Home Blog Page 3113

Cody Rhodes Plans To Unmask Rey Mysterio At WrestleMania

10

SmackDown star Cody Rhodes was interviewed this week by CLATL.com to hype his WrestleMania 27 match with Rey Mysterio. Here are some highlights of what Rhodes said about:

Wrestling Rey Mysterio At WrestleMania: “I haven’t had the opportunity to say this much, but I’m only 25, so at the time that Rey Mysterio was in World Championship Wrestling having these marathon excellent matches with Dean Malenko, I was a kid sitting on the floor watching. There’s a time to be a fan and a time to be a professional, and I’ve tried to remain professional as we move forward. But if I sit back and think about it, regardless of any personal feelings I may have about it, it’s a real privilege to be in there with Rey Mysterio. He’s one of the staples of the WWE and a staple of WrestleMania.”

Whether Dusty Will Be In His Corner At WM27: “I hope that he will mentally be in my corner, but my dad likes the young talent to shine. It was really nice to have him in Sacramento when he came out on “SmackDown,” but he’s stayed out of things moving forward, and I think that’s the way he wants it. He might be in the front row, he might be backstage, but he will probably be there in spirit.

There’s sort of an underlying thing at WrestleMania this year that not a lot of people are talking about. You’re seeing a lot of veteran superstars, Rey Mysterio included, a lot of WWE greats, most of whom are going to be Hall of Famers themselves, against new talent. It’s a younger crop of talent when you look at the Miz vs. John Cena, Alberto Del Rio vs. Edge and myself vs. Rey Mysterio. So, [my dad] is respecting that night as well. It might be a changing of the guard at WrestleMania XXVII and that would be a really special thing.”

Plans To Unmask Rey Mysterio: “Thank you for asking a question that has not been asked of me as I’ve done multiple interviews heading toward WrestleMania. I’m going on record and making a Muhammad Ali-style guarantee that, yeah, I am going to take his mask off at WrestleMania. I genuinely am going to remove his mask. I am making that known now. It is an unbreakable vow for me and I will follow through with that.”

In case you haven’t seen Rey Unmasked from his WCW days, here’s his face:

VIDEO: The Miz & Rowdy Roddy Piper On Jimmy Kimmel

1

WWE Champion The Miz and WWE Hall of Famer Rowdy Roddy Piper appeared on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live show on Tuesday night to promote Sunday’s WrestleMania 27 pay-per-view. Here’s the footage:

HBK’s HOF Inductor Announced, Stephanie McMahon Resurfaces

17

It was revealed at today’s WrestleMania XXVII press conference in New York’s Hard Rock Café that Triple H would be inducting Shawn Michaels into the WWE Hall of Fame on Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia.

Triple H was introduced by Stephanie McMahon, the event’s presenter. He kissed her upon his entrance and announced that he would be inducting Michaels, his friend, into the WWE Hall of Fame. He then vowed to end The Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak on Sunday.

Michaels said recently in interviews that he narrowed the list down to two candidates to induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame.

The WWE Hall of Fame Induction ceremony airs this Monday prior to Raw on the USA Network.

source: PWInsider.com

Latest On Jeff Hardy’s TNA Future, Celebrity Sighting At Impact

5

— According to sources within TNA Wrestling, no determination has made regarding if and when Jeff Hardy will return to action.

It was reportedly discussed that Hardy would return as a babyface, but sources say the subject was never broached. Hulk Hogan criticizing him a promo on the March 17 iMPACT! was merely done to explain his absence from Immortal.

Hardy’s status with the company likely won’t be discussed until after his April 20 court hearing in Moore County, North Carolina.

— Jalil Patel, an Indian film actor, model and singer who has appeared in numerous Bollywood films, advertisements and music videos, was spotted in the VIP area at last night’s iMPACT! taping in Orlando, Florida. He was seated off-camera and had four to five security guards around him at all times. (Thanks to Nick)

Patel worked a dark match against Ring of Honor competitor Roderick Strong at the August 10, 2010 iMPACT! taping, which he lost.

source: PWInsider.com

Hogan On TNA’s Direction, TNA Beats WWE In UK Ratings, Davari

27

— Hullk Hogan tweeted the following after Tuesday’s TNA iMPACT! tapings (airing 4/14):

“The taping of TNA on Tuesday was awesome ,feels like were starting to ride the big waves again HH”

— Former WWE talent Shawn Daivari worked last night’s iMPACT! taping in Orlando, Florida, beating independent wrestler Ricky Reyes via Death Valley Driver. He was announced as Shawn Daivari.

Over the weekend, Daivari denied reports that he had re-signed with TNA Wrestling. He didn’t, however, deny the report of him working this week’s iMPACT! tapings.

— For the week ending March 20, TNA iMPACT! beat both WWE Monday Night Raw and WWE SmackDown for the third consecutive week.

According to the Broadcasters Audience Research Board, TNA iMPACT! on Challenge TV drew 157,000 viewers, down 6,000 viewers from the previous week. Raw on Sky Sports 3 drew 156,000 viewers while SmackDown on Sky Sports 2 garnered 137,000.

TNA’s Victory Road pay-per-view event outdrew all WWE programming and equaled iMPACT! viewership with 157,000.

— TNAWrestling.com has posted new studio photos of Angelina Love.

WWE All Stars Video Game Review: IGN.com Gives It A 7.0

9

* BUY THE GAME HERE for ALL Consoles – Cheapest Prices ANYWHERE!

Video game website IGN.com has posted their official review of the new WWE All Stars video game, which you can read here in its entirety.

Here are IGN reviewer Greg Miller’s ratings for the game (out of 10):

Presentation: (7.0) – The colors and Fantasy Warfare videos set an awesome stage, but some slowdown after matches, long loads, and the lack of a tutorial steal the thunder.

Graphics: (8.5) – I truly dig the bright, action figure visuals. It gives WWE All Stars a distinct style.

Sound: (7.5) – Commentary from J.R. and the King is fine, the classic soundtrack is great, and the voiceovers in Path of Champions are good.

Gameplay: (7.0) – The core of a strike/grapple system is solid and the way to go, but the additional levels of depth confused me and the others I played with. Needs to be a bit more arcadey and less built for experts.

Lasting Appeal: – (7.0) Outside of Fantasy Warfare’s introduction videos, the matches and modes all kind of run together but are fun. The game’s built around you just beating on friends, and sadly, online isn’t super-smooth.

OVERALL: (7.0) – Good

Closing Comments: WWE All Stars is fun — I enjoy the cartoony colors, crazy moves and ability to just jump in and play — but it has plenty to improve on for next time. A detailed tutorial is needed, the modes and matches tend to all feel the same, and online should be more responsive. Wrestling fans will have fun when they pick this one up but I don’t know how long it’ll last as it’s a bit shallow. On the flip side, the nuanced combat isn’t going to suck in players looking for a simple, arcade experience.

WWE ALL STARS is now available at Amazon.com for around $50.

*Spoilers* Details On The First Episode Of Tough Enough

7

The new season of WWE Tough Enough does not premiere until Monday night after the post-WrestleMania edition of RAW, but we’ve already got a sneak peek at the first episode, including some spoilers. You’ve been warned.

* The show begins with Steve Austin having the contestants setup an empty arena for a live WWE event. The next day, the contestants begin their training with Trish Stratus, Booker T and Bill DeMott.

* The first beef in the Tough Enough house is between Miss USA Rima Fakih and New Jersey wrestler Mickael Zaki. Zaki runs his mouth about how Tough Enough should have only featured men and women don’t belong on the show. Zaki throws a pillow at Miss USA, who responds by telling him off and storming out of the room. Zaki is portrayed as a heel on the first episode.

* One of the contestants “crapped their pants” during the in-ring training.

(Partial Source: BuzzFocus.com)

Howard Finkel Talks Favorite WrestleMania Monent & Celebrities

1

Right After Wrestling with Howard Finkel
Hosts: Arda Ocal and Jimmy Korderas
Available at TheScore.com or at Itunes.

Finkel on his favorite celebrity to work with and celebrity involvement at WrestleMania: “Where do I begin. Of course, Muhammad Ali. At that time, he was to boxing what Hulk Hogan was to wrestling. Years to years, I worked with Joan Rivers in 1986 and enjoyed meeting her. Donald Trump – how could you go wrong with Donald Trump. What an entrepreneur he is and a class-act that he was. A lot of these celebrities were fans – some weren’t. But once many of them ‘got the rub’ from the WWE/F machine, they became fans from then on”

On how unique WrestleMania is as an event and why it continues to deliver: “It’s classified as ‘expecting the unexpected.’ There is no other event – on the face of this Earth, in my humble opinion – that can give you bang-for-your-buck every year, consistently. You want the very best of events – in entertainment – it’s WrestleMania.”

What the Fink felt was his defining moment in his career and at WrestleMania: “Personally, WrestleMania 3 – Pontiac Silverdome, 1987. To stand in the middle of the ring and look around at 93,173 people looking down at us – myself, and the WWF superstars, that was the greatest moment for me. And just to know all those people were there to have a good time and I had to perform – to ring announce – for those people…that’ll never happen again. I don’t think I’ll ever work in front of crowds that huge – that ‘landmarkish’ – ever again. I was absolutely filled with pride for Vince (McMahon) on that day.”

Other Topics

-What he thinks are Shawn Michaels’ greatest matches in his career

-How the name “WrestleMania” initially came about

-The feeling of going into the first WrestleMania and being the 1st true employee of the WWE/F

-What other jobs did he do within the WWE, besides ring announcing

Gabe Sapolsky Takes DGUSA To The Next Level With iPPV

9

Dragon Gate USA co-founder Gabe Sapolsky is taking a big risk with Dragon Gate USA, but the lessons he learned working in the original ECW promotion have served him well. Sapolsky wrote a blog about DGUSA’s big move, and it’s a really interesting read.

“I remember when Paul Heyman first brought up the “Cyberslam” concept in ECW in 1996,” Gabe recalled in the blog, “A bunch of fans from around the country were buying tickets to our event at the ECW Arena. They all came together on this new sensation called the Internet. The result was a hugely successful event that was profitable for ECW, built the brand and was memorable for all the fans in attendance.”

Gabe continues, “The lesson- be at the forefront of technology and what’s hot. Now almost 15 years later we are doing that with Dragon Gate USA and EVOLVE. This time it is with the relatively new Internet pay-per-view (iPPV) concept. After months of hard work and beta testing we rolled out WWNLive.com last week. This was a landmark achievement for everyone at DGUSA and EVOLVE. We brought the capability to produce live iPPV in house. We now control our own destiny and are the first company to do this.”

You can read the entire controversial blog if you click here.

What do you guys think – would you order Internet pay-per-views? Do you think its a good way for companies like ROH and DGUSA to evolve and reach their audience in a new way? COMMENT BELOW and let us know.

Sound Off 153: Hot Raw Show and a TNA Personality Suspended

8
solomonster
Solomonster Sounds Off

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 153)

*right-click, “Save As”, or stream it!

Est. Runtime: 1 hour, 13 minutes

Solomonster is back with his SECOND show this week and his 4th annual WrestleMania predictions show! But first, thoughts on a TNA personality getting suspended, Finlay’s unfair WWE release and breaking down a hot Raw show in Chicago that was not without its imperfections. Then, we’ll run down the entire WrestleMania 27 card with predictions on the winners, losers, Rock’s promise to whoop John Cena’s ass, what role Christian might play in the World title match and more. Enjoy this special bonus show!

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

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

Visit The Solomonster on Twitter @ twitter.com/solomonster

Friend The Solomonster on Facebook @ facebook.com/thesolomonster

Jeff Hardy’s TNA Future, Future TNA Storylines, Linda

13

– According to TNA sources, there has been no determination made regarding the future of Jeff Hardy with TNA Wrestling. It’s very possible that it won’t even be discussed until after his April 20th court date. He’s been telling TNA management for months that everything is going to be fine but they have a hard time trusting him for obvious reasons.

Jeff Hardy is not backstage at this week’s TV tapings and rumors of him returning as a babyface are false. There haven’t even been any talks regarding that. The Hogan promo several weeks ago way the way of writing him off TV.

– Word is that barring any issues, TNA has most of the company’s top storylines planned out through June.

– RadarOnline.com has picked up the story on Linda Hogan challenging Charlie Sheen to a fight.

Partial Source: pwinsider.com

HBK’s Role At WrestleMania, “WWE Night” At Turner Field

12

— Shawn Michaels is scheduled to appear ringside during The Undertaker vs. Triple H match at WrestleMania XXVII.

— “WrestleMania Week” kicked off today in Atlanta, Georgia as Turner Field hosted “WWE Night.” WWE talent John Morrison, Mark Henry, Eve and Melina participated in an autograph signing prior to an Atlanta Braves spring training game.

Morrison was named honorary team captain while Henry tossed the “first pitch of the year.” The Divas exclaimed “Play ball!” to start the game.

The signing drew approximately 100 fans.

— Kevin Nash announced on his Twitter account that he will be on hand for this weekend’s WrestleMania Axxess festivities at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. He appears at the event Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon.

sources: F4WOnline.com, Pro Wrestling Torch

Latest On WrestleMania Main Event, Update On Michael Cole

13

— There have been discussions all week about whether to close Sunday’s WrestleMania XXVII pay-per-view event with John Cena vs. The Miz or Triple H vs. The Undertaker. The latter match was scheduled to close the show last week, but Vince McMahon is going back and forth this week on what to do.

— WWE Champion The Miz and WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! tonight on ABC at midnight Eastern Time.

— The reason “The Cole Mine” was constructed is because Michael Cole will resume his role as a mere commentator following WrestleMania XXVII and creative wants to keep him and Jerry Lawler apart.

source: F4WOnline.com

Raw Rating Significantly Increases, WWE Revives WCW.com

11

— The March 28 episode of Monday Night Raw scored a 3.81 cable rating, up from 3.34 last week.

The first hour scored a 3.56 rating before increasing to a 4.06 in the second hour. It is the only hour to score above a 4.00 rating since the return of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Raw was watched by 5,838,000 viewers overall.

— Commemorating the ten year anniversary of World Wrestling Entertainment Entertainment acquiring longtime rival World Championship Wrestling, WWE.com has posted a retrospective looking back at the history of the promotion, as well as some of its talent. It can be accessed via WCW.com.

The feature highlights former “competitors” such as Sting, Scott Hall, Barry Windham and The Steiner Brothers. It is also noted that Chavo Guerrero is the only active competitor to have never left WWE since the acquisition of WCW. He looks back and remembers World Championship Wrestling.

— Randy Orton’s tour bus on Raw last week is, or was, his day-to-day tour bus.

sources: Pro Wrestling Torch, PWInsider.com, F4WOnline.com

Lesnar Comments On WWE Return, McMahons Pledge Money

11

— Brock Lesnar appeared on ESPN’s Sportscenter this morning to promote the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter and was asked by anchor Hannah Storm about the possibility of returning to World Wrestling Entertainment.

“I should never say never,” Lesnar responded. “When my stint in the UFC is over, it’s a possibility. But folks, it ain’t happening very soon. That’s for sure.”

— The Boys & Girls Club of Stamford, Connecticut has received a $300,000 pledge from the Vince and Linda McMahon Family Foundation. The foundation will donate $100,000 per year over the next three years. (Article link)

— The March 26 episode of A.M. Raw on the USA Network drew a 0.5 cable rating, with 572,000 viewers.

WWE All Stars Podcast With Rowdy Roddy Piper & Sheamus

0

WWE ALL STARS Now On Sale At AMAZON.COM – Lowest Price Anywhere

THQ has launched an official podcast for the fantasy matchups that can only take place by playing the WWE All Stars Video Game.

The WWE Games Community will present all of the latest WWE Games news, the hottest interviews with THQ game designers and WWE Superstars/Legends, and even answer you questions. THQ’s very own Tank and Hammer host the very first fantasy matchup, which will see Sheamus square off against WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Tank and Hammer had the opportunity to interview both Sheamus and Piper, and the sparks are already flying!

ROWDY RODDY PIPER PODCAST!
SHEAMUS PODCAST!
lakh9 lakh8

John Cena To Grant 30 “Wishes” At WrestleMania 27

10

John Cena is one of the most active celebrities working with the Make-A-Wish foundation, an incredible charity which gives sick children a chance to experience their wildest dreams. TMZ.com is reporting that John Cena is taking 30 children with “life-threatening medical conditions” to WrestleMania 27 this weekend from Atlanta. The children will be from the U.S., Canada, and Australia.

The children, which will hail from the United States, Canada and Australia, will not only attend WrestleMania, but they’ll get a private autograph session with WWE Superstars and Divas, as well as a pizza party hosted by John Cena.

Cena does so much for the M.A.W. Foundation that he’s reached an incredible milestone – 200 wishes granted. He’ll be honored by the organization this weekend for reaching 200 wishes, an honor that’s only been achieved by 3 other celebrities – NASCAR legends Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. and some guy named Hulk Hogan.

Say what you want about John Cena, but it’s hard to hate on a guy who does so much good for sick children.

WWE Announces Rapper Snoop Dogg Is Attending WrestleMania

8

Rapper Snoop Dogg announced on Facebook on Tuesday that he’ll be attending Sunday’s WrestleMania 27 pay-per-view from Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Dogg wrote:

“Fo’ Shizzle WWE Univizzle!! The one-and-only Snoop Dogg will attend WWE WrestleMania XXVII!! Click LIKE if you’re down with the D-O-Double G!

WWE also made the following announcement on Tuesday:

Multiplatinum recording artist Snoop Dogg to attend WrestleMania XXVII
March 29, 2011

ATLANTA – WWE’s longtime friend and past Monday Night Raw guest star, Snoop Dogg, will be in the ATL to attend WrestleMania XXVII!

The last time Snoop attended WrestleMania was in 2008, when he was Master of Ceremonies for the BunnyMania Lumberjack Match at WrestleMania XXIV.

Snoop has just released his 11th studio album, Doggumentary, available now. For more information, visit snoopdogg.com.

Twitter Suspends TNA President Dixie Carter’s Account

23

Twitter suspended TNA Wrestling President Dixie Carter’s account today.

Her account was suspended due to a violation of the website’s terms of service. Approximately a month ago, a background image featuring a photoshopped “Verified Account” logo was uploaded to the page. However, only Twitter may indicate that an account is verified.

Their terms of service reads: “Misuse of Twitter Badges: You may not use a Verified Account badge or Promoted Products badge unless it is provided by Twitter. Accounts using these badges as part of profile pictures, background images, or in a way that falsely implies affiliation with Twitter will be suspended.”

According to reader Kemco, numerous users reported the violating account to Twitter, which led to its suspension.

Carter launched the account in late 2009, coinciding with the arrival of Hulk Hogan, and was frequently plugged on TNA iMPACT! up until a few months ago. Some people have speculated that her “I am” tweet last week was in response to users calling her out for misrepresenting the account as verified.

VIDEO Of The Rock, John Cena & The Miz’ Segment From RAW

11

WWE has posted a video clip [WWE Youtube Channel] of the final minutes of Monday’s RAW, featuring part of the epic showdown between The Rock, John Cena and The Miz. Don’t forget to comment below and tell us what you thought about it.

New Modeling Pictures Of Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis

5

Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis, who is launching a perfume in the next few weeks, has released a stunningly sexy set of photos online. The beautiful Wrestlemania Playboy Cover Girl must be working out like a fiend, because she has never looked better.

To see the entire hot gallery of Maria Kanellis, click on the photos below:

mkhw1 mkhw2

Kevin Nash Talks Leaving TNA For WWE, WM27 Weekend & More

11

WWE legend Kevin Nash spoke to Atlanta’s Creative Loafing blog to promote the VIP he’s throwing in Atlanta this Friday night as part of WrestleMania weekend. To read the full interview and get more details on Nash’s party – visit CLATL.com. Here are some highlights of what Nash said about:

His Current Role in WWE: “For me, right now at almost 52 years old, I really don’t want to be bouncing around too much. I’m blessed that I can get around as well as I can after being beat up for so many years. But I’d still like to do anything I can do to help the young guys and help the federation move forward. So we’re going to sit down over ‘Mania weekend and the weeks after that, look at some options, and see what works for them and what works for myself and move forward.”

Whether He’ll Be A Part Of WrestleMania Weekend: “I haven’t been told anything, but like any good pro wrestler, I’ll definitely pack my gear because you never know when somebody’s going to go down and they need a body. So I’ll make sure I have my gear on me in case I am needed. But I will be signing at the fan Axxess for them under my Legends contract. It’ll be nice to get back down there, and WrestleMania’s always special. It’s the Super Bowl of wrestling, and it’s nice to be part of the whole weekend. And to do our own little thing to kick it off is something that’s special to me because I’ve never tried to do anything like this before and it’s gotten a good response.

Atlanta’s a sweet town. Great food, great nightlife, good people, so it will be good to spend a couple of days in Atlanta going to my old gyms and hanging out in my old stomping grounds.”

His Decision To Leave TNA and Re-Join WWE: “I was with TNA for the better part of four or five years. I’d walk through the airport and people’d come up and ask for my autograph and ask if I was ever going to wrestle again. I’d be like, “I have been for the past five years.” There’s that much drop-off between WWE and TNA. Then coming back at the Rumble and running out in front of 20,000 people — well, walking out in my case — it was special. The reaction was nice and it’s nice to be back. To me, it was the right move. Everything goes full circle and I became a money player with WWE, and I’d like to finish my career with them.”

Reason For Change To WrestleMania Match, Update On Kingston

14

WWE’s creative team plugged Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov into the Eight Man Tag Team Match with The Corre at Wrestlemania XXVII after it was decided that Christian would be in Edge’s corner when “The Rated-R Superstar” defends the World Heavyweight Championship against Alberto Del Rio. Christian and Kofi Kingston were originally pegged for the match.

It also said that Marella had “earned a spot on the card” based on his tenure with WWE. Management reportedly feels he “hits a home run” with whatever he is told to do on television and since he hadn’t yet worked a WrestleMania match (WrestleMania XXV nonwithstanding), he was to be rewarded.

In regards to Kingston not being currently slotted for a match at the event, there has been talk in the last day of him facing Drew McIntyre.

source: PWInsider.com

Sin Cara’s WWE TV Debut, What Happened After Raw

5

— WWE.com announced Monday that Sin Cara would make his television debut on next week’s episode of Raw.

The website’s description reads: “Possessing a rich history and deep reservoir of talent, Sin Cara will become the latest impressive import to join the Raw roster. The masked Mexican explodes onto the WWE landscape next Monday in what promises to be a dynamic debut.”

WWE ran the latest vignette promoting Sin Cara’s imminent debut on Raw. The wrestler formerly known as Mistico made his in-ring debut last Friday at a Raw live event at Assembly Hall in Champaign, Illinois. He beat Primo in a singles match.

— Edge, John Cena, Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio beat Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes and The Miz in an Eight Man Tag Team Match following Monday’s WWE television tapings in Rosemont, Illinois.

The match concluded with Del Rio eating the Spear, the 619, the RKO and a top rope splash from Mysterio for the pinfall victory.

source: prowrestling.net

Video Of Rock Following Cena’s Attack, Ziggler’s Long Schedule

18

WWE.com has posted exclusive footage of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recovering from John Cena’s Attitude Adjustment at the conclusion of Raw.

— Dolph Ziggler will be on the road for most of the next month as the Raw Superstar said tonight on Twitter that he is going on a WWE promotional tour of Turkey alone from April 6 to April 9. He is advertised for a Raw taping two days later in Bridgeport, Connecticut and immediately following that is Raw’s annual spring European tour, which takes place April 13-21. Following that is a Raw taping on April 25 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

— Tickets for the WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view event at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois go on sale via Ticketmaster on Saturday, May 21 at noon. A pre-sale takes place between Monday, May 16 at 10 a.m. and Tuesday, May 17 at midnight with the password MONEY.

source: PWInsider.com