Roman Reigns Attacked at Live House Show

In breaking news out of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, WWE Superstar Roman Reigns was attacked today by a fan during a live house show. A report from NESN says the incident involved a replica Money in the Bank gold briefcase which an audience member hurled into the ring that struck Reigns in the back of the head. Reigns was involved in a match against Bray Wyatt at the time, which featured Wyatt using a kendo stick as a weapon to attack Reigns.

The video below shows the aftermath of the incident, which included security and authorities rushing into the front area of the crowd at ringside to apprehend the fan. The fan put up a resistance, but was eventually thrown out of the arena. It's unclear right now if any charges have been pressed against the fan.


A series of photos was also shared by the Cageside Seats website showing the briefcase thrown into the ring and hitting Reigns in the back of his head, while kneeling on the mat.

Reigns is currently involved in a feud with Wyatt which has now spilled over into an upcoming SummerSlam 2015 match. The match will feature Reigns alongside former Shield team member Dean Ambrose taking on Wyatt and Luke Harper. SummerSlam arrives on Sunday, August 23rd from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Hulk Hogan Fired by WWE over racist remarks?

The latest WWE news and rumors are swirling about Hulk Hogan getting fired by WWE for alleged racist remarks he made. Hulk Hogan had recently returned to prominence with the World Wrestling Entertainment company, and had a starring role on their show "Tough Enough." However, racist remarks he made during his infamous sex tape have now been revealed and WWE decided they were going to cut ties with the Hulkster.

Former WWE star Hulk Hogan

A variety of different sites have reported on the news including the Wrestling Rumors site, indicating that Hogan made racist remarks over his sex tape involving Bubba the Love Sponge wife. Reportedly, WWE listened to the audio which came from Hogan’s sex tape with Bubba the Love Sponge’s former wife, Clem. The company heard racist remarks made by Hogan during his tirade about his 27-year-old daughter’s relationships. That included use of racist language with regards to Brooke potentially having a sexual relationship with a “black billionaire guy” who wanted to fund her music career.

Hogan (real name Terry Bolea), is currently 61-years-old, will turn 62 in early August. He had a starring role on WWE Network's "Tough Enough" as one of the three competition judges, joining current talent Daniel Bryan and Paige of the WWE Divas. Hogan has previously starred in his own reality series and on the WWE's only real competitor in the pro wrestling business, TNA Impact Wrestling. He recently returned to WWE for last year's WrestleMania to serve as the host of the 30th edition of the event.

See the Wrestling Rumors report for full transcript of what was said by Hogan during his infamous sex tape that allegedly caused WWE to fire him.

image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

CM Punk Joins UFC & Will Fight in 2015

Former WWE World Champion CM Punk was officially signed on by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) this past week. Punk, real name, Phil Brooks, was on hand at the recent UFC 181 pay-per-view event in Las Vegas to answer questions about how the deal was done, and his plans for the sport. The news comes not long after an interview Punk did with his friend Colt Cabana about topics related to his dismissal or leaving from WWE.

Among the questions asked were who Punk plans to train with, what his goals are for the sport, and which weight class he plans to fight in for UFC. Punk also got questions mentioning the comparisons to Brock Lesnar, who is a former UFC champion and the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion. When asked when he plans to fight, it appears Punk will fight in 2015, but his answers maintained when he is ready from training and weight cuts.

Watch the CM Punk media scrum here.

The last Punk was seen in WWE was back in January at the Royal Rumble 2014 edition. Punk was among the final four remaining competitors, eliminated by Kane. Punk subsequently didn't show up on Raw the next night and apparently had quit WWE. Months later, the story emerged that he was fired on his wedding day when he married current diva, AJ Lee.

Will Punk be a successful mixed martial arts fighter in UFC? Can he achieve similar success to Brock Lesnar in the sport?

WWE Releases 6 Superstars, 1 Diva on Thursday

The WWE has reportedly been cleaning house as of Thursday, June 12, with a total of seven superstars or pro wrestling talents released by the company. Among them are mostly superstars who weren’t seen much recently on Raw, Smackdown or the pay-per-view events. However, WWE diva Aksana was featured recently as part of a divas match, but was let go by the company. Brodus Clay and former GM Teddy Long were also part of the releases.

6/12 Update: Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre, known for their affiliation with 3MB, have both been released by WWE. Referee Marc Harris was also released, bringing the total to 10 as of Thursday afternoon.

6/12 Update: JTG has been released as of early Thursday evening, bringing the total to 11.

The full list of released superstars includes: Aksana, Brodus Clay, Evan Bourne, Camacho, Yoshi Tatsu, Curt Hawkins, and Teddy Long. Long served as GM for the Smackdown show as well as ECW/NXT for some time, and had recurring roles on Raw, as well as appearances on multiple pay-per-views. Of those named, Teddy Long appeared in the WWF/WWE since 1998, first debuting as a referee, giving him the longest tenure of anyone else let go.

Curt Hawkins is a former tag team champion along with Zack Ryder. Evan Bourne is also a former tag champion, holding the belt once along with Kofi Kingston. Bourne was sidelined by injury in March 2012 when a car accident resulted in a broken foot with five dislocated bones. Bourne was also suspended twice by WWE for failing their wellness policy testing.

As expected, WWE wished all of those released, “best of luck in their future endeavors.”

Source: NoDQ.com

Derrick Bateman on "The USA Guy" Character He Almost Debuted

Michael Hutter, who wrestled for WWE under the name "Derrick Bateman," recently spoke about a character he nearly debuted for WWE TV called "The USA Guy." It seems like a fitting story in honor of the 4th of July holiday in America.

Michael Hutter aka "Derrick Bateman"

Bateman, who previously appeared on WWE shows including NXT and SmackDown briefly, spoke to PWTorch in an exclusive interview about his release and the character plans. He told Pat McNeill of PW Torch:

"I was approved to do things like put the videos on the Internet. There were a couple times where it seemed like it was about to debut, kind of out-of-the-blue on Raw. But, that never happened."

Bateman added as to why the character never went forth:

"I then blew out of my knee in a match with Antonio Cesaro on a Saturday Morning Slam. From there, that pretty much ruined my life because we never saw 'The USA Guy' after that. You know, I got hurt and things happen when you get hurt. Who knows what would have happened if I didn't get hurt."

Bateman also added that he had help from John Cena in terms of coming up with the idea, and also with pushing the character forward. Bateman said the character nearly had a magical debut on WWE Raw, but unfortunately his injury got in the way.  Despite the tough circumstances and his WWE release, he has found humor in it all. Bateman, who is now wrestling for an independent organization said:

"Even coming back, there was still a way to work it in, but, alas, it didn't work out for me. Not a big deal; I'll just trademark the name and make a billion dollars off it in Japan."

Could Bateman's "USA Guy" have been one of the coolest patriotic characters since, "The Patriot" and "Mr. America"?



Happy 4th of July to all fans celebrating the patriotic holiday!

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

2013 Raw & Smackdown Schedule: Road to WrestleMania 29

The Road to WrestleMania 29 continues with WWE Raw and Smackdown leading the way to the epic Pay-Per-View. There's been a recently-reported schedule of upcoming live shows and which superstars are expected to be part of the show, or absent.

The PWTorch website reports on March 2nd about the "part time" superstars who will appear on particular shows. They include The Rock, Triple H, Brock Lesnar and Chris Jericho. No mention is made of The Undertaker, yet.

On the March 4th show which will be Monday night in Buffalo, NY, The Rock and Triple H are both scheduled to appear on the show. However, Chris Jericho and Brock Lesnar will not be there. The March 5th episode of SmackDown will not have any of the aforementioned stars. Jericho will be at live house shows on March 9th and 10th.

Brock Lesnar and Triple H are scheduled to appear on next week's Raw (3/11/13), as is Jericho, but The Rock isn't. Meanwhile, only Jericho will be on the March 12th Smackdown in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

Of note, April 7th is the official date for WrestleMania 29 which features John Cena vs. The Rock for the WWE Championship, and a tentative match between HHH and Brock Lesnar. The day after Mania will be Raw from East Rutherford, NJ where The Rock and Jericho are scheduled to appear but Brock Lesnar is not. On the April 9th SmackDown from Boston, John Cena will be in his hometown. Also appearing will be Triple H and Chris Jericho.

Whether or not these appearances indicate potential brawls between feuding stars (i.e. Lesnar & Hunter) or who will win at WM29 remains to be seen. However, is it a spoiler that Lesnar won't be on Raw the day after Mania?


WWE Raw Schedule through WM29:

3/4 Buffalo, NY (Rock, HHH, no Lesnar or Jericho)
3/11 Indianapolis, IN (Lesnar, HHH, Jericho, no Rock)
3/18 Pittsburgh, PA (Lesnar, HHH, Jericho, no Rock)
3/25 Philadelphia, PA (Rock, Jericho, no Lesnar)
4/1 Washington, DC (Rock, HHH, Lesnar, Jericho)
4/8 E. Rutherford, NJ (Rock, Jericho, no Lesnar)

WWE Smackdown Schedule through WM29:

3/5 Albany, NY (None)
3/12 Ft. Wayne, IN (Jericho)
3/19 Cincinnati, OH (Jericho)
3/26 Hershey, PA (The Rock, Jericho)
4/9 Boston, MA (HHH, Cena, Jericho)


(Source: PWTorch.com)

2013 Royal Rumble Participants: Entry & Elimination Positions

Last night's Royal Rumble was the standard 30-man match that is held each January, with the winning superstar getting a headline match at WrestleMania 29.  John Cena won the event, which had some interesting surprises and spots.  The grand finale came down to Cena vs. Ryback, with Cena able to escape Ryback's clutches and send him over the top rope for the win.

Listed down below are the complete orders of entry for all of the 2013 Royal Rumble participants.  In parentheses next to the individuals are the spot at which they were eliminated and by which superstar(s).  There were several guys eliminated by multiple superstars.

There were also at least two eliminations which were done by superstars who had been eliminated right before.  They include Kane dropping his partner Daniel Bryan on the outside floor after catching him, and Wade Barrett yanking Bo Dallas out of the ring after Bo had just eliminated Barrett not long beforehand.  Dallas had an impressive debut nonetheless, as he entered at #16 and lasted for a good portion of the match.

A few records were noted during the match, including the fact Cena won his second-ever Royal Rumble.  He joins Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan as the only wrestlers to win two or more Royal Rumbles.  Also, it was noted that Kane had entered his record 14th straight Royal Rumble match.  As for The Godfather, he may very well have tied Santino Marella for quickest elimination, but that remains to be determined.

01 Dolph Ziggler (#27 by Sheamus)

02 Chris Jericho (#25 by Dolph Ziggler)

03 Cody Rhodes (#12 by John Cena)

04 Kofi Kingston (#9 by Cody Rhodes)

05 Santino Marella (#1 by Rhodes)

06 Drew McIntyre (#2 by Jericho)

07 Titus O'Neil (#3 by Sheamus & Otunga)

08 Goldust  (#5 by Cody Rhodes)

09 David Otunga (#4 by Sheamus)

10 Heath Slater (#11 by John Cena)

11 Sheamus (#28 by Ryback)

12 Tensai (#7 by Kingston)

13 Brodus Clay (#6 by multiple superstars)

14 Rey Mysterio (#13 by Wade Barrett)

15 Darren Young (#8 by Kofi Kingston)

16 Bo Dallas (#21 by Wade Barrett)

17 The Godfather (#10 by Dolph Ziggler)

18 Wade Barrett (#20 by Bo Dallas)

19 John Cena - WINNER *

20 Damien Sandow (#22 by Ryback)

21 Daniel Bryan (#16 by Kane)

22 Antonio Cesaro (#18 by John Cena)

23 The Great Khali (#14 by Kane)

24 Kane (by Daniel Bryan)

25 Zack Ryder (#17 by Orton)

26 Randy Orton (#26 by Ryback)

27 Jinder Mahal (#19 by Sheamus)

28 The Miz (#24 by Ryback)

29 Sin Cara (#23 by Ryback)

30 Ryback (#29 by John Cena)

View the full match-by-match 2013 Royal Rumble results here.

2013 Royal Rumble Matches & Participants

With the 2013 Royal Rumble Pay-Per-View just days away, there's currently four matches set up on the card for the latest installment of this exciting event.  They include three championship bouts, and of course, everyone's favorite, the Royal Rumble match itself.  So far the field is not quite set, but it's getting there.

The Royal Rumble this year will feature the traditional 30-man over-the-top-rope battle royal match, with competitors entering in timed intervals.  These competitors will eliminated one another one-by-one, until just one superstar remains in the ring.  That last superstar left will get to headline WrestleMania 29, choosing which major title they want to fight for.  As of right now, Del Rio owns the World Heavyweight title and CM Punk owns the WWE title, but they could very well change Sunday as well. So who is in the Rumble so far?

2013 Royal Rumble participants:

John Cena
Randy Orton
Sheamus
Dolph Ziggler
3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre, Jinder Mahal)
Antonio Cesaro
Wade Barrett

Three other matches round out the Royal Rumble card:

Rhodes Scholars vs. Hell No (WWE Tag Team Championship)
Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio (World Heavyweight Title - Last Man Standing)
The Rock vs. CM Punk (WWE Championship)

That puts plenty of gold on the line on Sunday night in addition to the popular Royal Rumble match.  Early favorites to win this year's Rumble are John Cena, with Randy Orton and Sheamus also former winners with a shot to win it again.  Don't forget about Ryback, should he get into the match.

The other predictions seem to have Del Rio retaining (although Ziggler could cash in), and The Rock winning the WWE title back after 10 years by defeating CM Punk.  No matter what, the Royal Rumble usually provides plenty of excitement as fans get started on the Road to WrestleMania!

100 WWE Pro Wrestling Trivia & Fun Facts

A new ebook has recently been released called "100 WWE Pro Wrestling Trivia & Fun Facts (Vol. 1)."  This exciting new title, part of the Amazon Kindle store library features over one hundred different fun facts and trivia style information to challenge yourself and your friends with.  It also will help you add to your current knowledge of the WWE, its various events and superstars.

100 WWE Pro Wrestling Trivia & Fun Facts

Among the ten topics covered inside the eBook are:

Royal Rumble Fun Facts
WrestleMania Fun Facts
SummerSlam Fun Facts
WWE Championship Fun Facts
World Heavyweight Championship Fun Facts
WWE Superstar Fun Facts

The book also has sections with fun facts involving Survivor Series, WWE Raw, and the SmackDown television show.  With this new release, fans will have some of the more interesting fun facts and information about the WWE located in one convenient eBook.  For example, do you know the youngest and oldest wrestlers to ever win the WWE Intercontinental Championship?  Or can you name all of the in-ring talk show segments that have been part of SmackDown? They're both in the book!

The eBook, seen here, is currently priced at just $2.99, a low price for the wealth of information inside.  Challenge your friends, and see just how well you, and they, know the WWE and its various records or facts!  Get your copy of the new ebook here.

(Please note: This ebook is not an official WWE publication, endorsed or sold by WWE)

Raw and Main Event Spoilers Bring Title Matches

Both the 12/24 Raw and 12/26 WWE Main Event shows have already taped, meaning spoilers hit the web recently.  With reveals of the matches that took place, were also details for two championship matches set to take place in 2013.  Whether the titles change hands is another story.  For those who want surprises this coming week, stop reading now.

On Raw for Christmas Eve, it will be revealed that Ryback and CM Punk will meet for the WWE Championship on the first episode of Raw in the New Year.  This will be a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match, just like they would have had at the TLC Pay-Per-View.  That match was postponed due to Punk's surgery.

On the Main Event episode showing the day after Christmas (12/26), there is a 20-man battle royal.  The winner of that match gets a shot at Antonio Cesaro.  The Great Khali won the match, eliminating Wade Barrett as the last opponent.  Other opponents in the match included Usos, Primo, Epico, Damien Sandow, Cody Rhodes, Zack Ryder, Santino Marella, Brodus Clay and Ted DiBiase.  DiBiase hadn't been seen in quite a while on any WWE programs.

Now Khali will go on to face Cesaro for the United States Championship on the January 2nd episode of WWE Main Event.  It's a longshot to believe that Khali will win the title, but who knows with the way they operate.  As for Ryback, it's almost a given that he'll probably lose the match on Raw, so Punk can carry the title into the 2013 Royal Rumble and face The Rock.  That's been the plan for some time now, and Ryback's rise to popularity has just been another stepping stone in the plan.

Of course 2013 will certainly bring title changes.  Expect all three titles to change hands, with the WWE title probably going first.  Dolph Ziggler has to cash in at some point too, so keep an eye on the Money in the Bank briefcase holder to see what happens.

Update: CM Punk Hits Fan at End of Raw

A big incident is catching the attention of the WWE Universe based on the conclusion to last night's Raw.  It wasn't the fact that Vince McMahon dropped a bombshell on CM Punk that he will face either Ryback or John Cena at Hell in a Cell.  Instead it was the fact that Punk hit a fan several times while he was up in the audience towards the end of the show.

Many fans watching from home believed it might have been a work, with the fan strategically planted and Punk striking him as part of the show.  However, there are now reports that the fan is taking legal action.  The Spotlight, a pro wrestling fan page on Facebook, has posted multiple updates on the incident including:

"CM Punk UPDATE"

From Twitter another shot of the "CM PUNK Victim"

This fan says his face is a little warm after he says CMPunk hit him. He also says Punk broke his glasses."

The fan page also stated previously:

CM Punk Fan Incident Update. The fan who was struck by CM Punk on tonight’s WWE Raw is to take legal action according to Arda Ocal of The Score. Ocal tweeted: "Local CBS reporter @colereporting, who was at RAW, spoke to man claiming to be t he fan hit by CM Punk. He filed a report with Police." The fan in question suffered a minor bruise on his face next to his eye, and a broken pair of sunglasses. Here is a photo the reporter took of the man that will be used as evidence.

As of right now, WWE itself is not saying anything about the incident, but it will be interesting to see if any internal repercussions happen as a result of this. They want Punk to be their top heel right now, and on a very important and lengthy title reign, there are plenty of fans calling for him to lose the title over this. However, WWE seems to have big plans with regards to who he will face and when, as many believe CM Punk vs. The Rock, was the big match coming at Royal Rumble, with the WWE championship up for grabs.

John Cena to Miss 2 to 3 Weeks Due to Surgery

WWE's top star, John Cena, will miss 2 to 3 weeks of action due to recent elbow surgery.  The WWE website reported Cena underwent the surgery just today with Dr. James Andrews.  They noted that it was a success and helped remove pieces of bone chip cartilege from Cena's elbow which had been limiting his arm's motion.

Dr. Andrews said of the surgery:

"He had begun to lose motion in his arm, and it had been locking up.  I performed an orthoscopic procedure on his elbow and took out a bunch of spurs. Everything went really well. 

Cena’s rehab will start on Monday with trying to improve his range of motion and getting the swelling down."

The timetable that WWE.com gives for Cena's return is 2-3 weeks right now, following his rehab.  The WWE Hell in a Cell Pay-Per-View is scheduled for October 28th at Phillips Arena in Atlanta, GA.  Based on last night's episode of Raw it appeared that Cena would continue his feud with CM Punk over the WWE Championship heading into the PPV.  Cena has plenty of time to appear live via satellite and still make his return.  To keep things going, he's also been tweeting to call out CM Punk for the rematch.

"Oh.. And @CMPunk u TIED a guy with a blown up ankle, and a shattered arm ... what say when i get healthy ...

We show the @wwe who #thechamp really is? And why would u even try and borrow @therock stuff, stick with #hitman n #macho #dontangerdwayne"

Wishing John Cena a speedy recovery back to the ring for his next round with Punk.

Jerry Lawler Update Given in Michael Cole Interview Video

On Wednesday, Michael Cole appeared on the "Fox & Friends" TV show to discuss the Jerry Lawler collapse and heart attack incident on Monday Night Raw.  Cole revealed how quickly the various staff reacted to the incident, including his own quick reactions to mute his headset and call for help once Lawler had passed out.

Cole also made some other interesting notes during his interview, including the fact that at one point he heard Lawler snoring and thought it was an "angle" for the show.  He also was asked about the fact that Lawler had wrestled earlier in the show and if "The King" is too old to be doing that.  Cole noted that Lawler wrestlers 100 to 150 times a year for various promotions, and has passed all the various physical tests required to do so.  He said he loves what he does and has done it 42 years now.

The other good news is that Lawler is currently in stable condition and had a breathing tube removed.  Cole said millions and millions of fans worldwide have been showing an outpouring of concern and support towards Lawler as he looks towards his road to recovery from this scare.

Watch the full video here at YouTube.

Update: Jerry Lawler Collapses During Raw

During the Monday, September 10th, 2012 episode of Raw in Montreal, Jerry "The King" Lawler collapsed at his ringside commentary position.  It was revealed later on in the show when Michael Cole was shown on camera by himself and told WWE fans it was not part of the evening's entertainment.

Cole seemed to be choked up as he made the announcements.  At one point, Cole noted that Lawler was receiving CPR backstage and was being revived.  Later on, Cole said there would be no further commentary on the show, out of respect for his colleague.

TMZ reported on the incident, in addition to WWE's website and multiple other wrestling sites.  Lawler, age 62, was breathing on his own after the incident, and at last indication, was being prepared for a CT-scan at the hospital.  As Raw ended, the news sounded encouraging, with Michael Cole asking his broadcast partner to keep on fighting.

More information available here at WWE.com.

Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H or The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29?

The last that WWE fans saw of Brock Lesnar was his appearance weeks ago on the Raw following SummerSlam, where his rep Paul Heyman declared him ruler of the WWE Universe.  During that same night, Lesnar made a Tout video to say he was done with WWE.  However, it appears he is still in the "pipeline" so to speak, for upcoming plans, or is he?

A report at WrestlingInc.com says that Brock may very well resurface in the early part of 2013 leading up to WrestleMania 29.  What's not clear is who his opponent will be.  There's been talk of it being Triple H, but also talk of The Undertaker having the match.  Both make sense right now, although Taker may be the bigger draw for a Mania match.

Many fans may remember that Taker showed up at an MMA event and had that infamous crossing of paths with Lesnar when he was a part of the UFC.  That sent the world wide web into a frenzy with rumors the two would be meeting up in a match at WrestleMania.  However that never happened, and now with Lesnar back, yet gone again, Undertaker is nowhere to be found.

The two were both featured on Raw 1000, but in different segments.  The build-up for a Lesnar vs. Taker match is certainly there, as Lesnar can boast that he's defeated the best of the best in WWE and is the supreme ruler of all competition.  However, one man has an unprecedented undefeated streak at Mania; The Deadman.  Putting that accolade on the line against a guy of Lesnar's magnitude seems like a major challenge.

Will WWE go for this though?  There seems to be rumors that Triple H vs. Lesnar will go down at Mania, but the other match makes much more sense.  The other interesting thing will be to see if Paul Heyman continues to work with CM Punk and Lesnar leading up to Wrestlemania 29, if both have huge matches.

Which would you rather see at WM29: Brock vs. HHH or Brock vs Taker?

Raw 1000 to Feature Cena vs. Punk for WWE Title

So much for surprises, as John Cena has announced his intention to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase, just one night after the Pay-Per-View win.  Basically, Cena is going to do the "respectable" thing and he gave CM Punk a week to prepare for the championship bout.  Unfortunately, doesn't this all seem too obvious for the fans?

It's the biggest episode of Raw by far, commemorating 1,000 shows, and featuring big appearances by D-Generation X, Brock Lesnar, and The Rock.  However, WWE wants to solidify the superstar status of John Cena by giving him a historic championship win.  This will likely set up a big rematch for SummerSlam 2012 of Punk vs. Cena, which was a feud a while before.

Quite possibly this is the new Orton vs. Cena feud of the recent times.  The unfortunate part is just how obvious WWE is making the championship match.  Will Cena fail in his quest to cash in?  Will someone interfere and cost him the win?  If that's the case, then high five to the creative writers.  If it's just a big history-making victory for John Cena to try to outdo Hulk Hogan or someone else's resume, then why the need to even win Money in the Bank?  Someone could have easily booked the match, or they could have set up a tournament leading to the match.

Thankfully, Dolph Ziggler is a wildcard, as it's unknown when he's going to cash in.  The best guess is that Sheamus will be layed out when he does, but at least it will provide an exciting moment in WWE history.  For now, Ziggler seems to have the potential to steal the show, although from the way it's looking Chris Jericho isn't going to let that happen anytime soon.

Do you expect John Cena to win when he faces CM Punk for the WWE title, or will something else happen?  When do you think Dolph Ziggler will cash in, on Raw, on Smackdown, on a PPV this year?

Raw 1000th Episode to Feature The Rock and Brock Lesnar

It looks like the Raw 1000th episode should pack plenty of punches in terms of powerful superstar appearances.  Both Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Brock Lesnar are among the currently scheduled guests for the blockbuster historic episode.

Lesnar's appearance will be part of his ongoing feud with WWE COO Triple H, with Brock finally answering The Game's challenge for a match at SummerSlam 2012.  It was previously announced by Paul Heyman that Lesnar would show up on the big episode to make his decision.

Meanwhile, The Rock made an announcement just a day ago that he'll be part of the historic episode as well.  He tweeted out to the millions, and millions, of The Rock's followers:

"RAW's 1000th episode," Rock wrote. "The People's Champ returns.. As promised, my goal: THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP. ?#RELENTLESS"

With The Rock, his promise to once again become WWE champion is an interesting one.  However, he's got the G.I. Joe film to promote and it seems like that may be the reason behind this.  Keeping him in the headlines as a wrestler will possibly get wrestling fans interested in seeing him on the big screen battling the forces of Cobra.  Whether or not he's going to issue some sort of a challenge during Raw #1000 is what seems to be the lingering question right now.

This show will of course be three hours long, the first one to kickstart that new length for the Raw television show.  While it shouldn't be too tough to get fans to watch this first episode featuring these two former champions, and possible Wrestlemania contenders, one has to wonder if WWE will be able to keep fans coming back for more without them present.  Another interesting aspect of these two guys appearing on this one show: will they cross paths during the show as a prelude to a possible Wrestlemania matchup?

It should be interesting to see what else WWE has in store for this 1000th episode of Raw, as they've been bringing back all sorts of "blasts from the past" such as DDP, Doink The Clown, Vader, Psycho Sid, and just recently, Bob Backlund.

Follow @WWEDivaSource on Twitter for more pro wrestling updates!

Brock Lesnar at 1000th Raw Episode

The latest on Brock Lesnar is that he will appear on the special 1000th episode of WWE Raw, which is scheduled for July 23rd.  According to WrestlingInc.com, there is a local promo running in the St. Louis area for Lesnar.

The commercial says that Lesnar will be at the particular Raw and asks, "what part will he play?"  Obviously, that's long after the expected response to Triple H's challenge.  So WrestlingInc and others are speculating that Lesnar's response for next week's Raw in Texas will be via satellite or through his mouthpiece, Paul Heyman.

Lesnar's Raw appearance makes sense for that particular episode, since he is a part of the WWE's history and the Raw show.  Also, it comes after the Money in the Bank PPV which Lesnar isn't part of.  It'll kick off the build towards a Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar Summerslam match, with that PPV arriving on August 19th in Los Angeles.

What part do you think Lesnar will play at the 1,000th episode of Raw in July?  Will he and Triple H have another confrontation in the ring?

New 2012 No Way Out Matches Added

As of last night's episode of Raw, two new matches were added for the No Way Out 2012 Pay-Per-View.  One is for the WWE's pre-show online, while the other is part of the main card.

Due to a recent injury suffered by Alberto Del Rio, he's out of action, and out of his championship match against Sheamus.  So to determine a new #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, they held a four man elimination match last night with Christian, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, and Great Khali.  Khali was eliminated first, then Jack Swagger, and finally Christian.  That leaves Dolph Ziggler to face Sheamus at the PPV for the title.

The other match announced has a bit less luster, because there's no titles involved.  It will feature Brodus Clay against David Otunga.  That's not exactly a match that will attract a lot of viewers, but should get everyone warmed up with Clay's dancing antics, after he defeats Otunga.

As for the new championship match, Ziggler seemed to be shoved down the mid-card recently, and was really being under used.  It's good to see him back in the main event picture, but WWE should have been pushing him all along for this sort of situation.  It's clear they are in need of stars with Orton and Jericho suspended, and multiple injuries to other stars.  When that happens, they need to have guys like Ziggler, or other established stars ready to go.  Does anyone expect Ziggler to win the title in this match?  Probably not.

Overall, the No Way Out PPV card seems less intriguing than last month's Over the Limit.  However, it's less likely we'll see Cena using BBQ sauce, a fire extinguisher and bottled waters on Big Show inside a steel cage.  So hopefully that match gives fans some of their money's worth.

Triple H to Appear at No Way Out 2012

It has been announced by WWE website that COO Triple H will appear at the upcoming No Way Out Pay-Per-View on June 17th.  The reason for The Game's visit is to discuss the current situation involving Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman and the various legal issues going on.

WWE reported on its website:

"For the first time since learning of Brock Lesnar’s lawsuit against WWE, COO Triple H will break his silence and publicly address a multitude of items – including his own future and the Lesnar litigation – at No Way Out on Sunday, June 17, WWE’s Breaking News mobile alert service reported Wednesday."

Of course, notice in the fine print above that Brock Lesnar is mentioned.  That always brings up the idea that Brock will also show up one again, maybe accompanying Paul Heyman to the ring, or trying to sneak attack HHH from behind.  There's been some question recently over whether Lesnar is in fact really done with WWE, or will be back to fight again.  Others believe we'll see a HHH vs. Lesnar Summerslam match, which certainly couldn't hurt WWE right now.

For now, the WWE Universe will have to wait until June 17th to find out what The Game has to say, and whether or not Brock makes an appearance again.

What do you think will happen when Triple H shows up at the No Way Out PPV on June 17th?  Leave your comments below!