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October 2, 2019

Triple H Says WWE Is Willing To Forget The Past With CM Punk And Move Forward

Triple H recently appeared on the Sports Illustrated Podcast and was asked about CM Punk possibly working on the WWEBackstage show for FS1, which premieres on Tuesday, November 5 with Renee Young and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T as the hosts. He was asked if Punk working the show would be something he'd sign off on, and be happy to see.

"Look, I've read about that as well," Triple Hsaid of the Punk - FS1 reports. "You know, to be clear, FOX is doing this show, and it's their show, and it's something they're doing to talk about the WWE Universe and everything going on in it. They've had a long list of people they've been interviewing and everything, but as far as for us, one of the things I think this company has shown over and over again, is never say never.

"If the opportunity is right for everybody and it's right for our fans, then we are willing to put the past behind us and move forward. So, I would say, never say never, but that's also probably a long way from coming to. I don't know. That's also a little bit outside of my purview at the moment, but like I said, never say never."

CM Punk Confirms Talks With FOX For WWE Backstage Show, Talks If He's Met With WWE

CM Punk appeared on Collider Live to promote his new horror movie, Girl on the Third Floor. Punk discussed being a fan of the genre, and also talked about comics and comic book movies.

Eventually the conversation turned to pro wrestling. Punk was asked about reports that he tried out for the new "WWE Backstage" studio show on FS1, which he confirmed.

"Yeah I did it," Punk confirmed. "I'm very much in a position where, 'Well come talk to me.'

"I'm open to anything," Punk continued, before adding that it does not necessarily include wrestling. "If they come to me with, 'Hey we want you to wrestle,' I'll say, 'um, I'm not interested'."

Punk noted that he's changed since his last stint with WWE, which ended with a lot of bad blood in 2014.

"I've grown so much as a person and I look back at all the stuff and I don't need it. I don't need the confrontation and I don't need the drama," Punk said. "But I'm a businessman. I also put my morals and my integrity above business deals."

Punk said that while he puts his morals about business, he will be open to the right deal.

"If you want me to do anything, well OK, come talk to me but don't waste my time," Punk stated.

Punk admitted that he doesn't have specifics or numbers in mind regarding what the right deal may be. He noted that his agents contacted him about trying out and he knew that FOX spent a lot of money for the new WWE rights deal. Punk originally thought that the billions that FOX was spending was for the whole WWE package, and was surprised to learn it was just for SmackDown. He said that with all the money that FOX is spending for WWE, they're looking at trying different things.

"Ratings are still dipping and that's been happening for 20+ years," Punk noted. "Trust me, I'm not saying that it's because I'm not there or anything like that. When I was there and I was on top, RAW was doing 3.8's and I was getting blamed for it, like that's a bad rating. Now they would f--king kill to have a 3.8!

"My agents just called me and FOX is throwing everything at this because they spent a lot of money on this and they're all in to make it work. Originally I thought it was a WWE thing, so I was just like, 'meh, no.' But then they said, 'this is FOX.'"

Punk said that he is not dealing with WWE. He noted that if he were to do the job, he would call it down the line, but he would not pretend like something isn't bad if it is.

"I'm not dealing with anybody in WWE," Punk said. "They explained to me what it was and I love Renee Young. Renee Young is a great person... she's Canadian, so obviously she's super over-the-top nice and friendly. I prefaced it with, 'Guys, I'm not going to come in and dump all over stuff just to dump on it. That's old Phil. But if it's bad, I'm not going to be able to pretend it's anything but bad.'

"So they want to present it like it's a real sport and just have a show that recaps stuff, just like they do with the NFL, just like the NHL Network would do with hockey games and stuff like that. That's where we are with that."

Regarding if anyone from WWE has reached out to him since the tryout, Punk joked, "No, I'm the boogeyman!"

Triple H Reveals What Vince McMahon Thinks of WWE NXT

Triple H is at the helm when it comes to running NXT, but Vince McMahon is the man behind WWE and he still has a say in how NXT is run. 

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Triple H revealed what Vince McMahon thinks of NXT and what he wants it to become. 

"Everything that happens within WWE has Vince’s fingerprints on it. There is no NXT without Vince. It wouldn’t exist without him. He wants NXT to be different, something for the more passionate fan base. It’s a darker, grittier feel, it’s different. He totally understands that. But he has no desire to be in the day-to-day operations. Vince has a lot of other things on his plate.”

“This is the next step in our growth. I don’t even think the word ‘developmental’ works for us anymore because we are WWE’s third touring brand. This is a place where talent can work their entire career, across the world with NXT UK and soon other places, too, and have a long-lasting, meaningful career in a global brand."


Source: SI.com

September 30, 2019

CM Punk Claims That Colt Cabana Tried To "Extort" Him, Responds To Lawsuit Dismissal

As we previously reported, the legal issues between CM Punk and Colt Cabana were settled last Thursday. Punk and Cabana jointly filed for the case to be dismissed and there was reportedly no financial settlement involved.

In a series of tweets, Punk responded to the case being dismissed. When a user noted that "Colt Abides" while referencing the legal issues between the former friends, Punk responded, "Why'd he ask to settle then? I wanted it to go to trial! Play stupid games, win stupid prizes! Enjoy donating to the eventual 'woe is me' go fund me account."

Punk had filed the countersuit against Cabana this past June seeking $600,000 for general damages as well as interest and legal fees in response to Cabana's amended lawsuit filed in December of 2018. When the user suggested that Cabana settled the suit to move on with his life, Punk replied, "HE SUED ME. He wanted to end the dumb s--t HE started? I asked to speak to him, he declined. I asked to enter mediation, he declined. I offered money, IT WASNT ENOUGH! I never wanted ANY of it. He's as greedy as you are ignorant to who I am, and fooled by who he is."

Punk added that he loved Cabana and "would've done anything for him". He claims that he would have just given Cabana the money if he had asked him, however Cabana instead "tried to extort me."

"I loved the guy," Punk tweeted. "Would've done anything for him. And the irony is, if he just would've asked for the money, I'd have given it to him. Instead he tried to extort me."

September 28, 2019

Rumor Mill - CM Punk/WWE FS1 Show Tryout

CM Punk was at FOX Studios earlier this week in Los Angeles for a possible on-screen role for WWE Backstage on FS1. The show is currently going to be co-hosted by Renee Young and Booker T, premiering on Tuesday, November 5 at 11 pm ET.

Punk reportedly did some on-camera testing, with Young present at the meeting. FOX has experimented with different versions of the show and how it will be presented, ranging from 3-5 personalities hosting a panel discussion. A final decision on the format had not been agreed on as of earlier this week.

In an update on this morning's Wrestling Observer Radio, the feeling is that Punk's tryout went well and he'll probably get an offer to join the show.

FOX will be taping the series each week, not WWE. Punk would technically be working for FOX and not WWE, if he signs on to be a part of the show. Dave Meltzer speculated that WWE may not want to put up a fight if FOX is interested in Punk, and that it also keeps him away from AEW.

In regards to AEW, Meltzer said he was told by AEW that they would never work with Punk after his interview with ESPN in July. In that interview, Punk was negative about AEW when asked about his relationship with the company. He reiterated previous comments on talking with AEW, but nothing coming from those talks. He also noted that AEW loves to talk about him a lot, and that they had made him an offer over text.

September 26, 2019

Renee Young And Booker T To Host WWE Backstage On FS1

WWE is adding more programming to an already busy week of wrestling. It has been confirmed via press release that Tuesday's will feature FS1's WWE Backstage, a television only studio show devoted to all things WWE. The hour-long show will be available on FS1 every Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT starting November 5.

Renee Young will be the host of the show while Booker T will be providing analysis.

"WWE Backstage is a wrestling show for wrestling fans. From hardcore fans to people new to wrestling, w''ll give them a little bit of everything," Renee said. "It's going to be fun, it's going to be loud, we're going to give them a ton of opinions and I can't wait to help spread the word about SmackDown coming to FOX."

According to FOX Sports, there will be a special preview show on Tuesday, October 15, following the conclusion of Game 3 of the MLB's ALCS on FS1. Young and Booker T will be revealing the WWE Backstage set.

Since early June, rumors have been swirling regarding an opportunity for Young to do more than commentary. This is especially true after SmackDown was moved to Friday's on FOX starting next week on October 4. Back in April, Triple H spoke about the opportunity of a show on FS1. According to the former WWE Champion, the WWE studio show on Fox will feature discussions on the various WWE happenings, plus appearances by familiar faces from the past and present.

This will be the first major role for Booker T in quite some time. As of late, Booker T has made appearances on WWE TV on the PPV Kickoff panels.

"It's awesome being part of the FOX family and part of this movement of Friday Night SmackDown to FOX," Booker T said. "FOX Sports has always been the one-stop shop for sports and now it's going to be the one-stop shop for sports and entertainment. I think this is going to be a tag team that's going to last for a long time, and one that cannot lose. As I always say, now can you dig it, sucka?"

There have been rumblings regarding commentary changes when next week hits, especially with the WWE Draft looming. One of those ideas is a two-man booth. As of now, it is unknown if Renee will be continuing her commentary duties on RAW.

Additional information for FS1's WWE Backstage will be announced at a later date, according to WWE.

September 24, 2019

Happy Birthday Stephanie





Stephanie McMahon Levesque
September 24, 1976

September 23, 2019

Shawn Michaels On What Drew Him Out Of Retirement for WWE Crown Jewel

After years of being committed to his decision of not returning to the ring, Shawn Michaels finally came back for one final match at the Crown Jewel event last year.

During a recent interview with State Of Combat Podcast, the former World Champion talked about a number of things and he also revealed the most important reason he chose to do that match.

The Heart Break Kid said that the most important thing about his return was being out there with his best friend Triple H, and it’s the biggest reason he agreed to the match:

“The most important thing to me was being in there with Hunter, more than any reason at all, that is why I did it. As silly as it sounds, I am so fortunate to have the last ride with your best friend in the sunset, which is what I wanted to do with him.”

According to Michaels, he was pretty certain about this but he has always been a bit concerned about saying it out loud in fear that it was the one time he can’t.

Shawn Michaels retired from active competition after he put his career on the line against the Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVI and lost the bout.

He returned to the ring for one more match at the Crown Jewel event on November 2018. He teamed up with Triple H to face the Brothers of Destruction at the show and the duo was able to defeat Undertaker and Kane in this bout.

Quotes via WrestlingInc

September 19, 2019

Triple H Reveals Vince McMahon's Reaction To NXT's USA Debut

The Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events, and Creative for WWE, "The King of Kings" Triple H, spoke on a media call after this week's debut episode of NXT live on the USA Network that Wrestling Inc. partook in. Hunter opened up about the direct line of communication that he had with Vince McMahon throughout the day leading up to 8 PM EST. Overall, Hunter believes that Vince was pleased with the different product that the NXT stars provide.


"I received a bunch of texts from [Vince McMahon] throughout the day excited, and excited to see it, and wishing us luck especially as it got close," Triple H said. "He was sending me little texts counting me down, '20 minutes!' You know? Which I thought was great because it was just fun. And then he sent me a few texts throughout the show. He watched the entire thing. I'm sure he's at the office, probably at a meeting while he was doing it, but he enjoyed it, he loved it, he thought the talent did a hell of a job, thought they knocked it out of the park.

"He was excited. He sent me a massive congratulations after it was over and was thrilled with the product," Hunter continued. "It's a funny thing because people don't give him the credit - he embraces the difference! He embraces the difference; the products should be different and he embraces that difference and is all into that difference. It's like liking different types of music, and one thing might be somebody's cup of tea and something else may be another but you appreciate all of it. And I think that's the best way of saying it, he absolutely appreciates it and thought it was great. He sent me a congrats to us, the crew, and all the talent."

WWE NXT Draws Strong Audience For USA Network Premiere

Last night's WWE NXT premiere on the USA Network drew 1.179 million viewers, according to Showbuzz Daily.

The show ranked #4 for the night in the Cable Top 150 18-49 demographic, behind American Horror Story, Basketball Wives and Black Ink Crew. NXT ranked #19 for the night in viewership.

These numbers are for the first hour that aired on the USA Network. We do not have viewership for the second hour that aired on the WWE Network. Both hours will begin airing on USA with the Wednesday, October 2 episode.

To compare, Monday's RAW drew an average of 2.272 million viewers, up from last week's 2.130 million viewers. Tuesday's SmackDown drew 2.064 million viewers, barely up from last week's 2.061 million viewers.

USA aired a special NXT episode back on Wednesday, December 13, 2017 and that show drew 841,000 viewers, and ranked #22 on the Cable Top 150.

Paramount Animation & WWE Studios Partner For Upcoming Feature ‘Rumble

Paramount Animation is teaming with WWE Studios on the upcoming summer 2020 release Rumblewhich is set in a world where monster wrestling is a global sport and monsters are superstar athletes.

The pic will headline the voice cast of Will Arnett, Terry Crews, Geraldine Viswanathan plus WWE Superstars Becky Lynch (The Marine 6: Close Quarters) and Roman Reigns (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw). In addition, Tony Danza, Stephen A. Smith, Jimmy Tatro, Ben Schwartz and Michael Buffer will also be part of the voiceover cast.

Directed by Hamish Grieve, Rumble follows Winnie who seeks to follow in her father’s footsteps by coaching a loveable underdog monster into a wrestling champion.

Pic is produced by Mark Bakshi and Brad Booker. Susan Levison and Richard Lowell will serve as EPs for WWE Studios. Reel FX and Walden Media are also producers on Rumble.

WWE Studios recently produced the Dwayne Johnson feature film Fighting with My Familywith the actor’s Seven Bucks and MGM. WWE is currently in production on the Netflix feature The Main EventThe Big Show Show for the streamer and Fight Like a Girl, an unscripted series for Quibi. Recent projects also include Andre the Giant, an Emmy-nominated documentary in partnership with HBO, as well as hit shows Total Divas and Total Bellas on E! and Miz & Mrs. on USA.

Said Mireille Soria, President of Paramount Animation, “Rumble is steeped in the world of wrestling, and what better partners to help bring this world to life than WWE. They bring a pedigree and institutional excellence that is unmatched, and we couldn’t be happier to collaborate with them on this special film. We are thrilled to have a seasoned and dynamic cast in place to breathe life into this exciting story, and can’t wait to bring it to audiences.”

We Are Not Your Kind #FTMF

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