Brodus Clay, Evan Bourne, Teddy Long, Curt Hawkins and other WWE Superstars released

From wwe.com:

WWE has come to terms on the release of the following Superstars as of today, June 12, 2014:

JTG
Drew McIntyre
Jinder Mahal
Aksana
Curt Hawkins
Theodore Long
Camacho
Brodus Clay
Evan Bourne
Yoshi Tatsu
Marc Harris (referee)

WWE wishes them the best in all their future endeavors.

The Latest on a Possible Physical WWE Hall of Fame

WWE has reportedly approached numerous historians and have made significant money offers to them for memorabilia to potentially fill a physical WWE Hall of Fame.

Vince McMahon is said to have never been to keen on the idea of a physical Hall of Fame, but it's something Triple H is said to be very high on and longterm plans continue to be discussed.

Steve Austin Speaks on WrestleMania XXX Idea He Pitched to Vince

I have a lot of respect for Hulk Hogan. The Rock is a friend of mine and I have a ton of respect for him, and when you get three cats like us in the ring, it was truly a good time, and I think everyone there enjoyed it. I actually pitched to Vince in the back that I wanted to sing "Jambalaya." It’s an old Hank Williams song and he shot that down. He didn’t think it would get over and I think there are some copyright issues or whatever, but could you imagine 70 to 80 thousand people singing "Jambalaya"? it would’ve been badass.

But what you should have heard was me singing "Jambalaya" to Vince in the dressing room with Triple H pacing back and forth getting ready for his match. It was pretty damn funny.

Rumor Mill - John Cena’s Eye Injury, Backstage News on Bray Wyatt Punished in the Past for Similar Incident

John Cena suffered an eye injury during his WWE live event match against Bray Wyatt in Madison, Wisconsin over the weekend. The injury came when Wyatt poked Cena in the eye, which resulted in massive swelling that was visible on Raw this week.

WWE cameras were instructed to shoot Cena from a distance on Raw this week, to camouflage the injury as best as possible.

According to The Wrestling Observer, this is not the first time this has happened, as Bray Wyatt, back when he was performing as Husky Harris, poked Cena in the eye in a similar fashion, and word is Wyatt was demoted back to developmental for the incident as he did not "apologize to Cena enough" for the mistake.

'350 Days' body slams into glamour, drugs of 1980s wrestling

Many of them are now broken men — both physically and financially — but in the 1980s they were like rock stars, lured by a lifestyle of big money, fast women, drugs and steroids.

A new documentary entitled "350 Days" explores their lives and what is described as the "golden era" of professional wrestling.
1980s wrestling

The 1980s saw a surge in its popularity in the United States and Canada. Contributing to its success was the expansion of cable television and pay-per-view and a period of cross-promotion between the WWF and elements of the music industry, including singer Cyndi Lauper.

The documentary is a co-effort of Vancouver-based actor Fulvio Cecere, who is the director and co-producer, along with producer Darren Antola.

"I did wrestle in high school so I appreciate the sport of it, but the entertainment part of it I didn't know anything about it," said Cecere, 54, who grew up in Montreal and has a long list of TV and movie credits.

Cecere said he and Antola were working on reality TV show proposals. When those didn't work out they found the world of professional wrestling provided another opportunity.

An interview with "Superstar" Billy Graham, who was a champion in the late 1970s as well as an award-winning bodybuilder who trained with Arnold Schwarzenegger, was an eye opener.

"He was just so nonchalant. He said, 'I'd get up in the morning and shoot my speed and I did this and this and that' and just rattled it off like a grocery list," said Cecere.

"The honesty, the openness, the stuff that was coming out, I knew I was on to something. From then on we started going to as many people as possible."

The title, "350 Days," refers to the amount of time many of the performers wrestled every year...More?

source: cbc.ca

Joey Styles On WWE Network Royalties, Would Announce NXT

Joey Styles answered some interesting questions on Twitter. The following is from his verified Twitter account:

“@GetTheEOut: @JoeyStyles I hope you get royalties for @WWENetwork views of #ECW shows.” I don't but I do get more offers for appearances.

@Ryzilla85 7@JoeyStyles would u ever get behind the desk again if @WWE asked" Yes for @WWENXT. It reminds me of ECW & tapes monthly in FL.

Shawn Michaels Talks Fan Backlash Against John Cena & His Greatest Quality

Tonight's episode of WWE Rewind on the WWE Network will look at Shawn Michaels vs. John Cena from WrestleMania 23. In the video above, Michaels talks about the company making the decision to have Cena become the face of the company. Michaels noted that the decision was the reason for people rebelling against him and chanting things like "you can't wrestle," and said that Cena "obviously can." Michaels said that Cena's greatest quality is that he's "an incredibly hard worker." Michaels noted that there are a lot of things that they both can't do, but said that he has done "a much better job" of covering it up than Cena. Michaels added that he feels that Cena gets a raw deal, and that Cena has earned everything he's gotten.

Roman Reigns And UFC Champion Ronda Rousey Comment On Rousey Joining The Shield

As noted over the weekend, Roman Reigns was asked by a fan on Twitter if he thinks UFC Women's Champion Ronda Rousey should be a member of The Shield. Reigns replied and said she seems like a good fit, leading to this reply from Rousey and an exchange between the two:

Rousey: "How did I not see this till right now!? #thisisawesome @wweromanreigns "

Reigns: "@RondaRousey well hell lets get a vest on u and start tearing the world apart! #BreakEveryRuleInTheBook"

Rousey: "Btw I fan-girled out on that @WWERomanReigns tweet so bad I screwed up like 5 times lol"

WWE was reportedly interested in having Rousey appear at this year's SummerSlam pay-per-view.

Daniel Bryan Officially Stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship; Complete Story & Update on the Title Picture

Daniel Bryan has been officially stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

The behind-the-scenes story has been developing since Bryan suffered an injury to an already aggravated neck, and was forced to undergo surgery on May 15th. WWE officials were hopeful that the world champion would return to action in time for the Money in the Bank PPV – after sitting on the bench for last month's Payback PPV – but it was reported earlier today that Bryan and the WWE received bad news from doctors, and will not be cleared to wrestle in the coming weeks.

As far as the on-screen story goes, Bryan was attacked by Kane several times, including a very physical match at Extreme Rules, in order to play off his injury on television. Stephanie McMahon announced last week that either Bryan would defend the title in a Stretcher Match at this month's PPV, or he would be forced to vacate the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and the title would be up for grabs in a Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon kicked off Monday Night Raw tonight, announcing what we already knew – Daniel Bryan is unable to compete, and therefor cannot defend the title – prior to officially stripping him of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross Suffered Stroke-Like Symptoms Before Hospital Stint

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross was hospitalized Thursday for mysterious '"stroke-like symptoms" ... but after a few days of extensive testing, doctors were able to pinpoint the source of the legendary announcer's problem.

Ross says he got home from a trip to Vegas Thursday night and wasn't feeling well ... so his wife forced him to go to a nearby hospital in Oklahoma to get checked out.

Doctors ran a battery of tests on the 62-year-old and ultimately determined the symptoms were being caused by meds he had been taking for an unrelated medical issue.

Doctors also informed Ross ... the tests showed he had suffered a minor undiagnosed stroke in the past.

Ross' doctors are confident they fixed the problem -- changed his medication -- and the podcast-host was released from the hospital Saturday evening.

Ross adds, "I'm not ready to tag out just yet."

source: tmz.com

Photo: Low Turn-out for TNA Live Event in Salisbury, MD

TNA Event at Minor League Baseball Stadium Draws Less Than 300 Fans

We've heard anywhere between 100 and 300 fans attended Friday night's TNA live event in Bowie, Maryland at Prince George's Stadium. One fan noted that Bowie's local minor league baseball team, the Bowie Baysox, drew 3,141 fans at their most recent home game.

Terry Taylor & Michael "PS" Hayes Receive Awards

The 2014 Cauliflower Alley Club Reunion took place this weekend at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas with many wrestling legends in attendance. Gerald Brisco presented Michael "PS" Hayes with the Lou Thesz Award, which is a lifetime achievement award and Jim Ross presented Terry Taylor with the Iron Mike Award, the CAC's top honor.

Ross noted in a blog last week that WWE had 4 tables reserved for the reunion. We've heard in the past that WWE had reserved 1 or 2 tables but never 4. No word yet on who attended on their behalf.

Rumor Mill - Legal Issues Between WWE and Rey Mysterio?

Rey Mysterio’s WWE contract was renewed for one year by Vince McMahon last week despite Mysterio wanting to leave with the expiration of his contract.

WWE decided that due to Mysterio's recent injuries, he has missed so much time they enforced a rule in which contracts may be frozen and thus Mysterio is now paying back time to the company he has missed through until May 2015.

According to sources, there is a potential legal issue that has not played out.

WWE Offering Free Financial Planning & Debt Assistance, Scholarships to All Former Talents

WWE's talent relations department issued letters this week to former contracted talents and referees offering them financial planning assistance in a number of ways never before offered by the company.

WWE's letter noted that they are now offering, free of charge, financial planning and debt assistance services through a financial firm for anyone who was ever under contract. The assistance would include help with financial management and for talents who are in debt, help with debt consolidation.

WWE is also offering a $5,000 per semester scholarship to any former talents who wish to further their college education. The letter noted that those interested need to enroll by 8/1 in order to be eligible for the Fall 2014 semester's scholarship and also provide proof of enrollment to WWE.

The letters were sent out earlier this week and former talents are just starting to receive them.

From WWE's corporate site:

WWE also extends a Professional Development Program to former WWE Talent, and in some cases, their family members. This Professional Development Program aims to provide guidance and support beyond talent’s tenure with WWE.

WWE’s Professional Development Program for former talent focuses on two major initiatives- Financial Education and Continuing Education.


• Financial Education: WWE has partnered with Money Management International (MMI), the largest non-profit credit counseling agency in the country, to provide free Financial Education to former WWE Talent and their immediate family members.

• Continuing Education: WWE offers financial scholarships to former WWE Talent in the amount of $5,000 per calendar year to be used for obtaining a college degree or completing a certificate program.

To keep Former WWE Talent up-to-date with current WWE news, WWE distributes a digital “Alumni Newsletter” on a quarterly basis. The newsletter includes information on WWE news, archives, wellness, professional development and more.

Triple H Talks About Shawn Merriman Possibly Joining WWE

We noted last week that Triple H mentioned in his NXT Takeover conference call that WWE had been talking to former NFL star Shawne Merriman and that they would love to have him on their team. The Miami Herald has an article up with Triple H's comments on Merriman. Here's what Triple H said:

"Shawne has done some analyst work for us, done some stuff for the [WWE] Network. We are having conversations with Shawne, and it’s really going to come down to time and what he wants to do. Shawne expressed to me he had two dreams growing up. One was to be an NFL superstar, and he did that, and the other was to be a WWE superstar. He’s done one, and now he’s heavily contemplating the other. We’re in discussions. So we’ll see what happens, see where it goes. He’s a great guy, an amazing athlete, very smart, and we’d love to have him."

E! Touts TV Rating Success for the WWE Total Divas Season Finale

Indy Talent Wins Major Lawsuit Against WWE Hall of Famer

Larry "Abdullah The Butcher" Shreve was found guilty today in the negligence, assault and battery care related to the transmission of the Hepatitis C virus to Devon Nicholson who wrestles as "Hannibal." Nicholson was cured of the disease in late 2013 after undergoing 2 intensive and expensive chemotherapy like treatments and lost a WWE contract due to testing positive for the virus in 2009.

According to a CBC report, Nicholson has been awarded $2.3 million in damages which must be paid by Shreve. Shreve has 30 days to appeal the judge's decision, and you can read more at this link.

Seth Rollins Turns On The Shield And Joins Evolution

During Monday's WWE Raw broadcast Seth Rollins turned his back on fellow members of The Shield, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns by turning heel in a shocking twist.

The scheduled Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns main event didn't go ahead after Triple H revealed that he had a “plan B.”

Seth Rollins attacked both Reigns and Dean Ambrose with a steel chair, following this Triple H and Randy Orton took to the ring to join Rollins in the beatdown.

Total Divas Season Two Finale

Full Sail President talks about partnership with WWE NXT

Brian Fritz of The Orlando Sentinel is featuring an article with quotes from Full Sail University President Garry Jones talking about the two year anniversary of Full Sail's partnership with WWE to produce NXT programming.

"The relationship between Full Sail and the WWE is one of those rare situations when you first meet someone and are impressed and as time goes on you’re even more impressed with the people. The WWE has people of their word: they do what they say and when they say it. It’s extraordinary."

Orlando Sentinel: NXT Wrestling has found a home at Full Sail

Batista "Quits" WWE During Tonight's Raw Broadcast

During tonight's WWE Raw broadcast, Batista "quit" the company after Triple H wouldn't give him WWE World Heavyweight Title shot. Batista is finishing up with WWE to begin promotional work for his new film Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and is expected to return in time for SummerSlam.

Brie Bella "Quits" WWE

At Sunday night's WWE Payback event, Brie Bella announced that she was "quitting" WWE during the segment involving her, Daniel Bryan, and Stephanie McMahon.

Brie told Stephanie that she refused to be a powerless victim and stated that Stephanie couldn't fire her before announcing that she "quit." Brie then slapped Stephanie across the face, causing a humiliated Stephanie to walk away from the ring.

Stephanie had threatened to fire Brie if Daniel Bryan refused to surrender the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Payback. Interestingly during the promo, Stephanie responding to fan chants told Bryan and Bella "There people want you to quit...just like CM Punk did."

The 100 Most Obsessed-Over People on the Web

George W. Bush is more popular than Obama, Beyonce beats the Pope--and the mysterious clout of professional wrestlers. The ultimate online power list. Plus see how 20,000 of the world's best known people stack up. Click here.

1. George W. Bush
17. Hulk Hogan
24. Big Show
34. John Cena
35. The Undertaker
38. Kane
47. Kurt Angle
50. The Rock
56. CM Punk
57. Bret Hart
71. Chris Jericho
73. Edge
81. Rey Mysterio
83. Rob Van Dam
86. Triple H
94. Ric Flair
100. Lance Armstrong

source: time.com

Triple H Talks Rivalry With The Rock, Working Behind The Scenes, Favorite WrestleMania Moments

As noted earlier, Triple H is on the cover of the latest edition of Muscle & Fitness magazine, which is on newsstands now. Here are a few highlights from the interview:

How he transitioned to into a creative position:

"In some ways, I've been doing it behind the scenes for years. Vince McMahon used to say to me, 'When are you going to stop playing around and come do some real work?' Once I had kids and was looking to be home more and getting a little older, I saw it was time to make that transition. Vince sort of baited me in, saying, 'Why don't you come in to the office once or twice a week on your off days?' And the next thing I know it's, 'I need you to take over this department and come off the road full time.' Vince likes to call me [to wrestle] in case of emergency. I'm a character they can pull in here and there. But honestly, the less I do it at this point, the better. Even wrestling once or twice a year is hard, and I have to prepare for it as if I'm Floyd Mayweather preparing for a boxing match. It's a commitment, and trying to do that with a full-time job and a wife and kids is very time-consuming."

How the Performance came come to be:

"WWE has had a development system for a long time, but I felt we needed to do more. So, from concept to development, the Performance Center was mine. And it was something that Vince, when I pitched him on it, said was phenomenal. I helped design it, and worked with the architects. I went to NFL and NHL training centers and saw what the best teams in the world had. I thought, 'If I were a 20-year-old today, what would I need to succeed?' And I put it all in that building. That includes everything from strength and conditioning, rings for [future Superstars] to work in, to promo rooms where they can work on their verbal skills. We train everyone from referees to announce teams there. That's the platform for the next generation of Superstars."

Advice for other business people to stay in shape despite hectic schedules and travel:

"I make sure I always have a body-weight routine on hand, or bands, so I can do something in my hotel room. Even if you do only 15-20 minutes of intense exercise every day, your life changes dramatically. The Rock and I have always had a rivalry. And even though he's one of the biggest movie stars in the world now, to this day, I'll still look at his Twitter account, and it says something like '4:30 a.m. in Bolivia filming a movie, about to hit cardio.' So when I have to motivate myself, I'll think about that and say, 'f--kin' Rock. If he can do it, I can do it.' He motivates me. He's not afraid of a hard day's work. If being successful means I have to miss sleep, that's what I'll do. And that's most people's problem. Most don't want it more than they want to hang out or go and see the new Iron Man movie. When I was in high school, I didn't hang out with my friends, I hung out with the guys from my gym. My friends wanted to go to parties and I didn't, because I was going to get up at seven the next morning and do a heavy leg day. That's just how I've always been. I hope that drive never goes away."

His favorite WrestleMania moment:

"Of all time, I guess it's that iconic moment at WrestleMania III, with Hogan slamming Andre. It represents that time and the explosion of the business. For me, personally, it would be WrestleMania 28, with me and Undertaker and Shawn Michaels as the referee. There was a moment I'll never forget, with the three of us standing at the top of the ramp - we were like the three guys of the Attitude Era left standing, after the Monday Night Wars and everything. Three guys who couldn't be closer or have more respect for one another. I have a photo of that moment framed at my house."

Rumor Mill - Triple H calls meeting at RAW for better direction for story lines

There was a meeting called by Triple H before this past Monday’s RAW in Knoxville, TN. Triple H reportedly expressed his desire for RAW and SmackDown to have “more of a flow from top to bottom.”

There are concerns within WWE that people aren’t subscribing to the WWE Network because the product on TV isn’t good enough, which can be largely attributed to lack of flow, storylines being forgotten or outright dropped.

One source pointed to Triple H and Vince McMahon having “different visions” and the ideas of the two clashing.

It’s said that going into the summer, Triple H really wants more focus placed on under-card programs as a way to help build up the mid-card.

Rumor Mill - Three Big Names Expected To Begin Training With WWE Soon

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that independent stars KENTA, Kevin Steen and Prince Devitt will begin training at the WWE Performance Center from August.

WWE has to clear all their visas, medical tests and many other factors before allowing them to join the developmental roster.

Brie Bella Talks About Her Thoughts on Stephanie McMahon, Bryan & Total Divas, Rosa, More

Scott Fishman of The Miami Herald recently spoke with Brie Bella to promote the season finale of WWE Total Divas. Below are some highlights:

Being on Total Divas:
"I look at all of us girls, and we all bring something different to the table. I think women can relate to us because I think it’s very common women have to balance career and relationship. At the same time, you never know what the world is interested in at that moment. There was the thinking of, ‘I think it will do well because we have something great here.’ At the same time, are people interested in women fighting in the ring and fighting for relationships outside?"

Daniel Bryan and the show:
"When I brought it up to Bryan [about doing the show], he was just like, ‘Brie, I don’t think we’re entertaining to watch. I don’t think this is a good idea for you and I.’ I was kind of like, ‘I think you’re right. We are kind of boring.’ It’s because we are very private, so it was hard for us to open up with all the cameras. He is such a good sport. He is just so good to me. With anything I want to do, he is 100 percent for it, even if he thinks I’m crazy. It was very hard for he and I at first, but now we have fun with it. We are so comfortable that sometimes we forget that the cameras are there. Bryan and I came to look at this as people can see he and I are very into the environment. That’s our passion outside of work."

Rosa Mendes being added to the third season:
"She has kind of been in this business for a really long time but has never really gone to the top. It will be neat to see her story and her struggles."

Having baby fever:
"I’m 30, and I’ll be 31 in November. You do get that baby fever where everyone around me is having children. I think in two years Bryan and I would love to have kids. Now it could be sooner, or it could be later. I’m not ready just yet, so for me it’s later. You never know. I just can’t wait to be a mother and to see Bryan as a father because I know he will be amazing at that. It will be crazy."

Her girl crush on Stephanie McMahon:
"I have to say I have like a girl crush on her. She is just an amazing woman. She is so talented and with the way she is with all the charities to represent WWE. Then she can put that all aside, when she gets to that ring. It’s just insane to me. I just really admire her, and it has been a lot of fun to work with her and learn from her. I’ve really enjoyed it. The storyline is insane, and you never know what it holds. I’m excited for Payback because I think it will have a really great twist."

Ric Flair Wrestling for Japanese Promotion, Flair Talks About Dolph Ziggler, Charlotte, His Health

Ric Flair recently spoke with Mike Mooneyham of The Charleston Post & Courier. Flair noted that he's down to 228 pounds and is in the best shape he's been in since his TNA run.

The article confirms a recent report that Flair is scheduled to wrestle for a Japanese promotion in September. Flair also talked about wanting to manage Dolph Ziggler when he returns to WWE soon. Flair commented on Ziggler:

"I think he's awesome. He'd be a great guy to manage. He looks like a million bucks. He just can't find his gimmick. He needs to work on his entrance. I could help him with that."

Flair also talked about his daughter, NXT Women's Champion Charlotte:

"She will be the greatest Flair of all time. Her credentials speak for themselves," says Flair. "I'd put her resume up against anybody. She's Rey Mysterio but bigger. She is going to be the greatest female wrestler and the most famous diva in the history of the WWE."

Video: Full Sail And WWE Celebrate Two Years Of Partnership

NXT Takeover Results

CM Punk Says He Is Retired, Talks Life After Wrestling

Red Eye Chicago is featuring an interview with former WWE star CM Punk for his role painting for charity sponsored by the Chicago Cubs. The interview refers to Punk as being a retired pro wrestler and asks about his life after wrestling.

"It feels good. It's a lot easier when you hook up with organizations like the Cubs and being friends with some of the team members. It isn't hard to support their charities. Plus I get to do fun stuff like bowl and paint chairs and play whiffle ball with Bill Murray. It was super fun and for a great cause. You've got athletes and actresses and musicians and all kinds of people painting chairs. I'm super happy to be a part of it."