Peacock Pins John Cena’s ‘WWE Evil’ Series

Peacock is diving into the sporting life for a pair of new series. The NBCUniversal streamer has ordered WWE Evil, from creator/exec producer John Cena, along with a multipart docuseries about legendary quarterback Joe Montana.

WWE Evil is described as a “psychological exposé” into the minds of the most diabolical antagonists in WWE history and their impact on mainstream culture. Wrestler-actor Cena is writing the project and also will narrate and exec produce.

Cena has a number of projects in the can or in the works, including playing Peacemaker in James Gunn’s upcoming The Suicide Squad and the DC character’s own eponymous spinoff series at HBO Max. He also is set to star with Idris Elba in Heads of State and opposite Meredith Hagner and Lil Rel Howery in Vacation Friends and also co-hosts TBS’ Wipeout revival.

source:  Deadline.com

AEW Announces Return To Touring, Tony Khan Comments

AEW has announced that they are returning to live touring with upcoming Dynamite tapings on the road.

AEW will run Dynamite on July 7 from the James L. Knight Center in Miami; July 14 from the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas; and July 21 at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, TX.

Tickets for all three Dynamite shows will go on sale this Friday, May 14, and will start at $30. Each event will be held in compliance with COVID-19 protocols.

AEW has also announced two re-scheduled live event dates for St. Louis, Missouri and New Orleans, Louisiana. The June 23 taping at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis will now take place on Friday, November 5, and will be a TV taping to air on TNT, but apparently not as a Dynamite show. The event scheduled for the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans will now take place on Wednesday, January 12, 2022, and will be a Dynamite taping.

“We’re so appreciative of our fans in Jacksonville who have been with us these past nine months,” said AEW President, CEO, General Manager and Head of Creative Tony Khan. “Their support and incredible energy have lifted us week after week, and viewers have fed off their enthusiasm and support. Daily’s Place will always be our home.

“Looking ahead, we’re thrilled to welcome our fans back to become part of the action in Miami, Austin and Dallas. We’ve missed touring cities, meeting the fans and hearing their roar during our live shows. Please be assured, we are working closely with the venues to comply with state and local regulations in each city. Miami, Austin and Dallas are the first of many as we gear up the trucks to travel around the country again!”

How Much of the WWE do Vince, Linda, Shane, Stephanie and Triple H Own in 2021?

Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics.com revealed  information about WWE’s shareholders. According to him, the McMahons own class B shares, which give them ten times more voting power than other shareholders. These class B shares can only be transferred to Vince and Linda McMahon’s descendants, i.e. Stephanie and Shane McMahon.

Paul Levesque, Vince’s son-in-law, owns 67,571 class A shares, valued at $3.7 million. These class A shares aren’t like class B, which the McMahons own.

What is shocking is Shane McMahon used to own over a million class B shares but hasn’t been listed as a shareholder since 2013. Rumour has it that he sold his stock a while ago.

According to Thurston’s assessment, Vince owns 38% of the shares and 81% of the voting units. Other major shareholders include Lindsell Train Limited, The Vanguard Group, Stephanie McMahon, and Linda McMahon.

From WWE's 2021 Proxy Statement:

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT.

The following table sets forth certain information known to us with respect to beneficial ownership of our Common Stock as of March 30, 2021 by (1) each stockholder known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of either Class A common stock or Class B common stock; (2) each of the Directors and named executive officers; and (3) the Directors and executive officers as a group. 

Class B1  Vince McMahon         92.3%

Class B1  Linda McMahon           1.0%

Class B1  Stephanie McMahon   6.0

Stephanie McMahon Named to Variety's 2021 New York Impact Report

New Vince McMahon TV Project In The Works

“No Chance: The Vince McMahon Story and The Rise of the New Wrestling World Order” is the working title for the project. Joseph Krueger is the director.

The only position they are casting for as of now looks to be the “Host” role, indicating what kind of TV show this may be, something along the lines of a for-TV-documentary. The production synopsis noted that this is a “review retrospective” and not a movie.

It should be noted that this does not appear to be affiliated with WWE.

Stay tuned for more on the project. Below is the production synopsis provided with the casting call:

“For decades, there were many professional wrestling territories across the United States. Each regional promotion was locally owned and offered it’s own distinct brand of wrestling and home grown superstars . Promoters would often cross-promote their wrestlers with other wrestlers in other promotion under the cooperation of the National Wrestling Alliance which made it easy for wrestlers to go from one territory to the next to improve their craft.

The territories had this system in place that worked well between the 1950s to late 70s. Then by the early 1980s, the rise of cable television began to raise the bar on wrestling territories in putting out a product that would appeal to a large audience. Few tried and had limited success until one third-generation entrepreneur saw the power of Cable TV as his weapon to turn his regional promotion into a national promotion .

Fueled with a bold creative flair of re-imagining pro wrestling as sports entertainment gave Vincent Kennedy McMahon the esteem edge over his adversaries. It was his art of the hustle that led him to raging war on the top territories (AWA, Jim Crocket Promotions, WCCW Mid-South, and many others) and stunting their growth by raiding all of their top talent . It was his novel and bold approach to pitch the Super Bowl of Wrestling Shows , ‘WrestleMania’ into the Pay-Per View stratosphere that wrestling would forever be changed forever.

This isn’t a movie but a review retrospective that will dig deep in learning not only about Vince McMahon’s adversaries but how he outsmarted them all in associating USA Pro Wrestling with the World Wrestling Federation. Learn more about other noteworthy promoters who dared tried to oppose the Young Conqueror in which we will focus on each territories noteworthy plays and embarrassing mistakes made on their wrestling shows.”

Chris Jericho Refutes Triple H Saying AEW vs. NXT Ratings War Was 'Imaginary'

EW star Chris Jericho fired back at WWE NXT founder Triple H on Tuesday regarding the Wednesday night ratings battle between AEW and NXT.

During a recent appearance on Cheap Heat with Peter Rosenberg, Triple H referred to the rivalry between AEW and NXT as an "imaginary war" on Wednesday nights:

"The promotional opportunity for us is much better on a Tuesday. And also then not having to have a narrative where it's just constantly about an imaginary war, or this imaginary battle. And, you know, people can say what they want, but the truth of the matter is you compete against everything. If you are creating a television product or content—that is the world we live in is content not television, not internet. It's everything. So you're constantly competing for eyeballs and time against everything under the sun, including sleep and time to do other things, and video games, and TikTok and everything else that's out there."

In an interview with Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post, Jericho suggested Triple H created the "imaginary war" narrative only because AEW had higher ratings the vast majority of the time:

"It will be there for the rest of time, it was an 'imaginary war,' and if it wasn't a war why did they take Wednesday night the exact same time that we had? It was there to take away our ratings and for us not to get re-signed. Three months after that started we were re-signed to a hundreds-of millions-of-dollars extension. They failed."

After more than a year of AEW and NXT going head-to-head on Wednesday nights, NXT moved to Tuesdays on April 13, marking the end of the Wednesday night wrestling war regardless of whether it was real or imagined.

Jericho added: 

"That's typical WWE. It's typical rhetoric. Because I believe that they congratulated us the first week and said, if you remember, 'It's a marathon, not a sprint.' We won the marathon, right? So now it's an imaginary war. Well then why were they saying it's a marathon, not a sprint a year-and-a-half ago when our first rating came out?"

WWE NXT Viewership Rises, But Its Demographic Number Dips

WWE NXT suffered a decline in viewership last week, but the show somewhat bounced back on May 4.

According to ShowbuzzDaily, the viewership climbed up to 761,000 this week, a slight increase from last week’s 744,000.

As for the 18-49 demographic, WWE NXT drew a 0.18 rating, a notable drop compared to last week’s number of 0.22. Overall, the show ranked 21st among the top 150 original programs on cable.

The May 4 episode included an NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship Match, a Falls Count Anywhere Match between Leon Ruff and Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, and the return of Finn Balor.

NXT VIEWERSHIP YEAR-TO-DATE RANKINGS

Apr. 20: 841,000 – 2021 High

Jan. 14: 551,000 – 2021 Low

May 5: 761,000 – This Week

Titus O’Neil Announced For Another Hall Of Fame

Boys & Girls Clubs of America will induct six new Club alumni into their Alumni Hall of Fame tonight during the youth advocacy organization’s virtual 115th Annual Conference. The ceremony will honor six Boys & Girls Club Alumni, who have made major contributions in their fields, including sports, government, and music.

This year’s inductees, the “Class of 2021,” include: Tara August, Vice President of Turner Sports Talent Relations and Special Projects; Ciara, Grammy-winning recording artist; The Honorable Jerry Demings, Mayor of Orange County; Ricardo Lockette, retired NFL special teams player and wide receiver; Titus O’Neil, WWE Global Ambassador, philanthropist and author; and Alex Rodriguez, entrepreneur, philanthropist and MLB All Star.

The honorees have forged unique, successful paths as adults, but a shared Boys & Girls Club foundation of education, support and community brought to them through invaluable programs, attentive staff, and the connections made with other Club youth.

Titus O’Neil

Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, Florida

WWE Global Ambassador Titus O’Neil, aka Thaddeus Bullard, attended Delray Beach Boys & Girls Club at the age of 8 as a safe place to go after school. When he couldn’t afford to sign up for a local youth football league, a Club counselor paid his registration fee. He excelled on the gridiron, earning a scholarship to the University of Florida, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in administrative education. After a stint in the NFL, O’Neil pursued a career in sports entertainment, and eventually signed with WWE where he has become WWE Tag Team Champion, the first-ever 24/7 Champion and was recently inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as the Warrior Award recipient, an award given to an individual who exhibits unwavering strength and perseverance and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of The Ultimate Warrior. He is known for his humanitarian work outside the ring as much as his work inside WWE and created the Bullard Family Foundation to provide children and families in need with programs and resources to help build character, develop relationships, and strengthen the communities around them. In addition to the Boys & Girls Clubs, O’Neil also supports The Special Olympics and Pop Warner Football.

Rumor Mill - WWE In Talks With Major League Wrestling

WWE is reportedly in talks with Major League Wrestling, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. 

The deal would allow some NXT developmental wrestlers appear on MLW TV, and would be a very similar deal to what they had with EVOLVE. 

The deal would also help talent they have signed have further exposure, instead of sitting on the sidelines while the company is currently off the road due to the COVID19 pandemic.

We recently reported, WWE filmed a new pilot for a show titled, "NXT EVOLVE" with the idea that it would air weekly on Peacock and feature some of WWE’s developmental talent. It remains unknown if this idea will materialize into something.

WWE also wants to be viewed as forward-thinking and open to working with other promotions, given the fact AEW has partnerships with the likes of IMPACT Wrestling, New Japan and AAA.

Peacock signs up 9 million after adding WWE and The Office

WWE Most Wanted Treasures Viewership Up

Sunday’s second episode of WWE Most Wanted Treasures drew 769,000 viewers on A&E at 10pm. The one-hour show drew a 0.27 rating like the Biography on Piper, tying for the #10 spot on the Cable Top 150.

This is up from last week’s Most Wanted Treasures premiere, which drew 766,000 viewers. Last Sunday’s premiere drew a 0.29 rating in the key demo, ranking #11 on the Cable Top 150.

Supreme Court declines to hear wrestlers' brain damage cases against WWE

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear the appeals of several former pro wrestlers who claimed in lawsuits that World Wrestling Entertainment failed to protect them from repeated head injuries that led to long-term brain damage.

The former wrestlers asked the high court to review lower court rulings that dismissed the lawsuits because they were filed too late. The plaintiffs include William "Billy Jack'' Haynes, Russ "Big Russ'' McCullough, Ryan Sakoda, Matthew "Luther Reigns'' Wiese and the wife of the late Nelson "Viscera'' Frazier, also known as Big Daddy V, who died in 2014.

Monday's decision, which the Supreme Court did not explain under its usual practice, put an end to the last remaining lawsuits in an array of litigation originally filed six years ago in Connecticut against the WWE over concussions and other injuries. The WWE is based in Stamford.

More than 50 former wrestlers, most of them stars in the 1980s and 1990s, sued the WWE, saying they suffered repeated head injuries including concussions that led to long-term brain damage. They accused the WWE of knowing of the risks of head injuries but not warning its wrestlers.

Other wrestlers who filed suit were Jimmy "Superfly'' Snuka, Joseph "Road Warrior Animal'' Laurinaitis, Paul "Mr. Wonderful'' Orndorff, Chris "King Kong Bundy'' Pallies and Harry Masayoshi Fujiwara, known as Mr. Fuji.

Snuka and Fujiwara died in 2017 and 2016, respectively, and were diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, after their deaths, according to their lawyer. Pallies and Laurinaitis died in 2019 and 2020, respectively, of undisclosed causes. Other plaintiffs have dementia and other illnesses, the lawsuits said.

Several lawsuits were dismissed in 2018 by U.S. District Judge Vanessa Bryant in Hartford, Connecticut. Bryant ruled there was no evidence the WWE knew while the plaintiffs were wrestling that concussions or head blows during matches caused CTE or other long-term injuries.

She also ruled the lawsuits that were the subject of Monday's Supreme Court decision were filed after the statute of limitations expired.

The rulings were upheld last year by a federal appeals court in New York City. The WWE denied wrongdoing and said the lawsuits had no merit.

"We're glad it's finally over,'' Jerry McDevitt, a lawyer for the WWE, said Monday. "We were completely vindicated.''

More?

John Cone’s WWE Termination Rescinded

Throughout the past week, WWE has been in the midst of some major changes in the executive department.

Previous reports stated that Mark Carrano and Dan Engler, among others, had been relieved of their duties. One of the employees in this group has reportedly been reinstated.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider reports that the departure of John Cone, who serves as a Senior Manager in the WWE Talent Relations department, has been nullified.

“PWInsider.com has learned that John Cone’s termination from the WWE Talent Relations department has been rescinded,” Johnson writes. “Cone is already back as Senior Manager for the department under John Laurinaitis.”

Cone’s dismissal had been met with displeasure, and in a tweet, WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley asked WWE to reconsider the move. 

Departures In WWE Talent Relations Shake-Up

PWInsider is reporting that WWE has been undergoing somewhat of a corporate level housecleaning this week, with the departures centered around the Talent Relations department.

Nicole Zeoli, who was working as Director of Talent Relations, is no longer with the company. She had been with WWE for more than 11 years, and moved into this Director’s role in February 2018.

Longtime WWE referee John Cone has been released from his role as Senior Manager of the Talent Relations department. He remains with the company as a referee.

John Laurinaitis recently took over as head of the Talent Relations department.

WWE Body Slams Wall Street's Forecasts

WWE reported first-quarter revenue of $263.5 million, down 9% from the year-ago quarter but ahead of Wall Street estimates as the company starts to wriggle out of Covid-19’s headlock.

Earnings per share also more than doubled the consensus expectation from analysts, reaching 51 cents compared with 31 cents a year ago.

The company’s signature live events have been all but eliminated during the pandemic, but they are slowly returning to the schedule as virus trends improve. A major influx of revenue also came in during the quarter as the stand-alone WWE Network was absorbed into NBCUniversal streaming service, Peacock.

The March 18 launch of WWE Network programming on Peacock was followed by the shift of NXT to Tuesday nights this month on longtime network partner USA.

Wrestlemania 37, the annual pay-per-view extravaganza held this month at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, was the most-viewed live event in the history of Peacock, WWE said. While they didn’t offer any specific numbers, the No. 1 ranking is noteworthy given that the year-old streaming outlet carries Premier League soccer as well as a range of other sports in the U.S.

Company founder and CEO Vince McMahon said his company’s emergence from the dark days of Covid — which doomed his effort to revive the XFL on top of the steep losses for the WWE — has been gradual. “At first we were in survival mode, but then we found a way,” he said during a conference call with analysts.

Nick Khan, the former co-head of television at CAA who joined the WWE several months ago as president and chief revenue officer, said trends in sports media are helpful for the company. The NFL’s long-term rights deal with Amazon, for example, points to streaming as a lucrative trend. Khan said the WWE is shopping the same package that migrated to Peacock to international streaming outlets.

source: deadline.com

WWE Developing Anime Series For Crunchyroll

During today’s WWE Q1 2021 earnings, WWE President Nick Khan announced that WWE is developing an anime series for Crunchyroll.

Crunchyroll offers the largest anime streaming service in the world and is one of the top 10 streaming companies in the United States.

“As we continue to expand WWE’s brand beyond the ring, we remain focused on developing a slate of original programming from our WWE Studios,” Khan said. “We sold a multiepisode anime series to Crunchyroll, which as all of you know is now owned by Sony.”

Triple H, Stephanie McMahon Publicly Apologize To Mickie James, Fire The Person Who Sent Her ‘Care Package’

Following Mickie James being sent a “care package” of her belongings in a garbage bag, multiple WWE executives have now stated that the person responsible for the disrespectful mishap has been fired.

Mickie James was released by WWE on Thursday, April 15, 2021. At the time, she stated that she was looking forward to going out and doing the things that “they said she couldn’t.”

One week later she took to social media to share that her belongings have been sent back to her in a trash bag with a sticky note attached, sharing her name. She later tweeted about this directly to Vince McMahon’s account and several WWE Executives including Triple H and Stephanie McMahon have apologized and stated that the individual has been fired. John Laurinaitis, head of Talent Relations, also posted an apology.

In Stephanie’s tweet, she’d directly address Mickie, saying that she felt embarrassed that something like that would ever happen on behalf of WWE.

Wrestling Inc. is reporting that WWE has fired Senior Director of Talent Relations Mark Carrano.

Triple H Calls NXT vs. AEW An Imaginary War

The competition between NXT and AEW Dynamite, dubbed the "Wednesday Night Wars," officially ended earlier this month when NXT moved to Tuesday. Both shows have benefited since then, with NXT's audience breaking 800,000 for the past two weeks while Dynamite brought in its second-biggest audience in the show's history by surpassing 1.2 million. Triple H was a guest on the Cheap Heat Podcast this week and discussed NXT's move to Tuesday, referring to their ratings battle with All Elite Wrestling as an "imaginary war."

"The promotional opportunity for us is much better on a Tuesday and also then not having to have a narrative where it's just constantly about an imaginary war or this imaginary battle," Triple H said (h/t Wrestling Inc.). "People can say what they want, but the truth of the matter is you compete against everything. If you are creating a television product or content and that is the world we live in is content not television, not internet. It's everything. You're constantly competing for eyeballs and time against everything under the sun, including sleep and time to do other things, and video games, and Tik Tok and everything else that's out there.

"So having your own space where you don't have to then have an added imaginary battle stacked up against it, it's kind of nice. The bigger fact is having a lead in from a Tuesday into a Wednesday. When we first started, NXT was on Wednesday's for viewers of The Network. The transition to USA and wanting to keep that consistency for those that were watching on The Network so they would know where to find it and not have confusion of SmackDown leaving Tuesday's and people joining in and finding something else. Time has gone by now, and this is a great opportunity for us to have that lead in for Monday Night Raw, get that promotional window for Monday Night RAW, get to Tuesday's and continue to deliver the product."

"Again, I'm thrilled with it, and I think the opportunity is the same as it was before, which is for talent to get out there live and show everything that they can do, and I'm a big believer that talent will shine through, and they'll get that opportunity and you'll make bigger and bigger stars as time goes by. It's about making stars and them having that opportunity not just the number every single week."

Rob Van Dam On What Vince McMahon And Triple H Told Him At The WWE Hall Of Fame Ceremony

“One thing I want to mention that was the highest honor during the ceremony was when I talked to Vince and Triple H when we were getting our photos taken. They both told me that I changed the style of wrestling. That’s huge to hear that from them. I jokingly said, ‘For better or worse?’ They both said for better and the people trying to emulate me now are dangerous. I’ll always remember that. I would like to think I was impactful on the style.”

Stephanie McMahon Issues Statement On WrestleMania 37

Stephanie McMahon issued the following open letter:

Good morning,

On Saturday night, I stood on stage at Raymond James Stadium, surrounded by WWE Superstars, in front of a 103 ft long pirate ship, and looked out into a sea of fans. My father, WWE Chairman and CEO, Vince McMahon, addressed the crowd and said: “Throughout this past year our WWE Superstars performed tirelessly for all of you. Week after week, month after month but we all knew there was something missing, something very important, THE most important, and that would be all of you, our fans, the WWE Universe. And as we emerge from this dreadful pandemic on behalf of our entire WWE family, we would simply like to say thank you and welcome you to, WRESTLEMANIA!”

The 25K in attendance erupted and the rest of us had tears in our eyes; reinforcing the meaning behind our new company signature that started the show, “Then. Now. Forever. Together.”

WrestleMania streamed exclusively from its new home on Peacock in the U.S., and WWE Network around the world, taking place over two nights and making history.

Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair became the first Black female Superstars to main event WrestleMania. We had live musical performances from Bebe Rexha, Wale, Ash Costello and Ashland Craft, and Grammy award-winning artist Bad Bunny and YouTube influencer Logan Paul found themselves getting in on the action inside the ring. Bad Bunny’s performance receiving praise from ESPN touting it as “…one of, if not the, most impressive showings by a celebrity in the ring.”

WWE also secured a record 14 new and returning blue chip partners for WrestleMania including Snickers as the Presenting Partner for the sixth consecutive year and Presenting Partner of the Main Event, NBCUniversal, Papa John’s, Cricket Wireless, P&G’s Old Spice, DraftKings, 2K, Nissin, and Credit One Bank.

Across YouTube, WWE.com and WWE social media content during WrestleMania Week, video views hit 1.1 billion, 31 million hours of content was consumed, and WWE-related content saw 115 million engagements. WrestleMania was also the world’s most-social program both nights of the weekend, delivering 71 Twitter trends in the U.S. alone.

For the first time we launched a series of NFTs featuring The Undertaker, had record breaking WrestleMania weekend e-commerce sales and record merchandise per capita sales in stadium.

WWE Superstars and executives participated in more than 300 interviews to promote our WrestleMania celebration including appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, TODAY Show, ESPN Get Up, FOX & Friends, E! and Access Hollywood. And because we always want to leave our host city better off than when we arrived, we held more than 10 community activations throughout the week, from our community caravan where we recognized 11 local community leaders; to teaming with FOX Sports and Good Sports to donate sports equipment to Special Olympics Florida; and working with Feeding Tampa Bay, University of FL IFAS program, the Healthy Living Coalition, Nestle Waters and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission to dedicate the first of five sustainable community gardens throughout the Tampa Bay area to combat food insecurity.

It takes the effort of so many different people to make WrestleMania happen, especially during a global pandemic. Thank you to our friends, partners, employees, and of course, our Superstars for making it possible.

I hope to see everyone in person soon,

Steph

AEW Dynamite Draws Largest Audience Since Debut

Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite, featuring TNT Champion Darby Allin retaining over Matt Hardy in the main event, drew 1.219 million viewers on TNT, according to Nielsen via Showbuzz Daily.

It should be noted that this was the first Dynamite episode to air unopposed after WWE NXT made its move to Tuesday nights. 

This AEW viewership is up 77% from last week’s show, which drew 688,000 viewers.

WWE Releases Several Superstars

WWE announced 9 departures this afternoon – Samoa Joe, Mickie James, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Bo Dallas, Wesley Blake, Kalisto, Mojo Rawley, Tucker and Chelsea Green. They won’t be free to sign with other promotions until Wednesday, July 14, according to F4Wonline.com.

WrestleMania 37 Scores Big Numbers for WWE as Company Welcomes Fans for First Time in Over a Year

WrestleMania 37 marked the first WWE event with fans in attendance since last March, and by many measures, it was a homerun.

The sports entertainment company’s flagship event, which was held over two nights this past Saturday and Sunday, took place at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. Capacity was capped, though both nights still sold out, with 25,675 fans each night (51,350 total). Fans were seated in socially distanced pods, with mask requirements, mobile ticketing, cashless concessions, and enhanced sanitization throughout the venue.

According to WWE, the event also saw a record 1.1 billion video views across their various video and social media channels, marking a 14% increase year-over-year. WWE content also saw a record 115 million engagement on social media during the week of WrestleMania, a 102% increase, and boasted 71 Twitter trends alone between Saturday and Sunday night. In addition, on-site merchandise sales were said to be the highest per capita in WWE history.

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WWE NXT Viewership For First Tuesday Night Episode With Takeover Fallout

Tuesday’s live post-Takeover edition of WWE NXT on the USA Network drew 805,000 viewers on the USA Network, according to Nielsen via Showbuzz Daily.

It should be noted that this was the first NXT episode to air on Tuesday nights, with no head-to-head competition from AEW Dynamite. This show featured fallout from last week’s two-night “Takeover: Stand and Deliver” event.

This viewership is up 4.82% from last week’s show, which drew 768,000 viewers for the Takeover Night One episode that also aired on Peacock/WWE Network with no commercials, and up against AEW Dynamite.

NXT tied for #8 on the Cable Top 150 this week with a 0.22 rating in the 18-49 key demographic. This is in line with last week’s final Wednesday show, which ranked #11 with a 0.22 rating in the key demo.

This week’s NXT show ranked #60 in viewership, tying with Assembly Required and the 9am airing of CNN Newsroom. This is down from last week’s #59 ranking.

This is NXT’s biggest audience since October 28, which was the Halloween Havoc show that drew 876,000 viewers with a 0.25 rating in the 18-49 demographic. This week’s show tied with last week’s show for NXT’s biggest key demo rating since Halloween Havoc.

This week’s NXT viewership was up 16% from the same week in 2020, while this week’s key demo rating was up 29.4% from the same week in 2020.

WrestleMania 37 Boasts 51,000+ Fans Over Two Nights

WrestleMania 37 had quite the turnout this weekend in Tampa.

Following the announcement that they’d sold out night one of WrestleMania, WWE is now touting a second consecutive sell-out with 25,675 fans in attendance. With the two sell outs, a combined 51,350 fans attended both nights of WrestleMania at Raymond James Stadium.

WrestleMania 38 will take place on Sunday, April 3, 2022 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The full press release is below:

SUNDAY WRESTLEMANIA® SOLD OUT

TAMPA BAY, FL., April 11, 2021 – For the second consecutive night, a sell-out of 25,675 fans attended WrestleMania at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, FL with millions more watching at home on Peacock in the U.S. and on WWE Network around the world.

Two sell outs with a combined 51,350 fans attended both nights of WrestleMania at Raymond James Stadium.

Adhering to local health guidelines, a limited number of tickets were sold for both nights of WrestleMania, with all in attendance seated in socially-distanced pods. Additional safety measures included health screenings and temperature checks prior to entry into Raymond James Stadium, mask requirements, social distancing, mobile ticketing, cashless concessions and enhanced sanitization throughout the venue.

Next year’s WrestleMania will take place on Sunday, April 3, 2022 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington/Dallas. Ticket information will be announced later this year.

Triple H Disputes Report About WWE NXT Talent Meeting

The original report stated that AEW was mentioned and how AEW came in and tried to bully them. However, a follow-up report retracted that, noting that the word “bully” was not mentioned at all. Triple H gave some details of the team meeting with NXT talent.

“If I wanted everybody to know what was in the meeting, I would have put out a memo, and you guys could have just got it from one of your sources firsthand and printed it,” Triple H said. “It was a conversation with our talent. That was exactly that. It was informational to tell them where we’re going. Meetings that we have all the time. Given COVID restrictions, we had a lot less than we normally would.

“As far as the content of the meeting that was reported by a lot of people and elsewhere, completely inaccurate. Never said. Never brought up. Nobody else was ever brought up. Wasn’t about other people. Wasn’t about other brands, or companies or anything else. It was a factual meeting to tell people where we’re going, where we’re headed and to motivate them going into the future. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Tito Ortiz Thanks Shane McMahon And Triple H For Opportunity At WWE PC

MMA legend Tito Ortiz is most known for his time inside the octagon, but the Hunting Beach Bad Boy has had a spell in the squared circle.

Aside from some brief appearances as a special guest referee in the mid-2000s, Ortiz’s professional wrestling tenure is most noteworthy for his involvement in TNA’s Aces and Eights storyline. Ortiz joined the infamous biker gang stable in late 2013, but abruptly left the group and the company when Bellator MMA pulled him off television.

While he hasn’t been involved in the pro wrestling world in nearly a decade, Ortiz might be looking to step back in. Speaking with SportsMattersTV, Ortiz discussed his time training at the WWE Performance Center last year.

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G4 And WWE Partner For Video Game Competition Series Hosted By Xavier Woods

G4 and WWE announced they are partnering for a video game competition series hosted by Xavier Woods this fall.

Premiering on G4 this fall, The program will “pit some of the biggest content creators in gaming against each other, playing some of the most popular video games to settle scores…with scores.”

“Getting a shot to be a G4 cast member is incredible and humbling in itself, and I couldn’t be more excited for the chance to have my own show,” said Xavier Woods. “Not only will I host but I’ll also have a pivotal role to play as the top personalities in gaming try to settle their beef.”

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Titus O’Neil to receive 2020 Warrior Award at WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

From WWE.com:

WWE Global Ambassador Titus O’Neil has been named the recipient of the 2020 Warrior Award. Named after WWE Hall of Famer The Ultimate Warrior, The Warrior Award is presented to an individual who has exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of The Ultimate Warrior. The news was first reported by the Tampa Bay Times.

The Warrior Award presentation will be part of the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, streaming tomorrow, Tuesday, April 6 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock in the U.S. and on WWE Network everywhere else.

Titus O’Neil is one of the most philanthropic Superstars in WWE history.  A fixture in the Tampa Bay community and passionate about giving back to families in need, O’Neil founded The Bullard Family Foundation, an organization that provides families and children in need with special moments, programs, and resources to help build character, develop relationships, and strengthen communities around them. In addition, O’Neil is an Ambassador for WWE, helping thousands of individuals through various nonprofits and WWE partners including Susan G. Komen, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Special Olympics. His passion for community and uplifting others inspired him to write his first book, “There’s No Such Thing as a Bad Kid: How I Went from Stereotype to Prototype,” in 2019. O’Neil is a Tampa Bay native and graduated from the University of Florida where he was a standout football player for the Gators.

Triple H Reflects On WWE NXT’s Wednesday Night Run Head-To-Head With AEW

Paul “Triple H” Levesque spoke with the media ahead of NXT “TakeOver: Stand And Deliver”. The first Tuesday after TakeOver will be the first episode of NXT on Tuesday nights full time on USA Network. Triple H was asked how he would rate NXT’s run on Wednesday nights on USA Network.

“Very successful. For me, we went from a very small platform of the [WWE] Network with a lot of buzz outside of it to jumping to USA from one hour to two hours from pre-tape to live to everything in between,” Triple H said. “Talent call-ups, and talent blooming, and injuries and pandemics, you name it. In the course of that period of time, I’m incredibly proud and happy with what we’ve done with the brand, and the the opportunity is right now.

“What we first did, it was about maintenance of a consistent time slot, day of the week and time so that people could find what they were used to finding, even in that smaller group. Now we’ve established a consistent viewership. The viewership over the the period of time, I think it’s 850,000 a week. Obviously, we just renewed a multi-year deal. The network is very happy. The ability to jump to Peacock and have more visibility for our larger tentpole events, our TakeOver’s, and be able to create more interest in the product in that manner, it’s all for the right reasons.

“The Tuesday lead in from Monday night at a promotion from Monday night to Tuesday is going to be great for us. It’s all good, and to be honest, if you would have asked me a year and a half or whatever it was, ‘Hey, how would you see this going?’ I would see it going about what it is now. The ability to establish a fan base and then decide the best place to put it but establishing that fan base in the consistent time slot was where it was at.

Triple H also addressed if there will be any significant changes to NXT with their move to Tuesday nights. He used the HBO show Game of Thrones to illustrate NXT’s approach in how they produce shows.

“As far as further changes, you make them every week. It’s constantly looking at what you do to try to fans the best possible shows,” Triple H explained. “Not just in that moment because that is — a funny thing, they don’t write Game of Thrones and go, ‘How do you give them the greatest episode possible every single week?’ You have to build to things. You have to build long term. You have to think long term. It’s going to ebb and flow in what the episodes themselves look like. It’s all about long term. It really is, and it’s hard for people to garner, but we’re on the exact path I would like to be on.”

WWE Studios To Partner Up With Game Show Network

WWE Studios is set to produce new content for the Game Show Network, according to Cablefax.

The deal is expected to showcase new game formats and WWE Superstars as hosts for upcoming shows.

Last October, The Miz revealed at a Virtual Equality Lounge interview that WWE Sutdios and MadRoe Productions (Miz and Maryse’s production company) were producing a new game show, Brawl In the Family.

“I’m so happy to be a part of a company like WWE because it allows myself, and my wife, to not only be in a WWE ring, but also it allows us to have shows, like Miz & Mrs,” Miz said. “You know, we’re developing a show right now, a game show with WWE Studios, called Brawl In the Family.”

“I’ll never forget my wife and I talking and we were like, ‘Man, we need to start getting more stuff out there.’ I feel like this is the time to really do something. My wife kept harping on it and harping on it, and we sat down one day and we just created a game show.”

AEW Dynamite Viewership Drops Again, NXT Sees Demo Increase

The  numbers are in for this week's Wednesday Night War.

This week is high for NXT and low for Dynamite, just as the Wednesday Night War is one week from its final head-to-head week of competition.

AEW Dynamite won the night with 700,000 viewers and finished 7th on cable, although it was down from last week’s 757,000.

NXT viewership also decreased this week, but ratings in the key demo increased. NXT averaged 654,000 viewers, which is slightly down from last week’s audience of 678,000 viewers.

Dynamite scored a .26 rating in people 18-49 demographic (from a .30 last week) while NXT scored a .21 rating in the 18-49 demo to rank at No. 12 for the night. NXT previously scored .14 in the 18-49 demo and was No. 29 last week.

Source: showbuzzdaily.com