STEVE AUSTIN & KEVIN NASH TWEET WELL WISHES TO THE ROCK

Superstars Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kevin Nash tweeted “get well” messages to fellow WWE Superstar The Rock on Wednesday regarding his injury from WrestleMania 29:

Steve Austin        
@steveaustinBSR

"@TheRock Heard you finally had some guts put in. Get well soon my brother. 
#nogutsnoglory"
11:38 PM - 24 Apr 2013

Kevin Nash       
@RealKevinNash

"@TheRock Hope for a quick recovery Dwayne, thanks for coming back now get healthy and give America the action hero they deserve."
12:31 PM - 25 Apr 2013

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Here's the reply tweets from the Great One to Austin and, Nash

The Rock used Twitter on Thursday to thank Steve Austin and Kevin Nash for their kind words regarding his latest injury:

Steve Austin        

@steveaustinBSR

"@TheRock Heard you finally had some guts put in. Get well soon my brother. 

#nogutsnoglory"

11:38 PM - 24 Apr 2013

Dwayne Johnson      
@TheRock

"My fav redneck tough SOB --> RT: @steveaustinBSR: @TheRock Heard U finally had some guts put in. Get well soon my brother. 
#NoGutsNoGlory"
9:39 PM - 25 Apr 2013

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Kevin Nash
@RealKevinNash

"@TheRock Hope for a quick recovery Dwayne, thanks for coming back now get healthy and give America the action hero they deserve."

12:31 PM - 25 Apr 2013

Dwayne Johnson      
@TheRock

"@RealKevinNash Thank U Big Kev! U know the drill.. we fall, we rise. See ya down the road my friend."
9:50 PM - 25 Apr 2013

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UPDATE ON MYSTERIO’S RETURN + HHH GIVES HIS THOUGHTS ON THE SHIELD

Rey Mysterio, who is currently sidelined due a knee injury, should return to the ring by late July. The official WWE website is currently advertising the 38-year-old for the Raw brand’s five-day tour of Australia, taking place July 26 through July 30. Events will be held in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

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WWE COO Triple H was asked on Twitter about which Shield member he is most impressed with. He replied:

Triple H       
@TripleH

"“@WWE_JCena: @TripleH trips. Which shield member are you impressed with the most ?” Honestly.... All of them #realdeal"
10:17 PM - 25 Apr 2013

JOHN CENA’S EX-WIFE NOT HAPPY ABOUT RYBACK TWEETING ABOUT HER

Ryback has been embroiled in a televised feud with WWE Champion John Cena over the past few weeks – and took their feud to the next level when he tweeted the following about Cena’s ex-wife:

"Watching the pain on Cena’s face was worth standing back for. Funny the two things he says I lack, his ex-wife seems to love.”

According to a source close to the situation, we can report that John Cena’s ex-wife Elizabeth was very upset that she was mentioned by Ryback and is unwillingly being made part of a WWE storyline.

JIM ROSS SAYS UNDERTAKER HAS SURPRASSED ANDRE THE GIANT

Jim Ross tweeted the following about The Undertaker’s WWE legacy after his match on Monday’s RAW:

Jim Ross        
@JRsBBQ
"I mean this respectfully, but #Undertaker IMO has surpassed the immortal Andre the Giant as greatest BIG man in history of the biz."
7:36 AM - 23 Apr 2013

JR : I think it is tough to say, just as its almost impossible to say who is the "greatest wrestler" of all time. There is always the argument of whether you look at impact on the business, their in-ring talent, how big of a draw they were etc.

In this discussion, if you are looking at the importance to the business, then it's obviously Andre. As much as an icon to wrestling fans as Undertaker is, he has never reached the status of "cultural icon" that arguably on Hogan, Andre, Austin and Rock got to. Non-wrestling fans know of these men, they were pop-culture phenomenons. Many non-fans know of 'Taker, but not on the level of the 4 I just mentioned. In the ring though, its no comparison. Undertaker wins that every day of the week. Many fans only know Andre from the end of his career when he was barely mobile, but he was alot faster and more athletic in his early days. Still, even then he couldn't do the things that Undertaker can do. In my opinion the Deadman has raised the bar for all big men. You simply do not see people his size diving over the top rope to the concrete- the sight of 'Taker leaping over the flames of the
inferno match to land on Kane is awe-inspiring, and he is still having great matches to this day, however infrequently he now performs. Andre's best matches cannot compare to 'Taker's best work.

Andre was the bigger draw, that cannot be argued, and both men were probably the most respected performers in the dressing rooms in their respective eras. Andre is in the HOF, and Undertaker will certainly be joining him when he retires. Both men were involved in some of the biggest storylines in wrestling history, and are 2 almost untouchable legends of the wrestling business.

But, personally I am leaning towards Undertaker. For the way he has modified his gimmick and in-ring style to remain relevant over the years, for his longetivity at the top of the card and for the fact he can still perform at the level he does when his body is falling apart, I am agreeing with JR on this. But it is VERY close and really depends on what criteria you are basing this on. .

UPDATED MATCH CARD FOR WWE EXTREME RULES + HUGE RAW MAIN EVENT NEXT WEEK

**CONFIRMED MATCHES**

* WWE Championship Match
John Cena (c) vs. Ryback

* World Heavyweight Championship Match
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Alberto del Rio vs. Jack Swagger

* Steel Cage Match
Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H

* WWE Divas Championship
Kaitlyn vs. AJ Lee 
(AJ Lee became the #1 contender to Kaitlyn’s Divas Championship by winning a battle royal on RAW)

**RUMORED MATCHES**

* WWE Tag Team Championship
Team Hell No vs. 2 members of The Shield

* Chris Jericho vs. Fandango

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The main event of next week’s live WWE RAW from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio will feature WWE Champion John Cena & Ryback vs. The Shield’s Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns. The match was announced on Tuesday afternoon during WWE’s Main Event tapings from London, England.

KURT ANGLE TALKS ABOUT RETIRING IN WWE

“I love it in TNA. I’ve been very, very happy here. They treat me very well. You just never know,” Angle said. “The way I want to retire, I want to go out with a bang. I’m hoping to God that within the next three years, we can have somewhat of a PPV that is minutely close to WrestleMania. But, we don’t. Not yet. But, you know, everyone always wants to retire at WrestleMania.”

“It’s a hard thing because I want to stay in TNA – I love it there – but when you have the opportunity to go back and perform in front of millions of people on PPV and 100,000 fans in the stadium, it’s kind of hard not to. But, like I said, I am happy in TNA and this is where I want to stay.”

JEFF HARDY TALKS ABOUT WHY HE’S WITH TNA OVER WWE, HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH MATT

Newsday.com has published a recent interview with Jeff Hardy, which was conducted in Westbury, New York earlier this month over WrestleMania weekend. Here are some of the highlights of what Hardy said about:

Why He’s With TNA Instead Of WWE:

“I was in TNA years ago, and it’s just more alternative, and more different, and I’m a different kind of cat. I can be more of the enigma I want to be with the music and art and just a professional wrestler in general. The WWE kind of limits it with what you can do, and here I can express my spirit more.”

What Inspired Him to Become a Wrestler:

“Back in the day when I’d see Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Sting — especially The Ultimate Warrior and Sting — with the face paint and the larger than life characters, I was obsessed with it. And then I learned more about professional wrestling and the beauty that does exist in it. It truly is an art, and I became obsessed with it and I said, ‘this is what I have to do’”.

His Relationship with Matt:

“We have a great relationship. He is working some Ring of Honor shows and working a lot of independent shows. So he’s staying busy. He’s prretty much his own boss. But yeah, we still stay in touch.”

Jim Ross blog

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog with some thoughts on Monday’s RAW from London, England. As always, you can buy JR’s delicious line of BBQ products at WWEShop.com. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:

Ryback’s Heel Turn: 

“Ryback had a productive week in his transition to becoming a ‘villain’ and challenging the polarizing, WWE Champion John Cena. I think that these two will have sound chemistry when they meet at the Extreme Rules PPV and wouldn’t be surprised to see Ryback win the WWE Title. Seems as if it is enviable that the Vegas wrecking ball will be ‘the man’ at some point in the future as he is one of the more focused and hellbent on success performers that I have encountered in many years.”

The Shield’s Progress: 

“Even though the Shield had some indy experience before joining NXT, the training that the trio received in Florida has served them well. Further proof to me that NXT is the true future of WWE as it relates to the TV product which is what drives the entire company. Nothing’s more important than talent and television within WWE.”

“The Shield had a pivotal week in the world of WWE TV and it continues this Friday night on Smackdown. Already some fans are clamoring for the trio to break up and go their separate ways. I content that it’s too early for that and that there are many productive miles left in this new, hot faction that has a chance to become one of the more significant groups ever assembled in WWE.

Undertaker Wrestling on RAW: 

“It’s always great to see Undertaker on free TV and he never fails to give me my monies worth but, admittedly, I am extremely biased. I made a statement on Twitter earlier in the week @JRsBBQ that many disagreed with that I thought that Taker had overtaken Andre the Giant as the Greatest ‘Big Man’ in the history of the biz. Frankly, factoring in tenure, leadership, productivity, tickets sold, etc, a viable argument can be made that the Undertaker isn’t the greatest star ever in the genre.”

NIKKI BELLA COMPARED TO MICHELLE MCCOOL – DOES SHE HAVE HEAT BACKSTAGE FOR DATING A TOP WWE STAR?

Though Nikki Bella is romantically linked to John Cena, unlike retired wrestler Michelle McCool, there is no animosity toward her among her WWE co-workers for dating a top star. It was noted within some circles recently that McCool had “tremendous heat” among some of her peers when she rose to the top years ago, but was “bullet proof” because of her romantic affiliation with The Undertaker. Nikki and twin sister Brie are well-liked among their peers, with organization officials holding them in high regard.

It’s also said that with Nikki dating Cena, the twin duo can “get away with a lot.”

McCool has been greatly criticized over the years for taking the fast track to WWE glory. After entering an intimate relationship with The Undertaker in late 2007 (who she married in June 2010), many critics attributed her position in the company to her influential partner rather than her ability to perform. Months after her spring 2011 retirement from the squared circle, the four-time champion was asked in an interview why she has received so much flack from her colleagues.

Dan Murphy of Inside Wrestling asked McCool, “I know you like to keep some things private and this was never announced, but you did marry The Undertaker. He’s obviously a veteran and icon in the business with a lot of influence. Was it the Diva Search background or having the relationship with someone like him that’s responsible for the heat and resentment you got?”

She responded, “Bottom line: People in our business are always going to look to find reasons to see the negative in somebody and to become resentful. I don’t really know where it began: probably with me getting the tag as “Diva Search reject.” But I don’t know anybody who, if they had an opportunity like the Diva Search, they wouldn’t jump at it. If they didn’t jump at it, they’d be idiots.

“People can say what they want to say, but at the end of the day, I can look at myself in the mirror. I know how hard I fought. I know how many storylines I pitched. I know how hard I worked in the ring. I can’t tell you the number of times I was one of the first people at the arenas or at TV, constantly trying to better myself. I can honestly say that my hard work paid off. My resilience paid off. My persistence paid off. That’s all there is to it. People are always going to say what they want to say and believe what they want to believe, but that’s the bottom line.”