WWE Fines Lars Sullivan $100,000 For Past Bigoted Comments

WWE has fined rising Superstar Lars Sullivan $100,000 for past comments made, mostly between 2007 and 2013, that were recently unearthed. The comments resurfaced in November of last year before dying down, but the troublesome controversy returned once again when WWE veteran and New Day member Big E publicly addressed them via Twitter:

Many are aware. If true, he has to bear the albatross of being a bigot & working in a company that is now filled with minorities.

— Florida Man (@WWEBigE) May 8, 2019

After facing pressure from fans, and as the budding scandal drew attention from major sponsor Mars Wrigley, WWE issued the following statement to me via email:

WWE supports a culture of inclusion regardless of gender, race, religion or sexual orientation, and we are committed to embracing all individuals as demonstrated by the diversity of our employees, performers and fans worldwide.

Dylan Miley (aka Lars Sullivan) will be fined $100,000 and required to complete sensitivity training for offensive commentary uncovered from his past. WWE will also facilitate meetings for Dylan with community organizations to foster further discussion around the power of social media and the impact of your words.

WWE has come under fire in recent years for their dealings with individuals and organizations who are perceived to have bigoted philosophies. Last week, I criticized the promotion for developing a pattern of turning a blind eye to bigotrygiven its re-signing of Hulk Hogan, dealings with Saudi Arabia and now the Lars Sullivan debacle. WWE’s delayed, yet appropriate, action against Lars Sullivan is an encouraging step in the right direction for a global promotion that will only thrive without racist toxicity rooted within its culture.

Alfred is a contributor to Forbes Sports Money. Follow him on Twitter @ThisIsNasty, Instagram @Akonuwa and LIKE him on Facebook.

WWE Issues Email To End Support For The WWE App From The Following Older Devices

WWE's statement on the WWE App and older applications future access to the app:

Our goal is always to provide you with the best possible viewing experience on WWE Network. Unfortunately, several device manufacturers have stopped updating the operating system of older products, which may impact your ability to stream high-quality video. As such, the WWE Network app will no longer be available on the devices listed below starting May 21, 2019:

• Amazon Fire Tablets
• Apple TV – 3rd Generation and earlier models
• LG – 2016 and earlier models
• PlayStation 3
• Samsung – 2016 and earlier models
• Samsung and Sony Blu-Ray Players
• Sony – non Android TVs
• Windows 10 Desktop
• Xbox 360

You can stream WWE Network on many other supported devices. For a full list, please visit WWE Network Support.

Sincerely,
WWE Network Support
www.wwe.com/wwenetwork

WWE Announces New Triple H Special

A new WWE Network special on Triple H will air on Saturday, June 1 after the WWE NXT "Takeover: XXV" event goes off the air from Bridgeport, CT. The special will look at The Game's recent Road to WrestleMania 35 for the No Holds Barred win over Batista.

Siena softball’s Ouellette dreams of WWE future … like her Uncle ‘Triple H’

In the break between the first inning’s top half and its bottom during this season’s Siena College softball home games, it was common for the loudspeakers to blast Motörhead’s “The Game.”

Siena sophomore Neysa Ouellette was in on the joke.

She laughed, too, as she remembered how her teammates first reacted when that song was played before the Saints batted: “This is so aggressive. Why is this playing? We didn’t pick this, did we?”

They hadn’t — but it’s a familiar tune for Ouellette.

“Well,” Ouellette told her teammates, “this is my uncle’s song.”

Ouellette’s uncle is Paul Levesque . . . who is better known as professional wrestling personality “Triple H,” a 14-time WWE world champion who has mostly used Motörhead songs as his entrance music during his decades-long wrestling career. While Levesque still frequently appears on WWE programming, his main job now is as the company’s executive vice president of talent, live events and creative, and he is married to WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon.

Nobody questions Ouellette on how she refers to her aunt.

Her uncle, though, is a different story.

“Everybody always asks me, ‘What do you call him? Triple H?’” Ouellette said. “But, no, he’s Uncle Paul.”

More?

Dean Ambrose Signs On For New MMA - Wrestling Movie Produced By Former WWE Star Christian

Former WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose has signed on to star in a MMA-themed action movie, according to Deadline.

Billed under his real name, Jonathan Good, Ambrose has joined the cast of Cagefighter, which is currently in pre-production. The movie tells the story of a lauded MMA champion who unexpectedly loses a heavily promoted fight to a pro wrestling star making his crossover debut in the world of MMA. Humiliated by the loss, the fighter must fight his way back to the top and earn a rematch.

The movie also stars real-life MMA fighter and actor Josh Herdman, Michael Jai White, Gina Gershon, Michelle Ryan and Jason Maza. MMA legends Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva and Alexander Gustafsson will also appear.

Former WWE star Christian is the Executive Producer of the movie. There's no word yet on when it will be released, but we will keep you updated.

The XFL Has Four New Homes

The XFL will be showcased on ABC, ESPN, Fox Sports and FS1 when the new season launches next year.

The news was broken via tweet, as games will be played both on weekly TV as well as cable.

"We look forward to showcasing the XFL on ESPN and ABC, including the kickoff game and championship during the league’s inaugural season,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN Executive Vice President, Programming and Scheduling.

The XFL will launch in February 2020, and will feature teams from Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay and Washington D.C.

"We welcome the XFL to the FOX Sports Family and are pleased to expand our relationship with Vince McMahon,” said Eric Shanks, FOX Sports CEO & Executive Producer.

The new XFL will be a follow-up from the 2001 league, which closed after one season.

Triple H Announces 25th WWE NXT Takeover Special For Bridgeport, Connecticut In June

Triple H has announced that the 25th WWENXT Takeover event will take place from the Webster Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

He wrote, "Florida, Toronto, Los Angeles, London, Chicago, Texas, BROOKLYN, Phoenix, Philly, New Orleans... ...to our TWENTY-FIFTH take over. @WWENXT #NXTTakeOver: XXV is LIVE from the @Webster_Arena Sat, June 1, 2019."

"Takeover: Bridgeport" or "Takeover: XXV" will take place on Saturday, June 1 from the Webster Arena. Tickets go on sale at 10am ET this Friday via NXTTickets.com.

WWE Hall Of Famer Joins NXT Broadcast Team

A WWE Hall Of Famer is the newest member of the NXT broadcast team.

Beth Phoenix will be replacing Percy Watson joining the team of Mauro Ranallo and Nigel McGuinness.

Pheonix has been hugely active on WWE television of late, returning prior to WWE before WrestleMania and she was also part of the Women’s Tag Team Championship match at Mania.

It was also announced a few days ago that she will be wrestling on the WWE European tour.

Jon Moxley Returns In Teaser Promo

Now that Dean Ambrose has left the WWE, it seems a teaser promo was soon to follow ushering in the return of Jon Moxley shown in a video from his only visible post on Twitter (@JonMoxley).

https://twitter.com/JonMoxley/status/1123438186410205184?s=19

WWE Confirms Bill Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and Undertaker for Upcoming Saudi Arabian PPV

The following press release comes from WWE.com:

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA and STAMFORD, Conn. — The Saudi General Sports Authority, in partnership with WWE, will host an event at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, June 7, at 8 p.m. AST. The event will feature WWE Superstars Roman Reigns, Undertaker, Kofi Kingston, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Goldberg, AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar, and stream live on WWE Network.

Additional details on the event’s matches, ticket availability and pricing, and regional broadcast information will be announced in the coming weeks.

Brock Lesnar Retires From MMA

Brock Lesnar has decided not to return to MMA, according to ESPN. The Beast is now retired from the sport.

UFC President Dana White said that Lesnar has informed the company that he does not plan on fighting in the Octagon again.

Lesnar had been rumored for a summer 2019 fight against UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier. That fight will not happen as Lesnar told White last week that he is retired from the sport.

"[Lesnar] told me he's done, he's retired," White told ESPN. "We're going to move in another direction with Cormier."

White now plans to book a rematch between Cormier and former champion Stipe Miocic.

Lesnar's last MMA fight came at UFC 200 in July 2016, a win Mark Hunt over that was overturned due to a failed drug test from Lesnar. He had put himself back in the USADA drug-testing pool last July, which made him eligible to fight again for the UFC this past January.

Lesnar lost the WWE Universal Championship to Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 35 earlier this month and is not currently scheduled for any WWE events. He has been rumored for WWE's next event in Saudi Arabia, which is expected to take place on Friday, June 7th.

Big Changes Coming To WWE Network In 2019

The WWE Network will see some huge changes in 2019, according to the company's Q1 earnings call. 

During the call with investors, WWE Co-President George Barrios noted that their team has been working on the new platform for over a year, and they are very excited for it to be released. 

The re-launched Network will include new features fans have been asking for for a while, though did not specify what these features will be.

Last year, WWE sent out a survey that gauged interest on a potential premium tier of the Network, which would offer "more content, features, and perks" for $15 per month

Source: WWE