Triple H was recently on NBC Sports radio, promoting SummerSlam. Here are the highlights…
On Daniel Bryan's Popularity: "I think this is a moment in time - is the torch being passed? Or, is this the moment where John Cena continues to cement himself as the face of WWE for this generation? I think with Daniel Bryan, there's an honesty there. Daniel is what he is - a frumpy-looking, long-haired, bearded guy who doesn't really apologize for how he looks, but he's that good in the ring. Historically, when you look back at the business, when you got past the flamboyant Hogan/Macho Man Era, you had the Bret Hart technician, a lot less hype and personality and charisma (who let the in-ring speak). And there's kind of those shifts back-and-forth... Maybe that's what it is - I do think Daniel is the cross-over of so many of those factors that make a Superstar big. He's got charisma, he's got personality, he's different, he's his own man. He's just Daniel Bryan. And he's damn good and damn exciting at what he does"
On Hulk Hogan's Place in WWE History: "Hulk Hogan will forever be the face of a generation of WWE Superstars. I don't know that there's a more recognizable guy - there's Rock, there's Hogan, there's Cena, and there's these recognizable characters that become household names. And Hulk Hogan is one of the biggest of all-time - a true legend in our business. No matter what, he will always have that place in the WWE Universe. Always."
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August 14, 2013
Triple H Discusses Daniel Bryan’s Popularity, Hulk Hogan’s Place in WWE History
August 13, 2013
WWE, Anchor Bay Team For Jason Momoa’s Directing Debut ‘Road To Paloma’
WWE Studios and Anchor Bay Films has acquired distribution rights in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia/New Zealand to Road to Paloma, the directorial debut of Jason Momoa. Momoa played the title role in Conan the Barbarian, and was last seen playing Khal Drogo in HBO’s Game Of Thrones. Road To Paloma will be released in the U.S. later this year, and is produced by Momoa and Brian Andrew Mendoza’s Pride of Gypsies with Jamey Pryde serving as executive producer. Robert Homer Mollohan co-wrote the film with Jonathan Hirschbein and Momoa.
In Road to Paloma, Momoa stars as Robert Wolf, a Native American, who is being hotly pursued by the FBI for taking the law into his own hands after thugs rape and kill his mother on their reservation. Wolf crosses paths with Cash (Mollohan), a down and out musician, and an unlikely bond is formed as they motorcycle across the vast highways of the American West in search of redemption.
Momoa is currently starring in The Red Road, a scripted series for The Sundance Channel. He seems like a pretty decent guy; when I interviewed Game Of Thrones exec producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, they said that while they have become accustomed to routinely killing their cast, the guy that was hardest was Drogo, because they so loved hanging out with Momoa.
“Jason is a genuine triple threat with his writing, directing and, of course, acting talent. He has delivered a gritty, provocative and powerful film. We couldn’t be more excited to introduce it to audiences through our continued collaboration with our partners at Anchor Bay,” said WWE Studios President Michael Luisi, who made the deal with Anchor Bay’s Kevin Kasha.
The film also stars Lisa Bonet, Sarah Shahi, Michael Raymond-James, Wes Studi, Timothy V. Murphy, and Chris Browning.
source: deadline.com
WWE Takes Over Los Angeles With SummerSlam
For the fifth straight year, WWE will entertain the city of Los Angeles with a week-long lineup of events that place an emphasis on community and charitable outreach in celebration of SummerSlam, taking place this Sunday, August 18 live on pay-per-view at 8 p.m. ET from Staples Center. The events begin today and include:
• SummerSlam Press Conference – Tuesday, August 13, Beverly Hills Hotel
For the first time, WWE will host a press conference to kick off SummerSlam Week. Days before John Cena® defends the WWE Championship against Daniel Bryan®, the two will come face-to-face at The Beverly Hills Hotel. The SummerSlam headliners will be joined by the biggest names in WWE to offer a preview of this year’s event. The press conference will also be streamed live on WWE.com, YouTube and Facebook.
• Children’s Hospital Visits – Wednesday, August 14
WWE Superstar The Miz® will be joined by Divas Champion AJ Lee™ and WWE Legend Eve™ at the Mattel Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. On both occasions, children will be provided with toys donated by Mattel.
• “Be a STAR” (Show Tolerance and Respect) Anti-Bullying Rallies – Thursday, August 15
WWE and The Creative Coalition will host two anti-bullying rallies at a local youth center and school in Los Angeles on Thursday, August 15. Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, actor Ryan Ochoa and “Anger Management’s” Daniela Bobadilla will join WWE Superstars Big Show®, Hornswoggle® and Alicia Fox™ at the Cathy Hensel Youth Center in Montebello, delivering anti-bullying messages to more than 400 children between the ages of 5-13. Later that day, Sanchez, Ochoa, Bobadilla, WWE Superstars The Prime Time Players™ and ring announcer Lilian Garcia™ will host a second Be a STAR rally at Samuel Gompers Middle School for approximately 300 8th grade students.
• Superstars for Hope to benefit Make-A-Wish – Thursday, August 15, Beverly Hills Hotel
WWE and E! Entertainment will host the Superstars for Hope (#STARS4HOPE) red carpet party on Thursday, August 15 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. On July 22, WWE and E! Entertainment launched the first-ever Superstars for Hope fundraising initiative to support Make-A-Wish, featuring chances to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences available to anyone who makes a contribution. For every $10 fans and supporters contribute through fundraising partner Omaze, they will receive five chances to win one of two packages donated by WWE and E!
• Susan G. Komen Mobile Mammogram Units – Friday, August 16 & Sunday, August 18
As part of WWE’s partnership with Susan G. Komen, WWE will host mobile mammograms units at select locations where under insured women will be able to receive a mammogram free of charge. On Friday, August 16, WWE Diva Layla™ and ring announcer Lilian Garcia will take part in a meet and greet at Northgate Gonzalez Grocery store to promote the importance of early detection. The two will be joined by WWE Superstar Alex Riley™ for Sunday’s meet and greet at SummerSlam Axxess in Nokia Plaza at LA Live.
• SummerSlam Axxess – Saturday, August 17 & Sunday, August 18, Nokia Plaza at LA Live
Get ready for the ultimate WWE fan experience when SummerSlam Axxess (#AXXESS) takes over the Nokia Plaza at LA Live Saturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18. This year, the WWE Universe will get unprecedented access to meet their favorite WWE Superstars, Divas and Legends, with more live matches and autograph signings than ever before. WWE Superstar Q & A’s and interactive activities will take place all throughout the plaza.
• Make-A-Wish Celebration – Saturday, August 17
WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio® will host this year’s Make-A-Wish Celebration, granting wishes to nine children and hosting their families for an afternoon of fun at Lucky Strike. As part of its 30-year partnership with Make-A-Wish, WWE is also hosting the wish children and their families at SummerSlam.
• SummerSlam Mamarazzi – Sunday, August 18, Lexus Club, Staples Center
Approximately 40 mom bloggers and their children will be in attendance for a panel discussion with WWE Executive Vice President, Creative and mom of three Stephanie McMahon. WWE Superstars The Miz and Rey Mysterio will be on hand for a meet and greet with the moms and children.
August 12, 2013
WrestleMania 29 Nominated for a 2013 “SportsTravel Award”
The readers of SportsTravel Magazine have spoken and WrestleMania 29 has been nominated for a 2013 “SportsTravel Award” in the Best Professional Sporting Event category! The record-breaking 2013 Show of Shows – which emanated from the NY/NJ area and saw over 80,000 members of the WWE Universe pack into MetLife Stadium – is nominated alongside renowned sporting events such as The Ryder Cup, The U.S. Open Tennis Championships, the NFL’s NFC Championship Game and the Nike U.S. Open Surfing Championships.
The selection is based on WrestleMania’s superior organization, fan experience and venue. In addition to the “SportsTravel Award,” WrestleMania 29 and the other nominees are also eligible for the overall “Sports Event of the Year Award.”
The balloting process is open at http://vote.schneiderpublishing.com/ballot/ and will continue through September 15, 2013. Winners will be announced at the TEAMS '13 Conference & Expo, November 4-7, in Salt Lake City. Make your voice heard and vote for WrestleMania!
Special Guest Referee Announced For WWE Championship Match
During WWE Raw, Vince McMahon came out and was about to announce Brad Maddox as the special guest referee for WWE SummerSlam, but Triple H interrupted. Triple H would declare him as the special guest referee and then connect with a Pedigree. Vince left upset and it looks like Triple H will be the referee for John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship.
Cory Ledesma, Triple H reveal ‘30 Years of WrestleMania’ with WWE 2K14 video game project
The upcoming WWE 2K14 is shaping to be one of the most impressive and ambitious sports entertainment video games in history.
Creative director Cory Ledesma revealed the single player campaign for this year’s installment of the popular franchise would be centered on the rich history of WrestleMania. The milestone event will turn 30 when it emanates from New Orleans in 2014.
“This is an announcement all of our fans have been waiting for because it’s such an important part of the game and the mode itself ends up defining a large portion of the game’s roster,” Ledesma said during a conference call with Paul Triple H Levesque.
“…Our new single-player campaign is called ‘30 Years of WrestleMania.’ This will be a nostalgic journey spanning three decades that will allow players to relive the greatest moments and matches of WrestleMania history. It’s all of the unforgettable moments that have defined the greatness of what WrestleMania has become over the last 30 years.”
Gamers will have the opportunity to play in more than 45 matches, reliving some of the biggest showdowns in the most interactive way possible. Among them is the colossal battle between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant from WrestleMania III.
“That’s right. We just announced Hulk Hogan is in the game,” Ledesma said. “[There is also] WWE 2K14 cover superstar Dwayne The Rock Johnson versus Hulk Hogan billed as an ‘Icon vs. Icon’ match at WrestleMania and also WrestleMania 28’s much anticipated main event of The Rock versus John Cena. This is just a small sampling.”
Ledesma believes the game, which is the first published by 2K Sports, will have the greatest roster ever assembled in a WWE videogame. The official roster reveal occurs Saturday, Aug. 17 at WWE’s SummerSlam Axxess at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles.
A close attention to detail was made to ensure all the unique presentation elements were recreated in each historic contest. Everything from the arena, tailored graphics and crowds to superstar ring attire and entrances replicate the matches as it happened.
Ledesma says the vintage screen effects during the 1980s and ‘90s will transform gamers back in time. WWE-produced video packages were made and placed before several bouts as a refresher to the storylines that led to the ‘Mania mat classics. Fans can also look for in-game cinematic cut scenes and historical in-game objectives to reproduce matches as they transpired, rewarding players with unlocked goodies.
Levesque is no stranger to creating history during his legendary career at the biggest spectacle in sports entertainment. WWE’s executive vice president of talent and live events says the company is extremely excited about the videogame concept of “30 years of WrestleMania.” He thinks WWE 2K14 will appeal to all ages, casual and hardcore fans alike.
“A lot of them may have watched all 30 years of WrestleMania as it grew from a closed circuit event to a pay-per-view event with 90,000 people watching at the historic Pontiac Silverdome between Hulk Hogan versus Andre the Giant, which you will be able to play in this game,” Levesque said, “to the global phenomenon it is today, stadiums every year and the global impact that WrestleMania has, and the long-lasting impact WrestleMania has for 30 years. As it has grown, WrestleMania has become the Super Bowl of WWE...It has become an event city after city all across the United States are coming in to bid just like they would a Super Bowl as to who is going to get WrestleMania. We are getting years ahead…
“It has become a cultural event that even if you are not a hardcore WWE fan, it becomes a cultural event that is water cooler talk, if that still exists. I guess that would be social media. It’s a must-see event for everyone. I think this game is going to represent the nostalgia of that, the excitement of that. I’m a real big believer in history and knowing where you came from is important to where you’re going to go. As WrestleMania continues to grow, I think it’s important to see where WrestleMania has been in seeing these iconic moments…”
Levesque, whose nickname is “The Game,” says they are excited about the superstar alum brought back in videogame form. These include “Macho Man” Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior, who was recently announced as pre-order exclusive playable character.
“I’ll go out on a limb and say my match with the Ultimate Warrior might not make it into the greatest moment’s aspect of the greatest moments of WrestleMania history,” Levesque said of his encounter with the man from “Parts Unknown” at WrestleMania XII.
“Although it was a phenomenal moment for me, the opportunity for me to step into the ring with probably one of the greatest icons that there have ever been in this industry, the rest of it didn’t matter. The fact that I stepped in the ring with him on the biggest stage in the world at WrestleMania was all I needed to know at that time. It was moment that I will absolutely never forget. So for me, it is an absolutely incredible WrestleMania moment.”
Levesque has been credited with helping what may have been considered unheard of take place. He was a big part of securing Bruno Sammartino in the WWE Hall of Fame this year. Now the Ultimate Warrior has started working with the company on projects such as the videogame under his watch.
“For me I’m a real big believer in the history of our industry and of WWE,” Levesque said. “I come to this maybe differently. It’s a business, but also just every day I come into my office, and I’m a six-year-old kid on Saturday morning watching Saturday morning wrestling on my TV and thinking it’s the greatest thing I’ve ever seen. So to me, you look at a Hulk Hogan. You look at Ultimate Warrior, these are the guys I grew up watching, and they should be a part of this great business and WWE.
“This is what it is. Vince McMahon had a vision of one global brand that encompasses it all, and I think he succeeded in that vision. They should be a part of it and participate in it. As time goes on, people have their reasons as to why they are here or not here, day-to-day. Everything falls into where it does I guess, but I look at it from a bigger picture.
“Is there not some way we can work together because at the end of the day this is all about the WWE Universe, our fans and what they want and what they want to see. I think they want these people to be a part of it. They want to remember their childhood and remember the past. This is not the only way for them to watch back but participate in it and be a part of it. With this videogame franchise, to me, that is just huge.”
It has been years since Warrior has been associated with a WWE-related production. Levesque thinks the colorful performer was excited about coming back into the fold.
“A lot of water passed under the bridge,” Levesque said. “A lot of time goes by, and I think everybody realizes, ‘What are we doing?’ Everybody grows and everybody becomes different people. I think it happened on all sides. We just decided it was the right time. Him jumping into this videogame I think is a tremendous step forward.
“We are working on a continued relationship. Obviously, this is a great partnership with Warrior, who is one of the most well-known and iconic brands in WWE history. We are excited to have him in this game and that the WWE Universe will be able to play that character and be the Ultimate Warrior. How cool is that? I think he is excited about it, and I look forward to the future in working together in making everything exciting for the fans or our fans.”
source: miamiherald.com
August 9, 2013
