There are still no word on plans for the WWE Divas Title at WrestleMania XXX. The original plan, before Naomi got injured, was for her to face AJ Lee in New Orleans. Naomi would likely have won the title as part of a storyline on the next season of Total Divas.
Naomi’s injury and comeback can still play into Total Divas. After receiving word last week that she won’t need surgery, there is still time to figure her into WrestleMania plans. She’s estimated to be out of action for 4 to 6 weeks. She won’t be able to appear on TV, unless she drives to RAW, because the pressure from a flight would be dangerous for her condition.
What are WWE’s Plans for the Divas Title at WrestleMania
WWE News: Big Name Confirmed for Hall of Fame, Another Major Star’s Contract Expiring, More
– The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Scott Hall is indeed on the list for the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame. Regarding speculation that Diamond Dallas Page may be inducted with Hall and Jake Roberts, he is reportedly not on the list.
– One of the reasons WWE may not be pushing Apple TV clearance for the WWE Network that hard is because Apple TV is going to take a 50% cut of all orders. Similar streaming services like Xbox or Roku are closer to 30%.
– WrestleMania XXX isn’t sold out just yet but there are 9,916 of the 55,000+ ticket holders who have their seats up for sale on Stubhub, so they were buying them for investment purposes. Nosebleed seats are going for $46.90 and you can still get two front row seats for $13,300 each.
– Rey Mysterio’s contract is the next major WWE deal to expire, in about two months or so. Rey has one of the highest downsides but is also one of the biggest merchandise movers for the company. Usually at this point WWE officials would be aggressively trying to get Rey to sign a new deal but that has not really been the case.
– Speaking of Mysterio, the reason he was booked on Northern California shows last weekend instead of his hometown San Diego is because officials felt he’s been booked too often in San Diego. San Diego ended up drawing the worst crowd of last week.
– Regarding the one week free trial for the WWE Network at launch, similar to offers with other companies, you will still have to sign up with a credit card and the subscription will automatically renew until you cancel it.
– There has been talk of doing a cliffhanger ending to the February 24th RAW to encourage WWE Network sign-ups.
– The plan right now is for the RAW post-show to be taped backstage weekly, since it would be going on at the same time as the dark main event in the arena.
WWE Announces “DISH Network Will NOT Carry The Elimination Chamber”
WWE officially announced that Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view will not be available on DISH Network. They sent us the following statement:
“WWE is pleased that the majority of our cable and satellite Pay-Per-View distributors are giving our fans an option to purchase traditional Pay-Per-Views as we prepare to launch WWE Network on Monday, February 24. Unfortunately, DISH will not be doing so. We hope DISH will reconsider for this Sunday’s Elimination Chamber Pay-Per-View event and especially for WrestleMania 30.”
Tully Blanchard Discusses Failed Drug Test, JBL Incident, Why He Was A Horsemen, And More
WWE Hall of Famer and original member of the Four Horsemen, Tully Blanchard, recently sat down with Steve and the Scum on WGD Weekly for a great hour plus long interview. Tully spoke about his entire run in the wrestling business from his initial start in the business following his college football days and his rise to the top of the NWA and WWF, right up through his controversial exit from the business. Here are some highlights from the interview:
What he feels it meant and still means to be a Horseman:
“When it was happening, you had nothing to compare it to, so you really didn’t and couldn’t know the impact. As we got into it, the promotion company and the reason that it is so well remembered, is it was not a promoter’s idea. It wasn’t Crockett and Dusty and all the powers that be sitting around and saying, oh, we’re going to put these four guys together and call them the Four Horseman…It was great entertainment, we sold out buildings… it was impactful, but I think it hit me the most, when I was in the car, driving to the airport in Charlotte, North Carolina and I pulled up behind a school bus. In street clothes, in my car, whatever and one of the kids in the back of the school bus looking out the back window recognized me and you could see him turn around and get frantic. Then there must have been forty little hands stick out the school bus windows on the sides with the four fingers. I can remember sitting there…and I’m going, oh my, this thing is becoming cultish… and it was just amazing because nothing in wrestling had ever done that. Maybe Lou Thez or Ed “Strangler” Lewis back in the 30’s or 40’s, but modern day, nothing had ever impacted like that…it was just amazing to be a part of.”
How it came about that he became one of the original Four Horsemen:
“It was the World’s Heavyweight Champion, it was Ole and Arn, the World’s Tag Team Champions, who were related.Flair was a cousin of the Andersons and me, because I was wrestling the booker and the booker wanted to be part of the show, I got to be involved. So I was the fourth, I was the World’s Television Champion.”
Why he felt the many later incarnations of the Four Horsemen never lived up to the standards of the original:
“Later on, as WCW tried to resurrect the Horseman and the eighty five guys they put in there, and all the talent they put in there and never resurrected it, just lets you know it was about chemistry, it wasn’t just about talent. The chemistry that Ric and Arn and I had, and your throw Barry in there or Ole or Luger, and J.J. and there was a tremendous chemistry that happened, and a magic that happened that not everybody, if though they were great performers, could not generate that kind of magic in the ring.”
The incident between himself and John Bradshaw Layfield when he was considering coming back to work for the WWE in a backstage capacity:
“I’d gone up basically as an interview, you know to see and scope out, or as Vince told me to absorb, because the wrestling business had changed. They were getting ready to do the taping in St. Louis. I never really had actually remembered meeting JBL, and he started telling me from across the room that I was a fake preacher and I was this and I was that and I didn’t belong there and that I treated him bad when I was a star and he was just starting. Tt caught me very off guard, because I didn’t treat people bad. If I didn’t like you, I just said hello, and I didn’t mess with you, that’s just the way I was. I didn’t remember it, so I told him, well it’s very possible that I did treat you poorly, and I hope you can forgive me. That’s all that was said on my part and we departed.”
His failed drug test in WWF as he and Arn Anderson had planned to depart and rejoin WCW:
“Arn and I just made a phone call and they had offered us a large sum of money if we would leave the WWF and reform the Four Horsemen. That’s what we were going to do. In that process, my life ended up getting changed, because we had that agreement with WCW, then I flunked a drug test and Vince suspended me on November 2 of 1989, as their drug policy was. So, I got suspended and Arn went on to do the Survivor Series. We were supposed to start that Saturday after with WCW and they reneged on the deal with me and hired Arn back at a substantially less amount than they promised. That lets you know probably one of the reasons why they are out of business, because they aren’t stand up people. Anyway, in that process, when Flair called me on November 13, at one o’clock in the morning and told me they weren’t going to give me the contract, I was all of a
sudden in eleven days, I was a world champion and promised three quarters of a million dollars to unemployed. At 35 years old, I didn’t quite know how to handle that.”
Operation Gimmick Impossible – Mission 5: Abe “Knuckleball” Schwartz
It’s Cpl. Dick Peters back after completing my latest mission, where I took a trip through the cornfields to find a hidden diamond… A baseball diamond that is. Someone built it, and so I came. My mission this week was to scout a fine physical specimen, a true dual sports athlete if there ever was one! This weeks mission we go looking for an MVP.[spacer height=”20px”]
Objective 1: MVP – Most Vulnerable Player
We take a trip back to 1993, SummerSlam is now in the books and we begin to make our move towards the fall season. With the fall season comes one of the biggest past times of the U.S. of A., it’s Major League Baseball’s “World Series”. And while the Blue Jays and the Phillies were making a play towards the World Series, the real MVP was making his way to the WWF…. sort of.
No, we’re not talking about him.
I’m talking about the ORIGINAL MVP of wrestling!
Following the WWF SummerSlam PPV, which featured such matches as The Undertaker vs. The Giant Gonzalez, and Bret Hart vs. Doink the Clown, the WWF decided it was time to unleash their next gimmick into the world of professional wrestling. Enter this guy.
MVP… The Most Valuable Player!
A real throwback to the hard-nosed days of Professional Baseball. Sporting a face painted up like a baseball, and wearing a pinstripe uniform, this character was portrayed by long time student of the Pat Patterson & Terry Garvin “School of Self-Defense”, Mr. Steve Lombardi (AKA The Brooklyn Brawler).
The MVP was given a dry run at both the Superstars & Wrestling Challenge tapings on 8/21 & 9/1/93. Without any vignettes, interviews, or hype, the MVP would eventually make his Television debut, without any fanfare, as one of the 20 participants in the Intercontinental Championship Battle Royal which aired on the 10/4/93 episode of Monday Night Raw. As this man stood in the ring alongside 19 other competitors, Vince McMahon would take a brief second to introduce him by name, “MVP”. It was truly a “WTF” moment, as this character had never even been introduced prior to this match, and now he’s randomly inserted into a 20 Man Battle Royal for an opportunity at a WWF Championship? Boy, he really must have been close with Pat Patterson after all.
Unfortunately for MVP, after a fair showing, he was eliminated 13th overall in the Battle Royal by “The Rocket” Owen Hart and was never seen again. Wrestling a total of 4 matches, one of which made it to air, he truly was a one hit wonder… With the baseball season coming to an end, the usefulness of the character was wearing away and his one shot at getting called up to the big leagues was a strike out. Or was it???
Objective 2: The WWF Throws us a Curveball, or rather a “Knuckleball”
He’s baaa-aaack. July 16th, 1994, some nine months since his last time up to bat, vignettes began airing of a familiar face. After a brief run replacing Matt Borne as Doink the Clown, Steve Lombardi was ready to give the baseball character a second go.
By this time, he apparently had lost the appeal of an MVP, but rather now he was going by the new moniker of Abe “Knuckbleball” Schwartz. A true heel, who liked to perform batting practice while cutting promos filled with baseball metaphors (don’t you hate that?) was getting his second chance at the big leagues. Abe Schwartz was again being called up to the majors, and this time he had some vignettes to support his character. Unfortunately for Mr. Schwartz, he got called up at the wrong time. On August 12th, 1994 the MLB (Major League Baseball) went on STRIKE! A true supporter of his Baseball Union, Schwartz immediately went on strike from the WWF before ever wrestling a single match on TV. He even took to picketing at the 8/15 Monday Night Raw, where he cut an in-ring promo in regards to his league’s strike. Abe blamed the WWF fans! Here’s the video of his first, and only, in ring promo.
While working as a glorified enhancement talent on the house shows, putting over guys like the 1-2-3 Kid, and other newcomers who hadn’t even debuted on TV yet like Sparky Plugg, and PJ Walker (Aldo Montoya), Schwartz would stay true to his word and remain on strike, at least for TV purposes. Hey you know the WWF’s motto at the time, if it didn’t happen on TV, it didn’t happen! Schwartz would begin appearing in the crowd, much like Doink the Clown in 1992, walking up and down the aisles with an “I’m on Strike” sign or a variation thereof. Schwartz’s biggest claim to fame was his appearance at the 1994 edition of SummerSlam, where Abe showed up in the crowd toting a “I’m on Strike” sign during the Jeff Jarrett vs. Mabel match. Seriously? That’s the best time he thought to come out? During the piss break match? Schwartz would continue his strike through most of September.
Objective 3: The Strike Is Over… At least in the WWF!
When it was clear that there would be no MLB playoffs, and no World Series, Abe decided to throw down his batting gloves and put on his kneepads. No, he wasn’t visiting Pat Patterson’s office, he was stepping into the WWF rings! Hey, you’ve got to make a living! The wrestling ring was a perfect second sport for Abe, I mean in baseball you have 4 bases, in the wrestling ring you have 4 corners. It’s a perfect fit, let old Abe step up to the plate in the WWF and see if he can’t swing for the fences! As he made his way down the aisle to a musical version of “Take me Out to the Ballgame”, Schwartz would finally make his actual wrestling debut on the 9/25 episode of Wrestling Challenge, and then again on the 10/1 episode of WWF Superstars. Like the mighty Babe Ruth, Schwartz would call his shot, pointing to the corner, then placing his foe on the top rope before putting them away with the “Grand Slam” (Superplex). Without looking, I can only hope that he kicked imaginary dirt at the officials, if he didn’t he sure missed the boat on that spot.
ABE, CALLING HIS SHOT!
Schwartz would continue on, working the house shows for another month against the likes of Jimmy Powers & Louie Spicolli (the future Rad Radford), his final appearance would be a loss to the 1-2-3 Kid on November 4th, 1994 in Columbus Ohio. Even though he was in a league of his own, alas, even after “batting a thousand” in his two homerun squash matches, old Abe (the character) would retire from the sport, never making it to “the big one”. Even though he was taught by the legendary Pat Patterson, the one thing Pat couldn’t teach Schwartz, was to LAY OFF THE BALLS. Yes, fans, after only being in the company a total of 14 weeks (“ballpark figure”) the Mighty Abe had indeed struck out!
HERE’S LOMBARDI IN ONE OF HIS MORE.. COMFORTABLE POSITIONS
Debriefing Mission 5: MVP / Abe “Knuckleball” Schwartz
I don’t believe for a second that Vince McMahon thought he’d hit this gimmick out of the park, it was likely more a favor to Lombardi for his years of “service” in the company. If you just stood back and looked at the character, it was kind of cool. I thought the baseball painted face was a nice touch. While the character came at just about the perfect time (the baseball strike) where it would be noticed and have more importance, there was still very little you could do with the character once the baseball season ended. It was obvious by the way Lombardi was booked on the house shows, this gimmick was meant as another in a long line of undercard characters to put over the bigger stars. In the world of baseball, you get three strikes, but in the WWF it was two strikes with this character, and Abe my friend, YOU’RE OUTTA HERE, it’s time to go back to the minors!
Mission Accomplished! And as I leave the baseball diamond now and make that long journey back to Operation headquarters, I don’t know what my next mission will be but I can only hope it’ll be another trip to home plate! This has been Cpl. Dick Peters, standing at attention!
WWE Reveals Network Programming Lineup!
Courtesy of WWE.com
WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 streaming network, has unveiled its programming lineup, which is highlighted by WrestleMania 30 on Sunday, April 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET live from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
In addition, for the first time ever, the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will air live in its entirety on Saturday, April 5 at 9:00 p.m. ET on WWE Network. This year’s current inductees include The Ultimate Warrior, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Lita. A one-hour special will also air on USA Network on Monday, April 7, immediately following Monday Night Raw.
WWE Network will officially launch on Monday, Feb. 24 at 9:00 a.m. ET and fans will instantly have access to live programming and the most comprehensive WWE video-on-demand library upon signing up exclusively at WWE.com.
WWE Network will be available through the WWE App on TV via connected devices including Roku streaming devices, Sony PlayStation® 3, Sony PlayStation® 4 and Xbox 360. WWE Network will also be available through the WWE App on iOS devices, including Apple iPad and iPhone, Amazon’s Kindle Fire devices and Android devices, as well as on desktops and laptops via WWE.com.
The programming line-up on WWE Network includes:
WrestleManiaWrestleMania 30
WWE’s pop-culture extravaganza, WrestleMania 30, will air live on Sunday, April 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET from New Orleans. More than 70,000 fans from all 50 states and more than 30 countries are expected to converge on the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with millions more watching around the world. Current WWE Superstars will be joined by a host of WWE Legends for a celebration 30 years in the making.
WWE Hall of FameWWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
For the first time ever, the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will air live in its entirety on WWE Network on Saturday, April 5 at 9:00 p.m. ET from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. This year’s current inductees include The Ultimate Warrior, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Lita.
Raw Pre-ShowLive Monday Night Raw Pre-Show and WWE Raw Backstage Pass
A live 30-minute Raw Pre-Show will air each week and premieres on Monday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
WWE Raw Backstage Pass will air live each week immediately following Monday Night Raw, providing analysis of the night’s action and exclusive backstage interviews. The premiere will air on Monday, Feb. 24 at 11:05 p.m. ET.
SmackDown Pre-ShowFriday Night SmackDown Pre-Show and WWE SmackDown Backstage Pass
A 30-minute pre-show for SmackDown will air each week and premieres on Friday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
WWE SmackDown Backstage Pass will air each week immediately following SmackDown, providing analysis of the night’s action and exclusive backstage interviews. The premiere will air on Friday, Feb. 28 at 10:00 p.m. ET.
WrestleMania RewindWrestleMania Rewind
WrestleMania Rewind will provide fans with a comprehensive look back at the most groundbreaking matches and dramatic moments in WrestleMania history. The series premieres on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 9:00 p.m. ET with a sneak peek on Monday, Feb. 24 at 9:00 a.m. ET.
CountdownWWE Countdown
A one-hour, groundbreaking, interactive, countdown series that will put the power squarely in viewers’ hands by giving the audience the chance to discuss and rank WWE’s most spectacular Superstars, unexpected moments, best catch phrases and more through digital polling and social media interaction. The series premieres on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 10:00 p.m. ET with a sneak peek on Monday, Feb. 24 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
WWE Legends HouseWWE Legends’ House
WWE’s greatest Legends reunite for a new title – only this time, they’re competing outside of the ring. Imagine a beautiful house in the suburbs – perfectly furnished, with gorgeous landscaping, a lovely pool and quiet, respectable neighbors. WWE Superstars from the past including “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Tony Atlas and Hacksaw Jim Duggan will turn the neighborhood upside down as the house staff tries their best to keep these Legends on time, on speaking terms, and out of trouble in this new reality show. The series premieres on Thursday, April 10 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
This is NXTThis is NXT
A one-hour special that will take viewers inside the action-packed world of tomorrow’s WWE’s Superstars as they aspire to become the future of WWE. Featuring behind-the-scenes moments and in-ring action from WWE’s Performance Center, fans will get up close and personal with the next generation of Superstars. The series premieres on Monday, Feb. 24 at 11:00 a.m. ET.
NXT ArrivalNXT ArRival
WWE Network’s first live in-ring event will air on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET. The live special will showcase the brightest and best of WWE’s rising stars from WWE’s Performance Center, as well as appearances by WWE Superstars John Cena, Sheamus, The New Age Outlaws and WWE Legends Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.
Thirty minutes prior to the event, theNXT ArRival Pre-Showwill air at 7:30 p.m. ET and include exclusive interviews and appearances by NXT Superstars, WWE Superstars and Legends.
WWE NXTWWE NXT
Each Thursday at 9:00 p.m. ET, WWE Superstars and Divas of tomorrow face off on WWE NXT, a one-hour weekly show that features the brightest and best of WWE’s rising stars.WWE NXT showcases the Superstars and Divas from WWE’s Performance Center as well as appearances from WWE Superstars and Legends in an intimate setting. WWE NXT broadcasts from the state-of-the-art Full Sail LIVE venue on the Full Sail University in campus in Orlando, Florida. The series premieres on Thursday, March 6 at 9:00 p.m. ET.
WWE SuperstarsWWE Superstars
A one-hour weekly show highlighting the best of WWE Superstars and Divas in heart-pounding matches. The show will also feature highlights from all WWE programming, as well as a special glimpse at everything going on in the WWE Universe. The series premieres on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Beyond the RingBeyond the Ring
An all-access pass to the fast paced action of WWE’s home video library. With classic matches and groundbreaking biographies of WWE Legends, fans will have all the action from WCW, AWA, ECW and WWE right at their fingertips. The series premieres on Saturday, March 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Best of RawBest of Raw
Every Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET, Best of Raw will feature the most memorable episodes from the longest-running weekly episodic show in television history. Each week, see some of the most incredible matches and controversial moments featured over the years on Monday Night Raw. The series premieres at a special date and time on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Best of SmackDownBest of SmackDown
For more than a decade, Friday Night SmackDown has brought amazing action and memorable moments to the WWE Universe. On Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. ET, WWE Network will showcase the most exciting episodes of SmackDown. The series premieres on Saturday, March 1 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Expansive Video-On-Demand Library
In addition to live and original programming, fans will have access to the most comprehensive WWE video-on-demand library the instant they subscribe. WWE Network will offer all WWE, WCW and ECW pay-per-views as well as encores of Raw and SmackDown totaling more than 1,500 hours of video on demand at launch.
WWE Main Event Results 2/19/14
WWE Main Event Results for 2/19/14 from Colorado Springs, CO
Dark Match
* Alexander Rusev defeated Zack Ryder by pinfall. Rusev won with a side slam finisher. A decent match, not just a total squash.
WWE Main Event TV Taping
* The Shield vs. Sin Cara and Los Matadores. Sin Cara takes the heat. Reigns is the highlight of the match with a DOUBLE SPEAR on Sin Cara and one of Los Matadores. Reigns also lands a Superman Punch “Hart Attack” style. Rollins scores the pin.
* Cameron defeated Aksana with a roll-up.
– There was a Bad News Barrett segment. He said for once the crowd is as “high” as he is. He ripped on the Olympic training center, and how the U.S. is going to have the lowest medal count since 1988. This concluded the Main Event taping.
* Kofi Kingston defeated Curtis Axel via DQ after interference from Ryback. Mark Henry makes the save for Kofi, and he and Kingston clear the ring to end the show.
Daniel Bryan’s “YES Movement” Goes Mainstream!
– USA Today has published a long article looking at Daniel Bryan’s “Yes Movement” crossing over into mainstream pop culture.
Bryan was quoted in the article, saying, “People like to do it because it’s fun and it’s interactive,” he said. “When you’re part of an arena, a whole arena with thousands upon thousands of people doing it, it’s very, very surreal.
“I don’t know what is going on in my world that this happened,” he added. “Now these basketball teams are doing something that I made popular. How this all happened is surreal.”
