Stephanie McMahon Announces New Book Release Year, Why Book is Delayed

As noted, Amazon has changed the release date for Stephanie McMahon’s new book to August, 2020, but Stephanie took to Twitter and posted the following update:

"Thought I was done writing #unREALbook but realized I have much more 2 share! It will now be available in 2017. So close but yet so far!!!"

Billy Corgan Says That He Is 'Actively Involved' In Trying To Buy TNA, Talks TNA Creative Reports

As noted, tonight's episode of TNA Impact Wrestling will feature an "evolutionary announcement" from Billy Corgan.

Corgan hyped tonight's Impact on Facebook and said that he is now President of TNA, and that it is not just a storyline position but that it's real. He noted that their business "has been pretty complicated" over the past several years and that sorting some of it out has "definitely been a challenge."

Corgan also discussed reports that the TNA creative team is mostly run by John Gaburick with David Lagana and Matt Conway as the writers. Corgan said that he is running the creative department, and that everything that is on TNA television is his responsibility. He said that the creative team is Madison Rayne, John Gaburick, David Lagana and Matt Conway. He said that it has been the team for a while, with the only difference being that he is now in charge of it.

Corgan added that the source behind the story about the creative team also once said that he couldn't afford to buy the company. Corgan said it was funny because he is "actively engaged" in trying to buy the company. He said that it doesn't mean that he will buy the company, but he is trying to. He called it a complicated process that he hopes to pull off and that he not only wants to run the culture of the company, but the company itself.

Paige Reportedly Hires Legal Representation, WWE Future Up In The Air

Paige's WWE future is said to be up in the air right now, according to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. While also dealing with injuries, she is still serving a 30-day suspension for her first violation of the WWE Wellness Policy and is under contract until 2019 but there has been a lot of heat over her relationship with Alberto Del Rio, and other issues, leading to speculation on her not coming back.

We noted last week via MLW Radio's "MSL & Sullivan" podcast that WWE's Mark Carrano approached Paige and Del Rio individually and harassed them about the relationship. It was indicated that the office wanted them to end the relationship, which is why they were split up in the WWE Draft. It was also reported that the company threatened to fire Paige if she didn't break up with Del Rio.

The Observer reports that WWE is denying the story - the harassment to Del Rio and Paige, and the threat to fire her. Apparently there is also a claim going around that Del Rio called Carrano on the subject but Carrano just went silent during the conversation.

For what it's worth, Paige has now reportedly retained legal representation and there's speculation on if she will stay with WWE or leave.

Former WWE Star Hired For The Performance Center

After several recent stints as a guest coach, WWE has hired former WWE Superstar Scott Garland (Scotty 2 Hotty) as a full-time Coach at the WWE Performance Center, according to PWInsider. Garland had been working as a fireman in the Orlando area and in addition to helping out at the Performance Center, he's also helped out at various WWE NXT events.

Cruiserweight Classic Results: Last two Semifinal spots secured

Mick Foley On RAW Promo, Who The Mutual Friend Was That Lost A Loved One, Stephanie Relationship

As noted, Mick Foley noted on social media this week that the story he told about Stephanie McMahon at the WWE Hell In A Cell in 1998 "was 100% true." He elaborated more on the angle on Facebook, as seen below. He noted that he met Stephanie after the 1998 Hell In A Cell event, and said he saw her with Pat Patterson, who had lost a loved one that evening.

THE McMAHON/FOLEY ERA
I was absolutely elated following the opening of Monday Night Raw - an elation that had me looking back on the recent GM opportunity that was presented to me, as well as my extremely positive long-term friendship the woman who presented it to me, Stephanie McMahon.

The initial phone call a few months back caught me completely off guard. I walked downstairs, looked at my daughter Noelle, and said "I was just offered the Raw GM job."

"Are you going to take it?", Noelle asked.
"I have to", I said. "Otherwise, I'll be sitting on the couch, watching someone else do the job, wondering to myself 'what if."

There are two things you need to know that factored into my decision to take the GM job.
1) It's really important to me that I not be the guy sitting on my couch, saying "what if".
2) In regard to my time as WWE Commissioner in 2000, I'm going to quote #CruiserweightClassic stand-out Brian Kendrick quoting 80's hair-band Cinderella, who sang "Don't Know What You've Got Till It's Gone". My time as commissioner was one of the best periods of my life, and not doing whatever I needed to do to keep the job for as long as possible was one of the biggest mistakes of my life.
I guess I should probably include a third factor:
3) I love working with Stephanie McMahon.

In case you're wondering - the story of the girl with the shy smile/guy with the tooth in his nose is absolutely true. I was flattered that Pat Patterson included the story in his memoir "Accepted", and it is included in Stephanie's upcoming "unReal". I was in pretty rough shape after that 1998 #HellInACell match, but even after that pitiful run-in I did at the end of the Austin/Kane main event, I delayed medical care until I could find Pat Patterson who had lost a loved one during the course of the evening. I gave Pat a hug, noticed a beautiful young lady with a shy smile - and gave her what was probably a fairly hideous smile of my own. That was my unofficial introduction to Stephanie McMahon.

More?

Chyna’s Mother Makes Request For Police To Re-Examine Death Case

Pro Wrestling Sheet is reporting Joanie ‘Chyna’ Laurer’s mother is asking police to look into her daughter’s death after she re-evaluated information surrounding Chyna’s death, saying it needs to be further investigated.

The report states Laurer’s mother, Jan LaQue is working with a Redondo Beach detective handling the case, and LaQue claims Chyna’s manager, Anthony Anzaldo, wasn’t completely honest about details of the investigation. LaQue says Chyna might have fired Anzaldo a few weeks before she died, and emails from Chyna stated he stole from her and they were taking a break, with Chyna telling her mom to ‘refrain from talking to Anthony at the moment.’ LaQue told Pro Wrestling Sheet that she thought Chyna was just dealing with personal demons at that time, but now she fears something else was wrong, and now she is speaking up about it.

Several more details are included, such as Anzaldo reportedly giving away Chyna’s cello, and being confrontational about where her possessions are and where money raised and donated to her estate is going. Visit Pro Wrestling Sheet for complete details on this story.

Scott Hall Kicked Out Of Airport Restaurant After Incident With Bartender

TMZ is reporting that Scott Hall was ejected out of a T.G.I. Friday's restaurant in the Atlanta airport last Friday.

According to a witness, Hall was at the bar drinking Coors Lights and tequila shots. He allegedly hit on the bartender and called her a b---h, which caused problems with the bartender's father, who was at the bar. Hall reportedly didn't believe that the man was the bartender's father, and refused to leave when the manager asked him to. Police were called, and Hall left without further incident. No police report was filed. Click here to view the video.

WWE Renames Two Titles?

As noted, the SmackDown brand unveiled the currently vacant SmackDown Women's Championship and SmackDown Tag Team Championship. RAW is apparently following suit with the naming convention, as the WWE Women's Championship is now listed as the RAW Women's Championship on WWE.com, while the WWE Tag Team Championship is listed as the RAW Tag Team Championship.

Stephanie McMahon's Book Delayed Until 2020

It looks like Stephanie McMahon's memoir has been pushed back until 2020. The book was just announced this year for a release next month and Stephanie noted in late summer that she just finished the book.

Amazon has the book listed at this link with a release date of August 25th, 2020. The hardcover is also no longer listed for pre-sale but the e-book download can be purchased for $12.99. The book looks to be 272 pages.

Below is the full synopsis for "UNREAL: Inside the Crazy, Fun Show Business World of WWE":

An entertaining, empowering and revealing memoir packed with never-before-told stories from Stephanie McMahon, the daughter of Vince McMahon, wife of Paul "Triple H" Levesque, and the Chief Brand Officer of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), one of the most powerful brands in entertainment today.

In the ring as one half of the powerful "Authority," Stephanie McMahon's on-screen life is full of drama, villains, heroes, romance and scandal. However, Stephanie's on-screen life pales in comparison to the real story of the family behind the global entertainment powerhouse WWE.

This revealing memoir exposes her life growing up behind the scenes in WWE as the daughter of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. It also uncovers the secrets of her tumultuous romance with her husband Triple H, the frightening FBI investigation that threatened her family, and the reasons Stephanie rose above the rest to become the company's global brand ambassador.

Stephanie shares never-before-told stories of what it was like growing up in the shadow of the ring, and of the many WWE Legends who helped her grow into the woman she is today.

Now as WWE Chief Brand Officer, Stephanie is uniquely placed to shed light on the business behind the multi–billion-dollar entertainment company. Stephanie shares inspiring stories of her journey to the top, her successes and failures in the business world, and valuable advice for any woman working in a male-dominated industry. She is honest and candid about balancing her family life, including a marriage to WWE Superstar Triple H and their three daughters, with her intense, 365-day a year job as well as her on-screen bad-guy persona.

Stephanie McMahon's memoir is like Lean In, with a "billion dollar slap"!

Content Listing For New WWE Network 'Hidden Gems' Series

WWE is to launch a “Hidden Gems” collection on the WWE Network on Tuesday, September 6th which will feature some of the rarest footage and bunch of lost matches including Bret Hart vs. Terry Funk in ECW, Lou Thez vs. Ray Grunke;, and the Last Battle of Atlanta.

The official synopsis for this new series reads:

Journey deep into the archives, and dust off these Hidden Gems in a collection available only on WWE Network. Whether it’s Lou Thesz facing Ray Gunkel from the 1950s, or Bret Hart taking on Terry Funk in a rare ECW match, this collection has a little something for everyone. From the early days with Gorilla Monsoon, Gene Kiniski, and Andre The Giant, to modern day rarities with Seth Rollins, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and more, experience a potpourri of forgotten classics.

The footage featured in the collection, which has been confirmed by WWENetworkNews.com will be as follows:

05/30/1951 – Texas Rasslin’: Thesz vs Gunkel

Journey back in time to see Lou Thesz defend the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Ray Gunkel in a 2-Out-of-3 Falls Match.

09/23/1964 – Gagne-Metrics
Learn a different way to get in shape and feel great with Gagne-Metrics, courtesy of the Verne Gagne Foundation for Physical Fitness.

03/16/1961 – Gino ‘Gorilla Monsoon’ Marella
The dominance of the late Gorilla Monsoon is on display in this hidden gem, as Dave Ruhl tries to defeat Gino Marella for a monetary prize.

02/11/1969 – NWA Title: Funk, Jr. vs Kiniski
Witness Dory Funk Jr. establish his legacy when he battles the legendary Gene Kiniski for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

01/12/1976 – Andre The Giant Feat Of Strength
Discover why Andre The Giant earned the moniker of The Eighth Wonder of The World through these impressive Feats of Strength.

06/12/1976 – McMahon Interviews Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali uses his extraordinary charisma to show his determination to dominate the wrestling world in an interview with Vince McMahon.

07/07/1982 – Roddy Piper vs Jack Brisco
Will the dirty and underhanded tactics of Roddy Piper cost him when he challenges Jack Brisco for the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship?

09/22/1980 – Champs Collide: Race vs Backlund
Styles clash when NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race collides with WWE Champion Bob Backlund to see who is the Undisputed Champion.

10/23/1983 – The Last Battle Of Atlanta
In this historic confrontation, Buzz Sawyer and Tommy Rich battle inside a Steel Cage while Paul Ellering is confined to a cell of his own.

01/20/1987 – Ric Flair vs Barry Windham
The allure of championship gold leads Barry Windham to push Ric Flair to the limit in this classic bout for the NWA World Heavyweight Title.

08/19/1995 – Brothers Of Destruction
Before waging war with Kane in WWE, The Undertaker traveled to Smoky Mountain Wrestling to go one-on-one with Unabomb.

09/14/1996 – South Africa: Austin vs Bret
Far from their battle at Survivor Series ’96, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart lock up in this rarely seen encounter from South Africa.

09/11/1997 – ECW: Bret Hart vs Terry Funk
Go beyond the mat to relive the first of many ‘Retirement Matches’ for Terry Funk when he faces off against WWE Champion Bret Hart.

10/11/2000 – Samoa Joe vs William Regal
In a sign of things to come, Triple H travels to Ultimate Pro Wrestling to witness William Regal face future NXT Champion, Samoa Joe.

04/29/2012 – FCW Champion: Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins proves he has the heart of a champion early in his career by defending the Florida Heavyweight Title against Kassius Ohno.

WWE Announces Performance Center Combine Results

The first-ever WWE Performance Center Combine was held this week in Orlando. WWE announced that Riddick Moss and newcomer Bianca Blair were the male and female leaders. They announced the following:

WWE Performance Center Combine results

Bianca Blair and Riddick Moss were the female and male leaders at the WWE Performance Center Combine.

The results are in for the athletic testing held this week at the WWE Performance Center.

Known also as the PC Combine, the testing involved various NXT Superstars and Performance Center recruits competing in a battery of workouts. The events ranged from 60-yard sled shuttle sprints and overhead medicine ball tosses, to trap-bar deadlifts and bench-pressing for maximum repetitions.

Former University of Minnesota linebacker Riddick Moss was the top performer among the men, followed by 2015 WWE Tough Enough competitors Patrick Clark and Mada at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.

Among the women, Bianca Blair, who was an All-American and All-SEC track-and-field star at the University of Tennessee, finished first. NXT newcomer Ember Moon finished second and Mandy Rose, another Tough Enough alumna, came in third.

The overall standings take into consideration the athletes' performance in all of the events.