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*Spoiler* Wade Barrett & Nexus’ Future Revealed

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Warning: The following contains a Spoiler for Friday’s WWE SmackDown:

At Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown tapings, former Nexus member Wade Barrett made a surprise appearance and attacked the Big Show during a #1 contender’s match that was won by Dolph Ziggler.

After Barrett was kicked out of Nexus on Monday’s RAW, his is now reportedly being moved to the SmackDown brand, reports PWInsider.com.

Barrett will not be turning face as part of his exit from Nexus and will not be putting much more of a fight to get back with his former group. Nexus will move on without Barrett, with CM Punk as its new leader as we begin the new year.

First NXT Elimination Announced, Superstars Matches Taped

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— The results of the first poll of the fourth season of NXT were revealed on tonight’s episode and it was announced that Jacob Novak has been eliminated from the competition.

Novak said it is ‘a crushing blow’ and that he always wanted to stand in front of the WWE Universe because they share the same passion as him. He added that NXT was the experience of his life.

Matt Striker then announced that the next elimination will take place in two weeks.

— Matches taped tonight in Tucson, Arizona for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars were JTG vs. Tyler Reks and Chris Masters vs. Curt Hawkins.

— Percy Watson pinned Chavo Guerrero in a dark match prior to tonight’s television tapings.

source: PWInsider.com

WWE Shows No Interest In Joe, Bryan Working Independent Show

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– World Wrestling Entertainment officials reportedly did not reach out to Samoa Joe during a few day period last month he was a free agent. There were people in the organization pushing Joe to be signed, but results were not had before he reached a new agreement with TNA Wrestling. (source: PWInsider.com)

– WWE United States Champion Daniel Bryan is advertised to face Tommaso Ciampa in a Submissions Match at this Saturday’s Millennium Wrestling Federation event at Memorial Hall on 590 Main St. – Melrose, MA.

For more information on Tommaso Ciampa, click here. A video promo of Ciampa commenting on his upcoming match with Bryan is available here.

Other matches scheduled to take place include “Slyck” Wagner Brown vs. former TNA star Homicide in a MWF Heavyweight Championship Steel Cage Match, TNA star Abyss vs. “Executioner” Brian Milonas in a Steel Cage Grudge Match, and Awesome Kong vs. MWF Tag Team Champion J-Busta in a Steel Cage Inter-gender Match. Paul Bearer, “Black Machismo” Jay Lethal, “Doink the Clown” Matt Borne, “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards and John Cena, Sr., among others, are also advertised to appear.

Cena Dealing With Additional Injuries, Post-Mania Raw News

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— John Cena was reportedly “banged up” before he suffered an injury to his hip during a match with Wade Barrett at last Tuesday’s Raw live event in Philadelphia. It is the latest in a series of minor injuries the WWE Superstar is suffering from. Nonetheless, he is expected back any week now.

— With Tough Enough beginning the day after WrestleMania XXIV, there won’t be a three-hour episode of Raw during the ten-week run of the reality program. There has been a three-hour WWE Draft show following WrestleMania for the past four years.

— Jim Ross noted today on Twitter that he is meeting with retired NFL player and University of Oklahoma alumnus Marcus Dupree to discuss potential non-wrestling opportunities for himself. Ross added that a movie could be in the works.

(source: f4wonline.com))

Monday’s Raw Rating, Kane Participating In High School Seminar

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— The January 3, 2010 edition of Monday Night Raw scored a 3.06 cable rating. The rating is slightly down from last week’s show, which scored a 3.06.

— WWE talent Glenn Jacobs (a/k/a Kane) and Mises Institute faculty will be participating in an “Economics in One Lesson: High School Seminar” in Knoxville, Tennessee on February 11. The seminar is being sponsored by the Tennessee Liberty Alliance. Click here for more information.

— WWE’s forthcoming three-disc DVD set on Big Show, Big Show: A Giant’s World, is set for release on February 22, 2011.

(source: Pro Wrestling Torch)

DGUSA Announces 3-Night Kamizake USA Gauntlet Challenge

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Dragon Gate USA has announced that Open The Freedom Gate champion BxB Hulk will defend his title three nights in a row (January 28-30) against the members of the Kamizake USA stable. BxB Hulk will “run the guantlet” against the members of Kamizake USA on the following shows:

  • Friday January 28th from Manhattan, NY (BB Kings):
    OTFG Champion BxB Hulk vs. YAMATO
  • Saturday January 29th from Philadelphia, PA (ECW Arena):
    OTFG Champion BxB Hulk vs. Jon Moxley
  • Sunday January 30th – Union City, NJ (ACE Arena):
    OTFG Champion BxB Hulk vs. Akira Tozawa

Check out this promo from Kamizake USA member Jon Moxley issuing the challenge to BxB Hulk:

Strikeforce Announces Heavyweight Tournament, Fedor Re-Signs

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The Strikeforce MMA promotion has announced that Fedor Emelianenko has signed a new multi-fight contract with the promotion and will compete in Strikeforce’s upcoming World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament, starting on February 12th.

The following first-round matches will be part of the tournament:

  • Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Silva.
  • Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov.
  • Brett Rogers vs. Josh Barnett.
  • Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum.

Here’s the official press release from Strikeforce:

WORLD GRAND PRIX HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT
Quarterfinals Begin Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011
Live on SHOWTIME® From IZOD Center, E. Rutherford, N.J.

NEW YORK (Jan. 4, 2011) – World championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotions STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL, in association with premium television network SHOWTIME have signed a new, multi-year agreement to co-promote events headlined by the MMA legend Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC).

In addition, STRIKEFORCE has assembled eight of the world’s top ranked heavyweights to compete in the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament, a three-stage, single-elimination tournament that will take place over several events in 2011.  The first two quarterfinal fights begin on Saturday, Feb. 12, live on SHOWTIME from the IZOD Center in E. Rutherford, N.J. In the main event, the 34-year-old Emelianenko will face the towering Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event.  Co-featured on Feb. 12, former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8) will face Sergei Kharitonov (16-4), the last man to defeat current STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem.

The other two quarterfinal matchups are as follows: Overeem (34-11, 1 NC) will face the only man to tap out Fedor, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1), while the heavy-handed Brett “The Grim” Rogers (11-2) will meet a hungry Josh Barnett (29-5). The location and date for these quarterfinal tournament fights are to be announced.

“We are thrilled to have come to a long-term agreement with Fedor and M-1 GLOBAL,” said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker. “To have the greatest MMA fighter of all-time put his legacy on the line in a single-elimination tournament will truly captivate MMA fans worldwide. STRIKEFORCE is home to the best heavyweight division in the world; the athlete who runs the gauntlet in a tournament such as this would have to be considered the best heavyweight fighter in the world.”

“I’m very pleased to be working with SHOWTIME and STRIKEFORCE and Mr. Coker and Mr. Hershman personally. Thanks to their interest and efforts, we’ve created what will go down in history as MMA’s greatest heavyweight tournament of all time,” said Vadim Finkelchtein, co-founder of M-1 Global. “M-1, STRIKEFORCE and SHOWTIME have built a partnership committed to the future growth of MMA—a sport where organizations represent a working collaborative that enable the best fighters in the world to fight each other. This agreement benefits everyone, especially the fans who’ll see Fedor in action more often.

“With SHOWTIME’s significance in the U.S. and M-1’s development of the European and Asian MMA markets, the cooperation will also deliver a global roster of talented fighters to viewers,” Finkelchtein continued. “During the coming year, we’ll be showcasing spectacular Grand Prix events using the same M-1 Selection tournament format, a series of events generating enthusiastic spectator interest keeping fans glued to their screens.”

“I can’t think of a better way to start 2011 than with this major announcement,” said Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports®. “Fedor is universally known to sports fans throughout the world and it is an honor to continue our work with M-1 GLOBAL and STRIKEFORCE in presenting this legendary fighter to SHOWTIME subscribers.

“SHOWTIME has enjoyed great success with its two most recent boxing tournaments—the Super Six World Boxing Classic and The Bantamweight Tournament,” Hershman continued. “And now, with the breadth of talent in the STRIKEFORCE heavyweight division, we have the privilege of staging one of the biggest tournaments in the history of this growing sport.  With the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix’s single-elimination format and the biggest names in the sport today, this tournament is something that no sports fan will want to miss.”

“I have been training very hard since my last fight and can’t wait to get back in the cage,” said the 6-foot, 235-pound Emelianenko, who hails from Stary Oskol, Russia and is promoted by M-1 GLOBAL.  “STRIKEFORCE has assembled a roster filled with the best heavyweights in the world and, together with M-1 GLOBAL, we have the opportunity to fight the best in a great tournament format.”

Fedor’s unprecedented, record-setting run of 28 professional MMA bouts without a defeat has prompted many MMA enthusiasts to label Fedor as the greatest of all time. Since his career began 10 years ago, Fedor has faced and defeated many rival superstars and champions of this era including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Andrei Arlovski and Mark “The Hammer” Coleman.

In what ranks among the most watched MMA fights in the United States, Fedor made his live primetime network television debut on Nov. 7, 2009 on CBS, when he defeated unbeaten rising star Brett Rogers in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event.  Despite a difficult first round in which he sustained a deep cut above his eye, Fedor turned the tide early in the second round with one vicious right-hand punch and finished Rogers shortly after.

Then, on June 26, 2010, Fedor suffered a stunning upset at the hands of Werdum, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., in one of the most watched MMA bouts on SHOWTIME.  Werdum, who has defeated a host of top rivals including Overeem, Silva and Brandon “The Truth” Vera, trapped Fedor’s arm in a triangle armbar that forced Fedor to tap out at the 1:09 mark of the opening round.

Fedor has only one other official loss on his record, the result of a doctor stoppage due to a cut he sustained seconds into a matchup with Japan’s Tsuyoshi Kosaka on Dec. 22, 2000.  Fedor avenged the TKO loss with his own first-round TKO of Kosaka at a PRIDE Fighting Championships event in Japan on April 3, 2005.

Snoop Dogg Endorsing NXT Rookie, Watch Past Royal Rumbles

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— Snoop Dogg is pushing his Twitter followers to vote for Brodus Clay in the ongoing NXT competition. Voting is taking place at WWE.com as the first elimination will be made on tonight’s show. He wrote:

“Brodus clay get ur vote on WWENXT.com represent tha homey @brodusclay. nudoknowthat.”

Prior to becoming a professional wrestler, he worked as a bodyguard for Snoop Dogg. The Brodus Clay ring name is a play on Snoop Dogg’s real name, Cordozar Calvin Broadus.

— Comcast’s On Demand service is offering the following Royal Rumble matches for $1.99 apiece: 1988, 1989. 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2008.

— New Japan Pro Wrestling announced the following dates for their upcoming tour of the United States: Friday, May 13 in Rahway, New Jersey at the Rahway Rec Center; Saturday, May 14 in Brooklyn, New York at a yet to be announced venue; Sunday, May 15 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the “ECW Arena.”

Show Lands Role In Nickelodeon Series, SmackDown Sets Low

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— Big Show has landed a role in the upcoming Nickelodeon series “Supah Ninjas, which is centered around a group of high school kids who are ninjas.

A casting call was issued today for a stand-in for the WWE Superstar with the casting director asking for a Caucasian male “6’9′ or taller who is 400 to 475lbs.”

— The New Year’s Eve edition of SmackDown drew a 1.43 cable rating, with 2,205,000 viewers. It is a record low rating for a first-run episode of SmackDown on Syfy.

— WWEShop.com is offering 20% off orders of $75 or more with the code “2011”.

(source: PWInsider.com)

Snow To Return For Tough Enough?, Mysterio Pulled From Show

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— A number of mainstream news outlets including Entertainment Weekly and Variety are covering the revival of WWE’s Tough Enough reality series on the USA Network. A blogger for Entertainment Weekly queried if Al Snow would be returning as a trainer, but a USA representative stated that decisions about judges and mentors have yet to be made.

Snow currently works for TNA Wrestling as a producer.

— The Rupp Arena is no longer advertising Rey Mysterio for this Saturday’s Smackdown live event in Lexington, Kentucky. Alberto Del Rio will instead face Big Show.

— Former WWE star Jim Powers celebrates his 52nd birthday today. He announced his retirement from professional wrestling last month.

Shad Gaspard Talked Top MMA Star Out Of Joining WWE

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Former WWE star Shad Gaspard appeared on Right After Wrestling with Arda Ocal and Jimmy Korderas last night. You can hear the full interview at TheScore.com. Here are some highlights of what Gaspard said about:

Telling Strikeforce MMA Fighter “King Mo” Not To Join WWE:

“(Former Strikeforce MMA Light Heavyweight Champion King Mo Lawal) actually tried out (for the WWE). Gerald Brisco got him a tryout with WWE. They were ready to sign him and he was ready to sign. He decided not to come with WWE because, we were out drinking one night. I told him that he’s young, he can still do it.. he should fight right now, do what he has to do now and then later on become a pro wrestler. I know he will be a superstar when it’s his time. He’s in in no rush. I’m super proud of him.”

Not Watching Wrestling Anymore & Being A Fan Of John Morrison:

“I haven’t watched wrestling in months. Tonight was the first night I watched because I knew Morrison was wrestling, and I was hoping he’d win the title. You know it’s one of those things where the really good athlete doesn’t necessarily make the really good wrestler in some people’s opinions. And it’s not the people who are watching the product, it’s the people who are in the back. I think Morrison is a phenomenal athlete. But when you put him in a wrestling ring and that talent sometimes get unshowcased and sometimes I feel people like him get the short end of the stick.”

Tonight’s SmackDown & NXT Tapings, Why Alberto Was On RAW

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– WWE will tape tonight’s episode of NXT and Friday’s SmackDown show from the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona.

NXT will feature the first elimination of Season 4. SmackDown will see Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio in a 2 of 3 Falls Match and Kane vs. Edge in a Last Man Standing Match for the World Heavyweight championship.

– A few readers have asked why SmackDown star Alberto Del Rio wrestled on Monday’s WWE RAW from Phoenix. Aside from the fact that Alberto is in the midst of a major push and WWE wants him to get as much exposure as possibe, the main reason is that WWE wants to give RAW fans a look at a top SmackDown star in hopes that they’ll watch SmackDown on SyFy. Expect to see more crossover among RAW and SmackDown stars in the coming months.

– The new backstage announcer we saw on RAW is Scott Stanford, who announces on WWE Superstars and is one of WWE’s “hype men” on the PPV preview shows that air before WWE’s PPVs go on the air. He’s a longtime newscaster in the New York area and has an official website at ScottStanford.tv.

WrestleKings V Results: TNA vs. NJPW From Tokyo (VIDEO)

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New Japan WrestleKings V show
Tokyo, Japan at the Tokyo Dome
Report by reader Nick

I don’t know the exact attendance figure, but the whole first tier was filled along with the ground level seating. My friend and I speculated there were about 10,000-12,000 people there. We paid 3,000 yen (approximately 35 US dollars) for a seat in the first tier, with a nice view of the action.

As is expected in Japan, the Japanese wrestlers received the biggest pops and heat. Notable mention must go to Kenny Omega and Prince Devitt though – they seem to have created a pretty nice following in Japan.

From TNA, Jeremy Borash was doing the ring introductions, and Beer Money, RVD and Jeff Hardy were in action. Quite a few people seemed to be familiar with Beer Money as they have been to Japan
before, but unfortunately Jeff Hardy and RVD received little to no reaction. It was quite funny with RVD, as the Japanese wrestler he faced received a way bigger pop when he mockingly did the RVD gesture with his name than RVD did himself.

Props go to Jeff Hardy for making the trip to Japan with all the personal issues he has going on right now, but he was far from top form today, and put on arguably the worst match of the night. He faced Tetsuya Naitoh (part of No Limit who were in TNA briefly), but the match never got going, had a couple of botched spots, and there was a “was that it?” feeling in the crowd after it ended.

The match may have finished early for some reason as Naitoh didn’t even take his t-shirt off (he usually takes it off during one his signature moves), and Jeff did look noticeably exhausted a couple of minutes into the match. Like I say though, props to Jeff for coming to Japan and putting on the show with everything he has going on at the moment.

All TNA wrestlers used their TNA music and entrance videos.

There was also an announcement during the show that New Japan will be putting on 3 shows under the “Strong Style” slogan in the U.S. in May this year. I think it was May 13 in New Jersey, May 14 in New York, and May 15 in Philadelphia. You may want to confirm those dates, but it was definitely in those cities.

Dark Match

1. Wataru Inoue, Tiger Mask, Tama Tonga and Tomoaki Honma defeated Yujiro Takahashi, Tomohiro Ishi, Gedo and Jado in an 8-man tag match. Short 8-man tag match, was disappointing to see Tiger Mask relegated to dark match status.

Main Card

1. Kouji Kanemoto and Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Kenny Omega and Taichi.
Kenny Omega looked great, and the fans seem to be really behind him.

2. Giant Bernard (A-Train/Prince Albert) and Machine Gun Anderson defeated Beer Money and the team of Nakanishi Manabu and Strongman in a three way tag match. I liked Machine Gun Anderson – he and Bernard got a nice reaction. Beer Money did the Beer Money suplex, DWI, and James Storm did the beer spitting spot which backfired. Fun match which ended with Bernard telling TNA that “NJPW is No. 1!”

3. La Sombra and Mascara Dorada (from CMLL) defeated Jushin Thunder Liger and Hector Garza. Lucha libre style tag match with lots of high risk athletic spots. La Sombra performed an inwards somersault dive to the outside and Mascara Dorada did a tightrope walk moonsault to the outside. Really impressive stuff from all 4 guys.

4. Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Takashi Iizuka in a “Deep Sleep” (first person unconscious) match. Finally a singles match! Very physical grudge match – Iizuka is an awesome heel. Tenzan finished with an move similar to the Anaconda Vice to put Iizuka away. The crowd loved Tenzan – he was out for a long time with an injured neck and seems to be somewhat of a crowd favourite.

5. Rob Van Dam defeated Toru Yano in a hardcore match. Poor RVD. He put on a good effort here, but received little to no love from the crowd. Japanese crowds are tough to win over. Standard hardcore rules match with chairs, trash cans, ladders, etc involved. RVD did the Van Daminator a couple of times (to no reaction) and hit the Five Star Frog Splash to Yano holding a chair (to no reaction) for the win.

6. Yuji Nagata defeated Minoru Suzuki. Grudge match – apparently there is legit heat between these two guys going back over 20 years. Nagata hit some mega stiff kicks, very much a Japanese strong style match.

7. Prince Devitt defeated Kouta Ibushi to retain the IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title. Easily the best match of the night. Both these guys are so impressive in the ring, and shook hands at the end after a very high paced match. I urge you all to check this out on YouTube if it gets uploaded.

8. Sugiura and Yoshihiro Takayama defeated Hirooki Goto and Kazuchika Okada. Takayama was as stiff as ever, everyone was “oooh”-ing every time he hit a knee. They did a Go To Sleep style move where Sugiura threw Goto off his shoulders and onto Takayama’s oncoming knee. Looked nasty. Takayama got the win for his team with a bridging german suplex.

9. Jeff Hardy defeated Tetsuya Naitoh to retain the TNA Title. As I mentioned, a disappointing match. Never got going. Jeff hit the Whisper in the Wind, Twist of Hate, and finished with the Swanton Bomb. Naitoh did all the heavy lifting before that, and did his best to create some movement, but Jeff didn’t have a great day at the office.

10. Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Go Shiozaki. Great match, Nakamura has some nasty looking chops. He was even chopping Shiozaki’s knee at one point.

11. Tougi Makabe defeated Masato Tanaka.

12. Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Satoshi Kojima to become the 56th IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Tanahashi, who was in TNA for a while, had the crowd behind him in an entertaining title match, and sent everyone home happy with a title win.

Update On TNA TV In The UK, Last Week’s iMPACT! RAting

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– Last week’s episode of TNA iMPACT! drew a 1.1 cable rating, reports f4wonline.com.

– SkyTV issued the following statement regarding the future of TNA television in the UK .. TNA had been airing on the Bravo UK channel, which closed at the start of the year.

“Following the close of the Bravo family of channels on 1 Jan 2011, a range of the most popular programmes – including TNA Wrestling, Spartacus, Chuck, Leverage, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Star Trek, Sun, Sea and A & E, Motorway Patrol, Highway Patrol and Caribbean Cops – will find new homes on other Sky channels.

We are still working through which shows will be reallocated to other channels, and when these will be shown. There are a number of factors to be considered in this, and we appreciate your patience.

We will confirm new timings later in January.

Full details will follow in due course and will be well publicised. All details will also be made available at Sky.com/mytv and you can register now for reminders when programme timings are confirmed.”

Shad Gaspard Talks WWE Release, Cryme Time, TNA & MMA

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Former WWE superstar & one-half of Cryme Tyme, Shad Gaspard, was one of the featured guests on this week’s live edition (01/03/11) of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem.

Shad Gaspard Discusses His WWE Release, Why His Slated Singles Push On SmackDown Was Halted, The Break-Up Of Cryme Tyme, Why Him & JTG Never Won The World Tag Team Titles, Who Created The Concept & Idea Of Cryme Tyme, TNA/MMA Rumors, His Relationship With John Laurinaitis, Why He Believes Chris Jericho Is One Of The Greatest Of All-Time, Collaborating With Muhammad Hassan On Their Forthcoming Graphic Novel, & What Fans Can Expect In His New Film “Untouchable”

You can download an MP3 of Shad’s appearance on The Mayhem by clicking here.

Interview highlights courtesy of The Mayhem’s official correspondent, Paterson from New Jersey:

Whether or not his WWE release came as a surprise:

“To be honest with you, no. I was with the company for about eight years, a few of those years were in developmental and five & a half of it have spent on the road. I kinda learned the system of the company and learned the understandings of the business side of the company, along with the wrestling. I saw it coming. The only thing that kind of caught me off-guard was I actually being talked to about what I was going to be doing on TV when I would came back in November or December, and then I was released.”

What happened from the time of Cryme Tyme’s break-up to the time he was released by the WWE & what were the plans for his slated singles push which began on SmackDown:

“I sat down with a lot of the top people, and we talked and they had very big plans for me on SmackDown or RAW. Everything sounded real good. I went down to Tampa to train, and went I got down to Tampa, I weighed 305 lbs. By the time I was done training, I got down to 265 lbs. I thought I was doing good, and I was told I was doing good by several people. Then again, I had some people telling me I was doing bad. It was a big push & pull kind of thing.”

If he believes the WWE truly focused on tag teams during his run with the company & which tag team that he & JTG faced off with that he hoped the WWE would have capitalized on:

“In my opinion, I think the WWE never focused on tag teams since like way back in the day. Tag teams are just something our creative staff doesn’t really think draws people to the show. As Cryme Time, we were lucky that we actually had personalities to go along with our wrestling. Even though we were aggressive, and we did fun moves, and had pretty good matches with people, we actually had personalities away from the ring, where we could talk into the microphone, and have fun, and get the fans into our matches. I honestly thought that when Chris Jericho & Big Show became Tag Team Champions, they brought so much to the tag team division, and they build it up so much together as a team (Jeri-Show). When they were Tag Team Champions, they stepped up the level in the tag team division. I was hoping that the WWE would have capitalized on that, whether it be with us as Cryme Time or any other team.”

More is contained in Shad’s first post-WWE interview, including his candid thoughts & comments on how he took the news of his release from John Laurinaitis, whether or not you will see him in TNA in 2011, the possibilities of transitioning into the world of MMA, the real reason why Cryme Tyme never won the World Tag Team Titles in the WWE, whose idea it originally was to team him up with JTG in the first place, why he believes that Chris Jericho is one the greatest of all-time, collaborating with Marc Copani (Muhammad Hassan) on their forthcoming graphic novel, what fans can expect in his new film “Untouchable,” plus so much more! The rumors & speculation can now be put to rest, as “The Beast” breaks his silence in this worldwide Mayhem exclusive! Be sure to follow Shad right now on Twitter (at www.Twitter.com/ShadBeast).

ROH on HDNet Results With A World’s Greatest Ass Kicking!

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Here are the quick results from last night’s ROH on HDNet:

-Eddie Edwards def. Mark Briscoe by submission in 12:18 with the Achilles Lock to retain the ROH World Television Title.

-Mike “The Giant Killer” Mondo def. Grizzly Redwood by pinfall in 5:41 with a superplex.

-The World’s Greatest Tag Team (Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas) def. The Bravado Brothers (Lance & Harlem Bravado) by submission in 2:54 when Charlie locked in the Haas of Pain on Lance.

-Homicide def. Claudio Castagnoli (w/Chris Hero & Sara Del Rey) by pinfall in 11:58 with an Ace Crusher.

Next week, ROH World Champion Roderick Strong battles Colt “Boom Boom” Cabana in the main event. Also, “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett will make his in-ring debut on HDNet.

JR Blog: Kong WWE Rumors, Miz vs. Morrison, Sheamus-Barrett

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WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:

Miz vs. Morrison’s Match From Monday’s RAW:

“Great start to Raw with Miz vs. Morrison. These are two of the individuals that WWE is counting on to be big time players in the future. They both put forth great effort in the falls count anywhere match for the WWE Title. I enjoyed their hard work and the overall physicality of the contest. Both men likely want to be known not only as successful, main eventers, first and foremost, but also tough, physical wrestlers, as well. Each took positive steps forward on that goal.”

“Miz is establishing that he is a talented, charismatic WWE Champion who can be beaten on any given night. That combo has worked for ages.”

“Morrison can wow any discerning fan with his athleticism and his physicality is becoming more prominent in his matches and I like that trait with any wrestler.”

The Elevation Of Wade Barrett & Sheamus:

“Some of the exchanges between Wade Barrett and Sheamus were physical and both men showed intensity and a gear change. Both Barrett and Sheamus have definitive up sides and both fit into the same category with Morrison and Miz as men that WWE needs to get to the next level and to stay there. Again, this is no simple feat and the ascension is a process that takes varying amounts of time depending on the individual along with being at the right place at the right time with all the stars surrounding the process being aligned properly.”

Reports That Awesome Kong Has Signed With WWE:

“I don’t know if WWE has signed female star Awesome Kong or not but if they have then I think it is a smart hire. After meeting her at the Cauliflower Alley Club (CAC) function a year or so ago in Las Vegas, I wrote that I thought she would be a nice fit in WWE because Kong is so unique. If she does sign, I’d bet a case of BBQ sauce that her name changes. If the Kong rumor is true, and this is just my two cents, I hope that Kong NEVER wrestles a man in WWE.”

As always, visit JRsBarBQ.com to check out Jim Ross’ delicious line of BBQ products!

What Happened After RAW Went Off The Air, Dark Matches

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Here’s a live recap of what we didn’t see on Monday’s WWE RAW broadcast from Phoenix, Arizona:

Pre-RAW Dark Match:

* Mason Ryan defeated Primo.

Matches Taped For WWE Superstars:

* Yoshi Tatsu vs. Zach Ryder.

* WWE United States champion Daniel Bryan & Mark Henry vs. Ted DiBiase and Tyson Kidd

After RAW Went Off The Air:

The advertised dark match main event with Randy Orton and John Cena vs. The Miz and C.M. Punk never happened, due to Cena’s injury.

After RAW went off air, The Miz and Alex Riley came out and started talking trash about Randy Orton and the city of Phoenix. The crowd got very loud and booed the Miz for about 2 minutes straight. Michael Cole got in the ring, which drew a lot of heat. Orton entered the ring, sized up the three men and delivered RKO’s to Miz and A-Ri.. Cole was able to get away. Orton posed to send the crowd home.

The crowd was hot all night and very into The Miz and Randy Orton.

Title Match Set For Royal Rumble, Barrett Booted From Nexus

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Randy Orton beat King Sheamus and Wade Barrett in a Steel Cage Match tonight on Raw to become the No. 1 Contender to the WWE Championship. He will face The Miz at the Royal Rumble on January 30.

Due to Barrett’s loss in the match, he has been banished from The Nexus and CM Punk is officially the leader of the group. Earlier in the evening, Punk offered the Englishman his opportunity to compete in the Steel Cage Match. Were Barrett to win, he would remain leader of The Nexus. However, were he to lose, he would be banished from the group forever.

Cena Return Teased For Next Week’s Raw, Raw Star Absent

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— A graphic aired during tonight’s Raw suggesting that John Cena “may possibly return” on next week’s show.

— Jackson Andrews did not accompany Tyson Kidd for his match at tonight’s WWE Superstars taping in Phoenix, Arizona. He last accompanied Kidd at Thursday’s Raw live event in Washington D.C.

— WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011’s third downloadable pack, coming soon to Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, features new Superstar outfits for John Cena, CM Punk and Sheamus, as well as the brand-new WCW Nitro Arena. Click here to view game photos.

Daniel Bryan On Superstars, Mason Ryan Works Dark Match

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— Matches taped tonight at the US Airways Arena in Phoenix, Arizona for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars on WGN America were:

* Daniel Bryan and Mark Henry vs. Ted DiBiase and Tyson Kidd

* Yoshi Tatsu vs. Zack Ryder

— FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion Mason Ryan beat Primo in a dark match prior to tonight’s Raw taping.

— The December 30, 2010 episode of WWE Superstars on WGN America drew a 0.67 cable rating, with 635,000 viewers. The midnight replay drew a 0.15, with 149,000 viewers.

— WWE.com today unveiled their top 11 “up-and-coming competitors the world of sports-entertainment will be talking about this year.” The ranking is as follows: 11. Ezekiel Jackson, 10. Tyson Kidd, 9. Tamina, 8. Alex Riley, 7. David Otunga, 6. Drew McIntyre, 5. Skip Sheffield, 4. Cody Rhodes, 3. Dolph Ziggler, 2. Daniel Bryan, 1. Alberto Del Rio.

— Randy Orton is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

source: PWInsider.com

Sunny Says She’s Never Been A Fan Of Women’s Wrestling

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Former WWE performer Tammy Sytch (a/k/a Sunny) spoke with Alfonso Castillo of Newsday.com regarding her new cookbook, and commented on whether some of the current Divas would be more valuable outside the ring.

“Yes, maybe some of them,” Sytch replied. “I’ve never been a huge fan of women’s ‘wrestling,’ and have always thought it’s best left to the guys. Some of the girls out there aren’t so talented inside the ring, and I think that just exposes the business even more. You wouldn’t put a Doctor with a shaky hand into surgery, now would you?”

Sytch was also asked about her limited involvement in the 25-Diva Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXV and whether she regrets participating.

“My actual return was on the 15th Anniversary of Raw show, in December of ’07, and I was featured nicely then. Had my own music, entrance, introduction, it was fun! Doing Wrestlemania was just the icing on top of that. I had a blast, but pay-per-view’s are timed out and so stringently, that there was nothing anyone could do to focus on any of the girls.”

Tough Enough Application Online, More On Kong To WWE

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— As WWE announced earlier today, Tough Enough will be returning on April 4th and will air on the USA Network for 10 weeks prior to Monday Night RAW.

WWE has posted the official application online, which you can download here in .PDF format.

The application and a video must be submitted by January 14th. If you cannot download the application, e-mail [email protected] with your name, age, city, and state, phone numbers, a current photo of you, and a brief paragraph about you and why you think you can make it in WWE.

— To follow up on the news of former TNA Knockouts champion Awesome Kong signing with World Wrestling Entertainment, WWE reportedly asked Kong to clear up her legal situation in Florida before going to work for the company. Kong was arrested last month in Hillsborough County, Florida for driving without a suspended license. According to a WWE source, Kong no longer lives in Florida but went back in December to turn herself in and resolve the traffic violation. (Source: prowrestling.net)

Updates On Christian & Khali Returning, WWE Pushing Poll Hard

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— Christian, who has been sidelined since September due a torn pectoral muscle, could return to the squared circle as early as next month. If not, he is expected back before WrestleMania XXVII.

— The Great Khali is expected to return to WWE airwaves by the end of the month. He reached the finals of the Bigg Boss reality show in India over the weekend. The season finale airs this Saturday.

— WWE issued an e-mail blast pushing fans to vote for John Cena for ESPN SportsNation’s 1st Annual Awesomest Dude Of The Year Award. The WWE Superstar was trailing American soccer player Landon Donovan by 20,000 votes on the Facebook poll when the e-mail was sent out. They asked fans to continuously vote for Cena.

(source: f4wonline.com)

Complete List Of WWE Talent Departures In 2010 – 50+ Names

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World Wrestling Entertainment parted ways with 54 performers from their talent roster in 2010, marking the fifth consecutive year in which over 50 departures occurred within a calendar year. WWE dropped 35 main roster talents and 19 developmental talents over the course of 2010. 2010 also saw a record setting number of Diva turnover as 14 female talents parted ways with WWE, including 10 from the main roster.

Below is the complete list of WWE talent departures in 2010:

Main Roster Departures
» Aaron “Goose” Mahoney (referee) – released on November 19, 2010
» Aloisia – released in September 2010
» Ashley Valence – departed on December 27, 2010
» Batista – departed on May 24, 2010
» Carlito – released on May 21, 2010
» Caylen Croft – released on November 19, 2010
» Charlie Haas – released on February 28, 2010
» Chris Jericho – departed on September 20, 2010
» Daniel Bryan – released on June 11, 2010
» Eric Escobar – released on January 17, 2010
» Gregory Helms – released on February 26, 2010
» Jamie Keyes – released on October 12, 2010
» Jillian Hall – released on November 19, 2010
» Jimmy Wang Yang – released on April 22, 2010
» Katie Lea – released on April 22, 2010
» Kaval – released on December 23, 2010
» Kung Fu Naki – released on April 22, 2010
» Luke Gallows – released on November 19, 2010
» Maria – released on February 26, 2010
» Matt Hardy – released on October 15, 2010
» Mickie James – released on April 22, 2010
» Mike Knox – released on April 22, 2010
» MVP – released on December 2, 2010
» Paul Burchill – released on February 26, 2010
» Savannah – released on June 23, 2010
» Scott Armstrong (referee) – released on February 26, 2010
» Serena – released on August 27, 2010
» Shad Gaspard – released on November 19, 2010
» Shawn Michaels – departed on March 29, 2010
» Slam Master J – released on April 22, 2010
» Shelton Benjamin – released on April 22, 2010
» Tiffany – released on November 19, 2010
» Tommy Dreamer – released on January 4, 2010
» Tony Atlas – released on April 30, 2010
» Vance Archer – released on November 19, 2010

Developmental Departures
» Conrad Tanner – released on November 13, 2010
» Courtney Taylor – released on April 7, 2010
» Daniel Skyler (referee) – released on November 13, 2010
» Devin Allen – released on November 13, 2010
» Dino Carter – released on January 8, 2010
» DJ Gabriel – released on January 8, 2010
» Drake Brewer – released September 2010
» Dr. Cable Jones – released on November 13, 2010
» Fahd Rakman – released on November 13, 2010
» Jillian Beyor – released on February 2010
» Lennox McEnroe – released on January 8, 2010
» Leroy Morgan – released on January 8, 2010
» Lift Sawyer – released on January 8, 2010
» Penny Cash – released in February 2010
» Rhys Ali – released on November 13, 2010
» Ron Myers – released on November 13, 2010
» Rudy Parker – released on October 14, 2010
» Sweet Papi Sanchez – released on January 8, 2010
» Verity Thomas – released on November 30, 2010

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