Why wouldn't you try to recreate arguably the most over wrestler in WWE history? But trying and accomplishing are two very different things. Orton will never be anywhere near Austin.
Why wouldn't you try to recreate arguably the most over wrestler in WWE history? But trying and accomplishing are two very different things. Orton will never be anywhere near Austin.
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion Mason Ryan beat Primo in a dark match prior to this week's RAW taping.
The crowd in Phoenix was HOT tonight and popped real well for faces, gave great heat to heels.
Every time Miz was on the mic, he got strong heat.
After RAW went off air, Miz and Alex Riley came out and started ripping on Randy Orton and Phoenix. The crowd came alive and booed for like 2 straight minutes, even when Miz started talking. Michael Cole got in the ring as well, which drew a lot of heat. Orton slithered in, RKO'd Miz and Riley, then teased a Cole RKO but Cole got away. Orton posed to send the crowd home. No dark match after.
No Cena at all. Punk got a huge reaction too. But Orton got the biggest pops of the night when he came out and when he hit the RKO to win the match. Everyone on their feet. Just a great show. Good follow up to WM26 last spring.[/font]
Latest on negotiations between Goldberg and WWE.
I'm told WWE is still quietly negotiating with Bill Goldberg regarding an appearance at Wrestlemania XXVIIin Atlanta. As for the likelihood of a deal being reached, sources have indicated that both sides are still "very far" apart.
Goldberg is interested in a one night only return for a possible farewell match at Wrestlemania while Vince McMahon wants to sign Goldberg for an entire year, with an option for a second year.
Sources close to Goldberg say his mindset is pretty simple. Turning down seven figures for one night is not an easy thing to do, but turning down seven figures for a year or two is much easier.
WWE's best win/loss PPV records of 2010.
Reader Darren Bongiovanni has compiled a list of the best win & loss records for WWE superstars on pay-per-view for 2010. All pay-per-view matches were included in the statistics except the Royal Rumble, the Tag Team Gauntlet Match from Extreme Rules, and the Tag Team Turmoil Match from Night of Champions (because the participants were not all involved in the match at the same time.)
The WWE wrestler who had the best PPV record of the year was Daniel Bryan, with an undefeated record of 5-0. Also undefeated were Tyson Kidd (3-0), David Hart Smith (3-0), Bret Hart (2-0), Vickie Guerrero (1-0), JTG (1-0) and Chris Masters (1-0). Other notable records were Big Show (6-2), Kane (6-3-1), John Cena (6-5), Randy Orton (5-7-1) & The Miz (6-4).
Vince McMahon paranoid about John Cena angle.
Vince McMahon has been so paranoid about the John Cena angle he has actually been kayfabing the writers and no one knows how it is going to end except him.
WWE in discussions to air Wrestlemania XXVII in 3D.
WWE and Fathom Events continue to discuss a 3D presentation of Wrestlemania XXVII in movie theaters this year but according to sources close to the negotiations, the deal is looking like a dead end. WWE and Fathom are very far apart on the percentage split of revenues and with time running out to make a deal, it's doubtful they can close the gap. WWE is looking for a much more favorable split than what they receive from cable operators while Fathom Events is looking to maintain the split already used in their other agreements.
WWE receives approximately 42% of cable revenue and closer to 50% of satellite revenue. They're looking for 60-70% of the closed circuit revenue that would be generated by a theater presentation and thus far, Fathom has refused to entertain a split of that nature. While it's still possible that either side could budge and salvage the deal, at this time, it appears unlikely.
Update on the return of Tough Enough and when it is scheduled to air.
Producers for the upcoming return of WWE Tough Enough have been very busy working around the clock familiarizing themselves with the independent scene. Some in the WWE office have joked that if as much time had been spent scouting for developmental the last five years as has been spent scouting for Tough Enough in the last few months, the company would be in much better shape right now. The production company in charge of the series continues to contact independent workers across the country as they attempt to solidify the cast.
Tough Enough will premiere at 11/10c the day after WrestleMania XXVII and immediately following RAW. It will then move to its regularly scheduled slot, Mondays at 8/7c, starting on April 11th.
Dixie Carter reportedly upset with TNA writing team and disillusioned with TNA overall.
Dixie Carter is said to be "very upset" with the TNA writing team and with low house show attendance. Carter was reportedly against turning Jeff Hardy heel because she felt it would "kill" house show attendance. I'm told Vince Russo, Eric Bischoff and others assured her it would actually increase house show attendance because people would come to boo Jeff. So far, this has turned out not to be the case.
Dixie is said to be "very disillusioned" with things in TNA right now and while she has a reputation of not showing public disappointment or being upset, her demeanor has changed a lot lately. People in the TNA office are becoming concerned if things do not improve in 2011 she might consider pulling the plug on the company.
VIP MVP believes he can use the character outside of WWE; why Vince isn't concerned with ex-WWE wrestlers going to TNA.
As we reported last week, MVP is telling his friends on the local scene he can use the Montel Vontavious Porter character outside of WWE despite WWE being the owner of record for the trademarks. According to sources close to WWE, he isn't telling people in WWE the same thing. MVP is telling friends in WWE he hopes the company will allow him to use the name in Japan and "turn a blind eye" as long as he doesn't go to TNA Wrestling.
We can confirm MVP requested his release because was unhappy with his position in WWE, not any other reason. I'm also told MVP is "doing well" and excited about opportunities outside of WWE. One source said "he has a plan" and if it works he can return and be refreshed personally along with his gimmick.
MVP talked for months about wanting to ask for his release but his friends were actually "shocked" when they found out he requested his release and it was granted so quick. When he brought up leaving WWE to his travel partners he put over TNA and said he thought he could be a good fit there.
We have spoken to sources close to the WWE office and asked why WWE was so open to letting MVP (and to a lesser extent Matt Hardy) go when there is a chance they could end up in TNA. We've been told Vince McMahon feels nothing TNA does affects WWE and if anything, every former WWE name that signs with TNA brings them that much closer to going out of business. McMahon even joked that if Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair did not make a difference in TNA, why should WWE be worried about guys like Hardy and MVP?
How Miley Cyrus could have possibly caused a WWE loophole to close.
One topic that has been making headlines in the national media lately has been "legal weed" marijuana substitutes such as Salvia, K2 incense and other such products. A video of pop singer Miley Cyrus smoking Salvia out of a bong that hit the Internet caused public outrage and many politicians have spoken about outlawing some of these popular currently legal herbs. Many of these products are very popular with several WWE Superstars who have previously failed drug tests for marijuana use (testing positive for marijuana does not carry a suspension but a fine). There has been some nervousness in the locker room that this loophole could end up being closed if the negative media attention continues. While some of these products are illegal in some states, WWE does not currently test for them.
Possible plans for Awesome Kong and why WWE waited before they signed her.
While nothing is set in stone, the creative team has been talking about debuting Awesome Kong simply as "Kong". Ideas to have her feud with Beth Phoenix have been pitched as well as aligning her with LayCool in an enforcer-type role. This could obviously change before she actually debuts. Regarding her signing, I'm told WWE wanted to wait several months after she left TNA so it didn't look like they signed someone that just left TNA.
TNA reaches out to Diamond Dallas Page.
Believe it or not, TNA recently reached out to Diamond Dallas Page to gauge his interest in returning to the company. I'm told DDP is not interested and is hoping to land more acting gigs.
DDP has been spending a lot of time with Steve Austin in Los Angeles, hoping to make more connections in the acting world.
Major change considered for the future of TNA iMPACT and who is against it.
There has been been a lot of talk lately about TNA Wrestling considering to begin experimenting with taping Impact on the road. Some in the company have been very vocal for quite some time the fans in Orlando are burnt out and the energy level just doesn't compare with the pay-per-views and even house shows run in other markets.
However, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff are two members of the camp extremely opposed to the idea. They claim the idea is too risky as it would add considerable expense and with house show attendance down lately, it wouldn't be the right time to add the expense of taping outside of Universal Studios.
While those concerns may be valid, many have rolled their eyes at Hogan's argument and feel he simply likes the convenience of TNA taping so close to his home and is resistant to the idea of having to go on the road for TV.
WWE officially nixes guest host concept.
It looks like WWE has finally done away with the guest host star concept on Raw. The page for "upcoming guest stars" has been removed from the official company website.
The guest host concept was birthed in June 2009 and lasted throughout the majority of 2010.
How Vince has been coping with Linda's Senate loss.
Sources close to McMahon say he has started to pour himself into his work more than ever to cope with the disappointment of Linda McMahon losing the election for the United States Senate seat out of the state of Connecticut.. As a result, McMahon made plans to make more company-related appearances.
Latest on Skip Sheffield and Michael Tarver.
There have been ideas tossed around to bring Skip Sheffield back from his broken ankle on Raw as a babyface but nothing is certain. I'm told if another major injury occurs in The Nexus either Sheffield or Michael Tarver could be easily plugged back in. With that being said I do not have expected return dates for Sheffield or Tarver.
Nexus or against us.
They say either you're Nexus or against us; well Nexus members Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel and Michael McGillicutty have all started traveling together. Not only do that but they actually wear their Nexus armbands over their tracksuits. WWE management is very pleased with new talent willing to take their characters seriously which is another reason why WWE is so high up on Sheamus who conducts all interviews in-character.
CM Punk looks at commentary as "retirement plan".
The "Geek To Me" blogger on Chicago Now has a new interview online with CM Punk. In it, he promotes his return to the ring in Chicago and talks about his time on commentary. Below is a quote from Punk:
I kind of basically looked at it [commentary] as my retirement plan now. That's definitely something I can do when I'm not wrestling anymore. And believe it or not -- this sounds horrible -- but it was really easy for me. [laughs] I would really love to do both. I'd love to wrestle and do commentary, I think that would be awesome.
Click here to read the full interview.
A very revealing Matt Hardy interview; speaks on Lita, Edge, Jeff, Punk, drugs and more.
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]AOL Fanhouse recently interviewed Matt Hardy, here is a recap of the interview…
Hardy said that over the last month since his release, he has been "hustling". He said he was working on doing his Hardy Show stuff.
He talked about the first time he was released by WWE and said he "was hired back three days later" and he was just kept off of TV. He was asked if he considered going to TNA and he said he did but their TV situation wasn't good then so he didn't go there. He later said he was actually hired back within 7 or 8 weeks, not three days. He said when he started burying WWE on the web was right around when he re-signed. He said Kevin Dunn told him to bury the company in the videos.
He said that he found out about Lita and Edge by listening to voicemails on her cell phone. He said Edge told Amy he loved her and wanted to be with her but they hadn't gotten "physical physical" yet. He said he kicked her out of his house when he heard the voicemails. She tried to call him for two weeks and he wouldn't talk to her so she started actually dating Edge then. It lasted for three weeks and then ended he said. He added that when he was on the road and she was home rehabbing he "was tempted" to have sex outside of their relationship, implying that he never swayed. He said that later they got back together as a couple behind the scenes while she and Edge were a couple on-screen. He said he wanted her to have creative break her and Edge up on-screen for the good of their relationship but instead they broke up off-screen.
He said that he started thinking of leaving WWE after Jeff left. He said that Jeff has restless leg syndrome even now and was beat up. He said that Jeff was ready to leave but was going to come back to WWE after a break. Matt thought that he wasn't respected after Jeff left, like he was being kept around to make sure Jeff would come back. Jeff then went to TNA. After that he thought that WWE turned on him and stopped pushing him because of it.
He said that if he ever gets to wrestle Jeff down the road, he wants it to be realistic, not how it was done in WWE. He didn't think brothers would ever really want to kill each other and Hardy fans wouldn't believe it. He said it has to be done on a real level, where people understand. He said that the Hardy fans out there wouldn't accept them in a blood feud, because brothers wouldn't fight that way (they wouldn't?).
Fritz went back to the video saying he looked out of sorts and glassy-eyed and people were concerned about him. He said it was because it was shot in the middle of the night, after saying he checked his email when he first got back to the hotel. He said he wanted to set the story straight (which of course the video didn't do) but he belied his earlier timeline in his statements.
Fritz asked about the goofy video he did where he was eating grapes. He said that was Matthew, a character. He did it to mock the perception that he was whacked out. He stopped doing the videos like that when he was released.
Fritz asked if he has ever had any issues with Somas. He said "Zero". Fritz said that right after his incident WWE changed the Wellness Policy concerning somas. Matt said that somas was what his prescription was for and he never failed a drug test but that is probably why WWE made the change to the policy. (I can't make this stuff up).
He said he has never been "dangerous" or taken anything past what he was prescribed. He said he only started taking Somas when he had his abdominal surgery. He then went off on a tangent about his intestine problems.
He asked if he asked for a release from WWE after the European incident and he said yes. He said that due to the youth movement and the company wanting to punish him for Jeff leaving, he knew it was time to go. He said he was told that they wanted to keep him working for them and one day to be an agent. He didn't want that.
He said he makes 100 bucks a day in advertising from YouTube for his videos and could get by with his other ventures if he didn't return to wrestling. He also said he made a lot and implied he has saved it.
He said that he thinks Vince McMahon liked Edge and Jeff Hardy as "the" guys on their team while he and Christian were just never thought of by the boss the way that their partners were.
He was asked what his future is and he said implied he would be working for TNA. Fritz asked him if TNA is a natural fit and he said yes it's a possibility. He said he got some interesting calls last week. He again said TNA was a viable option.
Matt stated that he only had about 75 days on his no-compete. He said he was actually released a few weeks before WWE posted it on their website. He said that they were trying to get him to stay around.
He said he gets fired up when his image is impugned. He said that Dave Meltzer reported a while back that he was suspended for steroid use. He said it never happened and he was fired up and had a mutual friend call Meltzer and say if there wasn't a retraction he would take action and Meltzer retracted it.
Hardy said he would consider going back to WWE some day but he would need days off in his deal. He said he isn't talking an Undertaker schedule, but some time off so his body could be healthy and not need to take things to relax his muscles.
He was asked if he ever wanted to team with Jeff again and he said that they were both singles stars now. He said he and Edge pitched the two of them being a power group and WWE creative turned it down.
Fritz said that there were reports of him having heat with CM Punk and he said no, he doesn't. He said he thinks it may have started because Punk dated Lita "for a short while". He did say he really disagreed with Punk when he made comments about Jeff after Jeff's arrest went down. He said it probably wasn't Punk's call but that Punk didn't mind doing it either.
Matt was asked if Jeff would go back to WWE after them doing that and he said he didn't think Jeff would.
Fritz asked what else is left in wrestling for Matt and he said he wanted to run shows and run a wrestling school. He thinks he has a lot more to offer in that vein than he does as a worker. He said he is good at a lot of things but not great at any. He said he wants to give back to the business. He expects to doing a school and/or run shows in the next six months. He said he may do a reality show about post-WWE.[/font]
The Miz interview; speaks on almost quitting, relationship with JBL and more.
Kevin Eck of The Baltimore Sun transcribed a phone interview he conducted with WWE Champion The Miz on his blog. Below are the highlights:
Reputation in the locker room: I believe that people still don't think that I deserve to be WWE champion. The fact is I'm always going to have naysayers. You're always going to have haters. It really doesn't bother me because I just rise above it. I kind of use all of their negative energy to basically throw out there into the WWE Universe, and what I get back is the WWE championship. So I never really listened to what anyone else ever said. As far as the turning point, there wasn't really a turning point. I think it's just that I've been gaining and gaining more respect and earning my stripes, so that's kind of how it's happened.
If he ever considered quitting: Oh, I think there's always a time in everyone's life when they're like, "Do I really want to go through this?" Whenever something's really hard you always question yourself, and I had many times when I questioned myself, but I always rose above it. I'm the type of person that doesn't quit. I just keep going and give my best effort because I don't want to look back on my life when I'm like 80 or 90 and say, "Man, I wish I would have done this, I wish I would have done that." I basically go out and do it.
Relationship with John "Bradshaw" Layfield: It's funny with JBL. In front of all the boys back in the day he would always be making fun of me or saying [imitating JBL's voice], "Miz, I look forward to your amazing work. You're a gift from God." But whenever no one was around, he would come up to me and say, "You're doing a good job." He'd always give me a little pat on the back. Most people think he was really, really bad to me and this kind of stuff - and, granted, there were times - but there were also times when he sat me down and said, "Listen, you're doing a good job. This is what you're doing wrong. This is what you have to do to get to the next level." So he has helped me as well.
Click here to read the article in its entirety.
Kane interview; speaks on cutting on promos after not talking for so long, if he misses the mask and more.
NorthJersey.com has an article online featuring quotes from Kane. Below are the highlights:
How long it took him to "find his footing" on cutting promos after not speaking: Not very long. I was able to actually do the first one in Dallas. It was just one of those things where ...I was able to pull it off. After you do the first one, you realize you can do it, so you get a little more comfortable and a little more relaxed, of course. So I think the first one was probably the most stressful.
If he misses working in a mask: Oh sure. In fact I just was talking to someone the other day, a fan, and they were talking about how they thought the mask was cool. They hit it right on the head because [they said] it added a definite air of mystery, which is very true. Right now, we have Rey Mysterio with a mask. And up until Rey won the world championship, I think I was the only masked wrestler to ever win the world championship. ...I definitely think it's a trade-off. Certainly there were things about wearing the mask that were unique.
http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/112365009_WWE_Monster_in_the_house_at_Izod.html?page=all]Click here[/url] to read the full article.
Why Kevin Nash is in no hurry to sign a contract with TNA; how Nash's situation caused a rift in the Carter family.
Kevin Nash announced on his Twitter a couple weeks ago he will be wrestling in Chile on January 15 along with Scott Steiner, Rikishi and more to be announced. This is a deal Nash has been working on for several months and one of the reasons he wasn't in a rush to re-sign with TNA. The promoters in Chile are treating this event as a test run and if it does well, they hope to begin running tours of the country two to three times a year.
Dixie Carter has always wanted to re-sign Nash but her mother, who signs off on all TNA expenses, blocked the original deal. Sources close to the Carter family tell us this actually caused a rift between Dixie and her mother as they have argued over Nash's contract for months.
Scott Hall continues to get into altercations; Ricky Ortiz moves in with him.
Trouble continues to find Scott Hall as I'm told he continues to get into altercations around his hometown in Florida and police were even called after he was part of a disturbance at a convenience store by his house. The incident was not picked up by news outlets because Hall was not arrested.
Former WWE star Ricky Ortiz recently moved into Hall's house as he's been down on his luck since being released from the company. Friends of Hall are hoping Ortiz will keep Scott out of trouble, but so far that does not appear to be working.
Some in the WWE advocating scrapping network plans.
With the news of WWE delaying their cable network until 2012 or 2013 I'm told there are some in the company that are advocating scrapping plans for the network entirely. Apparently WWE realized how hard it's going to be to get coverage and looked at the examples from the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and the NHL and decided they were not ready to pursue it. The plan was to delay it instead of canceling it completely to "save face" but many are not optimistic about the future of the project.
Backstage story on WWE workers going overseas and how "optional" it is.
In addition to Vince McMahon, Big Show, Eve and Kelly Kelly, R-Truth was originally asked to go on the recent five-day trip to Afghanistan.
Sources close to Truth tell me he was very excited as he felt it showed WWE had faith in him to represent the company well during an important public relations trip. R-Truth was disappointed when he was eventually told he wouldn't be needed, but scored points with the office for being so eager to go.
The trips to the Middle East are considered optional, but most of the wrestlers are afraid to say no, especially after seeing how much heat there was on Rob Van Dam several years ago for refusing to go to Iraq.
Backstage heat on Orlando Jordan.
There was a situation about a month ago at a TNA house show involving Orlando Jordan. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Jordan showed up at the show with a "young-looking male companion". This is something Jordan was known for when he was in WWE but is something he's been more discrete about in TNA following an incident with Ric Flair and one of his boyfriends after a show earlier in the year.
Some in TNA feel Jordan has gotten very comfortable bringing boyfriends backstage at shows because of TNA's new Anti-Bullying Campaign. Jordan feels TNA would look really bad if they fired their openly bi-sexual wrestler with their new campaign in full-force. Jordan feels his spot is safe and he can get way with more than other workers because of it.
Obviously this has rubbed some of his co-workers the wrong way as they feel they could lose their spot for much less.
Snoop Dogg wants you to vote for Brodus Clay.
As noted earlier, Snoop Dogg is pushing his Twitter followers to vote for Brodus Clay in the ongoing NXT competition. Voting is taking place at WWE.com as the first elimination will be made on tonight's show. "Brodus clay get ur vote on WWENXT.com represent tha homey @brodusclay," Dogg wrote. "nudoknowthat." Prior to becoming a professional wrestler, he worked as a bodyguard for Snoop Dogg. The Brodus Clay ring name is a play on Snoop Dogg's real name, Cordozar Calvin Broadus.
Details on run-in several WWE wrestlers had with Mike Tyson.
Several young Raw superstars ran into boxer Mike Tyson recently in an airport. The workers actually debated on whether or not to approach him when he came over, introduced himself and chatted with them. Tyson was "very excited" and knew everyone by name and was very familiar with the current product.
The run-in turned out to be a big morale boost for some of the guys because at the time morale was down due to so much of WWE's resources being spent on Linda McMahon's Senate campaign.
Scott Goldman (Colt Cabana) back to WWE?
I'm told WWE actually sent out feelers to Cabana earlier last year to gauge his interest in a potential comeback to the company. Nothing ever became of it but his friendship with Punk certainly keeps him on their radar. I'm told Cabana currently has some reality television stuff on the table and is in "no rush" to try WWE again.
Backstage praise for Jerry "The King" Lawler after his first match vs. The Miz.
A lot of WWE stars backstage at the November show in Philadelphia put over the work of Jerry Lawler. Several people were raving about his match against The Miz. One source told me a lot of the boys were talking about how he can still work better than most on the roster as far as knowing how to get over.
What Tommy Dreamer has been up to.
Tommy Dreamer has expressed interest in having more of a role backstage in TNA Wrestling. Dreamer worked as an agent for two of the matches at last Sunday's Final Resolution pay-per-view and enjoys the role.
Matt Hardy claims he will change pro wrestling forever.
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion Mason Ryan beat Primo in a dark match prior to this week's RAW taping.
The crowd in Phoenix was HOT tonight and popped real well for faces, gave great heat to heels.
Every time Miz was on the mic, he got strong heat.
After RAW went off air, Miz and Alex Riley came out and started ripping on Randy Orton and Phoenix. The crowd came alive and booed for like 2 straight minutes, even when Miz started talking. Michael Cole got in the ring as well, which drew a lot of heat. Orton slithered in, RKO'd Miz and Riley, then teased a Cole RKO but Cole got away. Orton posed to send the crowd home. No dark match after.
No Cena at all. Punk got a huge reaction too. But Orton got the biggest pops of the night when he came out and when he hit the RKO to win the match. Everyone on their feet. Just a great show. Good follow up to WM26 last spring.[/font]
Latest on negotiations between Goldberg and WWE.
I'm told WWE is still quietly negotiating with Bill Goldberg regarding an appearance at Wrestlemania XXVIIin Atlanta. As for the likelihood of a deal being reached, sources have indicated that both sides are still "very far" apart.
Goldberg is interested in a one night only return for a possible farewell match at Wrestlemania while Vince McMahon wants to sign Goldberg for an entire year, with an option for a second year.
Sources close to Goldberg say his mindset is pretty simple. Turning down seven figures for one night is not an easy thing to do, but turning down seven figures for a year or two is much easier.
WWE's best win/loss PPV records of 2010.
Reader Darren Bongiovanni has compiled a list of the best win & loss records for WWE superstars on pay-per-view for 2010. All pay-per-view matches were included in the statistics except the Royal Rumble, the Tag Team Gauntlet Match from Extreme Rules, and the Tag Team Turmoil Match from Night of Champions (because the participants were not all involved in the match at the same time.)
The WWE wrestler who had the best PPV record of the year was Daniel Bryan, with an undefeated record of 5-0. Also undefeated were Tyson Kidd (3-0), David Hart Smith (3-0), Bret Hart (2-0), Vickie Guerrero (1-0), JTG (1-0) and Chris Masters (1-0). Other notable records were Big Show (6-2), Kane (6-3-1), John Cena (6-5), Randy Orton (5-7-1) & The Miz (6-4).
Vince McMahon paranoid about John Cena angle.
Vince McMahon has been so paranoid about the John Cena angle he has actually been kayfabing the writers and no one knows how it is going to end except him.
WWE in discussions to air Wrestlemania XXVII in 3D.
WWE and Fathom Events continue to discuss a 3D presentation of Wrestlemania XXVII in movie theaters this year but according to sources close to the negotiations, the deal is looking like a dead end. WWE and Fathom are very far apart on the percentage split of revenues and with time running out to make a deal, it's doubtful they can close the gap. WWE is looking for a much more favorable split than what they receive from cable operators while Fathom Events is looking to maintain the split already used in their other agreements.
WWE receives approximately 42% of cable revenue and closer to 50% of satellite revenue. They're looking for 60-70% of the closed circuit revenue that would be generated by a theater presentation and thus far, Fathom has refused to entertain a split of that nature. While it's still possible that either side could budge and salvage the deal, at this time, it appears unlikely.
Update on the return of Tough Enough and when it is scheduled to air.
Producers for the upcoming return of WWE Tough Enough have been very busy working around the clock familiarizing themselves with the independent scene. Some in the WWE office have joked that if as much time had been spent scouting for developmental the last five years as has been spent scouting for Tough Enough in the last few months, the company would be in much better shape right now. The production company in charge of the series continues to contact independent workers across the country as they attempt to solidify the cast.
Tough Enough will premiere at 11/10c the day after WrestleMania XXVII and immediately following RAW. It will then move to its regularly scheduled slot, Mondays at 8/7c, starting on April 11th.
Dixie Carter reportedly upset with TNA writing team and disillusioned with TNA overall.
Dixie Carter is said to be "very upset" with the TNA writing team and with low house show attendance. Carter was reportedly against turning Jeff Hardy heel because she felt it would "kill" house show attendance. I'm told Vince Russo, Eric Bischoff and others assured her it would actually increase house show attendance because people would come to boo Jeff. So far, this has turned out not to be the case.
Dixie is said to be "very disillusioned" with things in TNA right now and while she has a reputation of not showing public disappointment or being upset, her demeanor has changed a lot lately. People in the TNA office are becoming concerned if things do not improve in 2011 she might consider pulling the plug on the company.
VIP MVP believes he can use the character outside of WWE; why Vince isn't concerned with ex-WWE wrestlers going to TNA.
As we reported last week, MVP is telling his friends on the local scene he can use the Montel Vontavious Porter character outside of WWE despite WWE being the owner of record for the trademarks. According to sources close to WWE, he isn't telling people in WWE the same thing. MVP is telling friends in WWE he hopes the company will allow him to use the name in Japan and "turn a blind eye" as long as he doesn't go to TNA Wrestling.
We can confirm MVP requested his release because was unhappy with his position in WWE, not any other reason. I'm also told MVP is "doing well" and excited about opportunities outside of WWE. One source said "he has a plan" and if it works he can return and be refreshed personally along with his gimmick.
MVP talked for months about wanting to ask for his release but his friends were actually "shocked" when they found out he requested his release and it was granted so quick. When he brought up leaving WWE to his travel partners he put over TNA and said he thought he could be a good fit there.
We have spoken to sources close to the WWE office and asked why WWE was so open to letting MVP (and to a lesser extent Matt Hardy) go when there is a chance they could end up in TNA. We've been told Vince McMahon feels nothing TNA does affects WWE and if anything, every former WWE name that signs with TNA brings them that much closer to going out of business. McMahon even joked that if Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair did not make a difference in TNA, why should WWE be worried about guys like Hardy and MVP?
How Miley Cyrus could have possibly caused a WWE loophole to close.
One topic that has been making headlines in the national media lately has been "legal weed" marijuana substitutes such as Salvia, K2 incense and other such products. A video of pop singer Miley Cyrus smoking Salvia out of a bong that hit the Internet caused public outrage and many politicians have spoken about outlawing some of these popular currently legal herbs. Many of these products are very popular with several WWE Superstars who have previously failed drug tests for marijuana use (testing positive for marijuana does not carry a suspension but a fine). There has been some nervousness in the locker room that this loophole could end up being closed if the negative media attention continues. While some of these products are illegal in some states, WWE does not currently test for them.
Possible plans for Awesome Kong and why WWE waited before they signed her.
While nothing is set in stone, the creative team has been talking about debuting Awesome Kong simply as "Kong". Ideas to have her feud with Beth Phoenix have been pitched as well as aligning her with LayCool in an enforcer-type role. This could obviously change before she actually debuts. Regarding her signing, I'm told WWE wanted to wait several months after she left TNA so it didn't look like they signed someone that just left TNA.
TNA reaches out to Diamond Dallas Page.
Believe it or not, TNA recently reached out to Diamond Dallas Page to gauge his interest in returning to the company. I'm told DDP is not interested and is hoping to land more acting gigs.
DDP has been spending a lot of time with Steve Austin in Los Angeles, hoping to make more connections in the acting world.
Major change considered for the future of TNA iMPACT and who is against it.
There has been been a lot of talk lately about TNA Wrestling considering to begin experimenting with taping Impact on the road. Some in the company have been very vocal for quite some time the fans in Orlando are burnt out and the energy level just doesn't compare with the pay-per-views and even house shows run in other markets.
However, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff are two members of the camp extremely opposed to the idea. They claim the idea is too risky as it would add considerable expense and with house show attendance down lately, it wouldn't be the right time to add the expense of taping outside of Universal Studios.
While those concerns may be valid, many have rolled their eyes at Hogan's argument and feel he simply likes the convenience of TNA taping so close to his home and is resistant to the idea of having to go on the road for TV.
WWE officially nixes guest host concept.
It looks like WWE has finally done away with the guest host star concept on Raw. The page for "upcoming guest stars" has been removed from the official company website.
The guest host concept was birthed in June 2009 and lasted throughout the majority of 2010.
How Vince has been coping with Linda's Senate loss.
Sources close to McMahon say he has started to pour himself into his work more than ever to cope with the disappointment of Linda McMahon losing the election for the United States Senate seat out of the state of Connecticut.. As a result, McMahon made plans to make more company-related appearances.
Latest on Skip Sheffield and Michael Tarver.
There have been ideas tossed around to bring Skip Sheffield back from his broken ankle on Raw as a babyface but nothing is certain. I'm told if another major injury occurs in The Nexus either Sheffield or Michael Tarver could be easily plugged back in. With that being said I do not have expected return dates for Sheffield or Tarver.
Nexus or against us.
They say either you're Nexus or against us; well Nexus members Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel and Michael McGillicutty have all started traveling together. Not only do that but they actually wear their Nexus armbands over their tracksuits. WWE management is very pleased with new talent willing to take their characters seriously which is another reason why WWE is so high up on Sheamus who conducts all interviews in-character.
CM Punk looks at commentary as "retirement plan".
The "Geek To Me" blogger on Chicago Now has a new interview online with CM Punk. In it, he promotes his return to the ring in Chicago and talks about his time on commentary. Below is a quote from Punk:
I kind of basically looked at it [commentary] as my retirement plan now. That's definitely something I can do when I'm not wrestling anymore. And believe it or not -- this sounds horrible -- but it was really easy for me. [laughs] I would really love to do both. I'd love to wrestle and do commentary, I think that would be awesome.
Click here to read the full interview.
A very revealing Matt Hardy interview; speaks on Lita, Edge, Jeff, Punk, drugs and more.
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]AOL Fanhouse recently interviewed Matt Hardy, here is a recap of the interview…
Hardy said that over the last month since his release, he has been "hustling". He said he was working on doing his Hardy Show stuff.
He talked about the first time he was released by WWE and said he "was hired back three days later" and he was just kept off of TV. He was asked if he considered going to TNA and he said he did but their TV situation wasn't good then so he didn't go there. He later said he was actually hired back within 7 or 8 weeks, not three days. He said when he started burying WWE on the web was right around when he re-signed. He said Kevin Dunn told him to bury the company in the videos.
He said that he found out about Lita and Edge by listening to voicemails on her cell phone. He said Edge told Amy he loved her and wanted to be with her but they hadn't gotten "physical physical" yet. He said he kicked her out of his house when he heard the voicemails. She tried to call him for two weeks and he wouldn't talk to her so she started actually dating Edge then. It lasted for three weeks and then ended he said. He added that when he was on the road and she was home rehabbing he "was tempted" to have sex outside of their relationship, implying that he never swayed. He said that later they got back together as a couple behind the scenes while she and Edge were a couple on-screen. He said he wanted her to have creative break her and Edge up on-screen for the good of their relationship but instead they broke up off-screen.
He said that he started thinking of leaving WWE after Jeff left. He said that Jeff has restless leg syndrome even now and was beat up. He said that Jeff was ready to leave but was going to come back to WWE after a break. Matt thought that he wasn't respected after Jeff left, like he was being kept around to make sure Jeff would come back. Jeff then went to TNA. After that he thought that WWE turned on him and stopped pushing him because of it.
He said that if he ever gets to wrestle Jeff down the road, he wants it to be realistic, not how it was done in WWE. He didn't think brothers would ever really want to kill each other and Hardy fans wouldn't believe it. He said it has to be done on a real level, where people understand. He said that the Hardy fans out there wouldn't accept them in a blood feud, because brothers wouldn't fight that way (they wouldn't?).
Fritz went back to the video saying he looked out of sorts and glassy-eyed and people were concerned about him. He said it was because it was shot in the middle of the night, after saying he checked his email when he first got back to the hotel. He said he wanted to set the story straight (which of course the video didn't do) but he belied his earlier timeline in his statements.
Fritz asked about the goofy video he did where he was eating grapes. He said that was Matthew, a character. He did it to mock the perception that he was whacked out. He stopped doing the videos like that when he was released.
Fritz asked if he has ever had any issues with Somas. He said "Zero". Fritz said that right after his incident WWE changed the Wellness Policy concerning somas. Matt said that somas was what his prescription was for and he never failed a drug test but that is probably why WWE made the change to the policy. (I can't make this stuff up).
He said he has never been "dangerous" or taken anything past what he was prescribed. He said he only started taking Somas when he had his abdominal surgery. He then went off on a tangent about his intestine problems.
He asked if he asked for a release from WWE after the European incident and he said yes. He said that due to the youth movement and the company wanting to punish him for Jeff leaving, he knew it was time to go. He said he was told that they wanted to keep him working for them and one day to be an agent. He didn't want that.
He said he makes 100 bucks a day in advertising from YouTube for his videos and could get by with his other ventures if he didn't return to wrestling. He also said he made a lot and implied he has saved it.
He said that he thinks Vince McMahon liked Edge and Jeff Hardy as "the" guys on their team while he and Christian were just never thought of by the boss the way that their partners were.
He was asked what his future is and he said implied he would be working for TNA. Fritz asked him if TNA is a natural fit and he said yes it's a possibility. He said he got some interesting calls last week. He again said TNA was a viable option.
Matt stated that he only had about 75 days on his no-compete. He said he was actually released a few weeks before WWE posted it on their website. He said that they were trying to get him to stay around.
He said he gets fired up when his image is impugned. He said that Dave Meltzer reported a while back that he was suspended for steroid use. He said it never happened and he was fired up and had a mutual friend call Meltzer and say if there wasn't a retraction he would take action and Meltzer retracted it.
Hardy said he would consider going back to WWE some day but he would need days off in his deal. He said he isn't talking an Undertaker schedule, but some time off so his body could be healthy and not need to take things to relax his muscles.
He was asked if he ever wanted to team with Jeff again and he said that they were both singles stars now. He said he and Edge pitched the two of them being a power group and WWE creative turned it down.
Fritz said that there were reports of him having heat with CM Punk and he said no, he doesn't. He said he thinks it may have started because Punk dated Lita "for a short while". He did say he really disagreed with Punk when he made comments about Jeff after Jeff's arrest went down. He said it probably wasn't Punk's call but that Punk didn't mind doing it either.
Matt was asked if Jeff would go back to WWE after them doing that and he said he didn't think Jeff would.
Fritz asked what else is left in wrestling for Matt and he said he wanted to run shows and run a wrestling school. He thinks he has a lot more to offer in that vein than he does as a worker. He said he is good at a lot of things but not great at any. He said he wants to give back to the business. He expects to doing a school and/or run shows in the next six months. He said he may do a reality show about post-WWE.[/font]
The Miz interview; speaks on almost quitting, relationship with JBL and more.
Kevin Eck of The Baltimore Sun transcribed a phone interview he conducted with WWE Champion The Miz on his blog. Below are the highlights:
Reputation in the locker room: I believe that people still don't think that I deserve to be WWE champion. The fact is I'm always going to have naysayers. You're always going to have haters. It really doesn't bother me because I just rise above it. I kind of use all of their negative energy to basically throw out there into the WWE Universe, and what I get back is the WWE championship. So I never really listened to what anyone else ever said. As far as the turning point, there wasn't really a turning point. I think it's just that I've been gaining and gaining more respect and earning my stripes, so that's kind of how it's happened.
If he ever considered quitting: Oh, I think there's always a time in everyone's life when they're like, "Do I really want to go through this?" Whenever something's really hard you always question yourself, and I had many times when I questioned myself, but I always rose above it. I'm the type of person that doesn't quit. I just keep going and give my best effort because I don't want to look back on my life when I'm like 80 or 90 and say, "Man, I wish I would have done this, I wish I would have done that." I basically go out and do it.
Relationship with John "Bradshaw" Layfield: It's funny with JBL. In front of all the boys back in the day he would always be making fun of me or saying [imitating JBL's voice], "Miz, I look forward to your amazing work. You're a gift from God." But whenever no one was around, he would come up to me and say, "You're doing a good job." He'd always give me a little pat on the back. Most people think he was really, really bad to me and this kind of stuff - and, granted, there were times - but there were also times when he sat me down and said, "Listen, you're doing a good job. This is what you're doing wrong. This is what you have to do to get to the next level." So he has helped me as well.
Click here to read the article in its entirety.
Kane interview; speaks on cutting on promos after not talking for so long, if he misses the mask and more.
NorthJersey.com has an article online featuring quotes from Kane. Below are the highlights:
How long it took him to "find his footing" on cutting promos after not speaking: Not very long. I was able to actually do the first one in Dallas. It was just one of those things where ...I was able to pull it off. After you do the first one, you realize you can do it, so you get a little more comfortable and a little more relaxed, of course. So I think the first one was probably the most stressful.
If he misses working in a mask: Oh sure. In fact I just was talking to someone the other day, a fan, and they were talking about how they thought the mask was cool. They hit it right on the head because [they said] it added a definite air of mystery, which is very true. Right now, we have Rey Mysterio with a mask. And up until Rey won the world championship, I think I was the only masked wrestler to ever win the world championship. ...I definitely think it's a trade-off. Certainly there were things about wearing the mask that were unique.
http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/112365009_WWE_Monster_in_the_house_at_Izod.html?page=all]Click here[/url] to read the full article.
Why Kevin Nash is in no hurry to sign a contract with TNA; how Nash's situation caused a rift in the Carter family.
Kevin Nash announced on his Twitter a couple weeks ago he will be wrestling in Chile on January 15 along with Scott Steiner, Rikishi and more to be announced. This is a deal Nash has been working on for several months and one of the reasons he wasn't in a rush to re-sign with TNA. The promoters in Chile are treating this event as a test run and if it does well, they hope to begin running tours of the country two to three times a year.
Dixie Carter has always wanted to re-sign Nash but her mother, who signs off on all TNA expenses, blocked the original deal. Sources close to the Carter family tell us this actually caused a rift between Dixie and her mother as they have argued over Nash's contract for months.
Scott Hall continues to get into altercations; Ricky Ortiz moves in with him.
Trouble continues to find Scott Hall as I'm told he continues to get into altercations around his hometown in Florida and police were even called after he was part of a disturbance at a convenience store by his house. The incident was not picked up by news outlets because Hall was not arrested.
Former WWE star Ricky Ortiz recently moved into Hall's house as he's been down on his luck since being released from the company. Friends of Hall are hoping Ortiz will keep Scott out of trouble, but so far that does not appear to be working.
Some in the WWE advocating scrapping network plans.
With the news of WWE delaying their cable network until 2012 or 2013 I'm told there are some in the company that are advocating scrapping plans for the network entirely. Apparently WWE realized how hard it's going to be to get coverage and looked at the examples from the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and the NHL and decided they were not ready to pursue it. The plan was to delay it instead of canceling it completely to "save face" but many are not optimistic about the future of the project.
Backstage story on WWE workers going overseas and how "optional" it is.
In addition to Vince McMahon, Big Show, Eve and Kelly Kelly, R-Truth was originally asked to go on the recent five-day trip to Afghanistan.
Sources close to Truth tell me he was very excited as he felt it showed WWE had faith in him to represent the company well during an important public relations trip. R-Truth was disappointed when he was eventually told he wouldn't be needed, but scored points with the office for being so eager to go.
The trips to the Middle East are considered optional, but most of the wrestlers are afraid to say no, especially after seeing how much heat there was on Rob Van Dam several years ago for refusing to go to Iraq.
Backstage heat on Orlando Jordan.
There was a situation about a month ago at a TNA house show involving Orlando Jordan. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Jordan showed up at the show with a "young-looking male companion". This is something Jordan was known for when he was in WWE but is something he's been more discrete about in TNA following an incident with Ric Flair and one of his boyfriends after a show earlier in the year.
Some in TNA feel Jordan has gotten very comfortable bringing boyfriends backstage at shows because of TNA's new Anti-Bullying Campaign. Jordan feels TNA would look really bad if they fired their openly bi-sexual wrestler with their new campaign in full-force. Jordan feels his spot is safe and he can get way with more than other workers because of it.
Obviously this has rubbed some of his co-workers the wrong way as they feel they could lose their spot for much less.
Snoop Dogg wants you to vote for Brodus Clay.
As noted earlier, Snoop Dogg is pushing his Twitter followers to vote for Brodus Clay in the ongoing NXT competition. Voting is taking place at WWE.com as the first elimination will be made on tonight's show. "Brodus clay get ur vote on WWENXT.com represent tha homey @brodusclay," Dogg wrote. "nudoknowthat." Prior to becoming a professional wrestler, he worked as a bodyguard for Snoop Dogg. The Brodus Clay ring name is a play on Snoop Dogg's real name, Cordozar Calvin Broadus.
Details on run-in several WWE wrestlers had with Mike Tyson.
Several young Raw superstars ran into boxer Mike Tyson recently in an airport. The workers actually debated on whether or not to approach him when he came over, introduced himself and chatted with them. Tyson was "very excited" and knew everyone by name and was very familiar with the current product.
The run-in turned out to be a big morale boost for some of the guys because at the time morale was down due to so much of WWE's resources being spent on Linda McMahon's Senate campaign.
Scott Goldman (Colt Cabana) back to WWE?
I'm told WWE actually sent out feelers to Cabana earlier last year to gauge his interest in a potential comeback to the company. Nothing ever became of it but his friendship with Punk certainly keeps him on their radar. I'm told Cabana currently has some reality television stuff on the table and is in "no rush" to try WWE again.
Backstage praise for Jerry "The King" Lawler after his first match vs. The Miz.
A lot of WWE stars backstage at the November show in Philadelphia put over the work of Jerry Lawler. Several people were raving about his match against The Miz. One source told me a lot of the boys were talking about how he can still work better than most on the roster as far as knowing how to get over.
What Tommy Dreamer has been up to.
Tommy Dreamer has expressed interest in having more of a role backstage in TNA Wrestling. Dreamer worked as an agent for two of the matches at last Sunday's Final Resolution pay-per-view and enjoys the role.
Matt Hardy claims he will change pro wrestling forever.
I will be in attendance. How are things shaping up for this? What can I expect to see match wise?
I will be in attendance. How are things shaping up for this? What can I expect to see match wise?
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