John Laurinaitis Is Once Again Leading WWE’s Talent Relations Department

According to a new report from F4WOnline.com, John Laurinaitis is once again working as WWE Head of Talent Relations.

Laurinatis’ new role will start immediately; he will officially serve as General Manager, Talent, and report to WWE Executive Vice President of Operations Brad Blum. Laurinaitis first stepped into the role in 2004, replacing Jim Ross, and held the position until he stepped down in 2012. “Johnny Ace” has since been working in WWE as a producer/road agent. In addition to his backstage and administrative roles, Laurinaitis served as an on-air General Manager personality from 2011-12 that promoted People Power.

F4W also explained that the talent relations department is being split into talent management and talent branding, the latter of which would essentially function as a talent agency to book outside appearances and projects for WWE Superstars.

Stephanie McMahon Joins Women’s Leadership Board for Sports Innovation Lab

Per Sportico, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon has become an inaugural board member for the Sports Innovation Lab Women’s Leadership Board. This is a data-driven women’s leadership board founded by Olympic medalist Angela Ruggiero’s SIL.

The new board is comprised of 22 female executives across sports, media and tech industries. The goal of the board is to bring industry leaders together using SIL’s data and research to support each individual member’s continued professional success and network together.

Other inaugural board members alongside Stephanie McMahon include Big East commissioner Big East commissioner Val Ackerman; Jessica Berman, deputy commissioner at the National Lacrosse League; former pro tennis player and current CEO at Billie Jean King Enterprises Ilana Kloss; LA28 Olympics/USA Olympics CEO Kathy Carter. 

Rumor Mill - WWE NXT Moving To A New Night

There are rumors on the WWE NXT TV show possibly moving to Tuesday nights on the USA Network.

It was reported today by the Mat Men Pro Wrestling podcast that NXT is set to move to Tuesday nights beginning April 13, which would be the first NXT show after WrestleMania 37 weekend. The report noted that an official announcement should be made fairly soon by WWE.

WWE has not confirmed the schedule change as of this writing and it should be taken strictly as a rumor for now, but some people in or around NXT have heard of the rumor making the rounds.

Furthermore, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer noted on Twitter that NXT moving to Tuesday night was definitely a topic of discussion in WWE as of February 24, which was last Wednesday, but at least at that point the change was not final.

Mat Men later noted that they heard the same thing about the February 24 rumblings, adding that NBC staff were told of the move this week. Meltzer said he expected this would happen when the NBC Sports Network shut down, which could bring some NHL content to Wednesday nights.

Triple H Reveals Vince McMahon Was Reluctant To Have A Documentary Produced On Himself

In 2020, WWE announced a docuseries with a focus on WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon will be coming to Netflix. It remains unknown when the docuseries debut on the streaming services, but we do it will be one of the highest budgeted docuseries of all time for Netflix.

During a recent interview with Roz & Mocha, Triple H revealed what McMahon felt about doing a documentary on himself:

"Prior to now, Vince was always hesitant to do it. With Vince, he really doesn't see himself -- while Mr. McMahon is one of the most epic characters ever, he doesn't see himself as part of the programming. When you ask him about those things, he goes, 'Nobody is interested in me. They want to know about the stars and performers.' The truth is, they do (want to know about Vince). The most difficult thing with Vince's life is making it succinct. Every chapter of his life is a whole other unbelievable story. His story is amazing, all the things he's been through, the trials and tribulations of getting to where he is. No one gives him the credit, they just see this billion-dollar global empire he's created and see him as the evil tyrant businessman"

Source: fightful.com

New Report Claims India Doubles United States’ WWE RAW Viewership

According to a new report from Lucha Libre Online, WWE RAW’s average viewership in India for the month of Jan. 2021 exceeded 4 million viewers, more than doubling the 1.85 million viewers in the U.S. during the same timeframe.

The report added that while WWE SmackDown averaged 3 million viewers in India, WWE NXT surpassed the 1 million mark in the country for the month of Jan. 2021.

Furthermore, while South Africa averaged in excess of 1 million viewers for both RAW and SmackDown, Canada averaged 300,000 viewers for both shows during the same month.

Meanwhile, Germany and Italy averaged approximately 300,000 viewers for both RAW and SmackDown.

Therefore, only in India, South Africa, Italy, Canada, and Germany, RAW obtained average viewership of approximately 5.9 million viewers in Jan. 2021. SmackDown for its part averaged around 5.2 million viewers in India, South Africa, Italy, Canada, Germany, and South Korea during the first month of 2021.

These numbers do not include the viewership in the United States, Latin America, United Kingdom, Japan, China and many other countries that broadcast weekly WWE programming live on various TV networks.

WWE Network To Air First Non-Sports Entertainment Documentary 'HEAVEN'

WWE announced their first-ever non-sports entertainment documentary "Heaven" will air on the WWE Network on Sunday, March 7, 2021.

WWE.com:

For the first time, WWE Network Documentaries will expand its award-winning storytelling beyond the world of sports-entertainment when it presents HEAVEN, a new documentary premiering Sunday, March 7.

HEAVEN tells the story of a trailblazing high school wrestler named Heaven Fitch. In 2020, as a junior, Fitch became the first female athlete to win a boy’s state wrestling championship in North Carolina, claiming the top spot in the 106-pound weight class. The film documents her inspiring journey up the ranks and the challenges she faced along the way, from proving doubters wrong to defying the odds and making history.

The trailer for HEAVEN, available to watch above, was first revealed by Sports Business Journal.

Narrating the documentary is WWE Hall of Famer and fellow North Carolina resident Beth Phoenix, who, like Fitch, often competed against boys during her amateur wrestling career. WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon provides the film’s introduction.

HEAVEN, which premieres during Women’s History Month, marks a departure from WWE Network Documentaries’ typical subject matter focusing on the squared circle.

“The story of Heaven Fitch is the beginning of a new genre of storytelling for WWE Network Documentaries. She has inspired so many with her elite athleticism as well as her numerous accomplishments. We are excited to share Heaven’s championship story with the WWE Universe,” says Ben Houser, VP & Executive Producer, WWE Network Documentaries.

Don’t miss the world premiere of HEAVEN on March 7. The film will be available to stream on demand starting at 10 a.m. ET on the Free Version of WWE Network and across WWE social channels, including YouTube and Facebook.

Source: wwe.com

WWE NXT Draws Best Viewership Of The Year, AEW Dynamite Also Up This Week

Week 72 of the Wednesday Night War saw AEW Dynamite defeat WWE NXT in viewership and ratings.

Wednesday’s live edition of Dynamite drew 831,000 viewers (+11% from last week) on TNT, topping the 734,000 viewers (+3%) garnered by the live NXT show on the USA Network by 13%, according to Nielsen via Showbuzz Daily.

AEW ranked #5 in the Cable Top 150, while NXT ranked #24. AEW ranked #60 in viewership, while NXT ranked #66 in viewership.

Last week’s Dynamite show drew 747,000 viewers and ranked #4 on the Cable Top 150, and #69 in viewership. Last week’s NXT show drew 713,000 viewers and ranked #39 on the Cable Top 150, and #70 in viewership.

AEW drew a 0.35 rating in the 18-49 demographic (+13%) while NXT drew a 0.18 in the same demo (+13%) this week. Last week’s AEW show drew a 0.31 rating while the NXT episode drew a 0.16 in that demographic.

NXT drew their best audience of the year this week, and their best key demo rating of 2021. This week’s NXT viewership was up 2.95% from last week, while the key demo rating was up 2%. NXT viewership for this week was down 7.56% from the same week in 2020, and the key demo rating was down 7% from the same week last year.

Tony Khan Comments On New AEW Monday Night Show

AEW officially announced their third show today – AEW Dark: Elevation.

AEW President & CEO Tony Khan noted on Twitter that Elevation will begin streaming on YouTube soon, but no date has been confirmed as of this writing. The show will air every Monday night at 7pm ET on the official AEW YouTube channel.

As noted earlier, AEW announced that veteran pro wrestler Paul Wight (fka Big Show in WWE) has signed with the company. He has signed a long-term deal to be a commentator on Elevation, and will also be wrestling at some point. Khan commented on Elevation and welcomed Wight to the company in a tweet.

“Welcome to @AEW, @PaulWight! Watch #AEWDynamite tonight for more info on Paul’s arrival here, and for more info on our new show AEW Dark: Elevation! It will be streaming soon every Monday night on AEW YouTube!,” he wrote.

Elevation will compliment the main AEW Dark series that airs every Tuesday night at 7pm ET on the AEW YouTube channel. Elevation will showcase AEW’s established and rising wrestlers, and top indie wrestlers from around the industry.

AEW also noted that Elevation will maintain continuity with Dynamite, Dark, pay-per-view shows and other streaming events, with wins and losses factoring into each wrestler’s ranking in the company.

AEW will be revealing more details on Elevation and Wight’s signing during tonight’s Dynamite.

Big Show Leaves WWE And Joins AEW

AEW announced today that Paul Wight has joined the company, signing a long-term contract.

Wight will wrestle and serve as a commentator for AEW’s newest show on YouTube, AEW Dark: Elevation. Elevation will air on Mondays at 7pm ET, complimenting the weekly AEW Dark show that airs on Tuesdays at 7pm ET. Elevation will showcase AEW’s established and rising talent, as well as top indie talents.

Wight said it’s been amazing to watch what AEW has done in a few years since launching.

“It’s been amazing to watch what AEW has built in just a couple of years,” Wight said in a press release. “AEW Dark is an incredible platform to hone the skills of up-and-coming wrestlers, but I also love that established AEW talent can build out their personalities and showcase themselves in new ways on Dark. It’s no exaggeration when they say that AEW is boundless.”

AEW CEO, General Manager and Head of Creative Tony Khan also commented on why Wight wanted to come to AEW.

“Paul Wight is one of the most recognizable and impressive professional athletes in the world,” said Tony Khan, CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW. “He wanted to come to AEW because he believes that we’re the best promotion in wrestling, and we believe that he has a lot to offer us, both in the ring as a wrestler, and also outside the ring as a commentator, host and ambassador for AEW.”

“Paul is one of the most experienced stars in all of wrestling, and he’s eager to work with our diverse roster,” added Khan. “He can benefit and guide our young talent with his mentorship, and his expert commentary on AEW Dark: Elevation will educate and entertain our fans, and also educate the younger wrestlers on the roster. Furthermore, Paul enters AEW as a licensed wrestler, and he’s very much looking forward to studying our talent firsthand from the commentary desk in preparation for his return to the ring!”

AEW is promising more details on Wight’s signing during tonight’s Dynamite show on TNT.

A&E And WWE Give Fans The Ultimate Ringside Seat In New Original Programming Partnership

A&E Network and WWE Studios are giving fans an exclusive look behind the curtain in an all-new Sunday night programming partnership. With unprecedented access to WWE’s archive, the ten-week programming block features eight original two-hour documentaries under the award-winning “Biography” banner showcasing the stories behind some of the most memorable WWE Superstars of all time including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin®, “Macho Man” Randy Savage®, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper™, Booker T®, Shawn Michaels®, Bret Hart, Mick Foley and Ultimate Warrior. The new “Biography” specials are helmed by some of the industry’s top directors and storytellers to chronicle the success of these WWE Legends and their lasting mark on both sports entertainment and popular culture. Each special will air weekly at 8pm ET/PT beginning Sunday, April 18. 

Following at 10pm ET/PT, the brand-new series “WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures,” led by WWE’s Stephanie McMahon and Paul “Triple H” Levesque launches a hunt for some of WWE’s most iconic missing memorabilia including Kane’s original mask, Ric Flair’s Butterfly Robe, Andy Kaufman’s neckbrace, Andre The Giant’s passport and more. In order to find these quintessential relics, the team will join forces with WWE Legends including Undertaker, Ric Flair, Mick Foley, Booker T and more to bring these items home to the WWE Archives.

Biography Lineup – Premieres Sunday, April 18 at 8pm ET/PT

“Biography: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin”

“Biography: “Rowdy” Roddy Piper”

“Biography: “Macho Man” Randy Savage”

“Biography: Booker T”

“Biography: Shawn Michaels”

“Biography: Ultimate Warrior”

“Biography: Mick Foley”

“Biography: Bret “Hitman” Hart”

“WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures” – Premieres Sunday, April 18 at 10pm ET/PT

“WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures” takes viewers on a journey to find some of WWE’s most iconic, lost memorabilia. In each of the nine episodes, WWE’s Stephanie McMahon anl “Triple H” Levesque lead a team of collectors, WWE Superstars and Legends as they investigate, negotiate, bid and travel across the country to hunt down and reclaim some of the most elusive WWE collectibles. Throughout history, WWE’s action-packed storylines have spawned iconic, one-of-a-kind memorabilia, most of which have gone missing. Superstar in training, AJ Francis will head out on the road alongside some of the most famous WWE Legends of all time including The Undertaker, Ric Flair, Charlotte Flair, Mick Foley, Kane, Big Show, Mark Henry, Jerry “The King” Lawler, Booker T, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Sgt. Slaughter. The series will unearth these rare items in the hopes of preserving and sharing the legacy behind the memorable moments in WWE history. 

“WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures” is produced by WWE Studios for A&E Network with Susan Levison, Ben Zierten, David Carr, Stephanie McMahon and Paul “Triple H” Levesque serving as executive producers. Elaine Frontain Bryant, Dolores Gavin and Jonathan Partridge serve as executive producers for A&E Network. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for “WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures.” 

Pro wrestling isn't just body slams and violence -- it's also art

Professional wrestling has historically gotten a bad rap as neither being a respected sport nor form of entertainment. To most, the pervading image of wrestling may still be beefed-up, baby-oiled behemoths like Hulk Hogan or John Cena competing in staged fights, or the over-the-top, spandex-clad comedy theatrics seen in Netflix's hit series "Glow." Pro wrestling's merits as a legitimate sport have long been debated, but can this curious confluence of kitsch characters and Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatics be considered art? In the 1950s, French philosopher Roland Barthes wrote an essay likening wrestling to theater -- the staged spectacles acted out in the ring presenting an allegory for good versus evil. In modern day, critics have compared wrestling's dramatic storylines to the televised soap opera, itself an extension of theater. Adam Abdalla, the lead creative behind art and wrestling journal Orange Crush, said that in the past, he's brought visual artist friends to watch wrestling shows with him. "(They) have told me, 'This is better than any performance art that I've been to,' because of just how visceral it is, the way wrestlers put their bodies on the line and just the choreography of it,"...More?

source: cnn.com

WWE NXT To Begin Airing Live In Canada

WWE NXT will begin airing live in Canada on Sportsnet 360 and SN NOW this Wednesday at 8pm ET.

WWE and Sportsnet announced a new programming agreement today, which will include weekly live NXT broadcasts. Sportsnet 360 will also continue to air the weekly RAW, SmackDown, Main Event, and This Week In WWE broadcasts. Sportsnet is also the exclusive distribution partner for the WWE Network in Canada.

“Our fans in Canada have been all in on NXT since day one,” said WWE’s Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy & Development, Triple H, in a press release. “We’re thrilled about this expanded partnership with Sportsnet which will help us grow NXT’s reach throughout the country and introduce even more fans to the newest generation of WWE Superstars.”

Triple H tweeted on the new deal today and wrote, “Bringing #WWENXT LIVE to fans across Canada every week. An exciting partnership for the entire @WWE Universe. #WeAreNXT @WWENXT @Sportsnet”

WWE and Sportsnet originally signed a historic 10-year broadcast agreement back in 2014, making Sportsnet the exclusive distributor of WWE programming in Canada through 2024.

“WWE provides some of the most electrifying entertainment in all of sports, and the passion of their fanbase in Canada is second to none,” said Sportsnet’s Vice-President of Programming Greg Sansone in the press release. “Reinforcing our already robust slate of live WWE programming with NXT was an easy choice and one our audiences have been asking for. We can’t wait to see the newest generation of Superstars live in action every Wednesday night.”