Query on Devon's sons, celebrity at Smackdown, no Shaq at Mania?, Tyson interview, Questions on Sheamus/Bryan, Chambers vs. cages, referees in the Hall, ring time in the Chamber, and Bruiser Brody vs. Hogan, Foley interview, Eve talks ahead of live event, Raw rating, Punk talks Chris Brown, Over The Limit commercial, New Jack KOs a Nasty Boy, USA doing a Cena/Rock special, and Otunga talks bullying

Because WWE hasn't put up this week's NXT for whatever reason, I'm going to go ahead and post Wednesday's news. This week's show will be given the date 2/23 due to the late posting. It will still be separate from Superstars and Impact Wrestling.

Wednesday's news starts with a query:
1. Given that the angle hasn't been mentioned in a while, I'm assuming the whole "Devon and his sons" thing is over for TNA. There hasn't been anything to suggest that it will continue, and it was pretty much wrapped up.

Jennifer Hudson was backstage at Smackdown. That's the first time I'm aware of that that's happened, though she did once attend an FCW event when her fiance was competing pre-WWE.

WWE.com is reporting that despite Shaquille O'Neal's claims to the contrary, there are no plans for him to be on the card for WrestleMania. I'm thinking this could be a red herring on WWE's part, as in he's "not officially part of the card yet". More on this story as it develops.

Mike Tyson discussed wrestling in an interview. Props for him actually being a serious fan.

PWInsider.com had some new questions for Wednesday. Here's my take on them:
1. While I doubt that was the primary reason they went with that match-up and I agree that they wouldn't do it if they didn't think it was the right idea for this year's World Title match, that'd be one heck of a coincidence. If Vince can sort of apologize for berating Foley as a Smackdown announcer by plugging his book when he was in TNA, MAYBE this is at least partially a mea culpa.

After the break, I go into the rest of the day's news and questions, starting with how the Elimination Chamber differs from a regular cage match.
2. Other than the multi-man factor, there's more room in the Chamber, there are chains holding it together instead of the "fence" of the cage, there's that nasty Chamber floor to bump on, and the pods themselves can be and frequently are either weapons or launching pads. I definitely think there's a pretty notable difference. It is a very cool and dangerous looking structure, and should be treated as something very imposing.

3. I agree about the "noticing the ref" thing. Down the line, I think we'll see at least one get in. Earl didn't exactly leave there on the best of terms (he was caught selling merchandise without permission), so I'm thinking it might be a while before he gets the call. There are certainly some deserving inductees in future years, but I think they should mostly focus on the wrestlers, promoters, and commentators first.

4. Basically what they said. Khali has looked particularly sluggish lately, and the Elimination Chamber isn't exactly the best match type for him. Say what you will about Santino (and I do think his push is a little much for someone who's pretty much been a comedy midcarder), but fans seem to be pretty into his act.

5. It sounds like it would have been. I'm not big on hypotheticals.

Mick Foley talked about his recent in-ring ventures, charity, and more. It's looking less and less likely we'll see him do something big at WrestleMania. Like a lot of others, I had/have my doubts on what he'd be able to bring to the table then.

Eve spoke ahead of an upcoming live event. They might change her match with Phoenix after the heel turn. At least, they probably should. She has the right attitude about live events. I think some of the people on NXT would benefit from being a part of the mix there. They do FCW TV and some live events with them, but not in front of as large or varied of an audience as the main roster does.

Road Warrior Animal could end up making an appearance for WWE at some point given that he was asked to take part in the Royal Rumble. Maybe if they do the "Old School Raw" thing again. Then again, it would be quite interesting for his character to comment on his brother's current job as interim Raw GM. If we do get some kind of WrestleMania match involving the GMs, he could make a cameo.

Raw did a 3.2 on Monday, with hours of 3.3 and 3.19. That's an ok number, but coming off of the Elimination Chamber and starting the homestretch to WrestleMania, they should be doing better. I think they've got a LOT of work to do once Mania season's up. They need to make the most of the boosts from Rock, HHH, HBK, and Taker.

C.M. Punk discussed his issues with Chris Brown. I can't be the only one who'd pay to see that MMA fight. Punk's likely got a lot of people in his boat with his take on the matter.

Here's the commercial for WWE Over The Limit. Of course, it features some big bumps and weapon shots, so people are going to expect that kind of thing.

In a story that some fans (and wrestlers) are REALLY going to cheer for, New Jack knocked out the controversial Brian Knobbs. While I can't condone New Jack's actions, I can definitely see why it went down (and why no one would have tried to help Knobbs). Knobbs could very well have one of the worst backstage reputations of anyone in the business.

The USA Network will air a look at the John Cena/Rock rivalry on 3/26 before the Mania lead-in Raw. That's pretty cool. I hope they go into the interviews and things from years back that started the heat.

David Otunga spoke to kids as part of WWE's anti-bullying campaign. Props to him for that.

That's all for Wednesday's news. More to come later today. NXT will be up at some point after its posted, and Superstars and Impact Wrestling are on tap today as well. Thanks for reading!