter that he passed the ‘Impact test’ he underwent on Friday. Therefore, he is cleared to wrestle Christian at tomorrow night’s Capitol Punishment pay-per-view event.

The WWE World Heavyweight suffered a concussion during Sunday’s SmackDown live event in Spain and had to pass the test in order to be medically cleared to return to the ring.

— Shawn Michaels participated in an interview with Joey Styles yesterday that will soon be published on WWE.com. The wrestling legend will discuss his new hunting show, which premieres on the Outdoor Channel later this month.

Monday Night Raw will be held on September 12, 2011 at the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario.

Dark Rising, a 2007 horror movie Christian appeared in, is now available on Netflix.

Vickie Discusses Weight Loss, Thoughts On WWE’s “Fat Jokes”

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Vickie Guerrero spoke to Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun to promote tomorrow night’s WWE Capitol Punishment pay-per-view event in Washington D.C. as well as Monday’s Raw in Baltimore, Maryland. She discussed numerous topics including how her recognizable catchphrase came out, Eddie Guerrero’s influence on her career, her significant weight loss, her weight being lampooned on WWE programming, and more.

Guerrero reveals that her trademark saying, “Excuse Me!”, came by accident one night at a television event.

“That was just a fluke,” Guerrero says. “I think I probably forgot my lines one night and just kept saying ‘excuse me’ to remember what I had to say next, and the fans just got louder. I tried it a couple more times and we thought, let’s stay with it and see where it goes. Now I sign all my autographs with ‘excuse me.'”

Guerrero says Eddie Guerrero is the inspiration behind her heel character as she learned how to cut an effective promo from watching him perform.

She says, “I think it goes back to watching Eddie do promos [wrestling monologues] in the living room and in the bathroom for 15 years. The louder I can get the fans and the angrier they are at me, the more it fuels the fire in me to just push them to the edge even more. It’s a high.”

Numerous insults have been levied at Guerrero over the years regarding her weight. Despite losing more than 50 pounds since last year, the jokes about her being overweight have continued to linger on WWE programming. She, however, feels it comes with territory.

“The jokes have helped grow my character to what it is,” she said. “I just kind of roll with it and leave it behind me when I leave the arena. Again, there’s the character and then there’s the real person. You can’t take what’s going on at work personally.”

She continues, “They really didn’t bother me. Well, I guess they did to an extent, but not to where I was feeling bad about myself. It was who I was. We have beautiful women that work with us, and when I was in the locker room with them and we’re dressing and stuff, I would look at them and be like, ‘Oh, this is ridiculous. I’m going to change.’ I wanted to feel good being a part of their group and to live a lifestyle that was going to be promoted with the WWE. Now when they say the jokes, it’s like, “Whatever.'”

Guerrero attributes her significant weight loss to exercise and a stringent diet.

She says, “I’ve lost 52 pounds. My secret was to stop eating all the junk food after leaving the arenas. I never really trained the first four years I was with WWE, so I wasn’t happy with how I looked and I wanted to have some improvement, so I found a personal trainer and also started doing the nutrition side of it. I’m really happy with the results, and I probably have like 20 more pounds to go. You cut out breads; you cut out all the junk food. I don’t drink any more sodas. I just eat healthy chicken and steak and rice. I don’t have any fried foods. I do have my cheat days and I look forward to them because you have to enjoy life. It’s so bad at our catering at work because our dessert table is bigger than our entrée table, so I save my Mondays and Tuesdays for a piece of cake or something that’s sweet. That’s my reward if I work hard during the week.”

The interview is available here.

TNA Releases Desmond Wolfe, Gunner Receives Stitches, More

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— It was reported on Thursday that Desmond Wolfe had been removed from ImpactWrestling.com’s roster page. It has since been confirmed that TNA Wrestling has released the former ROH World Champion.

Wolfe, who had been sidelined since September due an undisclosed health issue that prevented him from wrestling for the organization, last appeared on television in May as the commissioner of TNA Xplosion.

— Gunner stated on Twitter that he received ten stitches in his head after Mr. Anderson hit him in the head with a pitcher of beer on this week’s episode of Impact Wrestling.

— This week’s episode of Impact Wrestling featured 26 minutes and 51 seconds of in-ring action.

source: PWInsider.com

Alberto Del Rio Challenges John Cena For SummerSlam (Video)

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While in Los Angeles for the E3 video game expo to promote the new WWE 12 video game, Alberto Del Rio challenged John Cena to a match at SummerSlam:

Trish Stratus Backstage At TNA Show, Rayne Cancels Appearance

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— Madison Rayne’s scheduled appearance at Redd’s Restaurant and Bar today in Carlstadt, New Jersey has been canceled due to a personal issue she is dealing with. She will, however, appear at the Middletown Market today from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Rayne asked for prayers earlier this week on her Twitter account. She added today:

“PRAYING for a smooth travel day so I can get home in time tonight…. US Airways pleeeease be on my side today :*)

— Former WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus was backstage at last night’s TNA Wrestling live event at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario. Stratus lives nearby and was visiting former WWE peers who now work for the organization.

Stratus indicated on her Twitter account that Mickie James, Tara and Winter slept over at her house.

Trish also posted this picture on Facebook of her with several TNA knockouts:

Impact Wrestling Rating, Abyss & Sarita Heading To Puerto Rico

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— The June 16 episode of Impact Wrestling scored a 1.25 cable rating after drawing two consecutive below average numbers against the NBA Finals.

It was the program’s highest rating since May 17. It was also the second-highest-rated episode since March 17.

The show averaged 1,766,000 viewers over the course of two hours.

— It was reported earlier that TNA Women’s Knockout Champion Mickie James will be wrestling at the World Wrestling Council (WWC) Anniversary show in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, which takes place Saturday, July 16. TNA X Division Champion Abyss and TNA Knockout Tag Team Champion Sarita are also scheduled to appear.

— Gunner is scheduled to appear on Got Game tonight at 10:30 p.m. EST on FOX-18 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

sources: Pro Wrestling Torch, PWInsider.com

Ultimate Warrior Unleashes “KARMA COLLECTS” (9 VIDEOS)

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The Ultimate Warrior has released his 1-hour”KARMA COLLECTS” shoot video:

“Hulk Hogan has told lies about me for almost 20 years now. Me telling the truths about Terry Bollea for about an hour is justified as far as I am concerned, and long overdue.”

“Enjoy. Thanks again, all you UW fans, for all the great memories.”

“A warning: there is some strong, adult language in these videos; not much, some. There ARE NOT streams of cuss words and there is NO language — NONE– that is sexually explicit, but there are a few choice F’bombs. Just letting you know in case you might decide to watch these clips in the presence of kids. My advice is to not do that.”

Randy Orton Concussion Update

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suffered a legitimate concussion at WWE’s Smackdown house show from Madrid, Spain on Sunday. The injury occurred during the triple-threat main event match for the World Heavyweight title against Christian and Sheamus. WWE’s Wellness Policy requires performers who suffer concussions to pass an ‘Impact Concussion Test’ before returning to action.

Randy Orton tweeted the following on Friday afternoon:

“About to take an Impact test. It will determine if I can be cleared to fight Christian, after receiving a concussion. Wish me luck.”

We’ll keep you posted with his status when we get an update.

Despite Truce Offer, Warrior Still Plans To Blast Hogan

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In his latest Youtube video release, the Ultimate Warrior responded to fan questions asking him if Hulk Hogan’s recent request for a “truce” between the two of them would result in him not releasing the “karma is coming to collect” videos that he’s promised.

Warrior says that despite Hogan wanting to end their war of words, the scathing videos he has recorded are still coming – because Hogan has spent years trying to discredit him and destroy his legacy.

“I dont hate you terry, but I despise the absolutely disgusting example you have set as a man.”

HBK Called An “Animal Killing Machine” For Hunting Show

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Celebrity news site TMZ.com has picked up on the news of Shawn Michaels’ new hunting show, which premieres on the Outdoor Channel later this month.

Their article, titled, “WWE Legend Shawn Michaels: Animal Killing Machine,” leads off with this tongue-in-cheek description of the show:

‘Ex-WWE legend Shawn Michaels is grabbing life by the horns — and slaughtering it with a CROSSBOW … killing all sorts of majestic wildlife for a new hunting television show.’

HBK spoke to TMZ.com about his new show, defending his passion for hunting:

“I am a Christian, I am an American, I am a family man, and I am a predator, and MacMillan River Adventures will allow my long-time fans and newfound friends to see what really makes Shawn Michaels the man that he is today.”

One of Shawn’s reps told TMZ that the former WWE champion isn’t just hunting for sport – he eats everything he kills.

Check out these picture of Shawn Michaels hunting:

Robert Roode Talks Beer Money’s Future, Hogan’s Praise

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TNA World Tag Team Champion & one-half of Beer Money, Robert Roode, was the featured guest on this week’s live edition of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem, hosted by The Big Mosh & “The Chairman Of The Board” Todd Vincent.

During the interview, Roode Discusses TNA’s Highly-Anticipated Return To Buffalo For This Saturday Night’s BaseBrawl Event, Beer Money’s Future In TNA, What He Believes Himself & “The Tennessee Cowboy” James Storm Have Left To Prove Together As A Tag Team, His Reaction To Hulk Hogan’s Recent Comments About Possibly Becoming The Next Big Singles Star On Impact Wrestling, The Chances Of Seeing Him Go One-On-One With “The Nature Boy” & What It Has Been Like For Him Working With Ric Flair, The Biggest Point Of Growth He Has Seen In TNA, Why He Believes “Going On The Road” Is Important To The Continued Growth Of TNA, The Current State Of Tag Team Wrestling In The Industry Today, Plus Much More In His Exclusive Monday Night Mayhem Interview!

You can listen to an MP3 of the interview by clicking here.

Interview highlights courtesy of Paterson, MNM’s associate producer & official correspondent:

What he believes his tag team partner (“The Tennessee Cowboy” James Storm) & himself have left to prove as a tag team & whether or not we are seeing the final days of Beer Money as a tag team in TNA/Impact Wrestling:

“I don’t know. James & I in this three-year span have done a hell of a lot. We’ve become champions. We’ve lost championships. We’ve won them again. We’ve been in the ring with some of the greats. I don’t know tag team wise what’s left for us to do. We could stick around for a while and do our thing, but the fact of the matter is tag team wrestling is not as popular as it once was. Tag teams was always a staple, but nowadays, it’s not. I think there’s going to come a time, whether it be in the near future or further down the road, that James & I are going to get an opportunity to prove ourselves in singes competition, but no matter what, there’s always going to be a Beer Money.”

His reactions to Hulk Hogan’s recent comments during his press conference at CWI’s “Brawl at the Bush II,” in which “The Hulkster” stated why he & TNA have high hopes for Bobby as a future singles star in the company, plus why he is personally looking forward to seeing more from Bobby in the coming months:

“Obviously, you don’t want to disappoint anybody from my standpoint. When Hulk Hogan says something like that, I have to take it to heart and do everything I can to what he expects of me. I’m ready to do this. I’ve been ready for a long time, and who knows what is going to happen as far as with James & I and our singles careers when it comes, but I could promise the fans to expect the unexpected.”

His thoughts on returning to Buffalo for TNA’s BaseBrawl event this Saturday night at Coca Cola Field:

“I’m looking forward to it. I did a BaseBrawl when I first started out in TNA, and it was a lot of fun & really different. I’m looking forward to getting back to that field and performing in front of the Buffalo fans. It’s always awesome in Buffalo.”

Batista Talks Leaving WWE, Possible Return, MMA, Mason Ryan

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Former WWE star Batista was interviwed this week by f4wonline.com’s Wrestling Observer Radio Show. Here are some highlights of what Big Dave said about:

Why He Left WWE:: Batista said he left WWE because he felt like he didn’t fit in anymore. He feels like wrestling is in a bad spot right now and has gone down hill since the whole PG direction. Batista said it leaves a bad taste in his mouth and became too unbelievable & hokey. He added that the things he learned from guys like Triple H and Ric Flair, you couldn’t do anymore. He said you couldn’t use your tools anymore. Batista said he felt like he became disconnected from the business and became unhappy with it. He still believes in WWE as a company but there wasn’t a place for him anymore.

Batista said he gave WWE about 7 months notice that he wanted to finish outright. He wanted to go out the right way and give WWE plenty of notice. That 7 months ended up turning into 9 months because they needed him longer. Batista made it clear that Vince left the door wide open for him to come back. He said he enjoys having that opportunity there to go back, if he wants.

His MMA Career That Never Got Off The Ground: He had reached out to Strikeforce while with WWE and the MMA promotion expressed interest but he didn’t actually sit down with them until he left WWE. His plan was to become a profesional MMA fighter and actually had a 3-fight deal on the table with Strikeforce that would have seen him fight on CBS, Showtime and pay-per-view – all leading to a fight against Bobby Lashley. Batista cited scheduling, his movie work and financial differences, among other things, as to why the deals never worked out. They had another deal almost ready to be signed that would have sent him directly to pay-per-view to fight but his manager Cesar Gracie didn’t think everything was fair. When UFC bought out Strikeforce earlier this year, the deal fell apart.

Underutilized Talent In WWE & Who Has Potential: Batista thinks WWE blew a huge opportunity by releasing Ken Anderson and was “shocked” when he got released. Batista also named Ted DiBiase Jr., Kofi Kingston and Sheamus as superstars he sees with huge potential.

Mason Ryan: He doesn’t think Nexus star Mason Ryan is an attempt by WWE to copy him. He thinks Ryan is a great guy after meeting him in London and is curious to see where his career goes.

Whether He Would Return To WWE: Batista has no desire to ever work the full time schedule again, but says the door is open for him to return at some point for a final run so he can get closure on his career and officially retire. He is interested in working with WWE behind the scenes in some capacity as well.

Acting & MMA: He doesn’t want to be a full-time actor and doesn’t think he will ever be qualified to be one. He is also looking to continue his MMA training and eventually get a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

* VIDEO of BATISTA’s MMA Training [>]

(Credit to Marc Middleton for transcribing this interview)

*SPOILERS* WWE SmackDown Spoilers For Tonight

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WWE SmackDown on Syfy

Credit to Chris and Brittany for the following WWE SmackDown spoilers from tonight’s tapings, airing this Friday on SyFy:

* Randy Orton opens the show and says his concussion won’t stop him from beating Christian at Capitol Punishment. Teddy Long comes out and reminds Orton that he can’t compete tonight. Christian came out and played the heel role. Sheamus is out next and he vs. Christian is announced for tonight. If Sheamus wins, he gets put in the PPV match making it a triple threat.

* Wade Barrett, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes vs. Sin Cara, Ezekiel Jackson and Daniel Bryan is up next. Sin Cara’s team wins in a rematch from RAW.

* Backstage segment with Sheamus talking about winning tonight and the World Title on Sunday.

* Jinder Mahal defeated Vladimir Kozlov.

* Big Show comes out looking for Alberto Del Rio but gets Teddy Long instead. Long doesn’t want Show hurting Del Rio if he shows up tonight and books Show in a match with Mark Henry. Show knocks Henry out with the knockout punch. Henry does an injury angle and they take him away from the ring on a stretcher.

* Tamina, Rosa Mendes and Alicia Fox beat AJ Lee, Kaitlyn and Natalya.

* Christian is upset that he has to face Sheamus in the main event.

* Another backstage segment with Johnny Curtis. He calls himself the ace in the hole and says he will debut soon.

* The Usos defeated Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater.

* Alberto Del Rio comes out and talks about winning the WWE Title is his destiny and how he isn’t afraid of Big Show. Del Rio dedicates his Capitol Punishment match with Show to Ricardo Rodriguez. Big Show runs out and sends Del Rio fleeing from the ring. Del Rio looks on as Show goes crazy and tears up the ringside area.

* Christian beat Sheamus in the main event. Randy Orton was at ringside watching. Orton chases Christian off after the match and runs back down to punt Sheamus in the head to end the match.

Video: Zack Ryder Z! True Long Island Story (Episode 18)

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For all the broskis out there, Mr. Long Island Iced Z himself, Zack Ryder, is back with another installment of his online video show, the Z! True Long Island Story. This week’s show was taped on Monday, after the Monday Night RAW show from Long Island that he was left off. WWWYKI:

Title Match Announced For Upcoming Impact, Jacqueline Returns

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— Hulk Hogan stated on tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling that Sting would receive his rematch for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship on the July 14 show. He lost the belt to Mr. Anderson this past Sunday at Slammiversary.

While Kurt Angle is the number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship (after defeating Jeff Jarrett at Slammiversary), Mike Tenay stated that Mr. Anderson’s first title defense will be against Sting.

— Jacqueline returned to TNA Wrestling on tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling as she joined ODB in assaulting Velvet Sky following her TNA Knockout Tag Team Championship Match against Sarita and Rosita. Jackie then said in a backstage segment that the Knockouts Division is a joke and she’s there to clean it up because wrestling matters to her.

Jacqueline was phased out of the Knockouts Division in late 2008 and ultimate released in July 2009. She has sporadically appeared at independent wrestling events since that time.

Meanwhile, Mike Tenay stated that ODB is not under contract to TNA (despite being listed on the company website’s roster page).

ROH Tag Team Receive WWE Tryout, SummerSlam Commercial

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— Former ROH World Tag Team Champions Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli were on hand for this week’s WWE television tapings in New York and Rhode Island. Both worked out in the ring in front of officials before each show.

Castagnoli signed a developmental contract with WWE in November 2006 but was released a short while later for reasons that have yet to be publicly disclosed.

— WWE has released a commercial ad promoting SummerSlam, which takes place August 14, 2011 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It is branded as “The Biggest Event of the Summer.”

The commercial features The Miz, Chris Masters, John Morrison, Kofi Kingston, Eve Torres, Alicia Fox and The Bella Twins emerging from the ocean and scurrying to a beach house to watch SummerSlam.

The commercial is available here.

Damage starring Steve Austin airs tonight on Spike TV at 11:00 p.m.

source: PWInsider.com

Wolfe Removed From TNA Roster Page, James In Puerto Rico

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— Desmond Wolfe has been removed from ImpactWrestling.com’s roster page. This is often an indication that a wrestler has parted ways with TNA Wrestling.

Wolfe has been sidelined from in-ring competition since September due to medical leave. He resurfaced on TNA programming last month as the commissioner of Xplosion.

— For the second consecutive year, TNA Women’s Knockout Champion Mickie James will be wrestling at the World Wrestling Council (WWC) Anniversary show in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, which takes place Saturday, July 16. Event information is available at superestrellaswwc.com.

— Impact Wrestling’s Facebook page is advertising the following match for tonight’s Impact Wrestling broadcast: “Tune in to tonight’s IMPACT on Spike to see the return of Austin Aries, Kid Kash and Jimmy Rave in a 3-way match as the countdown begins to Destination X on July 10!”