WWE NXT Scores Best Ratings In Months Despite NBA Finals Competition

Tuesday’s live edition of WWE NXT drew 709,000 viewers on the USA Network, according to Nielsen via Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics.

This is up 0.6% from last week’s show, which drew 705,000 viewers.

Tuesday’s NXT drew a 0.20 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This is up slightly from last week’s 0.19 rating in the key demo. This 0.20 rating represents 253,000 viewers in the 18-49 demo, which is up from last week’s 245,000 18-49 viewers.

This week’s NXT drew the most viewers since the May 4 episode, despite having the second-half of the show go against the NBA Finals, which started at 9 pm ET.

Triple H Gives His Take on a Successful ‘Money in the Bank’

WWE delivered an outstanding Money in the Bank pay-per-view on Sunday, creating memorable moments and laying the foundation for the development of new stars. The card finished on the highest note possible, with the legendary John Cena emerging to interrupt Roman Reigns and send the crowd home overjoyed following his memorable return.

Max-capacity crowds over the weekend brought a must-see factor to WWE, even helping to significantly boost TV ratings for Friday’s SmackDown. Sunday’s show evoked the sort of passion and exuberance that WWE programming so sorely missed while performing without live audiences during the pandemic.

“The crowd was gone, and that’s our bloodline,” Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE’s executive vice president of global talent strategy and development, says. “It was taken away from us. Now it’s back, and there is new life in WWE.”...More?

source: si.com

WWE and TikTok Launch Ring Announcer Search

Beginning today, WWE will launch a search for its next great ring announcer on TikTok as users can upload their most entertaining videos using the hashtag #WWEAnnouncerContest. The best performers will earn a trip to SummerSlam at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, August 21, where they will serve as a ring announcer at WWE’s biggest event of 2021. The announcer search is presented by Pure Life® Purified Water.

In the weeks leading up to SummerSlam, WWE will review each video before announcing two winners from the company’s official TikTok channel on Monday, August 16.

“Our engagement on TikTok to date has been incredible and we couldn’t think of a better platform to help us find the next great ring announcer,” said Steve Braband, WWE Vice President, Digital.  

Today’s announcement follows another innovative TikTok activation, through which WWE aims to discover and recruit its next generation of Superstars via the TikTok Resumes product. The search culminates in a multi-day talent tryout in Las Vegas as part of SummerSlam.

To date, WWE has amassed one of the largest TikTok audiences in sports with more than 11 million followers and has more than one billion fans across its global social media platforms, further cementing its position as one of the most-followed brands in the world.

Matt Riddle's Accuser Drops Sexual Assault Lawsuit

The woman who accused WWE star Matt Riddle of choking her and forcing her to perform oral sex has dropped her lawsuit against the wrestler ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Court docs show Candy Cartwright -- a pro wrestler whose real name is Samantha Tavel -- filed for the dismissal on Monday.

It's unclear if the two sides reached a monetary settlement ... Cartwright's attorney, John Chwarzynski, tells us only, "The parties have put this in their past and are focused on the future." Riddle's attorney has not commented.

"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.”