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FCW Diva Leaves WWE, The Miz On “The B.S. Report”, Malenko

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— It was reported this week that WWE developmental wrestler Verity Thomas (real name Vickie Skeeles), a recently signed women’s grappler from the U.K., was removed from the roster page of the official website of Florida Championship Wrestling.

Skeeles confirmed on her Twitter account today that she she decided to part ways with World Wrestling Entertainment over Thanksgiving weekend, citing locker room politics.

She wrote: “Yes guys I have been removed from the FCW page. I have decided, during thanksgiving break, to move on from wrestling-too many locker room politics. Life is meant for living and being happy&cheery;:) I’m a positive girl who doesn’t need negativity in her life. I will still be modelling and doing appearances. Thank you for all your support but now I would LOVE you to support my girl Sonia, she is a fantastic worker and one of my very very special friends- I love her to bits and I you should too. Love you all :) and keep smiling because I still am!”

— Sports columnist, author and podcaster Bill Simmons conducted an interview with WWE Champion The Miz yesterday for his ESPN.com podcast, The B.S. Report.

The interview can be accessed here.

— The heart procedure that WWE producer Dean Malenko underwent was to have a stent placed. (source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Preview For Tonight’s “iMPACT!”, TNA Asks Ex-Champ To Return

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— Matches scheduled to take place on tonight’s episode of TNA iMPACT! are as follows:

* Ink Inc. vs. Beer Money vs. Generation Me vs. The Motor City Machine Guns
* Douglas Williams vs. Kazarian
* Sarita vs. Madison Rayne vs. Angelina Love
* Matt Morgan vs. Rhino
* Jay Lethal vs. Robbie E.
* Samoa Joe and “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero vs. Abyss and Jeff Jarrett

— TNA Wrestling officials recently asked three-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page, 54, if he would consider returning to the organization—he had a brief run in 2005. He declined the company’s offer as he is not interested in returning to the wrestling industry at this time. He is now an actor, fitness guru and motivational speaker.

— The majority of the EV2.0 stars were said to be “understandably insecure” when TNA Wrestling announced that they would be putting their careers on the line in a ten-man tag team match at Turning Point. Officials ultimately informed Sabu that his services would no longer be required past the event. While he didn’t take the news well, he earned more respect from his colleagues for accepting it.

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

Jeff Hardy Due Back In Court Next Wednesday Over Drug Charges

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TNA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy heads back to the Superior Court of Moore County in North Carolina next Wednesday to face multiple drug trafficking charges.

The charges against him are as follows: conspiracy to traffic in Opium, trafficking in Opium by possession, two counts of possession with Intent to Distribute, felony possession of cocaine, felony maintaining a controlled substance in a vehicle/dwelling/place and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

He is represented by a pair of lawyers, including a top defense attorney who has also represented Tupac Shakur and other celebrities.

Hardy and his longtime companion Beth Britt recently become parents to a baby girl. The couple tends to be coy regarding their marital status, but those close to them say they are not married.

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

Raven Upset About TNA Release, Talent Lied To About Bischoff

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— Raven was said to be legitimately upset over TNA Wrestling writing him out of television recently. On a recent episode of iMPACT!, he was forced to put his employment on the line in a match against World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy. Hardy won the match and Raven was booted from the company as a result. His release from the company is legitimate.

Though he was written out of television, he then worked the opening match of a live event in Nashville, beating AJ Styles clean with a DDT. It is said that TNA is having wrestlers parting ways with the company go over in their final matches to keep them happy and motivated.

— The fact that new referee Jackson James is the son of Eric Bischoff was guarded even backstage at the Turning Point pay-per-view and subsequent television tapings. Garrett Bischoff trained at the Nasty Boys wrestling school in Florida before debuting in TNA Wrestling. It was not a secret to people at the school that he is Bischoff’s son, but TNA talent were lied to by company officials even after the news surfaced online.

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

Hulk Hogan Update, Report On Stevie Richards’ Future, More

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— Hulk Hogan was moving around backstage at a recent set of television tapings than he was at Bound For Glory. He’s still in noticeable pain and moves gingerly, but he was in such bad shape at the October pay-per-view that most everyone kept away from him.

— Stevie Richards worked with wrestlers who received tryout matches prior to the last set of iMPACT! tapings. Many feel this could be his new role with TNA Wrestling due to the EV2 faction disbanding. However, one source hasn’t ruled out the possibility that some of the EV2 wrestlers could be brought back once Dixie Carter regains control of the company on television.

— TNA Today is back with an all-new edition featuring TNA Knockout SoCal Val interviewing a fan favorite in the organization, Jesse Neal.

To view the video interview, here.

Jim Ross Comments On John Morrison, Reaction To Lawler vs. Miz

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Jim Ross posted a new blog entry on his official website, jrsbarbq.com. The following items are among the highlights:

CM Punk’s second week of commentary on Raw: “I thought that CM Punk did well for his second night on the job especially considering the magnitude of the main event Monday night that Punk was left to handle alone at crunch time. Doing live commentary on a broadcast like Raw isn’t an easy assignment particularly for someone with little experience. Punk adds a unique element to the broadcast which is always a positive. I’m happy for the Chicago native and enjoy his wit.”

Jerry Lawler vs. The Miz on Raw: “For any young wrestler or wannabe who wants to learn how to pace a match, tell a story, do less with more and to invest the audience, I strongly suggest that you re-watch the Jerry Lawler vs. Miz WWE Title match from this past Monday’s Raw. It was classic example of story telling and the 61 year old King was amazing. Miz is a ‘beatable’ champion which I personally perceive to be a good thing. Hats off to all involved in what I felt was one of the most compelling, unpredictable main events on MNR in a long while.”

Whether John Morrison can reach main event level: “John Morrison, even in a losing effort, had a memorable night on Raw with three, solid outings. Morrison is showing more toughness in his bell to bell outings which I personally like. The UC Davis grad is extremely athletic and has the required charisma to become a main event level hand sooner than later.”

The blog can be read in its entirety here.

Possible Change To PPV Announce Team, O’Brian Joins Twitter

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— WWE officials have discussed modifying the announce team for pay-per-view events, which could begin as soon as TLC.

Internally, Todd Grisham is not getting high marks for his work, which is why Michael Cole was moved to SmackDown. Meanwhile, both Cole and Jerry Lawler reportedly dislike working with Matt Striker. Cole took off his headset during the Survivor Series broadcast to yell at Striker for talking too much.

Punk may end up with the spot for pay-per-view events, but the team would therefore solely consist of Raw announcers and the company doesn’t want SmackDown to come off as a secondary brand.

— NXT season four contestant Conor O’Brian can be reached on Twitter via twitter.com/ConorOBrian.

— A pre-sale is being held tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. for the SmackDown matinee event taking place on Sunday Feb. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA via www.comcasttix.com. The passcode is EDGEPHILA.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Latest Update On Randy Orton, Kaitlyn Comments On Victory

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— While Randy Orton isn’t suffering from a knee injury — as indicated on television — he is reportedly banged up and dealing with a strained neck. The injury is not serious, but company officials figured given the storyline where he was beaten down, they could give him a week off to recuperate his neck. (source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

— Kaitlyn, who was announced as the winner of the third season of NXT last night, took to Twitter to comment on her monumental victory.

“Yesterday was a dream come true! I am so blessed and grateful for everything! Thanks for supporting me all the way!” she wrote. “I have a lot of hard work ahead of me! Anything worth having is worth fighting for ~chuck norris nxt season 3.”

— Lance Storm confirmed in a post on fans.wwe.com that he has launched an official Facebook Fan Page. The page can be accessed here.

HHH Producing The Announcers, Ziggler’s Younger Brother Talks

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— It was said to be “night and day” in regards to Triple H producing the announcers instead of Vince McMahon during WWE’s television events in England a few weeks ago—which the WWE chairman missed. “The Game” reportedly said little to the announcers during the broadcasts, which was a huge change of pace from the usual swearing and screaming. Furthermore, when he had a point to make, he waited until a break to say it. (source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

— Ryan-Nemeth.com conducted an interview with Dolph Ziggler’s younger brother, Ryan Nemeth, an aspiring wrestler. He was asked whether he would be interested in taking part in WWE’s revival of Tough Enough and what he thinks of critics who may brush him off as “just” the Intercontinental Champion’s younger brother.

To read the interview, click here.

— Lance Storm confirmed in a post on fans.wwe.com that he has launched an official Facebook Fan Page. The page can be accessed here.

Lawler & Cole Pushing For Ross Return, WWE Pleased With Media

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— It’s said to be no secret that Jim Ross wants to return to the announce booth. His appearance on Raw two weeks ago resulted in overwhelming sentiment that he should return, but his fate lies in the hands of Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn, who prefer youth—though Jerry Lawler is three years older than Ross.

Furthermore, Lawler and Cole have pushed for Ross to replace Matt Striker as the third man for pay-per-view broadcasts, whom they dislike. McMahon, however, feels the pay-per-view broadcast team should be limited to those who work television.

— WWE officials were said to be very happy and surprised at the amount of mainstream media attention The Miz’ WWE Championship victory last week on Raw received. His win was covered by TMZ, Access Hollywood, ESPN.com, Entertainment Tonight and MTV, among others.

— WWE returns to the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on Feb. 12, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale Dec. 18, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Rating For Monday’s 3-Hour Raw, Cody Rhodes Dating WWE Diva

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— The Nov. 29 episode of Raw drew a 3.1 cable rating with 4,760,000 viewers over the course of three hours.

The show’s usual time slot garnered a 3.4 cable rating with 5,125,000 viewers. Raw drew hours of 2.65, 3.35 and 3.41.

— The Nov. 27 broadcast of A.M. Raw scored a 0.56 cable rating with 714,000 viewers.

— Layla cryptically confirmed on her Twitter account last week that she is dating fellow SmackDown Superstar Cody Rhodes.

She wrote, “I have to say I’m the most thankful to have the love of my life bf Cody In my life ….”

She also posted a photo of Rhodes’ dog Dozer, noting, “The true mr.D So thankful for him.”

source: PWInsider.com

Cena At Raw Next Week, Jericho’s Mugshot Up For Award, More

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— John Cena said today on Twitter that he will be on hand for Monday’s Raw in Louisville, Kentucky. He said he’s paying a visit to the area to see old friends and hopes “the rest of nexass has the guts to show up as well.”

— Chris Jericho’s mugshot from his arrest earlier this year is in the running for the TMZ’s best celebrity mugshot award. The option to vote for him can be accessed here.

— John Thorne issued the following: Absolute Intense Wrestling in Cleveland, Ohio is proud that a fourth alumni has entered WWE via NXT. Michael Tarver and Daniel Bryan from season one as well as season two winner Kaval competed in AIW early in there careers as did season four rookie Derrick Bateman. Derrick Bateman who is Bryan’s NXT Rookie on season 4 competed in AIW for many years and was even a part of the companies inaugural event in 2005, eventually going on to win the AIW Absolute Championship in 2006 a title that is now held by Johnny Gargano.

For more information on Absolute Intense Wrestling, visit www.aiwrestling.com.

Wrestlers & Celebrities Announced For “Tribute to the Troops”

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World Wrestling Entertainment issued a press release today announcing that Dirty Money, Cedric “The Entertainer” and Ariel Winter will perform on the upcoming Tribute to the Troops special.

It was also noted that Rey Mysterio, John Cena, Randy Orton, Big Show, and WWE Champion The Miz, among others, would be competing on the show.

Sean Combs’ Diddy – Dirty Money, Cedric the Entertainer, and Ariel Winter to Perform on NBC’s “WWE(R) Tribute to the Troops(R)” Holiday Special December 18 at 9:00PM

STAMFORD, Conn., Dec 01, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — World Wrestling Entertainment(R) and NBC today announced that multiple-platinum, Grammy-winning hip-hop artist, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ new group Diddy – Dirty Money, charismatic King of Comedy, Cedric “The Entertainer”, and “Modern Family’s” Ariel Winter will join WWE on NBC’s third annual holiday special telecast, “WWE Tribute to the Troops.” The hour-long special honoring the men and women of the United States Armed Forces will air Saturday, December 18 (9-10 p.m. ET / 8-9 p.m. CT) on NBC.

The star-studded holiday event, taped at Fort Hood, Texas will feature music from Diddy – Dirty Money who will perform “Coming Home” off their new album “Last Train to Paris.” Emmy-winner Ariel Winter will sing “The National Anthem” and Cedric “The Entertainer” will bring his award-winning brand of comedy to the special . The telecast will also star “The View’s” Sherri Shepherd spreading holiday cheer and Miss USA, Rima Fakih, who will announce WWE matches featuring such WWE Superstars as John Cena(R), Randy Orton(R), The Miz(R), Rey Mysterio(R), The Big Show(R), and others.

Thousands of men and women based at Fort Hood have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. “WWE Tribute to the Troops” will chronicle WWE Superstars and Divas visiting Fort Hood to meet with the troops and their families this holiday season, culminating with a special live in-ring performance in front of thousands of military personnel.

This special marks the eighth consecutive year that WWE will bring its one of a kind entertainment to our service men and women to thank them for their commitment to the country and recognition of their sacrifices. “WWE Tribute to the Troops” has become a holiday tradition and is considered TV’s most patriotic and heartwarming show of the year.

News On Two New WWE DVD Titles, Talent Removed From FCW

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— Two new WWE DVD titles are in the works according to wwedvdnews.com; Top 50 Biggest Matches in WWE History and Raw: The Best of Seasons 3 & 4. Both are scheduled for release during the second half of 2011.

Raw: The Best of Seasons 3 & 4 will highlight the best of Monday Night Raw in 1995 and 1996.

— Verity Thomas, a recently signed women’s wrestler from the U.K., has been removed from Florida Championship Wrestling’s roster page.

A talent’s removal from the FCW roster page is often an indication of departure.

— WWE United States Champion Daniel Bryan defeated Ted DiBiase in a dark match prior to last night’s SmackDown taping in Norfolk, Virginia.

Update On Randy Orton, Categories For 2010 Slammy Awards

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— Randy Orton was not backstage at Monday’s Raw in Philadelphia, although he was watching the show and was in communication with personnel during the broadcast.

It was not disclosed why Orton didn’t work the show.

— The following categories have been announced thus far for the 2010 WWE Slammy Awards:

* Shocking Moment of the Year
* Match of the Year
* Superstar of the Year
* Diva of the Year

— WWE returns to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2001 for an event at the Wells Fargo Center. Tickets go on sale this Saturday at 10:00 a.m. via ComcastTix.com.

source: PWInsider.com

What Led To Kaitlyn Winning NXT, Notes On Eliminated Rookies

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It is said that fan balloting for the winner of NXT played a huge part in WWE’s decision to have Kaitlyn beat Naomi for the season three crown.

While the company does not disclose details on how eliminations are determined, Kaitlyn won a vote — advertised as 50 percent audience and 50 percent Pros.

Besides Kaitlyn, AJ is expected to be retained on television, likely with Primo on Raw. While not confirmed, it is expected that Kaitlyn will join the Smackdown brand to continue her interaction with Vickie Guerrero.

In regards to the runner-up of NXT season three, Naomi, many people within the company are high on her as a long-term project due to her stellar athletic ability.

Meanwhile, there is no clear-cut decision on the future of Maxine and Aksana. It’s expected that both will continue working Florida Championship Wrestling events.

Jamie Keyes was released following her elimination and a number of people were surprised to see her brought back for last night’s show. The other women were on the road every week with WWE following their elimination.

source: PWInsider.com

Goldust Undergoing MRI This Week, Reason For Eve Missing Raw

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— Goldust is scheduled to undergo an MRI on his shoulder tomorrow.

“I have to get an MRI on my shoulder Thursday, so please say prayers that nothing is too terribly wrong,” he wrote on Twitter.

— Eve Torres missed Monday’s Raw because she was preparing to leave the United States Tuesday for Afghanistan. She, Kelly Kelly, Big Show and Vince McMahon are heading overseas to pay a visit to troops stationed in the country. Footage from the trip will air during WWE’s Tribute to the Troops special airing later this month on NBC.

— The Thanksgiving Day episode of WWE Superstars on WGN America drew a 0.48 cable rating, with 516,000 viewers. The midnight replay garnered a 0.14 rating, with 150,000 viewers.

source: PWInsider.com

NXT Season 3 Winner Crowned, Alex Koslov’s Ring Name, More

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— Matches taped this week for tomorrow night’s episode of WWE Superstars on WGN America were David Hart Hart Smith vs. Tyson Kidd, Darren Young vs. William Regal, and Tyler Reks vs. Trent Barreta.

— The official website of Florida Championship Wrestling has added WWE developmental wrestler Peter Orlov to their roster page. He is former AAA talent Alex Koslov.

— Kaitlyn was announced as the winner of the third season of NXT Tuesday, beating Naomi.

WWE does not disclose details on how eliminations are determined, but Kaitlyn won a “vote” — advertised as 50 percent audience and 50 percent Pros.

See 200+ modeling photos of Kaitlyn ->

source: PWInsider.com

*Spoilers* Updated Card For WWE TLC (12/19)

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Warning: The following contains Spoilers for Friday’s WWE SmackDown:

Here’s an updated look at the card for WWE’s Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, set to take place on December 19th:

TLC Match for the World Heavyweight Title
Kane (c) vs. Edge

Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio (Based on Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings, this appears to be a TLC match but the stipulation has not been confirmed)

Also being advertised locally for the show but not yet confirmed by WWE is Randy Orton challenging The Miz for the WWE Championship.

Complete NXT Season 4 Cast List Revealed

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WWE has announced the official list of Rookies and Pros for NXT Season 4:

– Conor O’Brian will be coached by Alberto Del Rio.

– Derrick Bateman will be coached by Daniel Bryan.

– Byron Saxton will be coached by Chris Masters.

– Johnny Curtis will be coached by R-Truth.

– Brodius Clay will be coached by Ted DiBiase.

NXT Season 4 begins next week and will air exclusively on WWE.com.

JR Blog: Lawler’s RAW Match, Miz As Champion & More

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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:

Lawler’s TLC Match vs. The Miz: “Loved the Miz-Lawler show closer in the impromptu TLC bout for the WWE Title. I thought a really solid story was told, that the pacing of the match was at a level that could be easily processed and, equally as important, retained, and the closing moments had ample twists and turns that made a somewhat predictable conclusion appear to be up for grabs.”

Lawler Video Package On RAW: “BTW…the Lawler video package was money. Great job of editing and presentation. This established method of building up a match or a performer is just as effective today as its ever been. It was great stuff that as a viewer that I would love to see more of in the future. It certainly made some of the younger viewers aware of who the King is/was other than just being a long time announcing fixture on Raw and a WWE Hall of Fame broadcaster. Lawler’s body of work inside the ring is what he’s most proud of and deservedly so.”

The Miz As WWE Champion: WWE Champion Miz’ persona as a resourceful, athletic, brash, self confident, young man who is beatable on most given nights was illustrated perfectly on Raw IMO. Personally, I like those attributes in an antagonist champion. Miz’s verbal skills are getting better and better and he has the opportunity to become one of the biz’s best all time talkers before all is said and done if he keeps improving.

Randy Orton Injured & Details On His New WWE Movie

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Former WWE champion Randy Orton suffered a knee injury on last week’s RAW from Orlando, the night he lost the WWE championship to The Miz. During the segment where Nexus beat down Orton prior to his title defense against Wade Barrett, Nexus member Husky Harris inadvertently caused the injury by kicking Orton in the knee.

Orton was kept off Sunday’s live event in Maryland and did not wrestle on RAW, but he’s not expected to miss much ring time. That said, the injury caused quite a scare among WWE management, who simply cannot afford to lose another top star with so many big names currently out of action.

Speaking of Orton, he posted a few newsworthy items on Twitter over the past few days. Orton’s upcoming WWE Studios project, That’s What I Am, has been accepted into the upcoming Santa Barbara and Palm Springs Film Festivals.

Orton also updated fans on the possibility of him appearing on an episode of the hit reality show about tattoos, LA Ink. Orton, who is clearly a big fan of body art, said he heard back from the producers of LA Ink and is considering flying out to Los Angeles to tape an episode. He noted that if he does appear on the show, he’d be getting a new tattoo and not just touch-up work on his existing tattoos.

CM Punk Getting Good Reviews For RAW Commentary

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As previously reported, CM Punk was added to the RAW announce team as a way to keep him on television while he rehabilitates a lower back injury. Vince McMahon is a fan of 3-man announce teams and likes the edginess that Punk brings to the show.

Punk has been given the green light to make inside jokes an reference sensitive topics on commentary, such as Alex Riley’s recent DUI arrest. After two weeks on commentary, he’s been getting positive reviews from WWE management.

A few readers sent in word that the t-shirt that Punk wore on RAW is Ring of Honor’s shirt for Colt Cabana (formerly Scotty Goldman during his brief WWE run.) Punk and Cabana have been close friends for years dating back to their time together in ROH.

Vince Still Wants Lesnar, HBK Teasing Announcements & More

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– As we saw on Monday’s King of the Ring episode of RAW, footage was shown of former WWE star Brock Lesnar. Lesnar’s name was also mentioned several times throughout the broadcast. According to f4wonline.com, some people within WWE believe Lesnar being mentioned on RAW was a way of getting people talking about the possibility of Lesnar participating in some capacity at WrestleMania. While most have acknowledged that the chances of Lesnar being able to wrestle are virtually impossible due to his UFC contract, Vince McMahon remains optimistic and thinks he can still pull it off.

– Jerry Lawler, The Miz and Michael Cole were all trending topics (worldwide) on Twitter last night during RAW.

– Former WWE star Shawn Michaels continues to hype some “special announcements” he’s going to make on Twitter. HBK wrote this week:

“Hope 2 have a few “special” announcements coming in the very near future. We’ll see:-)”

Matt Hardy Critiques RAW & Says Things Need To Change

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Former WWE superstar Matt Hardy went on Twitter last night after watching RAW and says things desperately need to change, because the business he loves is dying a slow death. Hardy wrote on Twitter.com/matthardybrand:

“For the 1st time in a while, I watched Raw straight-thru on DVR after getting home tonight.. That was a long 3 hours. Business needs change.

I’m really happy for my friends & the guys that are getting to perform & make a living in the biz, but I feel the biz is slowly fading.

There desperately needs to be a new era ushered in that changes the entire landscape and mindset of professional wrestling.. And soon.”

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