WWE announced the Superstars who will be attending the Premium VIP and VIP Axxess sessions, starting on Friday, April 1.
Just 24 hours before being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Sting kicks things off with a signing at 7PM. On Saturday, Roman Reigns appears at 10AM and then The Undertaker with a rare appearance at 3PM. On Sunday starting at 8AM, former WWE World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins takes the stage. The above mentioned appearances are for the Premium VIP ticket holders.
The VIP ticket holders will have a chance to start a day early, on Thursday. At 6PM, Dean Ambrose will be signing autographs and then at 8PM it’s Ric Flair and his daughter Charlotte. On Friday, Chris Jericho will be the sole VIP Superstar at 5PM. There are 5 different VIP sessions on Saturday, starting with Superstar Billy Graham at 8AM, Alberto Del Rio at 1PM, The Dudley Boyz also at 1PM, Kevin Owens at 6PM, and Bray Wyatt at 8PM for the head-to-head with the Hall of Fame. There’s one session on WrestleMania Sunday, starting at 10AM with Randy Orton.
The Royal Rumble go-home edition of Monday Night Raw did a total of 3,496,000 viewers, up 173,000 viewers from last week’s show however there was some bad news throughout the show.
Hour one kicked off with a pretty solid 3,775,000 number, then went down to 3,591,000 in the second hour before falling way down to 3,123,000 in the third and final hour.
From hour one to hour three, Raw lost a whopping 652,000 viewers. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Speaking to TMZ Sports, WWE Hall of Famer Sunny said that filming a porno is not a far fetched idea…as long as the proper money is offered.
Last year, Vivid Entertainment’s Steven Hirsch offered Tammy Sytch $100,000 to film a porn movie however she said that that sum doesn’t seem high enough for her. She called Hirsch a very convincing man and Vivid the biggest porn company in the world. It’s a tempting offer, she said, but it’s not enough.
The TMZ journalists sounded surprised she would even entertain the idea and Sytch said that “everything in life is negotiable.”
Talking about selling the Hall of Fame ring, she said she’s not selling it because of a fallout with the WWE or because she doesn’t care about the honor they gave her, but it’s time to move on.
She called herself a business woman and will always look at what’s best for business and what’s best for her bank account.
There is a new champion in town over at TNA as Matt Hardy regained the title he had to vacate, beating Ethan Carter III during yesterday’s Impact and also turning heel in the process.
The two went head to head in a last man standing match with Hardy’s career on the line. The ending came when Tyrus interrupted the count when Hardy was down and then turned on EC3. As Hardy’s wife Reby grabbed the TNA title, she handed it to Matt who hit EC3 in the face, putting him down for the 10 count.
This was EC3’s first loss in TNA since his debut a couple of years ago and Hardy’s second title reign. This show was taped three weeks ago in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The Royal Rumble Kickoff match will be a Fatal 4-Way tag team match with the winners advancing to the over-the-top rope Royal Rumble match later in the evening.
The four teams involved in this match will be the Dudley Boyz, The Ascension, Mark Henry and Jack Swagger, and Darren Young and Damien Sandow.
Mark Henry was originally announced as a participant in the Rumble however the plan seems have been changed and is now in this match and has to qualify.
The Royal Rumble Kickoff airs live on WWE Network at 7PM EST, as well as streams for free on WWE.com, the WWE App, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, Pheed and Google+.
WWE Superstars and Divas surprised R-Truth for his birthday right after Smackdown finished taping yesterday night.
WWE World Heavyweight champion Roman Reigns was in the ring with R-Truth and The Usos and broke the news to everyone that today was Truth’s birthday. Reigns invites the crowd to sing Happy Birthday as the rest of the locker room came down to the ring with Truth trying to talk to his way out of it.
Following a big hug from Reigns, Henry, and some silliness from everyone in the ring, Truth was told to make a speech, however he was lost for words. Reigns took the mic and told everyone that they call Truth “immortal” as he looks and moves like he’s 24 but it was his 50th birthday.
As everyone in the ring laughed, Truth took back the mic and said, “No no no no! I am not 50 years old” as his peers chanted “Yes you are.” He then started singing his theme and dancing with everyone else going crazy and having a good time!
Just for the record, R-Truth was born in 1972 so that makes him 44 and not 50. You can see the hilarious video below.
Sports betting is one of the most popular sectors of online gambling but one of the sports that has become more widely bet on in recent years is professional wrestling despite its reputation as being a pre-determined form of entertainment.
It’s All About the WWE!
The main focus of betting on wrestling is aimed at the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and with pay-per-view events occurring on a monthly basis there is always an event coming up on the schedule that a select number of bookmakers are offering odds on.
WWE, formerly known as the WWF (World Wrestling Federation), has always been deemed a form of sports entertainment with the fact that its matches are set up and fixed as opposed to spontaneous and unpredictable. However, with the rise of betting on the matches it is becoming harder for leaked results to come out of the WWE.
There are still some cynics who believe that the winners of each match are easy to predict either due to leaked information online from sources within the WWE itself or due to the way a certain storyline is set to go. However, even though it is technically pre-determined, betting on wrestling is far from flawed.
Shortened Odds
In pay-per-view events such as Wrestlemania or Summerslam where wrestlers go head-to-head or take each other on in teams or in a handicap or triple threat etc then you will often see the bookmakers heavily back one of the wrestlers as rumours of a pre-determined winner are leaked online. Sometimes the bookies will even stop taking bets if there is too much backing for a certain wrestler.
Modern day sports betting is very much focussed around the Internet. From a bettor’s perspective, it’s a great marketplace as there’s so many big name gambling operators vying for your business. With all of these offering attractive welcome bonuses, it’s worth checking out your options before placing a bet on the big matches online.
When certain wrestling bloggers like Deadspin and Dolphins1925 state that a certain result is expected to happen then people stand up and take notice. That includes the bookies. It has even got the stage where some cynics feel that leaks from within the WWE are being intentionally made so that insiders can have a financial gain.
The Favourite Doesn’t Always Win
Despite the fact it is a pre-determined outcome, there have been times when the wrestler that has been touted as the favourite has not always prevailed victorious. The reasons for this could be one of many. Ahead of Wrestlemania 30, The Undertaker opened at odds of -3,000 for his match versus Brock Lesnar. The Undertaker had previously been undefeated at Wrestlemania with a 21-0 win record. That price meant punters would need to bet $300 to win just $10. It appeared to be a sure thing. However, in the hours before the event, The Undertaker’s odds drifted and he was as low as -2,500 on the day of Wrestlemania 30. As history would have it, Lesnar won the match-up and punters that had backed The Undertaker when he first came onto the market were left shocked.
That is the most high profile example of the underdog defying the odds to win the day. It does not happen very often in wrestling betting but it is proof that the price that the odds open up with are not always an indication of the end result.
Betting Chaos
One of the most unpredictable WWE betting events is the annual Royal Rumble. Every year, the Royal Rumble produces a number of surprises and the fact that betting is no limited to just a winner means that the market is made wide open and is not as predictable as straight up one-on-one matches at other pay-per-view events.
The Royal Rumble betting market includes a host of options such as betting on the winner, the last four, which wrestler will make the most eliminations, what entry number will the winner be, and many more. Also, anyone that witnessed the 1994 Royal Rumble when Bret Hart and Lex Luger touched the mat outside the ring at the same time will know that even if the wrestling executives want one outcome to happen it cannot always be guaranteed.
Is There A Future?
Wrestling was once an industry tied up with secrets. Nobody knew it was fake, nobody knew who would win, and nobody knew anything about the wrestlers and their private lives. Social media and corporate sponsorship have changed that but the rise of betting on wrestling, particularly in the WWE, means that may have to change and the outcomes might need to be more closely guarded.
The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is experiencing a similar surge in popularity with betting and many punters that have placed bets on WWE have also placed bets on UFC and other sports online such as football, American football, basketball, and horse racing. Even though UFC is not pre-determined, the increase in betting on it has led to calls for a more closely watched betting market to avoid a risk of match-fixing or odds manipulation.
Betting on wrestling is not going away any time soon and it could well be that the markets offered by bookies are altered so that they cannot be manipulated or predicted as easily as they are now with the outright winner markets. The betting on the Royal Rumble shows that there are betting markets that can be opened that cannot be pre-determined and that alone gives hope that betting does have a place in wrestling.
Celeste Bonin, the WWE Diva formerly known as Kaitlyn, posed nude for Bodybuilding.com’s Bodies of Work Volume 4.
Bonin is married to bodybuilder PJ Braun and the work on her body can clearly be seen in her photos which are pretty much close to perfection. She has a fitness clothing company named Celestial Bodiez and is also a spokesperson for Prime Nutrition.
Bodies of Work is an annual celebration of the human form at its absolute fittest. Each year Bodybuilding.com and LHGFX Photography come together to create a stunning collection of physique photos that highlights the grace, power, and potential of the human body. The shots are artistic but revealing, and may not be for everyone.
The 29 year old Houston native wrestled for WWE between 2010 and 2012, first in Florida Championship Wrestling, then moving to NXT season 3, and eventually debuting on the main roster during Smackdown. She won the WWE Divas title once during her WWE career.
The full pictorial is not out yet but you can see three of the stunning photos at BodyBuilding.com.
The story between Stardust and Arrow star Stephen Amell seems to be resuming this weekend as WWE is teasing a confrontation between the two at The Heroes & Villains Fan Fest convention at the Meadownlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey, this weekend.
The two share a history together and Amell even wrestled at SummerSlam, teaming with Neville to take on Stardust and King Barrett, a match in which Amell impressed. Amell is a big WWE fan and often expressed interest in involving himself in an angle, a dream which came true this past Summer.
The man who plays Arrow won a Slammy Award last month, however the Slammy Award was stolen by Stardust since Amell was not there to accept it in person. Two weeks ago Stardust taunted Amell on Twitter and Amell shot back saying he loves Cody Rhodes and “anytime you need the stardust beaten out of you, let me know.”
The Heroes & Villains Fan Fest Facebook posted a video hyping up Amell’s and his cast mates appearance at the convention, a video which was “hijacked” by Stardust. “Maybe I’ll show up myself,” Stardust says.
Tough Enough winner Josh pissed off the wrong people on Twitter after putting a comment on Twitter saying, “Yup.. I like it.. #SocialJobbers.”
The tweet, which has since been deleted, was met with criticism from Kevin Owens and Stardust. “Look at the veteran here with the big fancy insider terms,” tweeted Owens. “I blocked him. Felt great,” he then tweeted. Josh simply replied with a “#LOL” and a screenshot from Twitter saying he’s been blocked from following @FightOwensFight and viewing his tweets.
Stardust was more critical for the disrespect he showed. “Enjoy dressing in the hall, dick. Not blocked. Banned,” his tweet said. “Yikes,” Josh replied, while also getting ripped by fellow NXT star Bull Dempsey. Dempsey told him that he always stood up to him when others didn’t, a comment which Josh acknowledged. “Then why bury people who paved the way for you AND me?! This place was different before you were here. Before I was here,” Dempsey added.
But perhaps Owens said it best. “Let him LOL. People like him fizzle out by themselves pretty quick anyway.”
Josh wouldn’t be the first one to be banned from a WWE locker room. The Miz was banned when he started for six months for eating a piece of chicken over someone else’s bag in the locker room. “I had to find a place to shower, to use the restroom, to change. I’ve had it pretty rough in the WWE just because I’m an outsider, and WWE is kind of like a close-knit family or like a fraternity,” he said in an interview at the time.
Three matches were announced for the Royal Rumble this Sunday, bringing up the total number of five on the card.
Alberto Del Rio will be defending his United States title against Kalisto, their third match in a series which saw two title changes already. Becky Lynch will be getting her first shot at the Divas title as she takes on Charlotte. And The New Day will also be putting their titles up for grabs as they face The Usos.
These matches join the Dean Ambrose vs Kevin Owens last man standing match for the Intercontinental title and the Rumble match itself.
The current WWE champion, Roman Reigns, will be the first entrant in the Rumble, meaning he will have to go through 29 other Superstars to retain the WWE World Heavyweight title.
FOX Sports today reported that WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has signed a deal with New Japan Pro Wrestling and AXS TV to be the play-by-play commentator starting in March.
JR will be taking over from current Smackdown announcer Mauro Ranallo and will be tag teaming with Josh Barnett from the March 4 show.
“This opportunity to work with AXS TV is attractive on many fronts,” Ross said. “The travel won’t be weekly but approximately 8-10 trips to Los Angeles in a year’s time. While there, in a two-day, voice-over session, we will hammer out up to six shows. I’m happy OKC now has non-stop flights to LAX.”
JR said that he’s been a big fan of New Japan for decades and the business philosophy behind NJPW reminds him of his early years in wrestling.
“I’ve had numerous other offers, some serious and others just flirting to return to TV Wrestling broadcasting but none have had the appeal that AXS TV offered me. We think my style will fit the NJPW in-ring presentation well,” Ross added.
WWE’s reality TV show Total Divas returns tonight on E! starting at 9PM EST with eight WWE Divas making up this season’s cast.
Returning to the show are Nikki and Brie Bella, Paige, Natalya, Eva Marie, and Alicia Fox while Rosa Mendes returns full time to the cast and newcomer Mandy joins as the newest member of the cast.
Tonight’s episode is titled Love Triangle and the synopsis for the show reads, “Nikki is torn over telling John Cena about her ex-boyfriend’s advances, Paige feels the pressure to break off her engagement, and Brie tries to pave a new career path for Bryan.”
The Royal Rumble is this Sunday, so what is going to go down tonight on Raw before the big show? Read on to find out!
Monday Night Raw TV Report for January 18th, 2016
Introduction Segment: Video Promo and Welcoming
A montage of the late-great Martin Luther King, Jr. and his famous “I Have A Dream” speech is shown, to commemorate his day. The fans in the arena are shown clapping, then the regular Raw video plays, and the pyro explodes in the arena to kick off Raw! Michael Cole welcomes us from Columbus, Ohio. He announces that Chris Jericho will Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman on his Highlight Reel segment later!
Segment #2: Arena Promo
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns’ music plays and he walks through the fans. Roman declares he will win the Royal Rumble, holding on to his title, then he demands to see one person right now in the ring: Brock Lesnar! Instead, he is greeted by Chris Jericho, who is excited to see Roman. The WWE World Heavyweight Champion does not feel the same, but Jericho ups the anti; he invites Reigns to join him and Lesnar on the Highlight Reel, as well as another top contender to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Roman is happy and vows he will be there.
The League of Nations’ music starts up, and the four stand on the stage. Sheamus proclaims that he will get the WWE Title back, then makes fun of Jericho and wants to be on the Highlight Reel too. Chris returns the verbal joust, and declines Sheamus’ request, and does the same when Del Rio and Rusev ask. Roman challenges Rusev to a bout, since they were both the last two in last year’s Royal Rumble.
Commercials.
Match #1: Single – WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns VS. Rusev (with League of Nations members Sheamus, United States Champion Alberto Del Rio, and King Barrett)
They lockup and struggle, then Rusev goes to the outside for a break with his cohorts. Roman hits with a few punches and a headbutt, but Rusev counters and tosses Reigns to the floor. He follows and gains control after the rest of The League gets the WWE Champion’s attention. He wears Roman down with a rear chinlock back in the ring, then hits him hard with a spin-kick a bit later.
Ads.
Reigns is beginning to battle, but Rusev overpowers him with a headlock. Roman reverses into a big backdrop, then hits a jumping clothesline after being whipped into the ropes. He boots Reigns from the corner and clotheslines him multiple times in the corner. He picks Rusev up for a Samoan Drop, but Rusev wiggles out and puts Reigns to the canvas. He covers, but Jericho counts a little slow, and Roman kicks out.
Rusev argues with Chris over his tactics, then goes back to work on Reigns. He picks Roman up on his shoulders in a Samoan Drop position, then ascends the turnbuckle to the middle rope. Reigns hammers out of it and delivers a sit-down powerbomb for a near-fall! Roman gears up for the Superman Punch, but Del Rio distracts Jericho, and Sheamus chucks Reigns into the corner of the barricade. Chris notices Reigns and Sheamus, then decides to order Sheamus, Barrett, and Del Rio to the back. By now, Roman is back up and Superman-Punches Rusev, then hits the Spear and covers for the victory!
Winner via Pinfall: WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Commercials.
Segment #3: Backstage Promo
A smiling Jericho is walking through the halls, but meets Principal Owner Stephanie McMahon, who is not pleased. She berates him for booking the first match, as he does not have the qualifications to do that. However, Stephanie does compliment him on having Lesnar.
Match #2: Single – Brie Bella (with Alicia Fox) VS. Natalya
During her entrance, Natalya stands on the stage and brings out Paige, who has also been away for awhile. Natalya waistlock-sit-down-slams Brie, but Bella comes back and hits the running knee against the bottom rope. Natalya kicks out at two, but Brie slams her back to the mat. She kicks away at Nattie’s chest, but Natalya ducks the final one and forces Brie to give to The Sharpshooter!
Winner via Submission: Natalya (with Paige)
Up next, is a Six-Man Tag featuring The Dudleyz and Ryback taking on The Wyatt Family.
Later, we will also find out who drew number one for the Royal Rumble!
Ads.
Match #3: Six-Man Tag-Team – The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, and Erick Rowan) (with Wyatt Family member Braun Strowman) VS. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) and Ryback
Bubba and Luke are chopping at each other, then Ray clotheslines Harper down. He gives him a back drop off the ropes, but Luke hits back with a boot-to-the-face. Erick is tagged in, scoop-slamming Bubba. He misses a splash though, and Bubba switches with his “brother.” D-Von is all over Rowan, bringing him down with a neckbreaker. Erick gets an advantage after sending D-Von to The Wyatt’s corner, and then tags in Bray. He hits D-Von and trades with Harper.
Luke controls D-Von as does Rowan. The Family dominates for awhile until Ryback comes in and hits Harper. Bubba is in, and this starts to break down, with Ryback facing off against Strowman on the outside; Bray hits Ryback down. The Dudleyz signal for the 3-D, but Rowan moves D-Von from the ring, and Harper hits a superkick and spinning-clothesline on Bubba for the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winners via Pinfall: The Wyatt Family
Commercials.
Match #4: Single – The Big Show VS. Heath Slater (with Social Outcast partners Adam Rose, Bo Dallas, and Curtis Axel)
Slater uses the ropes to break and stall first, but is chucked into the corner. He slides to the outside and makes fun of Show with his friends, until Big picks him and soon knocks him out with the K-O Punch for the finish!
Winner via Pinfall: The Big Show
Post-match, the other three try to attack Show, but he knocks them all out too.
Segment #4: Backstage Promo
The League is complaining about Jericho, when Stephanie walks up and puts them over for their accomplishments and possibly winning the Royal Rumble. Sheamus says “we are not scared of anybody.” McMahon tells them to prove it and walks away.
Ads.
Segment #5: Arena Promo
Chairman Vince McMahon and Stephanie strut to the stage to reveal the #1 spot for the Royal Rumble. The “lucky” winner is …
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns!
Vince admits is seems suspicious, so they go again. The second turn also says Roman Reigns, as does the third. McMahons determine that Roman will be #1 and will not be able to retain his WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Divas Champion Charlotte, and her father Ric Flair, enter the arena. They strut to the commentator’s area to watch Becky Lynch’s bout.
Commercials.
Match #5: Single – Tamina (with Team B.A.D. member Naomi) VS. Becky Lynch
An elbow-collar tie-up begins, then they face-off. They engage in another, and Tamina shoves Becky, but Lynch hits back with a dropkick. Tamina picks up Becky and carries her to the corner, then stomps away. She controls for a bit until Becky catches her with an inside cradle. Lynch is fired back up with numerous forearms and a dropkick. She hits a splash, kick, and forearm in the corner, then a couple leg drops on the mat. She hops onto Tamina’s shoulders and rolls through into the Disarmer, making Tamina slap the canvas!
Winner via Submission: Becky Lynch
Post-match, Lynch wants a response from Charlotte about a potential Divas Championship bout at Royal Rumble. Charlotte insinuates that Becky doesn’t deserve one, but Lynch fires back, inciting Flair to his feet and answering for his daughter. He books the match, to Charlotte’s surprise and dismay.
Up next, IC Champ Dean Ambrose tags with Kalisto to take on U.S. Champ Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus.
Ads.
Match #6: Tag-Team – Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose and Kalisto VS. The League of Nations (United States Champion Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus) (with League of Nations partner King Barrett)
(Note: Kevin Owens is fabulously on commentary!) Sheamus and Dean begin, punching away on each other and Ambrose hitting him to the mat. He switches with Kalisto, who pulls the top rope down, tumbling Sheamus to the floor. Ambrose follows up by throwing Kalisto over the ropes with a back drop, so he lands on both Del Rio and Sheamus!
Commercials.
The League are now governing, until Kalisto makes the hot-tag to Ambrose. “The Lunatic Fringe” is all over Sheamus and Del Rio, but Alberto hurls Dean into the corner of the barricade. Sheamus and Alberto control, then Del Rio hits a backstabber. He places Ambrose upside down in the corner, but Dean pulls Alberto off, then dives on to him from the top turnbuckle! He clotheslines Sheamus, then slaps hands with Kalisto!
The Lucha Dragon hurls around Sheamus and gives him quick kicks. He rolls out of an Irish Curse attempt, then plants hi with the Salida-Del-Sol for a near-fall, as Alberto broke it up. Ambrose and Alberto fight on the outside, with Owens distracting. Alberto hits an enziguri, and in the ring, Sheamus shoves Kalisto off of another Salida-Del-Sol; he counters a run with a Brogue Kick to take this!
Winners via Pinfall: The League of Nations
Commercials.
Segment #6: Backstage Promo
Tag-Team Champions The New Day are sorry for Francesca, the trombone that Xavier Woods carried until Chris Jericho broke it last week on Raw. They put over Francesca as the “4th member” of New Day, and then give Big E. the match with Jey Uso.
Segment #7: Video Promo
Clips of Royal Rumbles are shown, along with build-up of Roman Reigns’ odds of winning, especially since he has to enter #1.
The Usos make their entrance for Jey to meet Big E., next!
Ads.
Match #7: Single – Jey Uso (with Jimmy Uso) VS. Tag-Team Champion/New Day member Big E. (with Tag-Team Champions/New Day members Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods)
Commercials.
Jey hurts his knee landing a splash from inside the ring to the outside; Jimmy dives off the steps onto Kofi, but Xavier hits Jey as he was on the top turnbuckle, allowing E. to plant Uso with the Big Ending!
Winner via Pinfall: Tag-Team Champion/New Day member Big E.
Segment #8: Locker Room Promo
Titus O’Neil, R-Truth, and Mark Henry are chatting about their upcoming match when Neville joins them. They accept him and all walk away.
Ads.
Match #8: Eight-Man Tag-Team – The Ascension (Konor and Viktor)), Tyler Breeze, and Stardust VS. Titus O’Neil, Ro-Truth, Mark Henry, and Neville
This is a back-and-forth one until Neville meets Breeze. They flip around, and then the bout breaks down. Neville rockets off the top with the twisting-tornado Red Arrow splash for the victory!
Winners via Pinfall: Titus O’Neil, R-Truth, Mark Henry, and Neville
Commercials.
Segment #9: Arena Promo
Chris Jericho is out and talks about the Royal Rumble; he is soon interrupted by Paul Heyman, who puts over his client Brock Lesnar. Jericho isn’t phased, and affirms that he will win the Rumble and be WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Brock Lesnar marches out, but before he goes too far, he is met by WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns, who Spears him! He goes for another, but The League of Nations run out and attack. Reigns manages to fend them off, but The Wyatt Family appears! They surround both Lesnar and Roman, then assault. They take out both Reigns and Lesnar, then pose over them as Bray yells about the Rumble to close the show.
End of Raw.
Reporter’s Rumblings
Instead of my usual Raw review, I will instead give my condolences to “Iron” Mike Sharpe’s family. May God rest his soul and provide love and support to his family at this time.
Former WWE enhancement talent ‘Iron’ Mike Sharpe passed away at his home in Hamilton, Ontario, this past weekend according to PWInsider.com. He was 64 years old.
Sharpe spent over a decade in the then World Wrestling Federation serving mainly as a jobber on practically every television show the company produced at the time. During the early 80s, Sharpe was managed by Captain Lou Albano for a brief time and even wrestled for the title against Bob Backlund in 1983.
The Canadian Sharpe retired in 1995 and in 2007 he ended up in a wheelchair due to a back injury and other health problems. His cause of death has not been revealed.
Ring of Honor are advertising AJ Styles’ appearance this Saturday in Duluth, Georgia, as his last ROH appearance, adding more speculation that Styles will be debuting during either the Royal Rumble or the following night on Raw.
“In addition to the hard-hitting, fast-paced professional wrestling that only ROH showcases, fans in Duluth with have an opportunity to send off ROH Legend and hometown star ‘The Phenomenal One’ AJ Styles,” the website reads.
The former ROH and TNA champion will be singing autographs and posing for photos at the ROH Winter Warriors Tour at the Infinite Energy Center on Sugarloaf Parkway. Styles will not be wrestling during the show however Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows will be on the card in a tag team match.
Brock Lesnar and his advocate Paul Heyman will be the guests of Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel tonight on Monday Night Raw with six days away from the Royal Rumble.
Lesnar is one of the 30 men taking part in the over-the-top rope Rumble match with the winner this year not receiving a number one contender spot for the WWE World Heavyweight title at WrestleMania, but winning the WWE World Heavyweight title.
Brock is so far not advertised for the Raw after the Royal Rumble but obviously things can change depending on where the creative for the Rumble is going. The next time Lesnar is advertised for Raw is on February 8. Lesnar is also scheduled for the March To WrestleMania WWE Network event on March 12 in Toronto, Canada.
Kurt Angle’s final match in TNA will happen on the January 31 Impact Wrestling television tapings from Birmingham, England, with his opponent being former TNA champion Bobby Lashley.
The other two matches Angle will be a part of are in Manchester against Drew Galloway and in London against Bobby Roode.
Angle will be having his farewell tour in the United Kingdom as his contract is expiring and will not be renewing his deal. While Angle left his door open to return, he stated recently that he wants to take a break from the business after going non-stop pretty much since his debut in 1998.
The Olympic gold medalist wanted a WWE return last year however the company wanted him on the road full time, something that he did not wish, so he opted to re-sign with TNA instead as they gave him better terms.
Smackdown this week drew a total of 2,332,000 viewers, which is down approximately 400,000 viewers from the 2,757,000 number the show did in its first regular week on USA Network.
This week’s number is more or less identical to the last show on SyFy prior to the New Year’s Eve edition. (Ratings credit: ShowBuzzDaily.com)
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is close of being announced as the new NJPW announcer for their show on AXS TV, replacing the current Smackdown announcer Mauro Ranallo who for obvious reasons can’t keep doing both jobs.
In his latest blog on JRsBBQ.com, Ross said that several talks were held between the two camps and there’s mutual interest to do business together however no agreement has been finalized yet.
“If we can all get on the same page, of which I am optimistic that we can, then we can get every thing signed and move forward to another exciting chapter of my broadcasting career,” Ross said.
He added that that calling such a “fundamentally sound and athletic presentation like NJPW” motivates him. Ross did commentary for NJPW’s WrestleKingdom 9 last year but has not done wrestling commentary since leaving WWE years ago.
The other commentator for New Japan Pro Wrestling in the United States is former wrestler and MMA fighter Josh Barnett.
