Vince McMahon On WWE Staying PG But Getting Edgier, Why Eric Bischoff & Paul Heyman Were Hired

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon discussed Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff being hired as the new Executive Directors for RAW and SmackDown during today's WWE Q2 Earnings call. While Vince discussed the new hires more than once, he did not mention Heyman and Bischoff by name.

"One the things that we've done is hire 2 Executive Directors, one for Raw and 1 for SmackDown and in doing so, it allows me to look at a longer-range story – our standpoint and also spend more time on talent development and not get into the weeds as much as I had to do in the past. That is a really, really good thing for a long-term as well as short-term. Actually, we've seen a big result already," Vince said in his opening statement. (H/T to Seeking Alpha for the transcript.)

Vince was later asked by an investor about why WWE chose to hire Executive Directors at this time, and how much latitude Heyman and Bischoff will have.

"I can't personally be in the weeds any longer and we have these 2 individuals who have a longer range of point of view and a developmental point of view. Both of these individuals have extensive backgrounds in the business from various aspects and with the organizational aspects that they have and the depth of talent, executive talent we now attract it's going to be really good for our business. And how much latitude they will have, that's again it allows me to have a broader overview of things and escape from just getting in the weeds. So they'll have a lot of latitude."

"As far as the content is concerned, I'll address that. We have definitely turned the corner and again as I've mentioned, we have Executive Directors with each brand now. They're going to grow in a more in-depth I think notwithstanding that, we spent more time on storylines, good ones, and also talent development. It's a combination of a lot of things on the things as far as coming together and what I guess, I'll call it relaunch in terms of our content," Vince said.

"We're going to be a bit edgier but still remain in the PG environment," Vince revealed. "We've just come anywhere close actually to go into another level. So that will be something will do in terms of direction of content, more controversy, better storylines, etc. But at the same time, we're not going to go back to the bold Attitude Era and we're not going to do blood and guts and things of that nature such as being done on perhaps a new potential competitor. We're just not going to go back to that gory that we graduated from. And again, a more sophisticated product. Again attracting much better writers and attracting better management things of that nature. So again, I feel really good about it."

WWE Second Quarter Finances Revealed, Vince McMahon Comments

The WWE's 2019 Q2 Financial report has been released, with revenue dropping from the previous year. 

According to the company's finances, the second quarter of 2019 produced $268.9 million in revenue, down 5% from the 2018 Q2 of $281.6 million. 

The WWE Network now boasts 1.69 million paid subscribers, which is consistent with the company's guidelines. 

The use of digital outlets like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram increased drastically, with 324 million hours being consumed, up 22% from the previous quarter. 

Digital video views also increased by 17% over the previous quarter to 9 billion.

In a conference call, WWE CEO Vince K McMahon said how this second quarter of the year had been focussed on making major changes to the company, such as recent deals with BT Sport in the UK and the upcoming Fox-SmackDown move.

He said: "We completed content distribution agreements in key international markets, prepared for the next phase of our WWE Network service, and achieved steady improvement in engagement metrics."

More details can be found from the company's official statement here. 

source: wwe

Variety Calls Out Vince McMahon Over Excuses For Falling Ratings, WWE Q2 Earnings Decline Expected

WWE will be reporting earnings its second quarter 2019 earnings this Thursday, July 25th. Zacks Equity Research reports that Wall Street analysts are expecting a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues for the quarter, which ended on June 30, 2019. They estimated that revenues are expected to be $277.20 million, down 1.6% from the prior year quarter. The company is expected to report a loss of $0.03 per share for the quarter, which is a change of -121.4% from this point last year.

WWE reported disappointing results for the first quarter of 2019, with a net loss of $8.4 million compared to a profit of $14.8 million in the prior year quarter. The decrease was primarily because of the drop in live event revenue and lower merchandise sales. At the time, WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon Vince McMahon blamed the poor results on "superstar absences."

"While engagement metrics over the past two quarters were impacted by Superstar absences, we believe they will improve as our talent return and we launch our new season following a successful WrestleMania," McMahon said last April. "We remain excited about the future, particularly with our debut on Fox in October."

Top media outlet Variety ran a story today calling out McMahon for his past excuses for the drop in business. It was noted that the "superstar absences" have been rectified this quarter, however ratings have continued to fall.

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WWE Launches New Talent Brand Management Department

WWE recently established a Talent Brand Management department to help develop the individual brands of their Superstars. They are now hiring a Vice President to run the department and a Director to help. The Director would report to the Vice President, and the Vice President would report directly to WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon.

Both jobs are based at WWE HQ in Stamford, CT. You can see WWE's job listings for the new positions at this link and this link.

WWE described the new Talent Brand Management department like this:

"Talent Brand Management is a division of WWE that has 360-degree oversight of Superstars' individual talent brands and is focused on positioning and growing these inside and outside WWE platforms."

WWE Reportedly Planning 24/7 Championship Segment At San Diego Comic-Con

WWE Reportedly Planning 24/7 Championship Segment At San Diego Comic-Con
The WWE is planning on having a segment with the 24/7 Championship at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, according to PWInsider.

On SmackDown, new Champion R-Truth and Carmella teased appearing at the Pop Culture Expo, and according to reports, the pair are in San Diego, as well as former champion Drake Maverick.

Truth captured his ninth reign on this week's edition of RAW, pinning the British Superstar whilst he was trying to consummate his marriage to wife Renee Michelle.

The company has already announced that several Superstars will appear at a panel at the convention, with a Mattel toy panel being hosted by Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder.

RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch, WWE Champion Kofi Kingston and Rey Mysterio have also been announced.

San Diego Comic-Con will take place from today, July 18, until Monday, July 22.

Roman Reigns Wins First-Ever WWE Award At ESPN's ESPYS, Reigns Comments, Top WWE Stars In Attendance

Roman Reigns just won the first-ever Best WWE Moment award at the 2019 ESPN ESPYS from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Reigns won the award for his "triumphant return to Monday Night RAW" earlier this year following his second battle with leukemia.

The other nominees were Becky Lynch for winning the RAW Women's Title and SmackDown Women's Title at WrestleMania 35, Kofi Kingston for winning the WWE Title at WrestleMania 35, and Ronda Rousey for winning her first RAW Women's Title at SummerSlam 2018.

As we've noted, this was the first time that WWE had an award category at the ESPYS, under the Best Performance category.

"For to me just to be able to be healthy was the only award I needed. This is just so flattering for everyone to kind of lift me up and show me that support system and love from everybody," Reigns said in WWE's announcement on the award. "It was never about awards or anything like that. It was just about awareness, it was just about sharing my story and hopefully someone could use it for a little bit of hope."

WWE noted that Reigns was congratulated during during the red carpet special by Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, the RAW Women's Champion Lynch, and WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins.

Becky Lynch Becomes First WWE Star To Land ESPN The Magazine Cover

As seen below, Lynch and actress Alison Brie of Netflix's GLOW series are gracing the cover of the "Blockbuster Issue" from ESPN The Magazine. The issue hits newsstands this Friday.

Below is WWE's announcement on the cover, along with the cover photo:

Becky Lynch and Alison Brie to be featured on cover of ESPN The Magazine's "Blockbuster" issue

Becky Lynch has taken over the sports-entertainment scene in the last year, and this Friday, you can find the Raw Women's Champion with actress Alison Brie on the cover of ESPN The Magazine's "Blockbuster" issue.

The new issue focuses on the intersection between Hollywood and sports. Lynch and Brie, who is the star of Netflix's hit comedy show "GLOW" on the 1980s Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling promotion, got together for an interview about the obstacles they face in their respective industries, the toughness of women, and much more.

The Man is the first WWE Superstar to ever appear on the cover of ESPN The Magazine. Get your hands on the issue when it hits newsstands this Friday.

Stephanie McMahon and Michelle Wilson set for Cynopsis Top Women in Media 2019 honors

WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon and WWE Co-President Michelle Wilson will be honored at Cynopsis’ 2019 Top Women in Media ceremony this September.

At the ceremony, which honors the most influential women across the media landscape, McMahon is set to be recognized in the social subcategory of Women in Sports. Wilson, WWE’s Co-President, will be recognized in the Sports-Centric Brands category.

The ceremony takes place Sept. 9 at Tribeca Rooftop in New York City. Take a look at the rest of the honorees here.

BOOM! Studios Launching New WWE Comic Book Series

Boom! Studios have announced that they will be releasing a new WWE comic book series titled “WWE SmackDown Live”, written by Kevin Panetta with art by Kendall Goode and a main cover by Xermánico. The first issues is set for release on October 2nd.

The synopsis for the first is as follows:

“Join Becky Lynch as she arrives at the arena and runs into The Brothers of Destruction (Undertaker and Kane), WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The IIconics (Peyton Royce and Billie Kay), WWE Champion Kofi Kingston, WWE Superstar Roman Reigns, and many more. Behind the scenes, unexpected alliances are formed, lifelong enemies are made, and chaos ensues as Superstars erupt into a free-for-all centered around The Man herself.”

Rumor Mill - WWE Set To Move Away From Wholly TV-PG Programming

WWE is reportedly set to move away from the PG orientated product they have presented over the last decade.

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is aware the company is struggling to capture the teen market and he is implementing immediate changes to the product, which have already started to filter through on WWE television.

The company is also well aware of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and their target audience and thus will look to close the gap and ensure they are staying relevant.

Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio:

“They were very aware that they had lost touch with the teenagers,” Meltzer said. “They were afraid of completely losing teenagers, especially when AEW starts. This is a direction they felt they had to go.”

It will be interesting to see if and when WWE drop the official "TV-PG" rating from their weekly broadcasts, or if they will try and combine the two ratings.

source: wrestling observer radio

Triple H Praises Paul Heyman And Eric Bischoff, Welcomes Them Back To The WWE Team

WWE Hall of Famer Triple H took to Twitter this evening to issue his first public comments on Paul Heyman being hired as WWE's Executive Director of RAW and Eric Bischoff coming back to the company as the Executive Director of SmackDown.

"Two people who pushed our industry and @WWE forward over the last 25+ years. Great to have @HeymanHustle and @EBischoff working on #Raw and #SDLive. Welcome BACK to the team," wrote Triple H, WWE's Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative.

Rumor Mill - Reason why Vince McMahon didn't offer Triple H the Executive Director position

On Thursday, June 27th, Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff were announced as the new Executive Directors of WWE Raw and SmackDown Live respectively.This announcement made a major impact on the wrestling community because of the surprise factor and the individuals in question. It seems to have been largely received as a very positive step. Certainly, it has taken a lot of attention away from the upcoming All Elite Wrestling show this weekend.There are questions however over Triple H, the current Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative for WWE. Fans have been asking why the King of Kings has not been offered either of those jobs.

Paul Heyman ran Extreme Championship Wrestling during the Monday Night Wars while at the same time Eric Bischoff ran World Championship Wrestling. After the Monday Night Wars ended, McMahon would hire both to run shows within his organization.Early in the brand extension, Bischoff would be in charge at Raw, meanwhile Heyman was in charge over on SmackDown. Heyman has had particular credit over the years for the rise of Brock Lesnar and the high-quality performances from a group known as the SmackDown Six.Triple H and his tight grip on the WWE world heavyweight championship at the time would be overseen by Bischoff in storyline as Eric Bischoff’s famed on-screen character would be heavily used for years on the Raw side.Triple H would later transition into a more managerial role. Since 2013 he has been Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative – an all-consuming role that he has successfully juggled alongside being the founder and Senior Producer of NXT.

While some members of the WWE locker room were also questioning why Triple H was not offered one or both of the WWE Executive Director positions, I am told that the answer lies in the role itself.

A source close to WWE management explained that the role is essentially very similar to the Senior Producer role that Triple H already occupies in NXT and that Triple H is known to prefer a continuation of that role.Triple H is also overseeing large quantities of WWE’s international expansion, particular as regards the set up of NXT UK, the Saudi Arabia and Australia shows and the set up of WWE Performance Centres worldwide. The source went on to explain that Triple H already had considerably more responsibility than an Executive Director role would offer.Finally, a separate source explained Triple H’s position in relation to talent a little closer. Heyman will be in charge of Raw. Bischoff will be in charge of Smackdown. Triple H is in charge of all talent, everywhere in WWE. “The job’s basically beneath him.

There is continual speculation that Triple H will be taking over the mantle for the WWE when Vince McMahon eventually retires. Triple H, meanwhile, is actively involved in everything that the WWE does.

source: sportskeeda.com

FOX Hoping To Make AEW Look Inferior With WWE SmackDown Debut?, News On AEW Start Date And Time Slot

AEW is expected to start on Turner during the first week of October, which is the same week that WWE SmackDown will being airing on Friday nights on FOX. The news was first reported by MMA insider @fightoracle, who first broke the story that Turner Sports would be presenting AEW at their upfronts last month. As noted, AEW applied for the trademark "Wednesday Night Dynamite" earlier this month.

With the television show seemingly airing on Wednesday nights, the premiere date will be October 2nd. Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that while there are still meetings occurring regarding the show, strategies, and other ideas from the TNT side, the plan is for the show to air on Wednesdays, with 8-10 p.m. being the most likely time slot.

WWE SmackDown will make its much anticipated debut two nights later at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. It was reported in The Observer that FOX will be testing out two new cameras for the debut. FOX is also looking to invite a lot of celebrities and give the show the feel of a major event, which is a reason that it's being held in Los Angeles. It was noted that the idea is to make WWE look as major league as possible, which in turn would make AEW look minor league from the start.

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

WWE Names Eric Bischoff And Paul Heyman As New Executive Directors Of RAW And SmackDown

WWE has named Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman as Executive Directors.

Bischoff is set to become the new Executive Director of WWE SmackDown while Heyman is set to become the new Executive Director of WWE RAW. Both will report directly to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

The new roles are full-time executive roles. According to Sports Illustrated, there are no current plans for these roles to be introduced as part of a TV storyline.

Bischoff will also work directly with Fox executives as the blue brand plans to premiere on Fox Friday nights in October, SI reported.

The major move will allow WWE to establish "two distinct creative processes for its flagship shows."

Below is the full press release that WWE sent Wrestling Inc.:

WWE® NAMES PAUL HEYMAN AND ERIC BISCHOFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

Stamford, Conn., June 27, 2019 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that it has named Paul Heyman as Executive Director of Monday Night Raw and Eric Bischoff as Executive Director of SmackDown Live, newly created positions reporting directly to WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon.

In their executive roles, Heyman and Bischoff will oversee the creative development of WWE's flagship programming and ensure integration across all platforms and lines of business. The creation of these roles further establishes WWE's ability to continuously reinvent its global brand while providing two distinct creative processes for its flagship shows.

With more than 30 years of experience in the sports entertainment industry, Heyman served as President of ECW from 1993-2001, securing pay-per-view distribution for the company as well as a national cable television deal with TNN. After his time with ECW, Heyman joined WWE's Creative team and is widely credited with helping launch the careers of many current and former WWE Superstars.

Bischoff is a former WCW President and New York Times bestselling author. During his WCW career, Bischoff oversaw the signing of some of the biggest names in sports entertainment and helped create and develop the NWO storyline. He was also instrumental in securing a television deal for WCW Monday Nitro on TNT and WCW Thunder on TBS. After WCW, Bischoff co-founded Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment, a production company that launched TV reality shows and mobile games.

CM Punk Files Lawsuit Against Colt Cabana

CM Punk has filed a countersuit against his former friend, Colt Cabana, on June 18th. According to a report from PWInsider, Punk is seeking $600,000 for general damages as well as interest and legal fees in response to an amended lawsuit that Cabana filed in August of 2018.

WWE Doctor Chris Amann sued Punk and Cabana in 2015 for comments that Punk made on Cabana's podcast where Punk said, among other claims, that Amann misdiagnosed a MRSA staph infection as a fatty deposit. Punk claimed that a doctor recommended to him by wife AJ Lee said that he should be dead after wrestling with the staph infection for months. The jury ruled in favor of Punk and Cabana, and they did not have to pay anything to Amann.

Cabana had sued Punk last August for breach of contract and fraud over legal fees related to the lawsuit. Cabana claimed that Punk promised to cover his legal bills, however Punk's legal team dropped him as a client. Cabana got his own representation after their falling out. Cabana is seeking $200,000 for his personal legal costs and additional damages.

Punk claims that he spent $1.2 million in legal fees between himself and Cabana in the Amann lawsuit and was never reimbursed, which he stated "violated fundamental principles of justice, equality, and good conscience" and breached their contract. Punk also noted that the podcast with Cabana was immensely popular, however he never received any compensation for it.

Cabana's side must respond to the countersuit by July 3rd. You can read more details on the lawsuit at PWInsider by clicking here.

Seth Rollins Continues To Defend WWE Against "Idiots With No Clue

WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins continues to defend the company on Twitter after Sunday's pre-Stomping Grounds tweet about WWE providing the best pro wrestling on the planet.

For those who missed it, Rollins wrote, "Best pro wrestling on the planet. Period."

He later doubled down after the Stomping Grounds Kickoff pre-show match that saw Drew Gulak capture the WWE Cruiserweight Title. Rollins wrote, "Doubling down. Best pro wrestling on the planet. See that Cruiserweight Triple Threat? And that's just one night, one match amongst the many. Find anyone else alive who does what I do as well as I do it as often as I do it. Ya can't. #WWEStompingGrounds #UniversalChampion @WWE"

Rollins later responded to a media tweet that said, "Remember when Seth Rollins said that WWE had the best pro wrestling in the world? #WWEStompingGrounds."

Rollins fired back, "Sure do dorks. And after that PPV I stand by it even more. The crew brought it tonight. From top to bottom all out effort from every person in the ring and out. And you're still talking/writing about it."

Molly Danger creator Jamal Yaseem Igle tweeted and said he loves Rollins, but The Architect should dial it down a notch. Rollins refused. He responded, "Nah dawg, let me dial it up. I've sat back and watched idiots with no clue talk poorly about the place I dedicate my life to EVERY HOUR OF EVERY DAY. The level I perform at on constant is untouchable. Time to let em know."

As we've noted, Rollins' tweets have received responses from The Usos and Roman Reigns, AEW star Chris Jericho, and top NJPW stars Tama Tonga and Will Ospreay. Ospreay responded to Rollins' "double down" tweet and said he's alive. Rollins fired back and said WWE already has a better version of Ospreay - new WWE United States Champion Ricochet. Rollins wrote, "Ahhhh I'm sorry little guy. We already have a better version of you here and he just won his first US Title tonight (Congrats @KingRicochet). Keep working hard though buddy!"

WWE Stomping Grounds’ Paid Attendance Estimated At Between 4000 & 4500

Heading into Stomping Grounds, it was pretty much public knowledge that the ticket sales weren’t exactly going all too well. Now, though, in the immediate aftermath of the show, there are some estimated numbers for fans to discuss. According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, between 4,000 and 4,500 paid tickets were registered for the event. This continues the trend of falling numbers not only in regards to RAW and SmackDown Live, but also for live events and pay-per-views themselves.

WWE Receives Its Own Category At This Year's ESPYS

For the first time, WWE is getting a "Best WWE Moment" under the Best Performance category at this year's ESPYS, which will be hosted by Tracy Morgan on July 10 at 8 pm ET on ABC.

The nominees for the award are: Roman Reigns' return after his battle with Leukemia, Becky Lynch wins the WWE RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships at WrestleMania 35, Kofi Kingston wins his first WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35, and Ronda Rousey becomes WWE RAW Women's Champion.

Voting is done by the fans via ESPN's site, which you can do by clicking here.

WWE Course To Be Offered At The Harvard Business School This Fall, Triple H Comments

"WWE has been a force in live entertainment, television production, and digital content in its 40+ year history. Thrilled that Professor @anitaelberse will highlight our innovations and challenges as a case study for her @HarvardHBS class this fall," Triple H tweeted on the course.

Below is WWE's full announcement on the course:

Harvard Business School to offer course featuring WWE case study

The prestigious Harvard Business School is offering a case study on WWE as part Anita Elberse's course "The Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports," beginning this fall. The course will enroll 180 MBA students in their second year and will also examine other major sports and entertainment brands like The Walt Disney Studios, NBCUniversal, Nike and personalities such as former WWE Champion Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, LeBron James and more.

The course will explore factors that drive sustained success for organizations and individuals in sports and entertainment; understand how companies can diversify beyond their core business to create engagement and value for fans and other stakeholders; and how business can best pursue contracts with star talent.

The course begins in time for the fall semester.

Stephanie McMahon's WWE NXT Meeting

WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon was in Orlando this week for a business luncheon. She also visited the WWE Performance Center and Wednesday's WWE NXT TV tapings at Full Sail University. Stephanie reportedly held a talent meeting before Wednesday's tapings, which was described as a pep talk.

Stephanie reportedly pushed how great everything is with the company, and how talents get to be their own brands in the company. Stephanie also pushed social media in a big way. Her presentation included a big screen that showed how Forbes recently listed WWE and WrestleMania as one of the top 10 most powerful brands on social media, among other points.