WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel passes away

WWE is saddened to learn that Howard Finkel has passed away at age 69.

When considering the greatest ring announcers in the history of sports and sports-entertainment, you’d be hard-pressed to name one better than Howard Finkel. A native of Newark, NJ, “The Fink” — a label that had been attached affectionately to Howard over the years — made his ring announcing debut at Madison Square Garden in 1977 for WWE’s predecessor, WWWF.

By 1979, Finkel was the full-time ring announcer for WWWF, and when WWE was established in 1980, The Fink became the first — and eventually longest-serving — employee. Finkel’s distinctive voice was instantly recognizable, and for more than two decades Superstars such as The Ultimate Warrior, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and more would have a title victory marked by The Fink’s signature call, “and NNNEEEWWW World Champion!”

Despite being a ring announcer, Finkel didn’t shy away from in-ring competition in certain circumstances. In 1995, he battled his longtime rival Harvey Wippleman in a Tuxedo Match on Raw, and later helped X-Pac shave Jeff Jarrett’s head in a Hair vs. Hair Match at SummerSlam 1998.

In addition to his legendary tenure as a ring announcer, The Fink was an indispensable resource inside the WWE offices for his vast knowledge of sports-entertainment history. Well respected by current Superstars, WWE Legends and Hall of Famers, Finkel’s encyclopedic memory and kindness made him beloved among his colleagues. The Fink was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 4, 2009.

WWE owned a piece of the XFL, after all

The resurrection of the XFL was sold as an endeavor bought exclusively by Vince McMahon, with no involvement from his publicly-traded wrestling corporation, WWE. The wreckage of XFL 2.0 says otherwise.

Via multiple reports, WWE owned 23.5 percent of the Class B stock in the XFL, while McMahon owned the other 76.5 percent. McMahon also owned 100 percent of the Class A stock in the XFL. (Typically, Class A stock has greater voting rights than Class B stock.)

When McMahon conducted a press conference unveiling the project in 2018, he said that “there will be no crossover whatsoever” with WWE, and he specifically said that this doesn’t relate to funding.

“I wanted to do this since the day we stopped the other one,” McMahon told ESPN at the time. “A chance to do it with no partners, strictly funded by me, which would allow me to look in the mirror and say, ‘You were the one who screwed this up,’ or ‘You made this thing a success.'”

Whether the actual state of affairs creates any problems for WWE is a separate issue, but if the WWE investment was significant and if it was not disclosed in the financial information of a publicly-traded company, that could be a problem — especially if WWE ended up throwing a large chunk of change away.

WWE owned a piece of the XFL, after alloriginally appeared on Pro Football Talk.

WWE Releases Three Performance Center Coaches

Add WWE Performance Center coaches Serena Deeb, Kendo Kashin and Chris Guy (Ace Steel) to the list of wrestlers, creative writers, producers, referees and other talent released today by WWE, according to PWInsider.

WWE PC Coach And Others Released, WWE To Cut Hundreds Of Employees, More On Today's Departures

WWE NXT Superstar MJ Jenkins, Performance Center coach Norman Smiley, Spanish announcer Jerry Soto and on-air talent Josiah Williams to the list of wrestlers, creative writers, producers, referees and other talent released today by WWE.

Regarding the releases, @Wrestlevotes noted that the number of staff and talent releases will be "well into the hundreds" when everything has been finalized. Casey of Squared Circle Sirens also noted on Twitter that staff from the WWE Performance Center are being let go.

Below is the updated lists of confirmed cuts made today by the company, along with the tweets from Jenkins, Smiley, Soto and Williams:

WRESTLERS:

* MJ Jenkins
* Deonna Purrazzo
* Aleksandar Jaksic
* Rusev
* No Way Jose
* Mike Kanellis
* Maria Kanellis
* Primo
* Epico
* Rowan
* Sarah Logan
* Karl Anderson
* Luke Gallows
* EC3
* Drake Maverick
* Curt Hawkins
* Heath Slater
* Eric Young
* Lio Rush

PRODUCERS (Furloughed or released):
* WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle (Released)
* Billy Kidman
* Mike Rotunda
* Pat Buck
* Fit Finlay
* Shawn Daivari
* Scott Armstrong
* Sarah Stock
* Shane Helms
* Lance Storm

ANNOUNCERS:
* Aiden English
* Jerry Soto

REFEREES:
* Mike Chioda

CREATIVE:
* Andrea Listenberger

COACHES:
* Norman Smiley

OTHER ON-AIR TALENT:
* Josiah Williams

WWE Announces Coronavirus-Related Business Changes After Vince McMahon's Meeting With Employees

WWE today provided an update on measures taken by the Company in response to the current impact of COVID-19 on the organization.

Due to COVID-19 and current government mandated impacts on WWE and the media business generally, the Company went through an extensive evaluation of its operations over the past several weeks. This analysis resulted in the implementation of various short-term cost reductions and cash flow improvement actions including:

* Reducing executive and board member compensation;
* Decreasing operating expenses;
* Cutting talent expenses, third party staffing and consulting;
* Deferring spend on the build out of the Company's new headquarters for at least six months.

Given the uncertainty of the situation, the Company also identified headcount reductions and made the decision to furlough a portion of its workforce effective immediately. The decision to furlough versus permanently reduce headcount reflects the fact that the Company currently believes the furlough will be temporary in nature.

The Company's reductions of employee compensation and headcount result in an estimated monthly savings of $4 million along with cash flow improvement of $140 million primarily from the deferral in spending on the Company's new headquarters. Additionally, the Company has substantial financial resources, both available cash and debt capacity, which currently total approximately $0.5 billion, to manage the challenges ahead. Management continues to believe the fundamentals of the Company's business remain strong and that WWE is well positioned to take full advantage of the changing media landscape and increasing value of live sports rights over the longer term.

The Company will provide further details when it reports its first quarter 2020 results next Thursday, April 23 after the close of the market.

News On Vince McMahon Meeting With Talent: Talent Cuts Coming, Furloughs, WWE HQ

Vince McMahon held a call this afternoon to address WWE employees.

During the call, McMahon said that some employees will be furloughed. Vince said that he hopes to have them back when the situation is resolved, but there is no timeline. Furloughed employees will receive a text message from the WWE Human Resources immediately.

WWE will also be cutting talent, which will be permanent cuts. There should be announcements on that as soon as today.

Construction of the new WWE headquarters in Stamford, CT has been delayed six months. The move was expected to happen in early 2021.

WWE has also cancelled third party consulting contracts.

Donald Trump Taps Dana White, Mark Cuban, Vince McMahon as Advisors... 'We Need Sports'

Donald Trump is putting together a team of the most powerful people in U.S. sports to serve as advisors to get the country up and running again ... including Dana White, Adam Silver and Vince McMahon.

POTUS says the team will help advise him on how to restart the economy and get pro sports going again in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have to get sports back," Trump said at the White House ... "I'm tired of watching baseball games that are 14 years old."
Here are some of the names Trump mentioned ...

NBA Commish Adam Silver
NFL Commish Roger Goodell
NHL Commish Gary Bettman
MLB Commish Rob Manfred
Patriots Owner Robert Kraft
Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban
UFC President Dana White
WWE Owner Vince McMahon
Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones

He's also working with the top execs from the PGA, LPGA, NASCAR and MLS.

Trump says he will consult with everyone -- some people will be included in a group call, others will be 1-on-1.

source: tmz.com

Sheriff's Deputies Called To The WWE PC Over COVID-19 Order, Order Linked To Trump Super PAC?

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.

More?

WWE Considered An Essential Business By Florida Governor's Office

Orange County, Florida Mayor Jerry Demings was asked about WWE being allowed to continue operations during a press conference today. He said that originally WWE was deemed non-essential, but that changed after some talk with the office of Governor Ron DeSantis.

"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."

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.

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.

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