WWE's website has a new interview with Layla, who has announced her retirement. She commented on the decision:
"I feel like deciding to retire from the ring has been a hard decision to make because I’m passionate and I love performing. I’ve known everybody in that company now for nine years. They’re family. I spend more time with crew and Superstars and Divas on the roster than I did with anybody else. It becomes part of your life. And not only that, it’s hard walking away from the fans. Part of me feels a little bit guilty for walking away because [WWE fans] are 100 percent loyal and have supported me since 2006. I wouldn’t even have this job if the fans didn’t vote in the Diva Search. I was able to win that competition because of them and I was blessed. But sometimes you just need to step out and take a risk and move onto the next phase in life."
She also commented on what's next for her:
"What’s next for Layla? To be perfectly honest, the first two weeks, I’m doing absolutely nothing. [laughs] No, I have stuff that I would like to do. I would maybe like to do some TV stuff, whether it’s in the States or in the U.K. I’ve talked a little bit about maybe going back into my dance background. I’m going to start choreographing and might even go back to the Heat to start choreographing with them. And then, of course, I’m engaged now to my fiancé Richard. We’re going to get married and then later on, in a few years, I want to have some kids and start my family life."
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July 30, 2015
Layla announces retirement from WWE
July 29, 2015
New WWE Tough Enough Judge Revealed
The Miz is the new judge on WWE Tough Enough, replacing Hulk Hogan. He joins Paige and Daniel Bryan on the panel. Host Chris Jericho indicated that the third spot could rotate each week.
As noted, Hogan was dropped from the show when WWE terminated his contract due to the racial comments made 8 years ago that was just revealed by The National Enquirer and Radar Online.
July 28, 2015
WWE Diva Suffers Concussion On RAW
WWE has announced that Alicia Fox suffered a concussion in her match with Nikki Bella against Charlotte and Becky Lynch on last night's RAW from Oklahoma City.
This could lead to a new member of Team Bella being brought into the group, as has been speculated. We'll keep you updated.
Hulk Hogan And Dusty Rhodes Scene To Be Edited From Upcoming WWE Movie, More On Another Change
The Hulk Hogan scandal has caused WWE Studios' to remove a Hogan scene from the Celebrity Death Pool movie that stars David Hasselhoff and Ken Jeong.
PWInsider reports that a piece of Hogan material was also in the upcoming WWE - Scooby Doo animated movie. Hogan was set to appear in scenes alongside an animated Dusty Rhodes and those will obviously have to be edited now. Hopefully they can just replace Hogan and not have to nix the Dusty scene altogether.
Regarding the Hogan scene in Celebrity Death Pool, apparently it was the opening sequence of the movie so it will definitely have to be re-done.
John Cena Injury Update
WWE United States Champion John Cena suffered a broken nose on last night's RAW after taking a knee from WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins in the main event.
WWE Dr. Steve Daquino commented to WWE's website:
"As you can see on television last night, John suffered from a nasal fraction. He's got quite a bit of displacement, so we sent him over to the local emergency room so he can be evaluated by the ears, nose and throat doctor who's on call and see what can be done to properly repair it."
Homophobic Slur Made By Hulk Hogan Released
RadarOnline has released more comments from the tape that contained the racist comments made in 2006 and this time Hogan rants about a gay person he encountered at the home he grew up in.
Hogan was discussing his reality show, Hogan Knows Best with Heather Clem when he said:
"VH1 wanted me to do a big thing and go back to the house I grew up in." Hulk says, discussing the Season Four finale of his show.
"So we knock on the door and a big f*g lives there now! This half-gay was enamored with Linda."
The episode in question featured Hogan visiting the home he was raised in in Port Tampa. The home's new owner welcomed Hogan and even gave him a small metal truck that was found in the garden, that once belonged to Hogan when he was a kid. Hogan continued his rant and ripped into ex-wife Linda Hogan, who he was still married to. Bubba the Love Sponge entered the room and Hogan said:
"Dude, the only thing I will ever ask of you … I don't know how you will pull this off … is, if I am ever on my death bed, you cannot let Linda come and visit me."
Hulk went on to bring up his home in Las Vegas, which he had bought for $4.25 million and watched grow in value to $5 million.
"If I get divorced, Linda will make me sell it."
Hogan then referenced the "black billionaire" Cecile Barker(founder of SoBe Entertainment) again:
"F**k it. Cecile will buy it and give it back to me after the divorce!"
WWE's sordid history of racism makes its swift justice vs. Hogan ring hollow
Everyone knows that the WWE and professional wrestling are fake—a group of finely chiseled athletes, orchestrated by a scripted theater of controversial plots, story arcs and over-the-top characters. Against that backdrop, cult icon Hulk Hogan became the most recognizable face of the WWE after winning the world championship against The Iron Sheik in January 1983, and last week its most stunning big-name dismissal.
Known previously as the WWF, the franchise branded Hogan as The Hulkster and capitalized off of his alluring, patriotic, good-guy persona. In the words of Hogan himself, “Hulkamania was running wild, brother!” Still, while Hulkamaniacs rejoiced, what wasn’t fake was the WWE’s sordid history of exploiting racial stereotypes. For decades the organization capitalized and profited off racist undertones, even while receiving countless criticism over its portrayal and treatment of minority characters. It also has been chided for the fact that in the company’s 63-year history there has never been a unified African-American World Champion. (The Rock, a seven-time WWE champion and noted Hogan nemesis, is bi-racial, having been born to an African-American father and a Samoan mother.)
Nevertheless, the criticism regarding professional wrestling’s premiere franchise never thwarted the company’s multi-million dollar cash machine. While Hogan—a blond, 6’7” Tampa native who first gained famed as Thunderlips in Rocky III in 1982—became an All-American folk hero (before he briefly went to the dark side with the nWo in the rival WCW in 1996), some of the WWE’s most popular characters have been its most controversial. Rowdy Roddy Piper, a Canadian wrestler who wore a kilt and was billed as being from Glasgow, Scotland, was a WWF superstar in the '80s alongside Hogan. Unlike Hogan, Piper was a textbook villain whose entire shtick was built upon spewing brash, lewd comments regarding race and gender. In his on-air segment Piper’s Pit, he once asked wrestler Tony Atlas, who is black, “To get them big arms, do you eat all of that soul food stuff? Do you eat pigs' feet?” After Atlas seemingly took offense to the line of questioning, Piper responded, “Let me tell you something in your own language, I don’t let the thieves stop me from enjoying my watermelon.”
In another interview segment, this time with Fijian wrestler Jimmy (Superfly) Snuka, Piper asked his rival if he grew up climbing trees like a monkey to get coconuts. Piper also once said that Mr. T’s lips looked like “a catcher’s mitt,” and later told him that he would “whip him like a slave.”
Then there was wrestler Ted (The Million Dollar Man) DiBiase, whose black sidekick/bodyguard Virgil was often subjugated and debased as a part of DiBiase’s emerging storyline. In a video from 1987, DiBiase can be seen boasting about how he could easily buy Virgil, to which Virgil responds “Yes-suh!” Throughout their pairing, DiBiase often referred to Virgil as a slave, even having him rub his feet.
And the list doesn’t stop there. Kamala, The Ugandan Headhunter, was billed as being from “Deepest, Darkest Africa,” and exhibited mannerisms and grunts that were almost inhuman. He wrestled with a spear and wore tribal paint on his face and belly. The Junkyard Dog’s gimmick was crafted in the frame of textbook Negro shuck and jive, with him prancing around wearing a dog collar and chains. Former WWE legend and color commentator Jesse (The Body) Ventura once referred to the Junk Yard Dog as having “a mouth full of grits.” Ventura also commonly called fan favorite Tito Santana, a Mexican-American, “Chico” and dubbed his finishing move the “flying burrito.”
Former WWE champ Triple H, who mocked African-American wrestler Booker T for his "nappy hair, once said that “people like Booker T couldn’t win championships," and that in the WWE “they were just there to dance and entertain.” Then there was Cryme Tyme, a tag-team made up of wrestlers JTG and Shad Gaspard and who brandished themselves as thugged out, gangsta rappers. Their catch phrase was, “Yo yo yo, pop a 40 and check ya rollies-it’s Cryme Time,” and they were often shown assaulting police officers and committing robberies.
July 27, 2015
Triple H Announces Raffle
Want a one of a kind @WWE @SummerSlam experience with me? Visit http://t.co/IDp7we2x43 to learn more. @SportsLegacy http://t.co/4lX7c0EPxP
— Triple H (@TripleH) July 27, 2015
NWA Wrestling Gets Cable Television Deal With AXS TV
National Wrestling Alliance President Bruce Tharpe announced on Twitter that NWA wrestling will be debuting on AXS TV starting in September.
AXS is currently home to New Japan Pro Wrestling, which has been met with huge success on the station. AXS TV was also a former home of Ring of Honor, when they were labeled "HDNet."
WWE Unveils the Ultimate SummerSlam Experience at Barclays Center
WWE (NYSE: WWE) and Barclays Center announced today the addition of several fan events to take place at Barclays Center as part of the Ultimate SummerSlam Experience in Brooklyn. Tickets will be available this Saturday, August 1, at noon EST through Ticketmaster.
On Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22, WWE will host “WWE Superstar Meet and Greets” at 40/40 CLUB & Restaurant at Barclays Center. These exclusive sessions will give WWE fans an opportunity to get autographs and photos with their choice of WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins™, Randy Orton®, Roman Reigns®, Dean Ambrose®, Bray Wyatt™, WWE Divas Charlotte™, Paige™ and Becky Lynch™, WWE Legend Sting™ and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels®.
On Saturday, August 22, a special “SummerSlam Panel” will take place at Barclays Center, giving fans a chance to ask questions directly to WWE Superstars. The topic of the panel will be NXT®, where WWE Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative Paul “Triple H®” Levesque, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins™, NXT Champion Finn Bàlor™, NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks™, WWE Superstar Kevin Owens™, WWE commentator Corey Graves™ and host Byron Saxton™ will discuss the evolution of one of the hottest entertainment brands in the world seen every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. on WWE Network.
The “SummerSlam Panel” will feature a 90 minute discussion and Q&A with fans in attendance. General admission and a limited number of VIP tickets will be available. The VIP ticket includes priority floor seating, a professional photo with select panel Superstars and an exclusive, autographed limited edition poster.
Tickets for “WWE Superstar Meet and Greets” and the “SummerSlam Panel” will be available this Saturday, August 1, at noon EST and can be purchased online by visiting http://www.barclayscenter.com, http://www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center on Monday, August 3 at noon. For more information on SummerSlam Week activities, please visit www.SummerSlam.com.
In addition, WWE NXT will make its historic debut in New York City on Saturday night, August 22, as NXT Takeover: Brooklyn will emanate live from Barclays Center. NXT Takeover: Brooklyn is NXT’s biggest event to date, and will be broadcast live on WWE Network. The main event will feature Finn Bàlor™ defending his newly crowned NXT Championship against former Champion Kevin Owens™. The event will also include appearances by NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks™, Samoa Joe™, Rhyno™, Enzo Amore™, Big Cass™, as well as a special appearance by international superstar Jushin “Thunder” Liger. Tickets for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn are currently available through Ticketmaster.
