• Hollywood Actor Accuses TKO Of Butchering John Cena’s Retirement Tour
During an interview on TMZ’s Inside The Ring podcast, Hollywood actor Paul Walter Hauser was asked about John Cena’s retirement tour and Hauser isn’t happy with the booking.
He also questioned WWE’s decision to have Brock Lesnar defeat the 17-time World Champion. Here’s what he said:
“It’s TKO. They’re butchering it. I think it would have been nice if John Cena’s farewell tour included a great mesh of prior opponents that have known him for 20 years and future stars who could use the rub.
I would have loved to have seen Cena fight people like The Miz. I would have loved to see Cena fight (Chris) Jericho, The Miz, Sheamus, Triple H, and beat Brock (Lesnar). Why did they do that? It just feels so pointless. Why? What was the point? Seriously guys, what was the point of that?”
• WWE Legend Will Induct Mickie James Into The TNA Hall Of Fame This Weekend
Mickie James will be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame this weekend.
During an interview with SoCal Val, Mickie revealed that fellow WWE/TNA Legend Victoria aka Lisa Marie Varon will induct her into the TNA Hall of Fame.
Mickie is one of the most accomplishments women’s wrestlers of all time. She’s an 11-time World Champion in WWE and TNA Wrestling:
– 5x WWE Women’s Champion
– 1x WWE Divas Champion
– 5x TNA Knockouts World Champion
Below is the updated list of TNA Hall of Famers:
2012 – Sting
2013 – Kurt Angle
2014 – Team 3D aka Dudley Boyz
2015 – Jeff Jarrett
2015 – Earl Hebner
2016 – Gail Kim
2018 – Abyss
2020 – Ken Shamrock
2021 – Awesome Kong
2022 – Raven
2023 – Traci Brooks
2023 – Don West & Mike Tenay
2024 – Rhino
2024 – Bob Ryder
2025 – Mickie James
2025 – The Beautiful People (Angelina Love and Velvet Sky)
• Good News For Brock Lesnar Fans
Brock Lesnar is officially making a comeback in WWE 2K25, confirmed as part of the upcoming John Cena Farewell Pack DLC set for October 16. Below are some more details regarding this DLC pack:
– Lesnar is returning as a playable DLC character, included in the Farewell Tour Edition pack.
– The patch 1.26 update to WWE 2K25 added his name into the game data, confirming the upcoming inclusion.
– His in-game rating is 94 overall.
– The DLC will also feature multiple versions of John Cena (including a 2003 version and the heel WrestleMania 41 version), as well as “Ron Cena” R-Truth.
SmackTalks provided the following screenshot:
Lesnar was removed from WWE video games in 2024 after he was named in the Janel Grant – Vince McMahon lawsuit.
• The Rock Reacts To The Smashing Machine Flopping At The Box Office
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has addressed the underwhelming box office performance of his new film The Smashing Machine, which opened to the lowest weekend total of his career.
Despite rave reviews for Johnson’s performance, the film managed to earn just $6 million across more than 3,345 theaters in the U.S. – far below projections of $8–15 million.
According to Variety, the $50 million A24 production, directed and co-produced by Benny Safdie, landed in third place for its opening weekend. That makes it Johnson’s weakest theatrical debut since his 2010 action drama Faster.
Speaking out after the film’s release, Johnson remained positive, focusing on the critical response rather than the box office numbers. He thanked fans and reviewers for embracing his portrayal of Mark Kerr, a troubled wrestling and MMA legend whose story blends success, pain, and addiction.
Here’s what The People’s Champion wrote:
“From deep in my grateful bones, thank you to everyone who has watched ‘The Smashing Machine’.
In our storytelling world, you can’t control box office results — but what I realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere.
And I will always run to that opportunity.
It was my honor to transform in this role for my director Benny Safdie @bowedtie. Thank you brother for believing in me.
Truth is this film has changed my life.
With deep gratitude, respect and radical empathy,
dj”
While The Smashing Machine may not have drawn big audiences in its opening weekend, the film has been widely praised for showcasing a different side of The Rock. Critics have called his portrayal of Kerr “raw,” “vulnerable,” and “career-defining,” with some suggesting it could earn him his first-ever Academy Award nomination.
The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, where Safdie won the Silver Lion for Best Director, and has since maintained strong word-of-mouth for both its direction and Rock’s performance.
Starring Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk, the movie explores Mark Kerr’s rise and fall in the combat sports world – and Rock’s commitment to the role has been one of the biggest talking points surrounding the film.
Though the box office results have been disappointing, The Smashing Machine may still prove to be a defining moment in Dwayne Johnson’s acting career – one that shifts his legacy from blockbuster superstar to serious awards contender.
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