Triple H Cleverly Trolls Deontay Wilder During ‘WrestleMania 30’ Rerun

Well played, Hunter

I usually don’t like to lead this column by writing about just a single tweet, but look: there are no sports going on and this is a really good tweet.

ESPN is filling some of the gaps in its programming schedule over the next few Sundays by airing old WrestleManias, starting with WrestleMania 30 yesterday. It’s a smart move for ESPN. The network gets to fill four hours of the schedule with well-liked, pre-made, eye-catching programming. WWE and ESPN have also been rumored to be in discussions to air new pay-per-views on ESPN+, so this is a way to whet the audience’s appetite for wrestling.

If you’re trying to get people interested in current-day WWE, there’s no better place to start than with 2014’s WrestleMania 30. The show is most memorable for the match where Brock Lesnar snapped The Undertaker’s 21-match WrestleMania winning streak, a good John Cena-Bray Wyatt match and the crowning of lovable underdog Daniel Bryan as World Heavyweight Champion.

The event also featured an all-time great entrance by Triple H before his show-opening match against Bryan.

If it looks a bit familiar, maybe you’re thinking of heavyweight boxer Deontay Wilder’s entrance before last month’s rematch against Tyson Fury. The music was different but Wilder’s costume was awfully similar.

Wilder ended up losing that fight and said part of the reason was because the costume, which was made of steel and fitted with LED lights, weighed 45 pounds and made his legs weak by the time he actually got to the ring.

Like Wilder, Triple H also lost his fight and he had a cheeky explanation for it during ESPN’s re-air.

When I first saw Triple H’s tweet, I thought, “Wow, that’s a good reference to something that happened a long time ago.” But the Wilder fight was only a month ago! It’s impossible to keep track of time these days. It’s still a great reference, though.

source: si.com/extra-mustard

Matt Hardy Believes He Would Have Had A Better Opportunity In WWE If Triple H Was In Charge

Matt Hardy shocked many fans during AEW Dynamite when he made his AEW debut siding with The Elite against The Inner Circle. Hardy appeared on the latest episode of Talk Is Jericho where the two talked about how Vince McMahon views older talent in WWE.

"Yeah, it's definitely frustrating. I mean, I think everyone goes there being optimistic that you can break through or maybe achieve something different, but it's definitely frustrating. And then once again, once your a little older, you probably experienced some of this as well, like I was not a star on your level, you know, you did stuff as a singles competitor world champion several times over, but once you get to a certain age, Vince's like well, this guy's kind of old," Hardy said. "Even for himself, at his age, he doesn't even want to be on TV because you're old. Nobody wants to see an old person. It's just like if you're a talent and you get to a certain age, it's kind of like, I don't know."

Hardy said that he told everyone that he was going to leave, and it was reported before that Hardy did not want to re-sign with WWE due to how he was being used creatively. He said that even Triple H had tried to contact him to try to stay after his contract had expired. Hardy believes that if Triple H were in charge, then there would have been more opportunities for him creatively.

"What a weird day, and it was like I'm very honest and open with everyone. I told everyone from Vince all the way down what I wanted and what I expected if I was going to stay around. Once we were on the same page, and I said, okay, well, thank you guys very much," Hardy said. "I'll just go my own way, and even days after I left, I talked to to Triple H. It's just like he was cool, and I feel like if if Triple H would have been the guy that was solely in power, I would have probably had a much better opportunity of kind of getting to do what I wanted creatively, but it is what it is."

XFL Issues Statement On Re-Launch Season Ending Due To The Coronavirus Pandemic

Vince McMahon's XFL football league has officially cancelled the rest of their 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

XFL Commissioner & CEO Oliver Luck and XFL President & COO Jeffrey N. Pollack issued a joint statement this evening to officially announce that the remainder of the XFL return season has been canceled. They ended the statement by looking ahead to the 2021 season, but no details have been announced for next year as of this writing. The league, which has found success in the first 5 weeks of play this year, remains committed to playing a full season in 2021 and beyond.

It was announced back on March 12 that that the season was being suspended, and that all players would still be paid their base pay and benefits for the 2020 regular season. It was also said that XFL ticket holders would be issued refunds or credit towards future games when play is resumed. This new statement issued today makes the cancellation official.
Stay tuned for updates on the XFL moving forward. Below is the full statement issued to fans this evening:

A THANK YOU TO OUR FANS

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the most recent local and state regulations, have left the XFL no choice but to officially cancel the remainder of the 2020 season. This decision has been made with the health and safety of the entire XFL family as our top priority.
While we are disappointed to not complete the 2020 season, our hearts are full of appreciation for your overwhelming support.
Your passion, your commitment to your favorite XFL team and your love of football made our season a success beyond our wildest dreams. We're grateful for the incredible response and look forward to playing full seasons for you -- and with you -- in 2021 and beyond.
When our teams return to the field, we'll make every effort to ensure your faith in us is rewarded with even more fun and excitement. Your passion is our purpose, and everything we do, every day and for every season to come, is For the Love of Football.
We hope you will stay connected to our league and team social and digital channels for news, features, and updates along the way.

ESPN To Air Classic WWE WrestleMania Events

ESPN is set to air classic WWE WrestleMania events to build to WrestleMania 36, according to Variety.

ESPN will air classic WrestleMania events over the next three Sundays, on their flagship cable network, and then on their mobile app.

The first showing will be this Sunday at 7pm ET as ESPN airs WrestleMania XXX from 2014.
Variety noted that this is the latest example of ESPN working to fill its schedule with "unorthodox content" in the wake of the nation's coronavirus pandemic, which has put a stop to many sporting events.

"This unique opportunity is a byproduct of the terrific working relationship we've enjoyed with WWE over the years and the unprecedented circumstances we all find ourselves in," said Burke Magnus, ESPN's Executive Vice President of Programming. "WrestleMania is one of the most popular global events in sports and entertainment and the spectacular content it provides will be a treat for fans."

WWE To Air WrestleMania 36 From Multiple Locations

As noted earlier, WWE announced this evening that WrestleMania 36 will be a two-night streaming event for the first time ever. The Grandest Stage of Them All will air on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5 at 7pm ET on pay-per-view and the WWE Network. WWE also announced that former NFL player Rob Gronkowski will be hosting WrestleMania this year, and he will be on Friday's SmackDown to promote the show.

Besides the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, WrestleMania 36 will reportedly air live from "multiple other locations," according to ESPN's Marc Raimondi. There's no word yet on where these other locations will be, but the WWE announcement confirmed that the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida will be one, and that there will be no crowd due to the "essential personnel only" policy brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

WrestleMania 36 To Air As A Two-Night Streaming Event, Rob Gronkowski Announced As Host

WWE has announced that WrestleMania 36 will be a two-night streaming event for the first time ever.

WrestleMania 36 will air on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5 at 7pm ET on pay-per-view and the WWE Network. It will still air from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, with no crowd.

WWE also announced that former NFL player Rob Gronkowski will be hosting The Grandest Stage of Them All this year.

Gronk, who will be on Friday's SmackDown to push the appearance, took to Twitter and commented on the big announcement.

"It's official! I'm hosting @WrestleMania this year...and it's gonna be too big for just one night. For the 1st time, #WrestleMania will be a [alarm emoji] 2-NIGHT [alarm emoji] event: Saturday, April 4 AND Sunday, April 5 on @WWENetwork! Tell you more this Friday night on #SmackDown at 8 ET on @FOXTV," he wrote.

Below is the full announcement WWE sent to us:

For Immediate Release
WRESTLEMANIA® TOO BIG FOR JUST ONE NIGHT

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 18, 2020 – WrestleMania, for the first time ever, will be held as a two-night event streaming on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5 at 7 pm ET on WWE Network and available on pay-per-view.

The two-night pop culture extravaganza will be hosted by three-time Super Bowl Champion Rob Gronkowski. Tune in to SmackDown this Friday at 8 pm ET on FOX to see what Gronk has in store for WrestleMania.

As previously announced, only essential personnel will be on the closed set during the production of WrestleMania.

WWE Issues Statement On If Wrestlers And Staff Are Being Tested For Coronavirus

WWE confirmed in a new statement to Sports Illustrated that all company talent and staff are required to participate in medical screenings before entering the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

WWE issued the following statement in response to a question on if talent and staff are being tested for the COVID-19 virus:

"In consultation with WWE Medical Director Dr. Maroon, WWE Associate Medical Director Dr. Dugas and ringside physician Dr. Westerfield, as a best practice and precautionary measure all WWE performers and staff are required to participate in medical screenings prior to entering WWE's training center, which is now operating as a closed set."

Furthermore, SI reports that WWE has established a series of protocols, based on guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to minimize risks and to protect its performers and staff. Due to the lack of testing for those in need, WWE sources close to the situation reported to SI that WWE is not testing people that are showing no symptoms, or asymptomatic.

Triple H Brings Sense of Normalcy, Fun at Time of Great Uncertainty

There was an eery sense of reality that fell over Friday night's show.

The relocation of the show and absence of audience hammered home just how surreal a world we are living in right now. Just when discomfort set in, though, the WWE Universe's dad rushed to its aid and provided a night of unexpected fun and entertainment.

Triple H welcomed the viewing audience to his baby, the WWE Performance Center, and proceeded to join Michael Cole on the headsets for one of the most refreshingly fun and light-hearted commentary performances in recent memory.

He was hilarious, using insider references to break up the monotony that sometimes engulfs the announce position and played off Cole extremely well. He was engaging, took nothing too seriously and even jumped behind a camera while referencing the short-handed nature of the production.

And best of all, he did it all without taking away any attention from the Superstars on the show.

There are fans who will point to the NXT brand as proof that Triple H can run WWE and do so to great success, but there may be no greater example of that than what he was able to accomplish Friday night on short notice and with a skeleton crew to work with.

Without him, the broadcast would most certainly have been an uncomfortable viewing experience for an audience already shell-shocked by what is going on in the world.

source: bleacherreport.com

WWE Hall of Fame and NXT Takeover Postponed

WWE has issued the following statement:

“The WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony and NXT TakeOver will not take place as previously scheduled. We will share further details as they become available.”

The nWo, Batista, The Bella Twins, JBL, Davey Boy Smith, and Jushin Liger were all expected to be inducted into the 2020 Hall of Fame. It’s possible they may be holding these events later this year, possibly during SummerSlam weekend if that event even goes on as planned.

WWE Statement Regarding WrestleMania 36

In coordination with local partners and government officials, WrestleMania and all related events in Tampa Bay will not take place. However, WrestleMania will still stream live on Sunday, April 5 at 7 pm ET on WWE Network and be available on pay-per-view. Only essential personnel will be on the closed set at WWE’s training facility in Orlando, Florida to produce WrestleMania.

Triple H Jokes About His "Demotion" On Last Night's WWE SmackDown

Earlier in the week there were reports of Triple H receiving a "quiet demotion" due to a title change within the company about five months ago that just recently came out in a SEC filing. Triple H previously worked as the Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events & Creative since 2013, but received a new job title—Executive Vice President of Global Talent Development & Strategy. He also has his Senior Producer and creator roles with the NXT brand.

He was reportedly moved away from being in charge of talent and his main duties are now the growth and operation of NXT, selling the NXT TV rights to overseas partners, and the global expansion of the black & yellow brand.

Vince McMahon's Chief of Staff, Brad Blum, took over Live Events the department that Triple H previously ran.

On last night's WWE SmackDown, the show was moved from Detroit to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando due to the Coronavirus pandemic. SmackDown did not have an audience and Triple H worked commentary alongside Michael Cole.

During the show, Triple H joked about his "demotion," saying he was busier than ever.
"I'm not really that busy at all!" Triple H said. "I'm the only man in the history of the world that can get demoted and get busier, apparently, I don't know, but here I am."

Today, in a report from PWInsider, Triple H is indeed busier than ever in his new role, which also includes leading the way to opening new WWE Performance Centers, both domestically and around the world, for more talent to be trained.

XFL to allow players to sign with NFL teams immediately

After announcing it is suspending the remainder of its season due to the coronavirus, the XFL announced it will allow players to sign contracts with NFL and CFL teams immediately.

In an interview with NFL Network, XFL commissioner Oliver Luck said all players will be paid their base pay and benefits for the remainder of the season, and players are allowed to sign any contract with an NFL or CFL team once they clear a physical.

It’s great news for players like Houston Roughnecks quarterback P.J. Walker, who was already catching the eye of NFL teams. Walker emerged as the XFL MVP in the first half of the season and will likely receive plenty of interest from NFL teams.

While players originally wouldn’t have been allowed to sign with another team until after the XFL Championship Game, the league’s decision to suspend the season changed things.

Walker likely won’t be the only XFL player to attract attention. Los Angeles Wildcats quarterback Josh Johnson, Roughnecks receiver Cam Phillips and St. Louis BattleHawks quarterback Jordan Ta’Amu could also attract some attention.

The XFL plans to return for the 2021 season, and it’s great to see the league do right by all of its players and fans.

source: msn.com