Former Divas champion and member of Team Bella, Alicia Fox, suffered a concussion on Monday Night Raw during the tag team match with Nikki against Becky Lynch and Charlotte.
The WWE.COM website described the concussion as “mild” but they did not elaborate on the injury or how long Fox will be out for. It has been a while since WWE acknowledged concussions on the website.
In what many believe is a last ditch effort to save their television deal with Destination America, TNA Wrestling kicked off an invasion storyline with Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling during the latest Impact tapings at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
Rumors are that Discovery Communications are ready to pull the plug on TNA once September hits due to the high costs not justifying the ratings. Meanwhile, Global Force Wrestling just did some television tapings of their own last week in Las Vegas in hoping to get picked up by a network.
With Jeff Jarrett back in a working relationship with TNA and Dixie Carter, the company decided to pull the trigger on the much talked about invasion rumor. TNA released several wrestlers from guaranteed contracts with GFW picking up the services of many of them.
The two will be working together over the next set of tapings, tapings which are scheduled to air on Destination America in September. TNA has two more tapings scheduled – one for today and one for tomorrow. The next taping will be on September 17 in York, Pennsylvania.
The last time an invasion angle was done – back in 2001 – saw WWE completely dropping the ball on potentially the biggest money-making angle in the history of the business with their own version of the WCW invasion failing big time with viewers.
With Tough Enough favorite Patrick Clark eliminated, this week’s episode promised to carry a certain level of intrigue with it as we watched to see who would emerge as the new front runner in the competition. After an opening montage of ZZ paying homage to Patrick with a shrine, of sorts, and a tease of tension between Amanda and Chelsea over Chelsea’s increasing blonde hair, we’re introduced to this week’s theme: focus.
For the out-of-the-ring challenge, the competitors are tasked with running an aerial ropes course across several platforms. On each platform, they are to read a number and ultimately use all of those numbers to enter a passcode on a safe to reveal their prize. While running the course, Coach Billy Gunn screams at the competitors through a megaphone, asking them questions and trying to get them to forget their passcodes. Joining the coaching squad this week is none other than the Swiss Superman, Cesaro!
Being afraid of heights myself, this challenge looked to be the most difficult by far. Each of the competitors was strapped into a harness as they participated in the challenge, but trying to scale across rope wires 90 feet in the air certainly didn’t seem easy. Nevertheless, each of the competitors seemed to embrace the competition and nobody showed any significant fear of heights, with all of the remaining 8 completing the challenge.
Only two, however, completed the challenge while remembering their passcodes: GiGi and Tanner! Since Tanner completed the challenge the quickest overall, he was awarded the prize of Chris Jericho’s “Best in the World… at What, I Have No Idea” book.
Sticking with the theme of focus this week, our in-ring challenge was designed to teach the Tough Enough cast to try and block out crowd noise. The coaches piped in crowd cheers and jeers over the PA while Billy Gunn rapidly shouted a series of moves out to the competitors as they paired off in-ring. While the moves were still rather elementary, it was pleasing to see some of the development of the competitors.
Not everyone looked so polished, however, as ZZ struggled to remember the order of some of the moves. His clumsiness drew the ire of Mada, who argued that ZZ’s inability to execute the moves also made him look bad. After the in-ring challenge was over, the judges surprisingly awarded victories to Josh and Chelsea! While Chelsea’s in-ring experience certainly played a part in her victory, Josh’s win was more a testament of his continued growth.
In our weekly dose of drama, we’re treated to a hot tub scene between Chelsea and Tanner. Take a moment to imagine what you’d expect the scene to be … and know that it was nothing close to that! Despite Chelsea flirting with Tanner heavily, our former MMA fighter can’t seem to pick up the hint. He sits across the tub from Chelsea, watching opportunity goes by as Chelsea literally lobs softball pitches up to him. Clearly, talking is not his strong suit — in any scenario.
Later in the barracks, Chelsea must decide she’ll get more interaction with the girls, as she and Sara Lee practice their lock-ups in one of the rooms. But because the door was closed, Amanda and GiGi naturally think that the duo are mostly talking trash. After a brief argument, the scuffle ends with Sara Lee and Chelsea continuing to practice their lockups while GiGi and Amanda sit perturbed in the common area.
Back in the live studio, we’re treated to the introduction of Sasha Banks, Naomi, and Tamina – Team B.A.D. – as they look to give the female competitors a reality check. Similar to what The Big Show did with the male competitors last week, each of the remaining girls were lined up to get roughed up by Tamina. She’d powerslam them in the middle of the ring and then leap off the top rope with a big splash.
Overall though, the splashes looked extremely protected and as if they barely even affected any of the girls. I expected Tamina to look a lot more fierce and believable.
After a tumultuous week for Hulk Hogan, it was The Miz who would join Daniel Bryan and Paige at the judges’ table, as they selected their bottom three:
After the vote was turned over to the fans, The Miz decided he wanted to “spice things up” and used his only save of the season on Amanda. He noted that Amanda had the physical ability, the attitude, and the connection (albeit negative) with the crowd to be a diva. He also routinely called her hot, which drew a bit of criticism from Paige.
With Amanda now removed from the voting, it was between ZZ and Mada. Once again, the fans stood firmly in the corner of ZZ, which left Mada this week’s victim.
So what do you think? With Patrick and now Mada gone from the competition, who do you think is the forerunner to win this season? And what about the girls — do you think Amanda really is the worst of the group? Tweet your thoughts to @suggafnshane with the hashtag #WrestlingOnline!
The Tough Enough judge that replaced Hulk Hogan was not Ric Flair and not even Bret Hart or another Hall of Famer, but former WWE champion The Miz.
It’s not known if this will be a permanent gig for The Miz as it was noted that he was joining Daniel Bryan and Paige “this week.” Rumors over the past week ran rampant that either Ric Flair or Bret Hart would be joining the judging panel.
The Miz is a former Tough Enough competitor himself and placed second during the $1,000,000 Tough Enough season 4 which was won by Daniel Puder.
Hulk Hogan was fired from his role as a judge after The National Enquirer and Radar Online released transcripts from his sex tape shot eight years ago where Hogan goes on a racist rant.
E! will air episode 4 of season 4 of Total Divas tonight starting at 9PM EST with the episode titled Divas on Overdrive.
The synopsis for the show reads, “The Divas’ rides to their next arena spin out of control when Paige ditches Alicia for a new man, Nattie can’t give no for an answer and ends up infuriating her husband, and Nikki confronts Bryan over not liking her.”
Last week’s show delivered just under one million viewers.
Stone Cold Steve Austin returns on the WWE Network with his Stone Cold Podcast and special guest and former WWE Divas champion Paige on Monday, August 3.
The podcast will be live following Monday Night Raw in San Jose, California, and this will be Austin’s fourth podcast on the Network following the ones with Vince McMahon, Triple H, and Paul Heyman.
Paige is perhaps the most popular Diva on the roster at the moment and the 22 year old Brit is known for pulling no punches as evident in her judging role on Tough Enough.
WWE officially announced that SummerSlam will be a four hour pay-per-view event instead of three, starting at 7PM EST, just like WrestleMania.
The show will be live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and will be headlined with Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar. A one hour live SummerSlam kick-off show will air starting at 6PM EST.
The Barclays Center will host three WWE live events in a row during the SummerSlam weekend, starting with NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, on Saturday, then SummerSlam on Sunday, and Monday Night Raw the following day.
Episode 6 of Tough Enough tonight is titled Remember to Be the Best and will feature appearances by Cesaro and Team B.A.D. – Sasha Banks, Naomi, and Tamina Snuka.
Tonight’s show on USA Network and on YouTube is especially important because the new judge replacing Hulk Hogan will be revealed. WWE has not announced a replacement yet and it seems like the individual will be unveiled live.
Last week Patrick was the surprise elimination after he was nominated by Paige.
Following yesterday’s release by the Enquirer of more racial slurs towards black people by Hulk Hogan, the tabloid publication along with Radar Online released fresh new transcripts today which now includes homophobic comments.
“VH1 wanted me to do a big thing and go back to the house I grew up in,” Hulk says, discussing the season four finale of his show Hogan Knows Best. “So we knock on the door,” he continues, “and a big f*g lives there now!”
Hogan, who was discussing this with Heather Clem, the former wife of Bubba “The Love Sponge”, added, “This half-gay was enamored with Linda.”
The video then continues with Bubba entering the picture. Hogan tells him, “Dude, the only thing I will ever ask of you… I don’t know how you will pull this off… is, if I am ever on my death bed, you cannot let Linda come and visit me.” Hogan was still married to Linda when this tape was recorded and then Hogan brought up the $4.25 million residence in Las Vegas which he said Linda will make him sell it if he gets divorced.
The former WWE and WCW champion claimed that Cecile Barker, the “black billionaire” owner of SoBe Entertainment would buy the property and give it back to him after the divorce.
John Cena got a nasty broken nose last night on Raw during the match against WWE World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins.
The accident happened when Rollins delivered a knee to the face, immediately breaking Cena’s nose.
“As you can see on television tonight, John suffered from a nasal fraction,” WWE physician Dr. Steve Daquino told WWE.COM. “He’s got quite a bit of displacement, so we sent him over to the local emergency room so he can be evaluated by the ears, nose and throat doctor who’s on call tonight and see what can be done to properly repair it.”
Cena continued with his match despite the horrific injury and was given a standing ovation from the fans afterward. Photos on WWE.COM from backstage show the severity of the injury.
CNN Newsroom, hosted by Brooke Baldwin, covered the Hulk Hogan saga today with a segment that lasted around 5 minutes.
First CNN ran a video report saying Hogan got a smackdown from WWE and recapped the whole story of the legal battle with Gawker. They then showed the apology that Hogan gave to PEOPLE Magazine last week.
Baldwin then introduced Dave Meltzer, the editor of the Wrestling Observer, to the show who was joining live from his home in San Jose, California. Meltzer said that Hulk Hogan is pretty much the most recognizable name in professional wrestling of this generation and has been a major party of the industry for the past 35 years and in some ways he’s bigger than the industry itself.
When asked how the reaction has been from fans and celebrities, Meltzer said it’s a mix with negative comments from those who were hurt and those celebrities who will always support him. Meltzer said that Hogan has been in big trouble throughout his life and always came back although this will prove to be his toughest test ever.
Meltzer added that it’s a huge deal both for Hogan and WWE and Hogan now loses the ability to film commercials and endorse products since no one wants to be associated with him. The fact that he admitted that he’s racist will be tough to come back from.
Before ending the segment, Baldwin asked Meltzer who is the biggest name in pro wrestling now. Meltzer said that overall, The Rock is, however when it comes to full time wrestling, John Cena is the king.
The trailer for the WWE Studios and Lionsgate movie 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown, featuring Dean Ambrose was released today.
Credited as WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose, the former Shield member plays Shaw, a detective who returns to active duty after the death of his partner. The plot of the movie reads, “When he uncovers evidence linking his fellow officers to a murder, they frame him for a homicide he didn’t commit. Trapped in his own precinct, Shaw will do whatever it takes to expose the dirty cops and clear his name. With twelve rounds in the clip and one shot at redemption, nothing will stand in Shaw’s way.”
Ambrose filmed this movie when he was attacked by Seth Rollins and got Curb Stomped on the cinder blocks on Raw. The movie is released in select theaters and on iTunes on September 11. You can watch the trailer of 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3uFqfe5THo
2K issued a press release announcing the arrival of Arnold Schwarzenegger in WWE 2K16, giving the former California Governor his debut in a WWE video game.
Schwarzenegger will be available as a playable character for those who pre-order the game under two characters – the T-800 from the Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day films. “Pumped to be part of @WWEgames #WWE2K16 as the Terminator. So much fun recreating this scene with @WWE superstars,” Arnold wrote on Twitter while also posting the cool commercial.
Schwarzenegger is a big WWE fan and is now also a Hall of Famer. He appeared multiple times on WWE television on both Raw and Smackdown, inducted Bruno Sammartino in the Hall of Fame and this year he got inducted in the celebrity wing by Triple H.
“I’ve achieved many things in my life, but I’ve always said success means staying hungry and pushing the limits,” said Schwarzenegger in the press release. “I was honored to join the WWE Hall of Fame earlier this year, and now I’ll continue my WWE legacy with one of my biggest film roles immortalized in WWE 2K16. Match the Terminator against Stone Cold Steve Austin, Seth Rollins or Daniel Bryan, and there’s only one possible outcome: Hasta la vista, baby!”
Chris Snyder, Vice President of Marketing at 2K, said that Arnold is a living legend with universal appeal, a perseverance for greatness and a strong relationship with WWE. “He’s a force to be reckoned with and defines what it means to raise some hell. Through his WWE 2K16 pre-order inclusion, fans simply can’t beat the opportunity to play as the Terminator in a WWE ring.”
The game comes out for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 as well as Xbox One and Xbox 360 on October 27, 2015 in North America and October 30, 2015 internationally.
The Enquirer and Radar Online have released some more of the transcript from Hulk Hogan’s sex tape which were supposed to be sealed in court pending the trial against Gawker which starts in October.
In one of the rants, Hogan told Heather Clam that the “billionaire black guy” that was paying for Brooke’s music recruited Hollywood actor and singer Jamie Foxx to be featured in one of her tracks.
“F**king n***er…he had Jamie Foxx coming in on the 22nd track,” Hogan says according to the transcript. “I didn’t even tell Brooke about it. F**k her. Brooke and [redacted] met in Miami.”
Hogan then continues to slam his daughter for not taking his advice and money. “Brooke f**ks up a ten million dollar deal I had with the Saudis. Brooke says ‘F**k you dad,’” although he then admitted that she didn’t actually say that but flipped the middle finger at him.
“I have this huge f**king house in Miami. My family never comes home. They want to LA. F**k ‘em,” he then says.
To celebrate the release of The Kliq Rules WWE home video tomorrow, the WWE Network will be spotlighting one of the most popular faction in wrestling history throughout the week featuring Triple H, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman, and Shawn Michaels.
Starting tonight at 11:06PM right after Raw ends, the WWE Network will offer a first look at the DVD released tomorrow. The 30 minute preview will feature stories, backstage antics and some of the controversy from the group throughout the years.
Tomorrow at 10PM, the group reunites for The Kliq: Behind The Curtain, with the synopsis for the 30 minute show saying it will offer an exclusive and revealing look at the most dominant group in sports-entertainment history.
On Wednesday at 9PM EST we will see the sweetest moments and matches in the Kliq history plus never before told stories from the Superstars themselves in this retrospective titled The Kliq: Most Influential Matches and Moments. It will run for one hour.
On Thursday it’s all about Kevin Nash as the WWE Network airs Kevin Nash: Too Sweet, a 30 minute show with WWE cameras following him for his WWE Hall of Fame 2015 induction. It starts at 10PM immediately following Smackdown.
The Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday shows are all listed a WWE Network Original Specials. Shows will be repeated throughout the week at various times and also available on-demand.
In another Hulk Hogan story, the former champion has been looking like a fool on Twitter as fans, mainly in the United Kingdom, are trolling the Hulkster and tricking him to retweet photos that are actually celebrities or sports stars across the pond.
Fans have been sending photos of black footballers Rio Fedinand, Kolo Toure, Danny Welbeck, and others, including one photo featuring Drake. They all say “me and my dad” or “me and my mate” support him during these rough times.
Hogan, who fell for something like this multiple times before retweeting photos of child molesters or kidnapped individuals, have been on a retweet mission to try and soften the blow he received this past weekend. The problem is that Hogan is looking more of an idiot retweeting these pictures rather than getting sympathy.
WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzenegger – as the Terminator – will be part of the upcoming WWE 2K16 video game and will be promoted as a pre-order special.
A commercial hyping up Terminator’s involvement in the game sees Schwarzenegger entering a bar naked as he scans WWE Superstars and Divas for matching clothes, similar to how he did in the Terminator movie.
The first one scanned is Eva Marie, who is next to a jukebox listening to a song. Daniel Bryan is then shown wearing his Yes! shirt sitting by the bar drinking beer. Paige, as a waitress, then almost bumps into Schwarzenegger, as he turns around and sees Finn Balor and Dean Ambrose playing pool.
The size of Ambrose’s clothes and shoes match the Terminator and then he tells him, “I need your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle.” Ambrose, who is smoking, goes up to his face and says, “You forgot to say please,” then blows smoke in his face before putting out the cigar on Schwarzenegger’s chest.
As soon as Terminator grabs Ambrose’s hand, the screen goes black with the words “WWE, Meet The Terminator” as the famous Terminator theme plays in the background.
“Play as the Terminator, only when you pre-order” is the final image of the super cool commercial which you can see below.
James Harris, better known to wrestling fans as Kamala, is the latest former wrestler to defend Hulk Hogan over the racist rants which were recorded several years ago.
Harris feuded with Hogan both in the then WWF and over at WCW.
“That’s not the Hogan I know. Hogan always treated me like a gentleman,” he told The Bleacher Report. “He genuinely cared about me. He was my friend. He’d tell me, ‘Brother, I’m getting my money. I hope you’re getting yours, because you’re putting asses in the seats.’”
Calling Hulk a “sweetheart of a guy,” Harris said that Hogan probably didn’t mean the words he said and that he’s not mad at him.
“Deep down, he’s really not like that. He’s a super-nice guy. I don’t believe he’s a racist at all, no matter what he said,” Harris added. Asked what he’d do if he met Hogan now, Harris said that he’d shake his hand and hug him like they always did in the past.
“Then I might say, ‘Hey man, what happened?’ But it’d be with a smiling face.”
The big question now following Hogan’s dismissal from Tough Enough is who is going to replace the Hall of Famer on the judging panel along with Daniel Bryan and Paige.
The decision ultimately comes down to WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon along with Kevin Dunn, the Executive Vice President of Television Production. USA Network will also certainly have a say in who will replace Hogan considering they are funding the bulk of the production.
Two names who have already been rumored are Ric Flair and Bret Hart. The unconfirmed rumor today is that Bret has flown to meet McMahon to discuss the potential job. It would be ironic if Hart does get the job as WWE also turned over to Bret when Hogan left the company back in 1993.
Mick Foley’s son put his dad’s name forward too, saying that his dad cares about WWE more than anyone and wants to care about Tough Enough. Foley said he will stop watching Tough Enough after the elimination of Patrick last week.
“I doubt @WWE will offer me #ToughEnough. But, if asked, I would insist that the trainers be more involved in decisions,” Mick Foley wrote.
