WWE sent us the following:
WRESTLEMANIA® BREAKS MORE RECORDS
Stamford, conn. – April 7, 2016 – In addition to setting a new attendance record of 101,763 fans, which led to the highest-grossing live event in WWE history at $17.3 million, WrestleMania also broke records for digital and social media engagement and merchandise sales.
Digital/Social Media
* WrestleMania 32 was the most social event in WWE history, according to Nielsen Social with 2.5 million mentions on Twitter throughout the day and 1.3 million mentions during the broadcast alone, an increase of 50 percent and 18 percent year-over-year, respectively.
* WWE-related content saw more than 250 million video views across WWE.com, WWE App and social media during WrestleMania Week, an increase of 122 percent year-over-year.
* WrestleMania set data usage records, totaling 8.6TB on the AT&T network. This set a new record for data traffic at AT&T Stadium, an increase of 36 percent over the data traffic during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in 2015.
WWE Network
* WrestleMania reached 1.82 million global households on WWE Network alone, making it the most-watched WrestleMania in history, with pay-per-view data still forthcoming.
* WWE Network subscribers viewed 21.7 million hours during WrestleMania Week or 12 hours per subscriber during the week. This compares to 15 million hours last year, a year-over-year increase of 45 percent.
Merchandise Sales
* WWE generated a record-breaking $4.55 million in WrestleMania merchandise revenue, an increase of 37 percent or $1.2 million, from last year's previous record at WrestleMania 31.
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April 7, 2016
WWE Touts More WrestleMania 32 Records - Merchandise, Digital And Social Media, WWE Network
Blackjack Mulligan Passes Away
WWE is saddened by the news that Robert Windham, aka WWE Hall of Famer Blackjack Mulligan, has passed away at age 73.
Considered to be one of the toughest competitors of his day — only his rival Andre the Giant could overshadow the 6-foot-9, 345-pound stud from Eagle Pass, Texas — Mulligan served as a U.S. Marine in Guam and played for the New York Jets before gaining fame in the ring. With his signature all-black gear — from his cowboy hat to his leather glove — and his thick western mustache, Mulligan cut the figure of a dangerous outlaw in the ring and proved every bit as treacherous with his feared iron claw hold.
Blackjack Mulligan In Action
Starting off his career in the AWA as “Big” Bob Windham, Mulligan soon joined up with Blackjack Lanza to form The Blackjacks in WWE. The duo won tandem titles across the country, including a reign as WWE’s World Tag Team Champions in 1975, and made their mark as one of the most iconic duos of the 1970s. In 2006, the pair was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by their manager, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan.
Reflect on the amazing life and career of one of sports-entertainment's most rough and rugged individuals, WWE Hall of Famer Blackjack Mulligan.
Mulligan’s career winded down in the late ’80s, but his legacy continued on as his sons, Kendall Windham and WWE Hall of Famer Barry Windham, entered the ring. Today, his hard-hitting style can be seen in his grandsons, Bo Dallas and Bray Wyatt, the boys of Mulligan’s son-in-law, Mike Rotunda.
WWE extends its sincerest condolences to Windham’s family, friends and colleagues.
Former WWE Star Rene Dupree Hits WWE With A Class Action Lawsuit
The wrestler known as "Rene Dupree" leads an effort over money from the company's over-the-top network as well as Netflix.
As World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) transitions from a time when it earned a good chunk of its revenue from pay-per-view telecasts to one where streaming platforms dominate, one of its former professional wrestlers is now asking a federal court to interpret an old contract that spoke of "technology not yet created."
On Wednesday, Rene Goguen (known in the ring as "Rene Dupree" as part of the group "La Resistance") brought a putative class-action lawsuit alleging he and others haven't seen money from the much-ballyhooed over-the-top channel, WWE Network, as well as videos put on Netflix.
According to the complaint filed in Connecticut federal court, Goguen signed a "booking contract" in 2003 where WWE took ownership over a wide swath of intellectual property including his nickname, personality, character, costumes, props, gimmicks, gestures, routines and themes.
In return, WWE was obligated to pay out 25 percent of net receipts to a pool of wrestlers for licensed products as well as for video cassettes, videodiscs, CD-ROMs "or other technology, including technology not yet created" consisting of pay-per-view videos. Other video items like a WrestleMania box set had just a five percent royalty share for wrestlers.
In February 2014, WWE made waves by launching its own $9.99 per month streaming network, which included videos of past live pay-per-view events as well as other wrestling-themed shows, and according to Goguen's lawsuit, this fits the definition of "other technology and/or technology not yet created" in the booking contract.
The lawsuit, aiming to represent those who signed booking contracts for the WWE and other professional wrestling outfits between 1980 to the present, asserts breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment and a violation of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, with millions of dollars in alleged damages being sought. Clinton Krislov and Brenden Leydon are the attorneys representing the plaintiffs.
In response, WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt tells THR that the problem with this lawsuit is that Goguen signed a contract in 2011 that destroys his ability to bring these types of claims. McDevitt wouldn't get into the specifics of this agreement, citing a provision on confidentiality, but he did say that he informed Goguen's lawyer last night. "His response back indicates he did not know about it," says McDevitt.
The WWE attorney wouldn't get into hypotheticals about potential other lawsuits from other wrestlers perhaps not bedeviled by waiver, but he expressed a lack of worry, pointing to the outcome of ESPN's legal dispute with wrestler Steve Ray for the proposition that many claims will be preempted by copyright law.
source: hollywoodreporter.com
Brie Bella On Why She's Leaving WWE
WWE.com posted an interview with former Divas Champion and recently retired Brie Bella, who confirmed that WrestleMania 32 was her retirement.
Leaving WWE:
"Yes. WrestleMania 32 was my last match. I wouldn't say my last match forever, just my last match that you'll see in a while. I am here at home because Daniel Bryan and I want to start a family soon. Or I shouldn't say soon — we want to start it now! We're going to start having babies, so I have to put my career on hold. It doesn't mean that I'm going to be gone. I'm going to be an ambassador for WWE. But I'm going to try motherhood."
If she'll miss the term 'diva':
"No! Absolutely not. Granted, of course, I have so many memories being a Diva. I guess it will always hold a special part of me. We always called ourselves Divas. I came in through Diva Search. I was a Divas Champion."
I always felt like it had this negative feeling to it because a Diva is so much more high maintenance, and that's the last thing we women wrestlers are. I'm really happy to see it go, just as I was really sad when I saw the original Women's Championship go away. It's amazing to just finally have it. So, yeah, I definitely won't miss it.
Women's Championship:
"Oh, my gosh. It was crazy. It's so hard to explain because it was such an overwhelming feeling. I couldn't stop smiling. I was just so proud of the three girls in the match. I felt like this is probably what women felt like the day it was announced that women can vote, or the day that women started in business and started feeling equal to men, owning and running companies. For me, I just felt like "Whoa, this is it! This is no longer about men and women. This is about all of us being Superstars." It's a very surreal feeling, and I just can't believe that I was actually there to witness it and be a part of it."
You can see the full interview at this link, where Bella talks about getting support from fans, her decision, and more.
April 6, 2016
Update On The EVOLVE / WWE Relationship, What EVOLVE Will Focus On Going Forward
PWInsider.com is reporting EVOLVE will be moving towards a focus on talents who have the most potential to move up to WWE developmental / NXT. The idea would be to have a list of talents that WWE could look at as potential signees, but they would still have the option of using other talents under contracts with other promotions for short term programs or for guest spots.
One example given was Sami Callihan, who just signed a deal with Lucha Underground. Callihan was originally involved in plans to challenge EVOLVE Champion Timothy Thatcher this past weekend, and he could always be used in shorter programs, but getting a longer term storyline may be difficult considering EVOLVE’s new focus.
Additionally, there is a plan to start running more EVOLVE events. The company had previously been running shows every 6-to-8 weeks, but now would start hosting events every 4 weeks.
Titus O'Neil Returning From Suspension Soon, WWE Running Contest With Titus And His Family
Titus O'Neil's WWE suspension for unprofessional conduct ends on April 10th, next Sunday, so it's possible that he returns at next week's RAW in Los Angeles or SmackDown in San Diego.
On a related note, WWE and the USA Network are running a new contest with Titus and his family, as seen below:
WWE WANTS TO SEND YOU ON A TRIP TO UNIVERSAL ORLANDO® RESORT WITH WWE SUPERSTAR TITUS O'NEIL AND HIS FAMILY!
You could win a trip to Universal Orlando® Resort, home of the world's two most jaw-dropping theme parks, where you'll attend the VIP Preview of the new ride Skull Island: Rein of Kong with WWE Superstar Titus O'Neil and his family. You can also explore more of Harry Potter's world than ever before at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™, swing high above the streets on The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man® and prepare for battle on Transformers: The Ride-3D. Plus, you'll stay in the heart of the excitement at Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort and enjoy the best in restaurants, live music, movies, shopping and more at Universal CityWalk®. It's a universe of action, thrills, and excitement for every member of the family. Vacation Like You Mean It® at Universal Orlando® Resort.
You could win a 3-night trip for four to experience it all for yourself, including:
* Roundtrip airfare for 4 to Orlando, Florida
* 4-day/3-night on-site accommodations at Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort
* Ground transportation between airport and hotel in Orlando
* Admission to both Universal Studios Florida® and Universal's Islands of Adventure® theme parks
* Tickets to Blue Man Group
* Admission to Wet 'n Wild® Orlando water park
* A "Meet & Greet" with Titus
* Attendance at the VIP Preview of Skull Island: Reign of KongSM
For more information on Universal Orlando Resort and for great deals on vacation packages, visitwww.universalorlando.com.
News On Bobby Roode And WWE, Roode Backstage At WrestleMania 32
Bobby Roode was backstage at WrestleMania 32 this past Sunday and was introducing himself to a lot of people. He also rode with talent back to the hotel after the show.
While Roode was shown on camera at NXT: Takeover last Friday, he actually had signed with WWE a week earlier. As you'd expect, he will start in NXT.
John Cena On Concussions, Possibly Donating His Brain For Research
TMZ Sports caught up with a very cautious John Cena while he was in New York City.
Cena is asked about concussions and if they're big in wrestling. Cena said concussions are an element of anything that involves contact. Cena also said he would be open to donating his brain to research because he's donated his body for other things. Cena said if he could do things to help people after he exists, he would be open to it.
WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon Now Worth $1.1 Billion
The WWE is as popular as ever, and its chairman/CEO Vince McMahon is reaping the benefits, as his net worth swells to $1.1 billion, reports Forbes.
Leading up to this past week's WrestleMania 32, shares of the WWE climbed 18%, helping McMahon's net worth climb, thanks to his 52% majority stake in the company.
Back in mid-February, Forbes estimated his net worth to just just under $1 billion.
The WWE Network posted impressive 49% year over year subscriber growth in the fourth quarter... now boasting 1.22 million paid subscribers at $9.99 a month. This gives the network the fifth largest direct-to-consumer subscription service in the U.S., behind only Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and MLB.TV.
The network segment of the WWE generated $159 million in revenue and $48 million in operating income last year, which is nearly double the PPV business before the network launch, according to the company. It's also the most followed sports channel on YouTube and second most on Facebook.
Hulk Hogan vs Gawker II Begins
According to The Wall Street Journal, two motions were filed yesterday by Gawker Media to reduce or reverse the $140 million in damages awarded to WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan.The report included the following statement from Gawker on the appeal process:
“Gawker is now beginning the process of challenging the jury’s verdict in a trial where key evidence was wrongly withheld and the jury was not properly instructed on the Constitutional standards for newsworthiness. So we expect to be fully vindicated. And even if the verdict were to stand, there is no justification for awarding tens of millions of dollars never seen by victims of death and serious injuries.”
