Wrestling News

Alberto Del Rio Wants Top Spot

2011-02-18T08:21:00.001-08:00

Alberto Del Rio isn't too thrilled about Mistico coming to WWE according to backstage sources the Royal Rumble winner is said to not want any competition for the top Hispanic role in WWE once Rey Mysterio winds down his career.

Possible Change to Alberto Del Rio's Upcoming Match

2011-02-18T08:18:00.001-08:00

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

There is talk of having Royal Rumble winner Alberto Del Rio going into WrestleMania 27 as the Intercontinental Champion. If this decision was made then the upcoming match between Del Rio and Kofi Kingston would have to be changed so the I.C. Championship is on the line, currently it is only a non-title bout.

TNA Looking To Focus On Younger Wrestlers

2011-02-16T20:46:00.001-08:00

Source: Pro Wrestling Torch

Amongst TNA Wrestling officials, there has been talk of changing the focus from "big name" veteran stars of yesteryear to the younger performers in the organization.

One source stated that the members of Fortune—AJ Styles, James Storm, Robert Roode and Kazarian—would be among the top babyfaces in the company and that "it would be interesting to see" what happens when the contracts of Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair come up. However, the source added that while creative is behind the proposition, plans could easily change.

The source feels that iMPACT!'s ratings in the coming weeks will be the deciding factor in whether the company begins focusing on younger talents.

"The key is the ratings," the source stated. "[Dixie Carter] panics when the ratings dip. If it moves two points, she'll panic."

The source explained that if iMPACT!'s ratings fall one point as they did last week (from a 1.3 to a 1.2), the company's creative direction stays course. However, the feeling is that Carter tends to overreact when the ratings slide down two points.

DVD: The Big Show: A Giant's World

2011-02-12T20:33:00.000-08:00

This 3 disc set is due to release in North America on February 11 this year. The set will include a total of 7 hours of matches through out Big Show's career in WCW and WWE and also a documentary to compliment the career and life of "The World's Largest Athelete"

.
Here is the back cover:

Kevin Nash Talks Kliq Reunion, His Future In WWE & More

2011-02-11T20:04:00.000-08:00

Former six-time World Champion & WWE Legend Kevin Nash was one of the featured guests on this week’s live edition (02/07/11) of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem.

Kevin Nash Responds To Dixie Carter’s Online Comments: Confirms He Was Under TNA Contract Prior To Signing With The WWE, The Moment He Knew He No Longer Saw Himself Returning To TNA, How Likely We Are To Seeing A Kliq Reunion And/Or Him vs. The Big Show At WrestleMania XXVII, Reveals Who May Induct Shawn Michaels Into The WWE Hall Of Fame, Plus What Lies Ahead For His Own Future With World Wrestling Entertainment (Including The Unveiling Of His First Post-Royal Rumble WWE Project).

Here are some highlights of what Nash said about:

His in-ring future with World Wrestling Entertainment & his first post-Royal Rumble project through the WWE:

“I mean, your guess is as good as mine as far as if I’m actively going to wrestle. I know I’ve got some stuff I’m doing with THQ this week for the video games. I just play it day by day.”

His response to Dixie Carter’s online comments about him being under contract with TNA prior to signing with the WWE & the moment he knew when he no longer wanted to return to TNA:

“Yes I was. The angle was Kurt (Angle) was beating Jeff (Jarrett). Fortune came down, put the boots to Kurt, and got heat on them. Abyss came down and had a 2×4 basically nailed to his spinal cord, which maybe just seemed a little strange for me that that would at least be attempted murder. If Abyss was not paralyzed from the neck down the next week, it would kind of seem like a foolish thing to do. Flair screamed back up, and Kurt made a comeback on the entire Fortune group and basically cleared the ring. What reason was I coming in for? If Kurt can beat them on his own, I definitely don’t need to come in there.”

How likely are we to see a Kliq reunion at WrestleMania XXVII or part of WrestleMania weekend in Atlanta:

“I talked to Sean (Waltman), and I’m sure he will be there. Scott’s (Hall) kind of the wild card of it. Of course Paul (Triple H) will induct Shawn, and I will be there. I guess Scott is the wild card. The last time I talked to him, he was thinking about going back into a rehabilitation center, so I don’t if he is going to be available to be there that weekend or not.”

"Anonymous Wrestler" Rants on Professional Wrestling, Shoots on WWE and TNA

2011-02-10T21:21:00.000-08:00

Though the identity of the source has not been revealed, and is wide open to speculation, an apparent "anonymous wrestler" has dictated a rant with predictions, opinions, and accusations on the current state of professional wrestling.
While this should be taken with a grain of salt until proof is concrete, there's no doubt that fans and wrestlers alike will be interested to see if anything this poster says plays out.

A NEW MOVEMENT STARTS IN PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING
By: Bill W, TheAnonymousWrestler@yahoo.com

Hi, my name is Bill W and I’m an addict. I’m addicted to the professional wrestling industry.

No, my name is not really Bill W, but I choose it as my nom de plume because I wish to remain anonymous. Bill W was one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous and I figure it’s appropriate considering all of the friends in wrestling I’ve lost due to drug and alcohol addiction. I’ve been addicted to and part of the pro wrestling industry all of my life. I’ve been a wrestler for over 20 years. I’ve worked on or near the top of the card for every promotion I’ve worked for. WWE/WWF, WCW, TNA. I’ve main evented Madison Square Garden. I’ve worked big matches at WrestleMania and every other major WWE/WWF PPV. I choose to remain anonymous, just because I want to. I’m not afraid to write any of this under my own name – I just dont want to. If you read my column, you will understand that I’m the real deal. So don’t bother trying to figure out my true identity, as I will never reveal myself to you. Just know I will never bullshit you. My only agenda is the truth and trying to enlighten you to things about my industry that very few people can do better than me. I hope you all find my columns insightful as this is only the beginning. This is a new movement in wrestling and there are much bigger things to come. Get ready.

Before I go any further, I would like to congratulate The Road Warriors on their coming induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. It hasn’t been announced yet and very few people know. Both Joe & Mike were great to work with and in my opinion, they are the greatest tag team in the history of wrestling. Mike Hegstrand is one of the greatest guys I’ve ever known in or out of wrestling. A real man’s man. Never took shit from anyone, but would give you his last dime at the same time. I miss you very much Mike. I look forward to seeing Joe accept the induction and really hope Paul Ellering is there as well.

I will definitely be watching the Hall of Fame for this and to see the induction of probably the greatest in ring performer of all time, Shawn Michaels. I’ve read rumblings about the entire Clique of Shawn, HHH, Nash, Hall, and Waltman being a part of the Hall of Fame. I wouldn’t hold my breath for that to happen. I know Kevin Nash will be there for sure, but I know 1st hand that Vince was sour on the idea of Hall being there. And probably Waltman as well. They are worried about Scott showing up to the ceremony and causing a scene. As far as Waltman goes, I can think of a list of reasons they may not want to have him there, considering the PG direction the company has moved towards in the past few years.

Random thoughts on current topics:

There’s been a lot of talk in the industry about Rey Mysterio’s future with WWE. The last time I talked to Rey, he was really feeling the effects of all the years of working the type of style he does. He expressed a lot of frustration with the company and at the time we talked, he was seriously entertaining an offer from AAA in Mexico. Anyone who knows Vince will tell you that Rey does not fit his image of a main eventer. However, numbers dont lie and Rey’s merchandise sales alone, in my opinion, tell Vince that his image of a main eventer does not always represent the “WWE Universe‘s” image of what makes a top guy. Rey played hardball in his last negotiations and we’re not seeing him on any AAA Galavison shows, so I wonder who got what they wanted when that deal was finally ironed out. Obviously the WWE isn’t counting on Rey being around much longer as they have really concentrated on pushing Del Rio lately.

Alberto Del Rio (Dos Caras Jr) has all of the tools, but I find his in ring work to be lacking any explosiveness & intensity. I know Del Rio and have known his father for 20 years. I’ve had the pleasure of working with his father (Dos Caras) who was fantastic and a 1st class guy.

I wonder how Rey feels about the fact that WWE signed Mystico. First of all, WWE already has the original Mystico down at FCW in Tampa working as Unico, who I know for a fact is about to be brought up to one of the main rosters. I wonder if they will change Mystico’s name. Obviously they weren’t worried about capitalizing on Del Rio’s heritage in Mexico, so my money is on them changing his name. The thing about Mystico is that I dont know if he will be able to adjust to the difference in style. I’ve never been a big fan of his anyway, to be honest. He’s going to be in FCW for quite a while trying to lose some of those awful habits in the ring that come with working that lucha libre style.

Also, does anyone else not think that Mystico is a direct rip off of Rey’s gimmick anyway?

I was less than impressed with this year’s actual Rumble match. Ive been in several Royal Rumble matches and they are formula matches that are not that hard to put together. Just not a very good Rumble in my opinion.

I know this isn’t that current of a topic anymore, but after seeing the whole interaction between Taker and Lesnar after Brock’s fight – that he ended up losing badly – I will bet my life they planned to shoot the angle after the fight because everyone stupidly assumed Brock would win. The guy started interviewing Taker, Brock just walked by and Taker actually said to him “You want to do this?” or something like that. Obviously Brock wasnt feeling it after getting beat down in such brutal fashion. Ive known Taker forever and I’ve known Brock since he signed a developmental deal right out of college. I’ve teamed with Brock and worked many a match with Taker. There is no legit heat between them and that was definitely them trying to shoot an angle. Taker vs Brock at Mania would obviously be huge. Not happening now though. I feel bad for Taker as I don’t see a whole lot of options of big time opponents for him to face at this year’s WrestleMania. Wade Barrett is just fine as an opponent for Taker, but I don’t think it’s much of a way to follow last years WM match. Then again, how do you follow last years match he had with Shawn Michaels?

I don’t even want to get started on TNA right now, but I will. They do that terrible angle with Abyss coming out with a ball bat with spikes stuck in his upper back. That was a terrible idea and whoever wrote it should be fired.

Sad to see Flair acting like a child over in Europe and no showing an event over there recently, reportedly over the fact that the agent on duty wouldn’t give Ric a draw (spending money that is deducted from your check). While I think it’s stupid not to give the guys a draw on the road – I had an issue with TNA over the exact same thing – you don’t pitch a fit and refuse to get on the bus. If you act like that and no-show an event, then you don’t deverve to be treated like the legend you are. I know you “can” do it, but it doesn’t mean you should Ric. My God, have you looked in the mirror lately? You haven’t much hair left at all and your body looks like meat on a hanger. Other than that, I love you Ric. You’re the man. I’ve had some great matches with Ric and it was definitely an honor.

How retarded must TNA feel right now after their big angle went to hell with the appearances of Nash & Booker T at the Rumble? No one in that company really feels loyal to them (TNA). They probably would if they weren’t paid like shit and treated the same.

I’m done for now, but I’ll be back. You can count on it.

Email me at TheAnonymousWrestler@yahoo.com.

Bill W – The Anonymous Wrestling Addict

Kevin Nash Talks Leaving TNA, WWE, Sting, The Kliq

2011-02-08T07:33:00.000-08:00

Check out this recap of Kevin Nash on Monday Night Mayhem. Thanks to PWInsider and Martin H.

---

Kevin Nash joined Monday Night Mayhem:

Nash's thoughts going forward with WWE: Nash said things were better than expected in terms of the response in Boston. Things went well and got in the ring with Cena and that was a blotch because Cena was supposed to be eliminated before he got in. He said it was a great experience.

Reports of Nash signing a legends contract with WWE. His current status with WWE? Nash said the hosts' guesses are as good as his. As far as whether he'd be wrestling, stuff with THQ video games, Nash just goes day-by-day.

Nash says everything in the news gets spun. Responses to Dixie Carter's reply to fans on tnawrestling.com saying Nash was under contract but was released for reasons she cannot disclose.

Was Nash under contract for the past couple of weeks? Nash said he was! How close was he to going to TNA? Nash said basically up until he saw Kurt being attacked by Jeff Jarrett. Fortune beat Kurt, Abyss came down with a 2x4 nailed to his spinal cord. Abyss said that would be attempted murder and Abyss would be paralyzed from neck down. He mentioned Crimson said They are coming, Flair screamed back, Kurt cleared the ring.

Nash said what reason was he coming in for? Kurt can beat them on his own so he didn't see a reason for him coming in for. He said it was the end of his career. Nash said him coming in the following week, 800 people on Monday. Nash said if it was the last thing he could do, would he do that or go to Boston at the Rumble.

Hosts mention that Nash was trending on Twitter even though he was in the ring for 2-3 minutes. Whether they would see a KLIQ reunion at WrestleMania weekend, Nash said he talked to Waltman. Nash said he'd be there.

Nash's opinion of Wade Barrett? He says what are the odds of Nash bashing Barrett on Twitter and getting eliminated at the rumble.

AJ Styles and Robert Roode. Nash says Roode is a babyface, but plays a good heel. Nash says AJ is a great talent. Nash said it was the right move for him to finish where he started.

Nash says Shawn Michaels was largely responsible for him getting into the WWE to begin with. He wished to have one last match with HBK, but he doubts that will happen. He says "Paul" (Triple H) is in the corporate side. He said WWE is moving with the youth movement and that nothing appears to be changing with that.

A question is asked about Sting and whether Nash talks to him. Nash says he would selfishly love to see Sting in WWE. That would be a great headline match. Nash says Sting has done so much and he would like for him to work for WWE just to see how different it is to be there, to work for the machine. Nash said it's the third time he's with WWE. He says being in a WWE arena is like a Happy Madison movie because of the way Sandler would take care of you during the movies.

He put over the big wrestlers when asked about which were his favorites: Sheamus, Jack Swagger, and a few others and elaborated on it.

The Sting To WWE Rumors Continue & They're FALSE!

2011-02-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

There are still a ton of people believing that Sting is coming to WWE on 2/21/11. Here's the deal guys - there have been absolutely zero talks between WWE and Sting. It's that simple. Could things change? Of course but as of this writing there have been absolutely no talks.

The Sting rumors started several weeks ago with a New York Daily News post stating he had signed a one-year deal with the company. We're pretty sure that if that report never came out and we never posted it here, we wouldn't be talking about Sting to WWE at all right now.

Nonetheless, there are MANY fans who continue to believe that Sting is coming to WWE. That is simply not the case right now. Sorry to disappoint you guys.

True Story of WrestleMania Trailer

2011-02-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

As we recently revealed here on the site, a new WWE DVD set entitled The WrestleMania Story will be released in 2011.
Now we can confirm it will released on 3-Disc DVD & 2-Disc Blu-ray on March 15th in North America. Here’s the first info:
It is the most anticipated yearly event in Sports Entertainment, an annual pop culture touch point. For more than 25 years, WrestleMania has hosted the biggest matches, the biggest stars, and the biggest celebrities.

Now for the first time ever, the story of WrestleMania is told from its early beginnings through the week-long spectacular it has become, routinely drawing fans from all 50 states and around the world. This documentary feature includes new and insightful interviews from the superstars and creative forces behind the event. We can also exclusively reveal plans for upcoming WWE Blu-ray/DVD combo packs for March in North America. As of now the two events of Royal Rumble 2011 and Elimination Chamber 2011 will be released on Blu-ray/DVD combo packs. They will get single DVD editions too.
As for the Survivor Series 2010 Blu-ray to be released later this month, it’s on the schedule as a 1-Disc edition for USA/Canada.

DX: One Last Stand DVD - Matches and Details

2011-02-04T19:42:00.000-08:00

Silvervision.co.uk have today revealed the full content listing for the WWE DX: One Last Stand DVD & Blu-ray sets.
According to Silvervision they too will be stocking it in April just like for North America (April 5th). Fans in UK/Europe can pre-order it there now
Yesterday the title “One Last Stand” was fully confirmed (previously planned as The Final Conflict). The cover artwork has not yet been released but here’s the full content below…
Disc 1
We Need D-Generation X
Hunting with DX
Triple H Finds Shawn
Raw 10th August, 2009
DX Returns to RAW
Raw 17th August, 2009
DX Hijacks the SummerSlam Open
SummerSlam 23rd August, 2009
DX vs. Legacy
SummerSlam 23rd August, 2009
The Basics of Hunting with DX

DX Throws a Party for Mr. McMahon
Raw 24th August, 2009
DX Hangs with Dusty
Raw 31st August, 2009
The Price is Raw
Raw 7th September, 2009
DX vs. Randy Orton / Chris Masters
Raw 7th September, 2009
Tag Team Hell in a Cell Match
DX vs. Legacy
Hell in a Cell 4th October, 2009
Special Feature
DX Unfiltered
Disc 2
We Need D-Generation X
Not Very Sporting
DX vs. Chris Jericho / Big Show
Raw October 5, 2009
Triple H Calls Shawn
Raw 12th October, 2009
JackSwoggle
Raw 2nd November, 2009
DX with Ozzy
Raw 2nd November, 2009
PedigreeSwoggle
Raw 16th November, 2009
The Growth of DX
DX vs. The Hart Dynasty
Raw 23rd November, 2009
ChristmasSwoggle
Raw 7th December, 2009
TLC Match for the Unified Tag Team Championship
DX vs. Chris Jericho / Big Show
Tables, Ladders & Chairs 13th December, 2009
DX-Snuggle
Raw 14th December, 2009
Unified Tag Team Championship Match
DX vs. Chris Jericho / Big Show
Raw 14th December, 2009

Disc 3
We Need D-Generation X
The Willies
Little People’s Court
Raw 21st December, 2009
The DX Mascot
Raw 21st December, 2009
Tubby Tubberton
Unified Tag Team Championship Match
DX vs. The Hart Dynasty
SmackDown 25th December, 2009
DX Duct Tape Hornswoggle
Raw 28th December, 2009
DX vs. Big Show / Chavo Guerrero
Raw 28th December, 2009
Y2Santino
Raw 4th January, 2010
Unified Tag Team Championship
DX vs. Chris Jericho / Big Show
Raw 4th January, 2010
DX with Iron Mike
Raw 11th January, 2010
DX vs. Mike Tyson / Chris Jericho
Raw 11th January, 2010
My Favorite Boxer
DX with Jon Heder & Don Johnson
Raw 18th January, 2010
DX / Hornswoggle vs. Big Show / The Miz / “The Flame” Jon Heder
Raw 18th January, 2010
Triple Threat Elimination Match for the Unified Tag Team Championship
DX vs. Straight Edge Society vs. Big Show / The Miz
Raw 8th February, 2010
Blubbering Like a Girl
Shawn’s Farewell
Raw 29th March, 2010
Two Final Words
Blu-ray Exclusive Content

Submissions Count Anywhere Match
DX vs. Legacy
Breaking Point 13th September, 2009
The Biggest 8-Man Tag Team Match in SmackDown History
Undertaker / John Cena / DX vs. Randy Orton / CM Punk / Legacy
SmackDown 2nd October, 2009
No Wonder Nobody Likes Us
DX vs. Chris Jericho / Big Show vs. John Cena / Undertaker
Raw 16th November, 2009
Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship
John Cena vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels
Survivor Series 22nd November, 2009
I’m Batman
Tribute to the Troops
11th December, 2010

Breaking News

2011-02-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

I was on the dixie's facebook page just now and she had quetions and answers
about whats going down in tna and the fan aske

''rodneymcneal
@TNADixie < is tna going to get a new world belt so they wont all wear the hardy belt?
Dixie: Are you kidding, YES!! The sooner the better.''

2.21.11 What in the hell ?!?!?!?!?!

2011-02-02T17:33:00.000-08:00

WWE aired a very mysterious promo on RAW tonight. We saw and heard heavy footsteps of a person walking in the rain, they entered an old cabin and the promo concludes with "2/21/11." February 21st, 2011 is the date for WWE RAW in Fresno, California the night after the Elimination Chamber PPV.

Column: DID TNA EVEN STAND A CHANCE?

2011-02-02T17:25:00.000-08:00

2.21.11

The mere sequence of numbers has been all the rage on internet wrestling sites, with “reporters” hoping to capitalize on the apparent mania that “2.21.11” has caused.

Of course, by now, there’s a 70% chance that the figure being represented by the mysterious promo video seen on Raw is, in fact, the legendary Sting.

As soon as a reporter from the New York Daily News reported that Sting had signed a one year deal with WWE, all Hell has broken loose. The very idea of the ghostly man in black, bringing his baseball bat with him in pursuit of a challenge he’s never had (feverish fans point to The Undertaker in an attempt to end the WrestleMania streak), has captured the imaginations of fans the world over.

It’s funny though, because I could have sworn that, from 2003 to 2010, Sting was in a little promotion based out of Nashville, and later Orlando, called TNA?

I bring this up because, to hear the fans go crazy the way they have over Sting’s potential arrival in WWE, that the man has been hiding in exile since 2001, when WCW was bought out, and that nobody has seen him since.

After all, the man won three World Titles in TNA, was the head of a heel stable called the Main Event Mafia, feuded with internet darling like Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe, and was the man who, thank God, ended the final World Title reign of Jeff Jarrett in 2006. It’s not like he was merely a stagehand in TNA, handing out production cues.

But the reality, as I see it, is that wrestling fans will forever view TNA as “the enemy”.

Not every fan, mind you. A smart fan would want TNA to be bought out by somebody with half a brain; somebody that wouldn’t take what Hulk Hogan or Eric Bischoff say at face value. You know, somebody who will improve TNA’s production value, instill discipline into the lazy performers, and create thought-provoking storylines that would suit both their hardest working performers, as well as the fans who have supported them for so long.

On the other hand, you also have the fans who, two years ago, got wind that Christian might be headed back to WWE after three years in Orlando, and then these fans turned into a rather interesting little cult; chanting “DO IT DO IT DO IT” until “Captain Charisma” finally re-signed with WWE.

When Christian jumped to TNA in 2005 and added the surname of ‘Cage’, I was delighted. Christian’s one of my favorite wrestlers and I thought, rightly so, that he would get an immediate push, as opposed to languishing in tag team matches against The Mexicools, and feuding with an unmotivated Booker T.

I was one of very few people who felt that way, apparently.

To read the message boards of five and a half years ago, there was an outcry from young fans who felt Christian had BETRAYED WWE. They felt he was a turncoat for making a business decision for himself.

I was stunned.

The funniest part was a number of them being upset that they couldn’t watch Christian on Raw or Smackdown anymore. I made a few posts, suggesting that they could watch TNA Impact (which was FAR better in 2005 than it is now in terms of coherent flow), and they reacted like I’d asked them to sell their children into slavery.

“Watch TNA?!? ARE YOU CRAZY?!? I’d sooner lend Ric Flair $10,000 than watch TNA! You can get gonorrhea from watching TNA, man!!”

Well, it didn’t go EXACTLY like that, but I recall there being this common notion that to watch anything other than WWE would be like cheating on your wife while she was caring for sick children.

Especially if the one you’re two-timing with happens to be TNA.

Don’t believe me? Find any IWC message board that’s currently discussing Christopher Daniels’ return to TNA. Daniels, of course, is one of the most respected wrestlers not currently in WWE, due to the dignified way in which he carries himself, and his articulate and immaculate wrestling style that he’s spent years honing. Simply put, if you don’t like Daniels, at least as a person, then I’m not sure what to tell you.

He’s so beloved as a person, that when the story broke that he’d re-signed with TNA days ago, here was the general consensus from the internet.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

*deep breath*

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

If only “The Fallen Angel” had listened to the internet. They could have warned him. Now his skin is going to fall off in chunks, and he’s going to get raped by Abyss’ spiky board “Janice”.

So the internet would have you believe, anyway.

Look, I’m not going to defend TNA for half the garbage that they peddle. It’s very clear that they’ve had ample opportunity to make headway for themselves, but have squandered it time and time again with production woes, needlessly complex booking, old guys looking out for themselves, and general ineptitude. But to act unhappy and angry when they do something to try and improve their product just because you don’t personally like them is absurd.

Think back to 2006, when Kurt Angle left WWE under the pretense of needing a long rehabilitation stay, and then snuck into TNA a month later. THAT was big news, right? I mean, it was the biggest jump from WWE to TNA in the four years that Total Nonstop Action was alive.

What was the common reaction from non-TNA fans?

“Kurt Angle is going to die in a TNA ring.”

“TNA is taking advantage of an injured man; they don’t care about his well-being!”

Fast forward to last year, when Angle was asked in an interview if he’d ever go back to WWE, and he said “Never say never”. What was the reaction then?

In short: “YEEEEAHHH! COME BACK KURT! F—K TNA!!!!!”

That sentence can only be written by medical experts with telepathy, since they can tell you that Angle’s spine, which was crap in 2006, is all better in 2010.

And given that most medical experts wouldn’t troll the internet with F-bombs, I’m beginning to doubt the merit of their analysis.

All of this pro WWE/anti TNA rhetoric has come to a head this week, with the arrivals of Booker T, Kevin Nash, (possibly) Sting, and (maybe not too far down the line) Ric Flair.

When Booker showed up in TNA in 2007, after ending a six year WWE run, he may as well have fallen off the face of the earth, because he was barely talked about again. As for Nash, he’d been with TNA since 2004, and was written off as the same old man that staggered through a 2003 run in WWE. Flair, we’ll ignore for now, since his problems stem from more than a subjective “he’s washed up” viewpoint, and Sting we covered earlier.

So, examining Booker and Nash, what was the consensus on Sunday night at the Royal Rumble when these two men arrived?

Booker got an epic reaction, did the Spinarooni to a louder cheer, and delighted the fans who were happy to see him back.

Nash got the biggest pop he’s gotten in probably well over a decade (his 2003 WWE run was VERY lukewarm), and for as slow as he moved at the Royal Rumble, there was still a massive “DIESEL” chant echoing through TD Garden.

What this tells me is that TNA should just roll over and die now.

It’s not easy for me to say, because I loved TNA early on. Back in the “Fairgrounds” days of 2002-04, they managed to put on quite a nifty weekly program that I was more than happy to split a $10 cost over with my brother. The TV was episodic, the wrestlers were unique (many of them obscure indy talents with something to prove), and it was just….different than WWE.

Now, I’ll concede that, since Russo came back to the company in 2006, TNA has done everything imaginable to try and be just LIKE WWE, except with far worse production and acting. But still, it feels good to have two separate promotions (with plenty of room for a third if somebody’s willing to buy into the wrestling world).

I look back on the Monday Night Wars of WWF vs. WCW, with ECW airing locally, and I wonder “Why can’t we have that?” Why can’t we have two big companies trying to outdo each other, with a big indy promotion raising the bar of risqué, because then we’d all win?

It seems like less and less people share that sentiment.

Sadly, it seems as if though fans today want WWE to be the only game in town. They’re happy when companies like WCW and ECW get swallowed up by the McMachine.

Ironically enough, these are the same fans that buy ECW and WCW DVD’s that WWE produces, and then they talk about how they wish these companies were still alive. Of course, if they actually WATCHED those products when they were new, and bought their PPV’s and merchandise, they might still be here.

As for TNA, I hate to say it, but unless they turn a profit regularly, then I think the game is over.

When three of your biggest stars of the last few years show up in WWE, and WWE fans act like they haven’t seen these guys since they LAST left WWE (or, in Sting’s case, 2001 when WCW died), that means you have a group of fans who will never watch your shows, even if you were producing better television than all thirty six seasons of Saturday Night Live combined.

There is a born-in bias against TNA, just because it’s not WWE. They can’t win when they produce their own unique product, nor can they win when they emulate WWE. They can’t win when they push homegrown talent, and they can’t win when they take top WWE guys and push them instead.

Kurt Angle, Christian, the Dudley Boyz, Rob Van Dam, Mick Foley, Booker T, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Sting, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Eric Bischoff, Mickie James, X-Pac, the New Age Outlaws, Jeff Jarrett, and Mr. Kennedy have all showed in TNA after their WWE runs. Not one of them bumped ratings up with their arrivals.

So if it’s not about names and it’s not about product, then why isn’t TNA gaining new ground?

If TNA has, in fact, hit their ceiling, then it’s a shame. It’s a shame that wrestling fans either feel a loyalty to one promotion, or are so set in their viewing habits (I wouldn’t rule this out; Smackdown ratings have plunged since going to Fridays) that a second wrestling company can’t gain traction.

On a final note, I’ll point out this interesting tidbit. Thirteen months ago, when TNA made the move to have a Monday special head to head with Raw (January 4, 2010), the decision was made to have Hogan debut for the company, as well as hints being dropped that Flair, the Wolfpack, and others would be there.

WWE immediately countered by scheduling Bret Hart for the same night on Raw.

WWE could put Hart on any other night, but happened to select the one in which TNA was bringing their A-game. Not that I blame WWE; you don’t take the chance of a rival opening up a cut on you.

However, I think it’s rather telling that Vince McMahon saw TNA as more of a threat than the fans do.

One year later, after taking away three talents that TNA would have likely used for the Main Event Mafia resurrection, and watching them get a bigger reaction than they would have ever gotten in TNA during their entire tenures there combined….I think Vince no longer has reason to fear for TNA.

And, if you’re a wrestling fan like me, that’s bad news for us both.

When TNA dies (and I sincerely hope that it doesn’t), I predict there will be two causes of death: one is their own stupidity, and the other is a lack of oxygen.

Because the majority of us wouldn’t give them any.

Rumor: Sting Has Signed With WWE?

2011-02-01T17:57:00.001-08:00

The New York Daily News wrestling column is reporting that has signed a one-year contract with WWE. We must stress this has not been confirmed by WWE or any other major wrestling sources.

WWE Royal Rumble Results 2011 (1/30)

2011-01-30T20:56:00.000-08:00

WWE's 24th annual Royal Rumble is here and we are Live from Boston! Forget about the Celtics Laker game, the All-Star's in the NHL are over, right here tonight, we're set for officially the biggest Royal Rumble ever! Two factions go into this thing as united groups, Kane's in, the Big Show, King Sheamus and the athletically gifted in Johnny Morrison, Kofi Kingston and 2006 winner Rey Mysterio! Here we go, the Road To WrestleMania begins, 40-person Royal Rumble!

Michael Cole, Jerry 'The King' Lawler and Matt Striker bring us in and we begin with the World Heavyweight Championship match! Edge makes his entrance to a huge reception from the crowd, but then Vickie Guerrero follows out to remind us all that Edge is banned from using his signature finisher the Spear here tonight. Vickie then chants for the Spear, reminding Edge that if he does use it, then he will be Disqualified and Dolph Ziggler will be named new World Champion.

Edge (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrero

World Heavyweight Championship

The contest gets under way after official intro's from Tony Chimmel. Edge and Dolph trade between grapples and punches early and the World Champ gets the first near fall after Irish-whipping Dolph hard into the turnbuckles. The commentary trio discuss Edge's move-set, wondering how the ultimate opportunist will cope without the use of the Spear. Edge gets a couple of Two-counts before fighting with Ziggler to the outside and Edge dominates Dolph as he lifts his opponent to have his chest snake-eye over the top of the barricade. Back in the ring Ziggler uses the ring ropes to help him out and he manages to conquer Edge to the canvas with a swinging neckbreaker. Edge's torso then hangs off the apron and Ziggler lays in heavy shots after exiting the ring once more. Back in the ring now the fans chant Edge on as he manages to roll through a sunset flip from Dolph and Edge turns it into a catapult into the corner. The match continues back and forth and Ziggler gets back on top of things, putting a chin-lock on Edge right in the middle of the ring. This past Friday night Dolph Ziggler suffered and RKO, a chokeslam and multiple Spears, but none of that has any effect on him here tonight as he looks to win his first World Title. He sends Edge crashing to ringside before getting him back in the ring and again slowing the pace, wearring the Champion down in the middle of the ring. Edge eventually gets himself up, but then after an Irish-whip, Ziggler and Edge both collide in the middle of the ring with a double attempt at a cross-body. The referee counts toward Ten, but both men get up and after another series the two of them are down again for another Ten-count. The contest goes on as both men beat the count and Edge and Dolph follow with near-falls on one another. Ziggler's in the driver's seat as he attacks with an attempted fame-asser, but Edge turns it into a modified powerbomb and he gets a Two after the cover. Edge goes high risk, but takes some time and Ziggler follows him up the turnbuckles. The two trade blows, as Edge gets the better of Dolph, battering him back into the ring. Edge then measures and dives off for a cross-body, but Ziggler rolls through and he has the cover, One, Two - no, only Two and that was close. Goodness, the WWE Universe is chanting 'Let's Go Ziggler!' as Edge administer's his modified submission move, the Edgecator, but Dolph reaches the bottom rope. After a trade of blows Dolph nails Edge with the fame-asser and gets Two. Edge then gets back into the match and he revreses a Dolph Sleeper into an Impaler DDT. He covers, but Vickie pulls out the referee. Edge and Vickie argue and then down to the ring comes Kelly Kelly to Lou Thesz Press Vickie Guerrero! Edge watches the pound-down at ringside, but then from behind Dolph Ziggler slams Edge down with the Zig-Zag! Dolph takes a second too long to cover and Edge gets his shoulder up to kick out at Two and a half! Dolph sets for a Sleeper and he locks it in. He wears Edge down, but after some time Edge fights out, but in doing so he inadvertently knocks down the referee. Vickie's down, Dolph's down, the ref's down - so Edge measures for a Spear and *BAM* Spear on Ziggler! Edge then hits the canvas, playing possum 'till the ref gets up. Edge then gets up, administers the Unprettier (Kill-Switch, whatever you prefer) and that's it, One, Two, Three!

Winner and Still World Heavyweight Champion: Edge!

Backstage The Miz stands with Alex Riley and they tell Josh Matthews and the WWE Universe that Miz's going to beat Randy Orton tonight, because "I'm The Miz, and I'm Awesome."

Randy Orton vs. The Miz (c) w/ Alex Riley

WWE Championship match

The bell rings as Striker and King talk strategy and Michael Cole kisses Miz's metaphorical hiney (that's ass for all you non-PG). Orton grounds Miz early and stomps on the WWE Champ, choking him under the bottom rope and then catapulting him throat-first on the underside of the cable. Orton covers for a Two and then picks Miz up to coninue his dominance, all the while keeping an eye on Alex Riley at ringside. Orton stomps into the mid-section before picking Miz up and whipping him against the ropes, but Miz grabs the referee and A-Ry meanwhile climbs the apron to get a piece of The Viper. Miz then takes over and although Orton gets some offense, he's too eager to storm toward the corner and Miz side-steps to pursue further dominace. Miz and Alex Riley then perform tag-team work to wear down Randy Orton and the referee never sees any of it. Miz soon has Orton in the middle of the ring, but Orton fights out to get up and go against the ropes, but Miz kitchen sinks him and then continues with stomping. The same sequence happens again, but this time Miz catches Orton with a back-elbow and Orton goes down again. Miz then gets Orton's torso to hang off the edge of the apron and Miz exits the ring to punish The Viper from ringside, lifting his knee high into the hanging body of Orton. Back in the ring Miz gets a Two on the cover and then the match goes on with both men succesfully countering one another and then Miz hits a standing big boot right to the chin of Orton and somehow Orton is able to kick out after Two. Miz then goes high risk and it doesn't work as Orton jolts the top rope and Miz lands on his Mizter's. Orton then climbs and administer's an excellent top rope superplex and he then covers, but only gets a Two. After some time on the canvas both superstars get up to exchange 'Yay!' 'Boo!' punches from one another. Just as Orton gets some momentum though, Miz decks him to ringside and again the double-team comes into play as Miz grabs the referee's attention and Riley stomps over and over on Orton at ringside. Miz exits the ring and rams Orton spine-first into the barride before throwing him back in the ring and achieving a series of near-falls. Cole and King argue Miz's credentials, but King points out that Orton could have had this match done with by now if Miz didn't have a chihuahua at ringside. Back outside the ring again Miz catapults Orton head-first into the ring-post. Miz gets back in the ring as the ref counts toward Ten and The Viper gets back in the ring on Eight, and he's on fire now, taking it to Miz in the ring with two hard clotheslines and then Orton's textbook scoop-powerslam. Orton then drops a knee on Miz's face before covering for a Two. Alex Riley provides another distraction and this allows Miz to get back into it. He administer's his backbreaker into a neckbreaker and he covers, but for only Two. The contest continues and Miz evades an RKO to attempt a Skull-Crushing Finale, but no, Orton hits an Angle Slam and gets a Two. After that Miz escapes the ring and grabs his Title, looking to exit, but Orton cuts him off with a hard clothesline right to the mat at ringside. Orton then scares off Riley, but again it's a distraction and Miz decks Orton to get a Two in the ring. Orton takes over and hits his suspension DDT, Miz's legs hanging from the middle rope and *BAM* it connects and Randy then sets up for RKO. Wait, down the ramp come CM Punk's new Nexus, minus CM Punk. The referee gets out of the ring to stop them as they approach the ring. Meanwhile Alex Riley tries to get at Orton from behind, but Orton counter's, grabs Riley and launches him over the top rope, over the referee and all over the New Nexus! Orton setting the house on fire as he folows up with an RKO on Miz, but wait, CM Punk, out of nowhere comes in to GTS Orton and *BAM* he connects and Orton is out cold. Punk drags Miz over Orton and the referee counts!

Winner and Still WWE Champion: The Miz.

We're shown an advert for next month's pay-per-view; the Elimination Chamber, Live, Sunday February 20th.

Backstage Daniel Bryan stands with girlfriend Gail Kim and he tells Josh Matthews that it would be great to win the Royal Rumble match. Brie and Nikki Bella enter the scene and they soon trade words with Gail. This leads to a scrap and then there's chaos between the girl's backstage.

The Royal Rumble match:

Winner goes to a Championship match in the main event at WrestleMania!

Entrant number 1: CM Punk. Punk begins against a member of The Corre, but who? they all come to the ring and pummel CM Punk. Out come David Otunga and the rest of the New Nexus and a faction vs. faction brawl breaks out before the match even starts! *BLEEP* *BLEEP* The RAW General Manager doesn't want any of this and he demands that all members of The Corre and The Nexus return to the locker room immediately. Failure to comply will result in disqualification and the only person permitted to be in the ring right now is CM Punk. Nexus and The Corre all leave and then out comes Entrant number 2: Daniel Bryan - and now the bell rings. Punk and Bryan tangle back and forth as the crowd have decided to split their support. Entrant number 3: Justin Gabriel. Gabriel comes out to deck Punk and attempt a 450 Splash, but he misses and Daniel Bryan then eliminates the South African. Entrant number 4: Zack Ryder. Ryder gets booed like hell and he comes in to lay the stomps into both Daniel Bryan and CM Punk. Ryder focusses on Punk and Daniel Bryan then gets up to take it to him and Bryan then eliminates his second superstar of the night, Zack Ryder is outta here. Entrant number 5: William Regal. Perhaps one of the best to never have held the WWE Title, Regal a former King Of The Ring comes in to lay into Punk with a knee trembler. He goes to pick up Punk, but then Daniel Bryan tustles with Regal and he soon decks both Regal and Punk to the canvas. Entrant number 6: Ted DiBiase w/ Maryse. DiBiase comes in to try and eliminate CM Punk. Meanwhile Daniel Bryan lays in heavy kicks to the chest of William Regal who's on his knees in the middle of the ring. Bryan then tries to heave Ted over the top rope but can't do it and then out comes Entrant number 7: John Morrison. What happens next has never ever happened in a Royal Rumble; Morrison comes in to typically go high risk with his plethora of moves, taking everyone in his sights down, but then we have William Regal shove him off the apron and Morrison clutches the barricade - and his feet don't touch the floor! He clmibs to balance, then walk along the barricade, meanwhile William Regal gets eliminated and Morrison leaps from the barricade, to the steel stairs and kicks Regal in the head before walking back into the ring. Amazing par-core action from John Morrison. Entrant number 8: Yoshi Tatsu. In the ring we have CM Punk spending most of his time by a bottom turnbuckle. Daniel Bryan and Ted DiBiase often exchange and then Entrant number 9: Husky Harris comes out. He gets into the ring to automatically defend CM Ppunk and he does a good job of fending Bryan and Morrison away from Punk's corner. Entrant number 10: Chavo Guerrero. Chavo does well as he exchanges with CM Punk and eventually he administer's the Three Amigo's to Daniel Bryan. Entrant number 11: Mark Henry comes out though and elimaintes Chavo right away and soon out goes Yoshi Tatsu aswell. CM Punk and Husky Harris then team up to bring Henry to his knees. Entrant number 12: JTG enters and he trafes fists woth Husky Harris. Meanwhile Ted DiBiase is trying to throw Morrison over the corner. Husky Harris, Daniel Bryan and JTG are in a three-way tangle but then out comes Entrant number 13: Michael McGillicutty and he takes JTG away from Harris to eventually elevate him to the apron and dropkick him out the Royal Rumble. McGillicutty and Harris then again fend off attacker's from CM Punk and it seems that Punk's Nexus strategy is working so far. Ted DiBiase is eliminated by Harris and McGillicutty and then out comes Entrant number 14: Chris Masters and the Masterpiece comes in to almost elimate CM Punk. Entrant number 15: David Otunga enters and meanwhile out goes twenty-minute-man Daniel Bryan. Three of CM Punk's new Nexus are in and they then team up under Punk's guidance to eliminate John Morrison and then the lot of them eliminate Mark Henry. Entrant number 16: Tyler Reks comes out and he suffers the same fate as the New Nexus eliminate him straight away. Entrant number 17: Vladimir Kozlov, one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions enters and he uses his head-butting arsenal to take it to anyone in sight, but it doesn't work. Nexus team up once more and Kozlov is out. This pattern continues as the crowd count down the next particpant, Entrant number 18: R-Truth, and after making a mockery of Truth, Nexus eliminate him and we wait for Entrant number 19: The GREAT KHALI w/ Runjin Singh. CM Punk looks on in shock as The Great Khali makes his in-ring return. Khali thwarts off Nexus and eliminates Husky Harris. Otunga and McGillicutty are down and Khali goes to target CM Punk, but then out comes Entrant number 20: Mason Ryan. Ryan enters to eliminate Khali! Holy hell and Nexus then celebrate and wait for Entrant number 21: BOOKER T! Booker T. enters the ring to a huge roar from the fans and he is not afraid of Nexus. He lays into all of them, after a Mason Ryan attack, side-kick to the head followed by a Scissor-kick on Otunga and then a Book-End on McGillicutty followed by a huge Spin-a-roony! Booker and Punk then tangle, but Mason Ryan enters the scene again and out goes Booker T. Entrant number 22: John Cena! The fans go nuts as Booker goes out and Cena comes in. Cena storms to the ring to take it full speed to Nexus and he eliminates Mason Ryan and then out go McGillicutty and Otunga as well! It's Cena vs. Punk! Cena vs. Punk in the Royal Rumble match and the two exchange back and forth, Cena almost getting in an AA, Punk almost hitting a GTS and then both men go down with a double clothesline. Entrant number 23: Hornswoggle! The little man comes out to a cheer, but then his excitement is taken down a notch as CM Punk takes him down in the ring. Cena soon gets up though and administer's an Attitude Adjustment to eliminate the leader of the New Nexus out the Royal Rumble! Cena and Hornswoggle then work together to eliminate Entrant number 24: Tyson Kidd, with Hornswoggler performing an AA on Tyson before Cena throws Kidd out. Entrant number 25: Heath 'Wendy' Slater enters and Hornswoggle puts on a Stunner, a Five-Knuckle Shuffle and a Tad-Pole Splash before Cena throws Wendy out. Entrant number 26: Kofi Kingston comes out and he faces off against John Cena. Friendships are out the window as the two of them eye the WrestleMania logo and Hornswoggle watches on as Kofi and John goe back and forth before Entrant number 27: Jack Swagger comes out to clothesline Kofi down and then Vader-bomb both Cena and Kingston. Swagger gorilla pounds his chest as he Vader's Cena again. He then eyes Hornswoggle, but Kingston's up and Kofi and Hornswoggle team up to double Boom-Drop Swagg. Entrant number 28: Sheamus. King Sheamus to be exact and he comes in to lay out everyone except Hornswoggle. Hornswoggle though valiantly steps up to him, but Sheamus shoves him down. Hornswoggles gets up and tunes up the band to Sweet Chin the shin of King Sheamus. Cena comes into play and sets Sheamus and Hornswoggle up for a Tad-Pole Splash. Before they can complete the sequence though, Swagger takes Cena away from the play and Sheamus gets up to Brogue Kick Hornsowggle out the Royal Rumble. Entrant number 29: Rey Mysterio comes in to 6-1-9 the All-American American and Swagger's out the Rumble. Entrant number 30: Wade Barrett comes out and he and Cena go back and forth as the comms remind us of the torture Wade Barrett's Nexus put Cena through last year. Entrant number 31: Dolph Ziggler comes out and he and Wade Barrett almost eliminate John Cena. Entrant number 32... DIESEL! 6-foot-11 300plus pounds and Big Daddy Cool enters to the loudest reception of the night and Diesel enters to get himself a piece of everyone, especially Sheamus. The crowd chant 'Let's Go Diesel!' as Entrant number 33: Drew McIntyre comes out and he and Sheamus team up on Diesel and soon Rey Mysterio nails Diesel with a 6-1-9. Entrant number 34: Alex Riley w/ The Miz and Miz joins commentary and Diesel is eliminated by Wade Barrett. Riley, McIntyre and Sheamus team up on Sheamus and then out comes Entrant number 35: Big Show. Show has a bit of a face to face with Diesel as he exits (so cool :-P ) and then Show gets into the ring to take it to the oncoming Sheamus and McIntyre and Show then eliminates Ziggler. Entrant number 36: Ezekiel Jackson enters as Drew McIntyre is eliminated by Show and Jackson comes in to eliminate Big Show. Where is Alex Riley? Hmm, weird, but anyway, impressive from Jackson as Entrant number 37: Santino Marella comes out and he's tossed under the bottom rope. Entrant number 38: Alberto Del-Rio comes out and by the time his entrance is over, out comes Entrant number 39: Randy Orton and he tosses Alberto into the ring. RKO's him, ducks a Brogue Kick, RKO's Sheamus, RKO's Kofi and elimiantes him, then tosses Sheamus out the ring too and while Mysterio, Del-Rio, Barrett and Jackson are down we have a face-off between Randy Orton and John Cena. Then out comes Entrant number 40: Kane! Kane enters to drop Cena, deck Orton and then he escapes a Jackson body slam to pull the top rope down and send Jackson out the ring. Kane then takes it to Wade Barrett before thumping Orton and then targetting Rey Mysterio and Rey's the man to eliminate Kane and Barrett follows up quick to eliminate the master of the 6-1-9. We're down to our final four (in the ring) and Wade Barrett has Cena on the apron, but Cena manages to get himself back in the ring. Orton has Del-Rio down in the corner and then again there's a face-off between Orton and Cena. They trade blows this time and evade each other's main moves until Wade Barrett and Alberto Del-Rio get involved again, this time Barrett on Orton and Del-Rio focusses on Cena, but soon Cena hits him with an Attitude Adjustment. Wait, Alex Riley shows up and Cena decks him right off the apron, now Riley is eliminated, but then Miz, Miz enters the ring and topples Cena over the top rope and all the ref sees is Cena sat on the mat at ringside, John Cena is officially elimated. Now we're down to three. Orton, Barrett and Del-Rio tustle to and fro with the two latter innitially teaming up against Orton. The Viper though fights out, scoop-powerslam on Barrett, backbreaker on Del-Rio and Orton then sets up for an RKO on Del-Rio. On comes Barrett, but Orton sees him coming and tosses Barrett over the top rope. Del-Rio's up and goodness, he grabs Orton from behind and Del-Rio eliminates Randy Orton! Holy hell, has Del-Rio won?! No, Santino Marella is back in, (remember he went under the bottom rope) and Marella comes in to Cobra Del-Rio! The fans can't believe it as Santino marches to throws out Del-Rio, but it's moot, a back body drop and Santino's out. Alberto Del-Rio is the winner of the 2011 Royal Rumble!

Winner and on his way to a WrestleMania main event Title shot: Alberto Del-Rio!

Del-Rio and his announcer celebrate as the fireworks go off and we've come to a check-point on the Road To WrestleMania. Good night folks.

Kevin Nash Lands In Boston, MA w/ Brown Hair

2011-01-30T08:05:00.000-08:00

Kevin Nash has landed in Boston, MA, and is sporting brown hair.

As noted earlier, he'll be appearing at the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view event.

WWE and USA Network Officially Confirm Steve Austin as WWE Tough Enough Host

2011-01-29T09:12:00.000-08:00

World Wrestling Entertainment and USA Network have officially confirmed that WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin will in fact be the host of WWE Tough Enough, which will return to the airwaves on April 4, 2011 - the night after WrestleMania 27.

Here is the article from WWE.com confirming the news...

NEW YORK CITY – USA Network and WWE announced that WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will host USA Network’s upcoming reality series "WWE Tough Enough." The non-scripted series will premiere Monday, April 4 at 11/10 CT, immediately following USA’s ratings juggernaut WWE Monday Night Raw, and move to its regularly scheduled slot in primetime, Mondays at 8/7 CT, starting on April 11.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin has captivated audiences around the world with his magnetic presence and bold, yet charming nature. Austin has done it all in sports-entertainment, winning 17 championships, including the WWE Championship six times. He has an immense and incredibly devoted fan base, and is considered one of the most popular WWE Superstars of all time. Austin was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.

"I am very excited about the opportunity to work with my old friends at WWE on 'WWE Tough Enough.' Sports-entertainment has always been an important part of my life, and I look forward to finding the next generation of WWE Superstars," said Austin.

"Stone Cold" will share his intimate knowledge, experience and flair for the stage as one of the most popular figures in WWE history to a group of individuals looking for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the next WWE Superstar or Diva. Austin will mentor the diverse group of men and women who will live, train, eat and sleep under one roof in a house in Simi Valley, Calif. Each week, the contestants will battle it out in a series of unique challenges designed to test for such characteristics as showmanship, creativity, athleticism and desire, just to name a few. Viewers will witness the trials and tribulations of what it takes to be one of the best in the world’s greatest sports-entertainment organization. The grand prize winner will be awarded a contract with WWE.

Since leaving the world of sports-entertainment, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin has made a name for himself in Hollywood, with roles in such blockbuster hits as The Expendables, staring Sylvester Stallone and The Longest Yard, starring Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. Other film credits include Damage, The Condemned and Hunt to Kill. In addition to film, Austin is a household name from his work on hit television shows such as NBC’s Chuck and CBS’ Nash Bridges.

Shed Media US, noted for its strong characters and memorable casting in the non-scripted arena, will produce "WWE Tough Enough." The company’s previous reality credits include The Real Housewives of New York City, Who Do You Think You Are and World's Strictest Parents. Producing for Shed Media US are Alex Demyanenko and Eric Van Wagenen.

Best of WCW Nitro DVD News - DDP!

2011-01-28T10:17:00.001-08:00

WWE has signed Diamond Dallas Page (DDP) to a new deal which entails him hosting the upcoming "Best of WCW Nitro" DVD set. He tweeted:

"IT's Official! I will Host "The BEST OF NITRO"! This a Great thing for the WCW/NWO/WWE fans! Plus a Great way for DDP to return to the WWE!"

and then added: "I'm already getting hit with Questions! Ha! This "Best of Nitro" is a DVD box collection that will include the years 95/96, 97/98 & 99/2001"

TNA House Show Results From Glasgow, Scotland

2011-01-27T17:48:00.001-08:00

Here are the results from TNA's show in Glasgow, Scotland:

*X-Division champ Kaz defeated Shannon Moore, Chris Sabin and Mark Harkins.

*Mickie James and angelina love defeated Madison Rayne and Tara.

*Jeff Jarrett defeated Lionheart with Greg Hempil as the special referee after a guitar shot.

*TNA Tag Team champions Beer Money with Ric Flair defeated The British Invasion. Money played babyfaces.

*Dixie Carter came out and talked up Impact on Challenge TV.

*Matt Morgan defeated the Pope. Didn't like this match.

*TNA champion Ken Anderson and Rob Van Dam defeated the Hardys.

A guy proposed to his girlfriend when Jeremy Borash went into the crowd.

They were pushing Impact's move to Challenge TV all night.

Credit: PWInsider

WWE SummerSlam Location, TNA Plans for Mania-Weekend

2011-01-27T17:33:00.000-08:00

- WWE would like SummerSlam to take place in Los Angeles again this year and every year for the foreseeable future as they try and entice celebrities to their second biggest event of the year.

- TNA will be holding events at the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville, Kentucky on April 1st, 2011 and the Freedom Hall Civic Center in Johnson City, Tennessee on April 2nd, 2011. Go to http://www.prowrestlingevents.webs.com for info about upcoming wrestling shows worldwide.

Major Royal Rumble Surpries Planned - Returns!

2011-01-27T17:30:00.001-08:00

Two 'legends' are reportedly scheduled for Sunday's 40-Man Royal Rumble Match. Another wrestler that would be considered a surprise is also set to appear. You can likely guess who that person is as he's been expected to return for quite some time now.

How WCW Slipped Through Eric Bischoff's Fingers

2011-01-27T06:32:00.000-08:00

A revealing, politically incorrect look at how pro wrestling’s future slipped through Eric Bischoff’s fingers, and why fans should be disgusted with AOL-Time Warner.

By Jason Stone
Editor, 24Wrestling

This feature is dedicated to the end of WCW, and how it was ripped from Eric Bischoff‘s hands like a candy bar from a little girl. When you find out why WCW was truly cancelled, the wrestling fan inside you may just be a little offended. Okay, 'a lot' offended.

As you know, in March 2001 WCW stopped broadcasting TV shows and PPVs, and was purchased by Mr. Ruthless Aggression himself Vince McMahon. However, the real downfall of WCW began years before, when the standards & practices people at Time Warner began telling Eric Bischoff he couldn’t do the things he needed to do to compete with the more edgy Monday Night RAW. Storylines would be vetoed and Easy E along with his monkeys were forced to re-write sometimes entire shows just minutes before going live. WCW signed Bret Hart, but he was completely mishandled. By the summer of 1998, Time Warner outright forced WCW to be a more family-friendly show. Papa Bischoff took his frustration out on his employees, who he would throw coffee at and swat with newspapers, unless they were a lot bigger than him and Nash wasn‘t around. The trio of Bischoff, Nash and Hogan came up with some of the dumbest ideas of their lives in a short period of time in 1999. Everyone started to hate them. Eric, who knew the booking was the s**ts, stopped showing up to Nitro and began shaking hands in Hollywood which ended up paying off later. WCW was left to the devices of Kevin Nash, who didn’t do much to bring the company back on it’s feet. I think once he booked an entire hour of Nitro without a single wrestling match, just backstage skits. This lead to a frustrated Bischoff pulling out his dyed jet-black hair and leaving to take a job clubbing baby seals on September 10, 1999.

Ted went against every advisor in his company and kept WCW alive. If that's not a true fan, I don't know what is.

It turned out that Ted Turner himself was really the only one within Time Warner who gave a damn about wrestling, and the rest viewed it as a lowly form of entertainment for meth addicted white trash hillbillies. When someone suggested selling off WCW, Ted shot them down and told them to never mention it again.

Fall 1999: Turner Sports president Brad Siegel appointed an accountant named Bill Busch to run WCW in Bischoff‘s absence, who then had the bright idea to steal Vince Russo from WWF to help the ratings. The idea didn’t go as well as planned and Russo was demoted on January 15, 2000 . He was replaced with Kevin Sullivan, who just may have did as much damage in a few months as Russo did in his entire run. Don’t believe me? Watch WCW UnCeNsOrEd 2000. Days after Sullivan got his spot, a bunch of wrestlers quit including future WWE champs Benoit and Guerrero.

Ah, Kevin Sullivan. Watching old tapes, sometimes we took bets if Kevin Sullivan was really just some guy they found on the street corner yelling things.

Sullivan:...beer hash and lots of squirells’lI tell ya that
if my wife leaves me I sweartoTeddyZ.RooseveltI'llkill...

Time Warner: I like the cut of your jib, son, how'd you like a job.

Sullivan: ...and I tell ya that you haven't hadtoshootyour
hounddogintheballswithachickenriflethen...

Time Warner: You're hired!

NB/Millionaires Club almost turned things around.

The storyline had the rug pulled out from under it before the New Blood Rising PPV even aired.

Hated by wrestling fans, and rightfully so.

Brad Siegel fired the Busch/Sullivan dream team and brought back Bischoff and Russo as a duo in late March 2000. Although they hated each other, they went half on a candy bar and found the golden ticket -- The New Blood vs. Millionaires Club feud that almost saved WCW's reputation. It began in April, but before the end of the Summer it dwindled away. Russo had trouble finishing what he started and some guys at Turner Sports didn‘t like it, so they pulled the plug. Bischoff then left WCW to take a job euthanizing puppies. (Actually he just went home, spent time with his family, and collected checks.)

Russo was left as uncontested head booker, and the whole wrestling world breathed a big "Oh, Holy Living F...".

During this time, Russo created ideas that in retrospect seem impossible, because there's no way a human being could do enough acid to come up with "David Arquette, WCW champion," and live. Or at least you'd hope. Vinnie Ru came up with brilliant and totally new ideas including, but by no means limited to, covering Sting in blood that magically stayed wet for 3 days and lowering him on a rope on the anniversary of Owen Hart's death. Two ideas that brilliantly pushed the insensitivity envelope.

Other great ideas were G.I. Bro, Russo being the father of Stacy Keibler‘s child, not even advertising two awesome Goldberg vs. Scott Steiner battles (one of them on PPV and the other in a cage for free on Nitro), and other angles so idiotic they make "Muppet's Present Battlefield Earth" look like Se7en.

Bischoff first starting sending out feelers about buying WCW as early as fall 1998, which has some conspiracy theorists saying that Easy E sabotaged the company in 1999 to try and lower the price as much as possible. If there’s any truth to that, then it certainly blew up in his face, but lets leave that for another day…

Time Warner, the parent company of Turner Broadcasting and Turner Sports, always hated WCW. Brad Siegel, who was appointed to oversee WCW, wanted nothing to do with wrestling but was stuck taking care of Ted‘s half retarded baby. Time Warner execs wanted WCW gone but good ol’ Ted wouldn’t let that happen. However, when AOL merged with Time Warner, Ted Turner was effectively pushed out of his own company. There was now a board of directors full of incompetent wannabe entrepreneurs, case in point: AOL lost $54 billion in one quarter! I’m not just talking s**t because I'm mad they cancelled WCW, those are the real numbers! Ted wasn‘t happy. While even Russo can’t match AOL’s stupidity, he did manage to lose almost $20 million (I think) in 2000, mostly on stupid TV props (Hummers, helicopters, limos, stupid hardcore matches) that nobody cared about. Bischoff made an offer to buy WCW, and while Siegel initially rejected, he would go on to accept in late 2000. By January 2001, reports stated that Eric Bischoff and his group of investors known as Fusient Media Ventures, a satanic cockfighting company, had purchased WCW and the deal was done!

On January 11, Bischoff started negotiating with Hogan, and put out this press release: "Wrestling fans can rest assured that we will give the WCW the adrenaline shot it needs to once again become the most exciting brand of wrestling in the world.” He planned to give the cruiserweights their due and bring in Johnny Ace to handle the books. FOX and NBC started inquiring to Fusient about getting WCW programming on their networks! That’s pretty big stuff.

On February 26, 2001 reports came out saying that there were some troubles between Fusient and AOL-Time Warner, but it was nothing to worry about. Then in mid-march, apparently things came to a halt between Brad Siegel and Eric Bischoff; Easy E was being kept in the dark. Bischoff did not have the best relationship with the execs after years of bickering with the standards & practices people.

Fusient was left in the dark over three weeks while the WWF began doing their own arrangements with AOL-Time Warner. On March 13, 2001, WCW head Brad Siegel apparently had a conference call with Fusient Media Ventures executives in Atlanta to try and ‘save the deal’.

Jamie Kellner

But wait! Brad Siegel just had a new supervisor appointed, Jamie Kellner, and this guy REALLY hated wrestling. His first week on the job, Kellner, a conspiracy theorist with a Napoleon complex who thinks TiVo and DVR‘s will destroy the entertainment industry, announced that World Championship Wrestling was CANCELLED from Turner Broadcasting -- Despite still being the highest rated programming on TNT or TBS. 26 years of wrasslin’ on Turner, no more. How does a guy like this get such a powerful job? Well, it was at AOL-Time Warner, which in 2000 and 2001 was the biggest mess on earth. Specializing in things for little girls, Kellner’s credits include commissioning shows like Dawson's Creek and Gilmore Girls. By the way, I'm not lying about this guy's thoughts on Tivo & DVRs like I was about Eric Bischoff clubbing baby seals, check this out.

Why did he cancel it? There was no mention of the decline in ratings, PPV buyrates or ticket sales; After all, if that was the case, WWF wouldn't have made it past 1997 and TNA would never have seen national TV. Kellner's reasoning was that WCW's viewer demographics were not favorable enough to get the "right" advertisers to buy airtime. Yeah, and showing Con-Air eight times a week brings in the high-rollers. This dipsh** was fired in less than two years, but the damage had been done.

WCW wasn’t cancelled because their ratings dipped, it wasn’t cancelled because they didn’t sell as many tickets anymore, it wasn’t cancelled because it didn't turn a profit in 2000 -- It was cancelled because the executives at AOL-Time Warner thought wrestling was too dumb to show on national TV. That is how the television industry views us wrestling fans; too stupid to buy the things the advertisers are selling.

Ted Turner was truly the only thing that kept WCW alive past the early 90’s slump, allowing for the Monday Night Wars to begin and literally save wrestling. To this day, Ted credits WCW with helping him establish TBS & TNT, and recognizes the wrestling industry is one that continuously reinvents itself. But the hatred for wrestling within Time Warner was deep.

With no primary broadcast outlet, WCW became worthless to a company like Fusient. FOX and NBC stepped away from the table. However, WCW wouldn't be worthless to a company who already had a broadcast outlet -- Hmmm....

The final arena booked on the WCW calendar was March 26, 2001 -- in addition to Bischoff’s ‘Big Bang’ PPV on May 6 in Las Vegas, NV which obviously never happened.

Before anyone knew what hit them -- Vince McMahon had swooped in and taken Eric Bischoff’s wrestling company right from under his nose. Time Warner had sold WCW to the WWF. The WWF already had a TV deal with TNN and there were talks of airing Nitro on Saturdays. But the emasculation of Bischoff would not stop there, as he went on to sign a performers contract with Vince and be humiliated on WWE TV and DVDs for the years to come. His run as a WWE performer must have been especially humbling for Eric given their strained relationship, which began when Eric was denied an announcer gig at WWF in the 80’s. Eric put the squeeze on WWF to the point where they neared financial ruin and could barely pay their wrestlers, which is what actually lead to Bret Hart‘s departure. Vince put the squeeze on WCW to the point where it ate itself alive. The two promoters stole talent, traded lawsuits and did every other dirty tactic in the book. Bischoff even challenged McMahon to a fight which Vince “accepted” but never showed up for.

On the Dec. 4, 2000 Nitro, Steiner's return bumped the rating up an entire point from 1.9 to 2.9.

I’m willing to bet my life savings that Bischoff cried like a little girl for a week straight when he found out he lost WCW, then another month when he found out it was to Vince McMahon.

While WCW was slowly slipping downhill there were always hard workers, believe it or not, like Scott Steiner, Jeff Jarrett, Diamond Dallas Page, Rey Mysterio, Lance Storm and many others who went out and gave it their all every night. A slew of new talent was on the horizon but never got a chance to rise, most of them cruiserweights and all those guys from the Natural Born Thrillers. Torrie Wilson, Stacy Keibler, Midajah, Kimberly Page, and all those other chicks also deserve a round of applause for being extremely hot.

Nitro & Thunder weren't cancelled because of mismanagement, 2+ years of crappy writing from Bischoff/Nash/Sullivan/Russo, or because of wasteful spending. It died because AOL-Time Warner thought wrestling fans were stupid.

I guess the “moral of the story” on this feature, is that while we can mostly agree WWE’s quality has dropped since 2001, many of Vince’s decisions are strategically made to drop the stereotype that wrestling fans are dumb hicks and get better advertisers to keep Monday night wrestling alive and kicking.

Major Updates to 2011 WWE DVD Schedule – Nitro Change & New Additions

2011-01-27T06:24:00.000-08:00

WWE has kindly provided us with a updated Home Video schedule for 2011, last amended this month. Here’s a summary of modifications and new additions.
- The WCW Nitro themed DVD release remains on the schedule. However it was previously down as “Best of Seasons 1 & 2″ but now is simply titled
“The Best of Nitro“.
This is planned as of now for release on May 25th and that update seems to indicate it will not cover individual seasons after all but instead all years in one set. Once again things may change before May but this is the latest update we have.

The Big Show: A Giant's World DVD - Full Match Listings

2011-01-27T06:14:00.000-08:00

The Big Show: A Giant's World
Release on Feb. 22.

- THE BIG SHOW A GIANT'S WORLD DOCUMENTARY

- MEET THE PARENTS

- YOU'RE THE BIG SHOW

- THE ROCK IS FIRST CLASS
- SMACKDOWN - OCTOBER 28 1999
BIG SHOW VS. THE DUMPSTER

- SMACKDOWN - NOVEMBER 11 199
DEARLY DEPARTED

- RAW - APRIL 3 2000
BIG SHOW THE ENTERTAINER

- THE BIG FATHER

- SMACKDOWN - APRIL 15 2004
BIG SHOW VS. TORRIE WILSON'S CAR

- SMACKDOWN - MARCH 24 2005
BIG SHOW VS. THE JEEP

- TRIPLE H ROASTS BIG SHOW

- KENNY IN KNUCKLEHEAD

- LIFESTYLE CHANGE

- BIG SHOW VS. EVERYONE

- HALLOWEEN HAVOC - OCTOBER 29 1995
THE GIANT VS. HULK HOGAN MONSTER TRUCK SUMO MATCH

- HALLOWEEN HAVOC - OCTOBER 29 1995
THE GIANT VS. HULK HOGAN - WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

- NITRO - APRIL 29 1996
THE GIANT VS. RIC FLAIR - WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

- SLAMBOREE - MAY 19 1996
THE GIANT VS. STING - WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

- GREAT AMERICAN BASH - JUNE 16 1996
THE GIANT VS. LEX LUGER - WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

- RAW - MARCH 22 1999
BIG SHOW VS. "STONE COLD" STEVE AUSTIN

- RAW - JUNE 7 1999
BIG SHOW VS. THE UNDERTAKER - WWE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

- SURVIVOR SERIES - NOVEMBER 14 1999
BIG SHOW VS. TRIPLE H VS. THE ROCK - TRIPLE THREAT MATCH FOR THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP

- BACKLASH - APRIL 30 2000
BIG SHOW VS. KURT ANGLE

- SURVIVOR SERIES - NOVEMBER 17 2002
BIG SHOW VS. BROCK LESNAR - WWE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

- BACKLASH - APRIL 27 2003
BIG SHOW VS. REY MYSTERIO

- NO MERCY - OCTOBER 19 2003
BIG SHOW VS. EDDIE GUERRERO - UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

- SMACKDOWN - SEPTEMBER 9 2004
BIG SHOW RETURNS

- NO MERCY - OCTOBER 3 2004
BIG SHOW VS. KURT ANGLE

- TABOO TUESDAY - NOVEMBER 1 2005
BIG SHOW & KANE VS. LANCE CADE & TREVOR MURDOCH - WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

- NEW YEAR'S REVOLUTION - JANUARY 8 2006
BIG SHOW VS. TRIPLE H

- ECW - JULY 4 2006
BIG SHOW VS. ROB VAN DAM – ECW CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

- SUMMERSLAM - AUGUST 20 2006
BIG SHOW VS. SABU - ECW CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

- RAW - MARCH 10 2008
THE OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN FOR WRESTLEMANIA XXIV

- WRESTLEMANIA XXIV - MARCH 30 2008
BIG SHOW VS. FLOYD MAYWEATHER - NO DISQUALIFICATION MATCH

- SMACKDOWN - APRIL 10 2009
BIG SHOW VS. KOFI KINGSTON

- RAW - APRIL 20 2009
BIG SHOW VS. REY MYSTERIO

- HELL IN A CELL - OCTOBER 4 2009
BIG SHOW & CHRIS JERICHO VS. BATISTA & REY MYSTERIO - UNIFIED WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

- RAW - FEBRUARY 8 2010
TRIPLE THREAT ELIMINATION MATCH FOR THE UNIFIED WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP = BIG SHOW & THE MIZ VS. TRIPLE H & SHAWN MICHAELS VS. CM PUNK & LUKE GALLOWS

- SUMMERSLAM - AUGUST 15 2010
BIG SHOW VS. CM PUNK, LUKE GALLOWS & JOSEPH MERCURY - 3-ON-1 HANDICAP MATCH

- EASTER EGG: THE END OF JERISHOW

Awesome Kong's WWE Debut Rumors

2011-01-27T06:11:00.001-08:00

There are rumors that Awesome Kong will make her WWE debut at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, possibly in the Divas Title match with Natalya defending against Layla & Michelle McCool.