Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Jim Ross Comments On The Story Kharma Said On Raw

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross responded on Twitter following the story that Kharma told about him telling her she'd never make it in WWE because of her weight.

"Kharma will never be a standard issue WWE Diva. She's a wrestler. And a keeper. JR shout outs always welcome on Raw," Ross said.

"Lots of angry folks. Ask (Kharma) the story. She's a wrestler & not a typical WWE Diva... My fat arse getting all kinds of evil Tweets. I'm a Kharma fan BTW. Does every female wrestler HAVE 2 be a 'Diva?'"

Huge Segment For RAW Next Week Revealed

-- Joey Styles just tweeted the following after RAW: Raw's GM has ordered R-Truth to apologize next week on Raw to earn a WWE Title Match with John Cena at Capitol Punishment. Video on WWE.com.

Was Kharma's RAW Segment Real?, + JR Responds

Kharma's pregnancy, as she announced on RAW, is real and not a storyline. We noted this several days ago here on the website. WWE used the opportunity to turn her babyface and set up a potential program with the Bella Twins when she returns in about a year.

Jim Ross wrote the following on his Twitter account regarding Kharma's claim that he turned her down during Tough Enough season two's audition for being too fat:

Lots of angry folks. Ask @Kharma the story. She's a wrestler & not a typical WWE Diva. King havin fun w/ OKC Thunder. Yes, I'm fat. Duh.

Fan Ejected From iMPACT! For Texting **SPOILERS**

A man was ejected from Monday's Impact Wrestling taping in Orlando, Florida for texting spoilers results with his mobile device.

The man was ejected from the Impact! Wrestling Zone by TNA personnel and escorted off Universal Studios Florida property by an Orlando area police officer. He was shown a page on a website displaying the spoilers results he had sent on a mobile device owned by a member of TNA security and informed he was being removed from the premises.

It was reported last week that TNA banned the use of cellular phones and mobile devices at the Impact! Wrestling Zone during Impact Wrestling tapings in order to prevent spoilers from surfacing online. Sources within TNA indicate that Universal Studios officials issued the directive, not TNA. So far, no word from TNA.

Big Name Not Backstage At The iMPACT! Tapings


Tommy Dreamer's name is on the run sheets at the iMPACT! tapings – listed as a producer for segments – but he is not at this week's TNA tapings.

This is causing a lot of chatter backstage since Dreamer had just turned heel and was in the middle of a program with Fortune. There's no word yet as to why he isn't there but we know his contract was expected to expire shortly.

Vickie Guerrero Follows Up On Her Boyfriend Cheating

Vickie Guerrero remarked last Thursday on her Facebook account that her boyfriend, who was also her personal trainer, cheated on her with a married woman. She also made the news public on Twitter.

Guerrero wrote, "I did change gyms, my trainer/boyfriend was cheating on me with a married woman who has kids." She continued, "Its all good, the truth will always come out, karma will bite you #cheaters."

You can click here to see photos of the two together.

Big Segments Planned For RAW Tonight - Triple H?


-- Creative plans as of this past weekend were for R-Truth to confront John Cena tonight on RAW. This is a strong sign that Capitol Punishment will feature a match between both RAW Superstars.

-- Though Triple H is being advertised for tonight's RAW taping Omaha, Nebraska, it should be noted that the advertisement was done months ago. It is unlikely that he will be appearing at tonight's show.

-- Also on RAW, Kharma will cut an in-ring promo to explain her actions from last week. She is pregnant and is expected to be out 9+ months.

Report: TNA Uses Excuse For Terry Taylor's Firing


TNA Wrestling's announcement on May 23 that Terry Taylor, Director of Talent Relations, made the decision to leave the organization, is reportedly a cover excuse.

According to a source, Taylor was fired by the organization on May 20. It is believed that he was let go due to allegations made against him in a lawsuit filed by a former performer.

The source notes that it may not necessarily be Shannon Spruill's (a/k/a Daffney) lawsuit against the organization, although his name was implicated.

Taylor and creative writer Vince Russo pressured Daffney into performing a spot at the October 18, 2009 pay-per-view event Bound for Glory in which she would go through a board covered with barbed wire, reasoning that it was important for the ongoing feud between Abyss and Mick Foley. Daffney, who was hesitant on the idea, was assured that she would be fine and taken care of. She agreed to perform the spot, which resulted in her being chokeslammed from the ring apron by Abyss onto a board covered with barbed wire. She suffered a concussion taking the maneuver and was taken to an Orlando area hospital via ambulance. Furthermore, Spike TV wouldn't allow TNA to air the spot during iMPACT! due to their policy on men-on-women violence.

Daffney's trip to the emergency room resulted in a substantial medical bill, which Taylor stalled TNA from paying and ultimately was not. The lawsuit also claims she was pressured to continue performing after suffering two additional concussions. She suffered a concussion after being hit on the head with a toolbox by Tara following their match on the February 18, 2010 episode of iMPACT!. On April 20, 2010, she was injured in a dark match against an obese green worker by the name of Miss Betsy and was taken to an Orlando area hospital, where she was diagnosed with a concussion, as well as a deeply bruised sternum and a severe stinger.

Chief Financial Officer Dean Broadhead will oversee contractual matters while former WWE executive Bruce Prichard will handle Taylor's remaining duties.

Hogan Responds To Warrior, Bubba Insults Kharma, More

-- Bubba the Love Sponge insulted Kharma during his radio show on Friday as he aired the negative comments he said about her when the two were butting heads last year in TNA Wrestling. He added that she was going to be taken off television because she's pregnant.

-- TNAWrestling.com now redirects to ImpactWrestling.com. However, the TNA logo remains on the website.

-- Hulk Hogan responded to Ultimate Warrior calling him out in a YouTube video post over the weekend.

"Negativity and Hulkamania - 2 things that don't go together. Finish your weekend strong Monday, ignore all the rest," he wrote on Twitter.

Warrior posted the video in response to Hogan saying during an interview with HDNet that he had an opening to put a bullet in Hulkamania, but failed.

Chris Jericho Speaks On A WWE Return


-- Chris Jericho recently spoke about his return to WWE, here is what he had to say… "I haven't put much thought to it. Right now I'm busy with other stuff, with the band and things like Dancing with the Stars, going back to wrestling is the last thing on my mind right now. It is a crazy world wrestling for the WWE. You have to be 100 per cent mentally and physically into it or you start getting burned out. That's what happened to me in 2005. I was done, I was finished, I was cooked. It took two and half years until I was ready to come back This time I don't feel the same way as I did in 2005. I still love watching wrestling, I still dig the shows. The only reason I left was that I had so much going on, my contract was up and I thought I'm just not going to re-sign because I'm definitely not short of work right now. This time, I won't come back to wear a suit and use long words and talk slowly. Everybody does that now. It would have to be something different to really interest me enough to want to come back."

Layla Comments On Her Surgery

- WWE diva Layla commented on her surgery last week on Twitter: My surgery went well Dr.Dugas is amazing But here comes the pain and the battle We can Do it tho I can’t wait to get back in the gym The journey begins.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Vickie Guerrero's Real-Life Boyfriend Cheats On Her?

Vickie Guerrero remarked last Thursday on her Facebook account (shortly after plugging the account on Twitter) that her boyfriend, who was also her personal trainer, cheated on her. She wrote the status update in response to her friends' hearsay.

A steamed Guerrero wrote, "Enough of the private messages, of he said/she said!!! Im going to set things straight!! I am single now and it was my decision! (name withheld)...aka trainer/"boyfriend" was cheating on me with (name withheld). I was disgusted to know that she is married with kids! Been there, lived it before, and I am done with that bullshit...period!"

She deleted the message a short while later. Wow.

You can click here to see photos of Vickie and her now ex-boyfriend.

John Cena Takes Heat For Twitter Remarks - Details

John Cena drew criticism on Twitter on Saturday after posting a pro-America remark.

He wrote, "CeNation. I know most have a long weekend this week. While you're having fun remember those who have kept this country free."

Hours later, Cena retweeted an expletive-laden remark directed towards him. He wrote in response, "CeNation. Welcome to my life. You don't love it...leave it man. I damn proud of all those men and women. On memorial day weekend. Classy. Very classy. Sorry guys. We all have our limits. That sent me over the line."

He then retweeted another one of his follower's remarks: "@shmikemike You're pathetic. You're right John Cena sucks big time and is a ****** performer, but no need to insult our troops like that."

Cena wrote in response, "You see. That is the way to insult someone. Not bad mr knight. I've heard much worse but not bad. :)"

Backstage Update: WWE's New Masked Wrestler (Pics)

As noted earlier here on the website, Super Luchas reports that masked Mexican professional wrestler Averno has signed a contract with WWE. He is crossing over to the sports entertainment organization as an unmasked heel to work with Sin Cara on the SmackDown! brand. He is expected to lose his mask to La Mascara at CMLL's next big event, which takes place on June 17.

Averno had a tryout match with WWE last October and performed well, but was not signed due to concern over his age—34 years old. A deal was completed recently when company officials asked Sin Cara who he would most like to work with and he suggested Averno. WWE asked for his advice since most of the organization's talent haven yet to adapt to his style of wrestling and therefore isn't performing up to par. Averno, his longtime rival in CMLL, can work his style and showcase his strengths.

WWE is also considering signing two other young CMLL luchadors. It should also be noted that word is that the political environment in CMLL is not at all stable, and this is making things worse for them.

For those interested, you can click here to view photos of Averno.

WWE Signs New Lucha Star - Who Is It?


According to a source, WWE has signed top Lucha heel Averno. He worked for CMLL for many years in a feud with current WWE star Sin Cara back when he was known as Mistico.

There is no word yet on what the company plans on doing with him. There had been rumors of WWE signing talent from Mexico prior to their RAW and SmackDown! tapings in Mexico City in October.

CM Punk Blasts SmackDown!?

-- CM Punk tweeted the following, which everyone assumes was about WWE SmackDown!: "Ugh. Sick of wrestling shows starting out with the same exact in ring interview! Change it up!"

WWE To Sign Mexican Talents?, Cena Speaks Out, More

-- WWE is looking into hiring several workers from Mexico in order to flesh out their roster for their upcoming RAW and SmackDown! tapings set for Mexico in November. No names have been confirmed at this time.

-- The Boston Globe had an interview with Cena this past week where he discussed his character. He said: "I don't market myself as the coolest guy out there or the most edgy guy out there. You have a lot of people watching your every action, and I'm proud of that. I take a lot of pride in how I present myself. The Attitude Era was when the fans became teens. The Attitude Era was really generation-specific. I'm not taking anything away from that — it was 18-to-35-year-old males, and now we're a broader audience, really more like it was in the '80s."

Brock Lesnar Undergoes Surgery Last Friday

Brock Lesnar had surgery done last Friday at the Mayo Clinic to take out a foot-long portion of his colon due to his ongoing fight with diverticulitis.

Lesnar is expected to be out of the UFC until at least January of 2012. It is also expected that this will push back his planned book signing tour for his autobiography Death Clutch.

"He said he's a little sore, but the operation was a huge success," said Dana White during the UFC 130 post fight presser.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Balls Mahoney Death Rumors Fake, Khali's Heel Turn, Kaitlyn


-- Former WWE and ECW star Balls Mahoney was the subject of a death rumor earlier today. I haven't been able to find the original report and we never reported it here on this website. We can report that Mahoney is alive and well, and was spending the day with his family at the Six Flags Great Adventure park in New Jersey. He reportedly found the rumor funny, and added the following to his fans… "I love them all and I am absolutely fine."

-- The Great Khali turned on Ranjin Singh Friday night on SmackDown!, placing his own brother in the Vise Grip. After leaving Singh completely incapacitated, Khali left the ring with Jinder Mahal.

-- Kaitlyn now has an official fan site. You can find it at http://kaitlyn-support.net/

Ex-TNA Tag-Team Returns + Six-Sided Ring Confirmed

-- Voodoo Kin Mafia, BG James and Kip James, appeared at TNA Wrestling's "UK Party" Thursday, which was held at an undisclosed location in Manchester, England.

The multi-time tag team champions participated in a taping for an upcoming episode of TNA Spin Cycle and there was a loud "one more match" chant.

The duo then hung out and took photos with fans for approximately one hour before leaving.

-- Jeremy Borash has confirmed that the six-sided ring will be returning to TNA Wrestling for one night only; at the Destination X pay-per-view event on July 10.

-- This week's episode of iMPACT! Wrestling featured 22 minutes and 56 seconds of in-ring action, up from 20 minutes and 59 seconds the week before.

How Old Are Tyler Black & Natalya?, WWE DVD Renamed


-- This week's episode of WWE Superstars featured 23 minutes and 45 seconds of wrestling action, up from the 21 minutes and 59 seconds the week before.

-- WWE developmental wrestler Tyler Black celebrates his 25th birthday today while Kamala turns 61 years old. WWE Diva Natalya turned 29 years old on Friday and former WWE Diva Ashley Massaro turned 32 years old on Saturday.

-- WWE's upcoming Greatest Stars of the New Millennium DVD has been renamed Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century. The three-disc DVD and two-disc Blu-ray will be released on July 26. The synopsis reads:

"Sure, we're barely more than 10 percent of the way through the 21st century, but it’s not too early to look at some of the WWE superstars who are rewriting the record books on their way to squared circle immortality. Batista, John Cena, Edge, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, and Triple H are among the icons profiled in this action-filled compendium."

The Rumored SummerSlam Main Event + Punk-WWE Update

-- John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio is advertised for the July 30 Raw live event show at the Rockford MetroCentre in Rockford, Illinois. CM Punk, however, is not advertised for the show taking place in his home state. The Straight Edge Superstar has not renewed his contract with WWE, so it appears that if he does indeed leave the company, it would be by then.

-- It should be noted that there's been a lot of talk that Cena vs. Del Rio will be the main event of SummerSlam.

Friday, May 27, 2011

TNA iMPACT! Rating + Benoit Spotted On WWE's Nitro DVD

-- Thursday night's 5/26 iMPACT! Wrestling drew a 1.19 (1.2) cable rating. More shortly.

-- The late Chris Benoit is shown a few times in WWE's forthcoming The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro DVD (scheduled for release on June 7), and even in the same segments as Woman. However, no full matches of Benoit are included in the DVD, not to mention that in segments where he is shown, commentary referring to "The Crippler" is muted.

Ex-WWE Tag Team Champion Mocks Randy Savage's Death

According to multiple accounts, former WWE Tag Team Champion Brian Knobbs mocked Randy Savage's death at a wrestling convention last Friday in Newark, California.

A number of former WWE stars were on hand for Big Time Wrestling's annual Wrestlefest event last Friday at the Newark Pavilion including Bret Hart, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman, Jim Neidhart, Jerry Sags, Greg Valentine and Jimmy Hart. News of Savage's passing broke Friday and Knobbs was cracking jokes about the deceased wrestler later that day in front of his longtime colleagues.

Waltman, who witnessed Knobbs' mean-spirited behavior, took to Twitter to criticize the Nasty Boys member.

He wrote, "There's no shoot brewing with Knobs. He's just an asshole for making jokes about Randy Savage dying on the same day it happened. He's pathetic."

Waltman also wrote the following to Hulk Hogan, a close friend of Knobbs': "I'm sorry to even bring you into Knobs BS, but he needs to be held accountable for once. You're the only one I know who can do it."

Savage's brother Lanny Poffo was also scheduled to appear at the event but canceled due to Savage's death.

Jon Moxley's WWE Ring Name Revealed & More

-- Dean Ambrose has been added to the Florida Championship Wrestling roster page. Dean Ambrose is the name that WWE gave to Jon Moxley.

-- Boston.com is featuring an interview with WWE Champion John Cena where he discusses the company's transition to PG programming over the last few years comparing it to the Attitude Era. "The Attitude Era was when the fans became teens. The Attitude Era was really generation-specific. I'm not taking anything away from that — it was 18-to-35-year-old males, and now we're a broader audience, really more like it was in the '80s."

Vince McMahon Writes About Randy Savage - Details

The June 6, 2011 issue of TIME features an article on the late Randy Savage written by Vince McMahon. A preview of the article was released:

"It's important in sports and it's important in entertainment to stand out. Randy knew that. Right away, he wanted to leave his mark, and to do that he was aware he had to make himself different from everyone else. One way he did this was concentrating on his outfits, those brightly colored costumes with foot-long fringe that became his trademark. He brought to wrestling a unique look and style.

"Randy, who died in a car crash May 20 at age 58, was one of the building blocks of what is now WWE (previously known as the World Wrestling Federation). He had..."


To read the article in its entirety, pick up a copy of TIME at your local newsstand or download the TIME iPad app.

Sean Waltman: I Won't Watch The Chyna Porn

Sean Waltman was recently asked by TMZ.com about Chyna's new porn flick that will be coming from Vivid Entertainment. He noted that he would not be watching it, and added the following comments...

"It's too hard remembering how devastated she was the first time around. It saddens me ... but she obviously hasn't progressed very far in life.

[Chyna] used to say how low she felt after the first [sex tape] was released ... what does that say about where she's at in life now?"

Thursday, May 26, 2011

TNA Star Takes Up Smoking To Lose Weight?

-- Tammy Sytch stated on her Facebook account Tuesday that a performer for TNA Wrestling recently took up smoking due to pressure from management to lose weight.

She wrote, "A TNA performer started the unhealthy habit of smoking, under pressure from management to lose weight... great business practices by TNA!!! Good job! I smell lawsuit!"

Sytch added further: "It's not a story...it was something directly told to me from this person...and no, I'm not giving up any names."

Chyna Denies Porn Rumors - Bischoff Not Happy With It

TMZ.com reported this morning that Chyna would be making her much anticipated return to the adult industry in the form of an extremely graphic pornographic video.

Vivid President Steve Hirsch told TMZ he was approached by Chyna "months ago" to create an X-rated film as part of her re-entry into the business.

She shot a movie involving two male adult film stars, tentatively titled Backdoor into Chyna. It is set for release on DVD "in the near future."

According to Beauty Queen Management, who represent the former WWE Women's Champion, the report is "totally untrue" as she has not and will not be shooting any porn videos.

"All rumors relating to Chyna and porn are totally false and should be taken with a grain of salt." her manager Michelle Roberts told Chyna fansite alivingwonder.com. As noted, Hirsch claims it was already filmed!

Meanwhile, Eric Bischoff avoided commenting on her status with TNA Wrestling when asked during an interview earlier this week with Monday Night Mayhem.

Bischoff replied, "That's a really good question and I'm not going to answer it because it would be inappropriate. So, let's leave it at that."

According to sources, TNA has no plans on using Chyna any further, nor the woman originally slotted for the role of Kurt Angle's associate, Isis the Amazon.

Kurt Angle: Reality Show Will Follow Path To Olympics


Kurt Angle posted the following on his Twitter…

Look for My upcoming Reality Show on My path to the Olympics. It starts this Fall. Keep all of You Posted. My training is where it needs to be

I'm ready to attempt to Make History at 43 years of age. Tna is backing Me on this. Thank You to the Carter Family and Dixie. Love You. .


Angle has been claiming that he is training for a return to the Olympics for some time, and according to a source, is scheduled to make an "official" announcement regarding the Olympics in September in the Pittsburgh area. He has reportedly been training with his nephew, who also is looking to make the team.

Ted DiBiase Sr. Comments On The Death Of Randy Savage

WWE Hall of Famer "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, a long time colleague of "Macho Man" Randy Savage, recently appeared on Monday Night Mayhem. Highlights from his interview are as follows:

His reaction to Savage's passing and how he always saw himself identifying with Randy throughout his career:

"I identified with Randy a lot. We both had a lot in common, in that we were both buys who grew up in this industry whose fathers were wrestlers. I've always believed that for kids who that grew up in the industry that it's not just a job, but it's something they fell in love with and something they've known all their lives. There's a certain camaraderie there. In a word, Randy was charismatic. He'll be very missed, and it's sad."

What he will personally and professionally remember the most about Randy, both inside and outside the ring:

"It was his professionalism. He was all business. He would laugh, and cut up, and have fun too, but for the most part, he was a consummate pro. He took his job and his work very seriously, and I always admired that. He was incredibly dedicated."

Chyna Returning To Porn - Details Inside

It looks like Chyna's return to pro wrestling was a one shot deal, because according to TMZ, she is getting back into porn.

Vivid President Steve Hirsch says that Chyna came to him months ago and wanted to revive her porn career. So Hirsch set her up with Evan and Lee Stone, and the three shot a new sex tape tentatively titled Backdoor into Chyna.

The DVD will be released in the near future.

TNA Trying To Stop **SPOILERS**?, BFG PPV On The Road?


-- While there has been talk of Bound for Glory being on the road this year, there is no location set at this time. There is also talk of more episodes of iMPACT! being taped on the road.

-- TNA tapes TV on Monday and Tuesday at Universal Studios. Universal employees have been trying to crack down on fans using cell phones at the events, in an effort to stop spoilers, and have even threatened them with a ban from Universal property if they believe the fan might be sending out information. TNA sources have stated that it is an issue with Universal and not something that they created.

Gun Recovered At Randy Savage’s Crash Scene

According to TMZ, Randy Savage was in possession of a fire arm when he passed away.

When Savage crashed in Florida last week, he was in possession of a high-powered handgun. Randy's brother Lanny stated that the gun is properly registered, and that his brother had recently started a new hobby, target shooting.

Lanny also adds that Randy and his wife were passionate about target shooting, and they went together all the time. Finally he added that he was not surprised the gun was found, since the couple went shooting all the time.

Randy Orton Manages To Get On Wrong Flight Home, Kharma

- Kharma is expected to explain her leave of absence in an interview on next week’s WWE Raw.

- Somehow Randy Orton managed to get on the wrong flight on his way home from Spokane to St. Louis. He boarded a flight to Fayetteville by mistake and realized he had gotten on the wrong plane before the plane took off. Orton was allowed to de board and get on the correct flight. He posted the following on his Twitter account;

”So I’m sitting on my connection home to st louis, and the capt says on the pa,’I want to make sure everyones going to Fayetteville’. Turned out I was on the wrong plane! Had to walk across on tarmac to the right one and the door was already closed! Capt and I made eye contact, and he just shook his head in disappointment. They ended up letting me on, and we r bout to take off. I think my face is still bright red.”

Randy Savage: Don't Play My Theme Music At Funeral

The body of the late Randy Savage was cremated Tuesday and his ashes were spread at the base of a tree at his Largo, Florida home, reports TMZ.com. In compliance with his final request, the family did not play his trademark wrestling theme music during the ceremony.

According to Randy's brother Lanny Poffo, the wrestling legend adamantly requested that in his funeral plans, his theme music, Pomp and Circumstance, was not to be played while he was laid to rest.

TMZ reports that in recent years, Savage felt "extremely guilty" about using the song because it was initially used by his idol, wrestling legend Gorgeous George. He felt like he stole George's thunder.

Poffo says Randy's closest friends and family members will meet again in Florida Thursday to continue to mourn and honor his memory.

WWE Diva Suffers Torn ACL & MCL - Surgery Set

Former WWE Women's Champion Layla announced this evening on her Twitter account that she tore both the ACL and MCL in her knee and will undergo surgery tomorrow.

"Well my knee injury is worse than I thought... I tore both my ACL and MCL," she wrote. "Having surgery tomorrow."

"I'm ready to heal and be stronger than ever!!!!"

She continued, "Not gonna blame anyone yet for making it worse than after Michelle McCool and my match.

"Just need the time to heal. Thank you all for support always."


Recovery time for her injury is expected to be approximately six months.

Layla announced on the May 13 episode of SmackDown! that during her match with Michelle McCool at Extreme Rules, she sustained a serious knee injury. Following Michael Cole's interruption, Kharma emerged. Cole proceeded to trip Layla, allowing the monstrous woman to drive her into the mat.

You can click HERE to view CLOSE-UP Layla ASS shots.

New FCW Diva Debuts, How Old Is Alberto Del Rio?, SD!


-- Alberto Del Rio celebrates his 34th birthday today.

-- A WWE SmackDown TV taping will be held on Tuesday, August 9, 2011 will be held at the Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento, California.

-- NXT Season 3 contestant AJ debuts on this week's episode of WWE SmackDown!. The WWE developmental wrestler partners with Kaitlyn in a tag team match against Alicia Fox and Tamina.

A product of the Northeast independent scene, AJ has been wrestling since September 2007. She signed a developmental contract with WWE in May 2009 and has accumulated the FCW Divas Championship and Queen of FCW crown since that time.

Tommy Dreamer's TNA Contract Expiring + TNA Release

-- We noted earlier here on the website that Terry Taylor has been released from TNA as head of talent relations. The call was made by TNA president Dixie Carter. Longtime WWE employee Bruce Prichard will be taking over the duties soon. Some are not happy with this. The job position of negotiating contracts will more than likely be taken over by Dean Broadhead, the company's current CFO. We hope to have more shortly.

-- Tommy Dreamer's contract with TNA expires within the next month.

Kharma To Cut Promo On RAW Next Week - Details

Kharma is advertised to speak next Monday on RAW. WWE.com released the following statement:

"Live on the next Raw, the WWE Universe will hear from the baleful behemoth, Kharma, about her unexpected emotional breakdown last Monday. What will the devastator of Divas say about her tearful episode?"

If you're interested, you can click here to see photos of Kharma and her real-life boyfriend.

Vickie Guerrero Joins Facebook, Punk Takes Shot At Russo

M Punk gave a review on Twitter of WWE's upcoming The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro DVD. He wrote, "Watching some of the new Nitro DVD. The Russo stuff is unwatchable. Rick Fuller is in the ring though, so that's cool."

-- Vickie Guerrero announced on Twitter that she is accepting Facebook friend requests. Her page is located at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1440651484

Maryse's Cryptic 'Cranky Divas' Tweet + More WWE Parodies?

-- You can expect to see lots more parodies leading into WWE's Capitol Punishment pay-per-view. In addition to President Obama, the plan is to mock other well-known politicians as well.

-- This past Sunday's WWE's Over the Limit pay-per-view at the Key Arena in Seattle, Washington only drew 6,500 paid fans.

-- Maryse deleted a cryptic Twitter message she posted after RAW concerning her female colleagues being "cranky."

She wrote, "The WWE divas are cranky tonight, they should go get some mcdonalds......"

WWE Officials Wanted Kharma To Lose Weight + Edge Note

-- Retired WWE star Edge is featured on the cover of the latest issue of The Wrestler. The headline reads: "Gotta Run! (And Far Too Soon) - How History Will Remember Edge."

-- As reported earlier, Kharma has taken a leave of absence from WWE due to pregnancy. She is expected back, but not for at least nine months. The former TNA Women's Knockout Champion was scripted to break down into tears on Monday's RAW, which the announcers described as a nervous breakdown. The angle was conducted to remove her from television for the time being.

According to a source, prior to her departure, WWE officials were "on her case" to lose some weight. She is billed at 272 pounds by WWE.

New Details - The McMahon-Savage Relationship


According to a source, the recent allegations made by WWE Hall of Famers George "The Animal" Steele and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper concerning Vince McMahon's soured relationship with Randy Savage have nothing to do with the WWE chief's animosity towards the late wrestler.

Piper alleged last Friday on Twitter that Savage slapped McMahon in a bar. Steele then suggested in an interview that McMahon held Savage in contempt for abruptly jumping to World Championship Wrestling in 1994 because he considered him "almost like a son."

Steele said, "I think that what happened with Randy, when his career was winding down with the WWF, Vince McMahon just loved Randy. After all everything Randy had done and he took him under his wing, and he wanted Randy after the ring was over with for him, he wanted him to be our spokesperson. He was traveling with Vince all the time. Randy was almost like a son, they were really tight. And then one day, we were at a TV meeting, and we got word that Randy, without calling Vince, had left and jumped to the WCW. I had never seen Vince McMahon broken before, he was crushed. It hurt him big time and I don't think he ever got over that. I think that's the real problem to be honest with you."

In late 1996, Savage's contract with WCW had expired and he briefly negotiated with WWE regarding a possible return to the organization. According to the source, during this time frame, Vince McMahon told him he would take back Savage "with open arms," but would "never ever" take Hulk Hogan back.

McMahon's animosity towards Savage during the final years of the wrestling legend's life stemmed from an incident that occurred following 1996, or "something he found out."

"Any explanation of why Vince hates Savage that has to do with something that Vince would have known pre-1996 is clearly balderdash," the source stated. "Either something post 1996, or something he found out after 1996."

There is a long-standing rumor indicating that Savage was involved in a sexual relationship with McMahon's daughter Stephanie during his final year in WWE, therefore explaining his animosity towards him (which McMahon learned years later). While the allegation has never been verified, top WWE officials believed the rumor to be true.

"I think that the reason is the same reason that everyone says. It's the reason everyone in (WWE) says. It's the reason that is the only one that makes any sense. So I think that's the reason. I can't come up with any other reason. I don't know. I mean, I've heard that reason from so many people that are not internet rumormongers, I mean people who - all I know is that within the company as far as the top people, they all believe it, and nobody knows for sure, because it's never brought up.

"When I first heard the story I didn't believe it because I thought it was just some story, but then, and I mean even when people who are very high up in that company, after they left the company, would tell me that story I still didn't believe it, but, you know, after a certain number of years when it's just, you know, ideas are brought up for Randy Savage and the reaction - there's something real, real bad because, let's face it, I mean, I couldn't count the number of times Vince said he would never do business with Hulk Hogan, and he always does. So, I don't know...Actually, as time goes by, more people talk about it trying to say that it didn't happen.", the source said.

Funny Randy Orton Story + Big SD! **SPOILER** Update

-- Randy Orton recently wrote about an embarrassing flying story. Apparently he sat down on what he believed to be his connecting flight to St. Louis, but then found out that the flight he was on was a flight to Fayetteville, NC. He told the flight crew, and was then escorted to the correct flight.

-- SPOILER ALERT: As noted late last night here on the website, Armando Alejandro Estrada returned at last night's WWE SmackDown! tapings in Spokane, WA. He appeared on Superstars, managing Tyson Kidd. According to a source, Estrada met with WWE officials about a possible return several months ago while in Long Island, NY.

Kharma's Pregnancy

-- As noted late last night here on the website, Kharma is pregnant. According to sources, it is believed that she will be out "for over nine months." The former TNA Women's Knockout Champion was scripted to break down into tears on Monday's Raw, which the announcers described as a nervous breakdown. The angle was done to remove her from television for the time being. If you're interested, you can click here to see photos of Kharma and her real-life boyfriend.

Michelle McCool Interested In Joining WWE Tough Enough

Michelle McCool participated in a questionnaire with MichelleMcCool.net. She reveals whether she had any moments inside the ring that made her consider quitting, the most valuable lesson she learned on the road, how she would wind down after a match, and more.

When asked to to name her six highlights inside and out of the ring, she wrote:

"Oh goodness! 1.) First-ever Divas Champion. 2.) Becoming first to hold both the Women’s and Divas Championship. 3.) First unified Women’s Champion. 4.) 1/2 of first-ever Women’s Co-Champions. 5.) The formation of the ‘Flawless’ duo, “LayCool” 6.) And being in the first women’s TLC match!!! – Out of the ring, we are so fortunate to do so many things. Not just TV shows here and there (which have all been great), but life changing things (all the work with our troops, Make-A-Wish, school outreach, etc…) Blesses beyond words!"

The multi-time champion also indicated that she would like to train prospective WWE talent on WWE Tough Enough.

"I really wish I were! Can y'all like, start a request or something? ;)

"Training under Bill DeMott for so many years, I'd like to think that he'd say I hung in there with the guys! I do think that most things can't be taught, though. It’s hard to teach drive, it’s hard to teach respect (especially when it seems very common sense), it's hard to teach the "never die" attitude, and it's hard to teach passion. Even when you have these, it's gonna be a long, hard road. However, I do know that I can teach them that if they want something bad enough, that they will have to fight for it day in and day out – no exceptions! I can also teach them that people are going to try to bring you down when they're looking at you on top. Also, I could teach them that this is a business. A business where it'd be a lot more beneficial for so many (not to mention fun), to truly work together, and to try to create magic no matter what hand you’re dealt!"


The interview is available at http://www.michellemccool.net/

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

** SPOILERS ** SmackDown Taping Results

Randy orton kicked off the show. Before he could get going, Christian interrupted. Christian congratulated orton for their match on Sunday. Then he said the match could have gone either way. He issued a challenge, but Sheamus interrupted. And then Mark Henry interrupted the interruption.

We get some GM action with Teddy Long, who mentioned it was deja vu with the same guys arguing about the world title. Long said Christian will have to earn the title shot by booking a Triple Threat between Henry, Sheamus, and Christian for tonight.

Sin Cara beat Chavo Guerrero. Sin Cara came out to a huge pop for the Over The Limit rematch. The mood lighting was in full effect. Sin Cara won after the head-scissors takedown.

Cody Rhodes came out and the brown bag crew followed closely behind. He cut a quick promo about how unattractive the crowd was. I can't fault him for that one. Daniel Bryan interrupted and received a bigger pop than Sin Cara did.

Daniel Bryan defeated Cody Rhodes. Bryan won the match with the LeBell Lock. Cody jumped Bryan after the match. He tagged him with CrossRhodes on the floor and then gave him the brown bag treatment.

They threw to the idiotic Capitol Punishment video.

Booker T entered the ring after a great Tribute to the Troops video. He "invites" Michael Cole to step into the ring. Coke obliged. Book reminded us of Cole's loss at the pay-per-view. He was shocked at Cole's apology, and gave him big props. He wanted to give Cole a chance to apologize again to the Smackdown audience. Booker short-armed the handshake and showed the picture of Cole with King's foot in his mouth. Booker presented him with some Altoids.

Backstage interview with Christian, who talked about how he was always the last kid picked but made the most of it and proved everyone wrong.

Kane beat Great Khali (w/Ranjin Singh). Khali wasn't dancing, but his brother was. Kane's pyro knocked the Tron out of whack, its vertical hold was messed up. Total bumps for Khali: one! Jinder Mahal came out after the match. He spoke in his native tongue and then then shoved Singh. Khali came to Ranjin's defense only to crush his head. Jinder and Khali left together.

Ezekiel Jackson defeated Heath Slater by DQ. Zeke dominated the match and had Slater in the Torture Rack until other Corre members ran in for the DQ. Zeke fought them off. Wade Barrett did not enter the ring.

Backstage with Sheamus. He spoke about how he achieved in a few months what took Henry and Christian their whole lives to accomplish.

Alicia Fox and Tamina defeated A.J. and Kaitlyn (w/Natalya). The Slam of the Week featured Kharma crying on Raw. Ugh. Natalya came out with A.J. and Kaitly, and entered to her music. Alicia pinned Kaitlyn after an axe kick. No Kharma. Boo!!!

Sheamus defeated Christian and Mark Henry in a Triple Threat match to become No. 1 contender to the World Hvt. Championship. The heels start off double teaming Christian, who eventually got them split off. Just as they are getting the advantage, out came Orton, who sat near the commentary team.

Henry shoved Orton, who RKO'd Henry. Christian got a near fall on sheamus. Christian argued with the ref and walked into a Brough Kick. Sheamus pinned Christian, and is the new number one contender. I believe thats where the show ends, because the commentators exited.

Dark Match

Teddy Long came out and said Christian was robbed and ordered a world title match against Orton.

Randy Orton fought Christian to a DQ finish. Tony Chimel was letting fans take pictures of the championship belt. Sheamus and Henry ran in for the DQ and ate simultaneous Killswitch and RKO for their trouble. Orton and Christian celebrated to end the show.

Update: 'Kharma' Is Pregnant

As noted earlier here on the website, WWE Diva Awesome "Kharma" Kong will be sidelined for the remainder of the year.

In an update on this, the reason Kharma is will be off TV is because she is indeed pregnant. As a result, she will not be in active competition for the duration of her pregnancy. She may also miss additional time after the pregnancy for obvious reasons.

If you're interested, you can click here to see photos of Kharma and her real-life boyfriend.

Ex-WWE Star Returns At The SD! Tapings

Former WWE star Armando Estrada returned this week in Spokane, Washington at the SD! tapings. He was announced as Tyson Kidd’s new manager. There will be a match on Superstars where Kidd takes on Trent Baretta.

Michael Hayes dumped Kidd last week on WWE Superstars after he lost a match to Yoshi Tatsu.

Kharma Reportedly Sidelined For The Remainder Of The Year

Midway through last night’s Eight-Diva Tag Team Match on Raw, Kharma’s entrance music echoed, freezing her fellow Divas. As she slid into the ring, her eight fellow Divas lined up on the opposite side of the canvas. Kharma unexpectedly dropped to her knees and began crying.

F4WOnline.com reports that the angle was scripted to write her off television for the time being. She is expected to be sidelined for over nine months.

The reason for her removal from television has not been disclosed.

'Tiffany' & Drew McIntyre Split


-- Former WWE Diva Taryn "Tiffany" Terrell tweeted the following this afternoon: "With great sadness, I announce the end of my marriage. I wish Drew only happiness and continued success." There was an incident last year in August where 'Tiffany' was arrested in L.A following a domestic dispute with Drew McIntyre. WWE suspended and then released her several months later.

This Week's RAW & Tough Enough Ratings Are In

-- This week's edition of WWE RAW drew a 3.4 cable rating, with an average of 5.1 million viewers. The show did hours of 3.44 (3.4) and 3.36 (3.4).

-- This week's edition of WWE Tough Enough drew a 1.64 (1.6) cable rating, with 2,562,000 viewers.

-- The replay of WWE Tough Enough that aired after RAW did a 1.03 (1.0) cable rating, with 1,481,000 viewers.

-- The May 14th edition of AM RAW drew a 0.39 (0.4) cable rating, with 548,000 viewers.

-- The WWE Tough Enough replay which aired after AM RAW drew a 0.49 (0.5) cable rating, with 632,000 viewers.

Dusty Rhodes: How Savage Walked Away From Wrestling

Yahoo! Sports has an article chronicling Randy Savage's extraordinary wrestling career and it features behind-the-scenes details on how it came to an end.

Savage briefly appeared for TNA Wrestling in late 2004 to feud with Jeff Jarrett. At the December pay-per-view, Turning Point, he was scheduled to partner with Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles in a tag team match against The Kings of Wrestling—Jarrett, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. Savage, who hadn't wrestled in over four years, flaked out of the match mere minutes before the pay-per-view was to go live.

WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, who was TNA's head booker at the time, recalled the tumultuous ordeal backstage in a quote for the article.

"The last words he said to me, five minutes before the PPV, was, 'I can't do this. I don't want people to see me looking like this,'" Rhodes remembered. "Jerry [Jarrett, a TNA company co-owner] called [event producer] Keith Mitchell in, and I said, 'Change the main event. I said to him, 'Randy, just go home. It's okay with me.' That's the last words he said to me."

To explain the wrestling legend's absence from the match, an angle was hastily scripted for The Kings of Wrestling to attack Savage and stuff him into the trunk of a limo, which spend off out of the arena's parking lot. Without Savage, Styles and Hardy had to work the match by themselves. Savage ultimately appeared, albeit briefly.

After several minutes of Hardy and Styles fighting off The Kings of Wrestling, Savage, wearing a long black shirt to hide his shrunken physique, returned to the Impact! Zone and walked down to the ring. He was tagged in by Hardy moments later and pinned Jarrett after a punch to the jaw.

Savage bolted from the promotion days later at an iMPACT! taping due to a disagreement over the finish of his match at the next scheduled pay-per-view, Final Resolution. He had requested that he win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Jeff Jarrett at the event, but was denied. He never wrestled again.

Rhodes, who lived a 20-minute drive from Savage, never saw him again following Turning Point. He compared Savage of the last five years of his life to the reclusive lifestyle of Howard Hughes.

"I could see it in his eyes ... he just didn't want to do it," said Rhodes. "Obviously, he was financially set. Out of all of us from that era, [Ric] Flair, Hogan, Andre, myself, how many of us walked away. One."

Jim Ross Blogs: Randy Savage-HOF, Alex Riley, & More

Jim Ross has a new blog entry up at http://www.JRSBARBQ.com/ Here are the highlights…

On Savage In The WWE HOF: I have no idea if or when Randy Savage will be inducted into the WWE HOF or if he will go in with his former wife and valet, the late Miss Elizabeth. As I have said many times, it is obvious that both are deserving.

On Alex Riley: I was impressed with the interaction between Alex Riley and The Miz Monday night on Raw as was, seemingly, the live audience in Portland. I am intrigued to see where Riley on Smackdown, I assume, and Miz, continue to evolve. Riley looked very impressive doling out the physicality on Miz on MNR.

On Tag team Wrestling: What is the future of tag team wrestling? I don't have a firm answer on that one except to say that today's tag team wrestling scene leaves a great deal to be desired. You've heard that here before.

On Over the Limit: It was fun to be a part of the Lawler-Cole bout Sunday at Over the Limit in the Key Arena and I was especially excited to discover once I arrived at the arena that @BretHart was in the house.

Loved the Orton-Christian match and felt like it was the show stealer on the PPV. Two really skilled guys and once again it showed that Christian is underrated but is an important facet of Friday Night Smackdown. Orton is a major star, without question, but his best days should lie ahead.

R Truth seems to have finally found a viable niche and he is one of the brighter aspects on Raw. Truth is embracing his new persona and I happen to think it fits him well.

Enjoyed calling the one match at OTL but would have loved to have been able to be sitting at the announce desk for Orton-Christian. I was impressed with the physical toughness of Cena, Miz and Riley. Leather straps, chairs, bouncing off steel, etc are no fun to experience and all three gutted out the 'I Quit' match which is a challenging piece of business with which to navigate for the athletes and even for the announcers.

You can check out the full blog at http://www.JRSBARBQ.com/

Ex-Creative Writer Blasts Randy Savage-RAW Tribute

Former WWE creative writer Chris DeJoseph (a/k/a Big Dick Johnson), who worked alongside Vince McMahon from 2005 through 2010, ripped his former employer over last night's Randy Savage tribute video on RAW. He feels it's hypocritical that WWE would sing the Macho Man's praises after he had been ostracized from the organization during the final years of his life.

Pointing the finger of blame to Vince McMahon, DeJoseph wrote on Twitter, "Vince is steaming watching this Macho Man package.

"Only in death Macho Man was allowed back on WWE TV. Such a shame. Such hypocrisy makes me sick."


He continued, "I was always told never to mention the name Macho Man EVER!"

DeJoseph then recalls pitching Savage for a storyline years ago and being told to never mention his name again.

"We pitched Macho Man and then we were told never to mention his name again because it was "personal," he wrote.

According to a source, whenever someone on the writing staff pitched an idea to McMahon about bringing Savage back to WWE, he would immediately get angry and shoot the idea down flat. One day, however, head SmackDown! writer Michael Hayes pitched an angle about Savage. Instead of giving his usual angry, expletive-laden response, McMahon peered off into the distance, collected his thoughts and said, "I do not want to do business with that man."

George Steele: Why Randy Savage Isn't In WWE HOF

WWE Hall of Famer George "The Animal" Steele, a former colleague of "Macho Man" Randy Savage, appeared on Busted Open with Doug Mortman and Dave LaGreca, which airs Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Sirius 92 and XM 207. During the interview appearance, he gave his opinion on why Savage has not been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

"That's been said a lot of different ways, and there's been a lot of different things said that are not true necessarily," Steele said.

"I think that what happened with Randy, when his career was winding down with the WWF, Vince McMahon just loved Randy. After all everything Randy had done and he took him under his wing, and he wanted Randy after the ring was over with for him, he wanted him to be our spokesperson. He was traveling with Vince all the time. Randy was almost like a son, they were really tight. And then one day, we were at a TV meeting, and we got word that Randy, without calling Vince, had left and jumped to the WCW. I had never seen Vince McMahon broken before, he was crushed. It hurt him big time and I don't think he ever got over that. I think that's the real problem to be honest with you.

"I heard all this other stuff that I think is garbage when it comes to Randy and relationships with daughters and all that stuff... I don't think that's anywhere's close to the truth."

Jarrett Speaks On Savage’s Impact On Wrestling & More

Busted Open satellite radio show with Jeff Jarrett
Hosts: Dave LaGreca and Doug Mortman
Airs Mondays and Wednesdays on Sirius 92 and XM 207 from 2-4 ET
Visit Facebook.com/bustedopen for more information

Jarrett on Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage’s impact on wrestling:


"There were several different sides to Randy. Personal, professionally, inside the ring, outside the ring…..Randy was, in my opinion, if you want to talk about just the persona of 'Macho Man' Randy Savage, and I said this the other day. There’s three things that go into making a great performer, you gotta have your in ring ability, your verbal skills, and the it factor, and on a scale of 1-10, I think Randy was a 10 out of 10 on all of them.

His body of work throughout his career to me really holds up and obviously the WrestleMania match, WrestleMania III... when you have a match that can still stand the test of time, that speaks volumes. Like in the music industry, sometimes there are classics that go on and on forever. To me, Randy had many of those with Steamboat. He had a great series of matches with Ultimate Warrior. I think the best match Ultimate Warrior ever had was with Randy. So as far a performer, you can’t say enough good things."

Jarrett on memories of Randy Savage from their WCW days:

"His notoriety far outreached the wrestling industry. For Randy to have the corporate clout so to speak to take the Slim Jim account from one organization to another, sort of speaks volumes about the brand that Macho Man became. When he went from WWF to WCW, that was huge. I believe you put Hulk (Hogan), (Ric) Flair, and Savage, I’m sure everything is debatable on the most famous wrestlers of all time but Randy is in the argument without a doubt."

Jarrett on whether George Steele was right in saying Vince McMahon was a broken man after Randy Savage left WWE:

"I think it was a shock, and George probably knew more of the details at the time, but Randy was... if you really think about WrestleMania, and entrenching it in I guess the fabric of pop culture, look at the roles Macho Man played in the first ten. That sort of speaks for itself."

Monday, May 23, 2011

Obama Featured On WWE Capitol Punishment Poster

-- Randy Savage was honored during Sunday afternoon's New York Yankees vs. New York Mets game at Yankee Stadium as an "In Memory Of" graphic displaying the years of his birth and death was shown on the video screen. "Macho Man" by the Village People played during the tribute.

-- A caricature of United States President Barack Obama in a WWE referee uniform alongside Rey Mysterio and John Cena is featured on the promotional poster for next month's WWE pay-per-view event, Capitol Punishment.

You can click here to view the poster.

The pay-per-view event takes place June 19 at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C.

WWE Stars Pay Tribute To Randy Savage At Over The Limit

-- Paul Bearer will be appearing at Sports Heroes and Legends 10 Giffords Lane Staten Island, New York on Friday July 22 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

-- Last night's WWE Over The Limit pay-per-view opened with an "In Memory Of" graphic paying tribute to Randy Savage, who passed away on Friday.

CM Punk performed a Macho Man style diving elbow drop during his match against Big Show and Kane, but missed. Wade Barrett also performed a flying elbow from the second rope in his match against Ezekiel Jackson.

Savage was never mentioned by the announcers during the pay-per-view broadcast, nor did any video package air. They may do something on RAW but that is not confirmed by any means.

Cause Of Randy Savage's Death Unknown


An autopsy was completed yesterday on Randy Savage and the cause of death is still "pending," reports TMZ.com.

TMZ.com adds that the Medical Examiner in Pinellas County, Florida did not notice "extensive trauma" to his body while conducting the autopsy.

Toxicology results are expected to be released in four to six weeks. It was previously reported that the police didn't suspect that drugs or alcohol were involved.

Savage died in a car accident Friday in Seminole, Florida when his 2009 Jeep Wrangler veered across a concrete median, through oncoming traffic, and "collided head-on with a tree."

Savage was pronounced dead at Largo Medical Center while his wife Barbara Lynn suffered minor injuries.

Disturbing Report On WWE Wrestler Death Stats & More


In light of Randy Savage's passing on Friday due to an automobile accident in Seminole, Florida, a report was posted comparing WWE wrestler death stats to similar sized samples in other fields of sports and entertainment.

The report states that of the 51 talents who appeared at the 1991 WWE pay-per-view WrestleMania VII, 14 have died prematurely—"The Texas Tornado" Kerry Von Erich, Dino Bravo, Andre the Giant, Joey Marella, "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, Mr. Perfect, Miss Elizabeth, Hawk, Hercules, Big Boss Man, Earthquake, Sensational Sherri, Crush and Randy Savage. This list does not include Gorilla Monsoon (62, natural causes) and Lord Alfred Hayes (76).

By comparison, of the 44 professional football players who started on both offense and defense at Superbowl XXV between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants, all remain alive.

For professional boxing, of the 44 boxers to hold a major world championship in 1991 (WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO), two are dead.

Of the 50 musicians to perform at the 1991 and 1992 Monsters of Rock festivals in England (an annual music festival which would attract the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal music), all remain alive.

Roddy Piper 'Ends The Story' On Savage & Vince

To add further fuel to the widespread belief that Vince McMahon held Randy Savage in contempt during the wrestling legend's final years, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper claimed Friday on Twitter that the multi-time world champion once slapped the WWE Chairman at a bar.

He wrote, "Randy slapped Vince in a bar...End of that story!!"

The WWE Hall of Famer was writing stories on Savage following his passing earlier in the day.

Former WWE talent Sean "X-Pac" Waltman, however, doesn't believe that their alleged animosity is due to the bar incident in question. He wrote on Twitter in response to a fan bringing up the allegation: "I respectfully disagree with Roddy. Not that it didn't happen, but it's not where the heat came from."

There is a long-standing internet rumor regarding an alleged incident between Savage and Stephanie McMahon that was said to have occurred several years ago, therefore explaining Vince's animosity towards him. While the allegation has never been verified, sources note that 'top people' within WWE believed the rumor to be true, though not known for sure.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

TNA Bringing Back The Six-Sided Ring?, Details

The promotional poster for TNA's upcoming Destination X pay-per-view event has been released and it features an image of the six-sided ring. Of course, this would be a one-night only type deal.

You can click here to view the poster.

The event takes place Sunday, July 10, 2011 at the Impact! Wrestling Zone in Orlando, Florida.

ROH Sold : Backstage Update: The ROH Sale & Future

According to a source, the ROH deal with Sinclair Broadcasting almost happened 18-months ago. There were negotiations, but the two sides could not come to terms. There also had been at least two other suitors who had made offers to Cary Silkin over the last year. Here are some backstage bullet point notes on the sale:

* ROH held a meeting with their talent backstage at today's live event to announce the sale of the company. The meeting was held with all talent and management at 4:00EST and a presser (we posted it here) was issued shortly thereafter. ROH president Carey Silkin praised the sale and said good things would come from it.

* Sinclair will attempt to syndicate the series in additional markets both domestically and internationally.

* ROH had been holding off on announcing new dates for shows, due to the possible sale.

* There is no timetable for a return to traditional PPV.

* HDNet retains the rights to the content for high definition broadcasting but ROH will have access and rights to the material if it is used in standard definition

* Many ROH talents are signed to deals and the feeling is that the remaining talents who aren't signed will be offered deals or will be replaced by talents that will.

* There may be additional names, with WWE value, added to the roster. This would be similar to that of Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin. Obviously names from WWE are bigger draws and are needed in order to draw more fans and higher ratings.

* We noted earlier here on the website that former ROH star Jimmy Jacobs is returning at tonight's ROH Super Card of Honor event. Jacobs will likely be returning likely in the role of Steve Corino's sponsor. This has been in the works for a while, as Jacobs has been finishing up his EVOLVE and DGUSA commitments.

Bill Goldberg Meets With TNA Executive


TNA Wrestling executive and personality Eric Bischoff stated on his Facebook account last night that he arrived in New York City for meetings this weekend.

He wrote, "Just arrived in NYC for meetings over the weekend. Some pretty exciting stuff happening. Going to try and get in a 3 mile run before my first meeting tonight and try out this new pair of NIKE Frees! I have been wanting to try."

One of his meetings included an encounter with Bill Goldberg.

The former WCW World Heavyweight Champion posted a video on his Twitter account this morning of himself and Bischoff flying above New York City in a helicopter.

Regarding the video post, he wrote, "The last tweet was a sign of the end of the world...."

The World To End Today?, Rosita Update, Savage Notes, More

-- The Washington Post asked Dusty Rhodes about the death of Randy Savage. Dusty said, "There's probably five or six of us, with Andre (the Giant) and (Hulk) Hogan and thankfully myself and (Ric) Flair, that, when their names pop up, even if you're not a fan, you know who in the hell these people are. You say, ‘I know this guy. I know Macho Man Randy Savage.' He was part of that breed. We lost a good one."

-- Roddy Piper also mentioned Savage, writing stories about him on Twitter. Here's one of the stories: "Randy slapped Vince in a bar...End of that story!!"

-- Christian radio host Harold Camping predicts that a Rapture will take place today, May 21, 2011 at 6 p.m. local time (the rapture will sweep the globe time zone by time zone) and that the end of the world as we know it will take place five months later on October 21, 2011. Seriously..... he really believes this.

TNA Knockout Tag Team Champion Rosita commented on the possibility of the event today on her Twitter account.

She wrote, "Wow there really are some sad and troubling things going on in the world today.. heard the world is ending tomorrow.. God forbid it does I want all of you to know that I truly love and appreciate you all from family to friends to fans.. you all have been incredible and big thanks to certain people who know who they are.. you are positive motivating forces within my life. I love you all."

As noted earlier here on the website, she noted the following regarding an oral procedure: "In the oral surgeons office again... let's hope its good news today. Grrrrr..."

Melina Looking To Make A 'Dramatic Change' - Details

Melina indicated Thursday during a seven hour live chat on her official website that she is contemplating overhauling her entire appearance. The WWE Diva feels she's at a point where a 'dramatic change' is necessary.

She wrote, "I'M ACTUALLY THINKING OF CHANGING MY LOOK ALL TOGETHER. MAYBE IT WILL MAKE PEOPLE SAD BUT I AM AT A POINT WHERE I NEED A DRAMATIC CHANGE."

The multi-time champion has not appeared on Monday Night RAW in nearly three months; her last appearance took place on February 28. She has sporadically appeared on WWE Superstars in the meantime.

Randy Savage's Wife Released From Hospital, HBK Tweets

-- Randy Savage's wife was released from the hospital today.

-- Shawn Michaels made the following comment on his Twitter account: "Greatest advice from "Mach"- I was angry & wanted to leave WWE. He said, Don't take urself out of the game. If ur still here...there's always a chance. If ur gone, there is no chance. It was then I determined never to leave. Stay in the "game" & there's hope."

-- Fox Sports Midwest covered Randy Savage's death during last night's broadcast of the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals. A graphic of Savage's Minor League career as a Cardinal was shown during "Cardinals Live!" a post-game show that recapped the Cardinals/Royals game.

-- CNN posted a story on Savage's passing. The story is almost everywhere, including local and national affiliates.

Ric Flair Comments On The Death Of Randy Savage

TNA Wrestling talent Ric Flair appeared on Charlotte's "The Fan" 610 AM WFNZ sports radio station on Friday to discuss Randy Savage following his passing earlier in the day. Highlights are as follows:

Flair on "Macho Man" Randy Savage:

"It sure did (hit hard). It's pretty sad. He just recently got married, it's been a little over a year, and was happy and, you know, really seemed to be at peace with himself. He just had a phenomenal career and to have this happen is just really, really sad."

Flair on his WrestleMania VIII match with Savage:

"That was a huge day for me and my first dance at Wrestlemania, of course. It was just a tremendously well-written program. It was like he was married to Liz back then and she was a huge commodity and a huge star with the WWF, or that's what they were called back then, of course. And the thing was, 'She was mine before she was yours.' It was well-written and done and Randy worked hard at it and I worked hard at it. We had a really good match. Curt Hennig, God rest his soul, managed me and Liz managed Randy and we gave them a helluva show and it was awesome. That was my first Mania and one of the finest memories of my career."

Additional thoughts on Savage:

"My thoughts about Randy are different. I think he was such a competitive guy. Randy had a really hard time relaxing and I feel bad. I think about the times I used to say to him 'Hey man, just calm down and don't worry about this and this and this... whatever happens is going to happen.' If you go to sleep at night worrying about what's going to happen the next day, it's just too hard. You know, he worked like I did, 365 times a year back in the old days. He actually broke in in Charlotte in 1975. I'd only been here a year when Randy moved in down here. He played semi-pro baseball, I think, in St. Louis and was doing fairly well but wasn't blowing up the ladder like expected so he came here and broke in the business.

"The irony in that is when I first moved here in '74, I actually traveled with his dad several times. I knew the whole family very well. His dad just passed recently and I think that hurt Randy really bad. They were very close. Randy just dropped out of sight when the company was sold from WCW (to WWE).

"The thing I feel worst about, of all of the guys that are available and eligible to be in the WWE Hall of Fame -- there most be something that I'm unaware of that's gone on and they've never inducted him because Randy certainly was a major player for the WWF in the mecca days of the eighties and nineties."

Flair on whether Savage is one of the 10 greatest wrestlers ever:

"Of course. Yeah. Of course. ... I didn't always agree with Randy. I'm not gonna lie to you. I didn't sweat things out like he did. But I wasn't... I didn't have to fight like a dog in that race they had to be whoever they were in the eighties in that show, where everybody was fighting for position everyday of their life. I didn't have to evolve from that. I never had personal differences with him, nothing about lifestyle. It was just about business and it doesn't stop my opinion (of him) -- he always did favors for me. He came in and opened some of my Golds Gyms. We were great friends. He and I clashed in business, but outside of the ring we were great. He could drink beer and have a good time. And, I made him laugh and helped him take his mind of things that bothered him. We got along great and had a lot of fun together.

"I used to say to him all the time, he probably died with 300 million dollars in the bank. I'm not exaggerating. I'm being facetious. But, Randy was very thrifty. I used to say to him all the time, because he would stay at hotels that were less cost effective than where I stayed. (laughs) You can criticize it all you want but I'm going to enjoy the moment because you never know, you know.

"The irony in that is Randy was only 58-years-old. That's sad because I guarantee you he's got enough money to live 200 more years. He made it. He worked hard to earn it. He worked very hard to earn it. He deserved it. But I always used to say to him, 'Man, you live for the day.' Today's another example of why you have to live for today. You never know."

Major U.S. Newspaper Claimed The Ultimate Warrior Was Dead

We noted yesterday that authors of the New York Post's story on the passing of Randy Savage erroneously listed former WWE Champion Ultimate Warrior among other prominent wrestlers from the 1980s to have died.

They wrote: "Savage's passing follows the deaths of several other prominent wrestlers from the 1980s, including Yokozuna, Ultimate Warrior, Bam Bam Bigelow and Savage's one-time female partner and wife, Miss Elizabeth."

The article, which is available at NYPost.com, has since removed the Ultimate Warrior mention.

The death of Ultimate Warrior has been a common misconception dating back to 1992 when he appeared at WrestleMania VIII following a lengthy sabbatical with shorter hair and a less muscular physique.

Warrior himself acknowledged the misconception in the introductory message of his official website, UltimateWarrior.com.

He wrote, "I am not dead. Nor have I ever died. Don't laugh. There are plenty of kooks (too many) who write and inform me that I am or that I have -- and then demand I write back and confirm it!"

TNA Honors Randy Savage At Live Event - HOFers Appear

TNA Wrestling held a ten-bell salute for Randy Savage at Friday night's live event at the Amsterdam High School in Amsterdam, New York. They are doing a show at the school as the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame has their annual inductions this weekend.

Savage, who performed for the organization in 2004, died in an automobile accident this morning in Seminole, Florida. You can click here to see a photo gallery of Randy Savage in TNA Wrestling.

Meanwhile, new WWE Hall of Famers Road Warrior Animal and Paul Ellering attended the event and were introduced to the audience alongside legendary grapplers Nick Bockwinkel, Danny Hodge, J.J. Dillon, Dominic Denucci, The Destroyer, Mark Lewin and Doink the Clown.

Animal was advertised to guest host next weekend's RAW live events in Canada, but was pulled due to WWE's belief that he was critical of their drug testing policy in a recently published interview with Power Slam magazine. He appeared on a Minneapolis based sports radio station yesterday and said his remarks were taken out of context by a wrestling website—actually copied verbatim from the magazine article.

More On WWE Possibly Paying Tribute To Randy Savage


There are conflicting reports on whether WWE will honor Randy Savage next week on television following his tragic passing Friday morning in Seminole, Florida.

According to one source, the production team was ordered to work on a video piece honoring the wrestling legend for inclusion on next week's television programming.

Another source noted that the organization would pay tribute to him in some form at this Sunday's Over the Limit pay-per-view event in Seattle, Washington. However, they now say that no tribute is planned for Savage, at least for Sunday. As of now, something is expected to air Monday on RAW.

Meanwhile, WWE.com posted a video dedicated to the wrestling legend's memory, as well as several photos and clips highlighting his extravagant career. The video package is from WWE's 2009 DVD release Randy Savage: Macho Madness.

Savage died Friday morning in Seminole, Florida after a head-on collision with a tree. Lanny Poffo, his brother, says the accident occurred after Savage suffered a heart attack while driving his 2009 Jeep Wrangler. We've also learned that Randy was pronounced dead before his arrival to the hospital. He was 58 years old.

Randy Savage Notes: Major Media, WWE Tribute Planned?, More


-- WWE has posted a tribute video to Randy Savage. You can check it out at WWE.com.

-- Currently there is no plan for a Randy Savage tribute at WWE Over the Limit. This does not mean that they won't have one, simply that they don't have anything planned yet. You'll likely see a video package on RAW this week.

-- In the New York Post's story on Savage's death, the author erroneously listed Ultimate Warrior as a wrestler from the 80s and 90s who had died. Ultimate Warrior's death has a common misconception for a long time now.

-- Fox News has an image gallery of several deceased wrestlers.

-- As you can imagine, almost every major news outlet has picked up the Randy Savage death. The Associated Press, TMZ, RadarOnline, CNN, NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, FOX News, SI, ESPN, MSNBC, etc. have all picked it up. You can expect to see it everywhere in the coming days.

TNA iMPACT! Wrestling Rating, Rosita Dental Issues?, More

-- This week's episode of iMPACT! Wrestling did a a 1.17 (1.2) cable rating, with 1,714,000 viewers.

-- TNA's Rosita tweeted the following: In the oral surgeons office again... let's hope its good news today. Grrrrr...

-- Ivelisse from WWE Tough Enough recently did an interview at Diva-Dirt.com discussing her departure from the show and her quad injury.

Backstage Update - Major TNA Management Shake-Up

As noted earlier here on the website, Terry Taylor was relieved of his duties as TNA Wrestling's Director of Talent Relations on Friday.

A company-wide statement was issued and it was announced that Dean Broadhead will oversee contractual matters while former WWE executive Bruce Prichard will handle Taylor's remaining duties.

Taylor had been with TNA since 2003 in a management role and served as head of talent relations for the majority of the organization's existence.

According to sources in TNA, Prichard is not well-liked by most wrestlers in the organization. He joined the organization last year in a backstage capacity after spending a number of years in WWE as Vince McMahon's "right hand man."

Major Top TNA Executive Leaves Company

TNA has informed their employees that head of Talent Relations Terry Taylor has resigned and will finish his commitments to the company by May 31st.

The rumor is that Bruce Prichard may take over for Taylor.

This is a major shakeup within TNA. We hope to have more shortly.

Tons & Tons More Tweets On Randy Savage's Death

Talent from around the wrestling world have continued to speak on the death of Randy Savage:

William Regal: "Just heard of the passing of Randy Savage.A one of a kind great performer. RIP."

John Cena: "CeNation. The untimely passing of randy savage is indeed tragic. All true fans of wrestling will mourn this loss. One of the all time greats"

Zack Ryder: "RIP MACHO MAN. One of my favorites and one of the best of all time. DIG IT! http://t.co/PSYmsrJ"

Trish Stratus: "Rest in peace Randy-my first inspiration in the ring. My prayers & condolences to the Savage family #RIPMachoMan"

Howard Finkel: "I am profoundly saddened by the passing of one of the all-time greats, Macho Man Randy Savage. My condolences go out to the Poffo family."

Mark Henry: "Wow family, one of my favorites is gone! Rest well (Randy savage) you will be missed. Savage vs steamboat look it up do yourself a favor family one of my favorite."

Kharma : "In utter shock about Macho Man. So much charisma in one soul. #ripmachoman"

Yoshi Tatsu: "The Macho Man Randy Savage was one of my heros when I was childhood and one of the best of all time. Rest in peace."

Rey Mysterio: "RIP Macho Man Randy Savage! Doing promotion in Seattle for Over the Limit ppv, was asked earlier today at a radio station, Who would I of loved to wrestle from back in da day? I said would of loved to hit it off in a 3ple threat, Macho Man, Ricky the Dragon, and myself!RIP RMS!"

CM Punk: "@BretHart: I have no words to say. This one hits me hard. We lost one of the best." This sums it up."

Lucky Cannon: "My respect and condolence goes out to a true iconic figure the Macho Man Randy Savage and his family!"

Goldust: "Prayers go out to randy savage family.....god be with them in this tough time"

Vickie Guerrero: "RIP Randy Macho Man Savage. My prayers are to your family"

Darren Young: "JUST like that! Life can end. Tell those close to ya that you love them cause ya never know! RIP Macho Man"

Wade Barrett: "Bow to the kingdom of the madness. RIP Macho Man, amazing performer."

Titus O'Neil: "My Prayers go out to the family,friends&former colleagues of WWE Superstar Randy "Macho Man" Savage who passed away this morning.God Bless"

Curt Hawkins: "I carry this picture in my gear bag ...7yr old Hawkins & my 1st tag team partner. RIP Macho Man. http://yfrog.com/h097hykj"

JTG : "To one of my favorite Hall of Famers, inducted or not. Macho Man Randy Savage. R.I.P OOOOOOOOOH YEEEEEEEAH !"

Ezekiel Jackson: "Whoa....just heard about macho man Randy savage...God bless the family, the wrestling world just lost one of the greatest ever...R.I.P"

Justin Roberts: "Macho Man...simply awesome. Incredible and entertaining in everything he did. One of the best ever. RIP"

Christian: "Sad 2 hear about "Macho Man"Randy Savage..Only met him once briefly.No doubt 1 of the best & influenced so many performers you see today RIP"

Scott Stanford: "Sorry to hear about the Macho Man! He was one of the best!"

Tommy Dreamer: "Randy Savage was the 1st person I saw piledrive someone thru a table. Thanks 4 all the memories. Hope u walk the aisle w/ Liz & Sherri again"

Doug Williams: "RIP #randysavage I was fortunate to see him live at his peak..."

Karen Jarrett: "My thoughts and prayers go out to Randy Savage's wife and family!"

Mickie James: "Ooh No! My childhood favorite! RIP Macho Man... *finger in the air*

Jay Lethal: "R.I.P. Macho Man Randy Savage. You were amazing... Oohh yea!!!"

Shane Helms - "Totally heartbreaking news about Randy Savage. One of my all-time favs!! So sad!! RIP Macho"

Shelly Martinez: "Sad news about Macho Man My prayers r with his soul and all grieving his passing :( "

Celebrities Tweet On The Death Of Randy Savage

Several celebrities have tweeted regarding the death of "The Macho Man" Randy Savage:

Alyssa Milano: "Rest in peace, Macho Man Randy Savage."

Donnie Wahlberg: "#RIPMachoMan"

Rob Thomas (Rock Star): "RIP RANDY "MACHO MAN" SAVAGE."

Marcus Camby (NBA): "RIP Randy Macho Man Savage. Ooooooooooooh. Yeaaaahhhhhh."

Ryan Seacrest: "RIP Macho Man Randy Savage... loved watching him in the ring growing up. Oooooh yeeeah! http://bit.ly/jvssAd"

Kirk Morrison (NFL): "Ooooooohhhhhhhh Yeeeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhhhh (Macho Man voice)"

Brian Cushing (NFL): "RIP Macho Man Randy Savage."

Michelle Beadle (ESPN): "Just to remember one of the baddest: http://tinyurl.com/ywfdze. Macho Man."

Bill Simmons (ESPN): "RIP, Randy Poffo aka Randy "Macho Man" Savage aka one of the greatest pro wrestlers who ever lived."

Even More Wrestlers Tweet On Randy Savage’s Death

Several wrestlers have been commenting on the passing on Randy Savage, here are their thoughts…

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper: To SAD TO TWEET..

Jim Cornette: Our deepest condolences in losing another legend. R.I.P. Randy.

Carlito Colon: RIP Macho Man! In my opinion prob top 5 worker of all time!

Bill DeMott: When I got my start in WCW it was Randy that gave me the rub....my prayers and thoughts to the Poffo Family.

Steve Corino: Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat at WM3 is still 1 of my favorite matches ever. I was 14 & though I "hated" Savage, I never booed him again

The Honky Tonk Man: Our thoughts and prayers go out to Lanny Poffo and his family. Macho Man Randy Savage sadly died today. One of the all time greats. Such sad news fans. We are lost for words. One of the greatest of all time.”

TNA Acknowledges Randy Savage's Death

The following was just posted on TNAWrestling.com:

TNA joins the entire wrestling world in mourning the passing of the legendary "Macho Man" Randy Savage

Savage was one of the most talented athletes to ever compete inside a wrestling ring. He truly transcended professional wrestling, becoming one of the true "icons" of our sport. Millions of wrestling fans grew up watching Savage battle other legends such as Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat and many more.

Savage appeared with TNA during our 2004 "Victory Road" and "Turning Point" events - memorable moments that we hope wrestling fans will never forget.

TNA hopes all of our fans remember Randy Savage's amazing life and career, and how he helped shape the sport as we know it today.

Hulk Hogan via his Twitter account @HulkHogan4Real
"I'm completely devastated, after over 10 years of not talking with Randy, we finally started to talk and communicate. He had so much life in his eyes & in his spirit, I just pray that he's happy and in a better place and we miss him. We miss him a lot. I feel horrible about the ten years of having no communication. This was a tough one. I just pray that Randy's happy and in a better place and we miss him."

TNA Founder Jeff Jarrett via his Twitter @JeffJarrettTNA
"Just got a call with the news. RIP Randy. I met him when I was 11yrs old. He would always teach, correct, encourage, and compliment as my career progressed. I have NEVER forgotten the intricacies and attention to detail he taught me over the years. Randy always had a method to his madness. Randy is gone, but will never be forgotten. Thoughts and prayers are w the entire Poffo family."

WWE.com Acknowledges Randy Savage's Death


The following was just posted on WWE.com:

WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the greatest Superstars of his time, Randy Poffo, a.k.a. Randy “Macho Man” Savage. Poffo was under contract with WWE from 1985 to 1993 and held both the WWE and Intercontinental Championships. Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends. We wish a speedy recovery to his wife Lynn. Poffo will be greatly missed by WWE and his fans.

WWE's Facebook.com page also just posted the following:

We've lost a legend ... Randy "Macho Man" Savage passed away today at the age of 58. Click COMMENT to share your condolences and your favorite "Macho" memories.

More Wrestlers Comment On Randy Savage’s Death

Several wrestlers have been commenting on the passing on Randy Savage, here are their thoughts…

Hulk Hogan: I'm completely devastated, after over 10 years of not talking with Randy, we've finally started to talk and communicate. HH He had so much life in his eyes & in his spirit, I just pray that he's happy and in a better place and we miss him. HH We miss him a lot. I feel horrible about the ten years of having no communication. This was a tough one. HH

Shawn Michaels: @IAmJericho jus txt me the news. We've lost one of the greats!! Our prayers go out to the family & friends of Randy Savage.

RVD: Rest in Peace Macho Man Randy Savage.

Christopher Daniels: RIP Randy Savage, an inspiration who set the standard! As a fan, watching Randy in Wrestlemania 3,4 and 5 was incredible! True Story: at Turning Point 2004 (AMW-XXX cage match), I asked Randy's permission to drop the elbow of the top of the cage! Randy's reply? "God bless you, brother, I don't even do the elbow anymore." And, he gave me a thumbs up after the match as well!

Claudio Castignoli: When I was 12 I turned my jacket into a Macho Man Jacket, adding tassels on the sleeves and ran through my house yelling "oh yeah" The tower of power, too sweet to be sour, funky like a monkey uuuuh yeah! RIP M

Natalya: My prayers are with Randy Savage and his family right now.

Wrestlers Comment On Randy Savage’s Death

Several wrestlers have been commenting on the passing on Randy Savage, here are their thoughts…

Jeff Jarrett: Just got a call w the news. RIP Randy. I met him when I was 11yrs old. He would always teach, correct, encourage, and compliment as my... Career progressed. I have NEVER forgotten the intricacies and attention to detail he taught me over the years. Randy always had a method to His madness. Randy is gone, but will never be forgotten. Thoughts and prayers are w the entire Poffo family. And, he may be the greatest card player the business has ever seen... When he lost, he was only setting you up to take more money from you!

UFC Fighter Shane Carwin: RIP Randy Macho Man Savage! We are going to SOOOOOOOOOO MISSSSS YOUUUUUUUU...... He was a great Entertainer!

The Rock: RIP Randy "Macho Man" Savage - you were one of my childhood inspirations and heros. Strength, love and prayers to the Savage/Poffo family.

Kevin Nash: I lost a close friend today. If anybody in heaven is wondering who the cat in the ugly cowboy hat is it's Randy. Love you Bro. Never another

Shannon Moore: RIP Macho Man Randy Savage. One reason I loved wrestling.

Mick Foley: I just heard the sad news about the Macho Man. Randy Savage was one of my favorites performers, and my heart goes out to his loved ones

Jim Ross: Just heard Macho Man died this morning of a heart attack while driving his vehicle in Tampa. Condolences to all Randy Savage fans/family.

Christian Says He Was Never In Edge's Shadow, & More

After losing the World Heavyweight Championship just two days after he won it, Christian hopes to keep the "emotional wave" going. Though his best friend, Edge, has retired, he will nonetheless be a part of it.

"It was two guys that grew up as fans and broke into the business together. We've both gone up and down different paths, and things like that. We were both able to realize a dream. Yeah, it was real emotional. The flipside of that is that unfortunately Edge has to retire, and the landscape has all changed," Christian told SLAM! Wrestling, referring to roster changes and post-WrestleMania fallout.

"I've just got to go out and do what I do every night, and that's go out and perform. I think one of the things that the people, the fans, know about me is that every time I step in the ring, I give everything I have to entertain everyone that's spent their hard-earned dollars on a ticket for a WWE event. I think that's apparent. I think that's what people know about me, that every night I leave it in the ring. I'm just going to carry that emotion away with me and bring it to my matches and all those sorts of things. The rest should take care of itself."

Christian, does however, refute the notion that he was ever in Edge's shadow.

"[Edge] got everything he worked for, and he deserved it. He's one of the best," he said. "That being said, everyone takes different paths, and mine was a longer way, for whatever reason. But I never got down on myself, never tried to compare myself -- 'Oh, he's doing this, and I'm doing this.' I never looked at it that way, and you can't look at things that way. You have to look at your situation, and 'how do I make the best of my situation every single night?' That's what I looked to do. I never looked at being second banana to anybody, I never felt that way, ever. If other people did, that's the way they looked at it, but I never did."

"Captain Christian" believes that leaving WWE for TNA Wrestling in 2005 was greatly beneficial to his career.

"It was just one of those things that I needed for myself at that time. I was just worn down from the road schedule, from being on the road for eight years. I just needed to be home and recharge the batteries for a couple of years, do some things with family and friends," he said, continuing.

"When I left WWE, I always knew that I wanted to come back when the time was right. I felt that I did that. Since I've come back, especially coming back from the injury that I had, I feel that I've done some of the best work of my career. It's probably the most exciting time of my career up to this point."

Christian also discusses his "peeps," how he dealt with suffering a torn pectoral muscle last year, the rising stars of SmackDown, and more. The article is available at http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/

BREAKING UPDATE: Randy Savage Killed In Car Accident

The following is from TMZ.com:

Florida Highway Patrol tells TMZ ... Savage was driving his 2009 Jeep Wrangler when he veered across a concrete median ... through oncoming traffic ... and "collided head-on with a tree."

Savage was transported to Largo Medical center, where he died from his injuries.

Savage's wife was a passenger in the vehicle during the collision -- but survived with "minor injuries." She was transported to a different local hospital where she was treated.

According to officials, Randy and Lynn were both wearing their seatbelts at the time of the accident.

Cops say alcohol was NOT a factor.

An investigation into the accident is underway.