WWE
– According to the F4WOnline, despite Brock Lesnar’s rocky relationship with WWE, plans are still in place for him to fight Triple H at SummerSlam in August. One scenario discussed for the match would be for Vince McMahon to be in Triple H’s corner and John Laurinaitis to be in Lesnar’s corner. This would involve John Cena defeating Big Show at No Way Out and Vince McMahon firing Laurinaitis at the pay-per-view. Laurinaitis, with the backing of WWE’s Board of Directors, would then return with Brock Lesnar as his enforcer to take out Triple H, who would be aligned with Vince McMahon.
– According to F4WOnline, several UFC fighters express interest in wrestling for WWE after their MMA careers are over, including Tito Ortiz and Roy Nelson. Another big name has been added to the list of UFC fighters willing to step into a WWE ring–Frank Mir. Brock Lesnar’s arch nemesis in the UFC, Mir was recently asked by the Chronicle Journal about the possibility of following Brock Lesnar to WWE when he retires from the Octagon. Mir replied:
“Not opposed to the idea. I can’t do a back flip or anything.”
– Vince McMahon took another shot at Jim Ross in a backstage segment on Monday’s Raw SuperShow, which saw the WWE Chairman make a horribly contorted face ridiculing the Hall of Fame broadcaster’s affliction with Bell’s palsy. Ross suffers from the condition, which sometimes results in temporary paralysis of his facial muscles. NWA Championship Wrestling from Hollywood producer Joe Franciosi, who worked as a creative writer for WWE in 2010, said he discovered why Ross is often ridiculed by company brass after encountering the legendary broadcaster. Franciosi wrote on Twitter,
“I sat through tons of meetings where Vince and tons of others would just shred JR. I wondered why till I met him.”
– Counting down to seven days remaining on his thirty-day WWE suspension due to denigrating the Brazilian flag at a WWE live event in São Paulo on June 14, Chris Jericho tweeted Saturday, “”7 deadly sins, 7 ways to win, 7 holy paths to hell and your trip begins.7 downward slopes, 7 bloodied hopes, 7 are your burning fires, 7.”
– Rory McAllister, who appeared for WWE from 2006 to 2008 as a member of The Highlanders, feels today’s crop of Divas don’t compare to the extraordinary bombshells of days gone by. Though attractive in their own right, he categorizes today’s female talent as ‘girls,’ rather than ‘Divas,’ and lacking special, indefinable attributes. He wrote on Twitter Thursday,
“WWE has some pretty girls working there but what happened to having Divas!? Trish, Candace, Torrie. WOMEN of hotness!”
“I can see pretty much most of today’s chicks at any bar on a Friday night. #nothingspecial.”
A follower of McAllister’s stated,
“WWE doesn’t believe in having divas who can wrestle, they’d rather just give them 3 minutes and and tell them to bounce around.” The wrestler responded, “Agreed, but they’re not even hot enough to hold my interest.”
“Like I said I see them in any bar. But! If Trish walked into a bar, EVERYONE would be like “who the fuck is that!” Same goes for Torrie Wilson, Candace, Lita etc. The new chicks have zero “IT” factor.”
McAllister also feels that WWE’s premiere starlet, Kelly Kelly, “it.”
“She’s a good lookin chick but no “holy shit” factor!”
Of note, no Diva has solely graced the cover of WWE Magazine since 2006.
– The Score’s Arda Ocal (@arda_ocal) sat down with Bret “The Hitman” Hart in the final part of his three part interview. Bret touches on Lex Luger, his opportunity to carry “the ball” for WWE and his role as the champion of the company in the 1990?s. Highlights are as follows:
WWE’s television ratings after dropping the title to Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XII and Steve Austin: “At the time, ratings plummeted after I dropped the belt to Shawn at Wrestlemania XII. They started losing the ratings to WCW. Shawn did not fill the void like I did and they kinda ended up where it’s like ‘We’re gonna go back to Bret Hart’. The guy that pulled them all out of that was Steve Austin and that was the guy I had a lot to do with helping shape where he was going in his career. I think I had a lot to do with, through the ’90s and I think I had a lot to do with the direction the whole company went, and the stars that did make it for WWE, like Austin and even Shawn I had a lot to do with helping get where they were.”
On carrying WWE through the 1990s: “[Vince] needed someone immediately, like someone right now to carry the whole thing and not drop it. And thats what I love about my era. It’s like ‘Here, give it to Bret Hart’. And they gave me all that. And you know I say, guys like Flair and some of these guys say Bret Hart didn’t draw money, and thats not true at all. I did draw money. I drew big houses. And I had the tough job of having to carry things, I had to be the big star after Hulk Hogan, who was a failed hero at the moment.”
On changing the ‘rules’ as champion: “The big one was I was never a big fan of the big star on the door dressing room. Warrior had it, Macho Man had it too with Liz, but Liz had to change and it was a different thing with Macho, but I always felt Macho earned it. Hogan had the fruit basket, the flowers and the special room with star on the door too. I always felt Hogan earned it too. I never thought he didn’t deserve any of that, he did. I know just when it came to me, you know the limo rides, and the limo service and all that, I didn’t want any of that” … “I want to change in the dressing room with the other wrestlers. I don’t need the star on the door, I don’t want it. Save the “it]s all a big show” for somebody else, I don’t want it. I was the first champion to refuse that” … “You see guys like Warrior and Hogan that didn’t have the time of day for anybody but themselves. I changed that. I wanted to be not just the peoples champion, but I felt like I was the dressing room champion.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7CzHzUynOs&feature=player_embedded
– WWE Champion CM Punk denied online rumors that he posted two negative messages on Twitter concerning WWE this morning.
“Uh. I haven’t tweeted in three days geniuses. Let alone deleted tweets. What are you crazies talking about?”
The messages in question read:
“Lots of times you don’t agree with your boss, but this is plain out stupid. These are the times I question why people still watch us.”
“Not looking forward to the weekend.”
– WWE Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Raw and SmackDown General Manager John Laurinaitis stated on Friday’s SmackDown that if John Cena lays his hands on him and if Big Show is victorious Sunday night at No Way Out, he will fire Cena. It was announced on Monday’s Raw SuperShow that Laurinaitis will be fired by Vince McMahon if Big Show loses. The announced card is as follows:
John Cena vs. Big Show – Steel Cage Match
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler
WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Kane – Triple Threat Match
Intercontinental Champion Christian vs. Cody Rhodes
Divas Champion Layla vs. Beth Phoenix
United States Champion Santino Marella vs. Ricardo Rodriguez – Tuxedo Match (Non-Title)
Brodus Clay vs. David Otunga (Pre-Show Match)
– WWE announced Friday via Twitter that Cyndi Lauper will guest star on Monday’s Raw SuperShow. Their statement reads,
“Girls just wanna have fun … on #Raw! Grammy-winning artist @CyndiLauper guest stars on Monday’s @WWE #Raw #SuperShow!”
WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel added,
“Glad to see @CyndiLauper joining us on Raw this Mon night. She was a major part of the Rock and Wrestling Connection back in the day!”
Lauper made several appearances at the World Wrestling Federation’s “Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection” events in 1984 and 1985, including the inaugural WrestleMania event. Managing Wendi Richter against Leilani Kai, their entrance music was “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”
– Former Connecticut Rep. Chris Shays took aim at U.S. Senate frontrunner Linda McMahon and the content of WWE programming several times during an hour-long Republican debate at the University of Connecticut Thursday, saying that the wrestling organization’s stories are the real “war on women.” At two points, he referred to McMahon’s husband, Vince McMahon, making a woman—Trish Stratus—remove her clothing and bark like a dog during a skit.
“I think when you force a woman to take off all her clothes in an arena, and get down on the ground and bark like a dog, I think that’s assault on women,” said Shays.
“You can’t talk about you’re a job creator without talking about the jobs you created,” he told reporters after the debate, adding how McMahon has no answers to his criticism. Shays also referenced stories of WWE wrestlers who have died young, which have been widely attributed to the use of performance-enhancing drugs. McMahon, however, steered away from his WWE-related criticism to focus on her job plans.
“I’m very proud of the company that I have helped grow, from the point of time when my husband and I shared a desk,” said McMahon. “I’m proud of the jobs that I have created here in Connecticut, and I’m proud of the millions of dollars that we have put into the economy here in our state.”
“A job creator?” Shays responded. “Hugh Hefner is a job creator. I don’t want Hugh Hefner being there, and I don’t want Linda McMahon being there.”
– WWEDVDNews.com has released a synopsis for the upcoming “Once In a Lifetime: The Rock vs. John Cena” project (to be released in September) and the the highly anticipated CM Punk DVD set, to be released in October.
Rock vs. Cena: Once In A Lifetime Synopsis: “In the week leading up to WrestleMania XXVIII, a one-hour documentary aired on NBC Universal in America called ‘Once In A Lifetime: The Rock vs. John Cena’. This DVD collection is an expanded version of that documentary – giving the full one-year story of the build up to this epic match – from the very first promo. It also gives an insight into the preparation of body and mind that these two competitors went through before they met in the ring on April 1 in Miami. Once in A Lifetime explores the iconic Superstars long, emotional paths toward their match, and gives viewers a glimpse into The Rock and John Cena’s daily lives, training regiments, and the personal choices and histories that led them to the defining moment of their careers.”
The Upcoming CM Punk DVD Synopsis: “On June 27, 2011, CM Punk forever altered the course of WWE history with a blistering rant, proclaiming, “Day in and day out for almost 6 years Ihave proven to everybody in the world that Iam the best… on this microphone, in that ring, even on commentary. Nobody can touch me!”. Since riding into the scene as an extra in John Cena’s entrance at WrestleMania 22 to defending the WWE Title in main events all over the world in recent years, the “Voice of the Voiceless” has backed up that statement.
“Now, WWE fans get an unprecedented look inside the life and career of the most controversial Superstar of this generation. The first ever documentary to focus on CM Punk traces his rise to the top of WWE, from this early success on ECW, his divisive perpetuating of the Straight Edge Subculture, to becoming internationally revered as the best wrestler in the world, and all the 5 star matches and verbal “pipe bombs” in between. Packed with new interviews and commentary from Punk himself, as he takes the viewer inside his day-to-day life. Plus relive the signature matches that have punctuated his WWE career and vaulted him into the championship spotlight!”
– WWE ran an angle on SmackDown where David Otunga attacked Brodus Clay, which resulted in Clay tearing the MCL in his left knee. Despite the injury, the two men will still wrestle in the No Way Out pre-show match on Youtube.com tomorrow night. David Otunga tweeted the following about Brodus Clay’s storyline injury:
“So Brodus has a Grade 2 MCL tear. Is that all I did? Sunday at @WWE #NoWayOut his MCL is going to be completely destroyed = No more dancing!”
The WWE website is reporting that Clay will be undergoing rehab over the next few weeks.
– Paul Heyman’s Heyman Hustle blog has released a new video featuring Mike Tyson, who talks about “getting back into the ring.” The video, which is narrated by Paul Heyman and can be viewed below, is to hype Mike Tyson being featured in the new WWE ’13 video game a a playable character:
– Here are some highlights of WWE Diva AJ Lee’s recent interview with NorthJersey.com to promote Sunday’s No Way Out pay-per-view:
Working No Way Out with Kane, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk: “It is the most mind-blowing thing to me. I feel like everything happens for a reason and everything comes around full circle”
Hoping to leave her mark at WrestleMania 29: “The basic kid in you wants to be in a video game and wants to have an action figure and so those are two things [that] I’m really looking forward to one day. But the ultimate goal, as a woman in this industry, is to be the Champion.”
AJ revealed that her family came up through rough times and she decided at age 12 she wanted to be a wrestler: “I had a bunch of part time jobs. I was a janitor at day care. I was a cashier. And I just did that to support my family, but I wanted a little bit more money because I had to support wrestling school.”
“I knew that I didn’t look like everybody else so I wasn’t going to take the traditional route of everybody so I kind of needed to learn my craft and just get myself there no matter what.”
When asked about which former WWE Divas have inspired her, she named Trish Stratus, Lita, Molly Holly and Stephanie McMahon.
– Today’s wrestling birthdays include The Sandman (49) and the Ultimate Warrior (53).
NHL
– According to Predators’ beat writer Joshua Cooper, GM David Poile believes impending UFA D Ryan Suter will test free agency on July 1. This, of course, doesn’t rule out the chance for Suter to eventually re-sign with Nashville, but it’s believed he’ll at least field offers in the market. The Red Wings are one of many teams believed to be interested in him.
– According to the Calgary Herald, the Flames could be shopping D Jay Bouwmeester by the upcoming draft. In a radio interview, head coach Bob Hartley left Bouwmeester’s name out in a list of players he considered the team’s core. For me,’’ Hartley said, “looking at Jarome, Giordano, Tanguay, Glencross, Cammalleri, Kiprusoff . . . that’s going to be the core of our team.’’ In addition, the hiring of Martin Gelinas as an assistant coach suggests that F Jarome Iginla will not be traded. Stay tuned.
– According to Adrian Dater of the Denver Post, the Avalanche are expected to make offers to impending free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. Colorado currently has the most cap room of any NHL team entering July 1.
– According to the Columbus Dispatch, the Blue Jackets have begun contract negotiations with D Nikita Nikitin and F Jared Boll. Boll will be an RFA on July 1, while Nikita will be a UFA.
– The Stars have signed F Emil Molin to a 3-year entry level contract. Molin, who was Dallas’ 4th-round pick in the 2011 entry draft, played with Brynas in the SEL. The 18-year-old posted just five points in 34 games this season.
NBA
– Phil Jackson said in a recent interview that he had no interest in coaching a “clumsy” Knicks team. In an interview scheduled to air Tuesday, Jackson told HBO’s “Real Sports”, ”I wasn’t gonna take that job; that’s for sure. They don’t fit together well. (Amare) Stoudemire doesn’t fit well with Carmelo (Anthony). Stoudemire’s a really good player. But he’s gotta play in a certain system and a way. Carmelo has to be a better passer.”
– Retired NBA F Brandon Roy (knees) wrote on Friday that he’s “preparing for a return next year.” Roy was writing on the Twitter account of his friend and fellow basketball player Will Conroy, and said that he’s “training daily…health is good.” He’s scheduled to play in a Pro-Am tournament this weekend. Roy may be best suited to limited minutes off the bench from now on.
– According to HoopsWorld, the Bobcats have “made it clear that the No. 2 pick is available,” but if they don’t find a suitable deal they will “likely draft Thomas Robinson.” The Bobcats are reportedly looking for a young star in return, as the report names James Harden and Rudy Gay as possibilities. That asking price, however, is extremely steep. Stay tuned.
NFL
– NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah reports that the Browns will accept “minimal compensation” in any potential QB Colt McCoy trade. ESPN Cleveland reported the Browns were hoping to find McCoy a “new team, a new opportunity, to spare him the ignominy of being released.” Not much has surfaced regarding McCoy of late, but that should change once teams get a better understanding of their quarterback situation at camp. He’ll best fit into a West Coast offence.
– Steelers’ GM Kevin Colbert tentatively expects both RB Rashard Mendenhall (ACL surgery) and DE Casey Hampton (ACL surgery) to begin the year on the PUP list. ”My guess is they’ll open the season on PUP. You’ve got to remember both of those injuries happened late in the year.” Mendenhall was injured in Week 17, while Hampton was injured in Pittsburgh’s Wild Card loss. The Steelers’ bye is in Week 4, so they couldn’t return before Week 8 if they land on the PUP list.
MLB
– Rockies’ SS Troy Tulowitzki (groin) will travel to Philadelphia on Monday to be examined for a possible sports hernia. It was originally reported that Tulowitzki re-aggravated his left groin strain, but this could mean the injury is more serious, which could also result in surgery–if so, he’d need roughly 4-6 weeks before being cleared for baseball-related activities. Stay tuned.
– The Red Sox have placed RHP Josh Beckett (right shoulder inflammation) on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 12. Beckett could be activated when first eligible, meaning he’ll just miss one start.
– Red Sox’ manager Bobby Valentine said Saturday that he believes OF Carl Crawford (elbow) is “pretty close to playing in baseball games.” Crawford threw from 110 feet in the outfield early Saturday and didn’t report any soreness in his elbow. He could begin a minor league rehab assignment as soon as next week. He should be back sometime around the All-Star break.
– Nationals manager Davey Johnson said Saturday that RHP Drew Storen (elbow) looks “for sure” to return by the All-Star break. Storen, however, has yet to be cleared for a minor league rehab assignment.
– The Mets have placed OF Jason Bay (concussion) on the 7-day DL. Bay suffered suffered the injury Friday when he slammed into the left field wall while trying to make a diving catch. He’ll be eligible to return next week, but must pass a concussion test before being cleared for baseball activities.
– Cardinals’ OF became just the eighth player in major league history (and first switch hitter) to record both 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases in his career. Beltran joins Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonds, Andre Dawson, Steve Finley, Willie Mays, Alex Rodriguez and Reggie Sanders as the only players to join the 300/300 club.
– The Blue Jays have placed RHP Drew Hutchison (sprained right UCL) on the 15-day DL and RHP Kyle Drabek (ligament tear in right elbow) on the 15-day DL. The severity of Hutchinson’s injury isn’t yet known, but he will likely require a longer-than-minimum stay. It was originally reported that Drabek was being placed on the DL with a ”UCL sprain.” Initial tests revealed no loss of strength or stability, but Drabek is now facing the prospect of Tommy John surgery and missing more than a year of baseball. There will be more clarity on his status after he is re-evaluated by Dr. James Andrews this weekend.
RACING
– Check out this insane crash at the 2012 Le Mans. Anthony Davidson’s Toyota was bumped by Pierguiseppe Perazzini, resulting in this highlight crash:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fzw5i14ewXY&feature=player_embedded
TNA
– Scott Steiner, who parted ways with TNA Wrestling in March, has continued to trash his former employer’s upper hierarchy via Twitter. In his latest series of messages, “Big Poppa Pump” slams Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan. “Big Poppa Pump” also takes digs at Bischoff’s wife Loree, who wrote a self-help book called Common Sense Happiness. He wrote:
You say im old hogan says he wanted to bring me back right away,you two jackoffs need to get on
The same page
Seeing how scared you were when you saw the guys lined up to slap the shit out of you and since your
Such a pussy you cant defend yourself from a bitchslap,you would have thought that you would
Have wised up! But you didnt and you arrogantly came into TNA and treated everybody like shit,you trash
Talk wrestlers in the media including Bret,Booker etc which is bullshit bcuz nobody has ever turned
The tv on or paid for a PPV to see you but your so dillusional you think otherwise, but your whole family
Is dillusional,Now i realize anybody can write a book but seriously your wife writes a book titled
Common sense happiness(im not making this up) ..really…well there better be a whole chapter on
Eating pussy….. bcuz according to your testimony that makes her happy
Friends…Fuck You..you dont know anything about me
– Former WWE star Gene Snitsky was asked on Twitter whether he would join TNA Wrestling if he was offered a contract. He responded, “If the price was right.”
– Yahoo! Mexico Deportes has published an article on an angle Sarita is involved with in Mexico. The TNA Knockout, who competes as Dark Angel for Mexican based wrestling promotion CMLL, says she’s willing to risk her hair in a match against Lady Apache. The former tag team partners faced off in a tournament final last week, which brought out Apache’s aggressive side and caused her to be disqualified after she hit the referee. Sarita competed in a TNA ring for the first time in two months at Thursday’s live event in Belton, Texas. In a Knockouts themed show, herself, Angelina Love, Rosita and Winter lost to Mickie James, Tara and Velvet Sky in the main event.