— A Steel Cage is hanging above the ring at tonight’s Raw taping at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York.
— The following matches were taped tonight for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars:
* R-Truth vs. William Regal
* Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov vs. Primo and Zack Ryder
— Percy Watson beat Tyson Kidd in a dark match prior to tonight’s Raw taping.
Warning: The following contains a minor spoiler for Monday’s episode of WWE RAW:
B.G. James, best known as former New Age Outlaw member “Road Dogg” Jesse James, tweeted the following (@BGRoadDoggJames) on Monday about his father, wrestling legend “Bullet” Bob Armstrong:
“Look for Bob Armstrong package on Raw tonight. Fifty years in the business.”
Armstrong will join Shawn Michaels and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan as part of the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2011.
Armstrong has been rumored for the Hall of Fame for weeks and his inclusion this year was considered a lock once his son Scott Armstrong was recently rehired as a WWE referee.
* MORE Names Confirmed For The Hall of Fame: LOD, Sunny & More
Busted Open satellite radio show with Matt Hardy
Hosts: Dave LaGreca, Doug Mortman, and Reby Sky
Airs Mondays and Wednesdays on Sirius 125 and XM 241 from 2-4 ET
Visit Facebook.com/bustedopen for more information
Matt Hardy on being in TNA: “It’s been great. For me it’s really revitalized my love and passion of the business. I didn’t realize like the last six or eight months I was with WWE that actually that uncomfortable, miserable and unhappy I was going into work. That’s not a shot against WWE. I mean WWE is a phenomenal, great, company. They [WWE] did so many great things for me. They made me a star. I wouldn’t be sitting here with you right now if it weren’t for them. I’m grateful to everyone there who’s you know done so many good things for me and allowed me to have the great living that I have. It just came to a point where there were several different circumstances that kind of came into play. It was just time for me to move on and do something different.”
Matt Hardy on “Cold Blood” and his conditioning: “No this all mine [Creation of Cold Blood Character]. It’s very similar to the ‘Mattitude’ version, one thing that was all mine too. Both of those drew from real life. You know ‘Cold Blood’ actually comes from just my theories like…about a year and a half ago whenever I had my abdominal injuries I just remember getting into my surgery and the surgeon actually told me ‘Well I know you love wrestling and you’ve pretty much done it for your entire adult life, but you might not be able to wrestle after this.’ That was a pretty hard pill to swallow. I was going ‘Wow. I didn’t know it was this bad.’
Even after I had that surgery I found out I had intestinal issues where almost like you have a water hose and you can’t get water through the hose. I have two spots, almost three, two and half I guess in my intestines. I had to change my diet. I had to completely re-invent it actually steak is something I can’t eat at all. I never eat steak and I hate that because I eat steak all the time. Red meat is out. Between that and I felt like you know a lot of my fans that had always supported me, which were the hardcore fans, earn it fans. They definitely didn’t mind making fun of me because of injuries or because my pants looked different, which wasn’t terribly drastic. Which is funny because compared to a normal person it’s not really anything in the scheme of things.
Actually when I started with TNA I knew I would never have three or four months off again, so I tried to do all good to gain size and than I was just going to die down. I will continue to get in better shape because now I know what I can put into my body and what I can’t. That was kind of scary. That was a whole new thing in life to kind of figure out, so there’s like little things I can’t eat and some things I can, but between that and when Jeff showed up on that January 4 show, when they did the Monday impact you know I got a call from Johnny Ace.
“Matt. What’s going on?’ I don’t know Johnny. He said, ‘Is Jeff showing up there? How could you let him do this?’ I mean I’m not him like you know I kept getting phone calls saying ‘Is he there? What’s he doing?’ Ever since that day on Jeff didn’t have intentions of signing with TNA. You know I think Jeff was rubbed wrong by how they…you know they had Dr.Sampon [WWE] go out and mention his legal situation. I think from that point on he was rubbed the wrong way by WWE and he got an awesome deal to go there and he’s real happy to go there because the schedule is so much more laid back. Also the environment is laid back, but between Jeff going and just like you know I was working so much. I just couldn’t get time off. I couldn’t get my body right. I couldn’t get my mind right. I ended up just being unhappy.
“I needed a change and TNA became that change for me. That’s where ‘Cold Blooded’ came from because I’m always the guy you know like people always say ‘Do you see the glass half full or half empty?’ I always go ‘Well it’s half full.’ Actually I always say ‘It’s like two-thirds full.’ You know more than half-full because I’ve had a great life. I have nothing to complain about and I’m happy you know pretty much every day of my life.
“It’s one of those things like I drew from those bad experiences, from my last few months in WWE for how some of the hard-core fans treated me to how I felt was pretty unfair considering there were a lot of things out of my control like physical issues. Sacrifices I made like throwing myself off three-foot ladders, through tables, for twelve/thirteen years. You know that does make you ‘Cold Blooded’ to a degree, so that’s actually where all that’s drawn from. I wanted to build on it as time goes. The character is really in it’s beginning stages. It’s in 101 now. I have a lot of really cool ideas going forward.”
Matt Hardy on John Cena’s promo on Raw in response to The Rock: Umm I actually caught the highlights back on YouTube. Actually thought that’s something John’s needed for a while. He just kind of needed an edge because the ‘PG thing’ is one thing that I think TNA they have an advantage over WWE it’s like I don’t think they have to go crazy as far as bleeding or swearing or sex, violence, whatever. It’s nice they don’t have a super tight parameter to be in and all these boundaries.
“For the longest time John would come on and go ‘Yeah and all this PG and all this PG.’ It’s just like I think pushing your audience, like the 18-to-34 you’re looking for out the door, it’s like I don’t want to hear that and for John to have that little edge again. I think that was important. He needed that you know. They’re not in the grand scheme of things [WWE targeting an 18-to-34 audience], but when it comes down to advertising bucks and the demographics. That’s the demographics that make money. In the big scheme of things that’s what it’s all about.”
Matt Hardy on his supposed heat backstage (for commenting on Twitter about being responsible for ratings boost in TNA): “God I love the Internet. No I mean obviously sure it’s ‘tongue-in-cheek.’ Even I don’t have the popularity of Jeff, but still as I wrestle as a hill like when I go out it’s a baby faced reaction. I really have to work hard and bust it to get the crowd to turn against me, but that’s my whole goal.
“Even on Twitter I’ve played on those things, obviously I would never come out and say those things in a serious light. That’s just like saying if I cut a promo on TV obviously I’m going to say stuff that’s full of stuff that is trash you know. It’s the same thing on Twitter I incorporate things here, there or whatever. People that are intelligent much like yourself like you said it was ‘tongue-in-cheek,’ they know the difference. It’s supposed to be entertaining to a degree.”
— WWE has confirmed that The Rock will be a part of tonight’s RAW. WWE tweeted on Monday:
“TONIGHT on #WWE Raw: @TheRock answers @JohnCena’s stinging comments. What will go down? Find out LIVE at 9/8 CT @USA_Network”
— As reported earlier, WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart has joined Twitter. You can follow him at Twitter.com/HitmanBretSHart. The account has been verified by The Rock’s Facebook page and official website, so it’s legit. Bret’s first tweet:
“The Hitman is on Twitter! (finally!) So any thoughts from fans on how I can verify my account and get rid of the fakes on Twitter?”
— Shawn Michaels just tweeted this about Bret Hart joining Twitter:
“Just saw the Hitman is on twitter. U all gotta help him out. I’m followin fer sure:-)”
Chris Jericho appeared on the Live Audio Wrestling radio show over the weekend and ripped apart TNA for the lame “3/3/11” video that aired at the end of last week’s iMPACT! TNA had hyped the “most shocking moment of the year” – and delivered a weak ripoff of WWE’s recent 2/21/11 videos. Here’s what Jericho said about the 3/3/11 video and why its a perfect example of whats wrong with TNA:
‘It drives me nuts and I’ll tell you the reason why. I am the biggest fan of TNA as a concept. I want them to be huge, Vince wants them to be huge because the more competition there is, it’s better for the business, it’s better for the boys, it’s better is for the fans. I don’t understand their obsession with copying the WWE I think it’s lame, I think its bush league and I don’t get it, they have some of the best talent, some great idea men. Why do they do this? Why do their guys go out there and say ‘When I was in the WWE I was left behind and I was held back’.”
“If I was working for TNA I would project that it’s the greatest wrestling company in the world because if you’re not projecting it, why is anyone going to believe it? When we were in ECW it was small, I never made more than $250 a show but you would die for that company and when you came across that way, the fans came across that way and suddenly you have this underground revolution going on and it was real, it was a revolution, people believed it was the best. No one in TNA believes they are in the best company and if they don’t believe it then why am I going to believe it as a fan? Why am I going to buy their product?”
“It’s just so bush league, they can do better than that and the guys on top there should know better and it really makes me mad because they’re wasting money and they don’t have to be wasting money but I’m not burying TNA I’m saying you should be ashamed of yourself because you can do better.'”
It’s been rumored for weeks and now it’s virtually confirmed – TMZ.com reports that former WWE superstar Chris Jericho will in fact be a contestant on the upcoming season of the hit ABC show, Dancing With The Stars.
Jericho has reportedly turned down two offers in recent years to join the show due to his WWE schedule.
Jericho’s partner will be professional dancer Cheryl Burke.
The other celebrity contestants on this season will be actress Kirstie Alley, rapper Lil’ Romeo, and former Playmate Kendra Wilkinson.
The cast will be officially announced tonight on ABC during the network’s broadcast of The Bachelor.
– A fan asked The Rock on Twitter what he thinks about WWE’s current PG product. The Rock tweeted:
“It was a very smart choice to go PG. It may not have been the popular choice a few years ago – but it was very smart.”
– Bill Goldberg tweeted the following over the weekend in response to fans asking him whether he’ll be a part of WrestleMania 27:
“No WWE plans on the horizon…..don’t believe rumors. Is what it is.”
– Happy birthday to WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Steamboat, who turns 58 today.
– Chris Jericho has wrapped up his latest book signing tour.
– WWE Champion The Miz is featured in the new issue of Men’s Fitness magazine.
– WWE is planning DVD sets for Edge, War Games ad Brock Lesnar for later this year.
DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 148)
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Est. Runtime: 2 hours
This is becoming a bad habit as Solomonster brings you yet ANOTHER packed two-hour edition of the Sound Off! There’s a lot going on in the wrestling world and in episode 148, we’ll address Raw from last Monday including Cena’s retort to The Rock and two big returns, revealing the rest of the 2011 Hall of Famers, news on Tough Enough, Mistico’s big press conference, TNA’s “shocking” surprise, a major Impact spoiler for next week and THE MAILBAG!
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– SmackDown star Rey Mysterio posted the following this weekend on Twitter, responding to rumors and fan questions about whether he’ll be retiring soon:
“The rumor is I might B retiring soon! NOT TRUE, got many years left of entertaining my FANS!U guys keep me going! Luv it! Los quiero UnChingo.”
Mysterio also tweeted the following about Sin Cara signing with WWE:
“Wish the best 2 SinCara! & hope that more Latino wrestlers make it to the WWE! I think We all deserve a chance to make it Big in Life! 619.”
– Speaking of Sin Cara, it’s interesting to see how WWE is embracing his history as a Mexican wrestling superstar. Despite the fact that WWE has “rebranded” him as Sin Cara, the WWE website features photos of Sin Cara wrestling in Mexico and even refers to his former ring name, Mistico.
WWE embracing Sin Cara’s past is a stark contrast to how the company handled fellow Mexican wrestling star Alberto Del Rio, whose past as “Dos Caras, Jr.” was never acknowledged by the company.
Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW will take place from the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York.
The main selling point for the show is that The Rock will respond to John Cena’s battle rap diss from last week.
On Sunday night, John Cena hinted that The Rock will have a response on RAW. Later in the evening, The Rock responded with a picture – and the caption, “… on RAW … my response .. ” Cena responded to The Rock’s photo on Monday morning.
At this point, there’s no confirmation that The Rock will be at RAW in person, a more likely scenario is that we’ll see a taped promo or The Rock appearing live via satellite, but that’s just speculation at this point.
Additionally, Triple H is scheduled for RAW and will explain why he’s chosen to challenge The Undertaker at WrestleMania. Taker is not advertised for the show.
Last week, WWE held a press conference in Mexico City announcing the acquisition of lucha libre star Sin Cara, formerly Mistico. Jim Ross said WWE is planning a strong television push for Sin Cara – so expect to see footage video footage from WWE’s Sin Cara Press Conference, which we’ve had on the site since last week.
The HSBC Arena is advertising a dark match main event of John Cena and Randy Orton teaming up against WWE Champion The Miz and Nexus leader CM Punk, with Michael Cole as special referee.
– As previously reported, the each episode of WWE Tough Enough will feature a guest appearance from a current WWE superstar or diva. Tough Enough host “Stone Cold” Steve Austin tweeted over the weekend that they were taping a “special guest appearance” from one of his “greatest competitors.”
– Speaking of Stone Cold, he posted the following video on Twitter and says he’s having a great time filming Tough Enough:
Brock Lesnar’s upcoming autobiography, Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com.
Amazon has posted an updated synopsis for the book, which is co-authored by Paul Heyman and will be released on May 24th:
“Brock Lesnar has been, and is one of the most popular – and polarizing – figures in sports and sports entertainment. Whether fans love him or hate him, they never miss an opportunity to watch Brock when he squares off with an opponent. He is a celebrity of the first order, but disdains fame, avoids the media, and remains intensely private. Now, for the first time, Brock tells his incredible story in his own words.”
“Brock relives his long journey to become the best college wrestler in the country, his meteoric rise in World Wrestling Entertainment, and what lead him to walk away from fame and fortune when he was at the top. He talks openly about the accident that derailed his plans to play in the NFL, his professional wrestling comeback in Japan, and his transformation and rebirth as a Mixed Martial Arts fighter. Fans will get an insider’s look at Brock’s career in the UFC – the training, the competition and what it takes to be, and to remain a champion.”
“Brock will also talk about the illness that nearly killed him, his will to survive, and what he really values and aspires to be. Powerful and real, this remarkable memoir is the story of Brock’s determination and domination, and the making of a true champion.”
* Pictures of Brock Lesnar Getting His Ass BEAT In His Last Fight
(Source: Amazon.com)
In response to The Rock posting a photo over the weekend of him stomping on John Cena merchandise, Cena tweeted the following on Monday morning:
“Woke up to see what looks like rocks foot crushing the words Hustle Loyalty and Respect. Yep…that sounds like the rock alright.”
Fans then asked Cena about whether The Rock will be at tonight’s RAW, to which Cena responded:
“yeah…I expected a lil more…but im sure tonight will be good. Ill be waiting to see him”
“maybe we will. Its in buffalo. Ill be there. We will see if dwayne can fit it into his sched.”
The Rock posted the following on his Facebook page on Sunday night:
…On RAW…my response…
– John Cena tweeted the following on Sunday afternoon, which seems to imply The Rock will have some sort of involvement on Monday’s RAW:
“CeNation. Just got back from south america. Holy casserole it was magical. I heard a rumor that the rocks camp was pretty peeved at what I said on mon. I think he may have something planned for tomorrow. I can not wait.”
– According to the WWE corporate website, this year’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view is estimated to have drawn 449,000 buys. This is down from 462,000 buys in 2010 and virtually even with 2009’s 450,000 buys.
– WWE legend Randy Savage was spotted during Saturday’s New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves spring training game in Port St. Lucie, Florida. A reader sent in this screen shot of Savage, who had great seats for the game .. Savage is the one that looks like Santa Clause playing on his cellphone:
TNA after hyping the “most shocking moment of the year” at the end of Thursday’s episode of TNA iMPACT!, fans got a video hypgin “3/3/11” – a clear ripoff of the 2/21/11 videos that aired on WWE television in recent weeks.
At Thursday’s TNA iMPACT! tapings from North Carolina, the surprise was revealed to be the return of Sting – and TNA fans are not happy about it.
*Spoiler* Major Title Change At iMPACT! Tapings (Picture)
Below, check out the 3/3/11 video that TNA hyped as the”most shocking moment of the year” and below that – Twitter feedback from TNA fans – who sound pissed off about how the whole thing was handled.
Tweets from TNA fans lashing out against TNA president Dixie Carter:
cherberrie: @tnadixie I caught the last five minute of your programming and it blows.. It is terrible… You will never be WWE. stop trying to be!
canadianbulldog: Dear @TNADixie – Nice “Surprise”. Maybe next time you can surprise us with a wrestling promotion that doesn’t absolutely f***ing suck.
JAVincen: @TNAwrestling @TNADixie Wow…The big surprise ending is a rip off of WWE’s Undertaker promo for Sting…. Disappointing……
trtx84: Oh lord. Really @TNADixie? We’re just gonna straight up copy WWE wholesale now? Embarrassing… #3311
TweepzMostLuvd: @TNADixie anything to keep them away from #1 huh? That’s why this cpmpany will go down. What a let down.
jakeblckmn: @TNADixie could you please be more original, 3-3-11 really? and you wonder why your company sucks and is in the gutter, get new writers
WrestleWrestle: Y’know @TNADixie , if you’re that driven to flush money down the toilet, you could just send it to me and save everyone a lot of pain.
MrGamer2558 : @TNADixie a mock video of WWE’s 2-21-11 for Sting is your big surprise? you’re kidding? this is a f***ing joke right?
thedylan2296: @tnadixie tna is officially dead… dixie… why? at victory have someone squash sting very quick… i wont care as long as sting looses
PocketVolcano: @TNADixie Seriously, just close up the company. Your talent is severely underpaid (esp the women) and you keep rehashing WCW stuff. Stop.
AreYouHie: @TNADixie when can i take over creative control of TNA? im pretty sure i’d bring in more viewers with much better “surprises”
bookerg: Only 1/2 an hour to go till @TNAwrestling & @tnadixie disappoint me with another overhyped “shocking surprise”! Who-hoo!
Lamou420: @TNADixie enough with the surprises already. We all know you can’t deliver. Every time #tna announce a “big surprise” it’s a let down.
Morris272: Sting in WWE would of been great in TNA its boring and predictable.
CdnOtakuGamer: Actually, the big surprise is that @TNADixie brought a big cake for everyone… But Matt Hardy ate it all backstage.
GrappleKingdom: Dear @TNADixie and @TNAwrestling – see how @WWE announced Sin Cara? THAT is how you make an impact in the wrestling world.
xthegunshow: @TNADixie Oh wow Sting vs Jeff Hardy…you really know how to keep those viewing figures down.
EmJayEch: The WWE is horrible & they lost me as a fan years ago, TNA is my CHOICE but TNA has opportunity and they BLOW IT BIG TIME. F-THIS @tnadixie
NotTripleH: Are we sure that TNA has the real Sting backstage, or the NWO Sting? Because I doubt @TNADixie knows the difference. #VintageDixie.
xthegunshow: @TNADixie No one gives a f*** that Sting is at tonights Impact Taping, people want him in WWE. You use him horribly.
XDustinEFLX: @TNADixie: Instead of paying your wrestlers more,you’re wasting more money on a second Jersey Shore ‘star’? Are you stupid?
gersfan22331: @TNADixie wow dixie the big suprise was sting wow the old man chose to stay with the 5TH rate trash that is tna
awesome_since88: @TNADixie OMG I wonder who 3-3-11 is??? This is going to change pro wrestling forever!! If I can only control myself for a whole week #TNA
EdgeUniversity: @TNADIxie so…your huge surprise for Impact was that you can copy a promo video that @WWE has been doing for the past month? GREAT JOB!
james_donald: YAY FOR COPYING WWE!!!! f*** you you dumbass bitch @TNADixie.
bookerg: I’M OFFICIALLY DONE WITH TNA. Don’t say “SHOCKING SURPRISE” and not deliver. @TNAwrestling and @tnadixie. You just lost a viewer. FU.
Joerrd: @TNADixie LOL. That little 3-3-11 promo? That’s the reason nobody takes your bingo hall company seriously.
The_Kliq_Army: @TNADixie so #TNA just basically stole the #WWE #Taker22111 promo lame
divalover159: @TNADixie learn to be original and never EVER copycat. if you want to be taken very seriously and not as a joke that you just made yourselfs tonight. learn to be original or your nothing more but a joke. just saying.
wmkrow: wow, @tnadixie, good job ripping off WWE and their 2-21-11 bit. Same font and everything.
Relentless_J: Lmfaoooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!! TNA really copied WWE by making a 3-3-11 video??? @TNADixie can’t use ORIGINALITY!?!?!?
JeebusOMalley: @TNADixie Seriously? Not even gonna pretend to have an original thought huh? Unbelievable. Impact is garbage.
PhantomLordNYC: @TNADixie Jesus Christ can’t you people come up with anything original at all???
DarkMatchRaslin: @TNADixie we liked the Sting promo the first time we saw it…when it was for Undertaker in WWE a month ago…seriously, even the numbers?
J712v2: A mock 2/21/11 video? Really TNA? Really? Dear Spike: Take TNA off TV, and put ROH on instead!
1ISchmo: Wow. Creative means being creative, not copying something from another show. The shits beyond. @TNADixie, enjoy the final year.
– Over 3,500 fans attended Thursday night’s TNA iMPACT tapings in Fayetteville, North Carolina, according to the Fayetteville Observer newspaper.
– Scott Steiner tweeted last week that he thinks TNA needs to take iMPACT! live:
“On the road -did Tv tapings in Fayetteville NC on thursday-TNA needs to go live on thursdays.”
– Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy teamed up at Saturday night’s TNA live event in Norfolk, Virginia, losing to Tag Team Champions Beer Money in the main event.
Early in the evening, it was earlier announced that the Hardys would sign autographs after the show. Matt said before the match if they won the match, they would be champs and would not have to take photos with fans. James Storm responded by saying that if Beer Money won, Hardy would have to kiss an elderly woman in the front row.
Beer Money won, and Matt had to kiss the old lady in the middle of the ring. She fell on top of him during the passionate kiss, which got a big pop from the crowd.
* Pictures of MATT HARDY’s New GIRLFRIEND – Reby Sky
(Partial Source: f4wonline.com)
– Hulk Hogan is suing Florida-based Southland Imports and Suntrup Automotive Group, claiming a commercial they are running implies that he endorses them by using his likeness (imitating his voice and using his catch phrases). Hogan cites heavy use of the word “brother”, referring to a man’s muscles as “guns” and a reference to “Hulkamaniacs.” Hogan is seeking an unspecified amount of damages.
Some fans will remember that Hulk Hogan sued the makers of Cocoa Pebbles cereal, for their commercial that featured a “Hulk Boulder” character that Hogan felt was also infringing on his likeness. That lawsuit was settled and the commercial was pulled from television.
* VIDEO of the Cocoa Pebbles Commercial Featuring “Hulk Boulder”
– Hulk’s daughter Brooke Hogan has been taking acting classes as of late and is working on a few low-budget movies. Her latest project is called Sand Sharks.
Brooke recently finished shooting a movie called Devour, about three popular high school girls who become … lesbian cannibals.
* BROOKE HOGAN Shows Off Major Weight Loss In HOT Red Bikini
(Partial Source: f4wonline.com)
— WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is being advertised to appear at the March 7th episode of WWE’s Monday Night RAW from the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas.
As the host of the new season of Tough Enough, which premieres the night after WrestleMania 27, it’s expected that the Rattlesnake will be making a few WWE television appearances (including WrestleMania) to promote Tough Enough’s return.
– WWE has announced that The Undertaker will make his SmackDown television return next Friday night.
– Vickie Guerrero was “fired” on Friday’s SmackDown, after she teamed with Drew McIntyre and lost to Edge and Kelly Kelly. Vickie’s career was on the line, as announced by Teddy Long.
– No new matches were added to WrestleMania 27 on SmackDown, however there was a new development in the Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio storyline, which appears to be leading to a WrestleMania showdown. Cody Rhodes’ father Dusty appeared on the show and helped his son attack Mysterio.
WWE’s website has officially announced that The Undertaker will put his streak on the line at WrestleMania 27 against Triple H.
At this time, there is no stipulation mentioned, just that the match will take place.
We’ve reported in recent weeks that there’s been talk of Triple H putting his career on the line against the Undertaker’s streak.
Addtionally, there’s been talk that former WWE star Shawn Michaels will be added to the match as a guest referee or enforcer. Michaels was interviewed last week by WDFN.com and had this to say about the rumors that he’ll be part of the Undertaker vs. Triple H match:
“I’ve heard all the rumors. As of right now, I’m doing one thing and one thing only at WrestleMania, and that’s the Hall of Fame. I don’t think The Undertaker and Triple H need Shawn Michaels to deliver a spectacular match or make this incredibly interesting. Those two can do that on their own. Right now, as far as I’m concerned, I’m going to be there watching it like everyone else.”
Here’s a recap of Slam Wrestling’s recent interview with Chris Jericho:
Triple H taking over WWE: “He’s going to take over the company. This isn’t the year 2000 anymore where he was trying to bury me. Nobody wants to be Bruce Hart, where he takes over Stampede Wrestling and goes out of business two years later after his father had it for 40 years.”
Returning to WWE: “It could be two days down the road. I’m still a huge fan of the business. When it’s time to go back, I’ll go back.”
Favoring a PG-13 product: “I think I did better in the PG-13 environment,” he says. “It’s easier to get pops when you say, ‘ass.’ they’re going ‘tee-hee-hee, he said a swear word.’ I wasn’t really doing any swearing. I just go with the flow. If I have to do an X-rated environment, I’ll do that. And if it’s PG, I’ll do that.”
To read the full interview, visit Slam.Canoe.Ca.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
Sin Cara Signing With WWE: “The wrestler formerly known as Mistico but now known as Sin Cara was officially welcomed into the WWE family on Thursday in Mexico City with every major Mexico City TV network and print media represented”
“I applaud the way that WWE introduced Sin Cara to the WWE Universe as he will arrive in WWE after a few weeks of advanced TV promotion already meaning ‘something’ and feeling much more significant than other newcomers. For those that aren’t familiar with Sin Cara, formerly known as Mistico, I suggest that you go on You Tube and check out some of his bouts. Very innovative offensive performer along the lines of the great Rey Mysterio”
“Sin Cara has a magnificent opportunity to become a global star in WWE. The final verdict, as always, will be rendered by the paying customers based on how well the gifted athlete delivers inside the squared circle. It will be interesting to see what brand, Raw or Smackdown, gets the opportunity to showcase Sin Cara.”
Michael Cole a Jerk In Real Life: “Emailer…Is Michael Cole’s TV persona more like his real life persona than when he played the straight man/corporate announcer? I’d probably say, yes. Cole’s is not the laid back, easy going guy in real life that he portrayed early in his announcing career. He has taken to being a ‘jerk’ on TV like our sauce to ribs. ”
Cruiserweights: “Twitter @JRsBBQ…one reason, not that I necessarily agree with it, that Cruiserweights aren’t specifically used in their own weight division is that some feel that the mass audience will not accept Cruiserweights or Junior Heavyweights or whatever hip name one wants to come up with as main event level, PPV selling attractions. This isn’t a new philosophy as that same mindset was around when Danny Hodge was the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion. The term ‘Junior’ said to some fans and promoters as ‘less than’ the best. Ironically, Hodge could legitimately beat 99.9% of EVERY heavyweight in the business but that had zero to do with the marketing perception and selling tickets.”
Sting Back In TNA: “That Sting vs. Undertaker WM27 match that many just knew was going to happen at WM27 looks a little ‘iffy.’ Seriously, I said many times that I did not think that Sting would likely venture into WWE at this point in his career. All people have ‘comfort zones,’ including yours truly, that we are reluctant to leave. In hindsight, at least in my view, more often than not and especially for veterans the ‘comfort zone’ thing isn’t a negative.”
— Thurday’s episode of TNA iMPACT!, which featured the revelation of TNA’s “most shocking moment of the year,” drew a 1.26 cable rating, which is up from the previous week’s 1.13. The two hour episode show averaged 1,545,000 viewers.
— Angelina of Jersey Shore told TMZ that she was so nervous before her TNA wrestling debut at Thursday’s iMPACT! taping from North Carolina that she drank a cocktail and popped an energy pill prior to getting in the ring. She also reportedly expressed concern over her $500 hair extensions getting ripped out.
— Matt Hardy joined Busted Open Radio for an in-studio interview to talk about his TNA Wrestling debut, the origins of his “Cold Blood” persona, issues with WWE, and more. To listen to portions of the interview, click here.
* Warning: The following contains spoilers for the March 3rd episode of TNA iMPACT!:
Sting, wearing new ring attire, returned to TNA at tonight’s iMPACT tapings in Fayetteville, North Carolina and defeated Jeff Hardy to become the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion.
*SPOILERS* TNA iMPACT! Tapings Results For Next Week
As noted earlier, our sources told us that Sting has signed a new one-year deal with TNA.
Playing up the “2/21/11” videos that WWE aired for several weeks, TNA aired a 3/3/11 video on Thursday’s iMPACT!, a clear jab at WWE and the Undertaker.
Check out this picture of our new TNA Champion, Sting:
(submit YOUR questions to [email protected])
Q: What’s WWE’s plan for Tyler Black (aka Seth Rollins)? I know he’s been in developmental for a while and had a few dark matches, but I thought we’d see him on Smackdown or even Superstars by now? Any word on when he’ll make his official television debut? – Matt
A: Rollins debuted in FCW on September 30th and while that does seem a bit excessive for someone at his skill level, it’s actually not as long as some others have been floundering in FCW before being called up to the main roster. No word yet on an official debut, but I would not have minded him in the role currently filled by Mason Ryan in Nexus, building to an eventual face turn against fellow ROH alum CM Punk.
Q: I was thinking about how Evan Bourne should be returning soon and
since Daniel Bryan is currently not feuding with anyone, I thought this would make for a great program for the U.S. Title. I would love to see this play out and would be satisfied if it lasted about as long as the program Miz had with Bryan. Your thoughts? – Michael R.
A: Bourne is penciled in to return from shoulder surgery on the March 14th tapings in St. Louis. However, he may not be ready by that date and his return may be delayed. I think a Bryan/Bourne feud, for a title or not, would be fantastic and again, a battle between two former ROH stars. That said, I cannot see WWE pitting two small wrestlers, let alone small babyfaces, against one another in a program on Raw.
Q: Do you think Kurt Angle will return to WWE after his TNA contract expires? – Anonymous
A: I don’t think Kurt will return to WWE in 2011. Rumor has it his TNA contract is due to expire this summer and I’d be surprised if he wasn’t already in discussions with them about a renewal. The schedule TNA offers is much more beneficial than what WWE would offer and while I do think he should end his career where it began, I think he will stay loyal to Dixie Carter and the folks in Orlando.
Q: Am I the only person who noticed that nobody even acknowledged the fact that Vince McMahon was supposed to have been in a coma for the last 6 months or so and then he shows up on RAW two weeks ago and announces there will be a special guest host for Mania and nobody says a word about it!? Why does WWE just drop storylines like this? It really just insults the audience’s intelligence. – Glenn Danford
A: WWE never said Vince was in a coma. That was one isolated skit on a show back in November that was done with their tongue planted firmly in their cheek. If they had referenced it again since that episode or made a real storyline out of it, then I would be just as frustrated as you are. But they didn’t, so I don’t hold that against them. And really, of all the start-and-stop storylines over the years, THIS is the one you complain about?
Q: On Twitter, Billy Kidman keeps hyping WWE Tough Enough. I have no proof other then he keeps talking about it, but I think he could be one of the trainers [for the new season.] – Mathew Cross
A: First, Kidman is a trainer for the company down in FCW, so he’s likely just being a good employee by pimping their new show. Second, it has since been confirmed that he is, in fact, not a trainer for Tough Enough. Bill DeMott (the former Hugh Morrus of WCW fame), who was a trainer for previous incarnations of the show, is being brought back to join Steve Austin, Booker T and Trish Stratus.
Q: I never understood the May 19th storyline with Kane in 2006, but I do know that it ruined his relationship with the Big Show. Why didn’t he freak out two years later when [Raw fell on May 19th] again? – Boabel
A: It was a storyline created by WWE to help promote their first feature film, See No Evil. As you might guess, Kane was the star of that film. He would hear the date and it would drive him insane, a clever idea on WWE’s part to drive that date home with viewers. Big Show was teaming with Kane at the time and, in trying to calm his friend down, he repeatedly said the date and was promptly beaten for his troubles. Kane didn’t freak out two years later because he didn’t have another movie coming out. He’s a master of self-promotion!
Q: I saw an article saying that Undertaker was spotted at an airport in Austin, Texas. Then it was removed and replaced with an article saying he was spotted at the airport in Houston, Texas, waiting for a flight to California. I wanted clarification, so I went [and found a different article stating] he was spotted in the Austin, Texas airport. I’m just really confused right now. – Jason
A: I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I just had to include this as it reminded me of those awesomely cheesy skits from 1994 with the firemen and the deli butcher who claimed to have spotted The Undertaker during this period where nobody knew where he was. Thankfully, they brought in the late Leslie Nielsen to help solve the case.
Q: At SummerSlam 2010, Undertaker showed up inside the casket after it had already been opened twice. How did he sneak inside the casket since it was a regular one and not one of the “double wide, double deep” ones? – Ryan Begley
A: There was a trap door either directly underneath the casket or on its side closest to the ring, allowing him easy entry without being seen by the crowd. It’s the same way he escaped certain extermination at the 1998 Royal Rumble when Kane set the casket ablaze at the end of the show, presumably with him inside.
Q: I was doing a search on John Cena fans on the internet and I came across your e-mail address. I just have one quick question that I would like to ask you. If I could show you how to watch John Cena wrestling on all WWE Pay Per Views with no monthly fee and get 2,500 cable channels including movies for a one time fee, would you be interested? – Mark Flowers
A: Dear god, no.
Keep those questions coming to [email protected] and remember to include your name!
