Triple H begins filming WWE Studios' 'Killing Karma'!

WWE Studios announced today that actors Michael Rapaport (Prison Break), Parker Posey (Highland Park), Julie White (Transformers 2), Michael Cudlitz (Southland) and Bruce Dern (The Big Valley) have joined WWE Superstar Triple H (Blade: Trinity) in the cast of the upcoming suspense drama, Killing Karma. Principal photography has begun in and around New Orleans.
Artie Mandelberg (Saving Grace) is directing from a screenplay by novelist Dylan Schaffer (Misdemeanor Man). Killing Karma is produced by WWE Studios Executive Vice President Michael Pavone and executive produced by Lori Lewis.
For the last 13 years, AJ (Triple H) has been behind bars, convicted of murdering his stepfather, who was abusing his mother. Now released, AJ wants to start a small business and live a crime-free life. Unfortunately, within hours of leaving prison, his oldest and best friend, Jack (Michael Rapaport) involves AJ in an accidental shooting in which a man is killed, forcing Jack to skip town. When Jack’s father and local mob boss Vic Small (Bruce Dern) comes looking for retribution, AJ is compelled to protect Jack’s family and himself even if it means returning to prison.
WWE Superstar Triple H is AJ (Arlo Jayne), a parolee determined to go straight after serving 13 years for the murder of his abusive stepfather. Triple H is a 13-time World Champion. He debuted with WWE in 1995 and has become one of WWE’s most popular and successful Superstars of all time. Triple H has appeared in the film, Blade: Trinity as a vampire enforcer. He has also guest starred in several television series including The Drew Carey Show, The Bernie Mac Show, MADtv and Saturday Night Live.
Michael Rapaport plays Jack Small, a high-strung, low-level mobster and longtime friend to AJ (Triple H). Rapaport, whose feature film credits include the Tony Scott blockbuster, True Romance; The 6th Day; Deep Blue Sea; Cop Land and Mighty Aphrodite, has appeared in more than 50 films and dozens of television shows since his debut in the acclaimed indie, Zebrahead, in 1992. He has also starred in several television series including Prison Break, The War at Home and Boston Legal.
Parker Posey portrays Claire Small, Jack’s wife, who has never stopped loving her former beau, AJ. Posey has appeared in more than 50 films including Happy Tears, Superman Returns, Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, The Sweetest Thing, You’ve Got Mail, Dazed and Confused, Scream 3, Party Girl, Clockwatchers and Henry Fool. She has received two Spirit Award nominations for her performances in Broken English and Personal Velocity, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Hell on Wheels: The Battle of Mary Kay.
Tony Award-winning actress Julie White is Louisiana Tax Board agent Martha Twiss, who stumbles upon the accidental shooting while investigating a smuggling ring. Well known for her roles as Judy Witwicky in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Transformers, and as Nadine Swoboda on Grace Under Fire, White is also the voice of Wendy Murphy in the blockbuster Monsters vs. Aliens. Her other film credits include Michael Clayton, The Nanny Diaries and The Astronaut Farmer. White has also enjoyed recurring roles on the television shows Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Six Feet Under.
Michael Cudlitz portrays Detective Calgrove, a local policeman looking to solve the shooting. Cudlitz stars as Officer John Cooper on the television series Southland. He is well known for playing Sgt. Denver “Bull” Randleman in the award-winning HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. His film credits include Surrogates, Stolen Lives, Crossing Over and Grosse Pointe Blank. On television, he starred in the series Standoff, and has also guest starred on Lost, Saving Grace, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Minds, Prison Break, CSI: Miami, 24, The Practice and Live From Baghdad.
Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Bruce Dern plays Dr. Vic Small, a mob boss/veterinarian who runs a lucrative smuggling operation. Dern has appeared in more than 80 feature films and dozens of television series in his nearly 50 years on screen. Since debuting in the 1960 film Wild River, Dern has worked in movies and television shows as a leading character actor. His films include Marnie, Hang ‘em High, They Shoot Horses Don’t They?, The King of Marvin Gardens, The Great Gatsby, Black Sunday, Coming Home, That Championship Season, Mulholland Falls, All the Pretty Horses, Monster and the sci-fi classic, Silent Running.
Director Artie Mandelberg is an executive producer and director of the award-winning TNT series Saving Grace. His other credits include Wilder Napalm, Medium, CSI Miami and Moonlighting.

Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk (If Punk is defeated, he loses his hair)

Amid the uncontrollable fury of Extreme Rules, Rey Mysterio will face CM Punk in a WrestleMania rematch. And if The Second City Saint comes up short this time, he will have to cut his hair.
On The Grandest Stage of Them All, The Master of the 619 triumphed over his idealistic adversary, defending his family’s honor while preventing his forced induction into The Straight Edge Society.
Punk returned to SmackDown five days later, continuing his obsessive attempts to “save” the masked Superstar. Insisting that Mysterio’s conversion would serve as the ultimate example that Straight Edge can save anyone, Punk proclaimed that if he was granted a rematch, he would put the “toxin-free” symbol of his Straight Edge leadership – his hair – on the line.
Riding the momentum from his monumental victory over his would-be savior at The Show of Shows, Mysterio accepted Punk’s challenge one week later, vowing to take his hair and to put an end to The Straight Edge Society.

Triple H vs. Sheamus (Street Fight)

Though Triple H might have believed he had rid himself of Sheamus after defeating him at WrestleMania XXVI, that has not been the case and The Game will now have to battle The Celtic Warrior at Extreme Rules in a Street Fight.
The night after WrestleMania, Sheamus attacked The King of Kings with a pipe while Triple H paid tribute to his long time friend, Shawn Michaels, during a retiring HBK’s Raw farewell. Understandably, this has not sat well with The Cerebral Assassin.
Just one week later, The Game confronted his nemesis and, with a sledgehammer in hand, pursued Sheamus and destroyed the announce table in the process. It’s no doubt that The Celtic Warrior will think twice before bringing a pipe to a sledgehammer fight, or more specifically, their Street Fight at Extreme Rules.
This may be Sheamus’ first Street Fight as a WWE Superstar, but growing up in Dublin, Ireland – home to some of the toughest streets in the world – The Celtic Warrior will be bringing his own element of brawling to Extreme Rules. Of course, with an opponent experienced in almost all the types of bouts imaginable, the Irishman will need to dig deep into his roots if he wants to be able to beat The Game.
Knowing the brutality these two men are willing to put each other through, it’s no doubt that a Street Fight – where anything goes – is a perfect match to allow them to take each other to the limit and beyond.

Edge vs. Chris Jericho (Steel Cage Match)

At Extreme Rules, a clear winner will finally be established in the volatile rivalry between two of the most decorated Superstars in WWE, as Chris Jericho battles Edge inside a career-threatening Steel Cage.
“Spear” has become the word of ultimate consequence for Chris Jericho over the past couple of months. Although he overcame The Rated-R Superstar at WrestleMania, his celebration was cut short when his enraged opponent Speared him off the broadcast table. On SmackDown five days later, The Ultimate Opportunist repeated his devastating maneuver. Little did he know the opportunity he was creating was for another Superstar.
After miraculously overcoming nine Superstars in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at The Show of Shows, Jack Swagger stormed onto Friday night, ready to pick up the pieces of Edge’s assault and turn them into pure glory. After smashing Edge from behind with the Money in the Bank briefcase, Swagger stunned the WWE Universe by cashing it in, capturing his first major World Title from the war-torn Chris Jericho.
In a monumental decision, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long determined that Jericho and Edge would face each other in a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown to establish which No. 1 Contender would face the new champion. That match ended in a double count-out, with the two Superstars slugging it out into the crowd. Before the GM could decide the next step, Raw Guest Host David Hasslehoff proclaimed that Swagger would instead put the title on the line against Randy Orton at Extreme Rules, apparently leaving both SmackDown Superstars out in the cold. Long launched a preemptive strike to try and assure the WWE Universe and Superstars that the World Championship would stay on SmackDown, putting Swagger in a Triple Threat Match against both Edge and Jericho. But, moments after “The All-American American” squeaked his way past his challengers, Jericho took things one step further. “The best in the world at what he does” attacked The Rated-R Superstar’s ankle – the same ankle that kept Edge out of action for six months – and brutalized it using the unforgiving steel ring steps. After SmackDown ended, General Manager Theodore Long declared that the explosive issues between two of the most cunning Superstars in WWE history would be finally be settled inside the Steel Cage Match at Extreme Rules.

On The Grandest Stage of Them All, John Cena finally did what he had not been able to do in the past when he defeated The Animal, Batista, one-on-one. At Extreme Rules, The Champ will have to do it again – this time in a Last Man Standing Match.
As perhaps one of the most grueling matches ever to be fought, the Last Man Standing Match can’t be won by pinfall, submission or disqualification. In order to find victory, a Superstar must incapacitate their opponent long enough so as that they can’t reach their feet to answer the referee’s count of 10.
Though it may seem similar to a boxing match, that idea couldn’t be further for the truth. There are no ring girls, no rounds, no rules and no limits except for the amount of pain and punishment one defeated warrior will experience as the two gladiators battle it out.
Aside from Cena’s victory at WrestleMania XXVI, The Animal has had The Champ’s number in their past encounters and this will be the true test for Cena. Despite the decisive victory in Phoenix, Batista still argues that the WWE Champion can’t beat him. But after the fierce foes face off at Extreme Rules, there will be no words deny to deny the victor.
This match has been detrimental to all the Superstars who have fought under such conditions and there’s no telling what can happen. As Randy Orton can attest, one’s well being is truly put on the line, as was The Viper’s when he broke his collarbone in the very same match at One Night Stand in 2008.
Under these rules, carnage is a certainty. Only one of these ring warriors will walk out of Extreme Rules as the WWE Champion – with the other perhaps not walking out at all.

Rare Vince McMahon interview: comments on TNA; says Wrestlemania can get bigger

In a rare interview from Vince McMahon, the chairman of WWE spoke to Acorn Newspapers in Connecticut and offered comments on what could be his last match this Sunday at Wrestlemania 26 against Bret Hart.
McMahon also spoke about Wrestlemania’s ability to still get bigger, and even offered a comment on TNA going head-to-head with WWE on Mondays.
Starting with TNA, McMahon ripped into TNA by saying that with everything they threw at WWE to try and make an impact, they only did a fraction of WWE’s audience
“We’re in different businesses. We’re in the entertainment business and they’re in the ‘pro wrasslin’ business,” McMahon said.
“It’s different markets. When they moved to Monday nights, they threw the kitchen sink at us and only did a fraction of our audience.
“It doesn’t speak well for the type of product they’re trying to present with the tawdry, blood-soaked action. I don’t think that’s what the culture wants these days.”
Vince McMahon also suggested that this Sunday’s match with Bret Hart could very well be his last. McMahon claimed he prefers working as a director behind the scenes.
“I really much more prefer working behind the scenes as a director and a producer than being part of the action. I do hope this will be my last time in the ring, but I say that after every match I’m in,” McMahon said.
“I’m 64 years old and while I’m in great physical condition and I never want to say never, I really don’t want to do this again.”
Despite Wrestlemania growing into what McMahon had envisioned some 25 years ago, he feels that Wrestlemania can still get bigger.
“It has grown into everything I ever wanted it to be, but we’re still not there yet,” McMahon said.
“There’s more that can be done, but it’s grown every year into something that people can’t miss.”

World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger vs. Randy Orton (Extreme Rules Match)

Since cashing in the Money in the Bank and becoming World Heavyweight Champion, Jack Swagger has been RKO’d and pinned twice by Randy Orton. “The All-American American” will be looking to avoid a third RKO when he faces The Viper in an Extreme Rules Match live on pay-per-view.
At WrestleMania, Jack Swagger beat nine other Superstars to win the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. The very next night on Raw, Swagger attempted to cash in his championship contract, taking John Cena by surprise, but fleeing the ring after The Champ fought back. That same evening, Swagger teamed with Batista against Orton & Cena. At the end of the match, Swagger was pinned after an RKO.
Only one week later, after truly cashing in to capture the World Heavyweight Title against Chris Jericho, Swagger faced The Viper in singles competition and met the same fate. Finally, Raw guest host David Hasselhoff felt that Randy Orton deserved the No. 1 contender slot for the World Title and ordered the match for Extreme Rules.