Natalya/ECW Note, J.R On The Rock/’Mania Sales, Miz, More

SLAM! Wrestling has an interview up with Natalya where she talks about being moved to ECW, among other things. Check out the interview at http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/

Jim Ross has a new blog entry up. Highlights are below. On The Rock: The Rock had been around the wrestling biz his entire life. From day one since he arrived on this planet, Dwayne Johnson had been surrounded by wrestling. I think his love of the business will always be with him but he had a wonderful opportunity to move into films, earn a great living, maintain his physical health, but most importantly move into a vocation that had interested him for years. Even though Dwayne Johnson has likely wrestled his last match I would not bet against seeing the “Great One” appear at a WWE function before all is said and done sometime in the future. On this one, I certainly feel that the old wrestling cliché of never say never is applicable. No fan, no one in the wrestling business, and no one but the man himself can say conclusively that wrestling fans will never see Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at a wrestling event again. On WrestleMania ticket sales: With the economy as shaky as it is these days, I have to admit that I was worried about Wrestlemania selling out Reliant Stadium in Houston especially since Houston had been hit so hard by Mother Nature and the oil and gas market’s ills of which the city of Houston is so dependent. Not only is WM25 well on its way to being a sell out but less than 900 tickets remain for the WWE’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday night April 4 from the Toyota Center. I truly believe that the HOF Ceremony is the most special night of the year and I wholeheartedly encourage all that can to get their tickets and join us for this historic night that can never be replicated. On Couture vs.Nogueira: Apparently Couture vs. Nogueira will happen in UFC likely in August, UFC 101, as both men have now verbally agreed to the fight. Couture will be making a film soon starring Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke, and Jet Li and needs the time after the film to properly prepare for the anticipated heavyweight bout with the tough Brazilian. UFC has to be calculating and smart with Couture as Randy doesn’t have that many fights left in him as the former Oklahoma State star is now in his mid 40’s. I love Couture’s fighting spirit and his amazingly sound fundamental skills and will not miss any more of his fights on pay per view which I can’t see going much past 2010. One more time against Brock Lesnar in a “retirement” scenario would not surprise me and would guarantee a helluva number of pay per view buys. Bottom line is that UFC is in the process of building up their heavyweight division which should be fun to watch evolve.

Jim Ross also has a new Smackdown This! column up at http://www.jrsbarbq.com/

The latest edition of WWE.com’s The Dirt Sheet with The Miz & John Morrison is now up at WWE.com.

BIG STORYLINE *SPOILER*: HBK Has A Secret [FULL DETAILS LEAKED….]