UFC President Dana White appeared on this the latest edition of Ric Flair’s podcast. He was open in discussing his relationship with Vince McMahon who described as a "f**king maniac."
“I’ve been working, or trying to work with Vince for years. It was obviously very difficult Vince is a maniac. He’s a f**king competitor, man. That’s what he is. If you look at what Vince McMahon has accomplished in all of his years, and to still be on top, still doing it, the guy’s got enough money, he’s in it because he loves it. He’s in it because he’s passionate about it.”
White added, “I would say that this last Brock deal [for his fight at UFC 200], and when Ronda went over and did the WWE WrestleMania, I’d say those were the two, out of all the years of dealing with Vince and everybody, those were probably the two best experiences. I think that Vince, and definitely Stephanie and Triple H…Stephanie and Triple H are always great [and] always cool to work with. Vince has been very difficult in the past, but in the last several years he’s been much better.”
White has a respect for McMahon even though they are competitors on some level. He said, “He’s a f**king maniac, he’s an animal, he’s a competitor, he wants to win, and you know, that’s his nature, and I respect it.” Flair jokingly said that Vince does not delegate authority well.
August 26, 2016
Dana White Says Vince McMahon Is A “F**king Maniac”
Vince & Linda McMahon Celebrating Big Anniversary
Vince McMahon and Linda McMahon are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary today. The couple were married on August 26, 1966 in North Carolina.
August 24, 2016
Johnny Gargano On Why They Were Angry With Bobby Roode Over 'Glorious' Theme, HHH Contacting Him
Origin of the Glorious Bombs:
"This is the first time I've told this story on a podcast or anything like that; so we were doing walkthroughs for the Cruiserweight Classic and they played this 'Glorious' song. They played Bobby's [Bobby Roode] song. And we all thought that was going to be the theme song for the show. That was going to be the Cruiserweight Classic theme; that was going to open it. So we all got excited! Like, this is our song! This song rules! This is awesome! So we are all saying, 'Glorious!' and doing hand-motions and saying we should do this, we should do that. And we later find out it's Bobby's song. We immediately are really angry with Bobby. What the heck, that's our song. Why does Bobby get such a cool song?
"So every single time we saw Bobby, we would tell him, 'Oh man, we really want your song.' And every single time we saw him, me and Tommaso would go up to him and be like, 'Glorious! Glorious!' and sing his song to him. So we do that.
"One day I said to Tommaso, when the song got released on YouTube, I said it would be funny if we had a phone, and we played his song and ran up to him playing it and filmed us doing that. I'm more of an idea guy; Tommaso is the more the go and doer guy. He has no filter and will go and do things. So we went up to Bobby and asked him and he was like, 'Yeah, sure. Let's do it.' We filmed one in the gym first, and we had Bobby do a fake rep, and I want to point out that the fake rep Bobby does is with 70-pound dumbbells. He just picks them up and rips them out, no problem. So we filmed that first one and posted it. Then it starts getting blown up online and it's going viral.
"After we posted a few, someone showed us a text message from Triple H, saying 'Tell Gargano and Ciampa I love the Glorious Bombs.' So we are like, if he loves them, we gotta keep doing them. "
Big Show Talks About Criticism Of Triple H’s Marriage To Stephanie McMahon
“Here’s the thing. People give Hunter a lot of crap and say, ‘oh, he married up, he married up’. Let me tell you something. That dude is probably one of the smartest dudes I’ve ever met in my life and you’ve got to think about this. Yes, Stephanie is absolutely beautiful. She’s intelligent. She’s charismatic. She’s driven. She’s Vince’s daughter. She’s going to be a handful if you’re marrying her. Then think about every Sunday dinner sitting across at Sunday dinner at the family dinner table and you’ve got to stare at Vince. I can go home and get away from him. Hunter can’t go anywhere. He [has] always got to be on because Vince is always on. So Hunter is probably the only guy I can think of in my career that I’ve met that is that dedicated, that is that on, that can pull that off. I mean, maybe John [Cena], but John’s different. You know what I mean? Not good or bad. Those are the only two guys that have the ability to function on Vince’s level.”
August 23, 2016
New WWE SmackDown Titles Revealed, Tournament Announced, Match For Backlash
SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon and General Manager Daniel Bryan announced the new SmackDown Women's Title and the new SmackDown Tag Team Titles.
The SmackDown women's division will see Nikki Bella, Becky Lynch, Carmella, Alexa Bliss, Natalya and Naomi compete in a Six Pack Challenge at Backlash on September 11th to crown the first-ever blue brand women's champion.
Bryan and Shane also announced a tag team tournament that will crown new champions at Backlash, kicking off tonight on SmackDown. Teams include The Ascension, American Alpha, Breezango, The Hype Bros., The Vaudevillains and The Usos. It looks like Heath Slater and a partner, plus one other team, may be added to the tournament.
Below are photos of the new titles:
Two New WWE Titles To Debut On SmackDown Tonight
Daniel Bryan revealed that two new championships will be revealed on tonight's episode of SmackDown live.
The two titles are expected to be the Women's championship and Tag Team Championship for the SmackDown brand.
WWE RAW Cruiserweight Division Debut Date Confirmed, First Names Revealed
WWE aired a promo on WWE RAW last night confirming the WWE’s returning Cruiserweight Division will debut on the September 19th episode of WWE RAW. The video features Rich Swann, Brian Kendrick, Noam Dar and TJ Perkins, who will all be part of the debuting division.
August 22, 2016
Mick Foley laces WWE fans for their reaction at SummerSlam
RAW General Manager Mick Foley is taking his role seriously.
The WWE legend took to Facebook on Monday to criticize those fans in attendance at SummerSlam at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, who mocked the debut of the Universal title.
The impetus for Foley's lecture was a tweet from Seth Rollins, who lost to Finn Balor in the first Universal title bout.
More important than a title's appearance is what it represents for the men fighting over it. You really let me down tonight, Brooklyn.
— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) August 22, 2016
Per Foley on Facebook:
WHEN SMART FANS TURN DUMB
I have long felt, and often spoken about the element of magic needed to make a good match great and a great match classic.
Finn Balor and Seth Rollins had a GREAT match last night - a match that I was HONORED to watch from ringside. But instead of that element of magic necessary to turn that great match into a classic, what Finn and Seth got instead was the stench of self-congratulatory snarkiness from a a very vocal minority of the sold-out Barklay's Center. But a couple thousand self-important chanters, mixed in with 14,000 other people who genuinely WANT TO WATCH THE FREAKING MATCH is an awful distraction.
Yes, the chants were clever. Maybe the look of the Universal Championship isn't the one that I personally wouldn't have wanted. But remember the Hardcore Title? It was supposed to be a joke when it was presented to me – broken pieces of metal held together by duct tape. But we made that title mean something by busting our asses to show it's worth. As Seth Rollins writes in his tweet, a title is about more than appearance; it's about what it represents for the men fighting for it. Remember the WWE title I won from The Rock – that moment that has gone down as among the greatest in Monday Night Raw history? Did you know that title belt reeked of beer and mildew, and stunk up my bag every day for the 37 days (or whatever the exact number was) that I held it? Did you know that I didn't give an F about the beer and mildew... or what it looked like, what color it was, if it spun or had my name on it? I only cared about the hard work that had gone into winning it, and that those responsible for running the company felt that I was worthy of holding it.
There are so many times when WWE fans act in a way that makes me proud. Last night was not one of them. Last night, that vocal minority in attendance - who thought their clever chants about their displeasure toward the aesthetic design of a FREAKING belt were more important than the two guys busting their asses to have the best match possible, made me feel ashamed.
I hope some of those people who were chanting about the Universal Championship - many of whom are Finn Balor fans - will read this article, and realize that Finn flew his family in from Ireland to be part of the event last night. I hope they will take a good look at themselves in the mirror, and realize they made the evening a little less special for him by trying to make the evening about themselves.
There is a reason why Seth Rollins simple, yet eloquent statement received 10,000 RT's from around the world. People agreed with him! Most of them would have loved to be sitting in the seats of those self-important fans - with that element of magic in the air that would have turned their great match into a classic.
Rumor Mill - Backstage Altercation Between Chris Jericho And Brock Lesnar At WWE SummerSlam
The finish to Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton at WWE SummerSlam went pretty much as planned but led to a big incident between Chris Jericho and Lesnar backstage.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, multiple sources report that Jericho came to the gorilla position as the match ended, apparently to find out exactly what happened and to see if Orton was alright. Jericho asked WWE producer Michael "PS" Hayes if that was the planned finish and Hayes wouldn't respond. Jericho then said, "That's bulls--t."
Jericho's "bulls--t" comment came just as Lesnar was returning backstage. Lesnar, thinking Jericho was talking about the match, called Jericho a "p---y," according to one version, or just said "shut up," according to another version, and for Jericho to mind his own business. They came face to face and had words. One version of the story says they were shouting at each other the whole time.
Lesnar reportedly pushed Jericho with his fingers. Jericho then did what was described as the "Rousey-Tate" forehead press. Another version of the story said Jericho shoved Lesnar into the wall. The two were then tangled up against the wall when Lesnar told Jericho to either punch him or kiss him. Triple H then jumped in and broke things up. The two went at it again but this time Vince McMahon broke it up. Jericho was then yelling about Lesnar and Vince told him that everything was a work, and to be professional.
Triple H reportedly told Vince that Lesnar started the fight, and that Jericho was just standing up for himself. No more words were exchanged but Jericho saw Orton's condition and got mad. It was noted that Jericho was concerned with Orton's health and safety, but Orton assured him that he knew what was going to happen.
The Four Horsewomen of WWE
WWE is undergoing a massive change, thanks, in no small part, to the Four Horsewomen—four preternaturally fierce and gifted wrestlers who frequently outshine their male counterparts. Meet Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Charlotte, and Bayley, who are quickly ushering in a new era...More?
source: gq.com
The Dudley Boyz to ‘say goodbye’ tonight
One night after yet another miscommunication cost The Dudley Boyz a victory during the SummerSlam Kickoff, the most decorated tag team in sports-entertainment history will evidently be saying their farewells to the WWE Universe tonight, live on Raw.
For more than 20 years, Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley have been among the most dominant tag teams in the world. They returned to WWE one year ago to earn their 10th tag team championship in WWE—a quest that was ultimately and unfortunately unsuccessful. Nevertheless, there will never be another tandem in sports-entertainment like The Dudley Boyz.
RAW GM's Announce Plans To Crown New WWE Universal Champion
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The Demon King has abdicated the throne.
Less than 24 hours after defeating Seth Rollins to become the first-ever WWE Universal Champion, Finn Bálor was forced to relinquish the title to Raw GM Mick Foley and Commissioner Stephanie McMahon, having suffered a right shoulder injury at The Architect’s hands during their historic clash. Unforuntately, Bálor’s hope for a clean exit was cut short by Seth Rollins, who wasted no time in attempting to cobble together a case for himself to inherit the now-vacant championship.
The Architect certainly had company in that regard. Sami Zayn, Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens were quick to name themselves as worthy of a title opportunity, as did Roman Reigns and, surprisingly, Enzo Amore & Big Cass. Foley provided the solution, sanctioning four qualifying bouts for a Fatal 4-Way next week to determine a new Universal Championship.
Details On WWE’s William Regal Appearing For EVOLVE Scouting Camp
WWN Live issued the following WWN Live Alert that WWE’s William Regal will attend and take part in a wrestler tryout this fall:
August 22nd: ATTN: WRESTLERS– We have huge breaking news! The next WWN Seminar/Tryout for wrestlers will be October 16th in Ybor City, FL at The Orpheum. NXT General Manager William Regal will attend and observe this Seminar/Tryout. Mr. Regal will represent WWE in scouting at this Seminar/Tryout. He will give a lecture on what WWE/NXT is looking for and how they do things. He will also offer critiques and guidance when warranted. This is a very rare and unique learning experience and opportunity. Go here for more info.
Finn Balor Relinquishes WWE Universal Championship On RAW; How Long Will He Be Sidelined?
Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon introduced Balor, who gave a speech about winning the title how it represented a lifetime of sacrifice. He says this title represents that you can accomplish anything if you believe it, then says he sacrificed to win the title last night. Balor thanks everyone, including Seth Rollins for giving him a great match, then said the title would be the first thing he came back for, and hands it to Foley as he leaves.
As far as how long Balor will be inactive, WWE.com posted a new update regarding Finn Balor’s injury shortly before RAW went on air, estimating Balor will be sidelined for “anywhere from four to six months” instead of the originally estimated 2-3 months. Balor is reported to be going for a surgical consult this week to determine the severity of the injury.
WWE Confirms Finn Balor Injury; Balor To Have Surgical Consult This Week To Determine Severity Of Injury
WWE.com is reporting inaugural WWE Universal Champion Finn Balor’s injury may be a torn labrum that could sideline him for several months.
WWE confirmed Balor’s injury did happen when Seth Rollins powerbombed him into the barricade during their championship match. According to ringside physician Chris Robinson, Balor dislocated his shoulder but put it back into place, and said today’s MRI results showed a possible labrum tear.
ESPN Senior Writer Arash Markazi, who spoke to Balor earlier today, commented on the report and said Balor couldn’t move his arm much while appearing on Good Morning America today, and didn’t speak about the severity of the injury. Markazi noted that if Balor does have a torn labrum, it could keep him sidelined for 2-3 months.
Balor will have a surgical consult this week to determine the severity of his injury, and will know if surgery is required.
Finn Balor captures first WWE Universal championship
The victory, which is the top title on the RAW brand, concluded a stellar weekend for the NXT talent troupe. On Saturday at Barclays Center, Shinsuke Nakamura thrilled the crowd by capturing the NXT championship.
While Nakamura isn't on the main roster as of yet, Balor is and has made an enormous impression in a short time. Consider Balor has been on the RAW roster for around a month. The WWE put out a list last year chronicling the fastest rise to top championship in company history.
Balor shattered all those marks by toppling Rollins in a match that definitely felt like the showstopper on the SummerSlam card.
Rollins, meanwhile, seems to be having trouble digesting the result.
The victory, which is the top title on the RAW brand, concluded a stellar weekend for the NXT talent troupe. On Saturday at Barclays Center, Shinsuke Nakamura thrilled the crowd by capturing the NXT championship.
While Nakamura isn't on the main roster as of yet, Balor is and has made an enormous impression in a short time. Consider Balor has been on the RAW roster for around a month. The WWE put out a list last year chronicling the fastest rise to top championship in company history.
Balor shattered all those marks by toppling Rollins in a match that definitely felt like the showstopper on the SummerSlam card.
source: foxsports.com
August 21, 2016
WWE Announces 7 New Brand Only PPV’s Coming to WWE Network, Confirms Return of Old WCW Event and New Network Original Series
During tonight’s WWE SummerSlam pre-show, WWE Network aired a commercial announcing 7 new brand only PPV’s are coming to the WWE Network for a total of 19 annual WWE PPV events. Additionally, WWE confirmed the Backlash PPV for Smackdown next month as well as the old WCW event Clash of Champions for the Raw brand.
WWE also announced a new original series coming soon called “WWE Storytime”, and it appears to be an animated show featuring WWE stars telling stories from the past. The preview featured names such as the Dudley Boyz and Ric Flair.
Recap of Triple H's Facebook Q & A
The following are the highlights of Triple H’s appearance on Facebook Live following the NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II event.
-Cathy Kelley interviewed Triple H backstage at Barclays Center. They both raved about the live special. He said that changing the entire industry last year and to come back and do this tonight shows that NXT is on fire and is getting bigger and bigger. Kelley raved about how NXT sold out Barclays two years in a row.
-Hunter also spoke with pride about taking NXT to Australia and New Zealand. He said WWE Network is everywhere so they can go anywhere. He said they are at a point where they have to pick and choose.
-Kelley asked what Asuka defeating Bayley means for Bayley. “I guess we will see,” Hunter said with a smile. He said Brooklyn is Bayley’s city and she could be the honorary mayor. He said whether she wins or loses, she lights the place on fire. He said the crowd gave her a standing ovation and the people went crazy for her. Hunter said Asuka is on a different level right now and he doesn’t seen anyone touching her in the NXT women’s division anytime soon.
-Kelley mentioned Shinsuke Nakamura becoming the new NXT Champion and how he and Asuka are international talents who hold titles. Hunter said it speaks to the brand. He said everyone wants to be in NXT. “In my opinion, it’s the hottest brand going right now,” he said.
-Kelley asked about the various wrestlers who have been called up to Raw and Smackdown and how it affects NXT. Hunter said that if you look at last year’s show in Brooklyn, the wrestlers who were on it are the main roster of WWE today. He said you’ll see the first NXT Champion Seth Rollins face the longest reigning NXT Champion Finn Balor at SummerSlam. He also mentioned Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte. He said he watched those wrestlers come through NXT and put it on the map. He said he couldn’t be more proud of all of them. He said that when you look at what NXT did this year, it was a completely different group of people. “The talent pool here is as deep as it’s ever been and will continue to be that because we’re going to continue to create the future and the future always evolves,” he said. Hunter said the secret of NXT is that they will always deliver something “new, fresh, and exciting.”
-Hunter went out of his way to mention the Nakamura entrance. “Who would have predicted a violin player, at a WWE event, just lighting the place up?” he asked. Hunter said it was amazing and Nakamura is “just one of those once in a lifetime athletes who can come in and captivate the world.”
August 20, 2016
"Team Chyna" Claims They Are Not Pursuing WWE HOF; At Peace With The McMahons And Triple H
From Chyna's Facebook page:
Going back to Chyna's Memorial, Anthony said it best when he said fans need to know that Team Chyna is not pursuing the WWE Hall of Fame. Chyna never needed a ring to prove that she was the greatest of all time, her fans and her legacy proves that alone. So again guys give the WWE a break, if they decide to put her into their hall of fame that would be great but if they don't thats ok too. Team Chyna wants fans to know that although Chyna is no longer here with us her legacy and memories will be around for years to come and as we move forward and start to build the 9th wonder of the world foundation, open the chyna store, introduce the Documentary of the last year of her life which will prove to be special moments which Chyna fans will absolutely love. We do not choose to fight wwe anymore we are at peace with wwe and the mcmahon family and triple h. Its about putting the past behind us and moving in a positive direction so that we can continue to keep Chyna's memories alive.
Why Eva Marie Violated The WWE Wellness Policy, Eva Issues Statement, Plans To Appeal
TMZ reports that Eva Marie tested positive for Adderall, which caused her to violate the WWE Wellness Policy and receive a 30-day suspension.
Eva tells TMZ that she has a prescription for the drug, the same which caused Roman Reigns to violate the Policy earlier this summer. Eva says she's appealing the suspension.
TMZ says their WWE source claims the medication was not properly approved by the company but Eva insists she has a legit prescription from her doctor. She told TMZ:
"I am disappointed that this suspension has occurred, yet understand and respect that WWE upholds their Wellness Policy to the letter and won't compromise on its integrity. I violated policy by not turning in portions of required paperwork in the time frame WWE Medical deemed timely. I look forward to my return!"
I don’t think she has much of a case given that she admitted fault by stating that she failed to provide proper documentation.
August 18, 2016
Hulk Hogan's Revenge Is Complete: Gawker Set To Shut Down Next Week
Gawker announced today that it will be shutting down operations next week after nearly fourteen years in the aftermath of a $140 million court decision awarded to Hulk Hogan in his invasion-of-privacy case against them.
As noted, Gawker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June and Gawker founder, Nick Denton, filed for personal bankruptcy protection and named Hogan as his biggest creditor. It was announced this week that Univision outbid Ziff Davis, publisher of PCMag, to purchase Gawker Media Group for $135 million, which also operates Gizmodo, Deadspin, Jezebel, Kotaku, Lifehacker and Jalopnik. Shortly after news of the sale broke this week, Hogan wrote on Twitter:
Like I said "I Slammed another Giant today Brother". HH
As noted, Peter Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal, secretly bankrolled Hogan's lawsuit against Gawker and paid approximately $10 million for the suit. Thiel, a pledged delegate for Donald Trump for the 2016 Republican National Convention, has held animosity towards Gawker ever since the website outed him as gay in 2007 in an article titled, Peter Thiel is totally gay, people.
Gawker posted the following on their website:
After nearly fourteen years of operation, Gawker.com will be shutting down next week. The decision to close Gawker comes days after Univision successfully bid $135 million for Gawker Media's six other websites, and four months after the Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel revealed his clandestine legal campaign against the company.
Nick Denton, the company's outgoing CEO, informed current staffers of the site's fate on Thursday afternoon, just hours before a bankruptcy court in Manhattan will decide whether to approve Univision's bid for Gawker Media's other assets. The near-term plans for Gawker.com's coverage, as well as the site's archives, have not yet been finalized.
WWE Suspends Eva Marie
From WWE.com:
WWE has suspended Natalie Coyle (Eva Marie) for 30 days effective immediately for her first violation of the company’s talent wellness policy.
Eva Marie's husband, Jonathan Coyle, took to Twitter to comment on the suspension, stating that it was "unjust" and that people will be "absolutely outraged" when the public finds out why she was suspended.
August 17, 2016
Triple H Gives Shawn Michaels – WWE PC Trainer Update
Listen, Shawn and I are in talks all the time about a lot of things. Shawn is in the process of deciding whether he wants to move, not move, I’m not 100% sure where Shawn is at in his personal life as far as his mood goes. I haven’t talked to him in a couple of days. I would rather you hear about his personal life from him if he wants to talk about it. He has recently spent some time in the Performance Center. I saw Shawn a few months ago. We constantly talk about NXT and the Performance Center. He loves the brand. He came down and he spent a few days with me around town and, I think, it kind of invigorated him. Which is hard not to do being down there with all that young, hungry talent. Everybody. He asked about coming back and spending some time and he went down there and he spent some time and worked with some talent. It’s mentally helpful. This all comes down to discussions, Shawn and what he wants to do. If Shawn said to me tomorrow, “I want to be at the Performance Center all the time and helping talent.” Oh my God! It’s the greatest thing ever. If he decides he wants to occasionally visit and help, wonderful. It’s all on him and the door is wide open. I would love to have his assistance because, quite honestly, I don’t know of anyone better to help these guys. Not only as in ring performers but the bigger component is how to be stars. There’s a big, big difference between somebody who is good in the ring, a good talent, a good hand and being a star. Shawn would probably be one of the best people out there to help out with that. I would love to have him involved. It’s sort of up in the air at the moment.
Chad Gable: From Olympic Wrestler to WWE Main Roster With American Alpha
Four years ago, Chas Betts was representing the United States in wrestling in the Olympics in London. Fast-forward to 2016, and he's still wearing the blue, but the blue is for Smackdown, as Chad Gable debuted on the main roster with his tag partner, Jason Jordan.
American Alpha only started teaming together just over a year ago, but Gable and Jordan have burst on the wrestling scene in a major way, experiencing the kind of early pop young wrestlers can only dream of. Within that year they have become considered one of the most exciting tag teams on the planet going from NXT to the main roster. But it was a long journey to get to this point for Gable. After 20 years of amateur wrestling, he reached the pinnacle of the sports by competing in the 2012 Olympics. While he didn't medal in Greco-Roman, he decided it was the perfect place to end his amateur career, and turned his attention towards a new goal: getting into professional wrestling. A year later, he was signed by NXT, and by 2015, he started to get on television. American Alpha was born, and quickly the dup rose to NXT tag champions, and then were drafted by Smackdown.
Rolling Stone had a chance to speak with Gable about his debut, his time competing in the Olympics, the transition to pro wrestling, and how he's "Ready, Willing, and Gable" to change the game.
