It’s entirely possible this is just a red herring, but WWE posted this photo to their Instagram teasing Dean Ambrose factoring into Triple H’s announcement on RAW tomorrow:
-- The Triple H appearance on Good Morning America can be found here.
– Former CZW Tag Team Champion Bandido Jr., Moose, Tessa Blanchard, and Lance Anoa’i are at the WWE tryout this weekend. Biff Busick, despite reports to the contrary, is not.
-- Jim Ross is holding two one-man shows over the weekend. The first takes place in Sayerville, New Jersey at the Starland Ballroom at 8 PM ET, while the second is Sunday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 3 PM, held at Underground Arts.
Ticket information is here.
Source: The Wrestling Observer
As reported yesterday, The Rock posted a picture to Instagram of him being in Philadelphia, PA. This led to speculation that the Great One will be appearing at the Royal Rumble tonight. One source notes that The Rock will in fact be appearing at the pay-per-view event.
There are no details on what The Rock will be doing at this time. While there were rumors of him facing Rusev at WrestleMania (based on their interaction on RAW late last year), the source says this is not in the current plans for the show. Another source notes that its possible The Rock could even win the Royal Rumble match if they are planning to do a Rock vs. Brock match at WrestleMania 31.
More as we get it.
-- WWE Diva AJ Lee is expected back on WWE TV sooner instead of later. She is taking some time off to heal from several minor nagging injuries. She tweeted a photo of a beachfront today to tell her fans that she’s on vacation.
-- Here is the latest RAW "Backstage Fallout", showing Brie Bella’s reaction to Daniel Bryan’s plan to enter the 2015 Royal Rumble.
Brie reacts to Bryan's announcement: Raw Fallout, December 30, 2014-- The December 22 episode of RAW, which had a Christmas theme, had a 2.56 (2.6) cable rating, which was down from the 2.66 rating in the two weeks before it. It had 3.631 million viewers, up from the 3.521 million it had the previous week.
-- Booker T joined the announce team for Main Event on the WWE Network. He joined JBL and Michael Cole.
-- As noted earlier here on the website, Adrian Neville is the next WWE main roster call up, but it likely won’t happen until spring 2015.
Meanwhile, NXT officials are preparing to place Neville in singles feuds with both Hideo Itami and Finn Balor. The possibility of a NXT title triple threat feud with Neville, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn has also been discussed.
Partial Source: Pwinsider
UPDATE: Earlier today, TNA announced that Kurt Angle had re-signed with the company (see below).
According to a source, Kurt Angle and TNA agreed to a new deal two weeks ago. It had been previously reported that Angle was remaining with the company, but there was no deal in place at that time as the two sides simply had a verbal agreement in place. During this time, Vince Russo stated on his podcast that Angle had signed a new deal with TNA, but at that point, negotiations had not been completed and the ink had not yet been put on paper.
ORIGINAL: TNA sent out the following today, announcing that Kurt Angle has official re-signed with the company…
Kurt Angle Re-signs With TNA Wrestling!
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (December 30, 2014) – TNA today announced Olympic Gold Medalist and TNA Hall-of-Fame member Kurt Angle has signed a new contract to remain an active TNA roster member. Kurt can be seen on IMPACT WRESTLING’s new home, Destination America, during a special LIVE event from New York City on Wednesday January 7 at 9/8c.
“Kurt Angle’s arrival nearly a decade ago put TNA on the map. Now Kurt leads a fresh, young IMPACT WRESTLING locker room into a whole new era on Destination America,” said TNA President Dixie Carter. “Once Kurt steps inside those ropes there is no greater talent in professional wrestling.”
“I’m extremely excited to remain with TNA Wrestling,” said Angle. “The driving force behind my signing is the honesty, great communication and positive changes being made by Dixie Carter and John Gaburick. Things are moving upward and forward at TNA, and 2015 will be a great one for all of us at IMPACT WRESTLING.”
For more information on Kurt Angle and other talent signings visit impactwrestling.com, and follow IMPACT WRESTLING on twitter @IMPACTWRESTLING and TNA President Dixie Carter @TNADixie.
IMPACT WRESTLING premieres in its permanent time slot on Fridays from 9-11 PM ET beginning January 16 on Destination America. And, IMPACT WRESTLING: UNLOCKED with Mike Tenay premieres in its permanent time slot on Saturdays from 10 AM-Noon ET beginning January 17, immediately followed by TNA GREATEST MATCHES from Noon-1 PM ET.
Source: The Wrestling Observer
UPDATE: As noted recently, WWE is looking at Adrian Neville as the next main roster call-up from NXT, however they are some matches and programs they would like him to do in NXT first.
WWE officials want Neville to work with Hideo Itami and Finn Balor in singles programs, and also a potential triple-threat feud for the NXT Championship with he, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
ORIGINAL: It was previously reported that Adrian Neville will be getting a “Mighty Mouse” like gimmick when he arrives on the main roster.
According to a source, Neville won’t be dressing like a mouse character, even though it’s inspired by the small yet powerful cartoon.
Although a Mighty Mouse gimmick has been discussed, it should be considered a rumor at this point. The latest plan is for Neville to have a "Crash Holly" style character and he won't be dressing up as a mouse as noted above.
It's worth noting that WWE actually had plans for the late Chris Candido to debut in the mid 90's with a Mighty Mouse character and even had a costume created for him. They wound up going with the Body Donnas character instead, which of course was instrumental in Sunny breaking out as the "Original Diva."
-- Triple H will be the next WWE star to be featured in Todd McFarlane’s ICON series statues. Previous figures include Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker and Macho Man Randy Savage. The statue is 18 inches tall, hand painted and features a “Certificate of Authenticity” signed by Mcfarlane. It comes with “authentic ring memorabilia” and will be released in January.
-- Santino Marella will appear in a non-wrestling role at this weekend’s WWE events in New York (Madison Square Garden) and Hershey, Pennsylvania (The Nassau Coliseum). Bad News Barrett will work the events in Chicago, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
-- Even though he was arrested on Christmas Eve, Kevin Nash is still set to make his appearance this weekend for Maryland Championship Wrestling. You can find more information here.
UPDATE: WWE.com has revealed the top 25 WWE matches of 2014. You can find the top ten below:
#10 The Usos vs. The Wyatt Family — 2-out-of-3-Falls WWE Tag Team Championship Match (WWE Battleground)
#9 Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro (NXT ArRIVAL)
#8 Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H (WrestleMania 30)
#7 Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Batista — Triple Threat WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match (WrestleMania 30)
#6 Natalya vs. Charlotte — NXT Women’s Championship Match (NXT TakeOver)
#5 The Shield vs. Evolution (Extreme Rules)
#4 Adrian Neville vs. Sami Zayn vs. Tyler Breeze vs. Tyson Kidd — Fatal 4-Way NXT Championship Match (NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way)
#3 The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family (Elimination Chamber)
#2 Adrian Neville vs. Sami Zayn — NXT Championship Match (NXT TakeOver: R Evolution)
#1 Team Cena (John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Big Show, Ryback & Erick Rowan) vs. Team Authority (Seth Rollins, Kane, Rusev, Luke Harper &Mark Henry) — Traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match (Survivor Series)
ORIGINAL: WWE released a promo video for the company’s official list of the top 25 matches of 2014. The video is available below.
-- The full WWE Tribute to the Troops special is set to air on the WWE Network on Friday, January 2. The show also airs on NBC tonight at 8PM EST.
-- The 2007 Wrestling’s Most Powerful Families documentary will be added to the network for Beyond the Ring starting on Saturday, January 3.
-- The Daily Post recently interviewed former WWE Superstar Mason Ryan aka Barri Griffiths.
WWE announced at tonight’s house show in Madison Square Garden that Hulk Hogan will make his first WWE appearance in the arena since 2003 on February 27th, 2015. A presale begins tonight via Ticketmaster using the code MSGPRE.
Hogan’s last time in MSG was the the press conference where he announced he was signing with TNA.
Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
As noted several times in the past, there has been a lot of speculation regarding WWE signing top independent professional wrestler Uhaa Nation.
The latest word going around is that WWE offered Nation a developmental deal, however there is no word yet as to whether or not he has accepted the offer.
For what it's worth, there has been some talk going around on the independent wrestling scene about Nation no longer accepting independent bookings past a certain date.
Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
As noted recently, WWE painted up some of their giant WrestleMania 31-promotional tour buses with The Undertaker, which is said to be considered a strong sign that he will be working the show in some form.
As of right now, the booking plan is to have The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania, as long as Undertaker gives word that he is willing to wrestle, which he has not done yet.
There's also a chance that he will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame next year, if he is indeed done with his in-ring career, although there has been talk for years that he would retire at Cowboys Stadium -- which is the site of WrestleMania 32 -- since it will likely set the all-time attendance record.
Regardless, expect Undertaker involved in some form or fashion during WrestleMania 31 weekend, as he is under a seven-figure downside guarantee contract, and WWE wants to justify the deal.
-- Michael Cole announced on last night’s episode of WWE Main Event that Zeb Colter is “suffering leg injuries” after Rusev attacked him on RAW. Jack Swagger cut a promo later on in which he vowed to take the US title from him.
Also read: Press Release - JBL & Michael Cole's Announcement - Joining The EpicTimes Digital News Network-- Inc has posted a new clip in which Stephanie McMahon talks about connecting with an audience.
She said: “Developing your brand is different than marketing your brand. I think developing your brand, you have to know what you stand for, you know, what are your goals. What are you trying to achieve? Then you need to make sure you know your audience. Who are you trying to engage, what are you trying to get them to do and how are your reaching them. What are the relevant platforms, you know, are they on particular social platforms, are they watching television, what day parts? So know your audience, know how to communicate your messaging and know what you want them to do and then activate. You have to activate and you have to have a brand that’s worthwhile. You need to make sure that you’re delivering quality results.”
Partial Source: The Wrestling Observer
UPDATE x 5: There were many last-minute decisions made to the script for RAW last night. At one point on the RAW pre-show, it was revealed that John Cena would name the new RAW General Manager during the broadcast. However, WWE changed their minds at the last minute and announced the Board of Directors would make the announcement.
At the end of the episode, the Anonymous RAW General Manager made his (or her) return. The reason for this is because they are still debating on who they want to play the full-time role and it hadn't been decided as of yesterday.
Also, the original plans called for Stung to appear either before or after the Divas Elimination tag-team match. Obviously, those plans changed and he was involved in the main event instead.
UPDATE x 4: Sting recently signed a performers contract with WWE. While the length of the agreement and specific details are not yet known, the deal is likely structured similar to Brock Lesnar's, where he is getting paid a lot and is only required to make limited appearances.
While he almost certainly won't be working live events, the feeling is that he will be wrestling more than just "one more match."
As noted earlier, WWE reached out to Sting last Thursday to set up his Survivor Series appearance.
Also read: Backstage News On Why Sting Debuted Last Night At The WWE Survivor Series Pay-Per-View EventUPDATE x 3: Following Sting's WWE debut at Sunday's Survivor Series pay-per-view, where he gave Triple H a Scorpion Death Drop and cost Team Authority their jobs, there's already some buzz behind the scenes that the two legends will square off at WrestleMania 31.
Just a few weeks ago, The Rock and Triple H were teasing a WrestleMania match at the SmackDown 15th Anniversary special. With The Rock's very busy schedule shooting movies, it seems unlikely that he'll be getting back in the ring next March. WWE kicking off a feud between Sting & Triple H seems to support the notion that The Rock won't be available during WrestleMania season.
While The Undertaker's in-ring future is still unknown, Sting working with Triple H could be a sign that Taker has yet to commit to wrestling at WrestleMania 31.
UPDATE x 2: In an update from our earlier report (see below), the decision to bring in Sting wasn’t made until Thursday. As previously reported, WWE wanted to deliver on a surprise and also wanted to push the “anything can happen” on the WWE Network idea.
Sting is not expected to be at RAW or SmackDown this week. The plan was for him to make the pay-per-view appearance and then head back home to California. He may have pre-taped a segment for tonight, but nothing is confirmed.
In regards to who he may wrestle, the obvious pick seems to be Triple H due to their interaction last night. The plan as of Friday was that Sting will wrestle The Undertaker at WrestleMania 31. Of course, he could also wrestle Triple H at the Royal Rumble as a sort of introduction to fans not familiar with him.
UPDATE: WWE’s plan for Survivor Series last night was to push the WWE Network and show that anything can happen in WWE and anyone can show up on the Network. This is why Sting finally appeared on screen and why WWE announced both Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt at TLC and the Austin/Vince interview next week.
It’s believed that Sting also showed up to help promote WWE 2K15, which was released not long before the PPV happened. Finally, it’s possible that WWE added Sting’s name into the script earlier in the show (it was previously reported as happening right before or right after the Divas elimination match) in order to keep his main event appearance a secret.
ORIGINAL: As many of you know by now, Sting officially made his debut at the WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view on Sunday night.
According to sources, WWE flew Sting into Kansas, MO from Dallas, TX on Sunday morning as they wanted to hide him from fans who were waiting at the airport to meet WWE Superstars. The company then had a limo waiting for him in Kansas City, MO and drove him to St. Louis for the pay-per-view. He was kept hidden backstage during the afternoon and evening hours.
Additionally, Sting wasn't notified that he'd be appearing at Survivor Series until late last week. WWE officials called him on Wednesday or Thursday and told him he was needed for the pay-per-view. He was promoting WWE 2K15 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of last week and was unaware at that point that he'd be making his debut at Survivor Series.
The original plans called for Stung to appear either before or after the Divas Elimination tag-team match. Obviously, those plans changed and he was involved in the main event instead.
As of last word, Sting was not expected to appear at...
-- Medallion Press has announced that they will publish Booker T’s second autobiography in April 2015. The book will be titled Booker T: My Rise to Wrestling Royalty and will be co-written by Andrew William Wright. It follows his first auobiography, 2012’s Booker T: From Prison to Promise (which was also co-written by Wright).
Also read: ?WWE's Return To MSG, Synopsis For D-Bryan's AutobiographyThe release said that the book “will chronicle the very beginnings of Harlem Heat, his memorable portrayal of the regal King Booker, and finally his acceptance into the WWE class of 2013 Hall of Fame.”
You can pre-order the book here.
-- Here is a preview of tomorrow night’s NXT episode on the WWE Network:
Souce(s): FOX5 & The Wrestling Observer
UPDATE: As noted earlier here on the website, FOX 5 in Atlanta reports that Atlanta police have issued an arrest warrant for Heath Slater (real name Heath Miller) for an incident at the Wrestlemania 27 after-party in 2011.
Corrine Oliver, who was working security, claims that Slater put her in a chokehold and tried to get her into an elevator to drag her to his room at the Hyatt Regecny Atlanta. She claims the attack caused damage to five vertebrae in her back.
She reported the matter to her supervisor (at Allied Barton Securities) the morning after it happened, but she waited three months to file a police report. She claimed that she waited for the supervisors to file the report but they didn’t. She also said that other wrestlers saw what Slater was doing and didn’t help. The police report said the incident was a “simple assault/battery”.
Also read: BREAKING NEWS: Arrest Warrant Issued For Heath SlaterWWE issued the following statement earlier this evening:
"WWE has been advised that a misdemeanor arrest warrant has been issued against Heath Miller (aka Heath Slater), but we have not seen a copy or been provided with the underlying charges. Once this information is received by WWE, we will take the appropriate action."
At the time the story first broke in 2011, sources in WWE claimed Slater was with his fiancée on the night in question. Another source claims that Slater and his girlfriend actually got engaged later that evening.
ORIGINAL: According to police in Atlanta, GA, a warrant has been issued for WWE wrestler Heath "Heath Miller" Slater stemming from a 2011 incident at a WrestleMania 27 afterparty.
FOX-5 television in Atlanta reports that Corinne Oliver, who was working security at the event, is accusing Slater of putting her in a chokehold and trying to get her into an elevator. She claims he was trying to drag her back to his room at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta where the party was taking place.
Oliver says she was inured during the attack and broke five vertebrae in her back.
Oliver apparently went to her supervisor on the morning of the incident and told him about it but nothing was ever done. She then waited almost three months to file a police report. She claims the reason she waited so long is because she expected her supervisors at Allied Barton Securities to file a police report and they never did. She also claims another wrestler witnessed the incident but didn't do anything to help her. The police report described the incident as a "simple assault/battery."
WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt says the charges were filed against Slater and not the company.
Story developing .......
Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Also read: A Major In-Depth Update On Ric Flair's Health - What's The Latest?, A WWE Return?, & MoreAs previously reported, Ric Flair’s recent health issues and condition were a topic of discussion backstage within both WWE and TNA. As you know, Flair underwent surgery a couple of weeks ago that caused him to be pulled from an appearance on the NXT Takeover: Fatal Four-Way show. According to sources, Flair was in a hospital in Gwinnett County, Georgia from September 8th until the 18th.
A source notes that Flair was initially admitted for surgery due to a hernia. However, he began suffering from significant intestinal problems due to his prescribed medications and the surgery and thus wasn’t able to keep any food down. Flair was getting nutrients via an IV bag and underwent intestinal surgery on September 16th. Flair has dropped a lot of weight and because of the surgeries, he won’t be able to do any training for about another month.
A source adds that Flair recovered nicely after intestinal surgery and was released from the hospital two days ahead of schedule.
It was revealed during Tuesday night’s episode of WWE Main Event that Sheamus (in storyline, of course) suffered a stinger in his arm after being attacked by the Authority and put through a table on RAW. Michael Cole said that Sheamus had signs of bone spurring, narrowing of the spinal canal and increased pressure to his neck.
Also read: Arm Wrestling Content Set For SmackDown + Brock Lesnar Returning To RAW Next WeekAn update on his condition was promised by RAW.
Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Here is another updated report on the rumors and possible surprises that have been speculated online for WWE Survivor Series.
Per the report, as many likely expected, Jericho’s tweet earlier was basically him trolling fans on the internet. Jericho will not be appearing at the PPV, and he is currently set for a Fozzy show tonight in Des Moines, Iowa.
Also read: ?**SPOILER** Update - 3 Names Possible For The WWE Survivor Series Psy-Per-ViewIt seems some fans actually believed Punk referencing Paul Heyman on Twitter earlier believed it meant Punk could make a return to the WWE tonight. The latest report confirms Punk will not be making a comeback tonight. Punk is reportedly focusing on his life post-wrestling. A sourcce says he has been training extensively in MMA under the Gracies in California.
In addition, Roman Reigns has reportedly flown from Reno, Nevada for an autograph signing to St. Louis, Missouri. So he is now in town for the event. However, an earlier report indicated he is not confirmed to make an appearance for the event. He is in town thgh.
ORIGINAL: As previously reported, Sting, Roman Reigns, and Randy Orton have all been rumored to be in attendance for tonight’s Survivor Series events. However, there have been conflicting reports regarding whether the Superstars would definitively appear or not.
There could be even one or two more surprises for the event. These surprises could be in addition to the aforementioned three wrestlers. The issue is a source notes that the WWE might want to hold these surprises back because if Sting and Orton appear tonight, that would be enough for the show. Anything further would potentially be perceived as overkill.
In other words, the source suggests more surprises are planned…but are also being planned to get held back. Any additional surprises besides say Sting and Orton would take away from the importance of their appearance.
Birthdate: 07/27/1969 (age 45) Height: 6'4" Weight: 255lb Hunter Hearst Helmsley is an American business ... 
Birthdate: 05/02/1972 (age 42) Height: 6'5" Weight: 260 Ib Johnson was a college football player for the U... 
Birthdate: 3/19/1987 (age 27) Height: 5'2" Weight: 115 Ib Originally trained by former TNA wrestler Ja... 
Birthdate: 03/01/1961 (age 53) Height: 6'3" Weight: 256 Ib Booker T is regarded as the greatest African-Am... 
Birthdate: 08/11/1953 (age 61) Height: 6'7" Weight: 302 Ib Hogan enjoyed mainstream popularity in the 1980... 
Birthdate: 05/23/1987 (age 27) Height: 6'3" Weight: 295 Ib Rotunda debuted in FCW in April 2009. He soon j... 
Birthdate: 09/24/1976 (age 38) Height: 5'8" Weight: 135 Ib Stephanie McMahon has been employed with WWE fo... 
Birthdate: 03/20/1955 (age 59) Height: 6'2" Weight: 250 Ib Sting is best known for his tenure in World Cha... 
Birthdate: 07/15/1983 (age 31) Height: 6'2" Weight: 216 Ib Miller trained at WWA4 wrestling school in Atla... 
Birthdate: 02/25/1949 (age 65) Height: 6'1" Weight: 243 Ib Ric Flair, also known as "The Nature Boy," Flai...