Smith Hart, uncle of WWE diva Natalya Neidhart and member of the legendary Hart family dynasty, has published a new column at PWMania.com. Hart gives his thoughts and reaction to WWE WrestleMania XXX. Here is an excerpt from his entry:
"As the pyrotechnics subsided the 75000+ were ignited immediately with the sounds of Hulk Hogan entering the Silverdome….ugh I mean Superdome. As Hulk stumbled to remember where he was, the crowd exploded as the glass shattered and the faithful were finally treated to the very first Hulk Hogan-Steve Austin face-to-face “showdown”. Despite fan’s hopeful anticipation of a good ole fashioned ass-whuppin’, the mood immediately shifted as Stone Cold Steve Austin engaged the audience in some jubilant laughter and a respective retrospect of the Immortal Hulk Hogan’s Wrestlemania legacy. As the two blew smoke up each other’s asses, the audience busted out of their seats as The Rock entered the Superdome and cut a promo for the ages proving once and for all, even amongst the Mount Rushmore of WWE, The Rock stood supreme. As the three greatest icons in history held court in the ring, not only were we treated to a WM moment, I would argue we were treated to the single greatest opening in the history of the grandest event in Sports Entertainment.
As I expected, Daniel Bryan and Triple H initiated the event. I would say that in terms of spectacle, Hunter`s Game of Thrones-influenced promenade was the top entrance of the evening, even eclipsing that of The Undertaker. This match was perhaps the best match to start the evening as it set a great pace without overshadowing anything later to come. Furthermore, Hunter did an amazing job creating “heat” on Daniel Bryan to give the fans the appropriate emotional reactions as to whether or not their faithful hero would in fact move on to the main event that evening."
April 16, 2014
Hart Family Member Calls WrestleMania XXX Opener the Greatest In History, Praises Triple H
April 15, 2014
WWE to be part of new AOL Premium Video Experience
AOL.com announced a new Premium Video Experience today and listed WWE among the premium content providers. Other providers listed includes ESPN, E!, HSN, Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue and many more.
Record 1 Million U.S. Households Watch WrestleMania
WWE® (NYSE: WWE) today announced that WrestleMania 30 reached a record 1 million households in the U.S. alone on WWE Network and pay-per-view combined, the first time WrestleMania has eclipsed this mark domestically. With more than 667,000 WWE Network subscribers in the U.S. and nearly 400,000 domestic pay-per-view buying homes for WrestleMania 30, WWE is confident that it will reach its goal of 1 million subscribers by the end of 2014.
WWE Network launched on February 24 in the U.S. and successfully streamed six hours of live coverage of WrestleMania 30 on Sunday, April 6. Additionally, more than 7.1 million hours of video content was viewed on WWE Network during WrestleMania Week from Tuesday, April 1 through Tuesday, April 8.
WWE Network will be rolled out in Canada, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Nordics in late 2014/early 2015.
Evolution Reunites On Raw
Believe in Evolution... #RAW http://t.co/AsBVKa34Vw pic.twitter.com/bfSY1KBULh
— WWE (@WWE) April 15, 20142014 WWE Business Partner Summit Presentation
During WrestleMania Week, WWE presented the company's strategic plans at its annual Business Partner Summit.
Highlights from the Summit, found in the video above, include an introduction by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, special appearances by WrestleMania 30 host Hulk Hogan and WWE Superstar John Cena, and a discussion from senior executives about key growth areas.
WWE's senior management team spoke about these plans and highlighted the following:
"Then, Now, and Forever" - Recent Accomplishments, Immediate Plans for 2014, and the Future Where WWE is Poised For Success (Michelle Wilson, Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer & George Barrios, Chief Strategy & Financial Officer)
30 Years of WrestleMania, Brand Reach and WWE's Dedication to Community (Stephanie McMahon, Chief Brand Officer)
WWE Studio's Strategy, Extension & Successes, Partnerships and Movie Slate for 2014-2015 (Michael Luisi, President, WWE Studios)
International Growth, Reach & Partnerships (Gerrit Meier, Executive Vice President, International)
New Consumer Products (Casey Collins, Executive Vice President, Consumer Products)
Technological Innovations - WWE Network, WWE App, and Social Media Command Center (Perkins Miller, Executive Vice President, Digital Media)
The video can be viewed here.
April 14, 2014
How Triple H & Vince McMahon Handle The IWC On TV
According to PWInsider.com, Triple H is said to be very open to the idea of referencing the IWC and its fans on TV through creative and the way angles are booked, whereas Vince McMahon's M.O. has always been to ignore the internet.
April 13, 2014
Ellen’s Interview with WWE Star Nominated for GLAAD Award
The episode of "The Ellen Degeneres Show" featuring an interview with WWE star Darren Young has been nominated for Outstanding Talk Show episode at this year's GLAAD Media Awards.
There will be a ceremony taking place for the awards on May 3rd in New York City.
April 12, 2014
Rumor Mill - WWE Reforming Former Stable To Take On The Shield?
The word going around backstage is that WWE will be reforming Evolution with Triple H, Randy Orton, and Dave Batista, at least for a short time, to take on The Shield. Ric Flair is not expected to return to the group but that could change.
If this does end up happening, look for a Shield vs. Evolution match to take place at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view.
source: wrestling observer
Ultimate Warrior's Widow Receiving Special Help From WWE
The WWE is helping Ultimate Warrior's wife cope with her husband's sudden death ... flying two senior WWE officials to Arizona to stand by and help her.
We're told the WWE sent the employees almost immediately after Warrior died ... their main task is helping his wife Dana handle little things -- grocery shopping, letting other family members know what's going on -- so she can focus on being with their daughters.
It's sounds bizarre ... top officials leaving their jobs to handle mundane chores, but that's how important Warrior was to the WWE.
As we previously reported, Warrior died outside an Arizona hotel Tuesday ... after suffering what officials called a "catastrophic medical event."
source: tmz.com
WWE to pay tribute to Ultimate Warrior on 4/14 RAW
WWE would be paying tribute to the late Ultimate Warrior on this Monday's 4/13 WWE RAW from Indianapolis. Warrior (Jim Hellwig) passed away on Tuesday after collapsing in an Arizona hotel after taking part in Wrestlemania 30 weekend in New Orleans and his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.
