"Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff passes away

From WWE.com

WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Paul Orndorff, known to fans as “Mr. Wonderful,” passed away at the age of 71.

Orndorff was a standout running back at the University of Tampa and joined Mid-Southern Wrestling after a brief stint in the World Football League. Early rivalries with Jerry Lawler, Ted Dibiase and Jake “The Snake” Roberts gave way to NWA North American Heavyweight and National Heavyweight Championship reigns.

Orndorff joined WWE in 1983 and was tabbed with the “Mr. Wonderful” nickname by his then-manager “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. With his awe-insipring in-ring style and umatched swagger, "Mr. Wonderful" turned his talent into a prototype for the modern-day Superstar. He made a memorable debut on January 23, 1984, with a win over Salvatore Bellomo at Madison Square Garden and launched right into the main event picture with matches against World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan. Mr. Wonderful achieved sports-entertainment immortality by competing alongside Piper to face Hogan and Mr. T in the main event of WrestleMania I.

In the early 1990s, Mr. Wonderful began competing for WCW. It was here that Orndorff captured his first major championship when he defeated Erik Watts in a tournament final on March 2, 1993, to become Television Champion. Orndorff's championship reigns did not stop there, however, as he was also a two-time WCW Tag Team Champion with Paul Roma in 1994.

When Orndorff's in-ring days came to an end, the former master of the piledriver became a trainer for WCW's Power Plant. As a trainer, Orndorff molded a generation of promising stars, including Mark Jindrak, Stacy Keibler and Goldberg.

Bayley Suffers Injury While Training, Expected To Miss Nine Months

Former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley has suffered an injury while training, the company announced on Friday. She’s expected to miss nine months of in-ring action.

WWE shared the news in a post on its Twitter page. The company also stated that it will announce a replacement opponent for WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair Friday night on SmackDown.

The company also stated that it will announce a replacement opponent for WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair Friday night on SmackDown.

BREAKING NEWS: @itsBayleyWWE has suffered an injury while training and will be out approximately nine months.

A replacement for her match against @BiancaBelairWWE at #MITB will be announced tonight on #SmackDown.https://t.co/qLsf8KTHNp

— WWE (@WWE) July 9, 2021

Bayley was scheduled to challenge Belair in an “I Quit” match for the title at the WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view on Sunday. “The Role Model” is the first WWE Women’s Grand Slam Champion, as she has won every title in the company’s women’s division.

WrestleZone will provide more details as they become available.

Update: Mike Johnson of PWInsider reports that it’s believed that Bayley tore her ACL while she was training at the WWE Performance Center.

Additionally, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com reports that the injury occurred at a mandated “return to the road” training session. It was called a “freak accident”, as Bayley was simply doing some chan wrestling during the training session.

We're told the Bayley injury happened during the mandatory "return to road" training session at the WWE Performance Center while doing chain wrestling with another Superstar. It was referred to as a freak accident.

Stephanie McMahon Confirms WWE’s Plans For New Set Designs Among Other Presentation Changes

WWE is returning to the road next week with what promises to be an unforgettable weekend. The COVID-19 pandemic has turned WWE’s way of life upside down, as the company has been forced to hold its shows in the Performance Center and the ThunderDome for more than a year. With this return to some semblance of normalcy. With that in mind, WWE is using this development as a motive to change things up.

In an interview with Variety, WWE’s chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon explained that the company fully intends to use the lessons it learned from the ThunderDome era in order to alter its presentation now that live fans are coming back.

“In the ThunderDome, we were able to experiment with different types of technology,” said McMahon. “And we needed to over-deliver for our partners and our fans watching at home. But now we have the ability to apply all of those learnings to the live event experience with our fans. So from a production and storytelling standpoint, it will look and feel different.”

She also confirmed that the company will use new set designs, which had previously been reported, in addition to new arena setups. Plus, WWE will also utilize augmented reality in new ways, as McMahon teased the distinct aspects of this new presentation.

“We’re going to have a new set design, a new presentation of our talents, different locations, and arena setups,” McMahon continued. “We’re going to be utilizing augmented reality in a way that we never have before. We experimented with it a lot during Thunderdome, but it is now going to be incorporated into our talent entrances. There’s also going to be animated graphics. It’s going to be so exciting and so different than anything we’ve done before.”

Friday Night SmackDown Heads To Rolling Loud Miami 2021

WWE and Rolling Loud, the world's premier rap festival, today announced a new partnership that brings Friday Night SmackDown to Rolling Loud Miami 2021 on July 23. The occasion marks the first ever collaboration between WWE and a major music festival.

Gracing the same stage as festival headliners Travis Scott, Post Malone and A$AP Rocky, WWE Superstars will compete in matches live from Rolling Loud Miami. The July 23 edition of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX will feature a split-site broadcast with multiple matches at Rolling Loud Miami, and the remainder of the evening held at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.

“What Matt Zingler, Tariq Cherif and the entire Rolling Loud team have built is spectacular,” said Scott Zanghellini, WWE Senior Vice President, Revenue Strategy & Development. “We couldn’t think of a better partner to deliver such a unique WWE experience to fans during the July 23 edition of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX.”

“I grew up on Sweet Chin Music, mesmerized by the spectacle that Vince McMahon and co have built at WWE,” said Tariq Cherif, Co-Founder/Co-CEO of Rolling Loud. “The idea of weaving our two storylines into one world, one must see event, is electrifying.”

“And I quote! If ya smell…what the WWE and Rolling Loud…is…cookin’! Give me a hell yeah!,” said Rolling Loud Co-Founder/Co-CEO, Matt Zingler.

WWE has a rich history of integrating music into all aspects of its brand and collaborating with some of the most celebrated artists in the world. Over the years, world-renowned hip-hop artists including Snoop Dogg, Diddy, Three 6 Mafia, MGK, Wale and many others have performed at WWE’s biggest events.

Bringing 130 of the hottest acts in hip-hop to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., the sold out Rolling Loud Miami 2021 is a triumphant return for live rap music, and a coming out party for risers and new superstars eager to play in front of a festival crowd. The sixth Rolling Loud festival in Miami, where it started as a humble one-day event in Bayfront Park, Rolling Loud Miami 2021 will occur from July 23-25.

What WWE’s Vince McMahon was doing at a Dave Chappelle show: ‘Rare opportunity’

A rare opportunity” for a night out provided a glimpse into the Vince McMahon we don’t always see.

Comedian Donnell Rawlings posted a photo of him and the WWE chairman and CEO backstage at the Dave Chappelle and Friends show at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut on June 28 that made the rounds on the internet. The perception around McMahon is that he’s a work-a-holic, so it was surprising to see him in that atmosphere. McMahon was there with his daughter Stephanie, and son-in-law Paul “Triple H” Levesque.

The stars were perfectly aligned to make it work. 

“We all find Dave Chappelle, much like the rest of the world, I think, as incredibly entertaining and funny and we’re big fans,” Levesque told The Post while promoting WWE’s return to New York City. “And there was a rare opportunity where he was going to be in town, we all had an opportunity to have a few moments where we weren’t going to be working for a minute and we could also go see him. It sort of kind of was one of those things where we all went to each other at the same time — ‘Hey, I saw Chappelle is going to be doing some shows.'”

In his mind it was no different than what anyone else would do, looking to get out of the house and have a good time during a rare night out on a Saturday. WWE usually films its shows on Monday and Friday. Levesque did say McMahon is a work-a-holic, but added the perception of his father-in-law that’s out there is far from the whole person. 

“He’s a normal human being,” Levesque said. “The persona that people have placed upon him is funny, but he’s also very private, too. Often when he does do things, when he goes to a concert or he goes to things you don’t often see photos from it. In fact, we took pictures with a lot of people that night and that was the one photo that came out. I was kind of surprised myself.”

source:  new york post

WWE wrestler Jimmy Uso reportedly arrested for DUI after blowing .205

WWE star Jimmy Uso was reportedly arrested Monday night for a DUI, according to TMZ. 

Uso — whose real name is Jonathan Fatu — was pulled over in Pensacola, Florida after reportedly blowing through a red light and driving above the speed limit. Officers say they smelled alcohol on Fatu's breath and asked him to get out of the car. Fatu was reportedly swaying and told officers he consumed "multiple" beers before getting behind the wheel. 

Fatu reportedly failed field sobriety tests and was arrested on a misdemeanor DUI after he blew a .202 and a .205. The legal limit in Florida is .08. Fatu was also cited for speeding and running a red light. His bond is $500, according to TMZ.

Jimmy Uso was arrested for DUI in 2019

It's the second time Fatu has been arrested for a suspected DUI in the last two years. Fatu was arrested in 2019, though a jury found Fatu not guilty.

Fatu was also arrested in 2011 for a DUI. 

WWE has not commented on Fatu's reported arrest. Fatu did not appear on WWE shows for a few months following his arrest in 2019.

Zelina Vega Returns To WWE

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX saw Sonya Deville bring Vega back, introducing her as the next blue brand entrant in the Women’s Money In the Bank Ladder Match.

Vega, playing the heel, cut a promo on the mic about how she will win the MITB briefcase and then cash in to become either the WWE NXT, RAW or SmackDown Women’s Champion. She was interrupted by Liv Morgan, who was still upset about not getting a Money In the Bank spot while Carmella and Vega have.

Vega had been released in late 2020 following issues with the company over their third party edict. It was recently revealed that the company was bringing her back, a few weeks before her husband, Aleister Black, was released on June 2 as a part of budget cuts. 

Triple H Talks Recent WWE Releases

Dating back to April 15, 2020, WWE has made a sizable amount of cuts from their roster. From in-ring talent to producers, pink slips were dished out on numerous occasions over the past year.

Speaking to the New York Post, Triple H emphasized that the releases are “just business.”

“Coming out of COVID and a pandemic and everything else, all companies are having to make difficult decisions and we were no different,” Triple H said. “It’s a part of what we do and it happens on a regular basis, all companies have to do it. It’s not the most pleasant part of what you do, but it is what it is.”

Samoa Joe Says Triple H Contacted Him About NXT Return Hours After His Release, He’s Working In Talent Scouting Now

Samoa Joe‘s NXT return was put in motion just a few hours after he was initially released by WWE in April.

Samoa Joe was the latest guest on Out Of Character with Ryan Satin and he spoke about his return to NXT in a new “enforcer” role. Joe was released on April 15, but quickly returned to the company with the NXT brand on June 15. Speaking to Satin, Joe explained how John Laurinaitis called him and informed him of his release in April, and he was understanding due to his situation. He noted that the release was not expected, but he was relatively calm about it given the circumstances. He said a younger version of himself might have been worried, but you need to “roll, pivot” and move forward with his next projects.

“A few hours later, I get a call from Hunter and that all pretty much kinda changed.” [laughs]

Satin asked to clarify that the call from Triple H was only a few hours after being released by John Laurinaitis, Joe said it “essentially” happened that way.

“I had sent some company farewell texts to people to just say ‘it’s a pleasure working with you’, some people I genuinely enjoyed working with, some general thanks and ‘I’m sure we’ll talk down the road at some point’ [remarks] and then I got a text back [from Triple H]. [He said] ‘Give me a minute, I’m getting out of a meeting’ and we had a brief conversation, which was essentially ‘give us a little bit of time, I’ll work out a package and we’ll be talking soon,’” Joe said. “And that led to my return back to NXT.”

Asked if he had any reservations about coming back despite what had transpired, Joe said he didn’t before explaining what his new role will entail.

“No, and a lot of it was that me and Triple H had spoken about this transition in-depth, and it wasn’t just coming back to NXT and being an enforcer and having a role on the show. Now, I’m working in the talent scouting department, working with Canyon Ceman, a few more administrative things here and there behind the scenes,” Joe explained, “It’s a little bit of a transition for me into some of the other aspects of the business of WWE.

“It’s kind of an evolution of my journey, I’ve gone through the commentary production ranks and I’m working a little more on the behind-the-house type of things, so it was a really great, cool opportunity that Hunter offered me. And I’m still performing here within the bounds of WWE,” Joe noted, “so it was a very, very nice understanding that we have come to and I’m really excited about it.”

In regards to his new role, Joe said that he’s looking forward to giving looks to talent that might not otherwise get a chance in WWE. Joe was also asked about his potential in-ring return, and if it’s something he’s still pursuing. Joe said ‘absolutely’, adding that he’ll just say yes he’s working on it, and “we’ll leave it at that.”

credit:    WrestleZone

WWE Releases Multiple Superstars

The rumored WWE releases coming Friday turned out to be accurate as the company continued their recent paredown of the roster, focusing on both NXT and 205 Live talents.

The final list as of Friday night: Fandango, Tyler Breeze, Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari, August Grey, Ever-Rise (Chase Parker and Matt Martel), Curt Stallion, the Bollywood Boyz (Sunil and Samir Singh), Arturo Ruas, Marina Shafir, Killian Dain, and Tino Sabbatelli.

The majority of the releases were first reported by Fightful or PWInsider.

Jim Ross: Triple H And Stephanie McMahon Should Run WWE If The Company Is Sold

Jim Ross is of the opinion that if WWE is sold, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon should run the company.

Speaking on the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast, Ross hypothesized about what happens if WWE is sold. The conclusion he came to was Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are the people best suited to run WWE. Here is the quote, courtesy of Fightful:

“Let’s say it sells. It has to be sold with the thought in mind that there are people in place to run it. It’s a unique genre and takes a special breed, background, and desire to make it work. Our audience now with social media are more educated. Wrestling fans have something to carry their flag around and people are paying attention in a great way. If I were going to sell WWE, who better to run it than Triple H and his wife? The DNA is there, the experience, Vince has given them a great opportunity to have more experience in upper management.

“The key thing is talent and television. One without the other doesn’t make any money. If they do sell, it’d be a huge win for all involved, especially the family. It’s no guaranteed that (if they sell), Triple H and Stephanie have to find new jobs. I assume they’ll be running it.”

WWE’s McMahon, Board Accused of Insider Trading Over Saudi Deals

A World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. shareholder sued chairman Vince McMahon and other members of its board in Delaware, claiming company leaders sold more than $300 million worth of stock at inflated prices while keeping the public in the dark about the collapse of key Middle East broadcasting deals.

The lawsuit, made public Tuesday, accuses WWE’s executives of telling investors for months it was poised to renew an agreement with Riyadh-based Orbit Showcase Network, which it knew to be exiting sports broadcasting altogether, then misleading them about its chances of finding a replacement deal.

Meanwhile, McMahon—the company’s co-founder and controlling stockholder—allegedly sold 3.5 million shares worth more than $280 million based on “nonpublic information regarding the company’s key contracts, business metrics, and financial prospects” in the increasingly “critical” Middle East region.

Other executives sold stock worth $30 million based on the same inside information, according to the complaint filed in Delaware Chancery Court. Among the board members named as defendants are McMahon’s daughter Stephanie and her husband Paul Levesque, a longtime wrestler known as “Triple H.”

When the truth about WWE’s “rapidly deteriorating” Middle East business finally emerged in early 2020, the company’s stock price fell from more than $62 a share to $44.50, according to the complaint.

WWE didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

The partly redacted 68-page complaint echoes a securities fraud class action that settled for $39 million in December. McMahon and the board are to blame for that hit to the company’s finances and for damage to its business reputation, the suit says.

It was originally filed under seal June 10.

Cause of Action: Breach of fiduciary duty; unjust enrichment; aiding and abetting.

Relief: Punitive and actual damages, costs, and fees.

Attorneys: The plaintiff is represented by Rigrodsky Law PA and Joshua H. Grabar of Philadelphia.

The case is Dastgir v. McMahon, Del. Ch., No. 2021-0513, complaint unsealed 6/15/21.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mike Leonard in Washington at mleonard@bloomberglaw.com

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Rob Tricchinelli at rtricchinelli@bloomberglaw.com; Nicholas Datlowe at ndatlowe@bloomberglaw.com