Former WWE employee Joey Styles was fired by Gabe Sapolsky after making a Donald Trump-related joke during tonight's EVOLVE 72 iPPV. While on commentary, Styles said the following to announcer Joanna Rose but stopped before the sentence:
"Joanna, you look great tonight, and if our next President were here tonight, he'd want to grab you by the..."
Styles then said the word he was going to use is what EVOLVE manager Stokely Hathaway is, indicating he meant to say "p---y."
Below are comments from Sapolsky, the WWN Live VP of Talent Relations:
"I deeply apologize for Joey Styles' comments and am furious. We've parted ways with Joey Styles and that's my final comment on this. Thank you for your support."
FloSlam, who was streaming the event, also commented:
"We do not support or condone Joey Styles' remarks tonight in any manner, and we support this (Sapolsky's) decision 100%."
November 13, 2016
Joey Styles Fired From EVOLVE Tonight After Making Donald Trump-Related Joke, FloSlam Comments
Former WWE Diva Ashley Massaro Tags-In on Lawsuit Against WWE; Alleges Sexual Abuse, Brain Injuries
Ashley Massaro was on the WWE roster from 2005-2008. According to court documents published by the Boston Globe, Massaro says she was sexually assaulted at a US military base. Massaro says that she was examined by a WWE physician after returning from Kuwait and she says that she reported the assault to WWE executives who she says met with her “to apologize for their negligence, but [they] persuaded her that it would be best not to report it to appropriate authorities.”
The former WWE diva is one of seven others that joined in the lawsuit that she received several concussions during her time in WWE, including one that caused her to be unconscious in the ring.
According to the lawsuit, she claims that she has been dealing with multiple behavioral changes since leaving the WWE in 2008, including developing a drug addition which the company helped her for by putting her in sponsored rehab. WWE provides free drug rehabilitation to any former talent that has been under contract with them.
The Boston Globe also reports that Massaro mentioned in the lawsuit that she is suffering from memory loss, migraines, anxiety, and depression. Thoee are all symptoms of CTE but CTE (as of now) can only be diagnosed after death. Massaro also says that she suffered a hairline fracture in her spine, two herniated discs, a shattered knuckle and an ankle fracture. There is also a claim that Vince McMahon told the backstage crew to saw off a cast from her hand so she could perform. The claim is that he ordered to have the cast removed several weeks before she was fully healed.
You can read the full story from the Boston Globe here.
November 12, 2016
What Donald Trump learned about politics from pro wrestling
In the 16 months between launching his campaign by calling Mexicans rapists and closing it with an ad that recalled the “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” President-elect Donald Trump broke practically every rule of politics and rejected the norms of conventional wisdom at every turn. He insulted women, Gold Star families and war heroes. He mocked the disabled and traded barbs with the pope. He lied consistently about his record and claimed that the whole election was rigged against him. In most years, any one of those actions would disqualify candidates from office and ensure their defeat.
Trump might not have been playing by the rules of politics, but he won the game. So how did he do it? Those looking to his career as a developer or reality TV host came up short in predicting Trump’s survival and eventual victory, because those are only part of the story. The most important lessons Donald Trump ever learned were in a pro wrestling ring.
Trump’s decades-long relationship with the world of pro wrestling — and its chief company, WWE, and chief mastermind, Vince McMahon — has been well-documented. He sponsored two early WrestleManias, endorsed Jesse Ventura for president at one and headlined another (he didn’t wrestle, but he did help “Stone Cold” Steve Austin shave McMahon’s head). In one storyline, he “bought” the WWE’s flagship program, “Monday Night Raw,” causing the company’s real-life stock to take a hit. He’s even in the company’s Hall of Fame.
Trump’s time in the squared circle wasn’t simply a business venture: It was a chance to commune with McMahon, with whom he shares a nearly parallel biography. Born to leaders of regional industries, both men took over their fathers’ businesses and turned them into national powerhouses. After ascending to the heights of American culture in the 1980s, they suffered setbacks — legal, financial, personal — in the ’90s before roaring back to prominence at the turn of the new millennium, with the same “You’re fired!” catchphrase, no less...More?
source: washingtonpost.com
November 11, 2016
Triple H Talks New 205 Live Show, Rebuilding the NXT Roster, HBK’s Performance Center Role, Which NXT Talents Are Rising Stars & More
Billy Corgan and TNA Settle Their Legal Dispute
Billy Corgan just announced on Twitter that he has settled his legal issues with TNA, so it appears as if the issue of Corgan being owed loan money has been resolved.
"Just signed my settlement with TNA/ANTHEM. And to fill in the blanks I'll do a few interviews next week to spell out what is/isn't in it."
Triple H Reveals Whether or Not Shawn Michaels is the New Performance Center Head Coach
Triple H revealed that despite claims made by WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash, Shawn Michaels is not the new WWE NXT head coach:
"Contrary to what you've read, Shawn Michaels is not the head coach of PC. Matt Bloom is & will continue."
Two Wrongful Death Cases Against WWE Dismissed
United States District Judge Vanessa Bryant dismissed two wrongful death cases against WWE yesterday, initially filed by Michelle James and Cassandra Frazier on behalf of Matt Osborne and Cassandra Frazier respectively.
Matt Osborne, known to millions of wrestling fans as Doink the Clown and "Maniac" Matt Osborne, passed away on June 28th 2013 from an accidental opiate overdose at 55-years old.
Nelson Frazier, who appeared as various wrestling personalities including Mabel, Viscera, and Big Daddy V, passed away at just 42-years old from a heart attack on February 18, 2014.
Both cases claimed the former WWE Superstars suffered brain damage while working for the entertainment conglomerate that subsequently lead to their untimely deaths. It's important to note that neither wrestler had their brain examined postmortem to scan for CTE symptoms. Frazier's body was immediately cremated following his passing, making any necessary testing impossible.
Judge Bryant ruled Michelle James, Matt Osborne's girlfriend, didn't provide enough evidence that Osborne suffered from CTE or that CTE would even lead to the overdose that killed him. She also ruled that James couldn't legally file a wrongful death action against anyone, as she's not an administrator nor executor of Osborne's estate. It was suggested James re-file the claim with a member of Osborne's family, but Judge Bryant warned that the case would be futile because attorney's haven't plead a plausible cause of action.
The wrongful death case filed by Cassandra Frazier was dismissed due to her failure to allege a plausible link between the early death of her husband and wrongful acts perpetrated by World Wrestling Entertainment. Bryant said Frazier failed to establish any link between her husband's heart failure and a potential case of CTE. As far as the claim Frazier could have survived a heart attack had he not suffered from CTE, Judge Bryant said it was "another bald and baseless allegation, which the court deems unworthy of the barest measure of credibility."
Judge Bryant noted that both claims stated the wrestlers' deaths could be a result of CTE, but as previously noted, no official testing had been done. She said with no official diagnoses, it's hard to allege that either man died of CTE-related injuries, much-less prove the case in a court of law.
WWE lobbied to take sanctions against opposing counsel Konstantine Kyros, for offering "false and misleading statements" that Judge Bryant herself deemed "highly unprofessional," however the motion was ultimately denied. Bryant didn't let Kyros off-the-hook completely however, writing: "The court admonishes Kyros and his co-counsel to adhere to the standards of professional conduct and to applicable rule and court orders lest they risk future sanctions or referral to the Disciplinary Committee of this court."
Corey Graves On Transition To Announcing Being Tough
"To see the guys I came up with in the ring bothered me a lot worse before, but now, I think the familiarity lends itself to doing my job better. I was in the ring in FCW and NXT with guys like Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt and that helps me, but it took a lot of time to get to this point. I don't think the love for being in the ring will ever go away and be completely gone, but it's a lot less. I'm enjoying being surrounded by guys I know so well."
Renee Young Talks Dean Ambrose Being Hesitant To Be In Total Divas, How Their Relationship Started
Renee Young was interviewed by Scott Fishman for Channel Guide Magazine for promoting her appearance on Total Divas.She talked about her relationship with Dean Ambrose, being cast in Total Divas and more.
Dean Ambrose being hesitant to join Total Divas Cast:
"He was a little bit hesitant to do anything with it. Then he kind of warmed up to it, and being able to talk to Daniel Bryan definitely opened up his mind. I'm excited for fans to get to see our relationship and for them to see him in this other light as well. I think it will be really cool for people to kind of see him at home with me. We go on a couple of vacations and interact with my family. I think it will be a nice little token for fans to take away."
How her relationship with Dean Ambrose started:
"Maybe about six months in, he and I started dating. I don't even know if I can pinpoint exactly what it was. It was like instantly we were together. We were always talking to each other. We were always spending all of our time together. It just kind of happened. We just caught each other's eye and were always around each other. You hear stories from like the Twins or Nattie, girls that were around prior to me being there. They told me he wouldn't talk to anybody, ever. Then when I came around, they noticed he is chatting with me and coming to hang out with me. He is known to kind of keep to himself. That has always been his deal. I don't know. We just hit it off. I guess he has a thing for Canadian girls; hopefully, just me."
Bella Twins helping her:
"The Bella Twins, Nicole and Brie, have been so great incorporating me in there in so many ways from the get-go, which has always been really cool. When they asked me to do it for this upcoming season, I was super excited to join the cast and be a part of everything these awesome women get to do. It is a really cool opportunity for me. And it's so different from what I normally get to do in WWE."
Renee also talked about her role in WWE, Cathy Kelly and more. You can read the full interview here.
Matt Bloom On Communicating With Triple H, What It Takes To Go From NXT To WWE
You’ll remember Matt Bloom for his in-ring appearances with WWE as Prince Albert, Albert and A-Train. You might even remember him as Lord Tensai. Matt Bloom played in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers, from there he became a schoolteacher at Revere High School and was trained professionally to wrestle by the late Killer Kowalski. Now, Matt Bloom is the head trainer at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida for NXT.
I got to talk with Matt about his relationship with Triple H, who off camera acts as the Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative for WWE. We discussed what goes into an NXT Superstar being called up the the main roster as a WWE Superstar and what it’s like having Shinsuke Nakamura as the NXT Champion.
“Keep him healthy, the main thing I do with Shinsuke Nakamura, is don’t get him hurt because when he gets the chance to be a WWE Superstar, he’s going to tear the world down,” Bloom said.
Matt also thinks the Patriots will be returning to the Super Bowl, something he says he expect every season. Being from Boston, Matt always expects the local teams to be playing for and winning championships.
Listen to the interview below:
November 10, 2016
ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 “This Was the XFL” to Premiere in February
Three days before Super Bowl LI, ESPN Films will premiere the 30 for 30 documentary “This Was the XFL,” directed by Charlie Ebersol, chronicling the short-lived, ill-fated pro football league. The documentary, airing on February 2 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN, tells the story in fascinating, candid, and often rollicking fashion featuring fellow television legends and close friends – Dick Ebersol and Vince McMahon.
A bold challenge, a fearless experiment and ultimately, a spectacular failure. In 2001, sports entertainment titans Ebersol and McMahon launched the XFL. It was hardly the first time a league had tried to compete with the NFL, but the brash audacity of the bid, combined with the personalities and charisma of Ebersol and McMahon and the marketing behemoths of their respective companies — NBC and WWE — captured headlines and a sense of undeniable anticipation about what was to come.
Bringing together a cast of characters ranging from the boardrooms of General Electric to the practice fields of Las Vegas, “This Was the XFL” is the tale of — yes — all that went wrong, but also, how the XFL ended up influencing the way professional team sports are broadcast today. And at the center of it all – a decades long friendship between one of the most significant television executives in media history and the one-of-a-kind WWE impresario. This film will explore how Ebersol and McMahon brought the XFL to life, and why they had to let it go.
“I grew up on the sidelines watching my father and Vince enjoy incredible success with just about everything they touched, and then, along came the XFL,” said director Charlie Ebersol. “I saw them take bold creative risks, face unparalleled success and failure with dignity, but most importantly they maintained and celebrated a friendship where most would have cut and run. I learned more about integrity and character in those 18 months than just about any other time in my life, so when ESPN Films asked if I wanted to tell the story of the XFL, I jumped at the opportunity because I knew that the real story was that of an unbreakable friendship.”
John Dahl, Vice President and Executive Producer, ESPN Films said: “We felt that the colorful personalities and storylines featured throughout the rise and fall of the XFL deserved a more detailed examination, and as Dick Ebersol’s son, Charlie provided a personal understanding of it all. The XFL was a gamble, and even though the league didn’t ultimately succeed, we think audiences will really enjoy this tale of risk and ambition.”
“This Was the XFL” will have its world premiere tomorrow at the DOC NYC film festival in Manhattan. Additional details and ticket information can be found here: http://www.docnyc.net/film/this-was-the-xfl/
source: espnmediazone.com
November 9, 2016
Kevin Nash, Scott Hall And Sean Waltman Discuss Shawn Michaels Working At The WWE Performance Center
The Kevin Gill Show debuted this Monday as part of Podcast Arena and featured all three original members of the NWO Wolfpac (Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman) as guests.
On Shawn Michaels joining the WWE Performance Center:
Nash: How many people, including the two guys to my left, know that the new Head of the WWE Performance Center is Shawn Michaels?
Hall: Oh yeah, I knew that.
Waltman: Is he actually moving to Florida? I can’t believe that.
Nash: Oh yeah, he’s moving to Florida with the family and everything. If you thought that NXT was something wait til that son of a bitch gets down there and gives them his magic. There is nobody better than him. Physically nobody better. Psychology nobody better. It’s going to be a game changer. I don’t know what the hell they are paying him but it’s got to be a lot because to get Shawn to do the 9-5…
Waltman: Whatever it is is a bargain.
Nash: His son wants to do graphic design. His daughter wants to be a veterinarian. Sea World is down there. There’s a lot of advantages to being in Orlando over Abilene, TX. Nothing against Abilene. I hear there’s a lot of good things going on there.
Gill: I don’t think Full Sail has opened a branch out there.
Nash: Graphic design is something you have at Full Sail. “Go with Dad to work.”
November 8, 2016
Dixie Carter Holds Call With TNA Roster, Talks Creative Changes, New Anthem Agreement, More
Dixie Carter held a conference call today with the TNA roster and other employees, according to PWInsider. The call was described as a "rah rah" call with Dixie saying lots of things within the company had changed since the locker room meeting in Orlando on October 3rd.
Dixie officially introduced Anthem Sports & Entertainment's Eric Nordholm as a member of the Board of Managers and said the Board will be guiding TNA going forward. Dixie praised TNA's new relationship with Anthem and said they have injected capital & resources into the company that will bring it to the next level.
Nordholm also addressed the roster and praised them for their hard work. He also said the new agreement will be a great opportunity for both The Fight Network and TNA.
It was noted that TNA is looking at getting back to running live events and strengthening their relationship with their Indian TV partner, Sony Six. The idea of an over-the-top streaming network featuring TNA content was also mentioned.
Regarding TNA creative changes, Dixie confirmed that Billy Corgan is no longer with the company and that David Lagana resigned last week. Dixie said going forward, they will be going back to a collaborative effort with John Gaburick, Matt Conway and Madison Rayne but they are looking to hire more writers to work creative.
Rumor Mill - Sin Cara Has Been Ordered To Go Through Anger Management Courses
There's not going to be a major fallout with this fight that had happened, but Sin Cara has been ordered to take anger management courses. Dave Meltzer has given some details and clarification on what actually happened on the WWE bus in Europe on Sunday.
Sin Cara was making some sort of noises on the bus and others were telling him to shut up. Afterward, Jericho told him to shut up and that’s when Sin Cara told him to “f*ck off.” Sin Cara took a swing and missed and that’s when everyone jumped in to break it up.
Despite reports spreading around, Sin Cara did not end up hitting Jericho’s face, and Jericho was not knocked out. Sin Cara’s fist got close to Jericho’s mouth during the pull apart so that’s when Jericho had bitten his hand.
This so far marks 3 different fights Sin Cara has went through.. He was in a fight with Sheamus a few years ago backstage at a show and he was also involved in a fight with Simon Gotch in July backstage near catering before a Smackdown show. There were people that thought that Sin Cara would end up being fired after the fight with Gotch. Dave Meltzer has noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Sin Cara is being ordered to go to anger management.
Steve Austin Comments On How NXT Is Getting It Right
"I think it's basically the simplicity of the show. I mean, you've got these angles that are wrestling-based, announcers staying within the system. They're not talking about anything going on in pop culture. If you go back several months, Corey [Graves] made the comment that Bobby Roode had flown because he wanted to spend the least amount of time in Manhattan as possible. So just sticking within those parameters, the announcing I think is a little better on the NXT front right now. Just the action in the ring, it's a better look, it's dimmed down a little bit, it's not too dark – I thought Lucha Underground was too dark this year from a visual standpoint. I like the production values. I like their entrance music. I like what they're doing in the ring. Of course, they've got one of my favorite tag team in The Revival."
November 6, 2016
Backstage Fight Breaks Out in WWE Locker Room Overseas Between Repeat Offender & Veteran Superstar
Wrestlezone’s own Justin LaBar noted moments ago via Twitter that a fight broke out in the WWE locker room during the ongoing international tour. We are hearing from multiple sources the scuffle involved veteran star Chris Jericho and Sin Cara, who would end up being a repeat offender in backstage incidents this year.
We reported back in July that Sin Cara got into it in catering at a WWE Smackdown television taping with Simon Gotch of the Vaudevillians tag team. Of course Jericho is no stranger to backstage drama, as it was widely noted that he and Brock Lesnar almost got into a brawl at WWE SummerSlam due to the confusion surrounding the finish of Lesnar’s match with Randy Orton, where he reportedly busted him open with legitimate, repeated forearm shots to the head.
While we don’t know exactly why the fight broke out, or who is at fault, this obvious doesn’t look good for Sin Cara. Getting away with a backstage incident with a newcomer like Gotch is a bit different than going at it with an active legend in a main event role on TV, that has support from virtually every name that matters backstage. The Raw brand will be in Glasgow, Scotland tomorrow followed by a Smackdown Live taping in the same city the following night.
November 4, 2016
Senior Director of Creative Writing Dave Lagana Leaves TNA
Dave Lagana, Senior Director of Creative Writing for TNA has issued the following statement, noting he has resigned from TNA:
“You’re always one decision away from a totally different life.”
— Mark Batterson
Five years ago I made the decision to join the TNA Impact Wrestling family. Over this time, I’ve experienced a lot in my life personally and professionally. Being a fan of professional wrestling for thirty years, I look back amazed at moments I’ve been a part of. Over my fifteen years of writing, producing and directing, I’ve been very lucky to work with every major talent in the history of the sport and learn from its brightest minds; Vince McMahon, Paul Heyman, Dusty Rhodes, Pat Patterson, Gerry Brisco, Shawn Michaels, Paul Levesque, Michael Hayes, Brian Gewirtz, Adam Pearce, Hunter Johnson, Matt Conway, Billy Corgan, Vince Russo, Eric Bischoff, Bruce Prichard, Jeff Jarrett, and Dutch Mantel. This group of professionals taught me many lessons and and helped shape my career. Lessons like passion can carry us through pain, disappointment and regret. Hard work, dedication and commitment to a craft can define a person’s journey and decisions.
Today I made the decision to leave TNA Impact Wrestling. A decision I do not make lightly but one I made to create a future that I control. In 2017, you need to look forward to 2020 and beyond. My focus now is on personal branding, technology and the wild west of storytelling available to all content creators today.
I want to thank everyone at TNA Impact Wrestling for giving me the opportunity to be the Senior Director of Creative Writing. Also I’d like to thank the talented and underappreciated television production crew and locker room. Getting to be collaborative with this group of men and women at every taping was an honor and a privilege. This is a creative business where stars are made one decision at a time. Believe and trust the process; success will follow.
I look forward to the future that we all create and that all starts right now.
See you down the road…
David Lagana
November 3, 2016
Rumor Mill - All-Women's Tournament Coming to WWE?
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that the WWE is planning to host a NXT women's tournament, similar to the Cruiserweight Classic sometime during early 2017.
Meltzer says this tournament will be featured on the WWE network.
No word yet on how many wrestlers will be involved and if any international female talents have been contacted to compete in the first-time tournament.
Billy Corgan Reacts To TNA - Anthem Announcement, Says He Has Not Been Paid Yet
As noted earlier, Anthem Sports has entered into a credit relationship with TNA and Billy Corgan is no longer with the company. We have full details from today's announcement at this link.
Corgan took to Twitter and issued the following comments today:
FACT: TNA was supposed to pay me to 2 days ago, which they swore to in front of a judge. Yesterday they asked for a day to 'get $ together'
Upon which, (yesterday or today) they'd 'reach out directly' to settle ALL claims. So they lied again and have used the time as a weapon
FACT: I have still not been paid, and I'm exploring all remedies including new filings with court and converting to 36 pct. equity
Billy Corgan No Longer With TNA, Dixie Carter Effectively Out of Power, New TNA Relationship Announced
The following press release has been issued, announcing Anthem Sports & Entertainment will now be funding TNA:
Anthem Sports & Entertainment and Impact Ventures Announce Credit Relationship
Toronto, Canada (November 3, 2016) – Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp. and Impact Ventures, parent company of TNA Impact Wrestling, today announced that Anthem has provided a credit facility to TNA to fund operations.
Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp. is a global sports media company that operates Fight Network, Impact Wrestling’s exclusive broadcaster in Canada, as well as the exclusive worldwide digital streaming partner for all TNA programming. It is also an equity stakeholder of Impact Ventures.
The agreement includes the appointment of Anthem Executive Vice President Ed Nordholm to the Impact Ventures Board of Managers. The company will be managed by the Board with Mr. Nordholm representing the Board on all major operating and restructuring decisions. Dixie Carter will continue as Chair of the Company, as well as her position on the Board of Managers. Billy Corgan is no longer with the company.
“We have had a successful, long-term partnership with Fight Network as our Canadian broadcaster, and more recently as our global digital partner,” said Dixie Carter. “Anthem’s team has extensive media experience, and I am excited to have that available to us as we plan for the future.”
“We have consistently maintained that investing in content as we grow our distribution is important as a strategic necessity, and working more closely with a strong brand like TNA is in line with that. This financing is an extension of the support we have been providing since the beginning of the year,” said Leonard Asper, CEO of Anthem. “There are tremendous opportunities to support the company’s growth on all platforms and in all media along side Dixie and the incredible talent and staff at TNA.”
November 2, 2016
What Did HHH And Stephanie Wear For Halloween?
It was revealed on ABC's "The Chew" yesterday that Stephanie McMahon and Triple H went as Black Widow and Deadpool for Halloween this year. Below is a photo of the WWE bosses in their costumes:
WWE Announces New Weekly Cruiserweight Series, Triple H Comments
WWE just announced the following:
205 Live premieres Nov. 29 on WWE Network
STAMFORD, Conn. — A one-hour, in-ring program called 205 Live, showcasing WWE's new Cruiserweight division, will premiere Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 10 p.m. ET, exclusively on WWE Network. The live weekly show will be called by Mauro Ranallo, the voice of SmackDown LIVE, and Corey Graves, color commentator for Monday Night Raw.
Coming off the success of WWE Network's recent Cruiserweight Classic tournament and the formation of the new Cruiserweight division, which airs exclusively on Monday Night Raw, 205 Live will feature Superstars that are 205 pounds and under, including: new WWE Cruiserweight Champion The Brian Kendrick, as well as TJ Perkins, Rich Swann, Noam Dar, HoHo Lun, Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado, Gran Metallik, Tozawa, Jack Gallagher, Gurv Sihra and Harv Sihra.
"205 Live is a natural progression to showcase the depth of our roster," said Paul "Triple H" Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. "With world-class talent such as Brian Kendrick, TJ Perkins, and Rich Swann, 205 Live will be a must-see program on WWE Network."
"With the addition of 205 Live to an already robust programming schedule, WWE continues to enhance the value of WWE Network for our subscribers," said Michelle Wilson, WWE Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer. "We take pride in listening to our fans and delivering even more live, premium content that they are asking for."
Video: Stephanie McMahon On ABC's "The Chew"
Above is full video from Stephanie McMahon's appearance on ABC's "The Chew" yesterday. She comes on at around the 12:00 mark. Stephanie talks Thanksgiving and Halloween traditions with the McMahon family and notes that they spend Thanksgiving at Shane McMahon's home in Amagansett, New York. Stephanie also helps host Michael Symon prepare a carrot dish for Thanksgiving. She also talks RAW and SmackDown, the Survivor Series pay-per-view, playing a heel, the women's division and more.
Hulk Hogan Reaches Settlement With Gawker Founder, News On How Much Hogan May Have Made
It sounds as though the ongoing legal turmoil between Hulk Hogan and Gawker has finally reached an end, according to an online statement from Gawker founder Nick Denton. Here's part of what he wrote:
"After four years of litigation funded by a billionaire with a grudge going back even further, a settlement has been reached. The saga is over."
The "billionaire with a grudge" to whom he refers is Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel, who's had his share of differences with the media outlet in the past. As a reminder, a Florida Jury awarded Hogan $140.1 million dollars back in May after Thiel helped fund a defamation case against Denton. The official settlement figure has not been released, although the number $31 million kept popping up during initial court filings. In exchange for a vastly reduced payment to Hogan, Gawker must remove the original story, which doesn't sit well with Denton. He noted that the most "unpalatable" part of the settlement is being forced to remove the story from the web because it's a true story, whether it's "newsworthy" or not.
Regardless of the terms and conditions of the deal, both sides seem to be happy to be done with the situation as Hogan's lawyer, David Houston, said, "All parties have agreed it's time to move on."
November 1, 2016
TNA Issues Statement On Losing Major TV Deal, Blames Spoilers?
Challenge TV revealed that they will no longer air TNA in the United Kingdom starting in January 2017. The Challenge TV deal was one of the two biggest revenue streams for the company, with the other being their TV deal with Sony Six in India.
TNA issued the following statement regarding losing the deal, and appear to blame spoilers for the cancellation. It should be noted that spoilers have been leaking for TNA since Impact Wrestling first started airing in 2004. The Challenge TV deal started in 2011, and Challenge renewed TNA for three years in 2014.
Below is TNA's statement:
We are proud to have had such a great relationship with Challenge, and appreciate how the channel brought Impact Wrestling to our avid viewers through the years. In today's world, spoilers are inevitable. We've heard from the amazing fans in the UK and know you do not want to wait 3-5 days to watch the program after it airs in the US.
Our goal is to broadcast Impact Wrestling in the UK as close to the US premiere as possible. We look forward to announcing that opportunity soon, so stay tuned. In the meantime, we hope you continue to watch Impact Wrestling on Challenge, Sunday nights at 9pm, as well as Xplosion and pay-per-views and follow us on social media. Thank you.
It should be noted that TNA could technically be dropped by Sony Six as well, since part of that deal was that they tour India once per year, which they haven't done.
October 31, 2016
TNA Court Ruling, Who Will Be In Charge
Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle today ruled against Billy Corgan's request for a temporary injunction against TNA, which would have prevented the company from making major business decisions or sell the company without Corgan being involved in the decision. TNA can proceed to run the company without Corgan being involved.
Corgan will be paid back for the loans he made to the company, which are due tomorrow, November 1st. Corgan is effectively out of the picture, although he could still move forward with his lawsuit. Corgan had made three loans to the company, with the third one having a provision that would have granted him Carter's 92.5% voting rights. The judge ruled that the provision was unenforceable.
The company has until tomorrow, Tuesday, November 1st to repay Corgan's $1.8 million loan. Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp., the parent company of the Fight Network, had previously agreed to repay Corgan, however were unwilling to pay a 50% corporate transaction fee, which would have been in the neighborhood of $900,000 of the $1.8 million loan. PWInsider noted that the court ruled that there is no reason for Corgan to be owed the transaction fee because there is no evidence on what has been filed so far that proves that there has been an acquisition of TNA and it's parent company. Corgan does have the option to convert that debt into a 36% ownership stake in the company, although that appears unlikely.
Assuming that Anthem repays Corgan, that would reportedly give them 85% control of the company, with Aroluxe having a 10% stake and Dixie Carter retaining 5%. Jason Brown of Aroluxe, who has been running the day-to-day operations of the company, is expected to take over as President. PWInsider had recently reported that with Anthem in charge, there would only be 3-4 television tapings per year.
October 29, 2016
Gabe Sapolsky Talks Working Relationship With WWE, Triple H's Influence, Opportunities For Talents
Co-Founder and Vice President of EVOLVE and WWN Live, as well as former Ring of Honor booker, Gabe Sapolsky joined Busted Open with Doug Mortman and Dave LaGreca to discuss EVOLVE's relationship with WWE, Triple H's influence in it, and much more. You can check out some highlights below:
The relationship between EVOLVE and WWE:
"The WWE has been a tremendous help to us and we still continue our relationship with them. It's important that we have this relationship with WWE, not just for the company but for the wrestlers as well and have that conduit for the wrestlers to go to WWE, and that's something they'll always have with WWN. We made sure our relationship there is healthy, they have William Regal coming to our show in Maryland on November 13th, and EVOLVE show, and we're gonna keep going. Hopefully you see these guys move on. Drew Gulak and Tony Neese, they're on RAW almost every Monday, and you're gonna see them at our upcoming events in Queens, New York.
"It's an unreal time where you see this talent going from our evolve shows, and then being on RAW, and then coming back, and then going to NXT, and then we're able to have a farewell for someone like Johnny Gargano like we had last month, and see all the hard work he put in and move on. The opportunity is there, WWE has made this such an exciting time for wrestling fans because of this, because you never know who's going to pop up where next. They've made it an exciting time for the wrestlers, and most importantly WWE has played a huge part in helping the overall health in professional wrestling, and making this work for everybody."
WWE having their finger on the pulse of pro wrestling's streaming service after the WWE Network and their financial backing of FloSlam:
"It's freaking crazy (chuckles). I'm still at the point -- it's been like this all year where I wake up everyday and I don't know what the next e-mail, or the next phone call, or the next text is going to bring. It's amazing because it's like limitless opportunity all over the place, and there is no telling what tomorrow is gonna bring. We'll just have to see what happens. Flo Sports and FlowSlam.TV is gonna have a very progressive attitude, and WWE has shown how much they respect and value the independents and the health of everything by everything they've done. This isn't something they're talking about, they have actually demonstrated it and shown it. I mean when you have Triple H showing up at one of our shows, that is unbelievable to me and that's what happened last January. I still can't believe it and we're ten months later. It's just one of those things where all of this crazy stuff is going on, and nobody really knows what's going to happen next."
Triple H's influence in their relationship with WWE:
"Yeah, Triple H is the man, I mean if you want to talk about a guy that is really right on the cutting edge, and sees the landscape, and has an understanding of where it's gonna develop and the vision of where it's gonna develop, that's Triple H. This thing has been very important to him, our House of EVOLVE has been very important to him, and he's backed up his words with actions. In turn hopefully they've benefited a little bit as far as this talent exchange goes, and we hope it continues. Most importantly I love seeing the talent get this opportunity. This is something that back in the ROH days I'd sit around and I saw these guys working their asses off and the sacrifices they made, and I sad down and said 'hopefully Bryan Danielson will be able to scratch out a living one day.' CM Punk, hopefully the same. Samoa Joe, Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, I go 'I hope it pays off for these guys, maybe they can go to Japan or something.' Now we see it really is paying off for these guys, and the fact that their future is limitless. Daniel Bryan, I know he's got the injury thing and everything, but it looks like he's got a job there for life doing various roles or whatever pops up. I just like seeing it pay off for everybody and hopefully it continues like this, and I don't see any reason why it won't."
October 27, 2016
Vince McMahon on Possibly Being Interested in Selling WWE: “We Are Open for Business”
Vince McMahon is currently participating in third quarter WWE earnings call, and during the call Vince was asked if he is interested in selling WWE.
Vince answered by saying the company is open to anything, but he stressed that controlling the company’s destiny is very important. He added he’s unsure how much control they would lose if they sold the company, but at the end of the day they are business people so they are open to listening to any offers, especially the kind “you can’t refuse.”
When asked again if he would be open to an offer that would allow him to sell WWE yet still control its destiny, Vince replied with “we are open for business.”
