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Morale Low In TNA, Update On Heyman Negotiations

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The “nice surprise” to TNA that Dixie Carter was teasing prior to last month’s TNA’s Slammiversary was supposed to be Paul Heyman, but a deal could not be reached. Tommy Dreamer was ready on standby in case Heyman wasn’t used and wound up appearing on the show.

TNA is pushing hard to bring Heyman in by Victory Road. The overall feeling within the company is that Heyman is in fact TNA bound, but no deal has been reached yet. TNA is said to be willing to give Heyman anything he wants.

Morale in TNA has been very low in recent weeks and many feel that the company needs a savior to turn things around, with Heyman being looked at as the best chance TNA has to survive.

Steamboat Updates His Father’s Condition, Bret Hart Turns 53

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— As reported earlier, WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Steamboat was hospitalized Wednesday night after suffering a brain aneurysm. He is reportedly in stable condition. His son, WWE developmental wrestler Richie Steamboat, recently opened an account on Twitter and has posted numerous messages concerning his father’s health.

He wrote yesterday afternoon, “Please keep my dad in your thoughts & prayers. The issues are worse than expected but he could be worse. God will help him through it!!!” Then added today, “Thanks again everyone for the prayers & msgs. Dad is fine right now. God & you guys have helped us & things will get better as time passes.”

— Today is WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart’s birthday. He turns 53 years old.

— WWE canceled it entire Fourth of July weekend tour due to poor ticket sales and a result, performers and personnel have a rare weekend off. The events have been rescheduled for December.

— The search term “WWE Undertaker Marries” was among AOL.com’s “Top Searches” today.

NXT Rookie Injured, Developmental Diva Traveling With WWE

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— NXT Rookie Alex Riley suffered a wound to the back of his head while defending his FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship against Kaval at last night’s Florida Championship Wrestling television taping in Tampa, Florida, reports www.pwinsider.com.

Riley suffered the injury after hitting his head on the guardrail, which was in due part to a kick from Kaval. The match was immediately stopped and medical personnel assisted Riley to the back.

Seeing as the match was the final bout of the three-episode taping, FCW President Steve Keirn came out to apologize to the fans, noting it will take place at a different time. He said he had a standby match, which saw Percy Watson upend Big E. Langston.

— WWE developmental wrestler AJ Lee was on the road with the Raw brand this past week, working in the role of hostess at live events. Lee, who has been under contract to WWE since May 2009, was crowned “Queen of FCW” this past February after beating Serena in a match.

— Former WWE performer Gene Snitsky was backstage visiting friends at Tuesday’s SmackDown taping in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Ricky Steamboat Reportedly Suffers Brain Aneurysm

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Ricky Steamboat was hospitalized Wednesday night after experiencing pain in his neck and shoulder, reports the official WWE website. According to medical officials, his condition is most likely not related to his performance on Monday night, and his medical prognosis is “good to excellent.”

Meanwhile, Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer reports Steamboat suffered a brain aneurysm Wednesday night. His condition has been disclosed as stable, but he’s expected to remain hospitalized indefinitely. It was also noted that the aneurysm is not believed to be related to Monday’s angle.

Due to Steamboat’s condition, WWE has pulled video of Monday’s NXT angle off of its YouTube channel, as well as photos off of its official website.

News On A Batista vs. Bobby Lashley MMA Fight

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Former WWE wrestler Batista created a lot of buzz earlier this month when he announced to TMZ.com that he will be fighting for the Strikeforce MMA promotion and already had his first opponent picked out.

The latest is that a deal still has not been reached between Batista and Strikeforce, but Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed the negotiations and brought up the idea of pitting Batista against fellow former WWE wrestler Bobby Lashley, who is currently under contract with Strikeforce.

When recently asked about facing Bobby Lashley in the cage, Batista said he would do it, but he wants a few fights to build to Lashley. Scott Coker thinks if they can get Lashley vs. Batista on CBS with a good semi-main event then they can do big ratings.

Lashley is still recovering from a knee injury that caused his most recent fight to be postponed. Lashley’s recovery is actually behind schedule and he will be out of action a bit longer than initially expected.

In training for his MMA debut, Batista has hired a wrestling coach, a boxing coach and a jiu jitsu coach.

Check Out: VIDEO of BATISTA Training For His MMA Debut

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

*Spoilers* SmackDown Tapings Results For Tonight

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SmackDown *SPOILERS*

WWE taped this week’s episode of SmackDown on Tuesday night from the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Credit to reader Daniel Smeriglio & Wrestling News World for this report:

* Jack Swagger opens SmackDown in the ring with a promo about beating Big Show last week. He brags about his victory. Big Show comes out and interrupts. He beats down Swagger but his jumped from behind by Cody Rhodes. Rey Mysterio comes in for the save.

* Teddy Long announces tonight’s main event will be Jack Swagger vs. Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship.

* Kofi Kingston b. Dolph Ziggler

* CM Punk is shown with his arm in a sling.

* Matt Hardy is a special guest on The Peep Show. Prior to the segment, ladders are setup in the ring. Hardy is reinstated and it is announced that Drew McIntyre is out due to issues with his visa. Matt Hardy attacks Christian.

* Cody Rhodes is shown looking in a mirror telling himself he’s dashing. He said his motivation for his attack earlier was the Money in the Bank match.

* Kane vs. Luke Gallows (w/CM Punk)
– SES attacks Kane and beats everyone up. Serena comes in the ring and begs Kane not to hurt CM Punk. A video is shown of Serena drinking at a bar on May 31st and being confronted by SES. CM Punk was with them hence he couldn’t have attacked Undertaker. Serena is left alone in the ring.

* MVP b. Chavo Guerrero
– Prior to the match Chavo gets on the mic and says he deserves a Intercontinental Championship shot if he wins tonight.

* A video package for Ricky Steamboat’s new DVD is shown.

* Kelly Kelly b. Michelle McCool via pinfall.

* Rey Mysterio comes out and cuts a promo on his win at Fatal Four-Way. It is announced that Rey will face Jack Swagger at Money in the Bank.

* Rey Mysterio & Big Show b. Jack Swagger & Cody Rhodes
– Show & Rey get the win after Swagger gets disqualified for not releasing the ankle lock on Rey. After the match Mysterio sells his injury. That concludes this week’s edition of SmackDown.

Update On Barrett & McIntyre, Cover Art For Raw DVD Set, More

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— Drew McIntyre and Wade Barrett’s respective visa issues have been resolved, reports www.F4WOnline.com. Barrett is expected to return to Raw this Monday while McIntyre will return to SmackDown once creative feels it’s right to bring him back from the deportation angle.

— The cover art for WWE’s forthcoming DVD set on the best of Monday Night Raw in 1993 and 1994, Raw “The Beginning”: The Best of Seasons 1 & 2, has been released. The cover, which features The Undertaker, Yokozuna, Bret Hart and Doink the Clown, among others, can be viewed here.

— WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes will be coming out of retirement to team up with sons Goldust and Cody Rhodes against the trio of Trent Barreta, Caylen Croft and Curt Hawkins on July 9 in Kissimmee, Florida at the Osceola Heritage Park Exhibition Hall. The Florida Championship Wrestling live event will also feature a Divas Bikini Contest.

Bret Hart Responds To Martha Hart’s Lawsuit

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WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart has written a blog entry responding to Martha Hart’s lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment over using the likeness and footage of Owen Hart.

“I feel that it’s ridiculous for anyone to think they are serving the best interests of Owen’s memory or his children to pretend he wasn’t a wrestler,” Hart stated. “Not only was he a wrestler, he was a great one and proud of it. I personally believe Martha Hart has done nothing to keep his memory alive and sadly, he fades from view a little more every year. I do suspect this lawsuit is more about publicity, ego, and small-mindedness than it is about pro-wrestling and all of those that are in it.

“I know Owen was always proud of his body of work. His fans have never forgotten him and most of today’s WWE wrestlers and hundreds of employees have never forgotten him. They speak endlessly of loving memories that speak volumes on what kind of person he was. I saw Owen on TV a few weeks ago against a young Matt Hardy and it put me in such a good mood all day long. Why would anyone want to prevent that? Martha needs to accept the sad truth that he’s gone, but we all deserve to be able to salute and honor him for being the great man and the great wrestler that he was.”

To read the full blog, click here.

Update On Hogan’s Back Surgery & TNA Booking Changes

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– It was reported here that TNA star Hulk Hogan was scheduled to undergo back surgery. Apparently Hogan didn’t have the surgery yesterday but is scheduled to go under the knife by the end of the week. We wish him the best and a quick recovery.

– TNA fired creative team member Ed Ferrara last week. Ferrara, best known for his previous stints in WWE and WCW, had been Vince Russo’s booking assistant while in TNA.

– Former WCW wrestler & booker Kevin Sullivan met with Dixie Carter when she was in New Jersey a few weeks ago. Sullivan expressed pitched the idea of him joining TNA’s creative team and has worked with many people already in TNA. It’s said that Sullivan has written out an entire year of booking for the company.

Source: Wrestling Observer

*Spoilers* TNA iMPACT! Tapings Results For Tonight

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Credit to reader John Benoit & PWinsider.com for this report:

Impact opened with an Abyss promo which I missed but it ended with Hulk Hogan coming out followed but Bischoff to restrain Hogan but ended up attacking Abyss. Abyss no sold it which then Hulk gave Abyss three chair shots which he no sold also. They led to Jeff Hardy coming out to give Abyss the twist of fate and Swanton to end the segment

Motor City Machineguns vs. Ink, inc. Motor City Machineguns won via pinfall on Jesse Neal. Bubba was going to interfere but Devon cut off Bubba and they argue for awhile. then Devon comes in the ring and helps Neal to his feet.

Bischoff came out and announced the main event as Jeff Hardy vs. Abyss with RVD as guest ref in the match

AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe Joe wins via submission Styles fights with Kaz and Ric Flair afterwards and Styles wants Kaz next week. Kaz accepts which ends the segment.

The next segment is the Pope’s return to the impact zone. Huge “Welcome back” chants for the Pope and huge Pope. Pope cuts one of his classic promos which he is great at doing. Pope says he is back in the game now and he wants to work his way to RVD. Just as he finishes, Kurt Angle’s music hits and he welcomes Pope back into TNA. Angle says at Victory Road, we have Pope vs. Angle and Angle says he must be victorious. he walks off and we head to commercial.

During the break they bring up Cody Angle to the ramp and the fans chant Cody. Angle’s other kid is also here sitting next to Dixie Carter at ringside.

Desmond Wolfe vs. Brian Kendrick. Chelsea still looks unhappy to be with Wolfe and leaves him mid-match again. Kendrick puts Wolfe in a submission hold and Wolfe taps out Douglas Williams was on commentary during the match.
Jay Lethal calls out AJ Styles and Ric Flair to answer for jumping his brother last week. Matt Morgan comes out and says that Flair has asked him to be the first member of Fortune. Lethal hits Morgan and the match is on. The early part of the match is the typical Matt Morgan dominance. A couple of near falls for Morgan until Morgan misses his kick and Lethal begins his comeback. Morgan throws Lethal out and Hernandez sneaks in and low blows Morgan with the ref’s back turned. Lethal picks up the pinfall victory. Hernandez walks up the ramp as a pissed off Morgan looks at him. Lethal celebrates the win.

Taylor Wilde vs. Madison Rayne in TNA Knockouts non title action During the match Tommy Dreamer, Raven, Rhino and Stevie Richards show up, again taking everyone’s attention for the match at hand. Rayne picks up the easy victory on Wilde only to get attacked by Love post match. The crowd doesn’t care they are to busy snapping pics of the ECW guys in the front row of the stands. During the break Stevie got in the ring and threw out some TNA DVD’s.

We cut to backstage where some new Knockout in black [Note from Mike: I was told it was Sarita] is beating up Taylor Wilde for some reason and the ECW originals decide to head back to the backstage area.

We go back to the big screen where Dixie Carter walks up to Sting in the rafters and says Hulk and Bischoff says he is a cancer to TNA and sting is suspended for 30 days. Of course Sting verbally assaults Dixie until Bischoff comes up there and has security take him out of the Impact Zone. Bischoff tells Dixie to hire a 24-7 bodyguard because Sting might go psycho now and he fears this isn’t over with Sting.

Time for the main event. RVD comes out first with a ref shirt on. Abyss has a 2 x 4 with nails in it. Hardy takes control early before Abyss takes it outside and throws Hardy into the ring steps to take control. Abyss tries to use a chair but RVD takes the chair from Abyss. The crowd is into this match and is behind Hardy all the way, Hardy with the Swanton to get the pinfall and win. Abyss attacks Hardy and Black Hole slams RVD. Abyss was going to use the 2 x 4 with the nails but Ken Anderson comes running down with a chair and hits Abyss then turns to hardy and nails him with the chair by accident because Abyss ducked. Abyss hits the Torture Device slam on Anderson. That is probably where the shows cuts out.

Post match, Anderson helps Hardy up and Hardy poses for the crowd and leaves.

Wade Barrett’s Status & WWE’s Plans For The Nexus Group

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– The situation with Wade Barrett’s work visa is said to be not as serious as it’s been made out to be. Apparently everyone knew the situation was coming as Barrett had been talking about it for weeks. He is expected to be back in the country as early as today and back on WWE TV as early as this coming week. There is still no word on Drew McIntyre’s return but it’s believed that he may be out for a bit longer.

– WWE officials have told the members of Nexus to play the heel role while in public in front of fans. They’re not allowed to pose for photos or sign autographs and are wearing the ‘N’ armbands while out.

– The decision has made that The Nexus stable will remain on the RAW roster and won’t be doing any run-ins on SmackDown. Most expect that this may change eventually.

Source: Wrestling Observer

WWE SummerSlam PPV Poster & Synopsis

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Cable provider iNDEMAND has released the official poster and synopsis for WWE’s SummerSlam pay-per-view.

This year’s show takes place on August 15th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Synopsis: Brace yourself for the biggest pay-per-view of the summer! WWE action slams into summer as John Cena, Triple H, Rey Mysterio, and all your favorite WWE Superstars battle for WWE gold and glory on Sunday, August 15th, live on Pay-Per-View!

Poster:

goodbye

Major Knockouts *Spoiler*, 4-Hour TNA Programming Block Nixed

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(source: www.f4wonline.com)

— Tentative plans call for Velvet Sky to turn on Madison Rayne during the Women’s Knockout Champion’s title defense against Angelina Love at next month’s Victory Road pay-per-view, costing her the belt. She would then join back up with Angelina Love, reuniting the original members of “The Beautiful People.”

At last night’s iMPACT! taping (scheduled to air on July 8), Rayne challenged Love to put a retirement stipulation in their Victory Road match. She agreed and it was announced that should Velvet Sky or Lacey Von Erich interfere in the match, Rayne will lose the title via disqualification.

— Spike has nixed plans to air a four-hour TNA programming block every Thursday night. ReACTION, which was scheduled to start on July 15 at 11 p.m. following iMPACT!, has been pulled from the Spike schedule. The show is still scheduled to air, but a start date and time has yet to determined. Meanwhile, Xplosion is scheduled to eventually air before iMPACT! on Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m.

— Reigning X Division Champion Douglas Williams is moving full-time to the United States. He currently resides in England.

Creative High On Tag Team, NXT Nearing Record-Low Viewership

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sources: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, PWInsider.com

— WWE’s creative team is said to be pleased with the Diva pairing of Michelle McCool and Layla, known as “Lay-Cool.” Some within the company previously felt TNA’s “Beautiful People” concept made their women’s division look second rate by comparison, but now feel they’ve beaten the rival promotion at their own game.

Layla recently refuted fans’ allegations that “Lay-Cool” is copying “The Beautiful People,” writing on Twitter: “Cuz all of the tweets about this subject, For the Record, I do not watch TNA. So copy cat thing…kinda NOT!! This is All I will say. Done.!!”

Reportedly, the inspiration behind the “Lay-Cool” gimmick was due to creative watching “The Beautiful People” on TNA programming.

— Tuesday’s episode of NXT garnered a 0.93 cable rating for Syfy, an increase from last week’s 0.80 number. With that being said, viewership was actually down, from 1.21 million viewers to 1.05 (1,048,000). The all-time record viewership figure is 1.00 million viewers, which was scored on May 4.

— Today is Cody Rhodes’ birthday, who turns 25 years old.

Bryan Danielson Talks About His WWE Release, TNA

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Former WWE superstar Bryan Danielson has written a new blog with more details on his WWE release:

“As with anyone who gets fired from their job, especially when they feel its unjust, I am angry. Very angry. But I can’t fault WWE for how they handled my release. My contract contained a 90 day no-compete clause in the event I was let go, yet the WWE has graciously allowed me start wrestling again on any show that’s not taped for television or pay per view.”

Danielson speculated about his future following the completion of his 90-day no compete clause, including the possibility of wrestling for TNA:

“As far as what happens after 90 days, nobody knows. I’ve “heard” that TNA is interested. There are petitions going around to get me back into WWE and the last several weeks there have been fans chanting my names at their shows. People have even brought signs showing their support. And though most of the signs get taken away and though WWE may not be listening to your chants or petitions, I truly appreciate all the support over the last several weeks. It is both overwhelming and heartwarming. But regardless of what offers come in, I am in no rush to make any rash decisions. I enjoy my freedom as much as I enjoyed the benefits offered by being in WWE.”

CM Punk Surgery Update, WWE Signs Hall of Famer’s Son

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— As reported earlier, CM Punk recently underwent surgery on his arm and is expected to be kept out of action for one to two months. The surgery was a planned and scheduled procedure and not something that was immediately needed due to an injury. Dr. James Andrews’ team performed the surgery last week in Birmingham, Alabama. (source: PWInsider.com)

— World Wrestling Entertainment has signed Joe Anoa’i to a developmental contract, reports the Wrestling Observer. He is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Sika, the younger brother of former WWE star Rosey and the cousin of Rikishi and the late Umaga. He’s listed at 6 foot 3, 280 pounds. It was largely expected Anoa’i would enter the world of professional wrestling in case he didn’t make it in the NFL. He was a first-team All-ACC defensive tackle at Georgia Tech in 2006, his senior year. After going undrafted in the 2007 NFL Draft, he was signed by the Minnesota Vikings. Upon being released by the Vikings, he was signed by the Eskimos, and accepted a spot on the team’s practice roster.

— It was Straight Edge Society member Serena’s birthday yesterday. She turned 24 years old.

Savannah Comments On Release, Lawler’s Promotion Struggling

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— Commenting on her release from World Wrestling Entertainment last week, Angela Fong (a/k/a Savannah) remarked the following on Twitter:

“It’s been a wk since my release and has felt like the longest wk of my life! It was so unexpected and I didn’t see it coming. But, I have to accept and I’m moving onwards and upwards. 3 yrs w/WWE.. it was an incredible time. I learned so much..not just how to wrestle. @ FCW,I was passionate 2 learn as much as I could, and I felt that I did. What hurts, is that I never wrestled on TV, something I really wanted. Perhaps 1 day! Thank u 2 all my FANS..hope u continue to support me. Thnk u to @WWE for everything. I will miss it! Journey has just begun 4 me! See u all soon!! :) love u!”

The former WWE ring announcer is currently accepting bookings for autograph signings, wrestling performances and ring announcing. Those interested in booking Fong should contact Steve Woolf at [email protected].

— Jerry Lawler’s recently re-launched Memphis Championship Wrestling television show drew a 0.1 rating with 1,620 viewers for its June 19 episode, a far cry from the 20+ ratings and 70 market share in the Memphis market in the same time slot a number of years ago. (source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

— NXT ring announcer Jamie Keyes is on Twitter at the following link.

MITB Plans, RAW Guest Hosts Gimmick, Titus O’Neil

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– WWE creative is looking at having one of the two Money in the Bank winners cash their title shot by SummerSlam in August, reports f4wonline.com. This would be done so only one superstar would be carrying around a briefcase for the rest of the year.

– On Friday’s SmackDown, 6 competitors will be announced for the World Heavyweight title Money in the Bank match. WWE’s website has confirmed that there will be eight participants in the match. The final two spots were planned for CM Punk and Drew McIntyre but Punk is injured and McIntyre can’t work due to his work visa expiring. No word yet on who will fill the two remaining spots.

– WWE is reportedly losing interest in the whole RAW guest host concept. There’s been talk of only having one Guest Host per month or scrapping the gimmick entirely.

– On Tuesday’s NXT show, Titus O’Neil was the first rookie to be eliminated from Season 2. Following the release, he wrote on Twitter:

“Just want to say to EVERYONE that Zack Ryder is one of the BEST people in the WWE & he is well worth following. I really respect him. He is a good man.”

Beautiful People Breaking Up? Hogan Misses iMPACT! & More

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– TNA is planning for Velvet Sky to turn on Madison Rayne at Victory Road Rayne defends her Knockouts Title against Angelina Love at the event.  There’s talk that Velvet will team back up with Angelina for The Beautiful People. No word yet what will happen to Lacey Von Erich.

– Hulk Hogan was not at Tuesday’s TNA iMPACT tapings because he is scheduled to undergo back surgery today, Wednesday. Dixie Carter, Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey were also absent from the tapings, according to a backstage source. Dixie doesn’t always attend the second tapings and Jason Hervey is reportedly working on a movie. No word on why Bischoff wasn’t there.

– At the TNA iMPACT tapings two weeks ago, Tommy Dreamer was showing off a potential new look backstage. Dreamer was wearing a singlet top, shorts and kick pads that gave him an MMA-style look. The potential new look for Dreamer received mixed reviews from those backstage.

Partial Source: prowrestling.net

SmackDown MITB Ladder Match Participants Announced

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The official WWE website has announced that Big Show, Christian, Matt Hardy, Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes and Kane will compete in the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match at next month’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Though six participants were announced, it has been confirmed that eight wrestlers will be taking part in the match.

Here is the updated card:

Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship
Sheamus (c) vs. John Cena

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Jack Swagger

Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Randy Orton, John Morrison, R-Truth, Evan Bourne, The Miz, Ted DiBiase, Chris Jericho and Edge
(Winner earns right to challenge the WWE Champion at any time, at any place, for up to one year)

SmackDown Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Big Show, Christian, Matt Hardy, Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes and Kane
(Winner earns right to challenge World Heavyweight Champion at any time, at any place, for up to one year)

Mickie James Returning To The Ring, “Downfall” Ratings

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– Former WWE Diva Mickie James will be wrestling in New York City for Impact Championship Wrestling on August 2nd. Her opponent will be WSU champion Mercedes Martinez. It will be James’ first post-WWE match in the United States since leaving the company earlier this year. In July, she’ll be working 3 shows for the WWC promotion in Puerto Rico and 2 shows for the SMASH promotion in Japan.

– The Nexus group’s theme music is “We Are One” by the band 12 Stonesir?t=se0e6 20&l=ur2&o=1.

– The ratings are in for Week 2 of Chris Jericho’s ABC game show “Downfall” and they’re not good. Tuesday’s show drew a 2.3 overnight rating with 4.1 million viewers. Week 2 was down from last week’s season premiere, which did a 3.1. With only 6 episodes taped and ratings on the decline already, the chances of ABC ordering more episodes after the initial run don’t look good.

– FlashGameshows.com has an interview up with Chris Jericho, who talks about how he got the “Downfall” gig and what it’s like hosting a game show where contestants get thrown off the roof of a skyscraper.

– If you haven’t seen Chris Jericho’s  new “Downfall” show, you can watch the first 2 episodes online at Hulu.com.

UPDATE On Wade Barrett & Drew McIntyre’s Visas

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To follow up on our earlier report regarding the work visa issues with Wade Barrett and Drew McIntyre -  we’re told at this point that WWE does not know when McIntyre will be back. Barrett might be able to return as soon as next week, but nobody knows for sure.

According to a source, WWE creative was told at Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings to presume assume neither man would be back until SummerSlam in August. Up until now Wade Barrett had been the centerpiece of the new Nexus group on RAW. It is possible Barrett or McIntyre could both be back soon, but that was the initial word as of today.

It should be noted that current WWE Champion Sheamus was signed by WWE around the same time as Barrett and McIntyre. The belief as of right now is that he is okay in regards to his work visa, but given the fact how things were handled with Barrett and McIntyre he could possibly be next. This is definitely causing major issues for WWE creative.

Source: The Wrestling Observer

First NXT Season Two Contestent Eliminated Tuesday Night

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The first “Pros’ Poll” for the second season of NXT took place Tuesday night, signaling the end of one of the eight contestants from the weekly series.

The WWE Universe and the WWE Pros votes were combined to tabulate the first NXT Poll. Kaval is ranked No. 1, while Titus O’Neil came in last, ranking at No. 8. With the ranking, O’Neil has been eliminated from the NXT competition.

The combined results of the NXT Poll are as follows:

1. Kaval

2. Percy Watson

3. Michael McGillicutty

4. Alex Riley

5. Lucky Cannon

6. Eli Cottonwood

7. Husky Harris

8. Titus O’Neil

WWE Star Retiring?, More WWE Stars Working Through Injuries

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— Goldust wrote a post Tuesday evening on Twitter saying he has retired.

“i am retired,” he wrote, adding, “byeeeeeeeee.”

Though it should be noted that in a previous tweet, he said he was very tired coming off the road and heading to the beach, so it’s likely he was joking.

The multi-time Intercontinental Champion has been largely relegated to Superstars since being drafted to Raw in April, having only competed once on WWE’s flagship program. He once again appeared on Superstars at Monday’s taping in Philadelphia, teaming up with Yoshi Tatsu to take on Zack Ryder and Primo.

— In addition to Kelly Kelly, R-Truth and Cody Rhodes, both Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio were working through injuries this past week, reports F4WOnline.com.

In the case of Orton, he suffered a neck injury that prevented him from wrestling at Sunday’s live event in Wheeling, West Virginia. Meanwhile, Mysterio is dealing with a minor groin injury. Neither ailment is serious enough to keep the wrestlers from working through the pain.

— Corresponding with storylines, the official WWE website announced Tuesday that Ricky Steamboat suffered cracked ribs, internal injuries and a sprained neck as a result of a clothesline by Skip Sheffield and a 450° splash by Justin Gabriel on Raw.

CM Punk Has Surgery: Will Miss 4-8 Weeks

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Word going around at Tuesday night’s SmackDown tapings tonight is that CM Punk had surgery on his arm last week.

Apparently Punk may be out of action for 4-8 weeks from the surgery. It’s been known that he’s been working hurt for at least a few weeks.

Punk will appear on Friday’s SmackDown with a sling on his arm.

No word on whether he’ll be off television during his recovery time.

Source: PWinsider.com

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