'Official' note from Paul Bearer, AJ Styles update, Cena promo and more

- On Paul Bearer’s official website, the front page has been updated with a picture of Bearer holding one black rose next to a gravesite and an arm popping up out of the ground to indicate that Bearer is not dead. Below that written in huge letters is the following:

“Is Kayfabe Alive? OOOOHHH YEESSS!!!! (So Is Paul Bearer)”

Bearer also left the following message for his fans:

On Sunday, June 27, 2004, during THE WWE GREAT AMERICN BASH - PPV, at The Scope Coliseum, in Norfolk, Virginia. The Undertaker himself, attempted to destroy The WWE Paul Bearer character. Bearer’s body was encased in a glass crypt, filled with concrete. It was said that Paul Bearer, was the conscience of The Undertaker, his only weakness. In the fact that his feelings for him demonstrated what remained of “The Phenom’s” mortality. WWE explains that the Paul Bearer character suffered severe internal injuries from the weight of the concrete, including damage to his lungs and trachea due to inhalation of the toxic material. The bottom line is that the Paul Bearer character is alive. However, no prognosis has been given by World Wrestling Entertainment, except that it is unlikely that he will ever appear again.

- As reported, the planned "Tough Enough" segments will air during SmackDown! this fall. Although the show once ran as a stand-alone WWE production on MTV, it will now be a part of SmackDown, similar to RAW's Diva Search. WWE will unveil the segments near the November Sweeps period and is planning on allowing fans to vote.

- Trish Stratus is currently recovering from a broken hand. She'll be out of the ring for several weeks.

- For those of you wondering why A.J. Styles wasn't at the NWA-TNA Impact TV Tapings, it was because he learned just before the show started that his brother had committed suicide. Styles left the show at once so he could fly home and be with his family.
Credit: wrestlingobserver.com

- John Cena's "poop" promo from SmackDown, directed towards Kenzo, was written by Brian Gewirtz. Gewirtz heads the RAW writing team and is known for his light-hearted (and often immature) sports-entertainment-related angles. Vince likes such humor as well, which explains why Gewirtz, considered one of McMahon's "loyals," wrote the promo.

- Undertaker was reportedly very against the intrigue involved in his angle and insisted on rapidly either going heel or face. Many backstage are questioning such logic, since the angle could have been a long-term and exciting program for SmackDown.