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Jerry Lawler Thinks Jim Ross Will Return To WWE Television

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During an interview with Fighting Spirit Magazine, WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler said that his longtime friend Jim Ross will indeed return to WWE television in the near future.

“JR and I had some tremendous chemistry,” Lawler said, “But I don’t think you’ve seen the last of that. I think JR will be back on the air in some capacity. He’s too good not to utilise.

A lot of people don’t realise what the situation is with him. He had a couple — I guess three now — real serious bouts of Bell’s Palsy, which is very similar in effects to a stroke. They don’t really know, but they think the attacks are brought on by stress. Nobody takes their job more seriously than good old JR.”

“The reason Vince has kept him off TV all this time is because he’s concerned with his health. He’s worried that if he puts him back out there regularly, he’ll have another Bell’s Palsy attack.”

Lawler also spoke about never wrestling at WrestleMania despite 17 years with the company – and why he may finally get his chance to wrestle on the biggest stage of them all.

“I’ve been with WWE for 17 years and that’s something I’ve never achieved,” he said. “I remember in 2007, when Vince came to me and said they were going to induct me into the Hall of Fame, I said that I didn’t want to. He said: ‘What do you mean, you don’t want to?’ I replied: ‘Most people feel like your career is over when you go into the Hall of Fame, like in baseball or football or something. Also, I’ve never done that much here, Vince. I’ve never won a title, I’ve never even wrestled on a WrestleMania.’ He said: ‘What? You’ve never wrestled on a Wrestlemania in all the years you’ve been here? That’s a tragedy. We’ve got to fix that next year. “That was his mindset then, but things get put on the backburner. First 2008 came and I didn’t get a match, then 2009 came and I didn’t get a match, then 2010.

“But I must say that there’s never really been a point in time in those years when I’ve been involved as much as I have been as of late. So if there ever was a time for it to happen, I think this would be the most advantageous. “And would I love to have a WrestleMania match? Oh boy, yes. Other than getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, that would maybe be the highlight of my career to finally get to perform there.”

Lashley Talks About Returning to Wrestling, Batista & Lesnar

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Former WWE & TNA wrestler Bobby Lashley discussed former wrestlers Brock Lesnar and Batista, as well as a potential return to pro wrestling, in an interview with ProMMANow.com this week. The following are excerpts from the wrestling portion of the discussion. The full interview can be read at ProMMANow.com.

PRO MMA NOW: You along with guys like Brock Lesnar and Batista have made the jump to MMA from professional wresting. Do you ever talk to those guys any?

BOBBY LASHLEY: I haven’t talked to Brock. You know I’ve never really talked to Brock. When I went to WWE he was already out so our paths have never crossed so I’ve never even met him or even talked to him. Then as far as Dave Batista, we were pretty good friends when we were in the WWE but when we came out of the WWE, when he went into his fight deal, I think that his target was kind of set on that big fight and that big fight was supposed to be against me. So I think our relationship kind of went two different directions and I think the reason why he was wanting to do that was because he was wanting to use me as his big match and I think that’s what Strikeforce is really hoping for if they have that match with me against Dave. I haven’t really talked to him since I’ve been out of the WWE or since he’s been out of the WWE.

PRO MMA NOW: You’ve said in the past that while a fight between you and Batista might be a good fight for the fans, it wasn’t really a good fight for your career. Do you still feel that way, and are you open to a fight with him at some point in the future?

BOBBY LASHLEY: I’m open to a fight with almost anyone and Dave has been training. I’ve heard that he’s been training pretty hard and if that fight were presented I would definitely take it. Of course it is a fight for a lot of wrestling fans because a lot of wrestling fans out there want to see that fight. There are millions upon millions of wrestling fans, but I’m not going to decline that fight. If that fight were ever brought to me I would definitely sign in a second and fight him. That’s the way the fight business is. You have to fight so whoever is brought to you that is who you are going to be fighting.

PRO MMA NOW: Do you ever see yourself at any point going back to professional wrestling?

BOBBY LASHLEY: Man, I love professional wrestling. Some people get out of professional wrestling and they’re real bitter for several different reasons. I don’t know, maybe it’s the travel, maybe it’s the people that you encounter when you are in the wrestling business, but for me I loved wrestling when I was in there. It was very time consuming and it was hard at the time when you were just thrust into an organization and there are a lot of really shady people in wrestling. I mean I dealt with them on a daily basis. But that’s not going to stop the fact that I love the sport. If I had an opportunity to go back to wrestling I would definitely consider it. I still do some wrestling. I go to Japan every couple months and I work with an organization out there with Inoki’s organization IGF (Inoki Genome Federation). So I still get that taste of wrestling going out there and working out with those guys. At the same time, there are usually a handful of fighters there. Like last time Josh Barnett was there so I was able to work out a little bit there and do some MMA training and then have the show. I’m completely open to professional wrestling anytime.

Jersey Shore’s Angelina Signs With TNA (Press Release)

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SpikeTV issued the following press release on Thursday:

ANGELINA FROM THE “JERSEY SHORE” TO GET IN THE WRESTLING RING AND ISSUE A SPECIAL CHALLENGE
Angelina To Guest Star In Two Episodes Of Spike TV’s “TNA iMPACT!” In March

New York, NY, February 24, 2011 — Angelina Pivarnivck, a former cast member of MTV’s megahit series “The Jersey Shore,” is taking her talents into the wrestling ring. Angelina will appear on two upcoming “TNA iMPACT” episodes on SPIKE TV, Thursday, March 3 at 9:00pm ET/PT and Thursday, March 10 at 9:00pm ET/PT.

In the episode, Angelina will meet and partner with the wrestling duo “The Shore,” comprised of Cookie and Robbie E, and make her professional wrestling debut in the TNA ring. Angelina and “The Shore” share a mutual hatred of “Jersey Shore” star, J-WOWW, whom she will challenge publicly to meet her in the ring for a full-on brawl.

Last October, J-WOWW made an appearance on TNA where she pounded the trash-talking Cookie (who bares a striking resemblance to Snooki).

This special TNA “iMPACT!” event tapes Thursday, February 24 at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC. ‘TNA iMPACT” airs on Spike TV Thursdays at 9:00pm ET/PT.

Major *SPOILER* For Tonight’s TNA iMPACT! Surprise

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TNA has been teasing the “most shocking moment of the year” will take place on tonight’s iMPACT! ..

A TNA source has informed us that Steve “Sting” Borden is backstage at today’s iMPACT! taping in Fayetteville, North Carolin.

However, it is not known what his role at the event will be.

It was reported earlier today that Borden had re-signed with the organization. His prior contract expired in December.

Borden last appeared for TNA Wrestling in October.

New York Jets Player Bart Scott Signs With TNA Wrestling

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FOXSports.com is reporting that New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott, who got national attention during the NFL playoffs for cutting a pro wrestling style promo after a game, has signed a deal with TNA to appear at tonight’s iMPACT! tapings from Fayetteville, North Carolina.

View Here: Bart Scott’s Post-Game Wrestling Promo That Went Viral

Scott’s NFL contract will likely prohibit him from engaging any physical activity, but Scott will be working with Hulk Hogan on camera in TNA.

Following Scott’s post-game wrestling promo that got him so much attention, Hulk Hogan told the New York Daily News that Scott could absolutely have a career in pro wrestling once his football days are over.

“I knew when Bart looked down the barrel of the camera he believed in himself and in what he was saying,” Hogan said. “That makes him a real dangerous man. When his career’s over and he wants to make some real money, tell him to give me a call and we’ll break him in the right way.”

Tune in next Thursday night, March 3rd to see Bart Scott on iMPACT!

More Names Announced For WWE All Stars (Full Roster)

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WWE All Stars

Video game website IGN.com has revealed the remaining characters who will be a part of the upcoming WWE All Stars video game. Here’s the complete roster:

Legends
 Jimmy Snuka
Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
Shawn Michaels
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin
The Rock
Ultimate Warrior
Mr. Perfect
Andre the Giant
Bret Hart
Eddie Guerrero
Hulk Hogan
Jake The Snake
Macho Man
Roddy Piper
Sgt. Slaughter

Superstars
Big Show
CM Punk
Drew McIntyre
John Cena
John Morrison
Sheamus
The Miz
The Undertaker
Edge
Jack Swagger
Kane
Kofi Kingston
Randy Orton
Rey Mysterio
Triple H

Downloadable Characters
Big Bossman
Chris Jericho
Jerry “The King” Lawler
Michael Hayes
Mark Henry
R-Truth
The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase
Dusty Rhodes
Cody Rhodes
Hawk
Animal

Non-Playable Talent
Howard Finkel
Paul Bearer

Announcers
Jim Ross
Jerry Lawler

Hulk Hogan Rips The Rock For His Return Promo

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During an interview with Peter Rosenberg, Hulk Hogan criticized WWE’s handling of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s return to WWE last week on Raw.

“They’ve spent so much time building John Cena up. There’s a way to really build somebody up, but all of a sudden within three or four seconds, he had the whole arena screaming that Cena sucks,” Hogan said.

“Sometimes I don’t understand the philosophy. John Cena is going to be there all the time. Even though The Rock said he’s back, he’s only back for one day. He’s not going to be there wrestling every single day like John Cena is, really holding it down and really keeping it real. All that stuff is scripted. They had Stephanie McMahon and the writers telling The Rock exactly what to say. I just didn’t understand why they would want to destroy Cena so quickly.”

Hogan also talked about the eight (!!!) back surgeries he’s undergone over the past year. Though he wears a brace, he’s now pain free. He noted that he will be on hand for tonight’s iMPACT! taping in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

You can check out the interview at Rosenberg’s official website, RosenbergRadio.com.

Triple H Recruiting Talent, Undertaker Not Touring, MVP

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– As Triple H continues to assume more duties behind the scenes in WWE, one area he’s been focusing on lately is recruiting new talent. Many people are interested to see what type of wrestlers Triple H sees as having future potential and whether his vision of what a superstar should be differs from Vince McMahon’s. Triple H is in favor of slowly developing talents and not calling them up to the main roster until they are fully ready.

– The Undertaker made his return to WWE on Monday’s RAW and will be working a WrestleMania program with Triple H, but the he will not be working a full-time schedule in the coming months. Shortly after WrestleMania 27, WWE will be headed back overseas for another European tour and the Dead Man is not currently scheduled to appear, despite being one of WWE’s top draws.

– MVP will be taking part in New Japan’s upcoming tournament and will face Karl Anderson in the first round on March 6th in Tokyo. If MVP wins, he will face the winner of Togi Makabe vs. Satoshi Kojima on March 19th.

– As we reported earlier in the week, MVP’s original tag team partner for his New Japan debut was arrested prior to their match for stealing a taxi. MVP wrote the following on Twitter about NOSAWA and his troubles:

“Best wishes to my man @NOSAWARONGAI187 ! He’s a good guy that allowed alcohol to influence him to make a bad decision. Ganbatte kudasai!”

(Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Cena’s Tag Title History, Miss USA, Evan Bourne’s Return

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– On Monday’s episode of WWE RAW, John Cena catpured the WWE tag titles and had a very brief title run with WrestleMania 27 opponent The Miz. It’s interesting to note that out of the four times that John Cena has held the WWE Tag Team Titles, every one of his title reigns has been with a partner that he’s feuding with at the time. with someone he was feuding with at that time.

Cena won the belts with Shawn Michaels in 2007, Batista in 2008, David Otunga in 2010 and The Miz this past Monday night.

Even more interesting is that each of Cena’s tag title reigns was shorter than the previous – two months with HBK, one week with Batista, one day with David Otunga and 12 minutes with The Miz.

– The upcoming season of WWE Tough Enough is being viewed as a chance to give a major push to Miss USA Rima Fakih. WWE sees the beauty queen as having tremendous potential as a WWE diva and the plan is to bring her up to the main roster as a babyface as soon as Tough Enough concludes, regardless of whether she wins the competition or not. Fakih is a big wrestling fan and has a legitimate interest in being a WWE Diva.

– While Evan Bourne is reportedly scheduled to return to the ring before the end of February, he might not be ready for action until late March or early April. Bourne is currently advertised to return at the March 14th RAW in St. Louis and RAW live events the following weekend, but it’s still depending on whether he’s healthy by then.

(Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

The Rock’s Next Appearance, Rock Talks Triple H – Taker

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– There’s no word yet on when The Rock will make his next WWE television appearance, but company officials want to keep his presence special and do not want to overexpose him. That said, he will be on RAW at least one more time before WrestleMania to further his feud with John Cena and The Miz and give a final boost to the WrestleMania build.

– Following Monday’s RAW, The Rock tweeted the following about the Undertaker and Triple H’s confrontation:

“loved seeing both Undertaker and Triple H return..what incredible crowd reactions for both..very happy for them – epic match!”

– People close to The Rock believe that his return to WWE means a lot to him. After being away for 7 years, Rock genuinely missed being in front of a live crowd and is excited to be a part of WrestleMania. The Rock’s mother was quoted last week saying:

“I was so proud of him. It was emotional to me, as his music hit and he appeared. It was flashbacks through the past, through three generations in the business we’ve loved throughout. By the time he hit that ring and took that mic and I saw the goose bumps on his arms, I knew he was in it. The connection between him and the fans was incredible. Like he had never left.”

* MAJOR Update On WM27 Plans: Money In The Bank, Lawler-Cole, NEXUS

(Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WM27 News: MITB, Triple H-Taker, Cole-Lawler, HBK

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We’ve got a major update on what WWE’s got planned for WrestleMania 27, which is now just over 5 weeks away:

Money In The Bank: There’s still no decisive word on whether WWE will be holding a Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania. While the company’s new Money In The Bank pay-per-view that was introduced last year seems to be a reason not to hold the match at WrestleMania, the match is still seen as an effective way of including lots of mid-cart talent (guys like Kofi Kingston, John Morrison, Drew McIntyre and Christian) on the WrestleMania card.

If WWE does not have Money in the Bank at WrestleMania, expect to see another multi-man match (such as a 10-man tag match) on the card.

WM27 Ticket Sales: WWE has already sold over 50,000 tickets for the Georgia Dome and company officials are confident they’ll sell the remainder of seats in time for the show.

Undertaker & Triple H: Triple H and The Undertaker have been given creative freedom with their WrestleMania program, with WWE’s writing team having very little input.

Original plans called for the Undertaker to face Wade Barrett and Triple H to wrestle Sheamus, but Triple H and the Undertaker decided that a “dream match” between the two of them would be most marketable scenario.

HBK’s Involement: Shawn Michaels is still expected to be introduced into the Undertaker vs. Triple H storyline, possibly as a referee or ringside enforcer. The idea behind HBK’s involvement would be that Triple H is going to try to end Undertaker’s stream as payback for ending his best friend’s career.

Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler: Vince McMahon is loving this current storyline and has been feeding Michael Cole much of his on-air insults towards Lawler. It’s said that Vince is using Jerry Lawler’s feud with comedian Andy Kaufman and his inspiration for this angle.

Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus: WWE officials are building towards a feud between Sheamus and United States Champion Daniel Bryan. They are expected to have a match for the title at WrestleMania 27.

Announcing Team: With WWE announcers Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole involved in a heated feud that will likely culminate at WrestleMania, it seems unlikely that the two of them will work side by side calling the show. There’s been talk that Jim Ross will be brought in to call the show, which would certainly give the show a “big time” feel.

(Credit to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter for the information used in this report)

Jericho’s Huge News Coming Today, Best Seller Update

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– Chris Jericho noted on Twitter that he will be making his big announcement at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles today around 12:30pm local time. Check back later for more on that.

– Chris Jericho’s new book Undisputed has moved up to the #13 spot on the NY Times bestseller list this week. Jericho wrote on Twitter:

“Undisputed moved all the way up to number 13 on the NY Times bestseller list this week! Thanks to all who drank the literary Kool-Aid…”

We’ll take partial credit for that accomplishment!

– Jericho taped an episode of The George Lopez Show on TBS last night, that will air tonight, Thursday. Jericho joins the barbershop quartet for a performance.

– Chris Jericho will be on The Bud & Manchild radio show in Syracuse this morning at 11am and then part of a press conference for The Golden God Awards at Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. Jericho then will be appearing at the ESPN Zone at LA River from 6-7:30pm.

WWE Unhappy With Tough Enough Casting, Matt Cross

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– WWE was said to be unhappy with the first batch of Tough Enough contestants that were chosen by Shed Media and the USA Network.

Specifically, WWE reportedly did not like how so many well-known independent wrestlers were selected.

The people who were in charge of casting were replaced by a guy who has previously worked closely with WWE producer Kevin Dunn.

– As noted yesterday, indy star Matt Cross is reportedly a contestant on the new WWE Tough Enough.

Former WWE star Val Venis wrote the following on Twitter yesterday, congratulating him:

“Congrats to Matt Cross on being part of the cast of tough enough. The M-Dogg is amazing and should be a fav to win the whole damn show!”

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Concern Over Angle’s Health, Tonight’s Big Tapings & More

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– There is concern in TNA over Kurt Angle’s condition after he was pulled from singles main events against Jeff Jarrett at last weekend’s TNA live events. Instead of Angle having to carry a full main event singles match, they had him team with Beer Money to face Jeff Jarrett and Ink Inc. Beer Money carried most of the match, with Angle basically taking part in the match’s finish.

– Tonight is a big night for TNA – the company will tape the March 3rd episode of iMPACT from Fayetteville, North Carolina. This will be only the second iMPACT! ever taped outside of Orlando.

Advertised for tonight are the return of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair vs. AJ Styles, Karen and Jeff Jarrett renewing their wedding vows.

– Former TNA Knockout Chelsea is now working on a show called The College Experiment, airing Thursday nights on FUEL TV.

TNA iMPACT! Preview For Tonight: Shocker Of The Year

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– The following is a spoiler-free preview for tonight’s episode of TNA iMPACT! on Spike TV:

  • Kurt Angle vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Mr. Anderson
  • Eric Young & Orlando Jordan vs. Gunner & Murphy
  • Crimson vs. Magnus
  • Rob Terry vs. Scott Steiner in a posedown
  • Madison Rayne’s open challenge

TNA is also teasing the “most shocking moment of the year” at the end of  tonight’s broadcast.

Based on what we’ve heard, there’s a strong chance the shocking moment will be … the return of Sting.

WWE Adds Several New Talents To Developmental Roster

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WWE’s Florida Championship Wrestling has made several additions to it’s roster page:

Ricardo Rodriguez – Alberto Del Rio’s ring announcer who wrestles under that gimmick and the masked gimmick of Chimaera.

Russell Walker – formerly known as Reuben de Jong, 6 foot 10 inches and 310 lbs. He is a two-time strongman champion from New Zealand and has pro wrestling and MMA experience. He also holds the Guinness World Record for running through the most panes of glass in under one minute.

Jason Mullen – 7 foot tall and over 300 lbs. from Ireland, known as The Irish Nightmare. He has been wrestling since 2004 in Ireland.

Rick Victor – Formerly known as Apocalypse in OVW where he held the OVW Championship after they were no longer affiliated with WWE. Victor has trained in the Hart Dungeon.

Erik Rowan – Independent wrestler from Minnesota, formerly known as Thoruf Marius. His look resembles something between a viking and one of The Highlanders.

Jarrod Locke – Formerly known as Warrior on the UK version of Gladiators. He has a bit of a Samoan look.

Video Of Jericho On G4 & More On Undertaker At SmackDown

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– We noted before that The Undertaker appeared on the ramp and then disappeared during last night’s dark main event after the SmackDown tapings with Edge and Big Show vs. The Corre and Alberto Del Rio. A reader who was at the show wrote in and said before he disappeared, Undertaker stopped Wade Barrett from leaving when he tried to leave the match and go to the back.

– Chris Jericho appeared on G4’s Attack of the Show last night and talked about why WWE doesn’t like the term “belt” for its championship titles Check it out:

Game Reviews – E3 2011 – AOTS Exclusive

Ric Flair’s TNA Status, Karen Needs A Wedding Planner & More

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— Ric Flair resurfaced last week on iMPACT!, his first TNA appearance since the organization’s tour overseas. A source said that backstage, Flair acted as if nothing occurred overseas.

— The debut of TNA iMPACT! on Challenge TV in the U.K. on February 8 drew 134,000 viewers. It is the most watched episode of iMPACT! in the country. By comparison, the final airing of iMPACT! on Bravo drew 37,000 viewers (airing Christmas Day).

— TNA Wrestling has posted a video of Karen Jarrett (now nicknamed “The Princess”) indicating that she needs help coordinating her wedding.

Al Snow Talks Wrestlers On Twitter, “Smart Marks” & More

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Arda Ocal and Jimmy Korderas recently interviewed TNA producer Al Snow.  Here are the highlights of what Snow said about:

– Thoughts on wrestlers using Twitter to air grievances: “It shouldn’t be a venue to air gripes or complaints, by no means. The wrestling business was a closed business for a very long time (Jimmy can attest to this). It’s kinda like remember when you were a kid, and you were at home and something would happen within your family and it was never spoken outside of the house because it was your family. It was nobody else’s business because nobody else could appreciate or understand the situation, and therefore, would pass judgment on something they really didn’t have a part in. Because at the end of the day, the only people who are gonna have to go to bed with it and wake up with it are you and your family – and that’s kinda like the wrestling business.”

– On TNA talent using social forums (via Twitter) to comment on the competition: “We’re the ones who rely on and depend on the wrestling business for our livelihood and how we’re gonna feed our families. So why throw dirt on each other and throw muck around, or air out our grievances or talk about the competition in a public forum. It’s okay to do all of those things amongst ourselves, but once it goes outside those doors, and goes into an area where people don’t have a real stake in what happens or what it being said then it’s like your cousin Jim who went to jail – you don’t want to share that with anybody because he’s your cousin – he’s your family.”

– On his job description as a producer for TNA: “A communicator who conveys message from an agents meeting to determine what type of business we want to accomplish from a particular match – pushing a storyline, getting a babyface over, make a character, put heat on a heel, or start teaching the audience (6-montsh out) that a certain guy could be a champion so that 6-months later he becomes a viable threat/contender to the title (in the eyes of the audience).”

– “The most oxymoronic term out there is a ‘smart-mark’. Just doesn’t exist. Because how can you be smart at something – knowing somebody is lying to you, while actually believing the lie. It’s a term created by fans who believe they’re on the inside of something that they’re not really on the inside of. They’re not a part of the business because they don’t have a real stake in it.”

– “A great example is if you ask what was the best match of WrestleMania 3. Most people would say Savage/Steamboat. But it was Hogan/Andre because 93,000 people paid to see Hogan/Andre. The best match isn’t about ‘working’ or ‘taking the best bumps’, it’s the match that draws the most people and makes the most money. That’s the best match.”

– Also Al Snow discusses ring psychology, internet smart-marks (and the irony of the term), lack of guidance in present day wrestling scene, his upcoming movie roles and much much more. The twenty-minute interview can be heard here.

Sound Off 147: Post-Chamber Show With Thoughts on Cena/Rock

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solomonster
Solomonster Sounds Off

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 147)
*right-click, “Save As”, or stream it!

Est. Runtime: 2 hours

Solomonster is back with a post-PPV edition of the Sound Off, clocking in at TWO HOURS! Thoughts on a pair of awesome Elimination Chamber matches and why the right people won, Justin Roberts’ faux-pas that not many people may have noticed, The Rock’s return and why I laugh heartily at the people thinking he would actually wrestle John Cena, taking issue with one of JR’s tweets, new names for Dolph Ziggler, a great sign for Tough Enough being a success and, of course, a MONSTER mailbag! Happy 2.21.11 :)

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

WWE Lands Major TV Clearance In Brazil (Press Release)

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WWE released the following press release on Tuesday announcing a major new TV clearance in Brazil:

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– WWE Inc. (NYSE:WWE – News) and Esporte Interativo today announced a one year agreement which will bring WWE’s weekly flagship TV show WWE Raw® to Brazilian Free TV beginning in March 2011.

Launching on March 2 at 10pm, Brazil’s biggest sports channel Esporte Interativo will bring the global entertainment company’s longest-running TV program to more than 33 million television households across Brazil.

WWE Raw is a unique form of entertainment featuring WWE Superstars Triple H®, John Cena®, Randy Orton®, The Miz™, Sheamus™, CM Punk® and many more. Viewers can tune in to watch all the excitement unfold every week on Esporte Interativo channels: 36 (Sao Paulo), 9 (Sao Jose dos Campos), 26 (Campinas), 58 (Mogi das Cruzes) and 43 (Santos), as well as with Oi TV (515) and Via Embratel (48).

According to Mauricio Portela, Production Vice President for Esporte Interativo, this deal is part of the channel’s strategy to expand and diversify the content of the program schedule. “We are investing in new attractions and planning varied programming. WWE programming was consistently requested among our viewers and we are delighted to be able to deliver WWE Raw to our viewers,” said Portela.

Announcing the deal, Andrew Whitaker, Executive Vice President of International for WWE, said “This new agreement is part of WWE’s further extension into Latin America with Brazil being the linchpin. We look forward to working with Esporte Interativo in bringing the WWE brand to viewers in Brazil.”

Paul Bearer Talks WWE Future, Edge Abduction & More

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Ring The Bell Radio with Paul Bearer
Hosts: Matt and J.D.
Full audio available at RingTheBellRadio.com.

Returning to WWE Last September: “As I always said never say never. The WWE contacted me about coming back and I told them no. Then they had some of my friends (Kane, Undertaker) call me too. After about 6 weeks of this I finally agreed to come back. I didn’t want to come back and work the long road schedule. I signed a 6 month contract, knew exactly what they were going to do with my character. It was fun to be back with the boys.”

Being Abducted by Edge: “A lot of people kept saying, ‘Oh I can’t believe Edge hit you with a dodge ball in the head, I can’t believe he pour the marinara sauce all of you!’ Let me just say (not the I’m bragging) on top of my contract the WWE cut me a bonus check for all of that, I would say that bonus check for just that segment was more than anyone listening would make in a month, so I had no problem with it.”

His Future Involvement with WWE: “Like I said before, never say never but I’m happy now spending time with my family. I will be at Wrestlemania, not involved with the actual Wrestlemania show but I will be at the WWE Access that happens that weekend and I am looking forward to that!”

Paul also talks about his possible appearance in an upcoming WWE video game (WWE All Stars) and then takes a question from a fan. The question seemed to upset Paul and he quickly left the show. This prompted former WWF Superstar Jim Powers (who was listening to the show) to call into the show and sound off on Paul Bearer, John Cena and a number of other topics!

More Tough Enough Names, Ziggler Taking Bookings

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– Independent wrestler Matt “M-Dogg” Cross is expected to be a cast member on the new season of WWE Tough Enough, which premires the night after WrestleMania following RAW.

California wrestler “Big Nasty” Jason Watts will also be part of the show, along with Miss USA Rima Fakih.

The four trainers on the show will be Steve Austin, Booker T, Trish Stratus and Bill DeMott.

– Dolph Ziggler continues to sell his storyline “firing” on Twitter, saying that he’s now being represented by the eilte William Morris talent agency and has an “exciting” opportunity planned for when his 90-day no-compete clause expires. Ziggler tweeted on Tuesday:

“Just got my first call for a possible booking, since being fired! Very exciting… My agency is William Morris, no televised bookings until after 5/12/11 Let the countdown begin! 90, 89, 88, 87, 86….”

Give Ziggler and WWE credit, they’re making pretty good use of Twitter and the known 90-day no-compete clause that released talent is bound by to push the storyline that he’s been fired.

– Today marks the one-year anniversary of WWE NXT, whiched debuted on the SyFy channel on 2/23/10. NXT remained on SyFy until September 28th of last year until the show was moved to WWE’s website.

What You Won’t See On SmackDown: Undertaker Appears

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– WWE has been advertising an appearance by The Undertaker on Friday’s episode of SmackDown on SyFy. The Dead Man was at Tuesday’s tapings from Sacramento, but did not appear until the dark match main event. Undertaker made a brief appearance in front of the crowd during the match that saw Big Show and Edge defeat The Corre and Alberto Del Rio in a handicap match.

Rey Mysterio was advertised to be on Show and Edge’s team but did not wrestle. Taker’s return came during the match, appearing on the ramp and then disappearing, according to a fan in attendance.

*SPOILERS* WWE SmackDown Tapings Results For Friday

– The dark match before last night’s WWE tapings in Sacramento, California saw Percy Watson defeat Chavo Guerrero.

– Matches taped for Thursday’s WWE Superstars on WGN show prior included Chris Masters vs. Tyler Reks and the WWE Tag Team Champions Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel vs. JTG & Trent Baretta.

Vince Talks WrestleMania, Jericho On George Lopez & More

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– Chris Jericho will be appearing on TBS’ The George Lopez show later tonight.

– Florida Championship Wrestling referee Tony Smith tweeted this week that he’s been called up to WWE’s main roster and will be starting on the road this weekend.

– WWE Chairman Vince McMahon spoke with The Miami Herald to promote WrestleMania 2012 coming to Miami and was asked to describe the WrestleMania experience:

“You can liken it somewhat to the Super Bowl, I suppose, but the other aspect of it is it’s a hybrid of all forms of sport entertainment rolled into one. There’s nothing like WrestleMania. It’s like the Super Bowl combined with a Broadway play. Maybe throw in a little demolition derby along with maybe Disney On Ice. It’s a combination of so many things, and you’ve never seen anything like WrestleMania before. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event. To be there, to see it, to feel it, to experience it, and you have to really see it to believe it.”

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