Rosa Mendes Talks About WWE Supporting Her During Pregnancy, How She's Doing, More

Rosa Mendes recently spoke with Yahoo Parenting to talk about the return of WWE Total Divas and her pregnancy. The full interview is at this link. Below are highlights:

You're due in February! How are you feeling these days?

I felt so lucky, I was having a breeze and bragging to everyone, like, "I love being pregnant! I'm one of the lucky ones!" And now this third trimester has been so tough. I'm tired. But when I stay active, I feel a lot better. So I'm trying to keep on my feet and keep busy, but there are hot flashes and stuff. And it's hard to bend over.

Have there been other pregnant WWE divas?

No, I'm the first in history that's still working. And the WWE has supported me so much. Being in such a physical industry, I was worried it would affect my career, but no — when I told them, they congratulated me. It's been such an empowering experience finding a new role for me in the company, which you'll see on "Total Divas." It keeps me away from the line of fire [but] still able to be part of the show and do what I love to do most. It's been such an amazing experience. … My fiancé ordered a onesie from the WWE online shop that says: "Future Divas Champion." It's so cute, in pink. So she's a little diva already.

Your WWE character can be kind of crazy and mean. How much of your real personality is in there?

You know it's good vs. evil in the WWE, so I love playing that character so much. I love performing. I've loved performing since I was a kid, so it's just kind of like an escape. But I'm very down to earth — I'm Canadian and Costa Rican — but sometimes I still have that Latina temper, which is in my blood. That comes out once in a blue moon, so it's not too far-fetched.

Live WWE Tryout Announced For Arnold Festival

The WWE Experience is coming back this year for the 2016 Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio, as announced today. It will take place on Saturday, March 5th and Sunday, March 6th with live matches and meet & greets with WWE NXT stars, as well as autograph signings, Q&A sessions, giveaways and more. There will also be a live WWE tryout and a recruiting booth. The Experience will run from 9am until 5:30pm on Saturday and from 10am until 4pm on Sunday.

How Did The WWE Total Divas Season Premiere Do?

Tuesday's WWE Total Divas season 5 premiere on the E! network drew 1.115 million viewers and ranked #9 for the night on cable.

This is up 14% from the season 4 premiere, which drew 975,000 viewers. This is down 7% from the season 3 premiere, which drew 1.2 million viewers.

The season 4 finale back in September drew 1.158 million viewers.

Ricky Steamboat Talks WWE Hall of Famers Selling Their Rings

WWE Hall of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat recently appeared on “The Roman Show”, and during the interview Steamboat had the following to say about WWE Hall of Famers selling their rings:

“You have to look at the situation and the circumstance. I feel bad for the guys who ever it is unless they needed money,” he said. “A lot of guys as they get older their hips and their knees of course not being able to afford hospitalization and so on, but if they are selling to get money to go buy a car I find it disrespectful. People ask me what was one of the most memorable moments of my career. In 20 years of active wrestling and all the wrestling I got with of (Randy) Savage, (Ric) Flair, Don Morocco, and the list goes on and on. A memorable moment was when I got inducted into the hall of fame in 2009. I look at it I’ve done everything in my career to get that ring and recognize to be a hall of famer it was a big moment for me.”

Korderas: Being A Royal Rumble Referee

Jimmy Korderas, former WWE referee of over 20 years, wrote a new blog on CSRWrestling.com talking about what it’s like preparing for the Royal Rumble. Here’s a sample:

The Royal Rumble is just days away and everyone has an opinion on how the WWE title situation could or should play out. Fantasy booking is the modern day wrestling fan’s favorite past time but that is not the subject of this week’s blog. Predictions and speculation about the outcome of the Rumble are everywhere but what is generally never discussed is the preparation by all involved that put on a match with this many working parts. So instead of going the traditional route and giving my crystal ball picks for the Rumble, I have decided to give readers a little peek behind the curtain.

There is so much preparation that goes into a match such as the Royal Rumble. Getting everyone from the superstars, referees, producers, camera men, guys in the truck etc. on the same page takes a group effort. I have had the pleasure and honor of officiating many Rumble matches in my 20+ year career as a WWE referee including the first ever Royal Rumble match, so I thought I would focus on what the Royal Rumble day is like for a WWE referee.

Arrival time at the venue for referees depends on which time zone the event is taking place. Regardless of location, referees are at the arena approximately 7-8hrs ahead of the start time. Once the production meeting ends, the guys in stripes find out their assigned matches for the evening. Referees selected to participate in the Rumble now have to attend a meeting with all the talent and producers to go over the match. Everything is discussed from order of elimination, who eliminates who and of course who is slated to win the Royal Rumble. The referees are given a list with all this information on it to go over throughout the day. This list must not be passed around to prevent any potential “leaks” such as surprise entrants and of course the winner.

I remember during the 2008 Royal Rumble that there was to be a huge surprise entrant at #30. So that afternoon, 29 superstars, 4 referees and the producers assigned for that match met in a conference room to go over the match. Once the discussion got down to the final 4, the 26 superstars that were scheduled to be eliminated up to that point were excused from the meeting.

Click here for more of the blog including when things go wrong like the finish to Rumble 2005.

Total Divas Season 5 Premiere Recap

Eva Marie Talks Negative Crowd Reaction Affecting Her Mentally, Speaking with Vince & Triple H About Improving, Retiring the Word “Diva”

WWE Diva and Total Divas cast member Eva Marie recently spoke with FanSided.com and below are some interview highlights:

The fan reaction is a big part of your career starting when you first debuted on Raw in 2013. However, when you continued to go out in front of the crowd the reaction was very negative. How do the boos and criticism affect you mentally?

When I first started, definitely. I would be lying if I said it didn’t just because I am human. Walking into the WWE I was brand new; I did not know how things worked. Deep down I wanted everyone to cheer and adore me but this is the WWE where it doesn’t work that way all the time. There’s a good guy and a bad guy, and I am pretty badass bad guy.

Now that I have the training behind me, I think that really shows I do have the skills and talent to become a well-rounded wrestler. I think it goes back to me asking Vince [McMahon] and Triple H on wanting to go back to NXT to hone my craft and learn the ropes. I feel extremely confident when I walk out there now and I embrace the boos and the craziness from the WWE and NXT Universe.

You mentioned speaking with both Vince McMahon and Triple H about your career and what you could do to help your wrestling skill set. Do you think you were brought up too soon to the main roster and that was extra pressure for you to succeed?

I don’t think I was brought up to soon. I mean, everything for me has come in so quickly. I got my developmental deal at the same time “Total Divas” was debuting. I was put in a position with an amazing opportunity and if anybody was given the same, you better take it and run. Did I have the wrestling training behind that? No I didn’t. For me I’ve always been an athlete and wanted to be the best at everything I do. Plus, with NXT and the facilities they offer, I would be silly not to take that on. Look at me now though, I am on the road and continuing to improve each and every day.

Her reaction to Charlotte wanting to retire the word “Diva”:

I mean, at the end of the day we are all women wrestlers. But we also all are entertainers. I feel if they call me a Diva or a wrestler I think it’s the same thing.

AJ Styles Working Final ROH Event Saturday, ROH Issues Statement

Ring of Honor announced that they will hold a send off for AJ Styles at their Saturday event in Duluth, GA. You can check out the announcement below:

"The best wrestling on the planet, Ring of Honor, will bring another great night of action to the Atlanta area on Saturday, January 23rd, 2016. We will be making our debut at the Infinite Energy Center (Formerly the Gwinnett Center) with a 7:30PM bell time!

In addition to the hard-hitting, fast-paced professional wrestling that only ROH showcases, fans in Duluth with have an opportunity to send off ROH Legend and hometown star "The Phenomenal One" AJ STYLES!

Styles will be appearing live in Duluth to sign autographs and take photos with the BEST FANS ON THE PLANET! A cornerstone of ROH since its inception in 2002, Gainesville, GA's Styles has become one of the most accomplished stars in professional wrestling, capturing a litany of major titles including, most recently, the IWGP World Championship! Don't miss your chance to meet and greet this ROH Legend at his LAST ROH APPEARANCE – you just don't know where you may see him next!"

Triple H Leading Bench Press Challenge

Joe DeFranco of DeFranco's Gym has posted his "100-Rep Bench Press Challenge!" to YouTube and noted on Twitter that his good friend Triple H is the current leader with a time of 4 minutes and 50 seconds.

TNA Reveals Kurt Angle’s Final Farewell Tour Opponent

TNA has announced Bobby Lashley will go up against Kurt Angle at the January 31 event in Birmingham, England at Birmingham Barclaycard Arena.

It is believed this will be Angle's final date with the company.

WWE Apologizes To Fans In India For 1998 Segment With Kurt Angle Disrespecting Indian Flag

WebIndia has an article with WWE International President Gerrit Meier apologizing for a segment in 1998 where Kurt Angle took the Indian flag and wiped his nose with it on WWE TV.

Going into last week's WWE live events in New Delhi, India, there were calls by Hindu group Aadvanshi Veer Sena and some local wrestlers to protest WWE's arrival, because of the 1998 segment, unless WWE apologized. Meier issued the following comments:

"This case is about 20-years-ago and we did not deliberately did that. We have a great respect for the country. We are sorry that it happened, but we had no intention of doing it. India is a reputable country and we apologise for this."

Scott Hall Comments on Sting’s WWE Experiences

“I was there and obviously involved in his match at WrestleMania last year. We’re rehearsing the match in Cali last year at Levi Stadium, and it’s the Kliq and the New Age Outlaws out there, and we all know each other. And then there’s Sting, who doesn’t know anybody. He’s an outsider. I just think he never felt comfortable there. Being hurt was answered prayer for him–just let it end.

You need to remember that Vince is never going to go with something he didn’t create. But we didn’t get anything done at the rehearsal the night before, so WrestleMania day, there were tents in the parking lot set up with rings for rehearsal. So we’re all in there again, and I’m next to Hulk on the ring apron and Triple H is going over the match and then he goes, ‘OK, he’ll break the sledgehammer, then I’ll hit him with the sledgehammer, and cover him, 1-2-3.’ I looked at Hulk, and Hulk looked at me, and I was thinking, ‘Sting, what kind of lawyer do you have, bro? You’re coming in the door doing a job? You weren’t even guaranteed to go over?’ That’s Vince just reminding you who won, even if he’s going to make money the other way.”

Freddie Prinze On Working WWE Creative With Vince McMahon, Booking Jeff Hardy, Nixed Plans, More

A recent episode of Chris Jericho's "Talk Is Jericho" podcast features actor and former WWE creative writer Freddie Prinze Jr., who was signed by WWE in 2007. The two sides parted ways in February of 2009. You can hear the full interview at this link.

Freddie, who said working for WWE was a dream job, was responsible for the reinvention of "The" Brian Kendrick and then Jeff Hardy during his WWE Title run. Jericho asked how Freddie was able to get Hardy to trust him, as Jeff is a notorious loner who tends to keep to himself. Freddie tried to be entirely open and honest with Jeff. He said they discussed taboo subjects including drugs and alcohol, death, and suicide. Freddie also wrote for The Undertaker and Kane, revealing that Vince McMahon was more involved with Kane's promos than any other WWE star. Prinze said, "If I wrote Kane was going to 'destroy someone,' he'd say, 'Kane wouldn't say that. Kane would obliterate someone.'" Freddie added that Vince is 127 years old but works like he's in his 70s.

The "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Scooby-Doo" actor was soon put with Alberto Del Rio and told that Mexicans needed to hate him. Freddie said Del Rio was very nervous but wanted to impress Vince, so he was up for whatever worked. Freddie also said he wrote a farewell storyline for Edge, that ended up nixed due to his injury and sudden retirement. The original plan was to have Christian make a big heel turn and force Edge to retire.

Prinze also discussed how he got into WWE, when John Cena approved of him being there, why he liked working with The Miz and lots more in the full interview.

Jimmy Snuka Trial Delayed; Attorney Says Snuka Isn't Fit To Stand Trial

The trial for WWE Hall of Famer "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka has been postponed, as his defense attorney says that the former wrestling star isn't competent to stand trial.

Snuka's defense attorney Robert Kirwan II filed a motion for a competency hearing in Lehigh County Court in Pennsylvania. Snuka was set to go on trial for third-degree murder in March.

See Also: 'Superfly' Jimmy Snuka Charged With Murder In 1983 Death Of Girlfriend

Snuka was charged with involuntary manslaughter and third degree murder of former girlfriend Nancy Argentino in 1983. Police were called to their hotel room, where Argentino was found dead. Snuka has maintained his innocence throughout the process, saying it was an accident.

According to Kirwan, Snuka's mental and physical health has went downhill over the past several months, to the point where he doesn't even understand that he was arrested.

WWE removed Snuka from their official website last year after charges were filed. The company has yet to comment on removing him from their Hall of Fame, although no physical Hall of Fame actually exists. The company also suspended his Legends contract.

Triple H Congratulates The WWE NXT Year-End Award Winners With William Regal

The first-ever WWE NXT Year-End Awards were revealed on tonight's episode - Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady as Tag Team of the Year, Bayley as Female Competitor of the Year, Finn Balor as Male Competitor of the Year, Finn Balor as Overall Competitor of the Year, NXT "Takeover: Brooklyn" as Takeover of the Year and Sasha Banks vs. Bayley in Brooklyn as the Match of the Year.

Stephanie McMahon Makes Variety's Executives To Watch List

WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon made Variety’s “30 Digital Entertainment Executives to Watch In 2016″ list. They wrote the following blurb, which also features a quote from Stephanie:

When she’s not playing a villain in the ring at WWE events or on shows, McMahon allows her real self to peek through — as a driven executive who’s helped to create a massive multiplatform footprint for her family-operated sports entertainment company. With its online WWE Network at 1.3 million subscribers, and a social media reach of 550 million followers, WWE plans to be everywhere for optimum fan engagement. “The secret to our success is that WWE is truly an interactive brand,” she says. “Our fans are part of our show, and use their voices whether live in the arena, or via social media to express opinions and influence creative direction.” McMahon’s goals for 2016 include growing the WWE Network, international expansion in India, China and South America, and re-launching WWE.com to enhance mobile, video and social usage. She expects events such as the upcoming WrestleMania 32 in April and new WWE Network animated series “Camp WWE” to help keep fans screaming for more.

Ex-Diva Tammy Sytch So Done with WWE ... You Can Have My Hall of Fame Ring!

Tammy Sytch is giving fans a chance to get a piece of her WWE Diva alter ego, Sunny, by hawking a totally unique piece of memorabilia ... her Hall of Fame ring!

Sunny got the ring in 2011 when she was inducted, but says she's ready to turn the page on her pro wrestling days. She's unloading the ring on eBay with an opening bid of $3,000.

Sytch says the sale has nothing to do with her legal troubles last year, she's just wiping the slate clean. She told us, "It's time to let go of the past and selling my ring is the right way to get back on track!"

source: tmz.com

Steve Austin And Ric Flair On His Legacy, Vince McMahon And Triple H Relationships, Charlotte, More

Steve Austin's pre-recorded "Stone Cold Podcast" with Ric Flair kicks off on the WWE Network from Austin's Broken Skull Ranch in south Texas. Austin says it's hot as hell and he's got the greatest pro wrestler on God's green Earth in front of him. Flair jokes about how far out Austin's ranch is and asks how he went from Los Angeles to being 100 miles away from anything. Austin says it's relaxing and he dedicates two months to staying there and getting away.

Austin says he believes Flair is the greatest ever to lace up a pair of boots and Flair thanks him. Austin asks about Flair calling himself a "black market baby" in his book. Flair says he was "stolen" from a hospital and put into an orphanage. He's never met his original parents and never wanted to. He was adopted and moved to Detroit, later told at age 10 that he was adopted. Flair says it didn't bother him as a kid and he didn't think about it. He says he has an ex-wife who is still upset that he never looked into his real family. He says his mom and dad were great and probably didn't understand the kind of kid they were taking on. Austin asks if Flair was a little crazy growing up. Flair says in 9th grade, he was going to either private school or detention school. He was driving his parents' motorcycle and car around while they were away, and got caught trying to buy liquor. He went to a private school in Wisconsin and said within two days, he was handed a fake ID that said he was 18 years old.

Flair talks about selling life insurance before getting into pro wrestling. He sold a bunch of his friends $10,000 policies and was "riding high" or living good. Flair says still to this day, he has a hard time understanding what moderation means. Flair talks about trying pro wrestling out and says he quit after the first two days of training but Verne Gagne made him get back in and not give up. He wanted to use the name Ramblin' Ricky Rhodes and go as Dusty Rhodes' brother but Verne said that wasn't happening and he's been using Ric Flair from the beginning. He says he was making $1,000 per week within a month and back then, that was big money. Flair says he went and bought a black four-door Cadillac Fleetwood. Austin brings up the tragic plane crash in 1975 that broke Flair's back. Flair says they hit the ground going 230 mph and the seat belt held him but was part of what caused his back injury. Flair was back in the ring 8 months later after being told he would never wrestle again. He was still paid weekly by Crockett Promotions while at home in bed. Flair knew a a month and a half later he would return one day.

More?

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.