WrestleMania Generates Record $170 Million For Dallas/Arlington Region

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams announced today that WrestleMania 32 generated $170.4 million in economic impact for the Dallas/Arlington region this past April, according to a study conducted by the Enigma Research Corporation. This marks a new record for WrestleMania’s economic impact and the fifth consecutive year that WrestleMania generated more than $100 million in economic impact for its host region.

Over the past ten years, WrestleMania has generated nearly $1 billion in cumulative economic impact for the cities that have hosted the event. WrestleMania 32 also generated approximately $23.8 million in federal, state and local taxes.

“On behalf of our city, we would like to thank all of the domestic and international WWE fans that converged on Dallas for WrestleMania Week to enjoy all that North Texas has to offer,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. “The week-long series of events brought a tremendous economic windfall to our region.”

“We are proud that WWE’s biggest event in history was held here in Arlington,” said Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams. “The event was an incredible success for our city, and we would like to thank the Dallas Cowboys for their tireless efforts in bringing WrestleMania to AT&T Stadium.”

"We are thrilled that WrestleMania continues to break records for both WWE and our host community,” said John P. Saboor, WWE Executive Vice President, Special Events. "This success would not have been possible without the support of Mayor Rawlings, Mayor Williams, Charlotte Jones and the entire Dallas Cowboys organization as well as all of our public and private sector partners that embraced WWE’s worldwide fan base for this historic celebration. We now look ahead to our return to Orlando for WrestleMania 33."

A record crowd of 101,763 fans from all 50 states and 35 countries attended WWE’s pop-culture extravaganza this past April, making it the highest-grossing and best-attended event in WWE history. Key highlights from the study include:

$170.4 million in direct, indirect and induced impact derived from spending by visitors to the Dallas/Arlington region for WrestleMania 32.
72% of fans that attended WrestleMania were from outside the greater Dallas/Arlington region and stayed an average of 3.9 nights.
$25 million was spent on hotels and accommodations within the Dallas/Arlington region.
The economic impact derived from WrestleMania Week was equal to the creation of 1,550 full-time jobs for the area.
$8.4 million was spent by visitors to the Dallas/Arlington region at area restaurants.

Next year, WrestleMania 33 will take place Sunday, April 2 at the Orlando Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL. Tickets go on sale this Friday, November 18 at 10 AM Eastern through Ticketmaster. The event will be broadcast live on WWE Network in more than 180 countries.

More Wrestling Promotions Drop Joey Styles

As noted, former WWE employee and ECW announcer Joey Styles was fired from EVOLVE over the weekend for making a Donald Trump related joke during a broadcast. Beyond Wrestling and CHIKARA have announced that they have also parted ways with Styles.

Beyond Wrestling posted on Twitter:

"Despite his unprofessional behavior I would like to extend him the professional courtesy of a phone call before making an announcement."

"Joey Styles will no longer be appearing at Sunday's live event in Worcester or any future Beyond Wrestling live events. Thank you."

CHIKARA founder Mike Quackenbush also posted a blog piece noting that the company would not be using Styles any further, as seen below:

The events of the last few days have been just cause to take a look at the state of professional wrestling. The art form that I love, and have dedicated my entire adult life to, is embarrassingly behind the times. It is beholden to outdated tenets that threaten to render it...obsolete at worst, and a punchline at best.

I know there are others, influential and celebrated, that imagine pro-wrestling to be a bubble in which the social norms from a bygone era are still relevant and valid. At CHIKARA, we rail against them, and those ideals, with everything we make. It is one thing to speak, to voice an opinion. It is one thing to call for change, to wish for change, to imagine how that change might come about. It is another thing to make it. At CHIKARA, we make it happen. It doesn't matter to us in the least how many people show up to see it, or how many people recognize it for what it is. Our mantra is not about critical acclaim or pats on the back: "We believe pro-wrestling should be fun. That's why we make it for everyone."

Effective today, we are terminating our relationship with Joey Styles. Effective today, we are instituting a zero tolerance policy for misogynistic, racist, and/or homophobic speech, written or verbal, whether it's directed toward our cast, our crew, or our patrons. This is the shape of CHIKARA.

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Triple H On Conor McGregor Possibly Appearing For WWE

Triple H attended UFC 205 this past Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. In the evening's main event, UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor become the first person in UFC history to simultaneously hold titles in two divisions after defeating Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight Championship.

Triple H spoke to The Telegraph at the event and confirmed that WWE is interested in bringing McGregor in.

"He could come over, he's got it all, man - he's got the personality, the skills, the talk. He's an entertainer, for sure," Triple H said. "What does he walk around at? 180lbs? I have smaller guys now in the WWE. We have 200lb guys who are stars. You don't need to be 300lbs any more.

"He could do just as well as Floyd Mayweather when he fought the Big Show. That really worked. Conor could do it for sure."

Triple H posted this GIF of Conor and Vince McMahon earlier today:

#WhenYouKnowYoureTheMan @VinceMcMahon @TheNotoriousMMA #UFC205 pic.twitter.com/HGOgmS3mgf

— Triple H (@TripleH) November 14, 2016

Joey Styles Issues Open Letter Addressing His Departure From EVOLVE Over the Weekend

As noted, former WWE employee Joey Styles was fired by EVOLVE’s Gabe Sapolsky over the weekend following a Donald Trump related joke Styles made while on commentary for EVOLVE 72.

Styles has since issued the following open letter:

AN OPEN LETTER FROM JOEY STYLES

Friday night, I panicked on camera during the live broadcast of Evolve 72 on FloSlam when I realized that heel manager, Stokely Hathaway and I would be doing our promo at ringside and not in the ring with ring announcer, Joanna Rose as I had anticipated.

I told Joanna before the show that during my promo with her and Stokely in the ring, I was going to ask her about English tailoring so we could compare my suit with Stokely Hathaway’s suit.

I had no idea what to say when Stokely Hathaway and I were at ringside about to trade promos and I didn’t have Joanna with us to ask about English tailoring.

I panicked and I did exactly what Gabe Sapolsky told me not to do earlier in the week and made a political joke. The joke included a partial quote from the President-Elect that was meant to mock him and then, in-turn, my scripted nemesis, Stokely Hathaway.

I started the joke and stopped quoting the President-Elect without using the offensive word.

Again, I did not utter the offensive word.

I then turned to Stokely Hathaway and said “the word that I will not use, brings me to you.”

As the veteran, I should have walked through the promo segment with Stokely Hathaway and Joanna Rose before the event so that there was no possibility of me putting myself in that position.

Gabe was justifiably furious at me and thought that I had endangered his relationship with FloSports.

After the event, I looked Gabe in the eye, apologized to him, and as not as to put him in the awkward position of having to fire someone he has known for 20 years, told him to fire me publicly and then shook his hand.

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Linda McMahon Considered for Secretary of Commerce

Sources close to Linda McMahon and President-elect Trump's transition team confirm the former Senate candidate is one name under consideration to become Secretary of Commerce in the new Trump administration.

McMahon, a former World Wrestling Entertainment executive and two-time U.S. Senate candidate has been involved in campaigns across the country, including the presidential election. She hosted an event for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who was her top choice in the Republican primary, then threw her support behind Trump, a longtime friend.

Besides attending the Republican National Convention, she's been a frequent guest at fundraisers for federal candidates, rubbing elbows with top GOP leaders like House Speaker Paul Ryan. This election she was considered a Republican mega donor.

McMahon served on the Connecticut Board of Education starting in 2009 for just over a year before resigning when a new legal opinion by state elections officials restricted political activities by board members.

McMahon ran for a U.S. Senate seat in the 2010 general election and lost to Democrat Richard Blumenthal. McMahon spent $50 million of her own money, more than any other candidate in that election, and secured 44 percent of the vote, while Blumenthal spent $8.7 million, $2.5 million of which was his own money, and secured 54 percent of the vote.

She was the 2012 Republican nominee for Connecticut’s other senate seat to replace retiring Sen. Joe Lieberman but lost again, this time to Democratic Representative Chris Murphy.

source: nbcconnecticut.com

Joey Styles Fired From EVOLVE Tonight After Making Donald Trump-Related Joke, FloSlam Comments

Former WWE employee Joey Styles was fired by Gabe Sapolsky after making a Donald Trump-related joke during tonight's EVOLVE 72 iPPV. While on commentary, Styles said the following to announcer Joanna Rose but stopped before the sentence:

"Joanna, you look great tonight, and if our next President were here tonight, he'd want to grab you by the..."

Styles then said the word he was going to use is what EVOLVE manager Stokely Hathaway is, indicating he meant to say "p---y."

Below are comments from Sapolsky, the WWN Live VP of Talent Relations:

"I deeply apologize for Joey Styles' comments and am furious. We've parted ways with Joey Styles and that's my final comment on this. Thank you for your support."

FloSlam, who was streaming the event, also commented:

"We do not support or condone Joey Styles' remarks tonight in any manner, and we support this (Sapolsky's) decision 100%."

Former WWE Diva Ashley Massaro Tags-In on Lawsuit Against WWE; Alleges Sexual Abuse, Brain Injuries

Ashley Massaro was on the WWE roster from 2005-2008. According to court documents published by the Boston Globe, Massaro says she was sexually assaulted at a US military base. Massaro says that she was examined by a WWE physician after returning from Kuwait and she says that she reported the assault to WWE executives who she says met with her “to apologize for their negligence, but [they] persuaded her that it would be best not to report it to appropriate authorities.”

The former WWE diva is one of seven others that joined in the lawsuit that she received several concussions during her time in WWE, including one that caused her to be unconscious in the ring.

According to the lawsuit, she claims that she has been dealing with multiple behavioral changes since leaving the WWE in 2008, including developing a drug addition which the company helped her for by putting her in sponsored rehab. WWE provides free drug rehabilitation to any former talent that has been under contract with them.

The Boston Globe also reports that Massaro mentioned in the lawsuit that she is suffering from memory loss, migraines, anxiety, and depression. Thoee are all symptoms of CTE but CTE (as of now) can only be diagnosed after death. Massaro also says that she suffered a hairline fracture in her spine, two herniated discs, a shattered knuckle and an ankle fracture. There is also a claim that Vince McMahon told the backstage crew to saw off a cast from her hand so she could perform. The claim is that he ordered to have the cast removed several weeks before she was fully healed.

You can read the full story from the Boston Globe here.

WWE: Then. Now. Forever. Bodes Well for the Future of Wrestling Comics

What Donald Trump learned about politics from pro wrestling

In the 16 months between launching his campaign by calling Mexicans rapists and closing it with an ad that recalled the “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” President-elect Donald Trump broke practically every rule of politics and rejected the norms of conventional wisdom at every turn. He insulted women, Gold Star families and war heroes. He mocked the disabled and traded barbs with the pope. He lied consistently about his record and claimed that the whole election was rigged against him. In most years, any one of those actions would disqualify candidates from office and ensure their defeat.

Trump might not have been playing by the rules of politics, but he won the game. So how did he do it? Those looking to his career as a developer or reality TV host came up short in predicting Trump’s survival and eventual victory, because those are only part of the story. The most important lessons Donald Trump ever learned were in a pro wrestling ring.

Trump’s decades-long relationship with the world of pro wrestling — and its chief company, WWE, and chief mastermind, Vince McMahon — has been well-documented. He sponsored two early WrestleManias, endorsed Jesse Ventura for president at one and headlined another (he didn’t wrestle, but he did help “Stone Cold” Steve Austin shave McMahon’s head). In one storyline, he “bought” the WWE’s flagship program, “Monday Night Raw,” causing the company’s real-life stock to take a hit. He’s even in the company’s Hall of Fame.

Trump’s time in the squared circle wasn’t simply a business venture: It was a chance to commune with McMahon, with whom he shares a nearly parallel biography. Born to leaders of regional industries, both men took over their fathers’ businesses and turned them into national powerhouses. After ascending to the heights of American culture in the 1980s, they suffered setbacks — legal, financial, personal — in the ’90s before roaring back to prominence at the turn of the new millennium, with the same “You’re fired!” catchphrase, no less...More?

source: washingtonpost.com

Triple H Talks New 205 Live Show, Rebuilding the NXT Roster, HBK’s Performance Center Role, Which NXT Talents Are Rising Stars & More

Billy Corgan and TNA Settle Their Legal Dispute

Billy Corgan just announced on Twitter that he has settled his legal issues with TNA, so it appears as if the issue of Corgan being owed loan money has been resolved.

"Just signed my settlement with TNA/ANTHEM. And to fill in the blanks I'll do a few interviews next week to spell out what is/isn't in it."

Triple H Reveals Whether or Not Shawn Michaels is the New Performance Center Head Coach

Triple H revealed that despite claims made by WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash, Shawn Michaels is not the new WWE NXT head coach:

"Contrary to what you've read, Shawn Michaels is not the head coach of PC. Matt Bloom is & will continue."

Two Wrongful Death Cases Against WWE Dismissed

United States District Judge Vanessa Bryant dismissed two wrongful death cases against WWE yesterday, initially filed by Michelle James and Cassandra Frazier on behalf of Matt Osborne and Cassandra Frazier respectively.

Matt Osborne, known to millions of wrestling fans as Doink the Clown and "Maniac" Matt Osborne, passed away on June 28th 2013 from an accidental opiate overdose at 55-years old.

Nelson Frazier, who appeared as various wrestling personalities including Mabel, Viscera, and Big Daddy V, passed away at just 42-years old from a heart attack on February 18, 2014.

Both cases claimed the former WWE Superstars suffered brain damage while working for the entertainment conglomerate that subsequently lead to their untimely deaths. It's important to note that neither wrestler had their brain examined postmortem to scan for CTE symptoms. Frazier's body was immediately cremated following his passing, making any necessary testing impossible.

Judge Bryant ruled Michelle James, Matt Osborne's girlfriend, didn't provide enough evidence that Osborne suffered from CTE or that CTE would even lead to the overdose that killed him. She also ruled that James couldn't legally file a wrongful death action against anyone, as she's not an administrator nor executor of Osborne's estate. It was suggested James re-file the claim with a member of Osborne's family, but Judge Bryant warned that the case would be futile because attorney's haven't plead a plausible cause of action.

The wrongful death case filed by Cassandra Frazier was dismissed due to her failure to allege a plausible link between the early death of her husband and wrongful acts perpetrated by World Wrestling Entertainment. Bryant said Frazier failed to establish any link between her husband's heart failure and a potential case of CTE. As far as the claim Frazier could have survived a heart attack had he not suffered from CTE, Judge Bryant said it was "another bald and baseless allegation, which the court deems unworthy of the barest measure of credibility."

Judge Bryant noted that both claims stated the wrestlers' deaths could be a result of CTE, but as previously noted, no official testing had been done. She said with no official diagnoses, it's hard to allege that either man died of CTE-related injuries, much-less prove the case in a court of law.

WWE lobbied to take sanctions against opposing counsel Konstantine Kyros, for offering "false and misleading statements" that Judge Bryant herself deemed "highly unprofessional," however the motion was ultimately denied. Bryant didn't let Kyros off-the-hook completely however, writing: "The court admonishes Kyros and his co-counsel to adhere to the standards of professional conduct and to applicable rule and court orders lest they risk future sanctions or referral to the Disciplinary Committee of this court."

Corey Graves On Transition To Announcing Being Tough

"To see the guys I came up with in the ring bothered me a lot worse before, but now, I think the familiarity lends itself to doing my job better. I was in the ring in FCW and NXT with guys like Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt and that helps me, but it took a lot of time to get to this point. I don't think the love for being in the ring will ever go away and be completely gone, but it's a lot less. I'm enjoying being surrounded by guys I know so well."

Renee Young Talks Dean Ambrose Being Hesitant To Be In Total Divas, How Their Relationship Started

Renee Young was interviewed by Scott Fishman for Channel Guide Magazine for promoting her appearance on Total Divas.She talked about her relationship with Dean Ambrose, being cast in Total Divas and more.

Dean Ambrose being hesitant to join Total Divas Cast:

"He was a little bit hesitant to do anything with it. Then he kind of warmed up to it, and being able to talk to Daniel Bryan definitely opened up his mind. I'm excited for fans to get to see our relationship and for them to see him in this other light as well. I think it will be really cool for people to kind of see him at home with me. We go on a couple of vacations and interact with my family. I think it will be a nice little token for fans to take away."

How her relationship with Dean Ambrose started:

"Maybe about six months in, he and I started dating. I don't even know if I can pinpoint exactly what it was. It was like instantly we were together. We were always talking to each other. We were always spending all of our time together. It just kind of happened. We just caught each other's eye and were always around each other. You hear stories from like the Twins or Nattie, girls that were around prior to me being there. They told me he wouldn't talk to anybody, ever. Then when I came around, they noticed he is chatting with me and coming to hang out with me. He is known to kind of keep to himself. That has always been his deal. I don't know. We just hit it off. I guess he has a thing for Canadian girls; hopefully, just me."

Bella Twins helping her:

"The Bella Twins, Nicole and Brie, have been so great incorporating me in there in so many ways from the get-go, which has always been really cool. When they asked me to do it for this upcoming season, I was super excited to join the cast and be a part of everything these awesome women get to do. It is a really cool opportunity for me. And it's so different from what I normally get to do in WWE."

Renee also talked about her role in WWE, Cathy Kelly and more. You can read the full interview here.

Matt Bloom On Communicating With Triple H, What It Takes To Go From NXT To WWE

You’ll remember Matt Bloom for his in-ring appearances with WWE as Prince Albert, Albert and A-Train. You might even remember him as Lord Tensai. Matt Bloom played in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers, from there he became a schoolteacher at Revere High School and was trained professionally to wrestle by the late Killer Kowalski. Now, Matt Bloom is the head trainer at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida for NXT.

I got to talk with Matt about his relationship with Triple H, who off camera acts as the Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative for WWE. We discussed what goes into an NXT Superstar being called up the the main roster as a WWE Superstar and what it’s like having Shinsuke Nakamura as the NXT Champion.

“Keep him healthy, the main thing I do with Shinsuke Nakamura, is don’t get him hurt because when he gets the chance to be a WWE Superstar, he’s going to tear the world down,” Bloom said.

Matt also thinks the Patriots will be returning to the Super Bowl, something he says he expect every season. Being from Boston, Matt always expects the local teams to be playing for and winning championships.

Listen to the interview below:

ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 “This Was the XFL” to Premiere in February

Three days before Super Bowl LI, ESPN Films will premiere the 30 for 30 documentary “This Was the XFL,” directed by Charlie Ebersol, chronicling the short-lived, ill-fated pro football league. The documentary, airing on February 2 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN, tells the story in fascinating, candid, and often rollicking fashion featuring fellow television legends and close friends – Dick Ebersol and Vince McMahon.

A bold challenge, a fearless experiment and ultimately, a spectacular failure. In 2001, sports entertainment titans Ebersol and McMahon launched the XFL. It was hardly the first time a league had tried to compete with the NFL, but the brash audacity of the bid, combined with the personalities and charisma of Ebersol and McMahon and the marketing behemoths of their respective companies — NBC and WWE — captured headlines and a sense of undeniable anticipation about what was to come.

Bringing together a cast of characters ranging from the boardrooms of General Electric to the practice fields of Las Vegas, “This Was the XFL” is the tale of — yes — all that went wrong, but also, how the XFL ended up influencing the way professional team sports are broadcast today. And at the center of it all – a decades long friendship between one of the most significant television executives in media history and the one-of-a-kind WWE impresario. This film will explore how Ebersol and McMahon brought the XFL to life, and why they had to let it go.

“I grew up on the sidelines watching my father and Vince enjoy incredible success with just about everything they touched, and then, along came the XFL,” said director Charlie Ebersol. “I saw them take bold creative risks, face unparalleled success and failure with dignity, but most importantly they maintained and celebrated a friendship where most would have cut and run. I learned more about integrity and character in those 18 months than just about any other time in my life, so when ESPN Films asked if I wanted to tell the story of the XFL, I jumped at the opportunity because I knew that the real story was that of an unbreakable friendship.”

John Dahl, Vice President and Executive Producer, ESPN Films said: “We felt that the colorful personalities and storylines featured throughout the rise and fall of the XFL deserved a more detailed examination, and as Dick Ebersol’s son, Charlie provided a personal understanding of it all. The XFL was a gamble, and even though the league didn’t ultimately succeed, we think audiences will really enjoy this tale of risk and ambition.”

“This Was the XFL” will have its world premiere tomorrow at the DOC NYC film festival in Manhattan. Additional details and ticket information can be found here: http://www.docnyc.net/film/this-was-the-xfl/

source: espnmediazone.com

Kevin Nash, Scott Hall And Sean Waltman Discuss Shawn Michaels Working At The WWE Performance Center

The Kevin Gill Show debuted this Monday as part of Podcast Arena and featured all three original members of the NWO Wolfpac (Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman) as guests.

On Shawn Michaels joining the WWE Performance Center:

Nash: How many people, including the two guys to my left, know that the new Head of the WWE Performance Center is Shawn Michaels?

Hall: Oh yeah, I knew that.

Waltman: Is he actually moving to Florida? I can’t believe that.

Nash: Oh yeah, he’s moving to Florida with the family and everything. If you thought that NXT was something wait til that son of a bitch gets down there and gives them his magic. There is nobody better than him. Physically nobody better. Psychology nobody better. It’s going to be a game changer. I don’t know what the hell they are paying him but it’s got to be a lot because to get Shawn to do the 9-5…

Waltman: Whatever it is is a bargain.

Nash: His son wants to do graphic design. His daughter wants to be a veterinarian. Sea World is down there. There’s a lot of advantages to being in Orlando over Abilene, TX. Nothing against Abilene. I hear there’s a lot of good things going on there.

Gill: I don’t think Full Sail has opened a branch out there.

Nash: Graphic design is something you have at Full Sail. “Go with Dad to work.”

Dixie Carter Holds Call With TNA Roster, Talks Creative Changes, New Anthem Agreement, More

Dixie Carter held a conference call today with the TNA roster and other employees, according to PWInsider. The call was described as a "rah rah" call with Dixie saying lots of things within the company had changed since the locker room meeting in Orlando on October 3rd.

Dixie officially introduced Anthem Sports & Entertainment's Eric Nordholm as a member of the Board of Managers and said the Board will be guiding TNA going forward. Dixie praised TNA's new relationship with Anthem and said they have injected capital & resources into the company that will bring it to the next level.

Nordholm also addressed the roster and praised them for their hard work. He also said the new agreement will be a great opportunity for both The Fight Network and TNA.

It was noted that TNA is looking at getting back to running live events and strengthening their relationship with their Indian TV partner, Sony Six. The idea of an over-the-top streaming network featuring TNA content was also mentioned.

Regarding TNA creative changes, Dixie confirmed that Billy Corgan is no longer with the company and that David Lagana resigned last week. Dixie said going forward, they will be going back to a collaborative effort with John Gaburick, Matt Conway and Madison Rayne but they are looking to hire more writers to work creative.

Rumor Mill - Sin Cara Has Been Ordered To Go Through Anger Management Courses

There's not going to be a major fallout with this fight that had happened, but Sin Cara has been ordered to take anger management courses. Dave Meltzer has given some details and clarification on what actually happened on the WWE bus in Europe on Sunday.

Sin Cara was making some sort of noises on the bus and others were telling him to shut up. Afterward, Jericho told him to shut up and that’s when Sin Cara told him to “f*ck off.” Sin Cara took a swing and missed and that’s when everyone jumped in to break it up.

Despite reports spreading around, Sin Cara did not end up hitting Jericho’s face, and Jericho was not knocked out. Sin Cara’s fist got close to Jericho’s mouth during the pull apart so that’s when Jericho had bitten his hand.

This so far marks 3 different fights Sin Cara has went through.. He was in a fight with Sheamus a few years ago backstage at a show and he was also involved in a fight with Simon Gotch in July backstage near catering before a Smackdown show. There were people that thought that Sin Cara would end up being fired after the fight with Gotch. Dave Meltzer has noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Sin Cara is being ordered to go to anger management.