WWE Champ Seth Rollins on Life as Pro Wrestler

Samoa Joe Talks About Being Interested In Signing With WWE, Proving Himself There, More

Former TNA World Heavyweight Champion Samoa Joe recently spoke with Jim Ross on his Ross Report podcast. The full interview can be heard at this link. Ross asked Joe about signing with WWE and Joe said he is very much interested in joining the company. He called it the "unchallenged challenge of his career."

It should be noted that the interview was recorded before WrestleMania 31. Joe confirmed people from WWE had reached out but called it informal and said nothing was set in stone. Since then, we've heard that Joe actually met with Triple H in Orlando and could be starting with NXT as early as June. Joe did not confirm this in the interview.

Joe said he would be open to a trial in NXT or a straight shot to the main roster. Joe talked about how he's never been wanted in any company he worked for but got work by proving himself. He added that if he has to start in WWE as an unwanted entity and prove himself, then that is what he's going to do.

WWE Working on a DVD and Blu-ray for Owen Hart

WrestlingDVDNews.com reports that WWE is currently working on a DVD about the life and career of the late Owen Hart, who would have celebrated his 50th birthday today.

The release is going forward with the full backing and support of Owen's widow Martha Hart and his family. The issues between WWE and Martha have been well-documented over the years.

WWE Performance Center Morale Update Since Coaching Change

It is being said that the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida been a much better environment since former head trainer Bill DeMott left the company. It’s also been noted that new head coach Jason Albert (Matt Bloom) has had positive reports since taking over.

WWE NXT Star Possibly Out of Action for 6-8 Months

WWE NXT star Hideo Itami is reportedly out of action with a bad shoulder injury.

Itami is scheduled to face Finn Balor and Tyler Breeze in a Triple Threat #1 Contender match at Takeover on May 20th but word is that he could be out of action for 6-8 months.

Vince McMahon On Knowing Your Audience, Keeping WWE Successful, Using Social Media, More

Vince McMahon recently did a Q&A with Advisornet.org, which gives advice to veterans. Below are some highlights:

In your opinion, was it more difficult making WWE a success in the beginning, or keeping it a success today?

Both are challenging. At WrestleMania 1, we mortgaged everything we owned, hoping it would be a success. It was a huge gamble that paid off. Today, the challenge is to stay relevant, take advantage of new technologies and continue to evolve. The one constant is to approach every day like it's my first day on the job with fresh thinking and new ideas. But to answer your question directly, it is extremely difficult to get to the top but even more difficult to stay there.

What traits and attributes do you believe a veteran has to offer in your organization? Do you believe in recruiting experienced talent to fill roles, or do you like to train from the ground up?

Work ethic, leadership, communication skills and time management, as well as the ability to multi-task and work under pressure are traits I believe veterans can offer any organization. At WWE, we recruit experienced talent from a variety of industries and pride ourselves on promoting from within the company.

I'm starting a skateboard company. What are the most effective and low-cost marketing tactics you use for WWE?

Social media is today's "word of mouth" and an important part of WWE's success. Social and digital media provides us with an opportunity to engage our fans one-on-one and have a direct conversation with them. These same tactics apply to small businesses as well.

Hello Mr. McMahon! I'm sure there are countless aspects contributing to WWE's overwhelming success. Are there any attributes that you consider completely necessary?

It's important to know your audience, keep them engaged and always stay relevant. On a personal level, a strong work ethic and first day on the job thinking are two attributes that an employee must bring each day. It's also important to have a good sense of humor. Take your work, but not yourself, seriously.

Mr. McMahon, when did you realize the awesome potential for WWE to become a global brand and what advice do you have for veterans thinking of launching their own brand?

Brand building is an essential part of marketing. Make sure your brand is something easily understood by the public and make sure it is flexible enough to adapt to the ever-changing demands of the marketplace.

Hogan, Jericho, Paige and Daniel Bryan Headline New Season of Tough Enough

USA Network and WWE announced today that WWE Superstar Chris Jericho will be the host of the highly-anticipated series, WWE TOUGH ENOUGH, and will be joined by a panel of experts comprised of WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan®, WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan® and WWE Diva Paige™. The high-octane reality series premieres LIVE Tuesday, June 23 at 8pm ET/5pm PT on USA Network and around the world.*

This season of WWE TOUGH ENOUGH will combine the can’t-miss excitement of live television with reality-show drama, as WWE hopefuls vie for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the next WWE Superstar or Diva. Unlike anything on television today, the lightning-fast hour of entertainment and competition will include live results every week, giving fans worldwide the power to decide who stays and who goes the very same night. Each week, one cast member will be eliminated until one man and one woman are considered “Tough Enough,” with each earning a one-year, $250,000 WWE contract.

Throughout the competition, the contestants will be trained by WWE Legends Booker T™, Billy Gunn™ and Lita™. Contestants will also come face-to-face with WWE icons including WWE Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Vince McMahon; Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative, Paul “Triple H®” Levesque; Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon; and WWE Superstar John Cena®, among others.

“These athletes, each with varying skill sets, will be put through a grueling boot camp that will test their physical, mental and emotional limits in a way that the series hasn’t done before,” said Jessica Sebastian, Vice President of Unscripted Series, USA Network. “Each week, their training and experience culminates in a spectacular live event where they will be put in front of their WWE heroes and an audience of fans. In this reimagined version of WWE TOUGH ENOUGH only the best will survive.”

“This season of WWE TOUGH ENOUGH will be the most innovative, unique and engaging series on television,” said Kevin Dunn, WWE Executive Producer. “A live global telecast, real-time voting with immediate results, and unprecedented use of digital and social media during and between telecasts will all lead to a groundbreaking viewing experience.”

To date, entrants from 113 countries have submitted videos, which have been viewed more than two million times on YouTube. To view play lists of entrants’ videos or to submit a new audition video, go to WWEToughEnough.com. For a compilation of entrants’ video submissions, click here.

On Monday, May 25, the WWE TOUGH ENOUGH App will be available for free download, giving fans even more opportunity to engage with this cutting-edge reality competition series. Through the App, viewers will receive access to exclusive content, learn more about the contestants, take part in social conversation between live telecasts and vote in real time. Fans around the world can also vote live each week for who stays and who goes via text (U.S. only), on Twitter @WWEToughEnough as well as on the WWE App, WWEToughEnough.com and USANetwork.com.

WWE TOUGH ENOUGH will emanate live from both the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., home to WWE’s developmental division NXT, and the innovative professional production studios at Full Sail University located in Winter Park, Fla. This launch will mark the inaugural use of the University’s latest high-caliber, on-campus production facility. In 2012, WWE and Full Sail announced an innovative partnership, which created a student scholarship fund, and also allows students of the university’s entertainment-focused degree programs, including Film, Show Production, Digital Arts and Design, Internet Marketing and Entertainment Business, to gain real-world experience alongside WWE’s professional production staff during WWE NXT tapings.

WWE TOUGH ENOUGH is produced by WWE, USA Network and Left Hook Media. Matt Odgers and Scott Teti are Executive Producers for Left Hook Media. Jessica Sebastian is Vice President of Unscripted Series for USA Network. Kevin Dunn is Executive Producer for WWE.

Be sure to join in the conversation at @WWEToughEnough @WWE @USANetwork and engage with your favorite WWE Tough Enough personalities @IAMJericho @ReneeYoungWWE @HulkHogan @WWEDanielBryan @RealPaigeWWE @BookerT5x @AmyDumas @BillyGunnWWE.

Bill DeMott Breaks Silence, Talks About Being NXT Head Trainer

Former WWE NXT head trainer Bill DeMott has broken his silence since resigning from the position over two months ago amid accusations of bullying, harassment, sexist and racist comments. DeMott appeared on Vince Russo's new podcast to talk about why the blame was cast in his direction:

"I always use the term it's never the quarterback, it's the coach," said Demott. "Millennials, I think right that's what this generation is called the millennials. I think it's in the whole world. So what I can say and what I will say is as a dad as you are, as I am, I try to figure that out to keep my children away from that entitlement."

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon infamously used the term "millennials" when expressing his frustration over the lack of ambition among the WWE roster while on an episode of Steve Austin's podcast. DeMott elaborated on his comments to a degree after Russo insinuated that DeMott had to coddle his students.

"I guess it's old school that you get what you earn and you try to earn what you want," said DeMott. 'I think that's all I am going to say about that because I think no matter what the case, Walmart, Publix, IBM, I always use IBM I don't know why, I go to a lot of management seminars and that's a lot of the conversation, the opening conversation: 'What do we do when they don't like that?' And I want to walk out because I'm not going to learn anything if I'm still trying to figure out. It's tough, it's going to be tough for whoever has to figure out what they want tomorrow."

ESPN E:60 WWE "Behind the Curtain" Recap

Chris Jericho Reveals His WWE Return, Why He's Working Live Events, Update on His WWE Podcast

Chris Jericho revealed on the latest episode of his Talk Is Jericho podcast that he will be working WWE live events this summer. Jericho will be working 19 live events in June, July and August.

Jericho noted that he will not be working TV or pay-per-view events on this run but could return to those events soon. Jericho said he's only working live events this run because he still has some Fozzy touring to do and some family vacations to go on this summer. Jericho said he is very excited to return to WWE and work with some of the newer talents. He said he pretty much already knows who he's going to be working with and will be revealing that soon. Jericho's dates are as follows:

* June 12: Springfield, Illinois
* June 13: Terre Haute, Indiana
* June 20: Las Vegas
* June 27: Boston
* June 28: Reading, Pennsylvania
* July 2: Singapore
* July 3: Tokyo
* July 4: Tokyo
* July 10: Philadelphia
* July 11: Pittsburgh
* July 31: San Diego
* August 1: Ontario
* August 2: Fresno, California
* August 15: Detroit
* August 16: East Lansing, Michigan
* August 21: Bridgeport Connecticut
* August 22: White Plains, New York
* August 29: San Juan, Puerto Rico
* August 30: Tallahassee, Florida

Jericho also revealed that due to how busy he is, there won't be another live WWE Network podcast for a while.

WWE Shoots Down Vince McMahon Rumors from RAW

There were rumors all over social media about Vince McMahon after a Reddit user who saw Vince come out for the post-RAW Pat Patterson Appreciation Night segment expressed concern over Vince's vision. The rumor was even brought up via a fan question on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio but Dave Meltzer said he had not heard the rumor and would ask around about it.

The WWE responded with the following comment:

"We can confirm that the rumors are false."

Longtime WWE Employee Announces Their Departure

WWE seamstress Sandra Gray of Total Divas fame has left the company as she made the announcement on Twitter after last night's tapings in Ottawa. Gray has worked for WWE for more than 15 years and runs her own vintage clothing business. Raj Giri of WrestlingINC notes that Sandra recently took some time off after her husband became ill in January.

WWE hosted Pat Patterson Appreciation Night in Montreal

WWE honored the first Intercontinental Champion, Montreal native Pat Patterson after Raw concluded at the Bell Centre.

WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon kicked off the festivities by talking about the hardships the WWE Hall of Famer faced throughout his career and lauding his many accomplishments.

“Pat Patterson became one of the greatest Superstars of all time, selling out arenas throughout the world, including Madison Square Garden many times,” McMahon said.

Patterson came to ringside to a chorus of “Merci, Pat! Merci, Pat!” by the Montreal faithful. Bret Hart joined Patterson and McMahon to thank Patterson for being a “great friend and real hero.” Hart then presented him with a personalized Montreal Canadiens jersey, which Patterson immediately put on to the delight of the Bell Centre.

After a video of several Superstars and Legends thanking Patterson, Triple H led the locker room to the stage. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion and current WWE Executive attributed his success to Patterson and praised him for working alongside Mr. McMahon for so many years.

“You’ve tried to retire numerous times,” Triple H said. “This is just in your blood. You are family. Vince said it, I will say it: You are my family. I love you.”

Triple H then presented Patterson with a plaque featuring the Intercontinental Championship and legendary pictures from his Hall of Fame career.

Patterson thanked the locker room and his hometown fans for their support before signing a heartfelt rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”

After 15 years as a main eventer in San Francisco, Patterson joined WWE in 1979 and became the first Intercontinental Champion. His brutal matches with Sgt. Slaughter in the coming years brought “extreme” to sports-entertainment more than a decade before The Attitude Era.

He likewise became an unforgettable part of The Attitude Era as one of Mr. McMahon’s “Stooges,” alongside Gerald Brisco on camera. He also created the beloved Royal Rumble Match concept at WWE’s World Headquarters.

As for what Patterson has done for WWE, Mr. McMahon said it simply: “I would not be standing in this ring tonight if it were not for Pat Patterson.”

Backstage News on Sami Zayn's WWE Status

Regarding Sami Zayn's shoulder injury suffered on last night's RAW in Montreal, the injury apparently came before the match with WWE United States Champion John Cena even began. As Zayn was making his entrance, he was raising his arms to get the crowd hype and it looked like something happened to the shoulder then.

Zayn started showing signs of an injury then but worked the match anyway. As seen during the match, the referee threw up a "X" symbol and a WWE trainer checked on Zayn before he was allowed to finish. Sami did appear on the stage for the post-RAW Pat Patterson Appreciation Night segment but his shoulder was bandaged up.

Zayn will be having a MRI today to find out how bad the injury is. It should be noted that Zayn was away from the NXT ring with an injury until April 2nd with a shoulder injury.

Last night's match is being called Zayn's official RAW debut but we don't know yet if this means he is on the main roster for good. Zayn is scheduled for more upcoming WWE TV tapings but that could obviously change with the MRI results.

Big E Talks New Day Getting Over, Having 'Uphill Battle' After First Xavier Woods Promo

SLAM! Wrestling has an interview with Big E, who was promoting last night's RAW in Montreal. During the interview, Big E talked about the New Day gimmick starting to get over.

"It's cool because it feels very organic," Big E said. "I think a lot of times when you say, 'This is what a talent is and this is how we're going to push him in this direction and it doesn't matter what the crowd says or what they do,' sometimes you can make that work if you shove things down peoples' throats, but a lot of times there's resistance toward that."

Big E noted that it's been an uphill battle getting the group going since Xavier Woods first confronted himself and Kofi Kingston on RAW last July, which you can watch above at the 2:20 mark.

"If you remember the original promo with Woods in the red and white suit, that happens and then we disappear for a couple of months," Big E said. "I think there was some buzz with that, which we were all excited for, and then that kind of just disappears. And then when you see us again, we're in a different incarnation of what people thought we would be. For us, it was kind of an uphill battle to get things off the ground for the first several months, but I think more than anything, we believe in our talent.

"It's really cool to get to this point of things feeling organic, where we're not in a box that people are force fed, and that's something we're excited about. I think it's a cool thing to not necessarily have a strong label. But I do think we're going to start moving in a certain direction that'll make it pretty easy for people to figure where we're going."

Big E also discussed preferring WCW to WWE when he was growing up, his physique, joining WWE, power lifting and more. You can read the whole interview by clicking here.

ESPN Reporter Michelle Beadle Banned From Mayweather/Pacquiao Fight; Blasts Triple H & WWE For Supporting a “Serial Abuser”

ESPN reporter Michelle Beadle – who has been a huge supporter of pro wrestling over the years, and was the host of all kinds of WWE mainstream press during this year’s WrestleMania week blitz – has apparently turned in her fan card following Saturday’s big Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas.

Beadle, who was in Vegas all weekend doing promotion for the fight through ESPN and HBO (a co-producer of the event) had her press credentials revoked by Team Mayweather/SHOWTIME, effectively banning her from the super fight. Along with CNN reporter Rachel Nichols (who was also banned), the duo has been outspoken against Mayweather’s history of violence against women, which spans over a decade and includes multiple convictions.

Michelle, who wrestling fans may remember was the ESPN host that sat down with Brock Lesnar for his shocking announcement prior to WrestleMania, has apparently had enough with WWE and Triple H’s public support of a “serial abuser”. She posted the following on her Twitter:

"I've loved @WWE for a long time. But @TripleH and his love for a serial abuser is too much. I'm turning in my fan card. #WasFunWhileItLasted"

Finn Balor on WWE NXT Stars to Look Out For, Where He Sees Himself In Ten Years, More

AfterBuzz hosts Cathy Kelley, Mark Donica and Boxcar Superstar The Hobo recently spoke with WWE NXT Superstar Finn Balor on their "NXT Aftershow" that airs live every Thursday. The full interview can be heard at this link. The following highlights were sent in:

AfterBuzz TV: Which NXT talent do you think is underrated and people should look out for?

Finn Balor: There’s a lot of guys you know, obviously for different reasons. One guy you know I think doesn’t get the credit he deserves is Scott Dawson. He’s a tremendous, tremendous competitor and I would love to get in there one-on-one with him. I’m also a big fan of Enzo and Cass. I don’t know how that would work with teaming up with them in a six man tag team, but I’m a big fan of their work too.

ABTV: We recently had CJP (CJ Parker) on the show, he’s planning to work the indies and wrestle in Japan. Did you give him any advice?

Finn Balor: We spoke about it….CJ was someone I was fortunate enough to get to work with when he was still here. He’s a tremendous competitor…The indie circuit is a tough circuit, but you know there’s a lot of good people out there. There is a lot of places you can learn. There’s a lot of people you can learn from and I’m sure that he’ll spend a year or two there growing himself not only personally, but as a performer and I’m sure he’ll be back in the future even better.

ABTV: Is there anyone on the indie scene you think WWE should have their eye on?

Finn Balor: I’m a little bit biased because this fella, he started in the same gym as me in England…and hopefully he’ll be able to make the transition some day into WWE, Zack Sabre Jr. He’s doing tremendous in the independents, not only in Europe but in America you know, but he’s holding his own in Japan.

ABTV: You recently traveled with WWE overseas. How was it wrestling with your home crowd?

Finn Balor: It was quite surreal. It was only less than a year ago that I said goodbye to everyone back home in Ireland and within 10 months to be returning with the WWE main roster. Going to the 3Arena in Dublin which was an arena I used to go and watch WWE when I was a kid. To walk up through the curtain and hear the roar of the hometown crowd, that was incredible.

ABTV: There have been many rumors that you will soon accept John Cena’s open challenge for the US Title. Do you see that happening in the near future?

Finn Balor: Well, Believe it or not, in London when John was in the ring making the open challenge, I was actually putting my gear on trying to get into the ring…but I just got beat to the punch.

ABTV: Where do you see yourself in 10 years and do you have a plan after wrestling?

Finn Balor: I live by the motto “Take one step at a time.” Obviously, there are a lot of short-term goals that I want to achieve, both at NXT and WWE. In 10 years time, maybe I’ll be Triple H’s right hand man, pulling the strings up in the office and helping coordinate this incredible company.

Ring of Honor Clears Big TV Market

Ring of Honor issued the following press release on Thursday.

Dallas, Texas has a deep wrestling history on professional wrestling that dates back to April of 1959. Ring of Honor Television has now added to that history with our debut on KTXD-TV airing every Saturday at 1pm.

Professional wrestling fans in Dallas grew up with legends like The Von Erich's, The Fabulous Freebirds, Bruiser Brody, Gino Hernandez, "Gentleman" Chris Adams, Playboy Gary Hart and so many more. Now you get to see the stars and legends of today in ROH World Champion Jay Briscoe, ROH World Television Champion Jay Lethal, ROH World Tag Team Champions The Addiction, "Mr ROH" Roderick Strong, The Kingdom and so many more.

Do not miss The Best Wrestling on The Planet, Ring of Honor every Saturday afternoon at 1pm on KTXD-TV!

Where to Watch KTXD-TV

AT&T: 47
DirecTV: 47
Dish: 47
Charter: 22 / 746 HD
Time Warner: 24 / 429 HD
Verizon: 18 / 518 HD

Chris Jericho - Stephanie McMahon Podcast Recap: Ronda Rousey, Shane McMahon, Her Parents, AJ, More

Chris Jericho's live WWE Network interview with Stephanie McMahon kicks off from WWE TV studios in Stamford, CT. Jericho welcomes us to the second edition of "Live! with Chris Jericho." He welcomes his old rival Stephanie and says people want the hard-hitting questions so he's going right to that. Stephanie just came from the annual WWE staff party and Jericho says he never knew that party existed. Stephanie says it's just a way of saying thanks to their employees. Jericho imagines Vince McMahon walking around with a tray of h'orderves and Stephanie says he doesn't do that. Jericho says he's been at the studios all day and it's "insane." Stephanie says WWE currently has 800 employees.

Stephanie talks about being in Singapore, Beijing and Shanghai recently on behalf of WWE and as an Eisenhower Fellow. Stephanie talks about what the program is. She notes that she will be going on another trip for the program later this year. Stephanie mentioned having to defend WWE while on tour and Jericho can't believe that they still have to defend WWE but they do. Stephanie says that's part of her job. She touts some WWE talking points and says they're a pioneer. Jericho asks about working for dad and she says it's very challenging. She says Vince is exceptionally driven and passionate. Jericho says Vince is off to the side right now giving them the middle finger. Stephanie says there's a lot of pressure on Vince's kids to do better. She says Vince didn't grow up with a silver spoon in his mouth and while he's given her all of her opportunities, he still wants her to fight for it every day and that's what she does. She talks about messing up before and says disappointing Vince is the worst. As a performer, Vince has made her re-shoot certain angles. Jericho says he has had to do that before and it makes you feel like a loser. Jericho says Stephanie is just like Vince on TV. Stephanie says her brother Shane McMahon calls her the "Vincess." Stephanie says she's unaware that she emulates him but she's watched him all her life and there's no one better.

Jericho says Vince has left the set and jokes that he scared him off. Jericho asks if people get the Chief Brand Officer mixed up with the on-screen Stephanie when she's out working. She talks about how she tells kids at the "be a STAR" anti-bullying rallies that she plays a bully on TV but that's not who she is in real life. They talk about her childhood and she says she did understand what her dad did. One of her earliest memories was between 3-6 years old, walking backstage and running into George "The Animal" Steele in full character. She says she was scared to death and ran back to Vince but George just started laughing. She says George was laughing as if he didn't take her fear seriously and that confused her at the time. She says Vince also thought it was hilarious and that's when she started putting it together. She would watch Vince announce on WWF and she had her favorites - The Killer Bees and Tito Santana. She says she gravitated more towards the heels as a kid and did not root for Hulk Hogan.

More?

Former WWE Writer On If WWE Voting Is Legit

Former WWE creative writer Kevin Eck has a blog here about WWE App voting. He noted that while he can't vouch for the voting since he left the company, during his time with WWE from 2011 - 2014, the voting was completely legitimate. He said that creative would suggest to Vince McMahon that they rig the voting to get a desired outcome, but Vince would always refuse because it would "compromise the integrity of the voting."

WWE Q1 Earnings Call Recap: WrestleMania Success, Network Price Increase?, Total Divas, More

* George Barrios mentions they released their quarterly financial results on their website earlier.

* WrestleMania happened in quarter 1 of 2015, as opposed to quarter 2 2014. This has an effect on the huge profits.

* WrestleMania was the highest grossing live event in WWE history.

* Total Divas was E! network's number one show. Vince McMahon says this is because the Kardashians were on hiatus.

* McMahon mentions Smackdown will move to USA, and thinks that will improve viewership alone.

* McMahon jokingly invites listeners to join Tough Enough.

* 196,000 WWE Network subscribers were international. 94 percent of subscribers access the Network at least once a month.

* "From inception to 3/31/15, WWE Network had attracted nearly 1.8M unique subscribers w/ 74% of subscribers active as of that date"- George Barrios. They aren't going to update subscriber numbers on this call.

* Barrios repeatedly mentioned that WrestleMania was in Q1 this year instead of Q2.

* WWE video game profits improved over 30 percent. WWE Supercard is mentioned as a contributor. PPV revenue was also ahead of expectations.

* The Q&A portion starts. WWE says they're always looking at expanding the advertising model for the Network, but doesn't think it'll be in 2015.

* McMahon says it's possible they could change the price of the Network for WrestleMania or Summerslam, but have to look at the info. He says as of now they're not, but it's possible in the future.

* Most of the WrestleMania PPV buys were international, according to Barrios.

* "Advertisers aren't interested in simple rating. Our programming is engaging. Not just an experience, but immersive."- McMahon

* Laura Martin calls Vince McMahon the best business man of anyone she covers.

* Someone's phone goes off, and their alert tone was Michael Cole yelling "Oh my!"

* Barrios is asked what they've learned incrementally about the sources of churn. Barrios says he doesn't think they've learned anything.

* CableVision in Canada is targeting for cutters. This could open up the possibilities for more deals with Rogers, but they say the Canadian model is different.

WWE Reports Record Quarterly Revenue

WWE today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2015. For the quarter, the Company reported Net income of $9.8 million, or $0.13 per share, compared to a Net loss of $8.0 million, or $0.11 per share, in the first quarter last year.
“During the quarter, we generated record quarterly revenue and strong earnings growth, reflecting our strategy to realize greater value from our content across multiple platforms,” said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. “We believe that we are on a path to significant growth as we continue to expand WWE Network and innovate faster than ever.”

“Our strong earnings growth was driven primarily by the escalation of our television rights fees and the expansion of WWE Network subscribers. For the quarter, our OIBDA surpassed our public guidance,” added George Barrios, Chief Strategy & Financial Officer. “WWE Network subscribers watched an estimated average of 53 hours of content per household over the quarter putting it among Netflix and the top cable and broadcast networks in terms of viewer hours per household. Additionally, WrestleMania 31 was viewed in more homes globally than ever before. Our ability to engage our global fan base reinforces our view that successful execution of our WWE Network strategy can generate meaningful economic returns.”

2015 King of the Ring Winner

New "Kliq Rules" T-Shirt

shop.wwe.com

Verne Gagne Passes Away

Verne Gagne, one of sports-entertainment’s most celebrated performers and promoters, has passed away at the age of 89.

Growing up in Robbinsdale, Minn., Gagne was a three sport athlete in high school. While he also played baseball and football, his true skill was in wrestling, where he won multiple state championships. He then went on to the University of Minnesota, where he continued to play football and wrestle. He left after one year to join the Marines at the end of World War II, but returned to finish his college career a few years later. When his amateur wrestling career was over, Gagne had four Big Ten Wrestling Championships, two NCAA Wrestling Championships, the 1949 AAU Wrestling Championship and a slot on the 1948 United States Olympic team on his resume.

Gagne debuted as a pro in 1950 and won several regional championships throughout the 1950s before heading to the newly formed American Wrestling Association in 1960. In August 1960, he was awarded his first AWA World Heavyweight Championship when the first recognized champion, then-NWA World Heavyweight Champion Pat O'Connor, failed to defend the championship against Gagne.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Verne became both a wrestler and a promoter, eventually becoming the sole owner of the AWA. He remained an active competitor until the early 1980s, holding the AWA World Heavyweight Championship 10 times between 1960 and 1981. Although Gagne officially retired in 1981, he would later wrestle in several special matches while still maintaining ownership of the AWA.

During the AWA's existence, it was the breeding ground for several other future WWE Superstars, including Hulk Hogan, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Pat Patterson, The Legion of Doom Hawk and Animal, Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty, “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig, Scott Hall, "Mean" Gene Okerlund ,"Sensational" Sherri Martel. Jerry "The King" Lawler, Larry Zbyszko, Sgt. Slaughter and numerous other legends also wrestled in Gagne's AWA, and Verne's son Greg also had a lengthy and successful career there as well. In addition, Gagne had a hand in training several future Superstars, including Ric Flair, Ken Patera, Bob Backlund, The Iron Sheik and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. On April 1, 2006, Verne Gagne was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Did "TKO: A Night of Knockouts" Help Friday's TNA Impact Wrestling Viewership?

Friday's episode of TNA Impact Wrestling, a special Total Knockouts edition, drew 381,000 viewers, down from the previous week's 401,000 viewers.

Friday's Impact ranked #51 out of the top 100 cable originals for the day. We will have viewership numbers for the replay later.

WWE To Hold Pat Patterson Appreciation Night

WWE will hold Pat Patterson Appreciation Night on May 4th at the WWE RAW in Montreal. WWE had Pat Patterson Appreciation Night scheduled a few years back for the same venue but it was the same night Jerry Lawler had a heart attack on RAW so it was nixed. The ceremony will take place after RAW ends. John Cena, Randy Orton and Roman Reigns vs. Rusev, Big Show and Seth Rollins is the advertised dark main event.

King of the Ring Returns and WWE Network Schedule Announced

This week on the award-winning WWE Network, expect something new every night, including the debut of the new series Jerry Springer Presents WWE Too Hot for TV and King of the Ring which will begin on Monday's RAW and the finals will take place Tuesday night on the WWE Network.

Monday, April 27
Jerry Springer Presents WWE Too Hot For TV – Available on demand after Raw
Too extreme for live TV, WWE Too Hot for TV goes straight to on demand after Raw. Hosted by legendary talk show host Jerry Springer, this new series brings you the most outrageous stunts and cringe-inducing moments in WWE history.

Tuesday, April 28
King of the Ring – 8 ET/ 5 PT
Continuing the action from Monday's Raw, the King of the Ring Tournament finals will take place live on the award-winning WWE Network.

Wednesday, April 29 – Mick Foley Night
Have a Nice Night! – 9/8 C
Renee Young and Byron Saxton host this entertaining assemblage of Mick Foley’s most memorable and entertaining moments. Relive the timeless 'This is Your Life' segment with The Rock, laugh as Mr. McMahon meets the lovable Mr. Socko, experience the Three Faces of Foley and much more.

Cheap Pops – 10/9 C
Join Mick Foley as he shares humorous tales full of wit and wisdom from the WWE Hall of Famer's storied career. It’s an eclectic trip into the surreal mind and life of the Hardcore Legend like you've never seen before.

Thursday, April 30
LIVE! with Chris Jericho with Stephanie McMahon – Following SmackDown
Chris Jericho brings his uncensored show live to the award-winning WWE Network with special guest, WWE’s Chief Brand Officer, Stephanie McMahon.

Friday, May 1
Floyd Mayweather vs. The Big Show: The Money vs. The Giant – 9/8 C
Just in time for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, which is expected to be one of the biggest boxing matches in history, go behind-the-scenes of the most anticipated fight on The Grandest Stage of Them All, as undefeated professional boxing sensation Floyd “Money” Mayweather took on the 7-foot “Giant”, Big Show at WrestleMania 24.

Monday, May 4
WWE 24: Roman Reigns – Following Raw
The acclaimed 30-minute docu-series takes you on a lightning-fast journey through a day in the life of one of WWE’s most intriguing Superstars and groundbreaking events.

The WWE's First-Ever Female Trainer Is Ushering in a New Golden Era for Women Wrestlers

Sara Del Rey joined WWE after a decade's worth of experience wrestling all over the world in independent promotions including Chikara, Ring of Honor, and Shimmer. Since being hired in 2012, WWE has produced some of their most promising female talent in a generation. NXT, essentially WWE's internal minor league, has morphed into the home of some of the networks' most riveting wrestling. Banks and Charlotte round out a once-in-a-lifetime crop alongside Bayley, Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Paige, and Emma.

"Daniel Bryan, [currently one of WWE's biggest stars,] trained me a long time ago. That's how I got my foot in the door," Del Rey told VICE. "Training has always been my one true passion; it's what I really love about pro wrestling. I thought I had unique experiences and perspectives to share with the women in NXT. WWE agreed, and here I am."

"You can have all the knowledge in the world, but it's useless if you can't explain it," said Paul "Triple H" Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President and the man behind NXT, in an interview with VICE. "That's what makes Sara special: She can feel it, but she's also able to articulate that feeling."

It does help that Del Rey is a woman training other women. While plenty of female wrestlers, including Del Rey, have trained with men and succeeded, those I spoke with emphasized the impact that a like-minded trainer can have in the wrestling ring.

"I trained with guys' guys for years, but it was when I went to Japan and worked with a group of all females that my technique was really fine-tuned. There wasn't a safety net," said Del Rey. "I don't think [having a female trainer] is a necessity, but it's helpful."

"Working with a female trainer here is a big plus, because we are in a male-dominated business," explained Banks. "Having a female point of view when it comes to body movement has been so constructive. Sara is very understanding. Anything we need we're able to tell her. It's like having another mother here."

Levesque is happy to admit that there's always going to be a slight disconnect when a man is training a woman, but he also views Del Rey as an all-around talent.

"Whenever people say 'Oh, it's so great you brought in a woman to train the women,' I say 'I didn't hire a woman to train women, I hired a woman to train,'" Levesque emphasized. "She's great with the women, she can relate to the women wonderfully, but she's more than that. It's the same when I bring her up to the main roster; I'm not doing that so she can just work with the women, I'm doing that so she can be a road agent. It's irrelevant to me that's she's a woman. What matters is that she can do her job extremely well."...More?

source: vice.com

Steve Austin Speaks On His WWE Status After Recent Trademark Issue With T-Shirts

On a recent podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin addressed rumors about he and WWE after the company had some of his t-shirts pulled from his official ProWrestlingTees.com store recently. Austin said despite the shirts being pulled, the two sides are still on good terms and are still working together.

Austin said WWE had a few trademark concerns that they felt they needed to protect and they did. Austin said he spoke with a WWE lawyer about the concerns and there are no hard feelings.

Austin also said there are many "great things" to come from he and WWE but didn't go into detail, telling fans to "stay tuned."

WWE Releases Five Developmental Wrestlers

WWE released 5 developmental talents this week - Brian Reid (Tony Briggs), Coutney Denzel Freeman, Dustin Mueller, Laszlo Vandracsek and Leyvonna Zakari.

Freeman, an amateur wrestler from the University of the Cumberlands, began training at the WWE Performance Center late last year. He never competed in a match before a live crowd.

Briggs, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound wrestler from California, signed with WWE in late 2013. He infrequently wrestled at NXT live events, and was squashed in his lone matches on television.

Mueller is a bodybuilder from Chicago, Illinois who WWE signed last year. He had no wrestling experience prior to joining WWE. He made a few live event appearances as a security guard.

Zakari, a model and actress from California, joined WWE last April. Though she never wrestled, she handled ring announcing duties at a few non-televised NXT events.

Hungarian-born Vandracsek was a member of U.S. National Bobsled Team who WWE recruited late last year.

'Rap is the new wrestling': how hip-hop heavyweights compare with WWE stars

New York rap and fashion maven A$AP Rocky thinks hip-hop has become like the theatrical, body-slam heavy world of WWE. Speaking to Elliott Wilson at a live recording of the CRWN hip-hop podcast at the Tribeca film festival, the 26-year-old rapper said: “Rap is the new wrestling,” before adding that in the world of contemporary hip-hop, rappers pick a strange name, say some ridiculous things and then wait until people pay attention (isn’t that just a guide to becoming famous in 2015?). He has a point though, even if there is more than a hint of irony in that theory coming from a rapper whose name is A$AP Rocky and whose biggest hit was called Fuckin’ Problems complaining about outlandish and gauche hip-hop acts with daft names. We’ve taken his assertion as a starting point and tried to figure out which WWE superstars (past and present) line up with contemporary rap stars...More?

source: theguardian.com