Mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Bob Sapp is close to reaching a deal with WWE. The deal being discussed will only have Sapp, who currently wrestles for HUSTLE in Japan, appearing on WWE's live event which will be held in Japan on February 2008. This because the negotiations to bring Sapp into WWE for a full time role have not advanced.

Sapp is a very famous person in Japan. The former NFL football player also had appeared on some Japanese television programs and television commercials. He even released an album in Japan. WWE has lost some bankability with its Japanese fans and wants to bolster its shows with a proven Japanese draw.

WrestlingRevealed.com has learned that Ric Flair hasn’t actually signed his new WWE contract just yet.

Apparently, Ric Flair and WWE have come to an agreement on a new contract. However, the contract itself hasn’t been officially signed by Ric Flair just yet.

No word yet on what the hold up is. There’s a chance that there might be some last minute changes that need to be done with the contract. That, or Ric Flair and WWE simply haven’t had the time to finalized the deal just yet.

Ric Flair’s current contract expires on January 8, 2008, which isn’t that far away. (wrestlingrevealed.com)

WrestlingRevealed.com has learned that Road Warrior Animal may be close to signing with TNA.

Road Warrior Animal (real name Joe Laurinaitis) has been in talks with TNA about joining the company in the creative department. He’s wrestled for TNA in the past as a mystery partner for Rick Steiner. If he signs on with TNA as a writer, there’s always the chance that TNA could use him a few times on screen because of his connections to several of the current characters.

It’s a bit interesting that Road Warrior Animal would go to TNA instead of WWE since his brother, John Laurinaitis, works backstage for WWE. (wrestlingrevealed.com)

Below is the official preview for tonight's WWE Tribute to the Troops special on the USA Network:

On Christmas Eve, WWE brings you our most important broadcast of the year. Spend the holiday with our troops in Iraq, as WWE presents its 5th Annual Tribute to the Troops. As the only entertainment event broadcast from Iraq, WWE Superstars and staff brought the excitement of a WWE live event to our soldiers stationed in the Middle East. They also spent lots of time meeting with the brave men and women making up our Armed Forces. Join us as Tribute to the Troops, WWE’s way of bringing the troops home to you for the holidays, airs Christmas Eve at 9/8 CT on USA Network.

Below are the matches that were taped for the show from Iraq:
- Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton
- Jeff Hardy vs. Carlito
- Mickie James & Maria vs. Kelly Kelly & Layla
- Rey Mysterio vs. Mark Henry
- Ron Simmons vs. Hardcore Holly
- DX vs. Umaga & Mr. Kennedy
(ewrestlingnews.com)

According to LuchaLibreOnline.com, the biggest and most reliable Puerto Rico wrestling site, WWE has signed Germán Figueroa, better known as former TNA wrestler Apolo, to a developmental contract. Apolo will be reporting to Florida Championship Wrestling at the beginning of next year.

Figueroa worked in TNA during it's beginning, and is a former NWA World Tag Team Champion with D'Lo Brown. He was a part of the original incarnation of the Latin American Exchange, but no-showed a TNA pay-per-view in January 2006, shortly after the group's formation. He was replaced by the wrestler Machete at the next month's pay-per-view, who was eventually replaced by Hernandez. Apolo was released by TNA in February 2006.

Figueroa was a participant in a TNA event that took place on June 3, 2007 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Figueroa was booked to wrestle in a tag team match with Jeff Jarrett against Scott Steiner and James Storm -- Figueroa's team won the match. A sidekick applied to Steiner by Figueroa injured his trachea. After Steiner confronted respiratory problems he underwent surgery in a nearby hospital. Steiner was hospitalized for several weeks. Steiner revealed on the July 20, 2007 edition of TNA Today that he was initially given 5 hours to live by doctors, and showed off an 18-inch scar.

Figueroa has had his share of legal problems in the past year. He was arrested on May 23, 2007 for missing a child-support payment, he was released one week later after part of the alimony money was lent by his best friend. A few weeks later on June 22, 2007, Figueroa was jailed after he supposedly twisted the arm and squeezed the neck of his wife, former professional wrestler Verónica Polera, also known as Havana. The couple where traveling through a road when the incident happened. Following the incident, Polera sought refuge in the police headquarters. Polera was attended by medical personnel in the Center of Diagnosis and Treatment of Bayamón. According to the prosecutor in the case, Polera had bruises on her neck. Figueroa was subsequently arrested after a judge determined there was cause for his arrest. Figueroa was arrested and the judge established the bail amount at eight thousand dollars, which he paid later that evening. (wrestlinginc.com)

WWE SmackDown superstars Brett Major and Brian Major, who's both known as The Major Brothers, now had a gimmick change. Brett Major is now going under the name of Zack Ryder and Brian Major is now using Curt Hawkins as his name. Now, they also aligning with the SmackDown's World Heavyweight Champion, Edge, and collectively they will be the "Edge Heads", a pair of huge Edge fans.