0Posted by Brett Clendaniel on June 17, 2013 at 1:12 pm
Michael Cole recently spoke with the folks at Wrestling101. Here are some highlights:
What have been some of your highlights during your time with WWE?
My career was made at the beginning thanks to Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Chyna and Rick Rude, if it wasn’t for D-Generation X who knows if I would’ve ever been discovered to become the personality that I am today, with those guys we had so much fun together and I become their foil.
From there I went onto SmackDown and I was there for ten years straight before I moved to Raw and that was obviously a huge experience for me. Then moving to Monday Night Raw was probably the biggest moment of my career. Finally being asked to get in the ring and have Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler’s only WrestleMania match was a complete honour, I was completely humbled by that and I had a lot of fun doing it.
I like being a bad guy but now I’m a good guy again and it’s all just so much fun, you’re able to reinvent your character so much in this business and that’s why I enjoy it so much.
You were doing commentary on Raw when Jerry Lawler had a heart attack, what instincts kicked in when that incident happened?
My news instincts kicked in, it was just one of those things where Jerry had a heart attack next to me and being a news reporter kicked in. I had to report what was going on in the ring, then I had to report what was going on with Jerry, it was all instinct, there was nothing premeditated about it.
Jerry had a match that night but it was business as usual, he came back and went to work nothing changed. Whatever match it was we were calling, I thought he was snoring and I turned around to look at him and he was passed out on the table and we went from there. It was a surreal thing and I’ve never watched that moment back, I don’t want to but I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life. He was passed out under the table and luckily doc Sampson was three feet away and they got to him quickly and got his heart going again but it was a bizarre time, I didn’t know for the last hour of the show if I was going to have to report that Jerry had passed away or if he was surviving and luckily we got the news right as we were going off the air that he was surviving, it was a really tough time.
Obviously it all came out the way we wanted it to, and it is great having Jerry back on the commentary table. It changed me personally but it also changed me professionally because at that point I became a babyface again and I think for the best, I was a bad guy for a while but it was time to change. Obviously Jerry’s heart attack changed history as we look at it.
What is Vince McMahon like as a boss?
He is wonderful, he’s hard but he is a genius with what we do as a company. If you can understand how to learn from him, here is a guy that is a billionaire and he’s built the wrestling business to where it is today but he still goes out and puts himself in situations, embarrassing situations for the good of the company.
That’s why when I did my role as a heel for a few years and all the things I did to Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler, I did that with Vince in mind. Vince is the owner of the company but he has had his head shoved up Big Shows rear-end, had his head shaved bald at WrestleMania, all the stuff he did over the years I thought if my boss could do that, I could do that.
He is one of my hero’s in this business and even in life, I’ve grown up in this business, I’ve spent 16-years here, I started as a fairly young kid, I’ve raised my family being a part of the WWE. Vince is like a second father to me and he has helped me throughout my career and I hope to spend the rest of my career with the guy, he’s just been an unbelievable mentor.
Have you ever had an ear bashing from Vince?
(Laughs) Yeah it happens every week, the thing is you can’t take it personally. Vince is very obsessive about his product because he should be, he has built the WWE into a global phenomenon, this is his baby and he acts that way because he wants his product to be the best.
You have to understand it’s not a personal attack, it’s him wanting his product to be the best in the world and once you can understand that you’re going to be better than ever and you’ve got to understand it’s a way to motivate you.
0Posted by Brett Clendaniel on June 15, 2013 at 6:18 pm
Sean Waltman discussed his career with Inside The Ropes this past Thursday as he promoted the Viva L.A Lucha Kickstarter campaign. Here are some highlights from the interview.
On his huge promotion upon his arrival to the WWF in 1993 as the 1-2-3 Kid, compared to talent receiving opportunities today: ”Okay, they were pushing me, but this is what I don’t understand. There’s some guys now who are getting their opportunities and doing a lot with them, but you can’t push something that doesn’t propel itself. Sometimes you’re limited to what you are talent wise. My angle was really unique when I came in. Usually a guy would come in with vignettes and then win some squash matches and get over that way. They seemed to have a well thought out plan for me. Plus the angle with Razor and I was the first storyline they ran on Raw so that was pretty cool.”
On being told he’s working with Shane McMahon at WrestleMania XV: ”I didn’t like it going in, I was expecting to have this big WrestleMania match. But back then If something wasn’t my idea, I didn’t like it, even if it was a good one. I was a bit of a spoiled brat at the time. I remember thinking I wanted to have a really good WrestleMania match, but how was I gonna do that with somebody that’d never had a match before, but I told Vince y’know, he listens to me and I’ll do it but it’s my way. And the agreement was he’d do the job (laughs). But the overall picture of why we did the finish of the match, you know Hunter turned on me and a lot of good things came out of that. My team with Kane came out of that, Hunter’s big first championship run kinda came from that. I thought Shane did an amazing job, he really did. He rented the St Paul Civic Center, it had this little building that held 3-4,000 people called the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, he rented that and had someone in Detroit drive a ring and set it up in this empty building, so I’d go there and work out a match with him for WrestleMania. I wasn’t going anywhere on my days off. I thought that was really going above and beyond, sending a ring to Detroit, Shane and I ended up being pretty tight.”
Whether he watches TNA: ”You know what I should, I really should, but I don’t. I don’t know why or what it is but it just doesn’t feel like must see TV to me.”
Thoughts on going down to NXT: ”From where it was a couple of years ago it’s so much better, so much better. I actually think quite often it’s the best thing on TV. Sometimes I think the best stuff comes off of that show. Triple H is working closely with that too. ”
0Posted by Brett Clendaniel on June 12, 2013 at 12:31 am
Justin Credible joined Inside The Ropes last Thursday where he recalled his tenure with WWE in the mid-1990s. Highlights from the interview are as follows:
How he went from appearing as enhancement talent on Raw to landing a contract with WWE in 1994:“I live in Connecticut, I live 45 minutes from WWE headquarters and I was doing jobs (on TV) and one day the office called me and they said, “We need you to come down to the office and work out with Mark, Undertaker. We have somebody coming in that’s gonna do a double Undertaker and we need to train him during the week to look like Mark and do his moves.”
“So basically they paid me $150 a day to go up there and be a crash test dummy for Brian Lee doing the impostor Undertaker. We did it all week and on Friday we did a dress rehearsal with Brian Lee in full Undertaker gear and Mark was sitting there and (Vince McMahon) and Pat Patterson, one of the bookers at the time, came down and saw the entire dress rehearsal and at the end, Pat and Vince come up to me and started asking me questions about where I was from, who trained me. But the next question they asked me was, what nationality I was. So I told Vince I was Portuguese and he said, “Ahhh, you’re Portuguese, do you speak it?” I told him yeah absolutely and he laughed and said good and that was it. So low and behold I found out later they’d been fixing to do the Aldo Montoya gimmick anyway and they had it written up. So they were looking for a legitimate Portuguese kid to come in and do the gimmick and I was just the in the right place at the right time.”
Thoughts on Triple H: “I was there when Hunter came in. I was his first set of matches around the loop. I was real close with (Kevin Nash), (Shawn Michaels), (Scott Hall) and (Sean Waltman). I remember, in 1996, we weren’t making much money so Hunter and I would share like a $40 room at Red Roof Inns across the country. I knew he had the passion, I knew he had ability. He just wasn’t…..his rise to stardom was very slow for a very long time. He just wasn’t getting over. That thing with the bow and the snob gimmick just was not getting over. The office kept trying and trying, he was beating everybody, they were giving him storyline after storyline, but the fans just weren’t biting. But Vince kept trying and you know the Kliq thing, the curtain call, Paul went out and he got put in the doghouse. Vince buried him on the road and on TV for almost a full year. For a long time, I didn’t think Paul was gonna get to where he is today that’s for sure. It’s just amazing, time heals all wounds, You know the persistence paid off. He’s a hard working guy, passionate about this business. For that I respect him.”
Credible also recalls his feud with Jeff Jarrett, being trained by The Harts and discussed the difficulty of appearing as Aldo Montoya character while knowing it would only be a short term character. He joins the show again this Thursday to discuss ECW and his run during the Invasion in 2001. To hear this interview and for details about his appearance on this week’s show, click here.
0Posted by Brett Clendaniel on June 10, 2013 at 11:25 pm
Tonight’s WWE RAW kicks off with a look back at last week where Stephanie McMahon and Vince McMahon stopped Triple H from wrestling.
- We’re live from the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia as Michael Cole welcomes us to RAW. We go right to the ring and here comes Triple H to a big pop.
Triple H vs. Curtis Axel
Triple H makes his entrance. Out next comes Curtis Axel with Paul Heyman.
Triple H is ready to fight but Axel takes his time. The bell rings and Triple H beats Axel down in the corner. The referee backs Triple H up but he goes back at it. Triple H with a big suplex for a 1 count. Vince McMahon’s music hits and out he comes. Triple H keeps wrestling and has Axel in a headlock. Vince walks around ringside and Axel turns it around, sending Triple H to the mat. Vince is all smiles. Triple H tosses Axel to the floor. Vince has them ring the bell and tells Justin Roberts to call it.
Winner by DQ: Curtis Axel
- Triple H yells at Vince from the ring. Vince’s music hits and he struts up the ramp, still smiling. Heyman and Axel taunt Triple H from the apron. Triple H goes out to Roberts and tells them to ring the bell. The match is being re-started by WWE’s COO.
Triple H vs. Curtis Axel
The bell rings and they lock up. Triple H with another headlock. Vince storms back out and isn’t smiling as much as he was before. A “you suck” chant breaks out at Vince as he has the match called again.
Winner by Forfeit: Curtis Axel
- Vince leaves again and Triple H asks him what he’s doing. Triple H goes back to Roberts and has the match announced as a 60-man Iron Man Match. The bell is rang but Vince marches back to ringside. Vince takes the mic and says Curtis has already won twice, leave the ring now. Curtis quickly leaves with Heyman. Vince takes Roberts’ microphone and the timekeeper’s bell. Vince walks off with them as Triple H looks on from the ring.
- Still to come tonight, John Cena and Ryback will go face to face in the ring. Also, Kane vs. Dean Ambrose. We go to commercial.
- Back from the break and Triple H is backstage venting to Stephanie. He says Vince crossed the line and did that just to embarrass him. Stephanie agrees it was wrong. Stephanie begs Triple H not to hurt Vince. She says he’s not getting any younger. She tells him to try and think about Vince in the pool with their kids. Triple H tells Stephanie to go talk to Vince because if he has to, it won’t end well.
Kane vs. Dean Ambrose
We go to the ring and out comes Kane. WWE United States Champion Dean Ambrose comes out next through the crowd. Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns are right behind him but don’t go to the ring.
Ambrose strikes first in the corner. Kane runs over him with a big boot for a 1 count. Kane with a low dropkick and another pin attempt. Kane takes control now. Kane with a knee drop to the back and a boot to the face. Kane whips Ambrose hard into the corner and he goes down. Kane with a backbreaker now. Kane bends Ambrose over his knee and holds it. We finally get another timekeeper’s bell brought down. Ambrose fights back but Kane tosses him out of the ring and follows. Kane with a big right hand. Ambrose blocks a shot into the steps and fights back. Kane catches him in mid-air with a big right hand. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and Ambrose is back in control. Kane fights out of a hold and hits Ambrose with right hands. Ambrose with a double dropkick. Ambrose eventually goes to the top but Kane grabs him for a chokeslam. Ambrose fights him off but Kane brings him down to the mat. More back and forth. Kane with a big tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a 2 count. Ambrose goes for a roll up but Kane tosses him into the corner. Kane with a splash. He catches Ambrose’s boot and pulls him to the mat. Kane hits the sideslam for another 2 count. Kane goes to the top but Ambrose cuts him off. Kane blocks a superplex and sends Ambrose to the mat. Kane comes crashing down with a big right hand. Ambrose rolls out of the ring when Kane calls for a chokeslam. Rollins and Reigns hit the ring and attack Kane for the DQ.
Winner by DQ: Kane
- After the bell, Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan run down to save Kane. Orton and Team Hell No clear the ring as The Shield retreats through the crowd.
- We get hype for Sheamus vs. Damien Sandow for the WWE Payback pre-show.
- Fans can get on the WWE App and vote for Daniel Bryan’s opponent tonight – Rollins or Reigns. Back to commercial.
- Back from the break and it’s determined Bryan will face Rollins and Orton will face Reigns tonight.
- Kane, Bryan and Orton are all arguing. Vickie Guerrero comes in and makes Orton and Bryan vs. Rollins and Reigns in a WWE Tag Team Title match at Payback. Kane isn’t happy about this. Vickie grants Kane a US Title shot for Payback.
- We go to commercial as The Miz makes his way out.
The Miz vs. Cody Rhodes
Back from the break and WWE Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett is on commentary. It’s announced that Barrett will defend against just The Miz at Payback due to Fandango’s concussion. Cody and Miz go back and forth to start the match. Cody with a big suplex and a 2 count. Cody keeps control and works on the legs of The Miz.
Cody with more offense and a 2 count. Cody goes back to working on the knees. Miz turns it around and locks in the Figure Four for the win.
Winner: The Miz
- After the match, Miz limps around as Barrett enters the ring. Paul Heyman interrupts. He says Vickie Guerrero has allowed Curtis Axel to take Fandango’s spot at Payback. Axel comes out and cuts a promo about how he will be the next Intercontinental Champion.
- Cole leads us to a promo about Mark Henry’s return next week. The Hall of Pain is returning.
- Chris Jericho is walking backstage as we go to commercial.
- Back from the break and we get a look at how RAW opened with Vince McMahon and Triple H.
- Stephanie McMahon walks into Vince’s office and he has his back turned. She says she knows he’s trying to protect Triple H but what he did was embarrassing. Stephanie says Vince walked all over him. Vince heard what Triple H and Stephanie said about him. Vince says Triple H made his baby girl cry. Stephanie says Vince made her cry. Vince doesn’t care about Triple H’s pride, he puts WWE first. Vince says you do the right thing for business every single time. Vince says it’s best if Stephanie keeps Triple H away from him. Vince isn’t interested in talking to him either. Vince walks off.
- We go to the ring and out comes Chris Jericho to a big pop.
Jericho comes out and talks about his Payback match with CM Punk. Jericho talks about their past matches. He says Punk will get his best on Sunday. Jericho says he needs to beat Punk, he has to beat Punk. Jericho says neither of them will ever, ever be the same… he’s interrupted by World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler with AJ Lee and Big E Langston.
Ziggler says the nameplate was barely on his title before it was almost taken due to a concussion. Ziggler talks about how he stole the show and earned the belt. Ziggler says he will face Alberto Del Rio at Payback. Jericho suggests a warm-up match for tonight. Ziggler says Jericho can face Big E Langston and that match is up next after commercial.
Chris Jericho vs. Big E Langston
Back from the break and Big E is working Jericho over outside of the ring. Jericho apparently hurt his knee during the commercial. Big E brings him back in the ring and covers for a 2 count. Langston with a hold on Jericho as he tries to fight up and out. Jericho ends up tossing Big E over the top rope. Jericho runs the ropes and dropkicks Big E back into the barrier. Jericho comes out to the floor and kicks Big E in the back. Big E fights back and sends Jericho into the steel steps.
Big E brings it back in the ring for a 2 count. Big E with shoulder thrusts in the corner now. Jericho comes back with a 2 count but Big E runs over him for another pin attempt. Jericho fights back to his feet and trades shots with Big E. Jericho with a kick in the face and chops. Jericho with a big right hand and more offense. Jericho ducks a clothesline and hits an enziguri. Jericho with a low dropkick for a 2 count. More back and forth. Big E catches Jericho in mid-air and hits a series of backbreakers for another 2 count. Jericho ends up hitting a big crossbody from the top but Big E kicks out at 2. Ziggler distracts Jericho and allows Big E to run over him. Del Rio runs down and lays out Ziggler from behind at ringside. Langston is distracted by Del Rio but turns around to a Codebreaker for the win.
Winner: Chris Jericho
- Still to come, Orton vs. Reigns and Bryan vs. Rollins. Back to commercial.
Sin Cara vs. Antonio Cesaro
Back from the break and Zeb Colter is on commentary. Sin Cara makes his way out to the ring. Apparently Cara interrupted a Colter interview backstage on the WWE App and Colter isn’t happy about it. Out comes Antonio Cesaro.
Cesaro strikes first and takes Cara to the mat before tossing him out to the floor. Cara comes back in but Cesaro puts the boots to him. Colter rips Cara but defends Cesaro on commentary. Cara makes a comeback until Cesaro knocks him down on the top rope. Cesaro stands on Cara before hitting a big gutwrench slam. Cesaro with a headlock now.
Cesaro with another big slam and a 2 count. Cesaro with another stomp and a 2 count. Colter says Jack Swagger is injured but will be back soon. Cara makes another comeback out of the corner. Cesaro misses a clothesline. Cara hits a crazy looking sitdown powerbomb for a 2 count. Cara with a kick to the face from the apron. Cara goes to the top for a crossbody but Cesaro catches him in a backbreaker. Cesaro swings Cara around by a headlock. Cesaro nails The Neutralizer for the win.
Winner: Antonio Cesaro
- As we go to replays, Colter says he’s impressed with Cesaro and that’s what happens when you do things the right way.
- We get another vignette for Bray Wyatt and The Wyatt Family.
- Still to come, Ryback and Cena will go face to face in the ring. Back to commercial.
- Vickie Guerrero is backstage with Brad Maddox. Vickie is downing a big Hardees cheeseburger. Vince appears and tells Vickie to breathe and swallow. Vickie licks her fingers and goes to shake Vince’s hand. Vince is clearly in a bad mood tonight. Vince isn’t sure about the Ryback and Cena face off tonight. Maddox suggests they have the Payback Lumberjacks come out to the ring tonight. Vince says that’s a good idea and Vickie should share her burger with Brad.
Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns
We go to the ring and out first comes Randy Orton. Daniel Bryan comes out and waits with Orton as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and out comes WWE Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. They lock up to start the match and Reigns hits Orton with a knee to the gut and an elbow. Reigns takes it to the corner. Orton turns it around and fires back. Orton with a 2 count. Orton with knee drops and another 2 count. They fight on the floor now with Orton in control. Orton back drops Reigns on top of the fan barrier as Rollins and Bryan look on. Orton brings it back in the ring for a 2 count. Orton misses a knee drop and Reigns goes to work on him.
Orton hits a Thesz Press and right hands. Orton with more right hands in the corner as he climbs up. Reigns runs into a big boot. Orton with a forearm shot to the chest. Reigns knocks Orton from the top to the floor with one big punch. We go back to commercial.
Back from commercial and Reigns is in control, keeping Orton on the mat. Orton fights up and out with punches to the gut. Reigns drops Orton over the top rope. Reigns with another 2 count. We see Kane watching backstage. Orton fights out of another headlock and back drops Reigns. Orton with clotheslines and a powerslam. Rollins gets on the apron but Orton backs him off. Reigns goes for a Samoan Drop but Orton counters with a backbreaker. Orton hits the second rope draping DDT. Rollins comes in and Orton tries to DDT him. Reigns makes the save and pulls him out. Bryan comes in and leaps out onto Reigns and Rollins, taking them down on the floor.
No Contest
- Bryan gets a massive “yes!” chant from the crowd as he stands with Orton in the ring.
Daniel Bryan vs. Seth Rollins
This matches starts right now as Rollins takes Bryan to the corner. Bryan runs the ropes and nails a huge clothesline. Bryan with uppercuts and more offense. Bryan with a running knee to the gut and kicks to the back.
Bryan hits a bunch of kicks and elbows as the crowd chants yes. Bryan tries for the surfboard submission but Rollins crawls for the ropes. Bryan ends up sending Rollins to the floor after a dropkick. Bryan runs the ropes and kicks Rollins back into the barrier. Bryan leaps off the apron with a big knee to the face. Rollins turns it around and drives Bryan’s face into the corner. 2 count by Rollins. Rollins goes for the surfboard submission and locks it in. Bryan turns it around and applies the same hold on Rollins. Bryan falls back on the neck and holds it but Rollins finally breaks it. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and Bryan is fighting out of a hold. Rollins cuts him off and goes for another pin attempt. Rollins keeps control and takes Bryan back to the mat. Bryan fights back as the crowd chants. Rollins goes for a kick but Bryan catches it and turns it into a half crab. Rollins makes it to the ropes and breaks the hold. Bryan with kicks in the corner now. Bryan runs and nails the big dropkick and another in the corner. Bryan with a 2 count. Bryan with more kicks to the chest. Rollins ducks a kick and lays Bryan out. Rollins with kicks until he misses one. They counter again. Rollins powerbombs Bryan back into the turnbuckles for another 2 count. Rollins keeps control until Bryan back drops him out to the floor. Bryan runs the ropes but the collide at the ropes as Rollins tries to come in. Rollins comes off the top but they roll through with more counters. Bryan with another close 2 count. Bryan goes back to the top but Rollins cuts him off. Rollins climbs up for a superplex but Bryan slides out and crotches Rollins. Bryan climbs up and nails a super back drop but Rollins counters in mid-air and falls on top of Bryan. Reigns gets on the apron but Orton takes him out. Bryan rolls up Rollins for the win.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
- After the match, Bryan is celebrating in the corner when Rollins pulls him down. Bryan connects with a big kick. Orton catches Rollins with a RKO. Orton and Bryan stare at each other as Reigns helps Rollins retreat.
- We get another look at how RAW opened with Triple H and Vince McMahon tonight.
- Still to come, Cena and Ryback will face off with their Lumberjacks at ringside. We see Kaitlyn backstage getting ready to find out her secret admirer. Back to commercial.
- Back from the break and WWE Divas Champion Kaitlyn is in the ring. She wants her secret admirer to show himself. Out comes Big E Langston with flowers in hand and dressed up. Kaitlyn is surprised. Big E is nervous but says people only see him as a big bad tough guy. Big E says he cares about more than that, he cares about Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn says she doesn’t get it. Big E says Kaitlyn has been all he could think of since first laying eyes on her. Big E drops the mic and goes in for a kiss. Big E drops Kaitlyn on the mat after making her wait for the kiss and out comes AJ Lee. AJ says she hopes Kaitlyn feels like she did when other Superstars played with her emotions and Kaitlyn was off chasing the Divas Title. Kaitlyn calls her crazy. AJ says she’s smart. AJ says Kaitlyn is sad, weak and pitiful. She calls her trash. Kaitlyn starts crying. AJ says Kaitlyn has nobody and none of the people care about her. AJ says all Kaitlyn has is the Divas Title and she will be taking it on Sunday at Payback. AJ keeps putting her down until Kaitlyn attacks her. They go at it and AJ escapes as Kaitlyn looks on from the ring.
Damien Sandow vs. R-Truth
Back from the break and out comes Damien Sandow, for a match sponsored by the new Hardees cheeseburger. Sandow talks about how he will beat Sheamus on the Payback pre-show. Out comes his opponent R-Truth.
Sandow takes control early on and beats Truth out of the ring. He brings it back in and keeps Truth on the mat. Sandow with a headbutt and a leg sweep. Sandow hits the Elbow of Disdain for a 2 count. Truth makes a comeback and hits his usual moves. The end comes when Sandow takes out Truth’s knee and hits the Silencer for the win.
Winner: Damien Sandow
- After the match, Sheamus comes out to the stage and congratulates Sandow on his win. Sheamus says Sandow got his attention last week and because of that, they’re fighting on the Payback pre-show. Sheamus says he’s going to kick off Sandow’s head in Chicago.
- Stephanie McMahon tells a crew member to go find Vince and have him meet in their office because it’s urgent and it’s about business. She tells another crew member to find Triple H, tell him to get there because it’s urgent and it’s personal. Back to commercial.
- Back from the break and we get a vignette for Ryback’s rage.
- We go to the ring and Vickie Guerrero leads the Lumberjacks out and they surround the ring. More replay videos and another commercial break.
- Back from the break and Vince is talking to Stephanie when Triple H shows up. An argument breaks out. Stephanie screams and tells them both to work it out. She’s sick and tired of it. Stephanie storms off. Neither Vince or Triple H want to apologize to each other. Vince said he did the right thing because Triple H is bigger than a match with Curtis Axel. Vince says he wants Triple H to be more than an icon or a legend, he wants him to be the man. Vince wants bigger things for Triple H. Vince says he’s a giver, that’s what he does. Triple H says he gets it but he’s not going to apologize. Vince says Triple H can have his match with Axel on next week’s RAW. Triple H says he doesn’t want the match with Axel. Vince says he would like to see the match. Triple H doesn’t want it. They start arguing again when Stephanie comes back. She wants a group hug. Vince says he doesn’t hug other men. Stephanie tells them to hug her at the same time. Triple H takes offense to Vince not hugging him. Finally, they barely do a group hug and Vince leaves. Triple H walks off next and Stephanie smiles.
- We go to the ring and it’s surrounded by WWE Superstars. Out first comes WWE Champion John Cena.
An ambulance pulls up to the stage and out comes Ryback. Ryback heads to the stage instead of going to the ring where everyone is at. Cena reminds Ryback that face to face means he needs to waddle his ass to the ring and face the WWE Champion. Cena cuts Ryback off and talks about the Three Stages of Hell match at Payback. Ryback says he could tear through any of the Lumberjacks, Cena or any of the fans. Ryback says he does deserve to be WWE Champion. They go back and forth on the mic. Ryback says he got too good, too fast and became a threat to Cena. Ryback says he became so popular so Cena went to damage control. Ryback says when the going got tough, Cena left him high and dry. Cena tells Ryback to shut up. Cena puts Ryback over but says he spends all his time bitching and crying. Cena says on Sunday, he’s walking into hell but he’s walking out saying the champ is here. Ryback says his eyes are wide open now, he can see Cena and he’s full of crap. Ryback says the legend of John Cena ends on Sunday. Ryback says Cena has an un-athletic body. Ryback says he will become WWE Champion at Payback. Ryback says he will take Cena’s spot. Cena takes off his shirt and readies for a fight. Cena runs out of the ring but the Lumberjacks throw him back in. Cena looks surprised. He tries to go another way but they stop him. Ryback runs down but Cena ducks and sends him over the top into the Lumberjacks. Ryback and Cena brawl in the ring while the Lumberjacks enter to try and break them apart. Cena breaks free but they are separated again. RAW goes off the air with Cena and Ryback being held back by the Lumberjacks.
0Posted by Brett Clendaniel on June 4, 2013 at 1:44 pm
Vince McMahon reportedly showed up before Monday’s RAW in Hartford and told the writing team to re-write the entire show.
Speaking of Vince, we reported a week ago that the eventual plan for the Triple H concussion storyline was to bring Vince and Stephanie McMahon to TV to try and talk him out of wrestling again. The angle that happened last night wasn’t supposed to happen for several weeks. WWE may have went ahead with it because of how worried they were going up against the NBA Playoffs.
0Posted by Brett Clendaniel on May 30, 2013 at 12:15 pm
Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Dustin “Goldust” Runnels recently spoke with Raj Giri of WrestlingINC.com. Here are some highlights from the interview:
A match with his brother Cody being discussed for WrestleMania 28:“I was really pushing it for it that whole year. My shoulder was ready but the writers were like, ‘Ahh, his shoulder’s not ready.’ So, I think they convinced Vince. But, it was actually brought to the table in the meeting because Cody didn’t have an opponent about a month and a half out of WrestleMania 28. It was brought to the table and Vince just said no. What can you do? You can argue it or whatever, but that wasn’t the direction they were going with Cody and I understood that. I tried it again this year via Twitter, but I got let go and stuff like that. Can’t really do anything when you’re not an employee of the company or under contract.”
His ideal scenario for a match with Cody:“Right now, I’ve always wanted to do WrestleMania, but I’m considering SummerSlam, since SummerSlam is in L.A. every year just about. I came up with the idea and actually presented it to Cody about the Backlot Brawl II. I haven’t really pushed it as much, I just mentioned one little thing on Twitter. I’m fixing to bring that to the table and see if Vince would be interested in accepting Backlot Brawl II.
“We’ve only done the one and that would be a good sign-off moment if Vince would accept it. It would be awesome. But, if not, it’s only WrestleMania that I’d want to face my brother. I don’t want to do it anywhere else, I don’t need to do it anywhere else.”
Runnels also discussed his first run with the WWF, leaving WWF shortly after debuting, being given the Goldust gimmick, if GTV was meant for him, his last WWE release, TNA, returning at The Royal Rumble last January, battling his addictions, Cody’s match getting bumped off WrestleMania and more. You can read the fullGoldust interview by clicking here.
0Posted by Brett Clendaniel on May 9, 2013 at 6:25 pm
Chris Jericho discussed Fandango’s character during an interview with Hooked on Wrestling.
“I think probably when I did Dancing with the Stars Vince probably watched it and thought all the dancers looked gay and thought they’d make a great heel. This is his his new pet project. He loves it. He’s rolled with it from the start and now it’s getting over to a degree – I don’t know if he’s more over or the song is over, but at least there’s a reaction.
“To be honest I did a lot of that to make it happen. It’s why Vince put me with him for Wrestlemania. I wasn’t really super excited about it at the start as you can probably imagine but but then after a bit I realized what the task was and that it was a challenge!
“I told Vince probably about a week before Wrestlemania, he’s going to be a babyface soon. ‘Why?’ he says. Because it’s such a ridiculous character and he plays it so well so far that most of the crowd will be cheering for him too. It’s hilarious. Here we are two weeks later and he’s the most over guy on the show. Well, at least his music is.”
0Posted by Brett Clendaniel on April 19, 2013 at 12:04 pm
Trish Stratus was interviewed on TSN’s Off The Record. Here are some highlights.
On getting into wrestling and quitting at the right time:“Well, I feel I had a robust seven years. … It was so full. I’ll put it this way: When I retired, everyone asked do you regret leaving? Do you miss it? I never missed it, I never regretted it. I did everything I wanted to do in the business. I had sort of a bucket list I guess you could say of things I wanted to do and things I wanted to accomplish.
“I worked with every girl that was a worker in the company. And I had really great storylines, not only with the girls but with the men superstars. So, I really had a full career that allowed me to do a bit of everything.”
“…I recognized there was a limited shelf life. I mean, as a fan, you watch it and you just know — there’s a point where you watch it and you go, that guy should just go away. I think I knew at 30 that 30 was a good time to leave. There’s all that hot business, and I didn’t want to be that hot chick that looks good for a 30-year-old.”
On avoiding the dark side of the business: “First of all, I had a very healthy background coming from the fitness world. I knew that my body was my instrument and that’s what allowed me to continue doing what I was doing. I just literally did not go out. In school, I was always a nerd. I did my school work, my studying — and in WWE it was the same thing.
“I didn’t go out and do the bar thing. I just went out and I did my job. I’m here to work. I didn’t want to go out and even if I was just tired, I’d be affected in my match. My body work is affected by my sleep the night before. So, for me, I was just aware of that the entire time.”
“…I had a back-up plan. A lot of the guys, that’s just their life. For me, it was a part of my life, it wasn’t my life. I had extracurricular activities I was pursuing. I was pursuing other businesses and I [took an interest in] branding myself. Whatever I create here for the next seven years, I need to take that and hopefully parlay that into something else.”
On what it means to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame: “You go into any profession, any career, and you want to leave an impression and a mark. I mean, knowing what we did in the women’s division and the work I did during that time, I mean, we really changed how women’s wrestling was perceived. And the role of females was kind of redefined after we did all that work. So, it was kind of a nod to my body of work, which is sexy. [Laughs.] Sorry.”
On the memorable angle where Vince McMahon made her strip and bark like a dog: “It was funny because my character did an evolution but the women’s division and the way women were viewed also did an evolution. So for that moment, it was like, yes, he degraded me. Then there was that moment where my character was like, ‘I’m not taking this anymore.’ She stood up to Vince, slapped him at WrestleMania 17 — the biggest stage of all — and moved on to become a full-time wrestler on her own. That’s what Trish Stratus did. But for us, that’s what we did too. The women were simply storylines, they were on the side. Now, we are actually a viable part of the program.”
0Posted by Brett Clendaniel on April 17, 2013 at 2:42 pm
2013 WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino recently appeared on The NB Show and talked about meeting with Vince McMahon during WrestleMania 29 weekend:
“The private meeting that took place was at MSG that evening [of the Hall of Fame],” Bruno said. “His son-in-law Triple H and Stephanie [McMahon] came to my dressing room, I had my own dressing room, and they asked me, you know, Vince is waiting in his dressing room down the hall and if I minded going over there. I went. Stephanie opened the door and I went in and she shut the door so Vince and I were alone.
“He was standing toward the back of the room. And as I came in I was waiting for him to make the first move to see what he was going to say before I responded. And actually as I walked in he looked at me and he smiled and said ‘Bruno, welcome home’ just like that. And I said ‘Well Vince I’m glad to be home, but we both know the situation and what brought me back home. I have been very critical of you.’ I told him right to his face, ‘You know I have been very critical of you, but I also will recognize the fact that you have made drastic changes and for that I applaud you. But for all these years, I did not like what happened to the business that I spent 25 years in and the turns it took; drugs, nudity, etc.’ Vince said, ‘Well Bruno, I know you were always very outspoken about what you believed, I hope now you are satisfied of the changes. They are in the past, we want to go forward and we want to do a better and better product. And we are very happy that you are back.’
“He did say this to me which I appreciate, ‘When it was the World Wide Wrestling Federation you were the main reason for this organization to become as big as it did. So we want this (HOF Induction) to happen and we’re thrilled that it has happened.’ And that was it. So I said, ‘Thank you. As long as things stay that way and keep moving forward with improving the product. At this stage of my life there is not much I can do to contribute, but if there is something, especially with young talent, I’d be willing to do that. As long as the product gets better and better.’ And that was it basically.”
0Posted by Brett Clendaniel on April 3, 2013 at 11:57 am
Bruno Sammartino did an interview with Triblive.com to promote the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame and talked about speaking with Vince McMahon at the event. Vince and Bruno have not spoken since 1988 when Bruno quit WWE over the phone. Bruno said:
“We will talk privately, face to face, in Madison Square Garden, but not until then. It’s better face to face, eye to eye. So we can discuss whatever needs to be discussed.”
0Posted by Brett Clendaniel on April 2, 2013 at 3:04 pm
Credit – PWInsider
Fandango is getting a spot on WrestleMania 29 because the character is Vince McMahon’s new pet project. Vince is said to be a big fan of the gimmick and the arrogance that comes with it. The idea at WrestleMania 29 is for Chris Jericho to make the Fandango character stronger. Vince is really behind the success of Fandango.
Regarding Jericho’s WWE status, the two sides are talking about what he will be doing with them in the future. He was originally scheduled to finish up at WrestleMania. The belief within WWE is that Jericho and WWE will continue to have a part-time relationship.
0Posted by Brett Clendaniel on March 27, 2013 at 2:37 pm
Donald Wood from Ring Rust Radio interviewed former WWE superstar Ken Shamrock. Here are some highlights.
If he would return to WWE and how winning the world title would cement his legacy: “Oh, definitely. I’ve tried to reach out, but I’ve been hitting some walls. I’m not sure if my messages are getting through or not. In my career, if you follow my career and watched everything that I’ve ever done from the time I was in high school to where I’m at now, I’ve always been able to reach the pinnacle. In football, I was able to win championships and go to bowl games in college, be an All-American linebacker and there were a lot of things I was able to accomplish. In my professional career, every time I jumped into an organization, I always reached the top and the title. I know with NWA with Jeff Jarrett, TNA, I was their first heavyweight champion, so I was able to reach that pinnacle. With Pancrase, I was their first champion and was also able to bring it to the U.S. using my character. I also reached the level in the UFC as a heavyweight champion, one of the first of all time, also rookie of the year, fighter of the year. I got into pro wrestling, I’ve got tag team champion, Intercontinental champion, King of the Ring. There were several times where I wished I had got that opportunity, and probably should have had that opportunity, to at least challenge for the Heavyweight Championship belt. I never got that opportunity, and I’m not sure why, but it is what it is. I will keep fighting to try and get that opportunity and close this thing up to be probably one of the only persons in sports history to go into several different organizations and become world champion in every one of them.”
Brock Lesnar and the transition from wrestling to MMA: “…People go, ‘What about Brock Lesnar?’ Brock Lesnar was not a true MMA fighter. Brock Lesnar was basically eye candy for MMA. He came in there, he was big, he was strong, he won a few matches, he captured the title and then he was out. Not much of a career. He is a true pro wrestler and amateur wrestler, so I think it’s a lot easier making the transition from being an amateur wrestler and pro wrestler into MMA than it is being an MMA fighter into pro wrestling.”
Vince McMahon vs. Dana White: “That would be awesome. The only thing is that this is what I know about Dana [White], and you can ask anyone, Dana always talks and talks and talks, but I’ve never seen him do anything. I saw Vince talk, talk and talk, and he has done something, he has gotten into the ring, he has participated with the fighters and the wrestlers. I have not seen Dana White do that. I’ve seen him call out Tito [Ortiz] like they were gonna fight, and it never happened. I’ve never seen Dana interact with his business the way that Vince has. Vince has stepped in the ring against guys he’s pissed off. Hey, you gotta give him credit for that. He stepped into the lion’s den, per say. He did step into the Lion’s Den one time!”
Fighting Spirit Magazine has published the second part of their interview with Hulk Hogan in their latest issue. During the interview, Hogan discussed Sting and how he tried to get Vince McMahon to sign him after WrestleMania III.
“I have unbelievable respect for Sting – he doesn’t realise how good he really is,” Hogan told FSM. “Sting should have already had his New York (WWE) run. I’ll tell you something; when I got red-hot after WrestleMania III, I was begging Vince to get Sting in the WWF so I could turn heel at some point. He had the blond hair, he was 10 times more athletic than me, and I believed this guy could have the same run as Hulkamania, but take it 10 times bigger. I was telling Vince (McMahon), ‘Let me get this guy over’, because after beating Andre, if they’d brought Sting in and had him beat me, it would have made him this tall (gestures with his hand above his head).
“But Sting wouldn’t come; we tried and tried, but he just would not jump. Vince even talked to him last year, but still Sting wouldn’t go.”
The six-page interview with Hulk Hogan is in Issue 91 of FSM, available this Thursday from WH Smiths and Easons in the UK and Ireland, and for iPhone/iPad and Android via FightingSpiritMagazine.co.uk.
0Posted by Brett Clendaniel on March 14, 2013 at 6:26 pm
Credit – Wrestling Observer
One WWE source described Vince McMahon as “very argumentative and contrary” right now. Vince has reportedly been constantly second-guessing other people’s ideas and his own. The Royal Rumble buyrate may be contributing to Vince’s bad attitude but the source described Vince as “a massive pain in the ass to work with right now.”
It was also noted that WWE writers are working a very demanding schedule at the office and not only is Vince demanding constant changes, but it’s said that Stephanie McMahon is “fanning the flames” by requesting that writers come up with more options for Vince to go over.
