Kelly Kelly News

Rob Feinstein of RF Video, who coordinates wrestler appearances at trade shows, posted a lengthy blog on his Facebook page detailing his recent negotiations for the former Kelly Kelly, Barbie Blank, to appear at next month's "Legends of the Ring" convention in Monroe, New Jersey. The former Diva's agent verbally agreed to a deal six weeks ago, but it fell through Friday after Feinstein was informed that her asking price to appear at independent events had increased to $10,000. Feinstein writes, "I make it a rule to NEVER bury anyone in the wrestling business publicly if a deal goes wrong. Well in this case I want to inform anybody who might be a fan of Barbie Banks (FKA Kelly Kelly) on how her manager conducts business. To say I am pissed is a understatement. This is no way reflect Barbie Banks FKA Kelly Kelly. "About 6 weeks ago we struck a verbal deal to bring her into Legends of the Ring. We were told by her manger that she was going to be able to do outside projects while she was still under WWE contract. It really made no sense but she told me that she was in the progress of getting her a new deal that would allow this. She told me that we had a done deal and we agreed on terms. We just never signed a deal because she wanted to wait until she got a new contract which I was told would be a week. "A week went by and than I was told that because of the holiday labor day I would have to wait another week. When that week passed I was told that Barbie had to do something personal and we would have to wait another week to see if she was medically cleared to make it to our show. To me that is when things got fishy. I informed her manager that two weeks ago you told me we had a deal and we were just waiting for the paper work to go thru. Now things seemed fishy. Well later that week I was informed that she was not going to be able to make it because WWE at the time was not giving her another contract. Honestly none of this made sense to me but I thought that maybe it was true because I have heard she was trying to get a new deal to do outside projects. "So after 3 weeks or so of being put on hold finally her agent told me the deal was dead and we would have to wait until March to book her. We left everything on great terms even though I was pissed for being put thru the windmill for 3 weeks. "I went out and booked Shane Helms instead which is great. "On Friday I get a call from her agent again out of the blue asking me if its to late to book Kelly for Legends of the Ring and now she was able to do it. I told her I only had two weeks now to promote this and I wanted a better rate. I also had to talk to the promoter of Legends of the Ring and get his approval since I once already told him I had her and than had to tell him I lost her. I called up James who is always professional and told him that I could get her again and that I would feel more comfortable if he talked to her agent with me to confirm everything. "We had a three way call and we came to terms on money, the times and everything. All we needed to do was sign off on the deal. She than asked me for the address of the venue and the times and everything you would put into a contract. I told her I would sign it as soon as I looked it over and we agreed on the phone I would be able to announce this today. "A hour after we talked I was informed by the agent that someone called with in the hour that we struck our deal and offered Kelly more money that weekend for another event. She than basically tried to hold me up for more money asking well cant I match the deal and I told her no way we already verbally comitted to a deal. "The professional thing to do here was to tell the other party you already stuck a deal for that date and you would work with them in the future. That is how you conduct proper business in wrestling. A deal is a deal and especially in this business you stick to your word. "She than told me she had to talk to Barbie and she would call me back. Well with in 4 minutes I got a text no call…..just a text saying that she talked to Barbie and that Barbie decided to go with the other guy. It was obvious she never talked to her as many people in that circle told me that it was so wrong to do. I also want to point out that I had given her at least 10 other dates at the time. For the record her asking price is 10k a shot…you do the match….We had alot of money on the table over the next 7 months with her. "I informed James of the situation and to say he was not happy was a understatement. James texted her and tried to get her to call him but she refused saying that we never had a deal which was a total lie. "We had a deal, we agreed and everything was set. Like I said in wrestling when you verbally committ and tell someone your drawing up a contract its a deal. I told her agent that I have worked with everyone from the Rock which I had at my store before, to every big name in the business and that this was a first. Of course she did not reply and I just wanted to let everyone know that because of this the fans of her will not be getting to meet her at the upcoming legends convention. "I will never work with her agent again unless she gives us the proper apology and does business the right way. "I never like to work with agents in wrestling for this reason. They do not understand the wrestling business and usually end up costing their clients money, in this case ALOT of money. "I was not going to pay her full price because we had a deal set because of all the dates but now that is all off the table. So if you book her beware of what your getting yourself into. "Again this does not reflect on Barbie just the person taking her bookings."

Katarina 'Winter' Waters Interview Highlights

Former WWE Diva and TNA Women's Knockouts Champion Katarina Waters (a/k/a Katie Lea Burchill and Winter) joined Kayfabe Wrestling Radio this week to discuss her time in Ohio Valley Wrestling and learning the WWE style of wrestling, the incest angle with Paul Burchill, her WrestleMania experiences and more. Highlights from the interview are as follows: If her early background in drama and theater helped her developing a character for wrestling: "Yeah, I would say it helped, especially the improvisational part helped, because there's just so many times when you're just thrown out there and given just a general note of what you're supposed to be saying; you know, what your bullet points are and you're supposed to create a whole conversation around it and make it interesting and varied and in turn with the character that you're trying to portray. Especially the improvisation then helps; just that you have experience and that it's not regular bunny-in-the-headlights 'Oh God, what am I going to say next', but that it's something that you're used to and feel more confident doing that. So, I'd say that especially helps. And then with the character building, I guess a lot of wresting is being able to portray a character that you sort of secretly want to be, a lot of the time; not always, obviously. But if you really get to pick and choose who you can be, you know, the evil "B" that you never get to be in real life; maybe you grew up being very nice and polite to everybody, at least you get to scream and shout and swear and be this horrible being. Yeah, it's fun." On her days in OVW and learning the "WWE Style": "Al Snow was in charge of us (OVW Divas), and I think that Al Snow is one of the people I've learned more from than anybody else. He's such a great teacher and really the WWE style made a lot of sense, especially the way he was able to explain it because it's all about the story; storytelling in the ring and the dramatics and the story between the two people that will keep you watching rather than just some moves, one next to the other. So, in that sense, I was really grateful to be able to learn that and understand that and I'm still grateful now when I go to do shows, that I have that knowledge, that I got in OVW; that I have that in the back of my mind that I can use. It was just a really great learning experience, especially because Al and Danny Davis were writing the TV show. So, you were able to go to Al with ideas for storylines and for your character and he would help you put together something that, if what you suggested didn't work, he would explain why and what to change, but he would always take your ideas on board so that you could learn from your own creativity and be creative. It was a really awesome experience." Her character in WWE and the possible 'incest' angle with Paul Burchill: "I thought it was going to be a wonderful idea. I mean, I knew it could eventually end up disastrous but it could also be amazing. I mean, who is not interested in that? Any time the mainland TV show has run some kind of incest angle, it's been the most talked about thing. I don't know if you guys do that over here; in England, we've had a few of those going on. I thought it was alright to refer to the film 'The Crow' where you have Top Dollar, the bad guy, and his sister or half-sister have some kind of thing going on there between them. I just figured it would be something like that where it's kind of implied by not right there; maybe a tease and maybe it would come out a bit more or maybe it was just an unspoken kind of thing. But wither way, I really felt it was something intriguing and that people would be fascinated by and would want to watch. I was all for it. What the Wrestlemania experience was like for her, for both events she was at: "Well, the thing is for me, growing up Wrestlemania didn't stand out amongst the other PPVs. To me, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, Wrestlemania, King of the Ring; I really didn't understand, really, the difference. Like I didn't see Wrestlemania as being the uber-supershow, because I wasn't that plugged into it; I was just watching on TV, you know, in Germany. So for me, any PPV they had then, not right now where they have one every month, but back then when it was the 4 or 5 big ones, that was (PPVs) a big deal, in general. In hindsight obviously it's 'Wow, I was at Wrestlemania" so that's awesome. But Wrestlemania didn't stand out for me as a bigger PPV that the others. But that being said, it's still something I can say "I was at TWO Wrestlemanias"; that's pretty savvy." Who truly came up with her Winter gimmick in TNA; herself or Vince Russo?: "I think that's a difficult question to answer because he basically came up with the thing, the story and that, and he would tell you pretty much what to say and then you also have to, as an actress or a performer, change around little pieces and you have to make your own, but I'd have to say Vince essentially came up with it and I changed it out; you know how you have those coloring books, Vince was the one who gave me the coloring book, and hopefully, maybe, I put the right colors into it." In this 50-minute interview, Waters also discusses if she was more comfortable growing up German or British, who made the decision for her to be promoted to the main WWE roster, social media's place in wrestling, the infamous ‘future endeavored’ speech from WWE, being an action figure, WWE's marketing of women's wrestling, leaving TNA Wrestling, her future and more. The interview is available at WildTalkRadio.com.

New WW Brock Lesnar DVD News

Silvervision.co.uk has released the trailer for WWE's upcoming Brock Lesnar video release, Brock Lesnar - Here Comes the Pain!. The majority of the content will be the same as the 2003 DVD of the same title, but updated with new footage and interviews to reflect Lesnar's 2004 departure and return to the organization. The synopsis for the product reads: "The night after WrestleMania XXVIII, Brock Lesnar made a shocking return to the ring and leveled John Cena with an F-5, sending a message that after eight years, the pain is back! In 2002 and 2003, The Next Big Thing brought it to the biggest and baddest competition in WWE, becoming the youngest WWE Champion of all time and a household name virtually overnight. His awe-inspiring physique, amateur championship pedigree and affinity for punishing opponents made him an unstoppable force in the ring. Now, after years of dominating the MMA scene, Brock is back and looking to steamroll the biggest Superstars of today. This rerelease of the 2003 DVD, Here Comes the Pain, includes the original documentary that chronicles Brock's meteoric rise to fame, as well as six hours of additional matches not included on the original DVD! Plus, here Brock's controversial comments upon his return to sport entertainment! . Fans can experience classic matches against Hulk Hogan, Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton and many more!" The set will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Oct. 30, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOzyB_7lRKI&feature=player_embedded

Former WWE Writer Interview Highlights

Former WWE writer Court Bauer joined Konnan and Mister Saint Laurent on MLW Radio and talked about the friction between John Cena and Vince McMahon regarding Cena's surgery last week: "John Cena has this procedure done in Birmingham, AL. WWE.com puts out there that he'll be down for only two weeks and that life will go on. It was basically like removal of fragments and bone spurs in his arm or his elbow, which if you follow sports, baseball players have it done all the time, usually in the office season. NFL guys will have it done here or there. It's a pretty easy deal. So, I don't think anyone was thinking it was going to be this long stretched out thing, but then the reports came out about how long John Cena was going to be down for. John Cena then took to Twitter saying that WWE.com got the story wrong and that he's going to be out for a full six [weeks] and he just buried WWE.com and all the guys over there. The story obviously then switched to 'now he's out six weeks.'" "From what I know, Vince McMahon himself, in the agent meeting, the producers meeting, told everyone straight up the dude is out for just two weeks, 'we dodged a bullet and that he's very much in the mix moving forward.' That was Tuesday, he said that. Then Cena had very different things to say and I understand WWE.com did talk to James Andrews [Cena's doctor], who WWE and Cena did give them the blessing to talk to. That's standard protocol at WWE. They always try to interview the doctor, get insight so they can have the news. Sometimes it's a kayfabe site and sometimes it's a legit news site. Sometimes it's a TMZ site, but that's the story. They interviewed him and Dr. James Andrews did say he'd be out just two weeks." "So you have to wonder if Vince and the doctor said it and Cena is saying six weeks, there is an interesting issue there. Is it that John Cena wanted the full six weeks out? Was John Cena then told something after Tuesdays that conflicted with this? But it was very quickly thereafter they reported it on the website that this was not in fact the situation. The reality of it is, John Cena is coming off a divorce, he's beaten up. He's got a bad neck, a bad hip, bad everything. He's closing in on 36. The wear and tear of a guy like that, that goes, goes, goes and is a company man, you gotta think about." "And if you're Vince McMahon, you look at the clock, you look at the calendar and you think, is it time to build the next John Cena?"

WWE DVD Review - Falls Count Anywhere

WWE DVD Review : Falls Count Anywhere In recent years many loyal WWE fans have complained about the company embracing a PG rated format and thus (the once prominent of old) blood and violence becoming second fiddle to story line's and more. This new release (Falls Count Anywhere) gives those fans old and new a wonderful trip back in time to see what the federation once delivered on a regular basis. Over the course of the discs we get to see all manner of matches that have strayed beyond the normal realms of regular bout style and for that we must welcome this addition to the WWE DVD release calendar. Across the discs we get to see some of the finest and most brutal match-ups from not only the WWE roster (across the decades), but the WCW and ECW ones too. These are (for the main) matches that we the fans have yet to own on DVD and also ones that perfectly highlight just how each promotion at the time handled such matches that took things beyond the norm. As WWE release go this is one of the best to appear this year. This set features violence, blood and some very brutal moves. All of which just go to show how the world of wrestling has changed in recent years. 'Falls Count Anywhere' showcases such athletes as Mick Foley, Sting, Ric Flair, Triple H and many others in its duration. Each one receives a worthy accolade along the way too. Newer fans may struggle to learn who some older grappler's are, but for anyone interested in the industry this is a release that will appeal to many . WWE Falls Count Anywhere is on general release now. Www.silvervsion.co.uk By Phil Allely

CM Punk Interview Highlights

In a newly published interview with SunSport, WWE Champion CM Punk commented on becoming a hated figure again and his alignment with Paul Heyman. For Punk, getting fans to react to his character is one of the best parts about being a WWE Superstar. “Anytime I get to do stuff hands-on I’m more into it. To me I started to feel like I wasn’t where I should be at that stage, creatively. And I wanted to get there," Punk said. "To me it’s the name of the game – you have to evolve. You have to constantly change. I think the best wrestlers have always evolved." He continued, “I’ve never been the same for too long, but my changes have always been extremely logical. I don’t just wake up one day and I’m a different character. I’ve pretty much always been the same guy, I’ve just dialed things up or dialed things down certain things based on the circumstances. It’s important to not be a phoney, to not just one day say one thing and then the next day say another. Then people will never buy you’re whole stick if you are that wishy-washy.” A little over a year after referencing himself as a "Paul Heyman guy" during his infamous speech chastising WWE brass, Punk is now aligned with the man. He said, “I’m very excited about it. It’s pretty crazy to me. We’ve never gotten to work together in front of the camera. "I have worked with him extensively behind the camera. I think a lot of people are in for a treat." Punk also dismissed people who feel he shouldn't have a mouthpiece. “Rick Rude didn’t need anyone to talk for him, and Paul Heyman was his manager. Bobby Heenan didn’t need to talk for Ric Flair. Those are two examples of great duos," said Punk. “You’ll just have to wait to see what happens.”

Kurt Angle Interview Highlights

Speaking to ChadDukesWrestlingShow.com, Kurt Angle discussed his movie career, various stars of TNA Wrestling talents, wrestlers small in stature being involved in the heavyweight championship scene and whether he still aspires to compete in mixed martial arts. Highlights from the interview are as follows: Whether he's still interested in competing in mixed martial arts: "The last time I talked was two and a half years ago with Dana White, I took the UFC physical. We just couldn’t come to terms on a starting time. I wanted it 3-6 months, Dana needed me in four and a half weeks and I understand he wanted me to be ready and he needed me at that point and it just wasn’t gonna work out." When asked whether White had an opponent in mind for Angle, he responded, "Well, they wanted me to be on Ultimate Fighter but I told them I wouldn’t do it for free. So he came up with a very nice deal, that being I would get paid very well for that, thank god, and a 6 fight deal. I didn’t want to go in there half prepared. I wanted to go in there full blown. I’m 43 now, I tried out for the Olympics or I was going to and I got injured five different times last year. So my body’s just not holding up the way I want it to so I don’t think it’s going to be a possibility." On being the go-to guy in assisting new talent in getting over: "I really enjoyed it, I took it as a compliment. At TNA they did the same thing. They’d bring in somebody like the Pope or Mr. Anderson or whoever else that was coming in that was coming from WWE or had somewhat of a name, the first program they’d do would be with me. I’ve always enjoyed that it’s a good challenge and Desmond Wolfe was another one that came from Ring of Honor. So I like that and I know that the company has faith in me. Both WWE did and TNA had the faith in me to make the guys look as good as I could." Whether Austin Aries is too small to be TNA World Heavyweight Champion: "No. I think Austin Aries as champion, I think he deserves it, he’s an awesome talent. Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero, unfortunately their tragedies really damaged the ability for smaller guys to step up and become champions. I don’t know why but I think they were just unfortunate. I don’t think it was because of their size, I think they were just terrible tragedies that happened with both those families and it’s gotten a little bit of a bad reputation now, the under 6 foot club and I don’t think it should be that way. I think any size is a good size."