February 2021 – Page 14

Rey Mysterio's Surgery, WWE One Night Stand Pre-Sale, John Cena/Jeff Hardy

– I was told that Rey Mysterio will undergo surgery for his torn right biceps on Friday. WWE is going with the storyline that he will undergo the surgery on Saturday; however, they are probably doing so because he is wrestling on SmackDown and they want it to appear more realistic. Mysterio is expected to be out anywhere from four to six months depending on the severity of the injury.

– As reported earlier, WWE will hold this year’s One Night Stand pay-per-view from San Diego, California on June 1st. The Internet pre-sale for the event begins today and the password is PPV619. You can get your tickets at TicketMaster.com.

– There is a new article on WWE.com detailing charity work that John Cena and Jeff Hardy did Monday night at RAW where they met WWE’s Circle of Champions honorees. The official website reports that the visits were made possible by the Canada’s Sunshine Foundation, Children’s Wish Foundation International, Inc. and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Click here for the article which includes pictures.

The Truth Behind Hogan & Bischoff’s New Wrestling Promotion + Details On A Convincing WWE Injury Angle >>

Rey Mysterio, Big Show A SD! Star, McMahon Invited To Congressional Hearing

– As of the time of this writing we do not have an update on Rey Mysterio. I was told that he was scheduled for surgery yesterday afternoon but that WWE was saying that his surgery was to take place today due to storyline purposes on him appearing on SmackDown. We’ll post an update as soon as we get it.

– It appears as if The Big Show is now a SmackDown superstar. Following the airing of last night’s show on the CW Network, his profile was added to the SmackDown Superstars page on the official WWE website.

– We are able to confirm that Vince McMahon was invited to speak at the Congressional hearing scheduled for next Wednesday, February 27th in Washington, D.C. to address the “health of athletes undermining the integrity of competition.” The hearing will include testimony from the commissioners of all major United States sports leagues as well as George Mitchell. The word that we are getting is that McMahon declined the invitation because his attorney Jerry McDevitt would be unable to attend the hearing with him.

Top WWE Superstar & Current Title Holder Leaving WWE After WrestleMania? + Latest On Flair’s Retirement >>

Vince McMahon Responds To Congressional Subcommittee Comments

WWE issued a statement on their corporate website today responding to Congressman Lee Terry’s comments where he commended Committee Chairman Bobby Rush for calling out Vince McMahon. Below is the full statement:

Any suggestion made today by Members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that I or my organization, WWE, have been uncooperative or that I have in any way “flipped [my] finger” at the Committee by not accepting its invitation to testify today is inaccurate and unfair. The WWE has provided over 3,000 pages of documents and cooperated with all requests from the Committee, as we have with similar requests from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The first and only response to our cooperation from the Committee on Energy and Commerce was an invitation to testify at today’s hearing sent to me by Congressman Rush on January 23, 2008. In that letter, he clearly states that I have the right, according to House rules, to be accompanied by my own counsel. I responded to the invitation to testify by declining for that very reason. My attorney of 20 years, Jerry McDevitt, is unavailable because he is currently representing another client on trial in Pittsburgh, PA (U.S. vs. Cyril Wecht). Since I sent my letter of declination 30 days ago, there had been no response from the Committee until today’s unfair and inaccurate comments made by members of the Committee. Despite this, as I pledged in my January 28, 2008 letter to the Committee, I remain willing to cooperate fully with the Committee’s inquiry.

WWE also provides two attachments with the statement. A WWE Letter of Declination to Chairman Rush and Chairman Rush’s Invitation to Vince McMahon to Testify. You can view them and read the statement at the corporate WWE website at this link.

Outcome Of A Top WrestleMania Match Leaked *SPOILER* + Fallout From Dreamer At TNA Show >>

Rep. Lee Terry Refuses To Back Down From Comments Made Towards McMahon

The war of words continues between Nebraska Congressman Lee Terry and Vince McMahon. McMahon responded to Terry’s comments earlier in the week that he flipped his finger to Congress for no-showing Wednesday’s Congressional hearing in a press release issued on the corporate WWE website.

Rep. Terry told the Omaha World-Herald that he was not backing down from his comments towards McMahon, especially because McMahon’s excuse for no-showing was because his attorney Jerry McDevitt unavailable to make the hearing.

Terry said, “He probably has more than one attorney, so it sounded pretty hollow,” He added, “There’s no doubt that the entertainment factor is that they are physically huge freaks — that’s part of the show, so there is kind of a belief that steroids are very ubiquitous in the wrestling entertainment industry.”

WWE spokesman Gary Davis told the publication that Terry’s comments “represent stereotypical assumptions made by people who don’t follow professional wrestling.”

You can read the full article at this link.

McMahon’s Real Reaction To Congressional Comments + Maria Playboy Cover >>

Atlas DaBone Injury Update, AWA On ESPN Classic Match Schedule

source: PWInsider.com

— Regarding WWE developmental wrestler Atlas DaBone’s torn ligament knee injury, he suffered the injury at a Raw house show back in January. He’s been out of action for two months because of it.

— Here is this week’s schedule for AWA Wrestling on ESPN Classic:

March 5th:
– Cooper vs. Larry Zbyszko.
– Tabb vs. Brad Rheingans.
– Midnight Rockers vs. Sweat & Crenshaw.
– Cage Match: Brody & Barbarian vs. Jimmy Snuka & Greg Gagne. (This would be the WrestleRock 86 match)
Taped – 9/18/1986

March 6th:
– Rob Stone vs. Scott Hall
– Richards & Frankie DeFalko vs. Yuri Gordyenko & Alexis Smirnoff
– Tony Leoni & Dennis Stamp vs. Midnight Rockers (Yes, that is THE Dennis Stamp of “Beyond The Mat” fame)
– Larry Zbyszko vs. Curt Hennig .
Taped – 9/28/1986

March 7th:
– C. Curtis vs. Marty Jannetty
– Barbarian & Boris Zhukov vs. C. Bassett & Spike Jones
– Earthquake Ferris vs. Scott Hall
– Jerry Blackwell vs. Bruiser Brody

March 8th:
– Clark vs. Larry Zbyszko
– Knight vs. Marty Jannetty
– Pinky Sanchez vs. Bruiser Brody
– Buddy Rose & Doug Summers vs. Curt Hennig & Scott Hall (Tag Team Title)

See the 2008 Backlash poster featuring Undertaker (>>)

Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley, TNA's Lockdown Fanfest, Tomko Gone From NJPW

– The episode of “Made” on MTV featuring Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley, The Motor City Machineguns, will air this Saturday at Noon Eastern. We will be talking to Sabin and Shelley later today in Spike TV’s monthly media conference call.

– TNA will put tickets on sale for their Lockdown pay-per-view Fanfest this Friday on TNAWrestling.com. The Fanfest will take place the day before Lockdown on Saturday, April 12th at the Doubletree Hotel in Lowell, Massachusetts. Tickets are $40 on the website or $50 at the door.

– We are able to confirm reports that Tomko is no longer working for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Tomko and Giant Bernard lost the IWGP tag team titles to Togi Makabe and Toru Yano last month. Makabe and Yano are featured on the new TNA Global Impact DVD as they are the opponents of Team 3D.

TNA’s Plan To Get Ratings Equal To WWE SmackDown + Plans For The WWE Championship >>

Backstage Reaction To Hardy's Suspension, Jericho Makes History

Source: PWInsider.com

— Chris Jericho’s Intercontinental title win last night made history. Jericho is the first WWE superstar to ever hold the title 8 times. In an interesting piece of trivia, Jericho lost his 7th Intercontinental title at Cyber Sunday back in 2004. That event was held at Milwaukee’s Bradley Center – the site of last night’s RAW where he won the title back over 40 months later.

— When word got out last night at RAW that Jeff Hardy violated another drug test and would be suspended, people were shocked and in disbelief. Hardy has struggled with this problem in the past but most were under the impression that he was staying clean. Wrestlers are acknowledging that the Wellness policy is legit and they know they’ll wind up on WWE.com if they fail a test.

VIDEO of Iron Sheik’s Homophobic Tirade Against Hulk Hogan Backstage After RAW [>]

John Cena On MLB Steroid Scandal, Gregory Helms Injury Update, Raw Note

– Men’s Fitness has a new interview with John Cena now online. In it, Cena talks about his past as a bodybuilder, what type of music he listens to while he works out, his favorite type of music, and more. Cena also talks in detail about performance enhancing drugs in sports and Roger Clemens and the MLB steroid scandal. Click here to read it.

– Gregory Helms has posted a new blog on his MySpace.com page. Helms confirmed that he is back in the gym and is training for a return to professional wrestling. He talks about how long of a process it is coming back from his very serious injury but how he is determined to get back. You can read it at this link.

– There is an Internet presale ongoing to obtain tickets to the May 19th Raw at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City. The password is BOOTSY and you can obtain tickets through Ticketmaster. Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 10 AM on Saturday.

Jeff Hardy Leaving WWE Following Suspension?

Ric Flair Appearing On New CBS Reality Show, Post-WrestleMania RAW Main Event

— According to TV news site TheFutonCritic.com, Ric Flair will be appearing on a new CBS series titled “Secret Talents of the Stars”. The official synopsis for the show is: “CBS uncovers the fascinating and unique abilities of some of your favorite celebrities and then makes them face off against each other in a tournament style talent competition!” “Secret Talents of the Stars” debuts in April. Other celebrities set to appear include singer Mya, actor George Takei and Olympic skater Sasha Cohen.

— The night after WrestleMania, WWE RAW takes place from Orlando, Florida. According to a commercial that aired in Florida during this week’s RAW, the main event of the 3/1 show will be Randy Orton and JBL taking on on John Cena and Chris Jericho in a tag match. It will most likely be a dark match.

ANGELINA JOLIE & BRAD PITT Staying at The Undertaker’s House?! It’s True – Full Details [>]

Kurt Angle Says Fight With Couture Is Signed, Didn't Watch WM24 & Much More

Source: KHTK 1140AM (Sacramento)

Kurt Angle was a guest this week on the Showgram, hosted by Jim Kozimor and Henry Turner on KHTK Sports 1140AM in Sacramento, California.

— Angle did not watch WrestleMania 24 but he is glad Ric Flair was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and respects Flair for all he has done and accomplished.

— Angle said he believes TNA will be in a ratings war with the WWE within two to three years, much like it was during the late-’90s when it was WWE and WCW. He said TNA has come a long way in five years and has gone further than the WWE did in their first five years.

— Angle said TNA has been great to him. They’re very flexible and supportive in allowing him to try different things such as movies, TV shows and training for an MMA fight with Randy Couture in the fall.

— Angle said he and Couture have both signed with a promotion but won’t say who. Angle said they will be looking for more promoters to help make the event something big and special. Angle said the fight would more than likely take place in California but did not mention a city.

— Angle is training twice per week and will intensify his training program as the fight gets closer

— Angle said his neck is 100 percent and is glad he didn’t do the fusion surgery.

— Angle said he talked to UFC’s Dana White two weeks after signing with TNA. Angle said White would only sign him to a deal if he didn’t wrestle for TNA. Angle said he couldn’t do it and wanted to be loyal to TNA as TNA was flexible and supportive in other ventures Angle wanted to pursue.

— Angle said he would fight Brock Lesner, but only if the money was right as they are very good friends.

— Angle said that Sting told him after one of their matches that Sting said Angle was the best wrestler he has ever faced.

JUDGEMENT DAY PPV Poster & 2 Backlash Title Matches Announced [>]