For the first time, women will be allowed to perform at a WWE event in Saudi Arabia.
Lacey Evans and Natalya will take part in a first-of-its-kind match at WWE’s “Crown Jewel” event in Riyadh on Thursday, the company announced Wednesday.
WWE and the Saudi government entered a 10-year partnership in 2018 to bring large-scale wrestling events to the country. The agreement has been a controversial one, given the country’s history of human rights abuses and its treatment of women. Last year’s Crown Jewel show was nearly called off after the Saudi government murdered dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at an embassy in Turkey.
Women have previously been banned from performing at WWE’s shows in Saudi Arabia. The government issued an apology after women appeared in a promotional video shown on an in-stadium screen during the first event under the 10-year deal in 2018.
WWE executive Paul “Triple H” Levesque said before that first show that he hoped women would be permitted to compete at events in Saudi Arabia in the future.
The absence of women had loomed large over the first three events under the new partnership. The shows had been presented as helping to modernize Saudi culture as the country attempts to shed its regressive public image. But the all-male card stood in contrast to WWE’s highly publicized efforts to highlight female talent after years of treating women unequally.
Women have performed at other WWE events in the Middle East. In 2017, Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss wrestled in Abu Dhabi wearing specially made ring gear that covered their entire bodies.
source: si.com
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October 30, 2019
Women to Perform for WWE for First Time in Saudi Arabia
August 5, 2019
WWE 2K20 Cover Superstars, Release Date And Collector's Edition Revealed
“My career has been about breaking barriers and doing what nobody else has done before. Being the first female Superstar on the cover of a WWE 2K video game is no exception,” said Becky Lynch.
“As a gamer myself, being on the cover of WWE 2K20 alongside ‘The Man’ Becky Lynch and joining the likes of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena is a huge career and personal milestone for me,” said Roman Reigns.
WWE 2K20, in direct response to fan feedback, will include several franchise firsts alongside streamlined gameplay and a variety of popular modes. The story-driven, objective-based 2K Showcase: The Women’s Evolution will follow the careers of the Four Horsewomen – Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley®, Charlotte Flair® and Sasha Banks®. Controls will be streamlined to allow new players to jump into the game more easily, while experienced players will still enjoy a challenge.
In addition, WWE 2K20 players will be able to compete as both male and female Superstars in MyCAREER and Mixed Tag matches, while last year’s popular WWE Towers returns with exciting new challenges, including a story-driven Tower centered around the career of Roman Reigns.
The game will also introduce a new service model – WWE 2K20 Originals – set to deliver a wealth of 2K Showcase add-on content for player exploration beyond the game’s initial launch. Each of the WWE 2K20 Originals will present a new playable world and its own unique theme, with more details to be announced in the coming months. WWE 2K20 Originals is downloadable content that may require additional purchase.
“Becky Lynch and Roman Reigns embody passion, determination and perseverance, and they’re both major game changers within the larger WWE landscape,” said Chris Snyder, Vice President of Marketing for 2K. “They are the spirit of WWE 2K20, which is going to introduce changes requested by our fans. They asked for female-driven MyCAREER and 2K Showcase offerings, and we’re giving them just that, as well as streamlined controls and our brand new WWE 2K20 Originals. We can’t wait to reveal more details soon.”
August 1, 2019
WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race passes away
From WWE.com:
WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race passed away today at age 76 due to complications from lung cancer.
Harley Race captured the NWA World Heavyweight Championship seven times, which stood as a record until Ric Flair broke it in 1991.
To this day, only a handful of Superstars can claim to have won more World Heavyweight Championships than Race.
During the 1970s and early 1980s, Race was the National Wrestling Alliance's most dominant champion, winning the sport's oldest World Heavyweight Championship from the likes of Dory Funk Jr., Giant Baba, Terry Funk, Dusty Rhodes and Flair.
The tough-as-nails Race was so universally respected that WWE, despite having seceded from the NWA and having its own World Heavyweight Champion, chose to recognize Race's title status as well. As a result, Race was the first NWA Champion to engage in title unification matchups against WWE Champions like "Superstar" Billy Graham and Bob Backlund.
In what seemed unthinkable at the time, Race, one of the NWA's most influential figures of all time, joined WWE in 1986 during the company's national expansion. After winning the King of the Ring tournament, Race was the first to don regal robes and a crown. "King" Harley Race was managed by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and was introduced to a new generation of fans. Race battled all of WWE's top heroes and pinned Junkyard Dog at WrestleMania III in front of a record-setting attendance of 93,000 fans.
July 24, 2019
Beth Phoenix To Be Inducted Into The George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall Of Fame
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum announced that WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix will be inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame this weekend.
The Class of 2019 also includes Bruno Sammartino (Posthumous Inductee), Thunderbolt Patterson (Lou Thesz World Heavyweight Championship Award) Sgt. Slaughter (Frank Gotch Award), Brian Shields (Jim Melby Award), and UFC's Daniel Cormier (George Tragos Award).
Phoenix is the first female to be inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall Of Fame. She received the Frank Gotch Award in 2015.
The ceremony will be at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in Waterloo, Iowa on Saturday, July 27th.
March 26, 2019
WrestleMania to feature first-ever women's main event
February 12, 2019
Pedro Morales Passes Away
From WWE.com:
A native of Culebra Island, Puerto Rico, Morales moved to New York in his youth and debuted in the ring in 1959 at age 17. After establishing his reputation as a fiery competitor in WWE on the east coast, Morales traveled west to territories in Texas and California, where he competed for much of the 1960s. In California, he battled The Destroyer in a famous rivalry, and formed a popular tag team with Pepper Gomez.
Morales returned to WWE in 1970, and in less than a year, he captured the WWE Championship from Ivan Koloff inside Madison Square Garden. During his nearly three years on top, Morales developed a passionate following in the northeast, particularly among New York City’s growing Hispanic population.
More than 22,000 fans turned out to Shea Stadium in 1972 to watch him battle close friend and former champion Bruno Sammartino in the main event of the inaugural Showdown at Shea supercard. After 75 minutes of action, the bout was ruled a draw in accordance with the state athletic commission’s strict 11 p.m. curfew.
He held the WWE Title for a staggering 1027 days before losing it to Stan Stasiak in December 1973. Morales puts his name in the record books again in 1980 when he won the World Tag Team Titles with Bob Backlund and then the Intercontinental Title to become the first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history.
Morales hung up his boots in 1987 but continued on as an ambassador for sports-entertainment. He later became a commentator for both WCW and WWE’s Spanish announce teams, and in 1995, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
January 11, 2019
WWE To Launch New Performance Center In The UK
WWE has talked about opening international Performance Centers for some time and it looks like the UK Performance Center is finally about to launch.
WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne, Trent Seven and Tyler Bate just appeared on Good Morning Britain to promote Saturday's WWE NXT UK "Takeover: Blackpool" event and Seven said WWE has launched a new Performance Center in a "secret location" in the UK.
One of the GMB hosts mentioned how Saturday's first-ever NXT UK Takeover special is the set-up for a new "training camp" for WWE in the UK. Seven responded, "We're going to be able to go straight from here to our secret location, our new NXT UK Performance Center, right after this. So fantastic news coming out all the way through the day. The fact that we get to go back, the fact that we've had this investment... for the other wrestlers and the British wrestling fanbase, it's pretty exciting."
January 2, 2019
WWE Hall of Famer “Mean” Gene Okerlund passes away
From WWE.com:
WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Gene Okerlund, the most recognizable interviewer in sports-entertainment history, has passed away at age 76.
“Mean Gene,” as he was named by fellow Minnesotan, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, first came to prominence as an interviewer in the American Wrestling Association. In 1984, Okerlund made the move to WWE where he became as recognizable as the Superstars he asked the tough questions to, including “Macho Man” Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior and, perhaps Okerlund's greatest guest, Hulk Hogan. Countless Hulkster interviews included the indelible phrase, "Well you know something 'Mean' Gene!"
As the respected and reliable man behind the microphone in WWE, Okerlund branched out from interviewing and provided ringside commentary and hosted several shows, including All-American Wrestling, Tuesday Night Titans, Wrestling Challenge and Prime Time Wrestling.
Announcing wasn't all that Okerlund could do with a microphone, as he performed the National Anthem at the first WrestleMania in 1985. Later that year, Okerlund would sing “Tutti Frutti” on WWE’s The Wrestling Album.
In 1993, Okerlund joined WCW where he continued to interview many of the legends he had worked with in the AWA and WWE, as well as WCW stalwarts like Sting, Diamond Dallas Page, Goldberg and others.
Okerlund returned to WWE in 2001 to call the Gimmick Battle Royal at WrestleMania 17 along with Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and continued to appear on WWE television programming, including as a cast member on WWE Network’s Legends’ House.
WWE extends its condolences to Okerlund’s family, friends and fans.
December 24, 2018
Vince McMahon: WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Coming In 2019
Good news for those clamoring for a women’s tag team belt in WWE. Vince McMahon announced that they are planning on introducing a new Women’s Tag Team Championship.
September 6, 2018
There's a WWE oral history coming -- and Vince McMahon is involved
The stories of Vince McMahon and the WWE have been told from a variety of different perspectives over the years, but there hasn't been a singular, unfiltered, comprehensive look at the origins of the man or the company he built that included Vince's voice -- until now.
Journalists Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum, the authors of "I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution," are set to write the definitive oral history of the WWE and the man who took professional wrestling into the mainstream and created an empire that continues to grow to this day.
The involvement and commitment of Vince McMahon and his entire family was the final push that made this long-discussed project into a reality.
"I think that that was one of the negotiating points where the WWE knew that we were serious about writing a no-holds-barred book," said Tannenbaum, in an interview with ESPN.com. "Sometimes when you're trying to sell someone on an idea they're reticent about, you underplay what you're asking for. Craig and I, I think if anything, overplayed what we were asking for.
"We made it clear that we wanted access to Vince and to the entire McMahon family," Tannenbaum continued. "And that what we wanted was not a 15-minute phoner. We were going to need an ample amount of his time which in some ways is a dumb thing to ask for, because he's got a lot better things to do than talk to two geeks about the history of the WWE."
Though Vince McMahon rarely does interviews these days, his blessing and willing involvement separate this project from everything that's come before it.
"This will be an unapologetic look at the good, the bad and the ugly, and the journey that made WWE into the global phenomenon it is today," said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman and CEO, said via a news release Thursday.
August 13, 2018
Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart passes away
WWE is saddened to learn that Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart passed away.
Best known as the powerhouse of the legendary Hart Foundation tag team with his brother-in-law, Bret “Hit Man” Hart, Jim Neidhart was also the father of current WWE Superstar Natalya.
Neidhart began his ring career after playing professional football with the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. He was trained by WWE Hall of Famer Stu Hart in the infamous Hart Dungeon in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and earned his ring nickname, The Anvil, after winning an anvil throwing contest.
Neidhart married Stu's daughter, Ellie, to become a member of the legendary Hart Family before making the move to WWE along with Bret "Hit Man" Hart, Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith when WWE purchased Stu Hart’s Calgary Stampede Wrestling.
Initially, Neidhart and Hart were managed by Jimmy Hart as The Hart Foundation and went on to win two WWE World Tag Team Championships.
After several years of teaming with Bret’s younger brother, Owen Hart, and some singles competition, The Hart Foundation was re-formed in controversial fashion in 1997. Consisting of Neidhart, Bret, Owen, Smith and Brian Pillman, the pro-Canadian faction stirred United States crowds into a frenzy with their anti-American sermons.
Neidhart last competed in WWE in 1997 but his legacy lives on today through his daughter, Natalya, who displays her father’s signature charisma and toughness every time she steps in the ring.
July 23, 2018
Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon and Triple H announced the first-ever Women's pay-per-view, WWE Evolution
A historic announcement was promised, and a historic announcement was given. With almost the entire roster assembled atop the ramp, including the Cruiserweights and SmackDown LIVE Superstars — and with an intro from Mr. McMahon himself — Stephanie McMahon and Triple H took to the ring at the opening of Raw and made an announcement that marked the greatest leap forward yet in the Women's Evolution.
The Game beckoned the Women to step forward and, after emphasizing the support from both their male contemporaries and the WWE Universe itself, emotionally thanked them for “stealing the show” time and again. Upon taking the mic, Stephanie recapped the arc of the Women’s Evolution from its grassroots beginnings in the #GiveDivasAChance to its largest showcase yet. “Because of all of you, we are able to stand here and make another first-ever announcement,” said Stephanie. “On October 28, over 50 women, then, now and forever, will participate in an event called Evolution, and that event — I am privileged to announce — will be the first-ever all-women’s pay-per-view.”
Details were quick to follow. As Michael Cole explained moments later on commentary, the show will emanate from Nassau Coliseum and feature defenses of the Raw, SmackDown and NXT Women’s Championships as well as the finals of the Mae Young Classic. (More information can be found here.) Some might think this event marks the pinnacle of the Women’s Evolution. But if the Women’s Evolution has taught us one thing, it’s that it’s only just the beginning.
June 20, 2018
Six Years Ago Today, NXT Relaunched At Full Sail University
Today has marked a very special anniversary for the WWE, as it has been six years since the revamp of NXT, with episode one airing June 20, 2012.
The relaunched focused of new stars and establishing NXT as it's own brand, instead of the reality-competition style of NXT which launched in February 2010.
The results for the show were:
Bo Dallas defeated Rick ViktorThe Ascension (Conor O'Brian and Kenneth Cameron) defeated CJ Parker and Mike DaltonTyson Kidd defeated Michael McGillicutty
A lot has changed since then, with Viktor joining the Ascension as well as Cameron and Parker being released.
In addition, Mike Dalton has gone on to become Tyler Breeze, with Michael McGillicutty becoming Curtis Axel.
April 18, 2018
WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino passes away
From WWE.com:
WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino passed away at age 82.
The story of Bruno Sammartino is the story of the American dream.
During his childhood in the small Italian mountain town of Pizzoferrato in the Abruzzi region of Italy, Bruno Sammartino heard stories about how the streets in the United States were paved with gold. Though he believed it literally at the time, Sammartino would experience fortune and fame first-hand as the longest-reigning WWE Champion and the most beloved competitor in the history of the squared circle.
Life wasn’t always so glorious for The Italian Superman. Bruno’s brother and sister both passed away at young ages, and Adolf Hitler’s Nazi forces seized their town, but Bruno persevered. He and his mother hid in a mountain called Valla Rocca during the German occupation and eventually joined his immigrant father in Pittsburgh in 1950.
Sammartino began lifting weights as a young man and grew to become one of the strongest men on the planet. After setting a world record in 1959 by bench-pressing 565 pounds, Sammartino caught the eye of Vincent J. McMahon, and became a sports-entertainer.
Bruno became an overnight sensation, connecting with not only fellow Italians, but also the Latino, Greek and Jewish communities, successfully bridging the gap in America’s melting pot of wrestling fans. His legend continued to grow on May 17, 1963, when Sammartino defeated Buddy Rogers in just 48 seconds to become the second-ever WWE Champion in front of nearly 20,000 fans at the old Madison Square Garden.
Bruno held the WWE Championship for nearly eight years — by far the longest reign of all time, and a record for all professional wrestling champions, no matter the organization. A household name all over the country, the beloved hero defended his title in legendary rivalries against WWE Hall of Famers Killer Kowalski, Gorilla Monsoon and George “The Animal” Steele.
In early 1968, Sammartino headlined the first wrestling event at the brand-new Madison Square Garden, just eight days after it opened. The Garden truly was the house that Bruno built, as he sold it out an astounding 187 times. When he lost the title to Ivan Koloff in 1971, grown men in the crowd were seen weeping, but on Dec. 10, 1973, Sammartino became the first two-time WWE Champion and held the title for an additional three-and-a-half years.
On Aug. 9, 1980, Sammartino defeated his former protégé, Larry Zbyszko, inside a steel cage at New York City’s Shea Stadium in front of more than 35,000 people. The heated grudge match broke box-office records for wrestling events, and Bruno retired from the ring the following year.
Bruno returned to WWE in the mid-80s as a broadcaster alongside Mr. McMahon and as a mentor for his son David, who was just beginning his grappling career. Now known as The Living Legend, Bruno also engaged in several rivalries with a generation of WWE’s greatest villains, including “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, “Macho Man” Randy Savage and The Honky Tonk Man.
The star power and influence of Sammartino was exemplified by the fact that he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013 by none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was the 188th and final time that Sammartino headlined and sold out Madison Square Garden.
March 15, 2018
WWE Changes Name Of Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal
WWE is changing the name of the first-ever Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal to take place at WrestleMania 34. The new name will be the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal.
WWE sent us the following statement on the name change today:
"After further consideration, we believe it's best to proceed with the name 'WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal.' What remains most important is that this historic match is part of WWE's unwavering commitment to the Women's Division."
We noted how the public backlash over WWE paying tribute to the WWE Hall of Famer Moolah began as soon as the match was announced on Monday's RAW. Fans were not happy over how WWE was honoring such a controversial figure. Moolah has been accused of pimping younger women's wrestlers and taking their pay decades ago, among other bad business practices.
Backlash Over WWE's Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal, Mainstream Media Attention, Petitions
As noted, WWE announced on Monday that the first-ever Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal will take place at WrestleMania 34 with female Superstars from WWE NXT, RAW and SmackDown competing, likely for a trophy. The match is named after WWE Hall of Famer and NWA Hall of Famer The Fabulous Moolah, a four-time WWE Women's Champion and a five-time NWA Women's Champion. Her last WWE match came on September 15th, 2003 as she defeated Victoria on RAW, a match that she was promised for her 80th birthday, making her become the first octogenarian to wrestle in a WWE ring. She made a few more non-wrestling appearances for WWE over the years before passing away at the age of 84 in 2007.
There has been significant backlash among fans on social media since WWE made the announcement on Monday night.
Moolah has been accused over the years of essentially being a pimp to younger women's wrestlers back during her prime, taking advantage of them and screwing others out of work and pushes, among other allegations. The stories on Moolah come from shoot interviews with women's wrestling stars such as Luna Vachon, Wendi Richter, Leilani Kai and others, plus other industry talk. You can read a "Wrestler's True Colors" Reddit thread on Moolah at this link, which details some of the claims made about Moolah before and after her death, some of which have been denied by Moolah.
"Moolah did send girls out to this guy in Arizona and pimped them out," Jeannine Mjoseth, a former student of Moolah who briefly wrestled as Mad Maxine, told Slam! Wrestling in 2014. "I actually spoke to him on the phone and asked him what he was looking for. He said, 'If I'm spending all this money, you know what I want.' That was part of Moolah's way of making money. She was just a bad person. Moolah didn't have a good bone in her body."
Forbes has picked up on the backlash at this link and fans have launched a Change.org petition to have the name of the battle royal changed at this link. The petition has 3,165 signatures and counting as of this writing. There's also a petition to have the match canceled at this link. That petition has 3,231 signatures and counting as of this writing. These Change.org petitions never force any actual changes in WWE but they are worth mentioning.
As seen below, fans have responded to various tweets from female Superstars regarding Moolah and the match, including tweets from Stephanie McMahon and WWE NXT Women's Champion Ember Moon. Liv Morgan had made a tweet on the match but it appears she deleted it due to the feedback from fans.
March 13, 2018
The first-ever Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal to take place at WrestleMania
The Superstars of Raw, SmackDown and WWE NXT's Women's divisions will have the chance to make history yet again when they compete in the inaugural Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 34.
As first announced on Raw, this ground-breaking battle royal will pay tribute to the first-ever WWE Women's Champion, The Fabulous Moolah, who not only paved the way for female competitors through the years, but also played a pivotal role in the first several WrestleMania events.
In the highly-anticipated free-for-all, members of the Women's divisions from Raw, SmackDown LIVE and WWE NXT will compete to be the last Superstar standing in the over-the-top-rope melee.
January 24, 2018
Stephanie McMahon Doing Ringside Commentary for Women's Royal Rumble Match
Stephanie McMahon posted the following on twitter :
Announcing the first-ever women's #RoyalRumble match was one of my all-time favorite moments in WWE... And now I'm proud to share that I'll be joining the Announce team for this historic match this Sunday! #RumbleForAll #RoyalRumble
December 19, 2017
WWE Announces First All-Female Royal Rumble
The historic first-ever Women's Royal Rumble Match announced for Jan. 28
History will be made at the 30th Anniversary of the Royal Rumble when the WWE Universe witnesses the first-ever Women's Royal Rumble Match.
Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon made the massive announcement on the Dec. 18 edition of Raw, declaring that female WWE Superstars will compete for a championship opportunity at WrestleMania 34.
The much-anticipated contest could not be coming at a more pivotal moment for the ground-breaking women of each brand. In addition to the elite competitors who continue to make the Women's Evolution the cutting-edge phenomenon that it is, the main roster has experienced an influx of talented new Superstars over the past several months, including Raw's undefeated Asuka, the returning Paige and her destructive Absolution cohorts, as well as SmackDown LIVE's Riott Squad. This surge of talent will undoubtedly help make the first-ever Women's Royal Rumble a can't-miss contest.
Who will seize the moment and book a ticket to WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans by winning the monumental bout? Find out when the women of Raw and SmackDown LIVE make history at the Royal Rumble, streaming live on WWE Network on Sunday, Jan. 28!
November 16, 2017
WrestleMania Generates Record $181 Million For Orlando Region
