- Adrian Neville (PAC) and Oliver Grey won the first NXT Tag Titles, defeating the Wyatt Family in the finals.
- Announced for the next taping in February is Randy Orton as special guest. Orton is scheduled to face Damien Sandow.
100% DIRECT LINK (PHOTOS): AJ Lee At Age 14! **MUST-SEE**!!!!!!
...– The venue for this weekend’s National Pro Wrestling Day in Philadelphia has been changed. The event, which includes over twenty promotions, was originally set for the Derby Ink Gardens but will now take place at the National Guard Armory in Philadelphia.
You can find out more about the event here.
– Chris Jericho took a (possibly good-natured) shot at the Grammy Awards while promoting his hosting gig for the Revolver Golden Gods awards. Jericho will serve as host for the May 2nd ceremony in Los Angeles.
“Fuck the Grammys,” Jericho said. “Our show is sexier, it’s cooler.” Jericho then did a Danish-accented impression of Metallica’s Lars Ulrich to read a statement from the band about their receiving the award show’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which read, “We are beyond psyched to be at the receiving end of this shout-out and in the distinguished company of Rush, Lemmy, Ozzy and Mötley Crü...
TNA issued the following press release:
TNA’s IMPACT WRESTLING announced that it will begin filming all “IMPACT WRESTLING” programming on the road as part of their 2013 television programming strategy. “IMPACT WRESTLING” airs every Thursday on Spike TV (8/7 CT), and is regularly one of the network’s top-rated shows. The first live televised show will be March 14 from the Sears Centre Arena in Chicago.
For the past 8 years, “IMPACT WRESTLING” has been filmed on the largest soundstage at Universal Studios Orlando. The final two shows to be filmed from the “Impact Zone” at Universal will be February 28 and March 7.
“This is a tremendous step forward for TNA,” stated TNA President Dixie Carter. “Fans from around the world have been coming to us at Universal for more than 8 years to be a part of the ‘IMPACT WRESTLING’ audience. It’s now time for us to take the ‘IMPACT WRESTLING’ television cameras to them. This is a very important next evolution for th...
Click here to view the embedded video.
MMA H.E.A.T. brings you the UFC 156 media day face-offs between UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo (21-1) vs former UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar (14-3-1), Alistair Overeem (36-11-0, 1NC) vs Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (17-4) and former UFC light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans (22-2-1) vs Rogerio Nogueira (20-5) from Mandalay Bay.
Click here to view the embedded video.
“I always knew this matchup would happen.” Hear what headliners Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar had to say at the UFC 156 Media Day.
WWE will tape three episodes of NXT from the Full Sail University. Here are the full results.
Dark Match
* Natalya defeated Charlotte.
Episode 1: Airing February 13th
* Axl Keegan vs. Mike Dalton – Match was about to start but Paige enters the ring and goes after Summer Rae, who ends up running to the back. Paige wants Summer to come back out. Dusty Rhodes comes out and demands Paige leave the ring. Summer comes back out and trash talks Paige which escalades into a fight between the two. Dusty says the two can settle it later.
* Corey Graves defeated Alex Riley.
* Summer Rae defeated Paige.
* NXT Commissioner Dusty Rhodes in-ring segment about NXT Championship.
* Adrian Neville and Oliver Grey defeated The Wyatt Family in the finals of the NXT Tag Team Championship tournament to be crowned the first-ever champions.
*Dusty Rhodes congratulates the new tag team champions to close the show...
Dixie Carter revealed on Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling that TNA will be on the road “permanently” starting March 14 in Chicago. Embedded below is footage of that announcement.
The March 14th episode follows the Lockdown pay-per-view on the road in San Antonio, Texas.
WWE will tape three episodes of NXT from the Full Sail University. Here are the full results.
Dark Match
* Natalya defeated Charlotte.
Episode 1: Airing February 13th
* Axl Keegan vs. Mike Dalton – Match was about to start but Paige enters the ring and goes after Summer Rae, who ends up running to the back. Paige wants Summer to come back out. Dusty Rhodes comes out and demands Paige leave the ring. Summer comes back out and trash talks Paige which escalades into a fight between the two. Dusty says the two can settle it later.
* Corey Graves defeated Alex Riley.
* Summer Rae defeated Paige.
* NXT Commissioner Dusty Rhodes in-ring segment about NXT Championship.
* Adrian Neville and Oliver Grey defeated The Wyatt Family in the finals of the NXT Tag Team Championship tournament to be crowned the first-ever champions.
*Dusty Rhodes congratulates the new tag team champions to close the show...
The Rock promised to end CM Punk’s historic WWE championship run and did just that. He also said over a year ago that he would walk into MetLife Stadium and that seems to be the case. All he has to do is get past the Elimination Chamber. Who challenges The Rock for the championship is the big question now as The Road Wrestlemania jumpstarts. Here are four likely names to challenge The Rock.
The most obvious one is the recent Royal Rumble winner. Many think this is where the WWE is headed.
John Cena lost the previous year and now it’s retribution time. If this match takes place, it lacks freshness but needs to be done...
Dixie Carter revealed on Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling that TNA will be on the road “permanently” starting March 14 in Chicago. Embedded below is footage of that announcement.
The March 14th episode follows the Lockdown pay-per-view on the road in San Antonio, Texas.
Hot New Lingerie Photo of Mickie James
The post Dixie Carter’s “Major Announcement” Revealed appeared first on TWNP - Wrestlin...
Bad Influence start the show off by coming out to the ring in kilts and highlander face paint. They say that they’re happy to be in Manchester and they’re here to honor the real warriors of the UK: the Scots. Endearing themselves to the crowd right off the bat! Kazarian hands the mic to the man he says should be the World Champion right now, Christopher Daniels. Daniels calls the crowd a bunch of tossers…then my picture freezes up. They must have really had a bad reaction to that. Everything gets back to normal as Magnus comes out to the ring to share his theory on why Daniels isn’t the champion: because Jeff Hardy beat him 1-2-3 in the middle of the ring, because he’s a grown man who uses words like appletini, and maybe it’s because they’re a couple of disrespectful muppets in need of a good thrashing. He says that if they want to fight an Englishman, one of them can fight him. Daniels says that he’s in for a penny and in for a pound, then slaps Magnus. Magnus unloads on both of th...
Hey WrestleNewz readers, want to win some free stuff?
Wrestling fans are among the most passionate, knowledgeable and opinionated fans of any genre of sports or entertainment.
WrestleNewz plans to celebrate this fact with a new feature showcasing the “Fan Comments of the Week.”
The WrestleNewz comments section is usually filled with debate, discussion and some verbal smackdowns.
Starting today, we’ll bee keeping a close eye on the comments and, once a week, re-posting the most interesting, insightful and/or entertaining ones.
The comments we deem to be the best of the best will ...
- Adrian Neville (PAC) and Oliver Grey won the first NXT Tag Titles, defeating the Wyatt Family in the finals at tonight’s WWE NXT tapings.
- Also at tonight’s NXT tapings that Randy Orton will be a special guest for NXT in February. Orton is scheduled to face Damien Sandow.
...
Rustam Khabilov
Officials with the Ultimate Fighting Championship confirmed the latest addition to UFC 159 on Thursday via Twitter (@
- Adrian Neville (PAC) and Oliver Grey won the first NXT Tag Titles, defeating the Wyatt Family in the finals at tonight’s WWE NXT tapings.
- Also at tonight’s NXT tapings that Randy Orton will be a special guest for NXT in February. Orton is scheduled to face Damien Sandow.
Press Release – Newport Beach, CA. (January 31, 2013) – Bellator MMA’s $100,000 Middleweight Tournament field is set as The Toughest Tournament in Sports continues Thursday, February 14th from Charlotte’s Bojangles Coliseum live on Spike TV. The night also features a spectacular main event as reigning Bellator Bantamweight World Champion Eduardo Dantas puts his title on the line against Brazilian striker Marcos Galvao.
Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by visiting Th...
- Adrian Neville (PAC) and Oliver Grey won the first NXT Tag Titles, defeating the Wyatt Family in the finals at tonight’s WWE NXT tapings.
- Also at tonight’s NXT tapings that Randy Orton will be a special guest for NXT in February. Orton is scheduled to face Damien Sandow.
More Spoilers from Tonight’s WWE NXT Tapings…
The post Spoiler: NXT Tag Team Champions Crowned at NXT Tapings appeared first on TWNP - Wrestling News & Information.
Click here to view the embedded video.
UFC Ultimate Answers gets down and dirty with your favorite UFC stars to get their answers to your burning questions. First up, what’s your dream fight?
Joe Proctor
The promotion confirmed the news on Twitter Thursday (@UFC) afternoon.
UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen is expected to take place on April 27, 2013 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New ...
– CBS has posted The Rock’s “Got Milk” Super Bowl commercial online.
– Here are some behind-the-scenes shots from the filming of the commercial:
Partial Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
– WWE Main Event is averaging a 1.1 rating with 1.76 million viewers this year. WWE Saturday Morning Slam averages a 0.6 rating and 935,000 viewers. Both shows include delayed DVR viewership. Both average a 2 share rating, which is the percentage of viewers watching TV at the time. RAW averages a 5 share while SmackDown averages a 3 share.
– Wrestlemania 28 was the best selling sports DVD of 2012. CM Punk’s DVD was #4 and The Rock’s DVD set was #5.
– Here is a video of David Lee Roth discussing Japanese Wrestling Legend Rikidozan:
100% DIRECT LINK (PHOTO): The Rock Training With ………………………….. Michael McGillicutty!!!
– Pepper Parks will be working the February 16th ROH event in Cincinnati.
– ROH has been teasing that Truth Martini has interest in the Top Prospect tournament and the feeling is that one of the finalists may be his new client.
– ROH is putting the TV online early for $1.99 an episode at www.ROHWrestling.com.
– Here is the latest episode of Inside ROH…
100% DIRECT LINK (PHOTOS): Kaitlyn Posing In *SMOKIN’ HOT* Outfit!
...– Rick sent this one in: Bruno Mars was quoted in the Personality portion of this past weekend’s Parade, the magazine that they put inside the Sunday Paper. Mars says that his father nicknamed him Bruno after Bruno Sammartino. “Bruno is after Bruno Sammartino, who was this big, fat wrestler. I was this chunky little baby, so my dad used to call me that as a nickname,” said Mars. Knowing how sensitive the Living Legend seems to be, he’s not going to like being called fat!
– WWE has hired Monty Sarhan as General Counsel and Senior Vice President. WWE Studios head Michael Luisi was previously in the role. Sarhan takes over and will report directly to WWE CEO Vince McMahon. Sarhan’s WWE role will be “overseeing the legal and business affairs of the company and serving as the principal legal advisor to the Chairman, CFO, and management team.” Sarhan will also serve as “Corporate Secretary” to WWE’s Board of Directors.
– Here is episode 32 of WWE “Outside The L...
Credit: MLive.com
Jeff Hardy recently spoke about his physical condition, comparing TNA and WWE and much more. Here are the highlights…
On Toning Down His In Ring Style: “I can’t tell you how many times I heard, ‘Man, you don’t have to do all that stuff.’ Well, okay, then what do I do? If I didn’t do what I do – even now – I think it would really be hard to be Jeff Hardy (in the ring); a complete character change, whatever it may be. Yeah, I feel pressure, but I think overall smarter now.”
On How He Feels: “I’m 35 now and I’m feeling pretty good now. I’m taking extremely good care of myself. I think my daughter has a lot to do with my new-found success and my belief in myself,” Hardy said. “Overall, I think I’m just lucky, and I hope I continue to be lucky. But I do get a lot more nervous now. But, I’m doing good, I’m doing good, an...
Following the debut of the Hart Legacy promotion, reports of the roster not being paid for their work started to come out. At this time, numerous roster members have still not been paid. John Sheret, the General Manager of The Holiday Inn Calgary South, upon seeing our report on the issue, sent the following statement out today…
“I just read an article on line about the Hart Legacy Wrestling that occurred in the city January 18th, how sad, not only were the wrestlers taken advantage of so were the Hotels that hosted these individuals, our Hotel was left with a large balance on a bad credit card. I sure hope those responsible are held accountable and the Harts should be aware of who they allow to use their name and assume some responsibility.”
The Hart Family reportedly was not involved in the financial aspect of the production. As of now, there has been no statement by anyone in the family.
– WWE is listed as one of the sponsors for Full Sail University’s “4th annual Hall of Fame celebration week,” which runs February 13-16. More information is available at this link.
– Former pro wrestler Tito Montez (Edward Montemayor) passed away on Wednesday at age 78. Montez is an Arizona wrestling legend and worked in the Pacific Northwest.
– Wizard Worlds sent out the following announcement today…
WWE® Superstars John Cena® And Daniel Bryan® To Attend Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con on May 30, June 1, 2013
WWE Superstars John Cena and Daniel Bryan will attend Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con on May 30 and June 1, respectively. The duo will join celebrities such as Stan Lee, Summer Glau and William Shatner at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Wizard World has fast become the place for fans to meet top WWE® ...
Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
WWE reported earlier this week that December’s Tables, Ladders & Chairs PPV did around 170,000 buys. The number is down from last year’s 179,000. The show is listed as having 71,000 domestic buys and 99,000 foreign. This is very low and maybe an error. Last year’s show did 98,000 domestic.
October’s Hell in a Cell PPV, which featured Punk vs. Ryback in the main event (and no John Cena because of injury) did strong sales. The lower buyrate of TLC is good news for Punk, who wasn’t competing on the show due to injury.
CM Punk not wrestling on the show, which had one of the worst buyrates of the year, is a sign that Punk was a solid PPV draw while he was champion and his matches are whether fans will pay $40+ for a PPV.
100% DIRECT LINK (PHOTOS): Kelly Kelly w/ Rap Star Timbaland! DAMNNN!!! (>>)!!!...
Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
– Despite the fact that they were never pronounced husband and wife during their iMPACT! segment, TNA storylines are considering Bully Ray and Brooke Hogan married. There was a lot of confusion backstage as to whether they were married due to the Aces and 8s beatdown that interrupted the ceremony, with even Hulk Hogan tweeting that the “wedding came to an immediate halt, thank God.”
– TNA turned Taz heel for two reasons: to have a surprise person break up the wedding and to give Aces and 8s someone with strong mic skills. Of course, the problem is that he cannot do anything physical due to his long-standing neck injury.
UPDATE: Is Taz going to WRESTLE again?, WHOA – the **SHOCKING** answer revealed (>>)!!!
...Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
– There are no plans for Jim Ross to announce full time in WWE this year. It is possible he will still call the occasional match at big shows like Wrestlemania 29. WWE recently made the decision to remove him from the announcing team at NXT because it’s a developmental show and they want to groom new announcers.
– WWE will be announcing the location of WrestleMania 30 around the time of the Elimination PPV. Word is that the show will be held at the Superdome in New Orleans, which currently has an indoor attendance record of 73,043.
100% DIRECT LINK (PHOTOS): Dolph Ziggler & His **NEW** Real-Life Girlfriend!
...Partial Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
– Hulk Hogan will be undergoing knee surgery soon. TNA will be running an angle on an upcoming episode of iMPACT! to explain his absence from television. While Hogan keeps teasing a return to the ring, the numerous surgeries he has had as a non-active performer lead most believe that it is unlikely that it will happen. It’s basically just “Hogan being Hogan”.
– Here are tonight’s confirmed TNA iMPACT! matches:
* Steel Cage Match: Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson
* Joseph Park’s Open Fight Night Challenge
* Austin Aries vs. Chavo Guerrero
* Velvet Sky and James Storm vs. Tara and Jesse
* X-Division Title Match: RVD © vs. Zema Ion vs. Kenny King
100% DIRECT LINK (PHOTOS): 3 *AWESOME** Velvet Sky BOOTY/ASS Shots!
...Superstar Billy Graham recently spoke with Arda Ocal of the Score. Check out some highlights and the video below:
On his health status: “I was just released from the world famous Mayo Clinic Hospital just 2 days ago actually last Thursday from the flu which turned into double pneumonia, which is fluid in each lung and then congestive heart failure. I feel very good, excellent really. I’m back painting. (Doctors) told me about another 10 more days before I can get back in the gym.”
On his comments toward CM Punk and Chris Jericho’s reaction: “I know that Chris Jericho has never really cared for me, really basically from day one, but anyway I was very shocked (by his comments), I was just trying to make a observation of how things have evolved in professional wrestling with body types. I meant no harm or disrespect to CM Punk whatsoever because he’s a hard worker and dedicated.”
- This week’s WWE Classics Five-Star Match of the Week was chosen by The Miz and he picked Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels from WrestleMania 19. Miz told WWE Classics:
“One of my favorite matches of all time was Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania in Seattle at Safeco Field. The reason why it’s my favorite is because I enjoyed the build up toward it with the story that Chris Jericho always wanted to be Shawn Michaels. He dressed like Shawn Michaels, did moves like Shawn Michaels and he felt that he was better and he could beat Shawn Michaels. Not...
- Below is the Antonio Cesaro promo from last night’s episode of WWE Main Event:
- As noted earlier, Evan Bourne will not be back in time for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. WWE officials are not expecting Bourne back until WrestleMania 29 at the earliest, but likely right after WrestleMania.
- The Rock has been added to advertising for the February 12th SmackDown tapings from Little Rock, Arkansas. Beginning January 7th, Rock will return to WWE TV as a fairly regular character doing most RAW tapings, a few SmackDown events and three pay-per-views.
- As noted, the Christmas Eve edition of WWE RAW scored a 2.24 cable rating with 3.15 million viewers – the lowest number of viewers for a RAW episode since September 8th, 1997.
Due to the holiday, the following numbers are estimates but here is the segment breakdown:
Kane vs. Cody Rhodes lost around 140,000 viewers from the opener. The Divas match with Natalya, Kaitlyn, Layla and Alicia Fox vs. Eve Torres, Tamina Snuka, Aksana and Rosa Mendes stayed even. Big Show vs. Sheamus in the 9pm timeslot gained around 550,000 viewers for a 2.4 rating, which is good growth.
David Otunga vs. Zack Ryder lost about 300,000 viewers. Wade Barrett and Antonio Cesaro vs. The Miz and Kofi Kingston gained about 140,000 viewers. Brad Maddox vs. The Great Khali also gained around 140,000 viewers. The segment with CM Punk, Paul Heyman and Ryback also gained 140,000 viewers, doing a 2.5 quarter rating in the 10pm timeslot and being the highest-rated segment of the show.
Daniel...
- The Rock was in Boston all last week, likely for the holidays, and was working out at the local Gold’s Gym three or four times. Rock was trying to keep low-key and it was said that he lifted heavy but not that heavy with lots of sets of biceps and triceps, lots of squats.
- Ric Flair will be wrestling for All Japan Pro Wrestling at the January 26th show from Tokyo that we reported on yesterday. AJPW has been trying to get flair on a big show for months but couldn’t agree on financial terms. Flair’s son Reid will be training at AJPW so it’s possible that was part of the deal for Ric to wrestle.
Flair will be teaming with The Great Muta to face Tatsumi Fujinami and Seiya Sanada.
- Some within WWE believe that the days of bulk cuts around WrestleMania time may be over. Based on the number of hours of WWE programming and the thin talent roster, while there will obviously be cuts in the future, they probably won’t all happen at once like in recent years.
- Here are some recent WWE attendance figures:
* RAW on December 26th in Detroit drew 10,500 fans for $450,000
* SmackDown on December 26th in Chicago drew 9,800 fans for $430,000
* RAW on December 27th at Madison Square Garden drew 14,500 fans for $770,000
* SmackDown on December 27th in Green Bay drew 4,000 fans for $120,000
* RAW on December 28th in Uniondale, NY drew 10,500 fans for $430,000
* SmackDown on December 28th in Minneapolis, MN drew 6,500 fans for $260,000
* RAW on December 29th in Washington, DC drew 11,000 fans
* RAW on December 30th in Raleigh, NC drew 6,000 fans for $225,000
* SmackDown on December 30th in Richmond, VA drew 5,600 fans
- As noted before, Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio was booked at the recent SmackDown tapings, to air on this Friday’s show, but never took place. Apparently this was a last minute decision because there was a yellow Camaro parked near the Titantron all night, presumably for ...
- The January 7th episode of RAW with The Rock’s return and Ryback vs. CM Punk is said to be an “all hands on deck” show with virtually every major big name being called in.
Then, WWE has the big RAW 20th Anniversary show on January 14th where they will be bringing several old names back. They may to bring back some names we don’t see too often since some just appeared on the recent Slammys episode. Being in Texas, appearances by The Undertaker, Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels are likely. It’s also expected WWE will make the first Hall of Fame announcement that night.
For what it’s worth regarding the January 7th episode, it’s said that when the show is over, “people will be talking.”
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- As noted, the Christmas Eve edition of WWE RAW scored a 2.24 cable rating with 3.15 million viewers – the lowest number of viewers for a RAW episode since September 8th, 1997.
Due to the holiday, the following numbers are estimates but here is the segment breakdown:
Kane vs. Cody Rhodes lost around 140,000 viewers from the opener. The Divas match with Natalya, Kaitlyn, Layla and Alicia Fox vs. Eve Torres, Tamina Snuka, Aksana and Rosa Mendes stayed even. Big Show vs. Sheamus in the 9pm timeslot gained around 550,000 viewers for a 2.4 rating, which is good growth.
David Otunga vs. Zack Ryder lost about 300,000 viewers. Wade Barrett and Antonio Cesaro vs. The Miz and Kofi Kingston gained about 140,000 viewers. Brad Maddox vs. The Great Khali also gained around 140,000 viewers. The segment with CM Punk, Paul Heyman and Ryback also gained 140,000 viewers, doing a 2.5 quarter rating in the 10pm timeslot and being the highest-rated segment of the show.
Danie...
- WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper gets the Superstar Spotlight on WWE’s website today.
- Devin sent the following: WWE returns to the John F. Savage Arena at the University Of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio on Sunday, March 17th, 2013. Bell time is 5 PM.
- WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross turns 61 years old today while ECW Originals Vic Grimes and New Jack turn 50.
- 3MB’s Drew McIntyre is finally back to his normal training after suffering a wrist injury several months ago. He tweeted on Wednesday:
“Day 1 back in gym for real in four months, cast now removable. 3MBs Hot Scot Enforcer is on way to 100%, can press fully on fret board, Wooo”
- WWE released the following video of highlights from CM Punk’s WWE Title reign in 2012:
- This week’s WWE Classics Five-Star Match of the Week was chosen by The Miz and he picked Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels from WrestleMania 19. Miz told WWE Classics:
“One of my favorite matches of all time was Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania in Seattle at Safeco Field. The reason why it’s my favorite is because I enjoyed the build up toward it with the story that Chris Jericho always wanted to be Shawn Mi...
- Below is the Antonio Cesaro promo from last night’s episode of WWE Main Event:
- As noted earlier, Evan Bourne will not be back in time for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. WWE officials are not expecting Bourne back until WrestleMania 29 at the earliest, but likely right after WrestleMania.
- The Rock has been added to advertising for the February 12th SmackDown tapings from Little Rock, Arkansas. Beginning January 7th, Rock will return to WWE TV as a fairly regular character doing most RAW tapings, a few Smack...
- The Rock was in Boston all last week, likely for the holidays, and was working out at the local Gold’s Gym three or four times. Rock was trying to keep low-key and it was said that he lifted heavy but not that heavy with lots of sets of biceps and triceps, lots of squats.
- Ric Flair will be wrestling for All Japan Pro Wrestling at the January 26th show from Tokyo that we reported on yesterday. AJPW has been trying to get flair on a big show for months but couldn’t agree on financial terms. Flair’s son Reid will be training at AJPW so it’s possible that was part of the deal for Ric to wrestle.
Flair will be teaming with The Great Muta to face Tatsumi Fujinami and Seiya Sanada.
- Some within WWE believe that the days of bulk cuts around WrestleMania time may be over. Based on the number of hours of WWE programming and the thin talent roster, while there will obviously be cuts in the future, they probably won’t all happen at once like in recent years.
S...
- Here are some recent WWE attendance figures:
* RAW on December 26th in Detroit drew 10,500 fans for $450,000
* SmackDown on December 26th in Chicago drew 9,800 fans for $430,000
* RAW on December 27th at Madison Square Garden drew 14,500 fans for $770,000
* SmackDown on December 27th in Green Bay drew 4,000 fans for $120,000
* RAW on December 28th in Uniondale, NY drew 10,500 fans for $430,000
* SmackDown on December 28th in Minneapolis, MN drew 6,500 fans for $260,000
* RAW on December 29th in Washington, DC drew 11,000 fans
* RAW on December 30th in Raleigh, NC drew 6,000 fans for $225,000
* SmackDown on December 30th in Richmond, VA drew 5,600 fans
- As noted before, Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio was booked at the recent SmackDown tapings, to air on this Friday’s show, but never took place. Apparently this was a last minute decision because there was a yellow Camaro parked near the Titantron all night, presumably for...
- The January 7th episode of RAW with The Rock’s return and Ryback vs. CM Punk is said to be an “all hands on deck” show with virtually every major big name being called in.
Then, WWE has the big RAW 20th Anniversary show on January 14th where they will be bringing several old names back. They may to bring back some names we don’t see too often since some just appeared on the recent Slammys episode. Being in Texas, appearances by The Undertaker, Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels are likely. It’s also expected WWE will make the first Hall of Fame announcement that night.
For what it’s worth regarding the January 7th episode, it’s said that when the show is over, “people will be talking.”
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Tyron Woodley
O...
- Vince McMahon is said to be in the “every show counts” mentality, both for ratings and because WrestleMania season is upon us. Every RAW show from now through the end of January is said to be stacked.
- Brock Lesnar is expected to return to WWE TV for multiple appearances in March, likely beginning in late February. Unless plans have changed, he will be building towards the WrestleMania 29 match with Triple h.
- Speaking of Lesnar, his contract expires with WrestleMania and it’s unknown yet if he has re-signed for another year. WWE will be facing the same issues they do every year once WrestleMania is over with four of the expected top six headliners not appearing much if any at all after April – The Rock, The Undertaker, Triple H and Lesnar.
Source: F4Wonline.com
Flair booked for Japanese dream match:
Wrestling legend Ric Flair is following his son to Japan and has signed a short deal with AJPW.
Flair will return to the ring on January 26th, to team with Keiji “the Great Muta” Mutoh to face former WCW foe Tatsumi Fujinami and Seiya Sanada. This is considered a dream match for Puro fans.
As previously reported Flair’s youngest son Reid starts a 3 month tour of the promotion on January 23rd.
___________________________________________________________
Michelle McCool discusses relationship with Stephanie McMahon:
As part of her ongoing shoot interview with MichelleMcCool.net the former
- The final episode of Impact Wrestling for 2012 on December 27th scored a 0.95 rating, down from the previous week. The show averaged 1.33 million viewers, up just a bit from the previous week.
- The TNA live event on January 29th in Poughkeepsie, New York drew 1,200 fans. This is a high number for TNA but local indies in the area often draw better crowds. The December 30th show in Albany, New York drew 650 fans.
- Tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling will feature the return of Sting, Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe vs. Aces & 8s in a steel cage match, the 2012 TNA Wrestler of The Year and more.
Partial source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- The final SmackDown of 2012 on December 28th scored a 1.86 cable rating. The show averaged 2.66 million viewers.
- The Christmas Eve edition of WWE RAW scored a 2.21 cable rating, down 24% from the previous post-TLC episode. This is the 19th consecutive week where RAW viewership decreased from the second hour to the third hour. Of the 23 episodes since RAW went three hours, hour two to hour three viewership has decreased for 22 of those weeks.
- Ryback thanked his fans for 2012 with the following tweet:
“Thank you for 2012. We are just warming up. 2013 we go to a higher level. Rybackers you make me work harder everyday. 2013 #FeedMeMore”
Source(s): Nielsen Media Research & Shock Till You Drop
– WWE Studios’ latest film is getting a name change. Shock Till You Drop reports that the film, which up to now was known as The Hive, will now release under the name The Call.
The film stars Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Michael Eklund and Morris Chestnut, with WWE talent David Otunga in a supporting role. In the film, emergency call center operator Jordan (Halle Berry) takes a call from Casey (Abigail Breslin), a teenage girl who has been abducted and carried away in the trunk of a car. The kidnapping plays out in real time as Jordan and Casey work together to track down the killer. The film hits theaters on March 8th, 2013.
– The final WWE SmackDown of 2012, which aired on Friday, December 28, did a 1.86 (1.9) cable rating. The overall rating was up a bit from the 1.81 ratings at the end of November and the start of December prior to the Tuesday night special. The broadcast avera...
UPDATE: All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) has announced that Ric Flair will team with Keiji Mutoh against Tatsumi Fujinami & Seiya Sanada for the promotion’s January 26th show in Ota, Japan. Mutoh, Fujinami and Sanada are big names overseas in Japan.
ORIGINAL: On Wednesday it was announced that Ric Flair would be appearing on the January 26th All Japan Pro Wrestling event at Tokyo’s Ota Ward Gym.
Flair stated in a recent interview with Mark Madden that he would be heading to Japan to wrestle for All Japan. Flair had also announced that his son Reid had signed to work with All Japan for three months.
No word on Ric’s opponent at this time.
100% DIRECT LINK (PHOTOS): A **BRAND NEW** Stephanie McMahon Bikini Pic!
...MichelleMcCool.net recently released a new audio clip with former WWE Diva Michelle McCool speaking about Stephanie McMahon. Here are the highlights:
Her thoughts on Stephanie McMahon: “I think she is one of the most powerful women in wrestling, to this day, is Stephanie McMahon — and I don’t mean what y’all think I mean. On TV, she is just one of the most powerful characters. From playing ‘The Queen Bitch,’ to the ‘Billion Dollar Princess,’ to even coming out not too long ago to give it to Paul Heyman. She’s awesome in every possible way. From mic work to bumping — I remember her taking the DDT off the top ropes from Randy Orton, oh, my gosh! From her facials to everything… she is just great, and she’s great to work for. She’s a great boss: creative, always wants you to do your best, always there to offer advice — honest advice, which is sometimes rare to find. She shoots from the hip, which I just love. Why beat around the bush? She’s also very hands-on when she’s at...
– Reader Ryan T from Baltimore, MD sent this one in: Not sure if anyone sent this in yet, but I ordered the Extreme Rising VOD from Highspots-actually ordered it the day before only to find out, it’s not a live broadcast-and discovered the cage match completely wiped off the event. No mention on the IPPV as to why it’s not shown and no explanation given on the Extreme Reunion site. You see the cage go up during intermission and then like a whole match worth of the Extreme Rising graphic before cutting to Raven’s promo. They also reedited the event and took out the logo instead just cutting from the end of the Misterio match right to the Raven promo with no dead air in between.
– As we reported earlier here on the website, Ric Flair is being advertised for the upcoming 1/26 All Japan event at Tokyo’s Ota Ward Gym. Flair stated in a recent interview with Mark Madden that he would be heading to Japan with his son who is scheduled to wrestle for All Japan.
– Eric B...
Partial Source: Pwtorch.com
– Kurt Angle has confirmed that his wife had a baby girl. Kurt tweeted the following on Monday night. 18 Hours At the Hospital. Sophia Laine Angle Was Born. 7lbs12oz. 20inches. I’m a Proud Daddy if 4 beautiful Kids. Blessed We noted on New Year’s Day that TNA President Dixie Carter posted to her Twitter account that Kurt and his wife Giovanna’s daughter was born. Congrats to @RealKurtAngle & Giovanna on the birth of their daughter tonight at 9:40et. Welcome beautiful Sofia to the TNA family! So proud!, Dixie tweeted. This was part of the reason Kurt was kept off the weekend TNA live events in Poughkeepsie and Albany, New York. On behalf of all of us here on the website, congratulations to Kurt and Giovanna: Angle is also trying to heal from a torn groin he suffered at the Final Resolution PPV. Kurt recently said on Twitter that he would need “a few weeks” in order to heal up. Angle had initially stated he would work through the gr...
– Reader Joe sent this one in: Just thought I would pass along this video from a recent indy event. To my knowledge, it is The Bella Twins only indy appearance that has been recorded anyways since leaving the WWE. Thought they did a nice job and are both looking better than ever. Go to the website and the video is right in the middle. http://www.bella-twins.net/. You can also view the video below:
– WWE released the following 2012 CM Punk “highlight reel”:
TNA British Boot Camp a let down:
TNA’s much hyped UK reality show debuted last night on Challenge TV and in my opinion was a complete let down. British Boot Camp showcases UK talent Rockstar Spud, Marty Scurll and The Blossom Twins as they work for a TNA contract, but within a few minutes it was clear that the show was a complete work, with staged confrontations while training with British legend Rollerball Rocco, and a campy run in with the UK’s “toughest journalists” at the Daily Star.
There was absolutely no direction in the 30 minute broadcast, no hook to interest viewers and it wasn’t even adequately explained what the young wrestlers were supposed to be doing. Is it actually a competition? Suffice to say all 4 competitors were through to the next round, whatever that entails.
Instead of tailoring the product to the hard...
Click here to view the embedded video.
UFC Tonight breaks down the UFC’s Top 10 moments in 2012. Did your favorite moment make the cut?
Press Release – KANSAS CITY, Kan.(Jan. 1, 2013) – Invicta Fighting Championships has partnered with leading live streaming platform Ustream to deliver the much-anticipated Invicta FC 4: Esparza vs. Hyatt women’s world championship Mixed ! Martial Arts (MMA) event live, in its entirety, on InvictaFC.com from Memorial Hall in Kansas City on Saturday, Jan. 5.
The live stream is available for purchase on InvictaFC.com for a credit card charge of $7.95.
In addition, Invicta FC announced today that MMA legend Bas Rutten, superstar “King Mo” Lawal and wo...
Click here to view the embedded video.
UFC Tonight’s fighter Kenny Florian and writer Ariel Helwani look into their crystal balls and predict what 2013 has in store for the UFC. Will GSP vs. Silva be the biggest headline? Or women in the UFC? As always, UFC tonight brings the insight.
The official WWE website announced Wednesday that WWE Champion CM Punk has been medically cleared to defend his title against Ryback in a TLC Match on this Monday’s Raw, according to sources.
The match had originally been scheduled for the WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, but immediate knee surgery on December 4 postponed that contest until he had fully recuperated.
WWE’s sources indicate that final decision on Punk’s status will be presented on tonight’s episode of WWE Main Event on ION Television.
...- WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper is featured in today’s “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com.
- The official WWE website announced Wednesday that WWE Champion CM Punk has been medically cleared to defend his title against Ryback in a TLC Match on this Monday’s Raw, according to sources.
The match had originally been scheduled for the WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, but immediate knee surgery on December 4 postponed that contest until he had fully recuperated.
WWE’s sources indicate that final decision on Punk’s status will be presented on tonight’s episode of WWE Main Event on ION Television.
EXCLUSIVE: Mick Foley & His Long List of Injuries Suffered Over A Career
Chris Masters was interviewed by Kayfabe Wrestling Radio on Tuesday Night. Here are some highlights.
His feelings about the current status on the indies and if he wants to see himself in TNA: “I mean, I really enjoyed working for TNA and the Ring Ka King project because it was a great crew all around; Jeff Jarrett was awesome. It was definitely a different environment from the WWE and I did do a dark match with them and it went very well, but I will say this: I am happy with what I’m doing because I’m able to have the freedom of my schedule in being able to book myself out there for indy shows. For instance, if I was with TNA right now, I wouldn’t be able to do Crossfire, because they don’t let their guys do TV gigs anymore. It’s definitely something I have interest in, I mean it just comes out to my only passion is wrestling and I’ve devoted my whole life to it. So, you just have to look at...
The first trailer has been released for “Dead Man Down” which features Wade Barrett in a supporting role.
This WWE Studios film stars Colin Farrell and Terrence Howard in the action film centered on a “revenge” theme. The song used in the initial trailer is Kendra Morris’s cover of Pink Floyd’s “Shine On Your Crazy ...
The official WWE website announced Wednesday that WWE Champion CM Punk has been medically cleared to defend his title against Ryback in a TLC Match on this Monday’s Raw, according to sources.
The match had originally been scheduled for the WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, but immediate knee surgery on December 4 postponed that contest until he had fully recuperated.
WWE’s sources indicate that final decision on Punk’s status will be presented on tonight’s episode of WWE Main Event on ION Television.
Chris Masters was interviewed by Kayfabe Wrestling Radio on Tuesday Night. Here are some highlights.
His feelings about the current status on the indies and if he wants to see himself in TNA: “I mean, I really enjoyed working for TNA and the Ring Ka King project because it was a great crew all around; Jeff Jarrett was awesome. It was definitely a different environment from the WWE and I did do a dark match with them and it went very well, but I will say this: I am happy with what I’m doing because I’m able to have the freedom of my schedule in being able to book myself out there for indy shows. For instance, if I was with TNA right now, I wouldn’t be able to do Crossfire, because they don’t let their guys do TV gigs anymore. It’s definitely something I have interest in, I mean it just comes out to my only passion is wrestling and I’ve devoted my whole life to it. So, you just have to look a...
The first trailer has been released for “Dead Man Down” which features Wade Barrett in a supporting role.
This WWE Studios film stars Colin Farrell and Terrence Howard in the action film centered on a “revenge” theme. The song used in the initial trailer is Kendra Morris’s cover of Pink Floyd’s “Shine On Your Crazy...
When independent wrestler Brian Cage was asked on Twitter if he had something to do with TNA Gutcheck, he replied, “you might be onto something there.” He also wrote that he was “partial” to Spike TV programming.
Jay Bradley also teased being part of TNA Gutcheck, writing on Twitter, “Received a phone call and turned out to be a great way to start 2013. Perhaps I’ll only be the #bestunsignedtalent for another week or two?”
“Thank you everyone for the well wishes! GUess I’ll have To keep you posted so you can CHECK out the developments. #bestunsignedtalent?”
Notice how that capitalization in the last sentence of the second Tweet spells out “GUTCHECK.”
Angelina Love and Velvet Looking Hot on Motorcycle
- Embedded below is episode 29 of WWE Inbox title “What so intimidating about The Undertaker?”
- Top Rope Promotions and the Virginia Horse Center present “New Year’s Chaos” at the Anderson Coliseum in Lexington, VA this Saturday. Goldust vs. Chris Masters, “Hacksaw” Jim...
– Dragon Gate USA has announced the following matches for their California shows in January…
January 25 in Santa Maria:
* John Morrison vs. Akira Tozawa
January 26 in Huntington Park, California:
* The Young Bucks vs. Jimmy Susumu and Ryan Saito
* Sami Calihan vs. Akira Tozawa
* A.R. Fox vs. Samuray Del Sol
January 27 in Huntington Park, California:
* The Young Bucks vs. Akira Tozawa and A.R. Fox
* Sami Calihan vs. Jimmy Susumu
– Ring of Honor has announced that Matt Taven and Tadarius Thomas have been entered into the 2013 Top Prospect Tournament. The tournament takes place at the January 5th TV tapings, and here are the six names announced so far for the tournament…
* Matt Taven
* Tadarius Thomas
* QT Marshall
* ACH
* Silas Young
* Mike Sydal
– ROH tapes TV on Janua...
Dan Severn (101-19-7) has announced his retirement after over seventeen years and 127 pro MMA fights. He is already in the UFC Hall of Fame.
He made the announcement on his official website, but has been saying in 2012 that New Year’s Day was the date he planned to retire. He added that he plans to remain active in MMA in other ways, as well as continue his professional wrestling career in 2013 before retiring there too.
His last fight was a win, his 101st, after a two fight losing streak. He wanted fights with three legends from the early UFC days to close things out, but that never happened. He said: “The No. 1 goal that I set for myself in 2012 was to be finished with my mixed martial arts competition career. I was attempting to do my own self-directed retirement tour in the last couple of years reaching out to only three people – Mark Coleman, Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie. … It seems as though these matches will not take place for whatever reasons, and my life ...
– The latest episode of JBL’s “The John Layfield Show” with guest host Michael Cole is now online. The WWE announcers talk about the Fiscal Cliff, Athlete of the year, 2012 recap and the economy. You can listen to the show at this link.
– Matt Tremont recently spoke about main eventing the CZW Cage of Death, the future and much more. You can check out the show at this link.
– Here is the updated lineup for National Pro Wrestling Day, which takes place February 2nd in Philadelphia, PA…
* Wrestling is Art Presents: Colt Cabana vs. Mike Quackenbush
* Beyond Wrestling Presents: Sugar Dunkerton & Aaron Eric vs. Eric Corvis & Chris Dickinson
– Mark Henry posted the following on Twitter, hinting at his return…
I think it’s time to test the waters I feel like trying this shoulder out.
– There are no pro wrestling shows listed for ESPN Classic tonight.
– Jimmy Hart celebrated his 69th birthday yesterday.
– Bobby Roode turned 36 years old yesterday.
– Rodney Lienhardt of the Mean Street Posse turned 42 yesterday.
– Kimberly Page turned 43 years old yesterday.
100% LINK (PHOTOS): Recent Shots Of Kimberly Page! WHOA – WTF?!?
...When independent wrestler Brian Cage was asked on Twitter if he had something to do with TNA Gutcheck, he replied, “you might be onto something there.” He also wrote that he was “partial” to Spike TV programming.
Jay Bradley also teased being part of TNA Gutcheck, writing on Twitter, “Received a phone call and turned out to be a great way to start 2013. Perhaps I’ll only be the #bestunsignedtalent for another week or two?”
“Thank you everyone for the well wishes! GUess I’ll have To keep you posted so you can CHECK out the developments. #bestunsignedtalent?”
Notice how that capitalization in the last sentence of the second Tweet spells out “GUTCHECK.”
- Embedded below is episode 29 of WWE Inbox title “What so intimidating about The Undertaker?”
- Top Rope Promotions and the Virginia Horse Center present “New Year’s Chaos” at the Anderson Coliseum in Lexington, VA this Saturday. Goldust vs. Chris Masters, “Hacksaw” Ji...
On Wednesday it was announced that Ric Flair would be appearing on the January 26th All Japan Pro Wrestling event at Tokyo’s Ota Ward Gym.
Flair had recently announced that his son Reid had signed to work with All Japan for three months.
No word on his opponent at this time.
100% DIRECT LINK (**BRAND NEW** PHOTOS): The Bella Twins With The Beautiful People!
...Several WWE stars and personalities have posted their new year’s resolutions on Tout. You can check them out embedded below.
Tony Dawson
Matt Striker
Several WWE stars and personalities have posted their new year’s resolutions on Tout. You can check them out embedded below.
Tony Dawson
Matt Striker
Dan Severn
At the age of 54-years ‘The Beast’ has decided that “Father Time” has finally caught up with him, announcing his retirement on his official website on Tuesday. Severn made the decision after failing to secure a “retirement to...
