Total Pageviews

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Natalya/Kidd wedding, HBK correction, NXT changes, relive '96 WCW, WWE live event notes, TNA ad, Interviews with Dixie/Bully Ray/Eric Young, Roberts update, and a GLOW star passes away

In one of those "made for reality TV" moments: Tyson Kidd (with hair!) and Natalya are now married after dating for years. How convenient that it comes at a time when it could be filmed for the TV show. Note that the piece plugs the show and notes where the dress came from.

Shawn Michaels corrected the IWC members who thought that he was referring to Daniel Bryan in a recent interview about Vince McMahon not seeing money in a certain talent. This is why it's bad to assume things.

WWE is moving everything they're going to keep from the FCW Arena to the new Performance Center. Rob Naylor, who worked in Creative for FCW/NXT, will be leaving. Apparently he was pretty well liked and could return in the future. Steve Keirn will also be leaving the company. Norman Smiley on the other hand will remain there.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Performance Center notes, Interviews with Natalya/Big E/Steele/Striker, WWE signings work indies, Doink passes away, WWE fine, Impact audience, and Questions on Suicide, Kevin Sullivan, Mickie, MITB, and the Briscoes

Jim Ross gave some details about the Performance Center. Was this all HHH's idea? It sounds awesome. A far cry from DSW for instance.

Here's a press release on "Total Divas". Reality shows are heavily manipulated and feature people at their most stressed out, so take everything on there with a grain (or more than a grain) of salt.

Big E Langston talked. Yeah, Bleacher Report isn't exactly hard-hitting journalism. He came across well.

George "The Animal" Steele talked about his book and career. Sounds really interesting! I loved the pillow story, and he has good points about the WWE brand.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

WWE Smackdown Reax - 6/28/13

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Updates on Roberts/Kidd, WWE's concussion policy, Interviews with Rampage/AJ Kirsch/JR, big WWE book, TNA hires former WWE exec, why the McMahons are likely on TV, WWE announcing change?, and Questions on the MEM, live events on TV, Tessmacher, WWE signing TNA names, and live events

Here's more from Jake Roberts' continuing struggles with alcohol. The last thing we want to see is him fully relapsing.

WWE.com looked at their updated concussion policy. I'm glad they take things seriously.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson discussed TNA and more. No update on when we'll see him in the ring.

Tough Enough's AJ Kirsch talked to Larry King. It doesn't look/sound like we'll be seeing him in WWE or TNA any time soon, but he seems ok with that.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Superstars and Impact Wrestling Reax - 6/27/13

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Superstars and Impact Wrestling.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Main Event Reax - 6/26/13, Updates on Ion/Roberts/Swagger/Steiner/Rey, top ROH act to WWE?, Interviews with Striker/ex-WWE writer/Cena Sr./Steele/Jimmy Hart, TNA promotion, Big O on Impact, Clay dancer profiled, Ryder parody, Tough Enough story, Summerslam poster, TNA announcer leaving?, and Questions on RVD, Cena, Lesnar, and the McMahons

Main Event:
Chris Jericho, former WrestleMania headliner, is on Main Event. Was he in any kind of commercial or anything for the show? Was this mentioned on Raw? They're really missing out by not promoting their shows. Anyway, this was a pretty solid match. Rhodes looked like he "belonged" in there with Jericho. If he continues to grow in the ring and gets some character background, I can see him going far.

I can't put over Colter and Cesaro's promo enough. That was awesome! Purely heel attributes. WE THE PEOPLE!!!!!

Decent enough match between Christian and Ambrose (since it was fairly short). I wouldn't mind a longer title match.

Cool post-match. I wouldn't have Christian or The Usos take titles from The Shield, but I do think they should look good as challengers.

I'm not crazy about the new Diva. In general I'm not crazy about people going to the main roster without doing anything in NXT beforehand.

That was an ok main event. I've seen better from PTP. This was mainly a case of not enough time being given (which makes sense if they were going to do the awesome Colter/Cesaro segment). I'm not going to beat the dead horse about Titus not needing to be a 5-star technical wrestler appealing to the jaded older fans.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Interviews with ex-NXTer/RVD, more Fargo memories, Swagger update, Legends' health updates, Jericho remembers Benoit and puts over World Champ, Rock on being cover guy, Raw notes, Raw audience, Smackdown dark match, and Questions on WWE dropping Vince, Sting, and Cena

Derek Foore, who wrestled briefly in NXT as Chad Baxter, had a number of complaints about his time there. His remarks about Bill DeMott are consistent with what a number of people have said about the former Hugh Morrus. I really do wonder why he's there given his reputation. As for performers making it to the main roster having bizarre looks, that's in some ways a good thing! It's easier to stand out when you have a more marketable look than "generic bodybuilder". It might be someone on Creative taking those ideas instead of those talents themselves. Maybe Titus got inspiration from Bill Alfonso? At any rate, this isn't the first time a talent has accused someone higher up of taking their ideas. Tyler Reks insists that John Cena used an idea that he had used on NXT Season 5 for The Miz and R-Truth.

RVD was also interviewed about returning to WWE. I'd certainly rather have someone part-time than not at all! It sounds like he's signed for a year to do a certain number of appearances. I'm glad he's honest about just being there for the money, but it would have been cool if he put over some of the younger guys he could have awesome matches with.

Here are more remembrances of Jackie Fargo, including video of his final wrestling appearance. He'll certainly be missed.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Memphis legend passes, Interviews with Eric Young/Douglas Williams/Keneley/ex-WWE writer, Simmons appreciated, live event notes, Austin puts over Henry/Cena, WWE doc on Twitter, Sheik in bad shape, NXT updates, WWE wrestler becomes commentator, World Title match set for MITB, NXT trademark note, Smackdown audience, and Questions on the WWE warehouse, Punk as a face, Raw's quality, the MEM, and WCW markdom

Memphis wrestling legend Jackie Fargo has sadly passed away. PWInsider.com looked back at his career.

Jerry Lawler remembered his mentor. Stan Lane also remembered Fargo. As did Jeff Jarrett. And Jim Ross. Ross made some great points about why he was successful.

Eric Young was interviewed. Like pretty much everything else he's involved in, I lost interest quickly.

Douglas Williams was also interviewed. I thought the other day that it would be cool if he did a version of his "pure wrestling" character in WWE (maybe NXT) against the younger, "flippy" guys to work with them on improving their games.

Here's a brief story on Ron Simmons Appreciation Night. DAMN.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Raw Reax - 6/24/13

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.

Monday, June 24, 2013

WWE live event notes, A look at a key WWE ally, Stone Cold update, another reason WWE loves Cena, more Shootin' Straight, WWE stars at another comic convention, RVD talks TNA, and Questions on Sting, WM30, Angelina Love, no DQ matches, and a dream interview

This weekend featured Ron Simmons Appreciation Night for WWE Live. Pretty cool.

In addition to the Wyatt Family, Alex Riley, Zack Ryder, Ted DiBiase, The Great Khali, Epico, and Primo all wrestled on this weekend's WWE Live events, so they're still around!

Also present at some of this weekend's live events (in NXT's home base of Florida) were Adrian Neville, Corey Graves, Paige, Emma, Sasha Banks, and Mojo Rawley. What that means for any of them making it to WWE TV remains to be seen.

Bonnie Hammer talked about the success of WWE and more. There are reasons why she keeps it on her networks. I loved the comment about complacency. Hopefully WWE takes it to heart. They are making some great changes on the main roster and in NXT, but there are still a number of people who have been doing the same thing for so long that they're really spinning their tires.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Query on Tajiri-WWE, Interviews with Striker/Big E/WWE trainer, and Questions on Bruno, old school vs. new school Bryan vs. HHH, and Sarita

First up, a query:
1. I haven't seen anything about Tajiri returning to WWE. I believe that he's quite busy in Japan! If I'm not mistaken, he's running his own promotion there. I don't know if he'd give that up to go back on the road for WWE.

Matt Striker was interviewed. Humble guy who got to live his dream. Good listen. I know some of his feels, man. Got me right there.

Big E Langston was also interviewed. I continue to view his career with great interest.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

NXT taping dark match, old Taker video, Interviews with Ziggler/HBK/Barrett, another 3rd-generation Diva?, Impact audience, the WWE vault, a new WWE show?, and Questions on Jim Cornette, RVD, Max Moon, Raquel Diaz, and turning Japanese

I'm going to start listing NXT taping dark matches if I can find them. For some reason, I was unaware that those tapings had dark matches. Anyway, at the most recent taping Mojo Rawley defeated Danny Burch. I don't know much about either's abilities, but Rawley has a gimmick based on the popular "Party Rock" phenomenon and seems to be a jovial babyface. Wily Brit Danny Burch has a solid pedigree, with over 10 years of experience at 31. I've been wondering why he hasn't been used given those facts.

Here's an old video of The Undertaker granting a Make-A-Wish wish. Pretty cool.

Dolph Ziggler was interviewed before Payback to promote a WWE live event in South Africa. Good interview as always. He shoots from the hip (which could be why WWE brass doesn't like him).

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Smackdown Reax - 6/21/13

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Interviews with Anderson/Nikki/Kenely/King Mo, Punk at Wizard World, WWE Creative update, more on RVD, Diva returning?, WWE announcer gone, top indie name to WWE?, ex-World Champ at NXT, and Questions on WWE stars in movies and Cena as Champ

There are a number of links for an interview with TNA's Mr. Anderson: Link 1 Link 2 Link 3 I do wish there were more meet-and-greet events, for both WWE and TNA. Anyway, that was a good appearance for him. Definitely the "nicest" I've ever seen him be.

Nikki Bella was interviewed about dating John Cena and more. WWE's looking for attention from non-wrestling fans in their reality show ventures.

Former (and future?) TNA announcer Todd Kenely talked about being cut from TNA. The other detail I've heard is that they wanted to focus on (pro-TNA) Tenay and (pro-Aces and Eights) Taz. Honestly, I see no reason for having 3 regular announcers in the booth at a time. Too many arguing voices.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Superstars and Impact Wrestling Reax - 6/20/13

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Superstars and Impact Wrestling.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Main Event Reax - 6/19/13, Mania back in Orlando?, Interviews with Anya/Dreamer/Reigns, RVD update, potential Ziggler spoiler, bon voyage to WWE signees, "Daily Show" responds to Zeb Colter, another "WWE is to blame for a death" story, more from Nash, where's Stasiak now?, Rey update, Smackdown not being attended well, WWE writer leaves, NXT updates and Questions on Axel, the NWA, HHH, and Y2J

Main Event:
Honestly, that could have gone a lot worse for the Usos and Gabriel. I think they had a good showing, all things considered, and it won't be too hard for them to rebound. At some point we're going to need some credible challengers for the Tag Team Titles besides Hell No and Orton.

They've explained the Colter/Cesaro pairing well enough for me now. On Twitter, Colter said that Cesaro came into America legally and all that jazz. Is it wrong to hope that Kassius Ohno is the next member of the Militia? I'm itching to see him on the main roster and he has a history with Cesaro. Anyway, good promo from Colter as always. Two words: HEAT MAGNET.

Applause for both Cesaro and Cara there. Both impressive talents under 35. The HHH regime has brought some great results. The future of WWE looks pretty good if these guys catch fire.

Kaitlyn vs. Aksana wasn't amazing, but they've definitely done worse against each other. Both have certainly become more focused in their ring games since NXT Season 3.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

post-Raw dark match, potential spoilers, Interviews with Orton/Miz/HBK, TNA exec leaving, Raw audience, backstage blow-up, and Questions on Angle, Sting, Christian, Rock vs. Cena, and attendance

After Raw, John Cena beat Ryback in a Tables match. The only bad thing about the awesome set-up for Henry vs. Cena is that it presumably leaves Ryback on the outs. Maybe we get RVD vs. Ryback? Obviously RVD's good for crazy ladder bumps, but I think a match with Ryback would be cool as well.

In a potential spoiler (remember that plans can always change), Daniel Bryan is being set up for a main event run. I'm liking the change in WWE featuring impressive younger athletes who are hungry for top spots. It's certainly different from TNA's current approach, though Sabin and Styles might emerge in the months to come.

Randy Orton was interviewed by the always entertaining and knowledgeable Sam Roberts about his whole career. Orton came across surprisingly well, which you wouldn't guess from his on-screen persona. Cool stories about his time in OVW. I remember those injuries and being concerned that he wouldn't end up the star he is now. Did ANYONE think he was ready for the World Title that first time outside of WWE brass? I was really shocked that they pulled the trigger on that. And WWE DEFINITELY isn't UFC. I hate when they try to make it UFC. I also really agree about why people don't watch UFC. Of course, Flair knew where the strip clubs were... Funny Snitsky story. And yes, there are plenty of people who thought Orton was going to be on his way out after some of the things he's done. Who else wanted to hear Vince and Orton do argue? It's really cool that Orton has grown up and matured. I'm very glad, and I'm sure that WWE is as well. I DIED at the fan-fiction stuff. Also good points about Cena. I'm glad he's not 100% super-face. 

The Miz was interviewed in Albany. Quickly reached the top of WWE? It took him 4 years to win the WWE Title (even longer if you consider his time in developmental). That's quicker than some people, but hardly "quick". As always, Miz made a great representative for the company.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Interviews with Eric Young/Nash, WWE's reaction to Payback, Swagger update, KY promoter passes away, more McMahons!, Smackdown's audience, cool IC Title note, and Questions on TNA making money, WWE without Austin, the WWE Tag division, predictable matches, and a change in WWE

Eric Young was interviewed about his status with TNA, ODB, and more. The most popular women's wrestler he's ever seen? That's interesting... Anyway, TNA's definitely gotten a lot of mileage out of him as a "utility player" they can plug into a lot of different places.

WWE was said to be very happy with the Payback PPV. They should be! I don't 100% agree with every direction they took, but there have definitely been worse PPVs.

Jack Swagger goes to trial next Monday. It's a shame that such a talented performer made such a bad mistake.

Joe Bailey passed away this weekend. He promoted Bad to the Bone Wrestling in Kentucky.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Raw Reax - 6/17/13

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Sting works TNA live event, Interviews with Angle/Sammartino, WWE's work with troops profiled, Memphis legend in critical condition, WWE live event note, Gut Check Challenge winner, Fathers' Day tweets, WWE star calling it quits?, and Questions on a Taker book, Double J, how news sites work, wrestling in TX, and PG music

The main event of TNA's "Basebrawl" event this weekend saw 54-year-old Sting and 44-year-old Kurt Angle beat 41-year-old Bully Ray and 40-year-old Devon in under 10 minutes. While that's a big match from a name value perspective and they deserve main event status, it's concerning that TNA is focusing on stars from other promotions' pasts over the likes of AJ Styles, James Storm, Abyss, Samoa Joe, etc.. WWE has Big Show, Kane, Mark Henry, etc., but the main events generally feature the stars of today and tomorrow. For what it's worth, Angle still has "it" and some say that Bully Ray is in the best shape of his career.

Kurt Angle talked ahead of that event. Sadly, the story focused more on Olympic wrestling than the TNA live event. Angle should have been wearing a TNA shirt! Is that too hard to ask? He could promote one of his own shirts, and maybe people who saw the interview would want to buy it. He'd be putting money in his own pocket. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

Bruno Sammartino talked about the WWE Hall of Fame and more. Nice little story.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.





WWE Payback Reax

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Payback PPV.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

WWE Payback preview

Read on for how I'd book tonight's Payback PPV.

Interviews with Fandango's Sue/Park/Flairs/Big E/Orton, AL regulates wrestling, Santana's other job, HHH dream matches, Punk's early days, a new WWE signing, and Questions on WCW/ECW surviving, Crimson's streak, Knockouts at Slammiversary, and "Where are they now?"

The former "Sue" who danced with Fandango before Summer Rae was interviewed. I liked her.

In today's "can't tell if trolling" news, the Alabama Athletic Commission is regulating pro wrestling. Some of this is pretty silly.

WWF Hall of Famer Tito Santana's job as a middle school teacher was profiled. Feels like a slow news day...

Joseph Park was interviewed to promote the Destination X episode of Impact. As good as this character is for interviews and stuff, I hope they don't get rid of him any time soon.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Kaitlyn "fined", Interviews with Nash/Steele/Miz, WWE Title tattoo, ECW staffer remembered, WCW's "Dog" passes, another Hogan update, Austin praises TNA, Rock family history, Flair autopsy in, Impact audience, and Questions on the WWE Network, Punk at Payback, Aksana, combining the indies, and Bo Dallas

WWE has "fined" Kaitlyn for her attack of a referee on Smackdown. Hopefully she pays it before she ends up back on TMZ. (Sorry, Kaitlyn; I had to.)

There are excerpts of Kevin Nash's recent interview with Stone Cold available. Part 1 Kevin Nash pulling out a sunset flip would have been something to see. Why the heck would a guy his size ever need to do a move like that? Anyway, I agree with protecting finishers. Kind of ironic that "finisher spam" is big in Taker's Mania matches as old-school as he is. Part 2 I'm generally pretty old-school but that's kind of funny to me. Part 3 I can't really blame him for wanting to work fewer dates for more money.

Rapper Gunplay got a tattoo on his stomach of an older design of the WWE Championship. If you have to get a tattoo, that's better than some things you can get. I don't see anyone getting that kind of tattoo of the "Spinner" belt, but who knows?

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Smackdown Reax - 6/14/13

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Query on Alex Riley, Interviews with Taker/Rock/Heyman/Foley, Where's Punk?, ex-WCW star returning to the ring?, Flair at NXT, Miz appearance, another WWE signing finishing up, what WWE stars almost looked like, ECW ticket lady passes, more on Jericho/McMahons, special edition of Impact, and Questions on One Night Stand, the WWE pay scale, the TNA lottery, and Stephanie

First up, a query:
1. The only story I've heard as to why Alex Riley isn't being used by WWE is because of some sort of locker room situation where he "didn't show John Cena the proper respect" or something of the sort. The opinion I heard of the situation was that he wasn't disrespectful, but rather didn't treat Cena as well as he was expected to. Other than that, it could always be as easy as "no one in Management or Creative is pushing for him". There are a lot of performers in WWE and NXT, and only some of them can be featured at a given time.

The Undertaker gave a very rare interview to promote his charity. Here are some highlights. I was somewhat under the impression that he was going to stop performing at Mania when he felt that he couldn't contribute at a high enough level anymore, but it sounds like he'll keep going until he stops getting big enough reactions. It's crazy for me to think of a WrestleMania without Undertaker. Will the crowd EVER get tired of seeing him? Also, who else thinks it would be hilarious to see Taker play golf in full costume?

The Rock talked to prison inmates. It's amazing how he's turned his life around. A true role model.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Superstars and Impact Wrestling Reax - 6/13/13

Read on for my take on yesterday's Superstars and Impact Wrestling.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Main Event Reax - 6/12/13, Booker/Zema/Morgan/Dusty Updates, Interviews with DDP/Eric Young/Foley, WWE jobs, and Questions on TNA vs. ROH, Hogan vs. Bully, Benoit movie, Vince, and a perfect Axel

Main Event:
Miz vs. Cody Rhodes was quite impressive. Both men have potential to go from being good performers to GREAT performers in time. WWE positioning them well and giving them good character development is key here. They've both shown that they can cut good promos and have good feuds. What is WWE waiting on?

Nice, simple post-match. And they say that titles don't matter in WWE...

I'll readily admit to being a straight-up mark for Damien Sandow. He consistently delivers some of the most enjoyable promos of the night. About the only people I can think of who can compete are Jericho, Heyman, and Punk.

We're welcome for that match. I don't necessarily see Sandow as a main eventer from an in-ring perspective at this point, but I think he still has time to improve at 31. Sin Cara, on the other hand, can do some pretty cool stuff in the ring but doesn't have much in the way of character development at this stage. It seems like he, Justin Gabriel, and Evan Bourne are all talented as far as flashy moves go, but don't have much going for them as characters beyond "impressive athlete". Kofi Kingston's in a similar boat, but he does get some promo time. It's a shame.

I wasn't crazy about the light-hearted comedy match. I understand why they did it, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I'm willing to give the Usos a shot as contenders to the Tag Team Titles. They could surprise me and show themselves worthy of that level of a push.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Briscoes shoot, post-Raw dark match, WWE signing official, World Champ rocks the boat, Interviews with Ziggler+AJ/Kane, McMahons/Booker/Jericho updates, NXT star profiled, and Questions on the Divas, WWE Creative, CWFH, ROH stars in WWE, and the TNA Hall of Fame

ROH performers the Briscoe Brothers discussed their WWE tryout. I wouldn't count them out for coming to WWE under the HHH regime IF they can keep a handle on some of the comments they've made in the past. They're definitely not PG. TNA should maybe also be looking their ways with the same caveat. They're highly lauded in some parts of the IWC.

John Cena beat Ryback in a Tables match after Raw. No shock there.

Just in case I haven't posted this, because there's seemingly been some back-and-forth on whether this was a done deal or not, Sami Callihan is indeed set to go to WWE once he finishes up his indie dates. This was expected and a lot of people reported it as fact, but I hadn't heard it confirmed by a credible source until now. He's got a great look, 7 years of experience (including over 500 matches), and is only 25. Great signing, WWE.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Snuka anniversary, more WWE signings?, Sheamus appearance, more D-Bry love, Updates on Henry and Hogan, Dream hospitalized, NXT marriage, Smackdown audience, and Questions on Ryback's ambulance, Sabin as TNA Champion, Lesnar returning, WCW commentators, and the Hogans

The first story today is something very serious. I know that a number of people reading this post might be caught up in a lot of other things right now (if you're anything like me, you're looking at E3 news and have Cracked.com up in another browser), so it's a little hard to jump into a story about an alleged murder involving a beloved WWE Hall of Famer. But, it is what it is. Here's a story (linking to other stories and a donation fund) looking at the 30-year anniversary of the untimely passing of one of Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka's romantic interests. It's a very tragic tale no matter what the truth of the matter is.

Jim Ross talked about a recent WWE tryout with a very impressive line-up. Multiple signings could be coming. Exciting!

Sheamus was a part of a "B A Star"-esque event. He sounds like a pretty cool guy. I'm glad that that went well for him and the audience.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Raw Reax - 6/10/13

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.

Monday, June 10, 2013

More main roster notes, new WWE trademarks, update on Kennely, WWE signee finishes up indie dates, and Questions on Cray-J, WWE movies, how to do a PPV, and Punk at Payback

Bo Dallas, Leo Kruger, Brad Maddox, Ted DiBiase, Curt Hawkins and the Wyatt Family all wrestled on this weekend's live events (Wyatt wrestled while his Family was at ringside). Given that the show was near NXT's base in Florida, it's unsure as to whether talents from developmental will be on live events on the regular. Either way, it was good for Dallas and Kruger to get work in front of a larger crowd and have different eyes on what they were doing. I know that there are some fans who would have preferred Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Kassius Ohno, etc., but for whatever reason they went with Bo vs. Kruger.

WWE has filed to trademark the names "Torito" and "Torlito", which I'm assuming could be names for performers. Let the guessing game begin!

Ex-TNA announcer Todd Kennely has returned to Championship Wrestling from Hollywood. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he ends up back in TNA.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Starr remembered, WWE appearances, Interviews with Hardy/Bryan, WWE wants GM for Performance Center, and Questions on wrestling books, Fishbone, and Santino

William Regal and Sheamus remembered WCW performer Mark Starr. It's sad that there are this many unsung heroes in wrestling who are only talked about when something bad happens.

Mark Henry and Big Show were at the Special Olympics in Connecticut. Both men are nursing injuries at the moment.

Jeff Hardy talked about his past addictions and more. Here are some highlights. Did he really say that 25-30 pain pills a day wasn't bad? Are you serious, bro? I'm glad he's clean now, and I hope he remains clean for the rest of his life. I can't stress enough how dangerous addiction can be. He deserves some props for being clean for 2 full years, but it's all too easy to slip.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Query on Kane, more WWE tryouts, Interviews with Foley/AJ Lee/new WWE signing/Kash, Midwest promoter passes away, Hardy hurt, Eaton update, TNA going down under?, Abyss/Park update, TNA visitors, WWE live event roster notes, former WCW name passes away, and Questions on WWE's promotion, the TNA HoF, Christian, Sting-WWE, and Matt Morgan

First up, a query:
1. I haven't heard anything about Kane being injured. That doesn't mean that he isn't, just that there's been no word on it.

WWE did tryouts for men from the "mainstream sports world". If any news comes out of it, I'll be sure to cover it. I welcome performers from all backgrounds if they have what it takes to add to the product.

Mick Foley talked about the Attitude Era and more. I'm glad he points out the problems of that time that are frequently overlooked.

AJ Lee talked ahead of a WWE Live event. She's DEAD ON about success not happening overnight and not being afraid to take risks. There are a fair number of performers who seem to take it pretty safe and their careers are stagnating as a result. Sometimes you need to make some noise. And yes, the new Tomb Raider is pretty sick. Very graphic in places, but also a pretty good story.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Smackdown Reax - 6/7/13

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Tyson talks Dana vs. Vince, Steele promotes book, Interviews with Tenay/Ventura/Sting, Big O in demand, Rampage transcript, and Questions on Trish/Stephanie, Cena/nWo, improving Raw, injuring Rock, and improving TNA's ratings

Mike Tyson commented on who would win in Dana White vs. Vince McMahon. I don't know much about Dana's skill level, but Vince is 67 and more of a bodybuilder than a competitor. Tyson did say that he did a lot of weed...

George "The Animal" Steele talked about his book and more. Pretty harrowing story about the attempted suicide. It's a serious issue that isn't talked about nearly enough.

Mike Tenay discussed 11 years of TNA. He's something like the JR of TNA. It won't be the same without him. I eventually came to like Don West's commentary and his style of doing things. It's definitely different with Taz there. All in all, a good read.

The Big O, of Z! True Long Island Story fame, has won his bracket in the TNA Gut Check Challenge, meaning that he has a chance to wrestle as a part of Gut Check on Spike. I wish him luck.

Update: He also got a tryout for WWE this week. Him working alongside or against Ryder would be compelling if they did it right. Maybe they could even involve Curt Hawkins?

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Superstars and Impact Wrestling Reax - 6/6/13

Read on for my thoughts on yesterday's Superstars and Impact Wrestling.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Main Event Reax - 6/5/13, Terrell on TMZ for a good reason, TNA promotion, Smackdown visitors, Updates on Kofi/Ryder/Mendes, more Creative problems, WWE to China again, Interviews with Miz/R-Truth/Orton, TNA releases, Rampage update, and Questions on supporting indies, titles then and now, Foley, getting over in WWE, and ROH

Main Event:
Sheamus vs. Cesaro was an awesome match as always. If Cesaro had some character development to him (including solid promos) , I think he could be someone who could move up the card one day.

I liked the Usos vs. Rhodes Scholars. The Usos have improved as an act. They're not a top-tier team, but I think they're less one-dimensional than I've seen them in the past. I'm under the impression that they're building them up to take on The Shield, so I don't think this is some kind of slight to Team Rhodes Scholars. I think they just see a story in The Usos trying to take the Titles from The Shield.

Gabriel vs. Hawkins was fine as something of a filler match. I continue to see potential in Gabriel. How far he can go is anyone's guess, but there's something there. Hawkins, on the other hand, I'm not seeing much in anymore. I think it's time for a reboot or something if anyone's ever going to take him seriously. He hasn't won a singles match since 2011.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Inspirational Batista tweet, BMA leg drop victim update, Bryan hurt on Raw, Graham update, ROH star has WWE tryout, TNA announcer gone, major MMA star to TNA, more Cena, appearances for the Bellas/Otunga, helping Zema Ion, Interviews with Orton, Raw audience, and Questions on the NWA, wrestlers from the future, chair shots to the head, and D'Lo

Batista put up a very cool Tweet about trying out for your dreams. I'm not even going to say anything snarky here. It's something a lot of people should read.

The Billboard Music Awards leg drop victim could have brain damage. It wouldn't be a surprise.

Daniel Bryan got a cut on his arm after being put through a table on Raw. What do you know? Hardcore spots hurt people.

"Superstar" Billy Graham is having a kidney stone removed soon. I've heard that can be pretty brutal.

Billy Eaton is still in the hospital. More on this as it comes in...

More wrestling coming up.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Del Sol update, WWE wants a change in Creative, reaction to Slammiversary, Sabin and Storm hurt, Former WWE/World Champion at NXT, Bellas appearance, WWE live event profiled, Slammiversary visitors, RVD update, Hogan puff piece, a look at Gut Check, Interview with Iron Sheik, Smackdown audience, Kofi has surgery, Callihan update, more on Taker charity, what happened after Raw, strong Bryan endorsement, and Questions on Lesnar, NXT, and saving WWE's abandoned stars

While it was teased that Samuray del Sol would win the DGUSA Championship and work a few more dates with the promotion before heading to WWE, he was both beaten and unmasked at EVOLVE 22. I'd say that that's pretty definitive as to whether that was his last night in the promotion.

WWE is seeking new members of the Creative team, including new head writers for Raw and Smackdown. The popular theory is that there's not as much wrong with the current Creative team as there is with trying to please Vince and Stephanie. I'm glad that one of the qualifications is knowing the current WWE stories. You'd think that would be a given.

Those in TNA were said to be really happy with Slammiversary. Everyone did work hard, even if it might have been somewhat self-destructive.

Chris Sabin needed some stitches to close a wound in his head following Ultimate X. As he fell from the cables with his newly won X-Division Championship, it hit him in the head and busted him open. Sabin hasn't had the best luck the past few years, has he?

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Raw Reax - 6/3/13

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Interview with Ambrose, Ziggler update, Hart upset again, and Questions on Roberts back in WWE, time limits, Cena, video packages, and Champions of color

Dean Ambrose was interviewed. Talk about someone who really likes and knows about wrestling. Wow. I really like what he said about promos. I look up to Ambrose after that piece.

Dolph Ziggler didn't physically compete at this weekend's live events, but he did appear. No word on his Payback status as of this writing. My body is ready for Ziggler vs. Del Rio. It's a shame his might not be.

Bret Hart lamented the fact that his brother isn't in the WWE Hall of Fame. Bret Hart is wrestling's equivalent of Sad Keanu.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I almost said that they shouldn't do it because a lot of younger fans don't really know who he is. Then i remembered how awesome Zeb Colter is as Swagger's mouthpiece. That said, they bring up a very good point about addicts. Our #1 concern at this point should be his health and sobriety.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

TNA Slammiversary Reax

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Slammiversary PPV.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

TNA Slammiversary preview

Read on for how I'd book TNA Slammiversary, a show featuring a number of pretty intriguing matches.

Query on Savannah, Hogan update, MITB poster, WWE live event roster notes, Punk gives advice, Hardy trolls the IWC, Ziggler back, WWE's "youth movement", and Questions on an NXT cage match, Angle in TNA, TNA's signing, the history of TNA, Punk, and Ryder

First up, a query:
1. I don't know if there was any specific reason that Savannah was let go by WWE, other than that they presumably wanted Jamie Keyes to be the ring announcer over her. I seem to remember that she wanted to be a wrestler (as she was in developmental), but for whatever reason that never came to be. Sometimes it's hard to explain WWE's decisions. Of course, Jamie didn't last very long in the role herself!

Hulk Hogan will still be a part of Slammiversary, brothersjacksdudes. I wouldn't be shocked if he claimed to have a burned hand when he slammed Andre the Giant in front of 500,000 Hulkamaniacs and when he was going to play bass in Metallica.

Here's the poster for Money In The Bank 2013. I wonder what the over/under is for crazy ladder bumps that night.

Hunico (losing to Ted DiBiase), Bray Wyatt (defeating Zack Ryder), and Brad Maddox (losing to Ryder after Wyatt had beat him) all worked this weekend's live events. Maddox is a bit surprising. At this point, I would assume he's just getting a tryout and/or this is just something they're doing for live events and there aren't any plans for him to be on the main roster right now. Hunico, on the other hand, I hope comes back and does good things. I was very impressed with him as Sin Cara and the feud after that. Then he got paired with Camacho and things kind of fell apart. A new character might be in order.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Cena at Comic-Con report, Slammiversary hype, more on returning WWE star, Interviews with Fandango/Bully/Hogan/Bad Influence/Hall/Orton, Henry out, photo of new Championship, Eaton update, and Questions on Big Zeke, TNA vs. Impact, DGUSA/EVOLVE, and Vince liking wrestling

Someone sent some feedback about John Cena's Comic-Con appearance. Someone from the IWC saying something nice about Cena? I'm shocked.

Here's a preview column for TNA Slammiversary, featuring quotes from Sting, Bully Ray, and Daniels. I think the piece in general and the wrestles specifically did a good job putting over the show.

Evan Bourne reiterated that he will return to the ring soon. I know I use this phrase a lot, but it'll be interesting to see where he fits in with those two Wellness strikes and being gone for so long. WWE has him, Justin Gabriel, Sin Cara, and Adrian Neville (NXT) in somewhat similar roles of impressive high-flyers. Who will they get behind and who will stay in the opening couple of matches?

Bret Hart apologized for a joke he made during Bret Hart Appreciation Night with the openly gay Pat Patterson. Note that Patterson wasn't offended and it was a comment between friends, but that doesn't matter. If someone somewhere is offended, it's the joker's problem and apologies have to be made. I wonder if Jonathan Swift had to apologize for "A Modest Proposal" because people got their jimmies rustled. This is really ridiculous.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Superstars and Smackdown Reax - 5/31/13

Read on for my thoughts on yesterday's Superstars and Smackdown.