The Orange County Sheriff's Department reportedly visited the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL several times over the last few weeks, in March and April, to tell the company that it was not in compliance with the "stay-at-home" Executive Order issued by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and that they had to shut the tapings down, according to Orlando reporters Jon Alba and Stephanie Coueignoux.
Alba reports that Orange County deputies were called again on Monday regarding the live RAW that aired on the USA Network. However, the new Executive Order from DeSantis, signed on April 9, already allowed for WWE to continue operations as an essential business. There's no word on who was calling the sheriff's department or how many calls they received since March. Coueignoux said deputies told her that on Monday "someone called to say there would be taping at the location that evening" and they responded to the Performance Center again before RAW, but the April 9 order allowed WWE to continue.
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April 14, 2020
Sheriff's Deputies Called To The WWE PC Over COVID-19 Order, Order Linked To Trump Super PAC?
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Kaliqo~
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7:03 PM
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Labels: Linda McMahon, Politics, WWE, WWE Performance Center
April 13, 2020
WWE Considered An Essential Business By Florida Governor's Office
"I think initially there was a review that was done and they were not initially deemed an essential business. With some conversation with the Governor's office regarding he Governor's [stay-at-home] order, they were deemed an essential business. Therefore they were allowed to remain open."
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Kaliqo~
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7:38 PM
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Labels: Raw, SmackDown, WWE, WWE NXT, WWE Performance Center
XFL Files For Bankruptcy
The XFL has filed for bankruptcy.
Vince McMahon's second shot at a professional football league was forced to cease all ongoing operations due to the ongoing global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The league canceled the remainder of the season after the fifth week of play and, while the original plan was for the league to return for the 2021 season, those close to the league said it would not come back for a second season.
The death of the fledgling league seems to be official as a spokesperson for the XFL spoke with a reporter with TMZ Sports and said the league had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
"The XFL quickly captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of people who love football," the spokesperson said. "Unfortunately, as a new enterprise, we were not insulated from the harsh economic impacts and uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Accordingly, we have filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
"This is a heartbreaking time for many, including our passionate fans, players and staff, and we are thankful to them, our television partners, and the many Americans who rallied to the XFL for the love of football."
TMZ Sports reported the league lost out on "tens of millions in revenue" due to the rest of the regular season and planned playoff games being canceled and that the filling occurred when it did to maximize the return to investors. Among the creditors listed in the filing include XFL head coaches Bob Stoops ($1,083,333.33), Mark Trestman ($777,777.78), Jonathan Hayes ($633,333.33) and Winston Moss ($583,333.33).
Nathan M contributed to this article.
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Kaliqo~
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4:25 PM
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Labels: Alpha Entertainment, Vince McMahon, Wrestling News, XFL
April 12, 2020
WWE Releases Statement About Going Back To Live TV Shows
WWE sent a statement to ESPN about the change.
According to the statement, which can be read below, WWE will be producing content on a closed set with only essential personnel in attendance.
We believe it is now more important than ever to provide people with a diversion from these hard times. We are producing content on a closed set with only essential personnel in attendance following appropriate guidelines while taking additional precautions to ensure the health and wellness of our performers and staff. As a brand that has been woven into the fabric of society, WWE and its Superstars bring families together and deliver a sense of hope, determination and perseverance.
April 11, 2020
WWE Confirms Employee Tested Positive For COVID-19 After WrestleMania Taping
WWE has confirmed that an employee that worked at Wrestlemania 36 tested positive for COVID-19 following the taping of the production.
The employee, who is not an in-ring performer, was reportedly exposed to the virus after WWE completed production of many events from March 25-26, including Wrestlemania 36. The individual has since made a "complete recovery," according to WWE.
"We believe this matter is low risk to WWE talent and staff, as the individual and a roommate became symptomatic in the days following exposure to two people working in acute health care on the evening of March 26, after WWE’s TV production on a closed set was already complete," WWE's statement reads, according to Fightful. "The employee had no contact with anyone from WWE since being exposed to those two individuals, is doing well, and made a complete recovery.”
rior to WWE's statement, a memo had circulated that was sent to employees in regards to the positive case. Per Fightful, employees were informed that WWE believed that the matter is "low-risk" and confirmed that the individual was not an in-ring performer.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Wrestlemania 36 was pre-recorded at WWE's training center in Orlando, Fla. and aired on April 5-6. All matches took place on closed sets and no fans were in attendance.
Wrestlemania 36 was originally scheduled to take place on April 5 and air live from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. No further coronavirus cases have yet to be reported from tapings of WWE events.
source: si.com
WWE To Celebrate 25 Years Of Triple H
It was announced during tonight's SmackDown on FOX that the celebration for 25 years of Triple H will begin on SmackDown in two weeks, on April 24.
Triple H debuted with WWE on April 30, 1995 with a win over Buck Zumhofe on Wrestling Challenge.
There's no word yet on what WWE has planned for the celebration, but the commercial indicated that the festivities will go on past SmackDown that night.
Stay tuned for updates on the Triple H 25th anniversary celebration from WWE.
Below is a promo from the WWE On FOX Twitter account:
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7:59 AM
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Labels: Levesque Family News, SmackDown, Triple H, Wrestling History, Wrestling News, WWE
April 10, 2020
XFL suspends all operations, lays off employees
The XFL suspended operations Friday morning and laid off nearly all of its staff, multiple sources told ESPN. While a handful of executives remain employed, the league currently has no plans to return in 2021.
The league canceled its season last month after five games as part of a nationwide shutdown due to coronavirus concerns, pledging to return next year.
The XFL has suspended all its operations and laid off all its employees due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Alika Jenner/Getty Images
But XFL CEO Jeffrey Pollack changed course Friday, conducting a 10-minute conference call to inform employees of the news.
Commissioner Oliver Luck, hired in 2018 to guide the most ambitious spring football league in decades, did not speak on the call. It was not immediately clear if he is still with the league.
According to a prominent former XFL staffer who was on the call, Pollack stopped short of saying the league was going out of business. But the strong implication was clear. "It's done," the staffer said. "It's not coming back."
There was no immediate comment from the league.
The XFL is owned by WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, who was making his second foray into professional football. His rowdy 2001 version of the XFL also folded after one year.
McMahon pivoted 180 degrees for XFL 2.0, asking Luck to create a serious football league that would market a new version of the game while avoiding direct competition with the NFL. Luck led a group of staffers through two years of product development, establishing a series of innovations -- from its new kickoff alignment to its three-tiered extra point structure -- that caught the eye of multiple members of the NFL competition committee.
XFL staffers fully believed that the league would resume play in 2021. Players had previously been told they would be paid through the end of the regular season, which was scheduled to end this weekend.
The XFL is the second spring football league in as many years to suspend operations before completing its final season, albeit for much different reasons. The Alliance of American Football (AAF) ran out of money in 2019 and closed after eight weeks of play. The XFL might have been the first pro sports league to fall victim to the economic crisis caused by the global pandemic.
Ric Flair and Steve Austin Play Word Association
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6:17 AM
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Labels: Charlotte, Randy Orton, Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Shawn Michaels, Sting, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, WWE Womens Division
April 9, 2020
WWE NXT Barely Tops AEW Dynamite In Viewership
Last week's Dynamite episode drew 685,000 viewers and ranked #37 in the Cable Top 150, and #73 in total viewership. Last week's NXT episode drew 590,000 viewers and ranked #74 in the Cable Top 150, and #79 in viewership.
This is the second-lowest Dynamite viewership of 2020, going back to last week. This is also the third-lowest AEW viewership in history.
AEW drew a 0.26 rating (+1%) in the 18-49 demographic while NXT drew a 0.19 (+27%) in the same demo this week. Last week's AEW show drew a 0.25 rating while the NXT episode drew a 0.15 in that demographic.
AEW's 0.26 rating is tied with the November 27 and March 11 episodes for the second-lowest ever.
April 7, 2020
Triple H On What His Life Would Be Like If He Never Met Stephanie McMahon
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Kaliqo~
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2:27 PM
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Labels: Levesque Family News, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Vince McMahon, WWE
April 4, 2020
WWE Arena Events Not Resuming Until August?
ESPN.com reports that U.S. President Donald Trump had a conference call with major league sports commissioners on Saturday to discuss the future of sporting events while the Coronavirus pandemic is occurring. The article noted the following:
“Trump also said he hopes to have fans back in stadiums and arenas by August and September, sources said, though it is currently unclear if medical experts find that to be a realistic timeline amid the current coronavirus pandemic.”
The article noted that top executives from WWE were among those that were part of the call. As previously noted, the belief is that the Money in the Bank PPV scheduled for May 10th will not be taking place in Baltimore. The WWE live event at Madison Square Garden that was originally scheduled for March 22nd has been rescheduled for June 27th but it’s unknown if the event will be postponed again.
Vince McMahon To Be On Donald Trump Phone Call With Other League Commissioners
President Donald Trump is scheduled to have a phone call with all major league sports commissioners today at 12 pm ET, according to The White House.
ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting Vince McMahon will be on that call along with the following commissioners: Adam Silver (NBA), Cathy Engelbert (WNBA), Rob Manfred (MLB), Roger Goodell (NFL), Gary Bettman (NHL), Jay Monohan (PGA Tour), Dana White (UFC), John Middlebrook / Jim France (NASCAR), and Don Garber (MLS).
The exact topics weren't given, but will likely involve a timeline for when leagues can start up again due to the coronavirus pandemic that suspended this year's seasons for nearly all of the leagues mentioned above.
UFC's Dana White has maintained UFC 249 on April 18 will go on in a staff-only capacity.
Last week, WWE taped enough footage at the WWE Performance Center through Monday's post-WrestleMania RAW. Although, a report did come out that WWE may consider taking a break after WrestleMania with Florida recently issuing a stay-at-home mandate.
As noted, WWE has also cancelled all of its events in April.
Scheduled participants on call with Trump:
NBA – Adam Silver
WNBA – Cathy Engelbert
MLB – Rob Manfred
NFL – Roger Goodell
NHL – Gary Bettman
PGA Tour – Jay Monahan
UFC – Dana White
WWE & XFL - Vince McMahon
NASCAR – John Middlebrook or Jim France.
MLS – Don Garber
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Kaliqo~
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11:43 AM
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Labels: Alpha Entertainment, Dana White, Sports, UFC, Vince McMahon, WWE, XFL