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Top TNA Stars In Japan For Today’s NJPW Tokyo Dome Show

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Several top TNA stars including Rob Van Dam and Jeff Hardy are in Tokyo, Japan for the annual Tokyo Dome show for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Below is the official press release regarding the event:

TNA WRESTLING VS. NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING TO ONCE AGAIN HIGHLIGHT NEW JAPAN’S ANNUAL “WRESTLEKINGDOM” EVENT AT THE TOKYO DOME ON JANUARY 4

On January 4, New Japan Pro Wrestling will present the annual “Wrestle Kingdom” event, their biggest show of the year held at the world famous Tokyo Dome.

TNA Wrestling and New Japan are happy to announce that superstars from both organizations will once again face off in battle at the event. The TNA vs. New Japan international bouts have been a part of Wrestle Kingdom since 2008.

The footage from past events has been released at ShopTNA.com as part of the “Global iMPACT!” DVD series, and is also available for viewing at TNAONDEMAND.COM

This year for the first time ever at Wrestle Kingdom, the TNA World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line as Jeff Hardy will defend the title! The bouts featuring Hardy as well as Rob Van Dam and Beer Money are listed below! Beer Money also has a chance to become IWGP Tag Team Champions!

TNAwrestling.com will have updates on the event as it draws closer. For more information, visit New Japan’s website at www.njpw.co.jp

Featured TNA Wrestling vs. New Japan Pro Wrestling matches at the January 4 “Wrestle Kingdom” Tokyo Dome event:

TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match
Jeff Hardy defends vs. Tetsuya Naito of No Limit

Rob Van Dam vs. Toru Yano

IWGP World Tag Team Championship Match
Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson vs. Beer Money vs. Manabu Nakanishi & Strong Man

The complete match lineup is below:

Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson) (c) vs. Beer Money, Inc. (James Storm and Robert Roode) vs. Muscle Orchestra (Manabu Nakanishi and Strong Man)
Three way tag team match for the IWGP Tag Team Championship

Jushin Liger and Hector Garza vs. Máscara Dorada and La Sombra
Tag team match

Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Takashi Iizuka
Sleeper hold match

Rob Van Dam vs. Toru Yano
Hardcore match

Yuji Nagata vs. Minoru Suzuki
Singles match

Prince Devitt (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
Singles match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

Hirooki Goto and Kazuchika Okada vs. Takashi Sugiura and Yoshihiro Takayama
Tag team match

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Go Shiozaki
Singles match

Togi Makabe vs. Masato Tanaka
Singles match

Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Tetsuya Naita
Singles match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship

Satoshi Kojima (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Singles match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship

WWE Announces The Return Of Tough Enough (Press Release)

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To follow up on what was reported in the New York Times article on Sunday night, World Wrestling Entertainment issued the following press release on Monday morning, officially announcing the return of Tough Enough on April 4th:

USA NETWORK PICKS UP TOUGH ENOUGH

LOS ANGELES, CA –January 3, 2011 – USA Network has given a ten episode order to “WWE TOUGH ENOUGH,” a non-scripted series in collaboration with World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. and Shed Media US. “WWE TOUGH ENOUGH,” slated to debut April 4, 2011, will feature a group of twelve individuals looking for an once-in-a-lifetime shot to become the next WWE Superstar or Diva. The grand prize winner will be awarded a contract with WWE, joining its roster of talent.

“WWE TOUGH ENOUGH” will premiere at 11/10c the day after WrestleMania® XXVII and immediately following USA’s ratings juggernaut “WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW®.” It will then move to its regularly scheduled slot, Mondays at 8/7c, starting on April 11th.

“We’re thrilled to tag team with the WWE in bringing TOUGH ENOUGH back to television,” said Chris McCumber, evp marketing, digital and brand strategy, USA Network and Jeff Wachtel, president original programming USA Network & co-head, original content, Universal Cable Productions. “By focusing on both the physical and the performance challenges of becoming a Superstar, the show will shine a new light on what it takes to truly make your mark in the WWE universe.”

“For years, the return of `TOUGH ENOUGH has been one of the most talked about and speculated topics amongst reality show fans and television industry insiders,” said Kevin Dunn, Executive Vice President, Television Production, WWE. “With the combined promotional muscle of USA Network and WWE, the right time slot and the reality show experience of Shed Media, WWE is looking forward to the successful return of one of television’s first reality show hits.”

The diverse group of men and women will live and train together in a house in Los Angeles. To see who has what it takes to be the next WWE Superstar or Diva, the contestants will battle it out each week in a series of unique challenges designed to test for such characteristics as showmanship, creativity, athleticism and desire, just to name a few. Each episode will feature a current WWE Superstar, who will introduce the contenders to a quality that they must possess to make it to the top of the sports entertainment world. Along the way, viewers will witness the trials and tribulations of what it takes to be one of the best in the world’s greatest sports entertainment organization.

Each episode will conclude with the elimination of one of the hopefuls who is left outside of the ring, while those that remain will move one step closer to their dream. In the final episode, the remaining contestants will battle it out for the grand prize.

Shed Media US, noted for its strong characters and memorable casting in the non-scripted arena, will produce WWE TOUGH ENOUGH. The company’s previous reality credits include “The Real Housewives of New York City,” “Who Do You Think You Are,” “World’s Strictest Parents.” Producing for Shed Media US are Alex Demyanenko and Eric Van Wagenen.

USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in over 98.5 millionU.S. homes. A division of NBC Universal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired televisionseries and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly, PG content across all of its platforms including television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo and Mexico City. Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to https://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

* Details On Awesome Kong’s WWE Debut & A Top Star Returning Sooner Than Expected

(For more corporate WWE news, visit Corporate.WWE.com)

ROH On HDNet Preview, JR Turns 59, Grisham Grows A Mustache

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– Tonight’s episode of ROH on HDNet will feature the ROH TV debuts of former WWE stars Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin. Here’s a spoiler-free preview for the show:

* Eddie Edwards vs. Mark Briscoe for the ROH TV Title.

* Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin vs. The Bravado Brothers

* Claudio Castagnoli vs. Homicide.

* Mike Mondo vs. Grizzly Redwood

– WWE announcer Todd Grisham posted a picture of himself with a mustache on Twitter and asked his followers, “To ‘stache or not to ‘stache? That is the question.” You can see the picture of Grisham with a mustache here. To answer his question – NOT to ‘stache!

– Happy Birthday to WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross, who turns 59 today. He was born on January 3, 1952. Ross wrote on his Twitter (@JRsBarBQ) that he attended the college football Fiesta Bowl over the weekend and saw his Oklahoma Sooners defeat the Connecticut Huskies. He wrote:

“Finally…a BCS Bowl win…and an apple pie from Joey Styles! Life is good in Soonerland. No sleep tonite.”

Maria Talks About Leaving WWE, Working For TNA, DivaMania

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Former WWE Diva and Playboy covergirl Maria Kanellis was recently interviewed by the Miami Herald newspaper.  Here are some highlights of what Maria said about:

Leaving WWE:

“It’s weird because you forget how busy you are when you are on the road. You’re on the road four or five days a week and sometimes going internationally for two weeks at a time, three weeks at a time. When you’re doing it, you don’t realize how crazy and hectic it is. Your body has to adjust to it.'”

“It’s very funny because I still have friends within WWE, and now seeing some of the other girls released, I’m so surprised.”There was a whole group of us that came in together. It was me, Melina, Mickie [James], Jillian [Hall]. We all came in about the same time, and a lot of us are no longer there anymore. It’s kind of funny how we all went in around the same time and left around the same time. I’m just happy about the future.”

The Possibility of Working For TNA Wrestling

“I never actually talked to [TNA] too much about it. I’m not saying I will never do it, but what I am saying is I’m completely focused on my acting career right now, and with pilot season coming up, I’m just super excited to be out here doing that. I’m in acting classes and working my tail off. I’ve been on tons of auditions.”

The Upcoming DivaMania Tour With Jillian Hall and Taryn “Tiffany” Terrell:

“I guess you get to party like a diva with a diva,” she said. “We are going to be there to have a good time and visit with people who are fans. Just really let loose after all the craziness with WWE. It’s our after party. I’m sure we will be sending lots of photos and videos.”

Aside from working on her singing career, Maria has also been acting. She will be appearing in the upcoming horror film “Manos: The Search For Valley Lodge,” scheduled for a 2013 release, along with former WWE star Gene Snitsky.

To read the full interview, visit MiamiHerald.com.

WWE’s Best Win/Loss PPV Records Of 2010, WWE Cable Network

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— Reader Darren Bongiovanni has compiled a list of the best win & loss records for WWE superstars on pay-per-view for 2010. All pay-per-view matches were included in the statistics except the Royal Rumble, the Tag Team Gauntlet Match from Extreme Rules, and the Tag Team Turmoil Match from Night of Champions (because the participants were not all involved in the match at the same time.)

The WWE wrestler who had the best PPV record of the year was Daniel Bryan, with an undefeated record of 5-0. Also undefeated were Tyson Kidd (3-0), David Hart Smith (3-0), Bret Hart (2-0), Vikcie Guerrero (1-0), JTG (1-0) and Chris Masters (1-0). Other notable records were Big Show (6-2), Kane (6-3-1), John Cena (6-5), Randy Orton (5-7-1) & The Miz (6-4).

— The New York Times published an article on Sunday discussing the return of Tough Enough in April. Also in that article was an update on WWE’s planned cable network, which is currently scheduled for a launch in mid-2012 to early-2013. Kevin Dunn, WWE’s executive vice president of television production, said the ddition of “Tough Enough” on USA did not reflect any change in the company’s plans for a channel of its own. “We’re talking to partners,” he said, and those include NBC Universal.

(Source: PWInsider.com)

WWE Tough Enough Returning The Night After WrestleMania

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The New York Times published an article on Sunday announcing that the new season of “Tough Enough” will premiere on the USA Network on Monday, April 4th – the night after WrestleMania. The show will

The new “Tough Enough” will air on Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. EST, right before WWE RAW, creating a three-hour block of WWE programming on USA.

Tough Enough will feature 12 men and women competing for a one-year WWE contract. At this time, there’s been no word about a cash prize for the show’s winner.

WWE’s executive TV producer Kevin Dunn says WWE hopes the show will draw in new viewers who will stick around for WWE RAW.

“It’s a way to bring eyeballs to the WWE product that wouldn’t necessarily watch a live event wrestling show.”

Dunn told the New York Times that USA has been interested in Tough Enough for years and wants to add more “unscripted” programming to its schedule.

For more on Tough Enough’s return, visit NYTimes.com.

Sound Off 140: Cena Gets Hurt And Murders An Innocent Promo!

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solomonster
Solomonster Sounds Off

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 140)
*right-click, “Save As”, or stream it!

Est. Runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Solomonster is ringing in the new year with news on the severity of John Cena’s injury, Awesome Kong’s signing with WWE, Jeff Hardy pleading guilty to drug charges, thoughts on CM Punk as the leader of Nexus, TNA Reaction’s fate is sealed and the BEST OF WWE 2010 countdown! Lots of great (and not so great) items to run down, so celebrate with the first Sound Off of 2011 and download this show now!!

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

TBP Doing “Custom Matches”, Impact Available To UK Viewers

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— Reigning TNA Women’s Knockout Champion Madison Rayne and Angelina Love recently shot footage for the custom wrestling match website SlamminLadies.com. Below is a photo of the two TNA Knockouts battling it out inside an empty room.

TNA Knockouts

For prices starting as low as $250, the website allows fans to draw an outline of a pro-style match between any two women wrestlers featured on the site. Photo sets are also offered.

A number of past and present TNA Knockouts are featured on the website including Awesome Kong, Velvet Sky, Taylor Wilde, Cookie, Daffney, Sojournor Bolt, Roxxi Laveaux, Rhaka Khan, Ms. Payton Banks (a/k/a Rain) and Rosie Lottalove. Former WWE Diva Savannah (a/k/a Angela Fong) is also featured on the site.

— TNA Wrestling has made iMPACT! available to UK viewers while their television situation in the country gets resolved. The following instructions were posted on the company website: “Log on to TNAondemand.com, click the launch button, then click on the Impact UK button on the bottom left of the page. This free service is only available for the UK.”

UFC President Says Brock Lesnar Can’t Appear At WrestleMania

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UFC President Dana White gave his take on the rumored Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker match at WrestleMania XXVII to reporters last week.

“He can’t leave the UFC, he’s under contract,” White said.

A reporter asked, “He can’t fake fight for the WWE?”

“No,” White stated.

A reporter then queried, “What about a special appearance?”

“Row 3, Seat 16, Aisle 2 sounds good to me,” White joked.

Lilian Garcia Sings At NFL Game, Fatal 4-Way Ticket News, More

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— Former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia sang the national anthem prior to this afternoon’s New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills game at New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

She wrote on Twitter, “On the side lines watching the #jets warm up! Gearing up to sing anthem in less then 30 mins! Butterflies are forming but SO pumped for it!!”

Garcia later added that the experience was a blast. Photos of her appearance are available here.

— The pre-sale password for WWE’s Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view event on June 19 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. is WWEVIP. The pre-sale is ongoing at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets go on sale to the general public Saturday.

— In addition to the closure of the WWE Universe social networking website, WWE.com removed the “Superstar of the Day” and “Daily Diva” features.

Tough Enough Contacts Lizzy Valentine, Ex-DX Stars Join Twitter

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— Lizzy Valentine revealed to fans last week on Facebook that the casting director for the upcoming season of WWE Tough Enough is urging her to submit an application for the USA Network reality show. She wrote:

“I was contacted by the casting director of WWE Tough Enough. They want me to submit, but I really had no intention of doing so. What do u guys think? Your opinions are extremely important in this decision!!!”

Valentine has taken part in tryouts before WWE officials in the past, but has never been offered a contract. She enrolled in the 2005 Diva Search contest, but did not make the final cut. More recently, she appeared on Wrestlicious Takedown as Kandy Kisses and worked a tryout match for TNA Wrestling.

She also appeared as Evan Bourne’s valet on the short-lived MTV series Wrestling Society X.

— Former D-Generation X members Billy Gunn and Road Dogg have launched accounts on Twitter.

— Former WWE Superstar Shelton Benjamin is advertised to participate in Q&A and autograph session at the TD Garden in Boston prior to the Boston Blazers lacrosse game on Feb. 12.

Melina Claims She Was Hacked, Eve Torres Teases New Project

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— Melina claimed last night on Twitter that her account was hacked and that she and John Morrison are still a couple.

She wrote, “Peeps, I’m still in Vegas. Jomo & I R 2together, doing great! Hackers suck BizzALLS!

“All the supportive Tweets & Love. You guys R truly like family to me. My heart is so grateful. You have no idea. Thank u 4 being so caring.”

Messages were posted Saturday morning via Twitter for iPhone and text message (applications she has used within the past two weeks) indicating that she was dumped by Morrison on New Year’s Day and that he had left her for a man.

— Eve Torres said yesterday on Twitter that she filmed a project for her female fans.

“Was filming for 13 hours straight today!” Torres wrote. “Something good for the female Believers is in the works!”

— The newsstand edition of the January 2011 issue of WWE Magazine features a hologram cover. John Cena is pictured.

Randy Savage Performs At Orchestra Concert (Video), Cena-Kong

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— Millennium Wrestling Federation is promoting Awesome Kong’s appearance for this Saturday’s event at Memorial Hall in Melrose, MA as her farewell appearance for the promotion before she heads to World Wrestling Entertainment. She will be accompanied to the ring by the father of WWE Superstar John Cena, John Cena, Sr., for her match against J-Busta.

Other talent advertised for the show include WWE United States Champion Daniel Bryan, Abyss, Paul Bearer, Jay Lethal, and Matt “Doink the Clown” Borne. Visit BostonWrestling.com for more information.

— Randy Savage attended last month’s Florida Orchestra Yankees Concert, which was held in Tampa. Footage of the four-time world champion reciting “The Night Before Christmas” was shown during a recent news segment on Fox 13 Tampa. Check out the video below – Savage appears just over a minute into the video, and is shown again at the 1:27 mark.

Vince McMahon’s New Role In WWE, HBK At Detroit Auto Show

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— Carl Dantes sent in the following news item about Shawn Michaels appearing at the Championship Auto Show in Detroit next month:

Shawn Michaels will be making an appearance & signing autographs at the Championship Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan on February 27th from 1:00PM to 4:00PM. As far as I can tell, autographs are free with admission to the show, which costs $15 for adults & $5 for children. The show takes place at Cobo Center, One Washington Blvd., Detroit, MI 48226. For more information, check out their official website.

— A new “employment agreement” Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment went into effect on January 1t and will run for three years until December 31, 2013. According to the official SEC Filing posted at WWE.com, McMahon’s new role in the company is as follows:

“In addition to his duties and responsibilities as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, the Executive shall serve as the Company’s creative director, and as a writer, and performer at various times for and in the Company’s events and productions.”

The three-year deal gives McMahon generous compensation if he is terminated “other than for cause” or leaves on his own accord with “good reason.” It also includes a 1-year no compete clause in the event that his agreement is terminated. For more specifics, visit Corporate.WWE.com.

Tiffany Says The McIntyre-Kelly Angle Was Meant For Her

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Former WWE Diva Tiffany (real name Taryn Terell) was interviewed recently by the Miami Herald newspaper and talked about what it’s like being gone from WWE with her real life husband Drew McIntyre still traveling the world with the company.

“I went from working as much as Drew to, all of a sudden, he is gone all the time,” she said. “I’m home all the time, so I have to play housewife. That is a little weird and definitely not who I am because I like to work a lot. The whole situation sucks, but on the other hand, there are other opportunities.”

Tiffany also revealed that the current SmackDown storyline with Drew McIntyre and Kelly Kelly was originally one that she and Drew pitched to WWE creative for themselves. She told the Herald:

“Since I got released, they decided to use Kelly. I’m not really sure if that was meant as a way of, `Yeah. You’re gone. Let us torture you a little bit’ or not. It is what it is. I will never know. It sucks because I know that was the role originally pitched for me and Drew, which would have been amazing because we are actually a couple. I think it’s a little bit ridiculous because everyone who watches WWE knows that we are married. So it’s a little strange.”

She continued, “I personally don’t understand it, but at the same time I sort of get myself into a little bit of controversy talking about it. I get all these tweets saying how I feel about it and about how it’s not acting. Wrestling is real. The actual wrestling is real. Everybody beats the crap out of each other. That’s all real. What goes on backstage and is written by the writers is all acting. It’s acting. So it doesn’t hurt my feelings.”

To read the complete article, visit MiamiHerald.com.

Awesome Kong Confirms WWE Signing, Gail Kim Joins Twitter

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— Awesome Kong confirmed today on Twitter that she has signed with World Wrestling Entertainment. She re-tweeted her friend’s remarks congratulating her.

“We did it Baby! Congrats to you on signing with the WWE!!” The Legal Diva wrote. “I am so proud of you as your attorney and friend! You will KILL IT at WWE!! YOU GO GIRL!!”

— Traci Brooks announced on Twitter today that WWE Diva Gail Kim has joined the micro-blogging platform.

Brooks wrote, “Hell must have frozen over cause Gail Kim finally got a twitter account. @gailkimITSME.”

— WWE will air SmackDown: The Best of 2009-2010 on pay-per-view in February.

Matt Hardy Says He Will Change Wrestling Forever, Melina Update

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— Matt Hardy, wearing a “PG SUX!” T-shirt and standing in front of a Cracker Barrel restaurant, announced in his latest YouTube post that he plans to get a new hairdo in the beginning of 2011 and is asking fans to leave comments regarding what he should get.

“Should I just buzz it? Should I just cut it real short? Should I get one of those Justin Bieber hairdos? Should I get braids? Should I get dreadlocks? I don’t know, the possibilities are endless.”

Hardy concluded his video by adding that his hair is not the only thing that is changing, but that a lot of things are changing.

“… because in 2011, Matt Hardy is going to become unpredictable and he’s going to change pro wrestling forever.”

Check out the video:

— Melina’s earlier remarks on Twitter saying she was dumped today by her boyfriend have since been deleted. It’s been speculated that her account was hacked, however, all but the second remark were made via iPhone’s Twitter application, which is what she generally uses. Her second remark was made via text message.

“Getting dumped must be the new trend this new years. The feeling sucks. I’d rather be baby face and b in love than heel & dumped.”

“I wish I could b perfect enough.”

“I wish I was him. I truly wanted to be the perfect woman for you.”

Jillian Discusses Being Unhappy In WWE, Reuniting With Divas

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The Miami Herald recently conducted an interview with Jillian Hall and the former Divas Champion noted her unhappiness towards the end of her tenure with World Wrestling Entertainment, which concluded in November.

“I wasn’t really happy with what I was doing with the company for a while,” Hall said. “I just reached a point where I felt it was time to move on and see what else is out there for me to do.”

Hall also indicated that she is not sure she would return to the organization should the opportunity present itself.

“I don’t know that I really want to go back,” Hall said. “I love the company and the people in it. I just think that part of my life is over. I’m saying that now, but it can change a month from now. Who knows?

“Right now I’m so up in the air whether I want to continue wrestling or pursue other avenues. There is a part of me that definitely wants to wrestle again. There is another part of me that hurts and says, ‘Don’t do it anymore. Give your body a rest.’

She also discussed plans to reunite with former colleagues Maria Kanellis and Taryn Terrell (a/k/a Tiffany) for the 2011 DivaMania Tour, with appearances at various clubs around the world. Terrell and Scott Celebrity Management president Andrew Scott concocted the idea, which Hall found interesting.

“I thought that for one, it’s not going to hurt my body,” Hall said. “For two, it will give me the opportunity to meet fans and enjoy myself with some friends. I plan on having a lot of fun with the girls.”

Cena Nominated For ESPN Award, Melina Says She Was Dumped

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— The WWE website is pushing fans to vote for John Cena for ESPN SportsNation’s 1st Annual Awesomest Dude Of The Year Award. The WWE Superstar currently leads the poll with 47% of the vote, beating such sports stars as Landon Donovan, Cain Velasquez and John Wall.

The poll is available here.

— Melina revealed on Twitter that she was dumped by her boyfriend on New Year’s Day.

“Getting dumped must be the new trend this new years. The feeling sucks. I’d rather be baby face and b in love than heel & dumped.”

“I wish I could b perfect enough.”

“I wish I was him. I truly wanted to be the perfect woman for you.”

— The WWE website removed Kaval’s bio from the SmackDown Superstars section on Friday, over a week after he was released by the organization.

TNA Stars Wrestling In Japan, Update On TNA TV In The UK

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— A number of TNA stars will be on hand for New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual Tokyo Dome show, which takes place Monday. Matches involving TNA talent are TNA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy vs. Tatsuya Naito; Rob Van Dam vs. Toru Yano; Beer Money Inc., vs. IWGP Tag Team Champions Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson vs. Manabu Nakanishi & Strong Man in a Three Way Match. TNA ring announcer Jeremy Borash is filming footage of the trip and handling ring announcing duties.

— TNA Wrestling issued the following statement from Sky regarding the future of iMPACT! in the UK: “TNA (iMPACT) will be broadcast on a different Sky channel when Bravo closes, we are trying to find out which channel this will be and will let you all know as soon as we find out.”

On September 15, 2010, Sky announced that it would close Bravo as well as sister channels Bravo 2 and Channel One on New Year’s Day.

— TNA Wrestling has released a Mickie James hat at ShopTNA.com.

source: PWInsider.com

Booker T Advertised For Upcoming PPV, Hogan’s Mother Passes

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— Six-time world champion Booker T is among those advertised for Viva La Lucha’s next pay-per-view event, Continental Conflict, which premieres Feb. 11. The synopsis reads:

“Perros Del Mal cause a continental conflict when the biggest lucha stars in Mexico, including Blue Demon Jr, Damien 666, Xtreme Tiger, and El Mesias stand side by side and battle American stars Booker T, Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas, Jack Evans, Christina Von Eerie and more! Don’t miss the worldwide premiere of Viva La Lucha: Continental Conflict!”

— Hulk Hogan wrote on Twitter last night that his mother, Ruth Bollea, passed away. She was 88 years old.

He wrote, “Its been a tough day, my mom passed today.she was my biggest fan,ii love her so much.happy new year to everyone.”

His father, Peter Bollea, died on December 28, 2001.

— In today’s birthdays, WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart turns 67 years old while former WCW valet Kimberly Page turns 42. Page currently lives in Utah, working in marketing and interior design.

Palumbo Comments On TNA Wages, TNA Interested In Zorro

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— Former WWE talent Chuck Palumbo took to Twitter to note that the average TNA mid-card wrestler makes less than $500 per match not to mention that they have to cover their own hotel expenses and health insurance.

He wrote: “Two fans asked me how much a wrestler makes over at TNA today, when I told them the “average mid carder” is makin less than 500 a match…no hotels …..they couldn’t believe it.. That’s before taxes and expenses and paying your own health insurance…. They were like holy****, we better stay in school.. I said “good idea.”

“That’s not a knock on the boys….I respect their passion….the wrestling companies take advantage of their passion! Any company outside of wrestling would love to have workers with the desire work ethic and passion of a wrestler.. The ones that do ….care about their employees and give them benefits etc..bonuses too.”

— TNA Wrestling officials are once again negotiating with Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) regarding utilizing Zorro.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

WWE Prematurely Posts SmackDown, Kane Speaks Out, More

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— WWE posted tonight’s episode of SmackDown prematurely as it was available for viewing for a few hours today on YouTube prior to its national airing on Syfy. The video has since been set to private.

— Kane appeared on The Wease Show on radio station 95.1 in Rochester, New York on Tuesday and notably remarked that he was disappointed that his program with The Undertaker was cut short due to injury. He also commented on Paul Bearer’s return to WWE and subsequent departure from television. The interview can be accessed here.

— Dutch Mantell, who is credited for launching TNA Wrestling’s women’s division in 2007, took to Twitter to congratulate former colleague Awesome Kong on signing with World Wrestling Entertainment.

“Congrats to Awesome Kong for her WWE signing,” he wrote. “She was always one of my favorites…glad to see her in a position to make some real money.”

— The Dec. 27 Monday Night Raw taping in Albany, New York drew 6,000 fans. Sunday’s SmackDown live event in Chicago, Illinois drew 8,500 fans paying $320,000, while the following night’s show in Pittsburgh garnered 9,000 fans.

Update On Ashley Massaro, AAA Interested In Big Names, More

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— 2005 Diva Search winner Ashley Massaro has resurfaced online as she has launched accounts on Twitter and Facebook. She explained that she deleted her former Twitter account several months ago due to an ‘asshole (boyfriend) in (her) life’.

She added, “K so I’m finally breathing again, single and free, like I said I made mistakes- HUGE- like deleting you-never happen again, not fo NO MAN.”

Since parting ways with WWE over two years ago, her public appearances have largely been limited to hosting club parties. She hosted a party last night at The Chelsea Room in New York City.

— Konnan indicated in a recent radio interview in Mexico that he’s interested in bringing Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Booker T, Carlito and Big Daddy V to AAA for big events in 2011.

— The newsstand edition of the January 2011 issue of WWE Magazine features a hologram cover. John Cena is pictured.

Mickie James Talks About Her Music Career & Leaving WWE

Daniel Pena
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ESPN.com Page 2 writer Josh Stewart posted comments on his blog from an interview he recently conducted with Mickie James that weren’t featured in the piece.

The TNA Knockout said her former employer, World Wrestling Entertainment, had a chance to coordinate her music career, but didn’t. She feels it’s difficult for talent to have outside projects under their auspices.

“They had every opportunity to jump onboard if they wanted to, and I would have welcomed it,” she said. “If they wanted to wrap a tour around some of the live event shows, or maybe market the album itself.

“I think because it’s an industry they really don’t know anything about… I think they had a really killer idea on their hand that they probably dropped the ball on.”

She also commented on her national singing debut earlier this month on TNA iMPACT!, which was interrupted when Tara attacked her (producing a near wardrobe malfunction as she fought back while holding up her dress).

“I was really singing during that performance, because I thought in my mind as a performer, you know, you can do it one of two ways. Because it is a show, and TV, and you can do things a number of ways. Honestly, I found we were going to be doing that pretty much the day before we taped it. So, we were given the option, ‘Do you want to sing to your backup track?’… And I said absolutely not. I want people to see that I’m serious about this. And if I got up there and for whatever reason something goes wrong, then I only have myself to blame.”

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