Backstage Report: UFC Officials Already Considering Opponents For Brock Lesnar?

Birthdate: 07/12/1977 (age 37) Height: 6'3" Weight: 286 Ib Brock Lesnar is one of the most dominant indivi...

UFC officials are considering options for opponents should Brock Lesnar to jump back to the promotion. Dana White has been clear that he has had no talks about Lesnar coming back but would be willing to do so once his deal with WWE expires.

The show says UFC officials have talked about Frank Mir as a potential opponent for Lesnar. Lesnar and Mir have faced off twice before and split their matches, with Mir beating Lesnar at UFC 81, which was Lesnar’s UFC debut. Lesnar then defeated Mir at UFC 100 in his first defense of the UFC heavyweight title.

Lesnar’s WWE deal expires in March and there is still no word as to whether he will re-sign. Bellator has also expressed interest in singing Lesnar if he becomes a free agent.

Check out our eWN sister MMA website - eFightNews.com for more on this story.

Report: Former WWE Casino In Las Vegas, NV Set To Be Imploded - Details Inside Here

The Clarion Hotel & Casino just off the Vegas Strip will be imploded between 2 and 3AM on February 10. It has had many names before. It used to be the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel. It was also owned by the WWE for a very brief period before they decided to resell it instead of making it a WWE casino.

You can find more information here.

Backstage Report - Goldust' In-Ring Career Reportedly "Winding Down" - Details Inside Here

Birthdate: 04/11/11969 (age -9955) Height: 6'6" Weight: 232 IB Dustin Runnels' enigmatic, sexually ambiguous g...

Source: Pwinsider.com

There has been talk in WWE about the in-ring career of Goldust ending. Word is that he will end his run as a wrestler in the next few months, moving to a role as a backstage agent/producer. His team with Stardust will slowly fade out and Stardust will become a singles wrestler.

This change isn’t expected to happen until after WrestleMania 31. While there was talk of Goldust vs. Stardust happening at some point, there’s no word on if the match is planned.

Backstage Report: Multiple Stars At Last Night's Lucha Underground Taping - Details Inside Here

Partial Source: The Wrestling Observer

The Lucha Underground television taping in Los Angeles, California on Saturday night was reportedly sold out. The tapings held on January 17th and January 18th were also said to be sold out, with 250 fans in attendance for both shows.

Several notable names were in attendance at the taping last night, including former Los Angeles Lakers star A.C. Green, Women's UFC fighter and Four Horsewomen member Shayna Baszler, as well as UFC fighter and New Japan Pro Wrestling announcer Josh Barnett.

AAA Mega Heavyweight Champion Alberto El Patron also worked the taping. He wrote the following on Twitter about being at the show.

Time for @LuchaElRey if u r here get ready 4the best time of ur life and if u r not, come running cause we r making history in this place

— Alberto El Patron (@VivaDelRio) January 24, 2015

Backstage Report - WWE Unable To Surpass UFC’s Offer To Brock Lesnar?, Details Inside

Birthdate: 07/12/1977 (age 37) Height: 6'3" Weight: 286 Ib Brock Lesnar is one of the most dominant indivi...

Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Here is a new report on what is next for Brock Lesnar post-WrestleMania 31. Currently, Lesnar’s WWE deal is set to end the night after WrestleMania 31.

According to a source, Lesnar’s status with re-signing with WWE is up in the air. However, there have been rumors for months that Lesnar might try to make a return to MMA and go for another run in the UFC. Even Bellator MMA, which is backed by Viacom, has expressed interest in pursuing Lesnar. The report states that there is a backstage belief in WWE that UFC could have the best shot at signing Lesnar to a deal.

WWE apparently is not in a position to offer Lesnar as lucrative of a deal as he has had for the last several years in the company since he returned in 2012. The report also notes that Lesnar could be using a potential UFC deal as a negotiating tactic to get a bigger offer from WWE again.

Report - Roman Reigns To Return On Next Week's Live WWE SmackDown Broadcast?, Details

Birthdate: 05/25/1985 (age 29) Height: 6'3" Weight: 265 Ib A member of the Anoa'i family, a renowned Samoa...

During a hockey game at the VanAndel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan Wednesday night, a promo was aired in the arena for next week’s live episode of SmackDown billing a “returning” Roman Reigns.

This bolsters reports from earlier in the month that Reigns would be returning on the show.

Thanks to Aaron in GR for the heads up on this.

A Live Fan Report From Last Night's WWE Monday Night RAW Broadcast Inside Here

Credit: Kyle Garner & prowrestling.net

It was a great show live. I’ve heard some say that the crowd was dead but from my perspective from where I was I would have to disagree. When Daniel Bryan came out the roof almost came off. He was definitely well received and welcomed back very loudly from my hometown crowd.

There was a guy who got ejected and that is why the crowd was chanting let him stay. The guy took the cotton candy from the vendor and started throwing it to the crowd.

Also read: ?A Live Fan Report From Last Night's WWE Survivor Series Pay-Per-View Event Inside Here

Fun fact: I saw Ryback on the concourse of the Fieldhouse before the show started. Man, the guy is a beast in person.

Indy is more of a pro John Cena crowd and from my vantage point there were a ton more “let’s go Cena” chants.

After the show went off air, Cena, Dolph Ziggler, and Daniel Bryan were in the ring and played to the crowd. There were a ton of “We want Sting” chants so Cena gave Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury a couple of “Sting” chops and Ziggler gave the Stinger splash to Mercury. Cena wanted Bryan to get in on the action but Mike Chioda the ref told them he wasn’t medically cleared. Cena then asked the doctor and he concurred. So Cena brought Michael Cole in the ring and he ate a Ziggler superkick to end the night.

Overall, a fun night that was exciting for me to get to see Daniel Bryan return in person. I just wish Sting was there but I had a blast.

Biggest Pops Daniel Bryan John Cena AJ after her burns on the Bellas

Most Heat The Authority Seth Rollins No Sting or the Battle Royal The guy getting thrown out

Report: Major Backstage Heat on Cesaro?

Birthdate: 04/23/1977 (age 37) Height: 6'1" Weight: 251 Ib Cena is known as "the face of the WWE for a lon...

According to the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there is an interesting article regarding why Cesaro hasn't been pushed much on WWE TV recently, considering that he lost to Dolph Ziggler two falls to none at the Hell In A Cell pay-per-view this past Sunday. Normally, two out of three falls matches tend to go to a third fall.

According to Dave Meltzer, he says that he has a idea on what caused Cesaro to have backstage heat with WWE Officials. He believes that it was this interview that Cesaro did with a UK-based website that reportedly raised a few eyebrows:

Also read: WWE Superstar Cesaro: 'I'm sick of seeing John Cena against Randy Orton for the 500th time'

"It is a new era of guys. It’s a new generation, and it’s a lot of fun to watch that because there are fresh match-ups. I mean, I’m sick of seeing John Cena against Randy Orton for the 500th time. It’s great that we have some new, young guys that can come out and provide absolutely great match-ups and for the fans there are fresh, exciting matches and things to watch."

Ironically at the same time, Orton tweeted about his opinion regarding WWE's stance on his merchandise. Orton was livid that WWE did not release any new merchandise for “The Viper,” particularly a potential ‘RKO Outta Nowhere’ shirt. Orton would even go on to take shots at WWE for having an abundance of John Cena merchandise.

Meltzer wrote that the reason why Orton wasn't punished by management is because he's "bulletproof." In addition, he also noted that WWE may be waiting to add such merchandise for Orton because he is not a full-fledged face just yet.Typically, the merchandise of a heel wrestlers don't sell nearly as well compared to babyface wrestlers. Though, with Orton becoming more and more of a tweener, who will likely turn on Seth Rollins and The Authority, new merchandise for Orton may coming its way very soon.

Report On Possible Drug Usage In The WWE: Wrestlers Cheating The Wellness Program?

Birthdate: 03/01/1961 (age 53) Height: 6'3" Weight: 256 Ib Booker T is regarded as the greatest African-Am...

Source: The Wrestling Observer

Ever since Randy Orton violated WWE's Wellness Policy back in May of 2012, only one WWE Superstar, Ricardo Rodriguez (now released) has violated the Wellness Program back in July of 2013. Even though no WWE Superstar has been suspended for violating the Wellness Policy, that doesn't necessarily mean that the roster is completely drug free.

Also read: UFC Extends Suspension Of Top Fighter To Full Year

On Tuesday, UFC has announced that fighter Cung Le, 42, tested positive for for an excessive level of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) following his fight at UFC Fight Night in Macao, China on August 23 and was being suspended from competition for nine months. However, after revisiting the evidences against Le, the UFC suspended him for a year. Dave Meltzer reported on the story on Wednesday in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, where he addressed the current state of drug usage in WWE.

Meltzer has his suspicions on the WWE talent roster being entirely clean. In March, he was asked on his radio show whether the lack of drug test failures in recent years means the WWE locker room is now drug-free and answered, "You shouldn't believe the roster has been clean for two years...I wouldn't even believe two weeks."

Although WWE bans the non-medical use of HGH, talents aren't tested for it. HGH can only be picked up in blood testing, not the standard urine testing, which is why athletes in most sports use it with impunity. According to Meltzer, that is also the case in WWE as some talents circumvent the drug testing policy by using high dosages of HGH combined with low dosages of Testosterone (also is prohibited). Within the bodybuilding world, this is known as a stack; two or more supplements are taken at the same time in order to increase their overall effectiveness (compared to the effectiveness of one supplement alone). "For those who are using [performance-enhancing drugs] to beat WWE testing, the standard stack is to use low doses of testosterone and higher dosages of HGH, because HGH, as far as enhancing a physique and gaining strength, works far better in synergy with a steroid to enhance its effects, and low doses of testosterone can keep one below the 6:1 T:E ratio," Meltzer stated.

Meltzer received this information from sources within WWE after attending the February 7 live event in Oakland, California headlined by John Cena vs. Randy Orton and being "struck at how obviously enhanced more guys were than I had noticed on TV."

He noted on the F4WOnline.com message board, "Asking around, I was told exactly how they beat the system (GH with low dosages of test, usually taken on Wednesday, that's out of the system within a few days to beat the tests)." Last year, WWE quietly modified its policy to allow therapeutic use exceptions for banned substances and introduced a redemption program that would enable performers who have violated the policy twice to get one of their two strikes removed. In addition to Orton, other currently employed Superstars who have been suspended due to a Wellness violation are Booker T, Darren Young, Dolph Ziggler, Heath Slater, Mike Chioda, Rey Mysterio, Ryback and William Regal.

A Live Report From KENTA Signing With WWE

Credit: J. Werley and PWInsider

Dolph Ziggler defeats The Miz with the Zigzag.

Kofi Kingston and Big E. defeat Luke Harper and Erik Rowan (Kofi pin on Harper).

NXT Championship match: Adrian Neville defeats Sami Zayn with the Red Arrow.

Paige over Alicia Fox by submission. (Pre-show, fans were asked to vote on Twitter for either a match or a dance battle.)

Also read: ?WWE To Announce The KENTA Signing Tomorrow, WWE/Japan Tour

Dean Ambrose defeats Seth Rollins via DQ after Rollins uses MitB briefcase.

Hulk Hogan, with Jimmy Hart, appeared and talked about the memories from Japan and the legends he wrestled here, name dropping Antonio Inoki, Tatsumi Fujinami, Riki Choshu, Strong Kobayashi, The Great Muta, and Chono. He also put over the talent in the back, specifically Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns, and his "favorite" John Cena (who wasn't at this show). Hogan then called out Kenta, "the future of WWE" and they did the contract signing. Kenta didn't speak, but Hogan put him over on the mic. They also showed a pre-taped guest spot by a Japanese dignitary (government sports minister/organizer for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics) wishing Kenta luck. Segment ended with Kenta motioning Hogan back into the ring for the usual shirt ripping and posing routine. There was a TV camera in the ring for the signing, whether for Japan TV or WWE purposes I don't know.

RVD over Cesaro with the 5 Star Frog Splash. Heyman was getting great reactions from the crowd with his ringside antics.

Roman Reigns over Kane with the spear after run-ins by Rollins then Ambrose.

First show in Osaka in a decade, and nearly full (possibly a sell out, just one section with some empty seats). Despite the lack of Cena or Bray Wyatt from the Tokyo shows and all the talent that didn't make the trip at all due to injuries (Barrett, etc.) or being scheduled for the same date NYC show, it was a very well received show. Also, TONS of merchandise sold, especially (but not near limited to) Wyatt sheep masks and Hogan shirts.

Report: Matt Hardy Leaving ROH?

Partial Source: The Wrestling Observer

According to sources, tonight is Matt Hardy's final date with ROH, barring him signing a new contract with the promotion. Hardy was previously booked for future dates, but the word is that ROH is not happy that Hardy worked the TNA tapings in New York City recently.

Also read: ?Backstage News On ROH Contracts & Their Futures

TNA and ROH are now said to be battling to sign talent. Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly are two names that TNA has been targeting. Due to a strict budget from Sinclair Broadcasting, ROH may have a harder time signing them back to a new contract. Their ROH contracts expired, and TNA has shown interest in Fish and O'Reilly coming to TNA to work with The Wolves.

Report: More WWE Budget Cuts On The Way

Vince McMahon has ordered more budgets cuts for this year to lessen the company's $45-53 million loss.

Besides several wrestlers having to change their first-class travel to coach, there is also talk of scaling back catering at WWE events, though it would not necessarily be eliminated entirely.

Also read: ?Report: Vince McMahon Orders Massive Cuts; More Firings?

The source also says there have been changes on international travel and a hiring freeze within the company.

Report: Vince McMahon Leery Of MMA Fighters In WWE

Partial Source: The Wrestling Observer

UPDATE x 2: As previously reported, UFC fighter Rashad Evans shut down reports that he was interested in going to the WWE, saying he would only consider a career in pro wrestling after he was done with fighting in about four year.

According to sources, Vince McMahon is leery about using former MMA fighters because they are used to huge payoffs for one-off fights. McMahon is also concerned that they wouldn't be able to handle the brutal WWE schedule. In the past, Chael Sonnen, Roy Nelson, Frank Mir, and Shayna Baszler have all allegedly had talks with WWE in recent years. At one point, ideas were apparently even suggested for Baszler.

Regarding Sonnen, the report says that his drug test failures and controversies surrounding his name would likely prevent him from ending up in WWE.

Also read: ?Rashad Evans Responds To The Recent WWE Rumors

UPDATE: Rashad Evans recently spoke about the recent rumors that he may be looking to go to the WWE.

"If I ever did anything like that, it would be after I finished fighting, and I'm not gonna (sic) be done fighting for at least four years. I had a million people asking me if I was retiring for wrestling, but honestly speaking, if I didn't get seriously paid to do it I wouldn't do it. I think it would be disrespectful to my legacy in the UFC if I didn't do a deal that would make sense where I got paid! Besides, that shit is harder on my body than fighting."

ORIGINAL: UFC fighter Rashad Evans has made inquiries about going to WWE. Evans is currently recovering from major knee surgery and was already considering retirement.

According to sources, Evans has spoken with people in the industry about the idea of jumping to WWE. There's no word on whether he's spoken with WWE about the idea yet.

Report: WWE Begins Filming Total Divas Season 3

The third season of Total Divas began filming last week at the RAW taping in Cleveland. The show will debut on E! on September 7th. Rosa Mendes will be the new cast member this season.

The season is expected to feature a "red wedding" for Eva Marie and her husband.

Also read: ?WWE Total Divas Renewed - Rosa Mendes To Join The Cast

We can also confirm that several members of the NFL's Cleveland Browns were involving in the filming at last week's RAW TV taping.

Report - Major Issues Between Rey Mysterio & WWE

Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Last week it was reported that Vince McMahon renewed Rey Mysterio's WWE deal for one year. According to that story, Rey's contract was set to expire, but WWE contracts may be frozen in the event of an injury. Since Mysterio has missed so much time during the course of his deal due to injuries, word was that WWE felt that Mysterio "owed them time" and he was renewed through May of 2015.

Also read: ?Report: Rey Mysterio's WWE Contract Renewed

According to sources, there is more to the situation than what it already out. While there are not a lot of details at this time, there is a potential legal issue that has not played out. Mysterio was looking at leaving with the expiration of his contract, but then McMahon renewed the deal. WWE has Mysterio on the injured list, and there has been no talk about his potential return.

More on the story as it develops…

Report - TNA Slammiversary Main Event In Jeopardy

Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter

As previously reported, MVP suffered a knee injury on May 30th working a Preston City Wrestling event in England. At this time, his status for TNA's Slammiversary PPV is unknown. As you know by now, MVP is scheduled to main event the show, challenging Eric Young for the TNA World Title.

Also read: TNA Slammiversary Main Event May Be In Jeopardy

While there is no official word on his status, the feeling is that if MVP is out and needs to be replaced, that Bobby Lashley will be the one to replace him. Lashley is part of MVP's stable, and also scored a non-title victory over Young on the May 22nd edition of iMPACT! Wrestling.

We'll keep you posted as we hear more.

Report: Scott Hall's Son Turns Down WWE Offers

Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter

It has been reported that WWE has offered Scott Hall's son Cody a developmental contract on more than one occasion. Cody has turned down those offers, stating that he wants to make a name for himself on the independent scene before trying to go to WWE.

Cody has stated in past interviews that his ultimate goal is to sign with WWE.

Also read: ?Report: WWE Helping DDP With Jake Roberts & Scott Hall

ORIGINAL: As noted earlier here on the website, WWE has been aiding DDP with the rehabilitation of Jake Roberts and Scott Hall. WWE has been quietly putting money into the effort, which is described as a daily battle for both Roberts and Hall. The company has reportedly been paying people with experience in rehabilitation to help out when then two men have problems.

Jake Roberts was recently working an independent event in Oregon. After the show, Roberts was invited to go out to a strip club by some of the wrestlers. Roberts turned down the offer saying he knew what would happen if he went.

Report: Sid Vicious To Appear On 'Big Brother'

There has been talk that this summer's edition of the CBS show Big Brother will feature past competitors teaming with a family member. Frank Eudy was a contestant on season 14 of the show, and word is that he and his father, professional wrestler Psycho Sid, may be part of this season.

Also read: ?Two Huge Names Rumored For WWE Legends House 2

More on the story as it develops.

Report: CM Punk Chants Edited Off RAW + More News

-- As noted late last night here on the website, Monday night's attendance for WWE Monday Night RAW was 16,991, and announced as a sell out. The show took place at the 02 Arena in London, England last night.

-- WWE ranked 5th in the in Nielsen's new Twitter TV ratings. They trailed NBC's The Voice, ABC's Dancing With The Stars, VH1's Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta and ABC's The Bachelorette.Raw had an audience of 1,327,000, which was the number of Twitter accounts tweeting about Raw. The total impressions were 6,732,000, which represents the number of times the show was tweeted about. Both numbers were down from last week.

Also read: ?Backstage News On Very Late RAW Script Changes

-- Stephanie McMahon's promo from RAW last night was edited for the actual broadcast because her promo segment during the tapings was drowned out by CM Punk chants. This happened after she teased stripping Daniel Bryan of the WWE title and giving it to Triple H.

The CM Punk chants were much less audible for the broadcast version. Several of the matches were also heavily edited.

Report: Ken Anderson Takes A TNA Pay Cut

Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Just two years ago, TNA had 60 performers under contract to the company, however now they reportedly have 33 signed as we reported earlier today.

Also read: ?How Many Talents Are Currently Under Contract With TNA?

Of the 33 talents signed, the only ones with any real money involved would be Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy, Bully Ray, Abyss, Samoa Joe, James Storm, Bobby Roode and Mr. Anderson.

As far as Anderson is concerned, it's believed that he signed a new deal a while back that was considerably lower than the one he had previously.