Coroner Delays Ruling On Chyna's Death

CBS Los Angeles reports that the Los Angeles County Coroner's office has deferred a ruling on Joan "Chyna" Laurer's death pending an additional investigation into what happened.

As noted, the former WWE Intercontinental Champion was found dead at the age of 46 in her Redondo Beach apartment last Wednesday night.

There were no signs of foul play inside the apartment but it was previously reported that her death was being looked at as a possible overdose. Her manager and best friend Anthony Anzaldo, who found her after she went several days without answering her phone, said he found Chyna in bed with two prescription bottles in the same room — one for Ambien, one for an anti-anxiety medication similar to Xanax. He also said there was nothing illegal as she was prescribed those medications and there was no alcohol, no blood, no vomit or any other signs of an overdose.

WWE Studios Signs Deal With Wesley Snipes' Company

WWE Studios sent us the following today:

WWE® STUDIOS AND WESLEY SNIPES' MAANDI MEDIA DMM SIGN MULTI-PICTURE DEAL

Partnership to Develop and Produce Elevated Branded Content

Los Angeles, Calif. (April 25, 2016) - WWE Studios has entered into a multi-picture deal with Wesley Snipes, and his Maandi Media DMM production banner, to develop and produce elevated branded content. The recently announced film, TEMPLE, staring Snipes, Anne Heche, Dave Annable and WWE Superstar Seth Rollins®, which is currently in production, is the first picture under the partnership. It is anticipated that the second picture under the deal will go into production later this year.

"We are always looking for the ideal talent to extend our brand and Wesley is the right combination of action movie star and savvy producer," said Michael Luisi, President of WWE Studios. "We look forward to creating exciting new content with the perfect partner."

"The action genre has been a very big and important part of my career. There is no better way to extend my love for dynamic action based entertainment than with a company like WWE, who have been entertaining fans for decades with incredible visuals and deliciously entertaining storylines," commented Snipes. "Maandi strives to create elevated multi-media content that appeals to all demographics worldwide - from childhood fan to feature film collaborators. Wow, sooo cool! We are all incredibly excited to share visions."

WWE Studios will be handling worldwide rights and will leverage WWE's extensive platforms – including weekly TV shows, digital and social media and WWE Network.

Linda McMahon Talks Chyna's Passing On FOX Business

Linda McMahon appeared on FOX Business this morning, as seen in the video above.

During the interview, Linda discussed helping women in the workplace, issues affecting voters in Connecticut and the 2016 Presidential race, calling Ted Cruz and John Kasich coordinating their efforts to deny Donald Trump the Republican nomination a "collusion." Linda also talked about WWE dropping the terms Divas, saying that by dropping the term, it shows that women wrestlers are equal to their male counterparts and that Stephanie McMahon was behind that effort. She also discussed Chyna's passing, calling it a "loss" and saying that she'll be missed.

"It's always a loss when you've had someone that's come up in the ranks like Joanie [Laurer]," Linda said. "She was kind of in the forefront of the women's power position in WWE, so she'll be missed."

Triple H Names Top WWE Stars He Would Like to Work With, His WrestleMania Match Against The Undertaker, WWE NXT and More

WWE star Triple H did a Q&A during the WWE Paris event over the weekend, and below are some highlights:

-When asked who in WWE he would like to get in the ring with, Triple H says he’s not sure if he would want to get in the ring with any of the top WWE stars now, but in his prime he would loved to have faced guys like Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles and Finn Balor. Triple H says when you are as good as those names, you want to get in the ring with them and work with them.

-Triple H says one of his biggest career moments was facing The Undertaker at WrestleMania 27. He called the match very special and the end of an era in pro wrestling.

-He talked about his career longevity and said that he is proud to have been able to have a 20 year in-ring career and now transition to the WWE offices. He added that he takes a lot of pride in NXT, which he says is the future of WWE.

Samoa Joe Talks How He Ended Up in NXT

WWE NXT Champion Samoa Joe recently appeared on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast, and below is what Joe had to say on how he ended up in WWE:

“I think, for most part WWE was concerned that I would be insulted by some of the in-roads they made to me. You know, not understanding what he (HHH) was trying to build in NXT and what was going on here but we had some really solid meetings,” Joe said. “I’ve been fortunate enough that I’ve been kinda on the cusp of companies getting worldwide acclaim, and exploding, and this is like my third time, and it’s awesome so I recognize all the hallmarks and the signs that I’ve seen before, in places like Ring of Honor, and it’s like, when I saw that and I saw the energy and the vibe and I went to the shows, and kind of met with some of the guys, and saw how they felt about things, I was just like, no, no, this is, yeah I’m totally cool with it, it’s where I want to be.”

Does WWE Need Blood?

The icon of WWE's PG-era made some surprising remarks regarding the state of the company in an interview with Rolling Stone. 15-time WWE champion John Cena, who debuted a year after the Attitude Era is considered to have ended at WrestleMania X-Seven, said that he misses the days when blood often stained the mat after matches and wrestlers were free to use salty language on air.

Via Rolling Stone:

"I'd much rather it be a program geared toward me, whether that's TV-14 or sometimes even more graphic than that, which is what I like. For one thing, profanity brought fire out of people with personalities that backed the language. It's very difficult to say, 'Oh, you're being poopy,' especially when they're meant to be fighting words. And now, if someone starts to bleed, the referee intervenes to stop the bleeding. But before, you'd just let it fly. Blood is one of the things that made fights cool. Like, you knew it had gotten serious. I understand why we don't do it anymore. Vince has been a coach to me, a father figure, a boss and a friend, and his goal and my goal are the same: to make the company be as big as it can be. But, yeah, the blood is one thing I miss."

You may have forgotten, but Cena took part in one of the bloodiest matches in WWE history. Cena faced current commentator John Bradshaw Layfield in the main event of Judgment Day in 2005, in an "I Quit" match. JBL hits Cena with an unprotected chair shot to the head early on, which busts open Cena's head and causes blood to stream down his body. Over the next 14 minutes, Cena lost an incredible amount of blood and finished the match looking like Carrie. It's gruesome to the point of being distracting and hard to watch.

Does WWE need to gear weekly programming to adults, or is the current family-friendly product best for business? The answer lies somewhere in the middle. WWE can't pull off a revert back to the Attitude Era, nor should it attempt to...More?

source: foxsports.com

Two Stars Qualify For WWE Global Cruiserweight Series

WWE announced the following:

Zack Sabre Jr. and Jack Gallagher qualify for WWE Global Cruiserweight Series at PROGRESS Wrestling

LONDON – Zack Sabre Jr. and Jack Gallagher, two of the United Kingdom's brightest stars, earned their way into the WWE Global Cruiserweight Series by winning qualifying matches at a PROGRESS Wrestling event, WWE.com has confirmed.

Sabre, often described as one of the best unsigned wrestlers in the world, defeated up-and-comer Flash Morgan Webster to cement his place in this summer's highly anticipated tournament.

Gallagher, a technician with experience in mixed martial arts, bested hard-hitting "Bruiserweight" Pete Dunne in the second qualifying match to earn a coveted spot in the GCS.

The Global Cruiserweight Series, featuring 32 of the world's best competitors under 205 pounds battling for supremacy, begins Wednesday, July 13, at 9/8 C, only on WWE Network.

Maryland Championship Wrestling Becomes MCW Pro Wrestling

Maryland Championship Wrestling is excited to become MCW Pro Wrestling. This change recognizes success in providing events throughout not only Maryland, but Delaware, Pennsylvania, and abroad, as well as the growth of an online platform via an on-demand subscription video network at MCWRageTV.com.

Maryland remains the home of MCW Pro Wrestling. MCW Pro Wrestling continues to influence the larger world of professional wrestling through developing professional wrestling stars, like World Wrestling Entertainment developmental talent Patrick Clark and recent Ring of Honor star Lio Rush, and top-quality wrestling events.

"We are extremely excited to launch a new era in MCW and to present a logo that accurately reflects our position in the marketplace and where we will be heading the future," said MCW Pro Wrestling co-owner Dan McDevitt.

In the last year alone, MCW Pro Wrestling has showcased legends of professional wrestling, including Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Booker T, the late Rowdy Roddy Piper, Mick Foley, Matt and Jeff Hardy, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Billy Gunn, X-Pac, Chyna, and more, as well as provided a platform for internationally televised stars like Lucha Underground's Shane Strickland aka Killshot, Ring of Honor's Delirious and Jason Kincaid, and many young, developing stars of the future.

More?

Linda McMahon Talks Watching Shane McMahon's HIAC Jump With Shane's Wife, Their Reactions, More

Linda McMahon spoke with 105.3 THE FAN Dallas/Ft. Worth about a number of topics including Shane McMahon's bump from the top of the cell in his Hell In A Cell match against The Undertaker at WWE WrestleMania 32. Linda called Shane her "crazy son" when discussing Shane's dive from the top of the cell onto a table at WrestleMania 32. McMahon added, "he was a little bit stiff the next day, but he was fine."

"If I had to sign off on that, he wouldn't have gotten permission to have done it," Linda said. "I was standing next to Marissa [Mazzola-McMahon], his wife, as he's climbing up the cage and I know he's going to jump off and I'm just telling you, my nerves were just wrapped so tight. And as he jumps, we both grab each other. And when he hits and I know he has to hit the mark just right. That was an incredible, incredible stunt."

Chyna's Friend On Finding Her Dead At Home, Cameras Were Rolling, Chyna's Brain Being Donated, More

Chyna's manager and best friend Anthony Anzaldo told The New York Daily News that they are looking to donate Chyna's brain to Dr. Bennet Omalu, who was played by actor Will Smith in the "Concussion" movie. Anzaldo said lawyers reached out to him long before Chyna passed away on Wednesday to gauge her interest in joining a brain injury lawsuit against WWE. Chyna's camp didn't want any part in the suit but were intrigued by the science.

"When she died, they called me again and asked, 'Can we have her brain,'" Anzaldo said. "My hope is that we can do it. I'm in the process of getting the permission to speak on behalf of family to tell the coroner it's okay to release it."

"I've been told (Dr. Omalu) is calling the medical examiner to let them know the plan, so they'll be cautious with her brain. We're not interested in the lawsuit at all," Anzaldo said. "We're just looking for (the researchers) to give us everything they can get."

Anzaldo also said he was the one to find Chyna's body at her Redondo Beach apartment on Wednesday. He was actually filming the "Reconstruction of Chyna" documentary when he walked in to check on her, unaware what had happened. It was reported before that a friend of Chyna's found her after after checking on her when she went several days without answering her phone.

"Me walking in was shot. I would never show me finding her, but you might hear me," he said.

Anzaldo also said he found Chyna in her bed with two prescription bottles in the same room — one for Ambien, one for an anti-anxiety medication similar to Xanax. He said there was nothing illegal as she was prescribed those medications and there was no alcohol. He also said there were no signs of foul play, no vomit and no blood, that she was just lying in bed peacefully. Anzaldo said they are waiting on toxicology results but he doesn't believe her death was intentional.

He said he is comfortable with releasing the documentary because of how passionate she was about it. They are planning a large memorial service and looking to spread some of her ashes in the Pacific Ocean. The rest of her ashes will be interred at a place fans can visit, possibly in her hometown of Rochester, NY.

Triple H, Stephanie & Linda at the USO's 75th Anniversary Gala

Triple H On NXT at Download, "mixing fanbases" and Black Sabbath

The WWE legend chats to Hammer about NXT's special showing at Donington this June

WWE's Triple H has exclaimed his excitement about NXT's upcoming shows at Download Festival in June, as well as revealing that he's working to make sure he can get to Donington himself to catch some metal legends.

The Executive Vice President of WWE - who founded NXT as a developmental division for the company - revealed to Hammer last year that we could see the brand make its way to UK festivals, and with its appearance at Download officially confirmed, the 14-time world champion says that the NXT superstars are as excited as he is.

"Our NXT guys are excited to be able to go and watch some of the bands," he laughs. "[When we did Aftershock Festival in the States] it was great to see the crossover, because the bands would get done playing, and the first thing they'd want to do would be to go over and see the NXT matches."

Triple H also feels that NXT's showing at Download could help further strengthen the bond between two fanbases that have a long history together.

"If there are some fans of NXT that are like, 'I used to listen to Iron Maiden when I was a kid, now I'm gonna go see this NXT show at Download!', they're connecting there. While they're there, they're gonna see Sabbath and think, 'That was amazing!', or they're gonna see some younger bands. That's a huge connection point on both sides. There's also a lot of people that watch the [NXT TV] show, and if they see us playing Sleeping With Sirens or whatever, and they like the song, and that turns them onto that genre of music, then that's awesome, and vice versa. I think it's a great opportunity for both sides. To be able to mix fanbases and turn other people onto what you do, that's a great, great partnership."

But the question remains...will Trips himself make it to Donington this summer?

"Yeah, so I'm hoping!" he replies. "I'm trying to rearrange my schedule – I've got a tight schedule that weekend, and I'm trying to make it in. I will make it in for one of the days, I'm 99% sure. They're doing some stuff for Lemmy that I'd really like to be a part of, but I'm trying to coordinate all of it. For me - and maybe [WWE] doesn't feel quite this way - but for me personally, I put seeing Sabbath on the top of my list of things to do that weekend!"

Watch NXT superstars including Bayley, American Alpha, Asuka and more at Download Festival from June 10-12. NXT also hits the following UK dates this June:

Monday, 13 June: 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland.

Tuesday, 14 June: SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Wednesday, 15 June: Echo Arena, Liverpool.

Thursday, 16 June: Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth.

Friday, 17 June: Plymouth Pavilion, Plymouth

source: metal hammer