Here we go again.
Matt Hardy is back with another YouTube video .. After coming across as relatively sane in his previous video (where he said WWE is not the place for him right now – view here), Matt goes off the deep end this time.
Hardy talks about his WWE status, asks fans to decide if his recent behavior is legit or a work and expresses his deep love of …. grapes.
Bad news for SmackDown star Christian .. We reported earlier that Christian was injured and it has now been confirmed that he’s torn a pectoral muscle.
He will have surgery this and is expected to be out of action for 6 months following his recovery and physical rehabilitation, according to PWInsider.com. That would keep him away until February.
Fellow SmackDown star MVP wrote on Twitter:
“Let’s wish [Christian] a successful surgery & a speedy recovery! The good guys need him back quickly.”
Without giving away spoilers for Friday’s SmackDown, there will be an angle on Friday’s show that could be a way to get Christian off television for the next few months.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross visited WWE developmental this week and wrote about the experience on his blog at JRsBarBQ.com.
JR says he’ll be making monthly visits to Florida Championship Wrestling and the development of new talent is a top priority for WWE.
Here are some highlights of what JR said about this visit:
Promo Class: “The Wednesday promo class, where the individuals have the opportunity to create their own verbiage was excellent. Some talents were highly entertaining and spot on from where I was sitting. This area has improved greatly since I was last in Tampa.”
What He Said To The Talent: “I had a long talk w/ the group about the responsibilities that come w/ being a WWE Superstar which is everyone at FCW’s goal. In my personal opinion, individuals making poor or selfishly bad personal decisions have opened the door leading to their own exit. Humans make mistakes and should be provided second chances, as a rule, but some issues merit immediate dismissal. Don’t want to come off as a hardass but this generation in general seems to be more prone to bonehead mistakes and errors in judgment…see Braylon Edwards of the NY Jets, for example. Simply ‘do right’ and all usually works out as it should.”
Developing Young Talent: “WWE has assembled a nice roster in Tampa that possesses plenty of upside that should evolve in time. Patience, hard work, outside the ring study, gym work, and upping the passion will help many of the better athletes find their way to the big time. I think that I may have perhaps been a coach in a different life as I really enjoy interacting w/ the young talents. I sure hope that I’ve been able to help them.”
(submit YOUR questions to [email protected])
Q: Whose idea was it to get Kane to take his mask off? Was it legitimately Eric Bischoff’s idea? – Fabian
A: No, Eric Bischoff did not have any say in the creative direction of WWE while he worked there. It was Vince McMahon’s call to unmask Kane.
Q: Do you think WWE will continue pushing the same people or will they eventually see that they have other talented wrestlers like Matt Hardy, Christian, R-Truth, John Morrison and so on? – Joseph
A: The only place they’re pushing Matt Hardy is out the door at this point. Christian is most definitely underutilized by the company. R-Truth is exactly where he should be right now. Morrison appears to be getting a push with two, consecutive clean pinfall wins over Chris Jericho and a competitive showing with the WWE champion a few weeks back. In addition, they’re trying hard to get Alberto Del Rio over on Smackdown and have at least tried to get Nexus over (though they’ve cooled off quite a bit). Yes, they’re still pushing many of the same tired faces, but you can’t say they’re not trying to get some of those younger, newer faces over.
Q: Can you tell me who wrestled as Leatherface in the IWA King of the Deathmatch against Terry Funk? Also, I vaguely remember an early TNA masked wrestler called Mr. X and can’t find anything on him either. – Jolietjonblues
A: The original Leatherface character was played by the former Corporal Kirchner of WWF fame. He created the character (which borrowed the name of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie villain) and used it in Japan for years before going to jail. At that point, the character was given to Rick Patterson who used it for his match with Funk in 1995. As for Mr. X, I cannot remember this. Perhaps someone can shed some more light on this in the comments section below.
Q: Is Mike Tenay still paranoid about his job now that Jim Ross has re-signed with WWE? – Lenny
A: He should be after CM Punk’s performance on NXT this week.
Q: The TNA Knockout Tag team Championships have certainly lost their luster since the early part of this year. Do you think TNA should retire the belts or do you think they might be able to rejuvenate the Knockouts tag division? – madslam2009
A: They never should have created Tag belts for the Knockouts division in the first place. Why do you need them? Were there really THAT many talented female performers featured on Impact each week? A singles title is enough. It’s like promotions of old that used to have a set of belts that were defended during 6-man tag bouts. At that time, it may have been a fine idea, but it just doesn’t work in 2010. Less is more.
Q: Is Dwayne Johnson still going to return this year and do something with WWE? He didn’t get to host Raw as a special guest. And how come WWE doesn’t film live Raw and Smackdown in Australia when they do in other countries like England? – Elizabeth
A: Nobody knows for sure except Rock whether or not he is going to come back. He has said he would love to guest host and had intended to do something this summer, but his film schedule got in the way. He has even more projects lined up now. As for Raw and Smackdown airing live down under, it’s an issue of cost and the time zone difference.
Q: What’s happened to MVP the past year or so? I saw this guy being a potential main eventer, but now he’s wrestling guys like Luke Gallows on Superstars. Have I missed something? – Mark
A: He’s been in and out of the doghouse numerous times now, going back to an “incident†backstage where he got a bit testy with a drug tester. As the story goes, he was asked to pee in a cup and remarked to the person, “So you went to college to grow up and do THIS?†The moral of the story is in WWE, keep your mouth shut and do what you’re told.
Q: When is WWE coming to san diego my name is ken I always wanted be a wrestler if i made it i call myself vocano.
A: Good luck with that.
Q: I just want to know why does WWE slap an “Urban/Hip Hop” gimmick on every black wrestler (MVP, R-Truth, JTG, etc.) with the exception of Shad and Ezekiel? Do they do it to try to appeal to the black crowd or is that how they feel? Also, when will Kofi main event on Smackdown? – Chris
A: You just mentioned Kofi’s name and last I checked, he was pretty black and did not have such a gimmick. Neither did Shelton Benjamin. However, your point is a valid one. Keep in mind, this is the same company that is responsible for The Slickster, Akeem the African Dream, and Saba Simba. Their taste is questionable at best. As for Kofi in the main event, since they cut his legs off during the feud with Randy Orton, he’s never fully recovered the momentum he had. Unless he can find a way to recapture that, it’s not likely to happen anytime soon.
Q: Since WWE is now accepting that smaller talent such as Daniel Bryan and Evan Bourne can be big draws, is there any reason why WWE hasn’t looked at former TNA X-Division champion Petey Williams, or even Christopher Daniels? – Nate O.
A: First of all, I don’t think WWE has accepted that Evan Bourne can be a “big†draw. In spite of the great reactions he continues to get, they still squash him at every opportunity. The fact is, John Cena went to bat for him with Vince and as a result, Evan got a nice push there for a while. With Bryan, there were people backstage who went to bat for him. In WWE, you need allies to put in a good word for you backstage. Otherwise, someone with the size of Petey Williams is not likely to get a second look. As for Chris Daniels, from what I understand, there are people backstage who don’t like him for one reason or another. Their loss is Ring of Honor’s gain.
Q: Where are John Cena’s balls? He seems to have lost them. Does Vince have them or did he take Cena’s balls and give them to Linda? Would somebody please ask Linda for John Cena’s balls? – Andrew
A: Oh, how I hope this question comes up during Linda’s debate with Richard Blumenthal.
Keep those questions coming to [email protected] and remember to include your name!
Former WWE performer Shelton Benjamin has issued his first public comments about his release, writing the following on his Twitter page this week:
“WWE never made me any promises just gave me an opportunity to make money. And I made a lot of money, so (they) fulfilled their end. I am not bitter or scourned and I’ve got too much pride, passion, and confidence in myself to cry like a baby because i was released.”
Benjamin says he was underutilized during his time in WWE and that there are many things about the company that “suck” – but that probably won’t stop him from returning to the company at some point in the future.
“Do I think I should have been a World Champion, HELL YES!, was I underutilized, without a doubt, do I have issue with WWE, NO! I NEED TO BE AWAY FROM WWE so I can grow are a performer. There are many things about that company that SUCK, but i got no time to be crying about it. I am enjoying a good life now and if history serves chances are you haven’t seen the last on me in WWE even if I go elsewhere along the way.”
Shelton Benjamin is currently wrestling for Ring of Honor with his former WWE tag partner, Charlie Haas.
WWE RAW superstar Chris Jericho posted a few messages on Twitter this week taking aim at “Internet experts” who reported that he is leaving WWE for the next few months.
It’s been reported for months that Jericho’s WWE contract is expiring soon and Jericho’s stipulation that he would leave WWE if he didn’t win the WWE title at Night of Champions coincided with these reports. Our WWE sources still say that Jericho will be taking off the rest of the year very soon – despite the fact that he wrestled at this week’s RAW tapings. But Jericho is now jumping on the Internet crowd that he often plays to. Jericho wrote on Twitter this week:
“Hey Internet…Im a heel. Heels lie, therefore if I say something boastfully and reneg on it, it’s not an official stipulation. Smarten up!”
.. and he followed up with:
“Hello Internet experts. Allow me to explain something to u kiddies. Winning and losing means nothing if you do it properly. I would be happy to lose to every single one of you and watch your faces as I walk out of the arena with more heat than before. Watch and learn children. Sit back and let the real experts work our magic as we make u behave like the puppets that you are. Cheers!”
Despite Jericho’s clear attempt to blur reality with storyline – we’re sticking to our story that he’s taking time off this fall-winter and will be back by the Royal Rumble in January.
— World Wrestling Entertainment has begun work on a DVD project highlighting Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler’s legendary career, reports PWInsider.com. It is scheduled for release in 2011.
— Only two matches are advertised for tonight’s episode of WWE Superstars on WGN America: Goldust (with Aksana) vs. William Regal, JTG vs. Primo (with AJ).
— The Undertaker is featured on the cover of the November 2010 issue of WWE Magazine.
In an exclusive interview with SLAM! Wrestling, Trevor Murdoch talks about the death of his partner and best friend, Lance Cade.
Murdoch wants everybody to share in some of his positive memories of Cade, rather than the people he dislikes for merely using the 29-year-old Cade as a political pawn during Linda McMahon’s Senate run.
“To be honest, there’s been a lot of other web pages that have called me, and I haven’t done anything with them. So whatever we do, I’d like you to put it out there to EVERYBODY,” Murdoch told SLAM! Wrestling Producer Greg Oliver. “I want everybody to read this. I want this to be what everybody reads and goes, ‘Holy shit, I didn’t know this about that situation. I didn’t know that about Lance.’
“I’m not going to talk to anybody else.”
Murdoch’s wife, Amanda, called Cade “The Other Woman” since they spent so much time together, and would call each other on days off as well, eager to discuss ideas they had for their characters.
“Ninety per cent of the time, it was just him and I,” Murdoch said. “If I got to a town before he did, I’d wait for him and we’d get a rental car. If he got there before me, I would wait for him. If he got there first, he’d wait for me. It was a strong partnership, and not just a partnership, but a friendship.”
Initially, Cade (Lance McNaught) was asked to choose between Murdoch (William Mueller), fresh from Harley Race’s wrestling school, and Kevin Thorn (Kevin Fertig), who he had known in the WWE’s developmental system.
Murdoch’s unique look (“country by nature”) appealed to Cade, and they clicked, sharing a deep passion for the business.
“WWE thought they were putting two guys together so they could make a million dollars. What they didn’t know is they were putting two guys together that became best friends. And it breaks my heart every day,” Murdoch choked out, breaking down in tears, “it’s hard to talk about it now, man.”
The call came to Murdoch on August 13, 2010. He was asleep, and was woken by his wife and bar manager, Darin Waid, with the news. In disbelief, he checked his phone and there was a text message from Shawn Michaels — who trained Cade — asking him to call.
“I called him. I said, ‘Shawn’ — I don’t cuss around Shawn, I try to be respectful — ‘what’s all this shit I hear about Lance dying?’ He said, ‘Kid, I’m sorry, but he’s gone.'”
In the hour and a half interview, Murdoch addresses far more than their partnership. He talks about his visits with Cade’s family, how his own kids — who called him Uncle Lance — are dealing with his passing, and what the funeral was like.
Murdoch doesn’t shy away from the bigger questions, either.
“I think an addiction took control of his life, and he fought that addiction, and fought that addiction, and did everything he could,” said Murdoch, who admitted they talked frequently about the problems.
“My partner’s been gone three and a half weeks now, and you’re really the first person I’ve spoken to just for the simple fact that I don’t want anybody thinking that I’m trying to capitalize on my best friend’s tragedy, and my best friend not being here,” Murdoch said. “Because I would trade anything in this world besides my wife and children to bring that man back here, and for him to be here with his kids. It is a tragedy and it is something where personally I’m struggling with Jesus right now, because I really don’t understand what the point is, taking a good man like that.”
The lengthy story is available in its entirety exclusively at SLAM! Wrestling. The article can be read here.
Here are some pictures of Mickie James when she wrestled for TNA back in 2003 as “Alexis Laree”:
— TNA star Ken Anderson has signed a new long term contract with the organization. TNA President Dixie Carter posted a message on Twitter stating that Anderson actually sent her a video of himself signing the contract. She wrote, “Leave it to MISTER ANDERSON, ANDERSON to do things in dramatic fashion.”
— To update the news of Scott Hall being under full-time psychiatric care, we can report that Hall was released last week to attend to some personal affairs, but is expected to return this week. In accordance with WWE’s Wellness Policy, WWE is paying for Hall’s care, as they offer to pay for any current or past WWE performers rehab programs if they ask.
— WWE star Matt Hardy, who stated in a YouTube video this week that he’s on his way out of the company, has been hitting the gym hard as of late. Hardy’s less-than-perfect physique has been the subject of discussion by various wrestling websites and he recently wrote on Twitter that he dropped a lot of weight by cutting red meat out of his diet.
Hardy wrote on Twitter that he’s been hitting the gym hard lately trying to get in the best shape of his life and posted a picture of himself in the gym looking totally shredded. Hardy has been out of action for a few weeks now and it’s obvious he’s been spending that time in the gym.
Check it out:
According to a report on Diva-Dirt.com, former WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James is expected to sign a contract with TNA Wrestling today — if she hasn’t already.
Those close to the situation have indicated that James would finalize her contract today, but additional details are not available at press time.
Despite her release from World Wrestling Entertainment earlier this year and simultaneous foray into the country music world, James continued her wrestling career as she has appeared on numerous independent shows since that time.
Here is the advertised card for Saturday’s Smackdown house show from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The show has been dubbed “Bret Hart Appreciation Night,” as it marks Bret Hart’s return to the Garden in over 13 years.
* The Undertaker vs. Kane – NEW YORK STREET FIGHT for the World Heavyweight Championship
* Bret “The Hitman” Hart and The Hart Dynasty (w/ Natalya) vs. The Nexus – Six Man Tag Team Match
* The Big Show vs CM Punk
* Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler-Intercontinental Championship Match
* Mark Henry vs. Jack Swagger Raw vs. Smackdown Match
* MVP vs. Cody Rhodes
* Kelly Kelly/Melina vs. Layla/Michelle McCool – Smackdown Diva Tag Team Match
Click here for event information.
Actor Danny McBride, star of the HBO hit series “Eastbound & Down,” will be the guest host of the October 11th episode of WWE RAW from Seattle.
WWE is advertising that McBride will be “bringing comedy” to Raw.
McBride will be promoting the second season of “Eastbound & Down,” which premieres this Sunday night.
Here’s the full lineup of RAW Guest Hosts for October:
– 10/4: Johnny Knoxville
– 10/11: Danny McBride
– 10/18: Bobb’e J. Thompson
– 10/25: Toby Keith
Ohhhhhhh yessssss…..
The one and only PAUL BEARER returned to WWE at Tuesday’s SmackDown television in Bloomington, Illinois to participate in the ongoing Undertaker vs. Kane storyline.
Later in the show, Kane challenged Undertaker to a Hell in a Cell match at the HIAC PPV on October 3rd.
Bearer was written out of WWE storylines back in 2004, when he was “buried alive” in concrete at that year’s Great American Bash.
Here’s a picture sent in from a fan who was at Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings of Paul Bearer’s return:
* Warning; The following contains a *Spoiler* for Friday’s SmackDown:
At Tueseday’s SmackDown tapings, it was confirmed that The Undertaker will challenge Kane again for the World Heavyweight title at Hell in a Cell inside the cell.
With that match set, here’s the updated card:
Hell In A Cell For The WWE Championship
Randy Orton (c) vs. Sheamus
Hell In A Cell For The World Heavyweight Championship
Kane (c) vs. The Undertaker
John Cena vs. Wade Barrett
* If Barrett wins, Cena must join Nexus. If Cena wins, Nexus is done.
Falls Count Anywhere Match for the US Championship
Daniel Bryan (c) vs. The Miz
WWE Hell in a Cell takes place on Sunday, October 3rd from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
The ratings are in for Monday’s episode of Monday Night RAW and it’s not good news for WWE.
After doing a 3.0 for the past 2 weeks, Monday’s RAW dipped down to a 2.8 rating, averaging 3.9 million viewers. The show did hours of 2.77 and 2.82.
WWE faced competition from Monday Night Football and the season premiers of several broadcast network shows, but a 2.8 the night after a pay-per-view is hard to justify.
The last time WWE RAW did below a 3.0 was November 2008.
— WWE’s creative department reportedly has tentative WrestleMania plans in mind for Chris Jericho, according to www.f4wonline.com.
The final match of Jericho’s current contract with World Wrestling Entertainment took place last night in Indianapolis. Many believe he’ll return to the organization taking an extended period of time off and fulfill non-wrestling commitments.
— The Miz, who is featured on the latest edition of WWE Magazine, has also landed the cover for the next issue of The Wrestler/Inside Wrestling. To view it, visit www.pwi-online.com. They have also posted the magazine cover of the next issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, featuring John Cena.
— Monday Night Raw on November 29, 2010 has been moved to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The original locations were Trenton, New Jersey and Norfolk, Virginia.
The Scope Arena in Norfolk will now host the SmackDown taping on November 30, 2010 and the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton will now host the Raw house show on January 21st, 2011. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)
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:
Orton as WWE champion: “Randy Orton becoming WWE Champion is a positive in my view. Orton appeals to the young, male demo better, arguably, than any one in WWE. Orton’s demeanor and in ring stylings are somewhat ‘Attitude Era’ oriented of which many fans miss. The pressure of being the WWE champion is pronounced and how the competitive Orton handles that stress and the demands on his time will help define this title reign. I really enjoy Randy’s work and hope to see him in some viable, one on one bouts going forward. If he is still the WWE Champion come WM27, Orton’s contributions to the biggest PPV of the year will be significant. One can almost see the wheels turning as to who the WWE Champion might face for the title in Atlanta…if his reign lasts that long. TBD.”
Jericho’s Future: “No I do not think that Chris Jericho is leaving WWE for good but I do think that Chris will continue to focus on Fozzy not to mention promoting his upcoming, 3 disc, WWE DVD (Awesome BTW) which might necessitate that he not appear on weekly TV on a regular basis. Stepping away from the weekly grind isn’t a bad thing for anyone and allows one to recharge their batteries and enjoy the fruits of their labor.”
HHH: “Had a great talk with HHH in Chicago who is also looking good but I do not know his future plans re: returning to the ring. The Game has a very bright, insightful mind for the business. I like his personal business philosophies on wrestling. HHH was interested in my upcoming trip to FCW this week as the future of WWE rests largely inside the four walls of the FCW Training facility.”
Michael Cole: “Most people understand that Michael Cole is changing his on air persona to become more of an antagonist and more caustic. That’s simply the creative direction that he’s moving and I actually feel that if and when he masters that dynamic that it can add something unique to the TV presentation. Conflict at the announce table is entertaining to me as some of my best days doing PXP were when the King was a villain and Paul Heyman was simply being himself….and I mean that in a positive way. Think of how effective JBL was on commentary and he certainly never positioned himself as a ‘good guy.’ Point is that controlled conflict helps facilitate most broadcasts as long as the talent and what we are seeing on our TV screen remains the focus and it doesn’t become about the broadcasters.”
THQ has released a new video trailer for the upcoming WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2011 game, which hits video game consoles on October 26.
This video highlights several superstars featured in the game, which boasts the biggest roster in the franchise’s history:
Former WWE champion John Bradshaw Layfield appeared on the “Right After Wrestling”radio show last night. JBL spoke about Alberto Del Rio’s gimmick being similar to his, whether he’d ever return to WWE and more.
Among the more interesting topics discussed was JBL talking about hazing in wrestling and whether the rumors are true that he was a major bully in the locker room during his time in WWE. JBL said:
“Did I haze the Miz? Hell yes! A lot of people want to talk about me and my hazing. Yes I did. I make no apologies about it what so ever. When I started, guys were hazed, and for good reason. They wanted to know that in a riot, which we had a few back in the day, were you going to be on the side of the boys or the fans?”
“Nowadays there’s no room for it, the corporate, sterile world that is the WWE. When the Miz came in, most of the hazing was me working. Me on the mic, me talking to him. I gave him as much advice as I possibly could because I thought he had the ability to be a good heel. But I’m not going to apologize for hazing him.”
You can listen to the interview at TheScore.com.
Matt Hardy is back with another candid video blog, giving his thoughts on the past year of his life and saying WWE simply is not the place for him right now.
Hardy sounds pleasantly clear-headed and composed, thanking the people who have helped him get to where he’s at in life and saying he thinks its time to move on to the next chapter in his life. Check it out:
— Shortly after Raw, WWE Diva Jillian cryptically noted on Twitter that she had closed a chapter Monday.
“A chapter closed tonight. Excited for what’s ahead.”
Her statement was misconstrued by some fans as an indication that she was parting ways with World Wrestling Entertainment. She then clarified:
“No…. WWE hasn’t released me silly gooses. Just opening a new chapter in the book of Jillian!”
— Former Raw ring announcer Lilian Garcia, who closed a chapter of her own one year ago today when she parted ways with WWE, is advertised to appear at The Hollywood Show taking place in Burbank, California on October 9 and 10. Click here for more information on her upcoming appearance.
— Matt Hardy continues to indicate that he will parting ways with WWE in the near future. He noted to a fan on his YouTube channel that he feels it’s time to move on from the organization.
“I have sucked it up for a while and I’ve done pretty much everything I could humanly do,” Hardy wrote. “I think it’s just time to move on.. I would have liked to stay in WWE for my entire career, but looks like it’s just not gonna work out that way. Thanks for your comment pal.”
World Wrestling Entertainment has retired the WWE Women’s Championship, which lineage dates back to 1956. It was the oldest active professional wrestling championship in company history. WWE is continuing the title lineage of the Divas Championship with the Unified belt. Layla is the last recognized Women’s Champion.
Beth Phoenix, a three-time Women’s Champion, expressed her disappointment in WWE’s decision to put the title to pasture.
“It saddens me to see the historic Women’s Title moved into retirement, but I am so grateful to have had the honor of holding it,” she wrote on Twitter. “My sights remain on the Unified Diva’s Championship.”
Meanwhile, former WWE star Mickie James, a five-time holder of the belt, released an emotional statement on Twitter concerning its retirement.
“The retirement of the Women’s Championship breaks my heart,” she wrote. “The nostalgia and the legacy built off the backs of every woman who paved the way for women like me… Who gave it credibility… Honor… Prestige… & Truth! For every woman who’s carried the championship through the generations… Who know the power & history you feel in holding it high above your head.. That can never be replaced by anything in my mind… In my heart… I am truly honored and forever grateful to be among the women who have graced its presence… Thank you…”
Ex-WWE star Carlito wrote in response to James, “Dont worry, there’s now 2 butterfly belts!”
A new Diva was introduced at the WWE Developmental FCW live event in Brooksville, FL over the weekend.
Her ring name is Sonia. Sonia is better known as Su Yung, who has wrestled for Glory, Memphis Ladies Wrestling and various other independents.
She signed a developmental deal back in July.
Here are some pictures of WWE’s newest developmental diva, Sonia:
— Those close to Matt Hardy say he is hopeful to be officially released from World Wrestling Entertainment this week, reports www.f4wonline.com. Furthermore, it has been indicated that WWE officials will be making a decision regarding Hardy’s future with the organization within the next few days.
— Regarding the status of the Unified Divas Championship, Michelle McCool noted while on commentary during this week’s RAW that SmackDown! consultant Vickie Guerrero wrote into Lay-Cool’s contracts that both she and Layla are co-holders of the newly launched belt. Thus, both Divas are able to defend the title. However, the WWE website officially recognizes McCool as the Unified Divas Champion.
— Two Raw bouts were taped Monday in Indianapolis for Thursday’s episode of WWE Superstars on WGN America:
* The Bella Twins vs. Alicia Fox & Jillian
* Goldust vs. William Regal
— WWE returns to the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota on Saturday, February 5, 2011. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)
