TNA have taped a couple more episodes of Impact in the UK today, including a change in their World and Tag Team Champions, the title changes will air in early March, and a nasty injury to Low Ki, who was bust open with a bar by Drew McIntyre. Dixie Carter has also announced Kevin Von Erich and his sons will return to the promotion when they return to the States. TNA have announced that fans in Canada can watch episodes of Impact via their website on Saturdays.
WWE lawsuit:
The lawyer handling the concussion lawsuit from former WWE stars says he is talking to other former employees of the promotion, and that it should be expected that more names will be added to their case in the coming weeks. He also released comments from the two stars currently fighting the writ... Vito said... "The headaches, the deafness, the depression I suffer, I deal with it. It's part of my life now." Adam Mercer revealed his mother has to take him everywhere, and... "I knew there was something wrong with me. I'm terrified… I don't know what's going to happen..What am I gonna do with the rest of my life? I'm scared."
WWE - Superbowl:
Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and Titus O'Neill will be at the Superbowl game representing WWE this weekend.
WWE top 10:
NFL to WWE stars...
Brodus Clay pops for Cena:
Brodus Clay has recalled a backstage moment he had with John Cena... "He had to 'go to the bathroom. We were in the gorilla position and it looked like the (WrestleMania) segment was getting cut. Cena goes, 'I'm going to the bathroom. Brodus, what do you think--like eight minutes?' and I'm like, 'Works for me' and I will never forget that. It was the classiest thing for a guy who was getting ready for the then biggest match of his career. I've never said we were best friends. We talked about lifting weights, what's going on in sports, and work... That was truly my greatest moment in sports entertainment. I wouldn't have had that moment had it not been for Cena being a class act."
Triple H is set to make a ground breaking announcement on Raw, in response to the anti WWE backlash over the Royal Rumble.
Fast Lane:
Nikki Bella vs Paige for the Diva's Title has been added to the card.
Drew McIntyre:
Drew McIntyre has signed for TNA, they have been in talks for 5 weeks. He will continue to work the UK tour as Drew Galloway. He and Mickie James have signed short term deals, which could be extended when they get back to the States.
Taker vs Wyatt on?:
Following a promo cut by Bray Wyatt for SmackDown this week, it is now widely expected that The Undertaker vs Bray Wyatt WrestleMania match is on. WWE had been hopeful of having the match, but were waiting on Taker's decision, it seems he has now given them the answer they were hoping for, and are moving forward with the feud.
Rey released?:
Rey Mysterio has reportedly received his WWE release papers, but is holding off on signing them, as he is not happy with the terms. Once the wrinkles are ironed out, Rey's 13 year WWE career will be over, with Lucha Underground expected to be his next destination.
Bad News Punk:
Wade Barrett has revealed a WWE plan in the wake of CM Punk's WWE departure. He says WWE were going to use him at the first Chicago show after Punk left, to antagonise the crowd. They wanted him to dress as CM Punk, and go out to Punk's music, before revealing he had ''Bad news'' and began telling everyone that Punk was not at the show. He says WWE changed their mind, and asked Paul Heyman to cut a promo instead, less than 30 minutes before the show went to air.
Hall Of Famer disgraced:
Mick Foley was ''Disgraced'' and disqualified from a food eating contest yesterday. He was hiding chicken wings in his pockets.
Xavier Woods was robbed today. Someone stole all of the money from his wallet.
Justin Gabriel:
Justin Gabriel is looking at a return to his previous career in acting and modelling, now that he is free of WWE.
Hall Of Fame:
The third inductee into the WWE Hall Of Fame will be Crippler Ray Stevens, a leak confirmed today. He will be announced officially in February.
WWE ban:
WWE have banned all of their employees, from office staff to ring crew, from starting romantic relationships. WWE have decided allowing it's employees to date is affecting the professionalism of the company. They have not made it clear if they will request already active relationships be ceased, but will stamp down on any new ones before they get started.
Bobby Lashley:
Bobby Lashley has an injury to his hand.
Victoria:
Victoria has given up the day to day running of her Chicago restaurant, her husband will take over. She is reportedly moving to the west coast of America.
WrestleMania 31:
WWE are reconsidering their plans for Daniel Bryan. A Twitter tete a tete between he and Dolph Ziggler has pricked up the ears of WWE creative, and they are now pondering putting the two huge fan favourites up against each other at the super show in April. Also expect another Battle Royal, WWE were very happy with last years, and want to make it an annual event, although after the statue was destroyed, it is unlikely to be in Andre The Giant's name this time.
Royal Rumble:
Chris Jericho turned down an approach from WWE for a spot in the Royal Rumble. Vince McMahon was furious with the Titus O'Neill botch, it was the one moment he planned out to be timed perfectly, and was livid that he, and the former Shield men, did not deliver what was scripted. WWE were also unhappy with Paul Heyman receiving a pop during a backstage segment, and decided not to introduce him by name, before the triple threat.
NXT:
Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake are now officially the NXT Tag Team Champions. They won the belts a few weeks ago, but the match only aired last night. Also the upcoming Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens match will now be for the NXT title. WWE have now started promoting Solomon Crowe's debut.
WWE Network:
WWE are celebrating hitting one million subscribers by giving the Network to new subscribers, for free, for the month of February.
SmackDown tease:
Who will step up when SmackDown goes Live?
Will the Casket be the death of Bryan's WrestleMania dreams?
How will No. 1 Contender Roman Reigns embrace the storm?
Keep one eye open, Seth Rollins is ready for war
What will happen between Rusev and John Cena?
Hogan talks Mania 31 return:
"If it happened I would want it to be the greatest match of all time, of course ... If it's the end of my career and a huge emotional send-off that would be great, or if it's the beginning of another huge run for Hulkamania and me chasing the dream of winning the WWE title, that would be brilliant. I'm thinking very positively about getting back in the ring."
The Bunny:
It seems WWE may have finally got rid of The Bunny. A planned segment between Thumper and Adam Rose was pulled from the Royal Rumble. It should be said that one of the most regular wearers of the suit was Justin Gabriel, and his resignation may have had a part to play in the segment being withdrawn.
WWE cuts:
WWE have informed it's distributors that they will be no more issues of their comic book series.
TNA champion returns:
Mickie James has returned to TNA tonight in Scotland, she has re-signed for the promotion, after taking some time away giving birth to her first child, working on her music, and training new stars for WWE. TNA have also given a debut to a former WWE IC champ. Drew McIntyre, also appeared at the Glasgow Impact tapings. Both of these appearances were taped for the February 20 episode.
Evan Bourne has discussed his WWE departure... "WWE was pretty wonderful to me because I was able to rehab my foot 100 percent before I was released. So they released the healthiest, the best, physically and mentally fit Matt into the world of wrestling. They were able to make it so during the time I couldn't have worked at all they would take care of me. They were providing a great support system. Then after I got fired I was healthy and ready to rock. Honestly, I missed wrestling. So if they weren't going to use me or have anything for me, it was the nice thing to let me go. Sure, I would have loved to stay, but change is always a good thing."
TNA:
TNA have announced a number of TV tapings between February and April in their Orlando studio.
LU issues:
Lucha Underground are growing tired of Vampiro's poor performances as part of their announce team. Matt Striker regularly feeds him lines to help him out, but he tends to ignore the help, and often sounds dis-interested. LU are also unhappy with his lack of knowledge of the names of moves used by the Lucha stars.
Justin Gabriel:
WWE insiders have confirmed Justin Gabriel grew frustrated with his position on the WWE roster, and the decision to withdraw him from the Royal Rumble match was the final straw. He will wrestle as PJ Black on the indies.
Royal Rumble snubs:
Tommy Dreamer and Blue Meanie were not in the Royal Rumble as ECW guests, because backstage officials (Kevin Dunn) feel ECW is no longer relevant, and no-one cares about ECW stars anymore.
Kevin Steen:
WWE are very happy with Kevin Owens. His shirts are selling incredibly well, and he has brought many of his fans from his indy days with him to NXT.
WWE star to quit over Rumble snub?:
Alex Riley is really upset with his omission from the Royal Rumble match. He has been tweeting FreeRiley, and RileyWalks to his social media sites since WWE pulled him from the Rumble match, while it was going on.
Alberto Del Rio on LU vs TNA choice:
"I don't have anything but respect for TNA. They made a really good offer to me, and I'm really grateful for that. The reason I didn't go there is because those guys at Lucha Underground helped me in all my legal proceedings against WWE. So I owed them that. It was not a matter of not wanting to go to TNA. It's just that Lucha Underground and AAA, they paid for my legal services. They introduced me to my lawyer. And the reason I'm working right now is because of them. WWE wanted me to stop working in the United States for a year. And that was going to happen if it wasn't for these guys. I'm a stand up guy. If you help me, I'll return the favor one day. That's what I'm doing with them. Plus, they made me a good offer."
John Cena vs Rusev, and Triple H vs Sting in a face to face showdown, have been confirmed for Fast Lane.
SmackDown:
SmackDown will air live this Thursday. Kane vs Daniel Bryan in a casket match will main event.
Hall Of Fame:
Here is Arnold Schwarzenegger's HOF induction video...
Still don't understand this choice personally, not that I am anti Arnie, Last Action Hero is one of my favourite films, but even as a celeb inductee, what has he done to deserve this?.
WrestleMania 31:
Here is the anthem of WrestleMania, entitled ''Rise'', it is performed by David Guetta...
Another match scheduled for the show is Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus, it was the match planned for last year, and would be the third time the two men had faced off at the super show. The Undertaker vs Bray Wyatt is still under consideration, and Seth Rollins vs Randy Orton is also planned.
Bubba Dudley:
Bubba Ray says he has a WWE future... "If the WWE Universe and the WWE higher-ups want to see us here, then yes, hopefully there is a future. I really say it's up to the fans. By the reaction tonight, I'd say the fans would love to see us back. And hopefully we can do it." He also believes he will be a better performer than he was in the past... "I just think that I've learned how to be a smarter entertainer. I've learned to entertain in a way the fans can truly appreciate. Whenever I talk about going out there and entertaining, I compare it to the rock 'n' roll band Kiss. They don't waste a note. They don't waste a breath. They don't waste a second. It's constant entertainment from the minute they play "Detroit Rock City" to the end of "Rock and Roll All Nite," they are giving you your money's worth. That's what's different about me. I try to go out there and give the people their money's worth every inch of the way."
Royal Rumble:
WWE tried to swerve the internet by inviting a number of former stars, including Nikolai Volkoff and Chris Jericho to the Rumble, they also leaked some names to appear in the Rumble, trying to stop the internet picking up on the real guests. It did not work. They also shuffled the Rumblers as the event was ongoing, Randy Orton, Bo Dallas, Heath Slater and Alex Riley were dropped from the over the top rope match.
WWE Network:
WWE have achieved their long set goal of reaching one million Network subscribers. This coming despite the anti WWE campaign on Twitter.
WrestleMania:
WWE are considering dropping numbering WrestleMania's. Vince McMahon is said to be concerned that having higher and higher numbers attached to the events is making Mania feel old.
Pre - Cesaro & Tyson Kidd bt Kofi Kingston & Big E.
The Ascension bt New Age Outlaws.
The Uso's bt Miz & Mizdow.
The Bella Twins bt Natalya & Paige.
Brock Lesnar bt John Cena and Seth Rollins.
Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble match.
Notes...
The pre show match was amended, Xavier Woods was pulled due to injury, and Adam Rose also dropped out of the bout.
WWE gave Royal Rumble creator Pat Patterson a birthday party before the show.
Randy Orton and Bo Dallas were backstage, but were pulled from the Rumble match.
Zack Ryder was not cleared to return, but said his shoulder was good enough for a brief Rumble appearance.
Titus O'Neill botched the fastest elimination record. He was supposed to be thrown out right away, but mis-timed his reaction to a clothesline, and had to throw himself over the ropes.
Kane set a new record for lifetime eliminations from the Rumble match, he took the record from Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels.
The Rock entered the arena to help Roman Reigns fight off the Authority after he put them out. He was upset backstage over the fan response to his spot with Roman Reigns.
The entry order for the Rumble Match was...
The Miz
R-Truth
Bubba Ray Dudley
Luke Harper
Bray Wyatt
Erick Rowan, who stole Curtis Axel's spot
The Boogeyman
Sin Cara
Zack Ryder
Daniel Bryan
Fandango
Tyson Kidd
Stardust
Diamond Dallas Page
Rusev
Goldust
Kofi Kingston
Adam Rose
Roman Reigns
Big E.
Damien Mizdow.
Jack Swagger
Ryback
Kane
Dean Ambrose
Titus O'Neill
Bad News Barrett
Cesaro
Big Show
Dolph Ziggler
WrestleMania 31:
WWE have confirmed the main event of WrestleMania 31 will be Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship.
WWE also started the John Cena vs Rusev feud during a post show interview.
Here is the first promo for the event...
Anti WWE social media campaign:
#CancelWWENetwork has been trending since last night's Royal Rumble. Fans, not just those in attendance, have railed against WWE's handling of the Royal Rumble match, many furious over the choice of winner. One fan said the chants on screen paled into obscurity compared to the anger in the arena, particularly after Daniel Bryan's elimination. Despite this WWE officials have confirmed that they will not be repeating last year, and bowing to fan pressure to include Daniel Bryan in the WrestleMania main event.
Fans are now joining together, planning to punish WWE for the event by leaving their Network, in the hopes of sending WWE a message. And it is working, the take up for the campaign was so strong last night that the WWE Network cancellation page crashed, due to the amount of people trying to give up their subscriptions.
All of this followed what was described as an ugly scene outside the arena last night. A large group of livid fans blocked the exit to the arena, refusing to allow talent to leave the building. One incident of note was one of the Uso's angrily getting out of his car to challenge some of the crowd, a fan watching the situation, but, he says, not involved in it, said he ''Went off'' at the group.
Raw:
WWE are expecting major issues with their programming this week due to a severe snow storm in the USA. The governor of Connecticut said a travel ban would be implemented, meaning fans would not be able to travel to or from the event, and the roster would not be able to travel on to Boston for tomorrows shows.
He seemed unimpressed by reporters asking about the event...
"As important to the world economy as wrestling is, public safety tops it."
Not just problems for tonight, TD, hosts of tomorrows TV's say they expect the WWE SmackDown and Main Event tapings to be cancelled due to the storm.
WWE have just confirmed cancelling both tonight and tomorrows shows, but say they will have a live Raw from their own studios in Stamford.
Here is tonight's tease...
Does Daniel Bryan have what it takes to make it back to WrestleMania?
Seth Rollins will get right back on his horse to the top
Will Rusev have more words for John Cena?
Could another WWE Legend besides The Rock stand up to The Authority?
Will Roman Reigns get past Big Show to make it to WrestleMania 31?
Hall Of Fame 2015:
WWE have announced the second inductee into this years Hall Of Fame. That man is Arnold Schwarzenegger. The conformation will be on tonights Raw.
Finn Balor:
Finn Balor has an ankle injury.
NWA man confirms WWE signing:
Adam Pearce has now signed his WWE deal, and will work at the PC as a coach.
New name for WWE group:
Tyson Kidd, Cesaro, Natlaya and Adam Rose are being referred to as the Brass Ring Club.
Tonight is Royal Rumble 2015, come on over to Shaggy's Wrestling Page later for our live chat during the show.
Royal Rumble:
Sami Zayn is expected to be NXT's representative in the Rumble match. Sting may be involved in the show, and The Rock is in town, he posted a photo to his social media from tonight's host city. A compromise has been made in the backstage tussle over ECW, The idea to bring in a number of former ECW guys to get a home town pop from the crowd was killed by Kevin Dunn, who is not a fan of ECW, and believes it would be a bad idea for ECW guys to get a better reception than the rostered guys, however WWE have reportedly booked one ECW star to appear. X-Pac and The Boogeyman are also rumoured to be in town for a Rumble spot, although X-Pac will fulfill an indy booking today, and it would be tough for him to make it in time for the event. The WWE leaker has listed a number of plans for tonight, and some contradict each other. He says WWE have The Rock booked to appear in, and to win the Royal Rumble, earning a match vs Brock Lesnar, but he also says Bray Wyatt is scheduled to win, and that Sheamus is going to be involved, but most sources say he is not in town, and is at home in Florida.
Daniel Bryan:
Daniel Bryan says he wants to earn his dream match vs Brock Lesnar tonight, and shared his thoughts on a future Hall Of Fame induction...
"I actually haven't really thought about it, but if I were to be, I would want William Regal to do the honors. He has been the influential person in my career by far. So I would want him. Plus he is a great speaker. I think he would be great."
WWE man quits:
Justin Gabriel resigned from WWE this weekend. He was scheduled to be in the Rumble match tonight, but was pulled yesterday. This may have been the final straw for the former Tag Champ, and as a result of the snub chose to leave the company. No conformation is yet available, but he had made an interesting post on social media a while ago about any match potentially being his last for WWE, so he has been thinking about this for a couple of months at least. He has joined PWS.
Jake The Snake movie trailer:
Dean Ambrose talks almost missing WWE job:
"I was living in Philadelphia when I got signed by WWE. I was sitting there one afternoon, I just woke with a headache or something. I got a call from WWE that I thought was a prank, so I blew it off. Later in the day, I got more phone calls and I realized they were trying to hire me. It was completely out of the blue. I had figured if it was my career destiny to be an indie cult hero, then so be it.''
Bischoff vs Prichard:
Some highlights from a speaking event with the former WWF and WCW officials...
Prichard said that "Macho Man" Randy Savage was extremely drunk the morning he called Vince McMahon to quit.
Road Warrior Hawk came up with the Doink character.
When Scott Hall and Kevin Nash's contracts came up in 1996, Vince McMahon really only wanted Scott Hall to stay. McMahon didn't care that Nash was leaving.
There was an idea by WWF creative in late 1997 to have Hulk Hogan come back and be the leader of DX. Hogan would then pass the torch to Steve Austin and drop the belt to him at WrestleMania 14.
Velvet Sky was the victim of ''Feast Or Fired'', and was released by TNA last night.
Daniel Bryan on returning:
"To be honest, I had my first two matches last week and when I got home my body felt horrible. Your body adapts to pretty much anything but when you're not used to wrestling it's very physically tough, not to mention the travel. Last week I did three live events, then Raw and then SmackDown so when I got home on Wednesday my body was feeling pretty beat up. Yesterday it was back to being good, I'm back to feeling mobile and my neck feels really strong - yeah, it feels good!."
Royal Rumble:
WWE top 10 Royal Rumble endings...
Randy Orton has arrived, and will enter the Rumble match, probably as un-announced surprise entrant. A few stars may be disappointed, it seems WWE have managed to book some guest entrants, as 5 people have been removed from the official match list, The Uso's, Los Matadores, and Justin Gabriel no longer appear on the booking list for the over the top rope bout.
NXT injury:
Finn Balor was reportedly injured at last night's NXT event. Mixed reports, he has either damaged his back or leg.
Layla:
WWE star Layla says she did not have surgery on an injury, and that it was a personal surgery, and she will be back soon.
Fast Lane:
Big Show vs Roman Reigns in a last man standing, is currently advertised as the main event of Fast Lane.
Havok:
Jessica Havok went against TNA rules by working a non TNA PPV event, for Shine, this has led to a lot of speculation about her TNA future, but today a senior TNA official squashed talk of her departure, and say she will be back on TNA TV in February.
Goldust will retire from wrestling after WrestleMania 31. He has reportedly decided to wind his career down, and then return to working behind the curtain. Cody will continue to wrestle under the Stardust name, leading some to speculate that the long awaited brother vs brother match may be the final match of the legendary WWE gimmick, and of Dustin Runnels long career.
Goldust has denied the reports via Twitter.
Royal Rumble:
Dolph Ziggler and Ryback qualified for the Royal Rumble match on SmackDown, Erick Rowan did not, he failed to beat his former partner Luke Harper.
DDP talks Hall Of Fame:
Diamond Dallas Page has discussed his role in helping Jake The Snake Roberts and Scott Hall into the WWE Hall Of Fame... "They were blackballed pretty much. The company—they tried… I think Jake went to 11 rehabs and Scott went to 12. The company paid for almost all of those. Not all of them. I think Scott said he paid for a few on his own, as well. He doesn't really like to take things from people. And then they both get sober in the same year, in the same house and then go into the Hall of Fame at the same time. It was my 58th birthday when they had the Hall of Fame last year. It was like the greatest birthday present ever."
LU star tries out:
Laredo Kid had a WWE trial at Raw this week.
Fan incident:
Triple H has revealed he was responsible for making the child cry on Raw this week... "As we were sitting ringside, the young man was behind me and he was chanting my name, over and over. It was just me being in character. I said, with eye brows up, 'Hey, stop messing with me. I'm trying to do my job over here.'" He went on...
"I broke out of character, and put my head to his and messed his hair up. I just said, 'Hey, buddy, it's OK. I'm just playing around." It turned out the boy was not upset about John Cena getting beat up, he was trying to get Hunter's attention, and being rebuffed by his hero hit him in the feels. He says he forgave him though... “They’re actually pretty nice not in their character” Triple H gave the boy a HHH action figure to add to his 175 strong collection, gave him some merch, and allowed him to pose with the WWE Championship belt. The boy's father said of the incident...
“For him to come out of character in front of all those people on live TV ... it’s a pretty bold statement of, in reality, he’s pretty cool. It’s a huge impression for an 8-year-old little boy that I can pretty much guarantee you he will never forget.” Triple H said he is glad he did what he did... “Putting a smile on his face, by far, was the best thing I did Monday”
WWE star in surgery:
Layla underwent surgery today, for an unspecified injury.
WWE have launched an open casting call looking for contestants for the new series of Tough Enough... WWE and USA Network are now seeking applicants for the 6th season of Tough Enough, the reality competition show that has launched the careers of several current members of the WWE roster. Do you possess charisma, personality, strength and athleticism? Do you think you have what it takes to become the WWE's next big thing? Do you watch WWE and think, "That should be me"! If so, this is your chance to PROVE IT! To apply please E-mail WWE, including the following information...
Your Name
Age
City/State
Contact info (phone numbers and social media links)
A brief paragraph telling us why you think you have what it takes to be the next Superstar or Diva.
Pro wrestling experience is not a requirement.
Also related to Tough Enough, former winner Daniel Puder has announced he is coming out of retirement.
Alum pregnant:
Candice Michelle is pregnant with her third child, she is due to give birth in July.
Ultimate Warrior:
WWE have announced the Ultimate Warrior tribute book, "Ultimate Warrior: A Life Lived Forever: The Legend of a WWE Hero" will be released on September 15th 2015.
WWE bid arena farewell:
WWE are sending the Izod Center into retirement with a live event this weekend. Entitled ''Farewell to Izod'' it will be the last event in the building for at least two years, and possibly ever, as the building owners want to demolish the structure.
WWE Alum slams TNA:
Victoria has fiercely attacked her former employers at TNA. She revealed tales of being notified of her bookings for events via Twitter posts, and a blatant snub directly from Dixie Carter, which led to a heated backstage confrontation. Victoria, then known as Tara, had spent $6,000 of her own money promoting a TNA show in her home town of Chicago, and asked the office to provide her with some posters to put in her eaterie in the city, only to find TNA had removed her from the poster, and replaced her with another knockout. She was further angered by Dixie Carter's local TV interview promoting the event, after the host told Dixie of the hard work Victoria had done getting word of the event out, Dixie's response was... "Yeah, I heard." Also on the night of the event, was seething that the roster were instructed to promote a pizza shop in the town as the best foodie experience in Chicago, ignoring Victoria's. This led to Victoria blowing up at Brother Love, where she says she told him that... "The day I quit my job, I am going to punch that c**t in the face."
Bischoff reveals biggest WCW regret:
Eric Bischoff says had he his time again, he would change the way he handled the DX invasion of WCW... "If I could change one moment, it would be that one where we found out that WWE was at the door because I would have let them in. Not that I would have wanted Haku or Dave Taylor or those guys to do it, but it would have been the greatest moment in wrestling."
WWE Alum makes mainstream news:
Tiffany, AKA TNA's Taryn Terrell, was the victim of a basketball to the face from actor and comedian Will Ferrell at a basketball game last night. The skit was done for a new Ferrell movie, called ''Daddy's Home''. Here is that moment...
Triple H snubbed:
Triple H recorded an interview with Good Morning America, talking about the incident with the young fan on Raw, but it was pulled.
Slater returns:
Heath Slater is scheduled to make his return to WWE this weekend.
Reports flying around some sites that WWE are returning to a TV14 status are untrue. The story was started by a Reddit user, citing a story that did not exist.
Austin returning to the ring:
Jim Ross has given the biggest hint yet that Steve Austin is going to be back in the ring in 2016. He says after spending time with him this week, that WrestleMania 32 in Dallas would be the ''Perfect'' opportunity for the Rattlesnake to return to wrestling. JR also stated he believes WWE would provide The Undertaker with a ''Major'' match at the event, which could see him retire in front of his home state fans. (Sting???)
WWE getting main stream media attention:
Some major news outlets in the US have picked up on the concussion lawsuit filed against them by former stars, and WWE are receiving a large amount of criticism over their alleged treatment of talent. WWE via their lawyer released this statement in response... "This lawsuit is virtually identical to one filed by the same lawyers in Oregon, neither of which have any merit. WWE has never concealed any medical information related to concussions, or otherwise, from our Talent. WWE was well ahead of sports organizations in implementing concussion management procedures and policies as a precautionary measure as the science and research on this issue emerged. We will vigorously contest this lawsuit." Not all negativity though, Triple H's decision to break kayfabe to console a youngster at Raw this week has also been picked up, with Hunter praised for putting the youngster's feelings ahead of the show.
SmackDown SPOILERS!!!:
The show starts with the ''Fired'' stars being given the opportunity to earn spots in the Royal Rumble match, via a series of qualifying matches.
Bad News Barrett vs Dolph Ziggler.
Rusev vs Ryback.
Brie Bella vs Naomi.
Erick Rowan vs Luke Harper.
Daniel Bryan vs Kane.
Royal Rumble:
The Uso's have confirmed their participation in the Royal Rumble match. Other names were confirmed on SmackDown, but I will not reveal those, for SPOILER!!! reasons.
Booker T will interview two time Rumble winner Shawn Michaels, in the pre show.
WWE plan on offering two Rumble match spots to NXT stars. The names under consideration are...
Adrian Neville
Sami Zayn
Hideo Itami
Finn Balor
Kalisto
Tyler Breeze
Bull Dempsey
Enzo Amore
Sharmell interview:
Booker T's wife Queen Sharmell has given a video interview, discussing a number of different subjects.
Dixie Carter interview:
On chances of rivaling WWE... "Absolutely, I think we can be in that position or we wouldn't be in business today. We've got some exciting things on the horizon and our television partners worldwide are really stepping up and are committed to growing our brand, and that's a big part of it.
In the United States, we have one, two hour television show every week and we want to be developing the programming and doing some exciting new strategic things to grow our company in ways that we've never even had the opportunity to do in the past. So 2015 and beyond looks very bright for us."
On dream TNA signing...
"I'd sign The Rock. I think he's a tremendous talent, he's a great actor, he can open a lot of doors for you. I've never met him but I'm a big fan, and I just think he's a super, super talented guy."
On importance of UK fans...
"The UK tour is truly the highlight of our year. It's so much fun. We have an incredible, up close and personal experience doing the shows. What I'm most excited about this year is that all three of the stops on our tour – Glasgow, Manchester and London – will be shown for television, so we'll be doing six weeks of television while we're over there, using the most amazing fans in the world as the backdrop to our television show."
TNA - WWE:
Abyss says he has no regrets, and would make the same decision today should WWE offer him a deal, and the WrestleMania match vs The Undertaker he reportedly turned down earlier in his career.
Also eagle eyed TNA fans noticed Sting wore his TNA gloves on Raw this week, an item you can still buy on TNA's shop site.
Hall Of Fame:
WWE have reportedly booked Maria Menounos to host the red carpet ceremony for this years Hall Of Fame.
Triple H has provided the voice for a new Marvel themed experience. He plays the Incredible Hulk.
Royal Rumble:
Sting made a surprise return on Raw last night, helping John Cena win a match which earned the 3 fired stars, Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan their WWE jobs back. All 3 men are now expected to be included in the Royal Rumble match. Two new matches have been added to the card, including an appearance by Diva's Champ Nikki, who has been cleared to compete, following an injury...
Natalya & Paige vs The Bella Twins.
New Age Outlaws vs The Ascension.
Also the pre show match will be a six man elimination tag...
The New Day vs Cesaro, Tyson Kidd & Adam Rose.
Xavier Woods will work this match hurt, he has damaged his ankle.
R-Truth, The Miz and Damien Sandow are now confirmed for the Rumble match.
SPOILERS!!!
Two more possible guest entrants have been named, Bubba Ray and D'Von Dudley have reportedly been in talks for a return for a number of weeks, and that return is now likely to be at, and in, the Royal Rumble match. It would be the first time in the over the top rope match, for both men.
One man that will not be involved is Rey Mysterio, WWE do not expect Rey to accept a spot if they offer him one, and it is thought they will not make an approach.
END OF SPOILERS!!!
The panel will be Renee Young, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves and Booker T.
Saxton is a late sub for Alex Riley, who is expected to be given a spot in the Royal Rumble match, after his social media campaign to be allowed to get back in the ring.
WWE have also released the annual ''By the numbers'' promo for the match...
Storm blasts Cena:
Lance Storm took offense to a tweet by John Cena yesterday. Cena tweeted a video of himself training and said ''Anyone who says they're working their a$$ off, isn't doing squat''... Storm took that as an arrogant dig at every day people who work hard in their own day to day lives, and tweeted so.
He has also revealed why he refused a WWE trainer's role at the WWE PC, he said he refused the move for family reasons.
Triple H:
Triple H broke character on Raw last night. During the 3 on 1 match, a young boy became upset and began to cry, over his favourite, John Cena, taking a beating. He was standing against the guard rail, directly behind HHH, who first broke kayfabe by telling the youngster Cena was going to be fine, this still did not console the boy, so he stood up and embraced the child, before taking him backstage to meet the talent, and give him some Cena merch to help cheer him up.
AJ Lee:
AJ Lee was at Raw last night, but was not used on screen, she was reportedly going through a medical check by WWE docs.
Sheamus was also backstage, and says there is no plan for his return as yet, but he is hungry to get back into the ring ASAP.
WrestleMania 32:
WWE have confirmed that WrestleMania 32 will be in Arlington, Texas, at the AT&T stadium on April 3 2016, today's photo is the official logo, which was unveiled at a press conference today.
Mark Henry told WWE Network's Scott Stanford, that the event may play host to his last match, as he likes the idea of retiring in front of his home state fans.
Goldberg reveals WWF snub, before joining WCW:
"I approached WCW, well they approached me a number of times, and then I actually called Jim Ross and I had a meeting with Vince McMahon. I did not like that meeting with Vince McMahon. The next day I called Eric Bishoff and I said "listen, you know I'm going to make a decision here and the World Wrestling Federation has a contract on the table for me and that's not where I want to be". So push came to shove, I told him; I remember the quote like it was yesterday, I said "I'm not going to be one of those 500 dollar a week throw-around-the ring dudes. I'm gonna come in and make a difference."
He went on to say he hated his one year run with WWE in 2003/4, as he felt WWE only wanted to ruin his legacy, and were not interested in using him properly, but would consider another run.
NXT:
WWE have named the participants in a number 1 contender tournament for a shot at the NXT title...
Finn Balor
Hideo Itami
Baron Corbin
Bull Dempsey
Curtis Axel
Tyler Breeze
Adrian Neville
Tyson Kidd.
Also WWE are contemplating offering a spot in the Royal Rumble match to an NXT star. Bo Dallas and Rusev have represented NXT in the Rumble in the past two years, no word on who may get the call this year.
UFC fight waiting for Lesnar:
Frank Mir is the name UFC have on the table to present to Brock Lesnar, should he decide to leave WWE after WrestleMania 31.
TNA man slams WWE:
Chris Harris said of his brief WWE career...
"Brother, brother, brother. Oh my God! That is the worst-run billion dollar company you could ever imagine… I absolutely f—king hated that place."
Jake The Snake Roberts documentary film has been selected over 7500 films to open this years Sundance film festival.
Photo:
WWE and TNA stars meet at a party, with an extra guest popping up.
Champion injured:
Nikki Bella had to withdraw from last nights lives due to injury, she accompanied her sister Brie to the ring, with her hamstring heavily strapped.
Raw:
Official tease...
What do the Legends have in store for RAW?
Will Brock Lesnar exact vengeance against Seth Rollins?
Is Dean Ambrose his own worst enemy?
Will The Authority heap even more obstacles onto Daniel Bryan?
Will Roman Reigns and Big Show clash once again before the Royal Rumble Match?
Road Dogg Jesse James is expected to appear with Billy Gunn, they are going to be sticking around for a while, for a run with The Ascension. AJ Lee is backstage, and may return. The ''Fired'' stars are also in Texas for the show.
Royal Rumble:
Four more stars have been confirmed for the Rumble match...
Justin Gabriel
Fandango
Fernando
Diego
Two other names set to appear on the night are (SPOILERS!!!)...
Bo Dallas
Diamond Dallas Page
Twitter fight:
New TNA announcer Josh Mathews rounded on Hall Of Famer Jim Ross last night, telling him he was too old, and should go away. This led to a terse exchange between the two, Mathews defending himself by saying he was speaking his mind after 13 years of being quiet.
Injury return:
Sheamus is expected to return on SmackDown this week.
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