May 18, 2012
GOP Endorses Linda McMahon Over Shays by 2-1 Margin
Linda McMahon won the Republican endorsement for U.S. Senate tonight for the second time in two years, setting the stage for another August primary with another former congressman, Chris Shays.
McMahon, a World Wrestling Entertainment co-founder who spent $50 million on a losing Senate race in 2010, is vying with Shays for the rarest of political opportunities: a second shot at an open Senate seat.
Delegates gave 57 percent of the vote to McMahon and 31 percent to Shays on the first ballot. The rest of the field - Brian K. Hill, Peter Lumaj and Kie Westby - fell well short of the 15-percent threshold to automatically qualify for a primary.
At 10:23 p.m., ballot finished, but under the convention rules, delegates have a chance to switch votes before the count is finalized and McMahon is declared the endorsed candidate.
The winner of the primary will try to become the first Republican to win a U.S. Senate race in Connecticut since Lowell P. Weicker Jr. of Greenwich was elected in 1982 to his third and final term.
The seat is now held by Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, who defeated Weicker in 1988 and is retiring after 24 years in the Senate.
In McMahon and Shays, GOP voters have to choose between two candidates with obvious strengths and weaknesses, each of whom were rejected by Connecticut voters in the past four years.
Shays, 66, who represented Stamford in the General Assembly and the 4th District in Congress, has built a campaign around one issue: electability. He points to a record of winning elections and polling that shows him best matching up with the endorsed Democrat, U.S. Rep. Christopher Murphy.
"This time, we're going to be working as hard as we can to convince Republican voters that if you want someone who can win, and you don't want Chris Murphy, I think I'm your guy," Shays said.
McMahon, 63, of Greenwich, the former chief executive officer of the Stamford-based WWE, touts her record as a "jobs creator," echoing the pitch made at the top of the Republican ticket by Mitt Romney.
Her challenge is to convince voters that her 43 percent share of the vote in 2010 was base on which to build, not a ceiling. She lost by 12 percentage points to Democrat Richard Blumenthal, the state's most popular Democrat.
McMahon was nominated by four women, a target audience in her second run. Exit polling showed her suffering from a gender gap in 2010, and McMahon has made an effort to win over female voters.
Her nominators included Kathy McShane, the head of "Women for Linda" and Maureen Gagnon, who leads "Job Creators for McMahon." Another was Jayme Stevenson, the first selectwoman of Darien, where Shays grew up.
The winner will face the victor of a Democratic primary: either Murphy or former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz.
source: ctmirror.org
WWE Says New 3 Hour Raw Format Will Be Interactive; Details
According to a new article posted over at WWE.com, the new three hour format of Raw will see the show add an interactive element to it which will allow the viewers to "create" the matches as well as watch them. The following is an article excerpt, featuring a quote from Vince McMahon:
"WWE is proud to celebrate this historic milestone with our partners at USA Network. Our new three-hour Raw represents the next generation in interactive television where our fans won't just watch the show, they will help create it."
You can read more by clicking on the above link.
This Day in Wrestling History
Happy Birthday to Superfly Jimmy Snuka
May 18, 1943
Christian eliminated Booker T in a Battle Royal at Judgment Day to capture the newly reinstated WWE Intercontinental Title.
May 18, 2003
May 17, 2012
Brooke Hogan Joins TNA Wrestling
Television personality and recording artist Brooke Hogan is joining the cast of the highly-rated weekly wrestling program, TNA’s “IMPACT WRESLTING” starting Thursday, May 31 on Spike TV. Brooke’s role will be as the Executive in Charge of the female wrestling division, The Knockouts. Brooke will join a star-studded cast of the biggest names in professional wrestling, including her father, wrestling legend Hulk Hogan. TNA’s flagship series, “IMPACT WRESLTING,” telecasts on Spike TV and is one of the network’s top-rated series on Thursday nights with young men and currently ranks among the top shows on cable in its timeslot with Men 18-34.
In addition to overseeing the traditional duties of the Knockouts Division, Brooke will bring a new energy and direction to the role working with the girls in a variety of capacities.
"I have really gotten to know Brooke by working with her on her music career this past year and a half," said Dixie Carter, President of TNA Wrestling. "When we did talk wrestling, I not only loved her passion and knowledge of it, but the fresh, creative ideas she would come up with. She is very savvy. I asked if she would consider teaming up with me in this capacity while she also worked on her music, and I was thrilled when she said ‘yes.’ A big personality runs in her genes, obviously, and I know she is going to take an already exciting division of Impact Wrestling to another level."
All I can say is wow...
TNA IMPACT Wrestling Going Live This Summer
After teasing that a major announcement was about to be made on Twitter, TNA President Dixie Carter has announced that Impact Wrsetling will be going live starting on 5/31 and continue "through the summer."
WWE Monday Night Raw Expands to Three Electrifying Hours Launching with the 1,000th Episode, July 23 on USA Network
WWE Superstar John Cena® announced via Twitter today that WWE Monday Night Raw will expand to a three-hour event 52 weeks a year. The extended telecast will kick-off July 23 at 8/7C on USA Network and marks the 1000th episode of the WWE Raw franchise and a television record – no other series has ever reached this milestone. The announcement was tweeted today by Cena (the No. 1 most influential male athlete on Twitter last month) during USA’s upfront presentation in New York City. The move firmly put WWE’s stake in the ground as one of the most powerful social brands in the world and an integral part of USA Network’s social media initiative.
“The WWE Universe is one of the most socially active and passionate fan bases in all of television,” said Chris McCumber and Jeff Wachtel, co-presidents USA Network. “The powerful three-hour block of live TV truly makes USA the year-round destination for young male viewers on Monday nights.”
“WWE is proud to celebrate this historic milestone with our partners at USA Network,” said WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. “Our new three-hour Raw represents the next generation in interactive television where our fans won’t just watch the show, they will help create it.”
The expanded WWE Monday Night Raw will transform television to an unprecedented level of viewer interaction. Fans will have new ways to get involved in the show through WWE.com and social media by deciding matches, stipulations and new character development. WWE will brand this unprecedented fan interaction as “#RAWactive.”
The #1 network in all of basic cable, USA Network is seen in 115 million U.S. homes. USA is a leader in scripted programming with a powerful stable of originals including POLITICAL ANIMALS, SUITS, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS, WHITE COLLAR, ROYAL PAINS, BURN NOTICE, PSYCH, COVERT AFFAIRS, COMMON LAW, FAIRLY LEGAL and IN PLAIN SIGHT. The network offers 52 weeks of spectacular live television with WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, a broad portfolio of acquired series and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV. USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. The award-winning website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
Rumor Mill - Another Flair to WWE?
WWE has signed Ashley Fliehr Johnson to a developmental contract. She is the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair.
Reports surfaced earlier this month that Ashley intended to follow in the footsteps of her legendary father as she was training to become a professional wrestler. She is expected to join WWE’s Tampa, Florida based developmental training facility in the summer.
Ashley is the third Flair child to enter the professional wrestling industry. David notably competed for World Championship Wrestling from 1999 to 2001 while Reid currently wrestles on the independent circuit.
Ashley was a star volleyball player in high school, leading her team to two state titles in North Carolina. She graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Arts and is an ACE® Certified Personal Trainer. She also attended Appalachian State University where she was a Division-1 Full Scholarship Athlete in volleyball.
source: wrestling observer newsletter
Oderint Dum Metuant: Let Them Hate As Long As They Fear
