The UK's Revolution Pro Wrestling announced today that they will be hosting qualifying matches for the WWE Global Cruiserweight Series. No word yet on when they will take place or what talents will be in the match. As noted, UK promotion PROGRESS Wrestling and EVOLVE will also be hosting qualifying matches.
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March 28, 2016
Another UK Promotion Hosting WWE Global Series Qualifiers
2016 WWE Warrior Award Recipient Announced
WWE released the following press release earlier this morning:
Joan Lunden to receive 2016 Warrior Award at 2016 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Joan Lunden, an award-winning journalist, best-selling author and breast cancer survivor, has been named the recipient of the second annual Warrior Award, which will be presented at the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, April 2 from American Airlines Center in Dallas, live on WWE Network at 8 ET/5 PT. The announcement was made by WWE Superstar John Cena on NBC’s “TODAY.”
The Warrior Award is given to someone who has exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance, and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of WWE Hall of Famer The Ultimate Warrior. The award will be presented to Lunden by The Ultimate Warrior’s widow, Dana Warrior. In June 2014, Lunden was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, which required chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Lunden made the decision to take her battle public and has since shared her journey through cancer treatment, becoming a prominent voice in the breast cancer community.
“It is truly humbling to be honored by WWE and receive this year’s Warrior Award at the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony,” Lunden said. “After being diagnosed with cancer, my first thought was to survive, but soon after, I changed my focus from my cancer to the fight against cancer and my life took on a whole new purpose. WWE has welcomed me into their family, offering me warmth and support, as have so many of the WWE fans from around the world. It is a privilege to receive this honor.”
“On behalf of my family, we are proud to present this year’s Warrior Award to Joan Lunden,” said Dana Warrior. “Joan embodies all that this award was meant to capture. She is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the quintessential Warrior woman. It will be an honor to recognize her at this year’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.”
“Joan Lunden has been an incredible role model to so many people and it is an honor to recognize her as the second annual Warrior Award recipient,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. “The will and perseverance she gracefully displayed in her fight against breast cancer is an inspiration to millions of women around the world.”
An eternal optimist, Lunden decided to turn her diagnosis into an opportunity to inspire others in the breast cancer community. Through her website, JoanLunden.com, and her social media channels, Lunden has created an online community dedicated to people living with and surviving from breast cancer. From her consistent journaling throughout her breast cancer treatment, Lunden wrote her most recent book, “Had I Known: A Memoir of Survival,” which documents her battle with cancer and provides a reflective look back at her life and career. Lunden continues to be an advocate for those diagnosed with the disease, making trips to Capitol Hill, and as a special correspondent for “TODAY’s” Pink Power series.
Last year, the Warrior Award was presented for the first time ever to Connor Michalek, a Pittsburgh native and passionate WWE fan who passed away from cancer. In his honor, Connor’s Cure was created as a fund within Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation to support pediatric brain and spinal cord cancer research. To date, Connor’s Cure has raised $1 million and assisted more than 100 families around the world.
The 2016 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony airs live on the eve of WrestleMania, Saturday, April 2, at 8 ET/5 PT, only on WWE Network.
March 27, 2016
ESPN Appearances Set For Brock Lesnar, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, Shane McMahon, The Undertaker
As noted, several WWE Superstars will be appearing on ESPN as part of the special WrestleMania 32 Week programming. Below are the scheduled appearances:
* Monday: Brock Lesnar on SportsCenter at 8:45am and 10:30am EST
* Tuesday: Stephanie McMahon at 10:30am EST on SportsCenter
* Tuesday: Triple H at 9pm on SportsCenter
* Wednesday: Shane McMahon at 9pm on SportsCenter
* The Undertaker TBA
Al Snow Wrestling Academy announces partnership with TNA
Impactwrestling.com issued the following this week:
AL SNOW’S WRESTLING ACADEMY PARTNERS WITH IMPACT WRESTLING
Veteran Trainer Al Snow has announced the official launch of his training center The Al Snow Wrestling Academy in London, England. IMPACT WRESTLING has entered into a partnership with Al Snow’s Wrestling Academy, as a place for the world’s best unsigned talent in the world to gain both experience and exposure. Al Snow’s Wrestling Academy has other agreements with European and Middle Eastern wrestling promotions to help their trainees get even more in-ring and travel experience. So if you want to chase your dreams of becoming a star in the world of professional wrestling, then training with the Al Snow Wrestling Academy is your best chance to make them come true. Al Snow and his staff of top level coaches have worked with nearly ever star in the wrestling business today, and know what it takes to build great performers from the beginning, to preparing seasoned performers for their TV debuts.
https://www.facebook.com/AlSnowWrestlingAcademy
https://twitter.com/alsnowacademy
Progress Wrestling to Host WWE Global Cruiserweight Series Qualifying Matches, Details
Progress Wrestling just announced they will be hosting two qualifying matches for WWE’s Global Cruiserweight Series.
Progress made the announcement live on Periscope moments ago, and said the two matches will take place at their next event on April 24th at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London, England. Tickets for the event will go on sale April 4th.
NXT General Manager William Regal previous announced qualifying matches for the Global Cruiserweight Series would take place all over the world, including matches for EVOLVE Wrestling. Regal made the announcement during his appearance at EVOLVE 56.
Dean Ambrose's wild ride from rejection to WrestleMania 32 star
Nothing enthralled Ambrose in his formative years more than pro wrestling. He devoured countless hours of wrestling footage on videotape. Soon, he concluded that the wild and colorful world inside his TV screen would be a great place to build his future.
"It was like a life on the other side of this," Ambrose said. "This green, sprawling Land of Oz that is pro wrestling. You just imagine, 'What would it be like to be a pro wrestler? What do they do every day? They just go out there and... wrestle.'"
In 2003, Ambrose found his entry point: An ad for a wrestling school run by old-school grappler Les Thatcher. Ambrose reached out to Thatcher right away.
"[Thatcher] was like, 'You gotta be 18 and get on the weights and get on a training program and get your degree' and everything," Ambrose said. "I didn't want to hear any of this. So I just showed up [at Thatcher's school]. I initially lied when I first got there. I was like 'Yeah, I'm 18.'"
Ambrose bluffed his way into the building long enough to watch some wrestlers in training. Before long, Ambrose confessed his fib.
"It was the coolest thing I had ever seen, just people doing drills," Ambrose said. "I was mesmerized. And he was going on his spiel, talking about what goes into it and so forth, whatever. Then, you know, [Thatcher said] 'Would you want to pay up front?' or whatever. I was like 'Oh, well uh, yeah, I don't have any money and I'm not 18.'"
But Ambrose refused to go away, hanging around the school until they put him to work doing odd jobs like selling popcorn and working on the ring crew. Inevitably, Ambrose became a trainee himself. When he wasn't at the school or working, he was often home, immersing himself in wrestling footage.
"I'd been studying wrestling from all over the world, going through stacks of tapes," he said. "I'd get off work at 7 in the morning, come home, and be like just watching wrestling for hours, then go to training later that day and try to implement what I learned that weekend."
By 2004, Ambrose -- then working under the name Jon Moxley -- was a real-life pro wrestler on the independent circuit. He became one of the most successful indy wrestlers in the U.S., but it was a far cry from the glorious life he had imagined when he was a teen. The paychecks were modest. The travel was brutal. Instead of performing in spacious arenas in big cities, he sometimes wrestled in high school gymnasiums in the middle of nowhere. Ambrose's tenacity and refusal to quit saw him through...More?
source: cbssports.com
March 26, 2016
Roman Reigns on fan backlash to his character on WWE TV
Jan Murphy of The Whig is featuring an interview with WWE star Roman Reigns discussing WrestleMania 32 next weekend the fan backlash to his character on WWE television.
"It's a tough one because there is no one answer. There is no one reason why someone would want to boo me. Maybe they don't like what I wear, how I sound, maybe I did something to offend them, but for me, it's hard because I'm under the microscope and I'm dealing with a lot of different things and there's a lot of things flying my way. For me, I can only continue to stay within myself and worry about the things I can control and the things I can control are, Am I healthy?; Am I showing up to where I need to be on time?; Am I here to perform and do my job? If I do that, then our fans, they can cheer me, they can boo me, as long as we all show up to the arena, everything will be fine. We'll be able to create that awesome experience, create that energy. I do know I have a lot of supporters. These people have my back. There's nothing that anybody can say negatively to me that will make me believe you are correct. It's just your opinions."
You can check out the full interview here.
Triple H at The Garden
Thank you, @TheGarden. Nothing like performing at #WWEMSG. pic.twitter.com/35pHwpD5Hm
— Triple H (@TripleH) March 26, 2016
March 25, 2016
Rumor Mill - Brie Bella retiring from WWE in April
WWE Diva Brie Bella will retire after the April 4 edition of RAW, Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reports.
While Bella’s in-ring career will end after the first post-Wrestlemania edition of RAW, she will still be involved in other WWE programming, Satin adds.
Bella originally said that she planned to retire this summer but is stepping away earlier because her husband Daniel Bryan is experiencing some kind of medical issue, according to the report.
Oderint Dum Metuant: Let Them Hate As Long As They Fear
