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WRESTLEMANIA COVERED FROM EVERY ANGLE POSSIBLE: THE PWINSIDER ELITE WRAP-UP FREE TODAY

This week, we decided to make our PWInsiderElite Wrapup feature free for all readers. The Wrap is posted three times a week with exclusive commentary and analysis from Dave and Mike. It is one of countless exclusive features in the PWInsider Elite section, which you can find more information about by CLICKING HERE!

Mike: What a crazy weekend.  I think David Jakielo estimated that we spent 18-20 hours at different wrestling events the last three days.  Before I go any further, I want to send a special thank you to everyone we met in Atlanta over the weekend.  I think I most count at 38 subscribers who came up to me over the course of the weekend that I had the chance to spend some time with.  I can't tell you how much all the kindness meant to me personally and I think I speak for everyone when I say we are very proud of the community we have built here.  I got to see a lot of great wrestling, meet a lot of wonderful people and see some really talented performers work their hearts out.  What a great few days.  Thank all of you for making them possible.

WWE

WRESTLEMANIA COVERAGE

You can read Stuart's Carapola WrestleMania coverage by clicking here.

You can read Dave Scherer's Mania blog by clicking here.

Dave: I said my piece in the blog and the post game (great to have Jess "The Rock" McGrath back, even if for only one night) but it bears repeating: If The Rock doesn't stay around and wrestle, it was insane to have him lay out two top guys.  Also, the one thing worth going out of your way to see if you missed the show was The Undertaker vs. Triple H.  It was awesome.

Mike: I popped huge for Jess' return to the site.  I will go into my Mania thoughts soon on audio but this was more of a spectacle that featured wrestling than a wrestling spectacle.  The show was the focus, not the in-ring product.  Most of the matches, beyond the incredible Hunter vs. Taker match, were the same standard fare you'd get on Smackdown or Raw.  From an in-ring standpoint, they were really missing the Money in the Bank match here and Miz vs. Cena may have been the least satisfactory Mania main event since the Hart vs. Michaels Iron Man match.  I hope they have Dwayne Johnson locked in because they tossed both of their top players out there to be eaten up by Johnson.  I also really worry for the future.  Austin, Trish, Rock, etc. were the focal point of the show's promotional stuff and got the biggest reactions.  They won't be here a few years from now so if WWE doesn't have that new guard ready, we are going to have a major issue going forward.

You can read Geoff Clark's first hand report from the PPV by clicking here.

You can watch John Cena and The Miz's pre-Mania press conferences by clicking here.

MANIA DARK MATCH

WrestleMania opened at the Georgia Dome with a music video for last year's Mania.

The dark match is Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan in a Lumberjack match. Bryan worked him over with kicks to the chest. Sheamus rolled out of the ring but was tossed back in by Mark Henry. Sheamus clotheslined Bryan for a two count. A Daniel Bryan chant started. Sheamus controlled Bryan and scored several near falls before cinching in an armbar. 

Bryan was fired up by the crowd and fought back only to be nailed with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Sheamus drilled him with a kick and went for the High Cross. Daniel escaped and sent him to the floor. Bryan dropkicked Sheamus and then hit a high knee off the apron. All the Lumberjacks started brawling as they tried to get them in. They rang the bell.

Teddy Long came out and made the match a Battle Royal. Mark Henry eliminated three guys before being tossed. Evan Bourne hit a shooting star press on Drew McIntyre before being tossed by Sheamus. There were a shocking amount of boos for Regal's elimination. It came down to Great Khali and Sheamus, with Khali nailing the chop before clotheslining him out.

Mike: Bryan and Sheamus got screwed over.  I don't know what else you can say about that subject.  We had time for a gospel choir, a 20 minute Rock promo to open the show, etc. but not a match that would have greatly added to the quality of the broadcast.  Those guys getting the shaft is, to me, as insulting as WWE putting Flair in a dark match at Mania 23.

POST MANIA NEWS AND NOTES 

After Wrestlemania went off the air, Rock posed and returned to the back. There was no post-match interactions of mic work.

There were no major injuries coming out of the WrestleMania PPV, although a lot of guys are pretty tired from the week. A lot of people are looking forward to getting through the TVs this week.

Mike: Since everyone is asking, The Undertaker thing was a total sell job to get over the match.  He did an amazing job.  Anyone who ever doubts that man's work ethic should be tossed out a window.  He truly is a Phenom to pull that out.

SummerSlam was trending on Twitter after WrestleMania.

Mike: Everyone is assuming Rock vs. Cena that night.

Shawn Michaels actually watched the PPV from a skybox with many of the wrestlers' families. He wrote on Twitter about how strange it was to watch the show that way.

Dave: That had to be weird for him.  He is used to being the main event.ik

Mike: Michaels was the main event for the Hall.  What a great moment.

Sean Waltman was sitting ringside for the Undertaker vs. Triple H match.

Mike: Colt Cabana was sitting ringside for CM Punk vs. Randy Orton.  There were lots of workers sitting in the crowd for specific matches.

After the show, Abdullah the Butcher set up a makeshift gimmick table at the WWE hotel and was selling autographs and photos. That man sure knows how to make money and he never, EVER misses a chance to do so!

Dave: That is so Abby.  He never misses the chance to make a buck.

Mike: I know some people roll their eyes at him, but I love the guy for it.  He will never change.  He is the last of the carnies.

Matt Hardy, Tommy Dreamer and Luke Gallows were visiting with the WWE crew after the show.

Mike: Luke Gallows is now booking a promotion in Africa I am told.

The Tough Enough cast was sitting in the crowd the entire show.

Mike: In a funny story, no one knew who they were.  After they were shown on camera, they were besieged with photo requests.

World Wrestling Entertainment issued the following press release after the show:

WrestleMania XXVII Breaks Records
April 3, 2011 

ATLANTA, GA – April 3, 2011 – WWE® made history again as WrestleMania®, for the second consecutive year, became the highest grossing and most attended entertainment event in the host venue. WrestleMania XXVII grossed $6.6 million, with 71,617 in attendance. Fans from all 50 states and 30 countries were at the sold out event at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta tonight. The annual pop-culture extravaganza was broadcast around the world on pay-per-view in more than 100 countries and 20 languages. 

The previous attendance record at the Georgia Dome for an entertainment event was set by The Backstreet Boys which attracted 65,658 fans on February 19, 2000. The U2 concert on October 6, 2009, which grossed $5.7 million, was the Georgia Dome’s highest grossing entertainment event until tonight. 

“WrestleMania XXVII was an overwhelming success and one for the Atlanta history books. WWE would like to thank our public and private sector partners for helping to make WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza a memorable one,” said John P. Saboor, Senior Vice President of Special Events, WWE. “We now look forward to building on that success as we head to next year’s WrestleMania in Miami.” 

WrestleMania XXVIII will take place on Sunday, April 1, 2012 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, FL. Ticket information will be announced later this year. 

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly, PG content across all of its platforms including television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. 

Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/. 

Adam King sent this item. ... In addition to many SEC football games (which are not "entertainment" to WWE), according to a Billboard.com article from 2009 the Backstreet Boys, of all people, had 73,337 for a Feb. 19 2000 show at the Georgia Dome.

Dave: Hmm, who is wrong here, WWE or Billboard?

Mike: I would wager that ALL the numbers are worked in some capacity anyway and we'll never know the real truth.  All I know is it never fails to be impressive walking into a Dome to watch wrestling.

On his Twitter page, @JRsBBQ, Jim Ross wrote, "Still celebrating my 1 off appearence @ wm27. Loved worked w/ @jerrylawler again. Not plans @ this time 2 reunite. Happy 2 b on the team."

Dave: I knew it was only for one night so I made sure to enjoy it.  I am glad he was there to call HHH vs. Undertaker. It added a lot to it.

Mike: He deserved it.  If that was his send-off as an announcer, we have to look at it as a gift.

A lot of people sent word that the DirecTV feed went out last night during the Jerry Lawler-Michael Cole match.

Dave: A lot of people, including myself, had problems ordering the show as well.  I was on hold for 45 minutes and the show finally came on for me as The Rock came out.  There is no excuse for this from the providers.  

Mike: That is the most frustrating thing ever.  I can't tell you how often my HD feed goes out on PPVs and then I have to order the standard because I am doing live coverage.  Arguing with the cable company the next day is never fun.

You can read Mike Johnson's very detailed Hall Of Fame coverage by clicking here.  You can find out what won't air on USA tonight.

Mike: The highlights were The Road Warriors and Shawn Michaels' speeches.  I will say a lot more about this in audio later, but I had a very sad feeling after the Michaels speech in that he's truly closed the door and while it's been a year without his work, watching that speech really drove it home that the last great workers from the previous era are gone or going.  It's going to be very hard to replace talents like Michaels.

You can watch all of the official WWE videos for the 2011 inductees by clicking here.

You can watch a video of The Kliq (Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kevin Nash and Sean Waltman) reuniting at before the Hall of Fame by clicking here.  

Dave: Scott Hall chose not to come to the Hall due to feeling it would tempt him to drink.  I respect him for making the right call there.

Mike: I give Hall kudos for that because you know it had to break his heart not to be there.  I hope it all works out for him, finally.

You can watch a reenactment of The Curtain Call by clicking here.

Dave: It was a very cool moment.

You can watch a video of Ric Flair presenting Shawn Michaels with his Hall of Fame gift, a very cool belt buckle, by clicking here.  

Dave: Flair was very emotional with Michaels, saying he was happy to be there for the Hall of Fame and he wouldn't miss it for the world.  Michaels then said that is shows why no matter what he does, people can't ever stay mad at Flair.  It was very, very moving.

Mike: That was an amazing piece of video. 

WWE.com put up a video of Shawn Michaels receiving his WWE Hall of Fame ring backstage from Vince McMahon at this link.

Dave: This was really, really moving.  The two men obviously really care for each other, a lot.  It was nice to see that side of Vince McMahon.

Mike: I can't agree more.  I don't think you saw that same level of emotion when Hogan went in. 

Among those visiting WWE at the WrestleMania hotel this weekend were Lita, Ernest Miller and Tommy Dreamer.

In his speech at the Hall, Drew Carey talked about his respect for the WWE performers. I was told by a few WWE sources that he was extremely respectful and complimentary to everyone, going out of his way to introduce himself to everyone and was pretty knowledgeable about who the wrestlers were.

For those who asked, Shane McMahon was not in Atlanta.

A lot of the developmental crew were in Atlanta. WWE's training staff of Tom Prichard, Norman Smiley and Steve Keirn were also in town.

Paul Bearer has posted this picture of him and Kane backstage at last night's Hall of Fame.  He also noted on his Twitter account, @wweURNiverse, that last night was the first time he attended the Hall Of Fame.  I would have never guessed that!

Mike: In a great move, WWE had Paul Bearer signing as a surprise at the end of the walk-through tour of Undertaker's graveyard at AXXESS.  Nice extra for fans.

In addition to all of the people listed as being at the Hall of Fame in Mike Johnson's excellent coverage, Nikita Koloff was there as well.  He sat with Diamond Dallas Page and Lex Luger

Mike: Good to see Nikita is shaving his head again.  Last time I saw him, he didn't look anything like Nikita!

Lita also appeared at Axxess.

Sin Cara and Awesome Kong were both in Atlanta.

Mark Henry defeated Primo at 4/3 AXXESS session.

In keeping with his gimmick, Cody Rhodes wore his mask at all times while out in public in Atlanta. You have to respect that.

Joel Adcock sent this. ... To add onto Cody Rhodes selling his injury around town, I went to The Hard Rock Cafe right after the Hall of Fame and it was packed with fans.  Vladimir Kozlov came in wearing an arm sling to sell the injury from The Corre.  He was escorted ahead of the line to his own section. My girlfriend and I stayed there until it closed and went across the street to an Irish pub, where I met and got pictures with Percy Watson, Mason Ryan, Joe Hennig and Heath Slater. They were all nice and glad to take pics with anyone that asked. I commented to Joe how much I enjoyed watching his father wrestler.

With The Miz main-eventing the show, he was the third person, behind Chris Jericho and Edge, to be in the main event after being in the WrestleMania opener the prior year.

Ticketmaster issued the following email to ticket holders for the WWE Hall of Fame event on Saturday. ... Welcome to Wrestlemania 27 weekend and the 2011 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony!!!  The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is an upscale event. Please follow a business casual dress code.  In addition, please show the proper respect to the WWE Superstars and Hall of Fame Inductees when they are on stage speaking. There will be no inappropriate behavior, cat calls or chants of any kind tolerated at all. Violation of this policy will result in immediate ejection from The Philips Arena. Please consider this email your one and only warning.  Thank you and enjoy the 2011 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Wrestlemania 27.  Interesting to note they say the event dress is upscale and business casual. Since they waited until the day before to tell everyone the dress code, what happens to the fans who traveled to Atlanta without that style of dress?

Dave: They go buy some decent clothes?

To read the early Axxess report from 3/31, click here.

To read the late Axxess report from 4/1, click here.

To read the early Axxess report from 4/2, click here.

To read the late Axxess report from 4/2, click here.

TOUGH ENOUGH NEWS AND NOTES

Tough Enough debuts tonight. 

Dave: I saw the first episode and have been trying to do a hotline on it but we were just too busy here over the weekend, so I will save it for tomorrow. Here are a few thoughts on the show. ... Steve Austin clearly the star of the show. That becomes evident from the start. The show will succeed or fail based on his involvement. ... The case features some people with potential and some folks that shouldn't be there. ... Miss USA Rima has a serious potty mouth. She would fit right in on audio at this site. ... Overall, I liked the show and will be watching every week. It blows NXT away, at least it did this week.

Mike: David Jakielo will be switching from NXT to Tough Enough audios as well.

Tough Enough debuts tonight.

Speaking of Tough Enough, USA has a cool site set up for it at: wwetoughenough.com.  They have some cool innovations like The Tough Club where you can play their fantasy game and earn points.  It's at toughclub.usanetwork.com.  You can sign up for their fantasy game at this link.  They also have an iPhone/iPad app at this link.

Greg McCulloch reporting. ... Tough Enough contestant and former Raw Guest Host (or is it star) Rima Fakih was shown at the Toronto Blue Jays home opener yesterday. The broadcasters pointed out she was was dating Jays starting pitcher Ricky Romero and then they proceeded to show personal pictures of the happy couple. 

You can read Tough Enough spoilers by clicking here.

IGN.com took a tour of the Tough Enough house.  You can see it by clicking here.

Simon Andersson sent this item. ... WWE has released 3 videos on Youtube hyping Tough Enough. Here is the links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8GXM-IDfyI&feature=feedu 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc7_Ff1hqpQ&feature=feedu 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyiPsrNp4ic&feature=feedu

Candice Michelle, Torrie Wilson and Lilian Garcia will be hosting a Tough Enough Aftershow on Afterbuzztv.com starting tonight at Midnight ET. Their first guest will be Tommy Dreamer. 

YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE THE WORD WWE WILL STOP USING GOING FORWARD

World Wrestling Entertainment has issued an internal edict that the word "Wrestling" will no longer be used in any way, shape or form by the company. Seriously.

The edict includes all mentions of the word and even the company's own name, as all promotional material will be branded as simply WWE, not "World Wrestling Entertainment." Everything from the company's posters to their books to the commentary will fall under the new rule, which was put into place a week ago.

The company edict is a branding decision to attempt to move the company forward as a full fledged entertainment machine, as opposed to a wrestling company, as well as continue to distance themselves from any other entities running nationally.

Dave: To follow up Mike reported this morning about WWE dropping the word wrestling from their product, the movement to do so actually started a while ago.  As we mentioned in The Wrap Up after the story broke where a WWE representative took issue with WWE being called a wrestling promotion, the company has moved forward doing business as "WWE, Inc."  Their idea is to present themselves as an "entertainment" company and not be pigeonholed as a "wrestling" promotion.  I think it's nuts personally, but Vince has always wanted to be bigger than a "wrestling company".

Mike: It's a great branding idea but when you have guys in tights doing wrestling moves in a wrestling ring, everyone is going to call it wrestling.  Protesting that just makes you look insane or desperate. 

PUNK AND AUSTIN KICK OFF FEUD...ON TWITTER

In a pretty shrewd piece of marketing, CM Punk and Steve Austin are arguing back and forth on Twitter after the idea of a fantasy match between the two was pushed on Paul Heyman's HeymanHustle website in a marketing piece put together by Heyman as part of his company's deal with THQ:

This led to a back and forth on Twitter between Punk and Austin, which was pretty entertaining. Great way to use social media to promote the new WWE All Stars video game.

Dave: Social media is a vital part of most businesses today.  It is an easy way to get the word out to a receptive audience. 

Mike: Heyman is all about marketing and creating a buzz, so it figures he's in the middle of this!

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE WWE WRESTLEMANIA PRESS CONFERENCE IN NYC

Matt sent the following from the Wrestlemania Press Conference:

*Before it started, The Rock swung by the fans waiting in line to enter in a truck, which pulled over. Rock leaned out the window, waved and told the crowd he was "Bringing it" and would see them all soon before pulling away.

*There is a lot of media and probably just as many fans in attendance.

*Stephanie McMahon welcomed everyone to the conference. The fans started chanting "Hogan sucks" and she remarked that Hulk "wouldn't be part of this year's Wrestlemania, that's for sure."

*Stephanie introduced Triple H, who kissed her when he came out. Hunter announced he would be inducting his best friend Shawn Michaels into the WWE Hall of Fame this weekend. He cut a promo on ending the streak Sunday.

*Edge cut a promo on Wrestlemania and then had a staredown with Alberto Del Rio.

*Miz cuts a promo saying he would retain his belt this Sunday because he's awesome.

*John Cena cuts a promo about Wrestlemania. The fans are drowning him out and chanting "same old sh**." Fans chant for Rock.

*Snooki was introduced and was wearing a t-shirt that read "Brunette Mafia." She said that is the name of her six person team at Mania. She rips on Laycool.

*Rock takes the mic and the place is chanting "One More Match." He begins to talk and fans are chanting "Fruity Pebbles."

*Snooki asks if she can get a photo with Rock and Cena together. They agree and take the photo, then begin staring each other down. Place goes nuts.

*For those wondering, Vince McMahon did not appear.

You can watch videos from the press conference by clicking here.

STEVE AUSTIN DISCUSSES WHETHER HE EVER GETS THE ITCH TO RETURN TO THE RING AND MORE

ESPN.com has an interview with Steve Austin talking about WWE All-Stars, CM Punk, meeting Andre the Giant, WrestleMania, Tough Enough and more.

When asked if he gets the itch to do one more match, he replied, "I'll tell you what, sometimes you do, but it's just like an itch that you scratch and it goes away. We had that ring at Tough Enough, and it's the same WWE ring they use every week, and I got the chance to bounce around and take some bumps from one of the kids in the contest and gave him a few bumps. Could I still do it? Damn right I could. It may not be quite as good as I used to, but I got it out of my system. I hope people enjoy Tough Enough because I had so much fun doing it, but that's about as close as I want to be to a business that I love."

Dave: I respect that.  He has been gone so long and is now in his mid-forties.  Plus, given the issue with his neck, it makes no sense for him to wrestle at this point in his life.

Mike: If and when he does it, it should only be against Dwayne Johnson, although the CM Punk tease was an interesting idea!

You can read the entire interview, which is a very good read, by clicking this link.

WWE LOOKING TO HOUSE HALL OF FAME IN TAMPA

World Wrestling Entertainment is looking at Tampa, FL as a city to house a potential WWE Hall of Fame building, according to 2011 WWE Hall of Fame inductee Road Warrior Animal.

"WWE is looking at a big building in Tampa, " Animal told The Score in Canada. "I'm gonna donate some of my gear there - maybe some of my spiked-shoulder pads will go in the Hall. They're getting stuff from everybody. And it's gonna be an attraction - some place where fans can go. It's gonna be like the Pro Football Hall of Fame."

Tampa is also the home of WWE developmental Florida Championship Wrestling. Animal also commented on into the Hall of Fame commenting, "Well you know how it is. Jealousy is the greatest equalizer (in our business) sometimes. Guys who don't get invited to it...it's just jealousy. You look at the path people take in this business, and I knew it was going to be sooner-or-later."

To listen to the complete interview, visit this link.

Dave: While I don't think it would draw a lot of money, I do like the idea of them doing it and having all of that great stuff in one place.  It was be a nice thing for every fan to go and visit.

Mike: It makes sense to do it in Tampa, where they have FCW and a lot of talents live.  Being the curator of that place would be a really interesting gig.

MORE ON WWE AND JOHN CENA BRINGING 30 MAKE-A-WISH CHILDREN TO WRESTLEMANIA THIS WEEKEND

World Wrestling Entertainment and the Make-A-Wish Foundation issued the following press release today:

30 Children Ready to Enjoy Star-Studded Wishes with WWE®, Make-A-Wish Foundation® at WrestleMania® XXVII in Atlanta

PHOENIX -- WrestleMania XXVII, WWE’s annual pop culture extravaganza, will once again be the centerpiece of a huge wish weekend for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and 30 kids with life-threatening medical conditions.

For the fourth year in the row, WWE and the Make-A-Wish Foundation are granting children’s wishes to attend WrestleMania weekend, April 1-3 in Atlanta. WWE has planned a full list of wish activities for the children, who are traveling from 18 U.S. states, Canada and Australia.

In addition to the excitement of attending WrestleMania at the Georgia Dome on April 3, the wish kids will enjoy exclusive opportunities to meet WWE Superstars and Divas, along with other celebrities, at these events:

April 1 – a private autograph session with WWE Superstars and Divas
April 2 – a pizza party hosted by WWE Superstar and Make-A-Wish® Wish Ambassador John Cena® at the Georgia Aquarium
April 3 – a special lunch party before WrestleMania XXVII at the Opera Atlanta Events Center & Nightclub

The Georgia Aquarium and the Opera Atlanta Events Center & Nightclub are donating event space and resources to make the events possible for the 30 wish kids and their families. Lucks Food Decorating Company is donating pizza for the Saturday event featuring edible Pizza Printsâ„¢ designs of WWE Superstars.

“It’s fitting that the WWE and Make-A-Wish Foundation's biggest wish-granting celebration happens each year at WrestleMania,” said Sue Aitchison, WWE’s Director, Community Relations. “This weekend will be full of surprises and joy for the wish kids and will undoubtedly help the families spend much-needed time together away from hospitals and medical treatments.”

At the April 2 event, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America President and Chief Executive Officer David Williams will honor Cena for granting his 200th wish in December 2010. Cena is one of only four celebrities, along with NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. and former WWE Superstar Hulk Hogan, to reach the milestone.

“The Make-A-Wish Foundation is so much better for knowing WWE Superstar John Cena,” Williams said. “He is genuinely connected to our mission, and the time John spends with a wish kid changes them both. They leave each other better than before – happier, more optimistic, filled with memories that inspire them during tough times.”

For 27 years, WWE has been one of the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s most dedicated wish granters, fulfilling hundreds of children’s wishes to meet its Superstars and Divas and attend major events such as WrestleMania.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Founded in 1980 when a group of caring volunteers helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is one of the world’s leading children’s charities, with 64 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 200,000 wishes in the United States since its inception. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish®.

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Dave: Say what you will about Cena, but he is a class act here.  Very classy.

Mike: Cena is the man when it comes to paying it forward.  I can never say a bad thing about the man behind the public persona.

TRIPLE H TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW ROLE BEHIND THE SCENES, SNOOKI ACTUALLY HAS A BACKGROUND FOR THE RING, JOHN CENA TALKS ABOUT THE ROCK

Peter Rosenberg from Hot 97 in New York has posted video of three interviews he did at the WWE press conference in NY. There was some good stuff there.

He spoke with Triple H, who said that he is happy to be healthy again. He said he didn't realize how hurt he was until he finally got healthy again. He told H he looks dapper since he went corporate. H said that "at some time you have to grow up". Rosenberg asked him when he is losing the ponytail. H said that you need an edge but some days he wants to cut it off. He asked H how he felt that people know so much about the business through sites like this. H made a joke about it saying that he is a character in the board room too. Rosenberg asked about the Rock's return and H said it was great to have him back. He added that Rock is the most entertaining guy he knows in every aspect.

Dave: As usual, H handled himself really well in the interview, which you can watch below.

Mike: He's the King of Corporate now.

He talked with John Cena, who largely busted his chops throughout the piece. Then they talked about The Rock, who Cena called "untouchable". He then said that he got him. It was largely an in-character piece. You can watch the interview below.

Snooki told him that she is excited about WrestleMania. She said that she was a gymnast and athletic growing up and would be open to geting into WWE after her career on the Jersey Shore ends. You can watch the video below.

Mike: When she whipped out the handspring elbow, even Great Muta popped.

MORE WWE VIDEOS

Terri Bey sent the following...Edge was the guest for George Stroumboulopoulos' CBC talk show last night. The entire appearance can be watched by clicking here.

Mike: Really must see discussion here.  Edge came off very well and this was the type of serious interview you rarely see for a pro wrestler outside of certain circles.

Below is a clip of Edge discussing health, concussions and changes WWE made coming out of the Benoit tragedy:

Shawn talks about The Hall of Fame.

Sunny talks about going into the Hall of Fame.

Our old pal Brian Fritz interview Christian at Axxess. 

Fritz asked about the shoulder injury that Christian has been rehabbing. Christian said it was really a tough injury to overcome and his main goal was to be back by WrestleMania. He said that he knew when he injured it that was going to be bad and it would take a long time to come back from.

He said that he feels good now and it's back to 100%. He is at the point now where he doesn't even feel it anymore.

He was asked if it felt like "coming home" to WWE after being in TNA for a few years and he said it did, for sure. He was glad all of the fans remembered him upon his return.

He said that the one thing missing from his resume is World Heavyweight Champion and said he would love for it to happen.

He was asked if it would be a little weird to be a second to Edge instead of wrestling and he said it would be awesome to be back.

He also talked about how great it is to have WrestleMania be a week-long event now.

Brian Fritz has posted an interview with US Champion Sheamus, which you can watch below. It's interesting to note that when he was asked to compare this year's match with Daniel Bryan vs. working against HHH last year he did note that it was promoted as a bigger deal last year. He said it's always his goal to be in the main event and basically said if that wasn't your goal why do it?

Fritz also did an interview with Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett, which you can see by clicking below. The highlight was when he was asked he heard the rumors of him taking on The Undertaker and he said he heard them but no one in the company came to him about it. Barrett came off well.

This one is worth watching. It should be noted that Rock drops a well timed F Bomb in the piece.

Miz was on Good Morning Atlanta, which you can watch below.

The Miz Previews Wrestlemania: MyFoxATLANTA.com

NATIONAL GUARD ANNOUNCED AS OFFICIAL SPONSOR FOR WWE AXXESS

Dave: The following press release was issued on 3/30, which explains why Finlay was let go this week after upsetting The National Guard:

National Guard Official Presenting Sponsor of WrestleMania® Axxess

WWE® (NYSE:WWE) today announced the National Guard as the official presenting sponsor of WrestleMania Axxess, WWE’s family-friendly, interactive fan event that runs during WrestleMania Week from Thursday, March 31 to Sunday, April 3 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Promotional partners of WrestleMania Axxess include Skittles®, TWIX®, Mattel®, Slim Jim® and THQ.

WrestleMania Axxess will give thousands of fans an unprecedented chance to interact with their favorite WWE Superstars and Divas including John Cena®, Triple H®, Undertaker®, The Miz®, Shawn Michaels®, Eve™ and The Bellas™. Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to jump in the ring at THQ’s WWE All-Stars™ Video Game Zone; meet their favorite WWE Superstars at the Superstar Signing presented by TWIX; soar to new heights on the Slim Jim Spicy Town climbing wall; check out Hornswoggle®’s House presented by Skittles; see the full collection of WWE action figures at Mattel’s display; and get behind the wheel of one of John Cena’s seven American Muscle cars from his personal collection.

“The National Guard is proud to be the presenting sponsor of WrestleMania Axxess for our third straight year. WrestleMania Axxess has provided the National Guard a unique and productive recruiting opportunity and a platform to interact with WWE's diverse and youthful fan base to share the benefits of serving our country in the National Guard,” stated COL Rob Porter, Chief, Guard Strength Directorate, U.S. Army National Guard.

“WrestleMania Axxess is an amazing four-day event where our sponsors reach the tens of thousands of fans who will converge on Atlanta during WrestleMania Week,” stated Michelle D. Wilson, Chief Marketing Officer, WWE. “We’d like to thank the National Guard and our promotional partners for helping to make Axxess a fabulous experience for all who attend and contribute to the overall fun and success of WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza, WrestleMania.”

WrestleMania XXVII will take place live on pay-per-view, Sunday, April 3 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Ticket information for WrestleMania and WrestleMania Axxess is available at WWE.com and Ticketmaster.com or contact your local cable operator for pay-per-view details. For more information on WrestleMania activities, please visit http://wm27.wwe.com.

**All talent subject to change.

RANDY ORTON TALKS ABOUT TURNING BABYFACE, CM PUNK AND MORE

The Baltimore Sun did a Q and A with Randy Orton, which covered a number of subjects.

About whether he feels comfortable as a babyface he said: "Absolutely not. I’m definitely growing as a good guy, as a babyface. I’ve got to walk a fine line, Kevin, because as a bad guy, as a heel, I go so comfortable in that role, I think I eventually earned the respect of the fans. And it wasn’t some master plan to become a good guy one day. I was dead set on being a heel the rest of my career. I figured there’s no way I’ll ever be a good guy. But the fans, they’re powerful, and when they speak together like they did, I started getting positive reactions. I’d be in the ring with a babyface as a heel, but they’d be chanting for me. It’s just one of those things where I just had to make the switch."

Asked about CM Punk not getting an immediate WWE push and having to earn his stripes he said: "That’s true. He was already known – he had done a lot of the Ring of Honor and local independent-type stuff in the Midwest, and he had done some traveling. He was somewhat well-known on an independent level, and I think when he first got called up, he had a lot going against him. He had to prove his worth – we all have to. Some of us have it easier than others. My father got my foot in the door, but eventually it’s up to the performer to prove themselves, and he definitely proved himself. He’s a multiple world champion; he’s got the background; he’s got the dedication. He won the Money in the Bank years before, and he cashed it in, won the championship – he’s done well for himself. But when it comes to CM Punk, I think as far as talent goes, as far as determination on setting a goal and accomplishing that goal, he is nothing – nothing – compared to me when it comes to getting the job done and performing at that level. I have way more experience than he does performing in front of these kinds of crowds, and I’m going to have the crowd on my side, so he’s got the odds against him going into this thing no matter what way you look at it. And not only that, he’s not going to have the rest of his team – The New Nexus – which is pretty much not even in existence anymore. I have completely put that to an end. But it’s just him; no one has his back at WrestleMania XXVII. And that’s going to be good for me because it’s just man to man, toe to toe, me and CM Punk in the ring, nobody else, no interference, and it’s going to go my way."

Dave: These guys don't like each other, for real.

Mike: You always have to play up the heat but this went beyond that.  This came off like Orton basically saying Punk couldn't cut it, which is ridiculous to say given his body of work.  I wonder if he feels better now that Punk brought up his game to the best match he's had on the Mania stage in years.

He also talked about the many women who play his wife on TV, traveling on tour busses to events and more.  It was a good interview, which you can read by clicking here.

WRESTLER WIVES GETTING ITS OWN TV SERIES
by Paul Jordan

TMZ is reporting that production has begun on Wrestler Wives which will star Sharmell, wife of Booker T, Tough Enough 2 winner Jackie Gayda-Haas, wife of Charlie Haas and Stacy "The Cat" Carter former wife of Jerry "The King" Lawler and current wife of the former WWE superstar Kizarny. 

Dave: That should be interesting, in a train wreck kind of way!

Mike: I wonder if they can get Flavor Flav to do a crossover episode?

DIBIASE AND ANDRE TAG, BEST OF WWF, RANDY SAVAGE'S RETIREMENT BOUT AT MANIA 7 AND MUCH MORE: WWE CLASSICS ON DEMAND UPDATES
by Brian Pickering

Legends:

Best of WWF Vol 15

Million Dollar Man:
*Ted DiBiase & Andre The Giant vs. Hulk Hogan & Bam Bam Bigelow WWF at Boston Garden 2/6/88
*NWA National Heavyweight Champion Ted DiBiase vs. Cy Jurnegan Georgia Championship Wrestlling 11/26/83
*WWF Intercontinental Champion Pat Patterson vs. Ted DiBiase WWF at MSG 10/22/79
*Ted DiBiase vs. Jake Roberts WWF at Maple Leaf Gardens 4/23/83

TV Classics:
Extreme Championship Wrestling 8/26/97
Prime Time Wrestling 2/20/89

March Mania - Region Finals:

Venice Beach Region
Sting vs. Big Boss Man WCW Slamboree 1995

Miami
The Rock vs. Mick Foley In Your House: A Cold Day in Hell 5/11/97

Minneapolis Region
Rick Rude vs. Ricky Steamboat WCW Superbrawl II

Parts Unknown Region
Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage Wrestlemania VII

NEWS AND NOTES

You can read the Superstars report by clicking here.

You can read the Smackdown report by clicking here.

You can read Buck Woodward's Smackdown Thoughts by clicking here.

The 3/31 edition of Superstars did a 0.69 rating with 701,000 viewers.  The Superstars replay did a 0.17 rating with 140,000 viewers.

You can read Tough Enough spoilers by clicking here.

There was a ton of WrestleMania advertising banners all over the city of Atlanta over the weekend. I was also told by a few readers I ran into yesterday that they saw billboards for Dragon Gate USA off one of the highways.

The Rock's interview with Piers Morgan was pushed as a top story on CNN.com on 3/31. Thanks to Dereck Jackson for sending that along. You can watch the video below.

Devin Cutting sent along these posters to the May WWE Extreme Rules and Over the Limit PPV events:

 

Mike: Notice the words World Wrestling Entertainment have been removed?

The Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards featured pre-taped piece with The Big Show over the weekend.

Mike: WWE did a great job of making sure their talents were all over the place to build a Mania buzz. 

The great guys at Georgia Wrestling History sent the following: The Miz got an early start on Thursday, sitting in with the Regular Guys on Rock 100.5 here. A little bit later, he joined the Rude Awakening on 680 the Fan here.  Roddy Piper made the rounds today, first with Rock 100.5’s Regular Guys here, and later with 680 the Fan’s Rude Awakening crew here.

The New York Daily News did a story about Snooki's involvement in WrestleMania, with quotes, which you can read by clicking here.

The Miz's appearance on Conan the other night has inspired a t-shirt. During the show, Miz suggested Conan change his nickname to "Ginja Ninja." Now, the show's official website is selling a t-shirt featuring the nickname, found at this link.

Irish Central featured an interview with Sheamus discussing Wrestlemania and more at this link.

The Hollywood Reporter noted that Snooki was booed at the WWE Wrestlemania press conference on 3/30 at this link.

Silvervision has just put up a new HBK "Tagged Classics" double DVD set for presale for release in June. The first disc is Shawn Michaels: Heartbreak Express Tour and covers most of 1996. The other disc is Shawn Michaels: Hits From The Heartbreak Kid and looks to cover 1993 & 1994. It is UK exclusive & is the 1st time these Coliseum Videos have been on DVD. Order here.  Thanks to Scott Random for passing that along.

The never released Kofi Kingston WWE DVD (which aired on PPV here in the United States) will be packaged with the new issue of WWE Magazine in the UK.

The Gwinnett Daily Post has a story about Michael Sampson, who travels with WWE as a ringside doctor, talking about having to stop the bleeding on CM Punk's head during his match with Rey Mysterio on last May's "Over The Limit" PPV.  He also talked about being on the road with WWE.  You can read it by clicking here.

Bret Hart did a WrestleMania XXVII preview at his website.  Here's a sample of what he wrote: "As for the actual line-up, it's been a slow build for much of the card, but for the past few weeks the promos and backstage situations seemed to be rather plain and flat, totally predictable. The Undertaker and Triple H segment with Shawn Michaels played out exactly like I expected, the usual smoke blowing up the rectum stuff, more grunts and then a staring contest, thank God Shawn was there just to add something, anything to it. I suppose there isn't much else these two legends can do as far as buildup goes but it came across to me as having little imagination, the match itself should be one of the better match ups because Taker brings it all the way for Wrestlemania and Triple H can turn it up when he wants to. Triple H has had some hard fought battles over the years, but I don't know if he's ever had his chance to literally blow them away at Wrestlemania but this might be his best chance. Taker, in my opinion, is truly one of the all-time best and time and time again, he has delivered the best match on the show so I expect a good solid match, old school but intense. It could steal the show."  You can read it by clicking here.

The Rock noted that he taped his 3/31 CNN interview with Piers Morgan in New York on 3/29.

The Phoenix New Times has a long article on Superstar Billy Graham at this link. 

Ernest "The Cat" Miller was visiting with the WWE crew on 3/30.

Snooki's involvement at the WWE press conference led to a lot of media stories on WrestleMania, which is exactly what WWE wanted out of her involvement.

The Miami Herald has an interview with Booker T talking about becoming a commentator, commentating WrestleMania, Tough Enough, wanting to officially retire from the ring and more at this link.

Joey Styles posted a graphic picture of Vladimir Koslov's arm after he was attacked by The Corre at Axxess at this link.  

Dave: Lucky Kofi, he got to appear in a two minute match!  At least he got the payday.

Mike: That match should have been scrapped.  What a waste of the cost for the pyro!

AOL TV has an interview up with The Rock where he said that he would win Dancing With The Stars if he ever went on it.  You can watch it by clicking here.

John Pollock sent this item. ... The LAW welcomed J.J. Dillon this week to chat about his relationship with Shawn Michaels in the mid-90's when Dillon was the Head of WWF Talent Relations and his induction into the Hall of Fame, the sale of WCW ten-years ago to the WWE, his attempt with Jerry Jarrett to purchase WCW at the time as well as information on this year's Cauliflower Alley Club reunion and the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame induction weekend in May. The show is available at this link. 

The latest word on Goldust's torn rotator cuff is that he hopes to be cleared to return to the ring by late June-early July.

Mike: You could see when he was out and about in town that one arm is still far smaller than the other.

Alex Marvez did an interview with Jerry Lawler in his syndicated column.  In it, Lawler talks about working at WrestleMania, the similarity of taking on Michael Cole vs. Andy Kaufman and more.  It's a good read.

Sunny talked about being inducted into the Hall of Fame at this link.

Bret Hart did a long interview at this link.

Randy Jacobs sent word that Trish Stratus talked Wrestlemania, Snooki and Tough Enough at this link.

Variety has an article where they look at WrestleMania and the challenge that WWE faced this year in getting the buyrates up, and how they attacked it, at this link.

The Fox affiliate in Atlanta has a story about yesterday's Axxess event, at which Jimmy Hart appeared, at this link.

Brian Reiss sent this item. ... Bret Hart is auctioning another drawing, this one of the Undertaker.  Proceeds for this auction are going to the Make a Wish foundation. Here is the link.

James Anderson sent this video, which goes to a pretty funny interview sequence that a member of the Opie and Anthony show did at the 3/29 press conference in New York.

Access Atlanta has a story about Axxess at this link.

MTV did a story/interview with John Cena, pushing WrestleMania, at this link.

Terri Bey sent this link, which goes to an interview that Edge did with The Charlotte Observer.

Steven Fernandes sent word that Armando Estrada announced on his twitter that he is reopening his restaurant Baby's Steak and Lemonade. 

Mike: I really enjoyed that place when I went there before Mania 26.  Good to see he's going to make another go at it and I hope it works out.

A number of readers sent along this link, which goes to a good story about Rip Rogers and OVW, talking about the current WWE stars that have trained with him.

Dave Whitaker sent this item. ... Gamespot.com has reviewed WWE All-Stars for the XBOX 360, PS3, and Wii.  Both the 360 and PS3 got 7.0's which mean "good" while the Wii version was given a 6.0 which means "fair.  This is the link to the 360 review, here is the PS3 review, and here is the Wii review.

The Toronto Sun has a short interview with The Miz at this link.

Below is an interview that Brian Fritz did with Natalya yesterday at Axxess.

Mario Soto sent this item. ... Eli Cottonwood made an appearance on The E! Channel yesterday.  He appeared on The Soup. They had a special show spoofing an awards show and Eli won the "best description of a mustache by somebody who really really wants to be a WWE Superstar" award. He showed up to accept and had no problem making fun of his horrible promo. It should be replaying all weekend if you want to catch it.

Adam Lebow sent word that The Rock is scheduled to appear on Jay Leno on Tuesday 4/5.  He is also scheduled for Raw on Monday.

You can read Day Two of Shawn Michaels' WWE.com diary by clicking here.  

The Score in Canada will be airing the WWE Hall Of Fame Induction special on April 5th at 6:30 PM (ET), April 8th at 7 PM (ET) and April 8th at 11 PM (ET), according to Slam! Wrestling. Thanks to Devin Cutting.

Time-Warner Cable issued a press release pushing that they were carrying Wrestlemania this Sunday. I can't remember the last time a cable carrier did that for a specific wrestling PPV event.

Zack Ryder posted the latest episode of his Youtube show online. You have to give the guy credit for doing something really fun and creative to get himself some attention.

Randy Orton did a radio interview with FM 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia talking about WrestleMania and more.  You can check it out by clicking here.

Meanwhile, Taryn "Tiffany" Terrell is back on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TrueTaryn

Adam Parker reporting. ... Last night at Colt Cabana's $5 wrestling, a number of wrestlers stopped by and took picture and autographs with the fans. Jimmy Jacobs, El Generico, Chris Hero, and Luke Gallows were among those who were there.  Also, if you never watched $5 wrestling, it's worth going out of your way to get as it's only $5 at www. Highspots.com.

You can watch video of Roddy Piper and The Miz below.

Devin Cutting reporting. ... WWE returns to the Big Sandy Superstore Arena in Huntington, West Virginia on Sunday, June 5th, 2011 at 5 PM.

WWE Monday Night Raw on June 20th, 2011 will be held at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.

WWE is holding an event on July 29th, 2011 at the Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois. Tickets go on sale June 4th, 2011.

WWE returns to the Atlantic Pavilion in Lisbon, Portugal on Sunday, November 13th, 2011 at 6 PM.

Monday Night Raw on August 22nd, 2011 will be held at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The Smackdown taping on August 23rd, 2011 will be held at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The WWE Live Event website is listing a RAW Live Event in Doha, Qatar on Apr. 23th. That date was originally scheduled for a show in Istanbul, Turkey.

The WWE Smackdown taping on Tuesday, July 19th, 2011 will be held at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Devin Cutting reporting.

The April 1st, 2011 edition of WWE Vintage Collection featured these segments & matches:

* Freddie Blassie's Hall Of Fame Induction video
* Regis Philbin's speech from the 1994 Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony
* Freddie Blassie's Hall Of Fame Induction speech
* Piper's Pit with Jimmy Snuka from WWF TV on June 24th, 1984
* Roddy Piper's Hall Of Fame Induction video & speech
* Lord Alfred Hayes interviewing Roddy Piper from the WWF event at MSG on 
September 30th, 1989
* Lord Alfred Hayes interviewing Bobby Heenan & Rick Rude from the WWF event at 
MSG on September 30th, 1989
* Roddy Piper vs. Rick Rude from the WWF event at MSG on September 30th, 1989
* Shawn Michaels' Hall Of Fame Induction video
* Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H from WWF Raw on May 13th, 1996

TNA

HULK HOGAN WEIGHS ON THE DIRECTION OF TNA'S PRODUCT

On his Twitter account @HulkHogan4Real, Hulk Hogan wrote: "The taping of TNA on Tuesday was awesome ,feels like were starting to ride the big waves again HH"

So if you like what you see on 4/14, you will probably like where TNA is going.

Dave: I will say this, the end the 3/31 show was the best thing that they have done in a while.  I hope it's the start of a trend.

Mike: That would be nice but they often have a cycle of a step forward and six back.  We shall see.

HULK HOGAN GETS WORKED BADLY

A nitwit on 3/30 started a fake Twitter account for Dixie Carter, whose current account is suspended due to her putting an unauthorized "Verified" graphic on her page.  The nitwit in question mimicked Carter's account perfectly and began tweeting people asking them to announce that she is back on Twitter.  Since it was never announced by any official TNA source, we ignored it.

Well, someone in the company didn't do the same, and that would Hulk Hogan. Yesterday morning the fake Dixie wrote "@HulkHogan4Real Terry i'm back on twitter now".  Rather than call his boss, Hogan then retweeted something from the fake last night.  The irony here is that Hogan himself was a victim of impersonation on Twitter in the past, and friends of his put over the fake account.  Is it really so hard to pick up the phone and check with your boss?

We have heard from sources in TNA that Carter's account is not yet back online and it will be announced by the company when it is.

Luckily, Carter got her Twitter account back online so this silliness is over.

Dave: First off, anyone who has enough time to do fake Twitter accounts needs to step outside. With that said, since Hogan got burned himself with a fake Twitter last year, you would think he would call up Dixie and ask if it was legit, wouldn't you?

Mike: It's amazing and sad the lengths some people will go to get attention for themselves online.  If they put this attention into their real world, they might be happier folks.

HULK HOGAN WASN'T THE ONLY TNA STAR THAT WATCHED WRESTLEMANIA, AND THIS ONE IS NOT HAPPY
by Steven Fernandes

In his WrestleMania blog last night, Dave Scherer referenced negative comments that Hulk Hogan made during the WrestleMania PPV.  He wasn't the only TNA star watching, and commenting about, the show.

From Kurt Angle's Twitter:

"To WWE wrestlers, Don't use my Finish. Get more Creative. Hmmmm- Orton. Did I say that?"
"I heard Orton had an Awesome match though. Ur welcome. Lol."
"I guess Swagger will use my Ankle Lock as well.Very creative. I'm the Best in the World. You Guys will never be Kurt Angle.can I get an AMEN"
"Kurt Angle will never die. TNA. WWE. I'm a leader. Not follower. :)"
"Why would WWE use my finishes? Is it because I won't go back? R Orton- Angle Slam. M Cole- Ankle Lock? They have some nerve."
"Jerry Lawlor did it too. But He is a Legend. WWE really stuck it to Me.No Love lost. I'm glad that I helped Your biggest Event of the Year:)"

AND THEN, KURT ANGLE CHANNELS HIS INNER GEORGE THOROGOOD AND SAYS, "IT WASN'T ME" CONCERNING THE MANIA TWEETS

After news of his WrestleMania tweets last night made its way around the net, Kurt Angle took to his Twiiter page, @anglefoods1, this morning to dispute what was posted on it last night.  Angle wrote:

"To anyone I upset, I am sorry. I didn't watch W-mania last night. I DID get a lot of tweets during Show. About Orton, Swagger,etc.Who cares?

I think the whole thing is Halarious. How I upset all of U amazes me.I don't read dirt sheets,but u heard they r upset.They're 'dirt' sheets

I Hope that W-mania was entertaining for all of You, especially 'The Rock'. Oh, and Orton-relax, I won't beat ur ass. You can use my move:)

2 Randy Orton's credit, I Heard He had the best match of the night. Good for You! Btw,I Never used Shamrock's finish while he still wrestled

There's a big difference to using a Finish somebody did b4 U, and is doing while U still Wrestle. The fact is, I don't care. Sorry everybody

Lastly,I just found out somebody hacked into my Twitter account.Most of those tweets weren't from me.I just found out today. I will find out"

It should be noted that Angle mentioned Shamrock because Randy Orton tweeted @RandyOrton, "Btw does anyone know what Ken Shamrocks finish was? I believe Jack Swagger used ankle lock outta respect for Ken?"

So there you have it, it was a hacker, not Kurt!

Dave: It's funny, the tweets from Monday appeared to be written in the same manner as the ones from Sunday.  Hmmmm.

Mike: I guess Angle tweeted these after hitting ice on the road but Twitter had other ideas. 

NEWS AND NOTES

You can read the Impact report by clicking here.

You can read Buck Woodward's Impact Thoughts by clicking here.

You can read the Impact spoilers for 4/14 by clicking here.

From Mickie James' twitter: "Dear @Facebook, you get the moron of the month award. Thanks for shutting down my only official Facebook. And fanpage. After over a year of my Lawyers, team, & I trying to get the tons of fakes shut down since I was verified! That you still have yet to do @Facebook! Way to go?!" 

Mike: That sort of stupidity used to happen often in the old days of AOL.  It's a sign of a company getting so big they can't tell one hand what the other is doing.

Ric Flair is slated to appear at the North Carolina Azalea Festival Street Fair in Wilmington on 4/10 from 2 to 4 p.m. 

Speaking of Flair, Kenny sent along this video, which goes to a commercial he is doing for the North Carolina lottery.  He has a scratch off ticket called Wooooo! II.

Dave: I always laugh when Flair does stuff like this.  First it was Ric Flair Finance, now lottery tickets.  I guess if you can't make money one way, try the other!

The 3/31 edition of Impact did a 1.19 rating with 1,670,000 viewers.

The Spanish version of TNA iMPACT will now be airing on MTV Tr3s Fridays at 11 p.m. ET.

Rob Van Dam has done a very pro-TNA interview with The Sun.  In it he says that the reason that he went there is because Hulk Hogan personally recruited him.  He is happier there than he was in WWE.  You can read it by clicking here.

Mike: It's interesting to read this and then watch his work because he doesn't seem very inspired in comparison to the era that he made his name in, but he's also much older now and you have to adjust your style with age.

Steven Fernandes sent the following....Jeremy Borash noted on his twitter that Vince Russo has registered a twitter name and it will be become public first on his twitter when the time is right.

Mike: Bad idea.  This is just going to open him up to a lot of scorn and people harassing him.  Best to stay in his bubble.

On his Twitter page on Mania Sunday, @MATTHARDYBRAND, Matt Hardy wrote: "Going to a lil wrestling show today to just watch & be supportive.. Should be a nice change of pace from performing-at least for 1 day :)" Hardy later said he was not going WrestleMania but instead going to see his girl, Reby Sky.Hardy also noted that he was detained by authorities last night for two hours due to issues with the paperwork on his car, which he said was the fault of the Department Of Motor Vehicles.

Dave: That Matt, he sure knows how to get us talking!

The poster for TNA Sacrifice has been released:

RING OF HONOR WOWS OVER WRESTLEMANIA WEEKEND AND MORE

Ring of Honor held a pair of extremely well received Internet PPVs at Center Stage in Atlanta, GA over the weekend. The biggest news coming out of the events was the crowning of new ROH Tag Team champions in Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas.

To read Stu Carapola's report on Honor Takes Center Stage Night One, click here. To read Mike Johnson's live blog, which was written as the event was ongoing on site in Atlanta, click here.

To read Stu Carapola's report on Honor Takes Center Stage Night Two, click here. To read Mike Johnson's on-site blog, click here.

To order the replays of both shows for just $20, click here.

Mike: Night One was easily worth $20 all on it's own.  Just an incredible show where everything hit on all the right cylinders.  I absolutely loved the Briscoes vs. Titus & King brawl on Night Two as well. 

Ring of Honor on HDNet will air its final episode tonight, featuring:

Davey Richards & the Briscoes vs. ROH Champion Roderick Strong & ROH World Tag Team Champions The Kings of Wrestling.

Mike: The episode is patterned after the Malenko vs. Guerrero ECW Farewell in that the match will take up the entire hour.

DRAGON GATE USA

Gabe Sapolsky wrote a blog on the www.HeymanHustle.com website which previewed Dragon Gate USA's big weekend in North Carolina and Atlanta.

To read the DGUSA Burlington, NC debut report, click here.

DGUSA debuted their first ever in-house Internet PPV broadcast in conjunction with WWNLive.com this weekend.

To read Stu Carapola's PPV report, click here.

DGUSA also taped their May InDemand PPV yesterday. You can read Mike Johnson's live report from the taping by clicking here.

Mike: There is an excellent Tozawa vs. YAMATO match headlining the May PPV.

WRESTLING BOOK NEWS

Former WWF champion The Ultimate Warrior announced last week on his website's blog that he is starting work on a book about his career. He didn't give a timetable for when he expected it to be finished. Thanks to Mike for his help.

Mike: You know that one won't be the least bit controversial!

Speaking of books, somehow former WCW and WWE star Marc Mero released one this past November, which completely slipped under the radar. The book, "How to be the Happiest Person on the Planet" is a motivational book.

Jesse Ventura will be making the following signing appearances in support of his fourth book "63 Documents the Government Doesn't Want You To Read"

4/4/11 7:00 PM at Borders Books - Columbus Circle. New York, NY.

4/5/11 7:00 PM at BookEnds - East Ridgewood Avenue. Ridgewood, NJ.

4/6/11 7:00 PM at Barnes & Noble - Union Turnpike. Fresh Meadows in Queens, NY.

4/7/11 7:00 PM at Barnes & Noble - Route 3 East. Clifton, NJ.

4/11/11 7:00 PM at Barnes & Noble - 3rd Street. Santa Monica, CA.

4/13/11 7:00 PM at Borders Books - Torrance Blvd. Torrance, CA.

NEW DOCUMENTARY TAKES AIM AT THE IN-RING PRACTICES OF WWE HALL OF FAMER
by Dave Scherer

Just in time for The WWE Hall of Fame and WrestleMania, a trailer for a new documentary called "Don't Bleed On Me - Wrestling's Hepatitis C Secret Revealed" has been released on YouTube.

It is the story of Canadian independent wrestler Devon "Hannibal" Nicholson, who worked for years hoping to get into WWE.  Tommy Dreamer, Lanny Poffo and Sylvan Grenier were all shown in the trailer (which you can see below) and talked about how good the guy was in the ring.

In 2009, Nicholson attended a talent camp for WWE. He said he was told by Pat Patterson that he was the best guy in the camp and in June of 2009 he was called by John Laurinaitis and Ty Bailey of WWE Talent Relations and was offered a developmental contract.

Nicholson said he went to his family doctor for a physical and was found to have Hepatitis C, which came as a shock to him.

Billy Graham, who has the disease, then talked about how people usually get Hepatitis C by needles but in wrestling you can get it by commingling blood when guys have bladed in matches. Graham said that Hepatitis C can lay dormant in a body for decades before showing any signs. He believes that a lot of wrestlers from the 70s and 80s, who worked blood bath matches back when blading was a regular staple in the business, have it and don't even know it yet because it's dormant.

Nicholson said that the only possible place he could have commingled his blood was during a series of matches with Abdullah The Butcher.  Nicholson said he was tested in 2005 and was negative for Hepatitis C. Then he had his matches with Abdullah and was found to have it afterward. He also said that he didn't even know that Abdullah was cutting him during matches and didn't realize that he was until he went back and watched video of the matches.

They then showed footage of a match between the men where Abdullah cut himself with a blade taped on his finger, then did the same with the same blade to Nicholson, commingling their blood. 

Honkytonk Man then watched the footage and did commentary, saying that Nicholson didn't know that Abdullah was gigging him. He added that he has seen Abdullah gig guys without their knowledge in the past.

Graham that asserted that Abdullah gigs people for no reason and without regard for anyone else's health.

Nicholson said that he his lawyer has tried to get Abdullah to provide a copy of his negative blood test and has not been responded to.

Nicholson then said he was told in July of 2009 that WWE would not hire him due to having Hepatitis C.

Then the documentary took WWE to task for inducting Abdullah into the Hall of Fame, with Honkytonk Man and Graham saying it is a travesty that he is being inducted.

Obviously, this was released at this time to get a reaction, but that doesn't mean it's not worth watching for yourself.

Mike: Gee, you know what they were looking for with the timing of this one - attention!

WRESTLEREUNION

Bob Orton and Bruno Sammartino were interviewed to promote this past weekend's WrestleReunion in Atlanta by Creative Loafing at this link and this link.

WrestleReunion, which has held some of the largest and most successful wrestling convention gatherings in recent years, honored former WWWF champion Bruno Sammartino, who will be making his final appearance publicly, outside of his native Pittsburgh.  WWE Hall of Famers The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff and Bob Orton, Mickie James, Carlito, Scott Steiner, Tommy Dreamer, Winter (Katie Lee Burchill) and Christy Hemme appeared for photos and autograph opportunities, while many of the names also took part in a special luncheon in Bruno's honor as well.  Vendor Guests appearing included Charlie Haas, Lita, Jackie Gayda-Haas, Shelton Benjamin, Terri Runnels, New Jack, Daffney, Raven, Dutch Mantell and more. 

Mike: I was told the event was a really classy show.    I am really sorry that I missed it as they promote a really grade-A event/

WrestleReunion announced the following on Wednesday:

WRESTLEREUNION HEADING FOR TORONTO IN 2012

WrestleReunion is proud to announce that we are taking the WrestleReunion Experience north to Canada. We will run our first international event at the Doubletree by Hilton-Toronto Airport April 13th-15th 2012.

Our inaugural event was held at a Doubletree Hotel in Tampa, FL in Jan 2005. We look forward to again working with a member of the Doubletree Family.

So 2012 so far looks like this:

Jan 27th-29th 2012 at the Westin Lax Airport in Los Angeles for WrestleReunion 6

WrestleReunion 7 in Toronto Canada.

We promise the Canadian fans the same lifetime of memories and an experience just as complete as all the previous WrestleReunions.

WrestleReunion along with our lead vendor Highspots.com are looking forward to seeing all the fans from around the world and Canada in Toronto.

EVEN MORE NEWS!

The 3/31 Pro Wrestling Live event in Atlanta, GA was canceled.

Mike: I was told that the promoter didn't even announce it to some of the wrestlers until the last minute.  What a lame move.

The Globe Gazette in Mason City, Iowa featured a video interview with former WCW manager Sonny Onoo discussing his run there at this link. Thanks to Paul Whitney.

The Anaheim Angels are doing a wrestling mask giveaway this season. That's a pretty damn creative idea.

Mike: I know baseball teams have done wrestling nights but that's a pretty unique promotion.

The Guadalajara Film Festival has pulled a planned uncut screening of The El Santo film "Santo en El tesoro de Dracula", which would have featured topless scenes that were never circulated after Hijo Del Santo protested, saying the scenes (which don't feature Santo himself) would hurt his father's image. The estate of late producer Guillermo Calderon Stell found the footage and offered it to the Festival to show.

Mike: It's pretty silly to think these scenes are going to hurt Santo, but whatever!

The Memphis Commercial Appeal featured a story on Nationak Sputnick Monroe Day, calling it "The best holiday ever." at this link.

Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine are signing at the Chiller Theater convention in New Jersey at the end of April.

Carlito is signing at the Wrestling Universe store in Queens, NY on 4/30. For details, call (718) 460-2777.

A new documentary on pro wrestling "One Fall" follows Dan Closser a tow truck driver in Portland, Oregon, who doubles as as wrestling promoter on the brink of financial collapse. You can find more on the project by visiting www.OneFalltheMovie.com.

Mike: Watching this, you got the feeling of a guy who was in way over his head but didn't realize it because he was "living his dream."  Pretty usual occurrence in pro wrestling.

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