Wrestling

- Shawn Michaels discussed his thoughts on recent rumors that WWE may put more focus on the tag-team division once again, during a recent interview with the Ministry of Slam wrestling radio show. Shawn Michaels joined up with the Ministry Of Slam wrestling radio show for an exclusive 60-minute talk. During the interview, HBK talked abou this career and specifically focused on several notable aspects of his lengthy tenure in wrestling. He was discussed his thoughts on recent rumors that WWE may be about to put more focus on the tag-team division once again. “I really don’t know (what the future holds for tag-team wrestling)”, Michaels stated. “When we were doing it, there were a lot of talented and very different tag-teams, but I think it might be fair to say that the business is more individually-oriented now. That’s why I don’t know if things can go back to the way they were, as phenomenal as it was. I also think that when there was a number of different territories, it wasn’t a strange thing for the tag-teams to be the main draw. Obviously that’s something, perhaps from a business standpoint, people don’t think can be a reasonable expectation now, so it’s more focused on individuals.” “Regardless, I think a lot of it comes down to the guys themselves – I think they’re more individually focused, and a lot of folks look at being in tags as a stepping stone to get towards an individual career. I know that’s something I obviously did, but it was never really the intention at the time. Marty and I of course talked about it, but when he and I got together it was really our first break. That’s all we thought about, how we could be the best team possible.” “As for any resurgence of tag-team wrestling? I really can’t say, it’s impossible for me to get into the minds of individuals, but I don’t know if that’s a real focus now with the guys. Not a lot of guys seem to go into tags looking to make that team the absolute best it can be. Whether the company standpoint is that guys have to be individuals in order to be successful, or that comes from the wrestlers themselves, there does seem to be more emphasis on single success now than there was back when I started.” The full interview is available on a 3-hour edition of MOS Radio, available via Podbean, iTunes and by visiting MinistryOfSlam.com. Backstage News on Possible WWE Feuds for Rob Van Dam and More…

Total Diva stars Natalya, Eva Marie and Jo-Jo Offerman took part in a Make-a-Wish meet and greet for Circle of Champions honoree Kquatracciya. The Divas met with the young girl and took photos with her while the Total Divas cameras caught it all. It’s great to see that the reality show won’t be just a drama-fest, allowing the charity work of the Divas get some exposure as well. Check out photos from the event below and see more at the WWE’s community outreach site. RELATED: Photos: Total Divas Cast at Susan G. Komen Event

The Wyatt Family’s imminent debut is highly anticipated by many WWE fans. The group that has been seen in three promos during each of the past three Monday Night Raws, was in yet another promo this past week on Raw. Anticipation is certainly building for The Wyatt family. Most within the WWE were already high on the debut of The Wyatt family, now, most of the WWE Universe is in that group as well. There is no definitive date on when the group will return, though, the expectation is that it will be soon. Rumors suggested that the group would debut at Payback or this past edition of Raw, however they proved to be false. Nonetheless, here is the fourth promo for The Wyatt Family that aired during Monday’s edition of Raw.

Source: The Wrestling Observer According to sources, the segment on RAW where Stephanie McMahon told Kaitlyn to never interrupt her again was inspired by a real-life incident that occurred backstage recently. As you saw on RAW, Stephanie McMahon, on her way to the back, gave Kaitlyn an evil look and told her it would be in her best interest to never interrupt her again. There was an incident at a recent TV taping where Kaitlyn approached Stephanie backstage while she was talking to someone else and it caused a scene. Basically, Stephanie was upset that Kaitltyn approached her and couldn’t wait until she was done talking with the other person to say what she had to say. It’s interesting to note that following this, Kaitlyn lost the Divas title.

Source: The Wrestling Observer Brock Lesnar’s return to WWE on Monday night was kept a major secret backstage. There were only a very select few people who knew he’d be appearing on the show. We’re told Lesnar did not arrive to the arena until 9:30PM ET. The details on his return were kept quiet from most backstage, so the ending of the show (where he F5?d Punk) came off as a genuinesurprise to most of the talents backstage. John Cena, CM Punk, Vince McMahon, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon all knew about it beforehand but other than them, most everyone else was unaware of the planned angle.

- Wrestling legends Ric Flair and Roddy Piper will trade homes and lives on ABC’s Celebrity Wife Swap on Sunday, June 30th at 8pm EST. Here is the press release via Broadway World: “Ric Flair / ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper” – The girlfriend and the wife of two of the biggest former stars of the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) swap lives and homes for one week on “Celebrity Wife Swap,” Sunday, June 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., EST) on the ABC Television Network. Ric Flair, better known to wrestling fans around the world as “The Nature Boy,” lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with his girlfriend, Wendy, and her four children, Sophia (14), Sebastian (12), Paris (10) and Summer (9). Ric and Wendy live a very lavish and fast-paced lifestyle and enjoy the finer things in life, spending most evenings out on the town where Ric revels in his celebrity and the attention of fans. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper is one of the WWE’s most notorious villains and one of “The Nature Boy’s” fiercest competitors. Retired from the ring, Roddy lives with his wife of 30 years, Kitty, daughter Fallon, son Colt and his fiancée, Sarah, on a large piece of land on a mountain in Portland, Oregon. While retired from the business, Roddy’s never too far from the sport, spending his days training Colt, who is following in his father’s footsteps as a professional wrestler. The Pipers are a close-knit family who enjoy spending time at home together. Kitty is solely responsible for the running of the home, including cooking, cleaning, and caring for the family’s animals. When Kitty, arrives at the Flair home, she’s happy to catch up with her old friend, Ric. On the first night of the swap, she gets an immediate taste of Ric’s lifestyle when he takes her to a jewelry store and buys her an expensive gift, followed by drinks and dinner out. Kitty finds it hard to keep up with Ric as she watches him mingle with fans, and feels left on the sidelines and alone. When it’s time for the rules change, Kitty sits down for a heartfelt talk with Ric that really opens his eyes and puts things into perspective. Meanwhile in Portland, Wendy finds stepping into Kitty’s shoes challenging, especially when she tries to cook dinner for the family. When it’s time for Wendy to implement her rules change, she tells the Pipers that it’s time to get off the mountain and have some fun – specifically having the thrifty Roddy spend money on a family day in town — which Roddy surprisingly enjoys. In the series, two mothers of celebrity families, each with opposing values, trade households, lifestyles and children (but not bedrooms) in a week-long challenge. In the first part of the exchange, each mom moves into the other’s home and agrees to follow a manual of “household rules” written by the departing mother, including: how to parent, manage their social life, do house work, unwind and more. Everything changes in the second half of the week, when “new” mommy” takes charge, introduces her own set of rules and runs the “nest” her way. At the end of the week the two couples meet for the first time. In a raw, honest and highly-charged exchange of views, the couples will make frank assessments of each another and discuss their experiences, having had a very real taste of what life would be like in someone else’s family. New Photos of Ric Flair’s Daughter in WWE Developmental, Busty New Kaitlyn Selfies and More….

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the web site today, covering all of the changes that were made in WWE with characters as well as the future direction.           We look at the turns of Alberto Del Rio, C.M. Punk, Dolph Ziggler and why the decisions were made.  We look at the return of Rob Van Dam, why he's in WWE and not TNA, notes on his deal, a huge change when it comes to writing of WWE television, and what happened with Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton on Raw, and Daniel Bryan and HHH backstage.  We've got full details of the injury and the backstage situation.           We've also got a rundown of the Payback show, with match-by-match coverage, star ratings and poll results.           We also run down UFC's schedule on PPV for the rest of 2013.  We look at the planned main events, other matches that could be added, the potential 20th anniversary sow, why decisions were made on various matches, what has and hasn't worked when it comes to promoting fights this year and more.  We look at the decision making regarding an announced title match where a new decision may be considered.  We look at the title contender who outright said he was taking the match even though he doesn't deserve it and the other contender in question does.           We look at PPV predictions for the big fights between now and the end of the year.           We've also got a rundown on UFC's debut in Winnipeg, with 161 coverage, including where the top guys go from here.  We also have early business notes on the show.           We also have an update on Fandango, the short-term and long-term situation with Chris Jericho's schedule, notes on SummerSlam for this year, how an off-hand remark led to John Cena making a lot of money, more on the Total Divas reality show, a McMahon family member sells millions in stock, a  funny story regarding a WWE action figure line, the background of Fandango's former dancer, a museum dedicated to a WWE star, Kane talks Daniel Bryan and a WWE star is scheduled for an upcoming trial.           We also have notes on the upcoming Mid South Wrestling DVD that WWE is producing, more on the Rock's latest movie, Paul Heyman talks a TNA/WWE joint show, tons of developmental news including Gerald Brisco talks recruiting and losing athletes to UFC, jobs in WWE vs. jobs in UFC, Jim Ross talks the main event scene, why people have been let go, ideas for new characters, delayed viewership of Raw notes and business notes and highlights from the weekend WWE shows.           We've also got coverage of TripleMania from Mexico City           The Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.         The Observer is now in its 29th year of being the leading insider pro wrestling publication in the world.  The biggest and most influential names in the pro wrestling and MMA industry, from bookers to promoters to Hall of Fame wrestlers and fighters to the biggest names on camera and behind the scenes, along with thousands of readers in all 50 states and more than 30 countries subscribe.  Many have subscribed for 20 years or longer consecutively.  They get the most detailed and inside coverage of what is going on all over the world.  Everywhere from Wall Street to the major offices to television networks in the U.S. and Japan turn to the Observer for what is going on in the business.        If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40 issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues sent to you today.  Just sent your Visa or Master Card order with your name, address, phone number, card number and expi

By Dave Meltzerdave@wrestlingobserver.com           Main Event tonight on Ion at 8 p.m. *Usos & Justin Gabriel vs. The Shield *Sin Cara vs. Antonio Cesaro *Kaitlyn vs. Aksana           Bellator airs tonight at 8 p.m. on Spike *Blas Avena vs. War Machine *Vitaly Minaokov vs. Ron Sparks in the first round of the heavyweight tournament *Ryan Martinez vs. Rich Hale in the first round of the heavyweight tournament *Renato Babalu Sobral vs. Jacob Noe in the first round of the light heavyweight tournament *King Mo Lawal vs. Seth Petruzelli in the first round of the light heavyweight tournament           Prelims start at 6 p.m. on Spike.com           The new show "Fightmaster," a reality show takeoff on Ultimate Fighter, debuts tonight at 10 p.m. on Spike.  I've seen the first episode, which revolves around five fighters picking who they want to coach them between Randy Couture, Joe Warren, Greg Jackson and Frank Shamrock.             The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the web site today, covering all of the changes that were made in WWE with characters as well as the future direction.           We look at the turns of Alberto Del Rio, C.M. Punk, Dolph Ziggler and why the decisions were made.  We look at the return of Rob Van Dam, why he's in WWE and not TNA, notes on his deal, a huge change when it comes to writing of WWE television, and what happened with Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton on Raw, and Daniel Bryan and HHH backstage.  We've got full details of the injury and the backstage situation.           We've also got a rundown of the Payback show, with match-by-match coverage, star ratings and poll results.           We also run down UFC's schedule on PPV for the rest of 2013.  We look at the planned main events, other matches that could be added, the potential 20th anniversary sow, why decisions were made on various matches, what has and hasn't worked when it comes to promoting fights this year and more.  We look at the decision making regarding an announced title match where a new decision may be considered.  We look at the title contender who outright said he was taking the match even though he doesn't deserve it and the other contender in question does.           We look at PPV predictions for the big fights between now and the end of the year.           We've also got a rundown on UFC's debut in Winnipeg, with 161 coverage, including where the top guys go from here.  We also have early business notes on the show.           We also have an update on Fandango, the short-term and long-term situation with Chris Jericho's schedule, notes on SummerSlam for this year, how an off-hand remark led to John Cena making a lot of money, more on the Total Divas reality show, a McMahon family member sells millions in stock, a  funny story regarding a WWE action figure line, the background of Fandango's former dancer, a museum dedicated to a WWE star, Kane talks Daniel Bryan and a WWE star is scheduled for an upcoming trial.           We also have notes on the upcoming Mid South Wrestling DVD that WWE is producing, more on the Rock's latest movie, Paul Heyman talks a TNA/WWE joint show, tons of developmental news including Gerald Brisco talks recruiting and losing athletes to UFC, jobs in WWE vs. jobs in UFC, Jim Ross talks the main event scene, why people have been let go, ideas for new characters, delayed viewership of Raw notes and business notes and highlights from the weekend WWE shows.           We've also got coverage of TripleMania from Mexico City           The Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.         The Observer is now in its 29th year of being the lea

Former WWE Diva Sunny will be inducted into her third Hall of Fame this Saturday. She will join the New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame as part of their Class of 2013. Former WWE ring announcer Howard Finkel will serve as her inductor. The ceremony takes place at the Seaport Inn & Marina Hotel in Fairhaven, MA. Sunny, real name Tammy Sytch, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011. For more information on the event, click here. It’s great to see Sunny being honored for her wrestling accomplishments. It certainly helps to offset her recent personal troubles. Do you think Sunny is worthy of being a three-time Hall of Famer? RELATED: WWE Classics to Spotlight Sunny This July

Results courtesy of PWInsider.com: - Adrian Neville vs Bray Wyatt Neville won by DQ when Harper shoved him off the ropes as he attempted the Corkscrew SSP. Ohno and Graves saved him from a 3 on 1 beat down, so Dusty Rhodes came out to pull a Teddy Long. He made a six man tag match for the main event, playa. - Sami Zayn vs Angelo Dawkins Zayn won with a tornado DDT out of the corner. Round 1 of the NXT Women's Championship Tournament - Sasha Banks vs Summer Rae Rae won with Melina's old Sunset Split finisher. - They played an Xaiver Woods pretaped promo with him cracking a few jokes about his previous appearances and the multiple times he beat El Local. - Jake Carter vs Xaiver Woods Woods won with a combination of his "It's Morphin' Time!" Clothesline and Gail Kim's Eat Defeat. Before the match Woods got an addition of a spotlight to his entrance while he danced in the ring. - Adrian Neville, Corey Graves and Kassius Ohno vs The Wyatt Family Wyatt pinned Neville when Harper pulled him out of the ring as Neville was attempting the Corkscrew SSP. Wyatt rushed back in to pin him.