WWE Senior Ringside Physician Dr. Chris Amann has filed a defamation lawsuit against CM Punk and Colt Cabana over comments made on Cabana’s Art of Wrestling podcast last November.
Amann claims Punk (whose real name is Philip Brooks) and Cabana (whose real name is Scott Colton) made false statements about him, were defamatory and put him a false light by improperly insinuating “a lack of integrity … and/or inability or lack of competence to perform his professional duties as a medical doctor.”
Amann is seeking more than $1 million in compensatory damages, as well as an undetermined amount of punitive damages.
In the suit, Amann claimed Punk “repeatedly and falsely impugned the integrity” of him as a doctor by saying he misdiagnosed a growth on Punk’s back as a fatty deposit and disregarded requests to remove it.
The suit alleges that Punk never sought treatment for or showed him the lump and that he never prescribed Punk antibiotics for a lump or concussion. A lengthy transcript of the podcast was provided as an exhibit.
Amann alleges Cabana helped Punk falsely depict him as a lazy and bad doctor. He claims they “knowingly fabricated the false and disparaging statements” about him, knowing they would be heard by others.
His complaint stated the statements made by Cabana and Punk “are highly offensive in that they accuse [him] of a gross lack of integrity as a medical doctor, an inability to perform his professional duties as a medical doctor, and in placing the financial interest of his employer above life-threatening health conditions of his patients.”
CLICK HERE for complete coverage by The Cook County Legal Journal.
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February 19, 2015
WWE Physician Suing CM Punk & Colt Cabana For Defamation
Vince McMahon On His Favorite Superstar, Topping 'Mania 3, Who Will Replace Him When He Dies, More
As noted earlier, WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon is on the cover of the March issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine. The issue contains an interview with McMahon, thanks to WrestlingINC.com reader "The Brass Ring" for sending in these highlights:
His favorite WrestleMania moment:
"WrestleMania III in front of what was the largest indoor attendance record- 93,000 people at the Silverdome in suburban Detroit. When Hulk Hogan slammed Andre the Giant. I think that's been the biggest moment thus far."
If the company will surpass the WrestleMania III record:
"I think there's a good opportunity with an announcement we'll make soon." [Editor's note: the interview was likely conducted before WWE announced that WrestleMania 32 would take place at AT&T Stadium outside of Dallas, TX]
The future of WWE if he retires or goes "up to that big ring in the sky":
"Our future from a corporate standpoint is extremely strong because we have so many talented executives, and they all bring different strengths to the table. Steph and Paul will certainly have significant roles going forward. I think when I kick, the organization is going to change, and I think for the better, because there's no one person who can do all that I can do because of my background. There's no one individual who's going to take my place."
His favorite WWE Superstar:
"That would be Undertaker because of his loyalty, his longevity, and his extraordinary commitment to his character. We have lots of fun creating fun. [Superstars] try to crack each other up from time to time, and we all have tried to get Undertaker to break character, and we can't do it. He is such a professional and an extraordinary human being behind the character. He's committed to his craft and has worked through his injuries."
McMahon also discussed if he is worried for his safety while wrestling, inspiration for the McMahon character, if he was concerned about making others look small, his fitness and nutrition regime, what the WWE corporate gym's like and more.
WWE Responds to Cassandra Frazier's Lawsuit
WWE issued the following response to PWInsider in regards to the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Cassandra Frazier, widow of former WWE star Nelson Frazier Jr., who appeared as Viscera, Mabel and Big Daddy V:
"WWE has not been served with a lawsuit by Cassandra Frazier. If served, we will vigorously contest this lawsuit brought by the same lawyers who have been soliciting people to sue WWE without merit."
February 18, 2015
What Sean Waltman Has Said About Triple H Potentially Assaulting Chyna, More on Waltman’s Own Issues with the Former Diva
As we reported several weeks ago, Chyna revealed during an interview with Vince Russo that while she and Triple H were in a relationship, Triple H physically assaulted her. Triple H quickly issued a statement denying the assault claim.
In an update on that story, Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer reports Sean Waltman, who also had a relationship with Chyna, has told him a similar story about Triple H assaulting Chyna, but later admitted all Triple H did was push Chyna out of the way.
No further details were provided by Waltman as he said he cared not to be involved in a “mudslinging” story with Triple H and Chyna.
Furthermore, while Waltman was an admitted junkie during his relationship with Chyna, he revealed the claim she makes in her book, which is that she was raped in college, is not true as Chyna later told Waltman it wasn’t true.
Additionally, Waltman has denied much of what Chyna had to say publicly about him during the time they were together.
**Update**
Waltman posted the following response on his twitter page:
"I haven't read whatever was written about me in The Observer, so it's hard to comment. One thing I can tell you is that Paul never hit Joanie."
Samoa Joe announces departure from TNA Wrestling
Samoa Joe, one of the longest tenured performers in TNA Wrestling, announced on Twitter that he is leaving the promotion:
"I have decided to part ways with @ImpactWrestling. My very best to them moving forward, and my eternal thanks to the fans."
February 17, 2015
Video: The vigilante Sting’s longtime rival, two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, tries to talk some sense into Triple H
February 16, 2015
The Bella Twins Talk About Frustration With NXT
This past weekend a report came out that WWE talent is frustrated with the wrestlers in NXT getting far more time to wrestle and show off during their matches, compared to what the main roster talent gets. The Bella Twins appeared at Comic Con in Indianapolis over the week and talked about having that exact sentiment.
When asked about the women in NXT wrestling lengthy matches while WWE Divas only get a few minutes to work each week, Nikki said that she and Brie were just talking about that the other day. Brie said:
“I was saying that. If I was in NXT I would not wanna come up to the main roster because you get so much time down there. If you come to the live events you’ll see we get a lot of time at the live events. When it comes to TV we get so frustrated because it’s hard to tell a story in 3 minutes and especially when they want an entrance. We want time to wrestle. Especially after watching NXT Rival pay-per-view and seeing them go 20 minutes, it’s like a dream. It’s something we’d love and we’re trying so hard to get more time. There’s a three hour Raw and you can’t give more time to the Divas? But, hopefully in the future.”
The twins also talked about Total Divas, with Brie making note of how silly it is for WWE to have storylines crossover to WWE programming. With Total Divas being taped months in advance, it is difficult to act like events took place on Total Divas the night before.
WWE Superstar Cesaro's Twitter Hacked
WWE Superstar Ceasro appears to have had his Twitter account hacked today after a series of questionable tweets appeared on his timeline. One of the tweets wished Cancer on WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
We have combined the tweets below for easy reading:
"You know what? I’m sick of Vince McMahon and his bulls*it. I don’t even get a chance to get the tag titles with Kidd now. I hope that old man gets cancer, I would of been one of the best for sure in the WWE. But that old washed up has been has no idea. I lack charisma? Yeah right I’m the Swiss superman everybody cheered for me at WM. This company is a piece of s*it."
"I lack charisma? Yeah right I'm the Swiss superman everybody cheered for me at WM. And why did they give me this gimmick and this awful theme music? They're constantly burying me." The posts continued: "I think it's about time I get pushed, what do you all think WWE universe? Even the rosebuds get more TV time than me. "I've pretty much had it with WWE. I just found out today that I won't ever get a chance at a major title. "This company is a piece of s**t. Everybody get #PushCesaro trending #PushCesaro."
The hacker then admitted that he was not Cesaro, tweeting: "Ok I'm not Cesaro, but I think Cesaro needs to be pushed. This company pushes lacklustre talents that nobody cares about. "Why can't WWE open their eyes and realise how good Cesaro is? When he won the Wrestlemania 30 Battle Royal I was so excited.
These tweets have now been deleted but have again cast a shadow over WWE's social media a week on from the hack on Seth Rollins’ Twitter last Monday.
Former WWE Creative Writer Claims Shawn Michaels & Triple H Buried CM Punk & Other Big Name Talents, HBK Responds & More
Former WWE creative team member Court Bauer, during a recent edition of “Bauer and Pollack,” made the following claim with regards to Shawn Michaels and Triple H having a habit of burying top talents like CM Punk while the two worked together in WWE:
“One time, Triple H along with HBK buried CM Punk. I think it was his 2005 tryout,” Bauer said. “Maybe he didn’t know the name, and wasn’t familiar with who it was but they buried him. They annihilated his look and his work and I’m like, ‘you just sunk the guy in front of the Chairman!'”
HBK has been making the media rounds lately to promote his new book, and during an appearance on Sirius XM’s TapouT Radio, Michaels not only denies the claims made by Bauer, but adds he never even met Bauer even though the two were working in WWE at the same time:
“I had someone tell me, ‘Triple H, he buried CM Punk.’ One, I never even met the guy [Court Bauer], supposedly he worked for us. Dave Lagana will tell you, as Punk will, that I was one of his biggest fans. The reason [WWE] didn’t like him is because he had a bad attitude. I’ve never seen anybody’s tryouts, they usually have them at the beginning of RAW.”
In response to the claims made by HBK, Bauer took to Twitter, @courtbauer, and posted the following:
“HBK followed me on twitter until recently. Worked w/ him on Rob Conway stuff. Other writers (@AlexDGreenfield) saw the Punk stuff. It’s easier to play dumb than be honest in wrestling. Problem is others saw it. It is what it is.”
Alex Greenfield, mentioned in Bauer’s Tweet, is also a former WWE writer, and during MLW Radio episode #166, Greenfield had the following to say regarding Bauer’s claims:
“It was Shawn, Triple H and Arn [Anderson],” Greenfield recalled. “They just f-cked Punk up! I don’t know if they knew who CM Punk was, because I certainly didn’t…They cut his work apart, they really buried the guy.
“When Shawn and Hunter were together man, they buried a bunch of people who were just starting out. I remember they did the same thing to Bobby Lashley…Shawn and Hunter backstage at that event curtainside, they looked out there and just buried the guy [Lashley]. You know how everybody has the friend that brings out the worst in you? That’s what it felt like all the time to me, dude. They just turned into catty f-cking b—–s.”
WWE Hall of Famer Signs Deal w/ CBS Sports For Weekly Series
Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com is reporting that 16-man world champion and 2-time WWE Hall of Famer “Nature Boy” Ric Flair has signed a deal with CBS Sports that will see him record a weekly podcast. He is expected to interview all kinds of personalities from around the entertainment business, including wrestlers, musicians, actors and other non-wrestler athletes.
CBS Sports is the same group Taz is currently signed with for his Human Podcast Machine series. The official announcement should be made at some point in the next two weeks.
February 15, 2015
Rumor Mill - Backstage Talk On WWE's Main Roster Talents Being Frustrated Over NXT
Handcuffed WWE talent are becoming frustrated at being constantly told by fans that they're underperforming in comparison with NXT's top acts. The feeling is mutual, as those NXT wrestlers are frustrated that they aren't on the main roster making big money...More?
source: cagesideseats.com
Yahoo Finance Calls WWE Network A Rough Draft For Other Brands
In the video above, Yahoo Finance talks about WWE stock shooting up 15% on Friday. They called the WWE Network "a rough draft of future offerings from content providers like HBO, Disney and all those other brands."
February 12, 2015
WWE Network Grows in the Middle East, North Africa, and Canada
The WWE Network continues to expand, announcing that it will grow its presence in the Middle East, North Africa, and Canada “in time for WrestleMania” on Sunday, March 29.
In Canada, the wrestling network made a deal with Rogers Communications, which will allow Canadians to watch OTT WWE content via carriage agreements with TV providers Telus Satellite TV and Videotron (which will go into effect on February 25) in addition to Cogeco Cable Canada, Telus Optik TV, and Shaw and Shaw Direct, which will begin in March.
WWE and Rogers had made a deal back in August 2014 that granted the media company exclusive distribution rights to WWE’s flagship Canadian programming for 10 years.
In MENA, pay TV network OSN now has an exclusive, five-year partnership with WWE that will let it distribute the network’s content in the form of a premium, linear channel. Viewers can subscribe to OSN to watch the channel through their set-top boxes and OSN Play. OSN’s Go will also let users access the content directly through the WWE app.
The WWE Network is currently available in over 170 countries.
Recap From WWE's Earnings Call: Vince Comments On Rumble Twitter Controversy, Network Content, More
Vince McMahon and other senior members of WWE management will be hosting an earnings call from WWE headquarters in Stamford this morning at 11am. The call starts with Michael Weitz, SVP Financial Planning & Investor Relations. Weitz gives a brief introduction before handing the call over to Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon.
* Weitz welcomes us and gives an introduction.
* Vince tells us good morning and talks about Network and TV ratings increases. Vince touts social media followers being up 85% from the same quarter in the previous year. He also touts their YouTube views, saying they're the #1 sports channel on YouTube now. Vince also talks about WWE App growth and says everything is in support of the Network. He talks about subscriber increases, which were detailed in the earnings release. Vince talks about the Network and hands it over to Barrios.
* Barrios says 4th quarter results surpassed their expectations. He talks about new features on the Network and how they've added new subscribers. They still expect a gradual subscriber increase over time as consumer awareness grows. He talked about the Network expanding internationally. He said the UK and Ireland became their second biggest market almost overnight. Barrios said other international markets that they won't be in by the end of this year will be worked on at a later date.
* Barrios talked about how the live NXT specials helped with growth. He also bragged on Steve Austin's live podcasts, saying they were two of the most watched Network shows ever, and said they're working on having more live specials and working on more exclusive content like talk shows. He talked about revenue increases and other financial data that was detailed in the earnings release.
* Barrios talked about some projects WWE came out with in the last year and talks about their reach on social media and with the WWE App. They expect more growth all across the board next year.
* It's time for the Q&A. Barrios was asked how they monitor to make sure fans who previously used a free month of WWE Network don't sign up for another free month. We've heard of many fans being able to do this but Barrios said they have some tools in place to check for this but didn't go into details.
* A caller asked to compare the WWE fanbase to UFC/MMA and asked about WWE signing talents from the MMA world to help bring some of those fans together. He didn't answer the second part but said WWE is all about multi-generational family viewing and that's different from MMA audiences.
* Barrios was asked about the budget for WWE Network content and feature films in 2015. Fixed costs for the Network will be about the same as last year but the films budget will be between $20 and $30 million.
* A caller asks Vince about Twitter controversy and the #CancelWWENetwork hashtag after the Royal Rumble, asking if it's good or bad for them. Vince says it's good for WWE because it created controversy. Vince said it was like "Santa Claus didn't come" to some fans for the Rumble. Vince mocked fans who say they're never watching again, saying he knows the fan will be glued to the TV next week.
* Barrios wouldn't comment on Network advertising revenue. Barrios took a few more questions before wrapping it up.
February 11, 2015
Darren Young Deletes Tweet About WWE's Abu Dhabi Tour, Says His Freedom of Speech Is Gone; WWE Responds
Darren Young spoke out against WWE's tour of Abu Dhabi earlier today with the following tweet:
"Why do we bring the best entertainment into a country like abu dhabi and they look down upon women and gays? I get it! #MillionsofDollars"
Young has since deleted that tweet. He posted the following after deleting it:
"My freedom of speech is gone. Gone but not forgotten."
WWE released the following statement:
“WWE does not discriminate against individuals regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation, and we continue to proudly support Fred Rosser (aka WWE Superstar Darren Young) for being open about his sexuality.
Unfortunately, WWE cannot change cultures and laws around the world, and thus we did not send Fred Rosser to the United Arab Emirates for our upcoming events for his own protection.
WWE also fully supports Fred Rosser’s right to express his views on personal social media accounts rather than WWE’s corporate platforms.”
Rumor Mill - Chyna accuses Triple H of hitting her during their relationship breakdown
Well, Stone Cold Steve Austin really opened up a can of worms when he asked Triple H whether his ex-girlfriend Chyna would ever be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame last Monday on his podcast for the WWE Network, and I'm sure he, nor Hunter, was fully aware of what the consequences would be.
Maybe The Cerebral Assassin could have predicted the inevitable accusations of hypocrisy and sexism that followed over his excuse that Chyna's porn career would exclude her from the institution in today's PG-rated environment. Even the criticisms of on-air bullying by Chyna's friend Vince Russo could be taken for granted. But I don't think even Hunter himself would have forecasted that Chyna would give a lengthy interview for the VIP section of Russo's website PyroAndBallyhoo.com giving full details of how their relationship broke down, including allegations of domestic violence against WWE's current Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events & Creative.
It was well known that Chyna was the last person in the company to know about Paul Levesque's affair with Vince McMahon's daughter, Stephanie McMahon. Thus, the anecdote that Triple H once stood up Chyna at an arena whilst unbeknownst to her he flew with Vince and Stephanie to the next town in their corporate WWE jet isn't all that shocking, even though it's still objectionable behaviour.
However, what was surprising was Chyna's new claim that Triple H had assaulted her during an argument where she confronted him with her suspicions that something was going on behind her back:
"So I think Hunter's plan was to get me to leave the relationship first and then that way he can start dating Stephanie and like everything would be cool. So I would ask Hunter time and time again, I figured it was better just to address the problem and ask him honestly and I would have to believe his answer, so we got into a heated argument, we were not getting along, I told him 'I know something's going on. Don't tell me something's not going on.' He swiped my hand, I swiped his hand, he hit me. I went back like Jerry Springer and then I was like OK that's the deal breaker for me, the relationship is now over, so now I have to leave. After that, I know that he was crying and I know that he felt bad that he hit me, and my first initial reaction was to get up, and like I don't know, I was just in shock and it felt like a Jerry Springer moment, it was very surreal, and I just couldn't believe that he hit me. But he knows that like I don't stand for physical violence, albeit we'll get to that after with Sean [Waltman], so I knew at that point I had to leave, but I needed some sort of closure so when he was gone I started looking all over the house, and I looked into his, long story short, I looked into his briefcase and I found a love letter from Stephanie that had [been] dated a year back, so the whole time they were doing the storyline basically they were together."
I think it's important to stress that we have absolutely no reason to believe that these allegations are true, but equally, Chyna would be very foolish to make up such stories against an executive of a publicly traded company. As always, in such private incidents, the only people who know the truth are the two parties involved.
Chyna's tale then returned to familiar territory, as she corroborated the story in Matthew Randazzo V's book Ring Of Hell that immediately upon finding out that Triple H was two-timing her with the boss's daughter, she rung Vince McMahon himself up to inform him of the news, only to be told in no uncertain terms not to kick up a fuss about it:
"And I immediately called Vince McMahon, and got him out of a meeting that he was in and he said 'Chyna, what's so important that you have to talk to me right now.' I told him, because in my mind I was thinking he doesn't know, of course Hunter's not going to be dating his daughter, it's secret, he's gonna be on my side right? Well, doh. He said, 'Well, I hope you don't lose your job over this.'"
Chyna then details the environment backstage on the first Monday Night Raw after her break-up with Hunter, how he gave her the cold shoulder and never even spoke to her again until many years later (when he picked up Chyna's then boyfriend Sean Waltman for rehab), whilst Stephanie later pulled her aside and gave her a good ticking off.
Later in the interview, Chyna criticised WWE for ignoring her many pleas for help whilst she was plagued with substance abuse problems and suggested that this was an indictment of their Wellness Policy. The truth to this statement depends on when Chyna contacted WWE, as their open offer of WWE-sponsored rehabilitation for all former talent wasn't made until September 2007, long after her addiction issues began.
For a fuller recap of Chyna's chat with Russo, please read the coverage by DailyDDT.com.
We reached out to WWE for a response to Chyna's allegations that Triple H once hit her. They quickly got back to us and we obtained the following statement from Paul Levesque himself:
"The false statements and reckless allegations made by Joan Laurer (aka Chyna) on a recent podcast about a physical dispute are a complete fabrication. While Joan has had significant struggles in life, this does not justify making such claims."
source: cagesideseats.com
February 10, 2015
WWE NXT To Become Full Touring Brand
The plan is to take the brand out of the Florida area and to run smaller venues, including doing "sold" shows that the promotion can produce for a third party. In that instance, an organization or charity can reach out to WWE and "buy" the show from WWE NXT for a flat fee, which would produce the live event and then the organization would make their money back from ticket sales, concessions, etc.
Triple H Talks About WWE NXT Takeover, the Seth Rollins Incident, NXT Going On Tour, More
Triple H held a conference call earlier today to promote the WWE NXT Takeover: Rival show on Wednesday. Courtesy of PWInsider, below is a full recap:
He addressed Seth Rollins’ nude picture scandal. He said Colby has issued an apology to his family and friends. He said that it’s a personal issue and he would like to keep the call about tomorrow’s special. He said that it’s hard to believe it has only been a year since the specials have started. He then previewed tomorrow’s call (we will have the audio up on the site soon). He made a point to mention the women’s Fatal Four Way match and said that they are changing perceptions of female wrestling. I hope that carries over to the main roster.
He did a nice preview of the card, which should be great.
He also talked about growing the brand and the shots coming up in Ohio next month. He said that they sold a ton of tickets in the the first two hours for the first event just by mentioning it on Social Media, so they added the second show. He said that they will be doing tryouts that weekend around the Arnold Classic. He wants NXT to be a touring brand, albeit in smaller venues, by this time next year. He wants the guys to work every weekend so that they can learn and grow.
Mike Johnson asked about the plans to take the brand on the road in the next year and how it changes the career path for talents in NXT.
H said it doesn’t. The goal is still to get to the main roster. The important aspect will be to give them to work in front of different crowds and go. He said that are people that want to do “sold shows” plus they can tour on their own. He said he wants the talent to learn how to work on the fly, in front of different crowds. H said he hopes that he can get guys to the main roster, even if it means Vince pulling talents from him in the middle of programs and making him figure out how to fix the situation in the booking.
Mike talked about how H wants to grow the brand and how in the past he compared it to ECW and WCW, noting that they didn’t have to worry about a parent company bringing up talent in the middle of programs.
H said that guys did have contracts running out back then and the bookers had to deal with that. H also said he wants to make NXT so viable that it won’t be a demotion for guys on the main roster to come down to NXT and add an exciting element to the product. He also wants to have the situation where we are wondering what will happen when the NXT guys make it up to the big roster.
Mike referenced the Kevin Owens-Sami Zayn match, and all of their history. Mike asked how close we are to having an NXT Match on Mania.
H said it’s an interesting question. He said he would like to see it, but he also doesn’t want to lose perspective of what the brand is. He thinks they can get there he just doesn’t know how close they are to doing it. He said that the calls are like a reset to him. He spends the time before the call thinking about where they have been in the past few months.
Jason Powell asked about the noticeable difference with how the women are booked in NXT vs. WWE. Will it change on the main roster or is it just H’s vision vs. Vince?
H said it’s a mix of both. He said that they have a little different audience at NXT vs. the main roster. There are more casual fans of WWE and it takes a while to change perceptions, but he thinks they are doing that. It will take time to do it, but he thinks they will get there. He thinks that the world is looking at women differently, mentioning Ronda Rousey, and he thinks that will carry over to WWE. He is proud of women like Charlotte and Sasha.
He was asked to talk about Hideo Itami transitioning, since he hasn’t been the way he was as KENTA.
H said that there is a lot to consider. He has left Japan and its culture and it takes time to acclimate. He said that there is also a factor where the Japanese look at WWE as a huge upgrade and it’s a bit awe inspiring. H tells him all the time to let it go, cut loose. He referenced Steve Austin saying that you can’t think too much, you have to feel it. H has seen changes in him since he has gotten to NXT and he thinks he will get there.
H was asked if he has any concerns about Kevin Owens holding back and thinking too much.
H referenced a conversation the two had before the last show where he told him to stop thinking it, you can do it, just do it. He could have one of those moments, but he doesn’t think so. He sees Owen changing and growing, and he thinks Sami and him will tear it up tomorrow.
Scott Fishman asked how the roster feels about the opportunities that are being presented.
H said he feels that they are excited. NXT is a great place to be right now. It’s exciting. He talked about how excited talents are when they get their own shirt. He said that part of what they do is to get the talent to realize they are special and that they come to expect it, not be surprised by it. He said if he was on the main roster and NXT talents were selling merch (as in more than them) it would light a fire under him. It’s a good thing to do that. Competition is a good thing.
He was asked about the Zayn-Owens rivalry and how it was largely built outside of WWE.
H said that he likes that in NXT he doesn’t have to act like the past didn’t happen. He doesn’t have to dwell on it, but he can sure reference it. These two have a 14 year history so it makes sense to make it part of the story. It is a way better story than anything he could come up with. He loves the reality of it. He hoped that down the line this story could make it up to the main roster.
Dave Meltzer said he had a bunch of question and he knows he has to go down to two. He was asked about pushing women, mentioning Ronda Rousey. Meltzer said that they made her a big deal from the start and it was hard to recap as he kind of talked over H until H countered that she didn’t come out of nowhere. She made her name in Strikeforce and UFC took noticed and pushed her. She wasn’t working at a fast food place or something. H said that Charlotte has been at the top of the card in NXT and she is one of the main events. He will give the people want.
He was asked about recruiting athletes from other sports, are there new guys that he thinks they have something here. Meltzer mentioned Chad Gable. H laughed and said he is always evaluating the roster because it could get stripped by Vince at any time. He said he has an elite group, a next level group, then the talent in waiting group and finally the beginners. There is competition on every level. He said that they have somewhere between 65 and 70 people right now. He likes to be 65 to 100. 70 to 80 is very comfortable for him.
Robert (I missed the last name) thanked them for opening the doors to reporters. He was asked why Bayley wasn’t involved in the Like A Girl video. Steph showed the mainstream video to him on Friday and said he wanted to do an NXT one really quickly for Super Bowl weekend. The team was working a live event and it came down to who could get to the Center after the show to be part of it. Basically, it was last minute and there wasn’t a lot of guidance or planning done because of that. They did it fast to get it into the Super Bowl weekend buzz.
He was asked about the status of Alex Riley and whether he will be on commentary. He said that at his request, they are transitioning and Alex will get some opportunities. It sounds like he is coming back to wrestling.
Bill Apter sent congrats on H getting into Arnold’s Hall Of Fame. H said it was an honor.
Bill asked what it’s like when he sits down with Vince and watches NXT. He said Vince never sits down and they never watch it together. Vince usually has it on in the background since he is working so much. He said that he thinks Vince is proud of it. He said that he has spent a lot of time with him over the last 20 years and they have talked a lot about this subject, developing the future. They have talked about what they needed to do to grow the future. He said running developmental is what he wanted to do and he is happy Vince let him with very little oversight. It showed Vince trusted him. Vince is incredibly proud of the Center and the athletes.
Bill asked how indy guys can get noticed. H said we have a recruiting department and if they are working indies, they probably already know about them. He talked about William Regal being his trusted eye for talent. H said if you are out there doing it, continue learning your craft. Being a mechanic is important, but learn more about being a personality.
Bill said that he has been using HHH’s DVD and he might have to take a look at him. H said the one word he thinks of when he sees Bill is jacked, Superstar Billy Graham-esque.
Seth Rollins Apologizes for Nude Photo Leaks from Last Night
There was an incident during last night's WWE RAW where a nude photo of WWE NXT Diva Zahra was posted to Seth Rollins' social media pages but quickly deleted.
Rollins' fiancee then posted two nude photos of Rollins, which were also deleted. Rollins' fiancee admitted to posting the photos and there was some hints made that Rollins and Zahra have been seeing each other.
Rollins responded to the situation on Twitter:
"I would like to apologize to all the WWE fans and my family and friends for private photographs that were distributed without my consent.?
February 9, 2015
WWE Nominated For Best Brand On Twitter
WWE has been nominated for Best Brand on Twitter in the Firestarter Awards. WWE is going up against Home Goods, Arby's, The Culinary Institute of America and Pretzel Crisps for the award. Fans can vote at this link.
Did Triple H Really Bury Chyna?
I’m sure by now everyone has either listened to or at least read the transcript from the Stone Cold Steve Austin interview with Triple H. While it may not have been the most revealing or groundbreaking of interviews they did touch upon certain topics such as CM Punk, fans booing Roman Reigns and if Chyna should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Chyna part seems to be the most controversial of the comments as it has received a certain amount of backlash namely from one Vince Russo who took to Youtube to dish out a 30+ minute rant about Triple H’s comments. However before we cover the Russo rant let’s address what Triple H actually said that was apparently so bad words like bury and revolting have been attached to it.
So Steve Austin asked if Chyna will ever go into the Hall of Fame to which Triple H replied with the following quotes
“Does she deserve to go into the Hall of Fame? Absolutely.”
“Completely 100% transcended the business, changed the business, paradigm shifter of the business.”
“Done what no woman had ever done before and was awesome at it and a phenomenal talent.”
“From a career standpoint should she go in the Hall of Fame? Absolutely.”
Then Triple H spoke about the flip side to the coin and how an eight year old could possibly look up Chyna online and find out about various events that she has participated in since leaving WWE. Triple H made it clear that he wasn’t criticizing her lifestyle choices and that he didn’t know her reasons or care to know it wasn’t a morality thing and it was difficult choice.
At no point did Triple H say she couldn’t or wouldn’t go into the Hall of Fame and, actually, on several occasions put Chyna over in my opinion. Dare I say it Triple H put Chyna over more in those few brief sentences than Chyna has put herself over the last 14 years.
Still this did not stop other people from looking at the comments differently and indeed Vince Russo took real objection to what Triple H had to say and put this video up. Please be warned that this video goes over 30 minutes and does contain mild swearing.
I appreciate Russo is trying to stick up for a friend but unfortunately his rant was filled with so many mistakes and silly comments that it could be argued that him interviewing Chyna will do more harm than good.
February 7, 2015
WWE NXT Hosting An Event In Cleveland, Ohio Next Month
NXT COMES TO CLEVELAND FOR THE FIRST TIME!
For the first time ever, WWE NXT comes to in Cleveland live at Agora Theatre on Friday, March 6. See WWE’s Superstars and Divas of tomorrow including NXT Champion Sami Zayn, NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Hideo Itami, Tyler Breeze and many more. Tickets for this historic, live event go on-sale Friday, February 13th at 10 AM and start as low as $15.
WWE NXT is one of the most popular programs on WWE Network and it is taped at Full Sail University in Orlando, FL. For more information, please visit http://www.wwe.com/shows/wwenxt
For tickets go to www.Ticketweb.com. Tickets are also available at the Agora Theatre Box office or by calling 216-881-2221
Rumor Mill - Chael Sonnen, Wanderlei Silva Meeting With WWE During WrestleMania Weekend
World Wrestling Entertainment has invited former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitors Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva to “talk” during its upcoming “WrestleMania” weekend.
“Wrestlemania 31” takes place March 29 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., and is the culmination of a week-long celebration of professional wrestling. Amongst other festivities, the promotion holds a WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where wrestlers and celebrities are acknowledged.
In a recent interview with “Off The Record,” Sonnen revealed that both he and “The Axe Murderer” have been invited to the Bay Area.
“I got a call from WWE,” said Sonnen. “They said, ‘Look, we have a Hall of Fame show in March. If you want to come out, we want to talk to you about some stuff.’ They laid out at that.”
When asked about what the talks would consist of, the ESPN analyst said that he didn’t know. But, with such an offer on the table, Sonnen would be hard pressed to decline.
“If they are buying me a plane ticket and they’re giving me a ticket to the show, I do enjoy that product,” Sonnen said. “I don’t know what we are talking about, but I’ll give you a little bit of a scoop: Wanderlei Silva was also invited. I don’t know if he’s accepted and I don’t know if the two are related, but there you go.” Silva acknowledged that he has been contacted by the WWE.
Wrestling and mixed martial arts run parallel in many ways, but the two have been mentioned in the same sentence with more frequency as of late with the UFC arrival of Phil Brooks. While a matchup between Sonnen and CM Punk may never come to fruition, it doesn’t seem too far fetched that the 37-year-old former No. 1 middleweight contender could end up in the squared circle before all is said and done.
