In an update to my story about how The Miz had backstage heat for failing to protect R-Truth on a flip dive on Monday's Raw, it seems that the anger directed toward him was not solely from his fellow wrestlers, but also WWE management too. According to Dave Meltzer in his latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Triple H, the son-in-law of Vince McMahon who is taking a much more hands on role of late in dealing with talent relations, gave Miz an official dressing down after the match was over:

HHH gave Miz a tongue lashing backstage about not catching him. Miz was a big favorite of management a year ago because his notoriety was such from "Real World" that they got so much publicity when he won the title that nobody else in the company could have gotten. But the feeling now is that he's regressed, both in the ring and on promos. Certainly, he's booked a lot lower than a year ago but the feeling is when he was in the same position before he was hungry and forced them to make him a headliner. Now, he's mid-card and he's doing no such thing, and this mess up can't have helped him.

Mike Aldren of the Wrestling Globe Newsletter, who could have been talking about Triple H or another top star with pull, also alleged that: "one person specifically used the opportunity to politic and bury Miz for the botch," a scenario I fully expected given that the exact same thing happened when the soon to be fired Mr. Kennedy, now TNA's Mr. Anderson, botched a back suplex on Randy Orton's previously injured shoulder in May 2009.

Hopefully, The Miz responds better to Hunter's "pep talk" than Evan Bourne, who promptly got suspended for 60 days after his second WWE Wellness policy violation shortly after he was confronted by "The Cerebral Assassin" for his outspoken reaction to his first suspension for smoking Spice, apparently with R-Truth, whose suspension was delayed until after he had performed in the main event of Survivor Series. Both Miz and Bourne have a major uphill battle to get back in management's good books after their recent lapses of judgement. We'll see if they can turn things round or if this marks a definitive negative turning point in both their WWE careers.

However, of most interest to wrestling fans will be the story about how Rock fluffed one of the key lines in his lengthy pre match promo at Survivor Series, because Bryan Gerwirtz, WWE's head writer of their flagship program Raw, whose picture was shown on The Tonight Show and who Rock called "a great friend of mine" and "my guy, my ace", was holding his crib sheet the wrong way round, so all Rock could see was a blank piece of paper. Rock is a consummate performer who knows how to roll with the punches when things go wrong, so you could not tell that he messed the line up, but it doesn't fill you with the greatest confidence in the most powerful person in the WWE creative team not a part of the McMahon family that he could make such a schoolboy error.

Rock showing some public love to his favourite script writer apparently hasn't gone down well with his writing colleagues and the wrestlers who work under him. According to Dave Meltzer on his latest Wrestling Observer Radio show, there are fears within WWE that "his ego will go through the roof" and "he'll be impossible [to deal with] now" thanks to finally getting his five minutes of onscreen fame. Let's hope not for all our sakes.

The return of Piper's Pit, anyone?

That's what the host himself, Roddy Piper, is hoping for. And he would like to do it in the lead up to WrestleMania 28 with the two biggest stars in professional wrestling, The Rock and John Cena, before they have their match on April 1 in Miami.

From a recent interview with MiamiHerald.com:

"Why Cena and The Rock? Well, you can bring things they've done outside our industry back into our industry during the Pit. It's a statement I'm looking for. The statement is WWE is right up there with every other entertainment group in the world or better. That is the statement I would like to come out of that Piper's Pit. It's not for me. I have had a lot of Piper's Pits. I look at the roster, and I can really make that roll."

Considering how amazing Piper was when he helped really kick start the Cena "embrace the hate" angle, this has money written all over it. In fact, I can't think of a good reason not to do it.

Piper would go on to say that he's planning on being at WrestleMania this year but refused to elaborate as to what capacity. They've done Piper's Pit at 'Mania in the past, so maybe the show makes a small comeback.

One can only hope.

After the jump is a refresher video on the Piper's Pit segment with Cena from last year. It's really amazing stuff and something I hope to see again.

Continue reading this post »

Only in WWE.

The superstars of the world's largest pro wrestling promotion are overseas for a tour of the Middle East and they held a press conference today to promote the occasion. Naturally, an angle was shot with Kane interrupting John Cena while he was at the podium, only for Cena to deliver an Attitude Adjustment before saying, "I think that ends the press conference."

Round of applause.

After the jump, check out individual interviews with Cena, R-Truth and CM Punk.

Continue reading this post »

The following statement has been issued from the office of the commissioner:

Revivalist, Last night, everything we thought we knew in RPW changed. The monster, Abernathy, has set us on a course that has not only been unavoidable but it has also derailed most of our near-future plans.

First of all, on behalf of the board of directors and this federation, we apologize. Our decisions have brought us to where we stand at this point and we are to blame for opening RPW's doors to this demented psycho.

RPW wrestlers, referees, staff members and fans at shows, home and around the world who have enjoyed RPW's current direction, we take full responsibility for this unstable man and none of us want to see our efforts and progress fall in the hands of a man who admittedly, only wants to create pain and end the careers of everyone here in the RPW forever.

...continued after the jump...

Continue reading this post »

For pro wrestling fans, there is a notorious fallacy that Vince McMahon is partial towards "bodybuilders" instead of the leaner, quicker, more athletic wrestler. People seem to forget the consistent time that wrestlers like Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton have spent on top. And rest assured, even if Rey is pushing 200-pounds these days and his knees are pleading for mercy, that extra 50-pounds he is carrying is not Lex Luger's or Davey Boy Smith's 50-pounds.

While fans are quick to contrive theories that often prove untrue like this one, I have made note of a trend that is slowly beginning to infest itself back into the WWE's storylines and onto your television every Monday and Friday night.

The curse of being a legitimate talent in the ring could hurt you if you are a WWE Diva.

Continue reading this post »

After an abrupt departure by the visionary of RPW, the revival lives on!!!! As promised, Dannie and I have teamed up as new Executive Producers on this wonderful show and we are kicking it into overdrive. The End of the World is coming and the hype could not be getting hotter, could it!? Last night's show was epic and featured some great in ring action as well as some stunning turns of events. After the jump, you can read it in all it's glory.

We thoroughly hope you enjoy this show and your feedback is what drives us to keep doing it every week so please take a second to give us a few thoughts.

Those on the mailing get this and all shows in pdf format, and they look way better. The formatting of the pinfalls especially is a lot more dramatic!

Revival Pro Wrestling is an e-wrestling fed for Cagesiders that pits your created characters against one another in a quest for glory, gold, and laughs! Every character in the show below is played by a commenter (or lurker) from these pages. If you want in on the action (or just want to watch), email me at klemsonkrash@gmail.com!

Check out the show after the jump!

Continue reading this post »

Do work, son.

By February 9, 1998, the Goldberg formula was pretty easy to figure out: Get doused with sparklers, shadowbox your way to the ring, squash a mid-carder and then scream at the fans.

Simple, right?

Not for Steven Regal, which is why this date in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) history had Goldberg lost at sea during Monday Nitro when their proposed squash match evolved into a five-minute bout with actual wrestling.

Yes, Mr. "Who's Next" was forced to wrestle.

A lot of theories have been proposed as to what really happened that night. Some say Regal was trying to teach him a lesson. While Goldberg later admitted that Regal made him "look bad," Steve-O insists he misinterpreted WCW management when they told him to make Goldy "look good."

He thought, you know, make him look like an actual wrestler, when what they really meant was make him look like an invincible killing machine. Whatever the case, Goldberg looked like a deer in the headlights during several spots and Regal was subsequently fired.

While popular opinion has his termination based on the Goldberg blunder, in reality, it probably had more to do with Regal's substance abuse problem and out of control behavior. This match may have just been a case of poor timing.

Or perhaps the straw that broke the camel's back?

See it all go down, after the jump.

Continue reading this post »