WWE has reportedly signed 20 year old Mercedes Kaestner-Varnado, a female wrestler who worked for Cahotic Wrestling and New England Championship Wrestling.
The announcement was made by Chaotic Wrestling’s Facebook page which noted that she would be leaving the indy company as the Women’s champion, a title she won in December 2011.
The California native made her wrestling debut in 2010 and wrestles under the name of Mercedes KV. She will be transferred to WWE developmental in Tampa, Florida.
Former WWE Diva Tiffany made her TNA debut during yesterday’s episode of IMPACT under her real name, Taryn Terrell.
Terrell was brought in by Brooke Hogan as the special guest referee for the Madison Rayne vs Miss Tessmacher Knockout title match and she walked out in a referee top showing a lot of cleavage. In a funny side note, when Hogan introduced her, she moved backward and fell on the stage, quickly getting back up, dusting herself off, and taking a bow!
The Playboy model was a WWE Diva until she got released by the company after an incident involving her and her husband Drew McIntyre which happened in a hotel in August of 2010.
Hulk Hogan will be making his return on IMPACT Wrestling next week to help Sting and other TNA Superstars fight off the Aces & Eights group. The segment will be opening the show, which is an ‘Open Fight Night’ edition.
Hulk Hogan was attacked by the masked group in July as a way to get him off television to undergo another surgery. The WWE Hall of Famer is now feeling better and is ready to resume his work with TNA.
“It’s not gonna be pretty so I’m asking for forgiveness now,” tweeted Hogan to push next week’s angle. “They crossed the line when they made Brooke a target,” he added, referring to the segment where two of the group cornered Brooke during IMPACT only to be saved by Bully Ray, Austin Aries, and Jeff Hardy.
TMZ cameras caught up with WWE champion CM Punk yesterday in Beverly Hills and said that he agreed with WWE’s decision to fire Abraham Washington over the Kobe Bryant rape joke.
He said that he doesn’t like to see anybody lose his job but a rape joke is not funny and he thinks if there’s a reason to get fired, it’s justified to get the pink slip over such a joke.
“Making fun of rape, I don’t think it’s that funny,” Punk said to the TMZ guy who identified A.W. as Abraham Johnson before Punk laughed and corrected him.
After a failed first attempt, WWE has released a mobile app for both iOS devices and Android.
Available for free on iTunes and Google Play, the WWE app – both for mobiles and tablets – contains Superstar profiles, biographies, feeds from their social networking, tons of WWE videos including clips from RAW, Smackdown, and classic videos along with news and exclusive content.
The app is currently featured on the iTunes Store ‘New and Noteworthy’ front section. You can download it from iTunes and Google Play.
Strikeforce champion Ronda Rousey was the subject of a two episode All Access on Showtime to hype up her first title defense against Sarah Kaufman tomorrow night.
The All Access show takes you behind the scenes and in the life of Rousey as she trains for the fight and fulfills her media obligations with comments from Kaufman herself, UFC President Dana White, her trainers, room mates and others.
You can check both episodes – running at 23 minutes each – below.
WWE kicked off its SummerSlam weekend with a star-studded party VIP party yesterday which was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
Olympic gold medalists Tyler Clary and Ryan Lochte, Maria Menounos, Kym Johnson, Ariel Winter, CNN’s Piers Morgan, Mayra Veronica, Carmen Electra, Terry Crews, Dominic Monaghan, Kellan Lutz, and several other celebs joined WWE Superstars and Divas for the party.
You can see 27 photos from the red carpet arrivals and some photos from the party below.
Paul Heyman somewhat addressed a rumor going on about him and his deal with WWE along with his status with the company following SummerSlam.
In a very long speech, not denying or not confirming anything, Heyman said that no one knows what his deal with WWE is and it is impossible for anyone to state with certainty what his situation is or isn’t.
Heyman said that when he left the company in 2006, he thought it was done and would never return. He classified his return a few months ago as surprise to him, the fans, and also to his kids.
“Enjoy the ride. Watch it unfold. See what happens. For the first time in forever, we have people GUESSING what comes next,” Heyman wrote.
He then talked about the SummerSlam match between Brock Lesnar and Triple H, telling fans that if they have sold them in buying the pay-per-view, he bets that everyone is going to get their money’s worth.
“If we haven’t sold you on the ppv yet, then thank you for your time, and I hope something else has captured your attention or imagination,” he wrote.
Kevin Rudolf – the artist whose song Don’t Give Up – is the theme for SummerSlam this year, will be performing the song live during the pay-per-view.
The 29 year old American singer-songwriter and record producer is a WWE fan and his songs I Made It and Welcome To The World have been used by WWE before for WrestleMania XXVI.
Last year Cee Lo Green was the musical act at SummerSlam, performing the theme for that year which was Bright Lights Bigger City.
WWE will reveal the full roster for their upcoming WWE ’13 video game during the SummerSlam Axxess on Saturday, August 18.
IGN.COM and WWE.COM will simultaneously stream the festivities as the largest ever roster in a WWE video game is unveiled to the public. The event will start at 2:00PM PT and will take place at the NOKIA Plaza at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles.
The event will feature IGN’s Richard George, as well as two members of the WWE Games development team, Creative Director Cory Ledesma and Senior Game Designer Bryan Williams.
WWE Hall of Famers Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler along with WWE champion CM Punk and ring announcer Lillian Garcia will help unveiling the roster.
WWE Studios and Warner Bros. today announced that the two companies are teaming up to co-produce a Scooby-Doo animated feature that will find Scooby and the gang solving a mystery at WrestleMania.
WWE Superstars and Divas including Triple H, John Cena, Kane, The Miz, Brodus Clay, Santino Marella, Sin Cara and AJ will appear in animated form and lend their voices to the project. WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon will also lend his voice and appear in animated form.
“We are excited to partner with Warner Bros. on this wonderful animated film,” said WWE Studios President Michael Luisi. “Kids and adults are going to enjoy seeing their favorite WWE Superstars in animated form join forces with an icon like Scooby-Doo to solve a mystery at the biggest pop-culture event of the year – WrestleMania.”
Jeff Brown, Executive Vice President and General Manager, TV, Warner Home Video, was equally excited about this partnership.
“Warner Bros. is thrilled to get into the ring with WWE Studios to bring fans an unprecedented animated adventure,” he said. “We’re excited to leverage the WWE’s family-friendly brand and passionate fan base and integrate some of the most popular WWE Superstars and Divas within the Scooby-Doo gang.”
The plot for the story reads, “When Shaggy and Scooby win tickets to WrestleMania, the entire gang travels in the Mystery Machine to WWE City to attend the epic event. However, when a mysterious ghostly bear appears and threatens to ruin the show, Scooby, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne and Fred work with WWE Superstars to solve the case.”
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will handle worldwide distribution on Blu-ray, DVD, VOD and digital download. The film will be produced by Warner Bros. Animation. WWE will utilize its extensive global reach through its television, digital media and print assets to market the release of the film.
WWE is going after celebrities to tweet during RAW just like they went after celebs to appear on the show as guest hosts.
Following the failed experiment with Charlie Sheen – who quit Twitter two weeks before he was announced as the social media ambassador for the 1000th episode – WWE tapped Jersey Shore’s DJ Pauly D to tweet during the show this week.
Next week it will be another celebrity who will be talking about RAW in 140 characters or less, and that person will be Khloe Kardashian Odom. Kardashian will be tweeting for the three hour RAW that will follow SummerSlam to her 7.4 million followers on the social network website while WWE will plug her TV show season finale “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”
The whole social media ambassador started during the WrestleMania weekend when Mike Tyson was tapped as the first social media ambassador.
Monday Night RAW this week drew a low 2.84 rating for the three hour show with an average of 4,134,000 viewers and no competition from the Olympics.
That does not bode well since it was the go-home show for SummerSlam. The show did 3,790,000 viewers in the first hour, 4,252,000 in the second and 4,354,000 in the third.
The overall rating is down from the 3.08 of the previous week and the first time since June that RAW did below 3.0 in the ratings. (Ratings compiled by Nielsen Media Research and put online by PWInsider.com)
Lafayette, CA – August 14, 2012 – UFC GYM, the ultimate fitness destination that goes beyond the traditional workout, will celebrate the official grand opening of its much anticipated first signature club, UFC GYM BJ PENN. The gym whose ‘Train Different’ philosophy has already made waves on the mainland with multiple locations in CA, will host a grand opening event on Saturday, August 18th. BJ Penn, a Hawaii-native and two-division UFC champion, will be on-site to kick things off as the brand looks to shake up the Hawaii fitness scene by combining the best of traditional fitness with the innovation of mixed martial arts.
“The future of fitness is right here, right now. There is nothing better than walking through the gym and hearing firsthand how our members have embraced the ‘Train Different’ approach to working out,” said BJ Penn. “I’m very proud to host this grand opening, and would like to personally invite the entire community to join myself and some of my UFC friends at the Expo and experience the club.”
In addition to gym partner, BJ Penn, UFC GYM is privileged to have appearances from Chuck Liddell, Anthony Pettis, Mark Munoz, Brendan Schaub, and other special guests, including Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who will be administering a blessing on-site. These respected individuals and elite fighters will join together to help celebrate the grand opening in ultimate style. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., members and guests will also have the opportunity to meet the athletes, tour the facility, and mingle with fellow members and Kaka’ako residents.
“Since first opening our doors in May, we’ve had an outpouring of support and excitement from members that recognize the talent and expertise of our staff. They understand that when it comes to elite programming and a “Train Different” approach to fitness, no other club can compete with the premier offerings that are the core of UFC GYM,” said Adam Sedlack, senior vice president, UFC GYM. “With the help of BJ Penn and the local community, we’ve brought a cutting edge training option to the Island, put an end to the boring days of fitness in Hawaii and look forward to future expansion.”
UFC GYM looks to raise the bar in the fitness industry with their ‘Train Different’ approach, taking them above and beyond the average gym. The array of amenities, expert coaches and diverse programming, allows members to work out like a world-class UFC athlete, but also maximize results through traditional training techniques. The facilities are filled with the latest and most advanced equipment, you can see the cross trainers on homenkitchenstuff.com in a recent review of them. The club boasts extensive MMA programming such as Muay Thai, kickboxing, jiu jitsu, women’s self-defense, team-oriented Daily Ultimate Training (DUT), an expansive group fitness studio, and unconventional classes like Hot Hula and Shock Yoga. The club also offers a UFC Kids GYM, a private kids training area, offering Youth Fitness Classes, Active Fitness Gaming, Youth Mixed Martial Arts Training and Ultimate Birthday Parties, making UFC GYM BJ PENN the ultimate family fitness facility.
UFC GYM members and guests are all invited to join in the festivities, featuring activities for the whole family and delicious food, courtesy of Tin Hut BBQ, starting at 9am on August 18th. The gym is located at 805 Pohukaina St. in Honolulu. For more information and special grand opening rates, visit www.ufcgym.com, or call 808-672-2655
As expected, Linda McMahon is one step closer to becoming a U.S. Senator after yesterday she easily won the Republican Primary vote against Chris Shays.
With 87% of the precincts reporting before 10PM yesterday, Linda McMahon had 74% of the votes compared to 26% of Shays according to the Stamford Advocate.
Come November, she will be facing Democrat Chris Murphy for the Senate seat which currently belongs to Senator John Leiberman.
“I just fundamentally don’t believe that Linda McMahon can paper over her record as CEO of the WWE with a lot of money,” Murphy said. In his victory celebration immediately after the Primary, Murphy gave McMahon his first shot saying to his supporters that McMahon made “billions off of selling sex, violence and drug abuse” as WWE Chief Executive Officer.
Funny enough, according to the Stamford Advocate, Murphy left the stage at his celebrations to the RAW theme song “Tonight Is The Night” by Outasight.
McMahon held her celebrations at the Hilton Hotel which is – again, funny enough – owned by the father-in-law of McMahon’s last opponent and current Senator Rich Blumenthal.
Her supporters were treated to an open bar, antipasti, pretzels, bruschetta, and sliders at the hotel according to the newspaper.
Her mother and daughter, Stephanie McMahon-Levesque, accompanied Linda.
Kurt Angle got a little mad at WWE champion CM Punk after Punk called TNA an “indy league” during a Q&A held at the Wizard World Chicago Comic Con.
On his Twitter, the Olympic gold medalist said that he was insulted by Punk’s remark and noted that when he was on top in the WWE, Punk was trying to get a job anywhere, adding that it was his choice to go to TNA at the end.
“If I ever See You Punk, Hide Bitch,” wrote Angle to finish off his rant.
TMZ originally broke the story yesterday that former UFC and Strikeforce fighter Jason “Mayhem” Miller had been arrested for burglary. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office received a call from Mission Hills Church in Mission Viejo of a burglary in progress.
The deputies arrived to find CDs and literature scattered throughout, picture frames broken and the first two floors of the building covered in fire extinguisher spray. When they reached the second floor, Miller was found awake and coherent but naked on a couch. Miller was taken into custody and medically evaluated.
Miller lost his last two fights in the UFC since making his return and was released by the organization. Miller was known for his outlandish antics on his way to the cage for a fight. While in the Dream organization in Japan, he would perform a full choreographed dance with multiple female dancers taking part as he would come out from behind the curtain. He was also the host for the MTV show “Bully Beatdown.”
On Saturday, Miller got into an exchange with UFC president Dana White. While Miller tweeted “You never begged me to retire @danawhite you must not love me. That’s a shame, I love you. Cont. It’s ok. Since you never allowed me to officially retire, I am now a Warrior for Peace and Ultimate Fighter for Justice.”
Dana White assuming that Miller was up to his normal antics replied “@mayhemmiller lol retire Mayhem I’M BEGGIN U!!!”
Miller responded by telling White to “Kill yourself @danawhite we are all begging you.”
Dana White ended the exchange with “@mayhemmiller don’t get fuckin bummed out u asked me!!”
Dana said in an interview after UFC 150 that once he realized Miller wasn’t kidding, he felt bad, especially since the fighter had discussed finding peace outside of the cage.
It’s a big day for Linda McMahon today as today is Primary Day with Connecticut voting for their next U.S. Senator. Polls will open till 8PM tonight and McMahon is expected to win the Primary after she received backing from the Republican party to be their choice for the November election.
“It’s time to restore America’s promise of opportunity, and we need a proven job creator who understands the needs of hardworking families and small businesses to represent us in Washington,” a message on her website by her campaign manager reads.
“Linda has walked in our shoes and has a plan to get America working again. She will cut taxes for the middle class, level the playing field for America’s job creators, and cut Washington’s reckless spending. That’s the kind of leadership we need. And we need your vote to make that happen.”
Two years ago, the former WWE CEO also won the Primary but then lost the election to her Democrat opponent by 11%. She spent over $50 million of her own money in that campaign, refusing to accept certain donations, although this time around she has been collecting money to avoid the backlash that she was trying to buy the election.
Two new matches were announced for the SummerSlam pay-per-view this Sunday and another match which will air on the YouTube pre-show.
The Intercontinental title will be defended as The Miz takes on Rey Mysterio while the Tag Team titles will also be on the line with champions R-Truth and Kofi Kingston defending the belts against Titus O’Niel and Darren Young of the Prime Time Players.
The YouTube pre-show match will have U.S. champion Santino Marella taking on Antonio Cesaro for the U.S. title.
WWE.COM is selling yesterday’s storyline with Shawn Michaels and Brock Lesnar saying that the WWE Hall of Famer has suffered a broken arm.
The angle closed off the show after HBK was blocked by Paul Heyman from exiting the arena with his car and Lesnar ambushed Michaels from behind. Eventually all three made it back to the ring and Lesnar F5’ed HBK and put him in the Kimura Lock.
Triple H came down to save his buddy but Paul Heyman advised Triple H not to get in the ring or else Lesnar would break his arm. Lesnar “broke” HBK’s arm anyway and then rushed back up the ramp to avoid Triple H.
WWE.COM says there’s no word if Shawn Michaels will now be at SummerSlam to be in HHH’s corner considering the “injury.”
