WWE
– WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt recently sent a letter to TNA legal counsel Erika Blonquist stating that WWE has no interest in signing Ric Flair:
“First, and as I advised you orally on the phone during our recent conference call, WWE has not solicited Ric Flair to leave TNA and enter into a contract with WWE. WWE has made no offer to Flair and has no intention of doing so.
Second, as I also advised you, WWE has not solicited any other current TNA talent to repudiate their contracts and enter into a contract with WWE. WWE has no interest in current TNA talent.”
Despite Jerry McDevitt’s recent letter, most people in WWE still believe they will sign him as soon as they can without any legal repercussions. WWE would love to have him back for the 1,000th RAW celebration on July 23rd and still plans to use Flair to help market the WWE Network this fall.
– TNA’s temporary restraining order against WWE was officially dissolved on June 8th after they told the court they could find no evidence of confidential TNA information on their computer network. The order against former WWE/TNA employee Brian Wittenstein is still in effect, demanding that he return any confidential information.
– Bill Goldberg has not wrestled in years, but his name has been chanted on both WWE and TNA television in recent weeks (during Ryback and Crimson’s matches). Goldberg tweeted the following about fans comparing these wrestlers to him:
“WWE or TNA ……anytime fans would chant my name years after I’ve retired ….it’s an honor. Glass half-full.”
– At Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown tapings, another stipulation was added to the steel cage main event of WWE No Way Out – if John Cena loses, he’s fired. This is in addition to the stipulation that if Big Show loses, John Laurinaitis is fired. With that big stipulation in place, here’s the updated card for Sunday’s WWE No Way Out pay-per-view:
Steel Cage: (Vince McMahon at Ringside): Big Show vs. John Cena: If Cena wins, Laurinaitis is fired. If Cena loses, he’s fired.
WWE Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Kane
World Heavyweight Championship: Sheamus (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Christian (c) vs. Cody Rhodes
Divas Championship: Layla (c) vs. Beth Phoenix
Pre-Show Match: Brodus Clay vs. David Otunga
– Evan Bourne tweeted the following on Tuesday regarding his health status:
“More xrays taken today! My bones look good in the right light. Physical therapy starts next week….finally!”
– According to the Wrestling Observer, Ryback continuously facing independent wrestlers at televised events because their contracted talent are wary of wrestling him.
– According to F4WOnline, WWE has renewed its efforts to scout new young talent. WWE’s recent training camp at Florida Championship Wrestling where over 20 wrestlers were brought in for tryouts is an example of this initiative. WWE is painfully aware that the past several years have produced very few marketable superstars and are now playing catchup for the sake of the company’s future.
– Jim Ross tweeted the following about Hornswoggle’s recent impression of him on last week’s SmackDown:
“Enjoyed @wwehornswoggle work. Talented kid.”
– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
Dolph Ziggler’s Match On RAW:: “@HeelZiggler aka Dolph Ziggler had a significant night. Opportunity knocks for Ziggler and I hope that he capitalizes on it. I’ve long been an advocate of Ziggler’s and have felt that he’s deserving of main event opportunities. I hope Ziggler and Sheamus, another one of my favorites, blow the PPV up on Sunday. That’s how you don’t get put on ignore…steal the show.”
Vader’s Surprise Return: “Loved the return of Vader on Raw. Leon White aka Vader has lost a bunch of weight after getting north or the 400 pound mark and looked to be 330ish the last time that I saw him which was down in Tampa a few weeks ago. Vader’s son is ‘Jake Carter’ who is one half of the Florida Tag Team Champions along with Cory Graves. ”
3-Hour RAW’s: “Three hour TV shows are daunting and must be approached with extensive, long term planning and preparation. I enjoyed many elements of Monday Night Raw but watching ANY TV show for three hours isn’t easy for me. Hopefully, three hour Monday Night Raw’s will provide more multiple segment wrestling matches and not more talk. Yep, old school guy here…I like the wrestling, drama, athleticism, and personal issues better than most talk.”
“Don’t get me wrong, a focused, passionate, entertaining in ring promo that engages the live audience and takes us fans on a ride and closer to the talent’s intended destination is still money. Unfortunately, an adlibbed, spontaneous promo is becoming a lost art.”
– According to F4WOnline, Bill DeMott, the new head of WWE’s developmental program at FCW, is getting positive reviews for his work thus far. In the past, DeMott was characterized as being a bully who would unnecessarily overwork the trainees, but the feeling is that he’s matured a lot since his last stint there and is doing a great job.
– Triple H appeared at Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings during an off air segment, interrupting a promo by Jack Swagger and laying him out with a Pedigree.
– Today’s wrestling birthdays include Headbanger Thrasher (43), Virgil (50) and Jacques “The Mountie” Rougeau (52).
– The June 9th episode of WWE’s AM RAW drew a 0.46 cable rating with 550,000 viewers.
MLB
– Jim Callis of Baseball America reports that 2012 No. 2 overall pick OF Byron Buxton will get a $6M bonus from the Twins. Buxton will get slightly under the recommended slot value of $6.2 million for the No. 2 overall pick, but it figures to be the highest bonus in this year’s draft class, as No. 1 pick Carlos Correa got $4.8 million from the Astros. It will also top Joe Mauer ($5.1 million in 2001) for the highest bonus in team history.
NHL
– According to the Washington Times, Norfolk Admirals’ coach Jon Cooper could be a contender for the vacant head coaching position with the Capitals. Cooper said in a phone interview Tuesday that he would listen if the Capitals contacted him. “I’ve put myself in a position that if I could have an opportunity to go to an NHL team that was the right fit for me and for management, I’d be crazy not to look at that.” He led Tampa Bay’s AHL affiliate to a Calder Cup victory after they posted an incredible 55-18-3 record during the regular season.