The advance for WrestleMania XXV in Houston so far is about 55,000 tickets. Reliant Stadium holds 71,500 for football, but with the big WrestleMania stage and obstructed view seating they can probably max out at around 65,000 seats. The show was expected to be automatic sellout, but that has not been the case. Nonetheless, the stadium will be full come show time. WWE papered last year's event near show time as they had trouble selling the last few thousand seats.

Labels: WrestleMania XXV

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross recently updated his Q & A section on his official website at JRsBarBQ.com where he took on the subject of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson completely distancing himself from pro wrestling.

“Dwayne Johnson is no sellout,” said J.R. “Those that say that come off sounding ignorant in my view.”

The Rock quietly retired from wrestling around 2004, and has since become a major action movie star with endorsement from Disney as a leading man.

“Dwayne’s work ethic while he was in WWE was beyond approach as was his character. He was never a problem and no one ever put forth more effort in the ring. The results he attained are documented. There may be some who say they would not have done what Dwayne did which was simply change vocations/jobs but the vast majority of wrestlers that I have ever known would have done the same thing if given the opportunity,” Ross continued “I am proud of Dwayne’s WWE accomplishments and I am a big fan of his movie work. Dwayne Johnson will always have the wrestling business in his blood but he simply went into another line of work. Why do people find that so hard to understand?”

Labels: jim ross, the rock

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE.com has an article looking at ECW newcomer Tyson Kidd and his unique hairstyle. Regarding the hairstyle, Kidd said, “It reminds me that I’m always wearing a crown. If this haircut doesn’t scream Extreme, what does?”

While he appears to be a babyface for now, it looks like WWE has plans to turn Kidd heel in the near future as he acts rather heelish towards the end of the interview by cutting off the person conducting it and making some rather disparaging remarks regarding ECW. “Why don’t you just watch my match highlights on WWE.com,” Kidd said, “as I erase the legacy of your beloved Original ECW?” He also proclaims himself as the “future king of Extreme” and says his hairstyle is the way it is because he refuses to follow “the rest of the sheep” in ECW.

Labels: Tyson Kidd

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

Friday Night's SmackDown is what I feel the start of what we'll be seeing a lot more of up to WrestleMania XXV. That of course is main event type stars changing brands and being on other shows on a weekly basis to start building feuds and what not before Mania gets going.

Friday night we saw John Cena "chase" Edge and Vicki over to SmackDown, and it seems like the company is setting up for a Cena vs Edge match at Mania. I can't help but think though that Cena's opponent on Friday night - The Big Show, is going to be in the mix in some fashion. Can you say - triple threat?

I have always liked Cena-Show matches, and Friday's match again was good, but of course you knew that Edge would get involved, which of course allowed Show to get the win with the choke slam. Overall though good match.

The Hardy brothers back and forth was weak. Does anyone remember when Undertaker refused to fight his brother Kane back 11 years ago? We all know what happened there, as since then the two have fought some 5,000 times. Now we'll have that chararde with Jeff and Matt, which will lead to the match at Mania between the pair.

Seems like the age of the Undertaker is really starting to show. I was a bit stunned to see him lose to Kozlov, and clean was even more of a shock. Taker just is starting to look old, and he'll be 44 years old on March 24th. Sure, he'll wrestle for about another 5 years probably, but the years of abuse in the ring seem to be showing.

The US Title run with Chavo, MVP and Shelton Benjamin is a very good feud. I can't wait till they finally announce a three-way with these three at Mania, which really is a match they should make. Chavo got a win over Benjamin, but in the end, with the belt on the line, this will be a good match if it's made.

The Colon vs Miz/Morrison match was a good open, and I hope they have a series of more matches, as these four seem to work well together.

Overall, a good night on SmackDown, and again, with Mania getting closer and closer, it's time for all the WWE shows to start picking up big time.

Labels: edge, john cena, smackdown, the big show

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:09 AM | Permalink | Comments

RAW Superstar Rey Mysterio, who was not at the WWE TV tapings this past week, also will not be appearing at the WWE live events in the Northeast this weekend. We can’t confirm why Mysterio has been pulled from the shows yet, but the belief among some in WWE is that it was likely a personal situation he needed to address in San Diego, where he lives. Rey’s absence is not believed to be part of a suspension or injury.

Rey has re-signed with WWE recently, so he’s not going anywhere as far as we know. A planned autograph signing with the former WWE World Champion in Massapequa, NY will feature Chris Jericho instead.

We do know that Rey told a newspaper back in January that he and his wife were expecting their next child, so that may have something to do with it. We’ll keep you updated.

Labels: rey mysterio

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE announced yesterday that WrestleMania 26 will be hosted in Phoenix, AZ. The press conference WWE held yesterday is getting a lot of local media coverage in the area.

Vince McMahon, John Cena, Chris Jericho, Kofi Kingston, Kelly Kelly and Melina all appeared at the conference with officials from the city of Glendale, AZ, the Arizona Cardinals and Elaine Scruggs, the Glendale Mayor, who noted that WrestleMania would help pump a much needed $30-50 million into the local economy.

Vince McMahon put over the state of Arizona, saying it was a very special place and that it should be "quite the honeymoon and quite the marriage. Arizona and WrestleMania." The official theme for WrestleMania 26 will be "Destruction in the Desert" which is the tagline pushed in 2008 by local officials when they were trying to bring the show to their area.

Labels: vince mcmahon, wrestlemania 26

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:49 PM | Permalink | Comments

He was one of the most controversial superstars in history of sports entertainment, through his complicated relationship with Miss Elizabeth, his dramatic WWE championship tournament run at WrestleMania IV, the formation and explosive breakup of the MegaPowers with Hulk Hogan, his reign as the Macho King, and his shocking jump to WCW. “Macho Man” Randy Savage brought a chaotic poetry to the ring. He’s widely considered one of the finest in-ring competitors of all time, and his interviews were always a sight to behold. For the first time ever, fans can relive the entire storied career in Macho Madness: The Ultimate Randy Savage Collection, a 3-DVD set that spans two decades of exciting and intense matchups.

Disc 1

WWE Debut
Randy Savage vs. Rick McGraw
Prime Time Wrestling July 9, 1985

Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat
Boston Garden December 7, 1985

WWE Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan
Madison Square Garden December 30, 1985

WWE Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship
Randy Savage vs. Tito Santana
Boston Garden February 8, 1986

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Bruno Sammartino
Boston Garden January 3, 1987

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat
WrestleMania III March 29, 1987

Randy Savage vs. Honky Tonk Man
The Main Event February 5, 1988

WWE Championship Tournament Final
Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase
WrestleMania IV March 27, 1988

Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship
Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase
Madison Square Garden June 25, 1988

Disc 2

Randy Savage & Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant & Ted DiBiase
SummerSlam August 29, 1988

WWE Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan
WrestleMania V April 2, 1989

WWE Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan
The Main Event March 22, 1990

Randy Savage / Sherri vs. Dusty Rhodes / Sapphire
WrestleMania VI April 1, 1990

Retirement Match
Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior
WrestleMania VII March 24, 1991

Randy Savage vs. Jake Roberts
This Tuesday in Texas December 3, 1991

WWE Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair
WrestleMania VIII April 5, 1992

Disc 3

WWE Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Shawn Michaels
European Rampage April 19, 1992

Randy Savage / Bret Hart vs. Ric Flair / Shawn Michaels
Worcester, MA July 22, 1992

WWE Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Yokozuna
RAW February 28, 1994

Lifeguard Match
Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair
Bash at the Beach July 16, 1995

WCW Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair
Nitro January 22, 1996

Falls Count Anywhere Match
Randy Savage vs. Diamond Dallas Page
Great American Bash June 15, 1997

WCW Championship Match
Randy Savage & Sid Vicious vs. Kevin Nash & Sting
Bash at the Beach July 11, 1999

Labels: randy savage

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:07 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE officials have reached out to seven-time WWE Women's Champion Trish Stratus about returning for one more match at WrestleMania XXV, reports SLAM! Wrestling. If this were to happen, while it's a long shot, her probable opponent would be former WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool.

Labels: michelle mccool, trish stratus, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

Despite the fact that Mickey Rourke won "Best Actor" awards at the Golden Globes, BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) and the Award and Film Independent’s Spirit Award shows for his role as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in "The Wrestler", he came up short last night at the Academy Awards. The Best Actor Oscar was awarded to Sean Penn for his role in "Milk".

Telegraph.co.uk spoke to Mickey Rourke this weekend, who said he’d rather have more time with his beloved Chihuahua Loki, who passed away last week, than win an Oscar. "It's bittersweet. I said to myself I’d rather have Loki for another two years than an Oscar." He added, "She's the love of my life. She left me at a time where, after 18 years, she knew I'd be all right."

WWE.com has an article up today about the Oscar snub and notes that the actor plans to attend the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania as a guest of WWE.

Labels: Mickey Rourke

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

According to a report in the Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona has been picked to host WrestleMania 26. Next year's event will take place at the University of Phoenix Stadium.

It should be noted that the stadium is actually located in Glendale, Arizona. The NFL's Arizona Cardinals play at 65,000 seat stadium. The stadium also hosts college football's annual Fiesta Bowl.

WWE is expected to make an official announcement tomorrow.

Labels: wrestlemania 26

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

From WWE.com:

World Wrestling
Entertainment has come to terms on the release of Raw Superstar Manu as of February 23, 2009. WWE wishes Manu the best in all future endeavors.

source: PWInsider.com

EWE has parted ways with Raw Superstar Manu (real name Afa Anoa'i, Jr.). Regarding his release from the company - which was said to not be much of a surprise - officials were unhappy with his ring work, as well as his overall appearance, which led to his removal from Legacy. Manu had not been seen in several weeks, although the beginning of the end actually started on the last episode of Raw in 2008.

After Randy Orton grew tired of Legacy losing matches, he scheduled a test for each member on the December 29, 2008 episode of Raw; however, Manu failed to pass his test after he lost to the ECW Champion, Matt Hardy, and was kicked out as his former companions Rhodes and Sim Snuka turned their backs on him. Later, Snuka also got kicked out of the group, and the two quickly reunited. They planned to get their revenge on Orton and Rhodes on the January 12, 2009 episode of Raw, with the aid of the returning Ted DiBiase, but DiBiase betrayed them, and joined Legacy with Orton and Rhodes. Manu never appeared in a WWE ring again.

Following a tryout at Deep South Wrestling, WWE signed Anoa'i to a developmental contract in October 2006. Under the name Afa Jr., Anoa'i spent nearly two years in developmental. His stay in developmental was highlighted by a FCW Heavyweight Championship win on October 16, 2007. Afa Jr. defeated Harry "DH" Smith by countout (he was touring with WWE in UK at the time), to become the new FCW Heavyweight Champion. Afa Jr. would lose the belt to TJ Wilson on December 1, 2007 in a ladder match.

Anoa'i actually made his WWE television debut on November 19, 2007 at a Heat taping. Under the name Mai Tai Anoa'i, he lost to "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan.

On March 20, 2008, Anoa'i was suspended by WWE for violating the company's Wellness Policy. Reportedly, he attempted to cheat on a WWE drug test through the aid of a prosthetic penis. He was caught and as a result, suspended. Soon after, company officials adopted a policy for all talent to drop their pants to their ankles in front of the assigned doctor when taking a urine sample.

At last year's Unforgiven pay-per-view, Anoa'i made his debut on the full-time roster under the name "Manu". He aligned himself with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase, by attacking Cryme Tyme after their World Tag Team Championship match. Later that night, the three of them helped Randy Orton attack the World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk and Kofi Kingston.

Anoa'i, Jr. is a member of the legendary Anoa'i wrestling family. He is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Afa and brother of former Headshrinkers member Samu. Umaga's mother is the sister of Afa, which explains his relation to the SmackDown star.

Labels: manu

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

Hulk Hogan appeared on the Bubba the Love Sponge radio show
this morning and discussed rumors that he will appear at WrestleMania 25. He said he spoke with Vince McMahon on Sunday.

Hogan added that they had a friendly conversation and discussed the potential of Hogan donating his WrestleMania 25 payoff to John Graziano. However, they were unable to agree to a specific scenario. However, they kept the door open to doing something together in the future.

Labels: hulk hogan, vince mcmahon, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

For the past several months, Triple H has been rumored to play the leading role of "Thor" the movie that is set to begin filming in July.

A casting notice has been released by the producers asking for an actor in his 20s, however Triple H turns 40 years old on July 27. The casting notice describes the role as "physically powerful, very handsome, occasionally egotistical, petulant and wild".

Daniel Craig and Kevin McKidd have also been rumored for the role of a partially disabled doctor who becomes the hammer-wielding hero.

The movie is expected to arrive in cinemas a year after filming begins on July 16, 2010.

Labels: triple h

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

World Wrestling Entertainment contacted recently released employee Sgt. Slaughter to check up on his availability for a possible upcoming on-air appearance. A well-placed source said that the idea is to bring Sgt. Slaughter into the ongoing Chris Jericho storyline involving the WWE legends, reports ProWrestling.net.

Nothing has been confirmed on if WWE has anything planned for Sgt. Slaughter, however they have contacted him as well as other WWE Hall of Fame members to take part in the Chris Jericho storyline.

Labels: chris jericho, sgt.slaughter

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: chyna

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:44 AM | Permalink | Comments

One source close to the situation says that WWE’s creative team is going through a chaotic process trying to plan WrestleMania. They have one set of plans for if Mickey Rourke does agree to wrestle at WrestleMania, and another set of plans for if he does not. Mickey Rourke is holding back on making his decision until after this Sunday night’s Academy Awards, as it may hurt his chances at winning the Oscar. Rourke does have a legitimate concern, as the entertainment industry’s opinion of wrestling is still very low.

At this point in time, the only matches locked in for the big event are still HHH vs. Orton, Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy, and Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker. WWE wants obviously Rourke to face Jericho, but is trying to secure Hogan as a replacement opponent for Y2J should Rourke decline.

The days after the Academy Awards will be interesting, with more solid plans for WrestleMania 25 being put in place.

Labels: Mickey Rourke, WrestleMania XXV

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:43 AM | Permalink | Comments

Hulk Hogan is in talks with Vince McMahon about a match at WrestleMania. There was some word making the rounds backstage at No Way Out was that John Cena would be Hogan's opponent, but WWE clearly shook things up at the pay-per-view and started the Cena vs. Edge program on RAW. With Mickey Rourke's WrestleMania involvement still up in the air, there's now talk of Hulk Hogan wrestling Chris Jericho at WrestleMania as part of the ongoing "legends" storyline.

During today's Bubba the Love Sponge radio show, a caller asked Bubba if Hulk Hogan would be appearing at WrestleMania 25 since a number of WrestleMania moment clips on WWE television seem to feature him. Bubba said he knew why WWE was running the clips, but could not comment at this time. As many of you know, Bubba is one of Hogan's best friends. Seeing how he didn't deny anything, his silence on the matter should spark even more speculation on "The Hulkster" appearing at WrestleMania 25.

Labels: hulk hogan, WrestleMania XXV

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments

IGN.com revealed the final batch of characters for the upcoming Legends of WrestleMania video game this afternoon. According to the latest issue of WWE Magazine, the game includes 38 playable characters - the exact number of wrestlers that were revealed online. Following the final announcement, the complete Legends of WrestleMania roster is as follows:

Wrestlers
- Andre the Giant
- Animal
- Arn Anderson
- Bam Bam Bigelow
- Big Boss Man
- Big John Studd
- Bret Hart
- British Bulldog
- Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake
- Dusty Rhodes
- Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
- "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
- Hawk
- Honky Tonk Man
- Hulk Hogan
- Hunter Hearst Helmsley
- Jake "The Snake" Roberts
- Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
- Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
- Junkyard Dog
- Kamala
- King Kong Bundy
- Koko B. Ware
- Michael Hayes
- "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
- Mr. Perfect
- Nikolai Volkoff
- "Ravishing" Rick Rude
- Ric Flair
- "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
- Sgt. Slaughter
- Shawn Michaels
- "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
- The Iron Sheik
- The Rock
- Ultimate Warrior
- Undertaker
- Yokozuna

Managers (Non-playable)
- Bobby Heenan
- Jimmy Hart
- Mr. Fuji
- Paul Bearer

Labels: WWE Legends of WrestleMania

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:36 PM | Permalink | Comments

Matt Hardy has posted a blog talking about why he didn’t interfere with Jeff Hardy’s involvement in last night’s Elimination Chamber Match. Hardy wrote: “At No Way Out in Seattle, I gave you the opportunity to win the WWE Title inside of the Elimination Chamber. I listened very closely to what you had to say on Smackdown last week. You said you were going to “move on” and win the WWE Title regardless of what I wanted. You also mentioned that you hoped this issue between us will one day pass over.

So from the bottom of my heart, I didn’t interfere with your Elimination Chamber appearance and/or match. Nor did I need to.. You failed like you always do. I wanted to reinforce to everyone what a failure you truly are-how you can never pull through and succeed in a “big time” atmosphere. How you always choke. It’s nothing new though.”

Hardy added: “I’m afraid the WWE is not big enough for the both of us. I recommend you do the smartest thing possible for your life and livelihood right now. And that’s walk out of the WWE and my life. You have until Friday to make your decision.”

Labels: 2009 No Way Out, jeff hardy, matt hardy

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

Credit: PWInsider.com

According to a well-placed source in WWE, the following matches are being talked about for WrestleMania 25. As always during WrestleMania season, things can change at the drop of a dime, but these are the current plans:

- Hulk Hogan vs. John Cena

- Triple H vs. Randy Orton (WWE Championship Match)

- Edge vs. Big Show (WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match)

- Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker

- Chris Jericho vs. Mickey Rourke

- Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy

Regarding the possibility of Hogan vs. Cena at WrestleMania, it has not yet been confirmed, but feelers have been sent Hogan’s way about doing the match.

Labels: hulk hogan, john cena, shawn michaels, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments

WWE officials worked hard this past weekend to make sure the fact that Edge was going to be working both Elimination Chamber matches and winning the World Heavyweight Title didn’t leak to the internet. Vince McMahon was furious that word got out that Christian Cage was supposed to play the role of the guy who attacked Jeff Hardy all those times, which led to Matt Hardy getting Christian’s spot on SmackDown.

To make sure nobody on the WWE crew knew what was going to happen, they put a huge tarp over the Elimination Chamber on Sunday afternoon so nobody else in the building could see the WWE Superstars in the ring planning out the matches.

Labels: 2009 No Way Out, edge, matt hardy

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

As of right now, the only matches set in stone for WrestleMania 25 are Triple H vs. Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy, and Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker.

Mickie Rourke is telling people that he won’t be attending WrestleMania 25, but WWE is expecting him to change his mind after the Academy Awards on Sunday. If Rourke still doesn’t bite, WWE has laid out a possible backup plan where Chris Jericho will beat down a number of legends week after week on RAW, building up to a big match with Hogan at WM 25.

If Rourke did come through to face Jericho, that would free up Hogan to then wrestle someone like John Cena. Cena is currently involved in a program with Edge which COULD lead them right into WrestleMania. It all really depends on Rourke and what he chooses to do AFTER Sunday’s Oscars. He doesn’t want to risk not getting an Oscar due to taking part in a WWE angle. Rourke’s concerns are legitimate, as the entertainment industry still has a very negative view on wrestling.

Also, expect the annual tradition of Money in the Bank matches at WrestleMania to continue this year.

Labels: chris jericho, hulk hogan, john cena, Mickey Rourke, WrestleMania XXV

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Shad Gaspard was not selected as a participant for the Royal Rumble because of his lack of improvement. John Laurinaitis met with Gaspard and told him WWE officials are not impressed with his progress. The general feeling backstage is that Gaspard's inability to improve could hurt his tag partner JTG's stance with the company unless they have plans to use him as a singles wrestler.

Gaspard's poor performance at house shows could be the reason Cryme Tyme has loss so many televised matches.

Labels: shad gaspard

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: PWInsider.com

It is expected for the new WWE Champion Triple H to move to the Raw brand since Smackdown has two champions. He moved to Smackdown to help the show make a smooth transition to the new network, and with MyNetworkTV becoming a rerun network and Raw ratings slipping, a move to Raw will boost the ratings leading up to WrestleMania.

With the recent tease of Stephanie McMahon talking to someone on the phone, Triple H will be revealed as the person she has been talking to. Randy Orton could put Stephanie in danger and Triple H would run out to save her. Vickie Guerrero and Stephanie will meet and agree to swap their champions.

Labels: stephanie McMahon, triple h

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE officials are putting Edge and Matt Hardy together as a new tag team as the two are booked on some house shows coming up, but with Edge winning the World Title there’s no telling if that still stands.. The two SmackDown wrestlers were told ahead of time before the recent house show line-ups were announced that they wanted them together as a tag team for the house show run leading up to WrestleMania. Pre-Mania house show plans have Matt Hardy & Edge against Jeff Hardy & Undertaker, with Triple H taking on Big Show, and Carlito & Primo Colon defending their tag titles against Jesse & Festus. Again, with the big turn of events at the PPV last night, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Labels: edge, matt hardy

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:51 PM | Permalink | Comments

- During the No Hold Barred match at the WWE No Way Out PPV between Randy Orton and Shane McMahon, Orton was busted open the hard-way when he got hit in the face with a television monitor by Shane McMahon. He needed stitches backstage after the match.

- Shane McMahon was taken to a hospital after his match against Randy Orton. WWE claimed that he was going in and out of consciousness. Obviously, this is only a storyline.

- Prior to the live WWE No Way Out pay-per-view broadcast, WWE Women’s champion Melina defeated Beth Phoenix in a dark match.

Labels: 2009 No Way Out, randy orton, shane mcmahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:49 PM | Permalink | Comments

Yes, No Way Out is in the books, and while the booking of the show as a little strange in that the SmackDown title chamber match was first, we all know now as to why that was done. It was done that so that Edge could make his way into the RAW match, and with the help of Chris Jericho and Rey Mysterio beat John Cena to eventually take the World Heavyweight title.

Now with that over, we get a more clear picture as to where things will likely stand for WrestleMania XXV. On the SmackDown side, it looks as if we'll see Triple H vs Undertaker for the WWE title, in what should be a great match, and a rematch of the two from their WrestleMania X-Seven match in Houston a couple of years ago.

On the RAW side, I am willing to bet we'll have an Edge-John Cena-Randy Orton title match, as it's only right to have some sort of three-way for the World Heavyweight title. If they really want to throw a curve ball, they could put Edge vs Orton together if they want to turn Edge, but that seems unlikely.

On the other hand, they could have a huge four-way title match with Triple H, Edge, Randy Orton and John Cena, but again, that seems to go out of the realm of what the WWE usually does.

In any case, the lead up to Mania has just become a LOT more interesting.

Labels: edge, john cena, randy orton, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

Evan Bourne is expected to return to action next month. Another WWE Superstar set to return soon is Mr. Kennedy. Word going around is that Kennedy will be ready to return to action in about two weeks.

Labels: Evan Bourne, mr. kennedy

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

As you can see from the poster front and center - this very well could mean the return of upcoming WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin. Now who Austin will go up against is a whole other story. Of course this poster could also very well be a fake.

Labels: steve austin, WrestleMania XXV

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

CM Punk was interviewed in the "Cash For Questions" section in the latest issue of WWE Magazine One of the questions asked was, "Did The Miz steal your nickname, as in CM: Chick Magnet?" Punk responsed with the following: "C'mon, why would I have such a ridiculous nickname? If you must know, CM is short for "Chicago Made" End of Story."

Labels: cm punk

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

Relive, rewrite or redefine the greatest moments in WWE history. Participate in historic matches from the first 15 WrestleMania events and recreate the outcome, reverse it or adjust the scope of the match to create history and secure your spot in the WWE Hall of Fame!

The game comes out on March 24th, but you can pre-order your copy today!

Available for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

I thought it was really disturbing to read the accounts of what took place on Saturday when a fan rushed up and pounded on Chris Jericho's car as he was trying to leave the arena in BC. Then a fired up Jericho shoved the fan as you could see from the videos we have posted below, and it seemed that Y2J got a bad rap as he was simply trying to leave the arena in one piece, and a mad dash of fans were getting up in his face.

I don't know why fans feel they have the right to jump on, or even in this case, stop wrestlers in their cars as they are trying to leave arenas. It's not like they are immune to getting into accidents, and I could see what would happen if a wrestler on accident ran over a fan acting like a fool and rushing up to a WWE Superstars car.

So a word to the wise - leave these guys (and girls for that matter) alone. At the end of the day, they simply don't want you getting in their way, and while many are nice, some are also tired and want to get from A to B without a mad rush of fans slamming on their cars. It would have been nice to have seen a few of the idiots on Saturday get arrested, as to me - Jericho was simply trying to get out of the arena safely. It was a shame that the idiot fans wouldn't let it happen.

Labels: chris jericho

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

The original plan for WrestleMania was to be Chris Jericho vs. Mickey Rourke in some form of boxing match, with Ric Flair in the corner of Rourke. That may still happen, but if Rourke ends up not coming back into the angle, there are two ways the angle could go. The first is the Jericho vs. Flair match, which seems to be already teased. The second is a match between Chris Jericho and Steve Austin. Austin reportedly says Jericho is one of the few people he would trust to have a match with at this point, and also, it would play into Jericho’s recent promo work, where he made fun of “washed up Hall of Famers.”

There is belief among some that Rourke is just holding off until the Academy Awards are over on February 22nd to see if he wins an award for The Wrestler.

Labels: chris jericho, Mickey Rourke, WrestleMania XXV

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:58 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE sent out the following press release today in response to the press release from MyNetworkTV that’s also below.

STAMFORD, CT – February 9, 2009 – In light of today’s announcement by MyNetworkTV, World Wrestling Entertainment® officials are certain that SmackDown has a bright future.

WWE SmackDown, airing on Friday nights at 8:00/7:00 PM Central on MyNetworkTV, is the number one program on Friday nights on all broadcast television for males under the age of 50, including the key advertiser demos, M12-17 and M18-34.

WWE SmackDown will enter its 10th consecutive year this Fall, attesting to the popularity and longevity of the brand.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

- Here’s the earlier press release from MyNetworkTV earlier:

NEW YORK (AP) - In a sign of the economic times, My Network TV says it will essentially become a rerun network next fall except for professional wrestling.

The move shows how the tough advertising climate is affecting television. Instead of developing new programs, it will show reruns of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and other series.

My Network TV will also stop programming on Saturday nights, leaving that night to their affiliates and owned stations.

Labels: smackdown

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

Updated advertisements for the SmackDown/ECW tapings this Tuesday night in Fresno, CA at the Save Mart Center include Edge vs. Jeff Hardy in a Steel Cage match, The Undertaker vs. Triple H vs. Big Show vs. Vladimir Kozlov and Matt Hardy vs. Rey Mysterio.

Rey always appears when WWE is in the area and the Fatal Fourway sounds like it may actually happen, seeing how it's the final SmackDown before No Way Out and the Elimination Chamber.

Next week's ECW on Sci-Fi will not be taped Monday night before RAW, but will air live on Tuesday night before the SmackDown tapings begin.

Labels: matt hardy, rey mysterio

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments

According to multiple reports, Chris Jericho was involved in an altercation with multiple fans as he was leaving the arena following yesterday's Raw brand house show in Victoria, British Columbia. A female fan spat on him while he was getting into his car, which provoked an incensed Jericho to strike at the girl and knock her to the ground. At that point, a man in the crowd rushes in to attack Jericho, but he shoves him away. It then turns into a melee, and Jericho can he heard scolding security to do their job.

Labels: chris jericho

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments

We can confirm the following names for WWE’s upcoming Legends of WrestleMania video game:

* Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Steve Austin, Undertaker, The Rock, Roddy Piper, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Jerry Lawler, Ultimate Warrior, Ted DiBiase, Mr. Perfect, Brutus Beefcake, Yokozuna, Haku, Jake the Snake, Rick Rude, British Bulldog, Bobby Heenan, Jim Ross, Sgt. Slaughter, Ricky Steamboat, Honky Tonk Man, Earthquake, Gene Okerlund, Road Animal, Road Warrior Hawk, Jimmy Hart, Iron Sheik, Tito Santana, Gorilla Monsoon, Mr. Fuji, Virgil, Howard Finkel and Joey Marella as referee.

Labels: WWE Legends of WrestleMania

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:43 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross has posted his latest blog entry, which you can check out at jrsbarbq.com. Highlights from this entry:

- Lots of speculation out there in the internet world about Trish Stratus wrestling Beth Phoenix at WM25 including an interview that the lovely, Canadian lass made a few days ago. Personally, I have zero knowledge of such a match but would love to see Trish at WM25 or any other time for that matter even though it would seem the Raw announcers would get to call that match. I can only suggest to stay tuned to Monday Night Raw as I do for any new developments. As a fan, it feels like a good pairing (no pun intended) if it ends up going that way.

- We touted the Starrcade DVD in an honest and straight forward way when I received the rough cut of the DVD and now Starrcade is the #1 seller on DVD charts. One can really tell the amount of quality, main event depth back in Starrcade’s hey day and the lack of said depth is something we bemoan here perhaps too much.

- All of the sudden there is all this talk about whether or not the WWE will have a Diva in Playboy prior to Wrestlemania. First of all, I do not know. I do seriously doubt it, however. I am more interested in the WM25 card than I am about who may be “tastefully nude” in Playboy Magazine.

- Enough of the emails on how much some “HATE” the fact that the WWE is now rated PG. First of all, hate is a strong word to use and unfortunately it is used to much in our society today. Think about this for a second. The WWE has pulled back on some elements of their content to make it more family friendly but many aspects of the shows will still remain edgy. Nonetheless we are still talking about a TV show here and if a viewer “hates” a TV show SO much because of what they perceive to be philosophical changes then why doesn’t one simply eliminate the anguish and watch something else on the tube? No, I don’t want any wrestling show to lose viewers but there is no reason to watch any thing on television and then bitch and moan about it every week. Or am I missing something?

Labels: beth phoenix, jim ross, trish stratus, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments

Ric Flair will likely be inducting Ricky Steamboat into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. The rumor going around WWE, while not confirmed, is that Vince McMahon will be inducting Steve Austin. Given the history Austin and McMahon have, it fits.

Labels: 2009 WWE Hall of Fame, ricky steamboat, steve austin

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

ContactMusic.com is reporting that “Oscar winner JENNIFER HUDSON’s fiance is in training to become a WWE wrestling superstar. Former Harvard Law School graduate and reality TV star David Otunga has landed a developmental contract at Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE’s developmental league in Tampa. His WWE debut has yet to be finalized, but the pumped-up tough guy hopes to be in the ring by the end of the year.”

This news was reported sometime last year and I actually heard recently from someone in the entertainment industry that Otunga had changed his mind about what he wanted to do in his professional life. So we’ll see.

Labels: David Otunga

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Here is a highlight from Jim Ross’ latest blog entry at JRsBarBQ.com with some interesting thoughts on The Nature Boy’s return.

Ric Flair will be making a special appearance on Monday Night Raw this week (you weren’t naive enough to think that a huge star like Naitch would show up on Friday Night Smackdown for a special guest appearance would you?) As the past has taught us, retired wrestlers rarely make guest appearances on wrestling programs unless they are promoting something, like a book, or they are perhaps going to stick their toe back in the water in some form. I have no idea what is on Flair’s agenda but I am certainly going to change my travel plans to Fresno so I can be there to watch Raw on Monday night prior to taping another Smackdown doubleheader on Tuesday. Flair is still an amazing personality who can verbalize as well as any one in the business today, past or present. As a fan I would pay good, hard earned money any time to hear the Nature Boy step into the ring and listen to Flair speak on any subject with the passion and emotion that helped make Ric famous. Ric Flair, veins popping, with his face beet red and eyes bulging is still great TV and will transcend young fans and their baby booming Dads and Moms.

The issue for me is that I don’t want to see Naitch wrestle again not just one year after retiring. I think Ric keeps himself more special and his retirement, which was an entertainment and emotional work of art, special and an ever lasting memory in the minds of fans worldwide. To see Ric manage someone, be a guest Ref, etc works for me personally.

I would love to see Ric Flair have a role at WM25 in Houston because having the greatest wrestler who ever lived at the year’s biggest event just makes sense. You wouldn’t believe all the NFL greats that were at the Super Bowl on Sunday to be showcased by the National Football League to their loyal fans.

Ric Flair makes any event bigger and his star still shines brightly in my eyes but, simply as a fan, I would rather remember Ric Flair the wrestler, no pun intended, as he was and enjoy his antics and machinations in other forms at an event like Wrestlemania if that indeed is a potential destination for the incomparable “Nature Boy.”

Labels: jim ross, ric flair

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments

WWE officials were upset when word got out about Matt Hardy’s heel turn that was done at the Royal Rumble. The news was reported all over the internet that weekend and they were especially pissed because they apparently changed the original idea because it was leaked.

Labels: 2009 royal rumble, matt hardy

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:42 AM | Permalink | Comments

Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Several pushed for Manu to be kicked out of The Legacy, most notably, Randy Orton. The feeling is that he isn’t in the same league or had the same amount of potential as others in the group, and didn’t really fit in as a result.

Many believe the group would be better off with Orton, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase and possibly DH Smith. Although plans for Smith are on hold at the moment.

Considering that he’s no longer apart of Legacy, many feel Manu’s WWE future could be bleak to say the least. There isn’t much information going around on what plans the company has, or had, for Manu and we’ll have to wait see where they go with him.

Labels: cody rhodes, manu, randy orton

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments

Here is the current card for No Way Out:

World Title Elimination Chamber
John Cena vs. Mike Knox vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Kane

WWE Title Elimination Chamber
Edge vs. Triple H vs. The Undertaker vs. Big Show vs. TBD vs. TBD

No Holds Barred Match
Shane McMahon vs. Randy Orton

Winner Takes All Match
Shawn Michaels vs. JBL

ECW Championship Match
Jack Swagger vs. Finlay

Labels: 2009 No Way Out, shane mcmahon, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

As usual, the McMahon family has put themselves first in a storyline, and it's not a good thing. Of course I am talking about the "feud" between Shane McMahon and Randy Orton, and the impending match they will have in a few weeks at the PPV - No Way Out. The build to the feud came to a head on Monday night, as both Shane and Steph were attacked by Legacy, building to Steph getting the Undertaker to come to RAW for a match with Randy next week.

This feud is typical McMahon. Orton is the hottest heel in the ring right now, and they should be building to what could be a hot title match with John Cena at WrestleMania 25 in a few months in Houston. Instead, they are going to have him beat Shane, but at the same time, he will struggle with him, and probably need help from his pals to get it done, which stinks in my eyes.

Instead of that, they should have Orton in a feud with another main event type star, beating that star at the PPV to give him more momentum for the main event at Mania. Why the McMahon's keep forcing themselves into feuds like this really is mind boggling, haven't we seen these types of feuds blow up before?

In the end, this is a bad idea. Yes, the match at the PPV is going to be good - why? Becuase Shane is a major, big time bump machine and with it being a no-DQ match, they will go the limit with weapons and what not. But, when it's all said and done, this is a feud that could totally derail Orton on his way to the biggest match of his career.

Labels: 2009 No Way Out, randy orton, shane mcmahon, stephanie McMahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE.com posted the following statement regarding Mickey Rourke’s assumed match against Chis Jericho at Wrestlemania 25 in Houston Texas. He will not wrestle, but will be in attendance:

“We are pleased that Mickey Rourke will be in attendance at WrestleMania to support the WWE Superstars who support him and the film in which he stars, The Wrestler. While Rourke will not be participating, the actor looks forward to his attendance”

It appears that WWE were pushing for a match, but Rourke has been advised by his publicist not to participate because it could put his Academy Award hopes in jeopardy

Labels: chris jericho, Mickey Rourke, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments

SLAM! Wrestling conducted an interview with former WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus at an autograph signing this past Tuesday in downtown Toronto. Stratus was signing copies of Inside Fitness magazine and wrestling memorabilia for her loyal fans.

Stratus discussed her one-off appearance on Raw last month. She said she practiced her “Matrix” move “at least 40 times” prior to the show (which she used against opponent Santino Marella) to make sure she could still do it. Stratus also said it would be hard to pass off wrestling at WrestleMania 25. Stratus said she had not been contacted about appearing, but left the impression that something could come together in the future.

“I would definitely like the chance to finish off what I started with Beth in a one-on-one scenario,” Stratus said. “No tagging out, no Santino shenanigans, just one dominant female against the other.”

Stratus also said she wouldn’t mind wrestling another WWE Diva in Natalya.

“Nattie I think is going to be a major player soon, given the right chance to do what she does best,” Stratus said. “Everyone knows how much I respect the Hart lineage, using Bret’s sharpshooter in my retirement match, wearing the pink and black boots in Toronto … it’s not a coincidence. So I would be honoured to face someone who is a part of that legacy and I have no doubt in my mind that we could blow away an audience.”

Stratus also wanted fans to know that she does not have a page on Facebook as there are a number of pages impersonating her on the social networking site. However, she does indeed have a page on MySpace.com.

“It would be great to clear up that I can be found on MySpace only. I am not on Facebook. That way no one is duped into thinking they are communicating with me when they are not,” Stratus said to make things clear.

Labels: beth phoenix, trish stratus

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

WWE’s website has a new story on Mickey Rourke appearing at WrestleMania 25. They mention the e-mail from his publicist the other day stating that he would not be participating in WrestleMania, instead focusing on his acting career. WWE has confirmed that Rourke will not be participating in ‘Mania but are saying they have “invited the actor to the event and looks forward to his attendance – as a guest of the company.”

Labels: Mickey Rourke, WrestleMania XXV

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments

The on-again off-again “Macho Man” Randy Savage ‘best of’ DVD collection appears to be back on again. After WWE announced the project last year but later pulled it, WWE’s Canadian DVD distributor (KOCH) is listing a 3-DVD Randy Savage WWE set titled “Macho Madness” for release on June 9th.

Labels: randy savage

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:21 PM | Permalink | Comments