Abdullah The Butcher Responds To Lawsuit; Says He Doesn't Have Hepatitis C

The Ottawa Citizen has a new article online today covering Devon Nicholson's $6.5 million lawsuit against Abdullah the Butcher (real name Lawrence Shreve).

Not only is Shreve denying he gave Nicholson the disease, he says he doesn't have Hepatitis C and will be providing a blood sample in the next few days.

"I'm not the only one that he [Shreve] has wrestled. He has wrestled everybody," Shreve told the publication. "He's been to Puerto Rico, all over."

The lawsuit alleges that Abdullah the Butcher bladed both of them during a 2007 match and once Nicolson had contact with Abby's blood, he contracted Hepatitis C...More?

source: wrestlingnewsworld.com

Did Triple H Help the SmackDown Ratings with his First Appearance Since Replacing Vince McMahon?

Friday's WWE Smackdown television show drew a 1.99 rating, which is up from the 1.86 rating the show drew last week. The show averaged 2.83 million viewers, which his up slightly from the 2.82 million viewers from the previous week.

source: pwtorch.com

Predictions Are Good For WWE's Quarterly Earnings Report

Wall St. Cheat Sheet has a "sneek peek" at WWE's latest quarterly report, which they will announce this Thursday. They are predicting a 29.6% rise in revenue from the same quarter last year, and forecasting a 2% increase in total revenue for the year, from last year.

WWE and 7-Eleven Partner for Third Year

WWE and 7-Eleven, Inc. today announced that after two successful partnerships, the companies will get back in the ring for the month of August to promote WWE collectible Slurpee® and Super Big Gulp® cups and straws. This marks the first time 7-Eleven has had three consecutive summer promotions with one entertainment property...More?

Celebrity Launching Wrestling Promotion

Smashing Pumpkins lead singer Billy Corgan, who is no stranger to the wrestling business, will be starting his own independent wrestling group this fall called Resistance Pro. Corgan is the creative director and will be making the official announcement at the Wizard World convention in Chicago later this month.

source: allwrestling.com

WWE: We Will Protect Our Diva

The WWE is taking some serious security measures to keep WWE diva Maryse Ouellet -- one of its most beautiful starlets -- SAFE after she received some DISTURBING emails from an obsessed fan.

Sources directly involved with the situation tell TMZ ... WWE officials have added additional security personnel at recent events -- and plan to keep the extra protection in place as long as the organization feels there is a legitimate threat.

We're told the organization has also taken additional security measures -- but the WWE is being tight-lipped about the security plan in order to make sure the measures are effective.

As TMZ first reported, Maryse filed a request for a permanent restraining order against 61-year-old Lee Silber last week, claiming he's been sending her creepy letters -- and has sworn to "take [her] to heaven with him."

We're told WWE staff knows about the situation with Silber -- and are on the lookout in case he attempts to attend an event.

News on John Cena & the WWE Title

This past Friday, John Cena surpassed Pedro Morales with more days spent as WWE Champion. As of today, Cena has held the WWE Title a total of 1,030 days over his 9 reigns. Cena is currently #4 on the list behind #3 Bob Backlund, #2 Hulk Hogan and #1 Bruno Sammartino.

If you include Cena's 2 reigns with the World Heavyweight Title, Cena's total days as a major champion in WWE is 1,133. If Cena keeps the WWE Title until SummerSlam on August 14th, he will pass Triple H's total 1,148 days as a WWE Champion & World Champion, based off Triple H's 8 WWE Title reigns and 5 World Heavyweight Title reigns.

source: pwinsider.com

Triple H Booked for Future Raw & SmackDown Tapings; CM Punk to Speak on Raw

F4WOnline.com is reporting that Triple H is being booked for all Raw and Smackdown tapings in the foreseeable future as he continues his on-air role as new Chief Operating Officer of WWE.

WWE is advertising that CM Punk will make his first public comments since returning to the company on this Monday's edition of WWE Raw. Punk is currently on this weekend's Raw house show loop, main eventing shows against WWE Champion John Cena.

partial source: wrestlezone.com

This Day in Wrestling History

Lance Storm becomes the first man in the history of WCW to hold 3 belts at the same time. Storm was the US, Cruiserweight and Hardcore champion.
July 31, 2000

Photos: Scenes from Triple H's New Movie "Inside Out"

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Billy Gunn Apologizes for Negative Comments Made About Triple H

They say the best surprises always sneak up from behind. Well turn around, because the one Billy Gunn joins James Guttman for a 55 minute shoot interview on ClubWWI.com about everything from DX to WWE to TNA.

With a career spanning more than two decades, Kip “Billy Gunn” Sopp has had plenty of high points. To many fans of the WWF Attitude Era, Gunn is most remembered as DX’s “Mr. A$$”. Alongside Road Dogg, X-Pac, Chyna, and Triple H, Billy created some unforgettable TV moments. However, when he left the company in 2004, he made waves with some harsh comments pointed at his former DX stable mate Triple H. He lashed out at the Game and appeared to blame him for his WWE departure. Years removed from those comments, James Guttman asks Bad a## Billy about those stinging shots. Gunn takes responsibility and explains some of his reasoning to ClubWWI.com members:

“Know what it was? I didn’t want to take the blame for what I had done- things that I was doing, things that (made it so) they couldn’t keep me around. I just couldn’t take it that (WWE) called me and said – not that this matters – but they had said that when I’m done wrestling, “there will always be a spot here for you as an agent or something like that.” I love helping other people. I love teaching now. I love trying to give away what I have if anyone is interested in knowing a little of what I know. My frustration came out on the one person that was the main guy there and that was Hunter. I just opened fire on him because it was all about me and not wanting to take responsibility for me and my actions.”

Guttman asks Gunn if his position has changed on Hunter. ClubWWI.com members are familiar with wrestlers unloading on the authority figures in WWE, but it’s rare that someone owns up to saying something they regret in hindsight. But that’s what Billy does…

“Has my position changed with him? Yeah. It has. Do I want to pick up the phone every day and call him to apologize? Yeah. Because it was something I did out of selfishness and the selfish person that I was back then. Not that I blame it on anything, but I had a bunch of things going on in my life that was really not that good. I took it out on him and, like I said, I wasn’t taking responsibility for my own actions. That’s what I did. I lashed out at him and everybody I could and I had somebody who was willing to listen and let me go on a live shoot tape to say whatever I wanted. Why would I not? It was all about making me look better and making someone else look bad. I know now that people were going, “Yeah, well it’s really just you. It’s not anyone else.” So yeah. I regret what I did then and for sure now because I’m sure something like that is keeping me from being back there training people. I wish I could change it, but I can’t change it. So I just have to live with the things I’ve done and the actions that I do from here on forward.”

Sounds like someone wants back into the WWE...

More?

Official Poster for Triple H's New Movie "Inside Out"