WWE Sending Top NXT Tag Team With William Regal To EVOLVE During Royal Rumble Weekend

As noted, WWE NXT General Manager William Regal will be appearing at the January 23rd EVOLVE event in Orlando, Florida during Royal Rumble weekend. This is part of the working relationship between WWE and EVOLVE's parent company WWN Live.

WWN issued the following update and announced that NXT's "American Alpha" Chad Gable and Jason Jordan will also be appearing for a special signing.

In an unprecedented move, William Regal will be at EVOLVE 54 in Orlando, FL on January 23rd. This is the first time someone in Regal's position will appear on an independent wrestling event. He won't just watch the card from the locker room. He is coming for a reason and with a purpose. What will happen in front of the live audience with William Regal? Be there and witness it for yourself.

Jason Jordan and Chad Gable are officially coming to their first major independent wrestling show. The graphic says it all:

WWE Sending William Regal To EVOLVE

WWE NXT General Manager William Regal has been announced for the January 23rd EVOLVE event in Orlando, Florida during Royal Rumble weekend. This is the latest in the ongoing working relationship between WWE and EVOLVE's parent company WWN Live. They sent Sami Zayn to two shows late last year and allowed EVOLVE flyers for Rumble weekend to be handed out at the recent NXT TV tapings.

Rumor Mill - Backstage Talk On Mixed Reactions To Triple H's Recent WWE NXT 'Takeover: London' Appearance

There has been mixed reactions to Triple H appearing on the WWE NXT "Takeover: London" show last month, just days after after being destroyed by Roman Reigns at TLC and not being able to appear on RAW that week, according to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. There has also been talk about how he posted workout footage on Twitter that same week.

The majority feel that if anyone else was involved in a major injury angle on TV and posted training footage on social media while appearing to be out and about, it would get a negative reaction from WWE officials, but everyone knows that rules are different for top stars and the McMahons.

Some in NXT were mad at Roman Reigns, or how his SmackDown promo was scripted, as he mentioned that nobody had seen Triple H since he beat him up at TLC, essentially ignoring the Takeover appearance. The feeling was it sent the message that Reigns had no idea what happened at Takeover and the main roster doesn't pay attention to the brand, making it appear to be second-rate, because the promo aired after Takeover. According to The Observer, it was acknowledged that Triple H probably should not have appeared at Takeover but he was going to "take his victory bow" in front of the sold out NXT crowd regardless.

The main roster feeling was that they did an injury angle and then taped the SmackDown promo with Reigns on Tuesday, so Triple H should have stayed off Takeover on Wednesday. Regardless of the miscommunication between NXT and SmackDown, the feeling was that Triple H should have appeared on the next week's RAW and that WWE creative should have respected the NXT viewers enough to not act like Triple H hadn't been seen since the beatdown at TLC and like he was too injured to appear.

WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus Talks Triple H’s Vision for NXT, Advice for WWE and NXT Divas, More

WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus recently spoke with Journey of a Frontman, and below are some interview highlights:

Her Advice To NXT Women:

“They have to challenge themselves and step out of the box every time they go out there. They have to stand out and give the fans somethng that intrigues them and will make them want to see more of them. I think people get used to their go-to moves and like staying in their comfort zone. But, even if its working, you still gotta mix it up. At the end of the day, it’s about going out there and making it the best damn two minutes you’ve ever made for yourself. Also spotting the opportunity to do that is important. us. I think right now is the time we are waiting for that big star from the women to break out.”

Triple H’s Vision For NXT:

“Well the thing about Triple H is he’s very smart and is a visionary really. As the person in charge of talent, his job is to recognize their abilities, spot their potential, then provide them with the opportunity that could elevate them that way they can make the most of them in the company. The cool thing is that he looked at the Divas division and he didn’t just see them as women, he saw these amazing athletes and characters that could do well on the show and connect with the fans. That’s what he did, he gave them the opportunity. Once the fans connect with them, they’re golden. It’s cool to see Triple H in this role, it’s no coincidence this vision is coming from a multi-time champion who knows a thing or two about what works in the ring.”

Sting to Be Inducted Into WWE Hall of Fame

WWE announced today that Sting will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at a ceremony to be held on Saturday, April 2 at American Airlines Center in Dallas as part of WrestleMania® Week.

Sting is one of the biggest Superstars in the history of the sports entertainment industry and a multi-time WCW® and United States Champion. For more than 10 years, he was the face of WCW, competing in memorable rivalries against Ric Flair®, Steve Austin®, Mick Foley®, Vader™, The Four Horsemen™ and NWO®. In November of 2014, Sting made his long-awaited debut in WWE, and went on to have his first-ever WrestleMania® match against Triple H® at WrestleMania 31.

“We are truly honored to have Sting take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame,” said WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative, Paul Levesque. “His contributions to our industry are unprecedented and we look forward to celebrating his incredible career with fans all over the world.”

WWE Hall of Famer Pleads Guilty to DUI Charges, Will Be Sentenced Later This Month

WWE Hall of Famer Tammy "Sunny" Sytch has plead guilty to several DUI-related charges in Pennsylvania.

Sunny took a plea deal and plead guilty to a DUI charge for her May 30th, 2015 arrest in Mahoning Township, PA. This was the arrest that came after she was seen hitting a curb in a Walmart parking lot.

She also plead guilty to charges of DUI - General Impairment/Incapable of Driving Safely and DUI - Highest Rate of Alcohol (BAC .16+) and BAC .02 or Greater Second Offense. These charges were related to her arrest on June 1st, when she was pulled over by police for a vehicle code violation, and June 20th when she was arrested after wrecking her vehicle.

Sunny will be sentenced on January 29th at 9am EST in Carbon County.

Vince McMahon's Last Regional Takeover

Is global domination the true nefarious plan of all this? Not exactly, it's just an extension of Vince McMahon's true legacy. With no other land left to conquer, and with technology finally able to provide the proper weapons, he's set his sights on the second biggest wrestling market in the world. The actual talent he's picked up to do it is very much a secondary story...More?

source: cagesideseats.com

WWE Coach Robbie Brookside On Getting Hired By WWE, His Relationship With William Regal, More

The latest episode of Chris Jericho's "Talk Is Jericho" podcast features WWE Performance Center coach and wrestling veteran Robbie Brookside, who has been in the business for more than 30 years. The interview was actually recorded at the Performance Center in Orlando. You can listen to the full interview at this link.

Brookside said WWE originally brought him on for a six month trial period but just three months in, he was asked to stay another six months. That extra six months turned into two years. Brookside called working for WWE the greatest thing to happen to him in the last 20 years.

They also discussed WWE NXT General Manager William Regal, who Brookside said he has a lot to thank for. Brookside took Regal under his wing years ago in England and Regal repaid the favor by getting him work in WCW, and later WWE. Brookside said, "Darren, I call him Darren, is my best mate, without a shadow of a doubt. We've always kept in touch over the years through thick and thin. There've been times where he's needed a shoulder to cry on, and for someone to back him up, and I've done the same as well, and he's been there all the way. He's married and he's got three children, and I remember when Daniel was born. I was staying at their house before they were married, we go back that far. He's almost like an uncle, but I'm two or three years older. But I always feel ten years younger."

They also discussed Brookside's early days, his history with Jericho, Kevin Sullivan and more in the full interview.

Video: Triple H Speaking at Lemmy Kilmister's Memorial Service

How Did Last Night's WWE SmackDown Premiere On The USA Network Do?

According to ShowBuzzDaily.com, last night’s edition of WWE Smackdown, which was the show’s debut on USA Network, averaged 2.757 million viewers.

This week’s number is way up from the 1.658 million viewers Smackdown aired on New Years Eve. This week’s number is also up from the Super Smackdown episode, which averaged 2.264 million viewers. The final episode of WWE Smackdown on Syfy in its regular time slot averaged 2.332 million viewers, so this week’s number is an increase from that as well.

This week’s Smackdown ranked #2 for the night in viewership, behind The O’Reilly Factor on FOX News.

John Cena To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

WWE is reporting that John Cena will be heading to Birmingham, Alabama to undergo shoulder surgery.

Multiple sources are reporting that Cena is suffering from a torn rotator cuff.

Obviously, this surgery means that Cena will not be one of the participants at the upcoming Royal Rumble event this month. Unfortunately, it also means that Cena may also likely miss WrestleMania 32 in Dallas, Texas as well, where it was reported that he would be facing The Undertaker; however, as of this report, there is no word on exactly how long Cena will be out of action.

James Storm Reveals Why He Chose to Sign with TNA & Not NXT, Talks Fans Criticizing His Decision, Praises HHH, Is the Door Open for a WWE Return?

Returning TNA star James Storm recently spoke with Bill Apter for WZ and 1Wrestling.com, to talk Storm’s return to TNA Impact Wrestling, and below are some interview highlights:

On why he returned to TNA vs other promotions:

“You know to me I got unfinished business to do and basically to support my family. Thats what it came down to. I was in contract negotiations with different people and what it all boiled down to Impact Wrestling gave me the best offer.”

On people criticizing his decision to return to TNA:

“They can say whatever they want to say if they want to say negative stuff about me I don’t care. Because they don’t know the whole story. There’s a lot that went on behind the scenes.”

Storm then elaborates on the above comment, praises Triple H, reveals whether or not the door is open for a WWE NXT return and much more. Be sure to check out the entire interview in the video player below:

WWE Tapes NXT Kids Show

We noted a while back that WWE was moving forward with the "WWE NXT Kids" show that we saw a leaked pilot for. Possibly for airing on the WWE Network, WWE taped two matches for "NXT Kids" tonight at Full Sail University - Big Show vs. Heath Slater and Natalya vs. Becky Lynch. Bayley Superfan Izzy was featured with a group of kids and she also interviewed Big Show after his match, asking what he likes to eat and other "cute" questions.

EVOLVE Flyers at NXT

In the continuing saga of the potential EVOLVE-WWE relationship, flyers for the EVOLVE events in Florida over Royal Rumble weekend were given out at tonight's NXT taping. There's no way they would have been allowed to do that in and around the venue without WWE clearance. It would appear the two sides are continuing to build their relationship.

There's talk of WWNLive.com being added to some new platforms soon. I use Roku as my platform and it's always excellent.

EVOLVE is working on adding some Northeast dates in different States to go along with the 3/19 NYC return.

Muscle & Fitness Reveals Details On Vince McMahon's Workouts

Muscle & Fitness posted a new article looking at Vince McMahon's workouts. It was noted that Vince trains up to 7 days a week, sometimes doing 2 sessions per day if he knows he may miss a session due to the schedule he keeps.

Vince rotates through a split of chest, arms, legs, shoulders and back, which is his favorite body part to train and his strongest. After completing a body part, Vince goes on to a CrossFit-inspired workout with battling rope slams, sled drags, sledgehammmer swings and sprints. He then does a series of ab exercises and spends a total of around 90 minutes working out. Vince's workout partner and trainer Mike Monteforte commented:

"He has unbelievable strength in his back."

Big Backstage Update on Why James Storm Did Not Sign with WWE NXT, Details on Storm’s New TNA Deal, Possible WWE Return & More

As noted, James Storm made his official return to TNA last night at the Impact Wrestling debut on POP TV.

According to WZ Daily regular and ProWrestlingSheet.com’s Ryan Satin, sources noted that after months of negotiations, WWE was only willing to offer Storm a deal that would earn the former TNA Champion less than $100K a year. TNA, on the other hand, was offering 2 1/2 times more than that.

Money was the motivating factor for Storm, who signed a two year deal with TNA which will also see him get a cut of merchandise sales. The offer from TNA is said to be guaranteed money, and as for WWE, the door remains open for a possible return.

WWE Website Picks Up On Rumors Of AJ Styles And Other NJPW Stars Coming In

WWE's website has picked up on the rumors of New Japan Pro Wrestling stars AJ Styles, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson and Shinsuke Nakamura possibly leaving NJPW for WWE.

It's rare that WWE's website covers rumors like these and they are promising updates. Below is what they wrote:

Are AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows coming to WWE?

The sports-entertainment world has been buzzing this week with speculation that WWE has signed four massive international Superstars.

Numerous media outlets reported Monday that AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Karl Anderson and Luke "Doc" Gallows — most recently of New Japan Pro Wrestling — are in negotiations to compete under the WWE banner.

The office of WWE COO and EVP of Talent Relations, Triple H, declined to comment on the rumors for WWE.com.

Reports began circulating late Sunday that all four had reportedly given their notices to New Japan management. Fueling the rumors that Styles, Nakamura, Anderson and Gallows were WWE-bound was a series of tweets involving reigning NXT Champion Finn Bálor.

Until recently, Styles, Gallows and Anderson were all part of New Japan's Bullet Club faction, a stable formerly led by Bálor when he wrestled in Japan under the alias Prince Devitt. For months, Bálor has made it clear that he's still tight with the Bullet Club members, even tweeting photos of them wearing his "Bálor Club" T-Shirts. On Monday, Bálor stirred the pot again, tweeting an image of Anderson sporting trunks that bore Finn's "demon" design. Additionally, the official Twitter account for the Bullet Club tweeted the NXT Champion Monday, telling him to keep more Bálor Club shirts on hand in case they need them. That tweet has since been deleted.

Former TNA World Heavyweight Champion Returns To Company

Former TNA World Heavyweight Champion James Storm returned to TNA at tonight's show.

Storm had been wrestling on and off for NXT, but hadn't signed a deal with the WWE. Yesterday, Storm said that he was only going to the TNA tapings in order to have a meeting with the company. You can see a photo from his return below.

Rumors On WWE Possibly Hiring A New Japan Pro Wrestling Star To Work As A Trainer

There are rumors of New Japan Pro Wrestling star and former ROH Tag Team Champion Rocky Romero also leaving the company. This comes after the rumors of AJ Styles, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson and Shinsuke Nakamura reportedly leaving for WWE.

Bryan Alvarez noted on Wrestling Observer Live today that apparently Romero was being discussed for a trainer role in WWE. No word yet if there's any truth to the rumors of him leaving NJPW for WWE.

We do know that Romero was in attendance for one of the recent WWE NXT TV tapings from Full Sail University. We'll keep you updated on his status and the reports of Styles, Gallows, Anderson and Nakamura coming to WWE.

New WWE Stable Put Together

It looks like WWE formed the 2016 version of The JOB Squad on tonight's RAW. Heath Slater formed his new "Social Outcasts" stable with Curtis Axel, Bo Dallas and Adam Rose, after they helped Slater defeat Dolph Ziggler.

Vince McMahon Makes Major Change to the WWE Royal Rumble Match

As seen at the end of WWE Raw last night, Vince McMahon announced that Roman Reigns will have to defend his WWE World Title in the 30 man over the top rope Royal Rumble match taking place at WWE Royal Rumble this month.

This will be the first time in WWE history that the WWE Title is defended in the Royal Rumble match.

The WWE Title was on the line in the Royal Rumble match back in 1992, but the title was vacant going into the match. The bout and title were won by Ric Flair that year.

WWE Breaking Ground Season One Finale Recap

Chris Jericho Returns to WWE on Raw, Makes Major Announcement

Chris Jericho made his return to WWE and interrupted a New Day promo.

Jericho then announced he is entering himself in this year’s WWE Royal Rumble match, and he added he will win the match and go on to headline WrestleMania 32.

Rumor Mill - WWE Reportedly Signs AJ Styles And Other Top NJPW Stars

WWE has reportedly signed New Japan Pro Wrestling stars AJ Styles, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson and current IWGP Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, according to F4WOnline. We first exclusively reported in early December that WWE was interested in signing Nakamura. The group reportedly informed NJPW booker Gedo that they were finishing up before WrestleKingdom 10 this morning.

No word yet on when the four will begin work with WWE but Nakamura apparently is not leaving early as he will most likely drop his title before leaving.

F4W added that Anderson was reportedly also in talks with TNA and close to signing but the WWE deal came through instead. Anderson, Gallows and Nakamura are expected to honor their Ring of Honor dates for February and AJ is likely done with ROH going forward.

Rumor Mill - WWE Teasing Return To Ring For Triple H And Winning United States Title

With ratings slumping for a couple months now, and with a lot of big-time superstars still out due to injuries, WWE may end up doing some things they didn’t expect to do. Big names have been brought back, Brock Lesnar‘s contract has been renegotiated for more dates, and desperate times call for desperate measures. Now, WWE is teasing that Triple H may not only return to the ring, but he may go after a mid-card title – the United States Championship.

Triple H hasn’t been full-time in the ring for a long time, but he still gets back in there time and again. It was expected that he was going to take on Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 32 in a bit of a mentor vs. protege type thing, but Rollins is out for months due to a knee injury.

Still, Trips can still go in the ring, and it’s possible that fans may be seeing more of him soon.

WWE.com put out a list of the “Top 10 Things We Want To See In 2016,” and one has to believe that many of them are hints more than just dreams. The first one is about Triple H and how he has never won the United States Championship, but he should.

The writers would like to see Triple H win the new Grand Slam which has been won by six people, and that’s capturing all four titles currently offered in WWE.

For many many years in WCW, the United States Championship is one that was won by some true legends including Ricky Steamboat, Sting, Harley Race, and many others. It has a lot of history and has truly been something that has been held by the greatest.

Triple H is not one of them.

Over his 20-year career in WWE, Triple H has won his fair share of titles. Actually, he’s won a ton of them and had a lot of other accomplishments as well, as his Wikipedia page displays.

WWF/E Undisputed Championship – 8 times
World Heavyweight Championship – 5 times
WWF/E Intercontinental Championship – 5 times
WWF/E European Championship – 2 times
WWE Tag Team Championship – 1 time with Shawn Michaels
World Tag Team Championship – 2 times: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels
1997 King of the Ring
2002 Royal Rumble winner

John Cena has truly taken the United States Championship and made it mean something again over the course of the last year. Cena is a main event talent that held the title for a long time and defended it weekly with his U.S. Title Open Challenge.

Now, it’s around the waist of Alberto Del Rio, who is another former world champion and a main event talent. Having Triple H come back into the ring to challenge for the belt, whoever may hold it at the time, could be a big draw.

Each professional wrestling organization has its own version of a Triple Crown or Grand Slam, and at one point or another, Triple H had won what version WWE had available. The current version is one that he can honestly win easily because he has already nabbed three of the four titles.

One interesting storyline could come to light in the coming months, especially with plans for WrestleMania 32 recently being scrapped and WWE starting from scratch. If John Cena continues his feud with Del Rio and wins the United States Title back, wouldn’t it be a little old-school fun for Triple H to take on the WWE hero for it?

Triple H is the subject of a lot of rumors lately, and that includes him winning the Royal Rumble and going on to main event WrestleMania 32. Now, WWE wants to see him win the United States Championship, and it sounds crazy, but it’s a new year and anything is possible.

Triple H Announces First Ever WWE NXT Year-End Awards Will Air on NXT, Categories and Date of Show Revealed

Which NXT Superstar had the best 2015? What was your favorite NXT match of the year? You will be able to make your voice heard on these topics and more, starting tomorrow!

WWE COO Triple H announced on Twitter that the first NXT Year-End Awards in WWE history, recognizing the best NXT had to offer in 2015, will be presented on the Jan. 13 edition of NXT on WWE Network. The NXT Universe will be able to cast their votes exclusively on WWE.com, beginning New Year’s Day at 10 a.m. ET in six categories. The awards are:

Overall Competitor of the Year
Male Competitor of the Year
Female Competitor of the Year
Tag Team of the Year
Match of the Year
TakeOver of the Year

Polls for the inaugural NXT Year-End Awards open tomorrow, Jan. 1, 2016, at 10 a.m. ET on WWE.com and close on Jan. 6 at 10 a.m. ET. Don’t miss the chance to help your favorite NXT Superstars win these prestigious honors!

Rumor Mill - NFL Star Getting Involved With WWE - Tapout?

Mojo Rawley's good friend and New England Patriots player Rob Gronkowski attended last night's WWE live event in Providence, Rhode Island. PWInsider reports that Gronk is strongly considering purchasing the WWE - Tapout gym franchise in Buffalo, New York, when the project launches. Gronk is from the Buffalo area. As noted, WWE and Tapout are planning on launching a bunch of co-branded gyms across the country some time in 2016, with a lot of involvement from WWE stars and other celebrities.

The Reason Why There Was No Mug Shot of Stephanie McMahon When She Was Arrested on Raw

The mug shot of a disheveled, wild-eyed Vince McMahon was one of the most entertaining aspects of the angle on Raw last night in which the WWE Chairman was arrested.

It's an aspect that was missing when a similar angle involving Stephanie McMahon took place on Raw last year.

So why was there no mug shot of a snarling, crying Stephanie, you ask?

Because Triple H wouldn't allow it.

I was among the WWE creative writers who discussed ideas with Vince regarding the episode in which Stephanie would get arrested, and I was the one who suggested that we take a mug shot of Stephanie and show it on the broadcast.

Vince loved it. In fact, I think I may have gotten one of his "that's good thinking" figurative pats on the back.

However, when the creative team ran the angle by Triple H, he didn't care for any of it, and he especially hated the mug shot idea.

His reasoning was that the faux mug shot of his wife would exist forever in cyberspace, and therefore if someone did a Google search on Stephanie and the photo popped up, people might think she had actually been arrested, which could be detrimental to her career as WWE's Chief Brand Officer.

Hopefully, no one will ever Google "Stephanie McMahon on Howard Stern 2002" or "Triple H and necrophilia."

Anyway, Triple H stated his case to Vince, and Vince nixed the mug shot.

Apparently, Vince had no such concerns last night about his own mug shot .

In all fairness, however, Triple H may have had a good point. According to TMZ, the NYPD fielded a number of calls last night regarding Vince's arrest.

So, at least for some people, it's still real to them, dammit.

source: kevineckwrestling.sportsblog.com

NYPD Fields Flurry of Calls After Vince McMahon's 'Arrest'

Vince McMahon triggered a bunch of calls to the NYPD after he appeared to get arrested Monday night on "Monday Night Raw."

Cops began fielding calls after some really bad acting, where Vince stepped in to protect his daughter from some rent-a-cops. Things got heated at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Vince got aggressive and the cops hooked him up and read him his Miranda rights.

It seemed real enough for viewers to call police ... presumably to either express their displeasure or lobby to have the book thrown at him.

source: tmz.com

WWE Breaking Ground Recap 12/28/15

WWE Pays Tribute To Motorhead Lead Singer Lemmy Kilmister

.@WWE pays tribute to @MyMotorhead lead singer Lemmy Kilmister. #RIPLemmy #RAW https://t.co/4sG6gb35nK

— WWE (@WWE) December 29, 2015

Triple H Remembers His Friend And Rock Legend Lemmy Kilmister

Rock legend Lemmy Kilmister of the band Motörhead passed away today at the age of 70. Lemmy has been a close friend of Triple H's, performing his entrance live at WrestleMania 17 and 21. Motörhead also did the "Line In the Sand" theme song for Evolution, and another theme for Triple H in 2006. They most recently provided "Ace of Spades" to use as the NXT "Takeover: London" theme song after Triple H and Corey Graves met with Lemmy.

#RIPLemmy One life, lived your way, from the beginning, till the end See you down the road my friend... Thank you for the gift of your sound

— Triple H (@TripleH) December 29, 2015