During this afternoon’s WrestleMania XXX press conference at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City, Eve Torres and Kelly Kelly revealed four of the six past WWE Divas scheduled to take part in the 25-Diva Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXV. The four Divas announced for the battle royal are Torrie Wilson, Victoria, Molly Holly and Sunny. As a result, three spots are left in the match.

Labels: kelly kelly, torrie wilson, victoria

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:42 PM | Permalink | Comments

Former ECW World Heavyweight Champion Tazz has left WWE after his contract with the company expired. Tazz actually gave notice to WWE that he was leaving a few weeks ago, so the departure was his decision. While saying his goodbyes, he was telling people at the WWE TV tapings last night that he needed a break and that it was time to go home and recharge his batteries.

As far as what's next for Tazz, there is always that chance he can come back to WWE one day. As far as we know, he is leaving on good terms. Independent bookings like conventions or signings are a possibility but sources close to Tazz don’t expect to see him taking up a bunch of different independent dates because he always seemed against that. Also don't look for Tazz to be wrestling in a ring because of the injuries from his past. Tazz has had tryouts with talk radio stations in the past, so a career in the talk radio field is possible.

Labels: tazz

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:41 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE has notified the presenters and inductees for the Hall of Fame that they will be on a strict time schedule. Presenters will have a three-minute introduction and inductees will have ten minutes to speak.

Steve Austin will headline the one-hour Hall of Fame special on USA Network on Saturday and Ricky Steamboat could be the other featured inductee according to Jim
Ross.

"The 2009 WWE Hall of Fame show on USA will center around Stone Cold Steve Austin and perhaps Ricky Steamboat considering Ricky is directly involved with WM25 in the 'Legends Match' vs. Chris Jericho," Ross said on jrsbarbq.com.

Labels: 2009 WWE Hall of Fame, chris jericho

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

As reported earlier, WWE Studios’ latest feature film, 12 Rounds, is estimated at doing $5.3 million for the weekend. This is far below what WWE executives had initially projected. Going into the weekend, internal expectations were at a $10.1 million opening. The film’s distributer, 20th Century Fox, then lowered WWE’s expectations to a more realistic figure — $7.5 million. Following opening night, expectations were lowered once again — to $5.5 million. Then yesterday’s numbers came in and the movie is projected to finish with a $5.3 million weekend.

HollywoodReporter.com revealed the type of audience that saw 12 Rounds over the weekend. According to them, the John Cena-centered film drew audiences comprised 57% of males, with 53% of patrons aged 25 and older.

Movie executives said exit polls showed patrons responded positively to the WWE feature film, which in their eyes, could bode well for its word-of-mouth prospects over the next two weekends.

“Hopefully, we have momentum to play through Easter,” Fox Senior VP Distribution Bert Livingston said.

Labels: 12 rounds, john cena

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

The Sun out of the UK has a new interview with RAW Superstar Kane today. You can read the full interview at this link but here are the highlights:

Watching Raw and Smackdown this week has really given us a taste for WrestleMania especially Shawn Michaels against your storyline brother Undertaker. Is that what the boys in the back consider as the real main event of the show?

Yeah, I think so, especially for me. They’ve had very few previous matches and to put them in a bout at WrestleMania just means so much more. And both are going to genuinely be out to prove something, as both could legitimately claim that title of Mr WrestleMania.

And remember that Undertaker has never defeated Shawn Michaels in a one-on-one match. But none of those – including the one where I made my debut back in 1997 – were at WrestleMania, where Undertaker is always at his best. So you are going to see be a tremendous match between two future Hall Of Famers that will be a once in a lifetime event for our fans.

So what’s your relationship with Mark Calaway like? Is he like a big brother to you in real life?

Undertaker’s helped a lot of people, myself included. I wouldn’t be in the position that I’m at if it wasn’t for him. He’s a stabilizing force backstage and he’s always helping the young guys out and passing on his knowledge and his expertise. So I’d say so but, I’d also say that I’m not the only one he’s a mentor to.

What’s the atmosphere in the locker room like, because the last few years have been terrible for the wrestling community? Is the morale quite low at the moment?

No, not really. We get to do what we love to do and go out and perform in front of our fans. It’s just like everything else. Looking at things from the outside you probably have a different perspective then when you are actually there.

Our company has done a tremendous job of trying to get the sort of people that you would want to work for you, that you’d want to represent your company, into our company. And because of that the locker room is actually pretty harmonious. I would say actually that morale is very high, is as high as I’ve ever seen it.

Finally we’ve talked a bit about two matches at WrestleMania, what are your thoughts and predictions on the rest of the card?

Randy Orton is a snake and Triple H is at the top of his game, so I think you’re going to see Triple H retain his title. In the Big Show v Edge v John Cena match I’m going to go with Show on that one, because he’s physically so strong.

Matt and Jeff Hardy is a toss up. It’s two brothers so who knows what is going to happen there. Miz and Morrison will unify the titles and there are too many Divas in the battle royal for me to have any idea who will be the victor. As for Money In the Bank – I’ll win that one of course!

Labels: kane, undertaker, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:11 PM | Permalink | Comments

- WWE sent out the following earlier:

‘WWE® Encyclopedia’ Debuts #10 on The New York Times Bestseller List

STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In the first week of its release, the WWE Encyclopedia, a collection of 900 entries profiling WWE personalities from every era, has entered The New York Times Bestseller list at Number 10 for April 5th, 2009.

WWE Encyclopedia is the only official encyclopedia to chronicle WWE. In addition to its debut on The New York Times’ Advice, How To and Miscellaneous bestseller list, it was also Number One on the Sports & Recreation Charts, according to Nielsen Bookscan week ending 3/22/09.

DK Publishing CEO Gary June commented, “When WWE came to us looking to publish a reference that stood up to the energy, visual impact, and drama of WWE’s storied history, we knew we would have to produce a book that surpassed the available information online. DK’s distinctive visual treatment was a perfect match, and the fan response is proving that.”

Published to coincide with the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania® live from Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX this Sunday and on Pay-Per-View, WWE Encyclopedia (DK Publishing, Hardcover, April 2009, $45) is the book the WWE Universe has been anticipating for decades to get up close and personal with their favorite WWE Superstars.

DK Publishing is world renowned for its distinctive, highly visual books that inform, inspire, and entertain readers of all ages. Publisher of the recent New York Times bestsellers Do Not Open, relationship expert Dr. Laura Berman and Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Visual Guide among others, DK also publishes the award-winning Eyewitness series for children and Eyewitness Travel Guides. Brady Games and Rough Guides are also available from DK, a division of Penguin Group (USA).

Labels: WWE Encyclopedia

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:11 PM | Permalink | Comments

In a new interview with MTV News, John Cena has challenged The Rock to a match at WrestleMania 26. Cena hasn't officially challenged The Rock but says he would like to get him in the ring. "I've been trying to wrestle him," Cena told MTV's Josh Horowitz at a Cold Stone Creamery in New York City. "It's not that he won't accept the challenge. He truly has a full plate."

"What a better showdown - Dwayne Johnson - or The Rock or whatever he wants to be called - versus John Cena at, let's say, WrestleMania 26," Cena said. "I'm not even saying I'm going to win. He's a hell of an athlete. God-given ability. One of the nicest people ever to grace a WWE ring. I'd just like to get him back for a night."

Labels: john cena, the rock

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:09 PM | Permalink | Comments

Reviewed by Steven Wilson of MainEventRadio.com

Leading up to the release of 12 Rounds starring John Cena the WWE refused to screen the film for film critics. Similar treatments were given to their previous film’s however See No Evil premiered at film festivals before it was wide released and thus fans got a chance to know what to expect. For 12 rounds we instead faced a barrage of promo’s and commercials on WWE television trying to convince their dwindling number of marks to show up in droves in hopes of this not being another one of their films “Condemned” to major financial loss. A review in the Herald Sun in Australia called the film “a big dumb lug of an action movie fronted by a big dumb lug named John Cena” and went on to say acting was no friend of the professional wrestler. Despite this I decided to head out and watch the film and although its far from being a smash hit, its not as bad as those at the Herald has made it out to be. For those wondering there are no major spoilers in my review, there is some details on how the story forms but nothing that would ruin the movie for you so please feel free to read on.

I arrived at the theater while the previews were rolling and took a quick look around couting about 15 to 20 heads in the large Montreal theater I was watching the film in. With the way the cinema industry is nowadays I was not too surprised but I thought more Cena marks would of shown up that 15. Irregardless the film begins as the FBI is in the middle of an attempted capture of crafty criminal named Miles Jackson, who has eluded the FBI’s reach for years. It does not take long for the action to get going, the opening 15 minutes of the film is pretty much a non stop blitz of chasing action. Cena, who is a local police officer in the lower 9 of New Orleans eventually plays a major role in the capture of the criminal, but not without the casualty of the Jackson’s accomplice. It’s because of this that Jackson (played by Aidan Gillen) swears that he will get revenge. Flash forward a year later and Cena’s character is now a detective of the New Orleans Police department, and his life quickly spirals into hell when he gets the call from Jackson informing him that he has escaped from prison, and has just kidnapped Cena’s girlfriend, and if he wants to have any chance of seeing her again he has to enter a game of 12 deadly rounds through the city of New Orleans.

Running an hour and 48 minutes the film is definitely action packed. Most action films will have its spurts of action followed by a slow down but 12 Rounds almost never takes a breather. It’s evident that the WWE wanted to keep the viewers on the edge of their seat and if you’re an action mark then the action itself will not let you down. Of course there is those moments where you say to yourself what you just saw is impossible, but much like watching wrestling you need to suspend your beliefs every once in a while and let it slide.

The acting on the other hand is a whole other barrel of monkeys. Much like The Marine this film is made by the strong performance of the villain. Aidan Gillen’s character is sophisticated and twisted. Your likely to remember his performance more than anything. Meanwhile John Cena’s performance, while not horrible, is nothing special either. I feel as though they went to great stretches to make sure that Cena's character stay typical to avoid any sort of major criticism, but in the end it caused him to be outshined by Gillen.

Ultimately I would call this a “wait for the DVD” movie. The film is unlikely to rake it in from the box office numbers but is likely to move a decent amount of DVD’s and while some may question why the WWE would even bother to continue putting out theatrical releases instead of straight to DVD, as long as it breaks even with DVD sales it really doesn’t matter what the critics say.

12 Rounds starring John Cena is in theaters now. For more information check out www.12rounds-movie.com and to read my previous reviews check out www.wrestlingdvdreviews.vze.com

Labels: 12 rounds, john cena, steve wilson

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:23 PM | Permalink | Comments

One former WWE creative team member tells the PWTorch.com Newsletter that the Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy feud will likely be a short one. “The fact that they’re doing a gimmick match (at WrestleMania 25) tells me that this is it,” he said. “They won’t be going to SummerSlam like Bret and Owen (Hart).”

Labels: jeff hardy, matt hardy

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:07 AM | Permalink | Comments

Some people in WWE are pushing for Lilian Garcia to take part in the Divas Battle Royal at WrestleMania 25 as a rib, but that doesn’t mean it will happen. Besides a few angles over the years and a Gown vs. Tuxedo match against Howard Finkel in 2002, Lilian hasn’t had any matches that I can think of.

On a related note, another Diva with not much experience will be performing in the Battle Royal at WrestleMania. ECW’s Tiffany has wrestled in WWE developmental but since being called up to the main roster, she has only had one match. Tiffany took part in a 16 Diva tag match on the 800th episode of RAW but probably didn’t even make it in the ring.

Labels: howard finkel, lilian garcia

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments

It’s WrestleMania time and the drama within WWE is still running wild. Vince McMahon has flipped out more recently including blown gaskets regarding the buzz for the Chris Jericho WrestleMania match. Vince lost his mind when the 1.9 SmackDown rating from two weeks ago came in and has been saying one of his goals for the WWE Draft is to make RAW better.

There’s a feeling in WWE that considering how thick the SmackDown roster is right now plus appearances by RAW talents, a 1.9 rating is pretty embarrassing. Vince has been name-dropping Bruce Prichard lately as a possible addition to the SmackDown writing team to help Michael Hayes. The head of WWE creative, Stephanie McMahon, hates Prichard and blows Vince off every time he brings the name up. Of course, in the end, if Vince wants Prichard back then he will have him back. We reported last year that Prichard was done with WWE but technically he is still under contract until June. It’s also known that Jeff Jarrett has brought Prichard up in TNA meetings so as June gets closer, Vince might change his mind on letting go of Prichard.

Labels: chris jericho, vince mcmahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:09 PM | Permalink | Comments

Vince McMahon was recently interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter to promote Wrestlemania 25 and ended up speaking on several subjects. Here are the highlights:

Whether WWE is concerned with TNA as competition: “My concern with TNA is not in terms of competition. My concern with TNA is that they are TV-14, and we are PG. They have to change with the times. I think some of the things they do on television are reprehensible, but it is a TV-14 rating. That’s the only bone I have to pick with them. Their TV ratings are a fraction of ours.”

Triple H’s use of a Sledgehammer in the Randy Orton home invasion on a PG program: “Right. What we try to do in situations like that is use things that you can’t find around the house. You will never see us use a baseball bat. You don’t find folding metal chairs around the house. We are very selective. You can go up to the line. It’s storytelling; that’s how our business thrives. If you have well-defined characters and put them in the right story line against other characters, people care about their welfare.”

On TV ratings weakening heading into WrestleMania: “Quite frankly our TV ratings have been very good. We averaged over a 4, I think, three weeks ago. Last week and the week before it was a bit less so because of a number of factors: how many people watched TV and one-off events. What you have to look at is our overall reach in the course of a week. On TV, we reach over 15 million people each and every week, 52 weeks a year.”

UFC’s impact on WWE: “Most people thought at one point that we would be competitors. But it turns out they are not competition to us at all, or hardly at all. They are sport, we are entertainment; it’s a huge difference. The revenue they have cut into is that of boxing.”

Labels: vince mcmahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:07 PM | Permalink | Comments

It appears as though that the “all-Divas” episode of ECW is still on.

In a segment taped for WWE Mobile on AT&T subscribers, ECW General Manager Theodore Long told his assistant, Tiffany, to submit a proposal for her idea of an all-Divas episode of ECW. Fellow Divas Alicia Fox, Katie Lea Burchill and Natalya then offered Tiffany plenty of ideas for the episode.

It should be noted that WWE will be taping all of next week’s programming at Monday’s Supershow at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. However, they will only have one hour to tape matches for SmackDown and ECW before Raw hits the air. It remains unclear if the April 3rd edition of Friday Night SmackDown will feature taped matches interspersed between live footage from the WWE Axxess event in Houston or if Monday’s show will be a regular Raw/ECW taping, in which case they’ll have enough time to tape ECW.

To add more confusion, the official website of the American Airlines Center has the show listed as “WWE presents SUPERSHOW,” but advertised as the “last RAW & ECW before Wrestlemania 25.” However, a number of SmackDown stars are advertised for the Raw/ECW taping including Triple H, Undertaker, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, MVP and Umaga.

Labels: jeff hardy, matt hardy, triple h, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments

As reported earlier, Big Show was originally earmarked to take part in the Money in the Bank Match at WrestleMania XXV, but Vince McMahon decided to put him in the World Heavyweight Championship bout instead. Mark Henry ended up taking place in the bout. Had Big Show stayed in the match, he was expected to win the briefcase.

McMahon felt they had done John Cena vs. Edge way too many times before, so he changed the bout to a three-way match by adding Big Show to it. Although, weeks worth of angles between Cena and Edge were shot before he came to this decision.

Labels: the big show, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

Hey Fans, if your not lucky enough to actually be at the Reliant Center for the most anticipated wrestling event of the year – The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania – you can watch it on Comcast Pay-Per-View. Be sure to catch this milestone event, a quarter-century in the making on April 5th at 7PM EST/4PM PT.

Leading up to the match Comcast has profiles of WWE superstars including The Rock, Bret Hart, Triple H and Edge available On Demand in the “Movies & Events” folder under “WrestleMania Icons.” You can also chat live with John Cena on April 1st at 3PM EST/12PM PT at www.Comcast.net/wrestling.

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:56 AM | Permalink | Comments

During this week’s edition of ECW on Sci Fi, WWE announced that long-time ring announcer Howard Finkel is the final inductee for this year’s WWE Hall of Fame. Below is the complete Hall of Fame Class for 2009:

* “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
To Be Inducted by: Vince McMahon

* Ricky Steamboat
To Be Inducted by: Ric Flair

* Bill Watts
To Be Inducted by: Jim Ross

* The Funks: Terry & Dory Jr.
To Be Inducted by: Dusty Rhodes

* Koko B. Ware
To Be Inducted by: The Honky Tonk Man

* The Von Erich’s
To Be Inducted by: Michael Hayes

* Howard Finkel
To Be Inducted by: Mean Gene Okerlnd

Labels: 2009 WWE Hall of Fame

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

The Times Colonist in Canada is reporting that no charges will be brought forth stemming from the February incident in British Columbia, Canada where fans swarmed Chris Jericho's rental car as he was leaving the Arena, leading to Jericho getting out of the car and into a physical confrontation with several fans. 20-year-old Ashley Levey, the woman seen in the videos, and her boyfriend, Kalen Johl, were arrested on assault charges but later released.

At the time, they claimed the incident was sparked by an alleged racist comment made by Jerico. Levey claimed in a previous Times Colonist article that Johl was heckling Jericho as he was driving away, leading to Jericho getting out of his vehicle, and making a racist comment to Johl, who is Asian. She also claimed Jericho shoved Johl, which led her to calling him a racist, at which point Jericho spit and punched her.

Although Levey stated that she wanted Jericho charged with assault, those charges were never brought forth. None of the video footage (taken from cell phone cameras) showed Jericho making any racist comments and there were wildly varying reports of the incident almost immediately.

Labels: chris jericho

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments

The Edge vs. Big Show match that took place on RAW this week was originally scheduled as the main event for the 500th SmackDown last week. Vince pulled it from SmackDown and put it on RAW after getting mad at Michael Hayes for trying to book a more loaded SmackDown with a major RAW vs. SmackDown interbrand match on top. Vince made a point about how there are more important things going on right now than the 500th SmackDown.

Labels: big show, edge, smackdown

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE still hasn't announced Vince McMahon as the person who will induct Steve Austin into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. It may be saved for an announcement this week on RAW or done as a surprise. There's also no word yet on which Hall of Famers will be shown on the USA Network special but the likely list is The Funks, Ricky Steamboat and Steve Austin. With the exception of Vince and Austin, everyone has been told by management to limit their speeches to three minutes this year.

Labels: 2009 WWE Hall Of Fame Induction, steve austin

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:54 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: wrestlemania

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

There are a lot of people within WWE who are negative on Koko B. Ware going into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, saying that it made everything less prestigious when the bar is lowered enough that a guy like Koko goes in. Other people point out some of the names that are already in the Hall and say the WWE Hall of Fame is what it is - people that Vince McMahon wants to honor or is convinced that year to honor someone who pushes hard enough.

Sources say there was less talk regarding the Hall of Fame this year than any year in a long time. Koko going in was a pet project of Brian Gewirtz that took a life of it's own. Even though WWE went with somewhat of a Texas theme year, it's said that the Von Erich family wouldn't be going in if it weren't for Michael Hayes. Most people who matter pushed for Ted DiBiase to be inducted this year but the belief is that he will go in at some point. When Howard Finkel was brought up this year, nobody expected it but Vince approved of the idea right out of the blue.

Apparently Sting's name came up this year during Hall of Fame talks and he actually got support from those involved which is funny because some people who were asked for input weren't even aware he was working for TNA. When Sting's career is over, WWE will likely do a DVD on him and find a spot for him in the Hall of Fame but don't look for any of that to happen while he's still working for TNA. Other names brought up this year included Honky Tonk Man, Jake Roberts, John Tenta, Paul Boesch, Bruiser Brod, One Man Gang, Big Bossman, Mil Mascaras, Stan Hansen and Tully Blanchard.

Labels: big bossman, honkey tonk man, koko b. ware

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

Former WWE Intercontinental Champion The Honky Tonk Man said that he will “Whip Ric Flair's A**” when he confronts him with the WWE Hall of Fame approaching. Honky Tonk Man will be inducting Koko B. Ware into this year’s Hall of Fame and Ric Flair will be inducting Ricky Steamboat.

"For the things he said about me in his book, I will finally get a chance to confront him in Conn. this coming Friday night. If he dodges me, I will confront him on Sunday night in Mass. If he dodges me again, I will confront him at HOF, and if he skates on me there I will catch him at Mania. I want to know why he says I would be nothing without a Hogan rub when I spent 12 years working main events before I went to WWE with out a Hogan rub and Flair knows that." Honky said on his official website, honkytonkman.net.

Labels: honkey tonk man

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

Long-time WWE ring announcer Howard Finkel will be inducted into this year’s WWE Hall of Fame by Mean Gene Okerlund. In Finkel's latest blog, he revealed who would be inducting him into the Hall of Fame and also commented on the induction.

Finkel said, “It is an elite honor to be recognized for what I have brought to the table, as it relates to the ring announcing that I have done through the years. I love what I do in the ring, am passionate about it, and continue to enjoy it today when the opportunity presents itself. Everything else that has happened to me from a standpoint of "ha-ha" (thanks for the term, Chief!) was what it was; that was all just a part of being "The Fink". I look forward to April 4, and am equally delighted that the one and only Mean Gene Okerlund will do the honors of presenting me on that evening.”

Fink's induction was announced on this week’s ECW on Sci Fi show.

Labels: howard finkel, mean gene okerlund

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:50 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross is back with another blog update over at jrsbarbq.com. Here are some of the highlights from this entry:

- Chris Jericho has done an amazing job in carrying the load for his upcoming WM25 bout apparently now against three legends, WWE HOF’ers Rowdy Roddy Piper and Jimmy “Super Fly” Snuka teaming with 2009 inductee Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. Jericho really turned up the steam on Monday night with a physical beat down of the still ultra popular Ric Flair that even had me squirming in my easy chair. Jericho’s TV persona is one of the easiest on WWE TV to dislike which, in the native of Winnipeg’s case, is a good thing. Jericho’s assault of Flair was uncomfortable and disturbing and will no doubt heighten the interest in Jericho’s Wrestlemania bout.

- One has to assume that WM25 will end with a title bout but one can also certainly make an argument for the match surrounding “The Streak” to close the show in Reliant Stadium but I would not wager on such a thing happening.

- I have been working on my induction speech for Cowboy Bill Watts entrance into the WWE Hall of Fame and keeping it under three minutes is going to be challenging but doable. Someone once said that yours truly couldn’t say “hello” in three minutes and they are probably correct. I just have to keep thinking “sound bytes” and I should be o.k.

- I would love to see WWE make a concerted effort to develop their Hall of Fame brand with signed merchandise including limited edition numbered and signed collectibles just like the Heisman Trophy winners do. I have a black, football helmet with every living Heisman trophy winner signature on in in a gold Sharpie. I know that as a fan and a collector that items such as this would be a hit in my house.

Labels: chris jericho, jim ross

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments

In a rare interview with Dave McCoy from MSN TV, Triple H talks about his relationship with Vince McMahon, prefers being a heel, crazy storylines, and more. Here are some of the highlights:

On WWE’s grueling schedule:
Sometimes people say, “It’s so rough, it’s so rough.” It’s not that bad. It used to be a lot worse. But I have two kids and I am home three days a week. But when you do go on the road, it’s hectic. You’re in a different city every day. You fly in to a new town, you do a show, you go to the next town, you sleep, you wake up and do it again. It’s basically just a series of transportation, to the gym, to the arena, to the plane.

What keeps fans coming back:
Entertainment. Sometimes I watch TV and I think, “Who watches this crap?” It’s OK, but it’s not exciting, it’s not entertaining — and I’m not saying we’re everyone’s cup of tea. I think there’s a large section of our population — more than people want to believe — that know what we are, want to be entertained. It’s like live comic books. You’ve got good guys and bad guys, good looking women and good looking men, music and pyro and you live out your fantasies with it. There’s this big anti-aggression sentiment, but when you’re a kid, that’s what you think about. You don’t think about picking daisies when you’re a 12-year-old boy; you think about being Batman or Spider-man, or John Cena or Triple H. From there, the story lines meld that all together and keep people involved and interested. Sometimes people look at the stories we do and say they are wacky, but it’s no more wacky than “Desperate Housewives.” I remember when that show first came on and hearing all about it. My wife was watching it and I sat down to watch a few minutes. I was like, “Are you kidding? This is the big rage? And they give us at hard time?”

Decision to reveal his marriage with Stephanie McMahon in storyline:
For story lines and business, we try to keep that stuff separate. But people knew and we joked about it when I was in DX [comic wrestling tag team formed with fellow superstar Shawn Michaels]. The only reason I was apprehensive is where do we go on the flip side of it. Look at it like this: There is the real world and the WWE Universe. So the cat is now out of the bag in the WWE Universe and it now exists there. So anything that has to do with me story-line-wise, you have to be conscious of the fact that I am married into the McMahon family. That throws a different curve into it. So my only concern was it tainting future story lines. Say something happens, and it’s like, “Well, why doesn’t he get that change through his father-in-law?” [Laughs.] We have created a wrinkle in the fabric of the WWE Universe.

Working for his father-in-law Vince McMahon:
Well, the good thing is I had a really good relationship with him before I even met Steph. We had a great relationship not only from a talent standpoint, but I used to work a lot with Vince hand-in-hand to create story lines behind the scenes, not just for myself but other guys. But if you have ever met Vince, he’s a complex man and it can be trying. There are times he wants to choke me and there are times when I want to choke him.

On Vince taking his ideas:
Let me put it this way: When I come up with a good idea in the back, there’s not 70,000 people standing up and cheering. Usually when I have an idea in the back, it is dismissed and Vince will bring it up later and pretend it is his idea.

On being a heel:
I love being a heel. If I had my way, I’d have been a heel my whole career. I compare it to Darth Vader by the second or third movie, when he came on, you started saying, “Yeah!” Even though he was trying to kill Luke Skywalker… he was just cool. There was a point in time with my character where I had been here a long time, I had a certain amount of respect [from the fans] and … you know, I beat up a lot of people and caused mayhem, and to teenagers and kids, that is cool. It just became a cool character and we were struggling … the worse things we thought I was doing, the louder the audience would cheer me for it. I was coming out and drilling a guy with a sledgehammer and people would go nuts. So I had no choice as people basically turned me. If I thought it would work, I’d turn back in a minute.

Labels: triple h

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

John Cena and Edge have had a long and storied history. So much so that Cena’s scheduled encounter with Edge and Big Show at WrestleMania XXV will be his 34th televised bout with the “Rated-R Superstar” — at the very least.

Cena has already had four singles matches with Edge on pay-per-view — all title matches.

New Year’s Revolution 2006 - Edge beat John Cena to become the new WWE Champion
Royal Rumble 2006 - John Cena beat Edge to become the new WWE Champion
SummerSlam 2006 - Edge beat John Cena to become the new WWE Champion
Unforgiven 2006 - John Cena beat Edge to become the new WWE Champion

Cena and Edge have also had three other multiple person matches on pay-per-view (and another one on television) with the title at stake.

Backlash 2006 - WWE Champion John Cena beat Edge and Triple H
07/03/06 RAW - Edge defeated WWE Champion Rob Van Dam and John Cena in a Triple Threat Match to become the new WWE Champion
Backlash 2007 - WWE Champion John Cena beat Edge, Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton
No Way Out 2009 - Edge defeated WWE Champion John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Mike Knox and Kane to become the new WWE Champion

They’ve had ten one-on-one encounters on free television — at the very least.

01/30/06 RAW - Edge defeated WWE Champion John Cena by disqualification
02/16/06 RAW - WWE Champion John Cena defeated Edge
06/12/06 RAW - WWE Champion John Cena defeated Edge by disqualification
07/15/06 Saturday Night’s Main Event - John Cena defeated WWE Champion Edge by disqualification
10/02/06 RAW - WWE Champion John Cena defeated Edge in Steel Cage match
12/18/06 RAW - WWE Champion John Cena defeated Edge
12/25/06 RAW - WWE Champion John Cena defeated Edge
06/11/07 RAW - World Heavyweight Champion Edge defeated WWE Champion John Cena
06/23/08 RAW - John Cena defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge
03/16/09 RAW - World Heavyweight Champion Edge defeated John Cena

At the very least, they’ve had fifteen more encounters through tag team matches on television.

09/19/05 RAW - WWE Champion John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Big Show and Matt Hardy defeated Edge, Kurt Angle, Gene Snitsky and Chris Masters
10/10/05 RAW - Edge, Kurt Angle and Carlito defeated WWE Champion John Cena, Big Show and Shawn Michaels.
01/23/06 RAW - John Cena and Ric Flair defeated WWE Champion Edge and Chris Masters
02/06/06 RAW - WWE Champion John Cena and Maria defeated Edge and Lita in a Mixed Tag Team Match
04/03/06 RAW - Triple H and Edge defeated WWE Champion John Cena in a Handicap match
04/10/06 RAW - WWE Champion John Cena and Triple H defeated Edge in a Handicap match
07/24/06 RAW - John Cena and Ric Flair defeated WWE Champion Edge and Johnny Nitro
09/04/06 RAW - WWE Champion Edge, Lita, and Randy Orton defeated John Cena, Trish Stratus and Carlito
09/11/06 RAW - John Cena, Jeff Hardy and Carlito defeated WWE Champion Edge, Randy Orton and Johnny Nitro
09/18/06 RAW - Edge, Trevor Murdoch and Lance Cade defeated WWE Champion John Cena, Shawn Michaels and Triple H by disqualification
11/20/06 RAW - WWE Champion John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Triple H and Ric Flair defeated Edge, Randy Orton, Big Show and Kenny
01/29/07 RAW - WWE Champion John Cena and Shawn Michaels defeated Edge and Randy Orton to win the World Tag Team Championships
02/15/07 RAW - WWE Champion John Cena, Undertaker, Batista and Shawn Michaels defeated Edge, Randy Orton, Montel Vortimus Porter and Mr. Kennedy
02/26/07 RAW - World Tag Team Champions John Cena and Shawn Michaels defeated Edge and Randy Orton
04/16/07 RAW - WWE Champion John Cena defeated Edge and Randy Orton in a Handicap match

This list doesn’t include post-RAW dark matches or bouts at house shows.

Labels: edge, john cena

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

As reported earlier, WWE has plans to release a DVD on “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka. According to the calender section of the latest issue of WWE Magazine, Superfly: The Jimmy Snuka Story hits shelves on Tuesday, April 14th. WWE’s Greatest Stars of the 90’s DVD will be hitting shelves the same day, although it’s not listed on the calender. However, WWEShop.com has started taking pre-orders for the Greatest Stars of the 90’s DVD, while there’s nothing on the Snuka DVD. Amazon.com doesn’t have anything on the Snuka DVD either. It was reported a few weeks ago that production had recently started on the Snuka DVD, and that it was scheduled to be released at the end of the year.

Labels: Jimmy Snuka

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:32 PM | Permalink | Comments

The price for the WrestleMania XXV pay-per-view on most cable systems is $54.99 (while on WWE.com it is $54.95). Some sites are saying this is a price increase, although last year’s event also cost approximately $55 — an increase from $50 the year before.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:32 PM | Permalink | Comments

Here is this week's Billboard Recreational Sports DVD chart.

1. NFL: Super Bowl XLIII Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers
2. WWE: The Best Of Saturday Night's Main Event
3. WWE: Royal Rumble 2009
4. UFC 90: Silva Vs. Cote
5. WWE: Starrcade: The Essential Collection
6. WWE: WrestleMania XXIV
7. UFC 89: Bisping Vs. Leben
8. WWE: Hell In A Cell
9. WWE: The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment
10. WWE: The Best Of Raw: 15th Anniversary 1993-2008

Labels: Billboard Recrational Sports DVD charts

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

It has been confirmed that Travis “Tyson” Tomko, 32, was released from his contract with World Wrestling Entertainment a few weeks ago. Tomko re-signed with the company in November.

Tomko’s first match back in the company was a dark match prior to the December 15, 2008 episode of Raw in a winning effort over Paul Burchill. However, he was greatly limited by a torn pec and Vince McMahon thought he looked terrible during his lone outing. The former TNA World Tag Team Champion looked noticeably soft during the match.

WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis took a lot of heat over signing Tomko. There was a feeling he should have had a full medical exam before signing him to see if there was a major injury

Labels: tyson tomko

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:51 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE has contacted two more former WWE Divas, Victoria and Luna Vachon, in regards to appearing at the WWE WrestleMania XXV 25-Diva Battle Royal. Nothing has been confirmed on whether they have accepted the offer to appear or not. Victoria last appeared on WWE television in January this year when she announced her retirement. Vachon was released by WWE in 2000 and hasn’t appeared on WWE television since.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments

Ring announcer Howard Finkel has been confirmed as an inducted into this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class. He will join Stone Cold Steve Austin, Terry, Dory Funk, Jr., Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, “Cowboy” Bill Watts, Koko B. Ware and The Von Erichs as 2009 inductees to the WWE Hall of Fame. The 2009 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will take place the night before WrestleMania 25 on Saturday, April 4, 2009 from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Labels: 2009 WWE Hall of Fame, howard finkel, steve austin

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:48 AM | Permalink | Comments

SmackDown wrestler R-Truth was originally scheduled to take part in the Money in the Bank Match at WrestleMania XXV, but company officials went back and forth on Mark Henry and Big Show, going with Henry instead. At this point, R-Truth looks to be the only wrestler featured on the official poster for WrestleMania XXV that won’t be getting a match at the big show — possible dark match battle royal notwithstanding.

Labels: r-truth, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:47 AM | Permalink | Comments

ProWrestling.net reports that several weeks after signing the former NWA champion, Vince McMahon is still not a believer in Christian. Vince was not in favor of putting Christian in the Money In The Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 25. However, several agents and creative team members continued to push the idea and eventually made a strong enough pitch to get him in the match.

It’s no secret that Vince has never seen Christian as a true main event player, but the star does have backers in the company and is tight with RAW lead writer Brian Gewirtz among others.

PWTorch.com reports that TNA really valued Christian Cage and wanted to re-sign him to a strong six-figure deal. Sources say the deciding favor for Christian was the upside pay in WWE being greater than in TNA over the next three to five years, plus he had little faith in TNA’s creative team. His good friend Edge being a major player in WWE also swayed his decision, with their past storyline connections, it was believed to be inevitable that Christian would get a chance in the main event with him. It appears that it’s going to take a little longer than Christian had hoped to get that push though. Christian coming in with no grand entrance and seemingly jobbing regularly on ECW has hurt him, but it’s better that it happens on ECW in front of an audience one-third the size of SmackDown and RAW.

Sources say they are amazed that Vince thinks so little of Christian since he has such a good reputation with the fans, can cut very good promos, and can work a solid WWE style match. What works against him is his physique, and the fact that he “left the family” and went to TNA a few years ago. McMahon may want to downplay Christian a little bit to prove that he wasn’t a big star and didn’t benefit from the main event and world title matches in TNA, thus giving him and un-announced return on ECW which left fans confused.

Labels: Christian, vince mcmahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

Internally, no one has any confidence that WrestleMania 25 will do a buyrate anywhere close to the past two events. Most company officials predict the show doing somewhere in the 500k range, which would be the lowest since WrestleMania XIX in 2003. If the "25th Anniversary of WrestleMania" experiences the same percentage drop as the Royal Rumble did (23 percent), the number would be around 800,000 buys. However, it would cost the company approximately $4,000,000 as compared to last year, and will more than likely lead to more cost-cutting measures from the company. So much of the company's financials are tied into the revenue that WrestleMania produces, so a number of jobs are on the line with this year's event.

WWE will be releasing their 1st quarter report featuring the numbers from WrestleMania in May, so that's when you can probably expect another storm of company layoffs to hit providing things don't turn around creatively within the next few weeks.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:45 PM | Permalink | Comments

According to a report in the St. Petersburg Times, a police investigation following Andrew “Test” Martin’s death on Friday revealed drugs in his Hillsborough County residence. Tampa police discovered prescription drugs, including painkillers and steroids, at the Harbour Place apartment of the former WWE wrestler.

Martin appeared to be in the middle of a meal when he died, according to Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy. Police found a half-eaten pizza and soda near where his body was found.

On Friday night, a neighbor had become suspicious after watching Martin lie motionless on a couch for hours and called police for a wellness check. Authorities will determine Martin’s actual cause of death in a few weeks when a toxicology test is completed and results are available. In another note, today would have been Martin’s 34th birthday.te

Labels: Test

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

For some odd reason or another, WWE didn’t announce the Von Erichs as the next Hall of Fame members on last night’s RAW, despite being in Texas. Instead, WWE announced it on their website late last night. Michael Hayes will be inducting the Von Erichs. There’s still one or two Hall of Fame announcements to come over the next two weeks.

Labels: 2009 WWE Hall of Fame, Von erich

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

Sidelined WWE Diva Candice Michelle has posted a new blog on the WWE Universe site and she has a lot to say. She starts off by offering her condolences to the family and friends of former WWE Superstar Andrew “Test” Martin, who passed away this past Friday. Candice wrote: “First and foremost I wanna offer my condolences, prayers, and love to the family and friends of Andrew “Test” Martin! This isn’t an easy thing to hear about someone in our community! I had alot of respect for him and am thankful for being blessed with knowing him!”

Candice then confirms reports of her ankle injury, which has kept her sidelined the past few weeks. Candice explains how she got the injury: “I also just wanted to catch up with y’all since its been awhile since Ive been on Raw and there has been many speculations on why? Unfortunately I have been injured again! No its not my collarbone or anything in association with that! My collarbone is 100% healed! I was training really hard actually twice a day and while doing a flying punch on a bag that was held by a donut like apparatus I landed on it, rolled my ankle and fell on it! I have 2 torn ligaments one a 3rd degree sprain and the other a 2nd degree. However I’m healing really well and faster than what doctors expected! My injury was just a mishap unlike what others have heard or said, just a misfortunate event! After what I’ve been through I am a pro at this,haha!”

Fortunately for Candice, she is off crutches as well as her walking cast. Candice also responds to reports going around saying her contract with WWE is set to expire in October. She says it’s completely false and that she has absolutely no desire to leave the company. “Also, people have asked me if I’m leaving the wwe or that my contract is expiring in Oct. 2009, well this is so FALSE!!! First off my contract is not expiring this year and most importantly I have NO desire to leave WWE! I am still focused and gearing up for another return!”

Candice then has some choice words for the people who doubt her, say she’s injury prone, and believe her career in WWE is over. “I have asked myself and prayed alot on why I have taken a back seat with another injury?! What I do know is what it feels like to be on the mountain top, and i know what the valley is like all to well, but i have news for all the Haters who have all these crazy reasons on why they think they know me and why my career at WWE is over…I am not unpacking my bags down in this valley but climbing out of it, even with one foot!lol! I have had a taste of the top so I know that the fight is worth it! I can preach and say x,y and z. However, this time ill just show you! I’m not too frail, injury prone, too old, nor have i lost my passion! Misfortune happens and that’s what makes me stronger and builds resiliency! So just know that weather you respect me, hate me, judge me, spread false accusations about me, this is my journey and I say when its over so hear me loud and clear I’m saying “ITS NOT OVER!!”

Labels: candice michelle

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

As noted before, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Edge is having some problems with his knees and has been reduced to working tag matches at WWE live events to take it easy a little bit. We posted a few weeks back how there was talk of Edge taking some time off after WrestleMania to deal with the injuries. Some didn’t believe that Edge would be taking more time off seeing as how he just had some last year.

Now The Sun in the UK is reporting that Edge is set to drop the World Title at WrestleMania in the match with Big Show and John Cena, allowing him to take some time off. We all know how things are changing in WWE from day to day so for now, take this one for what it’s worth.

Labels: edge, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE Intercontinental Champion John Bradshaw Layfield has updated his WWE Universe blog. Here are some highlights:

Andrew “Test” Martin: “Very saddened to hear about Andrew Martin’s death. Andrew was a good friend and I hate to see someone so young with so much promise not get to live a full life.”

His WrestleMania Surprise: “I know you are getting sick of me saying it, but I still plan on doing something historic at Wrestlemania. I can’t let the 25th anniversary of Mania go by without JBL doing something big. I do plan on doing something big in my great home state of Texas.”

Ohio Valley Wrestling: “I want to reiterate that I don’t own OVW, I am an advertiser there in the same way I advertise with Fox 17 in Nashville and 97.5 the Rock in St Louis. We have good distribution in these areas so it makes sense to advertise where we have products on shelves. The hardest thing in retail is not to get on shelves but to get them off the shelves by customers buying the product.”

Labels: jbl, Test

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

You can add Wendi Richter to the list of former female performers who won’t be appearing at WrestleMania XXV. The former WWE Women’s Champion has declined the company’s invitation to appear at the 25-Diva Battle Royal in Houston. It would have been her first appearance in a WWE ring since losing the belt via screwjob to The Fabulous Moolah on November 25, 1985.

Here is an updated list of the former female performers who will definitely not be appearing in the 25-Diva Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXV:

- Amy “Lita” Dumas (declined offer)

- Nora “Molly Holly” Greenwald (declined offer to wrestle, but will be on hand during WrestleMania weekend)

- Wendi Richter (declined offer)

- Terri Runnels (said she has no interest in wrestling)

- Ashley Massaro (unable to appear due to personal reasons)

- Debra (has denied reports of a possible appearance at WrestleMania)

- Rena “Sable” Lesnar (pregnant)

- Dawn Marie (pregnant)

Labels: Wendi Richter, WrestleMania XXV

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:50 PM | Permalink | Comments

Reviewed by : Steven Wilson of MainEventRadio.com

The title of the book is a claim that is sure to leave many skeptical. In order to be the definitive guide to a company with 45+ years of history you need to work endlessly to make sure you don’t leave anything out. Vince McMahon’s forward to the book proclaims it to be the “first ever official documented history of the WWE”, Throughout the years we’ve all heard about superstars and events going down in the history books and now we have an officially recognized WWE history book, and quite frankly it’s an extremely impressive one.

Authored by former WWE employees Brian Sheilds and Kevin Sullivan (no not the taskmaster) and coming in at over 350 full colored pages, profiling nearly a 1000 superstars and utilizing over 1500 images from the WWE and PWI archives, the WWE encyclopedia is packed with more than enough information for you to become an expert on the who’s who and the what’s what of the WWE.


As with any encyclopedia, the book runs from A to Z. The majority of entries are the profiles of the superstars of the WWE.. This includes the obvious big names such as Stone Cold, John Cena, Taker and Michaels, but also includes the names you possibly never heard of or tried to forget such as the Battle Kat, Mystery Man and Friar Furgeson, It even includes those you probably didn’t even expect to be in the book. I speak of course of the names WWE chooses to forget sometimes, the most obvious being Chris Benoit who is recognized with a half page bio with no mention of the 2007 tragedy. Those who have crossed Vince McMahon, those who have sued him and those that are currently working against him in TNA are all recognized as well, which to me was a sign that for once the WWE was not going to censor a product because of a grudge they have with someone, which scores it bonus points in heading towards the goal of being the definitive guide.


A title history for every single WWE title is featured in the book. From little known titles such as the Woman’s Tag Team Championship or the World Martial Arts Heavyweight Championship to the most obvious WWE Championship, every single champion is recognized. The one odd thing is that the WWE officially recognized the entire US title history while in WCW but did not recognize the World Heavyweight championships history prior to their adopting of it in 2002


Pay Per Views and Television is also recognized. A complete history of Wrestlemania caps off the book, while other PPV’s include a recap of the main events of said shows. 30 years of WWE television is also documented with a short explanation of each show. Spotlghts on WWE merchandise, Video Games, Fan signs and superstars in themovies are also included.


The book has a suggested retail price of 45$ American but is available via Amazon for 30$, The book is hardcovered and sports large 12 by 9 pages. I was legitimately impressed with the presentation of the book and its wealth of information, For those wondering for the most part the book is kayfabed. No real names, identities of masked superstars or post WWE career information is included, but nonetheless this book is a must for any true WWE fan and can be a reference tool for those who write or speak about the company as you can certainly learn a lot about the company’s history. Is it the definitive guide to the history of the WWE? It’s pretty darn close, I would definitely consider this the definitive guide to the kayfabe side of the WWE, while the definitive guide to the business side of the company and how it evolved through the years could easily fill another book, and or has been covered in an array of other books over the years.

Labels: steve wilson

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments

Wrestlemania 25 is just three weeks away - airing April 5 at 8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific on Pay-Per-View. But why wait that long to relive, rewrite and redefine Wrestlemania history? On March 24, a week from this Tuesday, WWE Legends of Wrestlemania will be released for the Playstation 3 and XBOX 360. BuddyTV will be giving away five Legends of Wrestlemania gift packs including a copy of the PS3 game, a Wrestlemania 25 t-shirt and a wristband. All you have to do to win is propose your Wrestlemania dream match.
Don't Miss

Maybe it's a match that never got signed, a rematch or a cross-generational battle between two superstars of different eras. Maybe it's a Money in the Bank match featuring the six most deserving wrestlers who never world title, or maybe you want to see Beth Phoenix challenge The Fabulous Moolah at the time of her 27 year run with the women's title. Do you have a stadium in mind for it? A stipulation? Have some fun.

Just email your ideas to henry@buddytv.com. I'll judge the five most intriguing and you will be notified by email if you have won. I'll run the best ideas in an article here on BuddyTV after the contest.

Good luck and let's get ready to rumble.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

There was some surprise within WWE and the wrestling industry when it was announced that Koko B. Ware would be going into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. It’s said that even The Honky Tonk Man expressed shock when he was called by WWE officials about inducting someone and found out it was going to be Koko. There’s a feeling that WWE could have picked a Superstar more deserving of the honor.

Furthermore, one source says that RAW writer Brian Gewirtz made the humorous pitch to induct Koko into the Hall. The story goes that even Vince McMahon was caught off guard by the pitch but decided on it when Gewirtz brought up the idea of creating the link between Koko’s induction and the Legends of WrestleMania video game

Labels: 2009 WWE Hall of Fame, koko b. ware

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE will tape tomorrow night’s ECW on Sci-Fi and air tonight’s RAW live from San Antonio, TX at the AT&T Center. Confirmed for RAW is a tag team match with WrestleMania opponents Shawn Michaels & The Undertaker taking on WWE Intercontinental Champion JBL & Vladimir Kozlov. No matches have been announced for ECW as of this writing.

Ric Flair may be making an appearance on tonight’s RAW show as Chris Jericho challenged Flair to a match on tonight’s show. There is almost no chance that Flair will be wrestling tonight, but seeing how RAW is live from Texas tonight, Steve Austin is expected to make an appearance on tonight’s broadcast. Also to go with the Texas theme, it’s expected that WWE will be announcing the Von Erich family as the next members of the WWE Hall of Fame.

Labels: jbl, RAW, steve austin

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

Two former WWE Divas you shouldn’t expect to see participate in the 25-Diva Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXV are Rena “Sable” Lesnar and Dawn Marie. According to an article on TwinCities.com following husband Brock Lesnar’s UFC Championship victory over Randy Couture back in November, the former WWE Women’s Champion was confirmed to be pregnant. The couple is expecting their first child together in June. Dawn Marie is pregnant with her second child and due to give birth in June as well.

Labels: dawn marie, sable, WrestleMania XXV

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

5,000 tickets remain for Wrestlemania XXV in Houston, not including additional ones that will likely be released after production moves in. The event is expected to be full one way or another. As far as the Hall of Fame ceremony is concerned, a few hundred tickets remain for the event.5,000 tickets remain for Wrestlemania XXV in Houston, not including additional ones that will likely be released after production moves in. The event is expected to be full one way or another. As far as the Hall of Fame ceremony is concerned, a few hundred tickets remain for the event.

Labels: WrestleMania XXV

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross has posted his latest blog entry, which you can check out by clicking here. Some highlights from this entry:

- I had an interesting day Saturday as I spent several hours in the emergency room with some sharp pains in my upper left chest. I had been experiencing these knife like pains for a few weeks but they also coincided with my return to the gym so I really didn't think any thing was that wrong. I made the mistake of mentioning this matter to my wife on Friday night and by Saturday morning I had no choice but to go to the hospital or be driven nuts by my over protective and loving bride. The diagnosis was walking pneumonia so it was a good thing that I followed her instincts. My Dad died of complications following a bout of pneumonia that went uncared for as Dad's lungs eventually filled with fluid which caused him heart failure at age 64. I plan on being in Corpus Christi Tuesday night for the last (thank goodness) Smackdown doubleheader of which the first program taped is Friday Night Smackdown # 500.

- Is there an IC Title bout in WM25's future now that JBL is the new Intercontinental Champion? How long has it been since there has been a hot, IC Title bout at Wrestlemania? Just like those old, Wolf Brand Chili commercials, "Well, that's too long." It will be difficult for any IC Title bout to ever overshadow Steamboat-Savage from WM3. Nonetheless it is good to see the IC Title get some "shine" at 'Mania if that does occur.

- Does Wrestlemania need celebrities dotting the broadcast? That question is usually discussed this time of the year. Some fans like to see celeb's in attendance, I know I do, but have often criticized celebrities being overly involved in major wrestling events. For example, Jay Leno wrestling was a little too much for me but then again I am terribly "Old School."

- Scary moment for Rey Mysterio Saturday night as he tweaked his knee in a main event tag bout but is apparently o.k. from what I understand. Rey had to be helped to the locker room area and was administered to by WWE medical staff who were on site. I have not heard any other news on Mysterio's knee status other than he was o.k. Saturday night but Sunday could bring other news as sometimes the next day tells a different story on joint injuries.

- I talked to Steve Austin a couple of times this weekend and he is excited about the opportunity to be in the cast of Sylvester Stallone's "The Expendables" which will begin filming in Brazil, I think he said, soon. Steve will have to commute from there to Houston for the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony of which he is the headliner. That's an even worse trip than the weekly trips many made while working in Bill Watts' Mid South Wrestling territory. I remember back in the day when I would earn a whopping 2 cents a mile from each passenger I had in my vehicle on these trips. Believe me, those few dollars were a big help back in the day but you would also be amazed at how many guys didn't want to willingly pay the few dollars they owed for their trans. I can assure you that no one aside from Randy Couture who's also in Stallone's cast will come close to the physical condition Steve is in. One of the things that made Steve Austin arguably the greatest WWE Champion ever was his focus and singular mindset to attack a project or an opponent, for example, head on. Steve has immersed himself in preparing as diligently as humanly possible to become as proficient in acting as he was inside a wrestling ring. I'm still taking the under on whether or not Austin writes a complete speech for the WWE HOF. He may have plenty to say but it will come from his heart and not from a piece of paper. I see bullet points and a speech from the heart of the Texas Rattlesnake (Thanks, J.R.) on Saturday night April 4. Not many tickets for the WWE HOF are still available and if you are thinking of going, and I strongly suggest that you do, check with the Toyota Center box office or ticket outlets in Houston ASAP. This is going to be a helluva night that one hour of TV can't do the proper justice in my view.

Labels: jim ross, steve austin

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:36 PM | Permalink | Comments

SmackDown play-by-play announcer Jim Ross posted a blog on his official website remembering Andrew “Test” Martin, who was found dead in his Tampa apartment last night.

Ross is quite familiar with Martin as he hired him alongside two other Canadians in Adam “Edge” Copeland and Jay “Christian” Reso in the late 1990’s.

“I hired Andrew in the same class with his other fellow Canadians Edge and Christian in the late 90’s in an outstanding group of young talent whose advanced training was over seen by future WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk and by Tom Prichard,” Ross wrote.

Ross recalls a conversation with Martin at WrestleMania XXIV last year in Orlando. The two spoke at length regarding his real estate endeavors and his plans to become a physical therapist. Martin also told Ross he saved his money and only wrestled “when he wanted to.”

“Andrew had done well in WWE, saved his money, made some good investments, and told me he only wanted to wrestle when “he wanted to” which the randomly scheduled international tours would allow him to do,” Ross wrote. “He did not express interest in the American indy scene and was genuinely excited about the prospects of the aforementioned physical therapy career.”

In a bit of previously unreported news, Ross reveals that Martin took up World Wrestling Entertainment’s offer to enter a rehabilitation facility in West Palm Beach, Florida last August. At the suggestion of others, his former employer reached out to him to see if he needed some help handling some alleged personal issues that he was rumored to have been experiencing.

“The rumors of Andrew’s issues were true and he was afforded the opportunity by WWE to attend The Hanley Center Rehabilitation facility in West Palm Beach, Florida for several weeks beginning in August of 2008,” Ross wrote. “Andrew successfully completed the WWE funded program and was highly regarded by the Hanley Center with being such an asset to them after completing the program of which Andrew took seriously, according to the facility. Since being released from the facility after successfully completing the program, Andrew had been doing well in his 12 Step AA program and was in contact with WWE with regular phone calls. Ironically, Friday was the day for his regularly scheduled “touching base” but when called his voice mail box was full.”

It should be noted that Ross was not aware of Martin’s alleged problems and stint in rehab until recently.

Ross concludes his post with the following note remembering Martin: “I will remember this young man as a bright, intelligent individual and am thankful that my last conversation with him was so positive and that he was excited about his future in a new field. Our sincere condolences go out to his family, friends, and fans and may God rest his soul.”

Labels: jim ross, Test

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:43 PM | Permalink | Comments

Coming out of last night’s SmackDown, here’s the updated card for WWE’s WrestleMania 25:

WWE Title Match
Randy Orton vs. Triple H

World Title Match
Big Show vs. John Cena vs. Edge

Brother vs. Brother Match
Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy

25 Divas Battle Royal
Featuring Divas of the past and present, with the winner being crowned Miss WrestleMania

The Streak On The Line
Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker

Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Finlay vs. MVP vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Kane vs. CM Punk vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Mark Henry vs. Christian Cagewre

Labels: wrestlemania 25

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

Another sad day in wrestling as another young man is dead. Today AP as well as other news sources around the country are reporting the death of Andrew "Test" Martin, who of course worked for years in the WWE as well as in TNA.

Here is the AP Piece on Martin's death:

Authorities say former professional wrestler Andrew Martin, who was known as "Test" and "The Punisher" to fans, has died at his Tampa home. He was 33.

The former World Wrestling Entertainment champion was found dead at his apartment Friday night. Police say a neighbor reported that she could see into his apartment window and that Martin appeared motionless for several hours.

Police say there was no indication of foul play. A cause of death will be determined after an autopsy.

During his time with Stamford, Conn.-based World Wrestling Entertainment, Martin held the Intercontinental, European and Hardcore belts. He was also a tag-team champion.

Martin most recently worked for TNA Wrestling under the name "The Punisher."

Martin was a big part of a couple of WWE storylines, the biggest of which was his "marriage" to Stephanie McMahon, which in the end led her to her "marriage" to Triple H (which of course is now real).

The last time he was in the WWE he was in ECW as a heel, and was a mid-level wrestler on the shows as he would get on a hot streak, only to then lose before gaining any real momentum. Thoughts and prayers go out to Martin's family today.

Labels: Test

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: hulk hogan

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:51 PM | Permalink | Comments

Vince McMahon isn't a big fan of ECW wrestler Christian, according to one former WWE employee. It's no secret that the WWE chairman doesn't view him as a "star."

"He cares more about the doormat at his house than Christian," said the former employee. "I don't understand why you re-up with the guy and then don't do anything with him."

In another Christian note, he told friends TNA's final offer to him was a five-year deal worth $2.5 million for a certain number of dates per year. However, one company source disputes the contract offer as Christian would have jumped at it.

The two time NWA World Heavyweight Champion made it clear to TNA president Dixie Carter that his lack of faith in the creative team was a big reason for his departure from the organization.

Labels: Christian, vince mcmahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson spoke with Moviefone.com recently and was asked when the last time he performed The People’s Elbow was. The Rock replied with this:

“There was a considerable amount of alcohol involved … [Laughs] No, honestly the last time I did that was in Madison Square Garden five years ago. I’ve retired — that was my very last match. What a perfect place to end my career, in Madison Square Garden. I had the best time within that five or six year period, creating that character. There’s nothing like performing in front of a live audience and the energy and adrenaline rush that I got. Being in that world provided me with really invaluable experience in terms of entertaining an audience.”

Labels: the rock

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

As seen on RAW, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair made an unadvertised appearance during the Chris Jericho vs. Kofi Kingston bout to distract Jericho and allow Kingston to qualify for the Money in the Bank Match at WrestleMania XXV. Flair simply walked out on stage and distracted Jericho, setting up Kofi's victory. Following the loss, an incensed Chris Jericho dared Flair to return to the ring for a match against him next week on RAW.

It's highly unlikely that Flair will wrestle Jericho next week on RAW or at WrestleMania for that matter. Some feel that Steve Austin will be showing up on next week's show to get involved with Jericho. Back in February, Austin was booked for two different RAW’s, one being the March 16th show.

Labels: chris jericho, ric flair

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:40 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: hulk hogan

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE officials have contacted former Women’s Champion Wendi Richter, 47, about appearing in the 25-Diva Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXV in Houston. Richter has not appeared in a WWE ring since being double-crossed in a title match with The Fabulous Moolah in 1985 when the company was upset with her over not having signed a new long-term contract. Regarding the chances of Richter showing up at WrestleMania XXV, she is telling people there’s a 75% chance she’ll appear.

Labels: Wendi Richter

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

The Randy Orton-Triple H segment on RAW last night was filmed in Florida yesterday, so that wasn’t really Orton’s home. The cops involved in the segment were developmental wrestlers Matt Walsh and Michael Hutter, who got deals after the first FCW talent evaluation camp. They did multiple takes of the scene, and last night was the final product of editing pieces of them together.

The woman who played Randy Orton’s wife Samantha last night is Laura Croft, a former Playboy model who appeared in the July 2008 issue. She’s from the Jacksonville area.

Labels: randy orton, triple h

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments

The WWE has released another SmackDown wrestler, as the company has let go of Kizarny, who has been pretty much gone after some early awful matches on TV and in house shows with MVP.

Real name Nick Cvjetkovich, Kizarny was signed to a WWE deal in July 2007 and showed up finally on the main roster this past October with vignettes. He didn't actually make his in-ring debut until January 2009, so he spent more time on the main roster being introduced than he actually did wrestling.

A legitimate former carnival freak, that persona played into his on air character.

Labels: kizarny

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: 2009 backlash, randy orton

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: the rock

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

In an apparent cost-cutting move, it looks like WWE is cutting down on flying in wrestlers they have absolutely no plans for at specific television tapings. Often times, active talents are brought in regardless if they’re scheduled to be used or not. According to the roster sheet for this past Monday’s edition of RAW, a number of wrestlers were not brought to last week’s show in Boston including both members of Cryme Tyme — Shad & JTG, Charlie Haas, Dolph Ziggler, Sim Snuka (whose adopted father appeared at the show), Candice Michelle and Jamie Noble. On the roster sheet, the missing RAW talents were specifically listed as “NOT AT TV.”

Labels: charlie haas, cryme tyme

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

In a bit of a shocker, we can confirm that WWE officials have contacted former WWE Women's Champion Debra Marshall, 49, about appearing at the 25 Diva Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXV.

As reported a few days ago, Debra recently decided to accept wrestling-related bookings again. Through wrestling promoter Marvin Ward, the former WWE Diva is available for autograph appearances, conventions, store openings, wrestling appearances and interviews.

Debra last appeared in wrestling in June 2002. However, her husband at the time, Steve Austin, walked out of World Wrestling Entertainment, with Debra following. She was never seen in WWE again.

Debra's been a bit more visible in recent years, having appeared in the films Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy and Gathering of Heroes: Legend of the Seven Swords, the latter of which is due for release sometime this year.

What would make this possible appearance so shocking is that in the summer of 2007, Debra appeared on a number of news programs to discuss the Chris Benoit double murder and suicide, not to mention wrestling's seedy underbelly. Suffice it to say, WWE officials were not the least bit happy with Debra's accusations.

Debra described steroids and drugs as the cause of former husband "Stone Cold" Steve Austin hitting her in June 2002 and suggested links with them to the death of Benoit and his family. She said Benoit was a "nice person," but that drugs can change people, as they did her former husband. According to Debra, Austin beat her three times, including holding her down on the floor and hitting her in the head and back while on drugs, which is why she divorced him.

Debra also told Fox News that WWE had a "code of silence" where she was not allowed to reveal that Austin hit her, as it would cost the company millions of dollars because "Stone Cold" was one of their biggest stars. Debra said she revealed the information five years later as she was suffering from depression from the whole ordeal.

Labels: debra

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

One of the former WWE Divas who company officials contacted this past week about appearing at the planned 25-Women Battle Royal at Wrestlemania XXV joked that now that it’s all over the Internet, Vince McMahon will probably get mad and scrap it altogether.

WWE currently has 18 active women’s wrestlers on the roster, so that should leave 7 open spots for past WWE Divas to fill at the proposed 25-Diva Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXV. The current WWE Divas roster is as follows:

1. Beth Phoenix
2. Candice Michelle
3. Jillian Hall
4. Kelly Kelly
5. Layla
6. Melina
7. Mickie James
8. Rosa Mendes
9. Brie Bella
10. Eve
11. Maria
12. Maryse
13. Michelle McCool
14. Nikki Bella
15. Alicia Fox
16. Katie Lea Burchill
17. Natalya
18. Tiffany

The WWE re-debut of Gail Kim should also be taken into account, thus eliminating one spot for a past Diva. WWE has been airing vignettes promoting Kim’s return to the company on Friday Night SmackDown in recent weeks.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments

TNA wrestler Sonjay Dutt, who is about to be let go from TNA, says that everyone on the TNA roster has a desire to be in WWE.

“Any professional wrestler - ask everybody in TNA no matter where you are - they’re going to want to be in WWE,” Dutt told World Band Media radio. “That’s the top; that’s the best. Every professional wrestler deep down in their heart wants to be in WWE.”

Dutt said the top stars however probably enjoy working for TNA more than WWE due to the easier schedule and generous pay. “WWE’s schedule is so insane and hectic, so for a guy like Sting who has put his time into the business, he doesn’t need to be on the road,” Dutt said. “TNA is a good option. It has a light schedule to make the kind of money they want to make.”

Sonjay’s contract with TNA expires at the end of the month. He’s headed to Japan this weekend for a tour with Zero-One, then he’s back on the indy circuit here in the U.S. There have been rumors that WWE is interested in Sonjay, which he obviously hopes are true. Dutt believes he could be a valuable asset to WWE for their upcoming tour of India and progressive international expansion in Southeast Asia.

Labels: sonjay dutt, tna

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments

The Big Show was interviewed on VH1 during the Top 20 Countdown yesterday and mentioned that he will be facing Edge and John Cena in a Three Way match for the title at WrestleMania. Seeing as they haven’t officially that yet, VH1 got a spoiler before it aired on WWE TV.

Labels: big show, edge, john cena

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross is back with another blog at jrsbarbq.com. Here are some of the highlights:

- Hulk Hogan is highly unlikely to not to be able to wrestle in a match he was never scheduled to wrestle in the first place as he has had back surgery. Hulk’s injuries are a likely result of having to carry the weight of his soon to be ex-wife’s world on his broad shoulders. If you had Hogan vs. Jericho in the office pool….you (likely) lose.

- Wrestlemania is every one in WWE’s only and highest priority right now. BTW I think this might be one helluva show as it seems to be coming together well and you have men in main events who will all want to truly steal the show and not just show up for the pay day, not that any one has ever done that at Wrestlemania.

- I think that Carlito and Primo should wrestle the duo of Miz and Morrison who are likely on The Warriors “bad list” after Friday night’s presentation of the “Dirt Sheet” and consolidate the two sets of tag titles.

- Did you know that the grand and glorious 500th episode of Friday Night Smackdown will be taped in Corpus Christi in less than two weeks? This fall I am told that a high and mighty 10 years of Smackdown will be promoted aggressively throughout the WWE and will provide many memorable moments such as Tazz dancing and Michael Cole saying “Oh, My.” I will likely just wear my black hat and try to eat hot soup with my two bouts of Bells palsy which is always a hoot. Or to whistle or simply walk around the arena wearing a sandwich board that says, “J.R. has lost his smile.”

Labels: hulk hogan, jim ross

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:48 PM | Permalink | Comments

Former WWE Diva Jackie Gayda, wife of RAW Superstar Charlie Haas, has apparently been approached by WWE about working the 25 Divas Battle Royal at WrestleMania 25 in Houston, TX. Reader Tyler Turner ran into Jackie this weekend and sent the following: “Ran into Jackie at the Arnold Classic Expo in Columbus, Ohio this weekend. She looks great, and I chatted with her for a few minutes. She said the WWE had already contacted her about being in the Divas battle royal at WrestleMania.”

As noted earlier, WWE is planning on holding the 25 Divas Battle Royal at WrestleMania this year and have it feature Divas of the past and present. Former WWE Diva Tammy “Sunny” Sytch has also said that she is going to WrestleMania to participate.

Labels: jackie gayda, wrestlemania 25

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

Legends

WWE Hall of Fame
Hulk Hogan profile
Hulk Hogan vs. Tony Atlas WWF Championship Wrestling 2/3/81
Hulk Hogan vs. Big Boss Man MSG 1/23/89
Hulk Hogan vs. Kamala WCW Main Event 8/6/95

Legends of Wrestling Roundtable: Wrestlemania (Rebroadcast)

The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sport Entertainment (Parts 5 & 6)

The Big Ones

Wrestlemania 24
*Finlay vs. JBL - Belfast Brawl
*Money in the Bank
*Batista vs. Umaga
*ECW champ Chavo Guerrero vs. Kane
*Ashley Massaro & Maria vs. Melina & Beth Phoenix
*Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels
*WWE champ Randy Orton vs. John Cena vs. Triple H
*Big Show vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
*WWE World champ Edge vs. Undertaker

Madison Square Garden 3/17/85
*Piper's Pit with Mr. T and Hulk Hogan
*Rocky Johnson vs. Charlie Fulton
*Barry O vs. Rene Goulet
*Jim Neidhart vs. S.D. Jones
*King Kong Bundy vs. Jose Luis Rivera
*Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff vs. George Wells & Bret Hart
*Matt Borne vs. David Sammartino
*Andre the Giant & Jimmy Snuka & Junkyard Dog vs. Big John Studd & Jesse Ventura & Ken Patera
*Ricky Steamboat vs. Terry Gibbs
*WWF Intercontinental champion Greg Valentine pinned Tito Santana - Lumberjack Match

TV Classics
All American Wrestling 3/31/85
Monday Night Wars: Nitro 12/15/97
Monday Night Wars: Raw 12/15/97
NWA's WCW on TBS 10/4/86

Shorties: Legends of Wrestlemania
Brutus Beefcake vs Ted DiBiase Wrestlemania V
Hart Foundation vs Rhythm & Blues Wrestlemania V
Intercontinental Championship: Mr Perfect(c) vs Big Boss Man Wrestlemania VII
Jimmy Snuka vs Rick Rude Wrestlemania VI
Jake Roberts vs HonkyTonk Man Wrestlemania III

Labels: wwe 24/7

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments

Here is this week's Billboard top ten Recreational Sports DVD chart.

1. WWE: The Best Of Saturday Night's Main Event
2. WWE: WrestleMania XXIV
3. WWE: Nature Boy Ric Flair: The Definitive Collection
4. WWE: Starrcade: The Essential Collection
5. WWE: The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment
6. WWE: The Legacy Of Stone Cold Steve Austin
7. WWE: Hell In A Cell
8. WWE: Triple H: The King Of Kings
9. 2009 BCS National Championship: Official Game Broadcast
10. UFC: Ultimate Knockouts 6

Labels: Billboard Recrational Sports DVD charts

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:56 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE will be holding a 25 Diva Battle Royal at WrestleMania 25 in Houston, Texas next month.

The company is in the process right now of booking Divas from the past to appear in the match as a way to tie in the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania theme. No word yet on the names who will be competing in the match, but we will keep you updated.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:54 PM | Permalink | Comments

Batista said he will be physically ready for WrestleMania 25 in a recent interview with PhilStar.com.

He said that he does not know if he will be appearing in the ring, “I don’t know. Honestly,” he said regarding WrestleMania. “And that’s an honest answer. I think I’ll be physically ready to go by that time but Wrestlemania is our biggest show of the year and we really build up for it.”

Batista went on to say, “The storylines are built up for Wrestlemania. Without much time to be built up with a storyline, I don’t think I’ll be fortunate enough to be a part of it.” The full interview can be read at PhilStar.com.

Labels: batista

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

Kmart is hosting a special in-store meet & greet in support of WrestleMania 25.

WWE Superstar, The Miz (Mike Mizanin of The Real World NY 2001) and WWE Diva, Layla will be at the appearance taking photos and signing autographs.

Event Details:
WHERE: Kmart, Store 4007/ Harvlan Center
5704 East Whittier Blvd.,
Commerce, CA

WHEN: Thursday, March 12, 2009
Meet & Greet/ Autograph signing: 6 00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Press Call: 5:30 p.m.

Labels: layla, the miz

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is all but confirmed that John Cena will be added to the Big Show vs. Edge match at WrestleMania 25. However, the reason they are adding Big Show to the mix is to give the feud some life since Edge vs. John Cena has been done so many times before.

Labels: edge, john cena, the big show, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

WWE just released the following information for this year's Axxess events.

WWE Superstars Announced!
WrestleMania Axxess
Thursday, April 2nd - Sunday, April 5th
Live at Reliant Center

WrestleMania Axxess is an opportunity for you, your family and your friends to enhance your WrestleMania experience! Attractions include:

The Main Event with Live Matches and WWE Superstar Q&As - Undertaker's Graveyard - Call-A-Match - Memorabilia Displays - Be Your Own Action Figure - WrestleManiArt - WWE KidZone - THQ Presents WWE Legends of WrestleMania Video Game Zone - Film a Superstar Entrance DVD Starring YOU - Championship Belts Display - Get an Autograph from a WWE Superstar - Get a photo with a WWE Diva at Diva HotShots - Superstar Ink - and much more!

Experience SmackDown LIVE on Thursday night & check out THQ's Superstar Challenge on Friday night!

Special Appearances by your favorite WWE Superstars*:
Thursday, 4/2 at 6PM features Rey Mysterio & John Cena
Friday, 4/3 at 6PM features Shawn Michaels & Edge
Saturday, 4/4 at 8AM features Triple H & JBL
Saturday, 4/4 at 1:30PM features Randy Orton & Big Show
Saturday 4/4 at 7PM features Kane & MVP
Sunday, 4/5 at 8AM features Chris Jericho & Ric Flair
Sunday, 4/5 at 1PM features Batista
*Talent subject to change

More announcements featuring additional WWE Superstars coming soon!
Go to wrestlemania.com for the latest.

WrestleMania Axxess Tickets on sale NOW!
Tickets: $29 - LIMITED V.I.P. Packages: $49 - Kids 3 years and under FREE.
Multiple session times available.

Tickets available at Reliant Stadium Box Office, all Texas Ticketmaster retail locations, www.ticketmaster.com or charge-by-phone at Ticketmaster Express 1-866-448-7849.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:08 AM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross has posted his latest blog entry, which you can check out by clicking here. Some highlights from this entry:

- Hard to believe that Ken Shamrock will fight Bobby Lashley in a MMA contest later this month as I understand it. There was a time that I could see the veteran, 45 year old Shamrock, a former WWE superstar, schooling the MMA rookie Lashley but that ship has long since sailed. I have great respect for Ken but he's outstayed his welcome in the octagon, cage, whatever and needs to teach and coach and stop fighting. I look for Lashley to completely dominate Shamrock in this fight. Kenny is fighting for one more pay day while Lashley is fighting to help establish what he hopes will be a long term, lucrative, MMA career.

- I read on the internet where Hulk Hogan is dropping hints that he "could" face Chris Jericho at WM25. Hey, that would be fine with me and I'm sure that match "could" be a possibility but for some reason I just don't see it happening. Obviously, Jericho is treading in Legend's territory and his WM25 match will like follow that theme especially this late in the game but I have yet to hear one conclusive name that will wrestle Jericho in Houston. I do know or strongly suspect it will NOT be Ric Flair. One has to surmise after what Jerry Lawler said about Jericho on Raw Monday night that a Lawler-Jericho confrontation is a distinct possibility at some point but that doesn't necessarily mean it will be at WM25. Chris Jericho and this entire Legend's issue has been one of the highlights of Monday Night Raw for this viewer for the past several weeks. Bottom line here is that Hulk is a great promoter and does as good a job as anyone in keeping his name out there to the wrestling public which is better than living and dying on TMZ.

- I don't expect Steve Austin to speak overly long at the WWE HOF Ceremony as Steve is a man that tells one what time it is and not how to make the watch. Knowing Stone Cold, he won't write a complete speech but will likely have a few notes and then allow his natural instincts to take over and then simply be himself which has always been good enough for me as more of today's wrestlers should practice Austin's philosophy. As you could probably understand, I am really excited about the 2009 WWE HOF Induction Ceremony as a limited number of tickets are still available for the Saturday April 4 event from the Toyota Center in Houston.

- What will be the last match to go on at WM25? Several emailers to this site have suggested it should be the Undertaker vs. HBK match. While I am looking forward to this Texas sized presentation involving two of WWE's most prominent icons ever including Taker's "Streak", and would LOVE to call this match, I see WM25 ending with either the WWE or the World's Title Bout. No one has told me and it's a nice problem to have but I'm thinking title when thinking of a show closer on April 5. There could be many "right ways" to end WM25 as it relates who gets the distinction of closing the biggest show of the year.

Labels: chris jericho, hulk hogan, jim ross

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments

The Boogeyman wrestled his last match for WWE at this week’s ECW, losing to Kane. WWE announced the release of Boogey, real name Marty Wright, on their website this afternoon and wished him the best in his future endeavors.

Labels: The Boogeyman

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

Rumor has it that Ted DiBiase Sr. will be returning to WWE soon to take part in a storyline with Ted DiBiase Jr. on the RAW brand. The article notes that Ted is planning on wrestling one more match as part of the storyline.

Labels: Ted DiBiase

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

In an interview with The UK Mirror, actor and early Wrestlemania headliner Mr. T commented that he turned down an invitation to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame because of the induction of another celebrity, Pete Rose.

"WWE asked me to be in the Hall of Fame and I turned it down. You know why? They put Pete Rose in the wrestling Hall of Fame. This guy can't even get into his own Hall of Fame. After they put Rose in they came and asked me and I said "You don't insult me! You don't put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame before me! I ain’t going to be a part of that. They put him in and he only did one WrestleMania, and he didn't even wrestle."

T went on to claim he was the only celebrity to have wrestled, overlooking New York Giants great Lawrence Taylor, who headlined Wrestlemania 11's main event against the late Bam Bam Bigelow. There is also William "The Refrigerator" Perry, who competed in the Wrestlemania 2 NFL Battle Royal and was inducted into the Hall several years ago in Chicago as well. Last year, boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. faced off with The Big Show in Orlando, FL.

Labels: mr.t, wwe hall of fame

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:16 AM | Permalink | Comments