Credit: Stephen Lyon
The big news is the weather – it took a turn for the worse this afternoon with a huge rainstorm, and as I type this it’s been heavily raining for the past 2 hours. Doesn’t bode well for tomorrow.
I saw 2 matches at Axxess this morning. Zack Ryder beat Drew McIntyre in a short 5 minute match that drew a pretty big stand-around crowd by Axxess match standards. Afterwards, Ryder got changed and was walking around the building, filming his YouTube show and conducting interviews with various media. Ryder was followed everywhere by fans, he was like the pied piper. He filmed a skit in the Undertakers graveyard attraction.
The other match was Big E Langston over Antonio Cesareo(?), the former Claudio Castagonoli. A vocal group of about 10 fans knew who Claudio was and popped big for everything he did, whilst the rest of the WWE fans looked on bemused. Big E. reminded me of Ice Train from WCW years ago. He’s quite possibly the greenest wrestler I have ever seen. Claudio did as a good job as he could carrying him.
They pushed WWE Studios releases, including heavily pushing the first time ever on DVD release of No Holds Barred, with several large posters of Hulk Hogan. This might explain the recent positive mentions of Hogan on WWE tv. Upcoming release dates are:
* No Holds Barred – July 3.
* The Day – Aug 2012
* Barricade – Sept 25, 2012
* No-One Lives (starring Brodus Clay) – Jan 2013
* Leprechaun Origins – March 2013
* The Marine Homefront – Spring 2013.
Shortest lines for autographs was for Jinder Mahal (Virgil-esque) and Rima.
