So Sad

This is just so sad.

TMZ is reporting that former WWE Superstar Shane Gregory Helms, who is sitting in a Raleigh hospital with his girlfriend, recovering from various injuries sustained in his Thursday night motorcycle accident, is being investigated by authorities.

It is speculated -- I should note that there are no charges pending against Helms at the moment -- that alcohol may have played a factor in the crash that left him with over 200 stitches and his girlfriend with a broken neck.

Citing the police report, it is claiming that witnesses saw Helms run a stop sign on his motorcycle before crashing through a chain link fence. One witness claimed to have been hanging around with Helms at a restaurant prior to the crash and was certain that Helms had been drinking.

They did take a blood sample from Helms at the scene of the accident to test for alcohol, but it could take months for the results to come back.

If this was a drunk-driving related accident, it really is sad. And I really hope that this will wake Helms up. His friends, his family and his fans are very, very lucky that he survived this.

More Surgery News

Former TNA Tag Team Champion and one half of the greatest tag team ever -- Motor City Machine Guns -- is set to undergo knee surgery, according to his girlfriend's Twitter page.

Sabin apparently suffered the injury at an Impact taping this week, causing his match to be cut short. There is no word on how much in-ring action he will miss, though it will probably be a couple of months.

Let me just say: lame. His partner, Alex Shelley, finally returned after breaking his collarbone. I got all excited about seeing them back together again, as TNA had no idea what to do with a singles Sabin, and now, Sabin, is injured, leaving Alex Shelley by himself.

I wish for a speedy recovery for Sabin as well, and I also hope TNA doesn't create hassle for him over his medical bills. Yeah, I went there.

Neck Surgery

WWE Superstar John Morrison has announced via his Twitter account that he is about to undergo neck surgery.

This announcement truly does come out of nowhere, but it appears he is playing up his injury angle storyline on Monday against R-Truth.

There is no word on what exactly they have to do on his neck, how severe the surgery is, or how long he will be sidelined for. He could be playing up the angle for something further down the line, but there's no way to be sure right now.

If Morrison is indeed injured, that's a pretty big loss for the Raw brand, and a pretty big stall in the pushes of him and R-Truth, who have a pretty hot program right now, with R-Truth turning heel.

If he is injured that badly, I wish him a speedy recovery.

Update: WrestleZone is confirming this is legit, and Morrison will miss several months of action.

Chyna Return Covered Mainstream!

Chyna's return to professional wrestling has graced TMZ, and, this morning, it got the Perez Hilton treatment.

However, Perez is claiming that Vince was considering putting her into the Hall of Fame, and is infuriated that she would show up at a rival organization.

This is more than likely speculation and gossip on Perez's part to make people discuss things. I really don't see Vince putting her in the Hall of Fame at the moment, just because WWE doesn't seem to enjoy acknowledging her all that much. With their PG model, her antics on reality shows, stint on Celebrity Rehab and sex tape with X-Pac are definitely clashing factors.

For the record, I would love to see Chyna in the Hall of Fame, as much as WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross disagrees with me. She deserves some kind of recognition for being the first female to hold the Intercontinental Championship.

Music Video Madness!

Billy Corgan -- as in the lead singer of the 90s alternative band the Smashing Pumpkins -- has announced that several professional wrestling personalities will appear in their latest music video.

Shelly Martinez (pictured), formerly known as Ariel in WWE and Salinas in TNA, will be featured in the music video, alongside Melissa Anderson, who is known as Raisha Saeed, Cheerleader Melissa and Alissa Flash. The director of the video announced via Twitter that one of the female talents from GLOW will also be appearing in the video.

This isn't the first time a female wrestler has been featured in a music video in the mainstream. In 2007, rap superstar Timbaland included Brooke Adams (Miss Tessmacher), Layla and Kelly Kelly, Maryse, Torrie Wilson and Ashley Massaro in his video for Throw It On Me, featuring the Hives.

It's no secret that Billy Corgan is an enormous long-time wrestling fan. I am curious as to how the video is going to be.

Get Well Soon!

This is very unfortunate.

It's been reported -- and confirmed -- that former WWE Superstar and Highway 2 Helms host Shane "Hurricane" Helms and his girlfriend Karen were both seriously injured in a motorcycle accident on Thursday night.

TNA Superstar and close friend of Helms Matt Hardy has posted an update on his condition. It was reported earlier that Helms had broken his ankle, and his arm, but from what Matt says, things are much worse.

"Shane was in pretty bad shape. His face

was damaged pretty badly. His leg was broken very badly in a few places and will probably have to have several major surgeries.

"His girlfriend [Karen] was injured as well. Actually,

that seemed like it was going to be a very, very serious situation. Fortunately, over the course of the evening, it got better.

She's kind of out of the woods, I think, although she definitely has some broken bones

and major injuries. They're both right now at the hospital recovering back in Raleigh, North Carolina."

This is a very serious and very unfortunate situation. For as harsh as I am towards the entire Carolina Clique, I'd never want to see something like this happen. I sincerely hope for the best for those two and wish them the speediest recovery they can make from something as serious as this.

Engaged!

The first-ever TNA Knockouts Champion and former WWE Women's Champion is engaged to be married!

WWE Diva Gail Kim is set to marry Executive Chef Robert Irvine from the Food Network. Her fiance appeared on a television show this morning and announced that the two of them will be married in May 2012, putting to rest weeks of speculation about their relationship.

Enormous congratulations are in order to Gail and Robert, and all the best to Gail in planning her wedding, which I heard is overwhelming and frustrating and satisfying all at once.

I should also note that with Kharma coming in, there is a great shot that we could see a renewed feud and Gail can get the push she so justly deserves.

Good Faith Deal?

TMZ is reporting that former WWE Diva and now current TNA Knockout Chyna -- born Joanie Laurer -- is working for the Orlando-based company without a contract.

It is being reported that Chyna is being kept on a very, very short leash, and they note that this will be Chyna's first time in the ring in 9 years. She also has an offer to wrestle in Japan.

I don't know how I feel about this no contract, good-faith, short-leash deal. It always seems to burn either TNA or the talents involved. I also hope that Chyna's issues don't rear up again.

One of Maxim's Hottest

Huge congratulations to WWE Diva Kelly Kelly, real name Barbie Blank, for making it onto Maxim's Hottest 100 women in the world list.

Kelly made it to number 82, and to be featured on the list at all is an enormous accomplishment.

Also making the list at number 72 is former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler, who left WWE in 2005 after her stint on Dancing With The Stars.

Both of the lovely Divas deserve a huge congratulations. Stacy is quite well-known to Maxim, having done a few cover spreads and making the list before.

For Kelly, however, I do believe this is the first time she's made it onto the Hot 100 list, and for that, congratulations!

Injured!

It appears that WWE SmackDown Diva Alicia Fox is injured.

Reports making their way around the internet is suggesting that Alicia Fox, real name Victoria Crawford -- whose sister is Christina on Tough Enough -- suffered what is speculated to be a separated shoulder after taking a particularly nasty clothesline from the newly debuted Kharma, better known as Awesome Kong.

If that's the case, best wishes and a speedy recovery to Alicia Fox, who has been relatively injury free for her WWE career. It is being said that she landed the clothesline on her shoulder.

Looks like Kharma really is looking to inflict damage. Ouch!

More on McCool's Departure

Multiple websites are reporting that WWE Diva Michelle McCool is indeed finished with the company.

Apparently her decision to leave came months ago, as she is getting ready to settle down and raise a family with her husband, WWE Superstar The Undertaker. The plan to split up LayCool has been in motion for months, but WWE decided to hold off once they confirmed Jersey Shore's Snooki for their premier event this year. As you will recall, LayCool teamed with Dolph Ziggler to take on John Morrison, Trish Stratus and Snooki.

It is being reported that Michelle left WWE on the best of terms, and that there is even an office job waiting for her if she ever opts to come back in some capacity. Also, there is speculation that if Tough Enough gets picked up for a season two, there may be the offer of her becoming a trainer for a season.

No Longer TNA?

Hulk Hogan is claiming on his Twitter page that the name TNA has been dropped in favor of Impact Wrestling.

This perplexes me as I was under the impression that they could not get the copyright on the name.

Jason Powell of ProWrestling.Net also informs us that what Hogan is saying goes against what his source had informed him about this, saying it was to be the name of the television show.

Speculation has been running rampant about TNA having a name change for the last little while.

I should also note that a lot of times what Hogan is saying is rife with ... um, "hot air", and might not be anything more than Hogan pandering to the "marks" he and Bischoff despise so much.

Chyna In TNA!

It appears TNA has dropped their idea of using Isis The Amazon as Kurt Angle's "partner" in favor of a much bigger name from WWF's 1990s heyday.

Spoilers are reporting that former WWF Diva Joanie Laurer, who competed under and later changed her name to Chyna, appeared at the show last night as Kurt Angle's partner. It appears she will be getting involved in the feud between Kurt, his ex-wife Karen and her new husband, Jeff Jarrett, who faced Chyna -- and lost the Intercontinental Championship to her -- in his last WWF match.

I'm pretty floored by this development, if for nothing else that I was under the impression that she was done with professional wrestling. I hope she has worked out her demons and gotten herself into a better place. She inspired so many and the path she has been on since she left WWE has been outright heartbreaking.

A Touch Shady, If You Ask Me

Former WCW starlet and independent wrestler April Hunter recently told F4WOnline.com that she turned down a job offer with TNA Wrestling.

"First off, I do like the people there and enjoy the locker room

backstage. It's a fun company. But there were a few issues.

The money wasn't more than I'm offered on the indies.

However, the main issue was they asked me to sign a

waiver clearing them of any future medical issues, and

that I had to be cleared by my own doctor first. I know

two other girls fighting with them to get their medical

bills paid at that point, and I wasn't very comfortable

with the idea after all the injuries I've been through.

I know how easy it is to get hurt and I also know

they like to suggest certain high risk moves at times.

That is what royally screwed up a match I had with

Desire a few years ago. TNA put a match together using

moves that neither of us were comfortable with or familiar with.

So, I said no. I'd never rule them out if they changed

their policies, but right now, it's not for me."

April is obviously referring to former TNA Knockout Daffney, who has filed a worker's compensation claim against them regarding the fact that TNA refused to cover any of her medical bills after she was injured taking nasty spots they suggested for her. I can't tell you who the other Knockout is.

Either way, it's pretty sick. TNA asks their performers to do crazy things at times; I know they don't quite have the WWE budget, but medical should be the least that they can pay for the performers, considering the Knockouts are so underpaid. I feel pretty shifty just reading that they're asking their new recruits to sign medical waivers.

TNA Return?

It appears that Kevin Nash is a touch miffed that the WWE is not going to put him back in the ring as a full-time performer.

The WWE Legend known as "Diesel" was signed to a Legends deal back in January.

Nash has been very vocal against WWE's Youth Movement, where they have been trying to push new stars in the wake of slipping ratings and fan boredom. Kevin Nash claimed when Miz won the WWE Championship, that it "exposed the whole business as a work".

Knowing now that WWE does not plan on abandoning their Youth Movement, Nash took to his twitter to ask his fans whether or not he should go back to TNA.

I wouldn't recommend it just because I think they're starting to have a little death rattle, but what do I know?

Back To ROH!

Ring of Honor's Best In The World online pay-per-view just became a whole lot more awesome.

In a press release, ROH is confirming that former TNA Superstar Jay Lethal, pka "Black Machismo", will be returning to the independent promotion for the first time since 2008. Lethal was released several weeks ago by TNA, who obviously do not contain the standard no-compete clause codicils that appear in every WWE Superstar and Diva contracts.

The upcoming Best In The World pay-per-view is slated for June 26, 2011. I'm sure that Jim Cornette is thrilled to have this great talent working for the organization.

I will also note that as far as I can tell, there has been no interest from WWE to pick up Jay Lethal, but that doesn't mean that there is a chance that they won't in the future. Either way, it's great to see him keep doing what he's good at.

Leaving?

The "Loser Leaves WWE" match this Sunday at Extreme Rules may wind up having a winner that surprises you.

PWInsider is reporting that WWE Diva and first Divas Champion Michelle McCool is set to leave the company, her last match being this Sunday against her former LayCool teammate Layla.

The reasons for Michelle's departure are unknown at this time, but speculation is that she may want to spend more time with her husband, WWE Superstar The Undertaker. There is also talk that she may want to start her own family with the Deadman, and this could be why she is leaving.

Either way, I'm devastated that I won't get to see a Kharma Implant Buster with her name on it.

Harassed?

SEScoops is reporting that former WWE Superstar the Honky Tonk Man is making some stunning new claims in his recent blog.

It's been no secret that TNA has come under fire recently for the way they are treating their employees, as well as an announcement leaking to the press that a sexual harassment lawsuit was filed against TNA Wrestling. Terry Taylor was named in the lawsuit.

HTM is claiming that the Knockout who filed the sexual harassment claim is none other than Karen Jarrett, formerly Angle, and that she was sexually harassed by Serg Salinas, the husband of the one and only Dixie Carter.

He claims that this is why Dixie has been absent from television and claims that as part of the settlement Karen got her job back with the company.

I don't know whether this is true or not, but if this is the case, it's not cool. Not only that, but what kind of person is Karen Jarrett who would use the lawsuit to get a job back in the company that created this kind of hassle for her? It just makes no sense.

Gone!

Last night, it was Chris Jericho's time to leave Dancing With The Stars.

Lasting much longer than most people thought, Jericho's first real threat of elimination came the night before, when he and his dance partner Cheryl Burke scored a 22 in their routine, which was described as stiff and lacking intensity by the judges.

Jericho has stated that he will return to WWE when his DWTS time is up, so expect to see him back in a few months.

Supplemental Draft Results!

Post-draft, WWE always follows it up with the Supplemental Draft Lottery, drafting more Superstars and Divas to other brands.

Raw

Jack Swagger was drafted to Raw.

Kelly Kelly to Raw

Kofi Kingston was drafted to Raw.

JTG to Raw

Drew McIntyre to Raw

Curt Hawkins to Raw

Chris Masters to Raw

Tyler Reks to Raw

Beth Phoenix to Raw.

SmackDown

Sheamus was drafted to SmackDown

Alex Riley has been drafted to SmackDown

Tamina has been drafted to SmackDown

Tyson Kidd has been drafted to SmackDown

Ted DiBiase has been drafted to SmackDown

Jey Uso has been drafted to SmackDown

Natalya has been drafted to SmackDown

Yoshi Tatsu has been drafted to SmackDown

William Regal has been drafted to SmackDown

Alicia Fox has been drafted to SmackDown

Jimmy Uso has been drafted to SmackDown

The Great Khali and Ranjin Singh were drafted to SmackDown

Daniel Bryan has been drafted to SmackDown

Leaving?

Various wrestling websites are reporting that former WWE World Champion CM Punk's contract is set to expire this year...and there is a great shot that he may not be re-signing with the company.

Reports are varying for the reason, stemming from frustrations over a lack of push, to just the clear case of burnout. The reports are stating that it's because of the uncertainty of Punk's contract negotiations that he's been used less than usual.

If Punk is indeed leaving because he is burned out, then I say go for it. Where is he going to go, TNA? If he needs some time to himself to relax after working the hectic WWE schedule for five years with no breaks, then I say let him.

Draft Results

Drafted To SmackDown

- John Cena was drafted to SmackDown

- Randy Orton was drafted to SmackDown

- Mark Henry was drafted to SmackDown

- Sin Cara was drafted to SmackDown

Drafted To Raw

- Rey Mysterio was drafted to Raw

- Big Show was drafted to Raw

- Alberto Del Rio was drafted to Raw

- John Cena was drafted back to Raw

Kharma!

After weeks of speculation, WWE has confirmed that former TNA Knockout Awesome Kong, real name Kia Stevens, will indeed be named Kharma.

Tonight's vignette of her on Raw saw her snap the head off of a blonde Bratz doll, before laughing hysterically. The camera then panned up to her face, before fading out to "Harm". Harm then became Kharma.

I would like to be the first to say great video production and what a great way to bring her in. I'm glad WWE has taken their time with this and not rushed it.

Speculation going around today is that she will at first be involved in a program with WWE Diva Beth Phoenix, which is a prospect I've been salivating over ever since Kong announced she had signed with WWE.

I would also like to congratulate Awesome Kong for breaking the mold of the typical cookie cutter Diva and looking like a real woman. Congratulations on achieving your dream.

Injured!

Heading into his match at Extreme Rules this Sunday, former WWE Head of Talent Relations officer Jim "Good Ol' JR" Ross has found himself injured with what is speculated to be a broken hand.

Jim Ross found himself on tonight's Raw in a match against one of his opponents this Sunday in Michael Cole. Jim Ross proceeded to beat him within inches of his life, splitting Michael Cole's mouth open fiercely, leaving blood on JR's cheek and all over Michael Cole.

There is no word if this injury is going to affect Jim Ross going into his match this coming Sunday in a match that was now announced to be a Country Whipping Match.

I hope they won't pull Jim Ross...maybe he'll just pull a Bob Orton and start smacking people around with his cast. That would make JR that much more epic.

Resurfaced!

TMZ cameras recently caught up with former WWE Superstar Dave Batista, who left WWE for what he hoped to be the greener pastures of the Mixed Marital Arts (MMA) industry. It was his hopes to be the next Brock Lesnar, though UFC President Dana White decided he didn't want to take another shot on a former WWE Superstar, especially since Batista has no collegiate amateur wrestling background like Brock Lesnar.

Dave Batista then entered into negotiations with Strikeforce, at the time considered to be the competitor to the UFC. Unfortunately for the former WWE Superstar, UFC purchased Strikeforce sometime ago.

Batista confirmed to TMZ cameras that thanks to the purchase of Strikeforce by UFC, his deal with the company fell through, leaving him without an MMA deal.

Perhaps if he's looking for a big money payday, a return to WWE isn't so out of the question now.

This Is Alarming

A few months ago, I was appalled to read an article that depicted TNA's treatment of their Knockouts. For a company who is overseen by a woman, it's pretty bad to hear that some of their women are paid so low that they can't afford to make the house shows, or that they have to find second jobs to support themselves, a la former Knockout Taylor Wilde.

At one point, it was safe to say that TNA's Knockouts Division was way better than the WWE Divas division. They outdrew the men in the ratings department. They weren't the typical cookie cutter Divas that the WWE Universe has steadily been rejecting since their golden era of Divas all left and retired.

Then they all left in droves. Awesome Kong, Alissa Flash, ODB, Tara for a short period, Traci Brooks -- for a while, Roxxi. Now we're left with three former WWE Divas in Winter (Katie Lea), Tara (Victoria), Mickie James, Madison, Rosita and Sarita and The Beautiful People.

Several months ago, Shannon Spruill -- known as Daffney -- revealed on her Twitter account that she was no longer a TNA Knockout, and it may have something to do with the fact that she had filed a worker's compensation claim against them over the multiple, severe injuries she had suffered during her time in TNA, including a crushed sternum from overweight wrestler Rosie Lottalove, who wound up getting fired after everything. You can read her story at this link:

http://www.cagesideseats.com/2011/4/21/2125160/the-sad-story-of-shannon-daffney-spruill

If this is true, as a woman, Dixie Carter should be ashamed of herself. She has not tweeted since her Twitter account was reactivated. She's been laying low, amidst rumors of lawsuits and troubled waters approaching. Ratings have been falling; their core demographic are leaving in droves. And at the core of it all are lawsuits filed by all the employees who have been treated sub-par by the company.

At one point, I wanted these guys to succeed. They have great talent in guys like Abyss, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, Kurt Angle. The thing that even sets them apart from WCW is their ability to build their homegrown talent -- all WCW had really was Goldberg.

Unfortunately, since the influx of former WWE guys and Hogan and Bischoff, this company has gotten so horrible that I just don't care at this point. And if they are going to treat their employees like this, then maybe they should just close their doors. This is sub-human treatment. At one point, Daffney was taking these bumps to a point where wrestling reporters were calling it gratuitous and it was.

Several years back, Konnan filed a lawsuit against TNA, claiming that they were racist. Not only that, but he claimed TNA only took care of their top card talent that were more than likely getting their money from Dixie's father's company Panda Energy. He cited them paying for Scott Steiner's surgery at the time, but refusing to pay for Ron Killings' (R-Truth). Some of the people on the roster are barely making enough to survive, according to reports, let alone pay for surgeries that they would need to get healthy again.

I say good on Daffney for filing a complaint. TNA shouldn't be able to pick and choose what employees to take care of. We keep hearing how Dixie isn't a tyrannical billionaire, that she's just a mother of two from Texas. How TNA is a family. Well, then, why isn't she treating her employees like that?

No Return For Keibler

Despite appearing on Tough Enough this week as part of the "Cheerleader Challenge", former WWE Diva and Baltimore Ravens cheerleader Stacy Keibler wants everyone to know that she is not planning a full-scale return to the ring.

"For right now, it is something I did with them [WWE],

but I don't have any plans for wrestling officially and

coming back and being on the road every week.

It was great to be back in the family, and to see everyone

and to watch the kids. It's really fun to see them so eager

to become a part of the business."

Stacy's interview was on Monday Night Mayhem, and is available at MondayNightMayhem.Com. Other topics include what it was like working with former WWE Diva Trish Stratus again, along with her feelings on being a part of "The Golden Era" of WWE Divas.

Surgery Needed

Wrestlezone.Com is reporting that Abyss will require dental surgery after losing two of his teeth, thanks to a springboard kick from Rob Van Dam at the Impact tapings.

It's being said that he is receiving high praise in TNA for working through the pain. Let's wish Abyss a speedy recovery.

Can I also note that it seems like everybody is dropping off like flies over there? Matt Hardy claims that his arm is either deeply bruised or fractured, Kurt Angle claims his shoulder is separated and Jeff Jarrett's ribs are broken, and Bully Ray is bruised up pretty nicely. Maybe everybody should, like, not be going so hard?

Having said that, while it was nice that Abyss worked through the pain, my fingers are crossed in that by doing what he did, he didn't hurt the chances of getting things fixed up properly.

Released?

ProWrestling.net is reporting that TNA has released former X Division Champion Jay Lethal.

They are noting that no formal announcement has been made regarding Jay's TNA future, but that his profile has been taken down from the TNA roster page.

It's unfortunate; Jay is a very talented wrestler, who I have no doubt will be an asset to any other company that is not TNA, who seems to be hinting at a 14 year later match between Sting and Hulk Hogan. This company has gotten so ridiculous that it almost seems like a blessing when one of the young guys gets freed to go somewhere where they will be appreciated.

Having said that, it's still a shame to see somebody lose their job. Fingers crossed that WWE or ROH will sign him.

Back Down To FCW

It is being reported that Kaitlyn's profile has been re-added back to the Florida Championship Wrestling page, indicating that WWE has sent the NXT Season 3 winner back down to developmental for some re-tooling.

Kaitlyn has not been seen on WWE programming in ages, and it seems as though creative has done nothing with her since she won the competition some months ago.

This could be a good thing for her, perhaps they are seeing to it that she gets more training before she becomes a bona fide Diva, since her experience on the show was very limited, but with all the recent signings and the coming debut of Awesome Kong, there is a good shot that this is a bad omen for her.

I should note that a good portion of Divas that get sent down to developmental -- like Christy Hemme -- wind up getting released.

New Diva?

EWrestlingnews is reporting that WWE has signed 20 year old female wrestler Britani Knight to a WWE Divas contract.

Knight is known as the "Norfolk Doll" and comes from a famous wrestling family in the United Kingdom known as the "Knight Dynasty". She currently works for both EVE and Shimmer promotions.

Just to put this out there, but I like her look. She kind of reminds me of Lacey from Flyleaf.

New TNA Knockout?

According to the Twitter account of Mickie James, former WWE Diva Serena Deeb has received a tryout match with TNA.

Serena debuted in WWE for a short period of time, having her head shaved and becoming part of the Straight Edge Society with Luke Gallows and CM Punk. Rumor has it that her release came with her not adhering to the character principles outside of the ring.

This could be a huge coup for TNA, who is apparently getting ready to give itself a massive overhaul. It's Knockouts Division is in dire need of fresh blood.

Leaving?

WrestleZone is reporting that TNA is having great difficulty finding somebody to reveal as the head of the Network, the mysterious entity that has been making the Hogan/Bischoff regime miserable.

Despite reports claiming that TNA President Dixie Carter is set to be the big reveal, many websites are saying that it is just simply not the case.

WrestleZone says that Mick Foley has been suggested, but that these plans are falling through. Mick apparently has not been bluffing about not signing a new contract with TNA, and made them aware of the fact that he is just not into being a part of the network. The rest of the details are only known to those involved.

This is pretty bad for TNA, though. The angle itself isn't even that great, but if they can't find someone that the fans will be happy with, TNA is just going to keep doing the downward spiral its on.

Set To Return

WrestleZone.com is reporting that TNA Knockouts Champion Mickie James is set to return to the ring at the next set of Impact tapings in the next two weeks.

Mickie has been out injured since a house show dark match against Madison Rayne in January. It is believed she suffered a separated shoulder.

Mickie competed in a thirty second squash match at Lockdown this past weekend, defeating Madison Rayne to capture the TNA Knockouts championship. This makes her the first woman in pro wrestling to hold every major women's championship.

Storyline wise, TNA covered up the injury by stating that Mickie was attacked by Madison and Tara, who apparently ran Mickie over with her motorcycle, injuring her and leaving her fate for Lockdown unknown.

Sentenced

Kurt Angle has been sentenced, stemming from his March arrest for reckless driving.

Kurt has been sentenced to a chemical dependency evaluation, around five hundred dollars in fines, and a year of unsupervised probation. A ten day jail sentence was suspended.

This is not the first time that Kurt has been in trouble; previously he has been arrested and accused of drunk driving -- he was acquitted, even though he failed a sobriety test at his home.

Kurt was also arrested, accused of harassing his then-girlfriend, former TNA Knockout Rhaka Khan. The charges were later dropped.

Hopefully, this gives Kurt the help that he obviously needs.

PS. Kurt, we love you, but shut up on the whole move debate. You're just driving us nuts.

Retiring?

Matt Hardy's latest video blog is alleging that his brother Jeff Hardy is contemplating retiring from professional wrestling and could possibly be in need of some major back surgery.

Jeff has not been seen in TNA since the Victory Road debacle with Sting, and his status has been unknown since.

Interesting to note, however; Jeff's wife Beth Britt-Hardy posted on her Twitter that Jeff hasn't said anything about retiring; however, she later removed the Tweet.

Rejected?

The Pro Wrestling Torch is reporting that current TNA and ROH Superstar Christopher Daniels was recently rejected by the WWE.

According to the Torch, Daniels reached out to WWE in hopes of securing a contract during his latest hiatus from TNA, before he arrived in Ring of Honor. It is being said that WWE rejected him because of his small stature and his age of 40, an age where a few wrestlers start contemplating retirement.

This could have been a huge grab for WWE, as Christopher Daniels, despite his age, still has a lot to bring to the table. Unfortunately, I do believe that most of Daniels' connections to the WWE are now in TNA, namely in the form of the Hardys, as I understand he is friends with them.

Either way, he is a great asset to any company he works in, and who knows? Maybe a WWE run will be in the works.

Retired

Tonight's Raw was a painful episode for WWE Superstar and future Hall of Famer Adam "Edge" Copeland.

For a long time now, Edge has been battling through the pain of a lot of injuries, including groin tears, Achilles tendon tears, and, most importantly, from a broken neck that he suffered in 2003.

Edge announced on Raw tonight that this injury has forced him into retirement, even though he is currently the World Heavyweight Champion. This is obviously a very bittersweet time for Edge, who was always a very entertaining Superstar and a delight to watch. My best wishes go out to him and I wish him nothing but the best in his retirement. The WWE Universe will miss you, Edge.

Returning?

Various fan reports given to the site Diva-Dirt.Com is stating that former WWE Diva Lita (real name Amy Dumas) may just have her eyes on returning to the ring.

The various reports state that she feels she has one more good run left in her and to keep their eyes peeled for her return. Obviously, this contradicts the statements by fans who felt she had a bad attitude at Axxess over WrestleMania weekend.

This is also huge news, as Lita retired several months after Trish Stratus in 2006. With Trish back, and now Lita putting her eyes on a return, maybe things can pick up where they left off between the two of them?

The Divas division needs another shot in the arm that it is not getting from the current Divas, and that is not a shot to any of them. Maybe Trish and Lita 2.0 could do something to fix things.

Leaving?

EWrestlingNews.Com is reporting that WWE Diva and former TNA Knockout Gail Kim is contemplating leaving the company when her contract goes up this coming November.

Gail joined WWE the first time in 2003, leaving in 2004 before pioneering the TNA Knockouts division. She returned to WWE, signing a three year contract in 2008.

Former WWE Diva and WWE Hall of Famer Tammy Lynn Sytch (pka Sunny) is claiming that Gail is set to get married this year, something that Gail has neither confirmed nor denied.

No-Show!

SEScoops is reporting that former WWE Diva and 2005 Diva Search winner Ashley Massaro no-showed an event that she was scheduled to attend this past weekend. Apparently, she was also supposed to film a shoot interview for HighSpots.Com, who did a fantastic interview with Brian Kendrick and Paul London a while back.

Apparently, Ashley remained in contact with everybody up until the week of the show, when it is being reported that her contact numbers were disconnected. Ashley made no mention of any of these things on her Twitter page, other than to announce that she is engaged.

Just putting it out there, but if the fan pay to see you, you have an obligation to show up. Unfortunately, this is not the first time reports have come in about Ashley no-showing events.

By the way, congratulations on your engagement.

Trish Confirms Morrison's Behavior

Seven-time WWE Women's Champion and future Hall of Fame Diva Trish Stratus was currently on the Busted Open Radio show and she confirmed online reports that John Morrison snubbed her at WrestleMania.

"I got a bit of cold shoulder action, correct. John

Morrison himself is amazing. He's a great athlete.

I was really looking forward to working with him.

I thought it would be cool if we could do stuff together.

He didn't think it would be that cool. It happens.

"Hey, whatever. It happens. You know he's into

his thing and just didn't think I should be [part]

of his thing, I guess, but I still admire him as a

performer. I think he does a great job out there.

Some people are not smart, maybe? You know

they wrestle well, but maybe they're not smart.

I don't know."

Frankly, I think Morrison should be ashamed of his behavior. Trish didn't need to come back, but we the fans are happy to see her back. Women like Melina should understand that if women like Trish Stratus, Lita, Victoria and Molly Holly weren't around, nobody would want to see them...not that they do now, since the division is practically dead.

Point being, instead of giving Trish the cold shoulder and treating her as a nuisance, give her the respect that she deserves as a legendary WWE Diva. It's bad enough they are botching her return hard; the last thing she needs is people treating her like garbage. That's not what she came back for.

I should also note that the behavior from both Morrison and Melina have garnered them heat backstage, as Trish is a well-beloved figure amongst officials. Sean Waltman (X-Pac) tweeted at Trish that he loved seeing her at WrestleMania, but felt horrendous that Morrison was being an unprofessional.

Angle Pleads Guilty

My brain imploded reading this.

On Friday, TNA Wrestler Kurt Angle pleaded guilty to reckless driving, stemming from his arrest last month when he was found in the middle of the meridian.

The actual punishment could range anywhere from a $475 fine to a 10 day suspended prison sentence and a chemical dependency evaluation. I think he needs that more than anything.

Prior to this, Kurt was acquitted on drunk driving charges in 2009, and was arrested for harassment, stemming from accusations of stalking his ex-girlfriend, former TNA Knockout Rhaka Khan. Police found growth hormone and other things in the car.

Whatever is going on with Kurt Angle, I hope he gets the help he needs. And for the sake of his three children, I hope he has learned his lesson from this.

Heat on Morrison and Melina

SEScoops is reporting that there is backstage heat on both John Morrison and Melina and it has to do with the return of legendary WWE Diva Trish Stratus.

Apparently, both Superstars feel that Trish took Melina's spot on the Six Person tag team at WrestleMania, and that they have both been giving her the cold shoulder since her return. Additionally it is being reported that Morrison was rejecting ideas that Trish had for their storyline.

If this is the case, both of them should be ashamed of themselves, and I'm not just saying this because I'm a Trish Stratus fan. Remember that original plans floating out there had Kelly Kelly and Drew McIntyre taking the respective places of Snooki and John Morrison, so Morrison should feel lucky he made it onto the card at all. As for Melina, Melina had no business in the storyline going on with LayCool and Vickie right now, so it would not make sense for her to have had a match on the card.

Point is, there is feeling backstage that Trish is highly regarded and word has circulated that Trish's return has been embraced by just about the entire Divas roster, and this is just going to hurt Morrison and Melina in the long run. Online reports have shown that Melina's attitude about things has been a constant pain for WWE personnel over the years.

Fined!

WWE's Corporate website has announced that both Triple H and The Undertaker were fined by the company after Taker was hit in the head with a chair at WrestleMania this past weekend.

Chair shots to the head in professional wrestling have been banned since the Chris Benoit murder suicide in 2007, when research done on Chris' brain showed excessive damage thanks to the years of repeated, unprotected chair shots to the head.

It looked like a vicious shot. Until I saw the replay, I thought Taker had really taken the shot. The replay shows that Taker barely got his hands up. It was dangerous, and a bit cringe-worthy, and I'm glad WWE is taking action for this.

And Cena Gets His Wish

Mark your calendars, ladies and gentlemen: WrestleMania 28 has a huge main event slotted in Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's home state of Florida.

After three years, John Cena has finally received his wish and we will be receiving our dream match of John Cena vs. The Rock at WrestleMania 28 on April 1, 2012. Fans rejoice!

It Wasn't Me!

This isn't really the biggest news, but it's definitely an interesting topic that I would like to touch down on a little bit.

For those who don't know, last night a series of tweets coming from Kurt Angle's Twitter account (which you can follow at AngleFoods1) depicted Kurt angered by Randy Orton and Jack Swagger using the Angle Slam and the Ankle Lock respectively. Randy Orton (who you can follow at RandyOrton) took to his Twitter to fire back in his defense. This morning, Kurt Angle claimed that his Twitter account was hacked and that he did not feel that way.

CM Punk (who you can follow at CMPunk), the opinionated, outspoken Superstar that he is, recently tweeted "'My Twitter account was hacked' is the new 'I'm a drunk sloppy douche'". Obviously he doesn't buy this either.

A lot of fans are thinking Kurt was drunk tweeting last night thanks in large part to his recent DUI arrest. I think that Kurt was a little bit out of line to complain about the moves being used, as the Angle Slam was only used as a transitional move, and Ken Shamrock was the first WWE guy to use the Ankle Lock. Whether or not he was still wrestling at the time is not the issue; the fact is it's not Kurt's move.

CM Punk makes a very, very fair assessment here, albeit with acerbic humor. Whenever something seems to happen, when somebody tweets something that makes them look bad, it wasn't them. They were hacked. This happened a few months ago with TNA personality Jeremy Borash. A private message was sent to a TNA fan from Borash's account telling him that he hoped his whole family died. Borash claimed that he was hacked, although that was the only message that was sent. His mainstream tweets were uncompromised, it was just this one message.

The point is, if somebody is going to air their grievances on Twitter, stand behind it. Don't point the finger and cry "Hacker". After a while, people just quit believing it.

Keibler Alert!

In a recent interview, former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler announced that this season she would be making an appearance on Tough Enough. This is huge news for WWE fans, as this marks the first time Stacy has done a WWE-related appearance since her 2006 departure.

For those who don't know, Stacy started out in WCW, before going to WWF-now E in the Invasion in 2001. In 2005, Stacy left to do Dancing With The Stars and never came back. She claims she was released from her contract.

I can't wait to see what Stacy has to contribute to Tough Enough. Stacy knew what it was like to have the appearance of a Diva, though she wasn't a credible threat in the ring. I think her knowledge of the business from two companies, however, would make her advice to the contestants invaluable.

Mission Accomplished!

WWE got some mainstream press that they were looking for as a result of using Jersey Shore cast member Snooki at WrestleMania 27 last night in Georgia.

Snooki was hardly in the six person tag match, which was thankfully short and sweet, though I do believe that seven-time Women's Champion Trish Stratus deserved way better for her return.

Snooki was impressive when she hit her first move; a handspring backsplash on Michelle McCool. Her second move, a cartwheel into a splash, looked a bit sloppy and botched. But she picked up the win over Michelle McCool, which was a bit amusing. I'm amazed Layla didn't have to take the pinfall.

Wrestler Wives?

TMZ is reporting (as you can see by this picture here), that a reality show is in the works entitled "Wrestler Wives", involving Sharmell Sullivan-Huffman -- who is the wife of Booker T and pictured first to the right, Jackie Gayda-Haas -- who is the wife of Charlie Haas, and Stacy "The Kat" Carter -- who is the wife of former WWE Superstar Kizarny and is the ex-wife of WWE Hall of Famer Jerry "The King" Lawler.

According to TMZ's sources, these three will be the main focus of the reality show. Apparently it will be centered around Booker T's pro wrestling school that Sharmell co-runs with her husband. This could be interesting.