Camp WWE Cartoon Update

Regarding the status of the highly anticipated Camp WWE adult cartoon, the episodes had to be redone because Hulk Hogan was one of the characters. CM Punk also had to be removed at one time.

Court Document Reveals the Latest Details on WWE Dr. Chris Amann’s Lawsuit Against CM Punk, Where it Currently Stands & What is Next

Back on February 19th of this year, WWE Doctor Chris Amann filed a Libel/Slander lawsuit against Phil “CM Punk” Brooks and Colt Cabana, stemming from comments Punk made during an appearance on Colt Cabana’s “Art of Wrestling” podcast.

The Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court has released court documents which provide updates on the current status of the case, and what will happen next.

The last three entries of the document, which you can view below, are the keys. It looks like there were a few initial amendments to the Complaint and Punk’s initial Motion to strike the Complaint was continued, likely until Colt Cabana’s attorney entered his appearance. Then on July 20th, you see the two entries below where the Judge denied (DND) Punk’s Motion and Cabana’s Motion (Participant Brooks and Colton, as that is Punk and Cabana’s real names, respectively). The Judge then assigned the case to a category and allowed 28 months for Discovery.

In layman’s terms, Amann’s lawsuit has survived initial procedural challenges to its sufficiency. The parties now have up to 28 months to exchange information, obtain medical documentation, depose witnesses, etc. That doesn’t mean that the case will go to trial or that the suit ultimately will be successful. But it does mean that this issue isn’t going away anytime soon.

Activity Date: 7/20/2015 Participant: BROOKS STRIKE OR WITHDRAW COMPLAINT, AMENDED COMPLAINT OR PORTION THEREOF – DND – Judge: BROSNAHAN JANET ADAMS

Activity Date: 7/20/2015 Participant: COLTON STRIKE OR WITHDRAW COMPLAINT, AMENDED COMPLAINT OR PORTION THEREOF – DND – Judge: BROSNAHAN JANET ADAMS

Activity Date: 7/20/2015 Participant: AMANN CASE ASSIGNED TO CATEGORY 2 – DISC. COMPLETED IN 28 MONTHS Judge: BROSNAHAN JANET ADAMS

Dr. Chris Amann vs. CM Punk Defamation Lawsuit Update

There have been updates in Dr. Chris Amann’s defamation lawsuit against CM Punk and Colt Cabana, stemming from comments made in a November 2014 podcast, that you can follow at this link. Amann, WWE’s senior ringside physician, is suing Punk and Cabana for more than $1 million in compensatory damages, as well as an undetermined amount of punitive damages. While WWE isn’t directly involved, they completely back the suit.

Samoa Joe on his storied independent career, coming to NXT and his plans for the future

Samoa Joe recently spoke to WWE's website about his arrival at NXT, getting into wrestling, Ring of Honor, Seth Rollins, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and more. Below are a few highlights:

WWE.COM: You’ve been in some independent locker rooms lately. What’s the reputation NXT has outside of WWE?

JOE: The reputation NXT has is hard to describe. It’s this newness, there’s a tremendous hype to it. People are seeing the leaps and bounds that are being made with the types of talent filtering through NXT. Like the women, I watched one of the best matches I’ve seen all year with Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks [at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable]. There’s a lot of hype and I know a lot of guys now on the indies would like to see themselves in NXT. They don’t view it as a B-level, AAA ball club. They see it as an exciting place that people are talking about and love the matches coming out of NXT.

WWE.COM: Is there anyone else [besides Kevin Owens] in NXT you have your eye on?

JOE: Absolutely. Finn Bálor is someone I’ve had experience with. I helped start the New Japan Dojo in Los Angeles. I remember seeing him and what he was able to do. And now, he’s No. 1 contender, so if it’s not going to be Kevin, it’s going to be [Bálor]. Tyler Breeze is a tremendous athlete, but he’s far too pretty. It bugs me. Eventually, when he comes back, Hideo Itami, too. We’ve locked up over the years and had our fair share of wars. I’m more than happy to have another with him. There are a lot of unresolved personal issues there. Hopefully, we can get into the ring and sort them out.

WWE.COM: Beyond the NXT Title, do you have any other goals in WWE?

JOE: At some time, I would love to make a trip up to the main roster and wreak my brand of havoc. So many people I’ve come up with have succeeded in WWE. Though I thought the opportunity would never present itself, I’m here now. I’m in the best shape of my career and I’m more than happy to fulfill the destiny that has eluded me for far too long, and that’s to be the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

Full interview

'Rap is the new wrestling': how hip-hop heavyweights compare with WWE stars

New York rap and fashion maven A$AP Rocky thinks hip-hop has become like the theatrical, body-slam heavy world of WWE. Speaking to Elliott Wilson at a live recording of the CRWN hip-hop podcast at the Tribeca film festival, the 26-year-old rapper said: “Rap is the new wrestling,” before adding that in the world of contemporary hip-hop, rappers pick a strange name, say some ridiculous things and then wait until people pay attention (isn’t that just a guide to becoming famous in 2015?). He has a point though, even if there is more than a hint of irony in that theory coming from a rapper whose name is A$AP Rocky and whose biggest hit was called Fuckin’ Problems complaining about outlandish and gauche hip-hop acts with daft names. We’ve taken his assertion as a starting point and tried to figure out which WWE superstars (past and present) line up with contemporary rap stars...More?

source: theguardian.com

WWE Addresses CM Punk Allegations Regarding the WWE Medical Staff & Subsequent Defamation Lawsuit Filed by Dr. Chris Amann, Video Included

The WWE says it has proof that CM Punk NEVER had a baseball-sized lump on his back at the Royal Rumble -- and insist they have the video that shows he's lying through his singlet.

Punk first brought up the alleged lump on a podcast back in November -- when he claimed he was misdiagnosed by a WWE ringside doctor ... and it eventually led to a life-threatening staph infection.

The doctor filed a $1 million defamation lawsuit against Punk -- and now, the WWE is making it clear they have the doc's back.

"WWE continues to have the utmost confidence in the ability and expertise of our world-class team of physicians, including Dr. Amann," the organization said in a statement.

This is where it gets aggressive ...

WWE says it completed a full investigation into Punk's allegations and made the following conclusions:

-- "CM Punk did not discuss this alleged condition with WWE’s team of physicians and trainers, nor did he discuss it with anyone in our Talent Relations department. WWE has no medical records documenting this alleged condition.
-- The first time WWE was made aware of this alleged condition was when we received a letter from CM Punk’s attorney on August 22, 2014 after WWE terminated his contract.
-- "There is clear video evidence from the 2014 Royal Rumble, which allows all to decide whether there is any appearance of a baseball-sized growth on CM Punk’s back."

You can view the video here.

source: tmz.com

WWE Physician Suing CM Punk & Colt Cabana For Defamation

WWE Senior Ringside Physician Dr. Chris Amann has filed a defamation lawsuit against CM Punk and Colt Cabana over comments made on Cabana’s Art of Wrestling podcast last November.

Amann claims Punk (whose real name is Philip Brooks) and Cabana (whose real name is Scott Colton) made false statements about him, were defamatory and put him a false light by improperly insinuating “a lack of integrity … and/or inability or lack of competence to perform his professional duties as a medical doctor.”

Amann is seeking more than $1 million in compensatory damages, as well as an undetermined amount of punitive damages.

In the suit, Amann claimed Punk “repeatedly and falsely impugned the integrity” of him as a doctor by saying he misdiagnosed a growth on Punk’s back as a fatty deposit and disregarded requests to remove it.

The suit alleges that Punk never sought treatment for or showed him the lump and that he never prescribed Punk antibiotics for a lump or concussion. A lengthy transcript of the podcast was provided as an exhibit.

Amann alleges Cabana helped Punk falsely depict him as a lazy and bad doctor. He claims they “knowingly fabricated the false and disparaging statements” about him, knowing they would be heard by others.

His complaint stated the statements made by Cabana and Punk “are highly offensive in that they accuse [him] of a gross lack of integrity as a medical doctor, an inability to perform his professional duties as a medical doctor, and in placing the financial interest of his employer above life-threatening health conditions of his patients.”

CLICK HERE for complete coverage by The Cook County Legal Journal.

Former WWE Creative Writer Claims Shawn Michaels & Triple H Buried CM Punk & Other Big Name Talents, HBK Responds & More

Former WWE creative team member Court Bauer, during a recent edition of “Bauer and Pollack,” made the following claim with regards to Shawn Michaels and Triple H having a habit of burying top talents like CM Punk while the two worked together in WWE:

“One time, Triple H along with HBK buried CM Punk. I think it was his 2005 tryout,” Bauer said. “Maybe he didn’t know the name, and wasn’t familiar with who it was but they buried him. They annihilated his look and his work and I’m like, ‘you just sunk the guy in front of the Chairman!'”

HBK has been making the media rounds lately to promote his new book, and during an appearance on Sirius XM’s TapouT Radio, Michaels not only denies the claims made by Bauer, but adds he never even met Bauer even though the two were working in WWE at the same time:

“I had someone tell me, ‘Triple H, he buried CM Punk.’ One, I never even met the guy [Court Bauer], supposedly he worked for us. Dave Lagana will tell you, as Punk will, that I was one of his biggest fans. The reason [WWE] didn’t like him is because he had a bad attitude. I’ve never seen anybody’s tryouts, they usually have them at the beginning of RAW.”

In response to the claims made by HBK, Bauer took to Twitter, @courtbauer, and posted the following:

“HBK followed me on twitter until recently. Worked w/ him on Rob Conway stuff. Other writers (@AlexDGreenfield) saw the Punk stuff. It’s easier to play dumb than be honest in wrestling. Problem is others saw it. It is what it is.”

Alex Greenfield, mentioned in Bauer’s Tweet, is also a former WWE writer, and during MLW Radio episode #166, Greenfield had the following to say regarding Bauer’s claims:

“It was Shawn, Triple H and Arn [Anderson],” Greenfield recalled. “They just f-cked Punk up! I don’t know if they knew who CM Punk was, because I certainly didn’t…They cut his work apart, they really buried the guy.

“When Shawn and Hunter were together man, they buried a bunch of people who were just starting out. I remember they did the same thing to Bobby Lashley…Shawn and Hunter backstage at that event curtainside, they looked out there and just buried the guy [Lashley]. You know how everybody has the friend that brings out the worst in you? That’s what it felt like all the time to me, dude. They just turned into catty f-cking b—–s.”

Triple H Talks Putting Over Daniel Bryan At WrestleMania 30, Compares Bryan To Shawn Michaels

Part two of Jonathan Snowden's exclusive look at last year's WrestleMania is now up at The Bleacher Report. In the article, Triple H and Daniel Bryan discussed the lead up to, and execution of, their great match at WrestleMania 30. Triple H noted that he trained twice a day in preparation for the match because of the pressure when you haven't been wrestling regularly.

"It's full on, twice a day," Triple H noted. "I've got to get in shape because I know Daniel Bryan is one of the best guys in the world. And I've got to hang with him. I've got to be in there and do my part. We've told this massive story, and it all hinges on delivering. So I've got to go out there in that first match at WrestleMania and I've got to kill it and put him on that platform."

Triple H and Bryan also both talked about blending their styles for the match, including The Game chain wrestling and using the Tiger Suplex.

"I can chain wrestle. I can do all that other stuff. I just don't do it," Triple H said. "It's about doing them at the right moment, safely, with a guy you can do them with. And Daniel's a guy you can do just about anything with. He's a little bit like Shawn [Michaels] in that you can do anything with him. So pulling that out of the bag was something I could do."

Triple H noted that Bryan's entrance with the crowd doing the "Yes!" chant was a blowaway moment for him. He also said that he got "chillbumps" with how the storyline paid off for Bryan.

"I lean over to Steph, and I said, 'Look at that.' What a story. And even just thinking about it now, I get chillbumps," Triple H stated. "To be able to take that 10-month arc of a story and have it pay off for Daniel Bryan—who on every level is just the nicest guy and a guy you just want to help succeed—for every reason you just want him to be big, and then here it is. And man, it's huge. And you're just like, 'Yeah!'"

Much more is contained in the article, including Bryan's thoughts on the match and the event, more from Triple H, Bryan discussing the influence CM Punk had on smaller wrestlers and more. You can check out the full story by clicking here.

Steve Austin - Triple H Interview Recap - Feelings on CM Punk, Chyna - HOF, Brock Lesnar's Future, More

We're live from backstage at the Pepsi Center in Denver with Steve Austin and Triple H. Austin talks about how hot fans were when sending feedback for the podcast. Austin brings up the controversy surrounding the Royal Rumble. Austin says it seems like kayfabe is dead and asks Triple H how hard it is to book with that. He says it's rough. Triple H brings up the different component that is the internet and how fans quickly see when the company gets behind someone. Triple H brings up how some places were booing Roman Reigns out of the building because they think that's the push he's getting but nobody booed him at this weekend's live events. Austin says some fans feel like Reigns hasn't earned the push yet. Triple H says there's one guy calling the shots - Vince McMahon. Triple H says the Rumble was talked over and debated. He says there were lots of suggestions. He says Vince takes all those ideas and puts them together. Triple H says nobody is perfect - Vince, himself and the writing team. He says Vince doesn't always make the right call but has a pretty good track record.

They give props to Seth Rollins and Daniel Bryan for their match on RAW. Austin brings up the resentment for Reigns and Triple H says it's a tough environment. Triple H talks about how half of the people have booed John Cena while half have cheered him but he was selling out arenas. Triple H says it's hard to find the star that every single person likes. Triple H talks about how they knew who they were targeting in the Attitude Era but now there are so many age groups and demographics that they cover. Triple H mentions how dirt sheets were rare back in the day but even major media outlets give you the inside of the business these days. Austin says he hasn't seen Twitter feedback yet but believes that tonight's RAW may have quelled some of the resentment towards Reigns. He says Reigns shined tonight and what he did at the end of RAW helped him. Austin says he needed that and Triple H agrees. Triple H says people say all the time that Reigns isn't ready and Triple H says nobody is really ready for "that." Austin agrees. Triple H says you think you know what it means to be that guy until you get there and put a whole different world of pressure on yourself.

Triple H talks about how he wasn't ready in 1996 and if he would have won King of the Ring instead of Austin then he would have failed. Triple H says he knew he wasn't ready and doesn't think he would have succeeded. Austin is looking to forward to seeing how the main event picture unfolds going into WrestleMania. Triple H talks about how WWE is a never ending book and you can't really knock today because you don't know what's next. Austin asks what Triple H's exit strategy if he didn't marry Stephanie McMahon. Triple H believes he would be in a similar place, working behind-the-scenes. He says he fell in love with the creative and "making of" pro wrestling as much as the other side. He talks about falling in love with working with talents and other aspects of the business, and talking to Vince McMahon about it long before he got with Stephanie. He talks about what he gets out of working with the talents at NXT. He says hats off to Vince for allowing him that. Austin has our first Twitter question - does he think it's beneficial for a talent to go to a wrestling school and then the PC or work the indies. He says it depends on the guy. He talks about Kurt Angle and praises him, talking about how he picked up the business faster than anyone he's seen. He says sometimes it's hard to knock some of the bad habits of the indies out of a guy. Some indie guys come in and they're a sponge, some come in and think their way is the only way.

More?

WWE Changes Contracts After High Profile Departures

After the recent situation with Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk, WWE has changed all performer contracts. The contract now say that if a talent is fired for disciplinary reasons, they forfeit all merchandise rights and can't work in pro wrestling or MMA for one year.

CM Punk WWE Health Accusations Raise Doubts From Jim Ross

CM Punk was a hot topic for wrestling legend Jim Ross when he sat down with USA Today to discuss his take on the wrestling business — among other things — on December 19.

And most of what the voice of pro wrestling/BBQ connoisseur had to say probably won’t be embraced by the Straight-Edge Superstar.

Particularly “hard to believe” for Jim Ross were the comments that CM Punk (aka Phil Brooks) made regarding Vince McMahon and the expectations that he work hurt.

This statement did not seem right to the man who managed talent for McMahon for a number of years.

“I was very surprised to hear that because I know from experience that WWE has invested untold sums of money on their medical staff,” Ross said. “Full-time doctors, full-time certified trainers, CTE testing and things that are actually being followed by some of the other leagues.”

Ross said that he knew the “health of their performers is a high priority, and that anytime I ever had an issue that was job-related or in-the-ring, I always got excellent care and I communicated with the medical staff on a regular basis. They’d call me when I was home.”

Ross did his best not to call CM Punk a liar, but he did say he was “surprised” to hear that from the former WWE Champ.

“I’m not disputing his claim because I wasn’t there and haven’t seen the medical records, but the issue is that it seems like it comes back down to communication,” said Ross.

“If I was in Punk’s place – and maybe he did this, I don’t know – and I was displeased by the doctor’s feedback, I would have gone to Vince after that, and said I believed the diagnosis to be incorrect. I don’t know if that ever happened.”

Ross called Vince McMahon a “very bright” man and found it hard to believe that he would ever “jeopardize” his company “by figuratively holding the gun to a head of a talent.”

“I have a hard time understanding that. I really do. I booked guys and was in charge of talent rosters for many years. We’d have a guy who was rehabbing, and we’d fly him in for a promo, but not a physical role. That’s a different ballgame.”

Ross admitted that it would truly “shock” him if McMahon required a talent to return when he wasn’t ready or cleared by a doctor “on the record or off.”

“I just think there was a big breakdown in communication,” Ross added.

Something else CM Punk may not like about Ross’ comments, Cageside Seats notes, is that JR sounded “skeptical” when it came to Punk’s chances of making it in the UFC.

Of course, if he were to be upset with JR over that, he’d have to pretty much be at odds with the whole internet.

Defending Triple H For Firing CM Punk

WWE Issues a “Newest Endeavor” Wish to CM Punk Following His UFC Signing

From WWE.com:

WWE wishes Phil Brooks (aka CM Punk) the best of luck in his newest endeavor.

CM Punk joins UFC, will fight in 2015

The UFC has signed former WWE professional wrestler CM Punk to fight in the Octagon.

The promotion announced the signing during its UFC 181 pay-per-view broadcast on Saturday. CM Punk, birth name Phil Brooks, has never fought professional mixed martial arts.

FC president Dana White said CM Punk intends to fight at middleweight -- 185 pounds -- but said he'd be open to possibly 170 pounds.

The UFC took to Twitter to announce CM Punk is expected to make his Octagon debut in 2015.

"He wanted to fight here," White told ESPN.com. "He wanted to give it a shot so we gave him an opportunity. It's not like Brock Lesnar. We're not going to throw the kitchen sink at him. Lesnar had a wrestling background. He's going to fight a guy who is 1-0, 1-1, 2-1 -- something like that."

White said Brooks has been training jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts for an extended period of time.

"He's been coming to fights for a long time and after his WWE contract was up, he called me and said he wanted to give it a shot. I said, 'Alright. We'll give you a shot.' "

"My professional wrestling days are over, it's awesome to be here," CM Punk said in a statement. "This is something I've wanted to do for a long time."

At 36, CM Punk acknowledges that time is not on his side.

"I felt like it was now or never," he said. "I have a limited window most fighters don't have. I'm either here to win or get my ass kicked."

CM Punk to Meet with UFC President Dana White This Weekend, White Comments on the Possibility of Punk Fighting

MMAJunkie.com is reporting that former WWE star CM Punk will be attending this weekend’s UFC 181 event in Las Vegas.

On the most recent episode of The Jim Rome Show, UFC President Dana White revealed him and Punk will meet during the event:

“He left the WWE for whatever reason, he’s a huge fan of the UFC, he’s been training for a few years now, and he’s interested in fighting,” White said. “I’m interested in talking to him…CM Punk is coming to the show this weekend, and we’re going to talk.”

“You never know [if you can fight] until you get in there. I didn’t know if Brock could fight. I thought Brock was crazy for coming over here. But, the difference with Brock Lesnar is Brock was a world-class wrestler. I don’t know. We’ll see. He’s not a guy that we would do what we did with Brock; we threw Brock right to the wolves. Brock started fighting all the top heavyweights in the world because of his wrestling background. CM Punk, we would bring him in just like any regular fighter, and he would fight a guy with a similar record to his, which is 0-0.”

CM Punk Speaks Again, Talks Vince McMahon's Apology, Rock Texting Him, Wrestling Again, More

CM Punk is back for his second appearance on Colt Cabana's Art of Wrestling podcast. You can listen on Colt's Soundcloud page at this link. Below are the highlights:

* They started by saying fans will hate this episode, implying that it won't be as controversial as the first episode with Punk. Colt said this episode will be how his podcasts usually are and Punk said it will probably be his favorite.

* Colt talked about receiving thousands of e-mails and having his site shut down. Punk said he didn't think the first podcast would be a big deal. He said he just wanted to tell his story and get it out there because people were calling him a quitter and saying he walked out on the fans. Punk said the day he got his papers from WWE on his wedding day he wanted to do the podcast but Colt was in Japan.

* Punk said he felt awesome at the time and still feels awesome about doing the podcast. He was walking home from a massage today and someone yelled out that they loved the podcast. He then went to a tanning salon and received feedback from a guy there also.

* Regarding reaction to the podcast, Punk said positive feedback has been "through the roof." Punk feels he covered everything in the first podcast. He feels that going back and giving more details or further examples of WWE's awful communication is just beating a dead horse. He said then he would sound like the bitter wrestling guy.

* Colt brought up how it annoys him when fans call Punk by his real name, Phil. Punk says he doesn't know what people refer to him as now. He said some fans tweet him to change his name because he's no longer CM Punk but he sees them as fans who watch WWE and think that CM Punk was a WWE creation. Punk says that's the farthest thing from the truth. He says the name has grown into a brand and talked about how the name will be used with his Marvel work.

* Punk said he hasn't watched wrestling in three years. When he re-signed with WWE, he would re-watch the big shows but that's it. He said he couldn't stomach it anymore. He watches AJ Lee's segments now because she's his wife.

* Fans chanting his name still does not bother him. He says it's weird because fans do it in two cases - when they see his wife AJ Lee or when something awful is going on in the ring. Punk says he sees both sides of the argument - people who say don't chant his name and those who do. Punk says we shouldn't chant at the guys busting their ass but added that he will be biased and say you bought a ticket so you can chant what you want, "just don't chant it at my friends and just chant it at the guys that fucking suck and wear lifts in their boots. That covers everybody."

* Regarding fans asking if he would return for a big WrestleMania spot, Punk told a story about how the legendary band The Doors had an incident on The Ed Sullivan Show and were told they would never play there again. Jim Morrison of The Doors told Sullivan that they just played The Ed Sullivan Show, saying they didn't need to play it again. Punk said he's "been there, done that" in regards to coming back for WrestleMania. Punk says it's become such a big deal with everyone about him not getting a WrestleMania main event and he tried to communicate that to WWE for so many years that he feels the door is closed now.

* Punk believes reaction to his comments is probably split throughout the business. He thinks there a lot of "yes men" in WWE who want to now come out and say "screw you pal" to him but there are also people in WWE who want to say what he said but they're oppressed. Colt said he heard from a lot of people in WWE who loved Punk's comments and were appreciative of them.

* Regarding people saying Punk will be back eventually and how could he turn down the money, Punk said it's "way too fucking early and I have no interest in fucking going back." He said the difference in his appearance, his mental stability and everything else is so drastically different than it was nine to ten months ago. He talked about how feuding with The Wyatt Family was supposed to be a learning & teaching experience but it wasn't fun. He said being in the ring with The Shield is when he realized it wasn't fun anymore. He took a bump off a tackle one night and looked up at the lights, wondering what he was doing with his life.

* Regarding getting fired on his wedding day, Punk said WWE maliciously tied to ruin a special day. He referenced Vince McMahon's apology and said he doesn't believe it was a coincidence or the lawyers didn't talk to talent relations. Punk said if Vince's apology was sincere, he would not have used it as a publicity stunt on Steve Austin's podcast. Punk said: "You have my phone number, you have my address. You could text, you could call, you could show up when you're a 10 minute fucking drive from my house and apologize to me like a man. That's the fucking reality of it." Punk called the apology a publicity stunt again and really got upset talking about it.

* Punk said WWE contracts aren't worth the paper they're printed on and if they were, WWE wouldn't have settled and he wouldn't be doing this podcast. He said he waited until all the "legal bullshit" was out out of the way and never sued them. He said it was all about a settlement. He told them "you can't do that, you can't do this" and WWE's lawyers came back asking how he wanted to proceed. Punk said lawyers didn't jam anything up, they moved things along. He brought up Alberto Del Rio being able to wrestle elsewhere and said you can't put a non-compete clause on an independent contractor.

* He received a text message from The Rock on Thanksgiving. Rock said all Punk's fans were upset at him and asked what happened. Punk told Rock about the podcast explaining why he left. Punk told Rock he didn't think he said anything negative about Rock but talked about working with him and continuing to work with him to get a WrestleMania main event. Punk told Rock he thought fans were upset because Punk dropped the title to Rock. He said Rock was super cool about everything.

* He talked about being scheduled for a Wizard World in Nashville but he got pulled at the last minute and replaced with Daniel Bryan. Punk actually learned about it on Wizard World's Twitter and had to call the office for confirmation. He was to be paid $20,000 for four hours of work that weekend but WWE wanted him on the Mexico tour. He told them that his check for the tour needed to be $20,000 to match the Wizard World pay but it was just $5,000 and he was working hardcore main events against Curtis Axel & Paul Heyman all four nights of the tour. Punk said he brought the check to RAW and laid it on table, telling officials to fix it. They ended up giving him an extra check for $4,000.

* Punk wanted to wear shorts as gear at one point and Slim Jim wanted to be one of the sponsors featured on the shorts. He had meetings with the head of Slim Jim, meetings that were not set up by WWE. Punk said Slim Jim wanted him to be the face of Slim Jim like Randy Savage was. They had marketing campaigns and ideas laid out. Someone at WWE told Slim Jim that they didn't want Punk and to use Rey Mysterio, Eve Torres and Big Show for the next campaign instead. Punk talked about seeing an e-mail exchange he wasn't supposed to see where someone in the office kept trying to talk video game reps out of using Punk for a cover, telling them to use Sheamus instead. He also talked about being friends with people on the LA Ink reality show. He was supposed to be on the show and get a new tattoo but Randy Orton decided he wanted to get new sleeves done and the office put Orton on the show instead.

* Punk didn't want the first podcast to turn into this huge deal but joked there would not have been anything to talk about last week if they didn't do it. He's not replying to any of the questions on Twitter and Colt talked about Punk moving on. Punk said people ask him if he accepts Vince's apology. Punk said he appreciates the sentiment but it was not a sincere apology. Punk said Vince knew about the problem since June and if he really felt bad, he would have apologized then. Punk said Vince just wanted a camera on him and to do damage control. Punk said this chapter of his life is done and they're closing it now.

* Punk doesn't want to be that guy who says he's working on all these different projects but he is working on his future outside of wrestling. He's still doing a lot of work with Nerdist and other comic book projects. He plugged his Thor comic that comes out in February and the in-store appearance at Challengers Comics in Chicago that week.

* Punk said if anyone was ever a fan of his, wanted to see him wrestle or purchased any of his merchandise, he appreciates it and thanks you. Punk said he had to wait this long to tell the story due to legal reasons but it got out when it could. He said if he offended you then he's sorry but there's a chance you might need to lighten up and a chance he meant to offend you. If you support him, that's awesome and if you don't like him, don't follow him on Twitter. If you don't like KISS, don't buy their albums. Punk said find something you love to do, do it and don't worry about what everyone else is doing unless they're trying to murder or rape you...More?

Ryback Speaks On CM Punk

"The comments that he made were not accurate, about me, definitely. It was disappointing to here what he said. He was not like that to my face, and to hear the things that he said, especially behind my back to Vince, its very disturbing to me. Things did not go ideal for me after that time period after we wrestled. I stuck around, hung out, showed up and did my job and turned things around. He says I broke his ribs on purpose, that's not true. If it was, he never did anything about it, if he's this big bad tough guy. You've got a roster full of WWE talent who knows the real Ryback and everyone knows the truth, what he said wasn't the truth. I wish him the best, I would like to think he is thankful for everything he has in WWE, and I was the one, for lack of a better word, put him over time and time again, and then he walked out and left. He was beaten up, he had his issues...Hopefully we will see him down the line."

Recap of the Austin-McMahon Podcast

“Stone Cold” Podcast featuring Vince McMahon
Monday, December 1, 2014
Report by Sean Hopkins of WrestlingNewsWorld.com

Steve Austin is shown recording asking fans to give a ‘hell yeah’ if they’re ready for a live interview with Vince McMahon. This transitions into a video package showing some of the highlights of the Austin/McMahon rivalry before heading into the studio where Austin welcomes the fans and Vince McMahon to the show.

Austin asks how the Network is doing right off the bat. Vince says it’s doing great. Subscriptions are good, 90% satisfaction level. Austin asks specifically about the UK. Vince says he hopes to have it settled by the 1st of the year, but he doesn’t want to say too much too soon.

Austin talks about being asked to debut the Network, and he asks if it’ll ultimately meet McMahon’s high expectations. McMahon says it’ll take a bit of time to build some content and give them exactly what they want, which they’re doing right now.

Austin asks how in tune McMahon is with the crowd. McMahon says Pro Wrestling is where his dad came from, and Sports entertainment is about telling a story. Some of the matches don’t hit, and Steve knows that. McMahon thought Wyatt and Ambrose looked good tonight, and the six man match was also good.

Austin brings up the three hour length of Raw. McMahon says no one does that, and they’ve been doing it for many years. They’re all over the world, and when you’re traveling every week, they do magic with a lot of help and a lot of people behind the scenes. Performers have to be right, whether they’re hurt, or haven’t had sleep, they have to be at their best.

Austin talks about enjoying his run, but when he watches the show, he wants more wrestling. He understands there’s not to many guys and girls, but he thinks the first segment takes too long to build up to the hook. McMahon says you can’t have two guys wrestling for wrestling’s sake, you have to have guys who are adversaries and that’ll make you want to see the outcome.

Austin talks about the change in atmosphere in the locker room, and that there’s guys and girls walking on eggshells because there’s no other options, Austin even name checks TNA. McMahon says not to piss anyone off. Austin says he pissed a lot of people off. McMahon says they’re millenials, and there are a lot who don’t want to grab the brass ring. He talks about Wyatt, Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns as those who might change that. He says there’s not enough laughter and shenanigans as back in Austin’s day.

McMahon continues talking about millenials fear of failing, and being exposed. He says he’s given everyone opportunities, and things from a social media standpoint. It helps talent, and gives them tools that people like Austin didn’t have, and they use it, but not in the way Austin did.

Austin issues a challenge to the WWE Superstars, to go out on a limb. Austin says McMahon needs more depth on the roster, and McMahon agrees. Austin says you have to go on a limb to get over, and Vince agrees.

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