Was it the worst Mania ever... was that the WWE goal, if so they had a good go at it, if not... Woops...
Pre Show - The Uso's retained their Tag Titles, beating The Real Americans, RybAxel and Los Matadores in a fatal four way elimination match...
This match was far too good to be dumped on the pre show, the stars in it deserved better than the curtain jerker spot, I was very glad to see The Uso's retain, they could be a great team if given the chance to show it.
That match could have actually easily fit on the card, it lasted around 25 minutes, 5 minutes less than the opening segment of WrestleMania and first match vignette.
The show opened with Hulk Hogan, repeatedly botching his intro, he said the wrong venue multiple times, causing a ''You F***ed Up'' chant, he was then joined by Stone Cold Steve Austin, who threatened to stun the Hulkster, but ended up thanking him for being an icon, they were then joined by The Rock, who put both men over, as well as himself, and the too long love in came to an end.
The opener saw Daniel Bryan take on Triple H, in the main event qualifier, it was easily the best match of a poor show, with Daniel Bryan finally getting his payback over the Authority, who have blighted his career for the past 8 months.
Match 2 was a mess, The Shield beat the veteran team of Kane and The New Age Outlaws in less than 3 minutes in a very scruffy match, that was over before it began.
Billy Gunn was injured in the finish of the bout, landing badly off a double powerbomb, causing him to cough up blood.
Match 3 was the Andre The Giant Battle Royal.
This was botched before it started, the three spots left for guest entrants to be announced at the show were given to 4 people, someone clearly forgot that Brad Maddox gave himself a spot on Raw earlier this week. The guests turned out to be whoever was left in the back...
* David Otunga...
* Yoshi Tatsu...
* Tyson Kidd...
* Xavier Woods...
This meant the 30 man Battle Royal, in fact became a 31 man match.
Christian could not compete due to injury, and was replaced by Cesaro.
I asked WWE, but received no reply, as to why Tatsu, who has not been on TV for over a year, was given a spot in the match, while Wade Barrett was completely snubbed.
The match was won by the sub Cesaro, who achieved a great Mania moment, when he picked Big Show up and walked to the ropes before throwing him out all by himself.
John Cena vs Bray Wyatt was match 4, and despite an incredible acting performance from Wyatt, and being at home, was completely devoid of any crowd interaction, the match was stale, lasted too long, and had the wrong result. Cena won.
The Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar, match 5.
Oh where do I start with this abhorrence?...
The streak is gone, Lesnar pinned The Undertaker clean after a third F-5, with no fanfare, or music, only a delirious Paul Heyman's voice carrying them back to the locker room, after making history, and ending a 23 year legacy.
This was wrong, it absolutely should not have happened, and certainly not to this guy. The ending of the streak should have meant something, a passing of the torch, something the man that ended the run could take on with them as a stepping stone to making their own history and legacy, while Taker quietly retires, after passing it on.
Brock Lesnar is not that man. He is a part time wrestler, that has, when it suits him, been around for 12 years, he did not need it, and will not use it. What are they going to do?, he and Heyman will be out on Raw tonight to gloat about the win, then he will be back on his farm for the next 4 months, he won't be on TV building on this epic achievement, we might see him back at SummerSlam, but by then everyone will have moved on. This was a waste.
Also to give it to a man that is only back for the money, and by his own admission does not care about match results, and also shat on WWE from a great height in the past after they made him a superstar, baffles me...
I fumed last night, and really thought about quitting, (Still am as a matter of fact), and took some grief for it, but for the biggest promotion in the sport to have no care for their fans, their performers, or their own history, makes me wonder what the point is, why spend so much of my free time running fan pages, when the major company cares so little for us?
OK moving on...
The Undertaker was injured very early into the match, a concussion and damage to the neck after a spot where Lesnar tripped him on the floor, this did not affect the planned result. Also some sites are reporting that the ending was botched, that Taker's concussion caused him to miss the count, and forget to kick, again not the case, the result happened as planned. Taker was taken straight to hospital after the match, Vince at his side, and spent the night being observed by doctors.
Although only 4 - 6 people knew about the result, someone leaked it. Betting on the match changed drastically from Taker to Brock during the show.
I thought at the time that WWE were taking the streak away to make next years match vs Sting a straight up match where anything can happen. Get rid of the streak, and let these two greats end their careers on a level par next year, that may not be the case. More on Taker later.
AJ Lee retained the Diva's belt in the ridiculous invitational.
Cameron had to roll under the ring to hide her modesty after her top ripped during a spot with Emma.
Then the main event, Randy Orton vs Batista vs Daniel Bryan, a match spoilt by the amount of interference, and outside the ring nonsense, did have a couple of good moments and big spots, and ended with the right result... Daniel Bryan is the new champion. He made Batista tap to get the win.
This was the only decision WWE could make, the fans were already red hot for Daniel, and would not stand another screw job over the guy, however, for me, even the end of an epic long road to the gold for D-Bry could not save the show.
Brie Bella was not allowed to go to the ring to join the celebrations after the match.
Other notes...
* WWE did set the attendance record for New Orleans...
* CM Punk did not attend, he was at an NHL game in Chicago.
* WWE posted backstge footage of the legends preparing to open the show.
* Triple H gave three NXT stars a Mania moment, Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss were the women involved in his entrance.
* There were issues with fans as they entered, it was a chaotic experience getting in, with some fans pushing and shoving and yelling, as they tried to get to their seats early.
* Jim Ross did not go to Mania, because he was not invited.
* There was some minor issues with the WWE Network stream.
My final take...
WWE need to change the way they produce WrestleMania. They need to trust the talent they have now, not keep bringing back PT stars, they need to get back to basics, there is nothing wrong with having a couple of great workers having great matches on a card to build up to the big events later in a show. I love seeing the old guys come back, I loved the gimmick battle royal from Mania 17. Have another, hell have one every year, give it a theme, attitude era gimmick, WCW gimmick, ECW gimmick, whatever, but these stars should not be coming back and going into the main event, winning Rumbles and getting title shots, and should certainly not be ending the streak.
WWE, credit your fans with some intelligence, WrestleMania is not just your cash cow, it is the biggest show for us too, give us something back...
Sting:
On the day it is rumoured Sting will make his WWE debut, TNA have removed his profile from their site.
WWE Network:
WWE have announced that 667,287 people have subscribed to their Network.
Raw:
Official tease...
* How will Daniel Bryan address the WWE Universe?
* Do Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar plan on speaking after ending The Streak?
* Is one victory enough for John Cena to rid himself of The Wyatt Family?
* What's next for Cesaro?
* What lies ahead for The Shield?
Rob Van Dam is expected to return on Raw tonight.
The Undertaker:
So after yesterday, what is the future of The Undertaker?. Word coming out of WWE is Taker decided that he wanted to drop the streak, and told WWE at the event, that he was done.
What that means for the long anticipated match against Sting, and the final hoorah against John Cena is now not known, but with the streak gone what would his motivation be to return, he has lived for the streak, and the streak alone for the past few years, only coming back for Mania, and then leaving again, now that is no more, does he need it?, will he want it?. This may very well mean we have seen the last of the greatest star of the PPV era.
Jeff Jarrett:
Jeff Jarrett has launched Global Force Wrestling today, with this statement, and a logo .
"[WWE] have built a brand over the last 50, 60 years. And truly, [WrestleMania] weekend is the perfect example of just how global their brand is. Professional wrestling has been around since the advent of television. There is definitely room, space for a brand new promotion to come on the scene. And we're going to put out the very best product that we can. Our mission statement is going to be, right at the very top, that we are going to put out a professional wrestling product that listens to the fans, engages the fans. We are going to immerse ourselves with the wrestling fan and that is going to be first and foremost."
WrestleMania 31:
WWE have released a promo for next year's Mania.
Former champ leaves WWE:
Ezekiel Jackson, who has been long term injured left WWE yesterday at the end of his contract. He held the IC and ECW titles during his time with the promotion.
Christian:
No word on when Christian will be back from his latest injury, but there is a lot of talk, that he may not come back, his status with WWE is up in the air right now.
NXT star Corey Graves was injured during a match at Axxess yesterday.
Hall Of Famer missing Mania:
Edge is on his way home to his Girl (Beth Phoenix) and new baby, and will not be a part of WrestleMania 30.
WrestleMania 30:
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon have been put in charge of this years Mania, Vince has been very hands off, bar working on the Undertaker's stories for the event. Whilst Vince has been around, staffers say Production, booking, set design etc decisions, or issues have all been handled by HHH and / or Steph.
The event will set an attendance record in the city of New Orleans for a wrestling event, breaking a 33 year old long standing landmark.
WWE will not break the Shield up tonight. They are advertised for shows a couple of months into the future post Mania, as faces.
Christian has confessed to doubt over his ability to compete tonight, due to his concussion. Wade Barrett is being held in reserve to take his spot, should he have to withdraw.
Daniel Bryan says he wants to have both his matches tonight back to back.
Hall Of Fame:
Seven new names were enshrined into the WWE Hall Of Fame last night...
The show was hosted, as always by Jerry Lawler...
* Lita - inducted by Trish Status...
Lita made a long speech thanking many people for the influence they had on her career, especially Rey Mysterio for inspiring her to become a wrestler, and Stone Cold Steve Austin for saving her career.
* Jake The Snake Roberts - inducted by Diamond Dallas Page...
Jake told an emotional speech, including the negative influence his late Father had on his life, as well as thanking his inductor for saving his life, later bringing his young grand son onto the stage to help him celebrate.
* Mr. T - inducted by Mean Gene Okerlund...
Mr. T told another long speech, crediting his Mother for his success, his speech did go down well with the crowd, lots of laughs, but it ran well over time, and Kane had to come out to ask him to leave the stage, in what was described as a really awkward moment.
* Paul Bearer - inducted by Kane...
Kane, remembered the impact Bearer has had on him, Taker and the WWE, before the lights went out and The Undertaker entered to pay his own tribute. Bearer's real world sons then came out to accept on their Dad's behalf.
* Razor Ramon - inducted by Kevin Nash...
Nash, bible in hand came out to induct his ''Brother'' and said Hall told him to be quick, because people have to wrestle tomorrow, Hall entered, talked about his love for wrestling, and threw out some of his classic Razor lines, before signing off, with the shortest speech of the night. The Kliq then entered to help him celebrate.
* Carlos Colon - inducted by Carlito, Primo and Epico...
Carlito took a couple of shots at WWE, during his speech, sniping about being told to keep it short before they entered, and joking about his current status, of working in high school gyms and bingo halls, before his Dad entered, making a speech in English and Spanish.
* The Ultimate Warrior - inducted by Linda McMahon...
Warrior entered with his two Daughters, before starting, saying right from the start that some people would be squirming during his speech. He thanked Triple H for the work he put in, getting him back to WWE, he said he has signed a multi year WWE deal, but that one more match will not happen. He said he wished WWE would put the ''F'' back in, and took a shot at ''The wildlife people''. He thanked many, including the Brooklyn Brawler, before moving onto the smear DVD, Self Destruction of... He spoke about his anger and hurt at the documentary, and that it ''Broke his heart''. He then thanked the fans, saying he would have never come back if not for the love and support from them. He confided to the crowd that he did blow up because of his entrance, and often struggled through the following match, before wishing every one a great WrestleMania, ending the show.
Notes, You won't have seen him in the crowd, but The Rock was in attendance. He was backstage working on something special for tonight's show.
Jim Ross did attend, and was sitting in the front row.
Rob Van Dam was backstage, he is not part of the WWE events officially, but did visit before going back to the WrestleCon hotel.
AJ Styles:
AJ Styles debuted in Japan last night, starting a one year contract with NJPW.
Chris Jericho:
Chris Jericho is in St. Louis today, that could mean he is able to get to Mania in time for the show.
Paul Heyman:
WWE's Paul Heyman DVD will be released on August 5.
WWE star leaves this weekend:
The last Guerrero is leaving WWE. Vickie will finish up with the company this weekend, before moving on to further her business ambitions outside of the sport.
Sting:
Sting told fans at today's WrestleCon event that his new favourite number is 31, a huge hint to his WWE future.
Shane McMahon:
Shane McMahon has denied involvement in tonight's WrestleMania, says he did not leave because of a civil war with his Sister, and that his Dad is a very difficult man to work for, but that was because he expected so much from him.
He also said he will be back with WWE at some point, adding anything can happen in WWE, further stating that WWE is in his blood, and he would consider taking control of WWE in the future.
As WrestleMania gets ever closer, I will be posting a tease of each match on the card, each day, today the Battle Royal. When this match was announced, I thought it would be the perfect way to finally start the long planned push for Wade Barrett, however, with just 24 hours to go, he is not yet entered, neither is the bookies favourite to win Alexander Rusev. There are 3 spots left, so who would you like to see take one of the guest spots, and who wins this bout.???
Christopher Daniels:
Rumour has it Daniels has re-signed with TNA. This comes about because they are advertising him for a show in Japan later this month, a date coming after his TNA deal ends.
WrestleMania 30:
Rev Theory will perform Randy Orton's entrance theme, and Mark Crozier will do the same for Bray Wyatt at the event.
The set was revealed today.
Jim Ross has joined up with WWE in NOLA, as a last minute addition to Axxess.
Former WCW valet Gorgeous George met up with Lanny Poffo during his signing session, she famously managed his Brother Macho Man, during his WCW days.
Honky Tonk Man is upset with WWE, he has had to fly himself to New Orleans, after a mistake by the office.
Christian is in NOLA, so it seems he has been cleared to compete in the Battle Royal.
HHH vs Daniel Bryan may become a no DQ or Submission match.
The running order is expected to be...
1- Kane, BA Billy Gunn & Road Dogg vs The Shield...
2 - Andre The Giant Battle Royal...
3 - John Cena vs Bray Wyatt...
4 - The Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar...
5 - Diva's Title Invitational...
6 - Triple H vs Daniel Bryan...
7 - Randy Orton vs Batista vs winner of the above match.
WWE also have a vignette for the debut of Sting, which is expected to be on Monday's Raw, there is talk of airing the trailer during WrestleMania.
Hall Of Fame:
The 2014 Hall Of Fame ceremony will be held tonight in New Orleans, and WWE do not want a repeat of the fan behaviour at last year's show, they have released a statement warning fans to behave...
''Please show the proper respect to the WWE Superstars and Hall of Fame Inductees when they are on stage speaking. There will be no inappropriate behavior, cat calls or chants of any kind tolerated at all. Violation of this policy will result in immediate ejection from The Smoothie King Center without warning.''
To promote the event, headline inductee The Ultimate Warrior has done an interview with .Com.
CM Punk:
CM Punk is not in New Orleans, at least not yet, he was at a music gig last night in Indianapolis.
Hogan vs Warrior:
Hulk Hogan says he plans to clear the air with the Ultimate Warrior this weekend.
ESPN / WWE:
ESPN will feature WWE WrestleMania and SummerSlam, as part of the deal to have Jonathan Coachman return to the promotion.
Legends House:
Hulk Hogan is expected to be the first name confirmed for Legends House 2.
As WrestleMania gets ever closer, I will be posting a tease of each match on the card, each day, today the WWE World Heavyweight Title match, who leaves Mania with the gold...???
WrestleMania 30 SPOILERS!!!:
Stone Cold Steve Austin has confirmed he will be at WrestleMania, Rowdy Roddy Piper, says he will have physical involvement on the show, The Godfather, Dangerous Danny Davis, and most interestingly Lanny Poffo have been flown into NOLA, by, and staying in, the WWE hotel. There are 3 spots left in the Battle Royal, that could be a possibility for some of these stars, but Lanny Poffo is intriguing... Could this mean a surprise HOF induction for his Brother the Macho Man?. END OF SPOILERS!!! Also on Mania, the show will be accessible on the Network as soon as it ends.
Booker T:
Booker T has revealed his ROW promotion almost closed over Christmas, but a local business man stepped in with the funds to keep it going, helped to get it a TV deal, and they will soon host their first IPPV.
DDP on Punk:
Diamond Dallas Page has joined Steve Austin in sharing his belief that CM Punk will be at WrestleMania this Sunday, he insisted that Punk what would be involved, during a UK interview.
Stone Cold Steve Austin has teased interest in a match between the two in the future... "I could get more out of that guy than anybody else walking Planet Earth. He could have that ultimate 'Come to Jesus' meeting with me. Punk's been around for a long time and he's a smart guy, but he never stepped into a damn squared circle with the intensity of a guy like Stone Cold Steve Austin."
Also a rumour killer on Punk, a photo going around many sites and social media of CM Punk with Kofi Kingston, claiming to have been taken today in NOLA, is actually over a year old.
Jay Lethal:
Jay Lethal has opened a new school in Florida.
Axxess notes:
Rosa Mendes and Aksana were on hand to help a fan propose to his girlfriend today... She said yes... and a yes chant broke out. There have been issues with the signings, queues are so long many fans are not meeting the stars they want to see.
Batista:
Batista says he told WWE fans would not buy into him as a face before he returned, and has been proved right... "They told me that I was going to come back and be this huge babyface. I said, 'no, it's not going to work.' They said, 'no way, they're dying for you to come back.' I said, 'that's going to last two minutes, just watch.' And sure enough it did."
As WrestleMania gets ever closer, I will be posting a tease of each match on the card, each day, today The Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar.
Can the beast end the streak, or does Taker go marching on???
Hulk Hogan spoils Mania surprise?:
Hulk Hogan may have given away 2 of the 3 surprise entrants in the Andre The Giant Battle Royal. When asked who he picked to win the match, he, like every one else, picked the Big Show, but also said to watch out for Big E. as a possible winner. He did not stop there however, he went on to say that something crazy could happen, and would not be surprised if the Ultimate Warrior or Sting turned up for the match.
Question is, was Hulk being cheeky, and having fun, or are these two legends going to be a part of this epic match?. If so it would be Sting's WWE and WrestleMania debut, and Warrior's first Mania match since 1996.
Also on the Battle Royal, Big Show has corrected mis-information by Rowdy Roddy Piper on Raw this week. Piper said that he picked Show to win the match because he is the most like Andre, and was the only one to have worked with him. Big Show says he never met Andre, and that the great man had died before he started in the business, and that he wanted to correct Roddy at the time, but felt he could not, because he was on a roll, and did not want to cause offense.
WrestleMania 30:
The Undertaker is not in control of the creative path for his Mania match this year, as has become the norm in recent years. Vince McMahon is running things. One WWE source suggests The Undertaker did offer to do the job, to allow Brock to be the man to end the streak, but the way Lesnar is being booked going into the match, would suggest WWE are not going that route to me. Many are criticising the handling of Lesnar going into the match, in particular the word ''Coward'' used on Raw recently. It is said they are making him look weak, when they should be doing the exact opposite.
Expect some big names, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Jim Ross have all been asked to play a part in the event in cameo appearances. The Rock may not appear in person, but by video link, depending on his schedule.
WWE business:
Triple H has taken over the WWE payroll duties.
Jerry Lawler is finalising a deal to sell his Memphis Wrestling video library to WWE.
Hall Of Fame:
WWE insiders have confirmed the plan to induct the original line up of the NWO (Hogan, Hall and Nash) into the Hall Of Fame, but have suggested it will not happen at next years class. It has been said that WWE plan to repeat what they are doing this year, with Razor Ramon, and induct Kevin Nash as his Diesel character first, meaning the group induction would not happen until 2016, at the earliest.
Paul Bearer's inductor's will be his Son's it is believed. Not his on screen Son's, The Undertaker and Kane, but his real world ones.
Post Mania feuds:
Planned rivalries after this Sunday's event include...
* Randy Orton vs Daniel Bryan...
* Big E. vs Alberto Del Rio.
Rey Mysterio:
Rey Mysterio's WWE deal is in it's final weeks, and the two sides have still not come to a new agreement.
Paul Orndorff:
Mr. Wonderful says WWE should have put the Belt on him, not Hulk Hogan...
''That's what they should have done. And instead of making hundreds of millions of dollars they could have made thousands of millions of dollars if they had done that. We talked about it some and that's what they should have done ... I guess for some reason because [Hulk] was 6'5" and weighed 320 pounds that he was this big huge thing that nobody should beat him for the belt. If they would have said "Let's go out there, Paul, and you fight for your life and Terry, you go out there and you fight for your life," you can bet your ass I would have fought. I guarantee ... I would have won and [Hulk] knows it.''
AJ Lee:
A Florida fan, that regularly sees AJ as she travels out of state for her WWE dates says he was the first to know about her engagement to CM Punk. He claims she showed off her ring last week, and told him it would be her last trip out of that airport, as she was moving to Chicago with her new fiance. The fan did post a photo of himself with AJ as ''Proof'' of his story.
WWE suffer legal setback:
WWE have been denied a request to have all sellers of WWE merch, other than licensed sellers, representing them, stopped and banned from the city of New Orleans, as they did last year. However a NOLA judge told them she would not grant them the same authority to close all vendors down this year.
Best In The World:
Harley Race says Triple H is the best wrestler in the world, mainly because he uses a lot of his style.
New NXT addition:
Eden, wife of Cody Rhodes, has been added to .Com today.
As WrestleMania gets ever closer, I will be posting a tease of each match on the card, each day, today Triple H vs Daniel Bryan, main event qualifying match... Who wins, and can the winner get the gold, later in the night...???
Brock Lesnar:
UFC will air a retrospective on the octagon career of Brock Lesnar, featuring interviews from Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and Jim Ross, it will be entitled ''Best of the beast'' and will air on their fight pass network.
Will CM Punk be at WrestleMania?:
Paul Heyman, says only he knows...
"You know, there were only three people in the room that night, and that was CM Punk, Vince McMahon and Triple H, and none of the three have talked about it. So whether CM Punk will ever or won't ever appear in WWE again is truly only known by the three people that were in the room on that given evening. Anything else that is stated about it is merely speculation."
But Stone Cold Steve Austin says he believes Punk will be there, and will have a big role to play...
"I'm telling you, I'm going to stick to my prediction that CM Punk is going to make his return at WrestleMania 30 in New Orleans. I made this prediction two months ago here on the show. It's been a long time, I think he's cooled his jets, he's got some rest, and I think it's time to get back to work. I don't see him participating in a match but it would be great to see him in a run-in to establish himself, to entrench himself immediately in a memorable and just a great moment, and I would say plant himself firmly in the middle of an angle, because he would be the angle, by attacking whoever he sees fit to attack or asserting his presence rather, whatever the case may be. But I see CM Punk coming back at WrestleMania 30. Who knows if it will happen. We will know in about six short days when WrestleMania actually happens."
John Cena interview:
John Cena has conceded that the fan response to Daniel Bryan has had a part to play in the WWE's planning for WrestleMania, as part of a pre Mania interview. Other highlights...
On being stuck in the mid card this year...
"Why wouldn't I be [OK with it], I'm at WrestleMania 30? I'd like to think that every match I'm in is the match."
On match with Hulk Hogan...
"I would love that, but in the same vein, I would love it to be in 1985. That's why I love the matches with The Rock so much... you wanna get in that situation where a person is truly in their prime. But if he's got one more, I'm ready, willing and able."
Mr. T:
Hulk Hogan wants to induct his former tag team partner Mr. T into the WWE Hall Of Fame on Saturday night, and adds that he is prepared to fight Rowdy Roddy Piper to get the job.
Total Diva's:
WWE are working with the E! Network to build up a big series finale for the second series, internally rumours within WWE say the plan is a John Cena - Nikki Bella wedding.
TNA Hall Of Fame:
TNA will announce their third Hall Of Famer at Slammiversary in June.
Sting:
WrestleCon say Sting will not be involved in WrestleMania, or the next night's Raw. They have purchased for him a round trip ticket to appear at their convention, and then to travel straight back home after their event.
Chris Benoit:
David, son of the late Chris Benoit says WWE should induct his Father into the Hall Of Fame, that WWE owe his family money from his Father's last pay cheque, and confirmed that he is training to get into wrestling, but will not work for TNA, because he has heard it is not a good place to work. This is his first interview.
WrestleMania 30:
WWE have named the social media ambassadors for this weekend's WrestleMania events...
Ellen Degeneres, Maroon 5, Conan O'Brien, Drew Brees, Katie Couric, Sarah Silverman, Mike Tyson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, DJ Pauly D, Kevin James, Chelsea Handler, Marlon Wayans, Alice Cooper, Alison Sweeney, Terry Crews, Shawne Merriman, Gabriel Iglesias, Judah Friedlander, Shane West, Chilli and Flo Rida.
WWE vs Sin Cara:
WWE win... Sin Cara has had to pull out of his planned matches this weekend in Mexico, because he was planning to use his WWE name.
Brit thanks Mag:
NXT star Stuart Tomlinson has thanked Mens Health UK for getting him his WWE job...
"I owe a huge thank you to Men's Health The WWE saw my pictures in the [April 2013] mag and tracked me down for a trial. After an hour in the ring they gave me a contract."
Zach Gowen:
A trailer for a new documentary on the life of Zack Gowen has been released.
DDP talks Hall Of Fame:
"I have my speech ready, but you never know what will come out of my mouth. Not only am I happy to see one of my brothers inducted, but I get to see two of them [Jake and Scott Hall] on the same night, on my birthday!"
3MB:
3MB are hiding WrestleMania tickets around New Orleans today, for fans to find.
As WrestleMania gets ever closer, I will be posting a tease of each match on the card, each day, today John Cena vs Bray Wyatt, could Wyatt do it, beat Cena at the show of shows, or is it destined to be another super Cena performance?, your thoughts please...
Jim Ross talks relationship with WWE:
"There's nothing unresolved. My relationship with WWE is exactly what we want it to be. I'm staying very busy and doing something for WWE Network on an ongoing basis would be challenging. They've moved on and so have I with no regrets."
WrestleMania 30:
Ricardo Rodriguez has confirmed he will be on the Spanish announce team. Brad Maddox added himself to the Battle Royal, leaving 3 spots open, it looks like we will be having some surprise entrants.
A host of Reality stars have been invited.
The official press conference happened in New York today.
SmackDown SPOILERS!!!:
SmackDown down was taped early this week, due to WrestleMania, here are the matches taped for Friday... * Hulk Hogan promo... * Dolph Ziggler vs Titus O'Neill...
* Los Matadores vs Real Americans... END OF SPOILERS!!!
Fan incident on Raw:
Rapper Wale was involved in a fist fight during last night's Raw. He had been arguing with a fan who was heckling, he then reached out and punched him in the face, leading to WWE security pulling the men apart and taking them out of the arena. They eventually returned, and acted as though nothing had happened.
WWE wedding:
Don't expect this one to be on Total Diva's, but the rumours of the past few days have been confirmed. CM Punk and AJ Lee are engaged. Rumours have been swirling since the weekend, but a still of AJ on Raw wearing a new ring, has confirmed the news, however neither have spoken publicly as yet.
Lanny Poffo calls on WWE to induct his Brother:
Lanny Poffo, Brother of Macho Man Randy Savage, has revealed that Savage and Vince McMahon's feud went on MUCH longer than previously thought. He says it was not just being moved out of the ring and behind the comms desk in 1993, and the long standing rumour about Savage and Stephanie, but that Mach never forgave McMahon snubbing his Father in 1987. Lanny spoke about a ''Legends Battle Royal'' a match held to showcase some of the stars of the pre pay per view audience to the new fans they had made since the debut of WrestleMania. Macho had talked his dad into coming out of retirement for the match, and finally got approval from him, only to be told by Vince that he did not want him in the bout. This caused Savage real offense and embarrassment, and Lanny claims he never forgot it. After leaving, another incident angered the former Champion. Macho told his Brother that he would never forgive the Nacho Man skits WWE aired in the mid 90's. He then discussed the 2010 negotiations to get Macho inducted. He reiterated that Macho wanted his whole family inducted, and rejected the WWE offer when they would not agree to his terms, Lanny rejected the honour on Macho's behalf in 2012, but now is ready to step aside and allow it... "This is for the fans. They want to honor Randy and see him get his respect. So if the WWE wants Randy in the Hall of Fame but not my father or me, they should do it."
Jake The Snake talks gaining Vince McMahon's forgiveness:
"People have to remember that an alcoholic and a drug addict can be known to tell a lie or two and I certainly did my share of it with lashing out and was pretty ugly about it. For Vince McMahon to forgive and forget — maybe he hasn't forgotten, but at least he's forgiven — and to invite me into the Hall of Fame […] it's going to be an awesome, awesome moment."
Post Mania feud teased:
Brie Bella is teasing getting physical with Stephanie McMahon, a possible post Mania angle?.
Raw:
The Undertaker opened Raw because WWE thought they would lose fans to the last episode of How I Met Your Mother. Triple H announced a WrestleMania flyover.
Mark Henry:
Mark Henry has announced he has dropped below 400lbs for the first time in many years, he is at 397.
NXT promotion coming:
Sami Zayn, formerly El Generico is on the post Mania tour of Saudi Arabia, a clue to his impending promotion to the main roster.
Hall Of Fame:
Jake The Snake says he will speak without a script, and talk from the heart. Howard Finkel will not attend the event, he is on Axxess duty.
Paul Heyman talks The Undertaker:
"I don't think it was as much the character as it was the man behind the character. I think The Undertaker is, much like Brock Lesnar, a once-in-a-lifetime wrestler, a once-in-a-lifetime athlete and a once-in-a-lifetime performer. You can't just put somebody in that slot. You need someone who can own up to the role and someone who makes the role theirs, who walks in the skin of the character. When that gels, when the athlete and the performer come together, then you have someone who is truly box office. This is not something that someone else could have accomplished. You couldn't have given that name and that character to anybody else - they would have never survived."
Chris Jericho rules out Mania:
Chris Jericho says he has no intention of being a part of WrestleMania 30 unless WWE put him in an angle worthy of his legacy... "If I'm going to be at WrestleMania, it's going to be in a position that I can sink my teeth into, a position that I think is significant enough for somebody of Y2J's experience level and notoriety. Looking at the card this year and you see everybody who came back — Brock Lesnar and Undertaker are back, Triple H is back, Batista is back, and it's the ascension of Daniel Bryan — how many spots are there available for Jericho at this point in time? Even though the shadow of WrestleMania was looming, just to be there is not a reason enough for me to go back. On the last four WrestleManias before last year, I had one of the main events or one of the most prominent matches on the show. Unless I'm going to get that position again, and I'm not saying I'm entitled to it, but if it's not going to go that way, then it's just better for me to stay away."
When pushed as to what could get him back, he said a heel Y2J vs a WWE World Champion Daniel Bryan, would be too good to turn down.
