Jim Ross has posted new Q&A answers at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights:

TNA or ROH Stars He’d like to see in In WWE.

“Bryan Danielson comes to mind of the guys that are still young and healthy enough to contribute immediately. Sting is just barely in that group as he is nearing the end of his active wrestling days I have to guess. Dr. Death (Steve Williams), young and healthy with a manager, could have been a viable opponent for Stone Cold (Steve Austin) before the ill conceived Brawl for it All ended those potential plans. Today I think manager Jim Mitchell, perhaps with a more contemporary make over/look, has the skills to really contribute as a mouthpiece for key talents as well. Samoa Joe has the skills and body type that remind me of Mick Foley way back in the day as far as being different and having a unique body type. Plus I like his physicality. These are not WWE opinions just my personal thoughts in trying to answer your question.”

Kurt Angle fighting Mixed Martial Arts.

Realistically the Kurt Angle in the UFC ship has sailed and it sailed long ago. Naturally if Kurt had pursed MMA right after the 98 Olympics he would have had a great chance to have become a star but I don’t know if he would have made more money than he made during his peak period in the WWE. If Kurt was just coming out of the Olympics in 2008, I would strongly urge him to train for the UFC and take advantage of what some of their main event stars are earning. I saw Kurt and Brock wrestle once one after noon prior to a TV taping and no one can truthfully said without reservation who actually won their match but Kurt did very well that day. Brock was new with the company and a little laid back. If they had done their exhibition to entertain the “boys” a year later it likely would have been a different story. I don’t know how good a striker Kurt would be, he might be great, but Lesnar is a deadly puncher. Kurt is a great entertainer and should focus on various forms of entertainment that he can thrive in such as pro wrestling and perhaps even comedy. Action adventure film roles would also seem like a nice fit for Kurt. I sort of feel that Angle will some day try and come back to the WWE to wrap up that phase of his athletic life. Only time will tell.

Nothing’s official yet, but it’s expected that former WWE Intercontinental champion and TNA heavyweight champ Christian Cage will return soon to WWE.

Christian (Jay Reso), whose contract with TNA recently expired, is banking on a much higher-profile status with WWE than the one he held when he left the company at the end of 2005.

Mired in mid-card territory, with little upward mobility in sight, Christian refused to re-sign a WWE contract three years ago when he felt he had gone as far as he could in that company. It didn’t help that WWE owner Vince McMahon didn’t recognize his star potential or view him as the main-event player others in the company saw him as. As a result he left WWE for TNA, went back to his old ring name of Christian Cage, traded his “Captain Charisma” moniker for “The Instant Classic,” and was given a bigger role in the smaller company.

Three years later Christian feels he has a good shot to make an immediate impact in WWE and, at age 35, this could be his last chance to deliver. Many top stars in WWE, including longtime friend Edge (Adam Copeland), strongly believe Christian can break into that rarefied realm and become a top-tier player.

While Christian enjoyed a good relationship with TNA brass, was assured of maintaining a strong position on the roster and had a more relaxed schedule with limited travel that kept him close to his family in Tampa, sources say Christian realized that this could be his final opportunity to prove himself as a main-eventer in WWE and establish himself as a future WWE hall of famer. And while Christian is one of the higher-paid performers in TNA, a long run in WWE could ensure long-term financial stability for the wrestler and his family.

Christian could resurface in a WWE ring as early as this month’s Royal Rumble when Jeff Hardy defends the WWE title against Edge at the Royal Rumble. He also is expected to be revealed as the person who attacked Hardy on the morning of the Survivor Series pay-per-view, according to prowrestling.net, setting up a possible Christian vs. Jeff Hardy match at Wrestlemania 25.

Christian Cage and Edge as tag team partners.

(source: Mike Mooneyham at www.charleston.net)

Former WWE star Bobby lashley joined James Guttman on ClubWWI.com.

‘On the subject of professional wrestling, JG asked the question that almost everyone asks Bobby when they meet him – TNA. Any chance we could see Bobby tear it up in Total Nonstop Action? Lashley answered and was clear about his intentions.

“I’ll put it this way. I WILL be (professionally) wrestling again. So if there is anything going on with WWE and there’s people there who don’t want to see me wrestle anymore and I can’t be back in WWE, then there will be a TNA. Because I really, like I said before, I really would like to wrestle again. Whether it’s years down the line, whether it’s short stints now where I do matches here and there while still training to fight, I still want to wrestle. So whoever will take me, I’m willing to work.”

Bobby also spoke about no longer harboring any ill-will towards the company. He spoke positively about working with the McMahons both in and out of the ring, but also expressed a desire to wrestle TNA’s Kurt Angle.’

Bobby Lashley won his first mma match.

WWE’s response:
“While ‘The Wrestler’ is a very engaging movie, it portrays how wrestling was conducted in some independent wrestling circuits, unlike WWE, which is a global brand with millions of fans.”

TNA’s response:

“We’re happy to see professional wrestling in the mainstream spotlight through the movie ‘The Wrestler.’ Mickey Rourke’s performance is nothing short of sonsational; Mickey Rourke is the movie. His portrayal of an over-the-hill wrestler struggling to fing his own meaning in life has already been talked about as Oscar-worthy, and rightfully so.”

ROH’s response:

“Jerry Lynn was in attendance at a private ROH screening recently, and (was) said to be very emotional about his career and its similarities to the career of Rourke’s Randy ‘the Ram’ Robinson.”

Movie Poster for ‘The Wrestler’

Batista’s injury has botched WWE’s plans through to WrestleMania. WWE reports that Batista tore his hamstring in the same match that John Cena reportedly injured his neck and had been toughing it out until recently. Our sources suggest that the injury was in fact much more recent, but the effect is the same. Batista has had surgery to repear the tear and will probably be out of action until SummerSlam.

Raw ran a storyline last week that had Randy Orton gloating about a concussion he gave Batista when he kicked him in the head. It was a good segment that gives WWE a storyline for when Batista returns. Orton worked the mic in bizzarroland (Toronto) and was cheered by the audience, so it will be interesting to see how WWE handles their new anti-hero Randy Orton.

Batista had been considered as John Cena’s opponent to headline the Raw side of the card at WrestleMania 24. The two met last August at Summerslam in a match which was put together with little build and potentially could have reduced interest in a rematch if it was to happen at WrestleMania.

Although plans for WWE’s biggest show of the year will likely change a number of times between now and next April, Batista’s injury makes the chances of a John Cena vs. Randy Orton main event in Houston, Texas the most likely option right now.

We have a couple of pics of Rick Flair posing with Mickey Rourke at the movie premier.

Wrestling news as soon as it happens! Just click on more to view the quick results for this Frisday’s Smackdown!

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