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February 24, 2016
February 23, 2016
February 22, 2016
Shane McMahon Returns to WWE Raw During Vincent J. McMahon Award Segment
As seen on WWE Raw tonight, Vince McMahon presented the first ever Vincent J. McMahon Legacy of Excellence Award to his daughter Stephanie McMahon, and the ceremony was interrupted by a returning Shane McMahon.
Shane McMahon demanded control of Monday Night Raw from Vince McMahon and Stephanie McMahon.
Vince agreed and said he would give Shane control of the show, but only if he wins one match, on one night. Vince said that he will choose Shane’s opponent, and if he wins, then he can have control of Monday Night Raw.
Vince then announced the match will take place at WrestleMania 32, and Shane’s opponent will be The Undertaker. Vince added that the match will take place inside Hell in a Cell.
JBL and Ron Simmons to Induct the Latest Name Announced for the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame, JBL and Simmons Comment, More
WWE has announced that The Godfather will be the second name inducted into the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame class.
The story was first reported by BleacherReport.com writer Jonathan Snowden, who spoke to The Godfather, real name Charles Wright. Below are some interview highlights:
Charles Wright reacts to news of his Hall of Fame induction:
“I can’t wait to see the fans and tell them how much I appreciate them. They don’t forget. I really appreciate everything WWE has done for me and I really appreciate all the fans. It’s such a big honor. I never expected to be in the Hall of Fame. Brother, that’s for eternity man.”
Former APA tag team JBL and Ron Simmons will be inducting Godfather into the Hall of Fame this year, and JBL had the following say about the honor:
“Godfather is legitimately one of toughest guys to have ever been in this business, but more importantly one of the most talented. He took several different characters and got them all over, which is an amazing feat. He is an incredible individual, and I couldn’t be happier for my dear friend. The days of us riding together in a car with Ron Simmons all over the world are the stories that should be told at his induction.”
Ron Simmons, who worked with Wright during their time in The Nation of Domination, had the following to say about the “edgy touchy” pimp-based Godfather character:
“It’s an edgy and touchy character with so much sexual innuendo. But it was done at the right time and in the right manner. He had to do it in a way that was entertaining and must-see character without getting underneath people’s skins. And it takes a lot of hard work to do that. You must have the charisma, the vocal skills, the physical skills. You couldn’t give that character to just anyone.”
Daniel Bryan to Return to WWE for “Daniel Bryan Night” at Upcoming MSG Live Event
The official website of Madison Square Garden, TheGarden.com, has announced that the March 25th live event will be billed as “Daniel Bryan Night.”
Daniel Bryan will be attending the event, which will also feature the following:
– Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus (with Triple H)
– Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose (30-minute Iron Man match for the IC title)
– Kalisto vs. Alberto Del Rio (US Title match)
– Big Show vs. Bray Wyatt
– AJ Styles makes his MSG Debut
Plus, there will be appearances by Ric Flair, New Day, Demon Kane and more.
Shinsuke Nakamura signs with WWE NXT
Shinsuke Nakamura, perhaps the hottest free agent in sports-entertainment, has officially signed with WWE NXT. The announcement was made during a press conference Monday morning in his home country of Japan.
His signing came during a whirlwind visit to the United States, which included stops at WWE World Headquarters in Stamford, Conn. and the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla.
“Talent is the lifeblood of our company, and the signing of Shinsuke Nakamura further demonstrates NXT’s commitment to bringing in the best talent from all over the world,” Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative said. “His explosive style will make an immediate impact to an already dynamic NXT men’s division.”...More?
February 21, 2016
'Wrestling Isn't Wrestling' Creator Says He's Been A Consultant For WWE For The Past Year
Director Max Landis made waves last year with his impressive Wrestling Isn't Wrestling short, a parody biopic about the career of Triple H. The short ended up getting over 2.1 million views and according to Landis, earned him a spot in WWE.
"Here's a secret, I've been a consultant on WWE Raw for the last year," Landis said on Table Talk. "I would occasionally say stuff like 'add another member to the Wyatt Family,' or 'make it so the NXT divas come up,' but I think other people were saying that s--t too."
Landis voiced his displeasure with the direction of some of WWE's programming, saying that there needs to be a little more variety to the interaction of WWE Superstars and Divas.
"I would say it needs to be cohesive, where each segment blurs into the next segment, and what happens at the beginning of the show affects every character. It needs to be cohesive. You can't have only the women interacting with the women, the midcard guys only interacting with the midcard guys, the nobody guys only interacting with the nobody guys, and the top guys only interacting with the top guys, because that creates a vortex of boredom," Landis said. "The best episodes of that show is where one thing happens at the start and it starts a ripple effects through the entire thing. They don't do it often."
Landis also revealed his contract status, and said he isn't opposed to remaining with the WWE. Landis also said that NBC Universal contacted him about the position after he made Wrestling Isn't Wrestling. He mentioned that he has a call with WWE tomorrow, and joked he might get fired for saying that.
"I think my contract's finally coming up, and lord knows they don't listen to me," he said. "I might end up continuing to work with them. They're their own thing. When I brought in there was a sense of 'Why should we listen to him?'"
February 19, 2016
Former WWE Star Says Daniel Bryan Might Still Be Wrestling If It Weren't For 'Concussion Lawsuits'
Former WWE and WCW star "Big" Vito Lograsso, who is one of several former talents currently involved in the "concussion lawsuits" against WWE, posted the following statement on Facebook.
It should be noted that WWE was getting involved in concussion research and awareness long before Vito and other wrestlers brought suits against WWE.
"My thoughts on this week so far are something to talk about. People are now starting to get in the know on CTE. If it wasn't for this lawsuit, Daniel Bryan would be going to Wrestlemania. Who knows what would have happened if he kept wrestling. I am happy he will be OK. The fear on losing your spot is real. Are you hurt, NO. You keep going. It was the culture. All the people now sharing concussion stories. All the awareness. But a year ago, this lawsuit and everything about concussions, CTE, was laughed at, made fun of, thought it was a load of crap. Now, it is reality. The education you are getting now, but what about back then ? Now people want to step up and be spokesmen and help. No one could care or donated there time last year. They could care less. Glad I made this possible for all to see. I speak for me, the others and the guys not here no more. My wish is for this to settle and make this a great thing. Right now it's a pissing contest instead of working together. Make things right and go for the gold on this. Waste your money on fighting something that is true won't get you any votes. Just prolonges what will be. Do it classy and not as a must. -Merit- , is what we have, the facts are there. Daniel Bryan moves on to have a family and keep his head together, a real positive here. If not for me taking this on , who knows what would have been. #fightvitofight"
EVOLVE Talks Involvement with the WWE Network
EVOLVE has issued the following:
February 19th: The mind-blowing 2016 continued with WWE’s announcements of the Global Cruiserweight Series coming to the WWE Network in July. Triple H mentions EVOLVE in this article as a promotion they are looking to work with to secure talent. This is going to make things even more interesting as the stakes continue to grow! What names on the upcoming EVOLVE cards do you want to see in the Global Cruiserweight Series? Tweet using hashtag #WWNLive and let us know!
Mike Quackenbush On Working At The WWE PC, Trading Holds With Chad Gable, Feeling Validated Now
As noted, indie veteran and CHIKARA owner Mike Quackenbush was recently at the WWE Performance Center for a guest coaching gig. Quack also owns The Wrestle Factory school in Philadelphia and revealed that graduates Cesaro and Sara Amato (Sara Del Rey) were instrumental in WWE contacting him for the guest gig. His week with WWE just wrapped up but "Quack" also worked backstage as a producer for NXT live events. He spoke with WWE's website about working with the company. You can read the full interview at this link. Below are highlights:
What the week consisted of:
I got do a bit of observing, and then I got to do some coaching and training with beginners, intermediates and the advanced players —those that are getting ready to depart NXT and go to the main roster. I got to do in-ring technique, one of my favorites. I got to oversee presentation class. I got to oversee the sessions where the guys and girls review their past performance and we give constructive criticisms and feedback.
Who were some of the WWE NXT talents he worked with:
One of the best things I got to do was spend some one-on-one time with specific talent that wanted to develop certain areas of their game. There was nothing I enjoyed more than having an hour in the ring with Chad Gable, who is simply one of the most outstanding performers I've ever been able to share a ring with. To trade holds and moves, to teach him and learn from him was such pleasure.
Feeling validated after working at the Performance Center:
I recall a study that was done a couple years ago where wrestling fans were asked to name any organization other than WWE. Less than two percent of them could do that. Less than two percent! If that's true, then I've spent my entire adult life laboring in relative obscurity. The things that I do, the things that I make, the theories I espouse, everything I've created, by and large, based on that study, has been in complete obscurity. Oftentimes, especially when it's something you're passionate about , you wonder, "What am I doing? Does it really have value? Does it have any influence?" You want to impact people and make a difference. To be down at the Performance Center and see how openly everything I believed about the art form was not just received, but embraced and celebrated, by people I knew, people I don't know or just met, even people I idolized, like Terry Taylor or Matt Bloom, it gave me a tremendous sense of validation.
February 18, 2016
Global Force Wrestling Lands First TV Deal
Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling appears to have landed its first TV deal, as New Zealand state broadcaster TVNZ is launching a new channel called DUKE that will be geared at a male audience. The DUKE website recently released a ‘launch promo’ which includes footage from GFW’s “Amped” series.
Liv Morgan is livin’ the dream in NXT
Regular viewers of NXT may have noticed her penchant for wearing a baseball cap and sneakers to the ring, or perhaps her football jersey, which pays homage to her home state of New Jersey.
With an unabashed sense of individuality, Liv Morgan has arrived on the scene of NXT. Also bringing with her a glowing excitement and an affirmative outlook, she realizes just how lucky she is to be competing under the NXT banner.
“To have made it here is completely humbling and beyond anything I could have imagined,” she told WWE.com. “I wake up every day excited to learn.”
After being discovered at Joe DeFranco’s Gym in Wyckoff, N.J., Liv began training at the WWE Performance Center in October 2014. It’s an experience she describes as a childhood dream come true.
“I grew up a huge wrestling fan,” she said. “My mom was a single parent raising six kids, and she worked very hard to provide whatever she could for us. We didn't have fancy material items, but we had cable, which meant we had WWE broadcasting multiple times a week. That completely took over our lives. I fell in love with it the first moment I watched.”
Liv’s love of WWE consumed her so much that she and her four older brothers built a makeshift ring in the backyard of their Elmwood Park, N.J., home.
I feel best when I'm in sweatpants, a pair of J's and a snapback.
- Liv Morgan
“We dug four poles into the ground and put lawn chairs in front of them for buckles,” she explained. “We tied three pieces of industrial rope around the corners, and the only mat we had was a stacked-up pile of lawn chair cushions. When we finished, we thought it was the most awesome thing ever, and my house instantly became the after-school spot for all of my brothers’ friends.
According to the fiery NXT rookie, it didn’t take long for her to channel her inner competitor.
“I would literally take Pedigrees and powerbombs like it was my job,” Liv said. “I always pretended to be Lita. All the Divas were so glamorous and girly, and I was such a tomboy and didn't have nice clothes. When I saw Lita come out in baggy pants and sneakers, wrestling the boys, I thought she was the coolest thing ever. I related to her and thought she could be my friend.”
Liv’s lawn chair-laden ring has since been replaced by WWE’s 20- by-20 squared circle, where she gets to train and compete inside every week. One might suggest the timing of her ascent is perfect, as many aficionados credit WWE’s much-publicized Divas Revolution as the starting point for the next golden age for women’s wrestling.
“Seeing the spotlight on all the women in the company is empowering,” she said. “Not only girls want to see the women wrestle, but men want to, as well. The fact that Bayley vs. Sasha Banks in [TakeOver:] Brooklyn was acknowledged as NXT’s Match of the Year is just as telling as what the female talent is capable of, and I cannot wait to be a part of it.”
Liv Morgan Emma
At 21 years old, Liv freely admits that she has a long road ahead to prove herself in NXT. Yet, she credits a deeply personal motivation with driving her to succeed.
“The passing of my dad really took a toll on everyone, especially my brothers,” she revealed. “They didn't have that father figure anymore, and started constantly getting into trouble. I definitely believe I learned from all their mistakes, which I am so grateful for.”
It was through those hard times that Liv realized who and what she needed to be.
“Growing up, I knew that I wanted and needed to be different,” she said. “I took it upon myself to be the one to do something great — not only for myself or to make my family proud, but to be able to give them all a better life.”
And to give her family a better life, Liv promises to stay true to herself every step of the way.
“I don't know how to be anything other than myself. I'm not a fan of makeup or dressing up,” she said. “I feel best when I'm in sweatpants, a pair of J's and a snapback. I grew up heavily influenced by hip hop music and pop culture, and I'd choose pizza over everything. There is nothing like individuality and to feel alive in your own skin. I want people that grew up struggling like me to know that no matter what circumstances you live in, even when you feel it’s hopeless, if you work hard and believe in yourself, you can and will achieve anything. No dream is too big.”
