The Lucha Dragons were interviewed by CBS affiliate WDJT in Milwaukee this past Tuesday, promoting that evening's SmackDown event, which you can watch in the video above. During the interview, Sin Cara talked about returning to the city.
"Obviously it's a city where they love wrestling, they love WWE," Sin Cara said. "To be here is an honor. It's great to come back to Wisconsin. Actually my high school coach in wrestling, he's from Dodgeville Wisconsin and he lives in Milwaukee. Hopefully I get a chance to say hi to him tonight."
Kalisto also talked about how wrestling in Mexico prepared him for WWE.
"Lucha libre is an art, and right now, lucha libre is universal," said Kalisto. "It prepared me a lot. We have a lot in common, me and Sin Cara. Ever since I started in XT, there was a different atmosphere, a different style, but lucha libre did help a lot. It helped us so much because we're both athletic and we're both high flyers. And we display a different art in the ring."
July 12, 2015
Interview with the Lucha Dragons
WWE HQ turmoil: one executive fired by Vince McMahon, another one leaves of his own accord
In a worrying sign for WWE investors, the quick turnaround of high ranking executives within the company has continued over the past month with one being fired by Vince McMahon and another leaving of his own accord.
Outside of family members whose jobs are guaranteed for life and big hitters like WWE's Chief Marketing Officer Michelle Wilson and their Chief Strategy and Financial Officer George Barrios (whose jobs are likely secured in the short term due to being named in the WWE stockholders lawsuit along with Vince and Stephanie McMahon), the past five years has been marked by a series of corporate departures, particularly in roles related to the company's creative direction.
The first sign of increased volatility at WWE headquarters was seen by the shocking resignation of WWE's COO Donna Goldsmith in late January 2011, believed to be tied to the disappointing financial results of the preceding quarter, despite having earlier success in her role through landing the company's lucrative Mattel deal.
Michael Pavone, the Executive Vice President of the money bleeding WWE Studios division was not surprisingly the next victim, resigning from his position in August 2011. However, worse bloodletting was yet to come.
With slowly eroding television viewership and the teething pains of setting up their own online channel, the WWE Network, executive turnover has spiralled out of control since the autumn of 2012.
Brian Gewirtz, the long time head writer of Monday Night Raw was the first to be punished on the creative side of things when he was removed from the writing team and demoted to a mere consultancy role on Oct. 8th, 2012 over poor ratings. Next to fall out of favour was WWE's SVP of Creative and Development, Eric Pankowski, who was let go after just 15 months in the position in March 2013. Pankowski's replacement, Adam Rudman, lasted just six weeks in the job before Stephanie McMahon gave him his marching orders, likely due to his limited knowledge of the WWE product. The next head writer, David Kreizman, wanted out almost immediately upon being promoted, but was convinced to stay on for a few months longer.
In 2014, it was largely the people involved in the launch of the WWE Network that either got out while the going was good or were given their pink slip.
First to go was WWE's Vice President of Global Sales, Brian Maddox, in January of that year when he accepted a job as a Vice President at Silver Chalice Ventures, a next generation digital/video sports media company. You may remember Maddox as being the backtracking whistleblower known as Confidential Witness Number 1 or CW1 for short in the aforementioned WWE stockholders lawsuit.
WWE's Executive Vice President of Digital Media, Perkins Miller, was next to follow Maddox out the door, in order to take a job with the NFL as their new Chief Digital Officer in the spring of 2014.
Unlike Maddox and Miller, WWE's EVP of Programming, Matthew Singerman wasn't so lucky, getting the chop after just six months in the newly created role, a scapegoat for the WWE Network performing well below expectations in its early days of existence.
Basically, there's been so many departures of late that it's hard to keep track, so forgive me if I've forgotten anyone of importance.
Now, there's two more. The MLW twitter account broke the news yesterday that WWE had recently fired their Executive Vice President of Content, Lisa Fox Lee, after just six months in the role like Singerman.
Lee was someone who had worked for WWE since she left university over two decades ago, starting in their television and sponsorship sales division in March 1995 and gradually being promoted up the ranks to VP, SVP and EVP roles in TV and later Network programming. According to James Caldwell of PWTorch.com, the move in January to put all of the main content divisions under one umbrella quickly became viewed as a mistake internally and Lee struggled with her greater responsibility and workload:
"Regarding Lee, WWE went through a six-month trial run of having Lee oversee Creative, digital programming, and Network programming. The goal was to put all of the main content departments under one umbrella. But, it did not pan out....
The main issue is that before her promotion, Lee worked for WWE in various mid-level jobs contributing to TV & PPV content delivery, sales, and social media, but she did not have experience as a key decision-maker in WWE upper management.
Promoting Lee to a high-ranking executive position was viewed internally as a rash decision trying to put all of WWE's content arms under one person. And, WWE employees viewed Lee as the wrong person for the role if such a role was to be created.
The decision was made to fire Lee instead of demote her back to her previous position. It appears that sitting in on meetings with McMahon, who Lee was suddenly reporting to, led to her demise since she was no longer protected in a mid-management role.
After cutting Lee, WWE shifted back to individual content departments reporting to various executives, removing the "one umbrella for all content" approach just six months after the new set-up."
Caldwell also broke the news that WWE's Senior Vice President of Digital Content, Rob Bernstein, has left the company for a more senior position with IPG - Mediabrands Publishing, a global media agency. Unlike Lee, internally this is being viewed as a major loss for WWE's digital media division, as he was instrumental in monetising WWE's YouTube channel, launching their offshoot YouTube gaming channel UpUpDownDown that stars Austin "Xavier Woods" Creed, overseeing the development of the WWE App and growing the WWE.com website.
The latest episode of Titan Towers turmoil begs several important questions about WWE as a business. Why can't they retain the services of their most gifted executives like Miller and Bernstein? Why do they hire or promote people so ill-suited to key positions that they are fired in less than six months? Is Vince McMahon so difficult to work with and so whimsical in his thinking nowadays that he has become a detriment to the day-to-day running of WWE, even though his instincts as a promoter has a proven track record of being second to none?
source: cagesideseats.com
CZW Signs Live PPV Deal
According to PWInsider.com, Combat Zone Wrestling, a promotion which has been around since the late 90’s, and has featured names such as Dean Ambrose (fka Jon Moxley), has signed an official PPV deal. The deal has been in the works for quite sometime, and will see CZW produce live PPV events which will be distributed via traditional PPV outlets.
Steve Karel, who’s Stonecutter Wrestling produces a number of taped PPV entities as well as the Urban Wrestling Federation, was at tonight’s CZW event to sign the deal with CZW owner DJ Hyde. Stonecutter will be producing and distributing the CZW PPV events.
Ricky Steamboat Comments on the Future of WWE
Ricky Steamboat sounds like a proud father when discussing the current crop of WWE superstars. Along with his WWE Hall of Fame career, The Dragon had a hand in the early days of the company’s developmental system from Florida Championship Wresting to NXT.
“It’s very exciting for me to see the company make this very strong attempt for a third brand,” Steamboat said. “We have Raw, SmackDown and now NXT. I like it and am very excited for it because 99 percent of the staff and personnel come out of the school. We are putting our young kids on the road. I also like the fact they are sort of being initiated old school. Every night they go to the towns. They are doing a lot of driving. We were doing that back in the 1970s where it would be 2 or 300 miles a night without GPS. I always wondered how we made it with a map at night. I’m happy to see NXT grow. Everything they are doing, they are going in the right direction.”
For Steamboat, the future is bright and now.
“There is just so much new talent,” he said. “Look at the talent that has broken through. Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Cesaro. There are a number of talents there. Everyone wonders if you give them the ball, are they going to score or are they going to fumble? Obviously, all the names I mentioned have scored very well. I got to help them while coaching at the school, which is great.”
July 10, 2015
Big Show: STOP BLAMING WWE FOR DEATHS Vince Takes Care Of Us
WWE superstar Big Show says Doink the Clown's family is WRONG to go after the WWE for the wrestler's death ... claiming Vince McMahon does EVERYTHING he can to protect the talent.
The 7-footer was out in L.A. when we asked about the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the mother of Doink's children -- which claims Doink's life spiraled out of control due to concussions he suffered in the ring.
"I think that everybody who steps through those ropes knows what could possibly happen," Big Show says.
"You gotta accept that responsibility as a talent if you step those ropes, whether you're a boxer, ultimate fighter or sports entertainer."
Big Show says he has nothing but good things to say about the WWE -- adding, "I've seen how much they've gone above and beyond to take care of the talent and do everything they can where no one ever did that before."
source: tmz.com
Megan Rapinoe celebrates with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
WORLD CHAMPIONS!
@USSoccer_WNT midfielder @mPinoe sports her @WWE World Heavyweight Title! @FIFAWWC #USWNTParade pic.twitter.com/tGa29HfwoL
— WWE (@WWE) July 10, 2015
July 9, 2015
Vince McMahon’s Rules For WWE Announcers Allegedly Leaked
Over on Squared Circle, the subreddit for professional wrestling, a user has posted eight pages of what purports to be instructions and rules given to WWE announcers a few years ago about everything from how they should dress to specific phrases they should avoid. You can view the notes here.
For the most part these are just suggestions, and they are pretty sensible. Announcers should prepare notes but not read from a script, they shouldn’t swear, they should describe the environment, they should vary the tone and intensity of their voice when talking about different things, etc. But there are also some funny, highly-specific rules, which are sometimes noted to have been handed down from Vince McMahon directly:
Don’t call WrestleMania “grandaddy of them all” because it “makes WrestleMania feel old”
Don’t use the words “pro wrestling” or “pro wrestler;” rather, use “superstar,” “star,” or “athlete
Don’t call the audience “fans,” speak to them directly and call them “you”
All eight pages are worth reading to understand how the WWE works to tightly control exactly how its product is presented to the fans. If you see anything notable, drop it in the comments.
NXT Champion Finn Bálor vs. Kevin Owens at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn
A huge main event has been confirmed for NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, as newly crowned NXT Champion Finn Bálor will defend his title against former champion Kevin Owens at the Barclays Center on Saturday, Aug. 22 as part of a special that will be broadcast live on the award-winning WWE Network.
The rematch was announced by NXT General Manager William Regal at San Diego Comic-Con International.
July 8, 2015
Did Total Divas Premiere Beat WWE Tough Enough?
Last night's episode of WWE Tough Enough averaged 1.221 million viewers, which was the best number for the show this season, narrowly topping the 1.209 million viewers for the season premiere. It was up 17% from last week's 1.047 million viewers.
The fourth season of Total Divas drew 975,000 viewers last night on E!, down 19% from the third season premiere, which garnered 1.2 million viewers.
Rumor Mill - “Rowdy” Roddy Piper Reportedly Dropped From His WWE Legends Deal
WWE Hall Of Famer “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair noted on the latest episode of “Wooo! Nation” podcast that “Rowdy” Roddy Piper has been dropped from his WWE Legends contract.
The full details as to why are not yet know, but we do know that Piper’s podcast was recently removed from the PodcastOne network as result of issues with Steve Austin.
See also...
Roddy Piper Blames Steve Austin For His Podcast Being Removed From PodcastOne.com
Steve Austin Responds To Rumors He Got Roddy Piper Fired From PodcastOne.com
Replacement Member On Tough Enough Revealed, Has Appeared On WWE TV Before
Tuesday night's episode of WWE Tough Enough saw cast member Dianna leaving in the middle of the night without notifying nay of her fellow contestants. It originally appeared as if the contest would move on as-is, but instead, WWE has announced a replacement.
Chelsea Green was announced as Dianna's replacement early Wednesday morning. Many many remember Green from her appearance on WWE Raw as Daniel Bryan's physical therapist during his angle with The Authority.
Green is a graduate of the Storm Wrestling Academy, headed up by former WWE, WCW and ECW star Lance Storm. Green arrived at the Tough Enough barracks early Wednesday morning.
July 7, 2015
Former WWE Developmental Territory Being Sold
"Nightmare" Danny Davis announced today via the Ohio Valley Wrestling website that he is selling OVW. OVW has served as a developmental territory for WWE and TNA in the past, producing stars like Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Randy Orton and others. OVW officials wrote the following:
After 22 years in business and mentoring more than 150 athletes to professional wrestling’s national stage Ohio Valley Wrestling owner Danny Davis will immediately step away from the company he founded.
Monday Davis announced the completed sell of majority ownership in Ohio Valley Wrestling to a private investor. Davis said, “I have been searching for the perfect person to carry on OVW's legacy and I believe I’ve found them.”
OVW launched in 1993 and eventually grew into the developmental training territory for both World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Total Nonstop Action (TNA) the two largest sports entertainment companies in the United States. Davis’ resume is unmatched. No other professional wrestling company in the world has helped more talent fulfill their dreams on the national stage. Davis played a vital role in coaching the biggest stars in the wrestling industry over the last two decades including John Cena, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk and Randy Orton.
“I want to thank the guys and girls who allowed me to play a part in their careers and the OVW fans for their unwavering dedication.” He said, “I’ve been mulling this decision for several weeks and the time is right for my family to begin a new chapter.”
Davis’ career started in the 1970’s in the old Memphis wrestling territory. He's respected the world over as “The Nightmare” a tag team wrestling expert. On July 4th, Davis teamed with one of his first students, “Ironman” Rob Conway, a former WWE Superstar and multi time NWA World Champion at the OVW Saturday Night Special.
Davis is inviting all fans, media and OVW wrestlers past and present to this Wednesday’s television taping, July 8th, 2015. The new majority owner of Ohio Valley Wrestling will be introduced.
OVW TV takes places in Davis Arena, 4400 Shepherdsville Rd. Louisville, KY. 40218. Doors open at 6:30pm. General admission seats are $5.
July 6, 2015
Stone Cold Steve Austin Confirmed As This Year’s WWE 2K16 Cover Star
WWE and 2K Sports have officially announced that ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin will be the cover star of the upcoming WWE 2K16 video game, set for release on current and last generation XBox and Playstation video game consoles, October 27th.
It was reported several months ago that the developers were working on a campaign mode built around Austin’s career, with both Jim Ross and Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler being brought in to do voice-over work for the game.
WWE 2K16 will boast the largest roster ever assembled in a WWE video game, with over 120 unique characters promised to ship with the game on day one.
July 5, 2015
Hulk Hogan Thanks Triple H
The Advertiser has an interview here with Hulk Hogan. During the interview, Hogan talked about Triple H being the person responsible for bringing him back to WWE.
"The ambassador position means I can still be part of the big show, and I thank Triple H for that," Hogan said (props to The Inquisitr for the transcription). "If not for him, this thing between Vince McMahon and I — this heat — would still be bad. Vince made me feel so welcome when he explained to me that I'm the glue that bonds the father, the son and the grandson that watch wrestling."
Chyna Talks About The Last Time She Saw Triple H And What Happened During Her Trip To WWE Headquarters
Wrestlinginc.com recently spoke to Chyna about her new documentary The Reconstruction of Chyna, not being in the WWE Hall of Fame, winning the Intercontinental Championship and more. The full interview will be posted at Wrestling Inc. this week. During the interview, Chyna revealed that she has not spoken to Triple H or Vince McMahon since leaving WWE in 2001, although she did see Triple H when he picked up Sean Waltman to take him to rehab.
"The day Stephanie [McMahon] and Vince booked me at TV, it was like the Red Sea," Chyna said of her last day with the company. "Hunter never spoke to me. The only time I ever spoke to Hunter again, which wasn't really speaking again, was when he physically came to pick Sean Waltman up for rehab. He just showed up outside my door one day. I was incredibly surprised to see him, but I don't think we even spoke two words. I don't believe I could have spoken two words, either."
As noted, Chyna recently visited WWE headquarters as part of the documentary. She discussed why she made the trip to their office.
"We're documenting all of that. But really, I'd like to meet with them. I've repeatedly called and wrote and will continue to do so until I get that sit-down meeting. Personal reasons, financial reasons, contractual—let's see what's going on. I need to know."
Despite making the trip, she admitted that she was ultimately turned away.
"We were abruptly turned away," she said. "It was as cold as ice in there. I went to take the picture, then we're told to basically take our stuff and leave. They weren't having any of it. [It was] definitely an icy atmosphere."
Stalker...
July 4, 2015
Big Title Change At Beast in The East Event In Tokyo
Finn Balor defeated Kevin Owens to become the new WWE NXT Champion at today's "The Beast In The East" live WWE Network special from Tokyo, Japan. This is Finn's first title reign in WWE.
A prince returned home and became a champion. Congratulations to @wwebalor on winning the @WWENXT title. #WWETokyo pic.twitter.com/HgwJkpwm3j
— Triple H (@TripleH) July 4, 2015
July 3, 2015
WWE NXT Takes Over Brooklyn
The #FutureIsNow...@WWENXT takes over the @barclayscenter on Aug. 22nd. Tickets available Sat. July 18th at 12pm. pic.twitter.com/XTzkBTuBFF
— Triple H (@TripleH) July 3, 2015
July 2, 2015
WWE Statement On False Allegations In Recent Lawsuits
WWE issued the following statement last night to go with the AP story that we reported on earlier:
WWE Defends Against False Allegations
WWE filed a lawsuit in Connecticut to protect the company from a series of fraudulent claims made by a Massachusetts attorney regarding alleged concussion-related injuries. A few examples of such false allegations from this lawyer include:
· Claims in two different federal courts that five individuals died prematurely due to head injuries when in fact all five individuals are alive today.
· Falsely stating that an individual's years of performance with WWE spanned 22 years from 1985 through 2007, when in fact the individual performed for only 2 years (1985-1986 and 1992-1993) and made one appearance in 2007.
· Alleging that head injury led to the death of a morbidly obese former performer who died of a heart attack years after last performing for WWE.
· A claim that an individual suffered from deafness allegedly due to head injury when said individual has publicly stated that he was deaf since birth.
· Claiming that head injury led to the accidental drug overdose of a former performer over 20 years after he last performed.
It is unfortunate that some former performers have been improperly recruited under the guise of a big 'pay day', and we feel badly that these individuals are being misled and exploited.
July 1, 2015
WWE Sues Hall Of Famers And Other Legends In Extension Of Concussion Lawsuits
Earlier today, we linked an Associated Press article about WWE's response to the various lawsuits filed against them relating to claims of long-term health issues stemming from head trauma. That article has since been updated with additional details that help frame the situation better and allowed us to look up the case in question to get a better idea of exactly what was going on.
What happened is that on Monday, WWE filed a lawsuit against Robert Windham (Blackjack Mulligan as well as Big Machine in the WWF), James Ware (Koko B. Ware), Tom Billington (Dynamite Kid), Oreal Perras (Ivan Koloff, who's not mentioned in the AP article), and various John Doe defendants. The intention is to get the Connecticut Federal District Court to block any lawsuits from both the named defendants and any other wrestlers who have retained Konstantine Kyros (the lawyer behind most or all of the WWE concussion lawsuits we've heard about). Kyros had sent WWE "notice of representation" letters on behalf of the named defendants on June 2nd, in which he asked the company not to contact them directly as well as telling them to retain any relevant information.
McDevitt told the AP that "[b]efore this guy started trolling around looking for people to sue, we didn't have one person, none, claiming they had any kind of traumatic brain injuries, or dementia or ALS or any of the kind of stuff you seek associated with the NFL." The complaint alleges that the claims came about after Kyros placed ads on Google tying in to searches relating to WWE anc concussions, as well as Billy Jack Haynes' name after he filed the initial lawsuit with Kyros.
For his part, Kyros denied the allegations, said he has been retained by dozens of former WWE stars, and that WWE's claims of the statute of limitations expiring don't apply in this case. The argument, which he's explained in the past, is that when the symptoms of an injury present themselves later in life, as they would with complications from repeated head trauma, Connecticut's three year statute of limitations doesn't apply. He added that "[w]hat the WWE lawsuit is doing is trying to do is prevent some of the most storied performers in the history of the organization from having their day in court."
WWE has taken issue with Kyros filing the suits outside of Connecticut even though most of the wrestlers' contracts has clauses restricting the venue to WWE's home state. There are also allegations that, through sloppy editing of the complaints, living plaintiffs were listed as deceased,as well as inaccuracies in the listed time frames for when the wrestlers worked for WWE.
That said, WWE is not innocent of this, either: Oreal "Ivan Koloff" Perras is listed in the new complaint as having last wrestled for the Capital Wrestling Corporation (Vincent James McMahon's company). In actuality, he last worked for the WWF in late '83, when it was indeed owned by Titan Sports, the company that went through several name changes in the last 15-20 years before becoming World Wrestling Entertainment in 2002.
One point of contention is whether or not Kyros is involved with all of the lawsuits. The suit filed in California with Russ McCullough, Ryan Sakoda, and Matthew Wiese (Luther Reigns/Horshu) has other, unrelated lawyers' names on all of the filings. WWE insists Kyros is behind them, but that he has not said one way or the other if he's involved. At the time, Kyros claimed that he was not involved with the case spite of the nearly identical complaints. His explanation was that it was commonplace for lawyers copy the bulk of a complaint since they're not protected by copyright. WWE also maintains that Kyros was ordered to stop listing unrelated wrestler deaths in complaints, only to continue doing so.
The AP was able to get quotes from one of the defendants, Robert "Blackjack Mulligan" Windham. Now wheelchair-bound with constant nausea and severe short term memory problems, he said that "[t]hey really don't want to face it. They want to send everyone to rehab. But rehab doesn't work for loss of memory. [...] "And my son[, Barry], you look at him and the lights are on, but nobody is home anymore." He cited Sgt. Slaughter "[going] nuts" and beating him unconscious with a turnbuckle as one particularly damaging incident, although they most likely would have only worked together in Jim Crockett Promotions.
WWE Holding Tryouts And Special HOF Ceremony In Japan
2015 WWE Hall of Famer Tatsumi Fujinami will be appearing at the July 3rd WWE live event in Tokyo, Japan. WWE will actually be holding a special Hall of Fame ceremony for Fujinami that night. WWE will also be holding tryouts for Japanese wrestlers before that night's live event.
WWE Requests Concussion Lawsuit Block
As noted, numerous former WWE stars, including the wife of the late Nelson Frazier, Jr (aka Big Daddy V) and the family of Matt Osborne (aka Doink the Clown) have filed concussion and wrongful death lawsuits against WWE.
The Associated Press is now reporting WWE has requested that a federal judge block concussion lawsuits from former talents, as they cite a statute of limitations in Connecticut.
WWE wants all of the lawsuits moved to a federal court in Connecticut, and adds the “claims are fraudulent and barred because of a three-year statute of limitations on such claims in Connecticut.”
WWE stockholder lawsuit heats up over backtracking whistleblower
In this week's Figure Four Weekly Newsletter, David Bixenspan has an excellent cover story bringing his readers up to speed on the latest developments in the ongoing legal battle between WWE and their disgruntled ex-investors. Things started heating up in January when the plaintiffs filed a consolidated amended complaint with information from a former high-ranking employee of WWE named "Confidential Witness Number 1" or "CW1" for short that backed up their claims, including arguing that:
WWE officers knew they wouldn't be able to get a significant rights fee hike from USA due to low ad rates ("$15,000 per spot");
WWE's own internal research studies demonstrating that their actual fan base was a fraction of what the defendants represented to the public ("at the very most, WWE had 4-6 million total fans");
Actual social media followers of WWE accounts are counted multiple times to achieve the huge totals the company loves to tout, in order to present a larger, yet inaccurate, picture of their fanbase;
Michelle Wilson had asked the witness to present false viewership data to potential sponsors, i.e., lie to them, an act he had refused to do.
WWE's reaction was to file a memorandum of law in support of their motion to dismiss the updated complaint in March, which included an affidavit of Brian Maddox, the Vice President of their global digital advertising sales team from December 2010 to January 2014, who claimed that he believed he was CW1, had not consented to the use of any of his purported statements in the complaint, and then went on to deny all those statements:
"I am submitting this affidavit because the statements attributed to me in the Amended Complaint are not accurate and do not accurately reflect what I said to plaintiffs' counsel. Contrary to the Amended Complaint, I am not aware of any instance in which the Company or anyone else made inaccurate or intentionally misleading public statements about the size of WWE's fan base, the number of its social media followers, the potential outcome of its negotiations of television contracts, the launch and ultimate success of the WWE network, the potential impact of those on its future financial results, or anything else referenced in the Amended Complaint."
According to Bixenspan, the plaintiffs have fought back with a strongly worded opposition to WWE's motion to dismiss, arguing that Maddox's affidavit should come under scrutiny because he could have been coerced by the company to rescind his original statements:
"If the Court reviews the Affidavit at face value and in its appropriate context, it is the preparation of the Affidavit, not the Amended Complaint, that should come under scrutiny. Indeed, should the Court come to the logical conclusion that Mr. Maddox was pressured by Defendants and their counsel to submit the Affidavit, especially in light of the fact that Mr. Maddox provided his confidentiality agreement with WWE to KSF [Kahn Swick & Foti, the plaintiffs' attorneys] because he feared reprisal from the Company, and that the Affidavit does not represent a truthful depiction of his correspondence with Lead Counsel, the allegations attributable to Maddox in the Amended Complaint should be deemed more compelling and foster an even stronger inference of scienter [a legal term referring to knowledge of wrongdoing]."
More On WWE Hall Of Famer Wanting Dusty Rhodes' Old NXT Job
As noted earlier this week, WWE Hall of Famer "Superstar" Billy Graham is interested in taking Dusty Rhodes' old job of helping NXT talent develop promo. Graham posted the following on his Facebook this week:
Hello wrestling fans, this is Superstar Billy Graham. With all of the rumors going around about my interest or lack of, concerning a position for me with the NXT that my dear friend Dusty Rhodes had, I thought that was necessary to give you a direct statement from me to set the record straight. First off, I have been planning on moving back to Florida for some time now. My wife of 35 years, Valerie, is from Tampa and all of her family lives there. Also my daughter lives in West Palm Beach.
This morning, Tuesday, June 30th 2015 I sent an email directly to Vince informing him that if the position that Dusty once had has not yet been filled, that I am very much interested in taking it since I am moving back to live in Florida . I have not heard back from Vince or any of his staff as he is a very busy man. I am sure at some point I will get an answer from Vince concerning this question.
About my qualifications for this position: It should be obvious that I am qualified for this NXT position of coaching the younger talent about how to to do promos and communicate with the worldwide WWE TV wrestling audience. Also, I am not so stupid that I would try to teach them how to be charismatic to the level of a Dusty Rhodes or myself, one is born with that level of charisma, but a young wrestler can be taught to be more confident in their delivery and bring out their full potential in this area.
About my health: As almost everyone knows, I have had a successful liver transplant. My liver, according to a recent test, is doing extremely good. I feel very robust, alert, and healthy, as the doctors at the world famous Mayo Clinic Hospital here in Phoenix have told me and I train at a 24 hour fitness gym 4 days a week.
As soon as I hear from Mr Vince McMahon regarding the NXT position one way or another, I will post that information on my Facebook. Thank you for your time and every one have a nice day, Superstar Billy Graham.
Here are some reasons the WWE might not want him back:
"Superstar" Billy Graham Auctioning HOF Ring
Former Professional Wrestler Blasts Linda McMahon and Her Campaign For Senate
Coachman Wants to Bring WWE and ESPN Together
Former WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman, who still works for ESPN, told a fan on Twitter that he wants to bring WWE and ESPN together. He then made this tweet, proposing that they take SportsCenter on the road when SummerSlam comes to New York City this year:
"SportsCenter On The Road at Summerslam." How does that sound. Show my bosses the power of @wwe fans by retweeting as many times as possible
— Jonathan Coachman (@TheCoachESPN) July 1, 2015
Rolling Stone Releases Their WWE "Best of the Rest of the Half-Year" Awards, Praise for Kevin Owens
Rolling Stone has announced their WWE "Best of the Rest of the Half-Year" awards at this link. They named NXT Champion Kevin Owens as the WWE Wrestler of the Year, so far. They wrote:
"In a matter of months, the father of two from Marieville, Quebec has not only stared down his potential but surpassed it, becoming a lynchpin of two promotions and building a character inspired by everything it took to get him to this point. Love him or hate him, you can't deny his impact on the first six months of 2015 – or wonder how high he'll climb by year's end. It's wrestling, folks. It's Kevin Owens."
June 29, 2015
Interview with Sasha Banks
Sasha Banks was interviewed by Sam Roberts recently for the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast. You can read highlights below, or see the full video above:
* Sasha Banks talks about how excited she was to main event NXT in Philadelphia. She thought they were joking and was surprised that they were trusted. She also says she cried because she was so nervous. She said the reaction there was the best of her life.
* Sasha talks about how embarrassed she was when she was younger and her mom would see bra & panties matches, and question if Sasha wanted to really do that for a living. Sasha said she tried to explain to her mother that she'd rather be a female Eddie Guerrero.
* Sasha Banks says when she gets on the main roster, women will be main eventing the shows there, too.
* She puts over training with Sara Del Rey, Joey Mercury, Billy Gunn, Norman Smiley.
* Sasha says that Billy Gunn was not a fan of women's wrestling, and training with the NXT girls made him enjoy it.
* Sasha Banks says many didn't expect the "boss" gimmick to take off, but she says when she started to see so many "boss" shirts, she knew it would work.
* She says that Snoop Dogg is actually her cousin, and he calls her "Little Boss." She wasn't around him a lot, but went to a lot of his concerts. She said she begged him to take her to WrestleMania 24. She said she thought she was going to get signed at 16, and was so nervous she had Snoop ask the superstars for the pictures. She said that he is really proud of her, especially since she didn't ask him for help and did it on her own.
* The WWE NXT schedule is set, but they're able to get additional ring time if they want. She said she likes helping out the younger girls who are starting out. She got to teach the women's class one week when Sara Del Rey was on the road.
* Sasha Banks says she wants to be in WWE forever, and doesn't care about the money. She worked on the indies for free for a long time because she loves it.
* There are times she surprises herself, like doing a moonsault.
* Sasha Banks thought the crowd was chanting "Sasha's rat sh*t" instead of "rachet" at first.
* It's always been her dream to be on the WWE main roster, but loves it in NXT. She says she's done main roster loops, and there's no comparison to the NXT crowd.
* She said she marked out for Joey Styles, screamed "Oh my god," then ran away from him. She said she thought it was really cool that Mick Foley wanted a picture with her. Foley traveled four hours to watch her and Charlotte wrestle.
* She wanted to be a wrestler since she was ten. She missed sleepovers, funerals and family holidays just to watch WWE Smackdown.
* She used to hunt, but now she feels bad about it because she loves animals. Sam Roberts says deer are horrible because they run across highways and get hit by cars.
* Eddie Guerrero was her favorite wrestler. She tried to to a frog splash and missed the crash pad and busted her face on the mat. She says maybe she'll bust one out at a WrestleMania.
* She's also a big fan of Kurt Angle, Dean Malenko and lucha-style.
Big Backstage Update on GFW and TNA Working Together, Possible Invasion Angle, Future of Top TNA Talents Who Left, Magnus & More
According to F4WOnline.com, some of the TNA talents who recently left the company are actually being “transferred” to Global Force Wrestling for a future invasion angle between the promotions.
Any former TNA talent who is now in GFW (like Magnus) or who might end up signing with GFW, is expected back on TNA TV at some point in the future. James Storm is also expected back to work future TV tapings.
With regards to Magnus, although a press release issued by GFW today claimed he had “signed” with the promotion, he hasn’t actually signed a contract, and as of now is scheduled to appear at the July 9th-11th live events and the TV tapings on July 24th.
John Cena Nominated for the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award, WWE Community Also Nominated
John Cena Nominated for the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award
Inaugural event presented by ESPN and PlayStation to salute those using the power of sport to serve community; finalists and Stuart Scott ENSPIRE award winners announced
The inaugural Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, presented by ESPN and PlayStation, will celebrate and honor athletes, teams, nonprofits and members of the sports industry for using sport to serve communities and make a positive impact on society, it was announced by John Skipper, President, ESPN. The event, which will take place Tuesday, July 14 at the Conga Room at L.A. Live, will be the first of its kind, bringing together the leagues and sporting community to pay tribute to the collective good of sports.
Multiple sports-related leagues and/or governing bodies — including MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, USOC, USTA, WNBA, WWE and the Women’s Sports Foundation — have nominated athletes, teams and community members that are using the power of sports to transform lives and uplift communities. Highlights of the evening will be featured during a 30-minute special on ESPN, July 23 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
During the event, which will be hosted by Laila Ali, winners will be announced from among the finalists for two major award categories — Sports Humanitarian of the Year and Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year. Additionally, the event will celebrate four inaugural “Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award” (ESPN + inspire) winners, recognized for taking risks and using innovation to help the disadvantaged.
“Through their selflessness and compassion, the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees are improving lives of many around the world,” Skipper said. “The awards pay tribute to some incredible individuals and organizations and the extraordinary impact of their efforts on society.”
PlayStation is the presenting sponsor of the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, which will benefit the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund at The V Foundation — a fund that encourages cutting-edge research for minority populations suffering from cancer.
An independent panel of judges selected the finalists, including, Tracy Hoover, CEO of Points of Light, Sharon Roerty, Senior Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Sab Singh, Founder of Sports Doing Good and professor at Farmingdale State College, and Caryl Stern, CEO of the US Fund for UNICEF.
“Humanitarianism is a central narrative of sport — as athletes aspire towards greatness, their ability to make a mark on society is as important as their athletic accomplishments,” said Stern. “The Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards give rise to the increasingly important role that sports can play in society, and how the sports community can work together to build and inspire strong communities.”
SPORTS HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR
The Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award is given to an athlete whose continuous, demonstrated leadership has created a positive impact on their community through sports. The honoree will receive a $75,000 grant (and $25,000 grant for each of the three finalists) from ESPN’s Corporate Citizenship department to advance the impact of the charity related to the award-winning humanitarian efforts.
Finalists (winner to be announced at awards ceremony July 14):
• Anquan Boldin, San Francisco 49ers (NFL): Inspired by his own humble beginnings, Boldin is a passionate advocate for underprivileged youth and works to help them to overcome their limitations by expanding educational and life opportunities. Through his foundation, he provides a network of support with mentoring and after-school programs, scholarships, and annual summer enrichment programs — all of which are creating tangible impacts in the lives of children in Baltimore, South Florida and San Francisco. Becoming an Oxfam Ambassador on his own accord, Boldin also has testified before Congress to strengthen human rights protections for communities impacted by the oil and mining industries in Africa. In 2014, Boldin and his wife, Dionne, made a $1 million pledge to help youth in need by providing 4-year college scholarships to four deserving high school graduates annually.
• Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever (WNBA): Growing up with a hearing impairment, Catchings was no stranger to being bullied, but she used her disability as inspiration and fuel to do her best in the classroom and on the court. Today, she teaches young girls about embracing their differences, building their self-esteem and overcoming obstacles. Through her Catch the Stars Foundation, she promotes fitness, literacy and mentoring to youth in Indianapolis. Catchings has served on the U.S. Department of State’s Council to Empower Women and Girls Through Sports and has supported countless programs in the community through her unwavering volunteer efforts and financial support.
• John Cena (WWE): WWE Superstar John Cena’s popular catchphrase “Never Give Up” is also a real-life mantra that he uses to inspire those battling life-threatening illnesses. For more than a decade, Cena has been a force in granting the wishes of children in partnership with Make-A-Wish. As the most requested wish granter of all-time, he has granted nearly 500 wishes for children around the world. Additionally, Cena is also a passionate advocate in the fight against breast cancer, helping to spread the word about the importance of early detection.
• Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (NHL): As founder of the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation and an ambassador for the Garden of Dreams Foundation, Lundqvist has seized the opportunity to positively impact the lives of children most in need through education and health services. He’s touched the lives of thousands of children and families in New York City, the Dominican Republic and Sweden with both personal and financial support. He’s also providing a platform to the next generation of community leaders, by selecting a group of young adults to complete community service projects and volunteer work, as part of his Young Ambassadors Program.
SPORTS HUMANITARIAN TEAM OF THE YEAR
The Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year represents a sports team (and their community relations department or foundation) that demonstrates how teamwork between athletes and their team’s community relations or foundations can create a significant impact on a community or cause. The winner will receive a $75,000 grant (and $25,000 grant for each of the three finalists) from ESPN to the qualified charity related to the award-winning humanitarian efforts.
Finalists (winners to be announced at awards ceremony July 14):
• WWE Community Relations: WWE leverages the power of its brand and platforms to help address important social issues worldwide, and through its partnerships, they support programs and initiatives that positively impact children and families around the world. WWE has granted more than 6,000 wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions through Make-A-Wish, and launched an anti-bullying program, Be a STAR, to encourage young people to treat each other with tolerance and respect through education and grassroots initiatives. More than 100,000 kids from all 50 U.S. states and 100 countries have taken the pledge to end bullying through the program. WWE is also a strong advocate for athletes with intellectual disabilities and breast cancer awareness through their work with Special Olympics and Susan G. Komen respectively, and they are staunch supporters of the U.S. military through their annual Tribute to the Troops celebration and partnership with Hire Heroes USA to help returning vets transition to the civilian workforce.
