LOS ANGELES – Rookies and Pros continued to clash during week four of competition on WWE NXT. Several Rookie standouts continued their upward climb, impressing the Universe with their in-ring abilities, while some fell once again, possibly diminishing their chances at becoming the next Raw Superstar.

Wade Barrett def. Skip Sheffield
Rookie Skip Sheffield looked for his first WWE NXT victory, but without the expert guidance of his ring veteran Pro, William Regal, he came up short against an increasingly dominant Rookie, Wade . The Cornfed Meathead tried to talk strategy with The British Brawler before his match, but their meeting was filled with bickering – something that arguably weighs on the performance of Sheffield, whose record fell to 0-2. Will Sheffield charm his standoffish Pro – and the WWE Universe – before it’s too late?

On the other hand, Barrett has found his perfect mentor in World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho. Their abrasive, cocky personalities click, and Jericho seems to have the utmost confidence in the brawling abilities of his brash, money-hungry Rookie. Under the World Heavyweight Champion’s supervision, Barrett has increased his record to 2-1, and shows no signs of slowing down. Who will step in the ring next with Barrett? Will Jericho’s leadership send the Rookie down the path of Superstardom?

Heath Slater def. Michael Tarver
The one-man rock band continued his hot streak on WWE NXT. With his Pro, Christian, watching from the locker room area alongside Michael Tarver’s Pro, Carlito, Rookie Heath defeated Tarver. But after the match, a frustrated and angry Tarver leveled Slater, sending a strong message to him and the WWE Universe – despite a 0-2 record, Tarver isn’t backing down. Slater’s confidence had been the rise and his impressive record jumped to 3-0. But after this attack, will Slater continue to rock the WWE Universe? How will Christian, who seems to be his perfect teacher, guide him on his quest to become a Superstar? And will Tarver finally find his groove and earn a victory under the watch of the devious Carlito?

The Great Khali def. Daniel Bryan
While WWE Pro The Miz was not on WWE NXT, he took the opportunity to arrange a special match for his mentee. Rookie Daniel Bryan was put to an immense test, this time by his largest opponent yet, The Great Khali. The Miz should be pleased to know The Punjabi Giant defeated the Rookie, who is now 0-4. However, Bryan showed an impressive effort against his huge opponent, even bringing him to his knees. Then, The Miz’s fellow Unified Tag Champion, Big Show, appeared and chokeslammed Bryan. Will the valiant Bryan be able to rebound from another loss on WWE NXT?

CM Punk & Darren Young def. Matt Hardy & Justin Gabriel
While CM Punk hasn’t completely convinced his Rookie, Darren Young, to drop his South Beach party boy habits and convert to the Straight Edge lifestyle, he has guided him to victory more than once. On WWE NXT this week, Young earned a tag team victory when he pinned Pro Matt Hardy after Punk hit him with the Go To Sleep when the official wasn’t watching. With the Straight Edge Superstar on his side, Young has been unstoppable, and has increased his record to 2-1. But will Young change his life and join the Straight Edge Society? That may not happen this week, as after Young’s win, he was attacked by SES member Luke Gallows, who hit the Gallows Pole on Young, as well as Hardy and his Rookie, Justin Gabriel, as a sign of solidarity as Punk and Serena smugly looked on. As for Gabriel, his once-perfect record dropped to 2-1.

Also, WWE NXT host Matt Striker announced that in two weeks, the WWE Pros will evaluate the NXT Rookies. Which Superstar hopefuls will make the grade?

But in the right light and with the right outfit, Montag can make it hard to advocate for au naturel. Her body looked unbelievable while filming a cameo for upcoming movie “Just Go With It.”

Did the “Hills” personality find a way to justify her massive enhancements?

“Although its classic David v Goliath, 1 stone will not bring down our giant, its a different day. It’ll take time & commitment, we have both,” Tweeted Carter.

It should be noted that Carter’s statement was issued at about 1PM EST Tuesday, so it is unclear how much ratings information she had at the time of the statement.

– In addition to the John Cena appearance, WWE has confirmed Matt Hardy & Justin Gabriel vs. CM Punk & Darren Young for NXT tonight.

The hit CBS sitcom halted production on February 23 when Sheen announced plans to enter rehab. He is now back at work as the cast and crew of television’s most-watched comedy film the season’s nineteenth episode this week.

Two weeks behind schedule (production had already planned a week-long hiatus during Sheen’s three-week absence), it remains unclear if “Men” can fulfill its 24-episode order this year.

WWE RAW absolutely dominated TNA iMPACT! in the ratings this week, scoring a 3.71 to TNA’s 0.84. Among total viewers, RAW averaged 5.6 million, compared with 1.07 million for iMPACT.

While the basic household numbers speak for themselves, TNA’s worst news was embedded in the quarter hours. Notably, the show’s main event of Jeff Hardy vs. AJ Styles scored the night’s worst viewership, finishing the 10PM hour with a 0.72 and then slightly jumping to a 0.74 for the overrun.

WWE’s Bret Hart-Vince McMahon contract signing clearly took a significant bite out of TNA’s audience.

“Tonight NXT welcomes one of the most dominant and respected Superstars of the current era, none other than John Cena,” reads the announcement. “Tune into SyFy at 10/9 CT for Cena’s in-ring address to the potential superstars of tomorrow, the NXT rookies.”

The featuring of John Cena appears to be in direct response to last week’s marked ratings decline, although it is interesting that WWE did not greatly publicize the appearance outside of its website.

When ECW first made its debut on Sci-Fi, the company utilized guest appearances from WWE Superstars to boost interest in the program. It will be interesting to see if WWE regularly features these crossovers.

SAN DIEGO – When the most popular Superstar in WWE history returns to guest host Monday Night Raw, certain rules apply. First, that Superstar should behave in a manner befitting WWE’s image. Secondly, that Superstar should speak in respectful tones. And lastly, that Superstar should demonstrate sufficient reverence to their former employer.

As “Stone Cold” Steve Austin demonstrated, however, when The Texas Rattlesnake is that Superstar, no rules apply!

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin moderated Bret Hart and Mr. McMahon’s contract signing
After inviting Mr. McMahon and his WrestleMania opponent Bret Hart to the ring, special guest host “Stone Cold” Steve Austin did what he does best – made The Chairman squirm.

Austin announced that, under his orders, Bret Hart’s father, Stu, would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2010. Austin then recalled how tough The “Hit Man” was in their WrestleMania 13 match as his fellow WWE Hall of Famer signed the match contract. As Mr. McMahon glared across the table at his hobbled opponent’s crutches and broken leg, he also gleefully signed his name to the document. And that’s when the trap was slowly, sweetly revealed.

As Austin departed, he implored Hart to “tell Vince.” Much to Mr. McMahon’s chagrin, The Excellence of Execution then tossed his crutch aside, removed his cast and informed the man who had screwed him more than 12 years earlier that his leg was perfectly fine. He also told a shocked Chairman that if he tried to back out of their match, he would sue him for every cent just before he clobbered The Chairman with his cast. As a final verbal backhand, Hart paraphrased Mr. McMahon from 12 years ago: “Vince just screwed Vince.”

Pete Rose will serve as Raw’s special guest host next week
The man many call the greatest baseball player ever, Pete Rose, will be honored next week as Raw’s special guest host. As a man who has seen action inside of a WWE ring, the WWE Hall of Fame Inductee is sure to make things interesting with just six days to go until WrestleMania.

WWE Champion Batista def. Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston has proven himself to be one of the most agile, athletic and fierce competitors in WWE. For Batista, however, he seemed like little more than an appetizer on the way to a colossal entrée. The WWE Champion appeared to send a message to his WrestleMania opponent, John Cena, when he punished Cena’s one-time ally and stood tall in the ring displaying his WWE Title.

2010 WWE Hall of Fame inductee announcement: Gorgeous George
One of WWE’s most innovative and charismatic personalities, Gorgeous George, has been announced as the latest inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2010. The legendary blond wrestler, whose robes were equally as spectacular, became a cultural sensation in the 1940s and 1950s.

Triple H vs. Randy Orton ended in a No Contest
With the memory of their epic main event match from last year’s 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania still fresh, Triple H and Randy Orton took up the gauntlet one more time. The two, however, would never reach a conclusion. Instead, their respective WrestleMania foes – Sheamus, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes – interceded. The three attacked, kicking up a five-man melee that resulted in The Game and The Viper being left motionless on the canvas.

WrestleMania Match announcement: Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase vs. Cody Rhodes in a Triple Threat Match
The tension that strangled the camaraderie out of The Legacy will be on full display when Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes clash in a Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania. Will DiBiase and Rhodes continue to join forces against their former mentor? Or will the most important match of their young careers bring out a selfish side?

Shawn Michaels def. World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho by Count-out
Chris Jericho probably thought he was being cute. Rather than continue fighting Shawn Michaels in a rematch from their WrestleMania XIX bout, the World Heavyweight Champion instead lost by deliberately getting himself counted out. Well, the joke was on him when his WrestleMania rival Edge decided to join the festivities. The Ultimate Opportunist battered the World Heavyweight Champion, flipped him into the ring and hammered him with a Spear.

Divas Champion Maryse def. Kelly Kelly
Perhaps Maryse’s frustration with losing two weeks in a row is beginning to take a toll. Why else would the Divas Champion continue to attack Kelly Kelly even after handily defeating her?

After the conceited Canadian secured the win in a singles match, she set up Kelly Kelly for more punishment, but Eve and Gail Kim bolted in for the save. Just when it appeared Maryse would receive her comeuppance from the three, SmackDown’s Women’s Champion Michelle McCool and Layla shot in to protect her. As Maryse, Michelle and Layla snaked away, Vickie Guerrero emerged to greet them, leaving many in the WWE Universe pondering the strange alliance.

Evan Bourne vs. Sheamus ended in a No Contest
The match between Evan Bourne and Sheamus was over before it began. The bell hadn’t yet rung when The Celtic Warrior drove his boot into the high flyer, and a crucifix bomb sent him spilling out of the ring. The fierce Irishman then took to the mic and described how he intends to devastate his WrestleMania opponent, Triple H.

Unified Tag Team Champion Big Show def. John Cena
In the first WrestleMania Rewind Match of the night, John Cena faced off against Big Show, his opponent from WrestleMania XX. While the two powerhouses exchanged sturdy blows, it was Cena who finally seemed to best The World’s Largest Athlete as he prepared to slam Show with an Attitude Adjustment. WWE Champion Batista, who will battle Cena at this year’s extravaganza, walked to the ring and distracted Cena enough for one half of the Unified Tag Team Champions to gain his composure before leveling him with a knockout punch.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin opened the show
In his capacity as Raw’s special guest host, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin let the WWE Universe know just how jubilant he felt being back inside a WWE ring. The Texas Rattlesnake also described how special WrestleMania is, alluding to why he decided to arrange a series of WrestleMania Rewind matches for the night and why he would oversee the contract signing for the Bret Hart vs. Mr. McMahon WrestleMania match.

The wrestler acknowledged that Otunga botched some spots but credited the developing superstar for keeping his composure and smoothly working through the match.

“Even R-Truth f*cked up that night and couldn’t fix it as effortlessly as Otunga did. Very impressive. That takes years of confidence to fix botched spots. He’s rough, but he’ll be okay,” said the wrestler. (Source: prowrestling).

– WWE confirmed that next week’s “go home” edition of RAW will feature Triple H & Randy Orton vs. Legacy and Sheamus.

– WWE officially added Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase to the WrestleMania 26 card. The company also, predictably, changed the Vince McMahon vs. Bret Hart billing to “no holds barred.”

Orianthi, who broke through as the scheduled guitarist for Michael Jackson’s comeback and has been enjoying success with “According to You,” had been previously confirmed by media for the results show gig.

Ke$ha was officially announced Monday, completing the docket for Wednesday’s hourlong results show. Since moving to one hour in length, “Idol” has worked to fill time with at least two live musical performances.

The latter addition has stirred some buzz in the entertainment community, as some question whether Ke$ha fits into the vocal-centric “Idol” environment. While the sexually-charged blonde pop star has had phenomenal success with “TiK ToK” and current single “Blah Blah Blah,” her music involves the heavy use of auto-tune and other vocal modification tools. Her live singing has also come under criticism.

In the past, however, “Idol” has not shied away from auto-tune driven performances, featuring Kanye West singing “Heartless” and Jamie Foxx on “Blame It.”

The twelve “Idol” finalists take the show to perform Tuesday; one will be eliminated during Wednesday’s results show.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin returns to guest host Monday Night Raw on a night he’s decreed WrestleMania Rewind Night, featuring Triple H vs. Randy Orton, World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho vs. HBK, and John Cena vs. Unified Tag Champion Big Show.”

“Before Mr. McMahon and Bret “Hit Man” Hart make history in the ring at WrestleMania, the two will sign the contract for their epic encounter on Raw … with both men’s longtime rival, guest host “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, presiding.”

– While WWE has publicly downplayed fear that TNA iMPACT! represents any sort of threat on Mondays and even allowed TNA to air the final few minutes of last Monday’s overrun uncontested, sources say the company is still closely monitoring what the number two wrestling promotion does. A ProWrestling.net report said that iMPACT! was being shown on a number of the television monitors backstage as WWE kept tabs on its competition.

The disappointing rating for last week’s show, which featured far more promotional amunition than will be the norm, might, however, assure WWE that it need not carry any short-term worry.

– Bret Hart spoke to Canada AM regarding WWE WrestleMania 26 recently, assuring fans that he is “very careful” about what he does and that no one need fear any physical ramifications of his match with Vince McMahon. The video, available here via CTV, also features “The Hitman” discussing the decision to make amends with WWE, relying on the same talking points he has delivered in virtually all of his recent media interviews.

– “Illusionist” Criss Angel, who hosted this past Monday’s edition of RAW, said Sunday that he was originally slated to have a more physical role on the show.

“Inside scoop - I was supposed 2 do something in the ring at Raw but a few days be4 it got cancelled 4 my safety - it would have been awesome,” Tweeted Angel.

“Alice” grossed an estimated $62 million this weekend. Down less than 47% from last week’s debut take, the film wiped the floor with the competition.

New release “Green Zone” was closest, landing in second with $14.5 million. That gave it the edge over “She’s Out of My League,” which started the weekend in fourth but, by Sunday, had moved up to third with $9.6 million.

After landing within modest expectations Friday, “Remember Me” lost some momentum Saturday and and Sunday and landed in fourth with just $8.3 million. “Shutter Island” surpassed new release “Our Family Wedding” ($7.6 million) for fifth, adding $8.1 million to a total that now stands above $100 million.

Weekend Top Ten:
1) Alice in Wonderland - $62 million ($208.6 million)
2) Green Zone - $14.5 million
3) She’s Out of My League - $9.6 million
4) Remember Me - $8.3 million
5) Shutter Island - $8.1 million ($108 million)
6) Our Family Wedding - $7.6 million
7) Avatar - $6.6 million ($730.4 million)
8) Brooklyn’s Finest - $4.3 million ($21.4 million)
9) Cop Out - $4.2 million ($39.2 million)
10) The Crazies - $3.7 million ($33.4 million)

“Alice” added another $17.4 million to its take, according to preliminary box office reports. Though down a hefty 57% from last Friday’s debut number, the gross was more than enough to give “Wonderland” the win and will undoubtedly lead it to another weekend box office victory.

“Green Zone” ranked the best of the new releases, pulling $5 million at the Friday box office. Robert Pattinson-starrer “Remember Me” opened with a modest $3.6 million for third place, a decent opening for a film of the mold but evidence that merely featuring the “Twilight” heartthrob will not be enough for a dominating box office performance.

Raunchy “She’s Out of My League” followed with $3.3 million Friday. Though not particularly impressive for a debuting comedy, the total was more than double that of “Sex Drive,” which came from the same writers in 2008.

New release “Our Family Wedding” landed in fifth with $2.5 million, although it handily defeated the more-widely-released “League” on a per-theatre basis.

While Goldberg has made it very clear he has no interest in returning as a wrestler, WWE hopes it can sign him to some sort of legends deal that would lead to his possible inclusion in video games and the WWE Hall of Fame. WWE wants to bring big past WCW names into the mix for next year’s HoF ceremony in Atlanta.

– Bret Hart is booked as a special guest enforcer for the Chris Jericho-Edge matches in Germany following WWE WrestleMania 26, so it appears he will work through the upcoming pay-per-view.

PWInsider.com confirmed Friday that iMPACT’s replay averaged a 0.97 rating with 1.3 million viewers, marking a very minor decline from Monday’s original airing (0.98, 1.4 million). While there have been past instances of a TNA iMPACT! replay generating a strong number, never has retention from the original been 99% in the cable household number and more than 90% in total viewers.

The issue raises one of the most disputed questions in television ratings analysis, as it is never clear why some programs seem to replay so well outside of their timeslot (The CW’s recently-abandoned Wednesday replay of “Life UneXpected” is another example–that airing was often pulling 80% of the original Monday audience and yet never produced additional viewers for the Monday showing). And regardless of the reason, almost all analysis would lead to a conclusion that next Monday’s airing, especially without a Thursday replay programmed into the lineup, should see a massive ratings boost, something that is almost definitely not going to happen.

If, for instance, viewers had been unaware that TNA was moving to Monday, the confusion should now be corrected. If, instead, viewers were watching to witness the unadvertised appearances from RVD and Jeff Hardy, that buzz, too, should lead to increased interest come the next episode on Monday as viewers await the follow-up.

But with Monday’s rating not likely to increase notably–and certainly not going to achieve the sum of the audiences from this past Monday and Thursday–the analysis effectively proves moot. The only true takeaway is the fact that there exists a loyal audience on Thursday, and had the original episode aired in that slot instead of Monday, it would have popped a rating far in excess of Monday’s 0.98.

Spike TV could spin the strong replay as evidence that viewers are curious about the weekly iMPACT! airing and will catch the show on DVR in the future, but even if that proves true, it still signals that going head-to-head with RAW is hurting the show’s audience.

Update: As an update to the above story, it seems TNA was internally concerned that such a high volume of viewers tuned into Thursday’s TNA iMPACT! replay, fearing that the Thursday showing cut into the Monday audience. TNA President Dixie Carter Tweeted, “TNA iMPACT! will NOT re-air on Thursdays. If you can’t watch LIVE Mondays 9-11pm ET on SPIKE, please DVR it. PLEASE RT.”