April 1, 2012
WrestleMania XXVIII Results
Sun Life Stadium record attendance of 78,363.
WWE Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Match - Primo & Epico vs. The Usos vs. Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel
Winners: Primo & Epico (c)
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus
Winner: Sheamus - New World Heavyweight Champion
Randy Orton vs. Kane
Winner: Kane
Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes vs. Big Show
Winner: Big Show - New Intercontinental Champion
Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos vs. Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Eve
Winners: Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos
The Undertaker vs. Triple H (Hell in a Cell Match with special referee Shawn Michaels)
Winner: The Undertaker
Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny
Winners: Team Johnny
WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho
Winner: CM Punk (c)
John Cena vs. The Rock
Winner: The Rock
Poll Results: The Streak or The Game at WMXXVIII?
Triple H - 45 (72%)
The Undertaker - 17 (27%)
Total Votes: 62
NWA World Championship Belt on Display at WWE Fan AXXESS
Pwinsider.com is reporting that the centerpiece Hall of Fame memorabilia display is the NWA World championship belt that was at the center of the Ric Flair vs. Highspots.com legal squabble. It would appear WWE acquired the belt, possibly by helping Flair settle the matter.
This Day in Wrestling History
Happy Birthday to Randy Orton
April 1, 1980
Ultimate Warrior defeats Hulk Hogan for the WWF(E) Title. Warrior was now both the World and IC Champion.
April 1, 1990
The Undertaker defeated Triple H at WrestleMania 17
April 1, 2001
Donald Trump shaves Vince McMahon bald after his representative, Bobby Lashley defeated Vince's representative Umaga at WrestleMania XXIII.
April 1, 2007
March 31, 2012
New WWE Network Shows Announced
In Miami, execs introduce shows but say little else about launch of network:
As WWE puts together plans to launch its WWE Network sometime this year, company execs had little to share about the channel at its annual business summit, on the eve of "WrestleMania 28," in Miami.
"We continue to evaluate the best approach" for launching the network, according to WWE chief marketing officer Michelle Wilson. That includes carriage deals that have yet to be revealed.
Still, execs did introduce new shows that will air on the channel.
Those include reality show "WWE Divas Tour Bus," "WWE WrestleMania Rewind," that revisits previous events, "WWE Countdown," and "WWE The Monday Night War: Raw vs Nitro."
Those will air alongside reality series "WWE Legend's House," with Rowdy Roddy Piper, Hillbilly Jim, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Tony Atlas, Pat Patterson, Howard Finkel, Mean Gene Okerlund and "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart.
Company has been looking for ways to package the 100,000 hours of footage in its library that have only aired once or have never been seen, according to Stephanie McMahon, WWE's exec VP of creative, at the summit.
Off the WWE Network, the company plans to produce a third series to air on a broadcaster, although no details were given of the hour-long show. It also will produce another hour-long series in Spanish that's aimed at Hispanic audiences.
source: variety.com
This Day in Wrestling History - WrestleMania I
WrestleMania 1 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The event features Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeating Paul Orndorff and Rowdy Roddy Piper. Muhammad Ali acted as special guest referee. The attendance for the event was 19,121 fans. The event was viewed by over one million fans through closed-circuit television, making it the largest showing of an event on closed-circuit television in the United States at the time. The event was the start of the Rock 'n' Wrestling gimmick, which brought together professional wrestling and the music industry, and matches aired on MTV during the build up to the event.
March 31, 1985
March 30, 2012
Rumor Mill - Former Head of TNA Talent Relations at FCW
Prowrestling.net is reporting that former head of TNA talent relations Terry Taylor was part of a group of former wrestlers recently visiting WWE's Florida Championship a wrestling developmental territory. Taylor is reportely a long-time friend of Triple H who intends on expanding the territory this year.
Split Decision in Widow's Suit Against WWE Over Use of Wrestler Owen Hart's Likeness
As World Wrestling Entertainment prepared for this weekend's Wrestlemania XXVIII—which features a heavily hyped match between John Cena and wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson—the company claimed a partial win in the latest round of its ongoing legal skirmish with onetime WWE star Owen Hart's widow.
On Wednesday, Connecticut federal district court judge Stefan Underhill dismissed most of Martha Hart's claims against the company, and dismissed all of her claims against WWE chairman and chief executive officer Vince McMahon and his wife, former WWE CEO and current Republican U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon.
Underhill's ruling didn't throw Martha Hart for a total loss. The judge allowed her claim for unpaid royalties against the WWE to move forward.
WWE attorney McDevitt tells The Am Law Daily he is pleased the court adopted his position with regard to the intellectual property issues.
"We were correct on our interpretation of the booking agreement," says McDevitt, who was in Miami Friday, getting ready to attend Wrestlemania. What happens now, McDevitt says, is up to Martha Hart. "I don't know whether she wants to resolve it. We've always been willing to talk. If she wants to talk to us, she can."
Martha Hart's attorney, Rubenstein, says his client intends to continue pursuing the case and is still considering the judge's decision...More?
source: amlawdaily
WWE Tubthumps TV Via YouTube
With YouTube doling out $100 million to content partners to create original programming for the site, many producers who landed that coin are still trying to figure out what to do with their new online real estate.
For WWE, the answer was simple: Use the WWE FanNation channel as a marketing tool to drive viewers back to its weekly TV shows and year-round slate of pay-per-views, while also building traffic for its own website, sales of toys, videogames, magazines and other merchandise.
In February, the company launched an initial slate of nine Web series featuring its talent. Shows like "WWE Inbox" and "Outside the Ring" have its wrestlers answer fan questions or reveal what their lives are like on the road. In "WWE Download," Dolph Ziggler sarcastically comments on YouTube videos, while "Foreign Exchange," is a comedic look at WWE hosted by Santino Morella.
"It's another outlet for our superstars, where they can further develop their on-air personalities," said WWE's chief marketing officer Michelle Wilson. At the same time, it "gives fans a different view of what happens backstage and lets them get to know our superstars better with a sense of humor."
YouTube already is seeing the amount of time users spend watching video on its sites growing considerably. In February, when WWE launched its channel, viewership rose 60% on YouTube, according to comScore, and channel subscriptions are up at least 50% since December...More?
source: variety.com
This Day in Wrestling History
Triple H kicks Shawn Michaels out of D-Generation X and becomes the leader of the group. Later that night X-Pac, Billy Gunn and Road Dogg join DX with Triple H and Chyna.
March 30, 1998
March 29, 2012
This Day in Wrestling History - 93,173 Fans at WMIII
WrestleMania III sets an attendance record of 93,173 at the The Pontiac SilverDome.
March 29, 1987
Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant - "The irresistible force meets the immovable object" - Gorilla Monsoon
March 28, 2012
Kevin Nash Explains Why Triple H Beating Undertaker At WM28 Would Be Bad For Business
Kevin Nash told the UK Sun the following about why Triple H ending the Undertaker's streak at WrestleMania 28 this Sunday would be a bad idea.
"End of an Era…I've been thinking about the "speaking in code" that Shawn Michaels alluded to last week…If the WWE did have HHH end the Streak, what's the bragging point since it took him three tries? There's no bragging point, and it doesn't do anything for business…It wouldn't be good for business at all. It'd be like, yeah HHH ended it, but it took him three tries...Big deal. How does that impact the business to the good side?
"Most people would automatically point to the fact that he's married to Stephanie, and didn't do it because he deserved it…They could see through the facade WWE [would] have to build for it. I could already hear the bullshit chants from the more seasoned fans if they did that.
"In all honesty, at this point in time, the only one that deserves to end the Streak, is Taker himself by hanging it up when he chooses…In other words, he retires undefeated at Mania."
WWE Forging Ahead with Cable Network Plan
WWE continues to grapple with the challenge of developing its own cable television network, and the Stamford-based company says it is making headway toward entering a contract with a distributor.
"There will be a WWE network in some shape or form. We are in late-stage negotiations with distributors," said Michelle Wilson, chief marketing officer at WWE. "Getting a distribution agreement for a cable network is not easy."
She said the situation is far better than the one presented by the New York Post, which reported earlier this month that the company is behind schedule in its plans to launch the network on April 1, timed to coincide with Wrestlemania XXVIII in Miami.
There never was a deadline, according to Wilson, who said the company is hiring staff to operate the network.
"We've filled 30 positions so far specifically for the network. They come with cable experience at ESPN, Viacom, Discovery and Warner Brothers TV," said Wilson, who anticipates that up to 120 new employees will eventually be hired for the new network.
They have been busy producing and preparing programming, Wilson said, declining to predict when the new network will air.
Ricky Steamboat Comments on FCW Talent that are Ready to be Called Up
"I believe Seth Rollins and Bo Rotundo are ready for a look-see. I think Husky [Harris], who is Bo's brother is ready for a look. A guy who has been with us for about six months in Antonio Cesaro is ready for a look. Not knowing his background, I find he has been doing this for a while. He is ready. I think my son is ready for a look. Every quarter collectively, all the trainers give a report on all the talent that is sent up to WWE for them to look at."
Linda McMahon to attend WrestleMania
Linda McMahon is putting the Republican nominating race for U.S. Senate against Shays on hold this weekend so she can attend to, ahem, a family matter.
McMahon's campaign confirmed that the entertainment mogul turned two-time Senate candidate is heading to South Florida Sunday for WrestleMania XXVIII, where her son-in-law, Paul Levesque, better known as "Triple H," will be pitted against the Undertaker in a steel cage match that is one of the headline bouts of what many consider to be the Super Bowl of wrestling.
McMahon, who turned over the reins as chief executive officer of WWE to her husband, Vince, two years ago to run for Senate, was not immediately available for comment Monday.
Her attendance at WrestleMania could pose a somewhat unique challenge for her campaign, which has marketed McMahon as a visionary in the male-dominated corporate world, but has used the WWE brand sparingly, seemingly in an attempt to keep female voters in the fold...More?
source: newstimes.com
This Day in Wrestling History
Happy Birthday to Mr. Perfect Curt Henning
March 28, 1958
Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated The Rock for the WWF(E) Heavyweight title
March 28, 1999
Stephanie McMahon Helmsley defeated Jacqueline for the WWF(E) Women's title
March 28, 2000
March 27, 2012
George the Animal Steele on Andre the Giant and the Redskins
The legend of Andre the Giant and the Redskins is a good one, firmly established in pop culture lore, to the point that the facts have blurred. I wrote about this three years ago to the week, and after going through the archives, it was pretty clear that there was no tryout. From SI, in 1982:
According to Joe Blair, public relations director of the Redskins, there was talk about giving Andre a tryout in 1976, but it never happened. Andre told [SI's Terry] Todd that he chose not to risk his wrestling career — he was making more money than any lineman was earning at the time — by taking time off for a trial in a sport in which he had no guarantee of success and no previous experience.
Still, as mentioned, there was clearly at least some conversation about bringing the Giant to the Skins, and George ‘the Animal’ Steele shed some more light on the issue during a recent podcast with UnderScoopFire.
Ric Flair Confirmed for 2012 WWE Hall of Fame
WWE.com issued the following statement:
WWE.com has just gotten word that Ric Flair will be in attendance at the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Miami's American Airlines Arena on Saturday, March 31.
On that night, The Nature Boy will gain a record second entry into the hallowed Hall. Only this time, Flair will be entering alongside his legendary Four Horsemen allies: Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham and JJ Dillon.
First inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008 on the night before he faced Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXIV, The Nature Boy became the first active Superstar to ever receive the honor. The Dirtiest Player in the Game retired from the ring after losing to HBK on The Grandest Stage of Them All, but his legacy as one of the most respected and influential performers in sports-entertainment endures.
The induction ceremony, which will be held on the eve of WrestleMania XXVIII, will air on USA on Monday, April 2 at 8 p.m.
Oderint Dum Metuant: Let Them Hate As Long As They Fear
