This past Friday, John Cena surpassed Pedro Morales with more days spent as WWE Champion. As of today, Cena has held the WWE Title a total of 1,030 days over his 9 reigns. Cena is currently #4 on the list behind #3 Bob Backlund, #2 Hulk Hogan and #1 Bruno Sammartino.
If you include Cena's 2 reigns with the World Heavyweight Title, Cena's total days as a major champion in WWE is 1,133. If Cena keeps the WWE Title until SummerSlam on August 14th, he will pass Triple H's total 1,148 days as a WWE Champion & World Champion, based off Triple H's 8 WWE Title reigns and 5 World Heavyweight Title reigns.
source: pwinsider.com
July 31, 2011
News on John Cena & the WWE Title
Triple H Booked for Future Raw & SmackDown Tapings; CM Punk to Speak on Raw
F4WOnline.com is reporting that Triple H is being booked for all Raw and Smackdown tapings in the foreseeable future as he continues his on-air role as new Chief Operating Officer of WWE.
WWE is advertising that CM Punk will make his first public comments since returning to the company on this Monday's edition of WWE Raw. Punk is currently on this weekend's Raw house show loop, main eventing shows against WWE Champion John Cena.
partial source: wrestlezone.com
This Day in Wrestling History
Lance Storm becomes the first man in the history of WCW to hold 3 belts at the same time. Storm was the US, Cruiserweight and Hardcore champion.
July 31, 2000
July 30, 2011
Billy Gunn Apologizes for Negative Comments Made About Triple H
They say the best surprises always sneak up from behind. Well turn around, because the one Billy Gunn joins James Guttman for a 55 minute shoot interview on ClubWWI.com about everything from DX to WWE to TNA.
With a career spanning more than two decades, Kip “Billy Gunn” Sopp has had plenty of high points. To many fans of the WWF Attitude Era, Gunn is most remembered as DX’s “Mr. A$$”. Alongside Road Dogg, X-Pac, Chyna, and Triple H, Billy created some unforgettable TV moments. However, when he left the company in 2004, he made waves with some harsh comments pointed at his former DX stable mate Triple H. He lashed out at the Game and appeared to blame him for his WWE departure. Years removed from those comments, James Guttman asks Bad a## Billy about those stinging shots. Gunn takes responsibility and explains some of his reasoning to ClubWWI.com members:
“Know what it was? I didn’t want to take the blame for what I had done- things that I was doing, things that (made it so) they couldn’t keep me around. I just couldn’t take it that (WWE) called me and said – not that this matters – but they had said that when I’m done wrestling, “there will always be a spot here for you as an agent or something like that.” I love helping other people. I love teaching now. I love trying to give away what I have if anyone is interested in knowing a little of what I know. My frustration came out on the one person that was the main guy there and that was Hunter. I just opened fire on him because it was all about me and not wanting to take responsibility for me and my actions.”
Guttman asks Gunn if his position has changed on Hunter. ClubWWI.com members are familiar with wrestlers unloading on the authority figures in WWE, but it’s rare that someone owns up to saying something they regret in hindsight. But that’s what Billy does…
“Has my position changed with him? Yeah. It has. Do I want to pick up the phone every day and call him to apologize? Yeah. Because it was something I did out of selfishness and the selfish person that I was back then. Not that I blame it on anything, but I had a bunch of things going on in my life that was really not that good. I took it out on him and, like I said, I wasn’t taking responsibility for my own actions. That’s what I did. I lashed out at him and everybody I could and I had somebody who was willing to listen and let me go on a live shoot tape to say whatever I wanted. Why would I not? It was all about making me look better and making someone else look bad. I know now that people were going, “Yeah, well it’s really just you. It’s not anyone else.” So yeah. I regret what I did then and for sure now because I’m sure something like that is keeping me from being back there training people. I wish I could change it, but I can’t change it. So I just have to live with the things I’ve done and the actions that I do from here on forward.”
Sounds like someone wants back into the WWE...
This Day in Wrestling History
Happy Birthday to Captain Lou Albano
July 30, 1933
Danno O'Mahony defeated Ed "Strangler" Lewis for the NWA Heavyweight Wrestling title.
July 30, 1935
Booker T defeated Kurt Angle for the WCW Heavyweight title.
July 30, 2001
July 29, 2011
WWE RAW’s Michael Cole, Zack Ryder Match Bombs After Big HHH Segment
During the WrestleMania build, WWE could generally count on the feud between the heel Michael Cole and the babyface Jerry Lawler to spike viewership interest.
That interest appears to have faded, as a significant portion of Monday’s WWE RAW audience tuned out during Cole’s match with Zack Ryder.
According to a quarterly ratings breakdown at F4WOnline.com, Triple H’s “State of WWE Address” popped an impressive 3.8 cable coverage rating, representing one of the biggest “top of the hour” spikes in a while for the weekly wrestling telecast. The segment with Zack Ryder versus Michael Cole, the match that Triple H’s promo built, fell to a 3.1 rating, which conceivably represents a loss of more than one million viewers.
Given the immense fan interest in Triple H’s follow-up to the angle with Vince McMahon, that segment undoubtedly benefited from “curiosity buzz” that would not customarily trickle over to the next segment. But a drop of this magnitude, especially since the Cole match was plugged during Triple H’s promo, is still a disappointment.
The low rating, of course, also speaks negatively to Ryder’s drawing ability, indicating that his online buzz has not yet translated to television interest.
source: headlineplanet.com
This Day in Wrestling History
Jerry Lawler and Andy Kaufman were on the Late Night Show with David Letterman. Lawler and Kaufman started yelling at each other. Lawler started pushing Kaufman and Kaufman was cussing him out, which led to Andy Kaufman walking off the set. The incident made headlines everywhere and basically gave huge publicity to the two men. We later found out that it was all a work and that they were friends.
July 29, 1982
July 28, 2011
Paul Levesque Granted Another 5000 Shares of WWE Stock
Paul received 5000 shares in September of last year around the time of his promotion. According to the SEC filing, he received another 5000 shares this month. Click here to see a copy of the SEC filing.
C.M. Punk reveals when he decided to stay with WWE, Vince McMahon's thoughts on the angle, More
WWE star C.M. Punk was interviewed by ESPN's Bill Simmons on the new Grantland.com in a podcast interview. Punk acknowledged that he used "The Cult of Personality" in Ring of Honor and thought it would be a fun throwback. He said no other songs were considered.
Punk said his big promo that started the angle "was 100 percent real because it came from the heart." He said he knows where the line is and while he may have went too far in a couple of areas, he knows that things like saying hello to Colt Cabana isn't going to hurt the company.
Happy Birthday Murphy
Paul & Stephanie will be celebrating their middle daughter's third birthday today.
Rumor Mill - Sin Cara Attitude Problems the Real Reason for Possible Firing
Though Sin Cara's future with WWE remains uncertain over his recent drug test failure, some new information about his predicament was broken by Mexican wrestling expert Dr. Lucha Steve Sims on today's Figure Four Daily podcast:
Though the test failure has been reported to be due to steroids, Sims is not so sure about that, as Cara is telling people in Mexico that the failure was due to some pain medication for his knee that's on the WWE's banned substances list which he wasn't able to supply them a prescription for. Some people believe Cara's story, as he's had a history of knee problems for quite some time. Cara gave a very similar explanation for his suspension to the Mexican newspaper Record last week.
Sims is claiming that the drug test failure was the excuse people were looking for to send him a message about his attitude backstage and stresses that's the reason why they are considering firing him. The WWE locker room seems to view him similarly to many of the women he's tried to date in Mexico, "a real jerk" who feels he's "superior" to everyone...More?
source: cagesideseats.com
John Laurinaitis Added to WWE.com
A profile on John Laurinaitis, WWE's Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, has been added to the Alumni section on WWE.com.
Contrary to CM Punk's derisive remarks concerning the corporate executive during a pseudo-shoot promo last month on RAW, Laurinaitis is referred as "a respected WWE employee" in his bio. His previous life as "a successful sports-entertainer" in both Japan and the United States is also acknowledged.
Multimillion Dollar Lawsuit Filed by Ottawa Wrestler Against Abdullah the Butcher
Four months after his induction in the WWE Hall of Fame, Abdullah the Butcher (real name Larry Shreve) was served with a statement of claim on Monday July 24thfor a 6.5 million dollar lawsuit, filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, involving negligence, assault, and battery against a local Ottawa wrestler, Devon (Hannibal) Nicholson. Designated co-plaintiffs under the Family Law Act are Laura Joan Nicholson, Arthur Gwyn Nicholson, Frederick Kerry Nicholson, and Joan Greenwell, claiming $40 000 respectively for general damages.
The lawsuit stems after allegations surfaced on a YouTube documentary titled Don’t Bleed on Me, released on March 31st 2011, over an incident that happened between the wrestlers in 2007. Two years ago, Devon Nicholson was on the edge of achieving his dream of working for World Wrestling Entertainment. The talented wrestler obtained a contract, only to have it rescinded on the grounds of him having Hepatitis C. WWE annulled the contract regardless of its current “No Blood” policy and having employed Hepatitis C positive wrestlers in the past...More?
source: netnewsledger.com
This Day in Wrestling History
Eddie Guerrero defeats Dean Malenko for the ECW TV Title.
July 28, 1995
Molly Holly defeated Gail Kim for the WWE Women's title.
July 28, 2003
Rumor Mill - Spike TV Expecting to Rebrand its Network
At the PROMAX/BDA annual conference of marketing executives two weeks ago, Spike TV made it clear they intend on rebranding and trying to change its image from a station mainly targeting males 18-34 to both males and females 18-49.
The network is expecting to lose UFC programming and what this new direction change means for TNA and the weekly Impact Wrestling show is unknown. The show continues to draw well demographic wise and averages anywhere from 1.6-1.8 million viewers per week.
If Spike was to drop TNA, it would mean the end of the company unless they were able to secure another television deal. It doesn't appear likely given that it doubles the network's current average rating and is not expensive based on network standards for first-run programming. So while it would feel like the show is safe, anything is possible with this new direction change by Spike. It should be noted that Spike made no mention at all about TNA at the conference and instead focused on other shows with a passing reference to UFC.
source: wrestling observer newsletter
July 27, 2011
WWE Diva: I Fear 'Crazy Stalker' Wants to Kill Me!!!
WWE star Maryse Ouellet claims an "extremely disturbing and delusional" man is OBSESSED with her ... and now she's asked a judge for protection after he allegedly promised to "take me to heaven with him."
Maryse -- a WWE diva who's been romantically linked with former WWE champion The Miz -- filed a request for a permanent restraining order against 61-year-old Lee Silber ... claiming he has sent "numerous terrifying letters to my home and left more than 50 voicemails on my personal cell phone all of which are extremely disturbing and delusional."
July 26, 2011
Raw TV Ratings Info for 07/25/11
The 7/25 edition of Raw did 3.2 rating with 4,805,000 viewers. The show did hours of 3.01 and 3.4, which meant that there was a lot of growth from hour one to hour two. That is a good sign for the current direction of the company.
source: pwinsider.com
Luntz Poll: The Real Bad News Is For Linda McMahon
Republican darling and West Hartford native Frank Luntz is out with a poll that has ex-Connecticut resident and former U.S. Rep. Chris Shays in striking distance of Chris Murphy in the 2012 U.S. Senate race. Yawn.
Shays, who lives in Maryland, is just another name in a poll with a very small sampling of voters (just 500 people) by Luntz, the Hall High grad and language trickster who helped Republicans recast "global warming" as "climate change."
The real black eye that Luntz delivered was to Republicans who want to see the $50 Million Woman run again. The thin and transparent poll is a trial balloon on behalf of Shays.
For Linda McMahon, the finding that stands out the most is the 57% who would probably or definitely not vote for her if she were the GOP nominee. Her race in 2010 -- a Republican year everywhere else -- clearly damaged her image statewide, and her favorability is "upside-down," with more people having a negative than positive image of her. She would be the best known candidate statewide -- 86% of the electorate has an opinion of her -- but with opinions so solidified (and so negative) thanks to a vicious campaign waged against her, it's hard to see a potential path to victory for her in 2012 in a state that is already tilted against the GOP.
This conclusion by a Republican opinion-maker is devastating to McMahon, who has been busy trying to recast her image since her loss to Richard Blumenthal last year. McMahon, who says she has not decided whether to run, has been showing up as a supporter of public broadcasting and urban education lately.
My money is still on a McMahon candidacy. I'm not so sure she isn't the strongest Republican candidate out there.
source: courant.com
Another X Division Signing
Zema Ion (a/k/a Shiima Xion) has signed with TNA Wrestling. "I have a contract with them and will be appearing on television soon," Ion told rderudooficial.blogspot.com.
Former TNA wrestlers Generation Me comment on their departure from the company, Rob Van Dam criticizing them
Why Generation Me are no longer with TNA: "It just comes down to money. We had crumby deals where you got paid-per-appearance. And we both had dreams to one day sign with a big professional wrestling company and when we got a TNA contract, I think we kinda jumped-the-gun. To tell you the truth, I don't even think we looked at our contracts. At first, we were making good money and thought it was pretty cool. But as time progressed, we asked for help and asked for a guarantee and we never got that. We never wanted to split-up. When they said we would be X-Division wrestlers, we didn't want to be lost in the shuffle. And when the agents couldn't even tell whether we were heel or face, that's when we decided it was time to get out."
On the controversial comments made by RVD - directed towards them: "We knew he was talking about us. At first, we were like why? I didn't feel like either of us had any issues with Rob. Rob always seemed like a loner who just did his own thing. He's not exactly the kind of guy that you would approach. Every day we saw him at TV, we both said 'hi' to him. So he didn't have the right to make comments like that. Just because we didn't go to Rob specifically, I hope he didn't take that personally. If we needed any advise, we would go to veterans like Terry Taylor, D-Lo Brown, Tommy Dreamer or Al Snow."
SmackDown TV Ratings Info for 07/22/11
The July 22nd edition of WWE Smackdown on Syfy drew a 1.89 cable rating with 2.8 million viewers. This is up from last week's 1.72 rating and is the highest rating for the show since May.
This Day in Wrestling History
Happy Birthday to Wildfire Tommy Rich
July 26, 1956
Dusty Rhodes defeats Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Title.
July 26, 1986
Gordon Solie died of cancer at age 76.
July 26, 2000
July 25, 2011
“PWI 500″ Winner Announced
The Miz, who held the WWE Championship for 160 days, has been named number one in Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s “PWI 500″ list for 2011. The list, which is now in its 21st year, ranks the top 500 professional wrestlers in the world. The official announcement has not yet been made, but PWI’s website displays the cover with the news. The evaluation period for the “PWI 500″ is from June 1, 2010, to May 31, 2011.
source: wrestling-edge.com
Raw Results: The Helmsley Era Begins
Triple H is now the Chief Operating Officer of the WWE
New WWE Champion crowned - Rey Mysterio defeated The Miz
Jim Ross back on commentary
John Morrison back on Raw
Zack Ryder on Raw
In a re-match, John Cena defeated Rey Mysterio to become the new WWE Champion
CM Punk makes an appearance with the real WWE Championshiop
Full results
Cee Lo Green to Perform at SummerSlam
From WWE.com:
"Cee Lo Green will perform at this year's SummerSlam in Los Angeles! The Grammy Award nominated hip-hop artist's new hit, "Bright Lights Bigger City," is the official theme song of SummerSlam."
Shane McMahon's Wife Working on a New Movie
Variety reports today that Shane McMahon's wife Marissa McMahon is financing a new movie that documents infamous crime couple Bonnie & Clyde titled "Go Down Together: The True Untold Story of Bonnie & Clyde."
Sean Furst and Bryan Furst are producing the pic along with financier Marissa McMahon of Kamala Films. McMahon, daughter-in-law of WWE honcho Vince McMahon, is paying for the book option and development...More?
Update on ROH Tag Team to WWE
F4WOnline.com is reporting that Ring of Honor tag team The Kings of Wrestling, comprised of Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero, will bypass the developmental system and debut on the main roster after they sign their WWE deals.
Triple H Attends Ben Roethlisberger's Wedding
Triple H attended Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's wedding, which took place Saturday in Ohio Township, Pennsylvania. "Big Ben" is a huge wrestling fan, and guest hosted an episode of Monday Night Raw in October 2009.
July 24, 2011
Big Show on his WWE Title Run and Triple H
"The hardest part of losing the championship is when you pack your bags the next couple of days and you feel like you're missing something. That's hard to get used to. Losing the title to Triple H, well he's probably my oldest friend in this business. I actually started with Triple H years ago in WCW back in the Power Plant. Triple H is the one who gave me my chokeslam. Hunter, Dallas Paige and Terry Taylor are the ones who molded my career when it first started, as far as the offensive moves I still use to this day. Of course, if you say that to Hunter, he'll emphatically deny it because he says I'm the sh*ts and he doesn't want anybody to know he's responsible."...More?
source: kevinsullivanbooks.com
Rumor Mill - WWE Looking to Break Guinness World Record at WrestleMania
The new issue of WWE Magazine featured a piece on the Los Angeles Angels setting a Guiness World Record for the most people wearing masks at a single event, noting, "We're looking to break [the record] at Wrestlemania XXVIII!"
source: pwinsider.com
This Day in Wrestling History
Crusher & Verne Gagne defeated Larry Hennig & Harley Race for the AWA Tag Team title.
July 24, 1965
Spiros Arion & Bruno Sammartino defeated Lou Albano & Tony Altimore for the WWWF(WWE) Tag Team title.
July 24, 1965
Sherri Martel defeated Fabulous Moolah for the WWF(E) Women's title.
July 24, 1987
Kurt Angle defeats Booker T for the WCW World Title. On the same night, Booker T awards Chris Kanyon the WCW United States Championship.
July 24, 2001
July 23, 2011
A Look Back At The Brawl To End It All
The Brawl To End It All - a battle between WWF Women's champion The Fabulous Moolah and Wendi Richter. The event, broadcast live on MTV, marked the beginning of the Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection that would catapult Hulk Hogan into an uncharted stratosphere of fame for a professional wrestler. The woman at the center of the hoopla, the event's most important participant, wasn't even participating in the match. Pop star Cyndi Lauper, a newcomer on the road to winning the next year's Grammy for Best new Artist, was in the corner of the challenger, cheering her on to defeat a champion who had held onto her belt for nearly 30 years.
With Lauper managing Richter and Albano managing the legendary Moolah, the match was high on spectacle but low on real wrestling, especially by today's standards. After pushing Richter into the corner face first, Moolah planted Richter's shoulders to the mat with a reverse sunset flip. Unbeknownst to Moolah, whose shoulders were pinned to the mat, Richter lifted her right shoulder up before the three count. Only when the ring announcer proclaimed that Richter had won the match did people realize that history had been made...More?
This Day in Wrestling History
Wendi Richter defeated Fabulous Moolah for the WWF(E) Women's title.
July 23, 1984
Shawn Michaels defeated Jeff Jarrett for the WWF(E) Intercontinental title.
July 23, 1995
July 22, 2011
Updates on Ric Flair
In an interview with the Albanyherald.com, "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair says he is ready for another match. Next opponent? "I don't know for sure, but it will be either Sting or Kurt Angle," Flair said about the prospective opponent in his comeback match. "It just depends on whoever wins between them on Aug. 6. You got the scoop right there, brother."
Ric Flair has opened up a new online store as part of his official website autographed photos and cards, photos, books, belts, DVD's and more. Plus, the biggest item appears to be the chance to have a personal five minute phone conversation with Flair for $495 or a five minute video chat for $750.
ricflair.com
source: wrestleview.com
RAW Ratings Breakdown: Vince-HHH-Cena Angle Draws
The RAW overrun this week with Vince McMahon, John Cena and Triple H went 14 minutes long – gained 1,063,000 viewers and doing a 3.94 rating, which would be considered a big success.
source: wrestling observer newsletter
This Day in Wrestling History
Happy Birthday to the Fabulous Moolah
July 22, 1926
Happy Birthday to David Von Erich
July 22, 1958
Happy Birthday to Shawn Michaels
July 22, 1965
Vince McMahon is acquitted of charges of conspiracy to distribute steroids to wrestlers after 16 hours of jury deliberations.
July 22, 1994
July 21, 2011
Comic-Con: CM Punk Crashes WWE Panel, Confronts Triple H
From tvign.com:
"This afternoon, with yours truly present, CM Punk crashed the the joint Mattel/WWE panel – WWE: Past, Present and Future – at San Diego Comic-Con, featuring WWE superstars Triple H, Rey Mysterio and the legendary Bret Hart.
Punk announced himself via bullhorn and then, with WWE Title in hand, took to the designated question-asking mic and began to awesomely speechify! Punk took exception to the fact that they were trying to crown a new champ on RAW and then challenged Rey, or anyone else who wanted to be champ, to head out to Chicago to take him on.
Punk then also asked Triple H and RAW writer Brain Gewirtz why Zack Ryder wasn't on TV. Triple H, in what seemed to be a part of a storyline, told Punk that things had changed on RAW and that there was a new regime. He told Punk to give him a call. Punk responded by telling Hunter that he was sure Stephanie had his number."
Analysis: A look At WWE Sans Vince McMahon
Despite what some might think, Vince McMahon is not going to live forever.
While the angle on Monday Night Raw was not exactly the truth, Triple H will be taking over many day-to-day operations from his father-in-law, the chairman and CEO of WWE, at some point in the near future. Sooner rather than later. What does this mean for all parties involved? Why don’t we take a look?
VINCE MCMAHON — The man who never sleeps will scale back his workload in the next few years, without a doubt. Then again, this is a guy that works about 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so his “scaled-back” job would probably make most normal human beings gasp. In the near future, he will be a great resource for WWE since he is the one man who has literally seen everything in both his own company and the industry over time. He has been at the helm at WWE’s greatest successes and its greatest failures. He will be a vital component to getting the deal done to launch the WWE Network, and when the time comes, to seal a deal for the physical WWE Hall of Fame. He will be important in dealing with familiar networks, sponsors and partners. Vince McMahon has a lifetime of experience in the wrestling industry, so it would be foolish (not to mention plausibly impossible) for WWE to just “move on.” Aside from all of this, he is simply never going to retire as long as he is healthy.
PAUL “TRIPLE H” LEVESQUE — Once Shane McMahon left WWE, it became apparent that Vince’s son-in-law would become the heir apparent. In my view, Triple H is a good person to take over the day-to-day operations of WWE. He is a longtime fan of the industry and has worked in the company since the mid-1990s. Since marrying Stephanie McMahon in 2003, Triple H has become more involved in all aspects of the company and is presently heading up the talent development department. As for immediate changes, I wouldn’t expect much drastic change, but with a different person at the helm comes a different philosophy. There could be a much different style in terms of talent recruitment and who gets pushed.
UFC President Dana White Praises Vince McMahon
In an interview with USA Today, UFC President Dana White was promoting UFC 133 and while doing so noted he was at the WWE headquarters recently.
He complimented Vince McMahon and his business model and said that he was "the guy that basically created the pay-per-view market."
Vince McMahon in XXL Magazine
XXL Presents… The Swag 100. XXL lists the top 100 most swagged out people in the worlds of entertainment, business and politics:
#83 Vince McMahon
Swagga Like - He runs sh*t.
www.xxlmag.com
Rumor Mill - Backstage News on John Laurinaitis
WWE is looking to hire someone with a sports background to groom for working in talent relations. There is lots of talk within WWE about John Laurinaitis and his long-term future with the company. It's no secret that Triple H isn't a fan of Laurinaitis and Laurinaitis has always been compared in a negative way to Jim Ross when it comes to talent relations. It was discussed after Money in the Bank that Laurinaitis may be established as a new TV character, similar to how Patterson and Brisco were to Vince McMahon years ago.
source: wrestling observer newsletter
July 20, 2011
Sin Cara Says He Doesn't Know What Made Him Fail the WWE Wellness Test
In an interview with Mexican newspaper The Record suspended WWE talent Sin Cara noted that he was told by WWE management that he failed a Wellness Policy test for steroids, but that he wanted clarification of why exactly he failed.
Cara told the newspaper that many medications contain steroids and that he believes an injection he was given by a doctor for pain management may have caused the positive test.
You can listen to the interview (in Spanish) and read the accompanying text at this link.
To read a translated version of the article, click here.
source: pwinsider.com
Rumor Mill - Vince McMahon & Triple H's WWE Futures
F4WOnline.com is reporting that at this point the backstage plan in WWE calls for Vince McMahon to remain in his current role until WrestleMania 28, at which time Triple H will begin to slowly take over some of McMahon's top duties in the company. It's being said, however, that while Triple H is eventually set to take over for Vince, it won't be a complete transfer of power, as McMahon is expected to continue to oversee the corporate structure of WWE as well as have a hand in the company's creative direction.
UFC President Dana White Visits WWE HQ
UFC President Dana White revealed via Twitter in a response to a fan that he had visited WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut a few weeks ago. White didn't address specifically what the visit was about.
White's tweet was: "I was there a couple weeks ago and checked out WWE hq's. It was cool."
source: wrestleview.com
X-Pac Clarifies Triple H/Vince Tweet
Earlier, Sean "X-Pac" Waltman posted on his Twitter page that the Triple H/Vince angle on Raw was the "real deal." Waltman clarified what he meant by posting the following on Twitter yesterday:
"To clarify my tweet last night. Raw last night was real on a symbolic level."
July 19, 2011
Update on Jeff Hardy's Next Court Date
Jeff Hardy's next scheduled court date in Moore County Superior Court is September 8, according to the North Carolina court system's public records.
In late June, it appeared Hardy's case would be wrapped up. A judge was scheduled to rule on whether Hardy could be admitted to a drug rehabilitation program in lieu of jail time stemming from his drug possession-related arrest.
Instead, the case appears to be continued to the near-two-year anniversary of Hardy's arrest on September 11, 2009 that set in motion the ongoing legal process.
In April of this year, Hardy's case was continued after a drug counselor became involved in the case to assess whether Hardy should undergo a drug treatment program. The assessment was at the initial stages, which caused the case to be continued to June.
source: pwtorch.com
Analysis of Sean Waltman's Comments About Triple H Really Taking Over WWE from Vince McMahon
As reported earlier, Sean "X-Pac" Waltman says on his Twitter page that the last five minutes of Raw was legit - that the WWE Board really did relieve Vince McMahon of his duties.
"The text he sent me today makes much more sense now," he wrote. "That was the real deal, that last 5 or however many minutes." A few minutes earlier he wrote: "They should be careful that this doesn't really affect the stock price."
Analysis from pwtorch.com:
Obviously what was presented on TV in and of itself was a storyline meant to add interest to WWE. Does it parallel real happenings, though, earlier today? That's what Waltman - who is close with Triple H in real life - seems to be indicating. It seems, as a publicly traded company, such a stock-altering announcement could not be presented as a part of an otherwise scripted show or with a scripted imitation of real life. Triple H is being groomed to take over should something happen to Vince McMahon, but McMahon recently stated that he's never retiring from his role as leader of WWE and they'll remove him from the headquarters in a bodybag and no sooner.
So did Waltman mean the last five minutes was the "real deal" in the sense that Hunter is eventually going to be appointed by the Board to take over for McMahon? Or did he mean that it already happened - and somehow it happened on TV in a skit before any formal announcement was made to stockholders.? He is right in observing that this type of thing can affect stock, scripted or not, and how Wall Street reacts to this type of fiction-confusing-real-life - as happened when Donald Trump "bought" WWE from Vince McMahon on TV - is going to be interesting to watch. It'll be even more fascinating if they took the "real life" removal of McMahon from power to live TV in the most dramatic fashion possible. That would explain McMahon's flowing tears. But I'm not buying it right now as anything but a TV storyline and therefore I'm assuming X-Pac meant his Twitter post to be interpreted differently than many see it, or he's jumping to conclusions or confused himself.
Triple H may be simply taking on more duties behind the scenes, stepping up his responsibilities and taking over more storyline oversight or company decision-making, while McMahon reminds with his current title. That, we know, has been somewhat of a possibility for a while and within the company seen as inevitable - that being that Triple H would be the heir to McMahon's power. That's one of the main reasons Shane McMahon left. So if this is an indication of a radical sudden increase in Triple H's power and Vince McMahon stepping back from day-to-day decision-making, that's news. If Waltman meant this is just reflecting that Triple H now is taking over some of the roles he has been groomed for, it's not earth-shattering, but still noteworthy.
Museum Uses Abe Lincoln's Wrestling Past for WWE Giveaway
Abe the Bruiser? Abe “The Animal” Lincoln?
Springfield’s favorite son, whose skill as a wrestler has been recognized by induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Hall of Outstanding Americans, may never have donned sequins or worn his stovepipe hat into the squared circle, but the museum that bears his name is promoting itself with a pro wrestling ticket giveaway.
“We’re always looking for ways to tie in popular culture and Abraham Lincoln,” said Dave Blanchette, spokesman for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
“We know Lincoln was a wrestler at New Salem,” Russell said. “We thought it would be a natural tie-in to promote the museum and promote them.”...More?
source: www.sj-r.com
This Day in Wrestling History
Larry Hamilton aka The Missouri Mauler died of a heart attack at age 45.
July 19, 1996
Raw Results: Pink Slipped
Before Rey Mysterio and The Miz could compete in the final round of the WWE Championship Tournament, Mr. McMahon demanded that the ring be cleared – he had important business to conduct. After explaining the tumultuous events that took place the night before at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, The Chairman ordered former WWE Champion John Cena to the ring.
Mr. McMahon received an unwelcome guest instead. Triple H, not seen on Raw in more than three months, interrupted his famous father-in-law. The Game, a WWE executive and husband of Stephanie McMahon, told The Chairman that his decisions of late have been called into question by WWE board members. He then went on to drop a bombshell on Mr. McMahon – and the WWE Universe. The Chairman of WWE has officially been relieved of his duties...More?
source: wwe.com
July 18, 2011
More on Sin Cara's Suspension
To follow up WWE's announcement earlier today that Sin Cara (Urive Alvirde) has been suspended for 30 days for violating the company's Wellness Policy, The Wrestling Observer is reporting that he reportedly failed a steroid test back in early June. Sources close to WWE have confirmed a report by PWInsider.com that the test failure was discovered "some time back."
WWE.com quietly removed the report about his suspension in favor of running a story about his "injury" at the Money in the Bank PPV along with the Big Show. The report is still online at this link, while all announcements are always made on the Corporate.WWE.com website.
Although WWE's Wellness Policy rules state that a first failure is 30 days suspension, a second is 60 days and a third is termination, it is already being speculated that he may not be brought back.
WWE Suspends Sin Cara
In accordance with its Talent Wellness Program,
WWE (NYSE:WWE) has suspended Luis Ignascio Urive Alvirde (Sin Cara™) for 30 days for his first violation of the company’s policy.
What Happened After MITB?
After WWE Money in the Bank went off the air, Punk exited through the crowd, leaving Vince McMahon at the entrance ramp. John Laurinaitis was eventually helped to his feet and was escorted up the ramp, only to have Vince knock him out again. Vince then turned and walked up the entrance ramp and left. That was the end of the show, as the live crowd was then thanked for coming.
source: wrestlezone.com
This Day in Wrestling History
Happy Birthday to:
Carlos Colon - July 18, 1945
Al Snow - July 18, 1963
Joey Matthews - July 18, 1979
Verne Gagne defeated Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA Heavyweight title.
July 18, 1980
Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard defeated Demolition for the WWF(E) Tag Team title.
July 18, 1989
Ric Flair defeated Barry Windham for the NWA Heavyweight Wrestling title.
July 18, 1993
July 17, 2011
Money In The Bank PPV Results 2011
Dark Match: Santino & Vladimir Kozlov vs. WWE Tag Team Champions David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty
Winners: Santino & Valdimir Kozlov
SmackDown Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Sheamus, Sin Cara, Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Divas Champion Kelly Kelly vs. Brie Bella
Winner: Kelly Kelly (c)
Big Show vs. Mark Henry
Winner: Mark Henry
Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Rey Mysterio, Kofi Kingston, Alex Riley, Evan Bourne, Alberto Del Rio, The Miz, R-Truth and Jack Swagger
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton vs. Christian
Winner: Christian - New World Heavyweight Champion
WWE Champion John Cena vs. CM Punk
Winner: CM Punk - New WWE Champion
New Study to Assess Brain Damage in Boxers and MMA Fighters
A prestigious neurology clinic has launched an unprecedented brain study of professional fighters boxing and mixed martial arts) with the goal of advancing research to improve various treatments for brain damage...More?
source: foxsportswest.com
More on Michael Hayes' New Role in WWE
Michael Hayes, who has been moved from a position as the head writer of SmackDown to the old position John Laurinaitis had as the head of the agents/producers, will be working closely with producers to set out a basic framework of "where to go with the matches." He will continue to work with Vince McMahon and Triple H (who is taking on a stronger role working with developmental) on big show major finishes as well. The level of heirarchy in terms of creative will now be Vince as the final say, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H below him, Hayes and Brian Gewirtz on a level below that and Ed Koskey and David Kapoor below that. The advantage of moving Hayes to this new role is that he can pitch ideas for both Raw and SmackDown now.
source: the wrestling observer newsletter
Five Delusions of the IWC
1. Daniel Bryan Should Be World Champion By Now
2. Triple H "Slept His Way To The Top"
3. They (IWC) Are Superior To Other Wrestling Fans And Should Act Like It
4. Chris Benoit Should Be In The WWE Hall Of Fame
5. They Know More About The Business Than Vince McMahon Himself
Your can read the full article here.
source: bleacherreport.com
July 16, 2011
Rumor Mill - Continued Problems Between TNA and Ric Flair
According to a report by Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, things between TNA and Ric Flair don't appear to be good right now following an incident at the 7/1 TNA house show in Brooklyn, NY where Flair didn't appear before the audience despite being advertised to do so.
Flair was not booked for the most recent set of Impact Wrestling TV tapings in Orlando this week and was also left off tapings heading into the Destination X PPV as well. The story provided by some in TNA was that Flair wasn't going to be booked for those TV tapings anyway since the build was for an all X Division PPV, yet the shows leading into the PPV still had major storylines developing.
Flair also wasn't booked before the Brooklyn event for a while in what some viewed as a cost-cutting measure since he is one of the highest paid people on the roster currently. It should be noted that D'Lo Brown was the TNA agent at the Brooklyn house show and had words with Flair who didn't want to go out in front of the people. Flair stated he wasn't told he would be performing and that he agreed to do an autograph signing as a favor to Terry Taylor (the former VP of TNA talent relations, a title now held by former WWE employee Bruce Prichard). He ended up making an appearance in Asbury Park, New Jersey the following night in front of a much smaller crowd.
HBK Featured In New Topps Trading Card Set
Beckett have announced that Shawn Michaels will be one of the people featured in the 2011 Allen & Ginter set of autographed trading cards. You can read more about it at this link. Shawn just confirmed it today on his twitter that he will be signing cards for Topps.
source: wrestleview.com
This Day in Wrestling History
Bruiser Brody was stabbed to death in Puerto Rico. Jose Gonzales was said to be responsible for the murder and was charged, but the charges were later dropped.
July 16, 1988
Terry Gordy died of a heart attack at age 40.
July 16, 2001
July 15, 2011
WWE To Report 2011 Second Quarter Results
WWE announced that it will report its 2011 second quarter results on August 4, 2011, before the opening of the market. The Company's Chairman and CEO, Vincent K. McMahon, and senior management will host a conference call beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET to discuss the results...More?
This Day in Wrestling History
Happy Birthday to Jesse "the Body" Ventura
July 15, 1951
Ric Flair defeated David Von Erich in a tournament final for the Missouri State Heavyweight title.
July 15, 1983
Eric Bischoff makes his un-expected debut on WWE RAW. Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff hug on national television. Vince then announced that Eric was the new GM of Raw.
July 15, 2002
Update on Hero/Castagnoli and Status with ROH
Although they are being advertised for the Ring of Honor TV tapings for Sinclair next month on 8/13 in Chicago, The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli are in the midst of a pre-signing procedure with WWE of getting a full phsyical and having backgrounds checked. So it would be appear they are WWE bound. As reported earlier, Hero and Castagnoli are among a group of people including Colt Cabana that have yet to sign new deals with ROH in preparation for the TV debut on Sinclair.
July 14, 2011
TNA Touts Aries Signing, More X Division Stars
IMPACT WRESTLING officially announced the signing of X-Division star Austin Aries, in what company officials are signaling as the first of several upcoming signees to a reinvigorated X-Division following the success of Sunday night's "Destination X" live pay-per-view event. If you missed it, watch the replay of the "Destination X" event on your cable or satellite provider!
Aries, who will officially be joining the X-Division roster Thursday night on IMPACT WRESTLING (9pm ET/PT on Spike) earned a contract by winning a four-way match against hopefuls Low Ki, Zema Ion and Jack Evans in an unbelievable bout; IMPACT ZONE fans began a chant of "Sign them all!" after Aries took the win that went worldwide with a #SignThemAll trending topic across Twitter.
"Austin's unique style and intensity will be a great addition to the X Division," TNA Vice President of Talent Relations Bruce Prichard said. "Aries brings an arrogance and a confidence backed by tremendous physical ability."
In addition to Aries signing, Prichard added, "based off of various X Division performances throughout qualifying events on IMPACT WRESTLING and Sunday night's outstanding "Destination X" pay-per-view, TNA will be signing several new additions to the X-Division roster in coming weeks.
Details on Recent Changes to the WWE Creative Team
There have been some significant changes to the WWE creative team lately as Brian Gewirtz is no longer the RAW head writer and Michael Hayes is no longer the SmackDown head writer as both have been moved a step above the head writer position.
Gewirtz’s role now is to give ideas and set up the main direction for both shows, and transmit the ideas Vince McMahon and Stephanie McMahon have for what they want on the show. Hayes’ new role is to be the guy who also gives ideas for both RAW and SmackDown, but he’s also the guy who oversees the agents and tells them what key things have to be included in TV matches.
David Kapoor (Ranjin Singh) is now the head of RAW as he and his staff put together the scripts, but he is the actual writer. Ed Koskey is now doing the same thing on the SmackDown side. Both Koskey and Kapoor report to Brian Gewirtz, who reports to Stephanie McMahon, who then reports back to Vince McMahon. Hayes will also be working with Vince and Triple H on major show finishes.
Stephanie McMahon recently hired a man named Ian Jones for the new position of show runner. The buzz coming out of the company is that Jones has limited or no pro wrestling background. His role is described as essentially managing the television product.
sources: wrestling observer newsletter and prowrestling.net
This Day in Wrestling History
Happy Birthday to Jeff Jarrett
July 14, 1967
Happy Birthday to Bubba Ray Dudley
July 14, 1971
NWA's air time on the Atlanta based Superstation, WTBS is taken over by WWF(E). After several complaints from NWA fans, Vince McMahon responds by saying "We'll show those complainers the difference between a major league and minor league production, given time." NWA wrestling was quickly reinstated on WTBS.
July 14, 1984
Lex Luger defeated Barry Windham for the WCW Heavyweight title.
July 14, 1991
D-Lo Brown defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley for the WWF(E) European Heavyweight title.
July 14, 1998
July 13, 2011
Rumor Mill - WWE Holds New Focus Group Sessions
According to a report by PWInsider.com, a research group held a various focus groups in the New York City market asking males and fmales from ages 18 to 54 who are or were former WWE fans to take part. This focus group discussed the current WWE product, positives and negatives and why no longer were interested in watching the product on a regular basis. The report added that WWE ordered the focus groups to begin to "strategize ways to bring fans back to the product and identity weaknesses in the current product."
Bill DeMott on a second season of "Tough Enough"
On his official Twitter account when asked if there would be a second season of "Tough Enough", Bill DeMott responded saying yes and he was slated to return as a trainer. DeMott then seemed to back track later writing on Twitter, "if and when there is another season of @wwetoughenough it will be @steveaustinBSR,@trishstratuscom ,@BookerT5X and myself..IF."
source: wrestleview.com
Rumor Mill - Hulk Hogan Holds Meeting with TNA Talent
Hulk Hogan held a meeting with TNA talent on Tuesday before the Impact Wrestling tapings. According to Jason Powell of Prowrestling.net, Hogan stressed that the wrestlers "need to step up their games when it comes to storytelling in the ring", something that has been mentioned in prior meetings.
Dixie Carter was also part of the meeting asking if anyone had any questions. We are told the wrestlers were not very receptive to the meeting and declined to ask anything when Carter gave them the opportunity to do so. It should be noted that TNA creative writers Vince Russo and Matt Conway did not attend the meeting. Various talent in TNA took that as a sign that Russo may not be on the same page as Hogan, but a lot of that was looked at as pure speculation as it hasn't been revealed why Russo didn't attend the meeting.
WrestleMania Special on NBC
For the third consecutive year, NBC and WWE® will bring the world’s biggest pop-culture extravaganza to network television when WrestleMania: The World Premiere airs Saturday, August 13 at 9 pm ET / 8 pm CT. For one night only, NBC will be the place viewers can witness their favorite WWE Superstars such as Dwayne “The Rock®” Johnson, John Cena®, Triple H®, Undertaker®, The Miz® and Randy Orton® entertain a record-breaking sold-out crowd of 71,617 fans at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
The hour-long special will feature highlights from WrestleMania XXVII, including: the return of the The People’s Champion Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who served as The World’s Most Electrifying Host of WrestleMania; the Jersey Shore’s beloved Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi proving to the world how tough she really is in a six-person tag team match with Dolph Ziggler®, WWE Divas LayCool™ (Michelle McCool® and Layla®), Vickie Guerrero®, John Morrison® and USA Network’s Tough Enough® trainer Trish Stratus®; a historic match between two of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time, Undertaker and Triple H, that had more than 71,000 fans on their feet in awe of this classic match-up; plus, the highly anticipated main-event between bitter rivals John Cena and The Miz for the WWE Championship, all set to music from today’s hottest acts.
John Cena Not Only Expects Anti-Cena Crowd In Chicago -- He Wants It
John Cena loves Chicago — even if the feeling isn’t exactly mutual.
The eight-time WWE Champion and two-time World Heavyweight Champion made his debut at the Allstate Arena in 2002 and headlined Wrestlemania in the same venue four years later. In his opinion, Chicago has one of the three best wrestling crowds in the country along with New York and Philadelphia.
But the Chicago area is also where Cena — the face of WWE and this generation’s Hulk Hogan — was cursed out by the crowd in 2006 as he inducted former Bears star and Wrestlemania 2 participant William “Refrigerator” Perry into the WWE Hall of Fame at the Rosemont Theatre...More?
source: chicagotribune.com
July 12, 2011
This Day in Wrestling History
Billy Sandow, manager of Ed Lewis, puts up $1000 bond to bind a match with Frank Gotch. The match never takes place.
July 12, 1916
Happy Birthday to Gregory "Hurricane" Helms
July 12, 1974
Happy Birthday to Brock Lesnar
July 12, 1977
Jack Tunny resigned as WWF(E) President.
July 12, 1995
Jerry Lawler announces he will run for Mayor of Memphis and Hulk Hogan defeated Randy Savage for the WCW Heavyweight title.
July 12, 1999
July 11, 2011
Content Listing For WWE's "OMG! Top 50 Incidents" DVD
Disc #1
# 40 – Triple H Meets Escalator – 8th February, 1997
Disc #2
Intercontinental Championship Match
Hunter Hearst-Helmsley vs. Undertaker
Shotgun Saturday Night – 8th February, 1997
Click here for the full list.
Generation Me, Orlando Jordan Released From TNA
Nick and Matt Jackson (Jeremy and Max Buck) requested their release from the company and it was granted yesterday. The match they had against Eric Young and Shark Boy at Destination X was their last.
F4WOnline.com is reporting that TNA has released Orlando Jordan. More on this story as information becomes available.
partial source: wrestlezone.com
Oderint Dum Metuant: Let Them Hate As Long As They Fear
