World Wrestling Entertainment announced during a web conference today that they will be bringing back the annual Diva Search competition. Julie Stenz, the company's Director of Partner Marketing, discolsed that an approximate ten-week competition would take place during "regularly scheduled" WWE programming and that sponsorship opportunities would also be available.
No date for the Diva Search's return has been announced as of yet.
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January 26, 2011
WWE Bringing Back the Diva Search
More On The Ric Flair/TNA Tour Situation: Money Problems & Some Talent Doesn't Want Him Back
Ric Flair will be returning to the tour starting with tomorrow's event in Glasgow, Scotland. Some wrestlers rolled their eyes when they heard that he would be returning, but the decision to bring him back to the tour was a financial one. The European shows are sold out events, and with numerous changes having been made, (AJ Styles and Alex Shelley being injured, Kurt Angle returning home for a family emergency) TNA felt it best to get Flair back onto the shows to maintain good relations with the local promoters and the European fans, who kept supporting the company. This is also why Matt Hardy was added to the tour.
Among some of the wrestlers, the decision to bring Flair back will not be popular. Several performers spoke with management over the last 24 hours in an effort to have Flair sent home or even possibly let go from the company. Many performers were harsh in regards to Flair, stating that he had ruined the mood of the tour, which until this happened, was said to be calm and happy. Some are even comparing Flair to Booker T, as Booker fell out of favor with several in the company during the Germany tour last year. This was a factor in his dismissal from the company. Some talents feel sorry for Flair, including the following source…
"The whole thing was stupid but most of us feel more sorry for him than upset. If someone told you everyone is mad, that's a lie. But, there are some pissed because it makes the entire crew look like a**holes and we are certainly tired of his sh**. Flair's asked several of us for money when he's had his credit cards declined. When that happens, the bar tab comes and others get stuck paying for the very drinks he said were on the house in the first place. Everyone loves the "Nature Boy", but when the limousines and party lifestyle is based on bad credit and lies, it suddenly becomes more pathetic than anything else. There is nothing glamorous about a guy who has no concept of money management and then lies to try and get out of it. The fact he has no money should be a lesson every wrestler today should take note on. Don't let this happen to you. If you read the Gorgeous George book that came out and then take an honest look at Ric, you realize, wow, that book is pretty much predicting his future - and that's not a happy ending."
Another source believes that this may have been a good thing, since it may force management to deal with it first-hand and might make TNA a little more leery of continuing to bring in expensive veteran talent when the last year has shown no upside to it based on the current ratings. The source also says that the younger guys in the locker room have united against the veterans, feeling that they do all the work, while the veterans treat the company like a country club. The source had the following to say…
"I respect what the older guys have done, but they aren't making us any money. Nothing reflects that. We would draw the exact same if 99% of them were gone. Sometimes you have to take a step backwards to take a leap forward and I really think more and more that's where TNA is. Obviously, you need some veteran talents but there's a crew here that wants to build a company and we want to focus on that, not paying someone's bar tab and having to wait for him to fight it out with Craig Jenkins [TNA Management] when he doesn't get his way."
source: pwinsider.com
This Day in Wrestling History
WCW president J.J. Dillon bans the use of the powerbomb after Kevin Nash injures The Giant when attempting the move.
January 26, 1988
January 25, 2011
WWE NXT Results: Trading Up
Week eight results:
NXT Rookie Challenge: Howard Finkel won "Out-think The Fink" (no NXT Rookies earned immunity points)
Ted DiBiase def. Daniel Bryan
Brodus Clay def. Derrick Bateman, Johnny Curtis & Byron Saxton
NXT Rookie Records
Brodus Clay: Challenge points: 0, Win/loss record: 3-2
Byron Saxton: Challenge points: 0, Win/loss record: 3-4
Derrick Bateman: Challenge points: 0, Win/loss record: 1-4
Johnny Curtis: Challenge points: 0, Win/loss record: 2-4
Photo: Shane McMahon Candid
source: wrestleview.com
Update on the Ric Flair/TNA Tour Situation
To update on the Ric Flair incident in Dublin, Ireland, it is said that Flair allegedly played hardball, not getting on the bus after his request for a financial advance was refused. As this kind of thing has occured before and with Flair refusing to get on the plane, a decision was made to leave him behind. One source revealed that because of Flair's outburst, members of the roster were in favor of leaving Flair, some even mocking him, using his "signature promo lines" after the bus left without him. There was also talk that Flair's legendary "partying" habits on the tour may have also had something to do with his decision not to get on the bus. Finally, just to clarify, TNA management did not send Flair home. He was simply left behind after "blowing up" and subsequently refusing to travel, and is likely still in Europe.
source: pwinsider.com
Ric Flair Pulls Out of TNA Tour
According to pwinsider.com, sources in TNA have confirmed that Ric Flair missed the TNA event in Germany due to, "Flair refusing to get on the plane to Germany". Those sources have also state that the reason he did not get on the plane was due to a blow up with a member of TNA Management in Dublin, Ireland.
The source went on to say the following…
"He threw a fit. He was playing 'Nature Boy' on the tour and got pissed off and threw a tantrum. As far as we all know, he's in Dublin still. He said he wasn't coming and he wasn't in Berlin."
This is not the first time Flair has been said to have an outburst since signing with TNA, but most of these incidents were after events, and didn't cause a change to scheduled cards. Flair was not advertised to wrestle in Berlin, but he is advertised for the Glasgow, Scotland show on the 27th. For that event, he is scheduled to team with Kazarian against Douglas Williams and Matt Morgan.
When reached for comment, TNA's head of publicity, Steven Godfrey stated "TNA does not comment on personnel matters."
A source close to the situation reports that Flair pulled out of the tour due to money. According to the source, the issue at hand was TNA not giving Flair an advance pay for the remaining dates on the tour.
partial source: pwtorch.com
This Day in Wrestling History
Championship Wrestling from Florida hosted the "Superbowl of Wrestling" at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, with 12,000 fans attending. The show was given its name because it took place just over a week after Super Bowl XII. It was headlined by a world title unification match between WWWF Champion Superstar Billy Graham and NWA Champion Harley Race.
January 25, 1978
The Dynamite Kid wins the British Welterweight Title in Preston, England, defeating Jim Breaks, ending his fourth reign.
January 25, 1978
The nWo has its first PPV, called Souled Out.
January 25, 1997
January 24, 2011
Shares of WWE Fell 15% On Monday After They Forecast 4th-Quarter Earnings Far Below Wall Street Estimates
The company, known for its wrestling action through franchises such as "Raw" and SmackDown" and athletes such as Triple H and John Cena, on Friday forecast fourth-quarter earnings of 8-10 cents a share.
Analysts on average expect 16 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
While the company did not provide any reason for the lower-than-expected forecast, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter said the outlook pointed to a revenue miss.
"I am sure the weakness is due to their pay-per-view and live events businesses being down," Pachter said.
Pay-per-view programing and ticket sales to live events both fall within the company's live and televised entertainment segment, which accounted for 70 percent of 2009 revenue.
The company could have done a better job of communicating its expectations for the quarter earlier so as to avoid Wall Street being taken by surprise, Sterne, Agee & Leach analyst Arvind Bhatia said.
The Stamford, Connecticut-based company, which has struggled against a still sluggish economy and felt the pinch of consumers cutting back on discretionary spending, reported a decline in sales at all its major segments in the third quarter.
The company's shares, which have shed 14 percent of their value over the last six months, were down $1.18, or 9 percent, at $12.32 in midday trade on the New York Stock Exchange. They touched a year low of $11.50 earlier in the session.
source: reuters.com
'WWE All Stars' Box Art Unveils Two Unbelievable Legends
Well, thanks to today's WWE All Stars cover reveal, you can add a couple more names to that ever-expanding list of talent. Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior are in this game, and that's no small feat considering Hogan currently works for WWE competitor TNA and the Ultimate Warrior has a history of conflict with the WWE...More?
source: ign.com
Oderint Dum Metuant: Let Them Hate As Long As They Fear
