Video: Triple H helped by paramedics after being attacked by Roman Reigns

Stephanie McMahon And Others Nominated For Award

Stephanie McMahon, The Big Show, John Cena, Nikki Bella, Roman Reigns and Titus O'Neil are the WWE stars nominated for the 2015 Celebs Gone Good Awards. Stephanie commented on her nomination on Twitter, writing:

Nothing is more important than giving back. I’m proud to be nominated for @dosomething’s #CelebsGoneGood list. pic.twitter.com/Oom059SoEk

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) December 10, 2015

Video: Triple H & Stephanie McMahon Bring WWE Smackdown To USA

Sheamus on Winning the WWE World Title, Triple H Relationship, Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, More

New WWE World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus did a media conference call earlier this afternoon. Below are highlights:

* In regards to pressure and scrutiny on this reign due to top WWE stars being out, Sheamus said he's been in this position before and faced a lot of scrutiny in the past, as a heel and babyface. He said he's been ready to go for a long time, since before winning Money In the Bank. He feels like the last few months he's been waiting and ready to go. He said there's always pressure and he looks forward to that. He's 6 years into his WWE career, at a different point in his career and is a different person. He knows what he's doing now. He knows a lot of top WWE stars are out right now and knows Seth Rollins will be coming back better than ever. Sheamus says he's not going to let the opportunity pass him by and will give it everything he can. He calls it an opportunity of a lifetime and says he's never felt better or more comfortable in his own skin

* He was asked how he prepared for the weekend and asked if they ever thought there might not be a show due to the reports of a potential Islamic State terror attack. He says WWE took the threat very seriously and the talents were kept updated on what was going on. He talks about how the authorities handled everything. He goes into all pay-per-views the same and didn't treat Survivor Series any different. He says last night was so surreal for him and while he's been in this position before, this one feels more special. Sheamus was asked if the Irish are taking over WWE now that he has gold, Finn Balor is the NXT Champion and Becky Lynch is on the main roster. Sheamus praises Finn for their matches on the UK tour and calls him he flagship Superstar of NXT, a future WWE World Heavyweight Champion

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Video: COO Triple H asks Roman Reigns to 'sell out'

Family comes first for Roman Reigns

A lot has happened in Roman Reigns' career since the last time SLAM! Wrestling talked to him. He was injured, won the Royal Rumble, was in the middle of a controversy he couldn't do anything against, main-evented WrestleMania and started teaming again with former Shield member Dean Ambrose. But even if he had a banner year, Reigns has still one focus in mind: his family.

For most WWE Superstars or professional wrestlers, being injured can be disastrous. Some will fear they might lose their spot or even their job while some others will rush their return and therefore expose themselves to more injuries in the future.

Not Roman Reigns.

"I wouldn't change anything because regardless of what happened or what could have happened, I really feel like I took advantage of that time that I had off," Reigns told SLAM! Wrestling. "The most important thing for me will always be God and family. And I was able to spend a lot of needed time with my family. I was able to get married as well. So for me I was able to take care of so many personal things which in the long run, makes the best performer. Everything happens for a reason, I'm a better performer this day for all that, so I wouldn't take anything back."

Winning the Royal Rumble last January should have been something fun for Reigns, but instead, it will be remembered as the one Daniel Bryan didn't win. In fact, the WWE Universe was so mad that Bryan, their hero, was eliminated from it, that they turned on Reigns, not because of something he did, but only because he was the chosen one.

"I just keep doing my thing and believe in myself. Any time I had any kind of doubters or anyone trying to hold me back, it makes me want it even more...More?

source: slam wrestling

Which Wrestler Topped The 25th Annual PWI 500?, Full Top 10 Listing

The 25th annual PWI 500 is now available for download at pwi-online.com. Topping this year's list, for the first time, is WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, whose unexpected title win at WrestleMania, combined with several key victories throughout the evaluation period helped him lock down the number 1 position.

"Thanks @OfficialPWI for the number 1 spot," Rollins tweeted Thursday. "But let's be honest here...was there really ever a second option? Mwuhahahaha!!"

Rollins joins an elite group of wrestlers who have topped the PWI 500 since it debuted in 1991, including Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin and, last year's top-ranked wrestler, Daniel Bryan.

Rounding out this year's Top 10:

2. John Cena, who achieved his 12th consecutive Top 10 ranking.
3. AJ Styles
4. Roman Reigns
5. Shinsuke Nakamura
6. Randy Orton
7. Jay Briscoe
8. Rusev
9. Alberto El Patron
10. Kevin Owens

The PWI 500 is compiled each year using criteria that includes win-loss record, championships won, quality of competition, major feuds, prominence within their individual promotion(s), and overall wrestling ability. The evaluation period was from July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015.

The print edition of the 2015 PWI 500 hits news stands on Sept. 29, but the digital edition can be downloaded now for just $3.50 at pwi-online.com.

Vince McMahon Praises John Cena And Roman Reigns

Vince McMahon offered the following on his Twitter account, praising Roman Reigns and John Cena for their social awareness.

Cena came in second on DoSomething.org’s “Athletes Gone Good” list, and Reigns came in at #13. Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list this year; Ronda Rousey also made the list at #14.

Click here for more information about Athletes Gone Good, including the full list of winners.

I'm proud of @JohnCena and @WWERomanReigns for using their voices for social causes. #AthletesGoneGood http://t.co/HBCvZyRP7a

— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) August 14, 2015

Daniel Bryan On If He's Won Vince McMahon Over

You know, yes but I don't know to what degree. You know what I mean? Does he think I should ever main event another WrestleMania? I would say probably not. (laughs) It's interesting. I think he likes me, he sees me as a valuable performer. He sees me as someone who makes the company money. But I still don't think he will ever see me as "the guy" in the way he sees John Cena as "the guy" or in the way he potentially sees Roman Reigns as "the guy". To this day, I still don't think he sees me like that.

Former Security Guard Suing 12 WWE Superstars Over 2013 Live Event Incident, WWE Responds

A former security guard at the Savannah Civic Center in Savannah, Georgia is suing WWE and several Superstars after he was hit with a steel chair at a WWE live event in 2013, according to Courthouse News Service. The complaint was filed in late June.

Troy Rivers says he was unexpectedly hit "about the head, neck and back" with a chair at the event. His suit names John Cena, Ryback, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, Fandango, Damien Sandow, Cody Rhodes, Kane and R-Truth. Rivers is unsure who actually hit him, believing it may be Ambrose, so his attorney is suing every Superstar who competed that night. His attorney Kevin Elwell said:

"We haven't reviewed the video from the event yet, so we're bringing in everyone on the card that night. Only one guy did it, but we don't know which one yet."

Rivers says the incident left him with "serious, significant and permanent personal injuries." River's wife Mary is also a plaintiff in the suit and claims that the incident has deprived her of "conjugal fellowship" with her husband. Troy also claims that because of gross negligence by WWE, he is suffering from "physical and mental anguish, diminishment of his earning capacity, and continues to suffer a loss of enjoyment of life."

The man is seeking unspecified punitive and compensatory damages. WWE issued a written statement in response and said they have no knowledge of "any such incident and the security company that hired the plaintiff doesn't have any record of this matter either. Furthermore, the plaintiff's attorney has admitted he has no basis to sue the individual defendants named in the lawsuit."

Rolling Stone Releases Their WWE "Best of the Rest of the Half-Year" Awards, Praise for Kevin Owens

Rolling Stone has announced their WWE "Best of the Rest of the Half-Year" awards at this link. They named NXT Champion Kevin Owens as the WWE Wrestler of the Year, so far. They wrote:

"In a matter of months, the father of two from Marieville, Quebec has not only stared down his potential but surpassed it, becoming a lynchpin of two promotions and building a character inspired by everything it took to get him to this point. Love him or hate him, you can't deny his impact on the first six months of 2015 – or wonder how high he'll climb by year's end. It's wrestling, folks. It's Kevin Owens."

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Most Popular WWE Network Shows from Last Week, What Weekly Show Doesn't Do Good, Other Favorites

The most-watched WWE Network content from last week are as follows:

1. WWE 24: Roman Reigns
2. Chris Jericho interviews Stephanie McMahon
3. WWE NXT, May 6th episode
4. Jerry Springer Too Hot for TV: Love Hurts
5. Extreme Rules

The Cinco de Mayo special with Los Matadores didn't do well and Superstars episodes also don't do too well.

The special on Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show, the previous week’s NXT episode, Culture Shock with Corey Graves, Unfiltered with Renee Young, Mick Foley's Cheap Pops, the ECW Uncensored Volume 3 sneak peek, and a second Jerry Springer episode were also popular among viewers, as well as the last season of Tough Enough and 2014 episodes of Total Divas.

King of the Ring Returns and WWE Network Schedule Announced

This week on the award-winning WWE Network, expect something new every night, including the debut of the new series Jerry Springer Presents WWE Too Hot for TV and King of the Ring which will begin on Monday's RAW and the finals will take place Tuesday night on the WWE Network.

Monday, April 27
Jerry Springer Presents WWE Too Hot For TV – Available on demand after Raw
Too extreme for live TV, WWE Too Hot for TV goes straight to on demand after Raw. Hosted by legendary talk show host Jerry Springer, this new series brings you the most outrageous stunts and cringe-inducing moments in WWE history.

Tuesday, April 28
King of the Ring – 8 ET/ 5 PT
Continuing the action from Monday's Raw, the King of the Ring Tournament finals will take place live on the award-winning WWE Network.

Wednesday, April 29 – Mick Foley Night
Have a Nice Night! – 9/8 C
Renee Young and Byron Saxton host this entertaining assemblage of Mick Foley’s most memorable and entertaining moments. Relive the timeless 'This is Your Life' segment with The Rock, laugh as Mr. McMahon meets the lovable Mr. Socko, experience the Three Faces of Foley and much more.

Cheap Pops – 10/9 C
Join Mick Foley as he shares humorous tales full of wit and wisdom from the WWE Hall of Famer's storied career. It’s an eclectic trip into the surreal mind and life of the Hardcore Legend like you've never seen before.

Thursday, April 30
LIVE! with Chris Jericho with Stephanie McMahon – Following SmackDown
Chris Jericho brings his uncensored show live to the award-winning WWE Network with special guest, WWE’s Chief Brand Officer, Stephanie McMahon.

Friday, May 1
Floyd Mayweather vs. The Big Show: The Money vs. The Giant – 9/8 C
Just in time for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, which is expected to be one of the biggest boxing matches in history, go behind-the-scenes of the most anticipated fight on The Grandest Stage of Them All, as undefeated professional boxing sensation Floyd “Money” Mayweather took on the 7-foot “Giant”, Big Show at WrestleMania 24.

Monday, May 4
WWE 24: Roman Reigns – Following Raw
The acclaimed 30-minute docu-series takes you on a lightning-fast journey through a day in the life of one of WWE’s most intriguing Superstars and groundbreaking events.

'Rap is the new wrestling': how hip-hop heavyweights compare with WWE stars

New York rap and fashion maven A$AP Rocky thinks hip-hop has become like the theatrical, body-slam heavy world of WWE. Speaking to Elliott Wilson at a live recording of the CRWN hip-hop podcast at the Tribeca film festival, the 26-year-old rapper said: “Rap is the new wrestling,” before adding that in the world of contemporary hip-hop, rappers pick a strange name, say some ridiculous things and then wait until people pay attention (isn’t that just a guide to becoming famous in 2015?). He has a point though, even if there is more than a hint of irony in that theory coming from a rapper whose name is A$AP Rocky and whose biggest hit was called Fuckin’ Problems complaining about outlandish and gauche hip-hop acts with daft names. We’ve taken his assertion as a starting point and tried to figure out which WWE superstars (past and present) line up with contemporary rap stars...More?

source: theguardian.com

Steve Austin - Triple H Interview Recap - Feelings on CM Punk, Chyna - HOF, Brock Lesnar's Future, More

We're live from backstage at the Pepsi Center in Denver with Steve Austin and Triple H. Austin talks about how hot fans were when sending feedback for the podcast. Austin brings up the controversy surrounding the Royal Rumble. Austin says it seems like kayfabe is dead and asks Triple H how hard it is to book with that. He says it's rough. Triple H brings up the different component that is the internet and how fans quickly see when the company gets behind someone. Triple H brings up how some places were booing Roman Reigns out of the building because they think that's the push he's getting but nobody booed him at this weekend's live events. Austin says some fans feel like Reigns hasn't earned the push yet. Triple H says there's one guy calling the shots - Vince McMahon. Triple H says the Rumble was talked over and debated. He says there were lots of suggestions. He says Vince takes all those ideas and puts them together. Triple H says nobody is perfect - Vince, himself and the writing team. He says Vince doesn't always make the right call but has a pretty good track record.

They give props to Seth Rollins and Daniel Bryan for their match on RAW. Austin brings up the resentment for Reigns and Triple H says it's a tough environment. Triple H talks about how half of the people have booed John Cena while half have cheered him but he was selling out arenas. Triple H says it's hard to find the star that every single person likes. Triple H talks about how they knew who they were targeting in the Attitude Era but now there are so many age groups and demographics that they cover. Triple H mentions how dirt sheets were rare back in the day but even major media outlets give you the inside of the business these days. Austin says he hasn't seen Twitter feedback yet but believes that tonight's RAW may have quelled some of the resentment towards Reigns. He says Reigns shined tonight and what he did at the end of RAW helped him. Austin says he needed that and Triple H agrees. Triple H says people say all the time that Reigns isn't ready and Triple H says nobody is really ready for "that." Austin agrees. Triple H says you think you know what it means to be that guy until you get there and put a whole different world of pressure on yourself.

Triple H talks about how he wasn't ready in 1996 and if he would have won King of the Ring instead of Austin then he would have failed. Triple H says he knew he wasn't ready and doesn't think he would have succeeded. Austin is looking to forward to seeing how the main event picture unfolds going into WrestleMania. Triple H talks about how WWE is a never ending book and you can't really knock today because you don't know what's next. Austin asks what Triple H's exit strategy if he didn't marry Stephanie McMahon. Triple H believes he would be in a similar place, working behind-the-scenes. He says he fell in love with the creative and "making of" pro wrestling as much as the other side. He talks about falling in love with working with talents and other aspects of the business, and talking to Vince McMahon about it long before he got with Stephanie. He talks about what he gets out of working with the talents at NXT. He says hats off to Vince for allowing him that. Austin has our first Twitter question - does he think it's beneficial for a talent to go to a wrestling school and then the PC or work the indies. He says it depends on the guy. He talks about Kurt Angle and praises him, talking about how he picked up the business faster than anyone he's seen. He says sometimes it's hard to knock some of the bad habits of the indies out of a guy. Some indie guys come in and they're a sponge, some come in and think their way is the only way.

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Roman Reigns Addresses WWE Fan Backlash, Says He Doesn’t Care and He’s “Just a Guy Getting Rich”

WWE star and this year’s Royal Rumble winner, Roman Reigns, recently spoke with Sam Roberts, prior to the Rumble PPV, and the following are some interview highlights, and you can listen to the entire interview at this link.

On the backlash he has been receiving from WWE fans:

“I’m aware of all of these things. You have to look at it through many different perspectives. For me, as a provider and as a man, I have a responsibility to provide. I can’t look at it like and get down on ‘oh, this is what they’re thinking and this is what they’re saying.’ To be honest I really don’t care. I can only do my thing and do the best that I can. The majority of critics, I would say, are people who have no clue what they’re talking about and have never been in a wrestling ring. They’ve never been a public speaker. They wouldn’t even know how to lock up with me if I allowed them to. If I gave them the opportunity to lock up and tangle with me in the ring, they would have no clue what to do so for them to critique or ever say anything about any performer is asinine and just blows my mind.

It’s one of those situations where obviously the company is gonna do what the company does and the fans are definitely gonna do what they do. That’s what’s so great. The fans have to realize that as opinionated as y’all are in the way you want it, the company is the same way and they’re gonna do what they wanna do…at the end of the day i’m just a guy getting rich.”

One of the big criticisms about Roman Reigns’ act is that his promos still need a lot of work. Reigns revealed that he does read a lot of what fans say about him online, but as long as they’re talking about him, he’s doing something right.

“I see all of my criticism. I’m in a position now that I get a ton of love which is great and a ton of criticism which is great. As long as i’m in people’s mouths that’s all that matters to me. As long as people are talking about me.

The majority of the time…the people that are critiquing and bashing me, they’re making me more relevant, I would think. If you didn’t want me around then just don’t talk about me and try and make it silent out there. That’s not the case [because] they make it even more overwhelming. You know, noise is noise. That’s the thing.”

Wrestling Fans Lash Out With ‘#CancelWWENetwork’

The response to Sunday’s Royal Rumble was anything but scripted

Wrestling fans were seething after the World Wrestling Entertainment’s annual Royal Rumble event came to what appears to be an unsatisfactory end in Philadelphia on Sunday night.

After Roman Reigns emerged victorious for the evening’s highly anticipated battle royal finale, fans sounded off in mass on social media outlets with the hashtag: “#CancelWWENetwork” that was trending worldwide by the night’s end.

According to wrestling blogs, spectators at the event were chanting for refunds as rumors swirled that the WWE Network cancellation page had crashed as fans bombarded the site.

source: time.com

Photo from CES Reveals New WWE WrestleMania Pinball Game for 2015

Photos leaked from this week's CES convention reveal that the Stern Pinball company will be releasing a WWE WrestleMania pinball game this year, likely in time for WrestleMania 31.

Stars featured on the outside of the game include Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, a masked Kane and The Bella Twins.

More details should be announced at CES this week but the game could run well over $5,000. Apparently there is already a lot of backlash in the pinball community against Stern for their next big release being a WWE game.

Roman Reigns On John Cena Comparisons, Being An ‘Ambassador’ For NXT

WWE Superstar Roman Reigns was recently a guest on the WNS Podcast while promoting a WWE Live Event in Beaumont, Texas.

Reigns talked about being compared to John Cena and other stars, how he reacted to being one of the first NXT stars on WWE TV, what 2015 holds for him and more. You can read a few excerpts below:

Roman Reigns On John Cena Comparisons:

When I first started wrestling, I got a lot of comparisons to a lot of different people. Razor Ramon, The Rock. I had a bunch of different qualities and characteristics of former guys. I’m not trying to be the next anybody. I’m trying to be the very first Roman Reigns that’s all I can do. I’m not out to be somebody that I’m not. I know who I am and I know where I come from and I know where I want to go. It’s very flattering to be compared to someone who’s worked so hard and been so successful. I don’t want what he has, I want what I’m going to get.

Reigns On Being Seen As An ‘Ambassador’ For NXT & If There Was Pressure On Him:

I don’t know if it was extra pressure. There’s always pressure. Pressure almost becomes like another emotion. Most people are happy, sad, angry just all the different emotions you can feel and pressure is just one of them. That time I’m alive. If i’m not nervous or feeling butterflies then like what am I doing. For me, it was a cool responsibility to be given, to take on. I think that’s just part of the process. Being the first few to come out of NXT, we felt it but everyone behind us all the way from The Wyatts to Rusev and the list is just going to continue to go on. You’ve got great talent down there that are going to come up and make a big name for themselves. The Ascension, sami Zayn, Adrian Neville. There’s even newer guys, international stars from the independant scene so it’s a good time to be a wrestling fan.

Will 2015 Be His Year To Shine?

I think so. I think everyone’s thinking that. I think everybody goes into these type of matches thinking they’re going to be the guy. It can happen. Whether it’s 30, 40, 100 people in this match. Everybody should be going in with that mindset. “I’m the guy. I can change my whole career. I can change my whole life if I just dominate tonight and that’s what I’m going to do. Fortunately for me I have some experience with this match. I have a record of eliminations and I’m taking last year making it all the way to the end and coming up short as a mistake I can learn from. As a good experience. Hopefully, I can capitalize on it this year and correct that wrong and go onto the big one.

Rumor Mill - Backstage News on Low Morale In WWE Following Vince Interview, Triple H Gives Speech to Roster

It's said that morale in WWE, which wasn't good before, has been noticeably different since Vince McMahon's live interview with Steve Austin. The feeling is that Vince "crapped on just about everyone in the locker room" except for Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt. There's also a feeling that Vince made it clear those were the only ones he sees that have top star potential.

Triple H actually gave a speech to the WWE roster after morale got bad due to the interview. His speech was described as an attempt at damage control that backfired.

As a general rule backstage, the talents in NXT love Triple H, but on the main roster, whatever he said in the speech lost him a lot of credibility, especially among those who have been with the company for some time.