WWE Tribute to the Troops Comes to Washington, D.C.

WWE today announced that the 14th annual WWE Tribute to the Troops event will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at Verizon Center in Washington D.C., marking the first time the event will be held in our nation’s capital. While in D.C., WWE Superstars will spend time with members of all five branches of the military. WWE began Tribute to the Troops in 2003 as a way to honor our servicemen and women and their families. Tribute to the Troops will air on Wednesday, Dec.14 on USA Network.

In the long-standing tradition of the USO supporting and entertaining our troops at home and abroad, WWE brings together the best of sports, entertainment and pop culture, with celebrity appearances and performances from music’s most popular acts. Tribute to the Troops has become a holiday tradition and is considered TV’s most patriotic and heartwarming show of the year.

While in Washington D.C., WWE Superstars will spend time giving back to military personnel and their families. Activities will include a Be a STAR anti-bullying rally, as well as hospital visits and outreach initiatives at various installations throughout the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Additionally, servicemen and women and their families will be given complimentary tickets to attend Tribute to the Troops.

"We are so excited to partner with WWE on Tribute to the Troops, an event that truly has become a holiday tradition for our service members and their families," said Elaine Rogers, President and CEO of USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore. "What better way to thank our active duty military members and their families for their service than by providing them with an amazing evening of fun and entertainment."

"First I would like to thank the USO and WWE for all the support they have given our servicemen and women," said Maj. Gen. Bradley A. Becker, Commander, Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington. "The National Capital Region is the political and military center of gravity for the United States with an infrastructure vital to the global interests of the nation, and I believe is an ideal location for the upcoming Tribute to the Troops because of the large number of military personnel and their families that live and work in the DC-Metro area. I know that our service members are big fans of WWE and are excited to participate in this wonderful event."

"For the 14th year, WWE is honored to give back to American military personnel and their families for their commitment to and sacrifice for our country," said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. "Our servicemen and women work tirelessly and selflessly for our freedom, and it is an honor to continue the Tribute to the Troops tradition for them this year in our nation’s capital."

Bill Goldberg Returning to Monday NIght Raw

Last night on WWE Raw Paul Heyman challenged Bill Goldberg to fight Brock Lesnar anytime, anywhere in WWE.

Goldberg subsequently posted the following on Twitter, noting he will be on WWE Raw next week to respond to the challenge:

Booking my flight to answer that big mouth @HeymanHustle 's challenge next week in person on #MondayNightRaw #WhosNext? #seeyathere @WWE

— Bill Goldberg (@Goldberg) October 11, 2016

Alberto Del Rio Comments on Paige's Second Wellness Suspension

Alberto Del Rio, who said on Monday he has adopted the name Alberto "El Presidente" Rodriguez, told ESPN.com that he believes Paige has been treated unfairly by WWE.

"It's just like she said in her statement this afternoon," Rodriguez said. "It's just the same s---, different day my friend."

Rodriguez also brushed off online chatter that WWE was trying to break the couple apart.

"To be honest, I don't care what they say or what they try to do," Rodriguez said. "We are together and we are happy. I know a lot of people are not happy but regardless of whatever people say, we can be happy. We can be together. And we are going to stay together because we are happy.

"If someone is not comfortable or happy about it, we just don't care. We are going to continue our life. Our families are happy and we're happy. That's all that matters."

First-Ever Hell In A Cell Match for the WWE Women's Division

Last week, Wrestling Observer Radio reported that Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks for the WWE RAW Women's Title at Hell In a Cell would take place inside the Cell structure. Sasha issued a Cell challenge on tonight's RAW and the challenge was accepted. This is the first-ever Cell match for the women's division.

What Caused Paige To Violate The WWE Wellness Policy This Time?, Comments From Her Parents

As noted, WWE announced today that Paige has been suspended for 60 days due to her second violation of the company Wellness Policy. Paige's father, UK promoter Ricky Knight, took to his Facebook page and revealed that Paige had been prescribed painkillers to help her deal with a long-term neck injury. He wrote:

"ok here we go again yes i know about my daughters suspended once again she has not failed a drugs test.
My daughter has had a long term neck injury which imo has not been dealt with. i have ask my daughter to return to UK For help with this injury as help and direction in the USA Has not been forthcoming imo. She has been in pain and out of in ring action for a fair while now and has been prescribed pain killers which apparently is against the wellness program. i feel my daughter has been let down big time in the USA and the proper care and advice needed in the position she has been in has not happened to say i am pissed off with the situation is an understatement, this is my statement i am not open to questions thankyou for your cooperation."

Paige's mother Saraya Knight responded on her Facebook page and said she wishes Paige would just come home to the UK. She added:

"sometimes letting out a scream just doesn't sound loud enough, banging your head against a wall doesn't reach the spot, closing down emotionally causes inner demons to surface, asking for help creates rumours, being in a sea of people but being alone, sometimes life just sucks..."

Paige Suspended for 60 Days; Paige Responds

From WWE.com:

WWE has suspended Saraya-Jade Bevis (Paige) for 60 days effective immediately, for her second violation of the company’s talent wellness policy.

Paige said the following on Twitter:

“Same sh** different day. Kids..Please don’t get prescriptions or doctors notes. Not acceptable. Rules apply depending on your status.”

Becky Lynch Suffers Undisclosed Injury

F4WOnline.com is confirming earlier reports of Becky Lynch being removed from the WWE No Mercy pay-per-view, citing an undisclosed injury as the reason for the change.

First reported by James McKenna of Pro Wrestling Sheet, Lynch was said to be 100% off the PPV card tomorrow and may miss the rest of the month. F4WOnline.com said the injury remains unknown and WWE and Lynch have not publicly commented on the matter, and cited Randy Orton’s injury (which coincidentally McKenna originally confirmed) keeping him from competing on the WWE Backlash card last month as a similar situation.

WWE Looking To Add ROH And TNA To The WWE Network And Allow Fans To Vote For WWE Hall Of Fame?

WWE sent out an interesting survey about the WWE Network, via Yahoo! News. They are looking at having a four tiered system, which would include a free tier. One of the more interesting items is that the fourth tier would have "access to independent wrestling such as TNA and Ring of Honor." Please note that this is just a survey, and nothing is official yet.

There have been reports of WWE purchasing TNA for their video library for a while now. Jim Ross talked about reports of WWE buying the TNA video library on the latest episode of The Ross Report earlier this week, and noted that WWE was interested in buying only the video library, and not the promotion.

"Right now we hear that WWE and TNA have had talks regarding WWE buying the library, and that that deal is imminent," Ross said.

Here are some interested items from the survey regarding the four tiers:

* A free tier system would allow you to watch all video clips (less than 5 minutes each), 5 hours of video archives (including live events 30 days after they air), and you would be able to watch it on all devices.

* For the second tier $4.99 / month plan, you would be able to get the "Big Four" pay-per-view events (WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series and SummerSlam) and pre-recorded weekly NXT episodes. It would only play on phone and tablet devices.

* They noted that there would be "new weekly Cruiserweight Classic" episodes on the third tier ($9.99 / month) and top tier ($14.99 / month).

* For the top tier at $14.99 / month, you would receive early event ticket access, Hall of Fame voting, offline content downloads and small group online chats. There will also be "Deluxe Fan Perks" like second screen content and invites to in-person VIP meet-ups. The top tier is also the only plan to feature no commercials.

At the bottom of the survey it asks, "If there plans were truly available, would you subscribe to the one selected above?"

Mojo Rawley Says Top NFL Player 'Is Dying' To Wrestle

WWE Superstars 'The Hype Bros' Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder recently sat down for an interview earlier this week to promote SmackDown Live in San Diego. In the interview Rawley discusses his relationship with NFL tight end for the New England Patriots Rob Gronkowski, Ryder discusses winning the Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania last year, and taking a picture with Scott Hall holding his title. You can check out some highlights here:

Rawley on Rob Gronkowski possibly stepping into the WWE ring:

"The main man Robbie G. Well I played college football with a couple of his brothers, his older brothers Dan and Chris, we all kind of grew up together. We all came up together, we've all been on the grind for a very long time. Trust me we've had that conversation many times and he's dying to get in the ring. I can tell you it won't be while he's in season."

Alberto Del Rio Now Alleging He and Paige Were Attacked by a “Drunken Homeless Man”, Latest News on What San Antonio Police Are Reporting

In the continuing story of Alberto Del Rio allegedly being stabbed in San Antonio, the latest twist to the story involves Del Rio’s real life girlfriend and WWE Superstar Paige. Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer also claims to have had a story involving her in the incident relayed to him. The report notes that Del Rio and the man went to the ground while the man was still stabbing at Del Rio. At that point Paige got involved in the altercation and was thrown by the suspect. Del Rio then went to check on her and that’s when the knife wielding attacker took off in his car.

The Record in Mexico spoke with Del Rio following the incident, and Del Rio claims he and Paige were actually attacked by a “drunken homeless man” in the parking lot of a restaurant. While the rest of the story is in line with other reports, the couple claims the man left on foot when Del Rio went to check on Paige after she was assaulted.

As we reported yesterday, Pro Wrestling Sheet editor Ryan Satin says he had spoken with San Antonio police since the alleged assault took place, and was told “they had no stabbing incidents” in the area “all weekend”. PWInsider is reporting that the San Antonio Police Department has just one stabbing in their jurisdiction on October 2nd and Del Rio is not listed as the victim. It should be noted there are several smaller municipalities within the city that are not in their jurisdiction, plus the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.

The couple that trains together, stays together

Update on Tammy Sytch’s Legal Situation

According to PWInsider.com and officials at the Carbon County Courthouse, WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch waived her Gagnon 1 hearing in regards to the State’s petition to revoke her probation/parole this past Monday.

Consequently, Sytch will remain incarcerated at Carbon County Prison until a Gagnon 2 hearing is scheduled. During that hearing Sytch will go before the presiding Judge to determine whether or not she is in violation of her probation/parole. At that point, Sytch may be re-sentenced to additional time or other penalties.

Bill DeMott On If Seth Rollins Is Dangerous In The Ring, WWE Return

Planeta Wrestling has a great interview with former WCW and WWE star Bill DeMott. You can check out some highlights here below:

We have a Hall of Famer like Bret Hart taking on Seth Rollins and saying that he is a dangerous performer regarding his matches with John Cena, Sting or Finn Balor. What do you think about these accusations?

"I would not even try to compare my knowledge to Bret Hart nor would I question his thinking, that being said I do not think it is anything more than coincidence that all this happened around Seth. Rollins is one of the best there is and I would put my career in his hands any day. Things happen people get hurt and someone has to get "blamed" unfortunately it doesn't always end in favor of both participants but I would bet anything ALL of this men would get back in the ring with Seth and he is a professional as they get. He is the future of the business."

Would you return to WWE?

"I would without a doubt go back to WWE, I'm not one to pull punches and talk crap about it. I would love to be part of the WWE in some way shape or form. I still have a lot to give and I'm loyal to who is loyal to me."

Brie Bella Announces Pregnancy

There’s a baby Bella on board.

Just hours before the premiere of E!’s Total Bellas, Brie Bella confirmed she and husband Daniel Bryan are expecting their first child in Spring 2017 in an interview with E! News.

“It has always been a dream of mine to become a mother,” Brie told E! News. “Now that it is finally real, it fills me up with so much happiness.”

The couple has had an eye toward parenthood for some time. Brie retired from in-ring competition after WrestleMania 32 to focus on starting a family, and Bryan cited his desire to have children as partial motivation for his own retirement earlier this year as well.

“The day we found out, I just couldn’t stop smiling. We are so excited to be parents,” said Bryan. “Every time I look at Brie’s stomach, I’m amazed that there is a little life in there.”

The Total Bellas stars have also revealed they do not know the baby’s gender.

“I can’t wait to see my husband, Bryan, be a father to our child,” Brie added. “I am so excited for this new chapter in our lives.”

Full Details On WWE Total Divas Returning

WWE announced today that Total Divas will return to E! on Wednesday, November 16th at 8pm EST. E! just issued the following announcement on the sixth season:

LOS ANGELES, CA - October 5, 2016 - E!, WWE(R) and Bunim-Murray Productions' "Total Divas" returns for its fiery sixth season onWednesday, November 16 at 8pm ET/PT. Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Eva Marie, Naomi (Trinity), Natalya (Nattie) and Paige will continue to give viewers an inside glimpse at the non-stop action of their professional careers and the drama of their everyday lives. In addition, season six will introduce fans to WWE Superstars Lana and Maryse and WWE announcer Renee Young.

This season, emotions are at an all-time high as all of the ladies come face-to-face with adversity and must grapple with separating their real life dilemmas from their in-ring careers. While rehabilitating an injury, Nikki Bella is determined to learn an entirely new style of performing in order to make a comeback and, against her sister Brie's wishes, she asks her recently retired brother-in-law Daniel Bryan(R) to coach her. While Brie might not agree with Nikki's decision to train with Daniel, she is plagued with her own difficult decision of retiring atWrestleMania 32 in order to start a family.

Despite how hard she has worked, Eva Marie is left confused about where she stands in her WWE career when she isn't scheduled for any television matches following WrestleMania 32. Now she has to cope with the possibility that her once red-hot career in WWE could be fizzling out. Nattie gets a shot to go for the WWE Women's Championship title, but the crowd doesn't know how to react to her new villain persona after years of being known as the good girl. She has to pull out all the stops to try and save her storyline. While Paige, who is dealing with an injury this season, Eva and Nattie are all going through major challenges with their respective careers, Trinity lands a role in WWE's newest film, The Marine 5: Battleground, where she will star as a biker assassin.

New cast member Lana is in full swing with the planning of her over-the-top circus-themed Malibu wedding to fellow WWE Superstar Rusev(R), but cultural differences within their families start to cause a rift when it's discovered that the nuptials will not be held in his native country of Bulgaria. WWE announcer Renee Young joins this season and takes on the role of mediator as she tries to help the group with their issues in and out of the ring, all while juggling her romantic relationship with WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose(R). Finally, all hell breaks loose when former two-time WWE Divas Champion and wife of WWE Superstar Mike "The Miz(R)" Mizanin, Maryse makes an unexpected return to WWE after a five-year absence. With all of the women longing to stake their claim as the top contender for the Women's Championship, Maryse worries that even as a returning veteran she will have to reestablish herself with the fans and in the locker room. She knows in order to be the top woman in WWE, it's not about being better than you were yesterday; it's about being the best, period.

Season six of E!'s hit "Total Divas" returns on Wednesday, November 16 at 8pm ET/PT. "Total Bellas" E!'s highly anticipated spinoff of "Total Divas" premieres tonight at 8pm ET/PT on E!

More?

WWE To Purchase TNA Wrestling's Video Library, TNA Wrestling To "Likely Rebrand"

According to a Twitter post from pro wrestling journalist Justin LaBar, it has been officially confirmed that WWE will be purchasing TNA Wrestling's video library, according to a text message that LaBar says he received today.

In the meantime, LaBar also cites the same text message in stating that Billy Corgan, who is the current President of TNA Wrestling, will become the company's new majority owner and will "likely rebrand" the organization.

Below is LaBar's post from his official Twitter page:

Just got a text saying #WWE to buy TNA video library & Billy Corgan is going to be new majority owner of TNA that he'll likely rebrand. Wow!

Forbes.com has also picked up on the story as well, posting the following quote from WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross's "Ross Report" podcast from earlier this week, in which he stated that WWE was "very close" to purchasing TNA Wrestling's video library:

"WWE is allegedly very close to buying the TNA library. Not the promotion, the TNA library. Obviously, with WWE Network, the TNA library could be a nice resource, a nice asset. Now, you know, TNA does have some talents I’m sure WWE would like to have down the road, but now I hear that WWE and TNA have had talks about buying the library and that a deal is imminent."

Brackets Revealed For The WWE NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

As seen below, the brackets have been revealed for the WWE NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

The tournament kicks off on tonight's NXT episode and ends at "Takeover: Toronto" on November 19th during Survivor Series weekend.

* TM-61 vs. Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss
* Austin Aries and his mystery partner vs. Niko Bogojevic and Tucker Knight

* Hideo Itami and Kota Ibushi vs. Lince Dorado and Mustafa Ali
* Tye Dillinger and Bobby Roode vs. Sanity

* The Authors of Pain vs. The Bollywood Boyz
* No Way Jose and Rich Swann vs. Tony Nese and Drew Gulak

* NXT Tag Team Champions The Revival vs. Cedric Alexander and Andrade "Cien" Almas
* Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano vs. Bin Wang and Ho Ho Lun

Dixie Carter Holds Talent Meeting at TNA Tapings Last Night, Addresses WWE Wanting to Buy TNA, Late Pay Issues, TNA Power Struggle & More

According to PWInsider.com, TNA Chairman Dixie Carter held a talent meeting backstage at last night’s TNA Impact Wrestling tapings. During the meeting, Carter took questions from the talents, and addressed a number of current issues.

One of the questions asked by talents regarded late pay, and Carter explained that sometimes pay is late because TNA is waiting on money owed to the company so that they can pay out the talents.

On reports of WWE potentially purchasing TNA, Carter acknowledged WWE wanted to purchase the company, but she said she would not let that happen. She added the TNA tape library is still under TNA ownership.

Carter also reaffirmed that she is still the majority share holder in TNA, but she did say there has been some “in-fighting” and power struggle amongst company owners.

With regards to Bound for Glory, Carter admitted the company “scrambled” leading up to the PPV, but said the PPV was never “not going to happen.”

Overall, Carter reportedly acted surprised that people in TNA were so “up in arms” about the status of the company, but she did apologize if there has been concern or worry on behalf of talents and employees. At the end of the day, the general feeling in the locker room is that while there remains concern regarding the future of the company, there was respect for Carter stepping up and addressing the locker room.

Major Update Regarding Ongoing Concussion Lawsuit Against WWE

Last night in New Haven, Connecticut, Judge Vanessa L. Bryant of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut ordered that the most recent concussion lawsuit filed against WWE, Laurinaitis v. WWE - which features Road Warrior Animal as the lead plaintiff and also has over 50 former talent on board - must be consolidated with all other existing lawsuits against the company.

The only two plaintiffs that are left in the existing lawsuit are Evan Singleton and Vito LoGrasso, and the case is officially known as McCullough v. WWE back from when it was consolidated with the lawsuit previously filed by Russ McCullough that has since been dismissed.

Additionally, WWE is also seeking to have the WWE Network royalties lawsuit filed by Marcus "Buff" Bagwell and Scott "Raven" Levy consolidated with the other lawsuits as well since, in addition to head injuries, the Laurinaitis v. WWE lawsuit also addresses royalties and legality issues regarding WWE contracts.

This is being seen as a big victory for WWE, and the company also had a similar victory last week as well when an appellate court ruled that appeals from plaintiffs regarding some of the dismissed lawsuits wouldn't be able to proceed until Judge Bryant issued a ruling on issues in the consolidated cases.

Rumor Mill - Backstage Update on Bill Goldberg Possibly Returning to WWE

Bill Goldberg will be the guest on this week’s Off the Top Rope segment hosted by Jonathan Coachman on ESPN. During the segment, Goldberg will be discussing WWE 2K17 and his current relationship with WWE.

According to Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com and Wrestling Observer Radio, Goldberg and WWE are said to be in very serious talks about a potential Goldberg WWE return, and a deal might already have been completed. Meltzer added a return to WWE TV could be soon for the former WWE and WCW Champion as talks between both sides are at a “very strong discussion stage” at worst.