Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Aug 28, 2013 19:08:00 GMT -6
PRO WRESTLING NEWS:
---PWInsider reports that Matt Morgan has had talks with people in WWE but is nowhere close to signing a contract yet.
---- All signs point to Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards no longer being under contract to Ring of Honor. Both men are expected to be at the WWE Performance Center in September for another weekend-long talent evaluation camp.
--- Brock Lesnar is not expected back on WWE TV until late December or early January 2014, in time for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. At one point, WWE officials were looking at doing Lesnar vs. CM Punk at the Hell In a Cell pay-per-view but they have been backing away from those plans as of late.
---After announcing his departure from WWE this week, Ted DiBiase will be working for an e-commerce website that targets college students. According to Mississippi Business Journal, the son of WWE Hall of Famer "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase has accepted an executive position with CollegeGarageSale.com, a subsidiary of Jackson, Missouri-based BFAC, LLC. "I loved my career in the WWE and I will forever be thankful for the opportunity to work in that industry," DiBiase said in a statement to Mississippi Business Journal. "Leaving a job you love is not easy, but I believe so strongly in the future of CollegeGarageSale.com that I knew it was time to change my focus." The website allows people to purchase and sell items college students would use. "Working with Teddy over the last year on a number of projects I can say we are truly blessed to have him on our team," said BFAC CEO Brad McMullan in a released statement.
---In a recent interview, Jacques Rougeau noted that he was surprised at how big of a star Shawn Michaels became because of his attitude back in the day. Rougeau then discussed almost coming to blows with HBK in London. "We were all sitting in the cafeteria for a TV day," Rougeau recalled. "He [Michaels] just started picking on me. Maybe I wasn't in a good mood or something like that, and then it finally got to the point where he said, 'I'm not the [British] Bulldogs.' And he threatened me in front of everybody, and I had just come out of a [real life] feud with the Bulldogs. So I backed down, I turned around and left. "So he thought he won the battle. The next day I thought I had to save face, so as soon as he walked into the arena, I told him in front of Marty Jannetty, and my brother Raymond was standing on the side, I said, 'I wanna talk to you in the room.' So he looked at me and said, 'Oh yeah?' I said, 'Don't worry, I just want to talk to you in the room.' So he walked in the room and I came up to his face and I said, 'Shawn, the next time you talk to me like you did like that, I'm going to punch your teeth out. You hear me?' And he's like putting his face down. He did the job that night."
--- Speaking of Rougeau, Robert Maillet (f.k.a. Kurrgan) credited him in a new "Where Are They Now?" piece on WWE.com for recommending him for a role in 300, which spawned his movie career. Maillet also discussed accidentally striking Robert Downey, Jr. on the set of Sherlock Holmes. The inadvertent blow resulted in Downey requiring stitches. "We didn't have a lot of time to rehearse the fight," Maillet said. "The choreography of it changed on set. I really had to aim [the punch] towards his face, I couldn't fake it. He somehow forgot to block it and I hit him on the chin. I knew I hurt him, I felt it." Downey was fine with the incident, and even presented Maillet with a bottle of champagne the next day. With the bottle was a card stating that there were no hard feelings. - Maillet, who most recently starred in Pacific Rim, recently wrapped up filming for three highly anticipated movies; The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.
---Santino Marella, who has been sidelined much of 2013 due to a neck injury, revealed in a rare out-of-character interview with Live Audio Wrestling that he is targeting a return to WWE within the next two weeks. Highlights of the WWE Superstar's interview with Dan Lovranski and John Pollock promoting his Battle Arts Academy that is set to open in Mississauga, Ontario, are as follows (transcribed by Chris Maffei): His return that he's pegging for next month: "September, early September. Whether it's the 2nd or the 9th, I don't know. I'm hoping it's the 9th, because it'll be a homecoming for me, born and raised in Mississauga. I would love to hear my music start, and just see the faces of these Torontonians going berzerk. One, because they appreciate the comedy. Two, because there are actually a lot of Italians in Toronto. Plus, I'll have family and friends in the audience, and that will be a real special moment for me." His neck injury and full explanation of why he's been gone: "My neck was bad in March; I had a procedure done called a facet rhizotomy, where they do these injections, and there's a little axillary nerve that comes off. I basically had several things wrong with my neck; bulging discs, herniated discs, stenosis, degenerating discs, but the one thing that was bugging me at the time was arthritis. Out of all that, arthritis doesn't even sound cool. "My neck has been fine basically since that procedure, and I did the whole European tour in April and it didn't hurt at all. But then when I renegotiated my contract a year ago, I wanted a little bit of time off just to heal my entire body, spend a little time with my family and live a little bit of life. When you're successful and you're doing well, you're really five days a week, six days a week. Sometimes you won't be home for two or three weeks. I missed a lot of things; I missed a lot of birthdays and baptisms and weddings, and all that kind of stuff. I just wanted to be home a little bit. I tell my friends, 'You know what's better than being Santino Marella around the world? Being Anthony Carelli in Mississauga.'" Background of Boris Alexiev character: "I got to OVW. Rip Rogers, on my second day, calls me 'Boris.' And I'm like, 'Boris?' Some guy looks at me and goes, 'Yup, that's your new nickname.' I'm like, 'Boris? He just called me Boris, and now I'm Boris?' So then everyone called me Boris, and I had this epiphany while I was falling asleep one night. I'm like, 'Wait a second, I'll be Boris. I can be this Russian special forces trained fighter. I get to do all my Battlarts style wrestling, and I could incorporate my Judo, and stuff like that.' So then Boris was born. Paul Heyman was the guy that took me aside and said, 'Hey, we want you at OVW TV next week.' I was freaking, I'm like 'Oh my God, this is happening. I'm gonna be on OVW TV!' I couldn't sleep for days. And then, Boris was this animal killer. I brought the character to life, beyond a shadow of a doubt. When my music hit, there was absolute terror and fear in the OVW arena. Somebody was gonna get their butt whipped, and I came out and I delivered on a daily basis. I even had to apologize to people beforehand, 'Sorry, brother. This is not gonna be fun.' It was just a demolition of whomever was in the ring. "That was the character that got me hired, got me noticed. The agents came to OVW; I wasn't signed, and they saw this character, like, 'Wow.' It was something new, something fresh. Of course, being 5'10", 220 lbs, it wasn't something that could translate to the big leagues with guys like Chris Masters, Kane, Umaga and everybody."
---Life & Style is reporting that former WWE Diva Stacy Kiebler is now dating millionaire Jared Pobre. Pobre had founded Future Ads with a $500 investment in 2001.
---A trial date has been set for the lawsuit TNA brought against former talent Scott Steiner last year, alleging defamation of several executives and breach of contract after Steiner ripped on Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and others via his Twitter account.
A jury trial has been set for 3/31/14 in Nashville, TN, where TNA is headquartered. The two sides will have a pre-trial meeting on 3/14.
TNA filed a lawsuit on Monday 6/18/12 against Steiner, stemming from the attacks he had made against the company, Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and former TNA executive Bruce Prichard, among others, via Twitter.
In the lawsuit filed in Chancery Court for Davidson County, TNA noted that Steiner signed a contract with the company on 12/23/10 to appear exclusively for the promotion. A copy of that contract, including Steiner's payroll for his appearances ($2000 for events, $2500 for PPV, plus royalties to be paid 90 days later) was filed in court, including:
*An agreement that Steiner would not "make any statements or provide information, written, verbal or otherwise, which directly or indirectly disparages or casts in a negative light any TNA officers, employees, representatives, affiliates, shareholders, licensees and/or past or current TNA talent."
*An agreement that Steiner would not use online social media or media appearances to discuss TNA without TNA's prior written consent in each instance.
TNA has claimed that Steiner violated the terms of that contract and is currently in breach for his online rants against the company. In their lawsuit, The company claimed that they contacted him on 5/10/12 asking him to cease the behavior but "Steiner ignored TNA's demands and has continued to breach the Agreement."
In the lawsuit, TNA petitioned the court asking that they be allowed to recover their damages as well as court and attorney's fees. They are claiming the breach has caused the company "irreparable harm, which cannot be adequately measured by monetary relief."
Steiner, in responding to the lawsuit, told the court that his TNA deal expired and while he was offered a new contract, he opted to turn it down and never executed the deal. Steiner has previously demanded the TNA suit against him be thrown out of court, which has not happened. He has also previously requested a jury trial should the case go to trial, which he will get.
Steiner counter-sued the company in September of 2012, claiming that they, not he, had breached a deal, alleging at the time that "Steiner alleged that TNA had failed to properly provide, as they were contractually obligated to do, "an accounting of all Royalty payments" due to him, failed to provide "royalty statements of all merchandise royalties and video royalties" owed to him, and "failed to pay all royalties" due to him. Steiner demanded judgment in a "yet to be determined amount."
Steiner later withdrew that counter-suit and filed a second lawsuit against TNA, alleging he was injured wrestling at a house show in Michigan against Jeff Hardy, who the lawsuit claims was under the influence while performing.
Court records indicate that Steiner's attorneys attempted to consolidate another case into the lawsuit TNA filed, which may have been Steiner's second lawsuit alleging his injuries. If that was indeed the case, it's a moot point now as the judge ruled against that consolidation.
So, unless things end up settled before this coming March, the two sides will have a showdown before the legal system.
---After almost serving two years in prison awaiting sentencing for almost murdering two police officers, Jesús Luna Pozos aka Charly Manson (Charly Malice in Lucha Libre USA) was sentenced on Monday 8/26 to 7 years and 4 months in federal prison.
The incident happened on April 24th, 2011 when Manson was arrested in Zapotitla, Mexico after assaulting four police officers as they were trying to arrest him for being drunk. Manson and his friend Adrián López Reyes (who was also a juvenile) were looking for Charly’s car and couldn’t find it so they found the officers to help them because they thought that they had been carjacked but the cops wanted to bring them in for being drunk so a huge argument ensued.
Another police officer showed up as backup and in the excitement of the situation, he shot Reyes in the leg before an ambulance showed up to pick up Reyes and the officers. Charly and Reyes were both taken to jail then Reyes was sent to a hospital while the officers were sent to another one with one of the officers having some serious head injuries.
Román Castañeda Castro who was the police officer that was severely injured by Manson was revealed to have suffered a fractured skull with brain trauma and his partner Moisés Izaguirre Baños had to have surgery on his nose.
At the time, Luis Genaro Vázquez who is the deputy Attorney General for the PGJDF said that with Manson being adverse in wrestling they were treating this case even more serious than a regular fight with police because Manson's extremities were considered as weapons against defenseless policemen.
The full legal report at the time was as follows:
The attorney general's office of the Justicia del Distrito Federal (PGJDF) exercised penal action against the professional wrestler Jesús Luna Pozos whose professional name is Charly Manson and Adrián López Reyes who was his driver for probable responsibility of assault qualified by acting advantage against agents of the authority. Through the Fiscalía Desconcentrada de Investigación en Tláhuac, la Subprocuraduría de Averiguaciones Previas Desconcentradas reported that Manson & Reyes were consigned before the penal judge that was on duty at Reclusorio Preventivo Varonil Sur since ministerially the accusations were accredited by injuring two preventive police officers with fighting tactics of his art. According to registered information on the early morning of April 24, 2011, the wrestler Charly Manson in the company of his driver Adrián López Reyes were found on calle (street) Bartolomé Escobedo, colonia Agrícola Metropolitana as they were trying to look for their vehicle after requesting police assistance. The police showed up and were told by Manson they were looking for a red Dodge Caliber that wasn't parked where it was supposed to be at. Upon arriving at the scene, the officers questioned them on how they lost their vehicle which during the questioning the wrestler started pushing the cops which started a clash. Manson then employed his lucha libre know-how by striking police officer Moisés Izaguirre Baños in the face causing an orbital fracture in his right eye and a fractured jawbone meanwhile Román Castañeda Castro suffered a fractured skull with brain trauma. Two more assisting officers arrived at the scene where they joined the fray where they proceeded to detain Manson & Reyes then taking them to Ministerio Público de la Coordinación Territorial Tláhuac Dos where the corresponding prior inquiry was initiated. It will take 60 days or more for Castro to heal so penal action will be exercised against Manson & Reyes. The legal argument consigned to Manson & Reyes is found established in article 130, fraction III with the qualification that the crime was committeed with advantage predicted in the article 130 relating to the 134 which is aggrevated assault against the legitimate exercise of the authority predicted in the article 289 of the penal code of the federal district. Regarding maximum and minimum punishments, the medium term is greater to 5 years with the maximum being 8 to 10 years as this is treated like a serious crime therefore there is no benefit of low precaution.
AAA's lawyers bailed Charly Manson out of prison on May 4th, 2011 and he went back to work for the promotion until June 30th, 2011 when Manson was arrested after the AAA TV taping in Tizayuca on a warrant placed by the judge revoking his bail and was transferred to Mexico City early Friday morning where he has been in jail ever since. This stems from the attack on the police officers in April that sent him to prison to begin with before bail was met on May 3rd, 2011 but the judge decided to revoke the bail and Manson had been in prison ever since.
Reyes did his prison time and has been released on parole.
---Beginning with the 2013-2014 TV season that will kick off this Fall, the Nielsen company will begin counting households that don't watch TV traditionally (i.e. over the air antennas, cable, etc.) but instead stream their programming.
What this means is that the overall average number of homes that will be accounted for will be greater (an estimate at TVByTheNumbers.com suggests 1.5 million new homes) overall, so ratings are expecting to drop a little across the board, since Nielsen's system measures the percentage of homes watching specific TV programming in comparison to the amount of TVs being viewed at that time.
So, WWE and TNA programming will drop a slight amount in the ratings, even though the homes don't technically receive USA Network, Spike, etc. but have been added to the base of potential homes that could be watching their programming.
---Former ECW Champion Justin Credible has posted a new blog at PWMania.com. This week Credible talks on Ted Dibiase’s WWE departure, Monday’s Raw, AJ Styles’ TNA contract, Ring of Honor, among other topics. Matt Striker and Rick Cataldo are this week’s special guest on Justin Credible’s Pro Wrestling 101 video series. Here is an extract from “The Justin Credible Report:”
“I was really surprised that Ted DiBiase Jr. will not be resigning with the WWE. It’s not like he has a lot of options in the wrestling business. There has to be more to this than meets the eye. I mean he has everything that the WWE looks for. He’s talented, young, good physique, and he’s a third generation wrestler. I know he hasn’t been on TV in a while, but he had tremendous upside, and even starred in a WWE movie. It speaks volumes to me about how things are from a performer’s perspective on the main roster. I’m sure he will be back in the WWE at some point in his young career.”
You can read “The Justin Credible Report” in its entirety at www.PWMania.com.
---Grand Opening of Big Vito’s Wrestling Academy
(Clearwater, FL) August 27- The big day has finally come. I am officially opening my Wrestling Academy- Big Vito’s Wrestling Academy. I am very honored and privileged to be doing this. I have learned from the best and been taught by the greats in our sport. The one thing I was taught from day one is pass it on. I understand it. I have helped many very quietly for a long time. Now, I get to help make the next generation of stars. Teach wrestling the one way, the right way. I may be a perfectionist, no nonsense, hard nosed, tough on you guy, but its for your own good.
Plenty of guys always ask me to watch their match, I never told them what they did good, I told them what they need to work on. Some can take it, others complain about it. The ones who took my advice got better, and the others, they are in the same place doing the same thing with the same people.
I have the credentials to teach you how to become a pro. At my academy, I want you to live and see what I have seen, do as I have done. Go from the bottom to the top, feel the excitement of the crowd, become a champion, be the best, have the respect from your peers, know when you walk in the room, you get people’s attention just from your presence. Become the one who people measure up to and say, “I want to be better than him”. My training methods are proven as I have taught people all around the world.
This will become the place to be, a unique place. There are some fine schools out there. This is an academy. You will learn 2 things: Discipline and Wrestling. You will become regimented: Eating habits, training habits, wrestling, mixed martial arts, the business side of things. You will leave there the complete package. You will not leave there without the skill and mindset needed to become a Pro. You will be able to take care of yourself anywhere in the world today. No matter what style there is, you will be able to compete. If you come there with a dream, I will make sure I do all I can to help you live it. Does not matter what you look like in the beginning, in the end, you will look like a pro wrestler.
I tell everyone the same thing: Not Everyone Makes It. It is true. Who is someone else to tell you that you can’t? That is not allowed in my academy, everything is “I Can”. Never let anyone stop you from your dream. It is your life. If you let people dictate to you what you can and can’t do, then you might as well be a puppet. Every challenge in life is something. I have taken all the chances, I am not afraid. I made something of myself. You can do the same at my academy. I am currently doing movies, commercials and still wrestling. The school becomes a part of my everyday life. I am the only trainer at the school. I will train you. No one else. Hands on. If you have heart like Big Vito, you can do anything. I have done everything.
Training sessions can be viewed by parents. I want to make this something good in the community as well. I would like to work with kids also in the afternoons. There will be an afternoon program for them. Or, if you think your son or daughter needs some tough love, bring them in. They will be taught respect, school work is important, clean your room, and be polite to your parents. Another thing you will learn from here is you will be able to stand on your own 2 feet in life, you will be able to handle not just wrestling but life in it self. You can’t put a price tag on that.
There will be giveaways and trivia on August 31, 2013 at 1pm at Spa 24 in Clearwater, Florida. I have many sponsors who have donated different items to make this a fun filled day.
Hope to see you soon!
For more information, visit: www.bigvito.com
Email Big Vito at: bigvito@bigvito.com
---The official WWE website was taken offline for approximately an hour on Wednesday, at approximately 1:00 p.m. A user behind a Twitter account that promotes hacking (named Anonymous Indonesia, located at AnonNewsIndo) is claiming to have gotten the website taken offline.
---Premier Championship Wrestling from Saturday night in Winnipeg: Jackie Lee b David London, Antonio Scorpio b TJ Rose, Scott Justice & Jackie Lee b David & Leo London, Zach Mercury b Prince Fuego, Michael Arnott b Andrew Shallcross, Marc Merric b Antonio Scorpio-COR, James Beaver b Jay Walker, Steve Corino & Adam Knight b Mike Angels & Chad Tatum to keep tag titles. Next show is 9/7 at the Headlingley Roadhouse.
---Squared Circle Live from Sunday in Whitby, ONT: Jeff Vertigo b Ulises, Scotty O'Shea b Alessandro del Bruno, El Hijo del Bogote b Marcus Marquez and Black Serpent, Tyson Dux b Mike Rollins, Alex Vega & Cody 45 b Checkmate & Micky Knight-DQ, Matt Morgan b John Greed, Brent Banks b Josh Alexander
---The Team 3-D Wrestling Academy teams with the "Hope for a Single Mom" charity on 9/14 in Melbourne, FL at the Melbourne Auditorium for a show. At 5 p.m. will be shopping, face painting, Hooters girls, Hooters wings and beer and live music. At 7 p.m. will be wrestling with Devon, Garett Bischoff, Wes Brisco, Mike Knox, Samoa Joe, Sam Shaw, SoCal Val, Jay Lethal and Hulk Hogan all appearing.
---Squared Circle Live on 11/3 at the Class Act Dinner Theater in Whitby, ONT featuring Davey Richards vs. Tyson Dux and Tadarius Thomas vs. Ethan Page.
---As we reported earlier, WWE.com was taken offline earlier today.
A Twitter user named anonnewsindo is taking credit for it going down. He wrote the following on his account, @anonnewsindo"
World Wrestling Entertainment Down www.wwe.com/ Time To HELP SYRIA By #Fr0styFr0ze #OpSyria #Anonymous
We contacted WWE and asked if there was any validity to the story and were told the following by a PR representative:
"I can confirm that the site was down and the issue was resolved in less than 45 minutes."
So, whether they were indeed hacked or not, we still can't confirm. There have been some prominent websites hacked recently, for what it's worth.
---Monday’s Raw saw the return of Rosa Mendes, who appeared as the dancing partner of The Miz as part of his storyline ridiculing Fandango. It marked as the 33-year-old’s first television appearance since April, who was sent home early from that month’s European tour for was cited by WWE to online wrestling news outlets as “personal reasons.”
According to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the WWE Diva was in a rehabilitation center during her time away from the road. The publication added that many people within WWE believe that she made up a story last year where her then-fiancé, former WWE talent Steven Slocum (a/k/a Jackson Andrews), had physically abused her, and compounded with her latest ordeal, her employment status was considered on thin ice.
After arriving at San Antonio International Airport on August 5, 2012, an intoxicated Mendes, whose real name is Milena Roucka, contacted the San Antonio Police department to file battery charges against Slocum for a domestic issue that took place at their home in Las Vegas, Nevada, prior to her flight. Roucka told officers “that she was afraid her fiancé would try and kill her” and “the abuse had been an on-going thing.” Police on the scene took photos of Roucka’s body, which showed scratches and bruising from the incident.
Regarding April’s issue, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Roucka had been “partying too much on the tour,” with one company source describing her as “a mess.” PWInsider.com noted that the WWE Diva has a history of similar issues, which prompted company officials to send her home.
Roucka subsequently addressed the matter on Twitter, writing, “Just wanted to let all my #Mendesluverz that I’m ok. I had to take care of some personal matters. Thank you for all your support. Love you.”
---Ring of Honor wrestler Harlem Bravado revealed in a Twitter exchange with independent wrestler Nick Jackson that he is participating in this week’s multi-day talent evaluation session at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
---As noted earlier, Ric Flair recently appeared on Steve Austin's podcast. In part two of the interview, which was released yesterday, Flair was asked about his time in TNA. While Flair admitted that working with TNA President Dixie Carter was "great," he wasn't that bullish about the company's future. "I don't think much longer," Flair replied, after Austin asked how much longer the company could stay in business. "They're making live TV now. Her [Dixie Carter] father's tremendously wealthy, but at some point of time, you've gotta say man," to which Austin added, "a write-off becomes a loss."
---New Rock Movie-
David Green is going from a low-budget movie that almost didn’t see a release to potentially working on a big studio tentpole.
Warner Bros. Picks Up 'Lore' With Dwayne Johnson Attached to Star
Green made his directorial debut making a low budget sci-fi movie for Disney titled Echo. But the project, with a budget in the $5 million range, sat on the shelf as Disney pondered how to open it before eventually selling it to Relativity.
Now Green has closed a deal to helm Lore, an adaptation of an IDW book/graphic novel written by Wood and T.P. Louise that has Dwayne Johnson is attached to star.
The sci-fi actioner, with a script by Cory Goodman and Jeremy Lott, tells of a secret society of shepherds (they herd monsters) that has long held the line on the encroachment of mythological creatures and when the succession line is broken in modern days, a woman finds herself shouldering the responsibility to stop the creatures' return.
Warners picked it up in April 2012 and by September was negotiating with Men in Black director Barry Sonnenfeld. Sonnenfeld and the studio couldn’t agree on a budget so Sonnenfeld stepped off (but will receive an executive producer credit).
Mad Chance's Andrew Lazar is producing along with Circle of Confusion's David Alpert and Rick Jacobs. Ted Adams and Ashley Wood are executive producing with Sonnenfeld.
Sarah Schechter and Andrew Fischel are overseeing for the studio
Echo, which tells of teens who are called in to help a stranded alien, has a Jan. 10, 2014 release date.
---CORNETTE AND KAYFABE COMMENTARIES ANNOUNCE PACT
Earlier today, it was announced that Jim Cornette and Kayfabe Commentaries have agreed to a production package that includes two new shoot-style productions, as well as an appearance at the Legends of the Ring convention in Monroe, NJ on October 5th.
The iconic and opinionated Jim Cornette has made his most celebrated shoot-style programming appearances on Kayfabe Commentaries produced programs. His starring role in "Guest Booker", "YouShoot", and "Timeline: The History of WWE" were produced by the progressive production company and garnered widespread attention and critical acclaim. Cornette made Kayfabe Commentaries his exclusive home for shoot-style program appearances in the past five years. Cornette and the company parted ways after a disagreement with KC president Sean Oliver over other programs on the company's slate. Recent outcry and requests from wrestling fans prompted the two to begin discussions once again.
Jim Cornette said he is pleased to be moving forward with KC again. "I've enjoyed working with Kayfabe Commentaries in the past on several critically-acclaimed productions," Cornette began. "I'm pleased to announce that Sean Oliver and I, after a rough patch last year, have removed the wedge between us driven there by an unnamed third party, and I have signed on to shoot two more videos with KC this fall."
Sean Oliver said today that he never gave up on the relationship while the two weren't talking. "I knew there would be a return, and a celebrated one at that, once cooler heads prevailed," Oliver said. "Though if you examine Cornette's history, that faith was most optimistic. Jim will tell you, he doesn't burn bridges...he blows them up. However I felt the programming we created would take precedent. Cornette belongs with KC. From a programming sense, we're family, in a twisted The North and The South kinda way."
As for the specifics on the programs to be produced, Cornette didn't go into details. "They (the programs) are shaping up, in concept, to be the most interesting yet, and they'll be produced in conjunction with my appearance at the Legends of the Ring convention in New Jersey on October 5th, which will be my second and last wrestling-related appearance of 2013."
Oliver said only that the full-length programs would be released in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Ticket information for the convention is available at the website www.legendsofthering.com. Cornette is looking forward to greeting the northeast fans once again. "I invite everyone to come to the Legends dealers' room where my Cornette's Collectibles booth will be open all day," he said. "I will be signing my various books and merchandise, as well as talking with all the fans and telling old stories, many of which will have a grain of truth to them. Due to my revised and healthier diet, this will be the only 'KFC' that I will be visiting this year!"
Information about the programs will be forthcoming and will be available the Kayfabe Commentaries website, www.kayfabecommentaries.com.
PRO WRESTLING EVENTS FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 30,2013:
TNA @ Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown, Maryland
1CW @ Wrestle-Town USA Building in Franklin, Ohio
AIW @ Turner's Hall in Cleveland, Ohio
ASW @ Leeman Field in Pennington Gap, Virginia
AWN @ Felro's Flea Market in Fort Valley, Georgia
DCW @ Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia
DWW @ Tri-County Fairgrounds in Mendota, Illinois
EAW @ All-Star Event Center in Eden, North Carolina
HLW @ Parkview Field in Fort Wayne, Indiana
HM @ University Of Texas (Jacob Brown Auditorium) in Brownsville, Texas
MCW @ MCW Arena in Osceola, Arkansas
MEW @ Veterans Of Foreign Wars Hall in Gallatin, Tennessee
MPW @ Reunion Resort in Kissimmee, Florida
PWE @ Giant Flea Market in Union City, Tennessee
PWG @ American Legion #308 in Reseda, California
RCW @ RCW Arena in Chatsworth, Georgia
SCW @ Cloud Springs Deli in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia
SOW @ National Guard Armory in Bristol, Tennessee
SWE @ Paroquet Springs Conference Center in Shepherdsville, Kentucky
SWF @ SWF Arena in Tullahoma, Tennessee
UCW @ Utah County Historic Courthouse in Provo, Utah
USWX @ Pontoons Bar & Grill in Onalaska, Texas
UWC @ Community Center in Georgetown, Illinois
WCW @ Russell County Fairgrounds in Castlewood, Virginia
WF @ Spires Recreation Center in Cayce, South Carolina
WPW @ Mole Lake Casino in Crandon, Wisconsin
XWW @ Veterans Of Foreign Wars Building #8070 in Azusa, California
ICW @ ICW Centre in Montreal, Quebec
RPW @ Lorelei Beaumaris Community Hall in Edmonton, Alberta
UCW @ Spryfield Lions Rink in Halifax, Nova Scotia
AAA @ Reynaldo Castillo Auditorium in Altamira, Mexico
AAA @ Arena Naucalpan in Naucalpan, Mexico
CMLL @ Arena Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico
LLF @ Arena Femenil in Monterrey, Mexico
MVP @ Municipal Auditorium in Tijuana, Mexico
DGPW @ Sambo Hall in Kobe, Japan
Osaka Pro @ Umeda Nasci Hall in Osaka, Japan
SGPW @ Shinjuku Face Hall in Tokyo, Japan
EBW @ Montgomery Hall in Wath-Upon-Dearne, England
FCP @ Planet Night Club in Wolverhampton, England
GWA @ Central Hall in Grimsby, England
Slam @ Victoria Club in Norton Canes, England
UW @ Bidds Club in Stoke-On-Trent, England
VPW @ Portsmouth Guildhall in Portsmouth, England
BCW @ Grand Hall in Kilmarnock, Scotland
BW @ Civic Hall in Connah's Quay, Wales
THE VIDEO STORE:
Dixie Carter Interview-
www.blip.tv/thesuplex/dixie-carter-interview-6634272
WWE Production Upgrade-
www.tvtechnology.com/news/0086/a-new-smackdown-sound-for-wwe/220923
Bobby Champion Indiegogo campaign-
www.indiegogo.com/projects/bobby-champion
---PWInsider reports that Matt Morgan has had talks with people in WWE but is nowhere close to signing a contract yet.
---- All signs point to Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards no longer being under contract to Ring of Honor. Both men are expected to be at the WWE Performance Center in September for another weekend-long talent evaluation camp.
--- Brock Lesnar is not expected back on WWE TV until late December or early January 2014, in time for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. At one point, WWE officials were looking at doing Lesnar vs. CM Punk at the Hell In a Cell pay-per-view but they have been backing away from those plans as of late.
---After announcing his departure from WWE this week, Ted DiBiase will be working for an e-commerce website that targets college students. According to Mississippi Business Journal, the son of WWE Hall of Famer "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase has accepted an executive position with CollegeGarageSale.com, a subsidiary of Jackson, Missouri-based BFAC, LLC. "I loved my career in the WWE and I will forever be thankful for the opportunity to work in that industry," DiBiase said in a statement to Mississippi Business Journal. "Leaving a job you love is not easy, but I believe so strongly in the future of CollegeGarageSale.com that I knew it was time to change my focus." The website allows people to purchase and sell items college students would use. "Working with Teddy over the last year on a number of projects I can say we are truly blessed to have him on our team," said BFAC CEO Brad McMullan in a released statement.
---In a recent interview, Jacques Rougeau noted that he was surprised at how big of a star Shawn Michaels became because of his attitude back in the day. Rougeau then discussed almost coming to blows with HBK in London. "We were all sitting in the cafeteria for a TV day," Rougeau recalled. "He [Michaels] just started picking on me. Maybe I wasn't in a good mood or something like that, and then it finally got to the point where he said, 'I'm not the [British] Bulldogs.' And he threatened me in front of everybody, and I had just come out of a [real life] feud with the Bulldogs. So I backed down, I turned around and left. "So he thought he won the battle. The next day I thought I had to save face, so as soon as he walked into the arena, I told him in front of Marty Jannetty, and my brother Raymond was standing on the side, I said, 'I wanna talk to you in the room.' So he looked at me and said, 'Oh yeah?' I said, 'Don't worry, I just want to talk to you in the room.' So he walked in the room and I came up to his face and I said, 'Shawn, the next time you talk to me like you did like that, I'm going to punch your teeth out. You hear me?' And he's like putting his face down. He did the job that night."
--- Speaking of Rougeau, Robert Maillet (f.k.a. Kurrgan) credited him in a new "Where Are They Now?" piece on WWE.com for recommending him for a role in 300, which spawned his movie career. Maillet also discussed accidentally striking Robert Downey, Jr. on the set of Sherlock Holmes. The inadvertent blow resulted in Downey requiring stitches. "We didn't have a lot of time to rehearse the fight," Maillet said. "The choreography of it changed on set. I really had to aim [the punch] towards his face, I couldn't fake it. He somehow forgot to block it and I hit him on the chin. I knew I hurt him, I felt it." Downey was fine with the incident, and even presented Maillet with a bottle of champagne the next day. With the bottle was a card stating that there were no hard feelings. - Maillet, who most recently starred in Pacific Rim, recently wrapped up filming for three highly anticipated movies; The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.
---Santino Marella, who has been sidelined much of 2013 due to a neck injury, revealed in a rare out-of-character interview with Live Audio Wrestling that he is targeting a return to WWE within the next two weeks. Highlights of the WWE Superstar's interview with Dan Lovranski and John Pollock promoting his Battle Arts Academy that is set to open in Mississauga, Ontario, are as follows (transcribed by Chris Maffei): His return that he's pegging for next month: "September, early September. Whether it's the 2nd or the 9th, I don't know. I'm hoping it's the 9th, because it'll be a homecoming for me, born and raised in Mississauga. I would love to hear my music start, and just see the faces of these Torontonians going berzerk. One, because they appreciate the comedy. Two, because there are actually a lot of Italians in Toronto. Plus, I'll have family and friends in the audience, and that will be a real special moment for me." His neck injury and full explanation of why he's been gone: "My neck was bad in March; I had a procedure done called a facet rhizotomy, where they do these injections, and there's a little axillary nerve that comes off. I basically had several things wrong with my neck; bulging discs, herniated discs, stenosis, degenerating discs, but the one thing that was bugging me at the time was arthritis. Out of all that, arthritis doesn't even sound cool. "My neck has been fine basically since that procedure, and I did the whole European tour in April and it didn't hurt at all. But then when I renegotiated my contract a year ago, I wanted a little bit of time off just to heal my entire body, spend a little time with my family and live a little bit of life. When you're successful and you're doing well, you're really five days a week, six days a week. Sometimes you won't be home for two or three weeks. I missed a lot of things; I missed a lot of birthdays and baptisms and weddings, and all that kind of stuff. I just wanted to be home a little bit. I tell my friends, 'You know what's better than being Santino Marella around the world? Being Anthony Carelli in Mississauga.'" Background of Boris Alexiev character: "I got to OVW. Rip Rogers, on my second day, calls me 'Boris.' And I'm like, 'Boris?' Some guy looks at me and goes, 'Yup, that's your new nickname.' I'm like, 'Boris? He just called me Boris, and now I'm Boris?' So then everyone called me Boris, and I had this epiphany while I was falling asleep one night. I'm like, 'Wait a second, I'll be Boris. I can be this Russian special forces trained fighter. I get to do all my Battlarts style wrestling, and I could incorporate my Judo, and stuff like that.' So then Boris was born. Paul Heyman was the guy that took me aside and said, 'Hey, we want you at OVW TV next week.' I was freaking, I'm like 'Oh my God, this is happening. I'm gonna be on OVW TV!' I couldn't sleep for days. And then, Boris was this animal killer. I brought the character to life, beyond a shadow of a doubt. When my music hit, there was absolute terror and fear in the OVW arena. Somebody was gonna get their butt whipped, and I came out and I delivered on a daily basis. I even had to apologize to people beforehand, 'Sorry, brother. This is not gonna be fun.' It was just a demolition of whomever was in the ring. "That was the character that got me hired, got me noticed. The agents came to OVW; I wasn't signed, and they saw this character, like, 'Wow.' It was something new, something fresh. Of course, being 5'10", 220 lbs, it wasn't something that could translate to the big leagues with guys like Chris Masters, Kane, Umaga and everybody."
---Life & Style is reporting that former WWE Diva Stacy Kiebler is now dating millionaire Jared Pobre. Pobre had founded Future Ads with a $500 investment in 2001.
---A trial date has been set for the lawsuit TNA brought against former talent Scott Steiner last year, alleging defamation of several executives and breach of contract after Steiner ripped on Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and others via his Twitter account.
A jury trial has been set for 3/31/14 in Nashville, TN, where TNA is headquartered. The two sides will have a pre-trial meeting on 3/14.
TNA filed a lawsuit on Monday 6/18/12 against Steiner, stemming from the attacks he had made against the company, Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and former TNA executive Bruce Prichard, among others, via Twitter.
In the lawsuit filed in Chancery Court for Davidson County, TNA noted that Steiner signed a contract with the company on 12/23/10 to appear exclusively for the promotion. A copy of that contract, including Steiner's payroll for his appearances ($2000 for events, $2500 for PPV, plus royalties to be paid 90 days later) was filed in court, including:
*An agreement that Steiner would not "make any statements or provide information, written, verbal or otherwise, which directly or indirectly disparages or casts in a negative light any TNA officers, employees, representatives, affiliates, shareholders, licensees and/or past or current TNA talent."
*An agreement that Steiner would not use online social media or media appearances to discuss TNA without TNA's prior written consent in each instance.
TNA has claimed that Steiner violated the terms of that contract and is currently in breach for his online rants against the company. In their lawsuit, The company claimed that they contacted him on 5/10/12 asking him to cease the behavior but "Steiner ignored TNA's demands and has continued to breach the Agreement."
In the lawsuit, TNA petitioned the court asking that they be allowed to recover their damages as well as court and attorney's fees. They are claiming the breach has caused the company "irreparable harm, which cannot be adequately measured by monetary relief."
Steiner, in responding to the lawsuit, told the court that his TNA deal expired and while he was offered a new contract, he opted to turn it down and never executed the deal. Steiner has previously demanded the TNA suit against him be thrown out of court, which has not happened. He has also previously requested a jury trial should the case go to trial, which he will get.
Steiner counter-sued the company in September of 2012, claiming that they, not he, had breached a deal, alleging at the time that "Steiner alleged that TNA had failed to properly provide, as they were contractually obligated to do, "an accounting of all Royalty payments" due to him, failed to provide "royalty statements of all merchandise royalties and video royalties" owed to him, and "failed to pay all royalties" due to him. Steiner demanded judgment in a "yet to be determined amount."
Steiner later withdrew that counter-suit and filed a second lawsuit against TNA, alleging he was injured wrestling at a house show in Michigan against Jeff Hardy, who the lawsuit claims was under the influence while performing.
Court records indicate that Steiner's attorneys attempted to consolidate another case into the lawsuit TNA filed, which may have been Steiner's second lawsuit alleging his injuries. If that was indeed the case, it's a moot point now as the judge ruled against that consolidation.
So, unless things end up settled before this coming March, the two sides will have a showdown before the legal system.
---After almost serving two years in prison awaiting sentencing for almost murdering two police officers, Jesús Luna Pozos aka Charly Manson (Charly Malice in Lucha Libre USA) was sentenced on Monday 8/26 to 7 years and 4 months in federal prison.
The incident happened on April 24th, 2011 when Manson was arrested in Zapotitla, Mexico after assaulting four police officers as they were trying to arrest him for being drunk. Manson and his friend Adrián López Reyes (who was also a juvenile) were looking for Charly’s car and couldn’t find it so they found the officers to help them because they thought that they had been carjacked but the cops wanted to bring them in for being drunk so a huge argument ensued.
Another police officer showed up as backup and in the excitement of the situation, he shot Reyes in the leg before an ambulance showed up to pick up Reyes and the officers. Charly and Reyes were both taken to jail then Reyes was sent to a hospital while the officers were sent to another one with one of the officers having some serious head injuries.
Román Castañeda Castro who was the police officer that was severely injured by Manson was revealed to have suffered a fractured skull with brain trauma and his partner Moisés Izaguirre Baños had to have surgery on his nose.
At the time, Luis Genaro Vázquez who is the deputy Attorney General for the PGJDF said that with Manson being adverse in wrestling they were treating this case even more serious than a regular fight with police because Manson's extremities were considered as weapons against defenseless policemen.
The full legal report at the time was as follows:
The attorney general's office of the Justicia del Distrito Federal (PGJDF) exercised penal action against the professional wrestler Jesús Luna Pozos whose professional name is Charly Manson and Adrián López Reyes who was his driver for probable responsibility of assault qualified by acting advantage against agents of the authority. Through the Fiscalía Desconcentrada de Investigación en Tláhuac, la Subprocuraduría de Averiguaciones Previas Desconcentradas reported that Manson & Reyes were consigned before the penal judge that was on duty at Reclusorio Preventivo Varonil Sur since ministerially the accusations were accredited by injuring two preventive police officers with fighting tactics of his art. According to registered information on the early morning of April 24, 2011, the wrestler Charly Manson in the company of his driver Adrián López Reyes were found on calle (street) Bartolomé Escobedo, colonia Agrícola Metropolitana as they were trying to look for their vehicle after requesting police assistance. The police showed up and were told by Manson they were looking for a red Dodge Caliber that wasn't parked where it was supposed to be at. Upon arriving at the scene, the officers questioned them on how they lost their vehicle which during the questioning the wrestler started pushing the cops which started a clash. Manson then employed his lucha libre know-how by striking police officer Moisés Izaguirre Baños in the face causing an orbital fracture in his right eye and a fractured jawbone meanwhile Román Castañeda Castro suffered a fractured skull with brain trauma. Two more assisting officers arrived at the scene where they joined the fray where they proceeded to detain Manson & Reyes then taking them to Ministerio Público de la Coordinación Territorial Tláhuac Dos where the corresponding prior inquiry was initiated. It will take 60 days or more for Castro to heal so penal action will be exercised against Manson & Reyes. The legal argument consigned to Manson & Reyes is found established in article 130, fraction III with the qualification that the crime was committeed with advantage predicted in the article 130 relating to the 134 which is aggrevated assault against the legitimate exercise of the authority predicted in the article 289 of the penal code of the federal district. Regarding maximum and minimum punishments, the medium term is greater to 5 years with the maximum being 8 to 10 years as this is treated like a serious crime therefore there is no benefit of low precaution.
AAA's lawyers bailed Charly Manson out of prison on May 4th, 2011 and he went back to work for the promotion until June 30th, 2011 when Manson was arrested after the AAA TV taping in Tizayuca on a warrant placed by the judge revoking his bail and was transferred to Mexico City early Friday morning where he has been in jail ever since. This stems from the attack on the police officers in April that sent him to prison to begin with before bail was met on May 3rd, 2011 but the judge decided to revoke the bail and Manson had been in prison ever since.
Reyes did his prison time and has been released on parole.
---Beginning with the 2013-2014 TV season that will kick off this Fall, the Nielsen company will begin counting households that don't watch TV traditionally (i.e. over the air antennas, cable, etc.) but instead stream their programming.
What this means is that the overall average number of homes that will be accounted for will be greater (an estimate at TVByTheNumbers.com suggests 1.5 million new homes) overall, so ratings are expecting to drop a little across the board, since Nielsen's system measures the percentage of homes watching specific TV programming in comparison to the amount of TVs being viewed at that time.
So, WWE and TNA programming will drop a slight amount in the ratings, even though the homes don't technically receive USA Network, Spike, etc. but have been added to the base of potential homes that could be watching their programming.
---Former ECW Champion Justin Credible has posted a new blog at PWMania.com. This week Credible talks on Ted Dibiase’s WWE departure, Monday’s Raw, AJ Styles’ TNA contract, Ring of Honor, among other topics. Matt Striker and Rick Cataldo are this week’s special guest on Justin Credible’s Pro Wrestling 101 video series. Here is an extract from “The Justin Credible Report:”
“I was really surprised that Ted DiBiase Jr. will not be resigning with the WWE. It’s not like he has a lot of options in the wrestling business. There has to be more to this than meets the eye. I mean he has everything that the WWE looks for. He’s talented, young, good physique, and he’s a third generation wrestler. I know he hasn’t been on TV in a while, but he had tremendous upside, and even starred in a WWE movie. It speaks volumes to me about how things are from a performer’s perspective on the main roster. I’m sure he will be back in the WWE at some point in his young career.”
You can read “The Justin Credible Report” in its entirety at www.PWMania.com.
---Grand Opening of Big Vito’s Wrestling Academy
(Clearwater, FL) August 27- The big day has finally come. I am officially opening my Wrestling Academy- Big Vito’s Wrestling Academy. I am very honored and privileged to be doing this. I have learned from the best and been taught by the greats in our sport. The one thing I was taught from day one is pass it on. I understand it. I have helped many very quietly for a long time. Now, I get to help make the next generation of stars. Teach wrestling the one way, the right way. I may be a perfectionist, no nonsense, hard nosed, tough on you guy, but its for your own good.
Plenty of guys always ask me to watch their match, I never told them what they did good, I told them what they need to work on. Some can take it, others complain about it. The ones who took my advice got better, and the others, they are in the same place doing the same thing with the same people.
I have the credentials to teach you how to become a pro. At my academy, I want you to live and see what I have seen, do as I have done. Go from the bottom to the top, feel the excitement of the crowd, become a champion, be the best, have the respect from your peers, know when you walk in the room, you get people’s attention just from your presence. Become the one who people measure up to and say, “I want to be better than him”. My training methods are proven as I have taught people all around the world.
This will become the place to be, a unique place. There are some fine schools out there. This is an academy. You will learn 2 things: Discipline and Wrestling. You will become regimented: Eating habits, training habits, wrestling, mixed martial arts, the business side of things. You will leave there the complete package. You will not leave there without the skill and mindset needed to become a Pro. You will be able to take care of yourself anywhere in the world today. No matter what style there is, you will be able to compete. If you come there with a dream, I will make sure I do all I can to help you live it. Does not matter what you look like in the beginning, in the end, you will look like a pro wrestler.
I tell everyone the same thing: Not Everyone Makes It. It is true. Who is someone else to tell you that you can’t? That is not allowed in my academy, everything is “I Can”. Never let anyone stop you from your dream. It is your life. If you let people dictate to you what you can and can’t do, then you might as well be a puppet. Every challenge in life is something. I have taken all the chances, I am not afraid. I made something of myself. You can do the same at my academy. I am currently doing movies, commercials and still wrestling. The school becomes a part of my everyday life. I am the only trainer at the school. I will train you. No one else. Hands on. If you have heart like Big Vito, you can do anything. I have done everything.
Training sessions can be viewed by parents. I want to make this something good in the community as well. I would like to work with kids also in the afternoons. There will be an afternoon program for them. Or, if you think your son or daughter needs some tough love, bring them in. They will be taught respect, school work is important, clean your room, and be polite to your parents. Another thing you will learn from here is you will be able to stand on your own 2 feet in life, you will be able to handle not just wrestling but life in it self. You can’t put a price tag on that.
There will be giveaways and trivia on August 31, 2013 at 1pm at Spa 24 in Clearwater, Florida. I have many sponsors who have donated different items to make this a fun filled day.
Hope to see you soon!
For more information, visit: www.bigvito.com
Email Big Vito at: bigvito@bigvito.com
---The official WWE website was taken offline for approximately an hour on Wednesday, at approximately 1:00 p.m. A user behind a Twitter account that promotes hacking (named Anonymous Indonesia, located at AnonNewsIndo) is claiming to have gotten the website taken offline.
---Premier Championship Wrestling from Saturday night in Winnipeg: Jackie Lee b David London, Antonio Scorpio b TJ Rose, Scott Justice & Jackie Lee b David & Leo London, Zach Mercury b Prince Fuego, Michael Arnott b Andrew Shallcross, Marc Merric b Antonio Scorpio-COR, James Beaver b Jay Walker, Steve Corino & Adam Knight b Mike Angels & Chad Tatum to keep tag titles. Next show is 9/7 at the Headlingley Roadhouse.
---Squared Circle Live from Sunday in Whitby, ONT: Jeff Vertigo b Ulises, Scotty O'Shea b Alessandro del Bruno, El Hijo del Bogote b Marcus Marquez and Black Serpent, Tyson Dux b Mike Rollins, Alex Vega & Cody 45 b Checkmate & Micky Knight-DQ, Matt Morgan b John Greed, Brent Banks b Josh Alexander
---The Team 3-D Wrestling Academy teams with the "Hope for a Single Mom" charity on 9/14 in Melbourne, FL at the Melbourne Auditorium for a show. At 5 p.m. will be shopping, face painting, Hooters girls, Hooters wings and beer and live music. At 7 p.m. will be wrestling with Devon, Garett Bischoff, Wes Brisco, Mike Knox, Samoa Joe, Sam Shaw, SoCal Val, Jay Lethal and Hulk Hogan all appearing.
---Squared Circle Live on 11/3 at the Class Act Dinner Theater in Whitby, ONT featuring Davey Richards vs. Tyson Dux and Tadarius Thomas vs. Ethan Page.
---As we reported earlier, WWE.com was taken offline earlier today.
A Twitter user named anonnewsindo is taking credit for it going down. He wrote the following on his account, @anonnewsindo"
World Wrestling Entertainment Down www.wwe.com/ Time To HELP SYRIA By #Fr0styFr0ze #OpSyria #Anonymous
We contacted WWE and asked if there was any validity to the story and were told the following by a PR representative:
"I can confirm that the site was down and the issue was resolved in less than 45 minutes."
So, whether they were indeed hacked or not, we still can't confirm. There have been some prominent websites hacked recently, for what it's worth.
---Monday’s Raw saw the return of Rosa Mendes, who appeared as the dancing partner of The Miz as part of his storyline ridiculing Fandango. It marked as the 33-year-old’s first television appearance since April, who was sent home early from that month’s European tour for was cited by WWE to online wrestling news outlets as “personal reasons.”
According to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the WWE Diva was in a rehabilitation center during her time away from the road. The publication added that many people within WWE believe that she made up a story last year where her then-fiancé, former WWE talent Steven Slocum (a/k/a Jackson Andrews), had physically abused her, and compounded with her latest ordeal, her employment status was considered on thin ice.
After arriving at San Antonio International Airport on August 5, 2012, an intoxicated Mendes, whose real name is Milena Roucka, contacted the San Antonio Police department to file battery charges against Slocum for a domestic issue that took place at their home in Las Vegas, Nevada, prior to her flight. Roucka told officers “that she was afraid her fiancé would try and kill her” and “the abuse had been an on-going thing.” Police on the scene took photos of Roucka’s body, which showed scratches and bruising from the incident.
Regarding April’s issue, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Roucka had been “partying too much on the tour,” with one company source describing her as “a mess.” PWInsider.com noted that the WWE Diva has a history of similar issues, which prompted company officials to send her home.
Roucka subsequently addressed the matter on Twitter, writing, “Just wanted to let all my #Mendesluverz that I’m ok. I had to take care of some personal matters. Thank you for all your support. Love you.”
---Ring of Honor wrestler Harlem Bravado revealed in a Twitter exchange with independent wrestler Nick Jackson that he is participating in this week’s multi-day talent evaluation session at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
---As noted earlier, Ric Flair recently appeared on Steve Austin's podcast. In part two of the interview, which was released yesterday, Flair was asked about his time in TNA. While Flair admitted that working with TNA President Dixie Carter was "great," he wasn't that bullish about the company's future. "I don't think much longer," Flair replied, after Austin asked how much longer the company could stay in business. "They're making live TV now. Her [Dixie Carter] father's tremendously wealthy, but at some point of time, you've gotta say man," to which Austin added, "a write-off becomes a loss."
---New Rock Movie-
David Green is going from a low-budget movie that almost didn’t see a release to potentially working on a big studio tentpole.
Warner Bros. Picks Up 'Lore' With Dwayne Johnson Attached to Star
Green made his directorial debut making a low budget sci-fi movie for Disney titled Echo. But the project, with a budget in the $5 million range, sat on the shelf as Disney pondered how to open it before eventually selling it to Relativity.
Now Green has closed a deal to helm Lore, an adaptation of an IDW book/graphic novel written by Wood and T.P. Louise that has Dwayne Johnson is attached to star.
The sci-fi actioner, with a script by Cory Goodman and Jeremy Lott, tells of a secret society of shepherds (they herd monsters) that has long held the line on the encroachment of mythological creatures and when the succession line is broken in modern days, a woman finds herself shouldering the responsibility to stop the creatures' return.
Warners picked it up in April 2012 and by September was negotiating with Men in Black director Barry Sonnenfeld. Sonnenfeld and the studio couldn’t agree on a budget so Sonnenfeld stepped off (but will receive an executive producer credit).
Mad Chance's Andrew Lazar is producing along with Circle of Confusion's David Alpert and Rick Jacobs. Ted Adams and Ashley Wood are executive producing with Sonnenfeld.
Sarah Schechter and Andrew Fischel are overseeing for the studio
Echo, which tells of teens who are called in to help a stranded alien, has a Jan. 10, 2014 release date.
---CORNETTE AND KAYFABE COMMENTARIES ANNOUNCE PACT
Earlier today, it was announced that Jim Cornette and Kayfabe Commentaries have agreed to a production package that includes two new shoot-style productions, as well as an appearance at the Legends of the Ring convention in Monroe, NJ on October 5th.
The iconic and opinionated Jim Cornette has made his most celebrated shoot-style programming appearances on Kayfabe Commentaries produced programs. His starring role in "Guest Booker", "YouShoot", and "Timeline: The History of WWE" were produced by the progressive production company and garnered widespread attention and critical acclaim. Cornette made Kayfabe Commentaries his exclusive home for shoot-style program appearances in the past five years. Cornette and the company parted ways after a disagreement with KC president Sean Oliver over other programs on the company's slate. Recent outcry and requests from wrestling fans prompted the two to begin discussions once again.
Jim Cornette said he is pleased to be moving forward with KC again. "I've enjoyed working with Kayfabe Commentaries in the past on several critically-acclaimed productions," Cornette began. "I'm pleased to announce that Sean Oliver and I, after a rough patch last year, have removed the wedge between us driven there by an unnamed third party, and I have signed on to shoot two more videos with KC this fall."
Sean Oliver said today that he never gave up on the relationship while the two weren't talking. "I knew there would be a return, and a celebrated one at that, once cooler heads prevailed," Oliver said. "Though if you examine Cornette's history, that faith was most optimistic. Jim will tell you, he doesn't burn bridges...he blows them up. However I felt the programming we created would take precedent. Cornette belongs with KC. From a programming sense, we're family, in a twisted The North and The South kinda way."
As for the specifics on the programs to be produced, Cornette didn't go into details. "They (the programs) are shaping up, in concept, to be the most interesting yet, and they'll be produced in conjunction with my appearance at the Legends of the Ring convention in New Jersey on October 5th, which will be my second and last wrestling-related appearance of 2013."
Oliver said only that the full-length programs would be released in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Ticket information for the convention is available at the website www.legendsofthering.com. Cornette is looking forward to greeting the northeast fans once again. "I invite everyone to come to the Legends dealers' room where my Cornette's Collectibles booth will be open all day," he said. "I will be signing my various books and merchandise, as well as talking with all the fans and telling old stories, many of which will have a grain of truth to them. Due to my revised and healthier diet, this will be the only 'KFC' that I will be visiting this year!"
Information about the programs will be forthcoming and will be available the Kayfabe Commentaries website, www.kayfabecommentaries.com.
PRO WRESTLING EVENTS FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 30,2013:
TNA @ Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown, Maryland
1CW @ Wrestle-Town USA Building in Franklin, Ohio
AIW @ Turner's Hall in Cleveland, Ohio
ASW @ Leeman Field in Pennington Gap, Virginia
AWN @ Felro's Flea Market in Fort Valley, Georgia
DCW @ Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia
DWW @ Tri-County Fairgrounds in Mendota, Illinois
EAW @ All-Star Event Center in Eden, North Carolina
HLW @ Parkview Field in Fort Wayne, Indiana
HM @ University Of Texas (Jacob Brown Auditorium) in Brownsville, Texas
MCW @ MCW Arena in Osceola, Arkansas
MEW @ Veterans Of Foreign Wars Hall in Gallatin, Tennessee
MPW @ Reunion Resort in Kissimmee, Florida
PWE @ Giant Flea Market in Union City, Tennessee
PWG @ American Legion #308 in Reseda, California
RCW @ RCW Arena in Chatsworth, Georgia
SCW @ Cloud Springs Deli in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia
SOW @ National Guard Armory in Bristol, Tennessee
SWE @ Paroquet Springs Conference Center in Shepherdsville, Kentucky
SWF @ SWF Arena in Tullahoma, Tennessee
UCW @ Utah County Historic Courthouse in Provo, Utah
USWX @ Pontoons Bar & Grill in Onalaska, Texas
UWC @ Community Center in Georgetown, Illinois
WCW @ Russell County Fairgrounds in Castlewood, Virginia
WF @ Spires Recreation Center in Cayce, South Carolina
WPW @ Mole Lake Casino in Crandon, Wisconsin
XWW @ Veterans Of Foreign Wars Building #8070 in Azusa, California
ICW @ ICW Centre in Montreal, Quebec
RPW @ Lorelei Beaumaris Community Hall in Edmonton, Alberta
UCW @ Spryfield Lions Rink in Halifax, Nova Scotia
AAA @ Reynaldo Castillo Auditorium in Altamira, Mexico
AAA @ Arena Naucalpan in Naucalpan, Mexico
CMLL @ Arena Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico
LLF @ Arena Femenil in Monterrey, Mexico
MVP @ Municipal Auditorium in Tijuana, Mexico
DGPW @ Sambo Hall in Kobe, Japan
Osaka Pro @ Umeda Nasci Hall in Osaka, Japan
SGPW @ Shinjuku Face Hall in Tokyo, Japan
EBW @ Montgomery Hall in Wath-Upon-Dearne, England
FCP @ Planet Night Club in Wolverhampton, England
GWA @ Central Hall in Grimsby, England
Slam @ Victoria Club in Norton Canes, England
UW @ Bidds Club in Stoke-On-Trent, England
VPW @ Portsmouth Guildhall in Portsmouth, England
BCW @ Grand Hall in Kilmarnock, Scotland
BW @ Civic Hall in Connah's Quay, Wales
THE VIDEO STORE:
Dixie Carter Interview-
www.blip.tv/thesuplex/dixie-carter-interview-6634272
WWE Production Upgrade-
www.tvtechnology.com/news/0086/a-new-smackdown-sound-for-wwe/220923
Bobby Champion Indiegogo campaign-
www.indiegogo.com/projects/bobby-champion