World Wrestling Entertainment has ended its relationship with Deep South Wrestling. For the past two years, DSW has served as one of WWE’s developmental territories. The move had been rumored for months and following a contentious relationship that saw Deep South Wrestling’s Jody Hamilton lash out at WWE for removing Bill Demott from his position as trainer. Hamilton quickly removed the negative comments that had been posted online about Demott’s removal, but it was a public sign of the friction that had been brewing between WWE and Hamilton.
According to several sources, WWE made the decision to sever ties with Jody Hamilton’s Deep South Wrestling after a number of issues the company wasn’t happy with in recent months. When Bruce Prichard visited the developmental territory last week, he brought back a negative report, which was said to be the final straw in the situation. WWE sent someone down to DSW to oversee the split from their end today. Nothing has been settled yet as to what will happen to the WWE developmental talents that were assigned to DSW. Some will be sent over to Ohio Valley Wrestling, while it’s also possible some may be released due to the glut of talent. There’s also a chance some may be brought up to the main rosters to fill out the existing brands.
source: insideprowrestling.com
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April 20, 2007
WWE Severs Ties with DSW
Full Text of Alec Baldwin's Call to his Daughter
The following is a message that was allegedly left by Alec Baldwin for his 11-year-old daughter, as reported by TMZ.com. Click here to listen to the message. Warning, some vulgar language is used in the message.
Hey, I want to tell you something, OK? And I want to leave a message for you right now. 'Cause again, it's 10:30 here in New York on a Wednesday, and once again I've made an ass of myself trying to get to a phone to call you at a specific time. When the time comes for me to make the phone call, I stop whatever I'm doing and I go and I make that phone call. At 11 o'clock in the morning in New York and if you don't pick up the phone at 10 o'clock at night. And you don't even have the G**damn phone turned on. I want you to know something, OK?
I'm tired of playing this game with you. I'm leaving this message with you to tell you you have insulted me for the last time. You have insulted me. You don't have the brains or the decency as a human being. I don't give a damn that you're 12 years old, or 11 years old, or that you're a child, or that your mother is a thoughtless pain in the ass who doesn't care about what you do as far as I'm concerned. You have humiliated me for the last time with this phone.
And when I come out there next week, I'm going to fly out there for the day just to straighten you out on this issue. I'm going to let you know just how disappointed in you I am and how angry I am with you that you've done this to me again. You've made me feel like s**t and you've made me feel like a fool over and over and over again. And this crap you pull on me with this G**damn phone situation that you would never dream of doing to your mother and you do it to me constantly and over and over again. I am going to get on a plane and I am going to come out there for the day and I am going to straighten your ass out when I see you. Do you understand me? I'm going to really make sure you get it. Then I'm going to get on a plane and I'm going to turn around and come home. So you'd better be ready Friday the 20th to meet with me. So I'm going to let you know just how I feel about what a rude little pig you really are. You are a rude, thoughtless little pig, OK?
Mick Foley to Star in New Reality Show
Credit: PWInsider.com
Mick Foley recently discussed filming a reality series plot for the A&E Network in an interview with hobotrashcan.com.
In the interview he noted, “You know, the people at A&E really sold me on what the show could be. I watched some of their shows specifically and I think that in the same way I was really proud of being in Beyond the Mat, I could be proud of a reality show, especially if it allows me to cover some of my interests outside of wrestling and may draw people into supporting some causes that I do."
Foley also noted that his wife was "terrified" of the idea but the intention of the pilot is to focus on Foley himself, not his family.
For upcoming Foley fictional novels in the future, Foley may be releasing under a pen name to prevent what has been a recurring theme in his writing career when it comes to reviewers, his work being dismissed because he's a professional wrestler, as opposed to being judged on its own merits.
April 18, 2007
"Paul Levesque … a really really smart, wonderful young man." - Vince McMahon WWE Shareholders Meeting September 15, 2005
Wrestling Link To VA Tech Massacre
Written by Tom Wilkens on Apr 18, 2007
Something else to blame wreslting for:
In an AP story on Cho Seung-Hui, the student who perpetrated the massacre at Virginia Tech University, he was described as being a loner who spent time on his computer and watching TV, noting he watched Friday night wrestling. The article said, "He (roommate Karan Grewal) said Cho usually worked alone on his computer and watched TV, including Friday night wrestling. He was always alone _ in the dining hall, watching television, working out with weights in the gym. He rarely spoke to anyone." Also, MSNBC's 'Hardball with Chris Matthews' mentioned this fact on today's show.
partial source: Wrestling Observer
April 17, 2007
Stone Cold Presents CMT Award
By Kara A. Medalis
Written: April 17, 2007
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin was a presenter at the 2007 CMT Music Awards in Nashville, Tenn., last night. He and Grammy Award-winning singer Gretchen Wilson presented the Male Video of the Year award.
“Since this award is all about the strong, solid men of country music, they wanted the toughest person in the room to give the award away,” Stone Cold said to a cheering audience at The Curb Event Center at Belmont University.
“Yes, and we’re all glad you could come along, too, Steve,” Wilson joked to a smiling Stone Cold.
They presented the buckle award to Kenny Chesney for “You Save Me.” The annual CMT Music Awards are country music’s only fan-voted awards and air on the Country Music Television network. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy hosted.
Stone Cold’s appearance is just one of many for the busy WWE Superstar, who is traveling around the country promoting WWE Films’ action/thriller The Condemned, which hits theaters nationwide April 27. This weekend he was the Grand Marshall at NASCAR Nextel Cup’s Samsung 500 in Fort Worth, Texas. Tomorrow, he’ll be a special guest at the San Francisco Giants game at AT&T Park, where he’ll take batting practice and meet several of the team’s players.
source: wwe.com
April 16, 2007
Who’s next in line to reign over the ring?
McMahons yet to unveil succession plan for WWE
By ALEXANDER SOULE
Vince McMahon may have had his locks shorn by The Donald, but at least he got paid for the indignity by The Bear.
The World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. chairman and his CEO wife, Linda, have begun accepting salaries once more, set at $850,000 and $500,000, respectively, for 2007. The celebrity executives declined most compensation from Stamford-based WWE in 2006 and 2005. The staged “Battle of the Billionaires” between Donald Trump and McMahon at Wrestlemania 23 on April 1 set a record gate for WWE, with 80,000 fans showing up to see Trump shave off McMahon’s coif. In addition to Vince’s hair cut, the McMahons are taking a pay cut in fiscal 2004, the last full year they accepted pay, Vince McMahon received a $1.2 million salary and an equivalent bonus, and Linda McMahon received $750,000 in each compensation category.
Lowell Weicker Jr., the former Connecticut senator and governor once nicknamed “The Bear,” chairs the compensation committee of WWE’s board of directors. Weicker and other WWE shareholders are getting a bargain under the McMahons, WWE’s stock is up 60 percent in the past 20 months to about $16 per share, valuing Vince McMahon’s holdings today at $750 million. While a publicly traded company, McMahon wields nearly total control of it. In its most recent fiscal year ending April 30, 2006, WWE bounced back from a 2006 sales decline with a $47 million profit on $400 million in revenue. WWE is in the process of aligning its fiscal year with the calendar year, making past comparisons knotty.
Attendance at WWE events in North America increased 6 percent in fiscal 2006 to 1.7 million, or 5,000 per show, and 6.2 million people watched on pay-per-view, nearly 1 million more than the year before. Overall revenue from live events declined slightly, however, which the company blamed on a lower average ticket price. WWE closed the year with 560 employees, excluding its “superstars” who are independent contractors. The company expects to pay $16 million this year for “talent” and employment contracts.
Vince and Linda McMahon have been compensated both for their performance running the company and in the ring, as have their children. The McMahons’ employment contracts run through October 2008, and are automatically extended in one-year increments, though the McMahons and WWE both hold opt-out clauses. Even as McMahon continues to thrive in the limelight, mugging paroxysms of agony for the crowd at Wrestlemania 23 as Trump wielded the razor, he has yet to shed light on a succession plan for the company whether that might involve a sale to a media, sports or private equity company, or keeping the company in the family. “Succession planning has been undertaken, and is an ongoing process,” said WWE spokesman Gary Davis, in an e-mailed statement. “However, WWE expects that Vince McMahon will be leading WWE for many years to come.”
Son Shane McMahon, 37, is one of five people to hold the title of executive vice president or unit president, not including Michael Sileck, a former Monster Worldwide executive who was elevated in February to chief operating officer. He received $470,000 during the transitional fiscal period between May and December last year. The McMahons’ daughter Stephanie Levesque is also a WWE employee and received $350,000 in compensation between May and December. Like Shane a past WWE performer, she now does behind-the-scenes work including creative writing. Stephanie is married to Paul Levesque, one of WWE’s top draws who performs under the stage name Triple H.
“You have seen Michael Sileck come in at the (chief financial officer) level, and then get promoted to COO he is seen as a solid operating guy,” said Michael Kelman, an analyst who tracks WWE’s stock for Susquehanna International Group L.L.P. in Bala Cynwyd, Pa. “They have a lot of good managers below that level who run the day-to-day stuff, but this is a business owned by the McMahon family.”
source: www.fairfieldcbj.com
April 15, 2007
Triple H Update
Triple H told people at the Hall of Fame ceremony in Detroit that he hoped to be back in the ring by July. Let's hope so.
What would Jackie have done about Imus?
By Ray McNulty
WWJD? What would Jackie do?
Can we spend a few moments on this special day — the 60th anniversary of the most important event in the history of American sport — thinking about that?
Can we look back on all the commotion of the past couple of weeks and ask ourselves: What would Jackie Robinson do?
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Can we try to imagine what this wonderful athlete, this courageous pioneer, this great man would've done if confronted with the issues that generated so many headlines on the way to today's celebration?
Certainly, it's something worth pondering. And, maybe, we'll be better for it — because Robinson, who broke the color barrier in major league baseball on this date six decades ago at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field, was so much more than a historic sports figure.
He was, arguably, the most compelling role model the sports world has given us. He was a man of strong character and tough discipline and tremendous class, filled with grace, dignity and poise. He was the type of principled person all of us should strive to be.
That he also was the greatest all-around athlete this country has produced merely provided him with a stage.
It was his mental and emotional makeup, as much as his physical talents, that made him the perfect choice for a mission that forever changed the fabric of America.
Because failure wasn't an option...More?
source: msnbc.com
