Forbes SportsMoney did a piece concerning the upcoming TV licensing deal WWE will presumably sign with NBC Universal. Bob Lorenz, Chris Bevilcqua, and Micheal Ozanian speculated that WWE could receive four to six times its current $140 million per year deal when they resign and point to WWE having three times as many annual gross rating points as NASCAR which recently signed a 10 year, $4.5 billion deal with NBC. You can watch the video at http://web.yesnetwork.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=31193663&topic_id=&tcid=vpp_copy_31193663&v=3.
*******************||Trending||*******************
October 30, 2013
Forbes analysts speculate new WWE TV licensing deal could top recent $4.5 billion NASCAR deal
Backstage News on Paul Heyman's Future
It was previously reported that WWE officials are not very happy with Ryback right now and there was some talk of taking Paul Heyman away from him. As of right now it looks like that may indeed be the case. The Heyman and Ryback vs. C.M. Punk feud was originally supposed to go on for a little while longer but now it looks like it might be finished.
Heyman might be kept off of television until Brock Lesnar returns. No word on how all of this affects Curtis Axel.
Ryback Buried in WWE Producer’s Meeting, Main Roster Spot in Jeopardy?
Earlier this week we reported the backstage heat on Ryback, specifically stemming from rumors of him being a danger to work with, was said to be fabricated by someone close to the situation in WWE.
In an update to that story, however, following this Monday's Raw, a high level WWE source has informed WZ that a recent producer's meeting saw Ryback buried, and he indeed has enormous backstage heat, and is not well liked at all. Producers and backstage agents, but not necessarily Vince McMahon himself, feel Ryback is awkward and "not safe enough" in the ring.
"Just look at how Ryback got buried on Monday, getting beat and tapping out after being put through a table in 5 minutes," our source told us.
The source further told us following Hell in a Cell on Sunday and this week's edition of Raw, Ryback is short term for the main roster at best.
Triple H In Charge At SmackDown
PWInsider noted that Vince and Stephanie McMahon were not at last night's taping, leaving Triple H in charge of the show.
Former Diva Getting Reality Series?
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the producers of Tru TV’s “Hardcore Pawn: Chicago” are working on a reality TV show with Lisa Marie Varon. The show would revolve around Varon and her Chicago restaurant, The Squared Circle, and her unusual career path from pro wrestler to restaurant owner. Cameras were filming last Sunday night when the restaurant hosted patrons for WWE Hell in a Cell. Click here for the Chicago Tribune article.
WWE Hits "Reset Button" at RAW
What WWE did is being described as a "reset" on the storylines with Monday's RAW. Vince McMahon was making changes and scripts were being re-written as late as 3-4pm on Monday afternoon. As noted, original plans had Vince McMahon returning to get involved with Big Show but as they were re-writing the scripts on Monday, Vince was written out.
Word coming out of RAW is that Shawn Michaels is finished in the storylines until he's needed again. Daniel Bryan putting the Yes Lock on Shawn was Bryan getting revenge and ending the angle. There has been no talk at all about HBK coming out of retirement to wrestle another match.
October 29, 2013
Dixie Carter Comments on TNA Sale Rumors
TNA President Dixie Carter posted the following on Twitter, which appears to be a direct response to some of the rumors that are floating around about the company's health and stories claiming that the Carter family are looking to sell TNA:
"Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed" Erica Jong #BlessYourHearts
— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) October 29, 2013
Rumor Mill - Reason For Wyatt Family Beatdowns
This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw just wasn’t rewritten but long-term booking plans were changed and/or cut. The Wyatt Family’s attack on CM Punk and Daniel Bryan was to push them away from their respective programs with Paul Heyman and Randy Orton. These programs were blown off at the pay-per-view and WWE is moving forward.
As for long-term booking plans that were changed, here’s how it involves Kane handing Stephanie McMahon his mask. This was done to explain why he won’t be going after The Wyatt Family at this point. Bray Wyatt’s line that “the devil” made him do it has Vince McMahon behind the beatings. The new direction is that Triple H can’t handle the dirty work so Vince is handling it through The Wyatt Family. He’s scripted to have “given” Kane to Stephanie to help because Hunter couldn’t “tie up loose ends.” This is a complete 180 from plans last week that had Vince returning as a babyface with Big Show, Hunter to work Daniel Bryan and Punk’s program undecided.
Rumor Mill - Eric Bischoff Reportedly Being Paid to Sit at Home, Update on His TNA Status
Dave Meltzer noted on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio that Eric Bischoff will be paid to sit at home for the remainder of his TNA contract, which expires early 2014. Meltzer also mentioned Bischoff is out of power and "gone."
"He wasn't at the PPV, wasn't at the last TV, he won't be around. A lot of people are really happy on that one, Eric was not very well liked there. Eric got exposed... Eric was very lucky that he had some very smart people propping him up in the WCW days and those people aren't there now, and he got exposed on this run real bad."
More Details on Reports of The Carter Family Possibly Selling TNA
Fighting Spirit Magazine editor Brian Elliott recently spoke with WrestlingNewsSource about the news of TNA possibly being sold by The Carter Family.
Elliott reveals that the Carter family has been trying to sell the company for some time and mentioned that they are open to selling it to just a handful of people rather then making the sale public. Here is an excerpt from their story:
"The Carter family has been open to receiving offers for TNA for several months. There are a select number of business people on the inside to whom this has been made clear. You have to understand that it's not like the company is going to be listed on eBay; keeping the fact that they are open to selling TNA to a small number of potentially interested parties keeps the price that the Carters can get for it at a much higher level than if they went public that the company was for sale. If someone does make a bid, that information will then be leaked in certain quarters, in the hope of starting a bidding war that would raise the price further. Like with Fusient Media's attempted purchase of WCW, if someone comes in with a bid, we'll soon know about it."
What Happened After Raw Went Off The Air? Triple H Fires The Crowd
After RAW went off the air, Triple H took the mic and said that Big Show was lucky that he left as he was about to whip his a--. He then said that he was throwing everyone out. Stephanie took the mic trying to throw people out while Triple H insulted fans yelling at him. Triple H said that since no one wants to leave, you're all now hired for WWE and guess what... "you're all fired, get the hell out." You can check out video below:
Post by THE SpOtLight.
October 28, 2013
Vince McMahon & Shawn Michaels at the WWE Performance Center
Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon visited the WWE Performance Center in Orlando today for a tour. They did not interact with or speak to the developmental talents.
Rumor Mill - Major WWE Shakeup Happens Behind The Scenes
In a story that WWE is trying to keep as quiet as possible, Vince McMahon has taken back over as head of creative, replacing Stephanie McMahon. While Stephanie is still listed publicly as the Executive of Vice President of Creative, Vince has taken back a lot of the power that was given to Stephanie years ago. This was done in part because of Stephanie being busy raising her children and now being back on television as a regular performer. She was believed to be fine with her father assisting more to help relieve all the pressure.
However, the rest of the creative team isn’t as happy. The feeling from a source close to the writers is that Vince is rearranging the shows more than ever before and no longer has to show deference to his daughter. The reason WWE is trying to keep the story quiet is they don’t want the change to paint Stephanie in a negative light. It’s quite possible that WWE never mentions it to the public. Stephanie could very well maintain her title as EVP of Creative but make no mistake about it, Vince is once again the head.
The suspension of Michael Hayes has played a part in Vince feeling he needed to take a larger role. We do not have further clarification on Hayes’ status at this time. Hayes was suspended indefinitely by WWE for drinking with Rosa Mendes just days after she returned to the work after a stint in rehab for substance abuse. WWE officials were shocked at his actions and decided they were insensitive enough to suspend him.
October 27, 2013
Rumor Mill - Is TNA up for sale due to the Carter family wanting out of the wrestling business?
Dave Meltzer is reporting that the Carter family wants to throw the towel in on TNA and sell the company to the highest bidder. There are parties interested in purchasing it, but no word yet on who they might be. Obvious candidates are Eric Bischoff, Jeff Jarrett, Viacom and WWE...More?
source: cagesideseats.com
Why Curtis Axel Is Off WWE Hell In A Cell
Curtis Axel suffered a hip flexor injury on Raw. The company wasn't sure what his diagnosis would be until Friday, which is why nothing was announced until today.
There were a lot of people who were down that he was hurt since he's popular among the wrestlers and is seen as someone who works hard in the ring and has done whatever the company has asked of him since debuting on the main roster.
There's no word on how long Axel will be out and no one knows what will be done with the the Intercontinental championship, if anything.
Shawne Merriman I'm NOT Signed to WWE ... Yet
Don't expect to see Shawne Merriman inside a WWE ring anytime soon ... 'cause his recent training session with the wrestling company was just for fun -- at least for now.
Shawne posted a pic earlier this week of some gnarly mat burn he got while training at the WWE's Performance Center in Florida ... leading many to believe he signed with the wrestling company.
But multiple sources tell us .. no deals were made, no paperwork has been signed ... Shawne was just messing around after WWE exec Triple H invited him down to check out the state of the art facilities.
We're told Shawne had a blast ... and the WWE people enjoyed having Shawne ... so, there's a possibility of the two juggarnauts working together in the future.
But for now, it's too early to tell if Shawne has a professional future in the squared circle.
... and that's the bottom line.
source: tmz.com
Rumor Mill - Eric Bischoff's Status with TNA
As noted before, TNA talents were told at Thursday's backstage meeting that Eric Bischoff would be working from home going forward. Bischoff was not at Thursday's tapings or last Sunday's Bound For Glory pay-per-view. There are lots of people in TNA who expect to never see Bischoff in TNA again.
The new 24/7 campaign TNA is running is something that was pushed internally as far back as 2009. One of the ideas was to have one-hour weekly YouTube shows on the X Division and the Knockouts, leading to product interest and money generated from YouTube. There were lots of people pushing for the idea to be cleared and budgeted for but as soon as Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan were signed, the idea was shot down and went away. Hogan and Bischoff hated the concept, didn't believe in it and were all about building up TV so they could compete with WWE.
The fact that TNA is now going with this concept and the fact that Jeff Jarrett is getting more involved and more power once again, a lot of people are thinking that this is the end of Bischoff in TNA.
source: pwinsider.com
This Day In Wreslting History - Hulk Hogan Signs With TNA Wrestling
Hulk Hogan and TNA shocked the world with a press conference at Madison Square Garden announcing that he had signed with the company. The press conference had been publicly billed as promotion for Hogan's second autobiography. Hogan did a morning signing session at a Barnes & Noble, then went to Madison Square Garden for the conference.
The conference today featured Eric Bischoff introducing Hulk Hogan. Hogan talked about TNA and stated he was becoming a "partner" in the company and that he was feeling great and looking forward to being a part of the company.
TNA President Dixie Carter gave a short speech saying she was looking forward to working with Hogan and that while they have great ratings for a Thursday night, Hogan would be the "boost that TNA needed." SpikeTV's Kevin Kay was also in attendance and gave a brief statement about the network working with Hogan.
A Q&A session was then held, but was said to mostly be fluff fan type questions, although one fan did ask Hogan whether working with Vince Russo would be an issue. Hogan responded that as long as Russo stayed in his place and didn't cross him, there would be no issues. Hogan then said that if he did, Hogan would have to take care of it.
When the topic of Eric Bischoff came up, Hogan did not say Bischoff was working with him in TNA but noted they have other side projects they are working on. Obviously, Bischoff came into the company with Hogan.
Hulk Hogan discussed signing with TNA during the final few minutes of an interview on CNN's Larry King Live.
King asked Hogan whether he would be wrestling for the company after they aired footage of today's press conference from New York City. Hogan responded that he didn't know what he would be doing for the company yet and that he would be testing himself on the upcoming Hulkamania tour of Australia.
Hogan also threw out the idea of doing an American Idol-type of reality series to find the "next" Hulk Hogan, a reality show concept Jimmy Hart had discussed wanting to see in a 2008 pwinsider.com interview.
source: pwinsider.com
This Day In Wrestling History
Frank Gotch defeated "British Champion" Alex Monroe in Kansas City. Gotch again announces his "retirement" and states that the only American he wished to face was Dr. Benjamin F. Roller, and that he would pin Roller "six times in an hour."
October 27, 1911
Sweet Daddy Siki defeats Sam Steamboat for the Hawaii version of the NWA North American Heavyweight Title.
October 27, 1971
Tito Santana & Rick Martel defeated the Hart Foundation for the WWF(E) Tag Team title.
October 27, 1987
Brian Pillman defeated Richard Morton in a tournament final to become the first WCW World Light Heavyweight Champion.
October 27, 1991
Shawn Michaels defeated Davy Boy Smith for the WW(E)F Intercontinental title.
October 27, 1992
Scott Hall & Kevin Nash defeated Harlem Heat for the WCW Tag Team title.
October 27, 2001
October 26, 2013
Rumor Mill - Why Ryback Has Heat with WWE Officials
There has been lots of internal talk about the future of Ryback lately. He has heat on him for several different things.
For one, officials feel he hasn't really developed well in the ring like they were hoping. There's a feeling that Ryback has actually regressed in the ring. He also has heat on him for roughing up several different talents, most recently CM Punk.
Officials also feel that Ryback doesn't present himself well when making appearances for the company. WWE has gotten feedback on several appearances he's made over the past few months where people said he didn't look happy to be there, and this began before they turned him heel. One source described it as Ryback seeming to be annoyed by making public appearances. Vince McMahon has lost so much faith in Ryback that he may remove Paul Heyman from him so Heyman can move forward.
Divas and Knockouts Top PWI Female 50
Diva Dirt reports that the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Female Top 50 will be released on newsstands soon but the top 10 looks like this:
1. Cheerleader Melissa
2. Mickie James
3. Saraya Knight
4. Jessicka Havok
5. Kaitlyn
6. Gail Kim
7. Kacee Carlisle
8. Tara
9. AJ Lee
10. Mercedes Martinez
This Day In Wrestling History
Dan McLeod defeats Martin Burns in Chicago, Illinois, to win the American Heavyweight Title.
October 26, 1897
The Executioners (Killer Kowalski & John Studd) were stripped of the WWWF World Tag Team title when they had a third member (Nikolai Volkoff) participate in a title defense against Chief Jay Strongbow & Billy White Wolf in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. Strongbow & White Wolf would go on to win the belts in a three team tournament with the Executioners and, ironically, Volkoff & Tor Kamata.
October 26, 1976
Sweet Brown Sugar defeats Ernie Ladd to win the Florida version of the NWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Lafayette, Louisiana.
October 26, 1979
Bret Hart announces his retirement from professional wrestling on his official website, ending his 23 year run in the business.
October 26, 2000
October 25, 2013
Backstage Complaints About Controversial WWE Name Reach Triple H; What He’s Doing To Evaluate The Problem & Who It Involves
While WWE is still hoping to sign 30-40 more guys in the next couple of months, a lot of workers currently in developmental aren’t happy. Many of the more experienced workers feel they aren’t learning anything and are just doing the same drills day after day, week after week. The complaints have gotten loud enough that Triple H has decided to pay a little more attention to what’s going on. Normally Hunter flies in for the NXT tapings and right back out afterwards, however, he stayed the night on Thursday to spend Friday at the WWE Performance Center. He was there as of early Friday afternoon and everyone was on their “best behavior.”
A lot of the complaints deal directly with head NXT trainer Bill DeMott, but complaints against him are fairly common. However, no one really wants to step up and complain directly to Triple H but he actually heard through the grapevine that morale was low enough that he needed to see what was going on. Hunter re-arranged his week to spend the day at the developmental complex to get more of a handle on the issue.
Oderint Dum Metuant: Let Them Hate As Long As They Fear
