WWE Hires Johnny Moss As Performance Centre Coach

Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that WWE has hired 37 year old Johnny Moss as a coach at the Performance Centre. Moss begins in two weeks not only training wrestlers but working backstage at live touring shows as well. Moss will report to Triple H, William Regal and Shawn Michaels. He will have his UK farewell match on October 4 against Joe Coffey.

Moss then turns over his School Of Hard Knocks and Hammerlocks to Josh Terry. Moss had a hand in training Finn Balor and Killian Dane

Moss had the following comments for The News and Star

“This is a lifelong dream fulfilled. I’ve been obsessed with wrestling since I was eight – it’s all I ever wanted to do – and to be offered this job with WWE is beyond anything I could ever have hoped for."

Triple H Explains Why He Takes Photos With Up and Coming Talent

Triple H poses for a photo with pretty much every new WWE signee, NXT champ or main roster call-up and the reason why has been explained by The Game himself onUproxx’sMcMahonsplaining podcast. Here is what he had to say:

“You know why I take pictures with everybody? Because I'm more famous. When I do that, and I take a picture, just on Twitter alone I got six million people that see it when I tap that picture. I make them something bigger, and that's the attempt.

When they don't need it, I don't stand next to them anymore. When people ask me, 'Well, why didn't you stand next to that guy when he won the title on SmackDown?' He doesn't need it. He didn't need that promotion. If I can help them, I help them. If I can take them to another level, I try to take them to another level. That's what this is all about, creating the future. If I can do that, and help create the future, then I do.

When I don't need to step into that, I'm happy to step out of it. Trust me, when they come to get me to shoot that picture when I'm pointing at the guy, it is the last thing I possibly want to do at that moment in time, is go take that picture, but I have to do it.”

Happy Birthday Stephanie

Stephanie McMahon Levesque
September 24, 1976

Ric Flair Talks Recent Health Issues Due To Years Of Alcohol Abuse, Says He Will Never Drink Again

PEOPLE Exclusive – Wrestling Legend Ric Flair Fighting for His Life After Decades of Alcohol Abuse: Health Scare Tamed 'Nature Boy'

(NEW YORK) – Wrestling legend Ric Flair may have once commanded the ring – but after the cameras turned off, things "just got out of control."

Decades of "social" drinking finally caught up with the 16-time pro wrestling world champion this year, landing him in the hospital and near death last month.

"I crashed in an airplane and broke my back, I've been hit by lightning," Flair tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. "But this is totally different. Anything I've been through before is nothing like this."

On Aug. 11, the 68-year-old was rushed to the hospital with stomach pains. Within hours, Flair was in the early stages of kidney failure and on the verge of congestive heart failure – the result of years of alcohol abuse.

Flair's family members were told he had only 20 percent odds of surviving, and he was placed in a medically induced coma while they – including daughter, pro wrestler Charlotte Flair – took to social media to asks fans for prayers.

Doctors subsequently removed part of Flair's bowel, and inserted a pacemaker. Now, in recovery at a convalescent center in Atlanta, Flair tells PEOPLE of the entire ordeal, "It scared the s— out of me."

He adds, "But I'm not out of the woods yet."

Now, the man once known as the "Nature Boy," needs a nurse to help steady his shaking hands so he can sip water from a glass. He admits, "I didn't think I was an alcoholic, but obviously I was."

Flair's problem with alcohol started while he worked to build a camaraderie with his fellow wrestlers during the early days of his career in 1972. It helped them "bond," he says, noting though, "I never drank when I was working."

"But as soon as work was over, I went right to the mill," he says, adding that he's long struggled to "do anything in moderation," and admitting to a failed rehab stint four years prior.

Alcohol also served as a tonic of sorts when it came to coping with his injuries and intense physical pain from his job. "I've never taken a pain pill in my life," he explains. "I'd just take a shower, flip my hair back and go to the best bar in town."

Now, the father of four says he is dedicated to doing better.

"I'll never drink again," says Flair. "I never want to go through this again."

WWE Starrcade Official Announcement

As noted, the Greensboro Coliseum announced today that the Saturday, November 25th live event will feature a Starrcade theme, the first since 2000. No word yet on if this will be a WWE Network special but we will keep you updated.

Below is WWE's official announcement on the event:

Starrcade returns to Greensboro this November

Starrcade is back, and for the first time in 30 years, it's coming home.

On Saturday, Nov. 25, during Thanksgiving weekend, Starrcade returns when the Superstars of SmackDown LIVE descend on Greensboro, N.C., for a historic event at the Greensboro Coliseum.

The premier event of the National Wrestling Alliance and, later, WCW, Starrcade got its start in Greensboro on Thanksgiving 1983 with a star-studded lineup that saw Ric Flair defeat Harley Race to win his second of 16 World Championships. Starrcade remained in Greensboro through 1986 and was the stage on which legendary performers like Dusty Rhodes, The Four Horsemen, Magnum TA, The Rock 'n' Roll Express and many more etched their names into sports-entertainment history.

As the calendar turned to the 1990s, a new generation of competitors emerged to take the Starrcade spotlight, like Sting, Vader and the nWo. The last edition of Starrcade under the WCW banner took place in December 2000.

Now, fans in Greensboro will get the opportunity to be a part of history, as Starrcade returns with an absolutely stacked card featuring two Steel Cage Matches. Matches announced* for the return of Starrcade include:

WWE Championship Steel Cage Match

Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

SmackDown Women's Championship Steel Cage Match

Natalya vs. Charlotte Flair

United States Championship Triple Threat Match

AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin vs. Rusev

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Texas Tornado Match

The New Day vs. The Usos

Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens

Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler

The Hardy Boyz are also confirmed to appear at Starrcade in their home state of North Carolina, as are WWE Hall of Famers and Starrcade legends Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and The Rock 'n' Roll Express!

Tickets for Starrcade will be available starting Friday, Sept. 29, at 10 a.m. ET at Ticketmaster. Don't miss your chance to be a part of history as Starrcade returns!

*Talent and matches listed and depicted above are subject to change.

WWE Hall of Famer Bobby “The Brain” Heenan passes away

From WWE.com:

WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Bobby Heenan, regarded by many as the greatest manager in sports-entertainment history, has passed away at age 73. 

With a career spanning more than four decades, Bobby Heenan was the “The Brain” behind some of the most prolific Superstars in sports-entertainment history. Heenan plied his trade as their mischievous manager by running his mouth on their behalf with a sarcastic wit considered among the best in the business.

Heenan named competitors under his guidance as the Heenan Family, a moniker meant to show the strength of their alliance over any of their opposition. Members of the Heenan Family in the AWA and WWE read like the who’s who of sports entertainment, including legends and WWE Hall of Famers such as Nick Bockwinkel, the Blackjacks, Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy, "Ravishing" Rick Rude, "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig, the Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard), Harley Race, and of course, the first WWE Hall of Famer, Andre the Giant, whom Heenan led to the ring at WrestleMania III before 93,173 fans.

As impossible as it may seem, Heenan’s overwhelming success as a manager was matched by that of his announcing career. Heenan’s constant verbal jousts with fellow WWE Hall of Famers Gorilla Monsoon and “Mean” Gene Okerlund on USA Network remain among the most entertaining moments in sports-entertainment history. In fact, “The Brain” was so entertaining, that "The Bobby Heenan Show" had a brief run on USA Network as well.

In addition “The Brain” was part of the original broadcast team for Monday Night RAW in 1993, and also sat at the announcers’ table for both Raw and WCW Monday Nitro.

First Details On The 2017 WWE Tribute To The Troops Special

PWInsider.com is reporting WWE is currently planning to tape this year’s Tribute To The Troops special on Tuesday, December 5th in San Diego.

The Tribute To The Troops taping would be part of the WWE Smackdown Live TV tapings at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.

WWE Discovers Baron Corbin Is Involved In A Major NFL Concussion Lawsuit

We reported recently that Baron Corbin's sudden burial from Mr. Money In The Bank and subsequent removal from the WWE SmackDown Live main event picture was in part due to a recent incident backstage incident in which Corbin got into an argument with Dr. Maroon who was giving the talent a talk on the connection between CTE and concussions. 

We can now reveal via Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE learned in the last month that Corbin is involved in a rather high profile lawsuit against the NFL. For those unaware Corbin is a former National Football League (NFL) player who played offensive line for both the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals.  

The exchange between Corbin and the Dr. was said to be 'awkward’ and ‘uncomfortable’ with many in the room feeling Corbin should have aired his concerns away from everybody else in private.

In addition, Corbin has existing heat on him for the way he was conducting himself on twitter in regardings to fans and fellow professional wrestlers, including an army veteran who he later apologized to. 

Kairi Sane To Challenge For NXT Women’s Championship At NXT TakeOver: Houston

WWE.com posted the following announcement, confirming an ESPN.com report that Mae Young Classic winner Kairi Sane will challenge for the vacant NXT Women’s Championship at NXT Takeover: Houston in November on Survivor Series weekend:

Kairi Sane made history by winning the inaugural Mae Young Classic in a dramatic Final showdown against Shayna Baszler, but that was just the beginning of her epic Tuesday night. As first broken by ESPN, the Mae Young Classic winner will challenge for the vacant NXT Women’s Championship at TakeOver: Houston.

WWE COO Triple H made the bombshell to ESPN just minutes after Sane stood tall in WWE’s historic 32-woman tournament. The news follows a whirlwind few weeks for the NXT Women’s Title that saw Asuka relinquish the coveted championship to pursue a new opportunity on Raw. The Empress of Tomorrow had held the title for a record 523 days, but now a new titleholder will be crowned on Saturday, Nov. 18.

With Sane slated to challenge for the title at TakeOver: Houston, the question remains who will The Pirate Princess be facing for the vacant NXT Women’s Championship?

WWE Crowns Winner Of The Inaugural Mae Young Classic

Kairi Sane is the winner of the inaugural Mae Young Classic after defeating Shayna Baszler in a thrilling finals match live on WWE Network.

Sane won a back and forth match with a double stomp and her trademark diving elbow drop moments after she avoided defeat by escaping a rear naked choke hold. Both competitors congratulated each other after the match, and Sane was presented a bouquet of roses and the trophy by Stephanie McMahon and Triple H.

Mae Young Classic Drawing Strong Viewership On WWE Network

The Mae Young Classic has reportedly been a huge success for the WWE Network.  The 32 competitor tournament exclusively for women from both NXT and the independent circuit is set to conclude next week with finals being held in Las Vegas.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports the eight most watched WWE Network shows this week were episodes of the Mae Young Classic which overshadowed WWE 205 Live viewing figures. WWE took the decision to release multiple episodes rather than one a week and that might have helped with viewership and might be a good formula for the company going forward with tournaments.

GFW Announces Global Wrestling Network, Extension of Pop TV/Impact Deal

GFW has announced several new global and digital expansions, including an extension of their deal with Pop TV and the Global Wrestling Network. The company made the announcement today that they will be extending their deal with Pop to air Impact in the United States in the Thursday night 8 PM ET timeslot, along with plans to launch their multi-platform digital service.

The announcement listed the new initiatives as follows:

* Plans to launch the Global Wrestling Network, a multi-platform digital service designed to give fans around the world instant 24-hour access to the extensive GFW and IMPACT libraries.

* Plans to launch the IMPACT Wrestling Channel on Pluto TV, a 24-hour live feed of content on the leading free over-the-top (OTT) television service in the U.S.

* Extension with Pop TV in the U.S. to continue airing its flagship weekly show IMPACT on Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET.

* Distribution deal with 7Sports, the sport business unit of the ProSiebenSat.1 Group, to bring IMPACT back to screens in Germany, Austria and Switzerland via ran FIGHTING.

“These digital initiatives and broadcast agreements are a significant step forward for the Global Force Wrestling organization as we continue to expand the brand globally, making it available on more platforms and in more countries,” said GFW president Ed Nordholm. “Anthem is committed to broadening Global Force Wrestling’s footprint, as we work alongside international broadcast partners, digital platforms and professional wrestling promotions to bring our passionate fans a high-quality product that not only stands out in today’s media landscape, but continues to thrive into the future.”

Triple H, William Regal, Court Bauer And More Explore The UK Scene On “The World According To Wrestling”

The World According To Wrestling podcast is back with a second episode this week and explores the current situation in the British wrestling scene, ITV’s revamp of World Of Sport, WWE’s UK plans and how the UK indie scene feels about it. The loaded line-up of episode guests includes Triple H, Dave Meltzer, Andy Quildan, Klondyke Kate, Fred Dinenage, William Regal, Robbie Brookside, Finn Balor, Neville, Ryan Satin and Court Bauer.

The episode is available to download from today on iTunes and all other podcast platforms. You can read a few excerpts as well as listen to the show below:  

Paul Levesque, WWE’s Executive Vice President and 14-time World Champion Triple H, on launching in the UK at a similar time to World of Sport: 

“Did it change our timing a little bit because of when they positioned their show? Yeah, but we are talking by maybe months or something not speeding up the process in terms of getting it done. We’ve been working on this for a long time. Any other show aside, if they are successful I’m happy for them. And, at the end of the day, it all helps the industry so we just do what we do. And I think we do it better than anyone else on the planet.”

Former WWE writer and MLW’s Court Bauer, said: 

“UK really was an amazing region for pro wrestling and then there was a scorched earth effect for many years and it’s revived itself in more modern times. When you have something as big as WWE hovering over you like a death star, you know, this could go two different ways. Fans might win, but also that might just be a short term position if you look at the large term something like ITV doing World Of Sport truly could really help sustain and stabilise this regeneration of pro-wrestling. So that’s my concern.”

Andy Quildan, founder of Revolution Pro Wrestling in the UK said, on ITV and WWE moving in on the British scene:

“Worrying about what everyone else is doing and trying to get into pretend wrestling wars with people is just ridiculous. The fact of the matter is if WWE want to come over and takeover UK wrestling, they’re going to do it. It is what it is. Let’s continue to do what we do in the highest level possible.

“I can see people’s mentality with ‘they’re trying to take over British wrestling’ and my argument is if you look at for example theatre, look at the West End. How many different theatrical productions are going on in the West End every single night. All at the same time. All competing with one another… I’m not phased by it. It’s a very interesting time and certainly a lot of stuff’s changing but at the same time it’s nice for British wrestling not to be an afterthought for once."

The Young Bucks Receive A "Cease And Desist" From WWE

The Suck It "crotch chop" made famous by D-Generation X in the late 90s during the Attitude Era may be one of the most iconic and memorable taunts ever created in professional wrestling and it's often imitated across the industry, none more so than in independent promotions who attempt to tow the line when it comes to intellectual property.

Today, top indy tag team The Young Bucks revealed on Twitter that their use of the crouch chop would no longer be permitted by WWE after they received a cease & desist notice from the company which they discuss on episode 68 of The Elite.

The Young Bucks haven't stayed silent on the matter posting a humorous tweet in which they claim WWE has taken away everything including Christmas, in reference to WWE's decision to air Raw live on Christmas night.

GFW Announces That Jeff Jarrett Is Taking An Indefinite Leave Of Absence From His CCO Position

GFW announced the following on their website this afternoon:

GFW Update

Effective immediately, Jeff Jarrett is taking an indefinite leave of absence from his position as Chief Creative Officer to focus on personal matters. Jeff will be available on a consultative basis as needed.

Triple H on why Roman Reigns shouldn't be turned heel

For years now we have been hearing the same thing be said about Roman Reigns that has been said about John Cena - turn him heel.

Cena has had an extremely successful career in WWE, having won a record-tying 16 World Heavyweight Titles, four Tag Team Championships, five United States Title wins, the 2012 Money In The Ban Ladder Match winner, and two Royal Rumble match wins (2008, 2013). For the past few years, however, Cena has taken a bit of a backseat to the WWE main event picture while he pursues other ventures in film. In his absence a new face has emerged and is being groomed to assume the top spot in WWE - Roman Reigns.

Triple H On Ronda Rousey Being Interested In WWE, What WWE Can Learn From Mayweather Vs. McGre

WWE's Triple H recently made an appearance on ESPN's First Take to promote the Mae Young Classic Tournament. You can check out the highlights from "The Game's" interview here below:

What WWE can learn from the promotion behind Mayweather vs. McGregor:

"I think from a promotional standpoint they did a lot of things right. They found two personalities and that's really what this is all about. Floyd will be the first guy to tell you that it's personalities that sells fights, it's what he does, he changed himself from 'Pretty Boy Floyd' to 'Money Mayweather' and that was based around WWE and the culture of changing Hulk Hogan to 'Hollywood Hulk Hogan,' and reinventing yourself. He invented that persona. McGregor created a persona, a lot of it having to do around what, kind of, WWE does and also what Mayweather does.

"When you have personalities like that and you put them in a ring with that type of conflict - it's what we do no a daily basis. But they did it very well. It was a moment in time that I don't think you can replicate. The great things is, I think what people where afraid of was that it wouldn't deliver. I think it did deliver. I think people got an entertaining 10 round fight, it ended up where the educated person would imagine that it'd end up, but I think it was entertaining and it delivered on a lot of levels."

Who he thinks would have the biggest potential for WWE Superstardom: LaVar Ball or Rob Gronkowski:

"LaVar Ball certainly has a pension for winding people up and wanting to see people beat him. I think that's an important factor, but you never know what's going to connect to people. Those personalities - when you look at McGregor, you look at Ronda Rousey, you look at Gronk, you look at LaVar Ball - all those people, what connects them is personalities. Whether you love them or hate them, those personalities drive people. They create a connection and that's really what people pay to see. They're a very few pure boxing fans in the world, there are very few pure MMA aficionados in the world, there are very few pure WWE or NBA or NFL that really admire the intricacies of all that stuff. The personalities drive them, whether that be the team or the individuals."

What are the chances Ronda Rousey could end up in WWE and what could she bring to the table:

"Ronda has been a huge fan of WWE her whole life, she has been very adamant about that. She has done plenty of stuff with us before, I think you're watching a clip of her throwing me that I don't know why you're showing, but yeah she tends to throw me around when I see her - but she's a huge fan. I think she's a huge fan and I think it's something she's definitely interested - I'll throw it out right now, if she's interested I'll give her the opportunity. But we're all about personalities and that's what she brings to the table. I think she has shown it, and you have seen, she has shown it in Hollywood, she has shown it everywhere. Her personality would drive fan interest."

More?

Triple H's advice to Stephen Amell before his 2015 SummerSlam Match

While in the Gorilla' position before their tag match at SummerSlam 2015, Triple H approached Stephen Amell and offered this advice:

If you think you’re going too fast, slow down. When you’re sure you’re going too slow, then slow down some more. And when you’re positive you’re going too slow, then slow down some more.

The advice must have been helpful for Stephen because, during the match, he looked like he belonged. However, Amell recounted that his mouth went completely dry as soon as he walked out and he forgot how to enter the ring. He credited Cody for helping him in that match, stating that he believed it could not have been better.

Happy Birthday Vince

Vincent Kennedy McMahon
August 24, 1945

Happy Birthday Vaughn

Vaughn Levesque
August 24, 2010

Meet Jessika Carr, WWE's first full-time female referee

Triple H Hits Big Milestone On Social Media

Triple H reached 6 million followers on Twitter this week, making him the third most followed WWE personality behind Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and John Cena. It is also worth noting that Triple H's Twitter account has had the fastest rise to 6 million followers of all WWE talent.

The top 10 most followed WWE personalities as it stands right now are:

1. Dwayne Johnson: 11.7 million Followers
2. John Cena: 9.9 Million Followers
3. Triple H: 6.01 million Followers
4. Randy Orton: 5.5 Million Followers
5. Sheamus: 4.46 Million Followers
6. Stone Cold Steve Austin: 4.1 Million Followers
7. Daniel Bryan: 4.04 Million Followers
8. Shawn Michaels: 3.67 million Followers
9. Chris Jericho: 3.2 million Followers
10. The Miz: 2.6 million Followers

Roman Reigns as of right now is the 15th most followed WWE personality with 2.4 million followers.

Update On Paige Facing Battery Charges In Domestic Violence Case

Paige will not be charged in her domestic dispute with Alberto El Patron at the Orlando International Airport on July 9th, according to a new report from TMZ.

Paige was potentially facing charges from the dispute, where she admittedly threw a drink at Alberto. The Orlando Police Department recommended that Paige be charged for the incident, which could have resulted in her termination from WWE. However, the state attorney's office decided not to press charges and the case is now closed.

Rumor Mill - Baron Corbin’s WWE Push Stalling, NXT Takeover Crowd Picks Up on Reports of Corbin’s Backstage Heat, News on Enzo Following SSlam

Speculation has been that Baron Corbin’s current WWE push has stalled due to backstage heat on him for a number of reasons, the main reason being recent behavior on social media.

It appears as if the NXT Takeover Brooklyn crowd picked up on the reports of Corbin having heat, as they directed a “you f**ed up” chant at The Lone Wolf when he appeared in front of the live crowd.

On the most recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer confirmed Corbin definitely has backstage heat on him, and that was made clear by the way he was booked in a “basic” opening match against John Cena at SummerSlam. Meltzer added that WWE officials are very high on former NXT Champion Bobby Roode, and it’s possible WWE might be called up to Smackdown Live to replace Corbin’s spot/push.

News on Enzo Following SummerSlam

In related news, for reasons not yet known, Enzo Amore’s backstage heat seems to have worsened, as Meltzer noted “everybody” in WWE hates him. Meltzer added the fact that the crowd is staring to cool on Enzo is bad news for the Raw star, as that was one of the few things saving his spot in the company.

Dean Ambrose Reaches Big WWE Milestone

After winning the WWE Raw Tag Team Titles at SummerSlam, Dean Ambrose is now a Grand Slam Champion in WWE, having won the WWE Title, the U.S. Title, the IC Title now the Tag Titles.

WWE Fans Protesting Donald Trump In The Hall Of Fame At Barclays Center, Protests During SummerSlam?

A group of WWE fans held a protest outside of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn this evening to protest US President Donald Trump being in the WWE Hall of Fame, according toGothamist. The protest was led by 30 year old Brooklyn resident John Stevens, who is a big wrestling fan. Stevens and his friends are calling on WWE to "reject racism by tossing Trump from an honored spot with the company."

Stevens was joined by fans who are in town for SummerSlam, which will be held at the Barclays Center on Sunday. Stevens told Gothamist:

"We were talking about how Trump gave that crazy press conference, and then thought about how he's in the WWE Hall of Fame even though Hulk Hogan got kicked out over racism. What Trump has done is remarkably worse than what Hogan did, since he's dividing the country by siding with neo-Nazis and white nationalists."

"I was sickened by that press conference, and his response to Charlottesville. Basically WWE is endorsing those comments by having [Trump] in their hall of fame. I can't wrap my brain around the fact that they'd leave him in there, take Hogan out and claim they say they care about racism."

Stevens also runs a website, racistwwe.com. He noted that some of his supporters attended a signing with WWE Champion Jinder Mahal on Thursday night to hand out flyers for the website and protest. Stevens says despiteLinda McMahon acting as Trump's Small Business Administration head, WWE needs to make a choice or face the backlash.

More?

CFO$ Give Triple H Credit For Finn Balor’s Theme

WWE Music composers CFO$ discussed Triple H’s involvement in the creation of Finn Balor’s theme song during a new interview with  Metal Injection. The deo said that the Game had a big impact in constructing Balor’s theme.

“As much as we’d like to take all the credit for Finn’s entrance ourselves, we definitely can’t,” said the two. “We had written the main riff and orchestral sections of the song and brought them to HHH and the music team for a brainstorming session while down at an NXT event in Florida. Given the uniqueness of Finn’s character, we all knew his theme needed something special to make it fit him properly. Luckily, HHH had the whole thing mapped out in his head – from the long, moody entrance of the demon – to the choir erupting during the breaks in the orchestra, giving the crowd that perfect moment to throw their arms up and scream. It’s no wonder this one went on to become a fan favorite.”

Triple H Talks About Collaborating on NXT With Vince McMahon

During his recent media call (transcript via  wrestlinginc.com), Triple H spoke about how he and Vince McMahon have to work together in regards to the NXT brand…

On Vince Getting Excited About NXT Talents & How They Decide ti bring Them Up: “I think there’s excitement, there’s a lot of talent that [Vince] will say on an occasional basis, ‘Where are you at with this particular person? When do I get them?’ You know what I mean? It’s my job to then creatively work with the team both main roster and my own team to say when is the right strategic time to put the person into the right place that they need to go to so they have the best opportunity in front of them and to make sure they’re ready.”

On Deciding Who To Call Up & When: “And it’s funny because sometimes I’ll see people think or say, ‘Oh my God, this person has been so ready for so long.’ They don’t know the things that they’re missing that we can see from our side of it to say, ‘I need you another three months and this is what I really need you to focus on. I don’t want you to fail on this one piece whenever you get up there, whatever that is.’ There’s a lot of components that go into this and yeah, we have those conversations. And [Vince] gives me the opinion and the stuff and listens to my opinions. Sometimes there’s stuff he sees on the shows.”

On Wanting NXT Talents to Succeed: “I want it to be the best it can possibly be,” said Triple H. “Not only for the roster, for RAW, whatever that is. But I want it to be the best for any of these talents. I want them all to succeed at the biggest level they can. Granted, they’re not all going to do that. They all can’t be the main event at WrestleMania but I want them all to have the opportunity when they move up to the roster because whatever it is, whatever the opportunity is, whether it’s big or small, as long as we give them the tools to do that then whatever’s going to happen, is going to happen.”

Triple H On Who WWE's Biggest Competitor Is, If NJPW Is Forcing Them To Evolve

Triple H appeared on CBS Sports' In This Corner Podcast this week to promote NXT Takeover: Brooklyn this Saturday. Below are a couple of highlights:

Which competitor WWE needs to pay the most attention to:

"When you say, 'What's the No. 2 promotion?' and 'WWE doesn't have a promotion knocking on its door and pushing them,' Raw and SmackDown do. Raw and SmackDown have a promotion right on their tail pushing them to do more. That promotion is going to run a show on Saturday night at the Barclays Center, and it's called NXT.

"[NXT] is going to set a bar, and the main roster is going to have to step up to that bar. And trust me, those are all people that are coming from NXT, and now the kids here are pushing them to do the same thing that they pushed the people in front of them to do."

If the success of NJPW is forcing them to make any adjustments:

"I don't think anyone forces anyone to make adjustments, I think it's just that the world changes. What people will accept changes? What people will like changes?

"People's styles that I bring in, I'm not trying to change these performers, I'm trying to give them a platform and then take them on that platform and make the biggest, global star you can make. Whether that goes on to NXT and then on to SmackDown or Raw, whatever that is. A lot of these kids, I want them to be headlining WrestleMania."

Stephanie McMahon Named As A 2017 Game Changer By The Sports Business Journal

Thirty-five women in leadership roles touching nearly every sector of the sports industry from coast to coast have been selected for recognition this fall as part of SportsBusiness Journal/Daily’s annual Game Changers program.

Game Changers, which debuted in 2011, recognizes women in the industry who have broad, deep and varied responsibilities and who are contributing to the success of the industry in myriad ways.

These 35 women will be featured in the Sept. 11 issue of SportsBusiness Journal. They also will be celebrated on Thursday, Sept. 14, in New York at the annual Game Changers: Women in Sports Business conference.

More?

Alberto El Patron Stripped Of GFW World Heavyweight Championship

Alberto El Patron has been stripped of the GFW World Heavyweight Championship, the company announced in a statement on Monday. You can read the statement below:

GFW has concluded its internal consideration of the events surrounding the suspension of Alberto El Patron. While it is apparent that initial reports unfairly characterized El Patron's involvement in the incident in the Orlando airport, we are nonetheless disappointed with the manner in which he dealt with this situation; we expect more decorum from all on the GFW roster, especially the World Champion.
We have communicated with El Patron our decision to strip him of his championship title. No decision has been taken as to the date on which he will be reinstated to the roster, the conditions of which are a private matter between the company and El Patron.

Police confirmed that El Patron was detained following a domestic incident at the Orlando International Airport on July 9, 2017. He was not arrested and no charges were filed at the time.

WWE Celebrates 20-Year Anniversary of D-Generation X

WWE is celebrating 20 years of the legendary D-Generation X faction. WWE's website posted a photo gallery of various Superstars paying tribute to DX.


Triple H tweeted:

Shawn Michaels & I formed DX w/ a bond built on:
Desire
Passion
Drive
& we kicked ass!
20 yrs later it's still t