Source: PWTorch.com
The rating is in for the June 28th episode of WWE RAW with Rob Zombie as guest host.
Monday’s RAW drew a 3.28 cable rating, down from last week’s strong 3.52.
The first hour did a 3.28 rating and the second hour did a 3.27. The show averaged 4.54 million viewers.
This week’s 3.28 ends a5-week trend of increasing ratings. Since May 24th, the RAW rating had increased week after week.
* PICTURE from THE UNDERTAKER’s Wedding (Direct Link)
UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar defeated Shane Carwin on Saturday night at UFC 116 by submission in the second round of the fight.
Carwin came out strong in the first round, dropping Lesnar with a vicious uppercut and almost putting the champion away with a fury of ground and pound. Lesnar survived the round and came back strong in the second round, making Carwin submit from an arm-triangle choke.
After the fight, Lesnar thanked referee Josh Rosenthal for not stopping the fight when he appeared to be in trouble. Lesnar said:
“He hit me pretty good, and I don’t know, I ended up there on the ground. I just had to go into survival mode and stay busy. I really have to thank the referee for allowing that thing to go on. I wasn’t hurt. I thought if I just kept moving — I could feel Shane’s punches getting less and less — and I thought, well, if I can get out of here then I’m just going to exert a lot energy. I realized there was [not a lot of time left], so I just tried to stay busy. He’s a beast. He definitely won the first round [laughs].”
Former WWE personalities Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Steve Austin, Jim Ross and Bill Goldberg were shown in attendence. Lesnar’s longtime friend Paul Heyman was also with Lesnar throughout the weekend.
At the post-show press conference, UFC President Dana White announced that Lesnar’s next title defense will be against undefeated heavyweight Cain Velasquez. No date has been announced, but the fight is expected to take place later this year.
* VIDEO of BROCK LESNAR vs. SHANE CARWIN: See It NOW Before It Goes Offline!
— Live tonight on Monday Night Raw, three Superstars will compete in a Triple Threat Match to determine WWE Champion Sheamus’ opponent at SummerSlam. The match will feature Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton vs. Edge for the WWE Title opportunity.
— There were no serious injuries coming out of last night’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view event, reports www.f4wonline.com.
— Former WWE star Batista is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Ironpoy, a fitness, lifestyle and leisure magazine. The cover can be viewed here.
See Evan Bourne/girlfriend photos here ->
— Tony Atlas, who was released by World Wrestling Entertainment on April 30, is now working as a personal trainer at the Health Club and Spa in Lewiston, Maine, reports the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The WWE Hall of Famer is also still wrestling as he took part in World Wrestling Council’s 37th anniversary weekend on July 11, losing to former WWE developmental wrestler Black Pain in a five minute match.
— Former ECW talent Chris Hamrick, who recently teased committing suicide on his Facebook account, was back wrestling independent shows in the Carolinas over the weekend.
— Former WWE star Gene Snitsky was backstage visiting friends at last week’s Ring of Honor HDNet television taping in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
See how Snitsky looks like now – no yellow teeth! ->
WWE and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) sent out the following press release this morning announcing that Triple H is the newest member of the MDA’s “Muscle Team” and will be taping part in a new campaign to raise awareness for the disease.
TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) announced today that WWE Superstar Triple H, a 13-time World Champion, is the newest member of MDA’s Muscle Team, a group of celebrity activists dedicated to building awareness for MDA. Triple H will begin appearing in print, video, radio and digital public service advertisements for MDA’s new “Make A Muscle, Make A Difference” campaign in August.
As a proud member of the MDA Muscle Team (see his “Make A Muscle, Make A Difference” print PSA; http://www.mda.org/news/100802tripleh-mda.html and video PSA; http://www.youtube.com/user/MySpaceMDA), Triple H joins a diverse and growing group of celebrities including: Alison Sweeney, host of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” and “Days of Our Lives” star; Kurt Warner, former NFL Super Bowl-winning quarterback; Nancy O’Dell, Emmy-winning entertainment personality, author and entrepreneur; Booboo Stewart, star of “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” movie; Wynonna Judd, country music recording artist; Ace Young, “American Idol” finalist; Brandon Barash, star of ABC’s “General Hospital” and Gold Medal Olympians Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci, all of whom are dedicated to building awareness for MDA in 2010 and beyond.
“I am honored to partner with MDA in advancing their life-saving mission for those affected by debilitating muscle diseases,” stated Triple H. “As a member of the Muscle Team, I am truly inspired by the perseverance these adults and kids demonstrate every day in overcoming the challenges of muscular dystrophy.”
Joining Triple H in some of the PSAs is Max LaCaria, an 11-year-old from Arizona who has limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. While at the photo and video shoot for the campaign, Triple H presented Max with an official WWE Championship belt.
“There’s no discounting the importance of having Triple H as a member of the MDA Muscle Team,” said Gerald C. Weinberg, MDA President & CEO. “He’s already energizing fans as champions for MDA both in and out of the ring. And, while everyone is amazed by Triple H’s incredible physical strength, it pales when compared to the strength of his caring heart.”
The New York Post has a special feature looking at the new action movie “The Expendables” – which they’ve dubbed the ‘manliest movie ever.’ The action movie, which hits theaters in the United States on August 13th, features an all-star action hero cast of Sylvester Stallone, Randy Couture, Jason Statham, Steve Austin, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren and more. Austin was interviewed for the piece and had the following to say about:
His Favorite Action Movie: “I’d have to go with the first ‘Rocky.’ I saw that, got up the next morning, drank my eggs and was running down the street like an idiot.”
The Toughest “Expendable”: “The guys are all tough, but if you’re going to sit there and talk about a physical fight, I don’t think anyone will give you any argument that Randy Couture is that guy.”
His Last Real Fight: “I damn near got into a couple fights in the ring. When a guy snubs you a bit too hard, we call that a ‘potato.’ Depending on how good-natured you are, that dictates how many potatoes you want to take. When you’ve had enough, you send back what’s called a ‘receipt.’ Then it goes accordingly. Usually when you get a potato and send back a receipt, things settle down pretty fast.”
The Toughest Stunt He Did In The Movie: “My fight with Stallone. Being in a physical place with that guy and nothing but a brick and concrete floor with sand on it, and getting cut up and grinded. It was like rolling around on sandpaper. And on top of that, not wanting to throw the wrong punch and hit that guy, because that’s your star. It’s a moment of stress fighting with a guy like Sly, because I don’t care if you’re Steve Austin or not, you throw the wrong punch, you’re probably going to be gone.”
His Favorite onscreen kill: “I don’t even know. That’s a shame that I have to think about that. That only inspires me in my next endeavor to kill someone in such an extravagant fashion that we’ll have something to talk about next time.”
* Future WWE Storyline Plans Revealed & Big Name Returning On Tonight’s RAW
Shane Douglas posted the following on his official website, FranchiseFanSite.com, calling out TNA for using his likeness to promote Hardcore Justice when he’s never agreed to appear. Douglas says he’s willing to appear on the show, but only if he gets a shot at Ric Flair, “face to face.”
Douglas and Flair have had bad blood for many years, dating back to the early days of ECW, when Douglas would cut very harsh promos about the Nature Boy, who was in WCW at the time. Flair has taken some cheap shots against Shane Douglas in recent interviews, bringing up the fact that he currently works at the retail store “Target.”
From The Franchise:
After seeing, the ECW promo piece put out by tna, and being deluged by texts & emails from friends AND fans, I felt, very strongly, that I should put out a clarification about that less-than-honest video from tna.
Firstly, MOST organizations would NOT wish to mislead any potential customer(s)! CLEARLY, this video intended to mislead wrestling fans, most certainly ECW fans! That said, I have to question tna’s motive(s) in placing ANY shot of me in their promotional pieces?! tna is overly aware that we have NOT come to terms for any participation by ECW’s centerpiece “Franchise” in “Hardcore Justice”!
So, either they are trying to deceive potential ppv buyers (namely ECW fans), or they must be willing to meet my only demand for the event- Dic Flair on a silver platter! This was the biggest angle, teased to our loyal fanbase, that never came “to a head” in ECW. Unless I’m missing the mark, I feel VERY STRONGLY that this IS a match our fanbase, and tna’s, would tune in to see. Too bad, thus far, tna seems to be following their now-tired trend of ignoring their fans’ desires!!!
I stand prepared to take part in the “final bow” of this great organization. I only demand that our fans get what they deserve- Dic Flair and The Franchise, face to face, for their enjoyment!
To be fair and certain, it would seem Dic would want the same thing, judging from his recent comments about me. SURELY, “the, ahem, man” isn’t afraid of a guy who “works retail”, right DIC?
Balls in your, and tna’s (Dixie?) court! What do you fans think? Or, more importantly, what do you fans want? Surely, the Carter’s want to aim to please… RIGHT?!
Not hiding behind someone’s blouse, are you, Dic?!?!
I’m waiting…
* TNA Storyline Spoilers & Big Surprises Planned For HardCore Justice
— Mick Foley noted on his Twitter page that former WWE performer Luna Vachon lost everything relating to her wrestling career due to a recent house fire. He asks people send action figures, magazines, photos, videos, DVDs, etc. to Vachon to the following address: Luna Vachon, PO Box 5813, Spring Hill, Florida 34611.
— Former WWE Diva Chyna recently joined Twitter. Her account is located at twitter.com/9thwonderchyna.
— MSN.com has a “Where Are They Now?” feature on pop culture icons from the 1980s with professional wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Ultimate Warrior among those profiled. A photo of Randy Savage is featured on the front page of the website, not to mention that he is first 1980s-era wrestler highlighted in the feature. To view the front page feature, click here.
See Randy Savage wedding photos here ->
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com with his thoughts on last night’s SummerSlam pay-per-view. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:
Daniel Bryan’s Return: “The return of Daniel Bryan was both a shocker and a very pleasant development on the PPV. The much traveled and highly skilled veteran made an impact on his few weeks of TV time prior to his release from the company. The MMA aficionado showed definitive signs of brilliance during his in ring time at Summer Slam. A very strategic maneuver by WWE to bring Bryan back into the fold and I’m anxious to see how Bryan evolves.”
The Undertaker’s Return: “The return of the Undertaker was a boost to the PPV. The Undertaker is one of the few, long term, incumbent stars WWE has on its roster and whenever the ‘Deadman’ is on a show it is a plus in my eyes as it relates to legit, ‘star power.'”
Bret Hart’s In-Ring Work: “Bret Hart kicking it up a notch was an eye opener. I don’t ever expect to see Bret on the road much or even back in the ring as a wrestler that often but what I saw in Los Angeles Sunday night really surprised me and in a very favorable way. Bret’s physicality and spring in his step was surprisingly good and I really enjoyed his time in the ring.”
Nexus: “Nexus is still extremely relevant in my eyes contrary to what some fans have said in emails to this site. Too many people are taking for granted the fact that these 7 are essentially rookies in WWE, have miles to travel before they sleep….as main event stars, and were placed into an extraordinary position being thrust into the main event at Summer Slam. I did think that Nexus would pull it out and upset Team WWE going into the show. I was wrong. But I do think that this faction has healthy ‘legs’ and can do just fine going forward. It’s easy for any of us to be a Monday morning quarterback but I like what Nexus has represented thus far and their upside. Nexus is in a marathon and not a sprint as the process to achieve resident, main event status still remains a multi year procedure.”
* Picture of TIFFANY At A Playboy Party The Night of Her Arrest Last Week
Visit JRsBarBQ.com for Jim Ross’ full blog and his great line of BBQ products
Scott Hall’s publicist issued a cryptic statement on MySpace.com this afternoon asking that fans keep “The Bad Guy” in their thoughts and prayers. She added, “Will update as soon as I know.”
She then clarified her remarks with the following statement:
Well once again I come to put an end to the BS and Assumptions of others..
Why in heavens name, would anyone think Scott is seriously ill.. just because.. I said keep him in your thoughts and prayers…
He is in a place he is getting help.. doesn’t mean the road will be easy.. he is dealing with much.. He is making life changeing changes.. old habits are hard to break..
I said.. when I know ,you will.. but until then I wish people wouldn not take things out of context and assume the worse..
I still ask that you keep him in your thoughts and prayers.. that he will come out of this healthy and happy.. After all.. we just want The Bad Guy to be ok…
Maggie
It was noted earlier this week by longtime friend Kevin Nash that Hall had checked into a rehabilitation center on behalf of WWE’s Talent Wellness Program. He was scratched from an independent wrestling show tour of the East Coast, including a heavily promoted event in New York City.
Hall’s publicist said last week: “Recovery for Scott has been very slow process; he was trying to get better and was looking forward to his appearances on the East Coast.”
Hall had been in the hospital recently as he came down with double pneumonia, affecting both of his lungs.
See mug shots of Scott Hall, Wade Barrett, Santino & more ->
WWE RAW star John Cena was interviewed this week by The Boston Globe and said despite its growing popularity, he’s not a fan of UFC and mixed martial arts. “It’s just not something that particularly interests me,’’ Cena said. “UFC is where boxing was years ago, and I was never really into boxing, either.’’
Cena says he prefers pro wrestling because it’s “regulated entertainment that’s safe for anyone to enjoy.’’
As for UFC … “It is what it is. It can be pretty over the top, and it’s not something I’d want my children to watch.’’
Cena also spoke about his new movie “Legendary,” co-starring Patricia Clarkson and Danny Glover. Cena has played action hero tough-guy roles in “The Marine” and “12 Rounds,” but plays a sensitive character in Legendary. “I’m used to dodging bullets and explosions. And this is more of a dramatic piece.’’
Despite making a few movies already, Cena admits he’s still “fairly inexperienced when it comes to cinematic acting’’ but hopes to continue his acting career.”
* Details On Several BIG Feuds Planned For September & October
(Credit: Boston.com)