Triple H Reveals How Proud He Is of the Growth of the WWE Women’s Divisions

WWE executive Triple H shared a message on Twitter today, praising the WWE women’s roster on the fifth anniversary of the WWE Women’s Evolution. You can check out that tweet below. As previously reported, WWE has dubbed this week as “Women’s Evolution Week,” celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Women’s Evolution or Revolution.

Triple H wrote, “Cannot overstate how proud I am to see the growth in the #WWERaw, #Smackdown, and #WWENXT Women’s divisions. It took legends, hall of famers, and women from every generation to get where it is today. Excited to watch you all inspire the next generation. #WomensEvolution”

Washington Redskins Changing Team Name

Statement From The Washington Redskins Football Team

On July 3rd, we announced the commencement of a thorough review of the team's name. That review has begun in earnest. As part of this process, we want to keep our sponsors, fans and community apprised of our thinking as we go forward.

Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review.

Dan Snyder and Coach Rivera are working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years.

WWE Announces This Week As Women's Evolution Week

WWE.com has announced that this week will officially be "Women's Evolution Week" on all digital and social channels.

The platforms will be releasing content centered around the growth of the WWE women's division, especially over the past five years since the "Four Horsewomen" of WWE (Sasha Banks, Bayley, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair) arrived on the main roster.

The full article from WWE reads:

Five years ago on July 13, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks arrived to Raw, signaling a change for women's wrestling in WWE. In honor of this landmark night in sports-entertainment history, WWE will celebrate Women's Evolution Week on its digital and social channels all this week.
Check back with WWE's digital platforms each day this week for exciting looks back at landmark Women's division moments in WWE, the trailblazing Superstars who paved the way and what lies ahead for the intrepid female competitors of the future.

WWE's first and only all-women pay-per-view event, Evolution, took place on October 28, 2018. The card featured multiple standout matches including a brutal Last Women Standing Match between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women's Championship.

More Watch NXT Great American Bash Night 2, AEW Fyter Fest Wins Key Demo

NXT beat out All Elite Wrestling Dynamite in viewership for the third week in a row as more people watched the second night of NXT Great American Bash than AEW Fyter Fest.

AEW Dynamite drew 715,000 viewers overall (which is down from last week’s 748,000) and came in at No. 7 for the night. That’s slightly down from No. 6 last week.

Per Showbuzz Daily, NXT was slightly down from last week with 759,000 viewers (down from 792,000) and came in at No.24 with a .20 rating in the 18-49 demographic. That’s lower than AEW’s .28 for the night.

WWE Names New CFO

WWE today announced the appointment of Kristina Salen as Chief Financial Officer reporting directly to WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, effective August 3, 2020.

Salen served as the first CFO of Etsy, where she grew the business from $895 million in gross sales to $3 billion in four years, led and executed the company's IPO offering, and built and managed its Business Development, Strategic Planning, Investor Relations, Accounting, Tax and Data Analytics functions.

Salen also held CFO/COO roles with Moda Operandi and Translation Enterprises/United Masters, and managed global media and telecom funds with Fidelity Investments. Earlier in her career, she served in financial analyst positions with Oppenheimer Capital, Merrill Lynch Investment Managers and Lazard Freres & Co. She sits on the Board of Directors and Audit Committee for both SiriusXM and Cornerstone OnDemand.

WWE Purchases EVOLVE Wrestling

WWE has officially purchased EVOLVE Wrestling, PWInsider reports.

The deal was recently finalized after several months of negotiations. WWE now has the complete right to use the EVOLVE brand name and produce EVOLVE events.

WWE has also acquired the EVOLVE video library.

As we noted in June, EVOLVE had been going through some financial issues and the COVID-19 pandemic made it worse. The cancellation of WrestleMania 36 Week in Tampa was catastrophic for the promotion.

EVOLVE was founded in 2010 by Gabe Sapolsky. Since 2015, the promotion has had a working relationship with WWE. When they signed that deal, EVOLVE created a new LLC, which is the company WWE has acquired. WWE has not purchased WWNLive, which will still reportedly go on.

As for talent, PWInsider reports that the existing EVOLVE/WWN talent contracts are not part of the sale. Though there is an expectation of at least four talents that will be signed and go to WWE NXT.

Apollo Crews, Austin Theory, Drew Gulak, Keith Lee, Johnny Gargano, Matt Riddle, Ricochet, and Oney Lorcan are just a few who used the promotion as a stepping stone to get to WWE.

WWE NXT Great American Bash Beats AEW Dynamite Fyter Fest In Total Viewers

Week 38 of the Wednesday Night War saw the Great American Bash edition of WWE NXT beat the Fyter Fest edition of AEW Dynamite in total viewership for the second week in a row, but Dynamite won in the ratings for the key demographic once again. This is how last week's numbers went.

Wednesday's NXT drew 792,000 viewers (+1% from last week) on the USA Network, topping the 748,000 viewers (+18%) scored by Dynamite on TNT by 6%, according to Showbuzz Daily.

AEW ranked #6 in the Cable Top 150 for the 18-49 demo, while NXT ranked #13. AEW ranked #61 in viewership, while NXT ranked #60 in viewership.

Last week's Dynamite episode drew 633,000 viewers and ranked #17 in the Cable Top 150, and #66 in viewership. Last week's NXT episode drew 786,000 viewers and ranked #26 in the Cable Top 150, and #63 in viewership.

AEW drew a 0.29 rating (+32% from last week) in the 18-49 demographic while NXT drew a 0.22 (+16%) in the same demo this week. Last week's AEW show drew a 0.22 rating while the NXT episode drew a 0.19 in that demographic.

This is the second-highest NXT viewership of 2020, the best since the February 19 episode, which was the first episode after the "Takeover: Portland" event. That episode drew 794,000 viewers. It was the best number that NXT has garnered in the demo since they started running empty arena shows in March. For AEW, it was the most viewers for an episode of Dynamite since the June 3rd episode.

Shane McMahon's Ideanomics fights back against accusations of fraud

NXT Beats AEW Dynamite In Viewership, Dynamite Garners Lowest Numbers In Show Histor

Week 37 of the Wednesday Night War saw WWE NXT beat AEW Dynamite in viewership, but Dynamite won in the ratings for the key demographic.

NXT drew 786,000 viewers (+5.4% from last week) on the USA Network, topping the 633,000 viewers (-18%) garnered by Dynamite on TNT by 24%, according to Showbuzz Daily.

AEW ranked #17 in the Cable Top 150 for the 18-49 demographic, while NXT ranked #26. AEW ranked #66 in viewership, while NXT ranked #63 in viewership.

Last week's Dynamite episode drew 772,000 viewers and ranked #8 in the Cable Top 150, and #62 in viewership. Last week's NXT episode drew 746,000 viewers and ranked #25 in the Cable Top 150, and #65 in viewership.

Dynamite still beat NXT in the 18-49 demo, although by the smallest margin so far this year. Dynamite drew a 0.22 rating (-21%) in the 18-49 demographic, topping the 0.19 rating (-5%) garnered by NXT in the same demo by 15.8% this week. Last week's AEW show drew a 0.28 rating while the NXT episode drew a 0.20 in that demographic.

This is the lowest AEW viewership in the history of the show, and their lowest rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This is the second-highest NXT viewership of the year, next to the February 19 episode, which drew 794,000 viewers. This week's NXT 18-49 demographic is in the higher range of what NXT has been drawing in the coronavirus era.

MTV's Challenge topped the night in the 18-49 demographic on the Cable Top 150, with a 0.55 rating, with just 941,000 viewers. Hannity on FOX News topped the night on cable in viewership with 4.374 million viewers, ranking #3 on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.34 rating in the key demo.

Based on overnight numbers, Chicago Med on NBC topped the night on network TV in viewership, with an average of 3.855 million viewers. Taking The Stage, Game On!, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, MasterChef and Ultimate Tag all tied for the night in the 18-49 demographic.

Paul Levesque's Updated Corporate Bio

Paul “Triple H” Levesque is WWE’s Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy & Development. In this role, he oversees the Company’s Talent Development department, serves as a senior advisor to the CEO for talent strategy and is the Executive Producer of NXT, WWE’s third global touring brand, which airs live every Wednesday night on USA Network and NXT UK, a weekly one-hour series airing Wednesdays on BT Sport in the UK and Ireland.

Levesque is revolutionizing the business with his global recruiting strategy and developmental training processes. In order to create a platform for future success, he established the Company’s state-of-the-art training facility, the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida and last year opened the UK Performance Center, the first world-class WWE training facility outside of the United States. In addition to strength, conditioning, in-ring training and character development, recruits participate in development programs focusing on life skills, continuing education, health and wellness and career planning. Building off this success, Levesque remains focused on the development and implementation of WWE’s Performance Center/Global Localization strategy.

Prior to his current role, Levesque oversaw WWE’s Talent Relations and Live Events departments. He also played an integral part in the Company’s creative process, helping to shape the creative direction and storylines of WWE’s programming.

Levesque debuted as a WWE Superstar, “Triple H,” in 1995 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019. He has held the WWE Heavyweight Championship title 14 times, captured every major championship, headlined thousands of WWE events and entertained millions around the world. Levesque is married to Stephanie McMahon and together in 2014 they established Connor’s Cure, a fund dedicated to furthering pediatric cancer research. He was inducted into the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame in 2017 and is a board member for the Concussion Legacy Foundation. He has served on both WWE’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors since 2015.

He is a father of three daughters ages 13, 11 and 9.

Mike Quackenbush Issues Statement On CHIKARA Shutting Down After "#SpeakingOut" Accusations

CHIKARA founder and pro wrestling veteran Mike Quackenbush has officially announced the end of his CHIKARA promotion. He has also stepped down as the head trainer of the WrestleFactory school.

As noted earlier, CHIKARA was set to shut down after several allegations against the promotion in the current "#SpeakingOut" movement, which we noted before at this link. Quackenbush confirmed the end of the promotion tonight and issued a statement on the accusations. His statement is as follows:

"I have been made aware of recent allegations about myself, and people in my employ.
I take all allegations seriously - whether they are about me, or members of my team.
Addressing these with openness and transparency is of the utmost importance to me. So these matters can be given the proper time and attention, I am discontinuing CHIKARA and resigning as head trainer at the Wrestle Factory.
I'll make a full statement on these matters in the near future."

Quackenbush launched CHIKARA back in 2002.

Multiple WWE Personnel Reportedly Test Positive For COVID-19, Including In-Ring Talent

As first reported by Pro Wrestling Sheet, we can add WWE to the shortlist of sports organizations affected by COVID-19. After last week’s first case of confirmed COVID-19 caused a delay in their taping and their first mass testing for the illness, inside sources are saying that at least three others who have been in the Performance Center during tapings have received positive test results. It’s unknown the exact number of positive results and how many of them are in-ring performers.

Sources also say that WWE will now be running more tests before this week’s TV tapings in order to ensure that the disease hasn’t spread into the locker room or backstage. The Performance Center is located in Orlando, Florida, right in the middle of a state that’s seen rising infection rates every day since going through with plans to reopen businesses two weeks ago.

FOX Sports Issues Statement On WWE Backstage, More Backstage Details On The Future Of The Show

FOX Sports issued the following statement to POST Wrestling on the future of WWE Backstage:

"Today, we announced programming changes designed to better address the needs of our business. As a result, some positions in our production department have been eliminated."

FOX officials reportedly held a meeting earlier today to inform everyone who works on WWE Backstage that the series was done in its current format for now, according to PWInsider. It was also noted that there will not be a new episode of Backstage tomorrow night. WWE Women's Tag Team & SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley had been announced for the new episode but it's likely that a re-run will air instead.

Among those who worked on the show, it's believed that Backstage is completely done beyond the outside change that it could be used for special programming down the line. There is no gameplan for that to happen as of now, but things are being left open with the idea that FS1 could do more if they choose to.

Florida reporter Jon Alba provided more details on what's happening to the show and what FOX had in mind for the WWE product at one point.

He wrote, "Prior to #WWE moving to Fox, there was an entire division being put together dedicated solely to the WWE product. There were feature producers being brought on. They were searching for on-air talent. It certainly seemed like a major investment. Appears today that's mostly over."

Alba wrote in a follow-up tweet, "FS1 will be stripping WWE Backstage back to airing only around PPVs and big shows, but none of the cuts will affect Smackdown's status on Friday nights on Fox, as reported by @Ourand_SBJ. Says around 20 people lost jobs today through boxing and #WWE divisions."


WWE Backstage premiered on November 5, 2019. Last week's show with WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart as the special guest drew 175,000 viewers for the best viewership of the year, and the second-best in show history, going back to the November 19 episode, which drew 180,000 viewers.

The Undertaker Claims He Has ‘No Desire To Get Back In The Ring’

The Undertaker saw the last chapter of his ‘Last Ride’ documentary go live on the WWE Network and made some comments that seem to hint that he has wrestled his last WWE match. It appears that the Boneyard match with AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36 might have been the perfect ending for The Undertaker.

Speaking on his documentary, Undertaker said, “Here you are, climbing on your motorcycle and taking off. There was a lot of thought and a lot of emotion, one of those being ‘are you happy enough with that?’ It was a powerful moment. You don’t necessarily always get those. If there was ever a perfect ending to a career, that right there was it. If Vince was in a pinch, would I come back? I guess time would only tell there. In case of emergency, break glass, you pull out The Undertaker. I would consider it. At this point in my career, I have no desire to get back in the ring.”

Regardless of The Undertaker not completely closing the door, he ended by saying, “There’s nothing left for me to conquer or accomplish. The game has changed. It’s time for new guys to come up. The time just seems right. This documentary has helped me discover that and opened my eyes to the bigger picture and not judge myself as harshly these last few years.”

NXT UK’s Ligero Issues Statement On Recent Allegations, Admits Sending Unwanted Messages

NXT UK wrestler Ligero has responded to several allegations bandied against him. While he denies any assault, he does admit to inappropriate behavior and sending unwanted messages to female talent.

“The current story that has been released by Violet O’Hara/Claire-Michelle Oldfield is neither accurate nor true,” Ligero stated on Twitter. “This is a completely false allegation and whilst I’ve done other things in my life that I deeply regret, this isn’t an accurate or truthful portrayal of events. This is something I strongly deny and is something I’ve been in the process of speaking to a legal team about.”

In a separate statement, Ligero admitted some wrongdoing. “Regarding the other statements from people like Laura, Natalie who have spoken out about the way they were made to feel, and others that have come forward about unwanted messages, I have no excuse,” Ligero admits.”

“It’s inappropriate, it’s an embarrassment and it’s an absolute shameful way to act from someone in a position of trust. I sincerely apologise for my actions and any hurt I’ve caused. I have no justification of my actions in the slightest. In these situations, I have failed people as a friend, as a fiancée and as a decent human being.”

WWE Releases Jack Gallagher After Rape Allegation

WWE 205 Live Superstar Jake Gallagher has been released from the company. WWE announced the departure this evening.

Gallagher's release comes after he was accused of rape by a woman named Becky this week as the "#SpeakingOut" campaign continues to out several pro wrestlers and other people in the business.

Becky recalled the incident in a tweet and noted that it happened on New Year's Eve in 2014.

Positive Tests Reveal True Depths and Incompetence of WWE

From Deadspin.com:

As “Monday Night Raw” was wrapping up last night, reports started to leak out that a member of WWE’s developmental program had tested positive for COVID-19. While no one would ever look to a wrestling company to be an example or beacon of responsible action and safety, the aftermath has torn off any semblance of cover WWE had that it was taking all of this seriously.

It’s hard to pinpoint which is the more galling aspect: that the talent and crew of WWE found out about the positive test the same way the rest of us did, through social media and the internet last night, or that everyone showed up to work thinking they were safe, or however close to that word they felt by working for WWE, when in fact they weren’t.

Second, last night was the first time WWE let in non-employees into their very limited, encased crowds. Friends of performers and local fans were allowed in, though they had to sign a waiver that they would not hold WWE responsible should they get sick. Real confidence builder, that.

More?

David Lagana Resigns As NWA VP Due To Sexual Assault Allegations, NWA Production Temporarily Halted

The NWA has announced that David Lagana has resigned as Vice President following sexual assault allegations made by indie wrestler Liz Savage.

Liz joined others in speaking out in the "#SpeakingOut" campaign rocking the pro wrestling world right now, and said the incidents with Lagana are a big reason why she took time away from the business.

She captioned the statement on Twitter and wrote, "Well here's my #SpeakingOut which happened when I moved to California for wrestling. Essentially this was a big part of why I took my hiatus."

...About two months into my stay, I had gotten a job and was working very little, my savings was running dry from adventures all over job hunting, one night he was home and we went to bed. Everything was normal. We had clothes on, I fell asleep. I woke up in the middle night of the night and he had his hand down the front of my pants underneath my underwear. He was also touching himself. I was scared. I froze for a moment and pretended I was asleep. Then I tossed hard and pulled away, hoping he would leave me alone. He did. Then he kicked me out that week with less than a week's notice...

While Lagana is still quiet on the matter, the NWA announced today that Lagana has resigned as Vice President. It was also noted that production of all NWA content will be temporarily halted until executive management positions are re-filled.

"Pursuant to allegations made by pro wrestler Liz Savage on her Twitter account, 6/18/2020, NWA VP David Lagana has resigned his position, effective immediately. As well all production of NWA content is temporarily halted, pending a restructuring of executive management positions," the NWA tweeted.

WWE Issues Statement Regarding Abuse And Assault Allegations Against Their Talent

Many women have been using the #SpeakingOut movement to address their past experiences with abuse and assault in the wrestling industry.

Several wrestlers have been called out by name, including talent in WWE, AEW, ROH and Impact Wrestling. WWE issued statements in the past 24 hours regarding accusations against Matt Riddle and former WWE NXT Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin.

WWE sent several media outlets a statement regarding the accusations against their talent, noting that they have "zero tolerance for matters involving domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault." If a talent is arrested on those grounds, they would be immediately suspended. If they are convicted, their contract is immediately terminated.

Below is the full statement:

"Individuals are responsible for their own personal actions. WWE has zero tolerance for matters involving domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault. Upon arrest for such misconduct, a WWE talent will be immediately suspended. Upon conviction for such misconduct, a WWE talent will be immediately terminated."

The WWE talent that have been accused so far (Matt Riddle, Ligero, Jack Gallagher, and Jordan Devlin) have not issued their own statements.

WWE Lawyer Responds To Former Wrestler's "Crown Jewel" Allegations In Lawsuit

A former WWE Superstar is now a witness in an amended class action complaint against WWE, filed by Firefighters Pension System of the City of Kansas City Missouri Trust, which includes dealings with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Allegations from the still-anonymous former WWE talent matches several claims that had made been made about the Saudi travel debacle that several WWE employees dealt with in November 2019. The wrestler recalled an alleged "hostage situation" where the crew was stranded in the Kingdom. The lawsuit stated that the wrestler worked for the company from 2012 to April of 2020 and participated in the Crown Jewel event last October.

Longtime WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt of the K&L Gates law firm issued a statement to Alfred Konuwa of Forbes today, denying the allegations.

McDevitt noted that three different firms had been on the suits, but the first two dropped their lawsuits to avoid sanction motions. The third firm continued with their suit and that's where the anonymous wrestler was cited.

McDevitt referred to the wrestler as "disgruntled" and said they have no knowledge of the facts. He added that WWE is preparing their response to the lawsuit and will be moving to have it dismissed.

You can see McDevitt's full statement below:

"These false allegations were originally made in two suits filed by two different law firms. After the Court appointed a third firm to be lead counsel, WWE provided all three law firms with specific detailed facts from the persons with actual knowledge of the situation, including the phony allegation about the plane. The first two law firms then dropped their lawsuits to avoid sanction motions, but the third firm chose to ignore the specific facts they had been provided, and instead cited an unnamed disgruntled former wrestler with no knowledge of the facts. WWE is preparing its response to the lawsuit and will be moving to have it dismissed."

Man Previously Shot At The WWE Performance Center Returns

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com is reporting on Twitter that Armando Alejandro Montalvo the man who was shot by an Orange County sheriff's deputy outside of the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida after an incident in 2015 has returned.

The man who was shot outside the WWE PC years ago just had to be removed from the area by WWE security yet again. He's trying to send a message to Triple H.

He claims that he's been trained by Team 3D and that he did security for WrestleMania. The security guard is trying to de-escalate the situation. It looks like it ended without incident. He streamed it on his Facebook page. 

The security guard oddly told him to go try his talents at AEW, but did a really good job making sure everything ended calmly.

WWE recently filed a new civil hearing against Montalvo related to two May incidents that happened outside of the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.

Real Fans Used At Today's WWE Television Tapings

There will be a small number of real fans at today's WWE television tapings. Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline.com first reported that these were actual fans and not WWE Performance Center recruits.

Wrestling Inc. has learned that the fans are some of the local diehard fans, as well as friends of the wrestlers. They had to sign waivers to not take pictures or send out spoilers. They received a free t-shirt as well.

WWE had been holding shows without fans since March due to the Coronoavirus pandemic. Last month WWE started placing NXT wrestlers and developmental talent in the crowd to improve the atmosphere on the shows.

here will be a small number of real fans at today's WWE television tapings. Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline.com first reported that these were actual fans and not WWE Performance Center recruits.

Wrestling Inc. has learned that the fans are some of the local diehard fans, as well as friends of the wrestlers. They had to sign waivers to not take pictures or send out spoilers. They received a free t-shirt as well.

WWE had been holding shows without fans since March due to the Coronoavirus pandemic. Last month WWE started placing NXT wrestlers and developmental talent in the crowd to improve the atmosphere on the shows.

Video: Jim Cornette On If Triple H Will Take Over WWE After Vince McMahon

WWE Developmental Talent Tests Positive For COVID-19

A WWE wrestler has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The wrestler, who is a development talent and not a main roster star, was last at the WWE Performance Center on June 9. While no other talent have reported symptoms, the company is testing all talent, staff, and employees that were at the PC immediately.

“A developmental talent, who was last on site at WWE’s training facility on Tuesday, June 9, has tested positive for COVID-19,” WWE Associate Medical Director Dr. Jeffrey Dugas explained in a statement sent to WrestleZone. “Since that time, no other individuals that attended the facility have reported symptoms. However, out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the health and safety of the company’s performers and staff, all talent, production crew and employees on site at the training and production facilities will be tested for COVID-19 immediately. Following the test results, WWE plans to proceed with its normal television production schedule.”

Multiple Lawsuits Filed Against WWE Regarding Saudi Arabia Deal; Former Talent Supports Original Crown Jewel Flight Reports

Dave Meltzer is reporting on his post WWE Backlash edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that well over a dozen class action lawsuits in the the same vein have been filed by people who have stock in WWE for allegedly misrepresenting to investors the nature of the situation with Saudi Arabia, the television deal being the primary bone of contention.

According to Meltzer, the key to the lawsuits is that the filers have two secret witnesses, one of which happens to be wrestler and another is an employee from the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC) which is the station that was negotiating with WWE for the new TV deal.

The lawsuit filed states that the parties could not agree on basic assumptions of a proposed deal. The MBC witness recalled that “WWE had wildly unreasonable expectations of the revenue expected from a potential broadcast partner. It proposed an $80 million licensing fee and a projection of a 100 million plus over-the-top subscribers which were based on the large number of OSN subscribers who also watched WWE.” (It should be noted that subscribers in this case don’t mean WWE Network, but television subscribers for people in the Middle East who watch WWE)

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Rumors On WWE Purchasing EVOLVE

There are a lot of rumors going around in regards to the future of EVOLVE and WWE. The two promotions have had a working relationship since 2015.

There have been reports of EVOLVE selling everything to WWE, including the tape library, and being done for good, but neither WWE or EVOLVE would confirm the reports to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter when asked.

EVOLVE has had major financial issues, and the COVID-19 pandemic hasn't helped. The canceling of WrestleMania 36 Week in Tampa was described by The Observer as catastrophic to the promotion.

EVOVLE, which was founded in 2010 by Gabe Sapolsky, has had a working relationship with WWE since 2015. WWE streamed EVOLVE's 10th Anniversary Celebration on the Network last July, which went head-to-head with AEW's Fight For The Fallen event.

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Paul Heyman Removed From His Position As Executive Director Of WWE RAW

Statement  from WWE:

In an effort to streamline our creative writing process for television, we have consolidated both teams from Raw and SmackDown into one group, led by Bruce Prichard. Paul Heyman will concentrate on his role as an in-ring performer. 

Triple H Discusses If The Hog Pen Match Was Punishment For The Curtain Call

Triple H was asked his infamous “Hog Pen” match and if it was punishment for the Curtain Call. He said he thought it was before the Curtain Call but he could be wrong. He says nobody wanted to get hit with Henry Godwin’s slop and that he went to Vince and said that if Godwin was turned babyface, he’d do it. As a snob heel, it was perfect to have him get covered in mess. He said he loved it and thought it was phenomenal. He could have maybe done without quite so much crap in the pen, because the pigs were huge and in the pen all day. He said the farmer told him to watch his fingers because the pigs could conceivably bite them off. He said it was one of his first really memorable things in WWE and people still talk to him about it. He mentioned how when they traveled the match around the country, fans began to bring plastic sheets for the slop match as if it was a Gallagher concert.

Triple H Addresses Talent Regarding "Black Lives Matters"

Triple H addressed NXT talent on Sunday both before and after the NXT Takeover In Your House pay-per-view.

Before the show, Triple H invited anyone to discuss their feelings and specifically mentioned Black Lives Matter, stating that he was open to having that conversation. The talent appeared to be receptive, but there was no open conversation that occurred with everyone around.

After the event, Triple H had a meeting with the talent. He reiterated how proud he was of his talent for standing up for what they believe in at this important time in the world.

Triple H then became emotional, saying that he wants everyone to matter regardless of their race, religion or orientation. He said that he wants the talent to set an example for the world. It was said to be a powerful moment of uniting everyone together.

AEW Dynamite Tops WWE NXT Despite 12% Drop In Viewership

WWE NXT in viewership and ratings once again.

Wednesday's Dynamite episode drew 730,000 viewers (-12% from last week) on TNT, barely topping the 715,000 viewers (-2%) garnered by the "Takeover: In Your House" go-home edition of NXT on the USA Network by 2%, according to Showbuzz Daily.

AEW ranked #27 in the Cable Top 150, while NXT ranked #45. AEW ranked #71 in viewership, while NXT ranked #72 in viewership.

Last week's Dynamite go-home episode drew 827,000 viewers and ranked #4 in the Cable Top 150, and #62 in viewership. Last week's NXT episode drew 731,000 viewers and ranked #24 in the Cable Top 150, and #66 in viewership.

AEW drew a 0.29 rating (-9%) in the 18-49 demographic while NXT drew a 0.20 (+5%) in the same demo this week. Last week's AEW show drew a 0.32 rating while the NXT episode drew a 0.19 in that demographic.

WWE Launches Free Version Of The WWE Network

WWE today unveiled the free version of WWE Network. The free version features a vast portion of its content library with more than 15,000 WWE titles now available for free, with no credit card required.

The free version of WWE Network includes:

* New shows including Raw Talk, streaming Monday nights each week immediately following Raw

* Original series including Monday Night War, Ride Along, Table for 3, Photo Shoot and Story Time

* Recent episodes of WWE's flagship programs Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown and NXT

* Select historical WWE pay-per-views and NXT TakeOver events

* Weekly WWE highlights, Top 10, WWE's The Bump, WWE Now, The Best of WWE and WWE Timeline

"The launch of WWE Network's Free Version is a key component of our company's digitization strategy and a new way for all fans to be able to experience premium WWE content," said Jayar Donlan, WWE Executive Vice President, Advanced Media. "As we continue to reimagine WWE Network's offering, the Free Version will serve as an effective way to reach a broader group of consumers and allow them to experience the history and spectacle of WWE."

To access WWE Network's free version, download the WWE App on any device, including TVs, gaming consoles, mobile phones, tablets and computers.

AEW Dynamite Draws Lowest Viewership In Show History, However Still Beats WWE NXT

Week 31 of the Wednesday Night War saw AEW Dynamite top WWE NXT in viewership and ratings once again.

Wednesday's Dynamite episode drew 654,000 viewers (-11% from last week) on TNT, topping the 604,000 viewers (-9%) garnered by NXT on the USA Network by 8.3%, according to Showbuzz Daily.

AEW ranked #15 in the Cable Top 150, while NXT ranked #46. AEW ranked #65 in viewership, while NXT ranked #67 in viewership.

This is the lowest AEW viewership in the history of the show, and the fourth-lowest NXT viewership since the show came to USA. NXT is also tied for their lowest rating in the 18-49 demo in history.

Last week's Dynamite episode drew 732,000 viewers and ranked #12 in the Cable Top 150, and #66 in viewership. Last week's NXT episode drew 663,000 viewers and ranked #33 in the Cable Top 150, and #68 in viewership.

AEW drew a 0.23 rating in the 18-49 demographic while NXT drew a 0.15 in the same demo this week. For both shows, it was their lowest rating in the demo in history, although NXT has garnered that rating in the demo two other times. Last week's AEW show drew a 0.28 rating while the NXT episode drew a 0.18 in that demographic.