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Showing posts with label Kevin Dunn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kevin Dunn. Show all posts

December 30, 2023

WWE Executive Kevin Dunn Leaving The Company

Kevin Dunn is reportedly exiting WWE.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider broke the news on Saturday that WWE Executive Producer and Chief of Global Television Distribution Kevin Dunn has given his notice to leave WWE after over 30 years with the company. Their sources stated that it was Dunn's decision to retire in wake of changes made to the television production department post-Endeavor. While shocking to some, the news isn't surprising in the present day considering it was believed that Dunn would not work for anyone other than Vince McMahon who officially left when Endeavor formed TKO this year. Nevertheless, the ramifications may be sizable considering Dunn's fingerprints are all over WWE's television presentation.

When Dunn missed WWE Survivor Series: WarGames in 2022, there was speculation that he had left following McMahon's initial departure. That turned out to not be the case as WWE's Board of Directors had asked Dunn to remain with the company when McMahon stepped down. Dunn has served as an executive producer since "Monday Night Raw" began airing on the USA Network in 1993. He also served as WWE's director and line producer which involved overseeing the production budget and crew members, among other major responsibilities behind the scenes.

Regarding who will replace Dunn, it was once believed to be Michael Mansury who now holds a similar executive position in AEW. PWInsider noted that it's likely to be a mix of people sharing responsibilities for the time being. Dunn reportedly has stepped back in some ways to let others take over certain responsibilities since the Endeavor era started.

July 29, 2022

Triple H Comments On Leading WWE Creative

During a media scrum in Nashville as part of WWE SummerSlam week, Triple H was asked by Nick Hausman of Wrestling INC how his vision will change from that of Vince's.

"You gotta watch the show. You gotta watch the show," he said with a laugh.

He continued, providing a little more color on the situation by saying, "This is the longest-running stuff on TV, we say it all the time. Raw, SmackDown, SummerSlam, everything we're doing. There are a massive pair of shoes to fill that I'm trying in some way to step into, but I do not dream, for one second, that I can fill those shoes by myself. It's going to take a lot of us. It's going to take a team. It's going to take everybody here to fill those shoes and continue on, but we will. The intent is to continue the legacy of what has been going on, that made me fall in love with this business that he created and to take it to new levels. To take it to beyond where it is now. The only way we're going to do that is as a team. That's with Steph, Nick Khan, myself, Kevin Dunn, everybody that is here. All this talent. The great, hardest working talent in the world. I have no doubt in my mind that with this team, we can do it. Not an inkling of doubt. It's just a lot of hard work and we're all going to grind. We have the greatest fans in the world and we're going to make sure they get everything they want out of this product and then some."

With Vince retiring, Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan were named Co-CEOs of the company.

Later during the scrum, Triple H was asked by Jon Alba of AdFreeShows about Paul Heyman, who is helping scout talent during the WWE tryouts, possibly being involved in creative and development aspects going forward

"I want ideas from everybody. I want thoughts from everybody. To me, this inclusive. That goes for the talent. When I say this is going to take all of us, it's going to take all of us. I want that. Paul is one of the best promos in the history of this business. Who better? When I asked him to be part of this, he was thrilled. We both joke about the fountain of youth at these things. Who better to come here to talk about that skill? Paul has the gift of gab, always has. Who better to come here and motivate these kids?" said Triple H, before also mentioning Big E and Bianca Belair as people who have helped out with the tryouts.

source: fightful.com

January 25, 2022

Nick Khan Confirms WWE Has Taken Calls About A Potential Sale, Reason For Internal Changes

Nick Khan, Stephanie McMahon, Eli Manning and Vince McMahon at March of Dimes event.

WWE has taken calls from other companies looking to purchase the sports entertainment heavyweight, but they are not looking to sell.

WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan, pictured above with WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, and NFL star Eli Manning at a March of Dimes Sports Luncheon back in November, recently spoke with Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand and revealed the interest from other companies.

Khan confirmed that WWE has taken some inbound calls from other companies looking to buy, but he stressed that WWE is not in active talks trying to sell the company, and they are not actively looking to sell.

Khan also commented on how Vince sees the company, and WWE bringing him on a year and a half ago.

“If it once was a mom-and-pop shop, Vince certainly didn’t believe it was anymore,” Khan said. “Part of what I believe he was looking for in bringing in someone from the outside was to make sure the community at large didn’t treat it that way. We believe we’re a global content company.”

It was noted how Khan didn’t just target the broader sports and entertainment community with this push as he felt that he needed to change internal attitudes as well. While working for CAA Sports agency, Khan is the one who represented WWE when they sold their media rights to FOX and NBCUniversal. The FOX deal is worth $1 billion over 5 years, while the NBC deal is worth around $1.3 billion over 5 years.

Khan noted that during those 2018 negotiations, he was struck by the attitude of some WWE staffers, most of whom were not steeped in the intricacies of media. He said some of them acted as though they were fortunate just to have a seat at the table, and were content to negotiate with executives far down the chain of command.

Khan said he felt like that business attitude, as well as an overall knowledge of the media marketplace, needed to change in WWE.

“Vince believed that WWE was at a place where it had earned a seat at the adult table, but others in the company didn’t see it that way,” Khan said.

It’s no secret that WWE has undergone many internal changes since hiring Khan in August 2020. He and Vince have overseen an almost complete turnover of WWE’s media division, and the types of media deals WWE cuts have changed, as have the executives who negotiate those deals.

Khan went on a hiring spree soon after joining WWE as his goal was to bring in executives who shared Vince’s vision about the size and influence of WWE.

“For the company to be treated the way that Vince, Stephanie, [WWE executive] Kevin Dunn and myself and others believed it should be treated in the community, you needed executives who reflected that, who had range, who could get people on the phone and who could be taken seriously by their peers,” Khan said.

The corporate changes led to a series of moves that show a changing media strategy in WWE, which includes the new streaming strategy that saw the company license the WWE Network to Peacock as part of a 5 year, $1 billion deal. WWE executives see the Peacock deal as a template for similar international streaming deals.

WWE also decided to partner with outside production houses on programming featuring some of its biggest Superstars. Khan said WWE wants to be in business with everyone who is a real player.

“We want to be in business with everybody who is a real player in this business,” Khan said. “Understanding the business — where it’s at and where it’s heading — is a key part to all of this.”

Regarding Saturday’s WWE Royal Rumble event from The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Khan noted that ticket sales are tracking at an all-time high for The Rumble. One of WWE’s newer strategies is to stage events on different nights of the week, which is why SummerSlam and The Rumble were moved to Saturdays, among others. WWE credited the SummerSlam night change with helping the event post the largest gate in its history.

May 22, 2019

WWE Issues Statement On Ashley Massaro Allegations

WWE has issued a statement in response to allegations made by lawyer Konstantine Kyros, who has represented several former WWESuperstars in concussion lawsuits against the company, including the late Ashley Massaro. Kyros has published an affidavit by Massaro that includes her allegations on how she was treated while with the company. Massaro alleged that she was sexually assaulted while visiting troops with WWE in Kuwait back in 2006.
Massaro alleged that she was drugged and raped by a man posing as a US Army doctor while in Kuwait on a tour of a US military base. She said she was examined by a WWE doctor after returning from the trip, and that the doctor reported the incident to WWE officials. Massaro alleged that WWE officials called her into a meeting, to apologize, and to persuade "her that it would be best not to report it to appropriate authorities." You can read all of her claims in the full affidavit via PDF by clicking here.
WWE's statement to the media in response to the allegations reads:
WWE is saddened by the death of Ashley Massaro, and we reiterate our condolences to her family. However, we regret that her attorney Konstantine Kyros, who filed multiple cases against WWE, lost all of them, and was sanctioned multiple times by the Court for repeated misconduct and false allegations, is using Ashley's death to further his malicious campaign against WWE by releasing an affidavit that she submitted to the Court and later apologized to WWE for being involved with, so we wish to make certain things crystal clear.
At no time was Vince McMahon or the management of WWE ever informed by Ashley Massaro or anybody else that she had been sexually assaulted, drugged, raped or sodomized by a military doctor with a nurse standing guard while on a goodwill tour in 2007 to U.S. military bases in Kuwait. In fact, if she ever articulated such a claim to WWE, we would have reported it immediately to the Base Commander.
At no time was there ever a meeting with Vince McMahon, Kevin Dunn, John Laurinaitis or other company executives in which she told them of such a claim and was instructed to keep it quiet.

December 10, 2016

Shane McMahon Reportedly Tried To Return To WWE Years Ago, Triple H And Stephanie McMahon's Reaction

Ian Frisch has a great feature at Vice Sports about WWE business, the inner workings of the company, working for Vince McMahon and more. The article also discussed Shane McMahon's WWE departure and a secret meeting he had with Vince McMahon years later in 2012.

It was noted that Shane left WWE in 2009 because of a real-life power struggle with Vince and Stephanie McMahon, with a senior-level executive saying that there "was always tension between Shane and Stephanie."

It was revealed in the piece that Shane met with Vince at the WWE production office in Stamford, CT, which is separate from WWE headquarters, in March of 2012. At the time, Paul "Triple H" Levesque - who has yet to appear with Shane on WWE television since his return to WWE last February - was working on launching NXT and Vince was reportedly stressed because ratings were down.

"When Stephanie found out Shane was going to be there, she went white in the face," a source told Frisch. "And Paul freaked out."

Shane was at the meeting with his friend James Frey, who was the CEO of Full Fathom Five. Shane said that he wanted to take over creative and the writer's room, while Frey and his Full Fathom Five team would serve as consultants. The meeting was set up through WWE Executive Vice President of Production Kevin Dunn.

"Kevin Dunn is very close to Shane," the source said. "And there's tremendous tension between Kevin, and Paul and Stephanie. They feel like the company is theirs, but they don't have power to control Kevin."

It was noted that Dunn would have had even more influence with Vince if Shane was back with the company in a top position, and Shane would also be back in control of a piece of the family's legacy. Vince ultimately turned down Shane's offer.

October 13, 2016

TNA Sale News: WWE Loses Interest Again, Huge Dixie Carter Heat, TNA Executive Contacted WWE, More


Regarding the TNA sale, Aroluxe and Billy Corgan are still involved in trying to make the purchase but one unidentified party that was previously involved is no longer interested as they do not feel a deal is worth it. WWE has also apparently lost interest as they have backed out.

The most recent set of Impact Wrestling tapings were the first that saw Billy Corgan have the final say in creative decisions. However, nothing long-term has been decided on, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, but changes have to happen imminently. We noted before that Dixie Carter was in attendance for the tapings and did hold a talent meeting but she wasn't there for the final days of the tapings and was reportedly having meetings with The Fight Network, which also owns a small stake in TNA.

Things between Dixie and Corgan have reportedly gone really bad and things are said to be "super heated" between Dixie, Corgan, Aroluxe and John Gaburick. It was noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Dixie has made a real mess of the company between borrowing money and putting up various stakes in the company just to get quick funding. It was said that the company is in a "disastrous position" right now. There is also heat on Dixie for deals not getting done and nearly falling apart.

TNA still owes money to many people and continues to deal with other financial issues but right now they're not faced with another deadline for money until January and that's when they have some international TV revenue coming from.

There's still no word yet on where TNA got the money for the most recent tapings but it was not WWE, which has been rumored. Some higher-ups in TNA still don't know who funded the tapings but speculation is that it was one of the three minority owners - Corgan, Aroluxe or The Fight Network.

Regarding WWE no longer being interested in the tape library, Gaburick did go to WWE's Kevin Dunn with the idea of a package where WWE would hire Gaburick if he got them the tape library deal. Dunn reportedly went to Vince McMahon with the idea but it looks like the deal won't be happening. The Observer notes that WWE's involvement has been up and down for weeks.

June 20, 2016

WWE Draft Officially Announced, Date Revealed, Kevin Dunn Comments


WWE sent us the following today:

WWE®'S DESTINY LIVE ON SMACKDOWN®

NEW YORK and STAMFORD, CONN – June 20, 2016 – The destiny of all WWE Superstars will be determined on the first-ever live SmackDown on Tuesday, July 19 from 8-10 pm ET/PT on USA Network. A draft will be conducted by respective General Managers as to which talent will be chosen exclusively for Monday Night Raw® or SmackDown.

For the first time in history on back-to-back nights, these two distinctive brands (Monday Night Raw and Tuesday's SmackDown) will compete with each other for television ratings, live events, and pay-per-views.

"This is an exciting new era for WWE in which we will yet again reinvent ourselves by creating a second night of compelling live television," said Kevin Dunn, Executive Producer, WWE.

"We're already hearing the excitement among WWE fans for SmackDown's new live format, and our audiences are eagerly anticipating the live draft and what it means for their favorite Superstars," said Chris McCumber, President, Entertainment Networks, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment.

With 878 original episodes, SmackDown is the second longest-running weekly episodic program in U.S. television history, only behind Monday Night Raw at 1,203 episodes.

March 2, 2016

Three WWE Execs Trump McMahon’s 2015 Pay


Three executives of World Wrestling Entertainment received the first of two big stock awards — the 2015 installment totaling $3.1 million — to keep them on board and reward their extra duties as the Stamford-based company builds up its WWE Network.

The stock awards to George Barrios, Kevin Dunn and Michelle Wilson pushed their total compensation past that received by CEO Vince McMahon, with Dunn getting $4.8 million as executive producer and Barrios receiving $4.5 million in his role as chief financial and strategy officer.

Wilson’s $4.5 million payday as chief revenue and marketing officer bumped the company’s film division head Michael Luisi from the lineup of the top-paid WWE executives, with Luisi making $1.9 million in 2014 as president of WWE Studios.

WWE (NYSE: WWE) paid McMahon $3.3 million, a 37 percent increase from 2014, with McMahon controlling 94 percent of WWE’s class B shares that wield 10 votes on corporate matters to every one vote awarded to holders of class A shares that are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, and which are convertible to class A shares.

Paul Levesque received $3.1 million, including $1.7 million from his “Triple H” persona performing at WWE events. Levesque is executive vice president of talent, live events and creative at WWE.

WWE’s compensation committee is chaired by Frank Riddick III, CEO of FloWorks International, a Houston-based pipe and valve supplier. The largest holder of WWE’s class A stock is Lindsell Train, a fund based in London, which held 16 percent of the outstanding shares at last report.

WWE scheduled its annual meeting for April 21, 2016, at the Hilton Stamford Hotel in Stamford.

source: stamfordadvocate.com

October 26, 2015

Vince McMahon Reportedly Not Upset with Blood in HIAC Match – What Did Lesnar Do to Really Anger McMahon?, More


Earlier today, Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline.com reported he was sent text messages informing him that both Kevin Dunn and Vince McMahon “freaked out” when Brock Lesnar bled during his Hell in a Cell main event match. Vince was further described as “furious” with the amount of blood that Lesnar produced after he was busted open.

According to PWInsider.com, while Vince was indeed not happy with Lesnar bleeding, that was not what really got Vince angry backstage in the Gorilla position.

After Lesnar began to bleed, Vince ordered a WWE doctor to go to the ring and tend to Lesnar, and as seen on camera, Lesnar shoved the doctor out of the way, and that is reportedly what really angered Vince.

Lesnar shoving the WWE doctor was 100% a shoot, as Lesnar was reportedly upset that the doctor intervening interrupted the momentum of the match.

With regards to a possible blade job done by Lesnar, it’s being said that is highly unlikely, as a cut from a blade would not require 9 staples to repair, and everyone backstage in WWE is very aware of the company’s current strict no-blading policy.

Despite Vince being upset during the main event, however, it’s being reported neither The Undertaker nor Brock Lesnar was spoken to about the incident following the match.

October 20, 2015

Celebrity To Host Breaking Ground, Premiere On Social Media, WWE's Kevin Dunn Comments


The AP reports that actor William Shatner will narrate the 10-episode WWE Breaking Ground series. The premiere will air on WWE's Facebook and YouTube channels this Sunday after Hell In a Cell, then debut on the WWE Network after Monday's RAW.

WWE Executive Producer Kevin Dunn commented:

"I wouldn't say we're pulling back the curtain at all. We're telling real stories of these real people and the hardships and difficulty of making it to the WWE. I don't think we're giving it away. You're just going to see how this process actually works."

"It's not about NXT. It's about making it to the WWE."

"I think new is always interesting on any level, especially when you have new stars on any TV show."

Dunn also said the return of WWE Tough Enough is uncertain.

July 24, 2015

Backstage News on Vince McMahon and WWE Tough Enough


WWE Tough Enough is seen as such of a priority right now that Vince McMahon has skipped every SmackDown taping since the show premiered so he can be live in Orlando at Full Sail University, according to PWInsider. Vince is usually at almost every Tuesday night SmackDown taping but he, along with Kevin Dunn, have made Tough Enough a top priority.

June 23, 2015

Triple H In Charge At Last Night's WWE RAW


F4Wonline.com notes that both Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn were not at last night's WWE RAW in Indianapolis as they were working on Tough Enough in the Orlando area. While Triple H did not write last night's show, he was in charge and ran things.

October 14, 2014

The Very Latest on Justin Roberts’ WWE Release: Reportedly Seen Arguing with Cole, Ring Announce Changes Expected, Y2J Podcast


According to PWInsider.com, below are the latest updates on the WWE release of Justin Roberts:

Roberts was informed of his WWE release right after Raw last night, and he was told by WWE Exec Kevin Dunn. With Roberts gone, it is expected that Lilian Garcia will handle ring announcing for Raw and Eden might be brought in to do ring announcing for Smackdown.

There was talk amongst fans on social media last night that Roberts could be seen arguing with Michael Cole during the Randy Orton vs Dolph Ziggler match, and at one point Roberts “flipped Cole off.” Whether or not the incident was a catalyst for Roberts’ release is unknown.

Roberts will be the special guest on Chris Jericho’s “Talk is Jericho” podcast on Friday.

June 15, 2014

Triple H vs. WWE director Kevin Dunn - battling over what's Best For Business


Is WWE director Kevin Dunn intentionally sabotaging Triple H, the NXT brand and their former wrestlers? Evidence is mounting up.

A few days ago my colleague Geno Mrosko reported that Vince McMahon wasn't high on the recent NXT call ups of Adam Rose, Paige and Bo Dallas, but perhaps the more interesting part of the story is the current jockeying for power between Triple H and Kevin Dunn.

For those that aren't familiar with him, Dunn is WWE's highly paid Executive Vice President of Television Production and has been one of the company's top producers since 1984, but he's been much criticized by wrestling traditionalists like Jim Cornette and the late Paul Bearer for his lack of appreciation of the art form's history and being obsessed with aesthetics over substance. He's been a confidante of Vince McMahon's for well over 15 years and has seen his influence grow, as one by one, the men Vince surrounded himself with in the 80s and the 90s all either left of their own accord or were forced out after falling out with him.

However, after surviving for so long, being someone who Vince clearly trusts the opinion of and there being no sign that he wants to downsize his duties, it seems clear that his job is safe while the old man stays in charge. Conversely, it's clear that his days would be numbered as soon as the WWE leadership baton is passed on to Vince's handpicked successor Triple H. When Paul Levesque became EVP of Talent, Live Events and Creative, he immediately got rid of the executive old guard like John Laurinaitis (whose abilities he didn't rate) and replaced them with his own hires like Jane Geddes and Canyon Ceyman. Everyone predicts that trend will continue as Levesque get more control of the company. Indeed, NXT is the training ground for the next generation of WWE technicians, script writers and TV producers, which shows that The Cerebral Assassin is already preparing for the day he gets complete command.

Thus, Dunn's position depends on trying to ensure that Vince hangs around for as long as possible, which would require him to plant seeds of doubt in Vince's head that Hunter is ready for the responsibility of being in charge of the day to day running of his company. Given his reputation of being insecure and petty, he's not above playing dirty if he has to. Clearly he wouldn't have lasted to this very day, if he wasn't a master of the dark arts of wrestling politics.

There's been online rumors that resentment between Triple H and Kevin Dunn has reached an all time high of late. Apparently, Hunter was outraged that Dunn and his crew somehow missed the shot of The Shield standing tall over his fallen body at the end of the Payback pay-per-view earlier this month. Then came the word that Dunn had successfully buried Adam Rose to Vince and the implication was that he was trying to do the same with Paige and Bo Dallas, but hadn't been quite as convincing in that regard. The obvious conclusion to come to is that Dunn is intentionally trying to sabotage Hunter's NXT brand and is also trying to call into question his talent grooming and judging skills for the main WWE roster, so that he can curry greater favor with the boss.

Kevin Dunn may have won this battle, but this will be a war that only The Game can win.

At a time when the WWE Network needs all the help it can get, this infighting is the last thing the company needs, especially as NXT should be promoted on WWE programming as something worth subscribing to the channel for, a unique opportunity to see tomorrow's WWE Superstars today. Lets hope the heat dies down and they can start working together more harmoniously. That's what's would really be Best For Business!

source: cagesideseats.com

December 4, 2013

WWE Promotes Key Executives to Lead Future Growth


WWE (NYSE: WWE) is poised for transformative growth in important areas, including the renegotiation of its four largest television rights agreements, the potential launch of a WWE Network, expansion in key international markets, distribution of content on emerging platforms and new strategic partnerships. Michelle D. Wilson, George Barrios and Stephanie McMahon have been promoted to lead WWE in the execution of these strategic growth initiatives.

Michelle D. Wilson, formerly Chief Marketing Officer, has been promoted to Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer and will now oversee all of the company’s revenue lines and assume responsibility for WWE’s $900 million retail consumer products business. Wilson retains her current revenue generating responsibilities for Sponsorship Sales, Pay-Per-View and New Business Development and will continue to oversee all WWE Marketing and Corporate Communications. Wilson is also spearheading the company’s efforts to launch a WWE Network and will continue to report directly to WWE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Vince McMahon. Casey Collins, Executive Vice President, Consumer Products will report to Wilson.

George Barrios, formerly Chief Financial Officer, has been promoted to Chief Strategy and Financial Officer and will now oversee all of the company’s strategic planning processes and take over management of WWE’s day-to-day Television Operations. He will retain his management of Financial Planning and Investor Relations. With Wilson, Barrios is co-leading WWE’s television rights negotiations and will continue to report directly to WWE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Vince McMahon. Will Staeger, Executive Vice President, Television Production will report to Barrios.

Stephanie McMahon, formerly Executive Vice President, Creative, has been promoted to Chief Brand Officer and will lead WWE’s efforts to further enhance its brand reputation among key constituencies including advertisers, media, business partners and investors. McMahon will serve as the company’s brand ambassador and work with WWE’s business units to support key growth initiatives. McMahon will also lead WWE’s targeted youth and moms marketing programs and will continue to report directly to WWE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Vince McMahon.

Kevin Dunn will serve as Executive Producer of all WWE programming, including Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown, WWE Main Event and Total Divas and will continue to report to Vince McMahon.

“WWE is entering a new era of unprecedented growth,” said WWE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Vince McMahon. “I am confident that my senior executive team is now organized more effectively to capitalize on the wealth of opportunities.”

Additionally, Perkins Miller, Executive Vice President, Digital Media will report to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Vince McMahon, and Eddie Feldmann, Senior Vice President, Creative Writing will report to Paul Levesque, Executive Vice President, Talent and Live Events.

Looks like Triple H may finally get to run the creative department.

August 3, 2013

Eric Bischoff Praises WWE Total Divas


Had a chance to check out Total Divas on E! via TiVo. Props to WWE (Kevin Dunn). Basic “Kardashian” format, but will grow the brand! Smart!”

May 21, 2013

More WWE Employment Shifts; New Creative Head Fired


PWTorch has confirmed that brand new WWE creative writer Adam Rudman has been released by the company, after only working six weeks following WrestleMania.

Rudman was let go last Friday, along with all the NXT Superstars that were fired on WWE's "black Friday". He recently replaced former head writer Eric Pankowski, who only lasted one year in his job as Senior Vice President of Creative and Development.

According to the report, Rudman was let go because of his inexperience with professional wrestling, and many backstage did not believe he would last long.

Wrestlezone.com reported that WWE Vice President of Television Production, "Big" John Gaburick finished his last week with the company. Initially, no details other than a farwell party with his co-workers were known about his departure. WZ is now reporting that sources inside the company say Gaburick leaving was not in fact his own choice.

"You don't leave that kind of spot and money unless the right people have problems with you," is what one source told us.

Gaburick always had a good relationship with Kevin Dunn, WWE's Executive Vice President of Television Production. However, Vince McMahon was never said to be the biggest fan of Gaburick. A source said, "Kevin protected 'Big' from Vince." When Gaburick was promoted to his VP position several years ago, his relationship with Dunn began to sour. One source believed the departure was the result of the company's "changing landscape" as Stephanie McMahon and Triple H continue to overhaul the internal structure.

It seems things finally got to a point where the company decided it was time for a change and Gaburick quietly left his position.

April 10, 2013

WWE Exec Says WM Bigger Than Super Bowl


ESPN has an article about WrestleMania 29. During the article, WWE executive vice president of television production Kevin Dunn said that WrestleMania was bigger than the Super Bowl.

"Frankly, our event is bigger than the Super Bowl," said Dunn. "I'm very confident that when you go to a WrestleMania, you will see a bigger show than the Super Bowl. Our whole four-hour event is Beyonce, put it that way. The show Beyonce put on ... they do it for 10 minutes at halftime. We do it for four hours."

August 9, 2012

Kevin Nash Believes Triple H Will Change WWE


Kevin Nash made the following comments to Busted Open Radio regarding how he believes his friend, Triple H will change WWE when he is in full control of the product:

"I think he’ll change the product in the way that he feels is good to change the product. I don’t think the product will stay the same. I think that he has a different vision than other people do," Nash said on the Busted Open satellite radio show this week. "I’m just saying other people; I mean, Vince (McMahon) isn’t the only one that is in the meetings and has a voice. There’s other people. Kevin Dunn. There’s a lot of people that have a voice in that company."

Related to Kevin Dunn and the production team, Nash he thinks "the biggest problem that WWE probably has right now" is a lack of people waiting in the wings to replace the people who have to "to make those incredible last-second calls that makes a near-miss look like the person gets their head taken off."

May 11, 2012

WWE Making Major Change To NXT Tapings Beginning Next Week

WWE NXT will be graduating to its own tapings, combined with WWE developmental Florida Championship Wrestling starting on Thursday 5/17 at 7 PM.
The tapings will be held at Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL (near Orlando) at the Full Sail Live gym. Tickets for the tapings will be free to FSU staff and students with ID as long as they reserve the tickets in advance. No word yet as to how the general public can attend.

I am told one of the reasons the tapings, which will be branded as "WWE Superstar Showdown", are being moved are to make it easier to integrate WWE developmental talent into the mix for NXT. The hope is that the University feel will give the show a chance for better crowd reactions as well as help upgrade FCW TV to a "grander" look than the FCW Arena in Tampa can provide. The plan is to upgrade NXT and give it more attention as opposed to it being a secondary show on the Smackdown tapings.

HHH is behind the moves and will be very involved with the tapings. He was said to be a big fan of the facility when he and other company executives, including Kevin Dunn and Stephanie McMahon scouted last year.

This past December, WWE filmed several potential pilots at the facility and signed an exclusivity deal with the University to prevent any other wrestling-related events from being held there. Full Sail is an entertainment media university with state of the art production facilities.

Triple H is advertised for the initial taping, which will also feature Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio and R-Truth & Kofi Kingston vs. Epico & Primo.

Currently scheduled tapings:

May 17, 2012
June 14, 2012
July 5, 2012
July 19, 2012
August 9, 2012
August 23, 2012
September 6, 2012
September 20, 2012

source: pwinsider.com

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