This Day In Wrestling History - Owen Hart Passes Away

Owen Hart died in a tragic fall during the WWF(E) PPV "Over the Edge"

May 23, 1999

And Another One...

SHAREHOLDER ALERT: The Law Firm of Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Launches an Investigation into Possible Breaches of Fiduciary Duty by the Board of Directors of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.

Another law firm opens investigation against WWE

The following press release was issued today on the Wall Street Journal website:

INVESTOR ALERT: The Law Office of James C. Kelly Announces Investigation on Behalf of Investors of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.

NEW YORK, May 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Office of James C. Kelly is investigating potential claims on behalf of investors who purchased shares of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. common stock (NYSE: WWE) during the period between August 1, 2013 and May 15, 2014, concerning possible violations of federal securities laws. Such investors are advised to contact James C. Kelly at 888.643.7517 or jkelly@jckellylaw.com.

On May 15, 2014, WWE updated its business outlook by disclosing that if it achieves one million subscribers for its WWE television network by the end of this year, it would have operating losses of between $35 million and $45 million. Significantly, the company also disclosed that the WWE Network would need at least a range of 1.3 million to 1.4 million subscribers "to offset the complete cannibalization of the Company's Pay-Per-View and" video-on-demand businesses. However, as recently as January 16, 2014, WWE's CFO represented that at 1 million subscribers "we break even" for 2014 assuming the pay-per-view business goes away.

On this news, WWE common stock declined $8.66 per share or more than 43%, to close at $11.27 per share on May 16, 2014.

The Law Office of James C. Kelly has extensive experience representing shareholders and bondholders in securities class actions. Visit our website for additional information at http://www.jckellylaw.com.

WWE Studios and Lionsgate to Repartner on "Action Six-Pack"

Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), the premier next generation global content leader, and WWE Studios (NYSE: WWE) are extending their longstanding partnership to encompass six new action films which will serve as starring vehicles for WWE Superstars as well as incubators for new and emerging talent, the two companies announced today.

The popular directing team of Jen and Sylvia Soska (SEE NO EVIL 2, AMERICAN MARY) will return to the WWE Studios and Lionsgate fold to direct VENDETTA, the first installment of the “Action Six-Pack” series, which will commence photography this summer and feature WWE Superstar Big Show®. The second installment of the "Six-Pack" series, which is currently in development, will commence photography this fall. WWE Studios will leverage its extensive multi-platform reach to promote each film.

Written by Justin Shady, VENDETTA centers on a hard-nosed detective who deliberately commits a crime to get thrown in prison, allowing him the chance to seek vengeance upon the criminal serving a life sentence for having brutally murdered the detective's wife.

“This collection of six high octane films will not only excite our fans, but provide a stage for emerging and talented filmmakers like the Soska Sisters,” said Michael Luisi, WWE Studios President. He added, “We couldn’t have a better partner in this enterprise than Steve Beeks and the team at Lionsgate, who have been great teammates and are proven distributors of this genre.”

“We’re thrilled to join forces with Michael and his WWE team on a series of modestly-budgeted action films that extend our longstanding and successful partnership,” said Lionsgate Co-Chief Operating Officer and Motion Picture Group President Steve Beeks. “We have a strong track record in this genre, and we’re delighted to team with the WWE juggernaut to deliver action-packed event films that will resonate with their global fan base and beyond.”

WWE Studios and Lionsgate previously collaborated on THE CONDEMNED and SEE NO EVIL, as well as the upcoming 2014 releases LEPRECHAUN: ORIGINS and SEE NO EVIL 2. Bradley Buchanan, SVP of Business Affairs, negotiated the deal on behalf of WWE Studios and Wendy Jaffe negotiated the deal on behalf of Lionsgate.

Update On WWE Tough Enough Filming

The next season of WWE Tough Enough will indeed be filming for six weeks at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, beginning in early July. It will air this fall on the WWE Network.

Update On WWE 2K15 Release

The upcoming WWE 2K15 video game is now available for pre-order on Amazon.

A report released last week by Gameinformer.com suggested the game would be pushed back to "Fiscal 2015", around the time of WrestleMania 31 however the release date of game has been listed as October 28 for USA and October 30 everywhere else

The game has been announced for PS4, PS3, XBox One and XBox 360.

Rumor Mill - WWE Concern Over Vince Making Changes

Prior to the WWE business outlook call conducted by Vince McMahon and George Barrios on Monday, there was fear backstage in WWE that Vince might be making drastic management changes.

It's being said Vince feels his management team, not including Barrios, lead him to believe WWE would be getting more for its new TV deal, and there was great concern that Vince would be handing down major management changes as a result. As of this writing, we haven't heard of any departures or firings, but if Vince isn't happy, things will change very quickly.

Another WWE Investigation for Possible Securities Fraud

Ademi & O'Reilly, LLP issued a press release announcing that they are investigating possible securities fraud claims against WWE. "Specifically, WWE's statements that it would double the value of its domestic contracts for its two most popular shows, Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown, and that the prospects for its recently launched streaming video network were strong were false and misleading," reads the release. Read more at Ademilaw.com. [Thanks to Dot Net Member Ernesto Cruz]

Ademi & O'Reilly is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin based company identifies itself as specializing in fraud and shareholder litigation. The projections WWE released regarding their potential television deal seemed fair based on what various professional sports leagues earned in their recent television contracts. The network projections have been all over the place, but anyone going after WWE will have a difficult time proving that the company intentionally put out fraudulent numbers since they were always labeled as projections.

Interview with Hulk Hogan & Stephanie McMahon

Stephanie McMahon and Hulk Hogan did a chat with The Mirror in the UK on Monday. Below are some highlights:

* Hogan says he's home, back with WWE and some of his greatest fans are here in the UK so it made sense to come on the tour.

* Stephanie was asked if she will be wrestling Brie Bella. She said we will have to wait and see. She added that she's always training.

* Hogan said his favorite WWE Superstar is John Cena because he's a workhorse. He's also a fan of Daniel Bryan.

* Stephanie said her favorite part of the job is getting a reaction from fans and always being inspired.

* Hogan said he does not have any movies filming soon but said he had writers from Ron Howard's studios approach him before he re-signed with WWE and they are working on some kind of Hulk Hogan movie project. He hopes WWE will get on-board with it. Hogan said he had networks approach him and his wife for a new reality show but he turned it down.

* Stephanie said they are in discussions to try and figure out if there will ever be a WrestleMania event in the UK.

* They talked about The Ultimate Warrior. Stephanie is just glad WWE could bring Warrior back home, give him some closure and induct him into the Hall of Fame. She said it's tragic he's not here but those were wonderful memories that everyone will share from New Orleans.

* A fan asked Stephanie's first impression of Triple H. She said she was in college watching DX on RAW and she was intrigued by them. She said she was going to get killed for saying this but wondered if Shawn Michaels and Triple H had more of a friendship going on. She said she then met him and fell in love.

* She then joked that honesty is the key to a successful marriage. She said communication and still being love are the keys.

* Stephanie would be proud and honored for her daughters to work for WWE but that will be their decisions.

* Hogan was asked if he could be champion again. He joked about being the Geritol Wheelchair Champion.

WWE Conference Call coverage: Vince McMahon and George Barrios speak publicly following the WWE stock price crashing after news of the new NBCUniversal television deal was released

Vince McMahon and members of senior management hosted a conference call on May 19, 2014. The following are the highlights of the call.

-The call was hosted by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, WWE CFO George Barrios, and WWE Investor Relations Michael Weitz.

-Weitz read through the legalities before turning things over to Vince McMahon.

-Vince said he hoped to give "a great deal of clarity" regarding where things are from a business standpoint. He noted that he was in London for Raw. He said the point of the call was to clear up any degree of misunderstanding and said they pride themselves in transparency.

-Vince said there was a "somewhat favorable outcome" in television deals. He admitted they were a bit disappointed in their NBCU deal, but they were able to nearly double their overall television rights revenue. "A good deal, not what we wanted," Vince said regarding the NBCU deal.

-Vince said the core business is "rock solid." He said they feel very strong and bullish in the WWE Network business model. Vince turned it over to Barrios.

-Barrios said they invested $75 million into the network in 2012 and 2013 and $40 million in staffing.

-Barrios said they have negotiated television distribution deals over the last six months and are still doing so in India. "Our analysis indicated that our content was undervalued in several of our key markets," he said. Barrios said that in three out of four markets they were correct. Barrios walked callers through a release regarding their financial outlook.

-Barrios said that if WWE Network produces one million subscribers by the end of 2014, it would yield a 12-month average of 650,000 subscribers for the year. The rate of adoption translates to a 2014 net loss ranging from $45 to $52 million.

-Barrios walked viewers through a 2015 potential outcome using a 1.5 million subscriber count while stressing that it's merely a scenario. He said they expect "a gradual ramp up over time" in network subscribers. He stressed that opening the network globally and expanding the platforms and marketing campaigns as keys.

-The opened up the phone lines for calls.

-A caller asked whether the launch of the network was an issue in television negotiations and whether they would delay the launch if they had to do it again. Vince said it was a fair question and he believes it did have an adverse effect, but waiting until after the negotiations would have delayed the network by another year.

-A caller asked about the NBCU deal. Barrios said they will not be greater than five years.

-Barrios said there is a $60 million cannibalization number in the United States for pay-per-view, and an additional $20 million worldwide.

-A caller noted that investors are concerned about the dividend. He asked whether investors can assume the dividend is safe. Barrios said that if they are successful executing the network strategy then they have the financial capacity to support the dividend, but that depends on successful execution.

-The caller noted that AT&T and DirecTV said they hope to invest in over the top distributors. He asked if WWE has had any talks about selling their content that way. Vince said he believes everyone will recognize that over the top distribution is the way of the future. He said there will be many opportunities that open up for WWE similar to the one mentioned by the caller.

-A caller was having cell issues and Vince McMahon could not understand his question (it was nearly impossible to make out). Vince turned it over to Barrios, but he disappeared from the call as well. "Shit," McMahon said. The conference call host put things on hold while they got Barrios back on the line. There was a few minute delay.

-A caller brought up the turnover with the network executive that was let go. Barrios said they are very comfortable with their current management team and would not get into specifics regarding the decision.

-A caller asked about the subscriber count. Barrios said they would get into that in their next conference call (on a quarterly basis).

-They brought back the caller with the bad phone connection and it flared up again. It was Brad Safalow, the man who was told by Vince that he could put him in a hammerlock if they failed to double their television revenue. Safalow resisted any temptation to bring that up and asked financial related questions.

-A caller said people are a little confused why total spending at a steady state would be higher during the ramp state. He mentioned content development as a possibility. Barrios said they are moving to a subscription business model that they don't have history in.

-Barrios said they are learning every day about the business side of the network. He said people want certainty, but he can't give it to them. A caller asked about what type of growth strategy they have for it. Barrios said they are promoters at their core and they have a team of marketers. He said he didn't want to let the cat out of the bag regarding plans. He mentioned his previous announcement of Tough Enough appearing on the network.

-A caller asked what type of growth numbers they have to see over the next 12 to 24 months from network growth. Barrios once again said he couldn't give an exact number. He said they need to see it and live it to get a perspective.

-The idea of the holiday season as a time for network subscriber growth since a lot of kids have to ask their mom and dad to order the pay-per-view. Barrios said he sees every single hour of every day as a time for new network subscribers.

-Barrios asked if there were additional calls. The host said no, then said there was another caller, then they wrapped up the call without taking the call.

'Total Divas' Renewed for Season 3

E! issued a press release on Monday to announce that the third season of Total Divas premieres on September 7. It also states that Rosa Mendes will be joining the cast. Read the full press release at TVbythenumbers.zap2it.com.

Triple H on the Cover of 'Muscle & Fitness'

WWE Superstar, COO and 13-time World Champion Triple H is featured on the cover of the June 2014 issue of Muscle & Fitness, on sale today. Though not the first time The Game has appeared on the front of the long-running magazine, doing so at the age of 44 is no easy task.

Inside the issue, Triple H talks about balancing his in-ring career with his executive duties, all the while spending time with his family. He discusses his lifestyle and training changes —in the midst of an always busy schedule — and attributes the positive changes to world-class strength trainer Joe DeFranco.

he Game also discusses the mission and evolution of the WWE Performance Center and how his new regimen under DeFranco’s guidance has altered the way prospective WWE Superstars train.

The longevity of The Cerebral Assassin’s career in and out of the ring can be partially attributed to his physical fitness and training routines.

Total Divas Recap 05/18/14

WWE Being Investigated For Possibly Violating Securities Laws (Again)

WWE is being investigated by former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC, as to whether the company or its officers and directors violated state or federal securities laws by overstating the value of their new domestic TV licensing agreement.

Daniel Moore, an analyst with CJS Securities, said in a research note that, “Given management’s more optimistic tone and the fact that other major sports franchises have garnered much higher increases, this outcome is likely to be viewed as disappointing by many investors.”

A complete press release on the investigation is available at this link.

A similar investigation claim was reported back in April. WWE stated that claim had no substance or merit.

Friday was a horrible day for WWE as the company experienced fallout from their underwhelming new TV agreement with NBCUniversal. The company’s stock went into free fall, Vince McMahon lost nearly one third of his net worth and an investment firm called for WWE to fire management or explore selling the business.

Vince McMahon No Longer Billionaire After Losing $350 Million In A Day

Vince McMahon lost $350 million as of market close on Friday, as shares in his WWE took a beating from investors. The stock was down more than 40% since the market open. In fact, the stock, which had closed just below $20 on Thursday, opened down below $11. That immediately knocked the WWE boss out of the billionaire ranks, putting his net worth now at an estimated $750 million.

The stock fell after news that WWE had signed a new television deal with NBCUniversal for less than some investors had hoped. Benchmark analyst Mike Hickey estimated WWE got a 50% raise over its last TV agreement, but he expected the new deal to pay WWE double or triple its previous one.

McMahon became a billionaire for the first time in 2000, still holding onto a huge stake in the company. But WWE stock dropped a year later and didn’t recover that ground until January of this year, about 13 years or so later, when McMahon—who owns 52% today—rejoined the billionaire ranks. Now he’s down and out once again...More?

source: forbes.com

Vince McMahon to discuss business outlook on Monday

WWE announced that Vince McMahon and George Barrios will host a conference call at 10:00 a.m. CT on Monday. The call will be available via live web cast at Corporate.WWE.com.

Investment Firm Calls For WWE To Fire Management Or Explore Sale Of Business

For the record, Vince McMahon owns 57% of WWE's Class A stock, and 87% of WWE's Class B stock, meaning he has roughly 82% of the voting power. So any outside group buying WWE stock and trying to influence change may be able to pressure WWE a bit, but Vince McMahon is pretty much untouchable right now given the number of shares he owns.

Lemelson Capital Management, a private investment management firm, announced on Friday they have a stake in shares of WWE and are calling on the Board of Directors to replace the executive management team or explore the sale of the business.

The firm called on the changes following “a period of consistent losses, execution issues and material misstatements.”

“WWE has affirmed that even with one million subscribers for its WWE network, the company stands to lose between $45 million and $52 million in FY 2014, which validates the original short thesis,” said Emmanuel Lemelson, Chief Investment Officer of Lemelson Capital Management. “This follows what we believe to be material misrepresentations by the company about both the performance and operating profit model of its WWE network, which the company has wrongly labeled ‘a homerun’,” said Lemelson.

Below is the release in its entirety:

Lemelson Capital Announces Stake In World Wrestling Entertainment And Calls On Board To Pursue New Management Or Ownership

Marlborough, MA, May 16, 2014 — Lemelson Capital, LLC, a private investment management firm, today announced that they had taken a stake in shares of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and called on the Board of Directors to replace the executive management team of the company following a period of consistent losses, execution issues and material misstatements.

Despite the stock’s roughly 63% correction since Lemelson Capital’s original short call less than two months ago (from $30.37 on March 17 to $11.33 as of publication of this release), the firm today also reiterated that fair value of WWE’s common stock is between $8.25 and $11.88.

Lemelson Capital’s original short thesis can be found here:

“WWE has affirmed that even with one million subscribers for its WWE network, the company stands to lose between $45 million and $52 million in FY 2014, which validates the original short thesis,” said Emmanuel Lemelson, Chief Investment Officer of Lemelson Capital Management. “This follows what we believe to be material misrepresentations by the company about both the performance and operating profit model of its WWE network, which the company has wrongly labeled ‘a homerun’,” said Lemelson.

Lemelson Capital today also called on WWE’s Board of Directors to promptly replace the company’s executive management team, or explore the sale of the business, and said that such changes are a necessary component of any successful strategy going forward. “For example, promoting the WWE direct network’s value to shareholders without a fair and accurate discussion of the implications to a traditional network revenue circumvented management’s fiduciary responsibility as stewards of investor’s capital, and is part of what has emerged as a pattern over recent years. Further, there are no pending operational developments in the pipeline to offset these significant losses,” Lemelson added.

Lemelson Capital and its clients are long shares of WWE.

WWE Shares Plummet Following New WWE Television Deal

WWE shares plummeted over 20% to just over $15 per share on Thursday following the announcement that WWE has finally announced a new multi-year television deal with NBCUniversal that will keep RAW, SmackDown and Total Divas on USA, SyFy and E!,

Despite assurances, no financial terms were disclosed during the announcement which lead to the share plunge. WWE Chairman Vince McMahon has told investors that WWE expects to “double or triple” their TV rights fees from the current $140 million.

WWE Business Outlook Maintains Potential For Significant Earnings Growth

NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Reaches Multi-Year Deal With WWE For Monday Night Raw On USA Network And Smackdown On Syfy

NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment and WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced a multi-year strategic partnership for WWE’s flagship programming and ratings juggernauts MONDAY NIGHT RAW® for a three-hour block on USA Network and the top-rated FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN® on Syfy. The two programs are the longest-running weekly episodic entertainment programs on cable TV with a combined reach of 10.8M viewers each week. The announcement was made today by Paul “Triple H®” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President Talent, Live Events & Creative, from the stage at the NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment upfront presentation at the Javitz Center in New York.

“USA Network President Chris McCumber, Syfy President Dave Howe and I are incredibly pleased to renew this strategic partnership with WWE,” said NBCUniversal Cable Chairman Bonnie Hammer. “In today’s TV landscape, live event programming is an extraordinarily valuable asset, and WWE remains the only entertainment franchise that consistently delivers this on a 52-week a year basis. We look forward to bringing WWE’s action-packed and unique brand of drama to the wide audiences across our cable networks for many years to come.”

“We are proud to continue our long-standing partnership with NBCUniversal given their premiere position in the marketplace and vast promotional platforms,” said WWE Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Vince McMahon. “We are excited about our future as we further the reach and popularity of our live, family-friendly entertainment programming 52 weeks a year.”

WWE weekly programming averages more viewers than the NBA, NASCAR, MLB, NHL and UFC. Both MONDAY NIGHT RAW and FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN feature a star-studded cast of WWE Superstars and Divas, and deliver a shot of adrenaline to viewers with over-the-top action, feats of athleticism and high octane drama.

MONDAY NIGHT RAW on USA is the most-watched, regularly scheduled, year-round program on cable, airing a live three-hour block every Monday night, 52 weeks a year. RAW has been a cable mainstay for more than 20 years and is consistently a top ten show on television. The three-hour block on USA averages 2.2M P18-49, 2.3M P25-54 and 5M total viewers P2+. The 2-hour FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN on Syfy averages 1.2M P18-49, 1.3M P25-54 and 3.2M total viewers P2+. The two programs have reached 37.5M people 2014 to-date.

In addition, E! -- in partnership with WWE and Bunim-Murray Productions -- will continue to broadcast the reality series TOTAL DIVAS, an unprecedented look inside the professional and personal lives of the WWE's leading ladies.

Indy star starts work for WWE NXT as a referee

Independent star Drake Younger, who has competed for indy companies Combat Zone Wrestling, Dragon Gate USA and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, began work this weekend for WWE at NXT live events as a referee under his real name of Drake Wuertz. Younger was signed by WWE back in March and finished up on the independent scene on April 27 against former TNA star Joey Ryan in California. Wuertz is now on Twitter @WWEDrakeWuertz.

Daniel Bryan Injured

Daniel Bryan is in fact dealing with a neck injury, we can now confirm. The WWE World Heavyweight Champion is at Raw in Greenville, SC and the word is he will need time off.

While specifics of the injury are unknown, the talk earlier in the day was that it will alter storylines, with a creative meeting taking place to address it.

WWE cracks the list of USA Today's "most unusual public companies"

WWE is the third company listed in a USA Today website piece on the most unusual public companies. Check out the list at USAToday.com.

Rumor Mill - TNA's Production Crew Reportedly Threatens to Walk Out During Last Week's Impact Tapings

There were major concerns about money at this past week's set of TNA Impact Wrestling tapings in Orlando, specifically with the production crew.

People in production were upset about being behind on pay and it was said that if they weren't caught up on pay by a certain point, they were going to walk out in the middle of last week's sets of tapings.

These threats clearly made their way back to TNA management as checks were issued to people and everything cooled off. There was a 24-hour period where there was a lot of tension backstage.

Total Divas Recap 05/11/14

Rumor Mill - WWE Staying with NBC Universal?

There are people in the TV industry who believe a new TV deal has already been cut between WWE and NBC Universal. WWE may be waiting to allow NBCU to announce the new deal at their upfronts this coming Thursday in New York City. For the past few years, NBCU has held their cable upfront parties separately but this year will be holding one mega-event for all 17 of their channels including the USA Network, Bravo, E!, Oxygen and others.

New List of Shows WWE Network Is Considering - Several Types of Reality TV, News Shows, More

WWE officials are considering several new types of shows for the WWE Network. Courtesy of WrestlingDVDNews.com, below is a list of shows that WWE recently gauged fan interest on:

• News (Comedic): News show about all things WWE. Presented with a comedic slant like the Daily Show with Jon Stewart or The Colbert Report.

* News (Serious): A news show about all things WWE. Presented with a more serious approach like ESPN’s SportsCenter.

* Documentary: New additions to the existing documentary line-up, such as Journey to WrestleMania: Daniel Bryan. In-depth programs about WWE related topics, similar to HBO’s Hard Knocks, or Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth.

* In-Ring: New additions to the existing in-ring show line-up, such as RAW, Main Event, and NXT.

* Game Shows: Superstars hosting, or being involved in, WWE-themed game shows in which fans compete for cash prizes like on Cash Cab, Jeopardy!, and Family Feud.

* Talk Shows: Intimate and exclusive interviews with Superstars, Legends and Divas in a Late Show with David Letterman or Tonight Show format and similar to Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

* Animated: New additions to the existing animated programming line-up, such as Slam City.

* Reality: Docu-series: Unscripted reality shows that explore the daily lives of Superstars, like seen on Total Divas or similar to Deadliest Catch or Dog The Bounty Hunter.

* Reality: Lifestyle: Reality shows that explore the lifestyle of a Superstar, like foods they crave and places they like to travel. Similar to Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, or Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.

* Reality: Competition (In-Ring): “In-ring” competition shows, like Tough Enough. The new season of Tough Enough has been confirmed for the Network and begins filming soon at the WWE Performance Center.

* Reality: Competition (Outside The Ring): Competition shows that have Superstars, Divas and Legends competing against each other outside the ring like on Amazing Race or Shaq Vs.

* Reality: Buying/Selling: Reality shows looking at collecting habits of Superstars, or buying and selling pop culture memorabilia or antiques, like on Pawn Stars or American Pickers.

* Reality: Survival: Reality shows featuring Superstars, Divas, and Legends attempting to survive in the wild, like on Dude You’re Screwed, or Survivorman.

* Reality: Prank Shows: Reality shows featuring Superstars, Divas and Legends “punking” and pranking each other like on Punk’d or Impractical Jokers.

8 Reasons Triple H Is The Greatest Wrestler Of All Time

Seriously y’all, I know I say this about a lot of guys, but Triple H is the greatest professional wrestler of all time. Yes, just last week I said it was Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, and before that I was kind of really into Cesaro, but I’ve finally come around to the truth: Triple H really is the King of Kings.

What’s that you say? You’d like to read a list of eight reasons why Triple H is the greatest professional wrestler of all time? Well, you sir, happen to be in luck…

YOU’RE GETTING WORKED, BRO

One of the biggest knocks on Triple H these days is the idea that he’s holding down Daniel Bryan, putting his friends in advantageous positions and generally using his power as a high-ranked WWE official in an unscrupulous manner. To all of this I say, “GOOD,” and also add in a hearty “YOU’RE GETTING WORKED, BRO!”

Triple H is a heel authority figure involved in a storyline about a really popular wrestler being kept down by the man, so the fact that people are upset about Triple H “burying” Daniel Bryan means, you guessed it, that the whole thing is working exactly like it’s supposed to.

NXT

Hey, you like NXT, right? It’s short, to-the-point, has a bunch of wacky gimmicks, lets you watch the future stars of Raw and SmackDown, and has given you rad wrestlers like The Shield, The Wyatt Family and Big E Langston. Go ahead and direct your “thank yous” to Mr. Helmsley.

Since taking a more managerial role in WWE, one of Triple H’s priorities has been finding and developing the next generation of WWE talent, and by all accounts, he’s done a pretty stellar job, leading to a more stacked main roster than we’ve seen in years. Hell, even Sin Cara has magically put on weight, gotten a tattoo and stopped blowing spots.

HE HUNG AROUND

Stone Cold is doing the best podcast pretty much ever, The Rock is flexing and starring in movies, HBK is tracking and killing every living creature on Earth as his bloodthirsty hunter god intended, Mick Foley is a comedian, Chris Jericho is picking up where 1988 Iron Maiden left off and to the best of my understanding, The Hitman is the most dominant warlord in the nightmarish apocalyptic landscape that is western Canada (not totally sure on that one).

Aside from the Undertaker, who wrestles, on average, 1.6 matches/year, Triple H is the only top-level Attitude Era star who’s still performing with the company. Given the type of punishment these guys receive on a nightly basis, it’s a huge achievement to be the last one standing, and really speaks to Trips’ longevity and adaptability.

FRIENDS WITH LEMMY

As much as I love a lot of it, let’s be honest with one another, shall we? Most wrestling entrance themes are lousy and age terribly. Triple H bucks that trend by having had not one, not two, but three unique songs from speed metal pioneers Motörhead. They are, of course, The Game, Line in the Sand and the best of them all, King of Kings.

How did the former Connecticut Blueblood get so many custom Motörhead songs? Oh, well, it’s because he just so happens to be pals with the bands iconic lead singer and bassist, Lemmy Kilmister. How good of friends are they? So good that Lemmy even let Triple H borrow his signature friendly mutton-chops look.

TOUGH AS A TWO DOLLAR STEAK

Triple H is not just, in Good Ol’ JR’s words, as tough as a two dollar steak, he’s tougher than leather, as tough as nails and a slew of other down home cliches your grandfather used to say about your grandmother.

I could have probably filed this in as a subsection of HE HUNG AROUND, but I don’t really know this CMS that well, and besides: The dude tore his left quadricep muscle completely off the bone, but still had Chris Jericho lock him into the Walls of Jericho. He’s had other gnarly injuries too, but he always comes back as good as ever, usually with a totally bitchin video package of him training.

PUTS GUYS OVER

Here’s another one of people’s big knocks on Triple H — The idea that he doesn’t ever put anyone over and that he’s more inclined to “bury” someone than shine them up all pretty. First off, a loss doesn’t equal a burial, with many losses engineered to have the loser come out looking – if not as good as the winner – better than they looked before. Second off, how about back-to-back losses to the Undertaker at WrestleMania?

That’s not enough for you? How about tapping out to John Cena at WrestleMania 22, instantly making the Commander of the Chain Gang a tip-top-level talent? And even though he beat guys like Randy Orton and Sheamus at WrestleMania, both of them remain top-tier guys in their own right, benefiting greatly from their programs with The Game. Does Triple H put over everyone? No, and he shouldn’t, because if he lost to everyone, the losses would stop meaning anything, and after all, the dude’s a top-level talent. If you’re not getting that by now, go get yourself a glass of water, then come back and start this list again.

LATIN

Triple H has the neatest gimmick pretty much hands down. He’s not just the asskicker who wears a leather jacket AND a denim vest (two distinct layers of badassery), but he also intermittently does a Conan (barbarian not late night) thing, lugs around a sledgehammer presumably to murder his opponents with, and on top of all of that, plasters Latin all over his t-shirts.

Wrestling t-shirts, like wrestling entrance themes, usually stink – they’re a blend of early 90s graphic design and cast-off Affliction-style tribal work. But add a badass phrase in Latin and I’m completely sold. At one point, one of his shirts translated to “Let them hate so long as they fear,” which is a quote from Caligula. Caligula, dog, CALIGULA. If you don’t get why that’s amazing, go read a book, then give yourself a wedgy for being both stupid and a newly-minted book-reading nerd.

HE CAN WORK

I left this for last because it’s the most important. For all the accusations of nepotism and political opportunism, there’s only one thing you really need to know about Triple H: Dude can work a match.

Triple H is an amazing worker, able to sell well enough to get any crowd behind him, and vicious enough to get his heat at absolutely all costs. His matches are like a wrestling history lesson, as he picks some of the best parts of ring greats like Ric Flair, Harley Race and Killer Kowalski. Most telling however, are the opinions of his peers, all of whom rank Triple H amongst some of the finest workers they’ve ever stepped in the ring with.

source: guyism.com

Stephanie McMahon Speaks At The White House

Stephanie McMahon was in the West Wing of The White House today to speak. Brad Jenkins, Associate Director in The Office of Public Engagement at The White House, tweeted the following about her appearance:

"WWE's @StephMcMahon stopped by the West Wing to share her public engagement brilliance. Incredible."

Stephanie tweeted and thanked Brad for discussing "what's best for business."

Triple H Purchases Wrestling Memorabilia

Triple H recently paid big money for some old wrestling posters and memorabilia from collectors. WWE has also purchased some items from Charlie Thesz, Lou Thesz's widow.

Video: WWE Pays Tribute to Connor Michalek, See Him Take Triple H Down with One Punch

Total Divas Recap 05/04//14