25 registered WWE e-mail accounts found on Ashley Madison data dump

Deadspin is reporting that there are 25 WWE registered e-mail address accounts on the Ashley Madison data dump that hackers uploaded on the Internet. Usually only WWE corporate employees have e-mails bearing the wwecorp.com domain.

Millions and millions of stolen personal information – including names, e-mails, addresses, credit card information, and other PII – were compromised when the company behind AshleyMadison.com failed to close the website after it was blackmailed. Ashley Madison is a website where both single and married individuals can post their information to find affairs with the company’s tag line being, “Life is short. Have an affair.”

It’s important to know that the registered accounts might not be of the real people as e-mails are not verified. Deadspin adds that ESPN has 39 accounts registered, NBA has 25, NFL has 18, and both NHL and MLB have 4.

WWE Takes Over New York City With SummerSlam

For the first time since 2007, WWE’s SummerSlam returns to the NYC-Metro area with a week-long lineup of events including interactive fan experiences and community outreach programs covering all five NYC boroughs. SummerSlam takes place this Sunday, August 23, live on WWE Network at 7 p.m. ET from a sold-out Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The events begin today and include:

• Children’s Hospital Visits – Wednesday, August 19
WWE Superstars and Tag Team Champions Titus O’Neil® and Darren Young® will be at The Brooklyn Hospital Center and WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose® will be joined by WWE Diva Alicia Fox® at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children in Queens. On both occasions, they will visit with patients and hand out WWE Mattel toys.

• Brooklyn Cyclones Celebrity Softball Game – Wednesday, August 19
The Brooklyn Cyclones and WWE have partnered for SummerSlam Night. As part of the night’s festivities, WWE Superstars and Divas including Ryback®, Fandango®, Eva Marie® and Charlotte, will join members of the FDNY, NYPD and other celebrities in a pre-game Celebrity/Civil Servants All-Star Challenge and softball game prior to the 7 p.m. Cyclones game against the Lowell Spinners. Also scheduled to participate in the celebrity game are NBA Hall of Famer and current St. John’s Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Mullin, Mets Hall of Famer John Franco, Greg Kelly & Rosanna Scotto – the hosts of Good Day New York – and many others.

• SummerSlam Reading Celebration – Thursday, August 20
WWE and First Book will host a reading celebration at JCC Cornerstone Program at Todt Hill Community Center in Staten Island. WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler® and WWE Divas Nikki Bella® and Brie Bella® will read to local Staten Island students from grades 1-3 to promote the importance of literacy. A book donation will be made to all students in attendance.

• Firehouse and Police Precinct Visits to Support “Answer the Call” – Thursday, August 20
WWE is joining forces with Hollywood celebrities and professional athletes through a global online auction on Charitybuzz.com, featuring unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences in support of “Answer The Call,” the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund. To help raise awareness for the program, WWE Superstars Roman Reigns®, Jimmy Uso®, Jey Uso®, Kofi Kingston®, Big E® and Xavier Woods®, and WWE Diva Summer Rae® will be visiting firehouses and police precincts around New York City.

• “Be a STAR” (Show Tolerance and Respect) Anti-Bullying Rally – Thursday, August 20
WWE will host an anti-bullying rally at the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in the Bronx, featuring Be A STAR alliance members, Facebook, GLAAD and DoSomething.org. WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, Facebook Trust and Safety Manager, Emily Vacher, GLAAD Vice President of Programs Zeke Stokes and DoSomething.org’s Chief Marketing Officer Naomi Hirabayashi will join WWE Superstars Kofi Kingston® and Sheamus®, and WWE Diva Eva Marie™ to deliver bullying prevention messages to more than 250 children between the ages of 6-15.

• Hire Heroes Veteran Employment Panel & Event – Friday, August 21
WWE, in partnership with Barclays Center and Orion International will host a Veterans Career Panel and Networking Event in support of Hire Heroes USA (HHUSA) for nearly 80 veterans. Corporate HR and Brand Executives from WWE, ESPN, Marvel, Priceline, MTA, LinkedIn, FDNY and Colgate will be in attendance to discuss veteran hiring practices. WWE Superstars The Usos, WWE Diva Naomi® and WWE NXT Superstars Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, will also be on-hand to speak with the veterans. The event will consist of a panel, networking opportunities and career coaching stations.

• John Cena 500th Wish Celebration – Friday, August 21
Make-A-Wish and WWE will celebrate WWE Superstar John Cena® becoming the first celebrity in history to grant 500 wishes. The event, which is being hosted at Dave & Buster’s Times Square, will feature appearances by WWE Superstar John Cena, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, Make-A-Wish America President and CEO David Williams, WWE Superstar Sheamus, WWE Divas The Bellas and Wish children and their families.

• New York Stock Exchange Opening Bell – Friday, August 21
In celebration of SummerSlam and WWE Superstar John Cena’s 500th Wish, Cena, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon and Make-A-Wish America President and CEO David Williams will accompany seven Wish kids, and ring the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange. For more than a decade, Cena has been granting the wishes of children through WWE’s partnership with Make-A-Wish which began more than 30 years ago. To date, WWE Superstars and Divas have granted more than 6,000 wishes, more than any other sports and entertainment organization.

• Superstar Meet and Greets – Friday, August 21 & Saturday, August 22
These exclusive fan sessions will give the WWE Universe an opportunity to get autographs and photos with their favorite Superstars and Divas including WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins®; Randy Orton®; Roman Reigns; Dean Ambrose®; Bray Wyatt®; WWE Divas Charlotte, Paige and Becky Lynch; WWE Legend Sting; and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels.

• Susan G. Komen Community Health Fair – Saturday, August 22
WWE and Susan G. Komen will be supporting a community health fair featuring The Project Renewal Scan Van, offering mobile mammograms and information on Race for the Cure. WWE Divas Tamina™, Alicia Fox™, Naomi™, and Natalya™ and WWE Superstars Titus O’Neil and Darren Young will take part in a meet and greet at the Church of the Revelation in the Bronx to promote breast health education and the importance of early detection.

• NXT Takeover Brooklyn – Saturday, August 22
On the night before the biggest event of the summer, WWE’s next generation of Superstars and Divas will perform at a sold-out Barclays Center with the biggest NXT Takeover yet. Finn Balor’s reign as NXT Champion hangs in the balance when he takes on Kevin Owens in a Ladder Match. NXT Takeover Brooklyn can be seen live on WWE Network at 9 p.m. ET.

• SummerSlam – Sunday, August 23
A sold-out crowd will converge on Barclays Center for SummerSlam. WWE’s biggest event of the summer, which can be seen live on WWE Network at 7 p.m. ET, will feature WWE Superstars Undertaker® and Brock Lesnar® in a rematch of their historic WrestleMania 30 bout where Lesnar ended Undertaker’s 21-year undefeated streak.

• Monday Night Raw – Monday, August 24
The night after SummerSlam, Monday Night Raw takes place at a sold-out Barclays Center for the third night in a row, where fans can see their favorite WWE Superstars and Divas. Monday Night Raw is the longest-running, weekly episodic program in U.S. primetime TV history and is one of the most-watched, regularly scheduled programs on cable, airing live every Monday night on USA Network.

Brock Lesnar On His Relationship With Vince McMahon, Returning To WWE Over UFC, Fans, More

Brock Lesnar appeared on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike Show" this morning to promote WWE SummerSlam. Below are highlights:

* Brock said it's been good being back with WWE so far. He says not going back to UFC was a lifestyle choice and a lifestyle commitment. He was forced out of UFC because of his illness but when he was ready to come back he felt like he was cheated out of a few fights. Then it came down to a family lifestyle choice. He says WWE treated him well in 2012 when he came back and it's now refreshing to be back with the company. Lesnar added that he can come and do his thing when they need him and he's not always living life on the road. He said Vince McMahon welcomed him back and they see eye to eye now. He said their relationship is better than it has been.

* He said his homecoming at RAW in Minneapolis last night was great. He was asked about UFC 100 or WrestleMania being bigger and he said WrestleMania. Lesnar talked about how you're able to absorb the crowd in WWE but all he remembers from his UFC days is being a stone cold barbarian killer because it's a whole different mindset as you're out to hurt your opponent.

* Working as a heel comes very natural to Lesnar but he's getting cheered out of the arena now. He says connecting with WWE fans is just like any other sport - without the fans you have nothing.

Watch ESPN SportsCenter, live from SummerSlam

Start your SummerSlam Sunday off right when ESPN SportsCenter airs live from The Biggest Party of the Summer.

ESPN SportsCenter, live from SummerSlam, will air Sunday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 6-7 p.m. This broadcasts mark the first time ESPN's long-running sports-news franchise will be on-site for a WWE event.

Former WWE personality and current ESPN anchor "The Coach" Jonathan Coachman hinted at the developing news in a series of tweets over the weekend before it was formally announced on Raw.

Daniel Bryan Says WWE Is Hesitant To Clear Him, Doesn't Want Him Talking About His Situation, More

Daniel Bryan joined David Shoemaker and Peter Rosenberg on ESPN's Cheap Heat podcast, to promote his new book, Yes! My Improbable Journey To The Main Event Of WrestleMania. Here are the highlights, and be sure to check out the full podcast at this link.

* The hosts pretend to read off their notes and call Daniel Bryan a "professional wrestler," and he's surprised it doesn't say "sports entertainer." As is turns out, they were joking, but Daniel Bryan said he doesn't get reprimanded for using the term. He notes that in WWE appearances, he'll just say "WWE Superstar."

* Daniel Bryan says he feels great, and says "The situation is I've been cleared by one doctor in Phoenix, but the WWE doctor is hesitant to clear me. I guess they don't want me really talking about it."

* Bryan thinks that from WWE's perspective, they wanted him to bring prestige back to the Intercontinental title. He says the situation unfolds on the new season of Total Divas.

* Bryan talks about missing a flight for the Money in the Bank PPV because nobody told him he was needed for the show. He contacted travel people and writers, and nobody had any idea why.

* He says WWE is looking out for his best interests, and times have changed.

* "There's mixed opinions on what's best for me," Bryan said. "It's not like I just have some guy who's my buddy who just happens to be a doctor (that cleared me)."

* Daniel Bryan confirmed that a combination of CM Punk leaving and Batista not panning out as reasons why he ended up main eventing WrestleMania. He says that the idea was presented a couple of weeks after the Royal Rumble. He said that he's not kept abreast of things.

* He says he had to contact John Cena to get Vince McMahon's number and said Vince has called him twice in his life, one of which was in 2008 before an ROH show. He says he tells the story in the book.

* Initially, he felt the pressure of being Bryan Danielson in WWE instead of Daniel Bryan, but CM Punk's career path helped WWE give him an opportunity.

* Daniel Bryan says he gets more frustrated following Brie's career than his, because guys get more opportunities. "If I'm on TV and losing every week, I'm losing in ten minutes. I get the opportunity that I can wrestle. For the Divas it's different." He says it's hard to be popular when you're losing in three minute matches every week. He puts over Total Divas, and how hard the twins work.

* Bryan says he still thinks as a wrestler and has plenty of ideas saved up. He still watches wrestling when he's bored.

Stephanie McMahon Talks Darren Young, Says Young’s ‘Character’ Isn’t Gay, Is There A Reason For Lack Of LGBT Gimmicks?

The Daily Beast recently posted an article discussing WWE’s possible hesitation to promote LGBT characters on their programming, and it features some notable comments from Stephanie McMahon.

McMahon, who was noted to have made the comments while attending the ESPN ESPY Awards last week, said the ‘Darren Young’ character isn’t gay, but the man who plays him, Fred Rosser, is.

“Darren Young was the first WWE superstar to really come out as being homosexual, but his character in the show is not. At least, we haven’t done anything with it either way — just yet.”

McMahon also noted that WWE isn’t opposed to adding a gay or LGBT character, but it should be done right and make business sense:

“It could very well pop up in WWE because we are all about what’s relevant, and what’s pop culture, and what people want to see. So if there is an opportunity, we might just take it…

…You know, in WWE our storylines are a year long. They don’t go episodic, week to week—they really are the arc from WrestleMania to WrestleMania. So sometimes it takes a little longer than people would like for the seeds to grow. But we’re constantly planting them.”

The article goes on to talk about ‘flamboyant’ characters in wrestling history, and some rumored suggestions of taking a “top star” and making him gay. The Wrestling Observer’s Ben Miller, who was also quoted for the piece, added,

“I think the big worry that WWE has is that they think their audience is really stupid. So they worry that they’re going to have a character who comes out as gay, and it’s going to be like the Mexican soccer fans in Charlotte chanting ‘culero’ at [an opposing player]. I think they think that their fans would chant something homophobic at him, and that’s going to get press and make WWE look not progressive.”

Darren Young came out as gay in August 2013, making him WWE’s lone openly gay active wrestlers. While it is public knowledge, almost no mention of Young’s homosexuality has been made on WWE TV, aside from a few comments by his tag team partner, Titus O’Neil, like during a WWE RAW vignette. The pair were talking about a coming out party during their quest for the tag team titles, and Titus quipped that Young ‘already had his’ last year.

Coachman Wants to Bring WWE and ESPN Together

Former WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman, who still works for ESPN, told a fan on Twitter that he wants to bring WWE and ESPN together. He then made this tweet, proposing that they take SportsCenter on the road when SummerSlam comes to New York City this year:

"SportsCenter On The Road at Summerslam." How does that sound. Show my bosses the power of @wwe fans by retweeting as many times as possible

— Jonathan Coachman (@TheCoachESPN) July 1, 2015

John Cena Nominated for the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award, WWE Community Also Nominated

John Cena Nominated for the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award

Inaugural event presented by ESPN and PlayStation to salute those using the power of sport to serve community; finalists and Stuart Scott ENSPIRE award winners announced

The inaugural Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, presented by ESPN and PlayStation, will celebrate and honor athletes, teams, nonprofits and members of the sports industry for using sport to serve communities and make a positive impact on society, it was announced by John Skipper, President, ESPN. The event, which will take place Tuesday, July 14 at the Conga Room at L.A. Live, will be the first of its kind, bringing together the leagues and sporting community to pay tribute to the collective good of sports.

Multiple sports-related leagues and/or governing bodies — including MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, USOC, USTA, WNBA, WWE and the Women’s Sports Foundation — have nominated athletes, teams and community members that are using the power of sports to transform lives and uplift communities. Highlights of the evening will be featured during a 30-minute special on ESPN, July 23 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

During the event, which will be hosted by Laila Ali, winners will be announced from among the finalists for two major award categories — Sports Humanitarian of the Year and Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year. Additionally, the event will celebrate four inaugural “Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award” (ESPN + inspire) winners, recognized for taking risks and using innovation to help the disadvantaged.

“Through their selflessness and compassion, the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees are improving lives of many around the world,” Skipper said. “The awards pay tribute to some incredible individuals and organizations and the extraordinary impact of their efforts on society.”

PlayStation is the presenting sponsor of the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, which will benefit the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund at The V Foundation — a fund that encourages cutting-edge research for minority populations suffering from cancer.

An independent panel of judges selected the finalists, including, Tracy Hoover, CEO of Points of Light, Sharon Roerty, Senior Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Sab Singh, Founder of Sports Doing Good and professor at Farmingdale State College, and Caryl Stern, CEO of the US Fund for UNICEF.

“Humanitarianism is a central narrative of sport — as athletes aspire towards greatness, their ability to make a mark on society is as important as their athletic accomplishments,” said Stern. “The Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards give rise to the increasingly important role that sports can play in society, and how the sports community can work together to build and inspire strong communities.”

SPORTS HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR
The Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award is given to an athlete whose continuous, demonstrated leadership has created a positive impact on their community through sports. The honoree will receive a $75,000 grant (and $25,000 grant for each of the three finalists) from ESPN’s Corporate Citizenship department to advance the impact of the charity related to the award-winning humanitarian efforts.

Finalists (winner to be announced at awards ceremony July 14):

• Anquan Boldin, San Francisco 49ers (NFL): Inspired by his own humble beginnings, Boldin is a passionate advocate for underprivileged youth and works to help them to overcome their limitations by expanding educational and life opportunities. Through his foundation, he provides a network of support with mentoring and after-school programs, scholarships, and annual summer enrichment programs — all of which are creating tangible impacts in the lives of children in Baltimore, South Florida and San Francisco. Becoming an Oxfam Ambassador on his own accord, Boldin also has testified before Congress to strengthen human rights protections for communities impacted by the oil and mining industries in Africa. In 2014, Boldin and his wife, Dionne, made a $1 million pledge to help youth in need by providing 4-year college scholarships to four deserving high school graduates annually.

• Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever (WNBA): Growing up with a hearing impairment, Catchings was no stranger to being bullied, but she used her disability as inspiration and fuel to do her best in the classroom and on the court. Today, she teaches young girls about embracing their differences, building their self-esteem and overcoming obstacles. Through her Catch the Stars Foundation, she promotes fitness, literacy and mentoring to youth in Indianapolis. Catchings has served on the U.S. Department of State’s Council to Empower Women and Girls Through Sports and has supported countless programs in the community through her unwavering volunteer efforts and financial support.

• John Cena (WWE): WWE Superstar John Cena’s popular catchphrase “Never Give Up” is also a real-life mantra that he uses to inspire those battling life-threatening illnesses. For more than a decade, Cena has been a force in granting the wishes of children in partnership with Make-A-Wish. As the most requested wish granter of all-time, he has granted nearly 500 wishes for children around the world. Additionally, Cena is also a passionate advocate in the fight against breast cancer, helping to spread the word about the importance of early detection.

• Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (NHL): As founder of the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation and an ambassador for the Garden of Dreams Foundation, Lundqvist has seized the opportunity to positively impact the lives of children most in need through education and health services. He’s touched the lives of thousands of children and families in New York City, the Dominican Republic and Sweden with both personal and financial support. He’s also providing a platform to the next generation of community leaders, by selecting a group of young adults to complete community service projects and volunteer work, as part of his Young Ambassadors Program.

SPORTS HUMANITARIAN TEAM OF THE YEAR
The Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year represents a sports team (and their community relations department or foundation) that demonstrates how teamwork between athletes and their team’s community relations or foundations can create a significant impact on a community or cause. The winner will receive a $75,000 grant (and $25,000 grant for each of the three finalists) from ESPN to the qualified charity related to the award-winning humanitarian efforts.

Finalists (winners to be announced at awards ceremony July 14):

• WWE Community Relations: WWE leverages the power of its brand and platforms to help address important social issues worldwide, and through its partnerships, they support programs and initiatives that positively impact children and families around the world. WWE has granted more than 6,000 wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions through Make-A-Wish, and launched an anti-bullying program, Be a STAR, to encourage young people to treat each other with tolerance and respect through education and grassroots initiatives. More than 100,000 kids from all 50 U.S. states and 100 countries have taken the pledge to end bullying through the program. WWE is also a strong advocate for athletes with intellectual disabilities and breast cancer awareness through their work with Special Olympics and Susan G. Komen respectively, and they are staunch supporters of the U.S. military through their annual Tribute to the Troops celebration and partnership with Hire Heroes USA to help returning vets transition to the civilian workforce.

More?

WWE Creates New YouTube Gaming Channel

WWE today launched UpUpDownDown, a new YouTube channel focusing on the world of video gaming, hosted by WWE Superstar and avid gamer, Xavier Woods®. Woods, also known to online players by his handle “Austin Creed,” will be joined by YouTube celebrities, WWE Superstars and video game editors who will star in daily programming about everything in the world of gaming – from current hits like “WWE 2K15” and “The Witcher” to classic series like “FIFA” and “Grand Theft Auto.”

“By leveraging WWE’s massive influence on YouTube and tapping into a content vertical that scores highly among our fans, we’re poised to make an immediate impact with this new channel,” said Lisa Fox, WWE Executive Vice President, Content. “We’re confident that UpUpDownDown will entertain not only WWE fans, but gamers everywhere.”

WWE has a powerful presence on YouTube, having served more than 5 billion video views in the last 12 months and boasting more than 6.4 million subscribers, making it the No. 1 Sports channel on the platform ahead of the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, ESPN and NASCAR.

Programming for UpUpDownDown will include:

• UpUpDownDown Plays (Mondays) – A “Let’s Play” style show featuring Woods and other personalities playing through today’s hottest titles.

• For the Lolz (Wednesdays) – Woods and others explore the vast worlds of popular sandbox games like Grand Theft Auto V, where just about anything and everything can happen.

• Jump Scares (Fridays) – Delving deep into the horror genre, players push their intestinal fortitude to the limit by creeping through the industry’s most bloodcurdling games.

• Superstar Savepoint (Saturdays) – Guests are tasked with jumping into a random game totally “cold,” and must help lead Woods to gaming glory in this unpredictable co-op experiment.

• Gamer Gauntlet (Sundays) – Woods and friends challenge each other for more than gaming bragging rights, with losers suffering pre-determined penalties.

Lawsuit Against WWE And ESPN Dropped

A few months ago, we reported that the Gilbert family (specificially Tommy Gilbert as the executor of his son Eddie's estate and younger son Doug Gilbert on his own behalf) had sued both WWE and ESPN for using their likenesses without permission and not paying royalties. This is not the first time either company had been sued by a wrestler, with ESPN's victory over Kansas City wrestler Steve Ray being upheld on appeal about a week or so after news of the Gilbert lawsuit broke.

Today, a look at the case docket revealed that 11 days ago on June 4th, the Gilberts filed a Notice of Voluntary dismissal without prejudice. This means that they reserve the right to refile in the future. No word yet as to exactly why they dropped the case, though ESPN's continued success against Steve Ray was not a good sign.

It's worth noting that in the current issue of Fighting Spirit Magazine, Jim Cornette talks a bit about the idea of filing these types of lawsuits. Commonly, the wrestlers' arguments have been they worked without contracts. In the article, Cornette argues that this isn't quite as true as a lot of people think.

At TV tapings for Jim Crockett Promotions' television shows, there was a "sign-in sheet" where everyone had to sign in to get paid. That's how most wrestlers saw the sheet. In actuality, if anyone bothered to read it, they saw that it was a legal release against future claims. Many promoters also put a similar legal release against future claims above the signature line on wrestlers' paychecks.

WWE Surpasses Half a Billion Social Media Followers

WWE today announced it has eclipsed half a billion fans through its global social media platforms, further cementing its position as one of the most-followed brands in the world.

WWE’s flagship Facebook page has more fans than the NFL, ESPN, Marvel, Google and UFC, and WWE Superstar John Cena is the No.1 most followed active American athlete on Facebook with more than 36 million likes. On Twitter, @WWE has more followers than MLB, Disney, Sony and Pepsi and according to Klout, is the No. 1 most influential brand on Twitter. On Instagram, WWE’s fastest-growing platform, @WWE has more followers than ESPN, HBO, NHL and Gatorade. With nearly 5 billion video views on YouTube in the past year alone, WWE is the No. 1 Sports channel ahead of the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, ESPN and NASCAR.

WWE’s Social Media Snapshot:

• Facebook: 354 million total likes, including 98 million new likes, an increase of 38 percent year-over year.

• Twitter: 108 million total followers, including 18 million new followers, an increase of 20 percent year-over-year.

• Instagram: 26 million total followers, including 25 million new followers, an increase of 2,955 percent year-over-year.

• YouTube: 6.2 million total subscribers, including 2.8 million new subscribers, an increase of 82 percent year-over-year.

Earlier this year, WWE won awards for Overall Social Media Excellence and Social Media Dream Team at the 2015 Cynopsis Sports Media Awards and 2015 Cablefax Digital Awards, respectively. WWE’s 12 social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Periscope, Google+, Vine, Foursquare, Tumblr, Pheed and Pinterest.

Triple H NXT Media Call Recap: Sami Zayn And Hideo Itami Update, NXT Touring Plans, Samoa Joe, More

* Triple H apologizes for his voice and says "with a nose like mine, changing allergy zones three times" is a bad thing.

* HHH puts over Charlotte and Sasha Banks headlining an NXT live event last week. He wants them to change the perception of what women do in the industry.

* The NXT tours will continue. He's looking at festival touring and some international shows as well. He wants NXT to be a full brand by next year.

* HHH thanked ESPN and Jeremy Schapp. He said he hopes that they can work together more, or produce more of those for the Network.

* Sami Zayn has been cleared, an will compete.

* HHH thinks Becky/Sasha could steal the show.

* Matt Bloom has been promoted to permanent head coach at NXT. Sara Del Rey is assistant head coach now.

* Sara Del Rey is still working as a road agent as well.

* He already considers NXT an additional brand. He wants to find what's best suited for NXT. Things that work on the main roster may not work in NXT.

* Triple H wants NXT on the road 3 days a week by 2016. He wants NXT to have a two-tour function eventually. He doesn't want to lose the homegrown fans in Flordia, either.

* Triple H doesn't care if someone has indy experience or not, but having experience helps.

* He doesn't know if NXT will become a cable TV show. He's happy where they are on the WWE Network. Triple H sees NXT as a selling point for the Network, too.

* Hideo Itami will be represented, but will not be wrestling tomorrow night.

* While NXT is a third brand, it's still there to get people ready for the main roster, Triple H says. He says the best problem he can have is Vince calling him in the middle of a hot angle and asking for that star.

* Triple H says that there are several talents in NXT ready for the main roster, but there aren't spots for them, or else they'd be there.

* HHH says WWE developmental is a young man's game. He says it takes a while for them to get talent up to speed.

* Triple H says he likes Ring of Honor and Dragon Gate. He says he's not trying to make NXT a direct competition to them. He wants to make the best roster that he can. He thinks if NXT's business grows, so will RoH's. He said he'd love to help support ROH and grow.

* Triple H says there are talents that said they turned down NXT deals for ROH. He says they haven't spoken to those talents on any level.

* Triple H says he wanted to make NXT an individual brand from day 1, but didn't tell anyone that.

* Triple H thinks Samoa Joe is a phenomenal talent. Says he was at the performance center a month or two ago. He doesn't know if they'll do business. He said they only spoke for about five minutes, and it was mostly pleasantries.

* He says there are plenty of talents that won't make it on the main roster, and gimmicks that won't work on the main roster.

* Vince McMahon doesn't see all of NXT. Triple H shows him bits and pieces.

* HHH doesn't see Cena going anywhere. He thinks it's great that Cena is confident enough to give younger stars a time to shine. Time pushes people to move to different roles.

* Someone asks about Emma. Triple H says it's more than possible for her to get back in the title picture.

* Triple H says Vince McMahon was blown away by the NXT show WrestleMania weekend. Triple H didn't know Vince would be there until last minute. McMahon messaged him and said he'd be there. Triple H said that several WWE executives came and were impressed, and wanted to do more with it.

* Triple H puts over the progress of Sami Zayn working without a mask and Baron Corbin.

* There aren't plans of an all-female NXT show or special, but it could happen.

* Nothing in NXT was by accident. He had a vision for this.

* The majority of the fans dictate what they do.

ESPN E:60 WWE "Behind the Curtain" Recap

ESPN Reporter Michelle Beadle Banned From Mayweather/Pacquiao Fight; Blasts Triple H & WWE For Supporting a “Serial Abuser”

ESPN reporter Michelle Beadle – who has been a huge supporter of pro wrestling over the years, and was the host of all kinds of WWE mainstream press during this year’s WrestleMania week blitz – has apparently turned in her fan card following Saturday’s big Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas.

Beadle, who was in Vegas all weekend doing promotion for the fight through ESPN and HBO (a co-producer of the event) had her press credentials revoked by Team Mayweather/SHOWTIME, effectively banning her from the super fight. Along with CNN reporter Rachel Nichols (who was also banned), the duo has been outspoken against Mayweather’s history of violence against women, which spans over a decade and includes multiple convictions.

Michelle, who wrestling fans may remember was the ESPN host that sat down with Brock Lesnar for his shocking announcement prior to WrestleMania, has apparently had enough with WWE and Triple H’s public support of a “serial abuser”. She posted the following on her Twitter:

"I've loved @WWE for a long time. But @TripleH and his love for a serial abuser is too much. I'm turning in my fan card. #WasFunWhileItLasted"

ESPN Beats Pro Wrestler in Dispute Over Rebroadcast of Old Matches

An appellate ruling could be a good sign for broadcasters as they fight in court with college athletes.

On Wednesday, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed ESPN's victory in a legal dispute with Steve "Wild Thing" Ray, who wrestled professionally in the Universal Wrestling Federation in the early 1990s.

ESPN obtained the footage of Ray's old matches and rebroadcast them on ESPN Classic. That brought a lawsuit by Ray alleging ESPN violated his publicity and privacy rights under Missouri law.

A three judge panel at the 8th Circuit echoes the conclusion from the district judge that Ray's state-based claims are preempted by federal copyright law. In doing so, the judges imply a test where plaintiffs can only avoid preemption by going beyond an attempt to stop the rebroadcast of copyrighted content to allege something more about the use of their name or image. Here, for instance, the opinion notes that "ESPN did not use Ray's likeness or name in an advertisement without his permission to promote its commercial products, and, as the district court correctly noted, Ray's ‘likenesses could not be detached from the copyrighted performances that were contained in the films.'"

The opinion comes just days after the WWE and ESPN were sued by the father of deceased wrestler Eddie Gilbert for publicity rights for using old footage on television and the Internet.

Maybe more importantly, the ruling comes as ESPN, CBS, Fox, ABC and NBC are involved in a legal battle over the publicity rights of college athletes. A judge's decision last year that shrugged off the release forms that athletes sign as a condition of their participation in college athletics paved the way for athletes to go after the broadcasters directly, but the defendants have various arguments on why the lawsuit should fail. Among them, that copyright preempts the publicity right claims.

An opinion at the 8th Circuit holds no precedential weight in Tennessee, where the legal battle over college athlete publicity rights is taking place, and there could be other factors that distinguish the alleged exploitation of college basketball and football players with the alleged exploitation of professional wrestlers, but nevertheless, it'll be a welcomed ruling for the broadcasters.

source: hollywoodreporter.com

WWE And ESPN Sued Over Unpaid Likeness Usage, WWE Responds

TMZ broke the news today that Tommy Gilbert, acting on behalf of his son Eddie's estate, and his younger son Doug Gilbert filed a lawsuit against both WWE and ESPN recently. Both brothers appear on the Global Wrestling Federation shows that air on ESPN Classic in the United States as well as in numerous matches throughout the libraries WWE owns, as well as in the WWE Encyclopedia coffee table book. WWE Network's video on demand library includes various matches of both brothers, with some of Doug's being in the Dark Patriot gimmick in ECW.

Essentially, the Gilberts are arguing they never gave permission for WWE or ESPN to use their likenesses and have not been compensated for it. To quote the complaint, which WrestlingInc obtained:

"While they performed live, neither of the Gilberts signed contracts or gave permission to WWE or ESPN to use recordings of the Gilberts' names or likenesses. The defendants have impermissibly and in violation of the Gilberts' rights of privacy shown recordings of past wrestling matches that use and display the Gilberts' names and likenesses. Additionally, Defendants have violated the Gilberts' rights of privacy by using the Gilberts' names and likenesses through other media. Neither Doug Gilbert nor Eddie Gilbert has received compensation for the Defendants' use of the Gilberts' names and likenesses. Accordingly, the Gilberts seek compensation and all other damages to which they are entitled based on Defendants violation of the Gilberts' rights of privacy."

The Gilberts are not seeking to block use of the footage; instead, they just want to be paid the compensation they feel they're due. Meanwhile, WWE made a statement to TMZ:

“Through the years, WWE has acquired the legal rights to library footage of various former wrestling organizations including Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Mid-Southern Wrestling among many others. WWE has made these substantial investments to acquire these copyrighted works and has the legal right to use them. Similar cases in the past have been unsuccessful and we expect this case to be dismissed.”

While the suit was filed just over a month ago, it looks like it didn't break until now because it was filed in a local court not tracked by much media. This past week, WWE and ESPN filed a joint notice of removal to federal court, so it became much easier to find the records online if you were searching for WWE-related cases. In the notice of removal, WWE cites their success in similar lawsuits filed in the past by Ricky Steamboat and Doug Somers, while ESPN notes they prevailed in a 2013 lawsuit from Steve "Wild Thing" Ray (who appeared in Herb Abrams' UWF shows that were rebroadcast on ESPN Classic).

WWE Presence On ESPN Under Increasing Scrutiny

At The National Sports Journalism Center's website, Michael Bradley has an editorial about ESPN's seemingly sudden adoption of WrestleMania as a legitimate sports event deserving of their coverage. It's also, to an extent, a reaction to Richard Deitsch's Sports Illustrated article about how this all came about.

Bradley's argument, overall, is that while it's not out of line for ESPN to give WWE coverage, covering it like it's a legitimate sporting event creates ethical issues if it was done solely to get more eyeballs on the network and its related properties. In a key passage, he writes:

"Forging alliances with legitimate leagues is one thing. Trying to build an audience by making something that isn't real sport seem more legitimate is far more cynical and potentially explosive. First comes the WWE. Then come full highlights of the Globetrotters' next game. After all, that team has fans all around the world."

Bradley also adds that "It's fun to talk about Lesnar and his fellow rasslers, but it's not journalism," but it's not clear if he means that it's not sports journalism or that he feels pro wrestling coverage inherently can't be journalism.

WWE Tops ESPN and Turner Sports Winning Two CableFAX Awards

WWE has been named the winner of two 2015 CableFAX Digital Awards – Social Media Dream Team honoring WWE’s social media department and Best Smartphone App for the WWE App.

WWE received the top honor of the night, winning the award for Social Media Dream Team beating Turner Sports, Discovery and OWN. WWE’s social media team manages 11 major platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Pinterest, where WWE has a passionate fan base of more than 460 million worldwide.

The WWE App, which has been downloaded more than 17 million times in 220 countries, was named Best Smartphone App, beating ESPN, Turner Sports, Crackle, Food Network and MSG.

In addition, for the second straight year, Jayar Donlan, WWE Vice President, Social Media, was named to CableFax’s Digital Hot List, which recognizes top industry executives.

The 2015 CableFAX Digital Awards honors the outstanding websites, digital initiatives and people in the Digital and Technology industry that are driving the digital media revolution.

E:60 Pictures Presents – WWE: Behind the Curtain (Trailer)

Above is a preview for ESPN's one-hour "E:60 Pictures presents WWE: Behind The Curtain" documentary that premieres on May 5th.

Footage for the TV special was recorded quite some time ago, so it focuses on stars like Xavier Woods and Corey Graves, as well as NXT stand-out Tyler Breeze.

WWE On E:60 Air Date

As we noted last year, ESPN was at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando and the NXT TV tapings at Full Sail University early last year filming for a feature on their E:60 program. Jim Ross stated last year on ESPN's Front Row that the producers of the show were "allowed crazy access," and that he expects a masterpiece. The show will air on ESPN2, May 5th.