No Joke - Kurt Angle Headed To The Olympics?

You can't make this stuff up guys - Kurt Angle says that he's considering another try at the Olympic games and he's dead serious.

"It's not just this old man trying to lash out to get publicity," Angle told WTAE Channel 4 Action News on Friday. "It's about really making the team and making a point that, you know what, the 40s is not old. It's the new young. I feel really good at 42, and I might be making a statement that him and I are going to start training for the Olympics and go after the U.S. Open, the Olympic team trials, and then the Olympics," Angle said.

"Everyone asks me, 'How can you do all of these things?' And I always tell them I'll rest when I die," Angle said. "I don't rest very much. I like to do things, I like to accomplish things, and I have a passion for everything that I do, including pro wrestling, and I miss the Olympic wrestling."

"But if we're going to make this (Olympic) commitment, we're going to do it, and it starts in August," he said.

You can read more about this at http://www.wtae.com/entertainment/27721730/detail.html

Rima Fakih's Future?, iMPACT! Rating

-- Buzz Focus has an interview Rima Fakih where she talks about Tough Enough and more. When asked if she would be continuing with her wrestling career she says, "Actually, I'm very busy right now. On June 19th I'll be crowning the new Miss USA at the Planet Hollywood Hotel in Las Vegas. It'll be live on NBC — please consider that a plug. (Laughs.) I also hope to purse a career in acting. I have a lot of offers on the table." You can check it out at http://www.buzzfocus.com/

-- This week's edition of TNA iMPACT! drew a 1.09 (1.1) cable rating, with 1,510,000 viewers.

Vince McMahon Speaks - Buying TNA?!, The Rock's Deal

WWE held their annual stockholder's meeting today in Stamford, CT. During the meeting, the floor was opened for questions from stockholders:

Vince McMahon was asked about WWE's relationship with the Rock, specifically whether the company's new deal with him was cost-effective, since they obviously were having to pay a high premium for someone of his current stature. McMahon responded that he and Rock are working on a handshake deal and that is "how they have operated for a long, long time." McMahon said it's all based on increased value. He said that if there is a higher percentage in terms of growth in terms of what they would "normally expect", Rock is "going to get a piece of that". McMahon said their net was going to be much higher and he and Rock were proud of that.

How the other WWE PPV events were doing compared to the past was brought up. McMahon said the PPV business is down but he's hoping that Wrestlemania's PPV numbers will be a kickoff for a new year in terms of numbers for the company's PPV events.

McMahon was asked whether Smackdown had retained its audience in the transition from MyNetworkTV to SyFy, McMahon said that the show has just about the same penetration now and they are very happy with SyFy, stating that they have "been the number one show on the network" since they've debuted there. He said if there's been any change in distribution, it's offset by the advantages of being under the NBC Universal family through promotion. McMahon noted that the syndicated network system, such as MyNetworkTV, is in trouble. Being on SyFy gives them longevity and provides them with non-preemptive status (i.e. they won't be bounced out their timeslot), which is "so important" to the company. He explained how they would often be bounced for sports programming on MyNetwork and the audience would be diluted when they were moved out of the slots.

Triple H's international development of talent was brought up, as was the idea of launching other groups in other countries with locally cultivated stars. McMahon said that there will be a more aggressive attempt to bring in international talents and grooming them, but they need to become stars here, because if they are, they will be stars elsewhere. McMahon said that with Miz, Alberto Del Rio and Sin Cara, you are seeing talents on the "fast track" to becoming the new "Rocks and John Cena of the day."

The company's intellectual property was brought up and McMahon was asked what the biggest problem in terms of protecting it is. McMahon said piracy and that they have a very aggressive group that handles that aspect. They noted piracy is incredibly difficult outside the U.S. as well as inside of the country. There's no silver bullet that can stop it. The hope is that as countries become more developed as markets, they will help crack down on it. McMahon noted that they just went on the air in Russia and Brazil "but we've been there a long time." He said the best way to fight piracy in other countries was to actually bring the content to the countries.

In regard to expanding and re-branding the company, McMahon was asked whether he had learned anything from past failures like the XFL and the WWE restaurant. McMahon said that when you think about it, none of those ventures have used the core competencies of the company as their current plans. He said that they have no interest in going back into football or opening a restaurant, noting that they "had to inherit that business right before we went public." He also noted there was no interest in returning to bodybuilding. He said they aren't looking to invest into anything like that but acquisitions that they can "fit what we do" and things "we can, in essence, flip the model on". McMahon explained that they can acquire the license of an property and then run it through the same system of distributions, context and partners that they put the WWE property through.

A stockholder referred to the current WWE product as "1970s/1980s comic book campy" and that some viewers feel that the "scripts are belittling the watcher." He mentioned the PG content of the show and asked if there were any plans to maintain PG but drive the show closer to what made the 1990s so enjoyable for adults. McMahon said, "It's important that you sometimes go backwards to go forwards." He said they were so far from PG that you had to go back. McMahon joked, "Where do you go after a chainsaw?" He said you have to go back to your roots to go forward. He said that they have no plans currently to ever go back to where they were in terms of an adult product but there are ways to advance the product. He said they listen to their audience and commented, "There's no doubt we could have a more aggressive and more sophisticated product that encompasses all of our ages as opposed to just strictly our PG audience. We are opening it up again, not to a great extent, but again one that is certainly not insulting to any facet of our audience. We are broadening a bit."

Another stockholder followed up on the conversation, noting that some of the matches held in the past were passionate, bringing up Austin vs. McMahon and HHH vs, Undertaker as examples. He commented that matches like "Michael Cole vs. Jim Ross" lacks that passion and drive that "wrestling fans come to love and enjoy." McMahon said that it's important to reach, from a demographic point, everyone like a menu at a diner. He said HHH vs. Taker was very passionate and serious but they had Cole to provide something else. He said that they are in the entertainment business and there's always going to be a balance. McMahon said he would personally prefer more from the serious side but WWE's E is for entertainment and there always has to be that balance.

Another stockholder brought up the "lack of build-up to PPVs" as a problem the company has. McMahon said that they try to do things long term in terms of building an attraction. He said that they attempt to have a longer range approach to story arcs but with as many PPVs as they produce, sometimes there are difficulties doing that.

A stockholder brought up running Extreme Rules the same weekend as UFC, noting that in the past, such events being held the same weekend has been detrimental to WWE's PPV buyrates. He asked whether there were future plans to avoid running the same weekend. McMahon said that there were plans to do so and they have been successful in recent months to avoid running head to head. He said that it wouldn't matter if it was UFC, boxing or another major event, because the events all eat up the promotional time that is given to them by cable companies. He said that they share all of that and that's what becomes difficult. He said that they can't control that they have gotten better at it.

Demographics were brought up, noting that more women were watching the product last year, something that the company touted last year in their stockholder's meeting. They were asked if the rebranding would change that. McMahon said that he hoped that Tough Enough and other new programming preceding Raw would bring in new demographics. He noted that TE has shown to have more females watching than men. He said that women have tremendous influenced in what is bought, so its important to have the right image, but not at the expense of the male demographic. Vince said that they want to grow all of their demographics.

Sponsorships were brought up. A stockholder asked why energy drinks and Budweiser aren't spending money with the WWE product. He also asked about the K-Mart sponsorship. Michelle Wilson, the company's Chief Marketing Officer, discussed the partnership and how K-Mart's awareness on their website and live events will benefit their retail outlets. She said it was a unique deal in that it was done jointly with the USA Network. She said that they, as a property, are one stop shopping, unlike sports products, since they can get talent appearances, TV awareness and live event awareness in one place. She said they have signed a similar deal with Mars and they are making progress in educating potential partners of what they have to bring to the table. She announced they have come to an agreement with Miller to do a summer promotion with the Keystone Light brand and they are looking to use some talents as part of that agreement.

McMahon said that PG doesn't have to mean kids, it just means PG. He said that if you are TV-MA, certain sponsors aren't going to touch you. He said that WWE can be aggressive but also fun. He said that it's important that the company doesn't do something outlandish that can put a blemish on their sponsors and partners. He said that they are attracting more sponsors because of their dedication to putting on a PG product for everyone.

McMahon was asked about PPVs like Extreme Rules without blood. McMahon said that you don't need blood to have shows of that nature. He said Extreme Rules is extreme on your body and joked that he can attest for that. McMahon said that people don't buy PPVs to watch others bleed but to be entertained. The PPV will be a different way to enjoy WWE.

A stockholder asked about how the loss of WGN affected the company and why it came suddenly. McMahon said that it wasn't sudden. He said that Tribune is "challenged" in terms of what it can acquire in terms of programming. McMahon said that they do have a place for WWE Superstars and for new programming that they develop and "it's not going anywhere."

Vince was asked when he was going to "buy that company based in Nashville, TN because they have the wrong people running it. Please save the business from Dixie Carter." McMahon laughed. The stockholder said, "Stephanie has more brains than Dixie Carter has." They showed Triple H and Stephanie laughing at this development. The stockholder said that if WWE bought TNA now, there "was a shot at fixing that company." Vince said, "I don't know they are for sale." The stockholder said, "It's a 50/50 shot, they know you are loaded with money." McMahon said, "Maybe."

A stockholder asked why they are using this smaller space as opposed to the old facility in the production studio, where they used to meet. McMahon said that space was being used and if they wanted to go to a bigger space, they could but Vince liked it dirty and cozy.

Breaking News: Top Diva Leaving WWE

As noted earlier here on the website, a match pitting Michelle McCool against Layla this Sunday at Extreme Rules will carry a "loser leaves WWE" stipulation. As noted earlier, while the match was announced as a Loser Leaves SmackDown! Match at Tuesday's WWE SmackDown! taping, "WWE" is overdubbed in placed of "SmackDown!" during the telecast, which has already aired in Australia.

In an update on this, numerous WWE sources are now saying that Michelle McCool is legitimately leaving WWE, not taking time off as some speculated. Therefore, this Sunday will be her final match with WWE.

Story developing.... more shortly.

Backstage WWE Draft News & A Major **SPOILER**

**THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS A MAJOR SMACKDOWN! SPOILER FOR TONIGHT**!!

A match between Michelle McCool and Layla that airs on tonight's episode of SmackDown! ends in a no contest due to incessant brawling between the former tag team partners. They are eventually separated by officials.

Layla then grabs the microphone and tells McCool she's sick of her. She challenges her to a match at Extreme Rules, with no disqualification and no count out. McCool says she will only accept the challenge if it's a Loser Leaves SmackDown! Match since she no longer has any use for her.

Though McCool announced the bout as a Loser Leaves SmackDown! Match at Tuesday's SmackDown! taping in Greensboro, North Carolina, "WWE" is overdubbed in placed of "SmackDown!" during the telecast, which has already aired in Australia.

Therefore, Michelle McCool vs. Layla at Extreme Rules will be a Loser Leaves WWE Match.

It should be noted that Michelle McCool has been in a real-life relationship with The Undertaker for the last several years. With 'Taker headed to RAW upon his return to WWE (before SummerSlam), there were rumors that this could have been a spoiler as it would basically be a way to 'draft' McCool over to RAW to be with 'Taker. This is NOT the case. We've got a major breaking story coming in the next few minutes.

Something similar happened during the draft with Beth Phoenix and CM Punk. The two are also involved in a real-life relationship and WWE sources indicate Phoenix was drafted to RAW to keep CM Punk "happy". Of course, Punk has not signed a new contract with WWE and is said to be "frustrated" with his position in the company. The excuse he's giving WWE management is that he's "burnt out".

Report: WrestleMania 27 Draws 1+ Million Buys

Variety is reporting that WrestleMania 27, which featured the return of The Rock, along with appearances by Steve Austin, Trish Stratus and Snooki from Jersey Shore, scored one million PPV buys. Final numbers are not available, but word is that buys are up 30% in North America and up 15% overseas. For comparison, WrestleMania 25 scored 960,000 buys, and WrestleMania 26 did 885,000 buys.

The article also credited the marketing WWE did for the event as a factor in the rise in buys, noting that the company had their performe

**SPOILER** - New Star To Debut On SD! Tonight

WWE developmental talent Jinder Mahal, a wrestler billed from Punjab, India, debuts on tonight's episode of WWE SmackDown!.

Mahal appears in a backstage segment with Rey Mysterio, The Great Khali and Ranjin Singh, where The Punjabi Playboy and his manager wish The Master of the 619 good luck on RAW. Mahal greets Khali in their native tongue and walks off.

Mahal, who's real name is Yuvraj Dhesi, is a 24-year-old wrestler from Calgary, Alberta, Canada that WWE signed to a developmental contract in early 2010 following a tryout at Florida Championship Wrestling. He has been wrestling since 2004 and trained alongside Rick Bognar (a/k/a fake Razor Ramon), Bad News Brown and The Great Gama, all of whom having previous WWE experience.

If you're interested, you can click here to view photos of Jinder Mahal.

Major TNA Marketing Changes + Updates On TNA Lawsuits

-- As a reminder, Mick Foley is scheduled to return at next week's tapings.

-- TNA has filed for a trademark on the term "Impact Wrestling." The plan is to start to promote that term more actively in synergy with the TV show, while downplaying the TNA name. There has been a lot of talk about changing how the company markets itself.

-- While there have been a lot of rumors about lawsuits involving the company lately, the only lawsuit currently ongoing involves former TNA Knockout Daffney. It appears HTM's statement about a Karen Angle lawsuit is false. Anyone surprised?!

Backstage Report: Alberto Del Rio Is A 'Master Politician'

-- Alberto Del Rio has been described by WWE sources as a "master politician" behind the scenes because he has figured out how to navigate the organization's cutthroat environment quicker than almost anyone.

Del Rio is also looked at by Vince McMahon as WWE's next big star, thus his massive push in recent months.

WWE Turns Down Mick Foley - Won't Appear On RAW

Mick Foley is scheduled to return to TNA Wrestling programming at next Monday's iMPACT! taping in Orlando, Florida.

He was originally scheduled to appear at the April 20 iMPACT! taping, but it was canceled due to miscommunication. Company officials thought he would unavailable to make the show due to his appearance at the Cauliflower Alley Club Annual Reunion in Las Vegas, Nevada. He flew to Orlando, Florida for the iMPACT! taping, but the script had already been finalized.

Foley indicated last week on Twitter that he would like to appear at Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's birthday celebration, which takes place this Monday night on RAW. Although this may shock you, it is said that TNA officials were actually okay with him appearing at the event, but WWE declined.

Shawn Michaels Thanks Hulk Hogan + Chris Sabin Injured

-- Shawn Michaels posted the following message on his Twitter account in response to Hulk Hogan giving him a shout out while hosting the National Spicy Chicken Taste Test yesterday in The Heartbreak Kid's hometown of San Antonio, Texas.

He wrote, "Hear from u all the Hulkster's in town. I hope our city is treating him well. I appreciate the shout out from him. Hope he is well."

-- Chris Sabin injured his knee during a match against Anarquia that aired on tonight's episode of TNA iMPACT!.

The Motor City Machine Gun member attempted a springboard clothesline and tweaked his knee due to Anarchia being out of position to receive the move. The referee was instructed to end the bout when it appeared Sabin was injured. Anarchia performed a small package to conclude the match.

Mexican America beat down Sabin before Alex Shelley appeared to fend them off.

For those unaware, Chris Sabin is dating Velvet Sky in real-life. You can click here to see photos of the two together

Report: Karen Jarrett-TNA Sexual Harassment Lawsuit?

The Honky Tonk Man claimed on his weekly podcast on Monday (audio available at www.htmradio.com) that Karen Jarrett (formerly Angle) is the alleged victim of a sexual harassment lawsuit against TNA Wrestling.

The former WWE Intercontinental Champion says Karen was sexually harassed by TNA Wrestling president Dixie Carter's husband Serge Salinas.

He says a settlement was reached and that "part of the deal" involved Karen being given her job back with TNA Wrestling. He claims Carter was removed from television earlier this year due to the lawsuit.

The Honky Tonk Man tweeted Monday: "Anyone who missed HTM's announcement on TNA tonight. Karen Angle vs Dixie Carter's husband is the sexual harassment lawsuit going down! That's why Dixie is off TV and Karen is now back with the company as part of the settlement."

Please keep in mind that this is HTM we're talking about here. Some of this seems far fetched so who knows if it's true.

You can click here to see several photos of Karen Jarrett in a thong.

Backstage News: The Undertaker Backstage At RAW

The Undertaker traveled with wife Michelle McCool to this week's Monday Night RAW taping in Raleigh, North Carolina, but was not used.

Company sources say he's still got nagging injuries and were given no indication as to when he would be returning to television.

Also note that the reason he was not drafted earlier this week is simply because he's not ready to return and will be coming to RAW anyways once he's ready.

Backstage News: Jim Ross' WWE Future

Current plans call for Jim Ross to remain on WWE programming throughout the duration of Michael Cole's ongoing storyline. His segments have performed strong quarter-hour numbers, which could factor into the company's decision to keep him on television.

Also note, there are no plans for Ross to permanently return to announcing. Of course, things could change but as of now it won't be happening.

Hulk Hogan Interested In Goldberg To TNA

-- Hulk Hogan was asked on Twitter if he would like to bring Bill Goldberg to TNA Wrestling.

"Bill Goldberg would blow the roof off the place," he replied.

For what it's worth, don't expect Goldberg in TNA anytime soon.

Daniel Bryan Loses Ring Gear, Jon Moxely-WWE Update

-- Daniel Bryan tweeted the following: Just realized I left my new ring jacket at the hotel. Before Mania I forgot an entire set of gear, never to get back. Dear brain, do better.

-- Jon Moxely has officially signed his WWE contract. He will start down in Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) next week.

Y2J Teases Extreme Rules Return, Rock-WWE, JR News

-- The latest special edition issue of WWE Magazine is titled "Hardest Hitting Photos Of All-time!" Enclosed with the magazine is a mini-magazine highlighting The Rock's greatest moments.

-- Chris Jericho, who was eliminated Tuesday night from Dancing with the Stars, teased a possible appearance at this Sunday's WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view event—which takes place in Tampa, Florida.

He wrote on Twitter, "For the first time in 8 weeks I dont have dance rehearsals. What am I going to do with myself now? Anythin goin on in Tampa this weekend...?"

Jim Ross, who is competing at the event, asked Jericho, "Ever been in a Country Whippin Match? I need a coach or a stunt double. Interested?"

He replied, "No but I have been in a barb wire match, a penalty box match and everything in between. I'll do it! Plus I even have my own Stetson."

For what it's worth, almost everyone expects Jericho back in WWE in the near future. Chris did an interview several weeks ago where he basically confirmed he'd be returning once Dancing with the Stars was over. It's possible he may be tied down with the show until everyone is eliminated which means he may not be able to return to WWE just yet.

-- Jim Ross, who injured his hand during his match against Michael Cole on RAW, posted the following update today on his official website (JRSBARBQ.com): "My hand is swollen and sore and I can't make a fist...yet."

He is expected to compete in his match on Sunday.

Backstage Update: Jay Lethal's TNA Release

-- Jay Lethal's release from TNA Wrestling last week surprised a lot of people within the organization because he performed well when given prominence, not to mention that Eric Bischoff considered him a future star.

One source speculates that TNA released Lethal in response to some X Division wrestlers complaining heavily at Lockdown about nothing being done with them when it was heavily discussed a few months ago that they would be spotlighted.

Kharma Praises Two WWE Legends + 'Sunny' WWE Return?

Kia Stevens, better known as Awesome Kong, was honored as an active wrestler last week at the annual Cauliflower Alley Club reunion in Las Vegas, Nevada. She thanked Antonio Inoki for getting her to Japan, where she learned the ropes. She discussed her TNA Wrestling tenure without any bitterness, as well as joining WWE. She notably said she made it in wrestling without being a "skinny bitch." She also praised Jim Ross and Steve Austin, whom she had met at a prior Cauliflower Alley Club event, for opening the door to get her into WWE.

A number of WWE Hall of Famers were on hand for the event representing WWE including Jim Ross, Sgt. Slaughter, Gerald Brisco, Ricky Steamboat, Ted DiBiase and Sunny. DiBiase was described as not moving well; he stated in an interview last week that he will be having both his knees replaced as well as his hip. Meanwhile, Sunny stated that she would like another run with WWE.

Steamboat also recently told a source that he is about 80% recovered from injuries suffered last summer. The WWE Hall of Famer still works a few days a week in Florida Championship Wrestling with WWE's developmental talent.

Brisco, who also had recent health problems, is presently working with WWE as a scout.

Sid Vicious: Titles Don't Matter To Me + WrestleMania 8, Warrior

Right After Wrestling with Sid Vicious (a/k/a Sid Eudy)
Hosts: Arda Ocal and Jimmy Korderas
Available at TheScore.com.

His feelings on being at WrestleMania 8, how he told Vince McMahon he didn't want to work for the company afterward, and what the original plan was for him leading up to Mania: "My original plan was to only do TV's and pay-per-views until WrestleMania and then I would become the champion at WrestleMania, and than I was gonna do house-shows after WrestleMania. But the situation with (Ultimate) Warrior being fired at SummerSlam changed the whole thing. I don't remember Papa Shango missing his cue - I just remember things not being laid out very well."

What the atmosphere felt like behind the curtain at SummerSlam '91 concerning the Ultimate Warrior: "I think everybody was aware of it but I don't think anybody cared. Things like that happened so often that nobody ever cared. People might have cared about it - but it's not anyone's business, so nobody cared."

Being a champion and carrying a championship title: "When I first started the business, I was told I would never be champion. The belt was always put on people who could draw. So I never expected to become a 15-time champion or anything...(the championship) just became an extra thing in your bag to carry around...you're never in the business to become champion, you're in the business to do your part - whatever the promoter tells you your part is."

The infamous ankle injury he suffered in WCW: "It was a PPV. What they did was put that (move) in there as a cue for the camera to go back and show the 'mystery partner.' I wasn't comfortable doing that move (from the second ropes) but I tried and sometimes we make mistakes."

Sid also discusses whether he's still available to wrestle and whether WWE ever offered him a chance to return, where he was happiest wrestling, working with Shawn Michaels, and suffering a punctured lung and broken ribs during a match with the Steiner Bros & Doom.

Jim Ross Blogs: Michael Cole Feud + Extreme Rules Match

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

Good to be back in Oklahoma. Typing this blog is tedious as my right hand is not wanting to cooperate. Nonetheless, the grill is hot so let's get started.

Hopefully, Cole and I did not overly offend too many of you wrestling purists with our 'exhibition' Monday night. It earned the top quarter hour TV rating on the program for the night and that distinction has already been throughly analyzed by those who earn a living covering the genre. Lots of ways for that data to be dissected one can argue.

Either one was entertained by that particular piece of business or they weren't. I do know that no one involved in the presentation 'phoned' in their contribution.

My right hand is somewhat banged up and the x-rays were not overly encouraging Tuesday but it won't keep me from doing what I need to do on Sunday at Extreme Rules.

Cole's tooth went to the bone on a knuckle on my right hand which caused bleeding from my hand and his lip for those that have asked. Apparently the risk of infection from a human tooth IE a bite or something like what occurred Monday night is potentially harmful so we've been very careful with the infection aspect of the 'wound' in addition to caring for a sore hand.

I've been in one Country Whipping' match in my dubious 'wrestling' career which was years ago on Raw against the Coach. Those are inherently painful encounters as the leather strap cares not who it strikes or the results of such lashings. Sunday on PPV won't be a fun day at the office in all likelihood.

Cody Rhodes Speaks Out - His Mask, WM Ring Gear, More

Cody Rhodes recently spoke with Marvel.com, here are the highlights…

On Mysterio Dressing As Captain America For WM: For the most part, it was a complete surprise. I know he'd mentioned to some people that he had intentions of dressing up in comic book form this year and I had a lot of assumptions about who it could be, but I didn't know he'd be Cap or that the costume would be so close. From the wings on the hood to the way he entered, he gave it the full on Captain America—or maybe Captain Mexico, if you look at the treatment on his chest. I've seen Rey in many costumes over the years, so I think it's cool that all these years later I'm wrestling Captain America.

On His WM Ring Gear: Yeah, my jacket was supposed to be more Mister Sinister themed, but as the designer got to work on it, it became more "Assassin's Creed" themed, which was also fine by me. At one point there was this huge diamond in the waistband but it was too much, a bit too close to the Sinister vibe. We could never get the jewel to work, but the diamond is still there in rough leather form if you look closely.

On His Mask: Well, here's a little known fact, because in the world of entertainment things do get misconstrued: one thing that legitimately happened was my broken nose. It was a horrible thing that ended up being a great thing in terms of my career. I had an idea where I wanted to take it but I looked online and saw Rip Hamilton, from the Detroit Pistons. He had the exact mask I wanted—I even went to the same doctor who molded his and had it cast to my face, allowing you to still see my face without obscuring my features. It actually was much more clear when I started but WWE fogged it up a bit, which makes it look cool especially when the lights bounce off.

Updated Details - John Cena Filming At SD! Last Night

After last night's WWE SmackDown! taping in Greensboro, NC, they shot footage for the Nickelodeon movie Fred the Movie 2. The film will feature John Cena, teaming with his "son Fred" to face to bullies. Cena and Fred came out to a specially edited Titantron featuring scenes from Fred's first movie while the bullies came out to Gangrel's old theme music.

They used stunt doubles for the kids, and did several takes. The kids in attendance really loved watching the filming process. When they were finished filming the scenes, Cena noted on the mic that the film would be released in October and he thanked everyone for sticking with them through a long night, joking they had to sit through Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus. Sheamus then came to the ring and Cena hit the attitude adjustment to end the show.

**SPOILERS** WWE SmackDown! Results For Friday

Below you can see the taping results for the WWE Smackdown event in Greensboro, North Carolina:

*The new roster members are already in the new open.

*Announced for the show is WWE Tag Team champs Kane & Big Show vs. The Corre and Mark Henry vs. Rey Mysterio.

*The World title is hanging above the ring.

*Smackdown opens with Randy Orton coming out to a huge pop, introducing himself to the Smackdown fans. Drew McIntyre, wearing a Raw shirt, comes out and interrupts. McIntyre goes for his DDT but Orton slips out and drills him with the RKO. Alex Riley tries to interrupt but before he can say a word, he eats an RKO as well. The crowd loves all of this. Alberto Del Rio, Brodius Clay and Ricardo Rodriguez come out. Alberto says he will bring the World title to Raw. Clay squares off with Orton but Christian hits the ring to even the sides. Teddy Long announces a tag match main event for tonight.

*Kofi Kingston comes out but Sheamus attacks him during the pyro pose on the entrance. Kofi was wearing a Raw shirt. Sheamus destroys him and poses. Kingston is carried out by officials. Great way to leave the brand, eh?

*There is an in ring promo by a heavily bruised Michael Cole, who brings out Jack Swagger. Cole does a pig call to mock Jim Ross.

Swagger vs. Sin Cara. Cara nails the entrance! The match is being worked with old school Kane style mood lighting with blue and orange lighting. Cara dominated and won with a victory roll after Cole landed Swagger a weapon that Swagger never got a chance to use. Cara was over.

Backstage segment with Rey Mysterio being wished well on Raw by The Great Khali and Ranjin Singh. After Rey leaves, a large man of Indian descent appears. Khali and Singh treat him like a big deal and they all speak in Hindi together.

There is an in-ring promo by Rey where he talks about how it is hard to leave Smackdown but he promises he would beat Cody Rhodes at Extreme Rules.

*Rey Mysterio defeated Mark Henry by DQ. Not a bad match. Rey nailed the 619. Cody Rhodes attacked Rey in the crowd. Henry walked out laughing. Rhodes put a paper bag over Rey's face.

*WWE Tag Team champions Big Show & Kane defeated The Corre with double chokeslams.

*Michelle McCool vs. Layla El goes to a double countout. There is a big "Let them fight" chant after they are held apart by officials. Layla issues a challenge for a No DQ, No Countout match. McCool accepts and adds a Loser Leaves Smackdown stipulation. Layla accepts.

*Matt Striker interviews Christian who discusses his title match at Extreme Rules and Edge's retirement. Christian says it's HIS destiny to earn the right to be called World champion.

*Randy Orton & Christian defeated Alberto Del Rio & Brodius Clay when Orton pinned Brodius with the RKO.

Chris Jericho Gone From DWTS

-- Chris Jericho and Cheryl Burke were eliminated from ABC's Dancing with the Stars tonight. They will be on The Jimmy Kimmel Show later tonight on ABC.

This Week's RAW & Tough Enough Ratings Are In ......

-- The April 25 episode of Monday Night RAW scored a big 3.5 cable rating, up from last week's 3.13. Viewership increased from 4.7 million viewers to 5.2 million. The show drew hours of 3.51 (3.5) and 3.43 (3.4).

-- The April 25 episode of WWE Tough Enough garnered a big 1.73 (1.7) cable rating, up from 1.54 (1.5) the previous week. The show averaged 2.45 million viewers overall. The replay following RAW drew a 1.09 (1.1) cable rating, with 1,535,000 viewers.

-- The April 23 episode of A.M. RAW scored a 0.53 (0.5) cable rating, with 622,000 viewers.

-- Multiple replays of WWE Tough Enough aired on April 23. The 9:00 a.m. show drew a 0.27 (0.3) cable rating, with 317,000 viewers. The 10:00 a.m. scored a 0.44 (0.4) cable rating, with 554,000 viewers. The 11:00 a.m. broadcast did a 0.6 cable rating, with 784,000 viewers. A replay at 1:00 a.m. garnered a 0.76 (0.8) cable rating, with 936,000 viewers.

Report: John Cena Nearly Stayed On SD! + More

-- Seldom seen RAW Superstar Michael Tarver is teasing a return to WWE programming. He wrote on Twitter, "I will bend without question but I DON'T BREAK I'll come back BIGGER STRONGER and ANGRY."

Tarver has continued to appear for Florida Championship Wrestling during his hiatus.

-- RAW Superstar Alberto Del Rio's theme song, "Realeza," is now available on iTunes.

-- John Cena was drafted to SmackDown! with the first overall pick in the 2011 WWE Draft only to end up drafted back to RAW with the final draft pick of the night. Through Sunday night, there was discussion of permanently moving Cena to SmackDown! with the belief that Randy Orton was a hot enough babyface to carry RAW on his own. Ultimately though, Orton was moved to SmackDown! with Cena staying on RAW.

Report: The Undertaker Headed To RAW

It was reported yesterday that WWE officials discussed moving The Undertaker to RAW to make up for a top babyface character being transferred to SmackDown! during the 2011 WWE Draft.

While the draft came and went without "The Deadman" changing brands, company sources indicate he'll join RAW upon his return to television.

WWE Draft News: Big Show's Future, IC/U.S Titles, Sheamus

-- Numerous WWE related terms trended on Twitter during today's WWE Supplemental Draft including Kelly Kelly, Alex Riley, Drew McIntyre, Yoshi Tatsu, William Regal and Jack Swagger.

-- The Big Show will be appearing on both RAW and SmackDown! alongside Kane as they are the WWE tag-team champions. Of course, The Big Show was drafted to RAW last night. It really doesn't matter until he loses the title. At that point, he'll remain exclusive to RAW.

-- The Sheamus move to WWE SmackDown! is interesting as historically the U.S. and IC champions are on different brands. This will likely lead to a title change or they could end up moving Wade Barrett back to RAW.

Complete WWE Draft Pick Results

Battle Royal won by Team Smackdown

Draft #1: John Cena has been Drafted to Smackdown.

Match Two: Raw's Eve Torres defeats Layla El

Draft #2: Rey Mysterio has been Drafted to Raw.

Match Three: Smackdown's Kofi Kingston defeated Sheamus.

Draft #3: Randy Orton has been Drafted to Smackdown.

Match Four - Good for 2 Draft Picks: Smackdown's Randy Orton defeated Dolph Ziggler.

Draft #4: Mark Henry has been Drafted to Smackdown.

Draft #5: Sin Cara has been Drafted to Smackdown.

Match Five - Good for 2 Draft Picks: Raw's Rey Mysterio defeated Wade Barrett.

Draft #6: Big Show has been Drafted to Raw.

Draft #7: Alberto Del Rio has been Drafted to Raw.

Match Six: Team Raw defeated Team Smackdown

Draft #8: John Cena has been Drafted back to Raw.

- WWE will run their Supplemental Draft tomorrow at 12 Noon.

Jim Ross Suffers Injury On RAW

-- Jim Ross posted the following on his Twitter feed: Hand's throbbing. Xrays tues. Cole's tooth went to the bone on my fist. Not an artistic masterpiece. Dropping bombs. Leather straps sun. Ugh.

Stipulation Added To Extreme Rules Match + HBK Trademarks

-- It was announced this week on RAW that the Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross vs. Jack Swagger and Michael Cole match at Sunday's WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view is a Country Whipping Match. Presumably, it is a strap match.

-- WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels has filed trademarks on the terms "Mr. Hall of Fame" and "Mr. HOF".

The Latest Tough Enough Elimination, Mysterio Update

-- Rima Fakih was eliminated from this week's episode of WWE Tough Enough.

At the conclusion of the show, Steve Austin addressed the contestants to step forward. Rima was called forward first. Austin said he normally calls forward two other people, but not today. He said Rima has a lot of heart, but doesn't think she's ready. Rima responded that she needs to just get it down. Austin said she can do that, but not on Tough Enough.

Austin said off-camera there was no point walking her through the Bottom 3 again since she's already gone through the process three times.

-- Rey Mysterio is the special guest on next week's episode of WWE Tough Enough.

Awesome Kong's WWE Ring Name Revealed

-- WWE has dubbed the wrestler formerly known as Awesome Kong, "Kharma."

A vignette aired this week on RAW showing her squeeze a doll, which resulted in its head being popped off. She chuckled as she looked at the remaining portion of the doll in her hands. The camera showed her full face this time. "Harm" flashed on the screen before turning to "Kharma." Back live, Josh Mathews noted that things will change upon her debut.

Zach Ryder's Funny Tweet

-- Zack Ryder wrote the following on his Twitter account Monday night during RAW: "Hopefully I get drafted from Superstars to either Raw or SmackDown."

WWE SD! Rating, WWE Divas Sent Home Update, More

-- Last week's edition of WWE SmackDown! (4/22) drew a 1.89 (1.9) cable rating, with 2,825,000 viewers.

-- AAA talent Charly Manson was arrested Sunday morning for allegedly assaulting two police officers. The officers were reportedly attempting to arrest him and an underage friend for being drunk in public. An argument ensued and a fight broke out, resulting in both officers being sent to the hospital and Manson being shot in the leg.

-- As we noted last week here on the website, the WWE Divas were sent home early from the RAW tour due to Middle Eastern laws preventing them from performing in their outfits.

More Late-Breaking WWE Draft News & **SPOILERS**

As noted before, WWE is keeping things as quiet as possible regarding tonight's draft moves. As of last night, the decision of who becomes SmackDown!'s top babyface (replacing Edge) had not been decided upon.

There had been discussions about moving The Undertaker to RAW to make up for whichever babyface main eventer moves to SmackDown!.

It should also be noted that Vince McMahon wants to decide on the top matches for SummerSlam right now and that is holding things up as they decide what talent goes where.

Another Major Likely WWE Draft **SPOILER**

According to a backstage source, Alberto Del Rio will be drafted to RAW tonight. This has been planned for several weeks now.

Also according to the source, there were plans last week to put the World Title on Christian at the WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view. This makes sense with Del Rio likely coming to RAW.

Of course, nothing is official until it actually happens. We'll see shortly!

Backstage RAW News: The Script + Storyline Plans

According to a backstage source at RAW, tonight's WWE Draft is expected to be similar to past years where there will be RAW vs. SmackDown! matches with the winning brand getting a "random draft pick". The source also notes that there will be a battle royal featuring undercard talents. The winning talent will receive several draft picks for their brand.

The scripts being given out at RAW today in Raleigh, North Carolina do not contain the names of talents who will be drafted. This is WWE's way of trying to keep things secret.

More Major Possible WWE Draft **SPOILERS**

The official website of WWE apparently has John Cena, Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio earmarked as changing brands during tonight's WWE Draft—in addition to Alberto Del Rio and Beth Phoenix. The website has created pages on the aforementioned WWE Superstars denoted as members of their opposite brand.

John Cena to SmackDown!?
www.wwe.com/superstars/smackdown/johncena

Randy Orton to SmackDown!?
www.wwe.com/superstars/smackdown/randyorton

Rey Mysterio to RAW!?
www.wwe.com/superstars/raw/reymysterio

Alberto Del Rio to RAW!?
www.wwe.com/superstars/raw/albertodelrio

Beth Phoenix to Raw!?
www.wwe.com/superstars/raw/bethphoenix

The pages are legitimate because an error page would otherwise be displayed. For instance, an error page is displayed for Melina on SmackDown! and JTG on RAW.

Regarding Cena possibly joining the SmackDown! brand, it's worth noting that he is advertised to appear at tomorrow night's SmackDown! taping at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. I have a hard time believing they'd take BOTH Orton and Cena off their flagship show though. It's possible they'll appear on both brands. We'll see soon enough!

Melina Worried About Tonight's Draft

-- Melina stated today on her Twitter account that she's worried about tonight's WWE Draft on Monday Night Raw. She recalled past years of being torn away from people she's close to due to the annual affair.

"Tonight is Raw. Very nerve racking," she wrote. "Thinking of Drafts in the past & I always hated getting torn away from John & Jillian. I miss my Jillo!"

Batista: Strikeforce Deal Is Dead

-- TMZ.com recently caught up with Batista, who said that his deal with Strikeforce is now dead. He went on to say that he felt that his deal fell through the cracks when UFC bought out Strikeforce before they could schedule his first fight. He also said that he was disappointed, and "I really had my heart set on Strikeforce."

Good News For WWE Tough Enough & The Rock, & More

-- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's latest movie, Fast Five, is a huge hit in Australia. One out of three people in Australia who went to the movies on Thursday (the day of its premiere) went to see Fast Five, earning $2.4 million. It premieres this Friday in the United States.

-- Both the SmackDown! and RAW crews have returned from the recent tour overseas for this week's television tapings in North Carolina. The RAW crew had a 14-hour flight yesterday from Qatar to Raleigh, North Carolina. John Cena, who did not tweet during the tour, wrote the following:

"CeNation. Tour was gr8. UK was madness as usual. Qatar was unreal. I mean spectacular. It is truly a paradise in the desert. Saw great things out of ziggler, morrison, evan, Sheamus, and D.B. this makes the draft 2 morrow that much more exciting . Thanks to all for the b day wishes especially the crowd in Qatar for singing me happy b day. Moment I will never forget."

Beth Phoenix-WWE Mistake Fixed, Maryse

-- WWE.com listed Beth Phoenix as a member of RAW over the weekend. The URL error was fixed today as her profile page denotes her as a member of SmackDown!.

-- WWE.com has posted new studio photos of Maryse.

Update On Alicia Fox's Sister To WWE Inside Here

WWE Tough Enough contestant Christina Crawford hopes to one day win the WWE Divas Championship. But the person she would like to take the belt from is the same person who inspired her to be a Diva in the first place — her sister, Victoria — better known as Alicia Fox.

"I would love love love to win that title one day," Crawford told www.centralfloridafuture.com. But it would be the best if I could take it from my sister."

Ever since her sister joined WWE, Crawford wanted to follow in her footsteps. She said WWE Tough Enough is a once in a lifetime opportunity that she can't pass up.

"What started my dream of working with the WWE was when my sister got hired, but I was too young at the time to apply," Crawford said. "My dream was to go to school and then I would try out for the WWE."

She is excited that she may work with her one day.

"She is on the main roster and I haven't gotten the chance to work with her yet," Crawford said. "But we do hang out together and it's great moral support."

One of the most important things the trainers teach the contestants is how to avoid getting hurt. Even though wrestling is staged, the injuries are real.

"I am not worried about injuries because the training environment is always safe," Crawford said. "The trainers are helping us learn to build and to protect our body."

You can click here to see photos of Christina Crawford.

The article is available at http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/

Gail Kim/Awesome Kong Feud, Seth 'Tyler Black' Rollins Speaks - WWE Not Being Wrestling

Gail Kim and the former Awesome Kong have been going back and forth on Twitter, teasing that they will feud in WWE.

WWE developmental talent Seth "Tyler Black" Rollins was asked on Twitter to give his thoughts on WWE no longer referring to themselves as a professional wrestling organization.

"I think you have to understand the idea of it. I was skeptical at first too, but it's all a marketing scheme," he replied. "When push comes to shove WWE will always be professional wrestling, but they are branching out and doing so much more nowadays that the word "wrestling" really pigeonholes the brand...so eliminating the word expands the brand and creates many new avenues to go down."

The Latest Scott Hall Update (Not Good)

-- According to Scott Hall's ex-wife Dana, Hall is in very rough shape again this weekend. She is talking like he may drink himself to death and has basically 'given up' on trying to help as it just doesn't work every time she tries. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers - that's pretty much all anyone can do at this point.

Beth Phoenix Headed To RAW?, Cena-Rock Update

-- An image of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson shaking John Cena's hand a few weeks ago on Raw is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated. The cover can be seen at www.pwi-online.com.

-- Just two days before WWE's annual Draft, Beth Phoenix is listed under the Raw Superstars folder on WWE.com.

Her profile page's original URL source, www.wwe.com/superstars/smackdown/bethphoenix, now redirects to www.wwe.com/superstars/raw/bethphoenix. However, "The Glamazon" is still listed as a member of the SmackDown! roster.

It is possible that it is a glitch as her page, as well as Rosa Mendes', were briefly unavailable this morning.

JR Clears Up A Ric Flair Rumor + iMPACT! Rating Update

-- As noted last night here on the website, the April 22 episode of TNA iMPACT! scored a 1.17 cable rating, up from 1.14 the week before and 1.15 two weeks ago. In an update on this, the program ranked #29 on cable television for the night, #23 in males 18-34, and #8 in males 18-49.

-- This week's episode of TNA iMPACT! featured 18 minutes and 48 seconds of in-ring action, down from 35 minutes and 48 seconds the week before.

-- Jim Ross cleared up a recent rumor about Ric Flair getting shoulder surgery on his Twitter. Ross said, "While @ the gym yesterday got a text from 'Naitch' who was checking on my 'wrestling' status. BTW Ric has a horrid shoulder but no surgery." We apologize for the earlier error.

The Rock Wishes John Cena A Happy Birthday

Dwayne Johnson posted the following message to his Twitter account (@TheRock) today:

"Happy Birthday @JohnCena - I'm 5 yrs older than you which means I will always be your daddy bitch!"

Backstage Update - Abyss' Injury & Return

As noted earlier here on the website, Abyss suffered some severe dental injuries in his iMPACT! match against Rob Van Dam that aired this past Tuesday.

TNA sources say that he underwent dental surgery on Thursday. Repair work was done to his upper lip and 4-5 damaged teeth were pulled.

Abyss informed TNA that he would be ready to return within a week and would not miss any ring time. That's one tough son of a you know what!

Rima Fakih Appears On E!'s The Soup - Details

Rima Fakih made an appearance on last night's episode of The Soup on E!. The segment showed snippets of the show, focusing on her performance in the cheerleading challenger, her ring work and her challenge running away from the attack dogs.

Rima appeared in the studio and joked with host Joel McHale that she was trying to escape from a ferocious dog, which ended up being the show's mascot Lou, a chihuahua. She said she would somersault out of the studio, as she had trouble doing so in the ring the first time.

This segment airs about 20 minutes into the show.

This Week's TNA iMPACT! Rating + Kong-WWE Update

-- This week's edition of TNA iMPACT! drew a 1.17 (1.2) cable rating, with 1,730,000 viewers. More shortly.

-- Jim Ross and Awesome Kong were in Las Vegas for the CAC Reunion convention earlier this week. Ross tweeted the following regarding Kong and WWE: "Awesome Kong can become a big star in the near future. Lots of charisma. Natural badass. I believe in her." It should also be noted that even though WWE recently trademarked the name "Kharma", there are other names being discussed for Awesome Kong. We'll keep you posted.

Two WWE Diva Sent Home From European Tour

-- The RAW crew concludes their near two-week long international tour today and tomorrow in Qatar. The shows, however, will be without the "Sexy, Smart and Powerful" WWE Divas as they are prohibited from wearing clothing that doesn't cover their legs or shoulders in public. Qatar is an Islamic country with strict dress laws.

Eve Torres and The Bella Twins, among others, have already flown back to the United States.

Major RAW Editing

-- Michael Cole had his Extreme Rules tag team partner, Jack Swagger, join him as a woman, who looked vaguely like the Queen of England, enter the ring and knight him on this week's episode of RAW. The entire segment was cut from the encore telecast on Sky Sports in the UK, as well as most references to it. This was not the only segment cut from the replay as R-Truth smoking a cigarette was also edited out.

The Latest Update On Desmond Wolfe & TNA Inside

Hulk Hogan addressed Desmond Wolfe's status with TNA Wrestling last week on Twitter, writing, "Desmond's situation is beyond TNA’s control, the ball is completely in his court." However, several sources indicate otherwise.

Wolfe was scheduled to reform his partnership with Magnus late last year, but Douglas Williams was given the spot instead. Company officials have had plans for the former ROH World Champion to return, including this week, but they have yet to materialize.

Wolfe is currently appearing for various community theaters in Central Florida and working on writing projects.

TNA Counteracts Sin Cara With New Masked Wrestler

Sangriento, a masked wrestler hailing from Tijuana, Mexico, made his TNA Wrestling debut on this week's episode of TNA Xplosion as he competed in a Three-Way Match against Chris Sabin and Jay Lethal. The masked luchador pinned Lethal after hitting the former X Division Champion with a springboard cutter.

Sangriento was brainstormed by Spike TV officials as they wanted TNA to introduce a character that would counteract Sin Cara of WWE. TNA considered various independent wrestlers for the role but decided on Amazing Red.

You can click here to view photos of TNA's new masked character, Sangriento.

Ric Flair Undergoes Surgery + TNA Knockout Returns

-- Miss Tessmacher cut an interview on last night's episode of TNA iMPACT! and noted the differences in TNA Wrestling during the time she was away. The former WWE Diva says she has been training during that time and that she wants "that championship." She closed by telling the 'bitches' in TNA that Miss Tessmacher is back.

-- Ric Flair underwent successful surgery yesterday to repair a torn rotator cuff. No word yet on how long he will be sidelined.

The WWE Hall of Famer suffered the injury in late January, during a match against Douglas Williams in Manchester, England. He delayed the surgery until his storyline was finalized at TNA Lockdown.

Eric Bischoff Chimes In On The Scott Hall Situation

Eric Bischoff posted a message concerning Scott Hall on his Facebook account yesterday:

"Just read Kevin Nash's latest update on Scott Hall. I agree with Kevin 100% on the real issues at the core of Scott's problems. God bless Kevin as well as Scott's family and friends. I hope they find a way to reach Scott before its too late. Scott really is a good man underneath all the scar tissue and pain."

Kevin Nash Spends Night In Hospital w/ Scott Hall

Kevin Nash posted the following update on Scott Hall…

"spent the night with Scott tonight at the hospital,along with his son,He's lost a lot of weight,but the smile on his face was priceless"

Major Possible WWE Draft **SPOILERS**

Due to the retirement of Edge leaving SmackDown! in dire need of a top babyface, Vince McMahon decided to hold the annual WWE Draft next Monday as opposed to a date in June. It was described as a "panic move" as noted earlier here on the website.

WWE officials have discussed moving Alberto Del Rio to RAW during next Monday's WWE Draft as he is currently penciled to headline SummerSlam against John Cena. It has also been broached for Del Rio to move to the brand as World Heavyweight Champion, with The Miz, as WWE Champion, heading to SmackDown!.

The entire mid-card, with Cody Rhodes, The Nexus, The Corre, Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre and R-Truth specifically cited, are also strong candidates to change brands during the Draft. Please keep in mind that nothing is confirmed at this time and plans will change numerous times throughout the weekend.

With that being said, the identities of who gets moved are constantly changing this week. We've heard of a few names already which you can click here to read about. Again, nothing is confirmed.

We'll keep you posted as we get more.

Jay Lethal Addresses TNA Release, Orlando Jordan Rants, More

-- Orlando Jordan stated on Twitter that the date numerous websites have listed as his birthday — July 10, 1971 — is wrong as today is his birthday and he was born in 1974.

"There's no better time than today 2 clear up a rumor or 2 that's been set in stone all over the internet web sites..Lol TODAY is my BIRTHDAY!

"On wiki and the Imdb it says that my Bday is July 10th 1971.. Well no I was born APRIL 21st 1974 which is funny cuz no1 ever believes me WTF

"So! thats the last time I'll evr say my birthday publicly again lol and the other thing lmao YES I DO DATE CHICKS... BECAUSE IM BISEXUAL!!!

"How is it that some random person can put false facts in sites but when my manager has official documents they still won't change!!

"lmao of course I'll date a dude! Wat am I going to do today well right now I'm going to put in few hours of GOD OF WAR 3 sick ass game yo!!"

-- Jay Lethal, who was released Wednesday by TNA Wrestling, commented on his departure from the organization on Twitter.

"While I am sad that my time with TNA has ended, I am looking forward to this next chapter of my career. Oooooh yeahh! Now taking booking."

Also note, Lethal celebrates his 26th birthday today (Wednesday).

Ziggler Not Happy w/ New Look + Fox Replaces Melina

-- Alicia Fox has replaced Melina on the last leg of RAW's ongoing tour of Europe. The brand's tour concludes Saturday in Doha, Qatar.

-- Vickie Guerrero introduced the "new and improved" Dolph Ziggler on Monday's episode of RAW as he unveiled a freshly trimmed head of brown hair just before facing Evan Bourne. For those who have not seen it yet, you can click here to view Dolph Ziggler's new look.

The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion is not thrilled with his new 'do as he wrote the following on his personal Facebook account the morning after the show: "I feel like 'bender' from Futurama, when they chopped off his antenna...."

TNA Stars Upset With Jay Lethal's Release, Hardy/Sting

-- A number of TNA stars are apparently upset with Jay Lethal's sudden departure from TNA. The following remarks were written on Twitter.

Max Buck: "Ridiculous. Just ridiculous."

Amazing Red: "...... ;( %&*$"

"Morale has just took a nose dive (SMFH)."

Jeremy Buck: "worst possible thing to happen to r locker room.

Tara wrote to Lethal: "Oh I hope this is just a rumor. Because I will miss you terribly."

-- Suicide has been added back to the TNAWrestling.com's roster page.

-- Matt Hardy announced on Twitter that he is facing Sting for the first time tonight on TNA iMPACT!.

Updated: TNA Releases Jay Lethal

It has been confirmed that Jay Lethal has parted ways with TNA Wrestling. His profile was removed from the organization's website Wednesday night.

Details regarding his departure have yet to be disclosed.

Lethal's departure surprised some people within TNA. One company source who was on hand for this week's television tapings was not aware Lethal was leaving the company.

Lethal worked Tuesday's iMPACT! television taping after competing in the X Division Ultimate Xscape Match at TNA Lockdown.

Lethal has been sparingly featured since dropping the X Division Championship to Kazarian in January at TNA Genesis.

UPDATE: In a new bit of information, many within TNA are saying that organization officials opted to release the former X Division Champion. It seems like there is much more to this story that we have yet to learn. More as we get it.

R-Truth Smoking Media Continues

-- On Wednesday night's episode of Red Eye, a segment of the show was devoted to the R-Truth smoking angle from Raw. They showed the footage, the comments from Patrick Reynolds, and WWE's response. The panelists pointed out that R Truth is a bad guy now in WWE, and that it was a negative depiction of smoking. They then went on to compare it to a villain smoking in a movie and that kids should recognize that bad guys do bad things.

Scoops on R-Truth’s RAW Heel Turn, WWE Draft Update

- Whatever happens at the WWE Draft next week won’t take effect until the May 2nd RAW with The Rock. The Draft RAW and the RAW on May 2nd have been re-written several times and will likely be re-written several more times before they actually go live.

- While the R-Truth heel turn and removal from the WWE Title Match at Extreme Rules was designed to get him over and not bury him, there was a feeling that he did not come off as a “dynamic performer” in the Gauntlet match on RAW two weeks ago to earn the title shot.

Stacy Keibler Comments On Possible Return To WWE, Appearing On TE

Monday Night Mayhem with Stacy Keibler
Hosts: The Big Mosh and “The Chairman of the Board” Todd Vincent
Report by Paterson.
Airs every Monday at 7:00 P.M. (EST)
Show available at MondayNightMayhem.com.

Her thoughts on guest-starring on this week’s episode of WWE Tough Enough & whether or not she sees this as the first step in returning to the WWE in the near future: “For right now, this is something I did with them, but I don’t have any plans for wrestling officially and coming back & being on the road every week. It was so great to be back in the family, and seeing everybody, and to watch these kids. It’s really fun to see them so eager to become a part of this business.”

The experience of working again & teaming up with Trish Stratus on Tough Enough: “It was so fun, and it brought back a lot of memories. It’s been a couple of years since we worked together. We spent so much time on the road together traveling & working. It was just really great to catch up and just have fun with each other.”

How she defines the era she was a part of in the WWE Divas division & why she would “like to do something together” in the future with her fellow WWE Diva alumni: “I feel like we were all part of an era that was a really special time in wrestling, and I feel so lucky to be there then. It was just so much fun, with excitement & energy going on. With Vince buying WCW, it was an important transitional moment for the business, and I’m very lucky I was a part of it. I saw Torrie (Wilson) the other day, and I think we would all like to do something together. It would be so fun to feel that energy, and be together, and do something fun.”

JR Responds to Sin Cara Criticism, TE Chick & Husband on Dr. Phil

- Eliminated WWE Tough Enough contestant Michele Deighton and her husband, reality TV and wrestling personality Jonny Fairplay will be on Dr. Phil today.

- Jim Ross wrote the following on Twitter in response to people talking about how he pronounces Sin Cara’s name on RAW: “4 all the experts who clammering about how I pronounced Sin Cara’s name, pls take it up w/ someone else. That’s how we were told in Mexico.”

Kevin Nash Says Scott Hall Is In Bad Shape

Kevin Nash has updated his blog on Tumblr.com with an update on the heath of his longtime friend, Scott Hall. We wish there was better news to report here .. According to Nash, Scott Hall is going through a very dark period, one of his worst ever. Nash explains that Scott’s problems are a lot deeper than substance abuse and asks people to see Hall as a human being like all of us, with feelings and problems that might ultimately take him down for good.

Here’s part of what Nash wrote:

“Over the last few weeks, since the horrifying New England appearance of Scott Hall, my Twitter page has blown up with plea’s to help Scott. First of all, nobody has to ASK me to help Scott Hall. I consider Scott like a brother. He’s much more than a friend. I have spent more time with Scott Hall in the last 18 years than I have with my wife in the 23 years we’ve been married. We have no secrets between each other. This is ‘real life’. Nobody knows what Scott has gone thru since early childhood to what he has gone thru up unto this point, except for me. I can tell you Scott Hall has neither a drug or alcohol addiction, Scott’s problem is he suffer’s from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Drugs and alcohol aren’t the problem, to Scott they are the solution. He is a fragile and broken human being, not a race horse that you take a whip to to perform. Scott Hall is in bad shape and each time I talk to him I feel it may be the last. It’s gotten to the point where I save his voice mails, much like I would’ve saved Andrew’s (Test), because I knew sometimes when I heard his message it could be the last. The media will want to blame wrestling when Scott passes. Scott was broken way before he broke into the ring for the first time.”

Backstage Injury Update On Abyss Inside

Word is that Abyss will need dental surgery to repair the bottom row of his teeth, following his match with RVD at Monday's TNA iMPACT! tapings. During the match, Abyss' teeth were badly damaged during an errant springboard kick from Rob Van Dam.

Abyss received much praise from the locker room following the incident, as he continued to work despite being in a large amount of pain.

Former X Division Champion Gone From TNA

It has been confirmed that Jay Lethal has parted ways with TNA Wrestling. His profile was removed from the organization’s website Wednesday night.

Details regarding his departure have yet to be disclosed.

Lethal’s departure surprised some people within TNA. One company source who was on hand for this week’s television tapings was not aware Lethal was leaving the company.

Lethal worked Tuesday’s iMPACT! television taping after competing in the X Division Ultimate Xscape Match at TNA Lockdown.

Lethal has been sparingly featured since dropping the X Division Championship to Kazarian in January at TNA Genesis.

Former X Division Champion Gone From TNA

It has been confirmed that Jay Lethal has parted ways with TNA Wrestling. His profile was removed from the organization’s website Wednesday night.

Details regarding his departure have yet to be disclosed.

Lethal’s departure surprised some people within TNA. One company source who was on hand for this week’s television tapings was not aware Lethal was leaving the company.

Lethal worked Tuesday’s iMPACT! television taping after competing in the X Division Ultimate Xscape Match at TNA Lockdown.

Lethal has been sparingly featured since dropping the X Division Championship to Kazarian in January at TNA Genesis.

**SPOILERS** TNA iMPACT! Results For Next Week

*Impact opens with Karen and Jeff Jarrett coming out. Karen demands all the Knockouts come out as she is sure one of them was Kurt Angle's mistress. She goes down the Knockouts one by one and comes down to Velvet Sky. She rips apart Sky, who goes to slap Karen but Jeff ends up taking the slap. Winter and Angelina Love go after Velvet...

*Angelina Love defeated Velvet Sky via submission when Sky passed out to a Love submission. Love was doing the trance deal where nothing hurt her when Sky was on the offense.

*Anarquia defeated Chris Sabin. Mexican America worked over Sabin until the returning Alex Shelley made the save. Mexican America noted they were going to celebrate Cinco del Mayo next week.

*Gunner defeated Christopher Daniels.

*Backstage Sting destroys Mr. Anderson's truck and leaves his bat in the windshield before leaving.

*Crimson vs. Samoa Joe ended in a no contest when Abyss attacked Crimson and laid him out with a Black Hole Slam.

*New TNA Knockouts champion Mickie James cuts a promo dedicating her title win to the fans and thanks them for their support.

*TNA champion Sting defeated Bully Ray and Mr. Anderson. Great match with all three getting a decent amount of offense in. Bully Ray played his ultra heel great in this match. Bully used a steel pipe on Sting after a ref bump. AJ Styles came out and attacked Ray. Sting used the pipe on Ray and scored the pin.

Backstage News - The Trish-Morrison-Melina Situation

Former WWE star Sean "X-Pac" Waltman feels John Morrison should apologize for his unprofessional conduct towards Trish Stratus at WrestleMania XXVII.

"I think he should be ashamed," Waltman wrote on Twitter. "I think he owes Trish a public apology, and deserves to be in doghouse. Total bullshit."

He continued, "I lost a lot of respect for Morrison over that. He may not care, but he f'n should."

The former WWE Women's Champion stated during a radio interview two weeks ago that Morrison gave her the cold shoulder during their post-match celebration. She also said that he rejected her suggestions during pre-match planning.

Company sources indicate that he and/or his girlfriend Melina believe Stratus took the WrestleMania spot away from the Diva regular, hence Morrison's behavior towards her.

Those on Morrison's side say as he was laying out the match with Stratus, she was insisting that her trademark spots be featured, which led to him resenting her. The complaint was that Stratus wanted to be the "star" of the match when its intention was for Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi to garner mainstream attention for WWE. Also, the match was also under extreme time constraints and Morrison should have been treated as a rising star as opposed to "just another guy."

While Stratus is generally regarded well behind the scenes, she has had her share of detractors. There have been complaints over the years of Stratus being self-centered and phony. At times, she comes across as arrogant and cocky in interviews as well. It almost seems as if she thinks she's better than everyone else.

Former WWE announcer Kevin Kelly, who worked with Stratus from 2000 to 2003, was particularly negative towards her during a 2007 "shoot" interview as he alleged that she slept with Vince McMahon. Stratus also received a lot of heat from WWE officials for refusing to participate in the 25-Diva Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXV. She reportedly declined working the match because she was not guaranteed she would win. Others have come forward with other claims about Trish as well.

Update: WWE Star To Cross Over To MMA?

Seldom seen WWE talent Harry Smith (a/k/a David Hart Smith) apparently has plans to cross over from professional wrestling to mixed martial arts. As noted earlier here on the website, his mother, Diana Smith, wrote on Twitter that he plans on following his father and grandfather's trail as a shoot fighter.

"My son Harry Smith is quite the shoot fighter, does everyone know that?" she wrote. "He is following in his dad Davey's and Grandfather Stu's footsteps."

Diana also believes he is good enough to compete in a premiere mixed martial arts organization today.

"I actually think my son Harry Smith could compete in Pride, MMA/UFC now as a high level wrestler, he's honestly that good! Ask Josh Barnett."

Barnett, a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, said last year in an interview that he has been training the WWE Superstar in catch wrestling. Smith can be seen sparring with Barnett in the DVD seminar W.A.R. Catch Wrestling: Lessons in Catch-As-Catch-Can with Billy Robinson.

Cage Side Seats reported last month that Smith became an assistant coach in the Scientific Wrestling certification program under Catch-As-Catch-Can-Wrestling legend Billy Robinson. Smith earned the designation after logging over 100 hours of training with Robinson and receiving his approval to teach his concepts.

Robinson stated to a source that if he personally trained Smith for 18 months, he could win the UFC Heavyweight Championship—he was that impressed by him in the time they sparred.

Smith, however, remains under contract to WWE, which prohibits him from joining a mixed martial arts organization. While no indication has been given that the third generation wrestler is leaving WWE, his future prospects with the entertainment empire appear grim as he finds himself in a bigger rut than his 2007-2008 stint on the main roster where he primarily competed on WWE Heat. Sans an appearance in the 22-Man Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXVII, Smith has not competed in over two months; his last match occurred on the February 17, 2011 episode of WWE Superstars. Even further, Smith has not competed in a match on Monday Night RAW in nearly six months. He last appeared on the program on December 6, 2010, which saw him lose to former tag team partner Tyson Kidd in a blow off match. He was then laid out by Kidd's short-lived bodyguard Jackson Andrews. Of course, roster cuts are coming in the very near future, possibly as early as late next week following the WWE Draft.

TNA Debuts A New Mexican Masked Wrestler - Pics

-- Sangriento, a masked wrestler hailing from Tijuana, Mexico, made his TNA Wrestling debut on last night's episode of TNA Xplosion on Challenge TV.

Sangriento participated in a Three-Way Match against Chris Sabin and Jay Lethal. The masked luchador pinned Lethal after hitting the former X Division Champion with a springboard cutter. You can click here to view photos of the new masked wrestler from last night.

Jeremy Borash stated over commentary that Sangriento means "Blood Sport" in Spanish.

Britani Knight Denies Signing With WWE

-- Several websites are reporting that Britani Knight, a twenty-year old women's wrestler from the UK that bares a resemblance to Internet sensation Rebecca Black (Friday), has signed with WWE. Knight is denying these online reports.

Knight wrote on her Facebook page today: "Woahhh thanks the congratulations but i dont even know whats going on yet! Hopefully though guys fingers crossed!"

Knight, who currently reigns as the Pro-Wrestling: EVE Champion, participated in a tryout before WWE officials this week. She also had a tryout with WWE last November.

DH Smith To MMA/UFC?

-- Diana Smith posted the following on her twitter… "I actually think my son Harry Smith could compete in Pride, MMA/UFC now as a high level wrestler, he's honestly that good! Ask Josh Barnett." Pride?!?! Wow.

Bret Hart: WWE Is Wrestling - Details

Bret Hart was recently interviewed by the UK Sun. When asked about WWE's latest move away from wrestling, Hart had the following to say…

"I'm kind of scratching my head about that. I don't know that it makes any difference. Wrestling is wrestling. Call it whatever name you want, it's still wrestling. I think WWE is synonymous with wrestling. If WWE doesn't stand for World Wrestling Entertainment then what does it stand for? It may be a case of Vince trying to monopolise wrestling even more than he has. I think a lot of the wrestlers today, judging by the styles they have, they are wrestlers. They are not bodybuilders or powerlifters or strongmen like in the days of Hulk Hogan, where it was more the look. The young stars today don't want to be Hulk Hogan. They want to be Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels."

You can check out the full interview at http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestling/

WWE’s 2011 KOTR on RAW

- Up until when Edge retired, WWE was planning on holding the Draft in June. The two three-hour RAW shows in June were scheduled to be the Draft and King of the Ring. No word yet on what the other three-hour show will be used for but King of the Ring will still likely take place.

As noted before, WWE has re-written next week’s RAW several times already and creative is said to be in a “panic mode” after having to change plans.

Bad Injury at the iMPACT Tapings, RVD’s Title Shot, Ex-Divas Clash in TNA, More

- Karen and Jeff Jarrett will be “honorary crew members” for the Joe Denette Motorsports racing team at the Nashville Super Speedway this weekend for the Bully Hill Vineyards 200.

- Former WWE Diva Serena lost to Winter before last night’s TNA iMPACT tapings in a dark match.

- Former WWE star and Tough Enough winner Maven was in attendance for last night’s tapings.

- Abyss had his two front teeth knocked out in the match against Rob Van Dam at last night’s TNA iMPACT tapings. It was noted that they were looking for the teeth after the tapings ended in the iMPACT Zone.

- Currently planned for TNA’s Sacrifice pay-per-view in May is Rob Van Dam vs. Sting for the TNA World Heavyweight Title.

John Morrison Discusses Changes to Become WWE Champion & WM 28

John Morrison spoke with The Miami Herald this week. Here are some highlights:

Changes to his character:
“I think the main reason people take me more seriously now is my beard. I think that is the thing that has made the John Morrison character turn the corner and become looked at as a title contender. As someone people see or could see me in the ring with John Cena, The Rock and Steve Austin, even The Miz. I can’t believe I just said that, but The Miz is there. He is the WWE champion. All those guys were or are at the top for a reason. The more serious attitude, the aggression and the anger is something Johnny Nitro never had and John Morrison had been lacking prior to this year. I think I tapped into some very real things as would any method actor would.”

His hopes for WrestleMania 28:
“I love Miami. I’m stoked that we are going there next year. If we are not going to be in Los Angeles, we may as well be in Miami. I love the sun. Next year I hope and expect to be main eventing WrestleMania. I want to come in as WWE champion or world champion or be involved in a WWE championship or world championship match.”

**SPOILERS** TNA iMPACT! Results For Thursday

TNA iMPACT!:

*Impact with a AJ Styles promo, coming down from the roof. He talks about Lockdown and asks Bully Ray for a match now in the cage. Bully Ray comes out cuts a long promo on AJ from the stage, teases getting in the cage until Daniels comes down and throws Bully in the cage and locks it. AJ beats up Bully and teases jumping off the top of the cage. Bully escapes.

*Gunner and Rob Terry come out and wants to face Beer Money in the cage for the TNA Tag Team champions and of course Beer Money accepts.

*Hulk Hogan cut a promo saying RVD missed his chance to join Immortal. Rob Van Dam comes out and they go back and forth talking about respect. Sting comes out and they announce it's Sting vs. RVD at Sacrifice Sting said the Network gives him a clause that allows him to pick his challengers. Hogan got angry and said he's going to find out who is running the Network soon enough.

*Later tonight, it will be Matt Hardy vs. Sting and Rob Van Dam vs. Abyss with Hogan in Abyss' corner.

*TNA Knockout Tag Team champions Rosita & Sarita defeated Madison Rayne & Tara. Rayne and Tara were fighting amongst themselves.

*The Jarretts come out. Jeff is going to crown Karen the Queen of the Mountain since Jeff is the King. The fans chant "Sloppy seconds." Kurt Angle comes out and Angleslams Jeff through a chair. He tells Karen it will never be over.

*Abyss defeated RVD after Hulk Hogan interfered. Crimson made the save.

*Matt Morgan came out and cut a promo about wanting a World title shot. Scott Steiner comes out and wants a title shot as well. Matt proposes a match and Steiner accepts, then beats up Morgan.

*TNA champion Sting defeated Matt Hardy. Post match, Anderson hit the Mic Check on both and cut a promo on Sting to end the show.

**SPOILERS** WWE SD! Results For This Friday

* Michael Cole comes out to occupy The Cole Mine which features a royal looking gold and burgundy throne by it. Josh Mathews and Booker T follow.

* The World Heavyweight Championship belt is suspended above the ring.

* The show opens with a Edge video package followed by a rundown of the Extreme Rules lineup. On tonight's show, Big Show & Kane will face Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel for the WWE Tag Team Championship and Kofi Kingston will face Wade Barrett for the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

* Sir Michael Cole comes out to the British National Anthem to a ton of heat.

* Cody Rhodes comes out with three men wearing suits with one pushing a shopping cart. In the cart there are paper bags. Rhodes instructs his posse to hand out the bags to the crowd because they all need them. Everyone on the front row is given a brown paper back to put over their head. Rhodes cuts a heel promo which leads to his Wrestlemania XXVII rematch with Rey Mysterio.

* Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio. Winner via reversed powerbomb into a sit down pin, Rey Mysterio. After the match, Rhodes beats him down and they brawl on the outside. Cody finally gets the upper hand after a lengthy battle and puts a paper bag over Mysterio's head.

* Michael Cole introduces Jack Swagger after footage from his Knighting Ceremony from this week's WWE Raw airs.

* Jack Swagger vs. Trent Barreta. Swagger makes him tap out in the ankle lock in a squash match.

* Big Show and Kane are shown walking backstage to the ring as their match for the WWE Tag Team Championship is up next.

* The new Awesome Kong vignette airs.

* For the WWE Tag Team Championship, Big Show & Kane vs. Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel w/Ezekiel Jackson. Winners & new WWE Tag Team Champions, Big Show & Kane. They got the win after miss-communication from The Corre.

* Backstage, The Corre argue and Ezekiel Jackson blames Heath Slater. Slater pushes Justin Gabriel.* Drew McIntyre vs. Chris Masters. Winner after hitting the Future Shock DDT, Drew McIntyre

* Wade Barrett b. Kofi Kingston to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Ezekiel Jackson came out with Barrett but when he nearly cost him the match by accidentally clotheslining him, Barrett banished him to backstage.

* Alberto Del Rio hosts a retirement party for Edge. He comes out and unveils his gifts to the Rated R Superstar... A grandfather clock, adult diapers and the love of his life Lita. Out comes a very obese lady posing as Lita. Del Rio also says he got him a new ride. Ricardo Rodriguez drives a mobile scooter out to an Edge-like entrance. Del Rio tells Brodus Clay to attack Edge (who is on the ramp) but as Clay goes up the ramp Christian is hiding under the ring with a ladder. He attacks Clay on the ramp then takes out Del Rio. Christian gets in the ring with the ladder and grabs the World Heavyweight Championship from up top. Edge applauds from the ramp to end the show.

After the show:

* Christian hosts a proper farewell for Edge.

This Week's RAW & Tough Enough Ratings Are In

-- This week's edition of WWE Tough Enough drew a 1.53 (1.5) cable rating, with 2,196,000 viewers, That is a drop from the previous week but still very good. The replay that aired after RAW drew a 1.16 (1.2) cable rating, with 1,568,000 viewers.

-- This week's edition of RAW drew a 3.1 cable rating, with 4.7 million viewers. That is down from recent telecasts. The show actually dropped in hour two as the first hour did a 3.19 (3.2) and hour two did a 3.06 (3.1). That's obviously not a good sign.

-- AM RAW on April 16th did a 0.47 (0.5) cable rating, with 592,000 viewers. A 1:00AM WWE Tough Enough replay drew a 0.63 (0.6) cable rating, with 756,000 viewers.

-- WWE Tough Enough also aired twice on April 17th. The 1:00AM edition did a 0.58 (0.6) cable rating, with 753,000 viewers. The 2:00AM edition drew a 0.42 cable rating, with 496,000 viewers.

Ex-WWE Diva At iMPACT! + Mickie James' Injury & Return

-- Former WWE Diva Serena worked a dark match prior to tonight's TNA iMPACT! taping. Mickie James wrote the following on Twitter, "Bout to watch my siz @SerenaDeeb in a Lil TNA Knockout action! I can't wait!"

-- Mickie James, who won the TNA Women's Knockout Championship at TNA Lockdown, is expected to resume wrestling at the next set of TNA iMPACT! tapings in two weeks. James separated her shoulder last month at a house show in Jacksonville, Florida during a match against Madison Rayne. It was explained on television that the injury was caused by Rayne and Tara running over her with a motorcycle.

WWE Tryouts At SD! Today, R-Truth Edits

-- Jack Jester from Insane Championship Wrestling is one of the wrestlers getting a WWE tryout at the SmackDown! taping in London. He is not the first ICW talent to receive a tryout. Last year former ICW Heavyweight Champion B.T Gunn got one as well as the first ever ICW Champion was Drew McIntyre.

-- It was observed that for the Monday Night RAW airing on Sky, they edited off every part involving R-Truth smoking. During the post-match attack on Morrison they went to a commercial right after the DDT on the floor and later they went to an quick commercial break while Josh Mathews was introducing the recap of the segment.

Report: Security Told To Confiscate Zach Ryder Signs

WWE ordered O2 Arena security to confiscate all signs from fans relating to Zack Ryder at Monday's Monday Night RAW taping at in London, England.

The Raw Superstar has been encouraging fans to bring Ryder related signs to WWE events, such as "Broski of the Week." He often goes on Twitter acknowledging Ryder signs shown on television. He asked for an image of the "Zack Ryder = Ratings" sign that briefly appeared on RAW. That too was confiscated.

Ryder was backstage at Monday night's show, but was not used.

Report: Unusual Props Backstage At iMPACT! Taping

-- Kurt Angle remarked the following on Twitter today: "Separated my shoulder at Lockdown. Much pain. May have lost but I broke Jarrett's ribs. All of a sudden My pain is gone. Lol. Heading to TV."

-- TNA Wrestling is taping this Thursday's episode of iMPACT! tonight in Orlando, Florida and there are two big white horses and a carriage backstage.

Paul Burchill Discusses Incest Angle With Katie Lea, Interest In Joining TNA

Former WWE star Paul Burchill appeared on Final Bell Radio (audio available at www.finalbellradio.com). Highlights are as follows:

Burchill on his WWE debut almost being a disaster: "I went out there and there's a freakin' rope hanging from the ceiling. So I swung down, went to the ring, climbed up to the top rope and stood on the top rope. As I stepped off I landed on the knee and it felt like it imploded. It was right in front of Vince and the first thing he said was 'are you ok?' I said I think I blew my knee out. He said you might want to get that checked. All that day I got injections, it was just about getting through the match…I was told 'You can go get your knee fixed but I can't guarantee there's going to be a spot for you when you come back.' Yea, they look after their talent.

Burchill on why the Katie Lea incest angle was scrapped: "They debuted us with huge plans for us, but they went PG two weeks later...and then you're just there, especially on Raw, with no real direction."

On if he'd like to work for TNA: "I'd definitely be interested because that's schedule is perfect. I enjoy a lot of stuff I see on TNA. I like TNA, I like the product, I like the people there and I have a lot of friends there. Where they get it right is they put people on the show and let them be themselves. It comes across a lot more real."

Anti-Smoking Advocate Upset with R-Truth for RAW Angle, WWE Responds

TMZ reports today that Patrick Reynolds, Executive Director of TobaccoFree.org, is upset with R-Truth's smoking angle on RAW last night and is demanding an apology from the RAW Superstar.

He told TMZ: "For him to smoke in front of [children] is irresponsible. At best, it's thoughtless, and at worst, if he calculated appealing to kids by posing as a bad-boy outlaw, it's evil. If he wants help in quitting, I'll be happy to be his personal coach."

WWE responded with the following statement to TMZ:

"The negative effect smoking has on one’s health and physical performance was a part of a storyline on last night’s Monday Night Raw. Negative depictions of tobacco use on television are not unusual and can be seen on other TV-PG shows."

---

Stipulation Added to Tag Match at WWE Extreme Rules, Updated Card

WWE has announced that Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross vs. Michael Cole and Jack Swagger at Extreme Rules will now be a Street Fight. Here's the updated card:

Triple Threat Cage Match for the WWE Title
John Morrison vs. John Cena vs. The Miz

Ladder Match for the World Heavyweight Title
Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio

Last Man Standing Match
CM Punk vs. Randy Orton

Street Fight
Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole and Jack Swagger

New Details On Sting’s Negotiations With WWE, WWE Releases Digital Mag

– Sting surprised a lot of people by stating during a recent interview with The Daily Star that he was offered a match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVII as well as a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame. People within WWE have said that there were no formal talks between Sting and the organization. They also say that Sting was not offered a match against The Undertaker, but there was informal talk regarding a legends contract and a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Meanwhile, TNA Wrestling sources believe Sting was telling the truth on WWE’s interest level.

– WWE has released the first-ever digital issue of WWE Magazine. It features exclusive wallpapers, vintage vignettes, an interactive quiz and a real-time fan poll. It costs 99 cents and features The Undertaker on the cover.

Edge Causes WWE to Change Draft Plans

- There is speculation that WWE went ahead and announced the WWE Draft for next week’s RAW partly because Edge had to suddenly retire. Everyone expects a top babyface from the RAW brand to be drafted to SmackDown in an attempt to fill Edge’s void.

JR Says Extreme Rules Will Be Ugly But Fun, Edge Status

- Jim Ross wrote the following comments on Twitter after last night’s RAW:

“Well….not exactly what I had in mind tonight from London. However, paybacks are hell. Ham & egg announcers knocking me are laughable.

As Chris Farley said in Tommy Boy, “Me need sleepy.” Extreme Rules tag will be bowling shoe ugly but it will be fun…I hope.”

- WWE has removed Edge from the SmackDown roster and moved him over to their Alumni roster.