June 21, 2012
This Day in Wrestling History - 'Tough Enough' Debuts on MTV
The first episode of WWF(E) Tough Enough airs on MTV. The reality show/competition results in Maven and Nidia winning contracts after beating out 11 other participants. Nidia was released on November 3, 2004 and Maven was released on July 5, 2005.
June 21, 2001
June 20, 2012
Can WWE Break Out of Its Recent Stock Slump?
Shares of World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE ) hit a 52-week low last week. Let's take a look at how the company got there to find out if it's about to get pinned to the mat.
It hasn't been a good time for entertainment stocks over the last few years, and WWE's just one of the specialist stocks that's gotten body-slammed by changing consumer interests. Fellow live-entertainment purveyor Live Nation (NYSE: LYV ) is doing worse, and even diversified brands like Time Warner (NYSE: TWX ) have fallen on hard times
WWE's bread and butter is its annual Wrestlemania pay-per-view match, but that event alone can't drive its growth. Neither, it seems, can its international events, which took in less revenue in 2011 than they did the year before. It wasn't just WWE facing headwinds with its live shows. Live event promoters of all kinds saw trouble -- Madison Square Garden (NYSE: MSG ) , despite strong share-price growth over the last two years, was hurt by the basketball strike that cut last season short.
Some companies associated with the WWE brand have been similarly smacked down. THQ (Nasdaq: THQI ) is one of the worst-performing stocks of the last five years (at least among those that haven't gone bankrupt), and a glance at past sales of its licensed WWE console titles offers one clue as to why. The series peaked years ago, and despite solid sales for the latest iteration, it hasn't come close to matching the high points in sales reached during the middle of the last decade.
WWE's well-known for paying out as much as it can in dividends, but is that strategy sustainable?...More?
source: fool.com
Rumor Mill - 3-Hour Raw Format
When Raw goes to three hours in July, look for WWE to spend the first hour of the show pretty much hyping up the match or segment that will be scheduled for the top of the hours at 9:00 and 10:00, as well as the main event or segment at the end of the night. Raw will also continue to have the overrun past 11:05. The plan is for Raw to have more of a structured feel to it, so basically the fans will sort of catch on to what times to usually expect something big or exciting to happen, such as at exactly 9:00 or 10:00 or the end of the night.
source: f4wonline.com
TNA Takes Legal Action Against Scott Steiner Over “Disparaging Remarks” On Twitter
A Twitter feud between pro wrestlers Scott Steiner and Hulk Hogan has spilled over into a Davidson County courtroom. Nashville-based Total Nonstop Action Entertainment, who Hogan works for, filed a verified complaint Monday in Chancery Court asking for an injunction to stop Steiner’s “disparaging remarks.” Steiner made headlines on wrestling blogs and websites in April when he launched a social media campaign to “save” TNA.
In a series of tweets, Steiner bashed TNA, Hogan, and TNA wrestling booker Eric Bischoff. In additional to critical, sometimes profane, comments on Twitter, Steiner called TNA “bush league” and compared them to the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling organization. TNA is claiming that Steiner’s comments violate a contract he signed with them in December 2010. The contract specifically stipulates that Steiner is forbidden from making public statements, including tweeting, concerning TNA or any of its officers, wrestlers, or other individuals without prior approval. TNA claims those acts constitute a breach of contract.
“In blatant disregard of the parties’ Agreement, Steiner has engaged in a concerted effort to disparage TNA, its wrestlers, and other talent and cast them in a negative light,” the lawsuit stated.
TNA formally demanded that Steiner stop the tweets on May 10.
Steiner responded on May 15: “Havent tweeted lately bcuz I got a letter from a lawyer representing hogan n [Bischoff] basically saying... They take my tweets seriously and if threats continue they will take to law enforcement....really hogan my.. Tweets scare you,Ive said worse in interviews on tv,LOL.”
After the official notice, Steiner also took shots at Hogan’s daughter, Brooke, whom he called a whore on Twitter.
Steiner, who turns 50 next month, has more than 54,000 followers on Twitter. According to his contract, he was paid $2,500 per pay-per-view performance during his time with TNA. The lawsuit by TNA accuses Steiner of breach of contract and asks for injunctive relief. TNA hasn’t, however, filed an order for injunction, so no hearing on that matter has been set.
TNA is currently involved in another lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment filed last month, claiming a former employee provided confidential trade secrets to WWE. A hearing in that case is set for July 12.
source: nashvillecitypaper.com
Triple H Appears at the SmackDown Taping in Baltimore, MD
Triple H appeared off-camera at last night's WWE SmackDown tapings in Baltimore, Maryland. After Jack Swagger cut a promo in the ring about how he was better than everyone else, Triple H appeared and hit a Pedigree before leaving the ring.
Next Week's Interim WWE GM Will Be...
During Tuesday's Smackdown TV taping, WWE announced that Vickie Guerrero would be interim GM for next week's Raw and Smackdown episodes.
This Day in Wrestling History
Happy Birthday to Koko B. Ware
June 20, 1957
Magnificent Muraco defeated Pedro Morales for the WWWF(WWE) Intercontinental title.
June 20, 1981
Rikishi defeated Chris Benoit for the WWF(E) Intercontinental title.
June 20, 2000
June 19, 2012
WWE Network Update
In recent weeks, WWE has been looking at a model for their proposed network that would see them roll it out as a paid premium channel where subscribers pay "x" a month to their cable or satellite provider to have access to the channel, as you would for HBO.
The feeling is that it would be easier to roll the channel out in that fashion because it would guarantee money for the providers as opposed to expecting them to pay WWE for the content, at least initially.
There is a growing amount of pressure within the company to get the project off the ground and not even the model they've been talking about is 100% a go yet.
source: pwinsider.com
WWE NXT Removed From WWE.com
WWE has removed all listings and links for WWE NXT on their website, so it appears the rebranded version of the series, featuring mostly WWE developmental talents, will not be made available online officially by the company.
