Former WWE champion The Big Show will be returning to action this weekend, replacing John Cena in main event matches against CM Punk.
Cena is out for up to six weeks following an elbow surgery, throwing also the planned main event for Hell In A Cell up in smoke as well.
Big Show has been absent from WWE television since SummerSlam after he asked for some time off. He starts tonight with a live show in State College, Pennsylvania. In these next few non-televised live events, Paul Heyman will be accompanying CM Punk as well so it will be interesting to see how the fans react to Show since his last role was that of a heel.
Spike TV and TNA issued a press release yesterday announcing that IMPACT Wrestling will continue to run live through the end of 2012.
The original deal was that IMPACT would be airing live till the end of Summer however since going live the show has provided better ratings as well as registering an increase in social media activities during the broadcast.
Since going live at 8PM, the two hour time slot on Spike has grown 33% in households, 47% in Men 18-49, and 35% in total viewers.
Plans for what will happen to the show in 2013 will be announced at a later date.
Impact begins with Hulk Hogan talking to Shaq. Shaq wants to help Hogan out with his Aces and Eights problem. The first two people to the ring are Kurt Angle and AJ Styles. Kurt and AJ recently earned a title shot against Tag champs Kaz and Daniels, but so did the team of Hernandez and Chavo Guerrero. Angle and AJ call out Chavo and Hernandez as part of “Open Fight Night” to determine which team is the real number one contender for the tag titles.
Match #1: Chavo and Hernandez versus AJ Styles and Kurt Angle. Chavo and AJ start the match off. Each man gets the others back once, Chavo takes AJ down to the mat, and then AJ gets Chavo down with a headscissors. Chavo tags in Hernandez and AJ tags in Angle. Angle lands a series of punches and European uppercuts. Angle whips Hernandez to the ropes and Hernandez runs over Angle. Hernandez tags in Chavo and Chavo lands a pair of European uppercuts.
Angle responds with several punches before Chavo takes him down with a drop toe hold. Chavo puts Angle in a headlock and Angle escapes by suplexing Chavo. Chavo and Angle trade strikes, and then Angle takes Chavo down with an overhead belly to belly suplex. Kaz and Daniels make their way to the ring to watch.
Commercial
When we return, AJ has Chavo in a headlock. Chavo backdrops AJ and then tags in Hernandez. Hernandez knocks AJ down with a slingshot shoulder tackle. Hernandez gets AJ up on his shoulders and Angle comes in to save his partner. Angle and AJ try to double team Hernandez but he clotheslines both of them at the same time. Chavo climbs to the top and hits Angle and AJ with a missile dropkick. Chavo hits AJ with a hurricanrana and then tries to follow up with a suplex. AJ blocks the suplex and knocks Chavo down with a kick. AJ tags Angle in and Angle hits Chavo with a German suplex. Angle applies the ankle lock to Chavo, but Hernandez makes the save.
AJ dropkicks Hernandez and Chavo takes Kurt down with a sunset flip. Angle rolls through the flip and puts Chavo in the ankle lock. Chavo escapes and tags in Hernandez, Angle tags in AJ. AJ hits Hernandez with a flying forearm, Hernandez responds with a gut wrench suplex. Angle suplexes Hernandez and Chavo runs in. Chavo tries the three amigos on Angle and hits him with 2 suplexes, but then hits AJ with the third one as AJ tries to help Angle.
Chavo climbs to the top rope but Angle runs up the ropes after him. Hernandez saves Chavo from Angle and both Angle and Hernandez take their fight to the floor. Chavo tries to hit AJ with the frog splash but AJ rolls out of the way. AJ hits Chavo with the Pele kick, but before he can follow up, Kaz and Daniels run in and attack Chavo and AJ, ending the match.
After the match, as Kaz and Daniels are congratulating themselves, Hogan comes out and announces that at Bound for Glory, Kaz and Daniels will have to defend against BOTH teams; Angle/AJ and Chavo/Hernandez.
In the back, Al Snow is being asked about his confrontation with Joey Ryan last week. Snow doesn’t feel like he was out of line slapping Ryan in the face, but he adds that he will soon find out whether he is going to get in trouble or not. Commercial
When we return, Hulk Hogan is on the phone with Joseph Parks. Parks is supposedly Abyss’ lawyer brother, but he’s obviously really Abyss. Parks has been investigating Aces and Eights and claims to have new evidence. Hogan says he is going to instruct security to let Parks in and wants to see him right away.
This week’s Gut Check contestant is 18 year old Evan Markopoulos, and he will be facing Douglas Williams.
Commercial
Match #2: Evan Markopoulos versus Doug Williams.
The two men lock up and Williams gets behind Evan and takes him down. Williams backs off and they lock up again. Williams pushes Evan to the corner and then breaks. They lock up again and this time Evan pushes Williams to the corner. Williams slaps Evan across the face and then hits him with a couple of kicks. Williams follows up with a European uppercut, a headlock, and then a headbutt to the gut.
Evan takes Williams down with a sunset flip, but Williams rolls through and hits Evan with a knee strike to the head. Williams taunts Evan in the corner and Evan responds with a standing dropkick and a crossbody press. Williams knocks Evan down with a clothesline and then stomps him. Evan lands a couple punches and Williams answers with a knee strike and a suplex. The two men exchange strikes, Williams gets the edge and hip tosses Evan. Williams wraps up Evan’s head and arms in a submission hold and Evan taps out.
Commercial
When we return, James Storm makes his way to the ring to call out Bobby Roode. Storm wants to fight his former partner as part of Open Fight Night, and Roode comes to the ring wearing a suit. Roode was told last week that Storm was going to call him out, but Roode claims he isn’t ready to wrestle. Storm calls Roode a coward, but Roode says he’s done with Storm and Storm can fight someone else.
When Roode makes his way to the back, he is confronted by Hogan. Hogan tells Roode that if he wants to take tonight off, he might as well take the whole year off without pay if he doesn’t fight Storm. Hogan gives Roode 3 minutes to decide.
Commercial
Match #3: James Storm versus Bobby Roode.
Roode comes to the ring wearing his suit, but he starts to take it off as he heads to the ring. Before Roode can get to the ring, Storm attacks him on the entrance ramp. The two men brawl outside the ring for a while, slamming each other into the security barrier and beating each other with Roode’s shoe.
The two men finally make their way into the ring and Roode hits Storm with an inverted atomic drop. Storm responds by clotheslining Roode to the floor. Storm rolls Roode back in and Roode backdrops Storm out to the floor. The two men braw some more on the floor, exchanging strikes and Irish Whips into the steel steps and security barrier.
Roode grabs Storms beer bottle and takes a sip before going after Storm with it. Storm lands a punch, takes the bottle away from Roode and has a sip. Roode swings a steel chair at Storm’s head but misses. Storm slams Roode’s face into a fan’s shoes. The two men briefly re enter the ring before Roode knocks Storm back out to the floor. The two men brawl some more until Storm pushes the ref out of the way. The ref disqualifies Storm but they keep brawling.
In the back, Hogan gets a telephone call from Aces and Eights. They claim to have kidnapped Joseph Parks.
Commercial
When we return, Austin Aries approaches Jeff Hardy in the back. Austin offers to take off his sunglasses if Hardy agrees to open his eyes. Aries says that while he knows he has something Hardy wants, (the world title) Hardy has something Aries wants: a Hall of Fame career. Austin wants the success and adulation Hardy has been getting throughout his career. Aries says he’s not the hunted, he’s the hunter, and he’s hunting Jeff Hardy.
Back in the Impact Zone, Tara is walking to the ring. She claims people want to know why she betrayed her friend Tessmacher. Tara claims the fans disgust her, and that her new boyfriend opened her eyes. She claims to be the best female wrestler in the world, and to prove it, she calls out…Christy Hemme? Christy comes to the ring and explains she is no wrestler, but Tara doesn’t care and starts choking Christy until Tessmacher comes to the rescue.
Commercial
When we return, Brooke Hogan is talking to Tara and she’s not happy. Brooke tells Tara there will be consequences next week.
Hulk Hogan makes his way to the ring next to call out Aces and Eights. Hogan wants Joseph Parks back and is willing to trade himself. Hogan will go the Aces and Eights “Clubhouse” in exchange for the return of Parks. Aces and Eights seems to agree, and they show Joseph Parks, bound and caged in their “clubhouse” They smash the computer Parks had been using for his investigation with a sledge hammer. Abyss, I mean, Joseph Parks, claims it doesn’t matter because he has all the info in his head. So they hit him in the head with a sledgehammer.
Commercial
When we return, Austin Aries is calling out Bully Ray. Jeff Hardy beat Bully Ray recently to win the BFG series, and Austin wants to prove he can do anything Hardy can do. Bully Ray seems shocked, he claims people don’t call him out; he calls people out. AS Bully Ray makes his way to the ring, Aries does a spinning suicide dive to Ray on the floor. Aries beats Bully down outside the ring and slams Bully’s head into the steps. Aries rolls Bully Ray into the ring and the match is underway
Match #4: Austin Aries versus Bully Ray. Aries lands a kick, slams Bully into the corner, and then lands a punch and a kick. Aries snaps Bully’s head down on the top rope and then climbs to the top turnbuckle. Bully pushes Aries off the top and sends him crashing to the floor.
Commercial
When we return, Bully lands a punch and an eye gouge. Bully Ray pulls Aries back into the ring and puts him in a bow and arrow. Aries escapes with a back kick, but Bully knocks him back down and lands a splash for a two count. Bully drops Austin with a body slam and gets a two count. Bully hits Aries with an elbow drop and gets another two count. Bully starts talking trash and Aries throws a punch. Bully ray lands a back elbow, a couple chops, and an elbow drop. Aries gets to his feet as Ray argues with the ref. Aries lands a pair of chops. Ray tries a suplex but Aries gets out of it. Ray lands a couple chops. Aries lands a forearm, a punch, and a couple chops.
Bully Ray halts Austin’s momentum with an eye rake. Bully Ray throws a punch, Aries ducks it and hits Ray with a discus forearm. Ray hits Austin with a backdrop. Austin snaps Rays down across the top rope and then hits him with a missile dropkick for a two count. Ares tries a brainbuster, but gets back dropped by Ray instead. Ray charges Austin, but Aries dodges and hits Ray with a kick. As Ray and Aries fight, referee Earl Hebner gets knocked down and out. Aries hits Ray in the knee with a dropkick and then puts him in the Last Chancery. Ray taps out but the ref is still down. Aries checks on the ref and Bully Ray gets his chain.
Ray knocks Aries out with the chain and drags the ref over. Ray covers Aries for 3 and gets the win. After the decision an exhausted Bully Ray falls on top of/hugs Earl Hebner on the mat. It almost looks like he is going to start dry humping referee Earl Hebner. In some states, they would have to get married now. I think from now on, whenever Earl Hebner is refereeing a Bully Ray match, the fans should chant “You screwed Earl” to Bully Ray. Madison Rayne is going to be pissed.
After the match, Bully Ray grabs Austin’s title and is about to hit him with it when Jeff Hardy comes to the rescue. Hardy picks up the title after Ray leaves and Aries sees him holding it. Aries angrily takes his title back and they start arguing as Impact goes off the air.
John Cena ripped on the WWE.COM team for giving false information on his estimated recovery time following his elbow surgery this week.
The WWE.COM report stated that Cena would be out of action for only two to three weeks when in reality Cena said it would take six weeks to go back to wrestling.
“Some #jackwagon from @wwe dotcom apparently posted me recovering in 14 days,” Cena tweeted. “I apologize on behalf of a website whos credibility is now equal to #theonion,” he added, referring to the popular TheOnion.com website which spoofs everyday news.
Cena promised that he’ll do his best to get healthy as quickly as he can, adding that he would be appearing on RAW but will lay low for the next six weeks till he heals up. He said he’ll send photos and videos to the WWE.COM crew so they can see how bad the surgery was.
He closed his rant with a suggestion to the dot com team which is headed by Joey Styles. “Please @wwe web guys, get your monkey frankin facts straight!”
Jerry “The King” Lawler, returning to Memphis on Monday after spending a whole week in a Montreal hospital following a heart attack, held a press conference earlier today in his home which was streamed live by several news outlets in Memphis.
Lawler noted that he only remembers the first part of the show, the interview segment between CM Punk and Bret Hart, and nothing else that followed it even though his heart attack didn’t happen for an hour later. Lawler said he has no recollection of wrestling or even the things he said during the broadcast and he had to watch the show to find out what happened.
The King also said that he received calls from tons of wrestlers including from Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. Lawler said that there’s a bond between wrestlers and at the end of the day they all look out for each other.
Regarding his health, Lawler said apart from sore ribs and throat – from CPR and tubes inserted respectively – he’s doing fine with no pains since the attack. He said the heart attack occurred due to two small blocked arteries at the bottom of his heart, one of which needed a stent. He credited the WWE medical team and EMTs on site for saving his life and their quick action prevented permanent damage.
Talking about his wrestling future, the WWE Hall of Famer said that he thinks about it but it will be several months before he will step back in the ring.
You can watch the full 15 minute press conference below.
The Associated Press is carrying an article today about the WWE trying to distance itself from the Attitude Era videos floating around everywhere on the web and protecting Linda McMahon in her Senate election in the process.
“It’s being presented as today’s WWE,” said Brian Flinn, a WWE spokesman, “and it does not represent our PG-family-friendly entertainment of today.”
The Senate race is getting ugly as expected and AP notes that the Democrats have pumped $320,000 in ads into Chris Murphy’s campaign in hopes of blunting McMahon’s momentum, who currently leads in polls. Her opponents are also saying that WWE is trying to help Linda with her election.
“Chris Murphy’s implication or assertion that the WWE is coordinating with Linda McMahon’s U.S. Senate is untrue, to do so is unlawful,” the WWE said in a statement yesterday.
During the last election in 2010, WWE CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon was furious at how the Democrats used old WWE footage to discredit his wife Linda in the campaign. In an interview with the AP, Vince McMahon said that these WWE detractors conveniently left out the “soap opera elements” that lead up to the controversial moments and failed to mention the evolution of WWE over the past years, most notably the drug testing and improving the health of its wrestlers.
This week’s RAW drew an average of 4,051,667 viewers for a composite rating of 2.9. It drew the lowest average of viewers since RAW went to three hours on July 23, and compared to that episode it dropped by 2 million viewers.
The first hour drew 4,111,000 viewers, the second hour did 4,119,000 viewers and the third hour dropped to 3,925,000 viewers. (Ratings compiled by Nielsen Media Research and put online by PWinsder.com)
Twitter just got Rated R as WWE Hall of Famer Edge joined the social networking website today.
“Yes I’m a hypocrite and finally gave in to twitsanity,” he posted as the first tweet, referring to the many times that he said he wouldn’t have a Twitter or Facebook account in the past.
In just over 12 hours, Edge attracted over 25,000 followers and was the top trending topic on Twitter as well.
His account creation coincided with his taped appearance on Smackdown which will air this Friday, his first time on WWE television since WrestleMania XXVIII.
WWE’s DVD European distributor Silver Vision will stop releasing new DVDs in the area after December 31, 2012, ending a 22 year relationship with WWE.
In a statement on the Silver Vision website, the company said that they are saddened by this news as they have worked very hard over the years to bring the best service to WWE fans.
The SummerSlam 2012 and nWo: The Revolution title releases will be the last two new discs to be produced by Silver Vision. The company will continue to sell WWE DVDs, Blu-rays and WWE films after December 31 until stocks last.
Trouble between WWE and Silver Vision’s parent company Clear Vision started in May after it was announced that they have suspended future releases of titles citing “product problems.” It was never announced what these problems were and Silver Vision refunded everyone their money for pre-orders.
In the beginning of June, an agreement was reached and Silver Vision resumed production, including the much anticipated WrestleMania XXVIII DVD and Blu-Ray.
Silver Vision also supplied WWE licensed titles in Middle East and Africa.
The WWE merchandise website is already selling the two t-shirts that made their TV debut on Sunday at Night of Champions and on RAW yesterday.
The John Cena pink and black Rise Above Cancer t-shirt is available for men, women, and youths, and WWE will be donating 100% of profits – around 30% of the retail sale – till October 31, 2012, to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure in support of breast cancer research.
The other shirt on sale is the Long Live The King one which Michael Cole was sporting for commentary for Jerry “The King” Lawler.
John “Bradshaw” Layfield did commentary for RAW yesterday night however he won’t be sitting at the broadcast table next week as he’s off to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for the charity organization he supports in Bermuda.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is rumored to be filling his chair from next week, making appearances on RAW until The King is ready to get back to work following his heart attack last week. Ross also returned yesterday to do commentary along with JBL and Michael Cole.
“Thanks to all who enjoyed our work on #Raw tonight. Hope we get to do it again soon. I appreciate @MichaelCole & @JCLayfield. #WWE,” tweeted Ross after the show was over.
WWE.COM is reporting that former WWE champion John Cena had surgery today to remove bone chips in his elbow under the care of Dr. James Andrews, at the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
Cena will be flying home to Tampa, Florida, today to begin his rehab and will be spending the minimum amount of time at the hospital.
WWE.COM says Cena is expected to recover in two to three weeks and will be re-evaluated on Thursday. The recovery is enough for him to participate in the Hell In A Cell pay-per-view which takes place on October 28.
As noted yesterday and confirmed on RAW, Jerry “The King” Lawler is back in Memphis, Tennessee, after Vince McMahon personally escorted Lawler and his family with the WWE corporate jet from Montreal.
The WWE Hall of Famer was greeted by Dr. Michael Sampson who last week on RAW pretty much was credited for saving Jerry Lawler’s life by administering CPR immediately as he realized Lawler was having a heart attack. The quick response from Dr. Sampson helped in bringing Lawler back to life backstage after seven defibrillator shocks and his immediate CPR helped in keeping Jerry from suffering from brain damage.
The King will be on RAW next week and will be interviewed via satellite. There is no time table on when he will be returning for broadcast duties as he was ordered to take it easy for now.
If you аrе unfаmіlіаr wіth MMA, уоu ѕhоuld fіrѕt know thаt іt ѕtаndѕ for Mixed Mаrtіаl Arts. MMA іѕ a full-contact соmbаt ѕроrt where рrоfеѕѕіоnаl аthlеtеѕ perform dіffеrеnt techniques to beat оr knосk out their орроnеnt. It іѕ a ѕроrt thаt tеѕtѕ your lіmіtѕ in рhуѕісаl fіtnеѕѕ аnd еndurаnсе. Wіth a number оf ѕtуlеѕ оf wrestling, thеѕе аthlеtеѕ are grеаt реrfоrmеrѕ. With rigorous trаіnіng rеgіmеѕ аnd еxеrсіѕеѕ, MMA is a ѕроrt that іѕ widely recognized as one оf the toughest on thе fасе оf thіѕ рlаnеt.
MMA fіghtеrѕ аrе turnіng tо CBD fоr healing to hеlр аіd in their rесоvеrу. Thеу hаvе fоund that CBDсаn оffеr some therapeutic hеаlth benefits thаt grеаtlу аѕѕіѕt thеіr bоdу’ѕ recovery process. Mаnу сlаіmѕ thаt CBD hаѕ quickened thеіr healing time аnd hеlреd thеm tо feel better than оthеr ѕubѕtаnсеѕ.
According tо Fred Rosser whо was once саllеd Dаrrеn Yоung іn thе WWE league, CBD аmоng professional wrestlers іѕ іnсrеdіblу common. “90 реrсеnt uѕе thе CBD. 90 percent of thе саѕt. Yеѕ, I’m ѕurе they do. Yеаh, in fасt, whеn I was there, I wаѕ using the CBD. I gоt concussions; thеу shook me a couple оf times. And whеn уоu have tо gо frоm сіtу to city going 500 kіlоmеtеrѕ frоm the city tо thе сіtу, I juѕt couldn’t dо it. Sо, the CBD hеlреd me.”
Bоbbу Lаѕhlеу, Enzo Amоrе, Mark Dае, and оthеrѕ hаvе аlѕо shared thеіr еxреrіеnсе uѕіng CBD to treat аnxіеtу, pain, inflammation, and mоrе.
Wrеѕtlіng іѕ nоt thе оnlу sport whеrе CBD has bесоmе a ѕtарlе fоr some аthlеtеѕ. MMA boxers, bаѕkеtbаll рlауеrѕ, fооtbаll lіnеbасkеrѕ, gоlfеrѕ, swimmers, and many оthеr athletes hаvе ѕtаrtеd uѕіng CBD tо trеаt a variety оf hеаlth аnd wеllnеѕѕ ailments.
Last week, a team of from the WWE legal department started flagging down videos on YouTube which had to be removed, mostly the Attitude Era edgier videos which were being used against Linda McMahon’s Senate campaign by the Democrats.
“In response to news that the WWE is scrubbing the internet of sexually explicit material from Linda McMahon’s tenure as CEO, the Connecticut Democratic Party is launching a new campaign to highlight the truth about McMahon’s past,” read a press release from the Democratic Party of Connecticut.
Instead of uploading to YouTube, the Democrats uploaded the video on another video sharing website, Vimeo, saying that they are re-releasing a video which highlights the type of programming Linda McMahon market to children.
“The video includes footage of wrestlers engaging in lewd sex acts, including one scene in which a wrestler has sex with a corpse,” the press release adds.
Included in the press release was the link to the Vimeo video, which funny enough, the WWE legal team also got their hands on, managing to take it off the Internet once again.
The video was titled “PG TV?” and the link now goes to a notice saying that the video was removed due to a third-party notification by World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., claiming that that the footage used is infringing their copyright.
Forbes.com has released the 20 best-selling licensed entertainment products, a list which was topped by Disney.
WWE did pretty well, coming in at number 7 with an estimate of $700 million. The company was the only one sports-related in the list.
The top ten include Disney Princess at $1.6 billion in first, Star Wars with $1.5 billion in second, Pooh in third with $1.09 billion, Cars in fourth with $1.05 billion, Hello Kitty with $800 million in fifth, Mickey & Friends in sixth with $750 million, WWE with $700 million in seventh, Toy Story in eighth with $685 million, Peanuts with $600 million in ninth, and Sesame Street with $515 million in tenth.
Disney had five of the top ten and another two entries in eleventh and sixteenth.
The WWE corporate jet with Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon landed in Montreal just minutes after Noon ET today to transport Jerry “The King” Lawler and his family back to his home in Memphis, Tennessee.
The King has been at a Montreal hospital since Monday night after suffering a heart attack during a live edition of RAW.
W-O reader Francis Lalonde told us that Vince McMahon came out of the plane and sent us a photo of the WWE jet parked at the Montreal airport today which you can see below.
Meanwhile, Lawler sent in his first tweet following the heart attack yesterday, wishing the best of luck to JBL for the pay-per-view. “I also want to thank the thousands of fans and friends for the outpouring of well wishes and concern for me. I love the WWE Universe,” he wrote.
The post-WrestleMania Smackdown next year will be taking place in Boston, Massachusetts, the site of yesterday’s Night of Champions pay-per-view.
The last time WrestleMania was held in New York in 2004, the TD Garden was also the host for the first Smackdown following Mania.
The pre-sale started yesterday on Ticketmaster.com and will run through Friday, September 21, at 10PM local time with the password WWEBOSTON for those interested.
John Cena has revealed on Twitter that he got injured early in his match yesterday against CM Punk, rolling his ankle but still managing to go all the way to the end.
“Wild night tonight, nuthing to do now but move forward. This is my left ankle. It was rolled early in match,” Cena wrote, adding a photo of his ankle which was swollen like a ball.
