As noted, Alberto Del Rio made his surprise WWE return at Hell In a Cell last night and defeated John Cena to become the new WWE United States Champion.
Del Rio received a very good deal to return. There are conflicting reports on if Triple H contacted Del Rio or if Del Rio approached WWE but apparently Del Rio has been the planned opponent for Cena's US Open Challenge all along.
The deal to bring him back to WWE was reportedly done weeks ago but Del Rio was giving the impression that it wasn't done weeks ago. However, people in WWE have known he was coming in. Del Rio, the current AAA Mega Champion, will reportedly work other dates through the end of November but that also hasn't been confirmed. AAA officials reportedly didn't know about his WWE return until Sunday some time.
Del Rio's new WWE schedule is said to be easier than most talents but not as easy as Chris Jericho, Brock Lesnar or The Undertaker's schedules.
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October 26, 2015
Backstage News And Notes On Alberto Del Rio's WWE Return, Will He Finish Non-WWE Dates?
WWE Sending Referee, Signed NXT Title Belt and More to "Fat Frank" JAPW Memorial Show
WWE will be sending a signed NXT Title belt, referee Shawn Bennett and other items to Jersey All Pro Wrestling for their Frank Iadevaia Memorial Show on November 14th. "Fat Frank" was loved by many in the business and worked with many current WWE talents. JAPW issued the following:
WWE REFEREE SHAWN BENNETT TO HOST CHARITY RAFFLE AT JAPW FRANK IADEVAIA MEMORIAL SHOW 11/14
Former JAPW referee, and current WWE referee Shawn Bennett will be in attendance at the JAPW 19th Anniversary Show to host a special raffle to benefit the family of "Fat Frank" Iadevaia. Numerous members of the current WWE and NXT rosters have spent time working with Frank throughout JAPW's 19 year history.
100% of all money collected will be donated to Frank's wife Jenn, and their two children.
WWE has donated five one of a kind items to be raffled off at the JAPW show on 11/14 in Rahway, NJ.
Top prize will be a replica NXT Championship belt signed by JAPW alumni that are currently on the WWE and NXT rosters. Signatures included Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Solomon Crowe, Sara Del Ray, Drake "Younger" Wuertz, and Eddie "Bandido Jr." Orengo.
Other prizes include a rare "WWE Fall Tour 2015" crew t-shirt signed by the same JAPW Alumni, a NXT poster signed by the cast of WWE Network's "Breaking Ground" documentary series, a four pack of NXT autographed photos, and a NXT poster signed by the "Four Horsewomen" Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and Bayley, as well as their trainer, WWE Performance Center Assistant Head Coach & former JAPW Women's Champion Sara Del Ray.
Prizes will be on display throughout the event. Raffle tickets will be available starting when doors open for the event at 5:30pm until partway through the second half of the event. Raffle will be done "tricky tray" style, meaning that you can choose what prizes you are trying to win by placing tickets into the corresponding bin for each prize. Tickets will cost $2 each, 3 for $5, 8 for $10, 15 for $15, or 24 for $20.
For more details, visit www.JAPW.net.
This Day In Wrestling History
Dan McLeod defeats Martin Burns in Chicago, Illinois, to win the American Heavyweight Title.
October 26, 1897
The Executioners (Killer Kowalski & John Studd) were stripped of the WWWF World Tag Team title when they had a third member (Nikolai Volkoff) participate in a title defense against Chief Jay Strongbow & Billy White Wolf in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. Strongbow & White Wolf would go on to win the belts in a three team tournament with the Executioners and, ironically, Volkoff & Tor Kamata.
October 26, 1976
Sweet Brown Sugar defeats Ernie Ladd to win the Florida version of the NWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Lafayette, Louisiana.
October 26, 1979
Bret Hart announces his retirement from professional wrestling on his official website, ending his 23 year run in the business.
October 26, 2000
October 25, 2015
Alberto Del Rio Returns to WWE
WWE United States Champion John Cena had his US Open Challenge answered by Alberto Del Rio at tonight's Hell In a Cell pay-per-view in Los Angeles.
Cena's challenge was first met by Jack Swagger's theme song as Zeb Colter came out on a scooter. Zeb talked about how it was time for Cena to lose the title to someone who will do more with it than Cena ever did. He then introduced current AAA Mega Champion Alberto Del Rio.
The match ended clean with Del Rio capturing the WWE United States Title. This is his first run with the US Title.
I'm grateful for a 2nd chance to come back to @WWE #hellinacell and I'm happy to be performing again
— Alberto Del Rio (@VivaDelRio) October 26, 2015
Former NFL Star Training For WWE Contract In 2016
TMZ has a story up on former NFL star Brennan Williams (@GREATBLACKOTAKU) training with WWE Hall of Famer Booker T at his wrestling school in Houston. The offensive tackle has played for the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars, but after being waived by the New England Patriots this past week, Williams has decided to pursue one of his long-time passions: pro wrestling.
Physically, he's a perfect fit for a WWE Superstar. At only 24-years-old, Williams stands 6'6" and weighs in around 315 pounds. He told TMZ he plans on training with Booker T through the end of the year, and is shooting for a WWE contract as early as January.
This Day In Wrestling History
Ivory defeated The Fabulous Moolah for the WWF(E) Women's title and Bret Hart defeated Goldberg for the WCW US Heavyweight title.
October 25, 1999
October 24, 2015
Bubba Ray Dudley Says WWE NXT Is The Best Of Both Worlds
"There's not one bad thing to say about NXT. There's no negative down there. Yes, it's a developmental system that's meant to mold up-and-coming talent, but it's also become its own promotion. That's the best of both worlds. It's great for rising wrestlers who are just getting their first taste of the business and it's also great for guys like a Samoa Joe or a James Storm because it's another place for wrestlers to go and work. Joe's been doing great there and I'm sure Storm will be amazing. And it seems like wrestling fans all over the world are really hot about NXT. It works on all levels."
October 23, 2015
'Cowboy' James Storm on what led him to NXT
It was like a scene out of an old Western, but instead of whispers of disbelief spreading through a crowded saloon, the news broke on Twitter: The Cowboy had ridden into town.
James Storm’s unannounced debut in NXT — a decisive outing against Danny Burch that aired Wednesday on WWE Network — has been greeted with adulation and genuine shock. In this WWE.com exclusive interview, the celebrated outlaw says he is ready to prove himself inside NXT’s yellow ropes. And with 18 years of hard-fought ring experience to back up his reputation, much of it on an international stage, make no mistake: This isn’t James Storm’s first rodeo.
WWE.COM: Can you walk us through how the conversation of you coming to NXT began?
STORM: It came about because I’m good friends with Road Dogg and Billy Gunn. They put it in Triple H’s ear that I was free and clear of all contracts, to see if there’s some interest there. I actually called Road Dogg to see if it was OK that I went up to the NXT Nashville show not too long ago. He said, “Yeah, just try to stay out of sight.” So, I stayed in the locker room. There were reports that I was sitting in the front row at an NXT show, and I didn’t deny that I was there. I just said, “I saw the reports and I’m sorry, but that was not me sitting in the front row.” [Laughs.]
Then, [WWE Performance Center Head Coach] Matt Bloom pulled me aside and asked if I was available to come down that Wednesday and Thursday to Orlando. I went down and talked to Triple H at the NXT TakeOver: Respect special. Then the next night, he asked if I was willing to appear, and I said yes.
WWE.COM: A lot of people probably thought they’d never see the day when you’d be in an NXT ring. Did you ever feel that way?
STORM: No. I was actually really good friends with Dusty Rhodes, and he told me long ago, “You’ll know when it’s your time.” I’ve had a couple chances to come to WWE before, but I just didn’t feel like it was my time yet. I just had to wait for the right timing, and I feel like this was it. I felt like I had done all I could do, and it was my time to prove myself on a big stage...More?
WWE Network Launches In India
Beginning Monday, November 2, WWE Network will be available in India for $9.99 (U.S.) per month, with no commitment and the ability to cancel any time. Fans in India can sign up online by going to WWENetwork.com and can watch WWE Network on their desktop, laptop and mobile devices.
WWE Network subscribers in India will receive their first month of service free and have access to the U.S. English language version of WWE Network. Subscribers will get access to 24/7 scheduled programming and the most comprehensive video-on-demand library with more than 3,700 hours of content, including Raw® and SmackDown® re-airs, and every WWE, WCW™ and ECW™ pay-per-view. In addition, all 12 WWE pay-per-views will be available to subscribers 24 hours after they air in India, and will be broadcast live on WWE Network beginning in 2017.
“India is a strategically important market for WWE and we are thrilled to make WWE Network available to our fans there,” said George Barrios, WWE Chief Strategy & Financial Officer. “The global expansion of WWE Network is a key driver in our commitment to growing the WWE brand internationally.”
October 22, 2015
WWE YouTube Stats For September
According to OpenSlate and Tubefilter, WWE's YouTube channel was the second most-viewed for the month of September with 365 million video views. The netd muzik channel had 371 million views. WWE had 342,467 subscribers this month. WWE's YouTube channel has 5,344,307,281 all-time views and 7,766,722 all-time subs. In August, the WWE channel was the #1 most-viewed channel with 454 million viewers.
