WWE Reveals Inaugural Class Of NIL Athletes

WWE has unveiled 15 college athletes who will be among the first to participate in the company’s newly formed NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program that provides a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE.

The inaugural “Next In Line” class includes athletes from 13 universities, seven NCAA conferences and four sports. In addition to the United States, the class includes representation from myriad countries spanning from Canada and Nigeria. The following 15 athletes join Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson in WWE’s first-of-its-kind NIL program:

* Carlos Aviles, of Ventura, Calif., a 6-foot-6, 305-pound track & field athlete from Ohio State University

* Haley Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University

* Hanna Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University

* A.J. Ferrari of Dallas, Texas, a 6-foot, 200-pound wrestler from Oklahoma State University

* Lexi Gordon of Fort Worth, Texas, a 6-foot basketball player from Duke University

* Aleeya Hutchins of Toronto, Canada, a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from Wake Forest University

* John Krahn of Riverside, Calif., a 7-foot, 400-pound football player from Portland State University

* Glen Logan of Kenner, La., a 6-foot-5, 305-pound football player from LSU

* Isaac Odugbesan of Lagos, Nigeria, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound football player from the University of Alabama

* Mason Parris of Lawrenceburg, Ind., a 6-foot-2, 275-pound wrestler from the University of Michigan

* Masai Russel of Potomac, Md., a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from the University of Kentucky

* Jon Seaton of Hillsborough, N.J., a 6-foot-1, 285-pound football player from Elon University

* Joe Spivak of Lombard, Ill., a 6-foot, 300-pound football player from Northwestern University

* Dalton Wagner of Spring Grove, Ill., a 6-foot-9, 330-pound football player from the University of Arkansas

* Riley White of Hoover, Ala., a 5-foot-6 track & field athlete from the University of Alabama

WWE’s NIL program was announced last week following the NCAA’s historic new policy that took effect on July 1, 2021, which has ushered in the NIL era, allowing college athletes the ability to monetize their name, image and likeness. The comprehensive program serves to recruit and develop potential future Superstars and further enhances WWE’s talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds.

All athlete partnerships will feature access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization, including brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, select athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to be offered a WWE contract.

Learn more about the “Next In Line” program at wwe.com/nil.

Shawn Michaels Provides Update On Why Triple H Hasn't Returned To NXT Yet

 

During an interview with Jim Varsallone, Shawn Michaels provided an update on Triple H's status and health.

“Right now, for me, I’ve told him, ‘I don’t care how good you are, you stay away, get healthy, concentrate on you.’ The thing is, he put in a fabulous team here and that’s why it’s able to continue on without him because he put phenomenal people in place. I’m just the guy that gets to expedite everything and run traffic. The team he put in place was prepared for these kind of days and we want him to get healthy. He doesn’t have anything to worry about, we’ll be here when he gets back.“

WWE Launches NIL Program: NEXT IN LINE

WWE today announced the launch of a groundbreaking NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program that will provide a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE. Following a historic new policy by the NCAA effective July 1, 2021, which ushered in the NIL era allowing college athletes the ability to monetize their name, image and likeness, WWE has constructed a comprehensive program to recruit and develop potential future Superstars. Dubbed “Next In Line™,” the NIL program aims to enhance the talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds. “The WWE NIL program has the potential to be transformational to our business,” said Paul Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy and Development. “By creating partnerships with elite athletes at all levels across a wide variety of college sports, we will dramatically expand our pool of talent and create a system that readies NCAA competitors for WWE once their collegiate careers come to a close.” All athlete partnerships will feature access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization including brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, select athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to be offered a WWE contract. In September, WWE announced its first NIL deal with heavyweight freestyle wrestler Gable Steveson who captured a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The agreement allowed Steveson to return to the University of Minnesota for his senior season where he is defending his NCAA National Championship while beginning his Superstar training with WWE. WWE will unveil the first class of NIL partnerships in the coming weeks.

Booker T Says Triple H Was “A Bigger Star Than CM Punk” Before Marrying Stephanie McMahon

During their highly-praised promo segment on last week’s AEW Dynamite, MJF and CM Punk made several references to WWE legend Triple H.

Near the end of the segment, Punk mentioned how MJF would have to marry Tony Khan’s daughter to emerge as the No. 1 star in AEW, referencing Triple H marrying Stephanie McMahon.

“The only way you’ll be number one is if Tony Khan has a daughter and you marry her,” Punk told MJF.

Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Booker T was admittedly ticked off by Punk’s choice of words, pointing out that The Game was “a bigger star than CM Punk” even before he married the daughter of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

“It ticks me off a little bit, I’ve worked with Hunter since WCW. Hunter was a bigger star than CM Punk was before he even married Stephanie McMahon and that’s just fact,” Booker T said on his Hall of Fame podcast on Wednesday. “As far as becoming a bigger star after that, of course he was going to become a bigger star after that (marrying Stephanie), he was in the family now. Look here, if CM Punk would’ve married Stephanie McMahon, he would’ve become a bigger star, perhaps.”

Booker added, “CM Punk was a big star in WWE and they were treating him like he was a big star in WWE. I don’t see how or why anyone could think that CM Punk wasn’t treated like a mega star.”

Speaking further on the promo segment, Booker T called out Punk for trying to “get a cheap pop” at the expense of Triple H.

“I’ve always been willing to say to someone’s face what I wanted to get off my chest,” Booker stressed. “I’ve never wanted to go and hide somewhere and get a cheap pop talking about someone, especially someone I respect, who has done it the way we all have – entertaining fans in America and abroad, blood, sweat and tears. He (Triple H) is one of those guys who is one of the pillars of WWE, always will be.

“I watched that guy (Triple H) working on the furniture in WCW, I’m talking about stairs, chairs, I’m talking about blood matches, I considered him the real deal. That was coming from one of his peers, that wasn’t from someone who got along with him, broke bread (with him), or ever rode down the road with him one time. I said, ‘This dude is the real deal.'”

H/T to SK Wrestling for the transcription.

Stephanie McMahon Provides Status Update On The Vince McMahon Documentary

Stephanie McMahon was a guest at the March of Dimes event, where someone asked her for an update regarding the Vince McMahon documentary that has been in production.

"It's scheduled to release next year in 2022. The timing is still TBD. I am equal parts excited and really nervous. I don't know what it's going to say, but it's going to capture his life and his story, which so richly deserves to be told."

Kane Thinks Triple H Is The One Person Who Can Take WWE To Even Greater Heights

For years, the belief has been that Triple H would be the person to take over WWE when Vince McMahon passes away or steps down as chairman of the company. 

Kane also believes this and talked about it during an appearance on The Doug Collins Podcast. 

“You know, I don’t know, actually. I’m not close enough to the company to say that right now. I think as companies mature, you become more risk-averse. Because you want to keep what you have and you’re afraid of losing that. Unfortunately, the downside is you become less aggressive and you don’t have that growth just because of where you’re at. I think you kind of see some of that, and that’s not a criticism, that just is what it is, and that’s the kind of lifecycle of an organization. So a lot of stuff as Vince gets older, I think things will change, for better or worse, I don’t know.

“A lot of folks lament, especially some of the wrestlers, how the company’s become much more corporate, but it had to, I mean, in this day and age, that’s just how things work. So you see these natural changes and then you see a change in leadership, I don’t know what’s going to happen. Triple H, I think. has an amazing mind for the wrestling industry. If I were to say, you know, one person that could really take the company and take it even higher and even further, it would be him. I think he’s just got that kind of talent. He’s a genius at this stuff. You know, so but we’ll see what the future holds, certainly.”

H/T to Fightful for the transcript

Stephanie McMahon Provides An Update On Triple H

WWE revealed some potentially scary news earlier this year when it informed fans Triple H had undergone surgery following a cardiac event. The details surrounding exactly what happened to The Game remain unclear. He has been off TV ever since, and before that in fairness, as well as absent from NXT tapings, presumably so he can continue his recovery at home.

Very little has been revealed in the more than two months since WWE broke the news that Triple H would be undergoing heart surgery. The Game tweeted fans a couple of weeks later, letting them know he was okay and thanking them for their support. Talk Sport's Alex McCarthy has now shared a further update after speaking with Stephanie McMahon over Survivor Series weekend.

When McCarthy asked McMahon how her husband is doing, she reportedly informed him that The Cerebral Assassin is “doing great”. Not much, but at least it's positive and a sign that Triple H is recovering well from whatever the event was and the surgery he needed to fix it. No word on if and when Triple H will return to NXT to oversee the brand.

Triple H Spotted For First Time Following Heart Surgery

Paul “Triple H” Levesque has resurfaced in a video posted on TikTok. It’s believed to be the first video of the WWE executive since he had heart surgery following a cardiac event.

The video shows Triple H wearing a hardhat as he walks in a group led by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan. The group is touring a construction site, presumed to be the new WWE headquarters being built in Stamford, Connecticut. Triple H has not made any public appearances since his surgery. 

WWE talents were reportedly not given any timetable on when Triple H would return to work full-time. WWE executive Bruce Pritchard provided a brief update on Triple H’s health earlier this month on his podcast, Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard.

“He is feeling better, he’s coming along good,” Prichard said. “He’s moving along man, more power to him!”

The construction of the new WWE headquarters is still in its early stages. A report earlier this week stated that WWE employees are expected to begin moving into the company headquarters by the end of 2022. WWE originally planned to have construction completed in time for employees to move into their news offices earlier this year. That timeline was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

WWE Releases More Superstars

WWE has released multiple Superstars including multiple-time champion John Morrison alongside former NXT North American Champion Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott.

As first broken by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, WWE has released the following WWE Superstars on November 18th:

John Morrison

Top Dolla

Ashante Adonis

Isiah Swerve Scott

Tegan Nox

Drake Maverick

Shane Thorne

Jaxson Ryker

Stephanie McMahon Named One Of The Most Powerful Women In Sports

WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon has made Adweek’s 2021 Most Powerful Women In Sports list.

The group of 34 female leaders in sports made the list for moving athletics forward for everyone, and elevating their teams, leagues, brands, and clients.

Adweek’s David Cohen wrote the following on McMahon’s profile for the 2021 Most Powerful Women In Sports list:

“As pandemic restrictions began to ease, WWE exploded out of the gates. In January, McMahon was part of the team that inked a landmark streaming pact with long-standing partner NBCUniversal, giving Peacock exclusive rights to direct-to-consumer platform WWE Network. WWE also landed blue-chip brands including General Motors, Procter and Gamble’s Tide, Unilever’s Klondike and Universal Studios, and struck deals that made DraftKings the company’s first-ever free-to-play gaming partner and Snickers the presenting partner of WrestleMania for the sixth consecutive year. And when fans made their long-awaited return to WrestleMania in April, after more than a year of performances with no fans in attendance, the event brought the energy of sellout crowds and featured the first Black women to perform in the main event and a new company signature—’Then Now Forever Together’—which McMahon says was implemented ‘to recognize and celebrate our fans, our community and the message of inclusivity. It was important to show our fans that no matter who they are or where they come from, they belong and will always be part of the WWE family.’ Next up is a partnership with Spotify’s The Ringer for an exclusive audio network and new podcast slate.”

McMahon answered a question from Adweek on how the last 19 months have been. She said they have been “a lesson in the importance of human connection.”

FOX Sports issued a message to Stephanie for the Adweek piece. They said, “The definition of power, style and grace. Congratulations, Stephanie! Keep bringing the SmackDown. Your friends at FOX Sports.”

Stephanie McMahon To Receive Corporate Leadership Award

It was announced yesterday that Stephanie McMahon will be honored with the Corporate Leadership Award from the organization. The ceremony will be held on Tuesday, November 30 at the 38th Annual Sports Luncheon, hosted by the March of Dimes Greater New York/New Jersey Market.

McMahon will be honored along with Big Ten Conference Commissioner Kevin Warren, who is receiving the Sports Leadership Award. Longtime NHL player Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers and 11-time Olympic medalist Allyson Felix will honored with the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards.

The March of Dimes press release noted, “As Chief Brand Officer, Stephanie McMahon is responsible for ensuring WWE’s global brand strength and growth across all lines of business. Stephanie oversees WWE’s Brand, Marketing, Community Relations and Pop Culture strategies as well as WWE’s Global Sales and Partnerships Division. Among her many contributions, she has been the driving force behind WWE’s Women’s Evolution, which has given female performers an equal share of the spotlight both in and out of the ring. Prior to being named Chief Brand Officer in 2013, Stephanie was Executive Vice President, Creative and was the first woman to lead WWE’s Creative Writing, Digital Media, Talent Relations, Talent Brand Management and Live Events businesses. Over the years, she has been recognized by Forbes in the publication’s annual World’s Most Influential CMO list, and in 2020 she was named the world’s most influential female CMO and earned the #2 position overall. Additionally, Adweek has included Stephanie in their list of the Most Powerful Women in Sports for the past five years and previously chose her as a 2019 Brand Genius honoree.”

WWE Reports Third Quarter 2021 Earnings