Former TMZ Senior Producer and current ProWrestlingSheet.com Editor-in-Chief Ryan Satin is currently helping to cast and produce a new pro wrestling reality show.
Below is the official submission info to be considered for the show. If you or someone you know qualifies for the casting I highly recommend submitting.
Looking for male and female professional wrestlers between the ages of 18-26 with an interesting life story to tell.
Interested parties please email ProWrestlingSheet@gmail.com and include the following in the email:
Your name
Social media handle
Age
Why you’d be an interesting reality show character
Any other details about your life that would help sell you as someone that would be needed on the show
Photos and videos of your work
Location doesn’t matter.
NOT LOOKING FOR FAN SUBMISSIONS!
This is not a Tough Enough competition-like program.
Strictly professional wrestlers.
October 17, 2016
Former TMZ Senior Producer Ryan Satin Looking For Wrestlers From 18-26 For New Reality Show
Vince McMahon To Write Foreword For WWE NXT Book
Vince McMahon will be writing the foreword for the WWE NXT: "The Future Is Now" book that comes out on April 11th, 2017. You can pre-order the book at this link. Below is the synopsis and artwork:
The first comprehensive book on WWE's hottest brand
NXT: The Future Is Now follows the rise of WWE's popular NXT brand from its conception to the brink of taking over WWE with its own rabid following. For decades, sports-entertainment had no centralized system for recruiting and training talent. Recognizing this need, Paul Levesque — better known as 14-time World Champion Triple H — convinced Vince McMahon that WWE must reinvent itself. This book delivers the revealing story of Levesque's vision and the revolutionary impact it has already had on the WWE landscape, cultivating such world-renowned stars as Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Charlotte, Finn Bálor, Sami Zayn, Sasha Banks, and so many more.
October 16, 2016
Paige Proposes To Alberto Del Rio At WWC Event In Puerto Rico?
24 hours after disclosing her alleged medical issues via Twitter, the relationship between WWE Superstar Paige and former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio/El Patron has taken another interesting turn.
It appears that Paige and El Patron are now engaged, after Paige proposed in the middle of the ring at WWC Aniversario 43 in Puerto Rico.
Lucha Libre New Generation has posted the following to their Facebook page.
Below are the comments, translated into English. Translations courtesy of Google Translate.
"Last minute!!
Paige proposes marriage to Alberto in Mayaguez in front of a euphoric fans chanting "yes yes yes yes yes"
Top Names Set To Roast Booker T
The Roast of Booker T will take place on November 10th at Houston Improv in Houston, TX. The Dudley Boyz, Stevie Ray, Brother Love, MVP, Sharmell and others will be there to roast the WWE Hall of Famer. There will also be special video messages from The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, Rob Van Dam and Diamond Dallas Page.
The Brooklyn Brawler Talks Approaching Vince McMahon About John Cena, Turning Down WWE Lawsuit, More
Recently on Talk Is Jericho, the greatest WWE Intercontinental Champion of all time, Chris Jericho, welcomed the ironman of enhancement talents, Steve Lombardi, to the podcast. Lombardi, who also worked behind-the-scenes at WWE, talked about knowing John Cena was going to be a major star very early on. Also, Lombardi, better known as The Brooklyn Brawler, talked about his loyalty to Vince McMahon and the ongoing concussion class action lawsuit lodged against WWE. Finally, Lombardi discussed why WWE is so highly scripted now.
According to Lombardi, who produced the promotional spots for local markets and other videos for WWE, he knew Cena was going to be a star right away.
"I remember Cena came in the room and he didn't come in the room. He was standing around. He had a mohawk. He called himself The Prototype. And, I mean, he was just standing in the back and I said, 'why don't you come in here and cut a promo?. I hear you can talk.' And he starting doing this interview and then he did it in reverse. And then he, like, rewind, kind of deal." Lombardi added, "I went to Vince. I said, 'Vince, we have a ringer.' He goes, 'really?' And then, he [said], 'take him off the dark match and put him on SmackDown.'"
Also, he named MVP and Mr. Kennedy as two other performers he put over to WWE higher-ups.
"A couple of times [Vince has listened]. I put [Cena] over, I put MVP over, I put Kennedy over one time because Kennedy came in and he had some good talent, but he didn't work out, obviously."
Lombardi remains loyal to Vince McMahon despite parting ways with WWE this summer and stated that he would even take the witness stand for WWE in its defense of the continuing concussion litigation if need be.
"This investigator calls me up. He goes, 'apparently, you parted ways with WWE.' He says, 'would you like to join the class action lawsuit for concussions because we're really going after them?' I said, 'I'll join the lawsuit, but it's going to be on Vince's side because your lawsuit is so frivolous. It's stupidity!' He goes, 'why would you say that?' [Lombardi replied] 'Because you're asking me to join the lawsuit and you never asked me if I had a concussion.' I said, 'you're the dumbest man alive.' I said, 'have your attorney call me. I'd love to tell him he's a dumbass too.' Do you know what I mean? He goes, 'you should be bitter!' I said, 'I have no bitterness in me.'"
During the podcast, Lombardi revealed that Roddy Piper would ask him to get WWE brass to let him go off script, but he did not have that type of influence backstage. Lombardi suggested that WWE being so scripted today is due to performers taking liberties and McMahon not being able to trust them.
"It's almost like Vince couldn't trust the guys anymore because some of them took privileges that they shouldn't have [taken]. Do you know what I mean?"
October 15, 2016
Bill DeMott Speaks On Working With Triple H, Kevin Owens On RAW, Tough Enough
Former WWE performer and trainer Bill DeMott recently took part in an interview with PlanetaWrestling where he names his time working with Triple H in NXT as the greatest time in his career. DeMott feels that working with the talent in NXT was his greatest accomplishment.
“There is no denying what [Triple H] and NXT are doing is successful,” DeMott said
Demott was a trainer for the third season of WWE’s Tough Enough reality show back in 2002, and ended up landing head trainer positions at several developmental territories. DeMott was a trainer on Tough Enough during the seasons that brought us John Morrison, The Miz, and Ryback.
“I was so grateful for the first opportunity to coach on Tough Enough, it turned into the biggest part of my career and I was part of the most successful shows WWE ever did,” DeMott said. “I am truly proud of everyone that competed, because win or lose I spent every day with them and know what they went through.”
DeMott was the head coach of NXT while Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Neville were all there, and says they are changing the face of the industry now on the WWE roster. He says he’s particularly proud of those three, and gets a “nervous energy” when he sees how well they’re doing on TV.
DeMott resigned from WWE in March of 2015 following accusations of misconduct and abuse by several ex-trainees. DeMott denies the allegations.
October 14, 2016
Tennessee State Reportedly Files Lien Against TNA For Unpaid Business Taxes, Further Filings List TNA in $3.4 Million Indebtedness
According to The Tennessean, The Tennessee Department of Revenue filed a lien against TNA Wrestling last month for unpaid business taxes. The lien against TNA’s holdings was filed with the Davidson County Register of Deeds on September 8th.
Furthermore, the report notes Anthem Sports and Entertainment, MCC Acquisitions and Aroluxe Media, have all filed similar statements listing TNA as a debtor. Those three filings combined to list $3.4 million in maximum indebtedness owed to the three firms by TNA.
As we noted earlier this week, TNA President Billy Corgan has filed a separate lawsuit against TNA, Dixie Carter and TNA Executive Dean Broadhead, and a temporary restraining order was approved. A hearing for a temporary injunction has been scheduled for Thursday, October 20th at 11:30am local time, and Corgan has requested a six-person jury to decide the case.
Filings for the lawsuit have been sealed until further notice.
Matt Sydal Arrested In Japan For Drug Possession
Former WWE Tag Team Champion and current New Japan Pro Wrestling star Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne) was arrested in Japan on September 23rd while entering the country. Police found 2.12 grams of liquid marijuana in his possession at the Kansai Airport in Osaka Bay. The liquid marijuana was presumably to be used in an e-cig.
Sydal was convicted on October 13th but there are no details on his punishment yet. This could mean the end of his wrestling career in Japan due to their strict drug laws. He is facing deportation. This could mean the end of his career in NJPW.
Sydal missed several NJPW dates last month and noted on Twitter that he had an issue at the border, causing him to stay in Hawaii. However, this arrest indicates that Sydal never left Japan.
Hi everyone. Had passport trouble at the border after spending an extra day at LAX. Chillin in Hawaii until this sorts out #travelwoes
— Matt Sydal (@findevan) September 25, 2016
William Shatner Talks About His Relationship With WWE, How Vince McMahon Would Fit In On Star Trek
William Shatner recently spoke with Justin Barrasso for Sports Illustrated Extra Mustard‘s Week In Wrestling, taking part in this week’s Five Questions segment.
Shatner talks about his relationship with WWE; you can read a few highlights below:
William Shatner talks about how his relationship with WWE began:
I had written, produced, and directed TekWar, which was a detective story from the future. One of the publicists said, ‘I can get you on WWE out of Texas, and they’re on the hour before TekWar goes on and it will be great publicity and a great intro. So I went down there and tossed Jerry Lawler out of the ring. Thank God he jumped as high as he could with only a little assistance from me, and out of the ring he went. I had the best time with the entire wrestling world. Since then, I’ve loved coming back. I introduced Jerry Lawler at the Hall of Fame, and got booed. The people didn’t want to see a Hollywood fake in there, they wanted to see a real person. But I’ve had the best time with them, and they want me to come back and do a number of projects, and I’m looking for the time to do it.
Shatner explains how the “William Shatner Sings Superstar Entrance Theme Songs” came up, and his favorite WWE theme he performed:
Someone from WWE asked me to do it, but it was one of those things where sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. It turned out to be great fun. My favorite song was John Cena’s. He is a guy I know, and since Lawler is retired now, Cena is my favorite wrestler, even though he’s more of an actor now.
Would Vince McMahon fit on the Starship Enterprise?
Vince McMahon would have been great on the Enterprise. We talk every so often, and he had a writer that I knew and cared about and I’d worked with. That writer has since died, but he was responsible for a lot of the best plot lines. McMahon has created a form of entertainment that is very amusing, and it is both antiquated and brand new.
October 13, 2016
Former WWE Women's Champion Returning To The Company At 'Takeover: Toronto'
WWE NXT General Manager William Regal announced at tonight's TV tapings that Mickie James will return to the company at "Takeover: Toronto" on November 19th during Survivor Series weekend.
The former Women's Champion will be facing NXT Women's Champion Asuka.
Stephanie McMahon is featured in Variety's "Power of Women" Report
As seen below, Stephanie McMahon is featured in Variety's "Power of Women" report. They wrote the following on her:
As a member of the first family of Wrestling — she is the daughter of chairman & CEO Vince McMahon — one would expect showmanship to be in McMahon's blood. But it was her business savvy that made her a true superstar for WWE. The exec credits her experience with WWE as a valuable teaching tool for her success behind the desk.
"Live television, in front of an arena filled with thousands of people teaches you a lot about psychology, poise, and thinking on your feet," she says.
McMahon went on to head WWE's creative writing team. Now as the WWE's first-ever chief brand officer, McMahon is a key figure for the organization, a global brand ambassador and spokesperson who builds partnerships and growth opportunities for the group. "[I became] responsible for generating awareness and positive brand perception for WWE," she says. "In this role I have the ability to contribute in a bigger way than I ever have before; educating consumers and the marketplace on the true value of fulfilling our mission of putting smiles on people's faces." In addition to her pivotal role within the WWE, McMahon, along with husband Triple H, helped create Connor's Cure, a campaign designed to fund pediatric cancer research named for an 8-year-old fan who died of medulloblastoma cancer. The effort leverages the popularity of the WWE by using its audience to raise awareness. "Connor's Cure began at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, where Connor was treated, and we have now expanded our efforts nationally by partnering with The V Foundation. To date, we have raised more than $1 million and helped more than 100 families."
Magnum TA On The 30th Anniversary Of His Career Ending Accident And How He Never Quit
Tomorrow, October 14th marks the 30th anniversary of the car accident that ended Terry Allen's professional wrestling career. In an EXCLUSIVE interview on The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling, the man known as Magnum relives the tragic accident that abruptly cut short what could have been one of the greatest wrestling careers of all time. In this preview clip Magnum TA shares with John and Chad how he has overcome such adversity and gone on to live a long life following an incident that he rightfully admits he was lucky to be alive following. Tomorrow also is the release date for Highspot's BRAND NEW documentary on the life and career of Magnum TA entitled 'I Never Quit' the Magnum TA story available on DVD and digital download. The full episode of TMPT will be available on Friday as well.
Why is Magnum not "bitter" about the fate he suffered and his career being cut short:
"I like to think God has a plan for everybody's life. I am a man of faith and I don't go preaching the gospel like some of my friends have that I admire but I've tried to live my life by a certain creed and when the rubber meets the asphalt and with some of my friends who I have grown to respect the proof is in the pudding of what you deduce. This life goes by in a nano-second. I had the privilege of doing something that not 1% of this population in the whole world would come close to being able to achieve and had I got to be multi time World's Heavyweight Champion and twenty times this and that or the other and all that stuff it really at that point in time is just self-gratifying because it becomes ego driven. You get great enjoyment in it and entertaining people and all that, (but) it hit me when I was in that hospital. I had been given the honor of playing this hero and this character that I had been able to develop and bring to the world and all of a sudden I've got hundreds of thousands of people that really cared about me, about Terry Allen, about Magnum TA as a human being."
"It hit me that we all, whether we realize it or not; if you are on TV every Saturday night are role models who impact the lives of others and I decided right then and there that I was going to do everything in my power to not let this thing beat me. I've always been and tried to be a man's man and tried to show a certain work ethic and I wanted to be in real life some semblance of what I had been able to represent to those wrestling fans. I felt that was my way to give back because people come to wrestling to escape reality and they are able to live their dreams vicariously through you and now they all see one of their heroes fallen and we all have things in life that we can't control but it is what we choose to do with that adversity that really defines us. So I decided that I truly was not ever going to quit or give up and that I was far from perfect and made countless poor judgments and decisions over the past thirty years but no matter what I will not quit and not give up."
Bret Hart Apologizes to Michael Hayes for Comments He Made About The Fabulous Freebirds, Also Apologizes to Triple H and Seth Rollins
WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart had some harsh words for The Fabulous Freebirds in a recent Forbes interview, and below is an excerpt of what Hart had to say:
“Why have they been overlooked when you can induct the Freebirds, who never did squat in WWE? Ever. Never drew any money, never did anything. When I remember the Freebirds, they were all drunk and passed out at the gate at one of the airports in my first day in WWF. None of them even made the show that day, they were too drunk to make their plane.”
Hart has since apologized to Michael “PS” Hayes, as he posted the following on Facebook:
I’d like to take this opportunity to formally apologize to Michael Hayes. A while back I made comments about the Freebirds not being as worthy of being in the WWE Hall of Fame as others. It was unfair for me to dismiss their contributions to the industry and they certainly did great things in Texas with the Von Erich Family. Michael Hayes always treated me with great respect, as did Terry Gordy, Ronnie Garvin and Buddy Roberts and I’m sorry if I disrespected any of them with my comments. Furthermore I apologize to both Triple H and Seth Rollins for any hurtful comments I made on my podcast. The reality of all this is the reason I quit doing podcasts in general, because they’re for the most part an outlet for negativity, and have left me with a reputation as being angry and bitter. I’m not, I’d spoke candidly and openly but it’s no excuse for minimizing other wrestlers or their contributions. In saying all that, I still believe Jim the Anvil Neidhart of the Hart Foundation, including Owen, Brian Pillman, Davey Boy Smith, The Dynamite Kid, Jimmy Hart, The Rougeau Brothers, The Killer Bees, The Demolition, Rick Rude, King Kong Bundy, and One Man Gang all deserve their place in the WWE Hall of Fame. My apologies to all. Bret Hart x
Billy Corgan Reportedly Suing TNA
TNA President Billy Corgan filed a lawsuit against Impact Wrestling, parent company Impact Ventures LLC, TNA Chairman Dixie Carter, TNA Chief Financial Officer Dean Broadhead and Dixie's husband Serg Salias in Chancery Court in Nashville on Wednesday.
A temporary restraining order was approved and Corgan filed a bond to support it today. A hearing for a temporary injunction has been scheduled for Thursday, October 20th at 11:30am local time. Corgan has requested a six-person jury to decide the case.
TNA Sale News: WWE Loses Interest Again, Huge Dixie Carter Heat, TNA Executive Contacted WWE, More
Regarding the TNA sale, Aroluxe and Billy Corgan are still involved in trying to make the purchase but one unidentified party that was previously involved is no longer interested as they do not feel a deal is worth it. WWE has also apparently lost interest as they have backed out.
The most recent set of Impact Wrestling tapings were the first that saw Billy Corgan have the final say in creative decisions. However, nothing long-term has been decided on, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, but changes have to happen imminently. We noted before that Dixie Carter was in attendance for the tapings and did hold a talent meeting but she wasn't there for the final days of the tapings and was reportedly having meetings with The Fight Network, which also owns a small stake in TNA.
Things between Dixie and Corgan have reportedly gone really bad and things are said to be "super heated" between Dixie, Corgan, Aroluxe and John Gaburick. It was noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Dixie has made a real mess of the company between borrowing money and putting up various stakes in the company just to get quick funding. It was said that the company is in a "disastrous position" right now. There is also heat on Dixie for deals not getting done and nearly falling apart.
TNA still owes money to many people and continues to deal with other financial issues but right now they're not faced with another deadline for money until January and that's when they have some international TV revenue coming from.
There's still no word yet on where TNA got the money for the most recent tapings but it was not WWE, which has been rumored. Some higher-ups in TNA still don't know who funded the tapings but speculation is that it was one of the three minority owners - Corgan, Aroluxe or The Fight Network.
Regarding WWE no longer being interested in the tape library, Gaburick did go to WWE's Kevin Dunn with the idea of a package where WWE would hire Gaburick if he got them the tape library deal. Dunn reportedly went to Vince McMahon with the idea but it looks like the deal won't be happening. The Observer notes that WWE's involvement has been up and down for weeks.
October 11, 2016
WWE fires back at banned beauty: Spreading lies about drug test
In a statement released to the New York Post today, WWE responded in the strongest possible terms:
“Saraya-Jade Bevis tested positive for an illegal substance, not a prescription drug. In addition, WWE is providing world-class medical care for her in-ring injury.”
This continues the very public battle between the two sides, one that doesn’t appear as though it will end anytime soon. Paige had previously stated she has no plans on leaving WWE.
Paige Tweets Update From New York City, Paige’s Brothers Comment on Her WWE Suspension and Claim She’s Facing Career Ending Surgery
Nancy Grace Has Heated Exchange With Radio Hosts Over Wrestler Deaths, Walks Out Of Interview
Former HLN host Nancy Grace is no stranger to pro wrestling fans as her show covered various wrestling related deaths over the years. Most recently, wrestling fans called for Nancy's show to be canceled back in 2014 when she brought on Diamond Dallas Page for an interview and tried tying all wrestler deaths to steroid use. Page later told RadarOnline that Grace ambushed him:
"I was asked to go on her show and talk about Warrior the man. I was even given bullet points from her producers about the topics we would discuss. After seeing the topics which were pretty basic. I felt it would be great to go on and discuss the legend he was and how I got to know him. With that being said, I wanted to share a story that when Warrior came back to wrestling back in the WCW days he sat myself and Bill Goldberg down and said he was watching all the fun we were having and wanted to be a part of it again. To hear him tell me that was the coolest thing. The Ultimate Warrior returning to wrestling because he was watching our stuff? How awesome is that! Fast Forward 18 years later to this past weeks WWE Hall of Fame speech. I mean The guy gave my DDP YOGA a shout out like four times during his speech simply because he was happy it was helping people and obviously he didn't have to do that. It just goes to show the man he was. What hurts is the fact that I couldn't say thank you to him for it. I went looking for him but couldn't find him. I wanted to call him but never got the chance. That's the Warrior that I wanted to discuss on her show. However, it's clear I was ambushed. Everyone has been asking me what would I say to Nancy Grace now after she had me on. The answer is easy. I don't need to say a word. Look on all the social media sites, the fans are saying it all!! I will not change who I am because of the way others act. Its just not me. However lesson learned."
Grace, who recently left HLN, appeared on The Jim & Sam Show with Jim Norton and Sam Roberts earlier today and walked out of the interview after a heated exchange. Roberts, who is a big wrestling fan, brought up Nancy's interview with DDP. The exchange that followed went like this:
Roberts: You took a lot of heat too, for the report you did when The Ultimate Warrior died and you brought on DDP the wrestler, and you were talking about wrestlers dying of steroids and drug overdoses, things like that. When steroids weren't involved in The Ultimate Warrior's death...
Grace: No they were not.
Roberts: And on the people you listed, you listed a whole bunch of wrestlers that had died before they were 40. Some of the wrestlers you listed, one of them had fallen from the ceiling, one of them had been shot, there were all these guys, all these names...
Grace: I don't think it was ever said that those guys died from steroid overdose.
Roberts: No, but you said that there's...
Grace: Early deaths and untimely deaths in wrestling history.
Roberts: But you established the argument that there's drug abuse and steroids, then you said... here's a list of wrestlers that died young. So you didn't say that's why they died...
Grace: I really believe that professional wrestlers are not protected. I think everybody gets a big kick out of watching them and whether the wrestling is real or not, people love watching it. I think that those wrestlers, those women and men that go in the ring are not protected. I don't think anybody is ever looking out for them and I think that they are used badly.
Roberts: So if that was your intention and of course I can believe you on that, you're telling me that, what goes through your mind when a lot of wrestlers see your report and come back at you with venom, saying you're not representing us, you're not telling our story and what you're portraying isn't happening.
