WWE Posts Their Own NXT Power Rankings

While NXT has been releasing their own Power Rankings via Facebook for a little over a month now, WWE's website posted their first-ever NXT Power Rankings for the month of November. Here's how the first list looks:

1. Bo Dallas
2. The Ascension
3. Summer Rae
4. Sami Zayn
5. Paige
6. Alexander Rusev
7. Corey Graves
8. Adrian Neville
9. Emma
10. Tyler Breeze

WWE Makes Several Changes to Their Wellness Policy Including a New Redemption Program

WWE made some changes to their Wellness Policy back in July that went under the radar until now. The most notable changes appear to be fines for testing positive for alcohol and a new way talents can get violations erased from their record with the Redemption Program. Here are some of the changes:

-- A WWE Talent may request a Therapeutic Use Exception (“TUE”) for a prohibited drug under the Policy if (i) such use is for a legitimate medical purpose given pursuant to a valid prescription from a licensed and treating physician of the WWE Talent; (ii) the use of such prohibited drug is required for more than sixty (60) consecutive days; (iii) the medical need for the prescription and for the prescribed dosage is documented in accordance with standards and practices commonly accepted within the United States medical community; and (iv) the medical need is confirmed by the Medical Director. A WWE Talent in need of a TUE must immediately notify, or cause his/her issuing physician to notify, the Medical Director of the existence of a prescription for a prohibited drug and the medical need for the TUE. Whenever requested to do so by the Medical Director, the WWE Talent shall provide, or cause his/her issuing physician to provide any and all documentation supporting the issuance of the prescription. If requested by the Medical Director, a WWE talent will be examined by physicians/consultants designated by the Medical Director with an expertise in the specific area covered by the prescription. Following the review of all documentation provided by WWE Talent and his/her medical team and, if necessary, the results of any medical exams/tests performed by physicians/consultants designated by the Medical Director, the Medical Director shall make a determination as to whether or not a TUE should be granted to a WWE Talent. The Medical Director shall report his determination to the WWE Talent, the PA and WWE.

A TUE shall be effective for no more than one (1) calendar year (or the remainder of the calendar year then in effect) from the date the WWE Talent first notified, or caused his/her issuing physician to first notify, the Medical Director of the need for a TUE and the existence of a prescription for a prohibited drug. The TUE shall not be effective for any use or possession of a prohibited drug prior to that date. After initial issuance, a TUE may be renewed annually, upon request of the WWE Talent, if (i) the WWE Talent is in full compliance with the terms of the previously issued TUE; (ii) the WWE Talent provides updated medical documentation necessary to support the continued need for a TUE, and (iii) the WWE Talent submits to any additional medical tests or exams required by the Medical Director to confirm the continuing need for the TUE.

A urine sample which is found to contain a prohibited drug will not be deemed a positive test result if such sample was provided by a WWE Talent with a valid and effective TUE for that prohibited drug. A WWE Talent with a TUE for a prohibited drug does not violate the Policy by possessing or using that prohibited drug.
A WWE Talent who is determined not to qualify for a TUE may not challenge a determination that he/she violated the Policy by contending, in connection with a “no fault or negligence” defense or otherwise, that he/she believed he/she would qualify or had qualified for a TUE.

-- Any WWE Talent, who is arrested, convicted or who admits to a violation of law relating to use, possession, purchase, sale or distribution of drugs will be in material breach of his/her contract with WWE and subject to immediate dismissal.

-- In the event of a positive test for alcohol, the WWE Talent shall be fined Two Thousand Five Hundred US Dollars ($2,500.00) per positive test, which shall be deducted from the WWE Talent's downside guarantee.

-- A WWE talent who has “two” violations under the Policy may, subject to Medical Director approval, enter the Redemption Program. The Redemption Program is an eighteen (18) month process that requires the following:

* An initial assessment conducted by the Medical Director (or, as the case may be, an addiction specialist recommended by the Medical Director) who will analyze the addiction related issues and health related concerns then being experienced by the WWE Talent, develop proposed treatments, therapies and/or support programs that may assist the WWE Talent in managing these issues/concerns and determine initial entry date for the WWE Talent into the Redemption Program;

* Compliance with the assessment recommendations made by the Medical Director (or, as the case may be, an addiction specialist recommended by the Medical Director) for the duration of the eighteen (18) month program;

* Mandatory unannounced follow-up testing as set forth in Section 8(C) (1) of the Policy; and

* No violations under the Policy for eighteen (18) consecutive months after initial entry into the Redemption Program.

* Upon successful completion of the Redemption Program, the WWE Talent shall request the PA, with the approval of the Medical Director, to delete one (1) of the two (2) violations of record for such WWE Talent. In the event the PA determines in favor of the request, the violation record for such WWE Talent will then be amended to reflect the reduction of a violation leaving the WWE Talent with only one (1) violation under the Policy.

-- Pain medications, and other substances prohibited by this Policy, may be abused at times and can become addictive. A WWE Talent who believes he/she may have a problem with substance abuse is encouraged to self-report and request assistance. No penalties are imposed on WWE Talent for voluntarily acknowledging a problem to the Medical Director prior to a drug test being performed herein and WWE will assist in securing rehabilitation services in such situations. The rehabilitation process can be engaged by a WWE Talent notifying the Medical Director, the PA, WWE Ringside Physicians or the WWE Wellness Coordinator that he/she has a problem and needs assistance.

More Details on the Recent Changes at WWE Headquarters, Info on Who's Replacing Geddes

As noted, there was a major internal shake-up at WWE headquarters recently. Both of Triple H's top assistants, Peter Leone and Randy Helms, were let go. Nobody seems to know why they were released yet but Leone was Triple H's number one confidante in the company, to the point where he was either always on the phone with him or traveling with him. Leone was responsible for making all of Triple H's travel arrangements, scheduling his meetings and events plus handling security. Helms' main role was to coordinate the schedules for Triple H and Vince McMahon.

As noted, Jane Geddes, who formerly worked as the Senior Vice President and Head of Talent Relations, is now Triple H's key assistant. Replacing Geddes as Senior VP and Head of Talent Relations is Sean Clearly, who was promoted from Senior Vice President of Human Resources.

WWE Reveal More Wrestling Tape Libraries They Own

During a segment of the upcoming History of WWE DVD and Blu-ray the company confirm they own the Georgia Championship Wrestling video library, which is reportedly the very first time WWE have acknowledged this.

WWE also owns the Global Wrestling Federation library which was a Dallas, Texas promotion that ran in the early 1990's and aired on ESPN.

WWE Issues Statement on Reddit Predictor

In response to Reddit user Dolphins1925 correctly predicting many WWE PPV match outcomes, The Motley Fool obtained the following statement from WWE:

"WWE believes in First Amendment rights, so anyone has the right to predict outcomes."

The statement was issued by WWE Director of Communications Mathew Altman, and the Motley Fool article notes that WWE has made no attempt to discover the identity of Reddit user Dolphins1925.

Details On How Much TNA Wrestling Is Paying Midcard Talent

Given all the recent budget cuts in TNA Wrestling and the company trying to get expenditures under control, how much is TNA is paying their current workers?

The standard offer in TNA right now is a monthly downside guarantee of $1300 with a $500 per appearance bonus. However, there’s no guaranteed dates on the deal so the downside is essentially $15,600 a year.

This is the deal they offered DOC and why a lot of the micard guys are opting to leave rather than be a “TV star” on a decently rated wrestling show.

Triple H, Daniel Bryan and Several Other WWE Superstars Praise William Regal

WWE’s website has a new article up with Triple H, Daniel Bryan, Robbie Brookside, Antonio Cesaro, Wade Barrett and Fit Finlay talking about how they respect William Regal. Here are quotes from Bryan and Triple H:

Triple H: “I think William Regal’s passion for this business has allowed him to not only succeed but to change with the times. If you look at the things he’s done during his career, from contesting serious matches to making people laugh, that passion has allowed him to fill whatever role needed to be filled. Not a lot of people can do that. That’s a rare quality, to be able to do both.

“For me, WWE NXT is my environment and what I deal with on a daily basis — William Regal is a huge component of that. He’s got a remarkable eye for talent. The rare thing with him is that most guys see new talent in the mold that they are, and that’s what they are interested in. He has a unique ability to look at everything. It can be someone who works in the complete opposite style that he does, but he can still see value. To me, that’s where he plays a huge role — spotting and understanding talent, who can make it.

“As for his jokes, I never hear him, because he’s such a soft talker. We were on the road together for years, and I spent the majority of my time saying, ‘What?’ He has that English sense of humor; you know, in which the joke is so rotten it’s actually funny. It’s not that I’m laughing at the joke, but more at how bad the joke is.”

Daniel Bryan: “One of the things that’s cool to me about William Regal is that he’s a gentleman. He is professional in every aspect of the word. He shows up to the building, and he’s wearing a suit and looks presentable. Also, he’s got that quiet toughness. Some guys are very brash and want to wear their Affliction shirts, but he’s not that guy. You know he’s tough, but he never has to say anything about it. He’s somebody who came up in a different era.

“I was with WWE when I was 18 and then got let go in 2001, but he was responsible for getting me booked in the UK. And I spent six months there in 2003 and another four months in 2005 and another three months in 2008, and that’s all because of him.

“It’s hard to get feedback from good people when you’re on the independent circuit. A lot of those shows I was on, I was main-eventing and people were asking me for advice, but then who do I go to for advice? Regal was always there. Anytime I asked him to watch a match, he’d watch it. And then he’d give me feedback and constructive criticism. When I first got to WWE, he really helped me navigate the waters, as far as, what you should do and don’t need to do here and what’s important.”

WWE to Produce 2014 Special Olympics Broadcast for FOX SPORTS 1

Remembering Eddie Guerrero

Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes October 9, 1967-November 13, 2005

On November 13, 2005, Guerrero was found unconscious in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by his nephew, Chavo Guerrero. Chavo attempted CPR, but Eddie was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived on the scene. An autopsy revealed that Guerrero died as a result of acute heart failure, caused by undiagnosed arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Although Guerrero had not taken alcohol or illicit drugs for nearly four years, his past excesses contributed to his heart failure.

Video: Kane Reveals His New Evolution

Redskins selling WWE-style belt for $450

The NFL licenses a lot of silly things (this creepy doll baby comes to mind), but this one might be the silliest.

The Redskins are offering this “Official Replica Outstanding Player Award Trophy Belt” for sale on the online team store. According to the listing, it’s a replica of a WWE-style belt that was first presented to an unnamed “outstanding player of the game” after the Oakland win in September.

Replicated from the original trophy belt, from Pro-Belts each plate is cast in zinc alloy, plated in 18K gold and silver and mounted with studs and screws to the synthetic leather. The belt is 52″ long, weighs 6.5 lbs. and has 16 solid brass snaps on the hand embossed synthetic leather.

Oh, and it’s $450.

Who would buy this? The answer is somebody. Somebody will buy this.

source: washingtonpost.com

Special Theme Announced For Next Week's RAW From Nashville

WWE announced on tonight's RAW that next Monday's show will have a country music theme to it. "RAW Country" will take place from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.