Triple H On WWE Working With Other Promotions: ‘We’re Open For Business’

During a media call promoting NXT TakeOver: WarGames, Triple H was asked about by All Elite Wrestling partnering with IMPACT Wrestling and if WWE or NXT would be open to such a collaboration. Triple H says WWE is open for business as long as it makes sense for both sides.

“We’re open for business in a lot of ways and a lot of things,” Triple H responded. “People’s thoughts and misperceptions, their perceived knowledge of what we do and how we think is often greatly misinterpreted and not accurate. Are we open to the right business opportunities? Yeah, at any given time we’re open to things. It just depends on what they are and if they’re beneficial to us in the long-term. When I say long-term I don’t mean three months, I mean 10 years. Long-term .That’s how we think. We’re not necessarily worried about minute-by-minutes. Open for business, I think Vince says that a lot and I’ve been around him long enough that if it’s the right thing and meaningful to business, he’s open to anything.”

WWE Hall Of Famer Pat Patterson Passes Away

From WWE.com: WWE is saddened to learn that Pat Patterson has passed away at the age of 79. A true trailblazer of the industry, Patterson was linked to many "firsts" in sports-entertainment throughout his storied career, including the first-ever Intercontinental Title reign and the creation of the Royal Rumble Match. In a career spanning six decades, the renaissance man left an indelible mark on the industry in the ring, on the microphone and behind the scenes. Patterson began his career in 1958 in his native Canada before becoming a fixture in the Bay Area for nearly two decades. After winning the AWA Tag Team Championship with Ray Stevens in 1978, Patterson moved on to WWE. Under the tutelage of The Grand Wizard, Patterson made an immediate impact and became the first Intercontinental Champion in September 1979. Patterson's most legendary WWE rivalry was undoubtedly his war with Sgt. Slaughter, which captivated the WWE Universe with Boot Camp Matches and a brutal Alley Fight at Madison Square Garden. Shortly before his in-ring retirement in 1984, Patterson joined Mr. McMahon as a color commentator. Even after hanging up his boots, Patterson was far from finished reimagining the possibilities of the sports-entertainment industry. In 1988, Patterson brought one of the ring's most groundbreaking ideas to life by creating the original format for the Royal Rumble Match. Patterson returned to the ring during WWE's electric "Attitude Era," creating many memorable moments alongside Gerald Brisco as one of Mr. McMahon's hilarious "Stooges." Patterson even pinned Crash Holly to claim the Hardcore Title. For all his efforts, Pat Patterson was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996 by Bret Hart. In his 25-plus years in WWE, Patterson was synonymous with making history. From the Intercontinental Title to the Royal Rumble Match and beyond, his name will forever be revered in WWE lore. This amazing legacy was captured in Patterson's 2016 autobiography, Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE, a moving chronicle about his life both inside and out of the ring.

Stephanie McMahon On ThunderDome Boosting TV Ratings, Challenges Faced By WWE Due To COVID-19

At the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in March, three of the four major sporting leagues in the U.S. were temporarily shut down, The Masters was postponed, and nearly every sporting event across the world was put on hold. Even Hollywood production houses hit the pause button on all their projects. However, WWE didn't miss a beat and continued producing shows at its Performance Center [Capitol Wrestling Center] in Orlando, FL, where it hosted all three of its weekly TV shows [Raw, SmackDown, and NXT] before introducing ThunderDome at the Amway Center. Stephanie McMahon, the Chief Brand Officer of WWE, recently appeared on the 2020 Forbes CMO Summit Virtual Series and spoke of the challenges faced by WWE at the start of the pandemic. "For WWE, we never stopped producing our content, and that was a very difficult decision in and of itself," said Stephanie. "First and foremost, we had to ensure the health and safety of our talents, crew, and employees." She went onto talk about how WWE had no choice but to adapt to the new normal. "WrestleMania, for example, was supposed to be an event attended by 80,000 fans [at Raymond James Stadium] and instead became a two-day event at our Performance Center, which is essentially a warehouse where we develop and train our future stars. "It was a stark contrast to what WrestleMania normally is," she added. Stephanie emphasized that the pandemic era has made WWE realize just how crucial the fans are to its programming. "We continue to produce 7 hours of live programming every week, and produce content for a myriad of channels and platforms. And we never stopped. What we found [through this experience]] is that our fans mean everything. They bring the energy, the excitement, and the spectacle, and without them, the shows are just not the same." While touching upon WWE's ratings decline at the start of the empty arena era, Stephanie said WWE tried to bring in developmental talent to be a part of the audience but "that wasn't enough" to bring back the excitement to the live programming. "We had hoped to be back in the arenas during the fall but that wasn't to be," she revealed. "So, we decided to double down and invest in the ThunderDome. Today, we have 1,000 virtual fans every show and nearly 100,000 fans who have signed up for this experience." She continued, "These fans are live, they give us real-time reactions, and we see their faces. We also mix in additional audio, which we found very helpful. We bring that audio into the arena [besides piping in the noise for TV] because the performers need to hear the audience too, and feed off that crowd." Stephanie said ThunderDome has also enabled its production crew to explore technologies such as AR, Drones, Pyros, and Lasers in ways that "we had never been able to do before." She added, "Through ThunderDome, we have brought the spectacle back to WWE and have seen our ratings increase because of that." WWE will be moving its ThunderDome set to Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay, FL, starting with the episode of SmackDown on Friday, December 11.

WWE Confirms $39 Million Class Action Lawsuit Settlement

A new SEC filing by WWE reveals that the company has closed on a $39 million settlement for a class action lawsuit filed by the City of Warren, Michigan Police & Fire Retirement System.

The suit alleged that WWE executives deceived investors over their business dealings in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, inflating the company stock and selling more than $280 million worth of shares at fraudulently inflated prices.

The suit, originally filed in March, had been consolidated by six different law firms. It alleged that WWE officials failed to disclose how the expected business agreements with Saudi Arabia for Middle Eastern TV deal had not been consummated, but that by allowing investors to believe otherwise, the company had caused the stock to rise when it should not have.

The settlement will include a full release of all Defendants in connection with the allegations made in the lawsuit, and will not contain any admission of liability or admission as to the validity or truth of any or all allegations or claims by any of the Defendants.

The Term Sheet provides for the settlement payment, all of which the Company expects will be paid by the Company's insurance carriers.

The Company believes that resolving the matter is the right business decision and that it is prudent to end the protracted and uncertain class action process.

WWE Confirms Reason For Zelina Vega's Release

WWE confirmed to Sports Illustrated that Zelina Vega (Thea Trinidad) was terminated on Friday for breaching her contract.

The "final straw" was considered to be Vega opening an OnlyFans account, despite WWE's edict on third-party platforms. Her account featured exclusive videos and photos of "cosplays, lingerie, swimsuits and more," for $30 a month. In September, WWE Superstars were told they would have to close down accounts on sites, like Cameo and Twitch — even if they were using their real names and avoided any affiliation with WWE.

Vega was reportedly very vocal about keeping her Twitch account, but according to the SI report, WWE upper management felt she "boxed them into a difficult situation" by sticking with her third-party platforms. WWE had said previously talent would be fined, or potentially released, if they didn't adhere to their demands.

This, of course, has brought on the debate of how WWE treats its talent, as they are currently classified as independent contractors. That conversation has grabbed not only the attention of Andrew Yang, but, SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris, who sent Wrestling Inc. a statement this morning in regards to the possibility of working with wrestlers:

"Wrestling is as much about media as it is sports, and we are going to directly engage with members of this profession to help find ways for them to protect themselves," Carteris wrote. "As more people reinvest in unions, and as more working people are harassed by employers who don't want to protect them, SAG-AFTRA is committed to doing what we can to help professional wrestlers secure the protections they deserve."

Carteris also personally reached out to Vega on social media after Zelina's "I support unionization" tweet picked up steam.

WWE Announces The Undertaker's Final Farewell For Survivor Series

Undertaker's Final Farewell will take place at Survivor Series on Sunday, November 22 at 7 pm ET streaming live around the world on WWE Network, capping off The Phenom's legendary 30-year career.

One of the most iconic Superstars in WWE history and a pop culture phenomenon, Undertaker made his WWE debut at Survivor Series on November 22, 1990. From his debut with Brother Love to his critically-acclaimed match vs. AJ Styles® at this year's WrestleMania®, Undertaker has participated in some of the greatest matches in history against Hall of Famers such as Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair®, Triple H®, Shawn Michaels® and Mick Foley®; had multiple WWE Championship reigns; and held an unmatched and astounding undefeated streak at WrestleMania that lasted 21 years.

As part of Undertaker's Final Farewell and 30th anniversary, WWE is celebrating "30 Years of the Deadman" throughout November, including recently debuted documentaries "Meeting The Undertaker" and "WWE Untold: The Phenom and The Legend Killer" on WWE Network as well as "The Mortician: The Story of Paul Bearer" premiering this Sunday, November 8 and "Brothers of Destruction," which premiered in October at the Austin Film Festival, and will stream on WWE Network on Sunday, November 15. In addition, Undertaker will be a special guest on "Steve Austin's Broken Skull Sessions" immediately following Survivor Series.

Activation will also include special Undertaker photo galleries, video highlights and features on WWE.com, Undertaker Tik Tok Challenge, Instagram filter and Snapchat lens, two exclusive product opportunities with Funko only available at Amazon, feature space in 2,300 Walmarts including an exclusive Mattel action figure, national media appearances including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and blocks of primetime programming from WWE's distribution partners around the world dedicated to Undertaker.

In addition to Undertaker's Final Farewell, WWE Survivor Series is the one night of the year where Raw® squares off against SmackDown®. Current matchups are highlighted by: WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns® taking on WWE Champion Randy Orton®; Raw Women's Champion Asuka® vs. SmackDown Women's Champion Sasha Banks®; Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day® against SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Street Profits®; United States Champion Bobby Lashley® vs. Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn®; as well as men's and women's 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination matches.

WWE Signs "Groundbreaking New Deal" With Netflix For Vince McMahon Project

WWE has confirmed that a new film on WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon is in the works.

Nick Khan, WWE's new President & Chief Revenue Officer, noted during today's Q3 2020 earnings call that WWE has signed a "groundbreaking new deal" with Netflix. WWE is selling the multi-part documentary that will cover Vince's life.

The deal is groundbreaking because it is one of the highest-budgeted documentaries in Netflix history, according to Khan.

There's no word yet on the documentary title or release date. Khan noted that Bill Simmons will executive produce the project, while Chris Smith, who directed Netflix's Fyre Fest documentary, will produce along with WWE Studios.

This Vince documentary is not the same biopic that was first revealed back in 2017. That project was apparently nixed. Titled "Pandemonium," the movie was expected to star Bradley Cooper as Vince. Tristar Pictures was to release the movie. The original plan was to film the movie in the spring of 2018, but that depended on several factors. The "Pandemonium" script was written by Craig A. Williams back in 2015, but it underwent several changes after WWE Studios got involved. John Requa and Glenn Ficarra were set to direct the movie, while Zaftig Films' Charlie Gogolak was to serve as executive producer. Aperture Entertainment's Adam Goldworn was to produce the movie, along with WWE Studios. The latest update on Pandemonium came in January 2019 when it was reported that a new draft of the movie had been completed and sent to WWE executives, including McMahon, for feedback. There was still no confirmation on Cooper accepting the role, but he had been waiting for an updated version of the script in 2018, and then was planning to make his decision. That January 2019 update stated that while the filming date of spring 2018 had passed, the project was still being actively worked on. It looks like "Pandemonium" is no more.

Vince McMahon And WWE Executives Talk COVID-19, WWE NXT And Triple H, Saudi Arabia, More

WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, Chief Financial Officer Kristina Salen, and SVP Financial Planning & Investor Relations Michael Weitz are hosting a Third Quarter 2020 Earnings call today from WWE headquarters in Stamford, CT. You can check out coverage of this evening's press release at this link. Below are highlights from the call: Weitz opens the call and welcomes everyone, going over the usual intro. Vince took over and said he's never felt as confident as he does right now with the upper management team WWE has.

 It's extraordinary what the team has done for the business. He touted the new energy and vibrancy, and optimism. In regards to where they can go in the future, this is a fun and exciting place to be. He praised new WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan for what he's done to help the company, and revealed that Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon has taken on more responsibilities, praising her. Vince said he really feels great about the new WWE management team. Vince didn't get into the numbers, but says he just wanted to share how he feels about the current management team. He hands it over to Khan. Khan talks about his background since he's fairly new to the company. He mentions being an usher at WrestleMania 9 in Las Vegas. Khan says they are working to develop new WWE Studios content, including Total Bellas season 6 to premiere in November, and A&E's "Quest for Lost WWE Treasures" that will be hosted by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. This show will take viewers on the ultimate hunt to find some of WWE's most iconic lost memorabilia. This furthers the relationship with A&E. He mentions A&E has also ordered more episodes of the "Biography" documentaries.

Khan then announces that they have reached a groundbreaking new deal with Netflix, selling them a multi-part documentary on the life of Vince McMahon. This is one of the highest-budgeted documentaries in Netflix history. Bill Simmons will executive produce. Chris Smith, who directed Netflix's Fyre Fest documentary, will produce the Vince project, along with WWE Studios. Khan noted that they are still working on the alternate version of WWE Network but are unable to say when that will be ready. WWE Network subscriptions are up during the pandemic. Khan announces a 2021 event with Sony in India that will primarily feature Indian talent. It will air on Sony in India and will also be distributed here in the United States. Khan then introduces Stephanie. 

She talks about her role with the company and how everything they do is under the WWE Universe. She touts how WrestleMania 36 went from being sold out at Raymond James Stadium, to the "new normal" on a closed-set at the WWE Performance Center. Along with RAW and SmackDown, they experimented with new ways on the closed set but that wasn't good enough so they launched WWE ThunderDome, which made their shows feel alive again. They saw an increase in RAW and SmackDown ratings with the ThunderDome. She touts how they transformed the Performance Center arena into the Capitol Wrestling Center, the return to WWE NXT UK with BT Sports Studios in London. She mentioned how the production teams from Orlando, Stamford and London are working together, and praised the efforts. She also touted more than 50 billion video views on YouTube, and WWE changing their digital strategy, which led to more engagement. Stephanie also talked about how the company has been doing WWE Community virtual visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, partnering with UNICEF for their kids program and others. WWE's advertising campaigns and sponsor partnerships are outpacing industry standards and recent trends. Stephanie also touted recent celebrity involvement and how top brands continue to partner with WWE during the pandemic. She said WWE remains bullish, for 2021 and beyond, when it comes to growth, expansion, partnerships and everything else. New Chief Financial Officer Kristina Salen took over next and went over numbers from today's press release. WWE is evaluating their strategies for 2021 but the pandemic leaves a lot of uncertainty. She said RAW and SmackDown viewership improved from July - September, despite major sports competition. She said WWE can't say when ticketed live events will return at this point, but their intention is to return to live events as quickly and safety as possible. WWE anticipates Q4 2020 will have lower revenues than the same period in 2019. Part of the blame goes to the fact that they have no Saudi Arabia event in the quarter like they did in Q4 2019. WWE did not buy back any stock in Q3 under the buyback program, but they may in the future. It's now time for the Q&A portion of the call. They were asked about ratings and if there are any firm plans to improve them, and if ratings staying where they are will hurt negotiations for rights fees when they come back around. Vince said they have more fans than they've ever had but total audience is much bigger than just the TV audience. You can't just "hang your hat" on TV viewership being down. Vince mentioned how WWE is never off the air. You might say viewership is down but the overall viewership and engagement needs to be considered. WWE is doing everything they can to improve. The ThunderDome brought some fans back, but they want better execution of the creative, and better writing overall. Khan said TV in general has lost viewers but WWE viewership has not, overall. Consumption of WWE content is significantly up. WWE remains confident that TV rights fees will also go up. He touted how WWE topped the NHL Stanley Cup viewership in the key demographic, and they also did well against the Los Angeles Lakers playing at the end of the NBA season. They were asked about the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) TV rights and Vince said they are still negotiating them, and are still in contact with the Saudis. Vince said it will happen, but he doesn't know when. They were asked about potential WWE Network changes and they are open to anything except the sale of the Network, including licensing. WWE is in constant talks about possibly licensing the Network domestically and internationally. They are also constantly working on international ideas for content. The idea is to develop local content for international territories. There are currently no plans to add advertising to the WWE Network free version but this could change. Stephanie noted that they are testing different technologies that can be applied to different strategies. Salen noted that they are waiting for the return of live events and touring. They still have some employees who are furloughed, which makes for short-term financial cuts, but they are hoping to bring some of those employees back by the end of the year. In regards to if they will have no live events in 2021 or maybe for half of the year and if they will run the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia next year, Salen said they have not commented on the 2021 OIBDA (Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization) but they are diligently working on 2021 financial and operational plans with the executive team, noting that she and Khan are still getting settled into the job. She said they will have an update on the strategic focus for 2021 the next time they meet with investors. Regarding the India event planned for 2021, they are seeking the right talents and the right structure so that the event makes sense for all parties involved. This will be with Sony in India. Khan noted that ratings in October have held up despite a "cluttered" fall TV season. When asked if there is anything that NXT does that could be used to improve RAW or SmackDown, Khan praised the blue and red brands for how they have held up. Vince was asked what he and the company needs to see before they are willing to bring fans back to events amid the pandemic. The call President Trump held earlier this year with sports league bosses was mentioned. Vince said he was on that call but that was the extent of his discussions with Trump on the matter. When the coronavirus eases up and it's safe for fans and talents, that's all he can say for now in regards to when fans will be allowed back like normal. They were asked about WWE NXT and the length of the deal with the USA Network. Khan gave props to Triple H and his team, and touted the NXT Halloween Havoc ratings for last night. He said they are comfortable with the position they have with USA, and are enjoying the relationship with the network. The platform has led to many eyeballs on the talent. They don't typically discuss the length of TV deals unless their partners are on board with them doing so, but they feel like this deal is certainly long enough for them to have a long runway for Triple H and his team to grow the product as they have been doing. Khan said they feel good about all three products and how they are headed in the right direction.

WWE Hosting Mandatory Counseling Session To Promote Healthy Relationships

WWE is making an effort to ensure their talent keep healthy relationships in their personal lives.

According to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE will be hosting a mandatory counseling session (via streaming) on the subject of keeping healthy relationships. It was noted that the meetings are a push to change the culture in the wrestling business in the wake of the Speaking Out movement, with Total Life Counseling presenting a “mandatory session for all talent on that subject.”

The first meeting on October 28 will be the main presentation to all talent, with subsequent sessions being available for individual talents to ask questions in smaller “breakout” groups.

Multiple wrestlers across several different promotions have been accused of sexual assault and misconduct in recent months, including “Gentleman” Jack Gallagher and Ligero, who have all been released since the respective allegations against them first surfaced. More recently, Candy Cartwright (Samantha Tavel) filed lawsuits against multiple parties after making allegations that Matt Riddle had sexually assaulted her. Tavel is suing Riddle, WWE, EVOLVE/WWN and EVOLVE’s Gabe Sapolsky for $10 million each. Last month, Riddle filed a defamation civil suit against Cartwright for the allegations made against him hours after he voluntarily dropped the restraining order request made against her.

WWE Set For Huge Financial Win In CTE Case, Judge Issues Order Against Attorney

Wrestling Inc. has learned that yesterday the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Court rejected attorney Konstantine W. Kyros' appeal in his recent court room loss to WWE. Over the past six years Kyros has represented several former WWE talents alleging that WWE was not transparent regarding it's knowledge about CTE damage to it's performers.

Kyros' failing to appeal the recent verdict against him will mean that he has to pay WWE for their legal fees and other troubles. We are told that WWE is seeking around $560,000 but that the amount will increase to include the costs of the hearing, which must be held in order for the court to establish the amount it will order him to pay. Those issues appear to have been fully briefed and the court will now set a hearing date.

If Kyros attempts to appeal the order WWE would likely insist he post a bond ensuring payment. The only route Kyros has left to appeal would be to ask the United States Supreme Court to hear the case, which could happen but seems very unlikely. The next thing that will happen after the second circuit issues its mandate in seven days will be the sanctions hearings to determine how much he must pay WWE

Wrestling Inc. has also learned that the judge issued an order specifically for the purpose of protecting the public from Kyros. The order requires him to send an opinion explaining his dishonest behavior to all his existing wrestler clients and any that contact him in the future. In a recent Wrestling Inc. interview WWE council Jerry McDevitt alleged that Kyros' had plagiarized much of his suit based on a similar one filed against the NFL.

"Kyros got caught in the last lawsuit basically plagiarizing from the lawsuit of the NFL allegations, the allegations that were made against the NFL that resulted in the case being successful against them where the NFL, unlike the WWE, had made various public statements and actually published articles in scientific literature and magazines and whatnot sort of downplaying, if you will the effects of concussions," McDevitt explained. "And Roger Goodell had allegedly made various statements that were alleged in the complaint against the NFL. All Kyros did was he gets ahold of the NFL complaint, and he literally just changes where the complaint would say, 'Roger Goodell said the following, concussions don't cause any long-term damage, and it's safe to go back to work on a day you get a concussion.' He would just change that to say a WWE representative had said that.

"Just flat-out make up false things like that. The kind of stuff lawyers don't do, and we brought that to the court's attention and multiple other violations of his. And he was as a result of his misconduct, sanctioned three different times by the federal judge up there that had control of the case. And is now facing sanctions orders of what we say is going to make him required to pay us hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees."

WWE Issues Statement On Reported Lawsuit Filed By Matt Riddle's Accuser Candy Cartwright

Samantha Tavel, a.k.a. Candy Cartwright, has filed a civil lawsuit against Matt Riddle, WWE, and former EVOLVE owner Gabe Sabolsky, which was first reported by the Chicago Sun Times.

According to court documents acquired by Fightful, Tavel is seeking $10 million dollars per defendant for actual damages, damages from emotional distress, punitive damages, attorney's fees, and costs.

Fightful noted that the suit alleges that Riddle committed a series of assaults against Tavel from 2017 through January 2020. She alleges that Riddle first sexually assaulted her in April of 2017 in a parking lot following an EVOLVE show. She claims that Riddle bragged about the incident with Sapolsky and two others from WWE who "tacitly approved" of the assault.

According to the Chicago Sun Times, after leaving an EVOLVE event on May 19, 2018, Tavel - who was in a relationship with Riddle at the time - said that Riddle forced her to perform oral sex on him on a bus with other wrestlers. Tavel says that she was not comfortable doing the act with other wrestlers on the bus and said, "No." Tavel claims that Riddle then put his hands on her neck and said, "What if I just made you?"

"I never thought he would do anything to hurt me and, in that moment, I was terrified," Tavel said at a news conference on Thursday.

Tavel's attorney, John Chwarzynski, said that the incident was one of the "multitude of sexual assaults committed by Matt Riddle against my client, Candi Cartwright."

"The WWE has painted a picture over the course of the years that female performers are to comply with certain rules," Chwarzynski said. "The WWE, since its inception, has hyper-sexualized female performers and they've profited from male aggression against these female performers."

According to the Chicago Sun Times story, Tavel claims that EVOLVE terminated her in January after she refused to continue to perform "forced sexual acts" on Riddle.

Cartwright first made the allegations against Riddle in June. Riddle admitted that they had an affair, but denied any allegations of sexual assault. In September, Riddle dropped a petition for a restraining order against Tavel. Riddle announced on September 17th that he would be filing a civil suit against Tavel, however the suit has yet to be filed.

Triple H and Others Set For New York Comic Con Panel

NYCC has announced that Triple H, Drew McIntyre, and Zelina Vega will discuss some of Monday Night RAW’s biggest moments in a panel on October 9th at 12:30PM EST. Here is the official description:

“Join WWE Superstar Zelina Vega, Hall of Famer Paul “Triple H” Levesque and WWE Champion Drew McIntyre as they talk about their love, passion and experience of some the most kickass moments from across nearly 3 decades of Monday Night RAW! From larger than life Superstars, limitless athleticism and unequaled drama RAW has made USA Network the destination to see good and evil do battle live 52 weeks a year. Moderated by WWE correspondent Charly Caruso.”

WWE Taking Over Talents' Twitch Accounts In Four Weeks

Wrestling Inc. has learned that Vince McMahon sent an email to talent this week reminding them that they have until this Friday, October 2nd, to sever any unauthorized business relationships with third parties. It was noted that talent who fail to comply could be fined, suspended or terminated. 

As Wrestling Inc. first exclusively reported in September, McMahon issued an edict instructing talent that they can no longer engage with third parties. The company later clarified the edict, stating that talent could maintain Twitch and YouTube accounts under their real names, however they would still need to inform the company of those accounts. Wrestling Inc. has also learned that talent were told this week that the company will be taking control of their Twitch accounts in four weeks. WWE will own those accounts, however talent will receive a percentage of the revenue, which counts against their downside guarantees.

Former Democratic Presidential candidate Andrew Yang openly criticized the edict when it was first revealed last month, and said that he would take action if Joe Biden were to be elected President. Yang spoke with Wrestling Inc. recently about why he feels that WWE has been able to get away with some of their labor practices. 

 

"A lot of it is that wrestlers are afraid to speak out, and I've had wrestlers past and present reach out to me and say that Vince has been getting away with exploitation of wrestlers calling them independent contractors while controlling their activities for years and years," Yang said. "A lot of it is just that they are a quasi-monopoly, and wrestlers fear that if they do try and unionize or organize in any way that Vince doesn't like, that it will never work again."

Rumor Mill - Triple H and Stephanie McMahon Main Roster Presence Reduced Lately

Triple H and Stephanie haven’t been at the main roster TV shows in a while, outside of Triple H’s 25-year celebration and similar events. The pandemic has WWE creative down to smaller, focused teams, which is why Shane McMahon has been more involved with RAW creative. Bruce Prichard is still Vince’s right-hand man. Triple H has been mostly focused with running NXT.

WWE Issues Statement On Latest COVID-19 Outbreak, Virus Reportedly Spreads After Talent Throws Party

There has been a recent COVID-19 outbreak in WWE NXT and at the WWE Performance Center, which led to changes on Wednesday's TV show. It's been reported that the outbreak may have started with a WWE Performance Center Coach, but that was not confirmed. In an update, PWInsider now reports that there was no training in Florida on Thursday, and there's no word yet on when training will resume.

It's believed among several sources that this coronavirus outbreak started after a NXT wrestler threw a party that other trainees attended. There have been a number of positive tests this week, among trainees and staff members. It was noted that talents have been advised to sequester themselves. WWE issued the following statement on this latest COVID-19 outbreak in NXT: "As part of ongoing testing protocols, WWE completed its second round of weekly COVID-19 testing on Tuesday. Individuals that tested positive will quarantine for 14 days, receive medical care, and then will only be cleared when they are symptom-free and test negative. Additionally, extensive contact tracing has taken place and other individuals have been placed in 14-day quarantine, and will then only be cleared after they test negative."

Next week's Takeover go-home edition of NXT TV is taped on Wednesday, so the next live NXT event will be the Takeover event on Sunday, October 4. This gives the company 9 days from today to see if talents who missed this week's tapings will be free & clear to return to work. It was reported earlier this week, via Wrestling Observer Radio, that some main roster workers had gotten sick due to this latest outbreak in NXT, and that RAW and SmackDown plans could be impacted. PWInsider reports that as a safeguard to prevent further spread of the virus, talents and staff working at the Performance Center or on NXT tapings will not be allowed to work RAW or SmackDown tapings at the Amway Center in Orlando until further notice.

WWE wins at prestigious Cablefax FAXIES

WWE captured several honors at the prestigious Cablefax FAXIES 2020.

WWE Advanced Media EVP Jayar Donlan won for Digital Executive of the Year, while WWE's Social Media team also claimed the victory for Overall Social Presence. In the Overall Social Presence category, WWE bested MTV's "Wild 'N Out" and Crown Media Family Networks' "When Calls the Heart Facebook Live."

Additionally, WWE's partnership with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society came in second place for Social Good Campaign, while WWE Network's WWE 24 took third place for Use of Video/Moving Image.

Jerry McDevitt Alleges Recent CTE Lawsuit Was "Plagiarized" NFL Suit, Reveals Amount WWE Is Owed

On Tuesday's episode of The Wrestling Inc. Daily podcast, Wrestling Inc. Managing Editor Nick Hausman sat down with longtime WWE lawyer Jerry McDevitt after WWE's recent victory in the CTE lawsuits brought against them. McDevitt went through the history of the lawsuits brought to WWE by attorney Konstantine Kyros.

"Well in the beginning, we noticed prior to October of 2014, this Kyros fellow was advertising on the internet and soliciting former wrestlers to contact him to bring lawsuits that would be patterned after the cases that had been brought against the NFL, which if you remember, resulted in the NFL agreeing to pay a billion dollars plus end up settling," McDevitt recalled. "And when they did that, they kind of emboldened a lot of the plaintiffs, class action lawyers and what not to sue anybody that had any kind of history with head trauma, concussions or things of that nature. And so they did.

"They brought lawsuits against college football teams in the NCAA and high school teams, water polo. You name it, and Kyros' solicitations suggested in his website suggested, incorrectly we believe, that he had somehow been involved in obtaining the settlement for the NFL players and would be able to replicate that if only these wrestlers would agree to hire him so he could sue the WWE to get the same amount of money and the same thing for the former wrestlers. So he was basically soliciting them with promises of there's nothing to lose.

"You can get money out of this, and I'll take a contingent fee of what I get, but it won't cost you anything, and he actually went out on radio shows and stuff and podcasts and was making statements to the effect that well, the more people that sign up, the more pressure we can bring on WWE to settle these cases and pay us a lot of money. And we know he had told these people that he would be able to use this litigation to renegotiate contracts that were expired long ago and get them better royalties and a bunch of nonsense frankly."

McDevitt continued discussing the other lawsuits brought against WWE by multiple individuals. All concussion-related lawsuits were dismissed by the courts in 2018.

"And I feel bad that he misled so many people because he did,

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WWE Issues Statement Over Concussion Lawsuit Being Dismissed

"For nearly six years, WWE was subjected to stale and frivolous claims brought by Konstantine Kyros, whose misconduct triggered countless judicial opinions along the way. Today, the Second Circuit put an end to his pattern of baseless litigation, leaving open only the question of how much he must now pay to WWE as a sanction for his misconduct. We are grateful for the attention paid to these cases by the numerous federal judges who oversaw the litigation, and to the Second Circuit for its decision."

This appeal arises from seven cases consolidated in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut against the company by former WWE wrestlers, starting with a putative class action suit filed in October of 2014 by William Albert Haynes III, a.k.a Billy Jack Haynes. Two of the seven cases were not appealed. Kyros represented the plaintiffs / appellants in each of the cases.

The appeals of the cases brought by Haynes, Russ McCullough, Cassandra Frazier and Evan Singleton (Vito LoGrasso) were dismissed on the grounds that Kyros' appeal of those cases was not on time. Regarding the fifth case, brought by Joseph M. Laurinaitis (Road Warrior Animal), which involved dozens of former performers, the court decided on the merits and ruled that all those claims were either time barred or defective for the reasons cited by the trial judge.

Major Update On Concussion Related Lawsuits Filed Against WWE

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals today affirmed the dismissal of all the CTE cases filed against WWE by Konstantine Kyros.

This appeal arises from seven cases consolidated in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut against the company by former WWE wrestlers, starting with a putative class action suit filed in October of 2014 by William Albert Haynes III, a.k.a Billy Jack Haynes. Two of the seven cases were not appealed.

The former WWE talent claimed that they suffered CTE as well as other physical and mental health impairments due to the physical trauma they experienced while performing for the company. Kyros represented the plaintiffs / appellants in each of the cases.

The appeals of the cases brought by Haynes, Russ McCullough, Cassandra Frazier and Evan Singleton (Vito LoGrasso) were dismissed on the grounds that Kyros' appeal of those cases was not on time. Regarding the fifth case, brought by Joseph M. Laurinaitis (Road Warrior Animal), which involved dozens of former performers, the court decided on the merits and ruled that all those claims were either time barred or defective for the reasons cited by the trial judge.

It was noted to Wrestling Inc. that the amount of money that Kyros will have to pay WWE as a sanction is all that remains now to be decided.

More?

WWE Releases Statement On Talent Ending Third Party Deals

WWE has just released a statement on WWE talent ceasing third party deals by October 2:

"Much like Disney and Warner Bros., WWE creates, promotes and invests in its intellectual property, i.e. the stage names of performers like The Fiend Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Big E and Braun Strowman. It is the control and exploitation of these characters that allows WWE to drive revenue, which in turn enables the company to compensate performers at the highest levels in the sports entertainment industry. Notwithstanding the contractual language, it is imperative for the success of our company to protect our greatest assets and establish partnerships with third parties on a companywide basis, rather than at the individual level, which as a result will provide more value for all involved."