WWE today announced its financial results for the 4th quarter ended December 31, 2012.
Revenues totaled $115.1 million as compared to $112.9 million in the prior-year quarter. Operating income was $2.6 million as compared to a loss of $13.1 million in the prior-year quarter. Net income was $0.6 million as compared to a loss of $8.6 million in the prior-year quarter.
Excluding items that impacted comparability on a year-over-year basis, Adjusted Operating income was $5.4 million as compared to $3.1 million in the prior-year quarter, and Adjusted Net income was $1.3 million as compared to $1.8 million.
“In the fourth quarter, we continued to make important progress on our key strategic initiatives, expanding the production and licensing of new programs and enhancing our brands,” stated Vince McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Although we did not announce the launch of a domestic television network during the year, we believe, now more than ever, that we can realize the full value of our intellectual property using a variety of approaches in our global markets. Our confidence is based on the rising value of content and the tremendous global appeal of our brands.”
The most powerful couple in professional wrestling – Triple H and his wife Stephanie McMahon – have finally joined the Twitter world.
Triple H joined the social network yesterday and already has over 190,000 fans following him. “13-time World Champion and Chief Operating Officer of WWE. Time to Play The Game,” reads his bio at the top of the page. His real job title at WWE is Executive Vice President, Talent and Live Events.
Today, HHH said that he managed to convince his wife to also join Twitter. “Hey, I badgered my wife into doing this nerdfest as well,” he wrote.
“Thanks Honey, I needed another responsibility,” Stephanie McMahon wrote back.
McMahon joined Twitter just a few hours ago and has over 6,000 followers as of this writing. Her profile reads, “Stephanie McMahon is WWE’s EVP, Creative, responsible for overseeing creative development for all WWE. Working mom of 3. Married to @TripleH. #WhosTheREALBoss?”
Well, we kinda all knew she was the real boss anyway.
You can follow HHH by adding him @TripleH and Stephanie by adding her @StephMcMahon.
Monday Night RAW this week pulled in a 3.4 rating with an average of 4,707,000 viewers, up from last week’s 3.3 rating.
Hour one did 4,860,000 viewers, followed by 4,700,000 in the second hour, and 4,560,000 in the third hour. The first hour tied as the third largest 8PM to 9PM audience-wise since the show moved to three hours in July 2012. (Ratings compiled by Nielsen Media Research and put online by PWInsider.com)
TNA Superstars will be appearing at the 2013 Arnold Fitness Expo on Friday and Saturday in Columbus, Ohio on the main expo floor at booth #116. The event is being held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center located at 400 North High Street.
On Friday, Miss Tessmacher will be there to sign autographs between 11:30AM and 1:30PM and then Robbie E takes the stage between 2PM and 3PM. Both signings will be done at the TNA booth.
On Saturday, Kurt Angle and Crimson will be on the main expo stage at 10:30AM and then Angle will be with Rob Terry at 12:30PM also at the main stage. Between 11AM and Noon, Rob Terry will be signing at the TNA booth and between 1:30PM and 2:30PM, Kurt Angle, Rob Terry, and Crimson will be at the Teen Challenge Awards Ceremony. TNA’s involvement in the expo will wrap up with an autograph signing session with Crimson between 4PM and 5PM at the TNA booth.
TNA champion Jeff Hardy will be returning to IMPACT Wrestling tomorrow night live on Spike TV after an absence of four weeks.
Hardy was taken off television the week prior to the company going to the United Kingdom to tape four weeks worth of TV shows after he was attacked by the Aces & Eights.
The real reason Hardy did not travel to the UK with the rest of the TNA crew was because his legal issues in the United States prevented him from traveling across the pond.
TNA knew about the issue but decided to keep the title on Hardy despite knowing the fact that he would be missing a month worth of television shows.
WWE is going ahead with appointing a “general manager” for the Saturday Morning Slam kids television show which airs on Vortexx on The CW.
The whole angle will play over three weeks of television starting this Saturday, then on March 9, and again on March 16.
“We are very excited to offer our fans the opportunity to witness all of the extreme in-ring action leading up to the crowning of the WWE Superstar who will become the General Manager of WWE Saturday Morning Slam and rule over them all,” said Elie Dekel, Co-President of Vortexx. “We hope the fans are just as eager as we are to see who will claim the ultimate title.”
The tamer-than-PG show is taped way in advance before it airs and the appointment of the new General Manager was done during the tapings yesterday, an episode which will air on March 16.
Major changes may be made to the card of Wrestlemania XXIX, following tonight’s Raw. On the card is another round of C.M. Punk taking on John Cena, with the winner facing WWE Champion The Rock at “The Showcase of the Immortals.” Who will win? Personally, I’m either hoping for C.M. Punk or a Triple-Threat.
Also, it’s “fight night,” as Mr. Vince McMahon himself has challenged Paul Heyman to a fight in the ring. I’m guessing The Boss has a nice little swerve up his sleeve, perhaps in the form of Triple H or even The Undertaker? Heyman would not be outdone either, potentially bringing back Brock Lesnar?
And, is it going to be just Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship? Or has “The Show-off/Mr. Money In The Bank” Dolph Ziggler inserted himself into the equation after last week’s Raw, where he attempted to cash in his briefcase and become the new World Heavyweight Champion?
Finally, will another legendary name be announced for the illustrious Hall-Of-Fame?
All this and much more (hopefully!), so read on…!
Monday Night Raw TV Report for February 25th, 2013 – “A (Classic) Clear Road”
Introduction Segment: Recap and Welcoming
As is the precursor now, video highlights of the events mentioned above start off. Justin Roberts then asks us to welcome The Chairman of the Board, Mr. McMahon!
Segment #1: Arena Promo
Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler welcome us to Monday Night Raw, as The Boss hobbles to the ring on crutches. With a big smile on his face, and cheers from the crowd, Vince says on the way to Wrestlemania, every Monday Night Raw should be big. He calls out Mr. Heyman, calling him “the ultimate fighter.”
Paul E. walks out, naming Vince as “always the showman, always the entertainer….ladies and gentleman for those of you who have children, here’s a story you’re going to be able to tell them time and time again. Tonight you’re going to see a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. I have waited my entire life for this fight. You have positioned me on television as a ‘wimp,’ as a ‘wuss,’ as the ‘biggest puss’ in the universe, and I assure you Vincent Kennedy McMahon, I am ‘all man!’ I have watched you run every single promoter out of business, including me. I have watched you defeat the United States Government. But I assure you tonight, if we fight, Paul Heyman is coming for everything that you got.”
At first, Heyman wants to make sure that Vince is absolute in his decision to fight, then Paul sweeps up Vince and whacks him with the crutch. He goes for a second swing, but McMahon grabs a hold and hammers Heyman over the back.
Just now, Paul Heyman’s client Brock Lesnar comes back. Vince stares down as Lesnar enters the squared circle. Vince’s trick is turned now, as the man who Lesnar put out of action is back! Triple H returns for the first time since Summerslam in August 2012, complete in “game” attire (sans suit). He slowly walks the aisle, glaring a hold in Brock.
Lesnar tries to get the jump, but HHH jumps all over him. Lesnar rams “The Game” into the barricade, but Triple H shoves back, running Brock into the steel post. Brock is busted wide open, and gets clotheslined over the timekeeper’s section. A now crimson Lesnar battles back and dumps Trips onto the announcer’s table.
From under the ring, he takes out a chair and enters the canvas. HHH counters with a spinebuster, grabs the chair, and nails Brock in the back, sending him falling to the outside. Lesnar backs off.
Later tonight, there will be an edition of MizTV with World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio and his Wrestlemania challenger, Jack Swagger with Zeb Colter.
Up next, Ryback will face Dolph Ziggler!
Commercials.
Match #1: Single – “Mr. Money In The Bank/The Show-Off” Dolph Ziggler (with Big E. Langston and A.J.) vs. Ryback
The two circle around each other, then Ziggler ducks out of the initial grab. Dolph clutches Ryback with a waistlock, but Ryback reverses and takes down Ziggler with one of his own. He slams Dolph again with another waistlock, but Ziggler comes back with a low kick and then a mid-dropkick.
Ziggler wears him down with a front-facelock, but Ryback powers out with a shoulder block and powerslam. He slam’s Dolph’s head into the top turnbuckle and begins to toy around. He catches Ziggler in another powerslam position, and flings him over his shoulder, the runs him spine-first into the corner and drops him to the mat.
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Back live, Ryback has Dolph held high in a stalling-suplex position, then drops down to the canvas. Dolph rolls to the floor, where Ryback does send him back in, but gets flattened by Langston with a running body block. Ziggler takes advantage with a high dropkick, and later a jumping DDT! 1 – 2 – Ryback kicks out!
Ryback moves out of the way of a fameasser, but not the sleeper hold, as Dolph jumps on his back and grips on the submission. Ryback drops down to break it up. He stops Dolph’s momentum with a flat-out block and spinebuster. A.J. and Big E. try another distraction, but Ryback gets rid of Langston, then gives a Shell-Shock Marching Samoan Drop to Ziggler for the victory!
Winner via Pinfall: Ryback
Just before break, “The Straight-Edge Superstar” C.M. Punk is making his way to the ring.
Commercials.
Segment #2: Arena Promo
C.M. Punk hushes the crowd subtly, then declares that tonight will be epic, something that you tell your children and grand children will talk about for years to come. Punk says that tonight is not about John Cena, The Rock, Wrestlemania, the fans, the WWE Championship, or Wrestlemania. “Tonight is about ME!” Punk says it is about him “ascending to the level I was born to be at.”
He touts his WWE Championship reign, and that he will be in the main event at Wrestlemania. He alone has both defeated the “almighty” John Cena, and pinned The Rock twice in four weeks. “I am an icon that walks among superstars. I am the one that gets looked up to. I’m not just a human being, I am a mortal. I am immortal. I am ‘the greatest,’ I am ‘the best in the world,’ I am ‘the greatest of all time.’ A ‘legend,’ an ‘icon,’ ‘the best,’ ‘the greatest,’ and in this world that you all inhabit, ‘I, I am god.” Punk exits to his music.
Segment #3: Hall-Of-Fame Announcement
The latest inductee is entering the celebrity wing of the H.O.F. He is a “business mogul,” best-selling author, reality television star. He brought WrestleManias IV and V to Atlantic City, New Jersey back-to-back in 1988 and 1989. Now, he will be back in “The Garden State” as a Hall-Of-Famer. He is the one and only, Donald Trump! (Makes sense, I’m cool with this choice.)
Up next, giants will battle it out as Mark Henry takes on The Great Khali
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Match #2: Single – “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry VS. The Great Khali
Khali slugs it out right away with a big boot and overhead punches. He chops away in the corner, and chops him over the head. Henry gets out of dodge, but runs Khali against the ring apron. He charges again with a big splash in the corner, then finishes him off with a HUGE World’s Strongest Slam powerslam!
Winner via Pinfall” “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry
Miz makes his way to the ring, following the trailer for his new movie, “The Marine 3.”
Commercials.
Segment #4: Arena Promo
The Miz, Jack Swagger, and Zeb Colter are already in the ring as World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio, with Ricardo Rodriguez, is entering. Miz talks first, introducing his guests. He starts with the challenger, and questions them about their controversial problems with the World Heavyweight Champion.
First, Colter says he wanted to really talk to Glenn Beck (read this website, Wrestling-Online.com for that story), but since Glenn “chickened out,” so he is fine speaking to Alberto. Zeb talks about the “undocumented workers,” which he calls them since he can’t politically say “illegals.”
He lists what they do to the American people and economy, such as taking their jobs and medical care, all while being declared “amnesty.” Del Rio wants to speak, but Zeb cuts him off. Miz and A.D.R. continue to let him talk. Colter compares the process of becoming a citizen in Mexico – where it takes 10 years due to paperwork and corruption, as he cites – to the United States.
Colter says his “beef” is not personal with Alberto, just what he represents. Del Rio represents success and the “American Dream,” which Colter claims encourages millions of illegals to sneak across the border in search of it. Zeb is not going to stand by and let them stay in the country, even when they do not achieve that “dream.” Colter calls them “criminals,” which finally sets off Del Rio.
The World Heavyweight Champion shuts up Colter, telling them that America is the greatest country because it belongs to everyone. He is no different than anyone, and they are all here to provide their families with a better life in the “land of opportunity.” He calls himself the living proof, as Rodriguez holds the World Title high. Del Rio tells them he doesn’t like bullies, and if they have the “cojones,” then do something to make them leave, right now!
Alberto takes off his jacket, for Swagger to respond with “we will see you at Wrestlemania. We the people.” Colter and Swagger back off.
Randy Orton will be in action next!
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Match #3: Single – United States Champion Antonio Cesaro VS. “The Viper” Randy Orton (Non-Title)
Prior to the bout, footage is shown of Zeb Colter protesting Miz’s “bias” interview skills and Jack Swagger attacking from behind.
Cesaro grabs Orton in a side-headlock to begin, then comes off the ropes with a shoulder block. Randy fires back with an elbow-to-the-face, and a t-bone suplex. 1 – 2 – Cesaro kicks out. Uppercuts are traded, with Cesaro getting the best and slamming Orton down with a gutwrench suplex. 1 – 2 – Orton kicks out! Antonio takes control with a rear chinlock and series of uppercuts.
“The Viper” runs back with clotheslines and a powerslam, gearing up as only he does! Cesaro counters with a jawbreaker using the ropes, but still gets taken down with a backbreaker. However, Orton runs into a knee, but the U.S. Champ dives into a sudden R.K.O. for the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winner via Pinfall: “The Viper” Randy Orton
Segment #5: Backstage Promo
Tag-Team Champions “Team Hell-No” are letting “bygones be bygones,” and talk about their match tonight with “The Primetime Players.” Both Kane and Daniel Bryan claim they can beat Titus and Darren on their own. Both Brad Maddox and Vickie Guerrero, who Brad calls “Team Bricki,” says that Bryan will be blind-folded and Kane will have one of his hands tied behind his back.
Commercials.
Segment #6: Arena Promo
It is announced that The Miz can get revenge on Jack Swagger in a match later tonight. Sheamus is now out, decked out in beautiful tuxedo, to give us his “Oscar Snubs.”
His biggest issue with the Academy is they omission of one of the greatest actors – Wade Barrett! He then shows a trailer of the Intercontinental Champion’s movie, “Dead Man Down.” It is an action flick that Wade only appears in very briefly. Sheamus provides another trailer, in which Barrett is portrayed as “henchmen,” saying nothing. Sheamus totally makes fun of Barrett.
This brings out the big brute, laughing and smiling. He retorts the “ribbing,” saying that the Irish love the colour green. Wade claims that Sheamus is jealous, because he is going to because a “huge global movie star” and will be walking down the real red carpet. Sheamus concurs, then entices Wade in a quick missed punch after making fun of his nose. Barrett leaves and the two stare down.
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Match #4: Single – Cody Rhodes VS. R-Truth
(Note: “The Intellectual Saviour of the Masses” Damien Sandow is on commentary.) They lock up and R-Truth runs back with a shoulder block. He slaps Rhodes but gets blocked. He ducks a Disaster Kick, but gets his leg worked over and hammered on by Cody.
He drops Truth with a big flapjack suplex, then chokes him with his boot against the middle rope. Rhodes clamps on a grounding full-nelson, which R fights out of and hits Cody with a forearm. He quickly counters a run with the Jumping Flatliner to put Cody away!
Winner via Pinfall: R-Truth
Post-match, Damien immediately jumps the ring and attacks, but gets thrown out soon by Truth. The two jaw at each other.
Segment #7: Video Promo
Another video with Zeb Colter and “The Real American” Jack Swagger talking about how Americans lose their jobs “because we have allowed ‘people’ to sneak into the country under ‘the cloak of darkness,’ because they work for little-to-no money, so that hard-working, English-speaking folk like your Dad, Jack, and my friend, are left out in the cold.” (This is according to Zeb Colter.) Colter says that real Americans, himself, and Jack Swagger know this is wrong, and they want to correct it in “Jack Swagger’s America.”
Commercials.
Match #5: Tag-Team – “The Primetime Players” (Titus O’Neil and Darren Young) VS. Tag-Team Champions “Team Hell-No” (Kane and Daniel Bryan) (Non-Title)
Bryan is blind-folded to begin the bout. Titus uses his whistle to fool Daniel, then quickly takes him down with a clothesline from behind. Big scoop slam by Titus, then he tags in Young. Northern-light suplex gets a two-count as Young switches with O’Neil.
Another huge scoop slam, and Kane yells at Daniel to move prior to Titus jumping down with a big elbow. Darren changes up again and misses, as Kane calls Bryan to his corner. With one arm (the other is tied up as a pre-match stipulation), Kane just goes to town on Young with clotheslines and a boot. He manages a one-handed Chokeslam for the victory!
Winners via Pinfall: Tag-Team Champions “Team Hell-No” (Kane and Daniel Bryan)
Segment #8: Arena Promo
“The Shield” are in the ring. Dean Ambrose proclaims that it is going to get worse, as it always does. “There will be no peace in WWE until there is justice and honor. We are ‘The Shield,’ we are the most efficient, most effective, most dangerous unit in this industry. And that makes a lot of people back there very uncomfortable. And that’s too bad, because we’re here to shatter your little ‘comfort zones.’
Reigns challenges everyone to bring their army, but “The Shield” is still going to win every time and “justice is going to hunt you down and we’re going to grind your bones to dust!” Rollins says they did something no one thought they could, which was solving “the John Cena problem.” They then dropped “that wannabe rockstar, Chris Jericho.” He challenges more people.
Sheamus interjects, and wants to fight. He entices them to come up the ramp and fight, so Ambrose and Reigns do so, leaving Rollins in the ring where behind him Randy Orton sneaks in and R.K.O.’s! Orton trails it to the fans and big cheers, and Sheamus glares from the stage. Ambrose poises himself squatting, in a “you got us tonight, but we’ll getcha next time” expression. (Brilliant!)
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Match #6: Single – “The Real American” Jack Swagger (with Zeb Colter) VS. “The Awesome One” The Miz
It’s a slugfest right off the bat, until Swagger belly-to-belly suplexes Miz on the floor! Jack in control now with elbows-to-the-back. He splashes Miz in the corner and locks on a double-arm hold. He counters Miz’s run with a harsh clothesline and stomps right on his chest. Jack runs again and lands on Miz with the Swaggerbomb splash out of the corner for a near-fall! Swagger catches Miz out of a run and brings him down with another powerslam. 1 – 2 – Miz kicks out!
Miz starts to get up again, with clotheslines and a boot. He hits the running clothesline in the corner and flies off the top rope with a double-axe-handle! 1 – 2 – Swagger kicks out! Miz flips over into a sunset flip for another close fall, but soon gets his left leg caught in the ropes. This gives “The Real American” a “real advantage” (yes, I had to go there!), as he pounds on the potentially injured leg before clamping on the “Patriot Lock” Ankle Lock for the tap out!
Winner via Pinfall: “The Real American” Jack Swagger
Commercials.
Segment #9: Backstage Promo
Josh Matthews interviews tonight’s main-event participant, John Cena. He is excited but serious about the bout, where Cena has a change to “prove to the world that John Cena is back!” Tonight, Cena says the better man will win and go to Wrestlemania. “If you haven’t given up and the words ‘Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect’ still have some meaning to you, tonight the whole world will know that their time is up and our time is now!”
It’s next….!
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Match #7: Single for the #1 Contender’s Spot to the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania XXIV – C.M. Punk VS. John Cena
(Note: In a nice touch for a non-title bout, but important one nonetheless, formal introductions are made in ring this time!)
The two long-time arch-rivals walk around then engage in an elbow/collar tie-up. Punk gets the advantage with a side-headlock takedown, which Cena eventually reverses into a grounding rear chinlock, following a bit of chain-wrestling. Punk leg-scissors his way out and clamps down a side-headlock of his own. Cena leap-frogs over a running C.M. and hip-tosses him down. Punk heads to the outside for a break.
Commercials.
Back live, Cena backdrops Punk, who soon moves out of the way and drops Cena with a swinging neckbreaker. Punk delivers elbows to John’s back and soon clamps on a leg scissors submission. Cena rolls over and stands up with Punk on his shoulders, dropping backwards to the mat.
Cena counters with a double-boot and running bulldog for a two-count! Cena leaps onto a grounded Punk, clutching on a front-facelock. Cena ducks a couple running clotheslines but gets hit with a calf-kick for a two-count by C.M.! “The Straight-Edge Superstar” wears down Cena with a side-headlock and ducks a second flying shoulder-tackle from the former “Dr. Of Thuganomics.” Punk leaps through the ropes with a suicide dive!
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Back live, Punk has Cena locked in an abdominal stretch, but Cena reverses into a hip toss. Cena begins to fire up with the shoulder-tackles, but “The Second-City Saint” reverses a spin-out backdrop into the Anaconda Vice! Cena counters into a pinning combo for 2! Punk now hits another neckbreaker for another near-fall, then crawls out of the S.T.F.! He springs himself off the ropes with a flying clothesline for another two-count!
Punk misses another springboard clothesline and gets caught in the S.T.F. in the middle, but somehow sneaks out and works his way into the Anaconda Vice! Cena counters again this time, into a Crossface, which Punk reverses into another pin combo, but only for two! (Awesome match!)
The two combatants engage in back-and-forth-punches, but Punk kicks him down. Cena comes back with the spin-out backdrop and attempts the “5 Knuckle Shuffle,” but Punk counters into a “Go-To-Sleep” try. Cena reverses into a sunset flip, which Punk reverses into another combo for a near-fall!
Punk nails the high-knee in the corner, but has his subsequent running bulldog into the spin-out backdrop. The “5 Knuckle Shuffle” is dropped this time, but the A.A. is wiggled out of by Punk! Cena plants Punk with harsh sit-down powerbomb. 1 – 2 – Punk gets the shoulder up!
Cena climbs the top rope, but takes too long and Punk cuts him off. The “Second-City Saint” is headbutted off the turnbuckle and driven down with the legdrop to the mat! 1 – 2 – Punk again with the shoulder up! (Wow!)
Punk drops Cena in the back of the head with a kick and hits the high-knee. Cena quickly hits the Attitude Adjustment out of nowhere! 1 – 2 – Punk kicks out! (Oh my!) On the outside, Cena is pushed into the ringpost, and Mike Chioda, the referee, gets to the count of 9 before Cena makes the miraculous dive back in!
Punk drops Cena with the “Go To Sleep,” but only for 2! Punk tries again, but Cena catches his knee into the S.T.F. He is resisting, resisting, resisting, crawling, and grabs the ropes! Cena is sitting in the ring in disbelief, gathering his thoughts. Punk kicks him in the shin and hits the banned move, The Piledriver! 1 – 2 – Cena still kicks out! (Holy crap!)
Punk tries another couple quick covers, but again to no avail. Punk dives off the top rope and kisses canvas with the elbow! Cena manages pull off a helluva hurricanrana and get a third Attitude Adjustment for the finale! John Cena is going to Wrestlemania!
Winner and #1 Contender for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania XXIX: John Cena
(That was a match – well freakin’ done men!)
Cena poses and celebrates for the fans, as Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler put over the match they just witnessed and John Cena’s destination to Wrestlemania XXIX. The Rock chimes in with a tweet. “Congrats John…It’s official: Wrestlemania 29 @WWE Heavyweight Champion The Rock vs @ John Cena Greatness vs Redemption #BringIt” to close the show.
End Of Raw.
Reporter’s Rumblings – By Moe Tapp
Wow! That was an excellent Raw, of course capped off by a superb main event. All around, the show flowed smoothly and the matches all had to do with continuing feuds and/or storylines. Nothing felt like “filler”, other than the recaps of what happened during the week and/or night already.
Excellence: Paul Heyman’s promo – the man does speak the truth and you hear the passion in his voice when he does. I’m glad he and Vince entangled into a little fight before bringing out the expected returns of Brock Lesnar and Triple H. Man, does Lesnar bleed well too! Something tells me that was just a little bit on purpose, to enhance the intensity of the rivalry.
Both C.M. Punk’s and John Cena’s promos were awesome in putting themselves and the glory they have for wanting to main event Wrestlemania XXIX over. Glad Cena was on his more “business” side tonight, while C.M. is always just “on.”
Henry/Khali is a win because it was over short and sweet, so hopefully this side-track feud is and Henry moves on to a bigger (star-wise) opponent for Wrestlemania. I like the R-Truth/Damien Sandow mix-up, and I can easily see a tag-team match with their respective partners/friends at W.M. too. “The Shield,” particularly Dean Ambrose, was excellent tonight. Even though they got taken down a small peg tonight with Orton’s R.K.O. to Rollins, it was smart because it shows they are not completely invincible but strong enough to regroup and continue to fight, as evidenced by Ambrose’s position in the ring following the finisher.
Love the entire Swagger/Colter/Del Rio storyline. They are pushing it just far enough to not get in major trouble and have to pull the plug, so far. It has also shot Swagger back to decent stardom, and he does feel like a legitimate contender for the World Championship. I hope they can keep going this way without flack and no one “chickens” out.
Finally, the main event. John Cena and C.M. Punk have unique and extraordinary chemistry for two wrestlers opposite styles. This bout will definitely be on a “best of” DVD, and should be studied by up and coming wrestlers on how to make a match suspenseful and tell a story with so much on the line, in my opinion. That was even a interesting and unexpected way to execute a hurricanrana by Cena, but a nice additive because it displayed that he will pull out all the stops to win. Great way to end it, completely clean and controversial free, as well as the immediate tweet from The Rock, to remind us that the WWE Champion is still “there.” I am actually starting to slightly look forward to this feud again.
Bogus: Once again, Dolph Ziggler. Great match with Ryback, but where the hell is he going toward Wrestlemania, particularly since he has the Money In The Bank briefcase? So disappointing with how far he has fallen recently.
Time to have new Tag-Team Champs. Not into the on/off relationship of Kane/Daniel Bryan anymore, and they could be great singles wrestlers again too. Put the straps on “Primetime Players,” or a reformed and permanent “Rhodes Scholars.”
Lastly, not really understanding what this feud is about with Sheamus and Wade Barrett. The Irishman went from WWE/World Title level to picking on the Intercontinental Champion about his movie? Lame.
Overall, this Raw left me very satisfied and excited for next week, as steam will really pick up with the main-events (apparently) solidified. With it being Old-School Raw too, please bring back a 90s-esque set and the ever-classic red, white, and blue ropes!
Until then, as always, Be Excellent Wrestling-Online Readers and Wrestling Fans!
WWE will be going in a time warp next Monday as the company has announced that RAW will be going old school.
The last time WWE went old school with RAW – in August 2010 – a ton of Legends made an appearance – including Tito Santana, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Dusty Rhodes, Ron Simmons, Ted DiBiase, The Fink, Mean Gene Okerlund, IRS, Jimmy Snuka, and others.
The set for RAW will also undergo the change with the big HD screens removed, making way for the large RAW letters that were present in the early years of the show. Ring ropes will be changed to the red, white, and blue, and maybe even the refs will undergo a wardrobe change as well like last time.
The show will take place in Buffalo, New York, at the First Niagara Center.
Brock Lesnar found out the hard way yesterday that you do not mess with a ring post. If you ram your head for real to the post, the post always wins.
And that’s what happened last night on RAW as Triple H ran Lesnar through the post. The former UFC champ either forgot to put his hands up or his brakes didn’t function as the back of his head went crashing through the steel structure, immediately opening him up.
Blood was flowing down Lesnar’s face but he didn’t seem to mind and continued to brawl with Triple H while sporting a crimson mask. He needed 18 staples to close the gash on his head after the segment was done. WWE.COM has photos of Lesnar getting fixed by the WWE medical team backstage at http://t.co/kD6J2Jmc6B
Michael Cole was sent to the studio where Glenn Beck films his TV show in hopes of trying to get an interview from Beck since he refused his invitation to Monday Night RAW.
Cole and a WWE cameraman entered the studios and were kept waiting as person after person asked what they wanted. Cameras kept rolling as everyone made excuse after excuse and then security told Cole that he cannot stay in there and has to leave.
Cole kept pushing and then the owner of the studios came down and told them that they are on private property and asked them to leave his premises immediately. The owner said that Beck was not in the studio even though a person earlier said that he was currently there filming.
The footage of Cole’s unsuccessful attempt to interview Beck can be seen below.
John Cena and CM Punk battled in an almost 25 minute match to determine who would be facing The Rock for the WWE title at WrestleMania.
Both Superstars kicked out of each other’s finishing moves, with CM Punk also delivering the now non-existent piledriver on Cena. Cena on his part delivered a hurricanrana as part of his finishing sequence which saw Cena delivering another Attitude Adjustment for the pinfall victory.
After the match was over, the current WWE champion The Rock tweeted a congratulatory message to the number one contender after finally defeating CM Punk.
“Congrats John.. Its official: Wrestlemania 29 @WWE Heavyweight Champion The Rock vs @JohnCena Greatness vs Redemption #BringIt,” Rocky wrote.
Triple H returned to Monday Night RAW yesterday sporting a shorter haircut, ditching the corporate suit, and delivering an ass kicking to Brock Lesnar.
HHH saved Mr McMahon after Brock Lesnar came out to defend his friend and manager Paul Heyman after McMahon turned the tables on Heyman and attacked him with his crutches.
However Lesnar had no chance to hurt McMahon as Triple H – in jeans and shirt and ready to fight – appeared for the first time since late August and brawled with Lesnar, splitting Lesnar’s head wide open after ramming him through the ring post.
The two former WWE champions kept fighting as WWE cameras tried their best to avoid showing the bloodied face of the former UFC fighter on a PG rated program.
Lesnar and Triple H are expected to wrestle at WrestleMania in a SummerSlam rematch. Lesnar won the first round back in August, “breaking” Triple H’s arm.
WWE has announced that Donald Trump will be inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame this year in the ceremony that will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York on the eve of WrestleMania.
The 66 year old Chairman and President of The Trump Organization has been a friend of the McMahon family for several years and is a wrestling fan as well. In 1988 and 1989 he successfully managed to host WrestleMania back-to-back at his Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey and to this date the Trump Plaza is the only location which managed to secure two WrestleManias in a row.
Trump was also present at WrestleMania XX in Madison Square Garden and was interviewed on-screen by WWE Hall of Famer Jesse “The Body” Ventura before being involved again three years later at WrestleMania 23 in Detroit. At that particular WrestleMania, Trump was in a hair vs hair match against Vince McMahon although the two had other wrestlers representing them – Bobby Lashley for Trump and the late Umaga for McMahon. At the end of the match, Trump helped Lashley shave McMahon’s head.
In June of 2009, Trump “bought” Monday Night RAW and then “sponsored” the following week’s RAW show by having it commercial-free. WWE gave full refund to the fans who purchased tickets to the show as part of the storyline as well.
The storyline was killed the following week after WWE investors didn’t get that it was a storyline and hit the panic button.
Trump joins Mike Tyson, Bob Uecker, William Perry, and others in the celebrity wing of the Hall of Fame.
Tonight’s Monday Night RAW will feature a main event with possible consequences for the WrestleMania main event as John Cena will take on CM Punk with the winner going on to face The Rock for the WWE title.
Also on the show tonight is WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon as he is scheduled to “fight” Paul Heyman. Speaking of Heyman, former WWE and UFC champion Brock Lesnar will also be in the house.
While Brock Lesnar will make an appearance, WWE champion The Rock and the recently-returned Chris Jericho will not be on the show due to other commitments.
And with the Undertaker returning during the Smackdown non-televised live event during the past weekend, rumors are that the Deadman will finally show up on TV to hunt for his next WrestleMania opponent.
Sitting front row with boyfriend George Clooney, former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler looked all nice and pretty at the 2013 Academy Awards.
Despite all odds, Keibler managed to stay with Clooney even though a few months ago tons of tabloid magazines and websites reported that the two were on the verge of splitting.
You can see 10 photos of Keibler along with Clooney from yesterday’s Oscars ceremony below.
Dwayne Johnson’s new movie Snitch is expected to open up in second place now according to predictions by BoxOfficeMojo.com, generating $13,000,000 from 2,511 screens across the country.
While second place doesn’t sound so bad, the $13 million opening would be the forth worse opening for a movie which involves the current WWE champion. Planet 51, Faster, and Southland Tales – which only had a very, very small limited release – are the other three movies which opened worse than Snitch.
When adjusted for ticket inflation, Snitch would be the second worse, only behind Southland Tales.
Two time WWE Hall of Famer “Nature Boy” Ric Flair will be at a non-televised NXT live event tonight in Melbourne, Florida.
Flair will be there with his daughter – who wrestles under the name of Charlotte in NXT – signing autographs from 4:00PM onward. The start time for the show is 6:00PM. It will take place at the Melbourne Auditorium at 625 E Hibiscus Blvd.
Charlotte is the name that WWE gave to the 26 year old Ashley Flair when she signed up her developmental deal in an obvious reference to where her father is from.
Fans who attended the non-televised live event in Waco, Texas, yesterday, got a huge surprise as the Undertaker returned for a very rare house show match.
The Deadman teamed up with Sheamus to take on Damien Sandow and Wade Barrett, in what was his first in-ring activity since the RAW 1000 episodes where he “saved” Kane.
His return just weeks before WrestleMania will certainly spark more rumors about Taker’s involvement at WrestleMania 29 and who he will be facing to keep his 21-0 streak going strong.
WWE has a short video uploaded on their Tout account of the entrance of the Undertaker from last night’s Smackdown event which you can see below.
After the UFC 157 pay-per-view was over, Dana White and most of the fighters on the main card including the UFC Women’s Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, took questions from the media who were present to cover the show.
You can see the full post-fight press conference below.
The PPV portion of UFC 157 started off with a bang as Josh Koscheck rushed the center of the cage and quickly got the power double leg on Ruthless Robbie Lawler. Lawler was a long time training partner with UFC hall of famer Matt Hughes who was one of the best wrestlers in the history of the sport. Lawler stayed calm and utilized the butterfly guard to get free and back up. Lawler sprawls on another take down and lands a big right on a kneeling Koscheck and unleashes a few more for good measures as Herb Dean rushes over to wave off the fight. Koscheck never looked out but he was pinned against the fence and Lawler was looking to hurt him.
In another grueling war Court McGee made his welterweight debut as he makes the cut down from middleweight. Josh Neer was the welcome party and he was able to go the distance but this fight was almost all McGee other than the second round. McGee unleashed the strikes in bunches never settling for one when he could land as many as five in row. McGee hurt the body or more precisely the liver of Neer at the end of round but once he had Neer on the ground he was punching away at the head and not the body. Round 2 was the same from McGee but Neer was able to get off a few good series when he would start the exchange rather than try to counter. In the third round McGee continued the relentless pace and set a new record for strikes landed for a welterweight by eclipsing the 234 mark. McGee took the unanimous decision with scores of 30-27 from all three judges. This was his first time fighting at 170 I can’t wait to see what he does after he makes that cut a few more times.
The rematch between “The California Kid” Urijah Faber and Ivan Menjivar was up next and Menjivar started it off with a beautiful throw. Faber was able to roll over and get side control. Faber spends the next few minutes pounding away on Menjivar. Menjivar gets some space and tries to get up but Faber hopes on his shoulders side ways than spins the right leg around the waist of the standing Menjivar to get the body triangle. Faber locks in the standing rear naked choke and Menjivar taps out at 4:34 of round 1.
In the co-main event a number one contender for the Light Heavyweight champion was decided and that man will be Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida. Machida took the split decision 28-29, 29-28, 29-28 over Dan Henderson in a fight that never really got started it seemed. First round was close but went to Machida as he got the trip take down in the last 10 seconds. Both men seemed to have a great deal of respect for one another but they never fell for each others feints so not much happened other than circling. Hendo got the one take down he went for in the third but was never able to land that big over hand right of his. Hendo did out strike Machida to the body and legs but Machida out struck Henderson with the head shots. Machida landed 30 I think which is a low output especially compared to McGee who earlier landed 100 strikes in one round. Machida tried some of his karate techniques but nothing that ever seemed to hurt Henderson or land cleanly. It would have been interesting to see it go two more rounds but I am not sure if that would have even changed a thing. Machida will now face the winner of Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen bout after this season of TUF wraps up.
In the main event Rowdy Ronda Rousey is able to end another fight in the first round by arm bar to make it 7 pro fights, and 7 first round submissions by arm bar. Rousey locked on a headlock almost immediately and worked to get the fight to the ground. Liz Carmouche gave her a hell of a fight though including at one point taking Rousey’s back standing and locking on a neck crank she didn’t have the body triangle only the hooks in and that would lead to the end as Rousey was able to shake her and eventually get that leg across the face. Rousey started cranking on that arm and Carmouche defended for about a minute but Rousey was able to keep prying then eventually pops that arm free and Carmouche has to tap out and taps out quickly. Joe Rogan when complementing Rousey after the mentioned all she is doing for women not just women in combat sports but added at the end that those are the sexiest cauliflowered ears in mma.
