Divas Announced For RAW Battle Royal

WWE has announced the Divas for the #1 Contender Battle Royal on Monday's RAW from London - Natalya, Naomi, Emma, Rosa Mendes, Summer Rae, Alicia Fox, Cameron, Brie Bella and Paige. As noted, the winner will face WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella at Extreme Rules.

WWE Outside Counsel Jerry McDevitt Comments On Latest Concussion Lawsuit

The guys suing the WWE over alleged brain injuries are a bunch of "nobodies" brainwashed by lawyers to believe they can score a quick buck ... at least according to a WWE lawyer.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Big Russ McCullough, Ryan Sakoda and Luther Reigns claim the WWE has known for years its athletes are suffering brutal and debilitating injuries, but it's only interested in making big money.

We spoke to Jerry McDevitt, WWE’s outside counsel from K&L Gates. He tells us the guys -- who only wrestled for a short time -- are "being targeted by attorneys who tell them there's hundreds of thousands of dollars they can make by joining a class action suit like this."

McDevitt adds, "We know these claims are fraudulent, and will fight them."

He claims other wrestlers who've been approached to join the suit think it's a scam. McDevitt believes the suit spends more time talking about Chris Benoit and other wrestlers than it does the actual plaintiffs.

"It's sensational, but if you really look at ... what was done specifically to them?" McDevitt says. "There are almost no details as to what they actually suffered as a result of working with WWE."

Among the details included in the suit -- the plaintiffs say they were forced to wrestle, even when they'd suffered injuries like torn ligaments and concussions.

McDevitt says no WWE wrestlers were complaining they'd suffered brain damage or dementia. before the lawyers started contacting them. He says the WWE will ultimately prevail.

source: tmz.com

More Details on the Lawsuits Filed Today By Three Former WWE Stars

As noted, former WWE stars Luther Reigns, Russ McCullough and Ryan Sakoda have filed a new class action concussion lawsuit against WWE.

According to PWInsider.com, the lawsuit, which is 47 pages long and is almost word-for-word the same as past concussion lawsuits filed against WWE by other former stars, alleges the talents were “forced to wrestle injured or you lost your job.”

Ryan Sakoda furthers that WWE runs by “intimidation and abuse”, and does not discuss or treat concussions or its symptoms. Sakoda said he suffered a concussion back in 2013 after taking a superkick, and was told by WWE’s medical staff not to go to sleep or he might die. Sakoda says WWE disregarded his health and safety to the point that it left him traumatized. He also claims he suffers from numerous symptoms including memory loss, severe depression, severe migraines and headaches.

Russ McCullough claims he was struck unconscious in a WWE ring back at a live event in Cincinnati, Ohio and was then hit with 15 chair shots without WWE’s trainers intervening. When McCullough complained to WWE after the incident, he says he was told “not our problem.” McCullough says he suffers from severe depression, severe migraines, memory loss, headaches and panic attacks that have resulted in over 40 emergency room visits since he retired from the ring.

Luther Reigns claims he was once knocked out by Big Show, and even after he vomited as a result, he was not given any medical treatment by WWE. Reigns added there was a “code of silence” amongst the wrestlers with regards to disclosing injuries or concussion symptoms. Reigns says he suffered numerous concussions that went untreated during his time in WWE. He says he suffers from severe fatigue, dizziness and severe short term and long term memory loss. The suit says Reigns is unable to remember much of his life.

Three More Former Talents Suing WWE

Three wrestlers have sued the WWE on behalf of all current and former wrestlers who have suffered serious brain and other damage as a result of "egregious mistreatment" by the organization.

Big Russ McCullough, Ryan Sakoda and Luther Reigns (obvious stage names) claim the WWE has known for years ... the brutality in the ring has resulted in dementia, Alzheimer's disease and a lot more.

The lawsuit -- obtained by TMZ -- claims the WWE, "under the guise of providing 'entertainment' .... has for decades subjected its wrestlers to extreme physical brutality."

The suit acknowledges wrestling is scripted but nonetheless unrelentingly brutal, claiming "WWE is in the business of selling violence."

The legal docs chronicle various matches in which wrestlers were destroyed. It mentions the 2014 Royal Rumble, in which one wrestler "demolished another with a series of brutal steel chair attacks," and the docs refer to "the carnage created by the match's victor."

The lawsuit gives an interesting inside look into wrestling, saying the goal of the WWE is to elicit "heat," meaning heightened violence with the use of various props, including chairs, ladders and tables. The suit singles out various moves, including the Brain Buster, Bulldog, Cobra Clutch Slam, Facebreaker, Jawbreaker and Powerslam. It singles out the chair shots to the head, which was banned in 2010.

The suit claims, "The WWE coerces its wrestlers to work while they are injured by, among other methods, threatening to strip them of their position within the organization if they refuse." It says they are "universally encouraged to 'wrestle through the pain.'"

And the lawsuit mentions Chris Benoit, who was "routinely hit in the head with a chair." Benoit, who killed his wife and son along with himself, was autopsied after his death. A doctor concluded Benoit's brain was so damaged from CTE, it "resembled the brain of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient."

The suit asks for an injunction, prohibiting the WWE from subjecting its wrestlers to such brutality, along with damages.

source: tmz.com

CJ Parker On How WWE Developmental Has Changed, What It's Like Working With Triple H, More

Former WWE NXT Superstar CJ Parker, now going by CJP on the indies, recently spoke with RollingStone.com about his WWE departure. The full interview can be found at this link. Below are some highlights:

If he was disappointed that his NXT character was used to put others over:

It wasn't disappointing at all. To me, that's a compliment. They have faith in you and they know you can go out there with anybody and make them look great. You can take the things that they're really good at and amplify them. Everybody wants to be the guy who's the star, the guy who everyone is looking at and the guy who the company is trying to get over. But sometimes you're the other guy, and it's your job to look as good as you can while making them look even better. It's a compliment. When you're a kid and you want to be a wrestler, you want to be a great wrestler. You want to be somebody who's looked up to by his peers and the powers that be. At the very least, I did what was asked of me, and I did it to the best of my abilities. That wasn't frustrating at all.

How WWE developmental has changed since he arrived in 2011:

Everything. It was everything times 100. The roster got bigger, the coaching staff got bigger, the facility got bigger, what was expected of you as a performer got bigger. It went from FCW to NXT and got bigger, badder and better. It was classic WWE. When they want something to take off, it does. That's exactly what the developmental system did in the past couple years. We didn't do as many live events [in 2011]. There weren't as many people coming to the live events that we did do for FCW. The TV show obviously changed a lot. There was one camera then, instead of four or five at Full Sail. NXT at Full Sail is like a mini-Raw. Back in FCW, it was pretty much like a live event with one camera. There wasn't really much pressure on you. But everything got bigger. We became stars in a way. At FCW, nobody really knows you, it was on its own island from the rest of the WWE. But then, when Triple H put his hand into it and put the time and energy into the developmental system, it grew and became its own brand. And that's exactly what NXT is, it's not really developmental anymore, it's the third brand.

If the developmental label is misapplied to NXT:

If you're talking about the show that's on Wednesday nights on the WWE Network, then no, I don't think that's developmental. However, if you walk into the Performance Center on a Monday morning and see some of the guys who are just starting and just learning the basics, that is developmental. I think a lot of people don't realize that on the TV show there's only about 20 guys featured, but at the PC there's about 60 guys. There's a lot of guys there who are trying to learn the business and prove themselves and earn their way onto the TV show. So there is still developmental, but when you start to get to the top of the roster, you become just a smaller version of a main-roster superstar. In my eyes, it's like Triple H's version of an independent wrestling show, but with WWE backing. It's the best of both worlds. He's getting people from all over the world and bringing them here and putting them under the WWE umbrella. It's great and it's going to stay great.

What it's like working with Triple H:

He's the best, man. He's so passionate, so smart. He's a great guy. He's very hands-on with everyone. He's the kind of guy who, once you have your match, he'll pull you aside and tell you what you did right, what you did wrong and what you could have done differently. He's constructive and he makes you feel good. He lets you know that it's all right to make mistakes as long as you learn from those mistakes. He's the man and NXT is his baby. It's cool to watch him be excited about NXT. It's cool to see how proud he is of what he and all of us are doing down there.

WWE Presence On ESPN Under Increasing Scrutiny

At The National Sports Journalism Center's website, Michael Bradley has an editorial about ESPN's seemingly sudden adoption of WrestleMania as a legitimate sports event deserving of their coverage. It's also, to an extent, a reaction to Richard Deitsch's Sports Illustrated article about how this all came about.

Bradley's argument, overall, is that while it's not out of line for ESPN to give WWE coverage, covering it like it's a legitimate sporting event creates ethical issues if it was done solely to get more eyeballs on the network and its related properties. In a key passage, he writes:

"Forging alliances with legitimate leagues is one thing. Trying to build an audience by making something that isn't real sport seem more legitimate is far more cynical and potentially explosive. First comes the WWE. Then come full highlights of the Globetrotters' next game. After all, that team has fans all around the world."

Bradley also adds that "It's fun to talk about Lesnar and his fellow rasslers, but it's not journalism," but it's not clear if he means that it's not sports journalism or that he feels pro wrestling coverage inherently can't be journalism.

Kurt Angle on his failed return to WWE, wrestling Daniel Bryan

TNA star Kurt Angle recently did an interview with Sports Illustrated, and when the subject of negotiating with WWE back when he was a free agent came up, Angle had the following to say:

“Paul [Levesque] is in charge. I found that out when I contacted Vince [McMahon]. I’ve always had a good relationship with Paul, so I didn’t consider that a problem. But he decided they had enough talent. For the Vince McMahon who I knew, enough was never enough. He always wanted more. I don’t know what was going on over there, but they even canceled our meeting. I never went to see them. They didn’t even sit me down and talk to me.

It blew my mind. It was as if I was a nobody, that I wasn’t Kurt Angle. From a wrestling standpoint, they just weren’t interested. But TNA not only stepped up, they gave me everything I wanted – the dates, the money, and it’s no secret that I’ve went to rehab in the past, and they gave me time off. You talk about a company that’s loyal to you, and you want to be loyal back. So I didn’t pursue the WWE any further. When it comes down to it, you’ve got to stick with the people who want to take care of you. And [TNA president] Dixie Carter took care of me.” Click here for the full interview.

Indy Promotion To Announce National Television Deal; Set To Be In 80 Million Homes

PWInsider is reporting that Las Vegas promotion Paragon Pro Wrestling informed the talent in their locker room last night that the company would soon be announcing a national television deal.

The deal will be with Pop TV, formerly known as the TV Guide Network. The channel is available in standard definition on both DirecTV and Dish Network, and high definition on Verizon FiOS. The channel is a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Lions Gate Entertainment.

The company features talent from the southern California area, and has also seen the likes of former WWE talent Gangrel and Victoria as well. It appears as if former TNA announcer Todd Kenely will be handling announcing duties for the show.

PWInsider also reports that the company, owned by Jeff Manning, taped television last night and had state of the art equipment on hand. Current Lucha Underground announcer Matt Striker is rumored to be directing and producing.

The roster was told that the show will debut this summer.

Divas Battle Royal Announced for Next Week's Raw

WWE has announced a Divas Battle Royal for next week's RAW from London with the winner earning a shot at Divas Champion Nikki Bella.

Stephanie McMahon Off WWE TV For Up To A Month?

It was noted on last night's WWE RAW that Triple H and Stephanie McMahon were absent because they were on a tropical vacation somewhere with no cell reception.

Stephanie could be off WWE TV for up to 4-5 weeks if reports of her being overseas with the Eisenhower Fellows Multi Nation Program are true.

We noted back in October 2014 that Stephanie was announced as a 2015 Eisenhower Fellow with 8 other executives from around the world.

Beginning April 5th, the Eisenhower Fellows in the MNP program were scheduled to go on a 4-5 week trip visiting one or two countries that they selected from a list of 42 potential destinations, including Australia, India, Nigeria, Bangladesh and others. We don't know for sure that Stephanie is on the Eisenhower Fellows trip, however Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that it was scheduled to begin April 5th so the dates do match up.

Steve Austin Speaks On WWE Rumors: Turning Down Tough Enough, Missing WrestleMania, Network Podcast

WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin addressed some rumors surrounding his status with the company on the latest episode of The Steve Austin Show. You can hear the full interview at this link. Below are some highlights:

* Austin said there is no heat on him from WWE for allegedly missing WrestleMania 31 Week. He brought up the rumor that he was supposed to be on a flight with The Undertaker and said that was not true.

* Austin said he was never a part of any creative discussions for him to participate at WrestleMania 31. Austin said he didn't turn anything down, he simply wasn't there and was never scheduled to be there.

* Regarding Tough Enough rumors and heat between Austin and Vince McMahon, Austin said he did not turn the show down. He said he's been talking with WWE about Tough Enough for some time and it was supposed to be filmed in February-March but we're in April and it still hasn't happened. Austin said the delay was nobody's fault as it takes a lot of work for the different pieces of a reality show like Tough Enough to come together. When WWE got their pieces together, CMT wanted to do more Broken Skull Challenge and Austin couldn't do Tough Enough due to the BSC commitments. Austin said he didn't turn down Tough Enough because of heat with Vince and scheduling problems are why he couldn't do the show. Austin said he wishes he could do Tough Enough but it didn't work out. Austin said in a perfect world, he would have filmed Tough Enough in February-March and that would have been it.

* Austin also addressed the rumors about his podcast not being on the WWE Network. Austin said they did the first two and were going to make a deal to move forward. He said there was a deal that could have been made but it wasn't and they're not moving forward but there's no heat there. Austin he heard Vince wasn't happy with some of his questions for Triple H and Austin said that's not true.

* Austin said WWE is going in their own direction and he's going in his and down the road if they hook back up, it'll be gangbusters. Austin said he will always have WWE in his blood. He acknowledged both sides have helped each other over the years and said it's always a good thing and a fun thing when WWE and Steve Austin are in business together. Austin guesses there is no animosity towards him from WWE's point of view and said he has no heat with them. Austin said, "No heat, nowhere. It's cool, moving on..."

Chris Jericho & John Cena Interview: Possibly Turning Heel, Heat With The Rock, Vince McMahon, More