Pro Wrestling Noah star KENTA was at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando on Monday, working out in the ring. Word is that he was brought in for a tryout this week and that William Regal suggested WWE look at him.
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January 28, 2014
Top Japanese Star Gets a WWE Tryout
Sting-WWE Update
WWE has entered negotiations with former NWA, WCW and TNA champion Sting, the rare legitimate international star that never, ever worked for WWE over the course of his career.
We are told by a source close to Sting that discussions just opened up and that within the next several weeks, one way or another, they will be completed.
WWE has come close to signing Sting at several different points following the demise of World Championship Wrestling in March 2001. Sting has noted in past interviews with us that a big reason he didn't sign back then was concern over the WWE product at the time, since it was far racier than he was personally comfortable with as a Christian. Obviously, that would no longer be a factor.
The belief of those we've spoken to is that if the two sides come to terms, he would not be rushed into a Wrestlemania match this year, but that was not 100%.
With the advent of the WWE Network, Sting would be a great signing if for no other reason then to be the WCW representation in the company. He was the last true blue WCW star and was never considered a "WWE" guy, so who better to use to promote to lapsed WCW fans that they can now watch older PPVs and other WCW-related material?
Sting has also noted in past interviews with PWInsider.com that he would not be adverse to being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, despite his career being WCW-centric. Obviously, WWE would love to market and monetize Sting merchandise, DVDs, etc. if a deal is made. They have had interest in the past in releasing Sting DVDs and held off only because he was appearing on national TV for TNA and they didn't want there to be confusion in the marketplace.
source: pwinsider.com
WWE Network Is the First to Ditch Traditional Cable Will other entertainment brands do the same?
Sam Thielman of AdWeek.com is featuring an article on the upcoming launch of the WWE Network on 2/24 and how it could create a new path for other entertainment outlets to be successful with traditional television.
Jason Krebs of Marker Studios is quoted in the article adding, "It’s a courageous and brilliant opportunity. Everybody talks about how cord-cutting isn’t going to happen, but generally those are the same people who said that tablets weren’t going to be a meaningful consumer experience and that we’d never get to current levels of computing power."
To check out the full article, click here.
WWE Royal Rumble Twitter TV Ratings
Sunday's WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view ranked #3 on Nielsen's Twitter TV Ratings, trailing The Grammys and The Bachelor". Nielsen calculated a "unique audience" of 2.430 million for The Rumble, which Nielsen describes as the total number of Twitter accounts generating at least one tweet pertaining to a specific show. The total number of impressions was 27.082 million, which was more than The Bachelor.
January 27, 2014
WrestleMania Axxess Signing Schedule
TICKETS
Tickets for WrestleMania Axxess go on sale Saturday, Feb. 1, at 11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. CT and will be available on Ticketmaster.com or charge by phone: 800-745-3000.
ATTRACTIONS
This year's WrestleMania Axxess experience includes Superstar signings, photo opportunities, Superstar Q&A sessions, memorabilia displays, WWE Shop and much more. Check back soon for a full list of attractions!
SUPERSTAR SIGNING DATES & TIMES
Thursday, April 3 — 6 p.m.–10 p.m.
Friday, April 4 — 6 p.m.–10 p.m.
Saturday, April 5
Session 1: 8 a.m.–12 p.m.
Session 2: 1 p.m.–5 p.m.
Session 3: 6 p.m.–10 p.m.
Sunday, April 6
Session 1: 8 a.m.–2 p.m.
GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS — $45*
General admission tickets include:
Autographs and professional photos with WWE Superstars, Divas and Legends
Enjoy viewing matches, Q&As and contests in the main ring
VIP TICKETS — $95*
VIP tickets include:
Autograph and professional photo with a VIP WWE Superstar
Exclusive VIP line at the event entrance
(1) 8x10 glossy photo of the appearing Superstar
VIP SIGNING SCHEDULES
Thursday, April 3
6 p.m. – Randy Orton
8 p.m. – Bret Hart
Saturday, April 5
Session 1:
10 a.m. – Daniel Bryan
Session 2:
1 p.m. – Big Show
Session 3:
6 p.m. – CM Punk
8 p.m. – Sheamus
Sunday, April 6
8 a.m. – Bruno Sammartino
10 a.m. – Rey Mysterio
12 p.m. – Shawn Michaels
PREMIUM VIP TICKETS — $175*
Premium VIP tickets include:
Autograph and professional photo with a Premium VIP WWE Superstar
Exclusive VIP line at the event entrance
(1) 8x10 glossy photo of the appearing Superstar
(1) Copy of the "WWE 50" book: Celebrating 50 Years of Sports Entertainment
PREMIUM VIP SIGNING SCHEDULES
Friday, April 4
6 p.m. – John Cena
8 p.m. – Batista
Saturday, April 5
3 p.m. – The Undertaker
Children two years old and younger are FREE.
*Prices are PER SESSION and do not include applicable fees
January 26, 2014
TNA Inducting Kurt Angle Into Their Hall of Fame Next Month In London
TNA announced the following today:
Kurt Angle is to be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame during the company’s trip to the UK and Ireland for its MAXIMUM IMPACT VI Tour.
Olympic Gold Medalist and IMPACT WRESTLING Superstar Kurt announced the news earlier today during an appearance on the popular Sunday Brunch TV show, shown on Channel 4. Hosted by Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer, it is watched by more than one million people.
Angle will be inducted to the prestigious TNA Hall of Fame this Saturday, February 1, during the London leg of the Tour at Wembley Arena. A limited number of seats remain available for what will be a historic event. Tickets can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.co.uk, www.gigsandtours.com/tour/tna-wrestling or direct from the Wembley Arena box office.
Angle said: “There are some things I wanted to accomplish before accepting induction into the TNA Hall of Fame, and now I’m ready. I’m thankful I have been able to do this in my own time. The phenomenal wrestling fans in London will be part of this memorable and emotional night this Saturday.”
The star recently listed London as one of the top 10 wrestling cities in the world and added: “Wembley is such a storied venue, and with thousands of fans it will be a perfect setting for the induction ceremony. A majority of my life has been dedicated to achieving success as a wrestler. Being inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame is an accomplishment and an honor I will forever cherish.”
Angle becomes the second inductee into the TNA Hall of Fame, following the inaugural induction in 2012 of “The Icon” Sting.
Angle, who was a collegiate champion and won a Gold Medal in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, seamlessly transitioned from his domination as an amateur wrestler to being a professional wrestling phenomenon.
The only Olympic Gold Medalist in the history of professional wrestling, Angle created incredible buzz when in 2006 he joined TNA. Kurt is one of the most decorated champions in TNA history having won every major championship including the TNA World Heavyweight Championship five times.
Known as the “Cyborg”, Angle is venerated for his physicality, revered for his tenacity and esteemed for his leadership inside and outside of the ring. Among Angle’s numerous awards and accolades, perhaps most profound is the recognition he often receives among his colleagues as the best professional wrestler of all time; a man of solid character and great leadership who dedicates himself to the sport and its fans.
“I am privileged to be a witness to the Kurt Angle story. His influence on wrestling is unrivaled in this sport, or any other,” said TNA Executive Vice President John Gaburick. “TNA is grateful for Kurt’s continued devotion and contributions to our organisation, this business and to the fans.”
In addition to witnessing Angle’s induction into the TNA Hall of Fame, fans attending the Wembley Arena event will be part of a live taping of the weekly IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast, viewed by millions in more than 120 countries around the world.
January 25, 2014
Rumor Mill - WWE Bringing in Big Names for Network Launch
According to F4WOnline.com, WWE is considering bringing in some big names, possibly Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman and Shawn Michaels, for the WWE Network launch on the night after The Elimination Chamber PPV.
While there has been speculation that Hulk Hogan will return to WWE at The Royal Rumble PPV on Sunday, he is expected to make his return the night of the Network launch as well to help hype the launch.
TNA Announces Return to Universal Studios For Post-Lockdown TV Tapings, PPV Event Added
TNA has announced that it will be returning to Universal Studios in Florida for TV tapings after the Lockdown PPV in March. The calendar of tapings includes a PPV event, however it's unknown which PPV it will be, although it appears as if it might be a live event as the night before a One Night Only event is being taped, and April 27th is a Sunday night.
TNA has also said it wlll be releasing more news regarding its relationship with Universal Studios in the near future.
Below is the schedule:
MARCH 13 – IMPACT LIVE
MARCH 14 – IMPACT Taping
MARCH 15 – IMPACT Taping
APRIL 10 – IMPACT LIVE
APRIL 11 – IMPACT Taping
APRIL 12 – IMPACT Taping
APRIL 26 – One Night Only Taping
APRIL 27 – TNA Pay-Per-View Event
APRIL 28 – IMPACT Taping
APRIL 29 – IMPACT Taping
MAY 7 – IMPACT Taping
MAY 8 – IMPACT Taping
MAY 9 – IMPACT Taping
January 24, 2014
WWE Network coming to Apple TV, company executive suggests
Earlier this year, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) held a press conference to announce that it will be bringing its wrestling content to television and mobile devices via a new WWE Network. At the event, WWE Chief Revenue and Marketing officer Michelle Wilson announced hardware partners and that the network will provide its content via a 24/7 stream that costs $9.99 per month.
Wilson said that the network would become available on a slew of devices, including iOS devices, Android devices, Rokus, Amazon Kindle devices, Xbox hardware, and PlayStations. Rounding out the list of supported devices, Wilson said, is “a connected device that I am not allowed to mention at this press conference…”
The only major connected TV device not explicitly announced to support WWE is the Apple TV set-top-box, leading us to believe that the secret supporting product is the Apple TV. It is widely known that Apple enjoys controlling all aspects of its products, right down to the content makers that it works with. In addition to that speculation, audience attendees were given Apple TVs in special WWE packaging.
When Wilson made her statement about the device she is “not allowed to mention,” an attendee in the front of the auditorium raised up the gifted Apple TV. In response, Wilson said, “you got the joke, I love it.” The WWE Network officially launches on February 24th, so perhaps the channel will show up on Apple TV boxes on or around that date. Another possibility is that the WWE is looking to be a launch partner for Apple’s upcoming Apple TV successor.
Yesterday, we reported that sources have indicated that Apple has a revamped Apple TV set-top-box in the works. We have been told that the new product will likely be introduced in the first half of 2014 and that new downloadable content types (such as applications) is a strong possibility for inclusion.
Last year, Apple added several new content channels to the Apple TV, including Bloomberg News, MLS Soccer, new Disney offerings, Watch ABC, and Vevo. We’ve previously published an extensive profile regarding how Apple and content providers work together on new Apple TV channels. Phone calls and emails to the WWE have not been returned.
source: 9to5mac.com
CM Punk Talks About His WWE Contract Expiring, the Michelle Beadle Incident, More
CM Punk did an interview with Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com. Here are some highlights from the interview:
* While we may know who Punk is facing at WrestleMania XXX, he says a lot can change in six weeks.
* His current contract expires in July and he hasn't spoke to anyone about a new deal yet. Punk said his boss changes every few months and he doesn't know who his current boss is. He said everything is up in the air regarding his future with WWE. He said three years ago, he was 100% out of the door and to avoid repeating himself, he's going to say "he doesn't know."
* He talked about having an open line to Vince McMahon and them both being insomniacs texting each other at 4am.
* He asked Vince if he could induct The Ultimate Warrior into the Hall of Fame but doesn't believe he will get to. He said popular opinion is that Hulk Hogan will induct Warrior.
* He was critical of The Rock returning but doesn't feel the same about Batista because Batista is back "for the long haul."
* He said the drama with AJ Lee and Michelle Beadle was a "bunch of horseshit." He thought he and Beadle were friends and backstage at the Tribute to the Troops, she walked past him "with a group of women" and said "some disrespectful shit" and "I was like, whoa." Punk said "his girlfriend" (AJ Lee) went to Beadle and the same group of women and introduced herself and pulled her aside and told her not to speak that way to her boyfriend and Beadle said, "OK." Punk was asked how something like that leaks out and he said that he doesn't know. He said that it was made out to be salacious and that's why it was picked up. Punk said what Beadle said was, "What's up fuckface" before high-fiving the girl next to her.
* He's not sure if he will be excited about the WWE Network "until he gets his PPV checks."
Oderint Dum Metuant: Let Them Hate As Long As They Fear
