WWE Suspends Paige

From WWE.com:

WWE has suspended Saraya-Jade Bevis (Paige) for 30 days effective tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 18, for her first violation of the company’s talent wellness policy.

Alberto Del Rio Suspended

From WWE.com:

WWE has suspended Jose Rodriguez (Alberto Del Rio) for 30 days effective tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 18, for his first violation of the company’s talent wellness policy.

Booker T Talks New Era Talents He Thinks Will Be Big Stars in WWE, His New Role in WWE

WWE Hall of Famer Booker T recently did an interview with Cody Dalton of The Observer News Enterprise, and below are some highlights:

CD: In WWE, they are talking about this being “The New Era.” Who do you see out there wrestling now that you think will be the next big star in your business?

BT: “I think it’s going to be more than just one guy. WWE finally opened up the door to the independent world, letting those guys come in and show exactly what they have. I’ve always thought there was a lot of untapped talent out in the independent world. They weren’t the prototypical WWE Superstar, but maybe they are the ‘People’s Champion.’ I think now with guys that have been around like (Finn) Bálor, who has been around a long time. Kevin Owens, Neville — those guys have been around a really long time. You’ve got guys like Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe, (Austin) Aries and guys like that who are getting a chance to come in, as well. They get a chance to perform on the big stage. You see A.J. Styles doing very, very well since he finally got a shot at going out there and performing. You actually see a guy who has pretty much a Southern accent, can get on the microphone and deliver a good promo. There’s going to be a lot of guys actually that are going to be coming up. I feel like the business is in good hands for the years to come, the Wrestlemanias to come and the pay per views to come.”

CD: What’s harder — wrestling, teaching someone to wrestling or being a commentator in WWE?

BT: “Probably commentating. That’s why I’m an analyst now. That’s why I’m not commentating anymore. I’m just an analyst on the Kickoff Show on the pay per views. I like being an analyst. Being able to go out there and talk about Zack Ryder from a commentary perspective, there may be some rough patches, but to be able to analyze Zack Ryder — him being a guy that’s been in WWE for over 10 years, a guy that’s been a journeyman, a guy that’s been trying to crack through that glass ceiling and it just doesn’t seem like it’s ever going to happen for him. Maybe he should retire. Maybe he should just go away. I can do that.

Video: Demon King Debuts On Raw

Billy Corgan named new president of TNA Wrestling

IMPACT Ventures [IMPACT], the parent company of TNA Wrestling and IMPACT WRESTLING, today announced the appointment of Billy Corgan as its new President. Current President Dixie Carter becomes Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer of IMPACT.

As President, Billy Corgan will be responsible for leading day-to-day operations for IMPACT and its affiliated brands. As Chairman, Carter will focus on long-term planning, strategic partnerships and global growth.

"Billy is a visionary, an iconic artist and savvy businessman with an incredibly gifted creative mind. He has built a decades-long successful global brand, and also has a deep passion and understanding for professional wrestling," said Carter. "In working with Billy over the last 16 months, he has impressed me to the point that I've been in discussions with him to take an elevated strategic leadership role within the company. The more we discussed our vision for the organization, the clearer it became that position needed to match his commitment."

"We are entering an exciting new era for IMPACT and will be working to continue to define our brand, develop global strategies for success, and structure for future investment and growth," added Carter. "These moves, effective immediately, signify the team's determination to work together to effectively cover more ground and capitalize on TNA's current momentum that has seen ratings rise in recent months."

Corgan, 49, is an American musician, songwriter, producer, TV writer and poet, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins, who have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and won multiple Grammy Awards. Corgan joined IMPACT in May 2015 as a senior producer.

"I believe in this company, its passionate fans, the talented roster and the dedicated staff and crew," said Corgan. "I am committed to this great opportunity and will use all of my resources and connections to drive the success of this company. This year we have made significant strides in establishing a strong foundation for our future and will be aggressive in continuing to evolve and grow the IMPACT brands."

IMPACT's flagship broadcast IMPACT WRESTLING airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Pop, and in more than 120 countries around the world.

Rumor Mill - Details on Shawn Michaels Accepting a New WWE PC Job

Shawn Michaels has been offered a full-time role as a coach down at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, to lead talents in their “finishing classes”. HBK was reportedly offered the role to substitute for Terry Taylor, who has been absent from the WWE PC following neck surgery.

PWInsider.com has since updated its story noting a “highly placed source” has informed them the HBK – WWE deal is not yet done, and Michaels is not at the WWE PC today nor is he scheduled to be at the PC this week. Michaels has had two appearances as a guest coach at the PC as of late, and the “ball is in his court” if he wants to accept the full-time job. Apparently the hold up right now is the decision Michaels will have to make to relocate his family from Texas to Florida.

WWE Coaches Being Called Up

WWE Performance Center coaches Adam Pearce and Sara Amato (Sara Del Rey) will begin working as full-time producers for WWE's main roster soon, according to PWInsider. WWE has been planning on making changes with Performance Center coaches since before the WWE Draft and now some of those changes are being implemented.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs and his love affair with WWE

Sean "Diddy" Combs wasn't about to let his pride get in the way of telling a good story.

So when the hip-hop recording artist, producer and actor, known worldwide as "Puff Daddy," was asked how his relationship with WWE first came to be, he didn't hold back. Combs recalled sitting down to watch WWE and seeing the same familiar face pop up on the screen as a celebrity guest.

"I want to tell you the truth, I called [WWE] after I saw Snoop Dogg," Combs said.

Snoop Dogg, the iconic rapper and first cousin of current WWE women's champion Sasha Banks, has had such a memorable run on WWE telecasts in recent years that he was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame in April. His success challenged Combs, a pro wrestling fan since his youth, to throw his own name into the ring.

"I had to put my ego down and make sure that [WWE] had my information because I did not understand why I hadn't been called yet," Combs told ESPN.com before letting out a hearty laugh. "And that really did happen. I'm not just saying that. I called Neil [Lawi, senior vice president and general manager of WWE Music Group] and was like, 'Yo, Neil, what's up?'"

Combs went on to make a pair of singing performances under the bright lights of the WWE stage -- in a 2010 "Tribute to the Troops" show in Texas and, most prominently, at WrestleMania 29 in 2013 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. But the self-proclaimed "Bad Boy" made headlines this week when it was announced a new collaboration with WWE was in the cards.

In addition to a brief appearance Monday on Raw -- trading one-liners with the WWE tag team champions, The New Day -- Combs was named as the soundtrack curator for the WWE 2K17 video game that hits stores on Oct. 11.

An opportunity for a reunion with WWE was something he jumped at.

"[The McMahon family] are a great role model brand and, most importantly, a role model family, as far as building an empire and passing your legacy on to your kids," said Combs, a wildly successful entrepreneur in his own right. "When you interact with the McMahons, it's so professional and so positive."...More?

Vince McMahon Absent From Recent WWE Events, How He Has Still Been Involved, When He's Expected Back

No word yet on why but Vince McMahon has not been at WWE TV tapings for the past two weeks. He’s also not scheduled to be at TV next week for the go-home shows but will be at SummerSlam in Brooklyn on August 21st.

While he has been away, Vince was still in communication with everyone and was on the phone during the production meetings for the last two weeks. This should come as no surprise but Vince was still micro-managing every single detail of RAW and SmackDown all day long before they went live.

It was reported back in late June that Vince also missed the June 20th RAW and June 21st SmackDown tapings.

source: wrestling observer newsletter

ESPN Launches New WWE Vertical Dedicated to Pro Wrestling

The Worldwide Leader In Sports is jumping into the wrestling ring.

ESPN.com has launched a new vertical dedicated to delivering comprehensive coverage of WWE and the world of professional wrestling, the network announced Thursday.

The portal will serve as a one-stop destination for content including match results, features, wrestler profiles, rankings, international wrestling and videos.

The announcement comes less than a month after WWE Superstar and “Trainwreck” actor John Cena hosted the 2016 ESPYs, earning rave reviews from viewers and athletes alike.

“I was sitting in the audience at the ESPYs and watching John Cena do his thing and he was incredible,” Chad Millman, ESPN Vice President, Editorial Director, Domestic Digital Content, told TheWrap. “Seeing some of the sketches that were done, I turned to my boss and said: ‘We could clip each of these things and throw them on the website right now if we had the site up at that moment.’

“It did speak to the relationship between sports fandom and wrestling fandom — and where the intersection is, which is why we are doing this right now,” he continued. “We see every day how passionate wrestling fans are and how often they are also sports fans. The way that they perceive wrestling and pro wrestlers is not that different to how we perceive other professional sports stars.

“We want to cover it like we do with any other sport such as the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA and everything else that we cover — with credibility and authenticity.”

More?

WWE Sees Opportunities to 'Integrate LGBT Storylines' In Programming

Speaking at a Beyond Sport United event in New York this week, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon said her organization -- best known for its wrestling showdowns -- is committed to LGBT inclusivity.

"Throughout my life I have grown up knowing gay [WWE] superstars and executives," McMahon told NBC OUT backstage. "It's always been accepted, but now it's about getting that message out there."

"It's about his life as a gay wrestler and how from the beginning of his career he had to hide that," McMahon explained "He first came out … on a show on WWE Network called 'Legends' House.' It was a reality show with a bunch of our legends, and he had such a positive response. It was so warm and supportive that he then decided to tell his story."

McMahon told NBC OUT her organization is committed to inclusive storytelling and said "when it makes sense … absolutely we will integrate LGBT storylines into our programming."

More?

From Divas to superstars: The evolution of the WWE's women's division