July 15, 2013
July 14, 2013
WWE-Ultimate Warrior Update
WWE will officially announce this week that The Ultimate Warrior will be featured in the WWE 2K14 video game that will be released this October, similar to how Brock Lesnar and Mike Tyson were big surprises in past game releases.
Warrior will be working with WWE and 2K Sports to promote the game and there will be some sort of official media unveiling for the gaming media this week in New York City.
Warrior has appeared in several WWE videogames over the last few years, but never in the primary WWE videogame franchise.
July 13, 2013
Tamina Snuka to Appear Alongside The Rock in ‘Hercules’
Tamina Snuka has been absent from television recently and now we know why: she’s following in the footsteps of her wrestler-turned-actor cousin, The Rock!
Tamina tweeted about her involvement in The Rock’s latest movie, Hercules: The Thracian Wars:
Studying My Script to add some Tamina to "Hercules" w/ @TheRock
It is currently unknown what role Tamina will play in the movie, but it is definitely interesting to see the WWE let her take this opportunity.
Hercules: The Thracian Wars, also starring Ian McShane, John Hurt and Rufus Sewell, is scheduled for a 2014 release.
WWE WrestleMania 29 Special Coming To NBC This Summer
NBC is scheduled to air a WWE WrestleMania special on Saturday, August 3 at 9PM ET/PT for the fifth consecutive year running.
The 2013 special will feature the yearlong build for the John Cena vs. The Rock rematch for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29 including exclusive, never-before-seen footage.
Updates on Physical Hall of Fame, Including Another City in the Mix Besides Orlando
A physical WWE Hall of Fame is not in the company's short-term plans, according to WWE executive John Saboor.
"It's not certainly in our short-term plans, but that's not to say it couldn't be," Saboor told Brian Fritz of BetweentheRopes.com at Thursday's Performance Center grand opening in Orlando, Florida. "But, I think it's more in a longer-term vision and a longer-term discussion that Central Florida and WWE have."
Saboor said a physical Hall of Fame is part of WWE's routine capital expansion discussions, but they do not seem to be close to a decision.
"I think our Chairman, our management, our senior leadership team will every so often look at the possibility of projects," Saboor said. "I think there are lots of things that need to happen in order for that to even be discussed."
Orlando is considered the leading candidate to house a physical Hall of Fame, especially after the Performance Center launch, but Saboor also threw out Las Vegas as a potential host city.
"There's no question that when and if the WWE Hall of Fame is established, it needs to be established in a destination," Saboor said. "It needs to be in a place where not only our most passionate fans would travel, but that we can capture concentric circles of audience - people who maybe didn't initially plan to make this part of their vacation, but add a day trip or a half-trip to their vacation. ... Central Florida has expressed desire in the past, as have other cities."
New WWE NXT Announce Team Revealed
The new WWE NXT broadcast team is made up of Alex Riley and Tom Phillips.
Reports Praise WWE's All-New Performance Center
Reports of the much buzzed and widely discussed facility in Orlando, Fla., have been featured by myriad media from ABC and CBS to the Miami Herald and the Orlando Sentinel, as a major event in professional sports training. Delve into the media's coverage of the WWE Performance Center below.
- Orlando Sentinel: WWE holds grand opening of Performance Center in east Orange County
- CBS 4 Miami / Associated Press: WWE Calling Sunshine State Home Ring
- Orlando Business Journal: WWE opens Central Florida training center
- Sunshine State News: WWE and Rick Scott Team Up to Launch Orlando Facility
- WESH Orlando: WWE brings wrestlers to train in Orlando
- WFTV Channel 9: WWE performance center opens in Orlando
- PW Insider: Thought & Observations After Visiting WWE's New Performance Center
- Central Florida News 13: WWE opens training center in Orlando
July 12, 2013
Press Release For E!'s "Total Divas:" Meet the Divas, Promo Videos, Show Details & More
E! AND WWE® TAKE VIEWERS INTO THE WORLD OF THE POP CULTURE PHENOMENON WITH “TOTAL DIVAS” PREMIERING SUNDAY, JULY 28 AT 10PM ET/PT
For the First Time Ever, WWE Favorites - The Bella Twins, Natalya, Cameron, Naomi, And Two Divas-In-Training - Bring The Fun, The Sexy And The Drama In And Out Of The Ring With This New Eight-Episode Docu-Series
WWE Superstars John Cena ®, Daniel Bryan ®, Jimmy Uso ®, Tyson Kidd ®, Fandango ®, The Great Khali ®, Hornswoggle ® And More To Appear In The Series’ Debut Season
Interview with Mark Henry
Mark Henry was recently interviewed by WithLeather.com. Here are some highlights:
His five-year-plan for his heralded fake retirement speech:
Well, I mean, I’m a constant entertainer. It’s something that I thought of four years ago, five years ago when I signed my contract. ‘At the end of this contract, I’m going to retire and I’m going to have everybody ready for me to retire, and then I’ll get ‘em just the way I want to.’ It’s funny, [this] five-year plan. The only thing that can come to mind is Hannibal in The A-Team: “I love it when a plan comes together.”
Taking a pay cut when he re-signed with WWE:
I took a 50 percent pay cut when I signed that last deal five years ago because I was looked at as being a middle-of-the-road performer. During that time, John Cena made millions, and that’s what I want. I mean, Money in the Bank is not just the name of the pay-per-view, it’s a chance for me to get my will to where I want it so when the time does come for me to officially retire, I won’t have to worry about nothing.
His WWE career:
Everybody that’s had the road be smooth and perfect with a steady incline, I’d like to meet ‘em. I don’t think it’s ever been done. There’s highs and lows in life, and there’s highs and lows in sports entertainment. It’s a credit to me that I’ve been around 17 years, so I’ve had a long time to have highs and lows. Obviously, I’ve done something right.
Shane McMahon Steps Down as CEO of YOU on Demand; Financial Status of his Company
YOU On Demand Announces Appointment of Weicheng Liu as CEO; Shane McMahon Remains Chairman
YOU On Demand Holdings, Inc. YOD ("YOU On Demand" or the "Company"), the first national Video On Demand platform in China, is pleased to announce that Mr. Weicheng Liu, in conjunction with the recently announced closing of the strategic investment from Chinese mobile video service provider C Media ("C Media"), was appointed as the Company's Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Shane McMahon, who voluntarily stepped down as CEO of the Company, will continue to serve as YOD's principal executive officer of and Chairman of the Board.
Commenting on the announcement, Mr. McMahon said, "Weicheng has been instrumental in YOU On Demand's initial success and has done a wonderful job as the Company's China-based CEO. As our operations and footprint continue to expand throughout China, it is essential that the role of the CEO be located within the PRC for both strategic and operational reasons. Weicheng is both a remarkable person and leader and I look forward to continuing to build the YOU On Demand brand with him. With Weicheng's new role, along with C Media's strategic investment in the company and their expertise in the market, I am very excited about the future for YOU On Demand."
Mr. Liu stated, "I am very excited and appreciative to have been named as CEO of YOU On Demand. Along with many others in the Company, Shane and I have worked very hard over the past three years in creating YOU On Demand and I am very optimistic about our future success. We have tremendous potential to continue our creation of a unique, multi-tiered distribution platform that will deliver a wide array of entertainment content. The Chinese media market is changing quickly and we are focused on continuing to adapt in order to best serve its consumers."
YOU On Demand Closes Strategic Investment from Chinese Mobile Video Service Provider, C Media
According to MSN Money, You On Demand Holdings stock is expected to significantly underperform the market over the next six months with very high risk.
Blu-Ray Extras for Triple H's 'Thy Kingdom Come' Set
Courtesy of WrestlingDVDNews.com, here is the full list of Blu-ray extras for Triple H's "Thy Kingdom Come" set that comes out on September 14th:
No Disqualification / Career on the Line
Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar
WrestleMania 29 – 7th April, 2013
Stories
Motivation in High School
Hard Way In
Paul Scream
Resume
Sherri
Diamond Cutter
Hunter Hearst Helmsley – The Name
Wild ‘n Crazy Guys
Evolution’s Fifth Member ??
Shawn’s Comeback
WrestleMania 26
Two Movies at Once
Commemorating the End
Worst Gas on the Planet
Candy Bar
Praising the Boss
Behind the Scenes – Photo Shoot
Behind the Scenes WrestleMania 29 Weekend
Taping Wrists
The Levesque Game
King of Signs
July 11, 2013
Videos: Triple H & Stephanie McMahon speak at the WWE NXT Performance Center opening day press conference
Quotes From Stephanie & Vince McMahon About The WWE Performance Center & Triple H
Stephanie McMahon said that Triple H’s legacy begins with the WWE Performance Center.
Vince McMahon told Triple H that today was as big a day as when the WWE went public.
A New Beginning for WWE
WWE today opened its world-class training facility that is the new foundation for WWE’s guaranteed success. As the new home to WWE’s talent developmental system, NXT®, the new facility in Orlando, Florida was officially unveiled at a press conference hosted by Paul “Triple H®” Levesque, Executive Vice President, Talent and Live Events, WWE, Stephanie McMahon, Executive Vice President, Creative, WWE, Florida Governor Rick Scott, Mayor of Orange County Teresa Jacobs and Ken Goldstone, Chief Operating Officer, Full Sail University.
“The WWE Performance Center represents the guaranteed future success of our company, providing the next generation of WWE Superstars with a world-class facility to call their own,” said Paul “Triple H®” Levesque, Executive Vice President, Talent and Live Events, WWE. “The venue offers our developmental talent a full training experience with real time feedback from WWE coaches, trainers and doctors, giving them the resources they need to develop their talent both athletically and creatively.”
WWE Performance Center Key Highlights:
In-Ring Training Room
• 12,000 square-foot world-class training room with seven training rings
• Including one "show ring” with theatrical lighting and broadcast capability to provide developmental talent with a full training experience
• Connectivity between the Performance Center and WWE’s headquarters in Stamford, Conn., via closed circuit cameras will allow for real time feedback from WWE executives
Sports Medicine/Rehabilitation
• Best-in-class sports medicine facility with on-site medical care creating a central location for all WWE talent to receive the best care both in and out of the ring
• Dr. Michael Sampson, Medical Director, holds regular office hours
• Access to a full-time athletic trainer and full-time physical therapist whenever talent are training as well as a network of local specialists
Strength and Conditioning
• 5,500 square-foot state-of-the-art strength and conditioning room that will allow for daily training sessions for all developmental trainees
• Featuring cutting edge strength and conditioning equipment, cardio machines, medical rehab equipment and floor space for stretching and plyometric movement
• World-renowned strength coach Joe DeFranco will serve as a consultant
Promo Room
• A small, private studio that allows talent to practice on-camera techniques and work individually on character development and performance skills
• Capable of being operated by the talent themselves, this one-of-a-kind studio functions without technical personnel and is controlled using a simple iPad interface
Edit and Production Suites
• Cutting-edge edit and production facilities dedicated to creating improved TV performances for in-ring talent
• Flash (Pre-tape) Studio – a full-function, green-screen capable studio designed to allow talent to practice their TV presentation skills or to create content for NXT or WWE programming. The room features a Sony ENG style camera, studio lighting and high-resolution recording using AJA Digital recording hardware operated by production staff
• VO Booth – a practice room designed for announcers-in-training to work with WWE seasoned professionals to hone their live action announcing and play-by-play skills. The room allows for up to three announcers to work directly with an audio engineer to provide quick and easy record and playback functionality
Highlights of the Opening of the WWE Performance Center
Xavier Woods, formerly known as Consequences Creed, spoke on behalf of the developmental talent at Thursday’s event.
Michael Cole operated as the host for the press conference.
Sheamus spoke from a superstar’s prospective and talked about working as part of the ring crew at WrestleMania 24, while he was just a developmental wrestler.
Stephanie McMahon said that Triple H’s legacy begins with the WWE Performance Center.
The hashtag #WWEPC is actually trending Twitter.
Vince McMahon called the facility’s opening “a new beginning”
Stephanie McMahon tolled the original bell from Madison Square Garden to “officially open” the facility.
July 10, 2013
Rob Van Dam Discusses WWE Return
Zach Linder of WWE.com is featuring a lengthy interview with Rob Van Dam where he talks about the circumstances leading to his return to WWE this Sunday at the Money in the Bank PPV in Philadelphia and his prior career with the company.
RVD added, "I called WWE. Triple H was the guy I was talking to. And I sent Booker a text. It wasn’t a definite deal until two weeks at the most before the videos started running. Once I got my starting date of Money in the Bank, that made it real."
To check out the full interview, click here.
Steve Austin Talks Wrestling At WrestleMania 30, HHH In Charge Of WWE, Match With CM Punk, More
Busted Open satellite radio show with Stone Cold Steve Austin
Host: Dave Lagreca, Doug Mortman, and Mike Riker
Airs Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays on Sirius 92 and XM 208 from 2-4 ET
On if he misses Tough Enough: Hell, I do miss it. I don’t know why or how WWE and USA network combined dropped the football on that show because it was turning in the numbers it needed to. Everybody loved it. It was great television. I had a chance to get back into the wrestling business. Get my hands back in and mold people to be future WWE superstars or take them through the paces. And they took that all away. That was my first experience into reality television and that’s what made me fall in love with that specific line of work. Once again, why they dropped the ball, I have no idea. But it was a piss poor decision if you ask me.
On if he likes the direction the WWE is taking right now, appearing to be a little more edgier than they have been in the past couple of years: Well now they’re just starting to turn the corner with some of these new cats they brought in. So they’re picking it up a little bit. I mean there are a lot of guys still walking on eggshells in that territory or in that locker room. I’m actually considering doing another podcast and that’s gonna be breaking down Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown and a little bit of TNA. Just to add to my two show rotation a week. So I’m going to be examining that product a lot more in depth. I kind of gotten away from watching it, to a large degree in recent past. Especially since they jacked it up to a three hour Monday Night Raw. That’s tough to fulfill three hours worth of content and keep it interesting and not stale. So I’m gonna delve into that, take a look at it, and report about it accordingly. I think they are finally heading back in the right direction though to bottom line it.
On how much does Triple H have to do with this direction the company seems to be heading in: Well I think as long as Vince is around and hopefully he is around for a long time, it’s gonna be his baby cause he’s the one that bought the territory from his dad and made it into what it is, a global phenomenon. Put everyone else out of business with the vision that he had, has taken it through all the different changes that he has. But I know that when I speak about Triple H, I know that he comes from the same school I come from. And he was kind of the last guys to come up in the territory systems. But he digs the work, he digs the serious nature. He’s still knows he’s got to entertain a wide variety of age, you know the demo. And there is something for everybody in the show now. And it was kind of a little bit more adult orientated maybe when I was in there but I think Triple H is gonna bring a serious nature to the business from his presentation or how he views the business still. I think it’s going to be a combination of everybody involved. Because obviously right now, it’s still Vince’s baby and it always will be.
On if he thought that the "What?" chants would still be around at this point: You know, no because that’s the funny thing I’ve been gone for 10 or 11 years or whatever it’s been. So that’s a whole generation removed. I mean there are some youngsters that have never seen or heard of Stone Cold. So for that to be still around, for them to still be doing it. It’s a testament to the staying power of one word and I had no idea what I was creating back in the day when I did.
On the "What?" chants being hurtful now and having no place to be used: Yeah but you know what, here’s the thing. To anybody delivering a promo in the ring, if you don’t give those pauses in your delivery of your promo speech, whatever business you’re doing. If you don’t give them that spot to put the what in, they cannot. So all they have to do is speed up their cadence a little bit. You ain’t gotta rush through your promo but you can still make your points. Also stagger the pauses so they can’t get into a rhythm. So there is a way around the what. It’s just a lot of people aren’t smart enough to figure it out.
On if we could possibly see Stone Cold at Wrestlemania 30, if he is healthy enough to get back in the ring again: Oh I’m healthy enough. My knees coming around just fine, it’s better than it’s ever been because I’ve been doing my do diligence on my rehab. I’ve got two new ligaments. Everything else is pain free. I’m still in shape been working out harder than I’ve ever worked out. But here’s the deal. When you’re gonna try to commit to do a Wrestlemania 30, you’re looking really at, at least a two to three month commitment, if not four. So you know you’re talking about, taking everything else of the table. I can still do my podcast but take everything else off the table and focus specifically on that task. To do it the way I would do it, to do it the way Stone Cold Steve Austin would do it, at a 120 percent. Because to go out there and to try to perform at 85-90 percent because you didn’t prep enough. That would be bogus, that would be BS that would be letting the crowd down. And that would be representing the Stone Cold Steve Austin that I know and love to a degree that is not acceptable. So once you throw a legitimate, real deal offer down on the table and say let’s talk, then we’ll talk. But until then, conjecture.
On if he is up to the challenge: Well if I’m gonna agree to the challenge, accept it and go into it because I want to and the business makes sense, then absolutely.
If Punk vs. Austin would be an all- time great match: Oh it definitely could. It brings a lot to the table from a verbal standpoint with his well thought out promos, the way in which he conducts his business. I like his product in the ring. I like to see him turn it up more in the mainstream. I like to see a little more physicality, laying in stuff a little more. I like to see him be a little bit more aggressive. That’s just off the top of my head. Other than that, I like everything about the cat.
On how big it would be if he wrestled at WM 30: Well I’m not going to put the cart in front of the horse. I’m not lobbying for a match. If the starts lined up, then it would happen, but it’s going to take a lot for those stars to line up. No sense in beating a dead horse. To think about it is one thing, to actually go out, come to terms and go through the business prep and actually accomplish a match, it’s a whole different ballgame and a major process.
July 9, 2013
Update on New Triple H DVD 'Thy Kingdom Come'
We can confirm the title of the release “Thy Kingdom Come” as was reported recently. On the set will be a lengthy documentary on Triple H’s career of at least two hours in total and the Blu-ray version will include extra interview footage on top.
As for content to go along with the main feature, there will be at least twelve matches included. We can now confirm three of those matches which are listed below:
Iron Man Match for the WWE Championship
The Rock vs. Triple H
Judgment Day – 21st May, 2000
World Heavyweight Championship
Triple H vs. Rob Van Dam
RAW – 30th June, 2003
Return from Injury
Triple H vs. King Booker
SummerSlam – 26th August, 2007
WWE App Sets Record on Raw
It was announced on Raw last night that the WWE App set a record for most number of votes in a poll, which was for the question of Vickie Guerrero's job performance.
ROH wrestler no longer under contract appears on Raw
Former ROH wrestler Rhett Titus was backstage at Monday's WWE Raw in Baltimore and made an appearance as an extra during Raw TV.
During the Raw TV segment where Mr. McMahon tried to console Vickie Guerrero after she was "fired" from her Raw authority figure position, Titus appeared in the background "having a conversation." Titus then reacted when Vickie tried to attack new Raw GM Brad Maddox.
Titus, who lives in the area, is currently not under contract to Ring of Honor after the "ROH vs. S.C.U.M." feud was blown off at the Baltimore TV tapings last month. Titus was part of the S.C.U.M. heel faction that was forced to disband.
Monday prior to Raw, Titus hinted at a "big day" for his career. "Big Dawg's Big Day ... sounds like a children's book," Titus tweeted on Monday. "I must have had butterflies in my oatmeal this morning."
TNA Star Granted His Release From The Organization
ProWrestling.net is reporting that Matt Morgan was granted his release from TNA today. Morgan had requested his release a month ago.
Morgan hinted leaving the organization in spring of 2012, only to return in the fall. He had been used sparingly and inconsistently since his return.
As noted earlier, the company also released Crimson, Joey Ryan, Christian York, Taeler Hendrix and Madison Rayne last week.
July 8, 2013
