WWE Live Event Results From Pensacola (7/18): Reigns & Usos Return Home, Six-Divas, More

Thanks to Marty Thomas for the following report from Friday night's WWE live event in Pensacola, Florida at the Pensacola Bay Civic Center:

* Rusev defeated Jack Swagger by submission in a hot opener. Lana was even hotter and got heat from the crowd. Hopefully it's this good on pay-per-view.

* Damien Sandow faced Adam Rose in a dance off, as voted by the fans. Sandow was dressed as a beach bum. Sandow attacked Rose while he was twerking but Rose fought back. Unfortunately Rose was very over.

* Damien Sandow cried foul and issued an open challenge. The Great Khali came out and squashed him.

* Sheamus defeated Cesaro and Dolph Ziggler in a Triple Threat to retain the US Championship.

* Dean Ambrose defeated Seth Rollins by disqualification when Rollins used his briefcase. Great back and forth match, both got big reactions.

* The Usos defeated Ryback & Curtis Axel and Erick Rowan & Luke Harper to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship. Another awesome match between these teams. The Usos got a huge hometown pop and were on fire during the whole match. This was my match of the night.

* Paige, Summer Rae and Nikki Bella defeated Layla, Rosa Mendes and Alicia Fox when Paige made Alicia submit. Not bad for a Divas match, Nikki and Paige seemed to get good reactions.

* Roman Reigns got a massive hometown pop and defeated Kane in a Last Man Standing match. Reigns and Kane tore it up but the crowd made this one helluva main event. Rollins ran down and nailed Reigns but Ambrose made the save and they brawled away. Reigns got the win after spearing Kane through a table. Reigns cut a post-match promo and called out fellow hometown stars The Usos. They talked about representing Pensacola and the 850 everywhere they go. They did a "850" chant and got a big hometown pop to send the fans home happy.

Great show and the crowd was hot the entire night. I'd say 80% full, a mixed crowd but with several families and kids in attendance.

Biggest Pops: Roman Reigns, The Usos, Dean Ambrose, Adam Rose, Jack Swagger

Biggest Heat: Seth Rollins, Rusev, Damien Sandow, Kane (no reaction at all just about)

Bray Wyatt Reacts to Flair Busting Him Open, Update on WM31 Poster, WWE Continues to Tease ‘Taker vs Sting

Bray Wyatt Reacts to Flair Busting Him Open

During a recent interview with CBS Tampa Bay, to promote this Sunday’s WWE Battleground PPV in Tampa, Bray Wyatt had the following to say regarding being busted open by Ric Flair at WWE’s Madison Square Garden event:

“I look at it as an honor. Madison Square Garden. Ric Flair. John Cena. At the end of a long, long, long war, a little [bruise] is not so bad,” Wyatt said. “I’m used to having stitches and things all over my body, so I didn’t even know I was bleeding. I thought I was blind!”

Update on WrestleMania 31 Poster

The WrestleMania 31 poster, featuring The Rock, Brock Lesnar and Batista, which was posted on the official Levi’s Stadium website, has been taken down, and has been replaced by the WrestleMania 31 logo.

WWE Continues to Tease ‘Taker vs Sting

WWE continues to tease The Undertaker vs Sting, as WWE.com has published a new poll asking fans who would win the dream matchup. With over 20,000 votes cast, Undertaker is leading with 65% of the vote.

Update On CM Punk's Future: Contract Expired, Can He Use "CM Punk" Name?

CM Punk's contract with WWE is now officially expired, meaning that he is now able to negotiating deals for business ventures unrelated to WWE.

Due to the fact that Punk had prior usage of the "CM Punk" name prior to joining WWE, it is believed that he will have the rights to the name for any entertainment ventures.

As noted earlier this week, Punk is teasing that he is starting either a podcast or a band, or both.

Tommy Dreamer's TNA Status, Spoiler On TNA's London Announcement & More

As previously reported, TNA is hyping up a "major announcement" that will be revealed in London later this month. It has since been confirmed that the announcement is related to a new TNA television series that will air in the British market.

As noted, TNA wrote the Dixie Carter character off of television with the big table bump at the Impact Wrestling taping in New York City. The same angle was also designed to be Tommy Dreamer's exit from the current TNA story lines.

It is believed that Dreamer will remain working with the company in an agent role, however the NYC taping was said to be his last television appearance for the time being.

Vince McMahon Orders Eight-Figures In Budget Cuts, More Talents To Be Released

Word going around is that Vince McMahon has ordered major cutbacks across the board in WWE, far beyond the cuts that have taken place so far.

The dollar figure floating around that McMahon would like to slice off of the current budget is said to be into the eight figures, meaning tens-of-millions of dollars.

The motivation for the cuts is to offset the losses involved in starting up the WWE Network, as well as offsetting the amount involved in the new television deal, as the company had promised a significantly larger number prior to finalizing their current deal.

WWE To Cancel Plans For Tough Enough On The WWE Network?

At last word, shooting of the new season of Tough Enough for the WWE Network was scheduled to begin this week, however due to recent budget-cutting, it's said to be up in the air.

Apparently people involved got the directive to reduce productions costs on the project, and at last word it was not 100 percent as to whether or not they would even start filming as scheduled.

Brodus Clay Shares His Thoughts On John Cena

Recently released WWE Superstar Brodus Clay was a guest on The Roman Show and talked about what it was like working with John Cena:

“He is a pro. He comes to work everyday,” he said. "He is straight forward and tells you exactly what it is. One of my things was I didn’t get to work a match with him. I would have dropped the weight I did and keep the muscle I have."

"He is a great leader in terms of he talks it; he walks it. He is the face of the WWE and likely so. He (Cena) gave us all an opportunity to train and have the same training regiment. The training of the NBA and NFL with Olympic lifts for maintenance, for power, better cardiovascular. He was on the forefront. He gave guys an opportunity.”

Updates On WWE Firing RAW's Head Writer, Additional Budget Cuts

As reported earlier this week, WWE's former RAW head writer Jay Gibson was the latest employee to be let go by the company. According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Gibson's departure was not a result of the company's ongoing budget cuts.

Gibson had only been with the company for about 5 months and didn't actually write the RAW scripts himself. He was basically in charge of managing the writing staff, delegating assignments. There were a lot of people who felt that Gibson did not have a good grasp on the WWE product or the wrestling business in general.

Since Gibson wasn't doing much writing, his release is not as significant as the initial reports indicated.

Despite Gibson's release not being directly related to budget cuts, WWE continues to slash various aspects of the production spending. WWE is no longer flying in NXT talent to play Adam Rose's Rosebuds on television. NXT talent will only be used on Raw or Smackdown if they are within driving distance from Orlando, and can travel to the arenas themselves. Instead, WWE is now using local indy talent to play the Rosebuds. This began at last week's RAW and SmackDown tapings from Green Bay and Minneapolis, were independent wrestlers Dysfunction, Justin Dredd, Chase McCoy, Joey Avalon and Melanie Cruise were used as Rosebuds.

It was reported exclusively by WrestleZone.com on Wednesday that WWE is no longer paying for the TV crew's tour buses.

Oscar De La Hoya Praises Jim Ross, Says He Will Announce More Boxing Events

Boxing legend-turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya recently praised the efforts of Jim Ross for his debut as a boxing announcer for the Golden Boy Promotions event on Labor Day. He also spoke about the possibility of JR calling more fights in the future.

"Yes, he will be calling more fights," said De La Hoya. "He was great, actually, in his first time around. That's thinking outside the box and that's what FOX brings to the table," continued De La Hoya. "And that's what Golden Boy brings to the table, really just pleasing fans."

John Cena Speaks On His Future, Following In The Rock's Footsteps & More

The following are highlights of a new Philly.com interview with John Cena:

On his career and his future: "A lot's happened. Physically, I'm just getting started. There's plenty left to do. Every day is another opportunity. So it's been a long and great ride."

On if he'd like to follow in The Rock's footsteps after his WWE career: "Oh, no. Dwayne? There's only one Dwayne Johnson. I'd like to be myself, so I'll find a path doing something. I don't know if it's going to be filling his shoes. He's set the bar pretty high."

Check out the complete interview at Philly.com.

WWE Surveys Fans About Week-Long Network Programming (Savage, Punk & Sting)

Sponsored Links WWE sent out another Fan Council survey on Thursday, asking fans which 
Superstars they want to see have week-long programming on the WWE Network and what type of WWE fan watches certain WWE Network shows:

You will see a list of Superstars that may be featured in special week-long programming on the WWE Network. The week would include programming that highlights the Superstar's favorite matches, promos, rivalries, catch-phrases and greatest WrestleMania moments. Please rate your interested in watching week-long special programming featuring each of the following Superstars.

• The Kaliq
• Sting
• Stone Cold Steve Austin
• The Rock
• John Cena 
• Christian
• Cm Punk
• Andre the Giant
• The Hardy Boys
• The Big Show
• Hulk Hogan
• Lex Luger
• The Authority 
• Randy "Macho man" Savage
• Alberto Del Rio

For each of the following WWE Network shows, please rate who watches the show in your household

• Old School Raw
• WWE , WCW , ECW , PPV'S and Classic Matches
• Legends House
• WWE Countdown
• Replays of Recent Raw and Smack Down
• Wrestle Mania Rewind
• Legends of Wrestling
• Replays of Total Divas
• Raw Pre-shows
• Current 2014 live pay-per-view
• Beyond the Ring

For each of the following WWE Network shows, please rate the type of fan who watches the show in your household (Hard-core, passionate fans, Moderate fans, casual fans, Occasional, less interested fans, No one watches this show in my household)

• WWE Countdown
• Legends' House
• Replays of Total Divas
• Legends of Wrestling
• Raw Pre shows
• Current 2014 live pay-per-views
• WWE, WCW, ECW pay-per-views and classic matches
• WrestleMania Rewind
• Beyond The Ring
• Old School Raw
• Replays of recent Raw and SmackDown shows

Burning Opinion : Hold the Reigns

Roman Reigns has all but been declared the next poster boy of the WWE. He has the look, lineage, move set, and style that the WWE loves. Seems like a home run right? I’m not so sure. I agree Reigns has all the potential to be a top star, but can we honestly say he is even the best member of The Shield? I can’t say that he is. In many ways, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose have carried Reigns during their run as the top faction in wrestling. Will Reigns be able to stand alone once he is on his own? That is the big question I have regarding Roman Reigns.

A perfect example of what I am talking about is this past “Monday Night Raw.” Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose all cut promos. Ambrose and Rollins delivered arguably their best promo’s since being called up to the WWE main roster, Reigns, however, cut a pretty predictable and standard promo for him. If you watch Reigns’ promo’s he often gets a big pop when he first speaks, then the crowd dies down, towards the end he says a curse word, gets a cheap pop, and finishes by saying he is going to kick someone’s ass. Over the past month or so, all of his promo’s have followed this format. The June 9 edition of “Raw” was built around The Shield and Seth Rollins heel turn. The entire wrestling world’s eyes were on these three men, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose delivered and looked like stars, and to me, Roman Reigns fell a little short.

It also appears the WWE believes Reigns has some limitations in the ring as well. Whenever a member of The Shield has had a one-on-one match up, they choose Rollins or Ambrose. The reason behind this is Reigns is limited in the ring. Now, I am not saying Reigns is terrible in the ring. I actually enjoy his work in the ring, but his work thus far has been limited. He’s been used to get that hot tag and hit a few signature moves, but not carry a match. He is obviously incredibly athletic and can connect with the crowd, but is he able to work a singles match for 20 minutes and keep the crowd captivated? At this point I can’t say that he can, and by WWE’s lack of showcasing his talents in a one-on-one setting, they are giving the impression that they agree.

What I want to see from Roman Reigns is growth and development. Take some risks with your character, don’t be afraid to try something different. To his credit Reigns has come a long way since he first debuted with The Shield at “Survivor Series” in Nov. 2012. His skills both in the ring and on the microphone have strengthened tremendously, but he is about to pushed in the main event picture. There is talk of him headlining “Wrestlemania 31.” If the WWE Network did not exist, would you pay to $70.00 to see him in the main event? Some might, but it would not be the draw they need. I need to see Reigns be able to stand on his own. I need him to wrestle great matches on his own, where he is not being used just to hit a few big moves. Now, possibly more than ever, fans crave great wrestling matches. Guys like Daniel Bryan, Sami Zayn, and Cesaro have gotten over based how great they are in the ring. Reigns needs to show that he is capable of having these quality matches, or over time he will fall from from the main event.

The WWE is in a unique point in the company. Top stars like John Cena, CM Punk, Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista are either gone from the company or do not have many years left. The company is making an effort to build new stars. They have targeted Reigns as one of these people, but with the young talent WWE has right now, there is not much room for failure. If Reigns stumbles at all on his own a guy like Sami Zayn, Adrian Neville, Bo Dallas, Tyler Breeze, Cesaro, Rusev, Big E, Wade Barrett, or numerous others will be waiting for their chance at being the top guy in the company. Open competition is a great thing, hopefully Roman Reigns will feed off of this competition and rise to the top.

As I mentioned earlier, Roman Reigns appears to have all the tools to be a top star in the wrestling business. He has a great family lineage, appealing look, great build, charisma, and athleticism. Many have already dubbed him the next big star, or heir apparent to John Cena as carrying the company. I think he could get there, but he needs to continue to develop in the ring and on the microphone. If he can, we could have the next Rock or Stone Cold, however, if he is not able to show he can become a strong singles competitor, we could look be looking a guy who falls from the top quickly. Time will tell, but hopefully he will show the world why we should Believe in Roman Reigns.

Roman Reigns, you have been Burned!

WWE SmackDown Preview (6/13): Ambrose vs. Wyatt MITB Qualifier

Sponsored Links The following is a preview for tonight's episode of WWE SmackDown, taped Tuesday night from Green Bay, Wisconsin:

• Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt in a MITB qualifying match
• US hampion Sheamus vs. Cesaro (Non-title match)
• IC champion Wade Barrett vs. Roman Reigns
• Erick Rowan vs. Jey Uso
• Big E. vs. Jack Swagger
• Fandango vs. Adam Rose
• Bo Dallas vs. R-Truth
• Alicia Fox vs. Aksana

match

Batista Cuts Promo After NXT Tapings, Legends House Reunion, More

- Indie wrestlers Aaron Solow and Jonny Vandal worked Thursday night’s WWE NXT tapings at Full Sail University. They faced NXT Tag Team Champions The Ascension in a match that will air on July 24th. Vandal has worked at least one other NXT tapings match this year.

- WWE has confirmed that there will be a special Legends House Reunion episode that airs next week on the WWE Network. This is what was filmed earlier this year in Orlando. Jerry Lawler will be hosting.

- Batista appeared after Thursday’s NXT tapings and came to the ring for a promo. He talked about how the NXT fans are always chanting and thanked them for their support. He was interrupted by Bo Dallas, who was “kissing up” to Batista. This was described as a very funny segment with fans chanting “Bo-tista.” Batista ended up hitting a Batista Bomb on Bo. WWE sometimes releases the NXT dark segments online so we may see this one soon.

Jinder Mahal Comments On His Release From WWE

Former WWE Superstar Jinder Mahal, who was officially let go from the company earlier today, posted the following comments on his official Twitter account regarding his release:

Former WWE Star Says Kofi Kingston Should've Been Fired; Bourne On His Release

- Former WWE Superstar Trent Baretta, who went on the record when he was released from the company as saying, "Now that I'm fired, I can finally sat it: Kofi Kingston is an asshole," is back on Twitter with another anti-Kingston comment. Baretta tweeted the following after today's WWE releases:



- Speaking of today's releases, Evan Bourne, who was one of the eleven talents released today, tweeted the following about his release:

Backstage News On Many Of Today's WWE Talent Releases

Some details have come to light on today's WWE releases, which included Brodus Clay, Drew McIntyre, Evan Bourne, Aksana, Curt Hawkins, Jinder Mahal, Yoshi Tatsu, Theodore Long, JTG, Camacho and referee Marc Harris.

Regarding Tatsu's release, it's being said that there's been a feeling for some time within the company that he had really regressed in the ring.

As far as Clay is concerned, there are reports that claim he "fell out of favor" with WWE creative.

In terms of the Teddy Long release, his contract actually expired, and it was well known within WWE that he would be leaving the company as an active performer soon.

Out of all of the releases, the general consensus within those actually in WWE is that Camacho and Hawkins were the two most surprising releases, as Camacho was very popular within NXT circles and Hawkins still had several years remaining on his existing deal.

Jeff Jarrett Teases Released WWE Stars May End Up In Global Force Wrestling

Following today's WWE releases, Global Force Wrestling (GFW) founder Jeff Jarrett tweeted the following:

WWE Down On Bo Dallas, Adam Rose & Paige, Rose Buried Backstage

It's being said that Vince McMahon, who is still responsible for all of the key decisions in WWE, is still not sold on Bo Dallas, Adam Rose and Paige, three NXT talents that recently moved up to the main roster. McMahon has a reputation of not being the easiest person to accept new talent as top stars.

The fact that Adam Rose was kept off of RAW this past Monday night is considered a sign that the company is starting to cool off on his character. Additionally, WWE producer Kevin Dunn reportedly buried Rose backstage in recent weeks.

WWE Holding Special WrestleMania 31 Pre-Sale, Recent WWE Attendance Figures

- The first chance for fans to get a hold of tickets for WrestleMania 31 will take place during a special pre-sale that will happen on August 16th, which is the night before this year's WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view. Anyone who attends the non-televised live event in San Jose, California that evening will be eligible to get exclusive pre-sale tickets for WrestleMania 31.

- The following are some recent WWE live attendance figures:
June 6th in Detroit, MI drew 6,500 fan
June 7th in Madison, WI drew 4,000 fans
June 7th in Las Cruces, NM drew 6,500 fans
June 8th in Rochester, MN drew 3,000 fans
June 9th in Minneapolis, MN (RAW) drew 8,500 fans