WWE Studios Film Helps Company Reach Milestone

“The Call” not only helped WWE turn around its film division, becoming the biggest hit for WWE Studios when the Halle Berry thriller went on to earn nearly $52 million domestically in March. But the movie has now become the 3 billionth rental for Redbox...More?

source: variety.com

Rumor Mill - Early Plans for WrestleMania XXX

The Rock is still saying privately that he is not working WrestleMania XXX next year. If he sits out, WWE will look to do Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker, John Cena vs. Triple H and possibly CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan.

While these plans will probably change several times before now and then, we continue to hear that Punk and Bryan are hoping to be kept apart until Wrestlemania XXX.

Vince McMahon may choose to go in a different direction but that was the update as of early last week. The Rock was quoted last week about his wrestling future, saying that he would like to leave it open.

source: wnw premium news

Total Divas Recap 8/04/13

Rumor Mill - DX/Chyna/Ultimate Warrior in the WWE Hall of Fame

Recently there was speculation that Degeneration X would headline the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame inductees with all the members of the group including Chyna being inducted together. However, now it appears the inclusion of Chyna is unlikely due to her recent and continued involvement with the porn industry. There was talk of induction for DX last year as a group but this never materialized due to reports that Triple H wanted to be inducted by himself. Furthermore, the growing speculation is that the Ultimate Warrior will headline the 2014 Hall of Fame class. It is unlikely that either Triple H or Shawn Michaels would want to play second fiddle to the Warrior nor would Warrior want to be pegged behind DX.

source: wrestling observer

Q&A with Sting

WCW and TNA wrestling legend Steve “Sting” Borden co-stars with Brian Bosworth in Revelation Road—on DVD now—and recently spoke with M&F about training, steroids, and how much gas he has left in the tank.

Muscle & Fitness: Tell us a little bit about your character in Revelation Road.

Sting: My character is a bad guy in a biker gang. Brian is the leader of the gang and we’re creating havoc everywhere we go. I’m a guy who’s had the short end of the stick his entire life so I end up in a biker gang. This is the story of the end times, a story of how God is trying to grab hold of each one of us and get through to us. The reason why I wanted to do it is because of the message. It’s not just an action movie. It’s a movie with a message. It’s something beyond pro wrestling and beyond entertainment, and beyond this life.

Sounds pretty close to your heart.

It is. In August of 1998 my life was turned upside down. I gave my life to Jesus Christ who became my Lord and Savior, right at the peak of my career where I had all the money and power and fame you could ever want. It’s just like in this movie. God kept trying to reach me, to open my eyes. And I was like, “Don’t talk to me about Jesus. My life is fine.” But in August of 1998, I had a moment of truth with a confession I made to my wife. There was drugs, alcohol, adultery, the whole package, and I wound up coming clean and confessing it all.

In your prime, what was your training like?

I never did the powerlifting thing, but the goal was to lift heavy. Four plates squatting for reps – 4-5, 8-10, 315 for 20, 225 for 50 – leg extensions, leg curls and that’s how we trained every single week. On the bench , my best was 435 – I was younger and I was on the gas, too. There were guys who weighed a lot less than I did who could easily do that. But I didn’t really train for power or strength. I trained for size. That’s all I was training for. My knees are arthritic now. I don’t have a whole lot of flexibility left. Thankfully, I got smart somehow or another in 1990 and stopped taking steroids – totally stopped. A lot of the guys I ran with all those years continued to take steroids year after year – those guys are having their knees and their hips replaced. I’m not saying everybody who gets their knees and their hips replaced took steroids. I just noticed that the guys who did that were too big, too bulky, too heavy, and the body couldn’t handle it and it took its toll. So that was my one saving grace, but I would train differently now. I’m actually doing pretty good for a guy my age – I just turned 54 – and I’m still hanging in there. I can move a little bit in the ring. I can’t do half of what I used to be able to do, but I get around.

Did you know Brian Bosworth before doing this movie?

No, but years ago he wrote his autobiography and in it he dedicated a paragraph to me, saying, “Oh, yeah, and there’s this wrestler named Sting, who copied my haircut. I should get a cut of the gate at every event he does.” I thought it was funny at the time, but never did meet him until we did this movie. So we’re on the same set and I leaned over and said, “By the way, I had the haircut first.” He laughs, and is like “Did you really?” And I said, “Yes, I did.”

Who were some of the toughest guys to get in the ring with?

The best and most memorable feuds were with Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. One of the toughest opponents was Kurt Angle. He’s an Olympic gold medalist and they call him “the Wrestling Machine” and that’s exactly what he is. His pace and work ethic in the ring is top notch. There’s nothing he can’t do... Lex Luger, aesthetically he trained to look good like I was doing, but he had freakish strength as well. I saw him squat 500 easily. I saw him bench 405 for reps. It was easy for him. I saw him incline 405. He was just a really strong guy.

You’re 54 years old now and still wrestling with TNA. How much longer do you want to stay in the ring?

I’ve learned not to give a time. I can’t go on wrestling much longer. I’m taking it, literally, one month at a time. I’m under contract until January of next year, so we’ll see what’s happening. I do want to do more movies. I’m looking at a few different things, reality shows being one of them. I’m just trying to move onto the next season of my life. As far as wrestling goes, I’ve stayed away from the creative part of it all these years, I just don’t want to sit in on the meetings and babysit wrestlers and personalities and all that. But, there are things I’d like to see happen in pro wrestling and I may try to make it materialize. I don’t know.

source: muscleandfitness.com

Backstage News on Big E. Langston

Big E. Langston has been receiving praise for his singles matches as of late, especially his matches on their oversees tour. He has reportedly been having some really good matches against "The Viper" Randy Orton.

Eric Bischoff Praises WWE Total Divas

Had a chance to check out Total Divas on E! via TiVo. Props to WWE (Kevin Dunn). Basic “Kardashian” format, but will grow the brand! Smart!”

Kurt Angle Enters Rehab; Dixie Carter Comments

TNA star Kurt Angle announced via Twitter that he is entering rehab in light of his DWI arrest last night in Texas. Angle tweeted, "I am blessed to have the support of my family, my friends and my company. In light of recent events I will immediately be entering a rehabilitation center. I realize that this is a pivotal time in my life and I ask for your understanding as well as your prayers and continued support. I am confident that in taking these steps I can begin to address necessary changes in my life."

TNA President Dixie Carter wrote the following on Twitter in regard to Kurt Angle's latest DWI arrest and announcement he was going to rehab:

"The TNA Family is very supportive of the steps @RealKurtAngle is taking in his recovery. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers."

SmackDown Results 8/02/13

WWE discloses more business items - WM29 price increase a wash?, TV Revenue, new corporate jet, Tout investment, Network costs, U.K. performance, investment in "live event touring business," tax credits, more

Inside WWE's 10-Q filing with the SEC on Friday are some additional notes on WWE's Second Quarter 2013 (April through June) business:

- WWE provided data that points to the PPV price increase for WrestleMania almost being a wash when looking at the entire Second Quarter financial picture.

The price of WrestleMania increased 9.0 percent domestically, leading to the average revenue per PPV buy for all events in the Second Quarter being $23.92, up 11.7 percent from $21.41 in Q2-2012.

WWE disclosed: "Revenue from the three events in the quarter declined 3.0 percent versus the prior year quarter as a combined 13.0 percent decline in buys was nearly offset by a 12.0 percent increase in the average revenue per buy."

- WWE's quarter-over-quarter increase in TV Rights Fees Revenue is broken down as:

$38.0 million domestically vs. $32.4 million in Q2-2012 and $14.2 million internationally vs. $13.1 million in Q2-2012.

- WWE's purchase of a new corporate jet was made official on June 16. The purchase price was confirmed at $27.0 million to replace the current jet. Adding in improvements and upgrades to the aircraft, the total cost will be $31-33 million.

WWE noted they will sell the current jet "after completion of the purchase of the new aircraft and subsequent refurbishment of both the purchased aircraft and our existing aircraft."

- Staff-related expenses for a potential WWE Network was $2.7 million in the Second Quarter. WWE disclosed: "The Company incurred higher talent development costs of $1.0 million, marketing expenses of $1.0 million, and higher professional fees of $0.7 million, primarily to support our content related initiatives, including the potential launch of a WWE network."

- WWE revealed the financial performance in the United Kingdom, which WWE described as their "largest international market."

In Second Quarter 2013 (which includes WWE's annual post-WrestleMania European Tour), WWE generated $11.825 million in the U.K., compared to $11.427 million in Q2-2012.

For the first six minutes of 2013, U.K. revenue was $19.528 million, down from $19.578 million in the first half of 2012. So, the result is essentially a wash.

- WWE followed up on their $5.0 million investment in Tout by noting they met certain metrics as part of their two-agreement. WWE reported: "During the six months ended June 30, 2013, we achieved the required performance metrics and recorded revenue of $439,000."

WWE subsequently doubled its investment in Tout. WWE was eligible to receive up to 11,250 shares of Tout common stock over the life of the agreement, then WWE increased its Tout investment to 22,500 shares.

- On May 30, WWE made an investment of $2.2 million in a "live event touring business." WWE did not detail who the company is. WWE disclosed: "Our investment does not provide the ability to exercise significant influence over the investee."

- WWE revealed their latest revenue from Film & Television Production Incentives, which comes from filming TV in various U.S. states that have a tax credit.

In Second Quarter 2013, WWE received $437,000 in tax credits (vs. $395,000 in Q2-2012). For the total first six months of 2013, WWE received $1.148 million (vs. $1.560 million in the first half of 2012).

Graphic Novel to be Released on Andre the Giant

Mike Johnson is reporting that the comic-book company, Lion Forge Comics, will be releasing a graphic novel on WWE Hall of Famer Andre the Giant. The book will be written by Brandon Easton and will look at Andre's life and legacy. There is no release date yet for the book.

The Dead Man Cometh: WWE2K14 "Phenom Edition" to Feature Iconic WWE Superstar Undertaker

2K today announced that enigmatic WWE Superstar Undertaker® will be featured through the “Phenom Edition” of WWE® 2K14, the forthcoming release in the WWE flagship video game franchise. Available for the Xbox 360® games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, while supplies last, the WWE 2K14 “Phenom Edition” is scheduled to include the following items:

• Exclusive tin coffin box;
• Exclusive collectible art card personally autographed by Undertaker;
• Exclusive Undertaker playable character: “American Badass”;
• Exclusive Undertaker-themed controller skin;
• “WWE Undertaker – The Streak”: Disc #1 (on Blu-Ray/DVD);
• Access to WWE 2K14 global pre-order offer: Ultimate Warrior playable character;
• Copy of WWE 2K14 video game.

“The Deadman. The Lord of Darkness. The American Badass. The Phenom. In every aspect of his career, Undertaker has commanded the admiration and respect of WWE fans and newcomers alike for more than two decades,” said Chris Snyder, Senior Director of Marketing at 2K. “His unequivocal legacy will be fully realized in the WWE 2K14 ‘Phenom Edition’ and is a must-have item for any collector.”

With captivating ring entrances and looming, omnipresent appeal, Undertaker is WWE’s longest-tenured current Superstar and holder of several WWE titles throughout his storied 20-year career. He is best known for his unrivaled winning streak at WrestleMania®, WWE’s biggest event of the year, where he boasts a 21-0 record. Whether he took on Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior early in his career, aligned in tag team competition with his brother Kane®, delivered career-defining matches against WWE Superstar Triple H® and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels® or squared off against his most recent WrestleMania opponent CM Punk®, Undertaker is responsible for some of WWE’s most prolific and memorable moments.

Become Immortal – 2K’s lineup of premier sports simulation titles expands with the Company’s upcoming release in the renowned WWE video game franchise, WWE 2K14. Developed by Yukes for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, WWE 2K14 is positioned to be the most electrifying, authentic and comprehensive WWE video game experience to date. WWE 2K14 is not yet rated by the ESRB. Fans who pre-order WWE 2K14 will receive Ultimate Warrior at no extra cost on launch day on October 29, 2013, in North America and November 1, 2013, internationally.