WrestleMania XXX Press Conference Set for NYC

WrestleMania Week officially kicks off with the WrestleMania 30 Press Conference, broadcast live on WWE Network this Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. ET from the Hard Rock Café in New York City. Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Hulk Hogan, Batista, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, John Cena, Alberto Del Rio, Mark Henry, Big Show, The Great Khali, Michael Cole and the cast of Total Divas will be appearing

WWE Superstars Get Animated

WWE and Mattel, Inc. today announced the launch of WWE Slam City™, WWE’s new kids property that includes an original animated short-form series and a complete line of WWE Slam City merchandise. The 26-episode series, which launches today in the U.S., Canada, and U.K., is comprised of two minute shorts featuring WWE Superstars in their new animated world, WWE Slam City. The first four episodes begin airing today at WWESlamCity.com and Cartoonium on YouTube. WWE Slam City toys, including action figures, ring sets and more, are currently available at major retail stores.

The series, filmed in the next generation of stop-motion animation, features a new WWE animated character The Finisher, who fires all of the WWE Superstars and sends them to WWE Slam City to find day jobs. WWE Superstars are plunged into new career challenges as John Cena®, Randy Orton®, Sheamus®, The Miz™, Rey Mysterio®, Kane®, Alberto Del Rio® and Mark Henry® pack every street corner with work to do and scores to settle. With John Cena as an auto mechanic, Alberto Del Rio as a coffee house barista, Randy Orton as a zookeeper and Sheamus as a theater usher, these Superstars have a new life outside the ring, but still stay true to their WWE personas.

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The San Francisco 49ers Hype WrestleMania 31, Notes From Today's Press Conference

WWE stars at today's WrestleMania 31 press conference in Santa Clara, California were John Cena, Alberto Del Rio, Sheamus, Mark Henry, Big Show, Fandango, The Great Khali, R-Truth, The Bella Twins and Summer Rae. Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and other WWE executives were also in attendance. Here is the official logo:

As noted, Vince McMahon says this will be the most interactive WrestleMania ever due to the technology that will be at Levi's Stadium.

Press Release: Silicon Valley to Host WWE WrestleMania 31

Alberto Del Rio to tag with father for final match in Mexico

Alberto Del Rio has been given permission by WWE to work in tag team matches with his father Dos Caras in what is scheduled to be his father's last match in Mexico. According to the report, the final match is being targeted to take place some time in February.

Details on WWE SummerSlam Axxess Sessions

WWE released the following schedule information for next week's AXXESS sessions in Los Angeles as part of Summerslam 2013 weekend:

General Admission Tickets - $25*

General Admission sessions
Saturday, August 17 — 11 a.m.
The Miz, Jack Swagger, Zeb Colter, Antonio Cesaro, Curtis Axel, Paul Heyman, The Wyatt Family, Mick Foley, Damien Sandow, Jerry “the King” Lawler, and more!

Saturday, August 17 — 4 p.m.
Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, Fandango, Summer Rae, Booker T, The Bellas, AJ, Big E, Zack Ryder, R-Truth, The Funkadactyls and more!

Sunday, August 18 — 11 a.m.
Rob Van Dam, Christian, The Usos, Kaitlyn, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Brodus Clay, Zack Ryder, Justin Gabriel, Tensai, Rosa, Tamina, and more!

Limited VIP Tickets - $95*
VIP Tickets include:
- (1) 8x10 glossy photo of the appearing Superstar
- (1) Autograph and professional photo with the appearing VIP Superstar
- Exclusive VIP line at the event entrance

VIP sessions
Saturday, August 17
Session 1
Meet WWE Superstars The Shield 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Sheamus 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Session 2
Meet WWE Superstar Ryback 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Big Show 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Randy Orton 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Kane 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Sunday, August 18
Meet WWE Superstar Mark Henry 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Meet WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Limited Premium VIP Tickets - $150*
Premium VIP Tickets include:
- (1) SummerSlam Axxess Premium VIP commemorative ticket
- (1) Special matted Premium VIP Superstar photo
- (1) Autograph and professional photo with the appearing Premium VIP Superstar
- Exclusive VIP line at the event entrance

Premium VIP sessions
Saturday, August 17
Session 1
Meet WWE Superstar John Cena 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Session 2
Meet WWE Superstar Triple H 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar CM Punk 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Brock Lesnar Returns On Monday Night Raw, Attacks CM Punk

WWE to Provide Live Commentary for SmackDown on Friday

WWE released the following.

WWE® SOCIAL MEDIA Smackdown GOES LIVE ON SYFY FRIDAY, MARCH 1 AT 8PM

NEW YORK -- February 27, 2013 – Syfy and WWE (NYSE:WWE) today announced Social Media Smackdown, a live social media event which, for the first time ever, will include live social media content, interactive fan polls, WWE Superstar and Diva tweets, Touts and more. WWE announcers Jerry “The King” Lawler, Michael Cole and Josh Matthews will provide live commentary throughout the night, which airs on Syfy Friday, March 1 at 8PM (ET/PT).

The Friday night special will feature WWE’s biggest Superstars and Divas, including World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio®, Randy Orton®, Big Show®, Daniel Bryan®, Kaitlyn™ and Sheamus®.

Smackdown is the second longest-running, weekly episodic program in U.S. primetime TV history, behind only Monday Night Raw.

Kevin Sumlin awarded 'honorary' WWE title, then proceeds to earn it

Alberto Del Rio is a veteran professional wrestler and reigning WWE world heavyweight champion. Paul "Big Show" Wight is a 7-foot, 440-pound, seven-time world champ, including two stints as the owner of the title currently claimed by Del Rio. Kevin Sumlin is a 48-year-old football coach. On Sunday night, though, it was the Texas A&M boss who turned out to be the star of the main event and emerged from the ring with the belt to show for it.

As announced earlier in the week, Sumlin was named an "honorary" world heavyweight champion by Del Rio -- complete with a ludicrously oversized gold belt -- before the highly anticipated, "no disqualification" match between the champ and the challenger, Big Show, the last of eight matches on the agenda during WWE's swing through College Station...More?

source: cbssports.com

WrestleMania XXX to take place at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on April 6, 2014

It's official: WrestleMania XXX will be held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday, April 6, 2014, as confirmed by New Orleans and WWE officials as well as a host of WWE Superstars in an all-star press conference live-streaming on WWE.com, WWE's Facebook page, and YouTube.com/WWE.

Joining New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu at the Superdome for the historic announcement are WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon, WWE COO Triple H, Executive Vice President of Creative Stephanie McMahon and a cavalcade of WWE Superstars, including WWE Champion Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio, John Cena, Big Show, Mark Henry, The Great Khali, Brodus Clay and WWE Divas Layla, Cameron and Naomi.

Also taking part in the press conference are Rita Benson Leblanc, New Orleans Saints owner and vice chairman, Stephen Perry, President of New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, Jay Cicero, CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, and Alan Freeman, general manager of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and New Orleans Arena.

Aside from WrestleMania XXX itself, the monumental festivities in New Orleans will include WrestleMania Axxess, the annual, four-day fan festival, taking place at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center, the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Monday Night Raw, be a STAR anti-bullying rallies, the WrestleMania Reading Challenge Finals, hospital visits and other pro-social activities designed to give back to the community.

The pay-per-view event will be televised to more than 100 countries. Last year, WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami generated more than $100 million in economic impact for Miami and Miami-Dade County, a new record for WrestleMania. This year, WrestleMania 29 takes place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sunday, April 7.

Triple H was advertised for the event but did not appear.

Stats on RAW’s Switch to 3 Hours

With RAW going from two hours to three, matches now get 33% more time and there are 33% more matches per show. The amount of wrestling per show has doubled to 78%. Those benefiting with more TV time include Heath Slater, Alberto Del Rio, Primo, Epico, Sheamus, Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow, John Cena, The Miz, Big Show and Dolph Ziggler. Those who have received less TV time with the switch are Tensai, Zack Ryder, David Otunga, The Great Khali and Santino Marella.

Alberto Del Rio Explains WWE No Longer Focusing On Mexico

Alberto Del Rio recently did an interview with Yahoo! Deportes and explained that WWE's turned their attention away from Mexico.

He says WWE once looked at Mexico as being a market they wanted to get heavily involved in but have changed their minds since their most recent tour there was considered a flop. There has been a decline in attendance, economy, ratings and even piracy of the product. The last tour WWE had in Mexico the merchandise sales weren't good among other disappointing numbers. Del Rio says WWE realizes the product isn't hot anymore in Mexico. He talked about being appreciative of WWE giving him the opportunity to work with them and says they are family. He also spoke on wanting to be a road agent when he retires from being active.

Major Title Change at SmackDown Tapings

Alberto Del Rio defeated Big Show in a Last Man Standing match at Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown tapings in Miami to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.

Del Rio celebrated and posed with the fans after the match. Earlier in the night, he had a strong chant from the Miami crowd.

Survivor Series Teams Shake-Up

Oh, how quickly things change. Just last week it looked like WWE Champion CM Punk would be captaining a squad of Superstars against Mick Foley’s hand-selected team in a Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match, and now The Second City Saint is gearing up for a title defense at WWE’s fall classic against both John Cena and former Team Foley member Ryback.

Thanks to the head-spinning turn of events facilitated by Raw Managing Supervisor Vickie Guerrero (with a gentle nudge from WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon) on the Nov. 5 edition of Raw, both teams have undergone radical transformations. Team Punk has replaced two members, starting at the top, and is now known as Team Ziggler, while Team Foley finds itself in need of a fifth member.

The alterations for the former Team Punk began when original team member The Miz criticized The Second City Saint’s leadership, or lack thereof, and informed Paul Heyman that he wanted no part of the WWE Champion’s unit.

Still thinking Punk would be a team captain come Nov. 18, Heyman aggressively sought out the services of Wade Barrett, who agreed to join in exchange for a yet-to-be-named favor from Heyman.

With his team seemingly at full capacity once more, Punk then had the ultimate rug pulled out from beneath him when Vickie announced that the WWE Championship will be defended at Survivor Series against both Ryback and Cena in a Triple Threat Match.

Sensing an urgent need to rebuild the Survivor Series teams, The Queen Diva subsequently moved Dolph Ziggler into position as the team’s new captain — a development that delighted The Showoff. Meanwhile, the rest of the former Team Punk — Alberto Del Rio and The Rhodes Scholars — remains intact, for now.

source: wwe.com

Team Punk and Team Foley Set For Survivor Series

Team Punk consists of the WWE Champion himself, Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow, the Miz and Alberto del Rio.

Team Foley will consist of Randy Orton, Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston, Team Hell No, and Ryback.

While Mick Foley will not be wrestling with Team Foley in the Survivor Series main event, Foley will be at ringside cheering his team on. Team Punk will have Paul Heyman and Ricardo Rodriguez at ringside.

WWE Responds to Alberto Del Rio Bullying Complaint

TMZ is reporting Shelly Ehler took her 8-year-old son to a WWE live event and he left in tears. Her son had a sign for Sheamus, who was taking on Alberto Del Rio that night, and Del Rio ripped his sign.

Ehler said her son was instantly terrified of Del Rio's actions and she called Del Rio a bully. Del Rio would go on to mock her son crying. Ehler wrote an angry letter to WWE officials and says, '"Take signs from adults NOT KIDS! My son was bullied by your superstars and it is not okay."

Ehler goes on to say Ricardo Rodriguez mocked her on Twitter but Sheamus offered to send her son a signed photo and meet him next time he's in town.

In response to the mother's allegations that Del Rio bullied her child, WWE has issued the following statement:

While Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez were portraying their WWE characters, we sincerely apologize for any misunderstanding that may have occurred.

Interview with Alberto Del Rio

WWE Angle at Comic Con

Alberto Del Rio "crashed" World Hvt. champion Sheamus's Q&A session Thursday at Comic Con to promote their World Title match at the Money in the Bank PPV on Sunday. Del Rio cut off the Q&A and engaged in a promo exchange with Sheamus, who vowed to Brogue Kick Del Rio's head off on Sunday.

Top WWE Star Out Of PPV Main Event

WWE has sent a breaking news text which says Alberto Del Rio is officially out of the World Heavyweight Championship match against Sheamus at No Way Out on Sunday.

Alberto Del Rio suffered a concussion on Smackdown last week, and because of this WWE is going to name a new number one contender tonight on the three-hour episode of RAW.

Alberto Del Rio Pulled from SmackDown House Show

According to correspondents at Saturday night's WWE Smackdown house show in Salisbury, Md., WWE announced that Alberto Del Rio was pulled from the advertised main event against World Hvt. champion Sheamus due to a concussion. Del Rio was replaced by Kane. This follows a rumor that was discussed on Wednesday's PWTorch Livecast that Del Rio suffered an injury at Tuesday's Smackdown TV taping and could be in jeopardy of missing the No Way Out PPV. It remains to be seen what changes WWE makes on this week's television leading into the PPV.

Rumor Mill - Backstage News on Rey Mysterio's WWE Suspension, Failure Happened In February

As noted before, Rey Mysterio was suspended for 60 days last week for violating the WWE Wellness Policy for a second time. Rey reportedly failed the drug test back on February 13th but wasn't suspended until this month.

Rey reportedly tested positive for amphetamines.

Rey showed up to the RAW Supershow on February 13th in San Diego but before he could settled in and say hello to everyone, he was informed that he had to go right in for drug testing. A week later, Vince McMahon was upset with Rey but at the time, nobody knew why.

Rey couldn't believe that he tested positive for amphetamines and says he has been living his life clean. WWE officials asked Mysterio about which medications he was taking and he was upfront about everything. A few days ago, officials called him and asked when he would be ready to return. Rey informed WWE that he could come back in June but was then told that he would have to wait another month because he was being suspended for 60 days.

Rey believes he failed the test because of something he took that caused the positive for amphetamines. WWE obviously did not buy his story as they went public with the failure last week.

Rey was scheduled to go to Japan in a few weeks to do promotional work for WWE but has been replaced by Alberto Del Rio.

source: lordsofpain.com

Mysterio used the same excuse when he failed his drug test in 2009.