source: PWInsider.com

— The Honky Tonk Man is quite upset with WWE Hall of Famer Greg Valentine as “The Hammer” bailed on him during a recent wrestling tour overseas.

The two former WWE Intercontinental Champion were scheduled to tour Europe together and face Demolition on shows, but Valentine decided to go on a tour visiting servicemen in Afghanistan instead. Valentine had said his promised plane ticket for the European tour didn’t arrive, so he went with what he felt was the sure thing.

The longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of all-time was quite vocal during the European tour about Valentine not coming, saying he better stay away from him during WrestleMania weekend. He also added Valentine to his “Ass Whipping List.”

— Former ECW performer Beulah McGillicutty was in attendance at the ECW-themed Hardcore Reunion in Allentown, Pennsylvania this past weekend. In an update on the former Penthouse model, she has plans to release a children’s book she personally wrote within the next year. She has an artist working on the project at the moment. Also, she turned 40 years old two weeks ago.

— As reported over the weekend, the new Wrestlicious promotion is being funded by a 19-year-old by the name of Jonathan Vargas that won the $35 Million Powerball Jackpot this past May. Following his momentous triumph, Vargas opted to take the lump sum payment of $17.3 million. You can read the press release Powerball sent out regarding Vargas’ win at the following link. You can also see a video interview Vargas did at the following link.

Vargas has plans to appear on the all-women’s wrestling show as a character by the name “JV Rich”, the laid back and affable Rapper/Owner of Wrestlicious. Regular features on the program will include “JV’s CRIB”, a look at the goings-on inside JV’s mansion frequented by the girls of Wrestlicious. Click here to see a publicity photo of “JV Rich” alongside Wrestlicious girls Maui, Cousin Cassie, Lil Slamm, and Malibu McKenzie (model Lana Kinnear).

See photos of Sunny from days ago (“oh no!”) (>>)

Image: Impact Wrestling

Alex Shelley’s late scratch from the January 16th Impact Wrestling Hard To Kill pay-per-view came as a surprise as he was part of a high profile main event, teaming with Chris Sabin and Rich Swann against Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers.

However, given travel restrictions for COVID-19, most assumed the virus had something to do with him pulling out of the event the day before the show, replaced by Moose. 

In a series of tweets Thursday, Shelley gave his side of the story past his initial statement of needing to err on the side of caution due to a “complex” situation and that he might be out of the company for some time.

“Most days out of the week, I look like this. I read theories about why I wasn’t at Impact Wrestling for Hard to Kill. They ranged from injury, to illness, to getting arrested, to harming my family members and attempting to cover it up; I am a physical therapy clinician. Physio is my livelihood and career. Wrestling is my livelihood and passion project. At my company, due to the volume of sick and injured patients we are in care of, we modify our COVID-19 mandates as needed. As numbers went up, so did restrictiveness.

To circumvent the topic, I could not be at Hard To Kill due to my career. I respect the decisions made by our company surgeons and doctors: I look to them for advice and guidance. I am unable to travel and wrestle until I am vaccinated. I took every caution I could before…

But I don’t feel right maintaining this duality unless I take every possible safety measure. When the vaccine became available, that required extra security on my end and my company’s end for our patients. I honestly don’t want to get the vaccine so soon…

But I want to wrestle very badly while I help people in therapy. So there’s no option. Impact Wrestling was supportive and understanding and as someone who doesn’t have nor want a contract at this point, my hands were tied. Thanks for your support everyone.”

Sabin is currently teaming with James Storm in Shelley’s absence.

— Royal Kill, an independent movie starring Gail Kim, opens this weekend in select theaters. The SmackDown Diva filmed scenes for the movie during her tenure in TNA Wrestling.

The former TNA Knockout cornerstone was initially pegged for a small role in the film as a villain, but her role was expanded after impressing the film’s makers with her performance, not to mention that focus groups said they wanted to see more of her character in the movie.

“Gail Kim in the whole movie had the strongest reaction to her,” director Babar Ahmed said. “Her role is extremely impactful, extremely.”

SmackDown Superstar Jimmy Wang Yang has a small cameo in the movie, playing the role of a cop.

“Jimmy has a very small but very impactful role. He comes, there’s carnage, then he leaves,” Ahmed said. “Jimmy was actually crucial because some of the moves that Gail does, she could only have done with Jimmy. It was very important that he was there so we could up the level of the stunts in the movie.”

Click here to read SLAM! Wrestling’s article on Royal Kill. If you have not see the trailer for the movie, you can do so here.

— According to www.AceShowBiz.com, WWE Diva Candice Michelle will be making a guest appearance on an episode of the Disney Channel show Wizards of Waverly Place. The episode is set to air on Sunday, April 19th. Although, the website also has her listed for an episode that aired this past Sunday and we haven’t heard any reports on her appearing.

— A columnist for MSN TV has an article detailing his WrestleMania weekend. (WrestleMania 25: Weekend Diary)

A WWE Diva changing brands next week? (>>)

TNA Wrestling will tape this week’s edition of iMPACT! on Tuesday night in Orlando, Florida. Here’s a preview for Thursday’s show:

– New TNA Champion Mick Foley will open the show

– How does Bobby Lashley fit into the power struggle between the TNA Frontline and the Main Event Mafia?

– Tbere will be new clues revealed about who Samoa Joe was talking to at Lockdown

– A.J. Styles will defend the TNA Legends title against Kevin Nash. This will be Nash’s first singles match since the severe staph infection he suffered back in January.

– New TNA Tag Champs Team 3D will make a huge announcement.

– The Beautiful People celebrate Angelina Love winning the TNA Knockouts Title.

– Taylor Wilde vs. Sojourner Bolt for a shot at the TNA Knockouts Title

– Mike Tenay will interview Christopher Daniels

** VIDEO of LASHLEY’s TNA Entrance Video & *SPOILERS* for Tonight’s RAW From London

— Bret Hart did an interview with Sky Sports this past week indicating that he would accept an apology from Shawn Michaels for his involvement in the infamous “Montreal Screwjob.”

“For me I don’t really have much issue with it anymore,” Hart said. “If you asked me that up until probably about a year ago I’d have probably said something different. But I’ve cooled off a bit now. I don’t want to carry it around anymore. If he wanted to apologize I would accept it. I’d move on but I wouldn’t forget it.”

Hart also said he’d consider Michaels’ suggestion (in an interview with a recent issue of WWE Magazine) to induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame — that is of course if he apologizes.

“Maybe if he wants to make himself feel better about it he should have the guts to pick up the phone and apologize,” Hart said. “Then we’ll see after that.”

“The Excellence of Execution” looks back on his stellar career in wrestling, the untimely death of his brother Owen, his autobiography, and more. You can read the interview here.

— Since his departure from World Wrestling Entertainment in December, Gene Snitsky has completely changed his appearance. The former WWE star appeared at the Signamania IV wrestling convention this past Saturday in Levittown, Pennsylvania no longer clean shaven. He has grown his hair in, not to mention a goatee. He also grew in his eyebrows, which he shaved off for his former psychotic madman gimmick. He also no longer has dark yellow stained teeth, which some websites erroneously reported was permanent. You can see an image of the new look Snitsky at the following link.

— WWE Hall of Famer The Iron Sheik will be appearing on both The Howard Stern Show and The Opie & Anthony Show tomorrow morning, reports www.f4wonline.com.

See recent photo of Randy Savage hanging out at 7-11 (>>)

Sources: PWInsider.com, Prowrestling.net

— WWE’s creative team were planning an Edge babyface turn before he suffered an Achilles injury over the weekend. According to sources within WWE, the company has been looking to turn Edge for quite some time to offset the heel-heavy SmackDown roster. He is expected to be out of action until next January, when he could return as a babyface heading into WrestleMania season.

— Speaking of Edge, his surgery yesterday was a success. He’ll have to stay off his bad foot for upto 2 weeks and will then begin wearing a rehabilitation boot to walk around after that. He should be ready for physical rehabilitation by the end of the month.

— WWE.com has once again changed the name of its October 25th Pay-Per-View back to its original name, Cyber Sunday, after briefly renaming the event “Annihilation”. While there were people within WWE who did not like the Annihilation name, the Cyber Sunday gimmick has never led to good Pay-Per-View buys so there is still a chance the event will be rebranded once again before October.

** Graphic Photo of Matt Hardy’s Surgery Scar & Bruising – OUCH!!