During last night's broadcast of WWE Monday Night Raw, WWE Champion CM Punk mentioned Chris Jericho in a list of talents that Triple H, the current COO has lost. Chris Jericho, put his two cents on Twitter, regarding that mention.

@IAmJericho: "Everyone is so excited that @CMPunk mentioned me on Raw. Newsflash...I don't give a shit. Mind ur own business and stop rippin me off Punk."

Labels: c.m. punk, chris jericho

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:32 PM | Permalink | Comments

CM Punk is back on the road with WWE for this weekend’s live events. SmackDown events will be headlined by Big Show vs. CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Jack Swagger, to get them ready for the Fatal 4 Way pay-per-view.

Labels: c.m. punk, jack swagger

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments

Joey Mercury made his WWE storyline return tonight at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view during the CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio match after Serena and Luke Gallows were ejected from ringside. Mercury, sporting a Straight Edge Society hoodie, came from under the ring and slid CM Punk a chair then dropped Mysterio on his face from the apron to the floor, allowing CM Punk to get the win. Mercury went back under the ring.

Labels: c.m. punk, Joey Mercury, Rey Mysterio Jr.

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

One of the reasons Serena Deeb was brought up to WWE’s main roster is because she was the only woman in developmental that was willing to get her head shaved for the storyline with CM Punk. Some of the Divas in FCW who turned the opportunity down did themselves no favors.

Labels: c.m. punk, serena

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

Source: F4Wonline.com

- WWE officials have wanted Jeff Hardy to face CM Punk at this year's WrestleMania 26 pay-per-view from Arizona.

When Hardy left WWE last year, the impression was given that he would return for a match with Punk at WrestleMania. While nothing has been set in stone yet, WWE officials are hoping Hardy will return to start the build for the match.

One issue surrounding Hardy's return would be his pending criminal charges from his arrest last year and how it might affect Linda McMahon's political career.

Labels: c.m. punk, jeff hardy, wrestlemania 26

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:27 PM | Permalink | Comments

As reported earlier, CM Punk was featured in an interview with TheState.com this morning to help promote the WWE SmackDown/ECW taping in Columbia, S.C. One topic covered was Punk's dream WrestleMania opponent, "Last year, before I was in the MITB match, it was Rey (Mysterio), Punk said. "This year, it's still Rey. Mania is a long ways away right now, so it's hard to say where I'll end up, but I do need a haircut." Read the full recap here.

Labels: c.m. punk, rey mysterio

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments

Below is the updated card for WWE’s Bragging Rights pay-per-view coming out of RAW:

Iron Man Match for the WWE Title
If Randy Orton wins, John Cena leaves RAW
Randy Orton vs. John Cena

Fatal Four Way for the World Heavyweight Title
The Undertaker vs. CM Punk vs. Batista vs. Rey Mysterio

RAW vs. SmackDown Tag Match
Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Big Show, Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston and Mark Henry vs. Chris Jericho, Kane, Dolph Ziggler, Shad, JTG, Eric Escobar and Drew McIntyre

Intercontinental Champion vs. United States Champion
John Morrison vs. The Miz

RAW Divas vs. SmackDown Divas
Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly and Melina vs. Natalya, Beth Phoenix and Michelle McCool

Labels: 2009 bragging rights, c.m. punk, rey mysterio, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments

Below is the official promotional blurb and content listing for WWE’s upcoming three-disc DVD set on Jeff Hardy:

Jeff Hardy has stunned the WWE Universe with amazing highlights in the ring and controversial moments out of it. Now fans can explore both sides fo this unconventional Superstar. Jeff Hardy: My Life, My Rules contains a revealing documentary packed with never-before-seen interviews from Jeff and both his closest confidants and biggest rivals. Recorded on the eve of beginning a new chapter in his life, Jeff discusses his tumultuous existence in 2008 and 2009, including his astounding rise to both the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships and his challenging personal struggles. Through the 27 matches on this 3-DVD set, fans can retrace Jeff’s remarkable career, including a rare match from 1994, his tag team partnership with brother Matt, and battles for the Intercontinental, World Heavyweight and WWE Championships.

Phoenix, AZ – August 25, 2009

Jeff Returns

August 25, 2009 – 9:59 PM

Jeff and Matt Reunite – The Hardys!

August 25, 2009 – 10:03 PM

Opportunity Knocks

August 25, 2009 – 10:07 PM

Dark Days

Road to Redemption

August 25, 2009 – 10:12 PM

Sacrifice is Rewarded

August 25, 2009 – 10:15 PM

Brother vs. Brother

Living for the Moment

August 25, 2009 – 10:18 PM

Jeff’s Omega?

Special Features

• Jeff’s Faves

• Motocross

• Third Gear, Wide Open

• Jeff’s Art Gallery

• Remembering Jack

• The Original Hardy Boy

• Will O’ The Wisp

• Behind the Paint: Jeff Prepares for SummerSlam

• Gas Chamber Ink

• The Hardy Show

Matches

Jeff Hardy vs. 1-2-3 Kid
Superstars – June 25, 1994

Triangle Ladder Match for the World Tag Team Championship
The Hardy Boys vs. The Dudley Boyz vs Edge & Christian
WrestleMania 2000 – April 2, 2000
(Alternate Commentary with Jeff and Matt Hardy)

Steel Cage Match for the World Tag Team Championship
The Hardy Boys vs. Edge & Christian
Unforgiven – September 24, 2000

Hardcore Championship Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Mike Awesome
SmackDown! – July 12, 2001

Ladder Match for the Hardcore Championship
Jeff Hardy vs. Rob Van Dam
SummerSlam – August 19, 2001

Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy
Vengeance – December 9, 2001

Jeff Hardy & Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho & Christian
Raw – February 17, 2003

DISC 2

Jeff Hardy vs. Edge
Raw – August 21, 2006

Intercontinental Championship Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Johnny Nitro
Raw – October 2, 2006

World Tag Team Championship Match
The Hardys vs. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
Backlash – April 29, 2007

#1 Contender’s 4-Way Elimination Match for the Intercontinental Championship
Jeff Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Santino Marella vs. William Regal
Raw – July 16, 2007

Intercontinental Championship Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin
Raw – September 17, 2007

Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship
Jeff Hardy vs. Carlito
Raw – December 10, 2007

Winner Receives a WWE Championship Match at Royal Rumble
Jeff Hardy vs. Triple H
Armageddon – December 16, 2007

Intercontinental Championship Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton
Raw – January 14, 2008

WWE Championship Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton
Royal Rumble – January 27, 2008

Jeff Hardy vs. Shawn Michaels
Raw – February 11, 2008

DISC 3

Falls Count Anywhere Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga
One Night Stand: Extreme Rules – June 1, 2008

#1 Contender’s Match for the WWE Championship
Jeff Hardy vs. John Cena
Raw – June 2, 2009

Jeff Hardy vs. John Morrison
SmackDown! – July 4, 2009

WWE Championship Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Triple H
No Mercy – October 5, 2008

Extreme Rules Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Undertaker
SmackDown – November 14, 2008

Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship
Jeff Hardy vs. Triple H vs. Edge
Armageddon – December 14, 2008

Extreme Rules Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Dolph Ziggler
Raw – March 23, 2009

Stretcher Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy
SmackDown – April 10, 2009

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk
Night of Champions – July 26, 2009

Steel Cage Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk
SmackDown – August 28, 2009

Labels: c.m. punk, jeff hardy, matt hardy

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments

It seems the rumor that CM Punk was stripped of his World Championship due to an altercation over the dress code is not the only story circulating the industry.

According to F4WOnline.com, another story that made rounds this weekend is that CM Punk caught heat with WWE officials for openly expressing the belief that he felt it was too soon for him to drop the World Championship.

While most believe the former--that Punk expressed "attitude" when Undertaker confronted him about not dressing like a champion on the European tour--both stories
generally point to one thing: a negative reaction to an alleged attitude problem on CM Punk's part led to his being stripped of the title in the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view opener.

News on what supposedly led to CM Punk's title defeat has generated two contrasting reactions from the lockerroom. As Punk has a reputation for being a "heat magnet" with a contingent of the roster, some were pleased to see what they perceive to be his attitude catch up with him and result in a punishment. On the other hand, there was a sector that felt anything he might have done was too minor to warrant going against better judgment by putting the World title on a wrestler who is clearly not 100% and does not work most house shows.

Labels: c.m. punk, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross is back with another blog this weekend on jrsbarbq.com. Here are the highlights:

- Favorite Boston wrestling memory…Austin vs. HBK with Mike Tyson involved. Plus working one event at the old Boston Garden and making that trip with the late Gorilla Monsoon. When thinking of Monsoon, I have wonderful memories of a great man. The wrestling business in general needs more people with Gorilla’s character, respect and integrity.

- I don’t know why I should have vilified Maria on Friday Night Smackdown as some have suggested via their emails. What has she done wrong? Date an arrogant wrestler? Wow, she would be the first to ever do that, right?

- Another person wanted to know why I wasn’t harder on C.M. Punk via our commentary over the promo Punk did Friday night on Smackdown. Honestly, Punk’s remarks were filled with truths. Certainly one can make an argument that Punk’s delivery was a little pompous but that’s a subjective opinion too. I can assure you that Punk means what he says about abstinence from smoking, recreational drug use, and drinking alcohol. I sure as hell can’t argue his basic points.

Labels: c.m. punk, jim ross, maria

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

MyNetworkTV sent the following memo to it's e-mailing list subscribers:

Jeff Hardy Battles CM Punk This Week on MyNetworkTV‏

WWE Friday Night SmackDown (HD)
Friday, July 24th at 8/7c

CM Punk's barrage of personal attacks have only served to frustrate Jeff Hardy. Now, just days before the Night of Champions match, the enigmatic superstar makes a pledge to beat CM Punk. Will Jeff Hardy make good on his promise or will CM Punk ultimately put his championship dreams to sleep? Find out on an all new Friday Night SmackDown.

Labels: c.m. punk, jeff hardy

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

The 2009 edition of Judgement Day is underway in Chicago, and the first match is hometown boy C.M. Punk vs Umaga. Here is our review of the opener of the annual May WWE PPV.

John: A good start to the event with good display of old fashioned hard knock wrestling. I felt it was a bit of a surprise to let Umanga win as this match was in Punk's home town. Also, other than this minor feud there would not seem to be much in it for Umaga. With Money in the bank you know Punk will get his title chance, but Umanga has a long way to go till he returns to main event status.

Matt: Well, so much for the hometown boy winning here. A solid opener between two solid guys in Punk and Umaga, but it would have been tough for me to believe Punk getting over, even in his home state. I still have no real idea of the long-term direction they have for Umaga, but this was an impressive return, and I think squashes any thoughts on having him turn face, which is the right thing to do. He's a good heel, and having him win strong here was the right thing to do. I still wonder if we'll see Punk later on in the evening.

Labels: 2009 judgement day, c.m. punk, umaga

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:15 PM | Permalink | Comments

Match three at the 2009 Backlash showcased two "Money in the Bank" grapplers, as Kane took on C.M. Punk. Here's our breakdown of the match with Matt and John.

Matt: Well, this seemed more like a match on RAW than a PPV match. Born out of the "for no specific reason" file, we had Kane and CM Punk go at it in what was an okay match, that in the end they gave to Kane with an impressive chokeslam. What bothers me is this match means nothing, and the only thing I can think of is they are going to keep this feud going with a couple of stip matches. Both guys worked well, but I can say three matches in that this PPV is clearly not worth $40.

John: This match was one of those that should have been saved for Raw or Smack Down. A bit of a slow one as it was a slug fest between Punk and the lumbering Kane. There was little back story for this match and it showed as the crowd really just watched because there was nothing better to do. I'm not sure what the win will do for Kane as he has been a filler wrestler at best over the past couple years. Can't see this grouping going on much longer as there is nothing at stake.

Labels: 2009 backlash, c.m. punk, kane

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

WrestleMania 25 in Houston is underway, and match #1 is in the books, as C.M. Punk has once again won the Money in the Bank. Here is a quick review of the match with Let's Talk Wrestling co-editors Matt Loede and John Sefcik.

Matt Loede: Wow. This was another great way to start off WM, just like they did the past two years with the MITB match. Shelton Benjamin did what he always does, which is take way too many risks, and even Kane and Mark Henry did a good job keeping up with the younger, faster guys. Punk and Finlay seemed to be the two most involved, and MVP had a good showing as well. Punk winning though to me was a little stale, but I guess they still have big plans for the Chicago based wrestler, and I guess we'll see him in a feud of some sort over the summer with a champion. As far as the best MITB match ever? Tough to say right after it was over, but the high spots were very good, and it was for sure a great way to start the card.

John Sefick:Shelton Benjamin, that's all that needs to be said. Again he brings his game to the top and gives us some memorable moments from Mania. After watching this match it has left no question in my mind this is the highlight of Mania and is establishing itself as the great appetizer for the night, One has to imagine one of these years we will see a major injury as the guys just keep raising the bar with more and more insane moves. Just look at Benjamin's leap from the ladder onto is fellow competitors.

Despite the lack luster roster this year, they still pulled off a great match. Have to wonder about Punk winning the briefcase again. His profile as been a bit down lately, but the fans still love him. Don't know if this was done on purpose for another title run, but he does get a chance to move his status up a notch. I thought Christian would walk away in order to raise his profile and return to the WWE. Also it would have been a great way to move him off ECW and take on competition worthy of his talent. Overall though you got to love this match as it is the best way to kick of Mania with its thrills and spills.

Labels: c.m. punk, kane, mark henry, shelton benjamin, wrestlemania 25

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

In the new issue of WWE Magazine, the cover article is an interview with John Cena. Highlights from the article:

His Secret Return at the Royal Rumble: “I was hidden away in the back of a car and then 45 minutes after the show started, I was briskly brought to a secret room in Madison Square Garden. Nobody knew I was there and nobody knew what was going to happen…I came out a minute before no. 30 was called. Everyone backstage had 60 seconds to react.”

The Spinner Belt: “Believe it or not, that belt has had minute changes over the the years, and I’m actually flattered that it’s now considered the WWE Championship. I thought for sure that once it went to Smackdown, it would see a redesign. I like the fact that the ECW Championship has changed; I think it adds flavor to it. It’s weird, the one trophy that tradition says you can’t touch is the World Heavyweight Championship, but it is what it is.”

CM Punk’s World title run: “I didn’t know much about him and he’s not the first number on my friends list but I was thoroughly impressed by how he handled it. I think the great thing about Punk is that he listens to everybody, whether it’s a vet or a rookie, some weird guy posting on the Internet, a paying customer or a six-year old who’s hero is John Cena.”

Most Underrated Talent in WWE: “William Regal. Not only is he smooth as silk in the ring, he’s one of the most entertaining characters I’ve ever seen on TV.”

Cena also noted he recently recorded a hop hop track with Snoop Dogg titled “Hustle, Loyalty, Respect” and would like to do a 10 song online album with Snoop and Tha Dogg Pound.

Labels: c.m. punk, john cena, william regal

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:33 PM | Permalink | Comments

Ah yes, it's that time of the year when the WWE tries to cram in as many PPV's as they can, and at the same time take money for lackluster cards out of their fans pockets. That will be the case in less than three weeks, as the company presents "Cyber Sunday" a card that from all accounts is picked by the fans, as they have the "power" to pick who they want to see fight some of the champions and what not.

The card basically goes like this: the company picks a title or match, and they either give fans the option to pick the stipulation for the match, or they give a champion and give the fans the power to pick who that champion will fight. Right now there has been only two matches with fans power to pick the opponent and guest ref announced, but expect them to start going fast and furious with the rest of the card in the next week.

There are always issues with this card, as in fans picking bad matches (take last years ECW title match with The Miz vs C.M. Punk) and there are always some bad stipulations that are offered, and every once in awhile you will get fans picking the worst one. Right now the slam dunk of the card is the involvement of Steve Austin as the guest ref for the match for the World Heavyweight Title between Chris Jericho and Batista.

The other thing that the company is going to get more year out of this event is more cash in their pockets. How? Easy, they are going the 'text message' route for fans picking the card instead of the old fashioned way of calling an 800 number. Right at the top of their website they have a big banner ad for "Vote Now - The Power is in Your Hands." The ad is for you to text a number and tells you that you'll be charged $.99 per vote, plus standard text message rates.

How cheesy is that?

So on top the $40 bucks people already plopped down Sunday for No Mercy, now they want you to A: pay a buck to vote for the next rushed PPV, and B: plop down another $40 for a PPV that normally is known for being a train wreck by all accounts. At least Vince and company are coming up with a way to make more money in this tough economic time, even at the fans expense.

Labels: 2008 cyber sunday, batista, c.m. punk, chris jericho, ecw

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:26 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross is back with another blog update over at jrsbarbq.com where he talks about last night’s RAW, Ric Flair, Steve Austin and others. Below are the highlights:

- Jim Ross on last night’s RAW: HBK vs. Jericho for the World’s Title in a Ladder Match at No Mercy should be excellent. A show stealer?

Jericho-Punk had a really solid opening, cage match. Both men bring something special to the table. Nice chemistry between 2 athletic talents.

Nice to see Santino Marella, an entertaining antagonist, get to sit at the “grown up” table in a key interview segment.

William Regal pairing w/Layla should earn the underrated Regal more TV time.

Evan Bourne is a rapidly rising star. He’s quickly growing past the “side kick” role. Best shooting star press I’ve ever seen from this young star.

Charlie Haas impersonation of yours truly got Charlie noticed again, which was the point. No worries here as that road has been traveled before. Upside here was that our Bar-B-Q biz got a Mamajuana-like TV mention. Perhaps I need to go on Lawler’s no carb diet after seeing Charlie’s “drum.”

- Jim Ross on Steve Austin again: My blurb on Steve Austin certainly got people talking about Steve returning to ring for “one more match.” To the best of my knowledge, Steve has no intention of returning to the ring, but is working out like a warrior to prepare for his upcoming movie role. Austin does seem like a leading candidate to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009 in Houston.

- Jim Ross on Ric Flair: I received 2 great voice mails from Ric Flair Tuesday while I was in route from OKC-Nashville. Ric sounded great, upbeat and busy. His recent controversy seems to have two distinctly different stories. Ric is in the process of recording a DVD interview that he seems excited about. This one should contain some interesting “road stories” and career highlights and lowlights. It was great hearing from Ric who is following his friend Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina Gamecocks and also keeps up with another friend Bob Stoops’ Oklahoma Sooners.

- Jim Ross on the younger guys: It’s been a long time since so many young wrestlers have received TV time. That’s essentially a good thing and puts the onus on the youth of the WWE to step up and accept the responsibility that goes with the territory.

Labels: c.m. punk, jim ross, ric flair, Santino Marella

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

One source close to all parties involved reports that former World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk is one of the main people trying to bring back Joey Mercury to WWE. Apparently the two are long-time friends and Punk has been going to bat for Mercury with WWE management. Punk has taken on sort of a “sponsor” role to Mercury and the say Punk’s influence has rubbed off. It looks like the rumors of Mercury’s return to WWE are indeed true.

Labels: c.m. punk, Joey Mercury

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

From: WrestleScoop.com

There has been a lot of talk within WWE lately that CM Punk’s big push as World Heavyweight Champion was coming to an end and that it is time for him to drop the belt and build some momentum up on RAW so he can get it back in the future. There has also been talk of beginning to build a feud between Randy Orton and CM Punk which could see some kind of interference at the Unforgiven pay-per-view.

It also appears as if they are planting the seeds for a stable of younger guys, possibly to be led by Orton, that was discussed a few months back. Orton worked a few angles with the younger guys at TV this week. We do know that there was a plan being thrown around back before the WWE Draft that would have seen Batista come to RAW, turn heel and start a new Evolution type stable on RAW. For now the plan to turn Batista heel is off the table unless something else changes.

Regardless of what happens, sources indicate that the injury to John Cena and now Shawn Michaels could have drastic changes on the way RAW is booked to finish up this year and go into WrestleMania next year. Also, with the way WWE is booking things these days you never know.

Labels: c.m. punk, randy orton, shawn michaels, wrestlemania

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

RAW kicked off the week of WWE TV with a taped show from St.Louis. It was a mixed bag in my opinion, with some good, some bad, and some segments that simply were as bland as eating ice at the bottom of a snow cone that has no flavor left. With that, here are some thoughts from the show:

The Good:

* I have expressed this before, and I will say it again, Chris Jericho circa 2008 is by far my favorite reborn character the company has seen in sometime. I don't know if it was Chris, but whoever has come up with the tweaks to the old Jericho gets a huge prop in my eyes. Here's hoping for a Jericho-Punk program for the belt at some point down the road provided they allow Punk to keep it.

* The returns of hottie Candice Michelle and Rey Mysterio made the night. First, here's hoping Michelle finally can stay healthy and get a serious program with Beth Phoenix. As for Rey, I think that was the best return of the few that we've seen out of him. He finally forgo the cartoon character that we usually see, and came out with a serious look and had a great go at it with Kane. I am looking forward to the Kane-Rey program that will take place after the PPV.

* Randy Orton coming out and making all the title holders mad was a great way to kick off the night. I love the fact instead of just sugar coating it and calling out Punk, he also called out DiBiase and Rhodes and Phoeix, which was great. I think Randy will be top notch with his character when he returns and will be right at the top of the mix of the title picture.

* It was nice to see the tag titles actually given a real program with Rhodes and DiBiase and Cryme Tyme. For too long they have wasted time on things that don't matter, and let belts simply sit in the corner and rot when you can build good programs around them. I think this has the makings of a good match at the PPV, and a program that can have legs.

The Bad:

* I'd like to thank D-Lo Brown for a comeback that we'd all like to forget. You can bet that his short and ugly loss to Santino Marella will basically be the first of many, and that any hopes of a push are long gone for a guy who's better days were in the late 90's. Plus he can lose that 10-year old theme song anytime.

* The two battle royals were both rather lame in my opinion, and while I know what they were trying to get across, I thought they both were rather ho-hum. It made Henry and Kane both look rather impressive, and in the long run you know there two will not be in main event programs.

* I know that William Regal is still somewhat in the dog house for his past suspension, but losing to Jamie Noble in a stupid comedy act with him and Layla was pretty weak. I still think that Regal has a lot to give in and out of the ring, but since his return he's been pushed to the back burner, and here's hoping that he'll be allowed to get on track at some point.

Final Grade for the Show: C+

Labels: beth phoenix, c.m. punk, candice michelle, chris jericho, kane, RAW, rey mysterio, Santino Marella

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:39 PM | Permalink | Comments