Former WWE star Sean “X-Pac” Waltman is back with another video blog update .. This week, Waltman reviews Monday’s episode of RAW, talks about the “go away” heat he had at the end of his WWE run, beef with Chris Jericho and more.
For more from Waltman, head over to his officials site at RealXPac.com.
Following Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling, here is the final card for Sunday’s TNA Destination X pay-per-view.
TNA X Division Title Match
Brian Kendrick vs. Abyss
Ultimate X for the #1 Contendership
Robbie E. vs. Alex Shelley vs. Shannon Moore vs. Amazing Red
Winner Gets X Division Contract
Austin Aries vs. Jack Evans vs. Zema Ion vs. Low Ki
Daniels vs. AJ Styles
Kazarian vs. Samoa Joe
Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn
Open Challenge from Douglas Williams
COMMENT BELOW and tell us what you think of the card for this Sunday.
— The Wrestling Observer reports that Hulk Hogan was overheard saying at last month’s E3 Expo in Los Angeles that Vince Russo was to blame for the quality of Impact Wrestling. Hogan’s remarks were in response to fans telling him that Impact is bad.
Hogan was on hand for the event to promote his new video game, Hulk Hogan’s Main Event.
— TNA Wrestling has reportedly dropped Sangriento, a masked character billed from Tijuana, Mexico. The character, who was played by Amazing Red, was introduced shortly after WWE debuted Sin Cara. Sangriento is still listed on the TNA Wrestling roster page.
— TNA World Heavyweight Champion Mr. Anderson and WWE Hall of Famer Sunny are advertised to apepar at K & M All Star Sports at the Crystal Mall 850 Hartford Turnpike Waterford, Connecticut this Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Visit www.kmallstarsports.net for more information.
— Gail Kim responded to yesterday’s online report concerning comments she made on Twitter venting about the WWE Divas being underutilized. She says she never mentioned ‘creative team’ and feels the report blew her remarks out of proportion.
She wrote, “Wow! Haha people are blowing up my twitter. I’m glad everyone is as p#!@%*#ionate as I am when it comes to wrestling but you’re also feeding into these gossip reporting sites that blew a reply to someone out of proportion, but hey I guess it all comes with the territory.
“I replied in a truthful way but I never used the word(s) creative team etc. But people will read what they want and interpret it the way they want as well so I can’t stop that…so enjoy! Go nuts gossiping!”
— CM Punk is being advertised to face John Cena in a Street Fight at next week’s Monday Night Raw event at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
The official website of the TD Garden writes: “DON’T MISS BOSTON’S OWN JOHN CENA TAKE ON CM PUNK IN A STREET FIGHT MATCH. AS CM PUNK’S LAST MATCH IN BOSTON, COULD THIS ALSO BE JOHN CENA’S LAST APPEARANCE ON MONDAY NIGHT RAW?!”
From the July 6th WWE Raw house show from the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand:
John Cena Shoots on The Rock at Perth, Australia
After defeating R-Truth for the WWE Championship, Cena cuts a promo on The Rock and his haters.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog, which you can read in its entirety over at JRsBarBQ.com. Jim Ross blogs about a number of topics, including his relationship with JBL, whether Hulk Hogan will ever appear on Shawn Michaels’ hunting show, the production of UFC live e vents, the hurting boxing industry and more. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:
WWE Stars Robbed In South Africa: “Yes I heard about the WWE talents who had items from checked baggage stolen upon arrival in South Africa a day or so ago. I never checked valuables and put things like my CPAP machine and meds in my carry on. Always wore that damned hat. Old school rules say wrestlers never check their gear. Never.“
Jobber Matches: “Would I endorse the return of ‘enhancement matches?’ Absolutely. Perhaps one or maybe two within a two hour wrestling program. Why? A new star might be discovered, the focus of the commentary would be to better acquaint the viewer with the primary subject in the ring, and it would extend the shelf life of many talents. Plus, getting skilled ‘journeymen’ wrestlers on TV seems like the right thing to do. Who knows who clicks with an audience?“
“The Good Old Days” “Do I dislike PG wrestling? No. Absolutely not. A TV rating does not a good, TV wrestling show make. Talented individuals involved in compelling stories makes for a good, TV wrestling show. Does PG essentially mean ‘no attitude?’ Not in my view. If one only enjoys wrestling for blood and crass behavior then I question how big a fan of wrestling some actually are.”
“Can today’s rosters be utilized like the rosters of the late 90’s and early 2000’s? Nope. Without the benefit of a viable, wrestling territory experience, many of today’s younger talents are still learning on the job. Their predecessors, by and large, learned their craft in a wrestling territory. I know that excludes the Rock who was a 3rd generation talent as that’s a different ball game, more often that not. Many of today’s wrestlers are being fed a little at a time in hopes that they will break away and take the ball and run with it.”
“Many young talents do NOT yet know how to fully manage their in ring persona’s. That takes time and an inherent aptitude for the genre. The ones that acquire those skills will be the big earners.”
“For many fans who yearn for the ‘old days,’ wrestling will likely NEVER be the same. Is that an overwhelmingly negative statement? It’s not meant to be as time will tell where the stars of tomorrow will take us. I’m optimistic of the future but it seems that some aren’t.”
Four matches have been announced for tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling, which is being billed as the 300th episode on Spike TV.
* A Four Corners Match will take place featuring AJ Styles vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Jerry Lynn.
* Crimson will face Bobby Roode in a Bound For Glory Series Match.
* Matt Morgan and James Storm will face “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero and Devon in a Bound For Glory Series Match.
* Velvet Sky will face ODB and Jackie. If Velvet Sky wins the Handicap Match, ODB and Jacqueline have agreed to never show up in the Impact Zone again.
* IMMORTAL has issued World Heavyweight Champion Mr. Anderson an ultimatum.
Also scheduled, thought not announced, is a Destination X Qualifying Match between Jack Evans, Jesse Sorensen and Tony Nesse.
Gail Kim posted several messages on her Twitter account criticizing WWE creative for not utilizing the Divas to their fullest extent.
Kim wrote the following regarding her match last week with Beth Phoenix on WWE Superstar:
“Thank u! The response of our match has been unbelievable and it was TRULY a dream come true. Imagine if we were given a storyline or some more time behind it! Sigh….”
She then wrote the following in response to a Twitter follower wishing WWE would bring former Women’s Champion Trish Stratus back to the fold:
“There’s not a lack of talent, it’s the lack of time, storylines and use of talent!”
Kim then wrote a message to Stratus longing for days gone by:
“I would love to go back to what we had back in those years! Those were like ironwoman matches back then compared to now lol.”
Following Kim’s critical messages, a follower remarked to Kim: “Instead of bitching; why don’t you leave? People could perceive your tweets a bad attitude?” Kim, however, feels she’s telling the truth.
She responded,
“Oh thats not #!@%*#ing lol just the truth :) and I don’t live my life based on what people perceive. Can’t please everyone all the time.”
Kim then said she’s happy to be a regular on WWE Superstars because she gets to “wrestle.”
“Sometimes I don’t realize how long I haven’t been on RAW because I still wrestle on superstars,” Kim wrote. “Which I love because I get to WRESTLE for longer than 3 min and actually have singles matches! Hopefully soon…:)))”
— Monty Lynch and Russell Walker have been removed from Florida Championship Wrestling’s roster page, which would indicate that they have been released by WWE.
Lynch, whose real name is Oliver Biney, signed a developmental contract with WWE last September following a tryout in his native England. He formerly competed as “Bad News” Rampage Brown.
Walker, whose real name is Reuben de Jong, is a 6’10” wrestler from New Zealand that bears a similar resemblance to Sheamus. He joined WWE in February, but was used sparingly in FCW. Prior to entering the world of professional wrestling in 2009, de Jong competed as a kickboxer, mixed martial artist and strongman.
— Dustin Runnels (a/k/a Goldust) is working as a producer backstage until he recovers from his shoulder injury. He has been sidelined since December.
— Sin Cara and Justin Gabriel are advertised to appear at the Canal Walk Shopping Centre in Cape Town, South Africa tomorrow beginning at 10:00 a.m. Canal Walk Shopping Centre is located at Shop 65, Century Boulevard, Century City, Milnerton, Cape Town.
source: F4WOnline.com
— The July 4th edition of Monday Night Raw scored a 2.4 cable rating, the program’s lowest rating of 2011. The show drew hours of 2.34 and 2.45, with 3,717,000 viewers overall.
Raw ranked No. 1 overall in total viewers and key adult demographics on cable. The program had not averaged fewer than four million viewers since September 27, 2010.
— The July 2 episode of A.M. Raw did a 0.58 cable rating, with 200,000 viewers.
— Eve Torres has launched her official website, EveTorres.com. She posted a video of herself solving the Rubik’s Cube.
source: PWInsider.com
– WWE Champion John Cena and CM Punk have had a lot of negative things to say about each other in recent weeks leading up to their showdown at Money in the Bank on 7/17, but the two superstars had very nice things to say about one another following a recent match.
After John Cena defeated CM Punk in the main event of the WWE’s recent live event in Brisbane, Australia, Punk grabbed a microphone from ringside and actually put over the WWE champion. Punk says that while The Rock is off filming movies, Cena remains part of the WWE universe and performs in sickness and in health. Punk and Cena shook hands and Punk went to the back.
Cena then grabbed the mic and put over CM Punk also putting over Punk and showing respect. Cena called Punk the best wrestler in WWE today and said their Money in the Bank match will be the match of the year – even bigger than he and The Rock at next year’s WrestleMania.
– The Miami Herald has a story about Melina and John Morrison appearing at this weekend’s FCW events, where they’ll be doing meet and greets prior to Friday and Saturday’s shows. For more information, visit MiamiHerald.com.
– Steve Austin’s new straight-to-video action movie Tactical Force will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on 8/9.
– Stan sent word that Monday’s RAW featured 30 minutes and 51 seconds of in-ring action, which is down from the previous week.
– Travel packages for next April’s WrestleMania 28 pay-per-view will not be going on sale next Monday (7/11) as previously announced. Will is expected to announce a new on-sale date in the coming days.
Adelaide Now has an article on The Miz, who recalls a humiliating experience that took place during his early days in WWE.
“Nobody liked me, everyone wanted me fired and was trying to get me fired. I’m in the WWE, and everyone there and the WWE Universe hates me. It made me feel like I was walking on egg shells,” The Miz said of his colleagues.
“I got kicked out of the locker rooms, so I couldn’t find a place to change or shower. I remember one time going down the corridor to go to the (stadium’s public) bathroom and fans going `Oh my god, that’s The Miz’ – thanks, I’m going to the bathroom next to a kid that has my shirt on. It’s kind of belittling and humiliating. But it’s one of those things that made me stronger and made me realise I could take everything that anyone dishes.”
To read the full interview, head over to AdelaideNow.com.au.
— The July 1 episode of WWE SmackDown scored a 1.63 cable rating, the lowest of 2011 and second-lowest on Syfy. Only the New Year’s Eve episode scored a lower rating.
SmackDown averaged 2.33 million viewers, down from 2.40 the previous week. This extends the program’s streak of less than 3.0 million viewers to nine consecutive weeks.
The June 24 SmackDown scored a 1.69 rating, down from a 1.71 rating the prior week. It was tied for the lowest rated episode of the year.
— Paul Bearer stated on his Facebook page that he is heading to WWE’s television studios in Stamford, Connecticut to work on a ‘special project’.
— Steve Austin’s latest direct-to-video film, Tactical Force, will be released on Blu-ray on Tuesday, August 9.
source: PWInsider.com
WWE’s SmackDown crew landed in Capetown, South Africa yesterday – and most of the superstars and divas had their luggage ransacked after a domestic flight from Johannesburg.
World Heavyweight champion RandyOrton wrote tweeted the following on Tuesday night:
“Landed in Capetown a few hours ago. Beautiful here. Too bad over half the roster had various items stolen out of they’re checked luggage.”
John Langford, chief operating officer of Big Concerts – the promoters of WWE’s South African tour – said when the luggage came off the carousel, the WWE bags had been broken into.
“The bags that had locks on them had been targeted,” he said. “They stole everything from watches to GPS [navigators] – things that had financial and sentimental value.”
Langford said this was embarrassing for South Africa as a country and for “[Big Concerts] as the organizers.”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross jokingly replied to Orton’s tweets about the robbery:
“@RandyOrton Mick Foley once had his bag broken into. After reviewing the contents and feeling sorry for the owner, the theft left cash.”
– The July 1st episode of WWE’s SmackDown scored a 1.63 cable rating with 2,333,000 viewers.
SEScoops has confirmed with several key WWE sources that the new priority for talent executive John Laurinaitis is to re-sign Rey Mysterio, whose contract expires early in 2012.
“Laurinaitis has a lot of egg on his face right now,” we were told, “think about all the talent that has refused to re-sign. Jericho wouldn’t re-sign. MVP wouldn’t re-sign. Punk won’t re-sign. Even undercard wrestlers like Chavo (Guerrero) won’t re-sign right now. Laurinaitis needs a key re-signing to keep his corporate credibility alive right now!”
With the serious fallout from CM Punk’s homophobic remarks in Australia, Laurinaitis has targeted keeping Rey Mysterio in the fold as a demonstration to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon he still has the talent under control. “Laurinaitis always had big shoes to fill since he took over from Jim Ross,” we were told, “now he has to produce results. This is going to be very interesting to watch!”
Award winning photographer George Tahinos has posted an epic photo gallery on Paul Heyman’s “Heyman Hustle” website featuring over 130 photos from the greatest ROH Title Match in history, the amazing encounter in which Davey Richards defeated “American Wolves” tag team partner Eddie Edwards at The Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.
Richards emotional title victory happened in front of 2,500 screaming fans on the most recent ROH iPPV show, “Best in the World.” The show was the most viewed Ring of Honor event in history in both live event attendance and on worldwide PPV.
The match, which many are calling the greatest title match in company history, featured tons of near-falls and what can only be described as a classic title match style. The post-match celebration featured Richards surrounded by his training team and Eddie Edwards. Davey tearfully thanked the fans, his team, and his deceased grandparents in an emotional moment that stamped this as a classic moment in pro wrestling.
To see the entire gallery of over 130 classic photos, CLICK HERE!
A WWE spokesman noted to GLAAD in their response to CM Punk uttering an anti-gay slur during yesterday’s Raw live event in Australia that the wrestler is legitimately leaving the organization following the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on July 18.
OpposingViews.com printed the following in their article: “WWE officials also told GLAAD this morning that CM Punk’s contract will expire in a few weeks, he will not be immediately renewed, and he will no longer be with WWE as of July 18. A spokesperson told us “this departure is not part of a storyline. He is contractually leaving the organization.
“A spokesperson for the WWE told us “We are taking this very seriously.”
OpposingViews.com also notes that GLAAD provided training to members of WWE’s editorial staff and writing team in May. The media monitoring organization is also in discussions with WWE to provide similar training seminars to on-camera talent.
The full story can be accessed here.
— Former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler is used to people going crazy when they meet her, but the scene outside celebrity hotspot Katsuya was quite chaotic as the paparazzi scrambled to get great close up photos of Stacy as she headed to her car.
Stacy’s hot outfit only made the paparazzi crush even more severe, as everyone was scrambling to get pics of the gorgeous Dancing With The Stars alum. You can see Stacy looking positively gorgeous in her hot outfit here, courtesy of Paul Heyman’s Heyman Hustle blog.
— TMZ.com is reporting that Scott Hall checked himself in to the Seminole County Jail today to begin his sentence stemming from a 2010 arrest for drunken disorderly conduct at a Florida bar. Hall, who will be staying in the medical unit of the jail due to his bad health, was sentenced to 10 days but will likely only serve 2 days due to time previously served.
Check Out: Scott Hall’s Previous EIGHT Mugshot Pictures
Here is Scott Hall’s new mugshot picture, taken today (July 5th, 2011):
Sources within WWE have exclusively revealed to SEScoops.com that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and Triple H are said to be very angry at talent relations executive John Laurinaitis over his failure to re-sign CM Punk. We have been told the heat on Laurinaitis is serious because this is seen as his second serious failure this year, with the failure to keep Chris Jericho on the roster falling on Laurinaitis’ shoulders as well.
One WWE source says “this is the same job JR had for years, and it’s a heat-magnet because you’re trapped between Vince’s expectations and the talents who want to break away from the brutal schedule.”
Another company source told us “Laurinaitis has made millions in salary and stock options. He’s expected to perform for that money, and produce results. Right now, he’s not getting done the job Vince expects of him!”
For much more on CM Punk’s WWE contract status, head over to our CM Punk news page.
The very first legend of the Octagon, Royce Gracie was at the E3 convention representing the UFC brand, when he found out WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio and WWE Diva Kelly Kelly were promoting the new marketing initiative for THQ’s WWE ’12 Video Game, which replaces the Smackdown vs Raw franchise.
The marketing slogan for the new brand is Bigger, Badder, Better …
THQ has taken away the use of the right stick for wrestling moves and have brought back the face buttons as the main focus of the wrestling action. The list of controls:
A- Grapple
B- Irish Whip/Pin
X- Striking
Y- Finishers
LB- Action Button
RB- “New” Limb Targeting System
LT- Running
RT- Counters
DPad- Taunts
LS-Move
RS- Switching Opponents Position
LT+RT- Dragging Opponent
For those fans who have been playing the WWE Smackdown vs Raw video games, THQ promises it will be easy to get accustomed to these new controls rather quickly. Of course,if you prefer, you can switch back to last year’s controls, but why not go with innovative and progress?
There’s also the new “Breaking Point” submission system. THQ has created a virtual mini-game in which you and your opponent mash the face buttons or move the joysticks as the word “Breaking Point” fills up. If it fills up, your character will submit. Bye bye playa. Or player! You will also have the ability to drag your body towards the ropes to try and execute a rope break. Of course, the opponent has until 5 to break.
So far, the new game and branding have been met with stellar reviews. And when the original legend of the Octagon Royce Gracie endorses your product, you know you’re onto something special.
To see the exclusive photo of Royce Gracie meeting with the sensational-looking Kelly Kelly and Alberto Del Rio, CLICK HERE.
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels talks about what he learned from the late “Macho Man” Randy Savage:
Former WWE star MVP has posted Episode 4 of his new YouTube video blog series.
In this episode, Mr. 305 gets a haircut:
Ring of Honorstar Claudio Castagnoli was interviewed by Arda Ocal and Jimmy Korderas this week for the Right After Wrestling radio show, which you can hear at TheScore.com.
Castagnoli, who recently had a WWE tryout along with his Kings of Wrestling tag team partner Chris Hero, had this to say about the possibility of working for WWE:
“I think I would prefer to go as a package with Chris Hero. But I would be comfortable working there on my own. We have a the unique ability to perform in a singles environment and in a tag environment. I think we definitely have very good chemistry and we have greater potential as a team.”
Many wrestlers who are successful in ROH or TNA never catch on in WWE the way many fans would hope. When asked whether the Kings of Wrestling would do well in WWE, Claudio said:
“I think we could survive in the right circumstances. We have the tools to flourish in any wrestling company. We both have unique abilities to talk. Both Chris (Hero) and I are both really good singles wrestlers and tag wrestlers so I think we bring a lot to the table there. And the next step is to bring in actual teams (into the WWE) and not just two singles-wrestlers coming together. That’s what’s missing – actual teams that look alike and seem to have been a team for a long time.”
Head on over to TheScore.com to listen to the full interview.
— Multiple WWE stars are battling injuries, according to a report on PWInsider.com.
NXT contestant Connor O’Brian is nursing a knee injury as he was icing it a lot at last week’s television tapings.
The Great Khali is also hurt, which has hindered his mobility—moreso.
Kane is dealing with various minor injuries, although he’s not letting it effect his in-ring work.
— Last night on Raw, Zack Ryder appeared on stage following David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty’s victory over Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov. Ryder delivered his trademark catchphrase. Regarding the cryptic appearance, WWE.com wrote: “Speaking of oddballs, The New Nexus’ victory celebration was cut short by Long Island Iced Z himself, Zack Ryder. The self-proclaimed “Internet Champion” left Otunga & McGillicutty with a cryptic warning as only he can deliver: “Woo woo woo, you know it.” Just what are they supposed to know?”
— Jerry Sags of The Nasty Boys turns 47 years old today while Hillbilly Jim turns 59.
