-- Ric Flair will be at the NXT Takeover: R Evolution special on Thursday.
-- Hulk Hogan is set for the December 22nd Raw taping in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
-- WWE released their True Giants DVD/Blu-Ray set today.
-- RTE in Ireland is set to air a new documentary on Fergal Devitt (Finn Balor) on December 19th. The trailer for it is below:
It was reported earlier this week that former TNA Knockout Santana Garrett, aka Brittany, was being talked about within TNA as someone who may be back for the promotion’s debut on Destination America in the new year. That may not be the case as she was backstage at NXT Takeover: R Evolution Thursday night with the NXT Divas.
Garrett lives in the area and the site reports that according to “multiple sources,” she could be joining WWE in the near future.
Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
For those who saw the NXT Takeover: R Evolution special on the WWE Network last Thursday, you saw former wrestler Corey Graves talk about how WWE's "world-class doctors" advised him to retire after concussion issues.
Apparently the Graves segment where he made that comment was purposely planned, partially designed as a shot towards CM Punk.
It's said that Graves putting over WWE's doctors as world-class and talking about how they identified his problem with no issues and did the right thing, resulting in him keeping a job with the company, was all aimed as a response to comments made by Punk on the "Art of Wrestling" podcast.
WRBL 3 News in Columbus, Georgia did a report on WWE’s Tribute to the Troops event. You can watch a video of the news segment below.
Hulk Hogan stated the following on the event: “When I see these soldiers doing what they do, they’re the best at what they do. It really makes me proud because everyone, so far, has come up to me and said, ‘Hey Hulk, I was a little, teeny Hulkster growing up,’ or ‘I’m still a Hulkamaniac!’ That’s really cool to hear that.”
WRBL
The Squared Circle Reddit community is one of the more vocal areas of the IWC, and they were impressed enough by NXT Takeover: R Evolution to send Triple H a gift. Reddit user “cbartholomew” came up with the idea this morning, saying that the idea got over 100 votes he would send an Edible Arrangements fruit basket to the Game for his work in making NXT so good. The post reached its goal in under fifteen minutes and a $127 gift basket was sent to WWE headquarters.
Triple H acknowledged the gift on Twitter, posting:
Birthdate: 08/11/1953 (age 61) Height: 6'7" Weight: 302 Ib Hogan enjoyed mainstream popularity in the 1980... 
Birthdate: 05/22/1988 (age 26) Height: 5'5" Weight: 118 Ib Garrett is known for her work in TNA as the val... 
Birthdate: 10/26/1978 (age 36) Height: 6'2" Weight: 218 Ib He was titled in the WWE as "the longest-reigni... 
Birthdate: 07/27/1969 (age 45) Height: 6'4" Weight: 255lb Hunter Hearst Helmsley is an American business ... Thanks for the fruit basket @reddit but I'm at @WWENXT working with the future. #WWEArchivistAteIt @WWE pic.twitter.com/fs8ogk2rGa
— Triple H (@TripleH) December 12, 2014
Here is the updated card for the LIVE WWE NXT Takeover: R Evolution special, which airs on December 11th on the WWE Network…
NXT Title Match:
Adrian Neville © vs. Smai Zayn
NXT Women’s Title Match:
Charlotte © vs. Sasha Banks
NXT Tag Team Title Match:
The Lucha Dragons © vs. The Vaudevillains
Finn Balor and Hideo Itami vs. The Ascension
Kevin Owens (Steen) debuts.
-- WWE.com has announced that next week will be ECW Week for the WWE Network. The programming block begins on Monday with the ECW Exposed special. The show will be hosted live by Paul Heyman and Joey Styles.
Also read: ?WWE.com Posts A New Storyline Article Saying Randy Orton Was "Injured" On RAW Last NightStyles and Heyman are set to answer fan questions and tell some behind-the-scenes stories for ECW.
-- WWE.com posted the following storyline "injury" update on Randy Orton, noting that he suffered a "concussion". They said:
“Randy exhibited symptoms of a concussion after the Curb Stomp on the announcer’s desk. He also had some facial contusions. Currently he is not cleared to compete and his return timetable is undetermined.”
WWE has announced a reunion special for WWE Legends House that will air next week on the WWE Network. The episode sees the cast reuniting to talk about the events of the series with Jerry Lawler hosting.
Also read: ?WWE Legends House Update, SD/Main Event Tapings, MoreThis is the show that the cast got back together to tape earlier this year in Orlando.
Tyson Kidd recently spoke with WWE.com prior to tomorrow's NXT Takeover special. Here are the highlights…
Also read: ?Triple H Conference Call Recap - The Future Of NXT, Plans, MoreOn The Rebirth Of Tyson Kidd In NXT: It's a fresh coat of paint, a whole new start and a way for the WWE Universe to see Tyson Kidd in a different light than they have for the first few years I've been on the main roster. I think they'll see a more complete package. I'm a constant work in progress, always working on every aspect to get better and better. You're always going to see a different Tyson Kidd. Not that I haven't been in the past, but I'm more motivated, focused and driven than ever before.
Also read: ?A Must-Read Mason Ryan Interview - WWE Release, TNA Debut?, MoreWhat Does He Want To Prove By Competing In NXT?: I'm out to prove that NXT is not to be overlooked, that it's not a stepping stone or an easy place to compete. Every single guy and girl down there is hungry. If you want to stay hungry, you have to compete with similar people. They're so hungry and so driven, there's a different type of atmosphere competing with these guys.
On Challenging For The NXT Title: There are a couple reasons. First, look at Bo Dallas. He's a former NXT Champion, the longest-reigning in history, and he had all those videos on Raw, SmackDown and Main Event. Everyone knew that he was coming. They may not know what he's all about right now, but they know he's coming. Also, it's a great way for me to make a huge impact and help NXT. It springboards me back into the main roster spotlight. I want to use that to bring more awareness to NXT. I want to win the title and defend it around the world and have it seen on "Total Divas." I want the NXT Championship to be worldwide, so everybody knows what it is.
Hey wrestling fans. You've known me before as DK Wrestling Savior. I'm grateful to the awesome people who have offered me an opportunity to continue to write here at EWN. If you're familiar with me, then you know that Sudden Impact and Coffee Talk were two of my more popular blog series. I've gotten reviews and feedback, both good and bad, and all is welcomed.
Now that the intro is out of the way, I wanted to post a Sudden Impact special here focusing on the current state of TNA. When I last left you, Sting, AJ Styles, Aces & Eights, among others were major parts of TNA Impact on a weekly basis. Well, other than Anderson, Bully, and lately Knox in the form of little video vignettes where he's trying to find himself, these are all people in the past. And sadly, Sabin, and Bad Influence have joined them. With each report that comes out, we become a website divided. Everyone thinks TNA is on its way out. EWN's own, Matt Boone has predicted they won't survive this year. While I don't have anything concrete as far as evidence goes, or any connections that tell me otherwise, I'm going to speculate here a little bit and give you all both sides of the coin from my perspective as a fan.
First, I want to start off by stating that I am a fan of TNA. I find it entertaining. Not everything, but as a whole, I enjoy another wrestling option. I know there are people that don't. Or if they do, their preference is ROH. Hell, some have even anointed Jeff Jarrett's new promotion, Global Force, the next great thing when it hasn't even started yet. The hatred for TNA runs deep with many people. They hated Hogan when he was there. Surprisingly enough, they're the first ones with yellow and red on when it was announced Hogan would be returning on Raw. But that's not the point. The point is, TNA has taken a lot of cost-cutting measures over the last year which has included eliminating PPV's, taking Impact off the road, returning to a smaller Impact Zone, and releasing some of their bigger-named, high-priced talent. Among those released or not re-signed are three of my favorites, AJ Style, and Bad Influence. But life goes on. I'm now used to not seeing the three of them on Spike every Thursday Night. So when/if they do return, it'll be a pleasant surprise. However, in the midst of these cost-cutting measures, it has sparked a little debate among us here on EWN. Is TNA dying? Or are they making the smart money moves to remain alive and well? Let's jump in.
The first of many myths when it comes to the business world is, Cost-Cutting does not mean going under. Did TNA low-ball their offer to AJ Styles? Perhaps. But look at it from a business standpoint. When AJ Styles was there, no matter how much we all love him, ratings weren't exactly shooting through the roof. Attendance wasn't overwhelming. So as a business person, would it have been smart to give AJ Styles his asking price, which I believe was reported at being in the $300K to $400K range? Or do what TNA did, and use that money to invest in Samuel Shaw, Tigre Uno, Senada, The Wolves, etc? You hear it all the time in the sports world alone. Recently, the Philadelphia Eagles released DeSean Jackson, who is arguably their best offensive player. He was due upwards of $10 million dollars this year. He has since signed on with the rival Washington Redskins for similar guaranteed money. Does this cost-cutting move mean The Philadelphia Eagles are in danger of going out of business? Not at all. They are using the $10 million they saved to re-sign other players to longer-term contracts and they may end up better off for it. Does that same principle apply to TNA? Well, since releasing some names and not re-signing others, they've given other guys new contracts such as Gunner and Robbie E. Currently, Gunner is more over and more relevant than he's ever been and I've seen more Robbie E on TV now than in the last 2 years combined. Smart move? Only time will tell.
The second biggest issue is their attendance numbers. If anyone remembers my past Sudden Impact blogs, you'll remember that I was pushing big time for TNA to do exactly what they did last year, which was take Impact on the road, tour campuses, and go live. Unfortunately, it was a failed experiment that cost them more money than they anticipated and ultimately forced them back to Orlando. It was a shame to see their Lockdown attendance down in Miami on the campus of The U. From the photos I've seen,...
WWE sent out the following today…
"NXT® TAKEOVER" TO AIR LIVE ON WWE® NETWORK
STAMFORD, Conn., April 24, 2014 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) today announced that NXT Takeover, a live, two-hour action-packed special, will air exclusively on WWE Network on Thursday, May 29 at 8 pm ET. Following the success of NXT ArRIVAL™, the special will once again showcase the best and brightest from WWE's Performance Center and include appearances by WWE Superstars and Legends.
Thirty minutes prior to the event, the NXT Takeover pre-show will air at 7:30 pm ET and include exclusive interviews and appearances by NXT Superstars, WWE Superstars and Legends.
"As NXT continues to grow in popularity and our fans demand to see more of the next generation of WWE Superstars, we are going to deliver live, in-ring programs featuring up-and-coming talent on WWE Network," said Paul "Triple H®" Levesque, Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative, WWE. "Our live NXT specials on WWE Network bring out the very best in our performers and make for must-see TV for the WWE Universe."
On February 27, NXT ArRIVAL on WWE Network had 21 worldwide Twitter trends and was No. 3 in overall social mentions for primetime programs on both cable and broadcast. The event had more social mentions than American Idol, the Vikings premiere on History Channel, college basketball on ESPN and Vampire Diaries on CW.
-- It was announced today that the USA Network will be airing a one-hour special for the WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony on Monday, April 7th at 11:05pm E.T. The special will air the night after WrestleMania XXX. The full ceremony will air live on the WWE Network on Saturday, April 5th at 9pm E.T.
-- As noted on Sunday here on the website, The Rock revealed on his official Facebook page that he's working on his next book, a follow-up to 2000's The Rock Says. You can check out his post below.
"Amazing (and jarring) to go back and 'experience' my life again from 2000 to 2014. Writing my 2nd memoir w/ Joe Layden (who also wrote "The Rock Says" in 2000). Life of peaks and valleys (and a shot of tequila). Look forward to sharing it with you. Holidays 2014."
Birthdate: 04/01/1980 (age 34) Height: 6'5" Weight: 235 Ib Randy Orton is a third-generation professional ...