Booker T's Big Announcement Revealed

Booker T announced (via Periscope) that his “big announcement” he has been teasing this week is a new home for his Reality of Wrestling wrestling school and promotion.

Booker, along with wife Sharmell, Bruce Prichard and development partners, made the announcement and said the building will be called “Reality of Wrestling World Headquarters”. The 21,000 square-foot facility, situated next to World’s Gym at Mall of the Mainlands in Texas City, Texas will hold their shows and training school.

In addition, starting September 20th, ROW will be seen on the Houston CW television affiliate (CW39), and will air on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m.

#TheAnnouncement is we are now apart of the @CW39Houston family! We start Sunday, September 20th! pic.twitter.com/p4MQZwVYMN

— Booker T. Huffman (@BookerT5x) August 21, 2015

Video: Triple H takes a special look at “Ultimate Warrior: A Life Lived ‘Forever’”

WWE Takes Over New York City With SummerSlam

For the first time since 2007, WWE’s SummerSlam returns to the NYC-Metro area with a week-long lineup of events including interactive fan experiences and community outreach programs covering all five NYC boroughs. SummerSlam takes place this Sunday, August 23, live on WWE Network at 7 p.m. ET from a sold-out Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The events begin today and include:

• Children’s Hospital Visits – Wednesday, August 19
WWE Superstars and Tag Team Champions Titus O’Neil® and Darren Young® will be at The Brooklyn Hospital Center and WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose® will be joined by WWE Diva Alicia Fox® at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children in Queens. On both occasions, they will visit with patients and hand out WWE Mattel toys.

• Brooklyn Cyclones Celebrity Softball Game – Wednesday, August 19
The Brooklyn Cyclones and WWE have partnered for SummerSlam Night. 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 p.m. Cyclones game against the Lowell Spinners. Also scheduled to participate in the celebrity 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.

• SummerSlam Reading Celebration – Thursday, August 20
WWE and First Book will host a reading celebration at JCC Cornerstone Program at Todt Hill Community Center in Staten Island. WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler® and WWE Divas Nikki Bella® and Brie Bella® will read to local Staten Island students from grades 1-3 to promote the importance of literacy. A book donation will be made to all students in attendance.

• Firehouse and Police Precinct Visits to Support “Answer the Call” – Thursday, August 20
WWE is joining forces with Hollywood celebrities and professional athletes through a global online auction on Charitybuzz.com, featuring unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences in support of “Answer The Call,” the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund. To help raise awareness for the program, WWE Superstars Roman Reigns®, Jimmy Uso®, Jey Uso®, Kofi Kingston®, Big E® and Xavier Woods®, and WWE Diva Summer Rae® will be visiting firehouses and police precincts around New York City.

• “Be a STAR” (Show Tolerance and Respect) Anti-Bullying Rally – Thursday, August 20
WWE will host an anti-bullying rally at the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in the Bronx, featuring Be A STAR alliance members, Facebook, GLAAD and DoSomething.org. WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, Facebook Trust and Safety Manager, Emily Vacher, GLAAD Vice President of Programs Zeke Stokes and DoSomething.org’s Chief Marketing Officer Naomi Hirabayashi will join WWE Superstars Kofi Kingston® and Sheamus®, and WWE Diva Eva Marie™ to deliver bullying prevention messages to more than 250 children between the ages of 6-15.

• Hire Heroes Veteran Employment Panel & Event – Friday, August 21
WWE, in partnership with Barclays Center and Orion International will host a Veterans Career Panel and Networking Event in support of Hire Heroes USA (HHUSA) for nearly 80 veterans. Corporate HR and Brand Executives from WWE, ESPN, Marvel, Priceline, MTA, LinkedIn, FDNY and Colgate will be in attendance to discuss veteran hiring practices. WWE Superstars The Usos, WWE Diva Naomi® and WWE NXT Superstars Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, will also be on-hand to speak with the veterans. The event will consist of a panel, networking opportunities and career coaching stations.

• John Cena 500th Wish Celebration – Friday, August 21
Make-A-Wish and WWE will celebrate WWE Superstar John Cena® becoming the first celebrity in history to grant 500 wishes. The event, which is being hosted at Dave & Buster’s Times Square, will feature appearances by WWE Superstar John Cena, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, Make-A-Wish America President and CEO David Williams, WWE Superstar Sheamus, WWE Divas The Bellas and Wish children and their families.

• New York Stock Exchange Opening Bell – Friday, August 21
In celebration of SummerSlam and WWE Superstar John Cena’s 500th Wish, Cena, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon and Make-A-Wish America President and CEO David Williams will accompany seven Wish kids, and ring the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange. For more than a decade, Cena has been granting the wishes of children through WWE’s partnership with Make-A-Wish which began more than 30 years ago. To date, WWE Superstars and Divas have granted more than 6,000 wishes, more than any other sports and entertainment organization.

• Superstar Meet and Greets – Friday, August 21 & Saturday, August 22
These exclusive fan sessions will give the WWE Universe an opportunity to get autographs and photos with their favorite Superstars and Divas including 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.

• Susan G. Komen Community Health Fair – Saturday, August 22
WWE and Susan G. Komen will be supporting a community health fair featuring The Project Renewal Scan Van, offering mobile mammograms and information on Race for the Cure. WWE Divas Tamina™, Alicia Fox™, Naomi™, and Natalya™ and WWE Superstars Titus O’Neil and Darren Young will take part in a meet and greet at the Church of the Revelation in the Bronx to promote breast health education and the importance of early detection.

• NXT Takeover Brooklyn – Saturday, August 22
On the night before the biggest event of the summer, WWE’s next generation of Superstars and Divas will perform at a sold-out Barclays Center with the biggest NXT Takeover yet. Finn Balor’s reign as NXT Champion hangs in the balance when he takes on Kevin Owens in a Ladder Match. NXT Takeover Brooklyn can be seen live on WWE Network at 9 p.m. ET.

• SummerSlam – Sunday, August 23
A sold-out crowd will converge on Barclays Center for SummerSlam. WWE’s biggest event of the summer, which can be seen live on WWE Network at 7 p.m. ET, will feature WWE Superstars Undertaker® and Brock Lesnar® in a rematch of their historic WrestleMania 30 bout where Lesnar ended Undertaker’s 21-year undefeated streak.

• Monday Night Raw – Monday, August 24
The night after SummerSlam, Monday Night Raw takes place at a sold-out Barclays Center for the third night in a row, where fans can see their favorite WWE Superstars and Divas. Monday Night Raw is the longest-running, weekly episodic program in U.S. primetime TV history and is one of the most-watched, regularly scheduled programs on cable, airing live every Monday night on USA Network.

Details On The 'WWE Performance Center: All Access Pass' Day Next Month

Here's the full announcement on WWE allowing fans inside of the WWE Performance Center next month:

See how Superstars are made with a WWE Performance Center: All Access pass

Do you want to know what it takes to become a WWE Superstar? Have you ever wondered what goes into putting a WWE Live Event together? Well, now you can have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to go behind the scenes with WWE Performance Center: All Access!

For the first time ever, WWE is opening the doors to the state-of-the-art Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. to a limited number of fans from the WWE Universe on Monday, Sept. 28. This unprecedented experience will give fans the opportunity to gain knowledge from the best in the business and learn how to produce a private NXT Live Event.

The WWE Performance Center: All Access experience will allow fans to:
•Share breakfast and lunch with NXT Superstars and Divas (meals provided)
•Participate in a Q&A and orientation session with NXT coaching staff
•Attend a Q&A and autograph session with NXT Superstars and Divas
•Sign a one-day WWE booking contract, granting admission to a private NXT Live Event at the WWE Performance Center that you will help produce, manage and watch alongside your favorite NXT Superstars & Divas
•Take an all-access Tour of the WWE Performance Center, which has never before been opened to the public
•Get an inside look at a private NXT training session
•Learn the ropes during a promo class and then create your very own unique promo video

Plus, you'll be able to take the experience home, with exclusive keepsakes like:
•Commemorative WWE Performance Center: All Access credential
•Photo opportunities to capture and share your once-in-a-lifetime experience with friends
•WWE Performance Center gift bag
•Limited edition event chair
•Personalized promo video; available post-experience
•Downloadable highlight reel; available post-experience

The WWE Performance Center: All Access experience is $1,499 per person.* Tickets will be available beginning Monday, Aug. 24 at 12 p.m. ET at NXTTickets.com. Space is extremely limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Don't miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime!

*Must be 18 or older, unless accompanied by a legal guardian. Transportation and lodging not included.

Call it a ‘Diva Revolution’: WWE’s NXT producing female stars of the future

WWE Performance Center coach Sara Del Rey (Sara Amato) recently spoke with Sports Illustrated's Extra Mustard blog. The full interview is at this link and has comments from Charlotte and Sasha Banks. Below are a few quotes:

Taking the training job with WWE:

"It's a void not having a trainer for the Divas, and that's an area that should be covered. It was kind of my dream job, but it didn't exist so I didn't know if it was possible. It all happened so perfectly—in my mind at least. Performing wasn't my passion. It is training and being in the ring and learning just the skills it takes to perform."

If the current crop of NXT Divas are here to stay:

"Oh yeah, I think there's going to be a very bright future for NXT Women's division."

Triple H NXT TakeOver: Brookyln Conference Call Recap: NXT Show In England, Divas, ROH, EVOLVE, More

Triple H held a conference call this morning in promotion of this Saturday's NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn show. You can check out the highlights below:

* He calls this event "incredibly historic" for NXT as a brand.

* Triple H didn't originally want to use the Barclays Center. He thought the venue was way too big for NXT, but started at 6,000 seats, which quickly sold out. He says if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.

* He made sure to specify that both the NXT Title and NXT Women's Title matches are both main events.

* Several matches will be taped for future television, and the actual special event will air at 9 pm.

* Triple H boasts about being able to sell out the Barclays Center three nights in a row.

* He stresses that he doesn't want NXT to be like Raw or Smackdown. He wants NXT to build their own identity and serve their own fans.

* He says NXT stars leaving for the main roster is a strength, not a weakness. He's happy or the talent and thinks it helps magnify NXT. Talent moving on to the main roster creates new opportunities for other guys.

* He feels like a proud father when the new WWE Divas revolution is showing what they can do.

* Triple H says that he's not trying to cause Ring Of Honor any harm by running NXT on Saturday. It was the best decision for WWE as a company.

See Also: ROH Star Talks NXT Being 'A Goal,' If Kevin Owens Is A WrestleMania Main Eventer

* WWE is running a Performance Center all-access pass promotion.

* Triple H speaks about EVOLVE, and says they're looking for any opportunity to support business as a whole. Independent promotions are important to the health of the business, but he has to do what's right for WWE.

* The WWE is getting increasingly more confident in NXT as a brand with every accomplishment they achieve.

* NXT is looking to run a show in England.

* He leaves open the possibility of doing more NXT TakeOver events prior to big WWE shows.

* He put over Apollo Crews, the former Uhaa Nation, and thanked us for joining the call.

Total Divas Recap 08/18/15

Final Four WWE Tough Enough Competitors Revealed For Next Week, Details On The Finale

Tonight's WWE Tough Enough episode featured the final three male competitors up for elimination - Josh Bredl, Tanner Saraceno and Zamariah "ZZ" Loupe. It was Tanner that ended up getting eliminated. Judge Daniel Bryan had a "save" left but did not use it.

Next week's finale will feature the final two women - Sara Lee and Amanda Saccomanno, and the final two men - Josh and ZZ.

WWE announced on tonight's episode of Tough Enough that next week's finale episode will feature live wrestling matches with Sara Lee vs. Amanda Saccomanno and Josh Bredl vs. Zamariah "ZZ" Loupe. Chris Jericho noted that throughout this week the competitors will work on their entrances and their matches before next Tuesday's finale.

How Professional Wrestling Raised a Legion of Nerdy Feminist Fans

WWE Performance Center Reality Show to Air?

Last night that Triple H revealed a "WWE Performance Center All Access" special to air on September 28th after RAW. PWInsider notes that WWE had been working on a reality series that would showcase NXT talents trying to make it in WWE developmental. Apparently the project was being done for the WWE Network so this "All Access" special could be related to that.

Ever wanted to go behind-the-scenes @WWEPerformCtr & see how @WWENXT Superstars are made? #GetReady #ThisIsAwesome pic.twitter.com/3AcN3VAHEz

— Triple H (@TripleH) August 18, 2015

Triple H Reveals Several New Matches and New Start Time for WWE NXT "Takeover: Brooklyn"

Triple H revealed new matches for WWE NXT "Takeover: Brooklyn" today. Here's the updated card for Saturday night, which now has a 7:30pm EST start time:

Ladder Match for the NXT Title
Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor

NXT Tag Team Title Match
The Vaudevillians vs. Blake and Murphy

NXT Women's Title Match
Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

Jushin "Thunder" Liger vs. Tyler Breeze

Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin

Bull Dempsey vs. Elias Samson

Apollo Crews vs. Tye Dillinger

Eva Marie vs. Carmella

Enzo Amore, Big Cass, Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley vs. Jason Jordan, Chad Gable, Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson

Charlotte vs. Emma vs. Becky Lynch vs. Dana Brooke

Jushin 'Thunder' Liger On How His WWE NXT Takeover Appearance Was Signed, Tyler Breeze, More

Enuhito.com has a translation of a recent interview wrestling legend Jushin "Thunder" Liger did with the New Japan Pro Wrestling website to promote this Saturday's match against Tyler Breeze at WWE NXT "Takeover: Brooklyn."

Liger revealed that he was at a ROH show last March in Philadelphia, where NXT was running that same week and wanted to go to NXT to see Finn Balor wrestle. He had a NJPW agent contact NXT head coach Matt Bloom, the former Tensai who also wrestled in New Japan. Bloom was able to secure a seat for Liger at the NXT event in Philadelphia and he attended. It was noted that nobody recognized Liger being there because he attended without his mask on.

Liger noted that Balor worked a great match against Neville that night and thanked him for coming afterwards. A few weeks later, William Regal, Bloom and Balor called the NJPW offices and asked for Liger's e-mail address. Liger does not use a computer so NJPW put them in touch with a representative and that's how the Takeover match was made.

Liger confirmed that he's not working under a "double contract" and that his Takeover appearance is a one-time deal. Liger said he does not know much about Tyler Breeze but will be researching him. He seemed impressed when the interviewer mentioned that Breeze was trained by Lance Storm.