WWE Course To Be Offered At The Harvard Business School This Fall, Triple H Comments

"WWE has been a force in live entertainment, television production, and digital content in its 40+ year history. Thrilled that Professor @anitaelberse will highlight our innovations and challenges as a case study for her @HarvardHBS class this fall," Triple H tweeted on the course.

Below is WWE's full announcement on the course:

Harvard Business School to offer course featuring WWE case study

The prestigious Harvard Business School is offering a case study on WWE as part Anita Elberse's course "The Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports," beginning this fall. The course will enroll 180 MBA students in their second year and will also examine other major sports and entertainment brands like The Walt Disney Studios, NBCUniversal, Nike and personalities such as former WWE Champion Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, LeBron James and more.

The course will explore factors that drive sustained success for organizations and individuals in sports and entertainment; understand how companies can diversify beyond their core business to create engagement and value for fans and other stakeholders; and how business can best pursue contracts with star talent.

The course begins in time for the fall semester.

Stephanie McMahon Believes A WWE Women’s Match Is In Saudi Arabia’s Near Future

Stephanie McMahon says WWE will be at the forefront of change in Saudi Arabia, and we will see a women’s match in the country in the “near future.”

Stephanie McMahon was speaking at the Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon in Orlando today, and was asked by Spectrum Sports’ Despina Barton about WWE’s agreement for events in Saudi Arabia and how it relates to women being able to compete. McMahon referenced Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks getting “this is hope” chants when they competed in the first-ever WWE women’s match in Abu Dhabi. She noted that it took six years for WWE women to perform in Abu Dhabi, and said she believes the women’s match will happen “in the near future” in Saudi Arabia.

It was reported last week that Natalya and Bliss were flown to Saudi Arabia in the ropes of competing at WWE Super ShowDown in Jeddah, but the match request was ultimately turned down.

Stephanie McMahon's WWE NXT Meeting

WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon was in Orlando this week for a business luncheon. She also visited the WWE Performance Center and Wednesday's WWE NXT TV tapings at Full Sail University. Stephanie reportedly held a talent meeting before Wednesday's tapings, which was described as a pep talk.

Stephanie reportedly pushed how great everything is with the company, and how talents get to be their own brands in the company. Stephanie also pushed social media in a big way. Her presentation included a big screen that showed how Forbes recently listed WWE and WrestleMania as one of the top 10 most powerful brands on social media, among other points.

Triple H Talks Match With Randy Orton, What The Future Holds

Triple H was unable to defeat Randy Orton during the WWE Super ShowDown, but he was able to get through the match without injury, and because of the fact that he was back in Saudi Arabia after suffering an injury there, Triple H discussed his future after the match.

“I came back in six months, but that had nothing to do with it. said Randy Orton would be the coal that would be squeezed into a diamond. Still to this day … one of the absolute best that there is in this business, bar none,” he said. “For me to walk out there in this stage of my career … 100-degree heat, six months after a pec tear, it’s a win for me.”

Triple H went on to say that there was nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to losing to Orton, and praised the fans in Saudi Arabia, but noted how hot it was. “All air left the building at about the two-minute mark, but my hats off to Randy Orton, one of the best there is.” According to Triple H, their back-and-forth lead up to the match was nothing but “heat of the moment” stuff, and there’s still lots of respect between the two.

When asked what his plans next were for Triple H, he said that while the opportunities to continue doing in-ring action were “few and far between,” they still mean a lot. “I’m going to fly home, I’m going to take a minute, be with my family, and see what’s next.” he said. Triple H also said that he’d continue to head down to Florida to watch NXT, and make sure the WWE was in good hands for the future.

WWE NXT Takeover Draws More Than RAW And SmackDown

As noted, Mauro Ranallo announced that Saturday's WWE NXT "Takeover: XXV" event from the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT was sold out, but no attendance figure was given. Triple H revealed in his post-show media call that the 25th Takeover special was the highest-grossing event WWE has done at that arena.

"This brand can stand on its own, and tonight was special. This was the highest-grossing WWE event we've done in this building. We've done RAW and SmackDown here, and this outdrew them."

There's no word yet on the actual number of fans in attendance but the Webster Bank Arena has a capacity of 10,000 for concerts, up to 9,000 for basketball games, and around 8,400 for hockey games.

Jon Moxley: Vince McMahon Doesn’t ‘Know What The F— Is Going On,’ Triple H Should Be In Charge

The Jon Moxley podcast tour continues and he’s continuing to be straight up with how he feels about his former employer. While talking to Pro Wrestling Torch, Ambrose discussed his issues with Vince McMahon. He says that while he used to be a genius, he’s not out of touch.

“In the 80s he was a genius,” said the former Dean Ambrose. “When he created ‘Hulkamania,’ and took over all the territories, and foresaw cable television and all that. He was a genius. In 2019, I don’t think he knows what the f— is going on.”

Moxley went on to say that Vince needs to step aside and let someone else do it if he can’t figure things out. The logical replacement is Triple H, who is being groomed for the role. “When Vince isn’t there, [Hunter] the guy you defer to. He’s got good ideas. His ideas are his ideas, but, he’s a lot more cerebral. He’s not a super open collaborative. … I think he would be more open to giving people more freedom, but he’s smart and he sees things his way. So, if he sees you doing something and he envisions a better way, and a lot of times you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s even cooler.'”

 @ConfirmedShoot

Triple H On Tyler Breeze Back On NXT Roster, Creative Decisions When NXT Stars Join WWE Main Roster

In WWE as in life, sometimes things don't go as planned and adjustments are made. An example of that is someone in NXT being called up to the main roster because of necessity which then affects both NXT and whatever brand they join.

Triple H was asked by Wrestling Inc. Managing Editor Nick Hausman about those creative decisions and also the possibility of the 24/7 or Women's Tag Titles being defended in NXT.

"It's definitely a possibility on both," Triple H said. "When Sasha and Bayley had the tag team championships, they talked about it. It's something I would love to have, but it really just comes down to scheduling. Trying to match the schedules up is the biggest problem. But who knows? You could see any of them at any time."

More?

Triple H Coments On His Recent Jabs At AEW, NXT Possibly Airing On FOX

During a TakeOver media call earlier today, Triple H was asked by Wrestling Inc. Managing Editor Nick Hausman about NXT possibly being used by FOX.

"We're looking at everything," Triple H said. "There's a lot of interest in NXT as a brand and it's also very valuable to us on the Network. That's being vetted through here on every level to see what's the best outcome. We'll get there, but everyone will have to wait and see… As will I."

Hunter also discussed how the production of a TakeOver show compares to that of a Raw or SmackDown. He said that Raw and SmackDown are 2-3 hour shows so they are very different than TakeOver.

"When you talk about the TakeOvers, the simplicity of what we do is them in the ring letting them do what they do. This is the culmination and epic fight scene in the movie. The writing and build-up of characters and everything that goes into making that epic fight scene mean something is what takes place prior to that at those one-hour shows," stated Triple H.

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Road Dogg Reportedly Working Full-Time On The WWE NXT Brand

According to PWInsider, WWE Hall of Famer Road Dogg is now working full-time on the WWE NXT brand. His official role and title haven't been confirmed yet though.

As it was reported earlier this month, James has been working at the Performance Center. He also made a cameo today on the WWE PC Combine, which is airing on the WWE Network.

Last month James stepped down as the co-lead writer of SmackDown Live. He quit the position because he was reportedly frustrated with Vince McMahon always making changes to the TV scripts.

XFL To Host Eight Summer Showcases Sessions

League Commissioner Oliver Luck and Doug Whaley have now announced that the XFL summer showcase tryouts will be taking place this summer. It will give players with professional experience the opportunity to showcase their skills.

There are no open tryouts, and the summer showcase will be invites only.

Check out the dates and locations for the tryouts below:

June 7th: Arlington, TX
June 8th: Houston, TX
June 14th: Montclair, NJ
June 15th: Springfield, VA
June 21st: Long Beach, CA
June 22nd: Seattle, WA
June 29th: Tampa Bay, FL
July 13th: Earth City, MO

WWE Issues Statement On Ashley Massaro Allegations

WWE has issued a statement in response to allegations made by lawyer Konstantine Kyros, who has represented several former WWESuperstars in concussion lawsuits against the company, including the late Ashley Massaro. Kyros has published an affidavit by Massaro that includes her allegations on how she was treated while with the company. Massaro alleged that she was sexually assaulted while visiting troops with WWE in Kuwait back in 2006.

Massaro alleged that she was drugged and raped by a man posing as a US Army doctor while in Kuwait on a tour of a US military base. She said she was examined by a WWE doctor after returning from the trip, and that the doctor reported the incident to WWE officials. Massaro alleged that WWE officials called her into a meeting, to apologize, and to persuade "her that it would be best not to report it to appropriate authorities." You can read all of her claims in the full affidavit via PDF by clicking here.

WWE's statement to the media in response to the allegations reads:

WWE is saddened by the death of Ashley Massaro, and we reiterate our condolences to her family. However, we regret that her attorney Konstantine Kyros, who filed multiple cases against WWE, lost all of them, and was sanctioned multiple times by the Court for repeated misconduct and false allegations, is using Ashley's death to further his malicious campaign against WWE by releasing an affidavit that she submitted to the Court and later apologized to WWE for being involved with, so we wish to make certain things crystal clear.

At no time was Vince McMahon or the management of WWE ever informed by Ashley Massaro or anybody else that she had been sexually assaulted, drugged, raped or sodomized by a military doctor with a nurse standing guard while on a goodwill tour in 2007 to U.S. military bases in Kuwait. In fact, if she ever articulated such a claim to WWE, we would have reported it immediately to the Base Commander.

At no time was there ever a meeting with Vince McMahon, Kevin Dunn, John Laurinaitis or other company executives in which she told them of such a claim and was instructed to keep it quiet.

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WarnerMedia Partners With All Elite Wrestling, TNT To Air Weekly TV and More

WarnerMedia announced today that it is partnering with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), the new professional wrestling promotion featuring a world-class roster of diverse male and female wrestlers, giving fans a new wrestling experience for the first time in 20 years. WarnerMedia and AEW together will build this powerhouse sporting league from the ground up and will begin airing weekly matches later this year. With this league, AEW is introducing a new generation of wrestlers to fans, offering fun, gripping and authentic athletic matches that will make wrestling more accessible to a broad audience. WarnerMedia will utilize its position as a next-generation global media company to build this league into a global pro-wrestling franchise.

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