Sean 'Diddy' Combs and his love affair with WWE

Sean "Diddy" Combs wasn't about to let his pride get in the way of telling a good story.

So when the hip-hop recording artist, producer and actor, known worldwide as "Puff Daddy," was asked how his relationship with WWE first came to be, he didn't hold back. Combs recalled sitting down to watch WWE and seeing the same familiar face pop up on the screen as a celebrity guest.

"I want to tell you the truth, I called [WWE] after I saw Snoop Dogg," Combs said.

Snoop Dogg, the iconic rapper and first cousin of current WWE women's champion Sasha Banks, has had such a memorable run on WWE telecasts in recent years that he was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame in April. His success challenged Combs, a pro wrestling fan since his youth, to throw his own name into the ring.

"I had to put my ego down and make sure that [WWE] had my information because I did not understand why I hadn't been called yet," Combs told ESPN.com before letting out a hearty laugh. "And that really did happen. I'm not just saying that. I called Neil [Lawi, senior vice president and general manager of WWE Music Group] and was like, 'Yo, Neil, what's up?'"

Combs went on to make a pair of singing performances under the bright lights of the WWE stage -- in a 2010 "Tribute to the Troops" show in Texas and, most prominently, at WrestleMania 29 in 2013 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. But the self-proclaimed "Bad Boy" made headlines this week when it was announced a new collaboration with WWE was in the cards.

In addition to a brief appearance Monday on Raw -- trading one-liners with the WWE tag team champions, The New Day -- Combs was named as the soundtrack curator for the WWE 2K17 video game that hits stores on Oct. 11.

An opportunity for a reunion with WWE was something he jumped at.

"[The McMahon family] are a great role model brand and, most importantly, a role model family, as far as building an empire and passing your legacy on to your kids," said Combs, a wildly successful entrepreneur in his own right. "When you interact with the McMahons, it's so professional and so positive."...More?

Vince McMahon Absent From Recent WWE Events, How He Has Still Been Involved, When He's Expected Back

No word yet on why but Vince McMahon has not been at WWE TV tapings for the past two weeks. He’s also not scheduled to be at TV next week for the go-home shows but will be at SummerSlam in Brooklyn on August 21st.

While he has been away, Vince was still in communication with everyone and was on the phone during the production meetings for the last two weeks. This should come as no surprise but Vince was still micro-managing every single detail of RAW and SmackDown all day long before they went live.

It was reported back in late June that Vince also missed the June 20th RAW and June 21st SmackDown tapings.

source: wrestling observer newsletter

ESPN Launches New WWE Vertical Dedicated to Pro Wrestling

The Worldwide Leader In Sports is jumping into the wrestling ring.

ESPN.com has launched a new vertical dedicated to delivering comprehensive coverage of WWE and the world of professional wrestling, the network announced Thursday.

The portal will serve as a one-stop destination for content including match results, features, wrestler profiles, rankings, international wrestling and videos.

The announcement comes less than a month after WWE Superstar and “Trainwreck” actor John Cena hosted the 2016 ESPYs, earning rave reviews from viewers and athletes alike.

“I was sitting in the audience at the ESPYs and watching John Cena do his thing and he was incredible,” Chad Millman, ESPN Vice President, Editorial Director, Domestic Digital Content, told TheWrap. “Seeing some of the sketches that were done, I turned to my boss and said: ‘We could clip each of these things and throw them on the website right now if we had the site up at that moment.’

“It did speak to the relationship between sports fandom and wrestling fandom — and where the intersection is, which is why we are doing this right now,” he continued. “We see every day how passionate wrestling fans are and how often they are also sports fans. The way that they perceive wrestling and pro wrestlers is not that different to how we perceive other professional sports stars.

“We want to cover it like we do with any other sport such as the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA and everything else that we cover — with credibility and authenticity.”

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WWE Sees Opportunities to 'Integrate LGBT Storylines' In Programming

Speaking at a Beyond Sport United event in New York this week, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon said her organization -- best known for its wrestling showdowns -- is committed to LGBT inclusivity.

"Throughout my life I have grown up knowing gay [WWE] superstars and executives," McMahon told NBC OUT backstage. "It's always been accepted, but now it's about getting that message out there."

"It's about his life as a gay wrestler and how from the beginning of his career he had to hide that," McMahon explained "He first came out … on a show on WWE Network called 'Legends' House.' It was a reality show with a bunch of our legends, and he had such a positive response. It was so warm and supportive that he then decided to tell his story."

McMahon told NBC OUT her organization is committed to inclusive storytelling and said "when it makes sense … absolutely we will integrate LGBT storylines into our programming."

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From Divas to superstars: The evolution of the WWE's women's division

Triple H breaks down in-ring psychology and character development in the WWE

Buff Bagwell Files Lawsuit Against WWE

WWE attorneys are certainly being kept busy of late with a number of lawsuits filed by former talent mainly concerning unsafe working conditions and concessions. However, the latest lawsuit filed by former WWE Superstar Buff Bagwell concerns missing royalty payments for matches of his that appear on the WWE Network, according to a report by PWInsider.com.

Bagwell claims when the company purchased WCW 2001, the original deal he signed with WCW transferred and put under contract with WWE. He was signed by WWE in June 2001 and released two months later in August 2001. He also claims he is owed money from a percentage of profits that were supposed to be split among talent.

Bagwell feels as his matches from WCW are being aired on the network that he is owed a portion of the $154.9 million profits which WWE made in the final quarter of 2015.

WWE has responded with the following statement:

“Bagwell never was promised royalties by either World Championship Wrestling Inc or by WWE for the use of the copyrighted works of World Championship Wrestling, Inc. We will be moving to dismiss the case if it is not voluntarily withdrawn, as it should be.”

Cruiserweight Classic Round Five Results

Enzo Amore on coming back from a concussion and fulfilling a dream at SummerSlam

Enzo Amore and his tag team partner Big Cass have become arguably the biggest breakout stars in WWE this year. Since the very first night Enzo and Cass debuted on the main roster, the night after WrestleMania 32, their entrances and in-ring promos have consitently gotten some of the biggest pops of the night, and the team even temporarily joined forces with 15-time champion John Cena prior to the brand extension. Now on Raw, Enzo and Cass are headed toward a showdown with Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho at SummerSlam August 21st. Enzo Amore spoke with Fox Sports ahead of WWE's second-biggest event of the year to talk about his journey to the main roster, getting his big break from Triple H, and the concussion that knocked him out of action at WWE Payback.

Fox Sports: Let's go back to your debut in April. Coming up from NXT, were you expecting the type of reaction you got from the Raw crowd with everybody knowing the words to your entrance bit?

Enzo Amore: You know, there was probably a ton of people there - including Vince McMahon - that would have never expected that kind of reaction. But going into it, you know, Triple H gave us the opportunity of a lifetime and I don't think anybody ever realized that when the WWE Network came out and NXT was on the Network it became a brand. And it was the third brand of our company.

The opportunity we got there was to perform in front of crowds by the thousands in the U.K. [at NXT TakeOver: London], and the majority of the crowd that night after WrestleMania for Monday Night Raw in Dallas was a U.K. crowd, a crossover crowd. People who are enthusiasts of WWE and they knew what WWE NXT was.

I kinda looked at Hunter when my music hit from across Gorilla, I saw him right before I went out of the curtain ... and it was organic, it was real. I could have never imagined that kind of reaction in a million years, but at the same time I had an inkling that 'hey wait, these are the same fans that I just performed in front of in Europe three months ago."

FS: Speaking of Triple H, I know you have an interesting story about how you got your big break with WWE in the first place?

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WWE To Debut Another New Championship Belt For Raw

The WWE Universal Title will not be the only new title debuting on Raw, according to PWInsider.com.

There are plans to introduce a introduce a new Cruiserweight Title which would of course make sense as Raw will exclusively be host to a Cruiserweight division.

There is speculation that the new Cruiserweight Title debut on the finale episode of the Cruiserweight Classic.

Ring of Honor & CMLL Enter Working Relationship, First Talent Exchange Announced

According to F4WOnline.com (via MedioTiempo.com), CMLL (Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre) announced they have agreed to a new working relationship with Ring of Honor.

CMLL announced the deal during a press conference earlier today, and ROH star Matt Taven will be the first wrestler sent to CMLL as part of the talent exchange. Additionally, Mexican wrestler Stuka Jr. was the first person to be part of the exchange, as he competed at ROH’s Aftershock event in Philadelphia on July 16th, and Dragon Lee will also appear for ROH on 30 and October 1.

Taven’s first appearance for CMLL will be on September 9 at the Arena Mexico.

Ric Flair Talks Charlotte Losing the Womens Title, Randy Orton’s WWE Return, Batista’s Success, Triple H, His Run with Evolution and More

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair recently spoke with Ted Gruber of Fansided.com and below are some interview highlights:

Evolution was based on the 4 Horseman in sense when it was introduced to the WWE in 2003. Looking back at that stable, was it something that the WWE needed at the time?

“It was an amazing time and I enjoyed every second of it. All the respect to Triple H who put us all together. It was a little more conservative than the 4 Horseman but equally just as fun. It was a great opportunity for me to have a good time, and I always do.

Randy is back and looks like a million dollars. Dave has a brand of his own that has taken off. And look at Hunter who is virtually running the company. I am proud of all three of them for improving their wrestling careers and other opportunities outside of the wrestling business.”

Your daughter recently dropped her Women’s Championship to Sasha Banks a couple of weeks ago. What does that mean to you after watching that match and seeing her passing on the title that she held for a very long time?

“She didn’t lose anything. She proved to everyone in the world that she is the greatest athlete in the WWE and the greatest women’s champion of all time. There’s no disgrace losing to Sasha. She had it for 307 days which is such a long time in a sport that is so very competitive. I’m so proud of her and she has such a positive attitude. She’s looking forward to the rematch and so am I.”

Joey Styles Released

Joey "Styles" Bonsignore, most famous as the voice of the original Extreme Championship Wrestling before becoming Vice President of Digital Media Content for World Wrestling Entertainment, is gone from WWE.

After a run with the original ECW that lasted from 1993 to 2001, Styles had pretty much left professional wrestling. The ECW One Night Stand revival PPV changed that and WWE brought him into the company in the summer of 2005, also Styles signing to a deal to be the lead announcer for that PPV and host ECW-related DVD and Video on Demand material for the company.

Styles was later upgraded to a full fledged WWE deal that saw him become the lead announcer on Raw and PPVs for a short period before being shifted over to the revived ECW brand. Styles later retired from announcing and worked behind the scenes for the company on WWE.com and digital media.

At the time of his WWE departure, Styles held the post of Vice President of Digital Media Content for World Wrestling Entertainment and recently appeared in a Facebook Live Q&A for the WWE Facebook Page where he joked the interview would be the reason he was let go from the company. The video was later pulled from WWE's social media platforms.

In total, Bonsignore had been with WWE a little over eleven years.

The news of Bonsignore's departure was first reported by ProWrestlingSheet.com. PWInsider.com has independently confirmed that report was correct.

Ryback Released

WWE has officially announced the release for Ryback from the company with a very brief statement on their official website:

"Effective today, Aug. 8, 2016, WWE has parted ways with Ryback and he is no longer under contract. WWE wishes Ryback the best in all his future endeavors."

Shelton Benjamin No Longer Returning To WWE

As noted, WWE recently announced that Shelton Benjamin would be returning to WWE on the SmackDown brand. Benjamin revealed on Twitter today that he is no longer returning to tend to a torn rotator cuff.

Bayley Reveals Nickname For Triple H, Talks Frustration Not Being Called Up, Rebuilding Herself

On episode 267 of Talk Is Jericho, former NXT Women's Champion, Bayley, talked about Triple H's influence on the so-called Divas' Revolution, how she feels about being the last of the Four Horsewomen remaining in NXT, and how she would like to transition to one of WWE's tentpole programs.

According to Bayley, Triple H truly cares about the performers and no one has a better understanding of the characters than 'The Game'.

"It's cool," Bayley said. "He's the man. I always, like, Sasha, Charlotte, and Becky, we've all kind of said, like, it was so crazy how we came at the same time and kind of grew together because I think if I came a year later or a year earlier, it just wouldn't have meant as much or I don't know. At the time, he was always so cool too. He cared about everybody. He cares about everybody and he knows everyone's characters more than anybody else. Like, no matter how long the match is, or what the program is, or if you're on the bottom of the card or the top of the card, he cared about it because it's his. This is his baby and he wanted to make sure it's the best ever, so I really noticed him really caring about when, I guess, when we came with the Women's title and Paige won it the first time. I was like, 'man, he wants to make this special', so it just kind of motivates you. And you see with interviews he does and some of the panel stuff that they did for Brooklyn, he just has such a - I don't know - I think he has like a soft spot for us. Yeah, we call him 'Papa Hunter'."

During the podcast, Bayley admitted that she feels ready to move on to WWE Monday Night RAW or WWE SmackDown Live.

"I think I'm getting more towards [frustration]. When they first went up, I was so excited and just like, 'dude, I'm just so happy for you guys - if you guys can mold the division and make it easier for me when I get there, like, go for it!' and I had things I wanted to work on here [in NXT]. I had to be the champion and like being able to work with a lot of the younger girls, which I think has been great for me that I wouldn't be able to do if I moved with them. Like, I think I've learned more in this past year than I have in, I don't know, just my whole career because I have to work with all levels of people." Bayley added, "but now, I think I've done what I can and especially after WrestleMania [32] and saw their amazing match and the new Women's title, I'm like, 'dude, this is where I need to be. So now, I'm pretty, like, 'alright, let's do this!'"

Additionally, Bayley claimed that she does not want to be thrown into the title picture immediately upon being called up from NXT. Rather, the former 'Davina Rose' said she would like to build herself up organically, much like she did in NXT.

"I mean, if I had it my way, I'd prefer to kind of start out the same way I did in NXT where I was just kind of laying low. And I don't want to be thrown in the championship mix right away. I kind of like growing in front of the fans. And I think that's why it was such a huge deal when I won the title because they've seen me at the very bottom and just kind of be this girl that's you know. I don't want to be thrown into the [title] picture and get lost or be like I'm this huge deal already because I have to reintroduce myself. So that's kind of what I'm looking forward to. What I hope to do is just grow in front of the larger audience, but I hope it all kind of works out the same way. I hope I really don't have to change much because I'm so happy with how it's going right now. But, if along the way they give me a few things they want me to change or that I need to tweak to make it better, make the produce better, then I can do it."

Bull Dempsey On Triple H As A Boss

"I've had a lot of different bosses and a lot of different jobs and I can easily say that he (Triple H) is the best boss I ever had. If he had a million things to do he didn't mind one million one. If you asked him for one minute, he'd give you five. It is his baby and he is putting his heart and soul into it and why wouldn't he be all hands on deck."

WWE Cruiserweight Classic Participants To Receive Finalist Medals

Pro Wrestling Sheet is reporting the finalists of the WWE Cruiserweight Classic will receive custom medallions after the company who made them accidentally spoiled them on social media earlier today.

The UK based company reportedly posted some photos of the medals on social media today, but immediately pulled them. According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, the company is an official WWE vendor and wanted to use the photos to make the announcement, but WWE asked for the photos to be removed until they could be shown on TV.

Seth Rollins Discusses Roman Reigns Addressing the WWE Locker Room Following Suspension, Shoots Down “Wrestler’s Court” Rumors

Prior to his 30 day suspension for violating the WWE Wellness Policy, Roman Reigns reportedly addressed the WWE locker room before leaving to serve his month long suspension.

Apparently rumors were floating around that Reigns appeared in “Wrestler’s Court”, an old, light-hearted form of “discipline” in which a wrestler accused of doing something wrong stood “trial” in front of the locker room and was then issued some type of punishment.

WWE star Seth Rollins recently appeared on “Bailey and Southside”. During the interview, Rollins discussed what really happened when Reigns addressed the locker room, and Rollins said it was not a “wrestler’s court” situation. Rollins said the wrestler’s court system is something of the past, and doesn’t exist anymore. He added the cases were typically over minor things like one wrestler taking another wrestler’s seat at catering. Rollins said the punishments were usually a little harsh, but this was all before the days of social media and WWE going public. When asked if Roman Reigns was brought before Wrestler’s Court when he violated the WWE Wellness Policy, Rollins said “no, that’s misunderstood.”

Rollins clarified the situation and said Reigns addressing the locker room was done because Reigns is a locker room leader, and he wanted to do the professional thing and address the situation in front of the company and the talents. Rollins added Wrestler’s Court was something typically done more out of jest, and what Reigns did was much more professional.

Cruiserweight Classic Round Four Results