WWE Diva Announces Pregnancy

WWE posted an article today, announcing that WWE Diva Rosa Mendes is pregnant.

"I'm pregnant, and I'm having a little girl," Mendes said. "Her name's going to be Jordan Elizabeth Schubenski and she'll be born February 2016. Mom's middle name is Elizabeth, and I've always loved the name Jordan for a girl.

"I'm three months, and I'm feeling really good. I'm past the morning sickness stage, so, I'm feeling awesome, but the hardest part was not telling anybody [and keeping] it a secret from all my friends and loved ones. That was the hardest part for me."

WWE COO Triple H hosts 18-minute Q&A on Facebook Live

From WWE.com:

WWE COO Triple H invited the WWE Universe into his innermost circle this afternoon — with the help of Facebook’s newest feature.

Using “Live,” a video streaming service available to celebrities and public figures with a verified page that appears on their followers' news feeds, The King of Kings hosted a live, 18-minute Q&A session with the WWE Universe. Fielding questions from his followers' comments, Triple H's topics of discussion ranged from the upcoming NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn live special on the award-winning WWE Network to the ongoing Diva Revolution, in which The Game has a personal stake. One of the first users of the new feature, the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion also took viewers on a quick tour of his office, including his collection of vintage and current WWE World Heavyweight Titles and a peek at his private link to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla.

Given that Facebook videos have no expiration date, the full Q&A is currently posted on Triple H’s Facebook page. See the full video below and keep your eye out for future interactions with your favorite Superstars and Divas!

Click here for the video.

Triple H's Involvement With New Ultimate Warrior Book

There will be an "Ultimate Warrior Day" event in Brooklyn during SummerSlam weekend that will serve as a launch for the new book, "The Ultimate Warrior: A Life Lived Forever: The Legend of a WWE Hero." The book was written by sports and entertainment author Jon Robinson, Triple H and Warrior's wife Dana.

The website for the book launch notes that Dana is currently the president of Warrior's gym, Ultimate Creations, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Paige And Steve Austin On Who Started The Divas Revolution, More

Austin brings up Triple H being a big influence on her and she says he's been a huge influence. She went through a stage where she had bad luck - a car wreck, surgery, had to be out of action for 3 months, her bank account got hacked and her dog got hit by a car. She was ready to go back home but Triple H worked with her and soon after she made history by winning the NXT Women's Title. She says the whole Divas Revolution really was started by Triple H. The next Twitter question asks if Paige she thinks she started it. Triple H was the one who started it with NXT. She brings up AJ Lee and says she looked up to her. She talks about how surprised they were when Triple H gave she and Emma 20 minutes at the first NXT special. She says he started it but her and Emma got the ball rolling. She says they opened the door for other Divas like Charlotte and Bayley but she gives huge props to trainer Sara Del Rey. She also gives props to Finlay and Dean Malenko, who she goes to a lot these days...More?

WWE honors 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper with moving tribute on Monday Night Raw

WWE aired their tribute to the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper on the August 3 episode of Monday Night RAW. In summation, it highlighted all of Piper’s great moments from his life and in the WWE and evoked all of the emotions that you wanted it to. Quite frankly, it was the catharsis that many fans have needed since Piper’s death.

Fans weren’t alone in that. The video tribute aired after the entire roster was gathered on stage for a 10-bell salute. The roster left the stage once the video came on, save for two individuals who stood side by side and watched the tribute on stage:

Vince and Triple H hanging back to watch the Roddy Piper tribute video. pic.twitter.com/jnKdfVZeE9

— Dan Ryckert (@DanRyckert) August 4, 2015

That would be the owner, Vince McMahon, and COO, Triple H, of the WWE standing on the stage watching the tribute to Piper. That brings on a whole other wave of emotions.

Piper’s influence and impact on the WWE and the wrestling business as a whole is massive. The respect that’s been shared by many of his fellow wrestlers and co-workers and even the respect shown by Vince and Triple H in that picture shows the type of man that wrestling and the world lost in Piper.

The WWE is red hot again. Here's why.

The WWE has cut ties with Hulk Hogan after racist comments came to light -- a rant that took place in the middle of recording a sex tape no less.

But this scandal hasn't hurt WWE one bit. The company is flying high with fans ... and investors.

Shares of WWE (WWE) (yes, it's actually a public company) are up 75% so far this year. The company reported sales for the second quarter that topped forecasts and a healthy profit.

The main reason? WWE is in the process of transforming itself into a streaming media outfit. That's right. WWE has a little Netflix (NFLX, Tech30) in it.

WWE unveiled a streaming WWE Network last year. The goal was to get more of its fans to pay $9.99 a month to watch big events like WrestleMania and Summer Slam as well as gain access to the company's extensive library of older matches.

It was a rocky transition. WWE shares plunged nearly 25% last year -- the equivalent of a wrestler getting smacked in the head with a steel chair -- as the early subscriber figures did not live up to expectations.

Investors were also disappointed by the terms of a new TV deal WWE signed last year with long-time partner NBCUniversal, the media arm of Comcast (CMCSA). WWE airs weekly shows on NBCUniversal's USA and Syfy cable networks.

But it now looks like the move to streaming is paying off. WWE said last week that it ended the second quarter with nearly 1.2 million subscribers for WWE Network -- an 83% increase from last year and a 31% jump from the first quarter.

People who have bet against the WWE (and there a lot of them) may be forgetting that the company remains popular because of newer stars.

It's not just about 80s legends like Hulk Hogan, the late Rowdy Roddy Piper (sigh) and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka -- who is now battling stomach cancer. (Double sigh.)

John Cena is in the Amy Schumer comedy "Trainwreck." WWE also has a show called "Tough Enough" on USA that features people training and competing for a WWE contract.

The WWE's reality programming is particularly appealing. In fact, a reality TV mogul recently bought a sizable stake in WWE, leading to questions about what's next from the company.

John de Mol, the Dutch media executive responsible for creating "Big Brother" and "The Voice" acquired nearly 2 million shares in WWE in the second quarter -- 6% of the company's total shares.

It seems unlikely that de Mol is looking to take over the WWE -- even though one of de Mol's media firms has ties to the highly acquisitive John Malone of Liberty Media (LMCA).

WWE CEO Vince McMahon and his family -- wife Linda and daughter Stephanie -- have a controlling stake in the company through Class B shares that are not publicly traded. So any purchase of WWE would have to be friendly.

But de Mol's investment is intriguing.

BTIG analyst Brandon Ross, who has a "buy" rating on WWE, wrote in a report Tuesday that "WWE content fits perfectly with de Mol's expertise."

source: money.cnn.com

WWE Refuses Phone Call From Chyna's Manager

Chyna's YouTube channel released the video above of her manager Anthony Anzaldo calling WWE in hopes of finding out where Chyna's royalties are going. The representative on the phone revealed that she was instructed to not pass along any calls relating to her.

"I've actually been instructed not to pass along any in regards to her," the WWE representative said.

Chyna, who was sitting next to Anzaldo during the call, wondered out loud if she was being "out of line." Anzaldo noted that the situation with WWE is "getting worse."

You can view the video here.

Dolph Ziggler and Kane Starring in WWE Studios’ 6:42

Dolph Ziggler and Kane are starring in a new WWE Studios film. The film, 6:42, is being presented by Lionsgate and will mark Dolph Ziggler’s motion picture debut. The film also stars Katherine Isabelle (See No Evil 2, Ginger Snaps, Hannibal) and is described as follows:

Ray Fitzpatrick (Ziggler) is a tough as nails narcotics cop working the beat in Los Angeles. After a drug bust goes wrong, Ray is forced to shoot his own partner, leading to his suspension from the police force. Before you know it, Ray is dragged right back into the thick of it when a mysterious package arrives at the station addressed to him.

The package leads Ray and his colleagues to an encrypted website where an unidentified kidnapper broadcasts a threat to Ray and the entire police force. The kidnapper, it turns out, is holding a young boy hostage and unless the police department can come up with a $2 million ransom, he’ll set off a time-bomb strapped to the child’s chest.

The department, led by Lt. Cronin (Kane) comes up with the payoff and Ray is tasked as the bagman. When the handover goes down, Ray is forced to shoot and kill the kidnapper before he can set off the bomb and kill the child.

With 6 hours and 42 minutes left before the timed explosive detonates, Ray and Internal Affairs agent Julia Baker (Isabelle) race against time to find the now deceased kidnapper’s hidden lair and save the child before it’s too late.

MiLB Team Announces WWE Night, Superstars And Divas To Play In Charity Softball Game

The Brooklyn Cyclones minor league baseball team will be holding "WWE Night" to promote SummerSlam weekend this month. It will take place on August 19th at MCU Park in Brooklyn, the same site of ROH's Field of Honor event on August 22nd during SummerSlam weekend. Charlotte, Eva Marie, Fandango and Ryback will be participating in a charity softball game that afternoon and they will be meeting fans.

Below is their announcement:

The Brooklyn Cyclones and WWE have partnered for SummerSlam Night at MCU Park on Wednesday, August 19 to kick off a borough-wide celebration as WWE brings SummerSlam, the biggest event of the summer, to Barclays Center on Sunday, August 23.

As part of the night's festivities, WWE Superstars and Divas including Ryback, Fandango, Eva Marie and Charlotte, will join members of the FDNY, NYPD and other celebrities in a pre-game Celebrity/Civil Servants All-Star Challenge and softball game prior to the 7:00 PM game against the Lowell Spinners. Also scheduled to participate in the game are NBA Hall of Famer and current St. John's Men's Basketball Coach Chris Mullin, Mets Hall of Famer John Franco, Greg Kelly & Rosanna Scotto – the hosts of Good Day New York – and many others. The first 2,500 fans in attendance will go home with a Greg & Rosanna bobble head courtesy of Municipal Credit Union.

WWE Superstars and Divas will also take part in a pre-game autograph session for fans, with giveaways and prizes courtesy of WWE and Tapout.

All tickets for this game are just $10 and available now by calling 718-507-TIXX, logging on to BrooklynCyclones.com or in person at the MCU Park Box Office.

Ronda Rousey Brutally Knocks Out Bethe Correia, Thanks Rowdy Roddy Piper At UFC 190

Ronda Rousey was all out of bubblegum tonight.

We all waited hours for a 35 second fight at UFC 190. Few were complaining about it when it was over. Ronda Rousey knocked #5-ranked Behte Correia and retained her UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship. Not only that, she went to Correia's home country of Brazil and did it.

None of Rousey's last four fights have lasted longer than 70 seconds. This one went 34, as Rousey willfully traded punches with Correia. The champion ate several of those, pushed through and feigned a takedown. Correia fell anticipating it, and Rousey pounced. A huge knee to the body set up more punches from Rousey.

Correia face-planted into the mat, and that was a wrap. Ronda Rousey wins again.

The show itself took what seemed like an eternity. UFC had to add two more fights to the main card, as The Ultimate Fighter Brazil Finals were promised to be on Globo in Brazil. This led to a three-and-a-half hour wait for the main event that took little more than a half minute.

After the fight, Rousey thanked WWE Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who gave her his nickname.

"We lost a really close friend, 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, who gave me permission to use his name as a fighter. I hope he and my dad had a good time watching this today," Rousey said.

Rousey's father committed suicide as a child, something that caused a great deal of animosity between Correia and Rousey, as Correia had previously said she hoped that Rousey "wouldn't kill herself" after losing.

Rousey continues her reign of domination, and next up is a third fight with Miesha Tate, who has given her two of her toughest fights to date. Of the three Rousey fights to last longer than 70 seconds, Tate was in two of them.

UFC President Dana White fires up fans and pro wrestlers

UFC President Dana White, in responding to a tweet from a wrestling fan who wanted to watch UFC 190 and noted how WWE PPV events are only $9.99, stated that he understood and added, "but fake sh*t should be $9.99." The fan then told White to try out some time and still use the term fake to which White responded, "Not disrespecting what they do. All the WWE guys I have met are awesome people but yes it's fake."

This fired up a number of wrestling fans with the comments making the rounds, sending many tweets White's way including those within the wrestling industry.

Seth Rollins: "Guys, cut @danawhite some slack. I mean he's had a million matches, so his opinion is super valid and should be taken as gospel."

Taz: "What's fake & what's predetermined? @danawhite my body is busted up from that "fake shit" - u think u train less?"

Bully Ray: "Good thing you had "FAKE" @BrockLesnar in @ufc to be your biggest PPV draw of all time. .@danawhite Sir, "do the right thing" and apologize to THE industry that laid the groundwork for YOUR industry. Have a great show tonight."

MVP: "Money doesn't buy class Dana."

Jeremy Borash: "Legit cancelled my UFC buy for tonight. Instead sending $50 to @NikBali, a UK wrestler paralyzed during a fake wrestling match. @danaWhite."

Bull Dempsey: "Hey @danawhite, come to the @WWEPerformCtr & see what we do EVERYDAY & tell me it's fake. Send your "ultimate" fighters too. How dare you."

White then wrote the following early Sunday morning to a fan.

"I pissed off wrestling fans? I respect wrestling and the people who do it. I was just responding to an idiot. It was a joke."

The comments didn't seem to phase WWE's Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon as she tweeted out a photo with Triple H and trainer Joe DeFranco wearing Ronda Rousey t-shirts, a tweet that Dana White later retweeted following Rousey's knockout win on Saturday night.

#andSTILL #Reppin4Ronda #UFC190 @DeFrancosGym @TripleH @RondaRousey pic.twitter.com/qKP3z1BWtj

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) August 1, 2015

Mark Henry On How Veterans Treat Younger Talents Now, His WWE Career, Vince McMahon, More

This week's episode of "Talk is Jericho" with Chris Jericho features former World Heavyweight Champion and The World's Strongest Man, Mark Henry. Courtesy of my good friend Mark Adam Haggerty, below are highlights:

Chris starts the show by performing his cowbell rendition of Mark Henry's theme song. Mark can't remember the name of the Oscar Award-winning hip hop duo that performed his track—Three Six Mafia—and says: "I can't remember. I been hit in the head too many times. Maybe I should get in on this lawsuit with these dummies." Mark says that the majority of the people on the lawsuit only worked in the WWE for a brief period, and it was toward the tail-end of their careers. He says that he mentioned Sinn Bodhi AKA Kizarny on another podcast, and Bodhi was livid over the shoot Henry did on him. Mark went on to say, "Kizarny's mad at me like he could hold water."

Mark says that his very first wrestling match was on pay-per-view. He wasn't trained, he had never taken a bump, but Jerry Lawler insisted that he could work with him. Jericho asks for the details of the feud and Mark says: "Well Jake got cleaned up. Uh—quote, unquote." Mark says that the developmental system was devised specifically for him: "Doctor Tom just decided he was gonna stop wrestling and start training full time." Mark Henry was the first Developmental Superstar in history, as well as the first wrestler in WWE to receive a guaranteed contract. Henry says that he's the second longest contracted wrestler—after the Undertaker. Other Superstars like Goldust and Triple H were around before Mark, but Goldust has come and gone, and Triple H is now semi-retired. Mark says that a fan once told him he's had over 8,000 wrestling matches, and that he's in the Top 10 for most matches of all time.

Chris asks how Mark got into the wrestling business. Mark is—or at least was—the real "World's Strongest Man." He's the only man in history to become a world champion in Power Lifting, Olympic Weight Lifting, and Strong Man Competition. Added to that, he's the only man to also hold a world championship in professional wrestling. That technically makes Henry a 3-sport world champion. He was touring talk shows after the 1996 Summer Olympics, and he was asked by Oprah what he likes to do to unwind. He told her he likes video games, live music, and all sorts of sports. "But on Saturday and Sunday," Henry continued, "I'm watching wrestling. Don't even try to bother me. Those are my wrestling days." Vince McMahon called Mark personally and when Mark picked up, Vince said, "So I heard you like to watch wrestling."

More?