Jeff Hardy Released From WWE

Jeff Hardy has been released by WWE.

On Thursday, Fightful reported Jeff Hardy was released by WWE. No other details regarding terms of the release or what caused Hardy’s status to change were reported, but the release comes just days after Hardy was reportedly sent home from WWE’s live event tour this weekend.

When asking around for more details in regards to the initial report, sources only confirmed to WrestleZone that Jeff Hardy has been released by WWE.

According to a previous report from Mike Johnson of PWInsider, Hardy was sent home after he appeared increasingly “sluggish” in the ring during a WWE live event on December 4. Hardy competed alongside King Woods and Drew McIntyre in a six-man tag team bout against The Bloodline, but he ultimately left the arena through the crowd with security following him to the backstage area.

Hardy was later sent home from the tour and replaced by Rey Mysterio on the December 5 show in Corpus Christi, Texas. Hardy’s last televised appearance came on the December 3 episode of SmackDown when he and Drew McIntyre brawled with Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss, setting up an advertised singles match with Corbin for the December 10 episode.

Hardy’s latest run with WWE was his third with the company; he returned in 2017 at WrestleMania 33 alongside his brother, Matt, to win the Raw Tag Team Championship. During this run, Hardy also won the Intercontinental Championship and United States Championship.

Update: Sapp later said he was told that WWE offered Hardy help and rehab, but it was not accepted.

WWE Reveals Inaugural Class Of NIL Athletes

WWE has unveiled 15 college athletes who will be among the first to participate in the company’s newly formed NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program that provides a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE.

The inaugural “Next In Line” class includes athletes from 13 universities, seven NCAA conferences and four sports. In addition to the United States, the class includes representation from myriad countries spanning from Canada and Nigeria. The following 15 athletes join Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson in WWE’s first-of-its-kind NIL program:

* Carlos Aviles, of Ventura, Calif., a 6-foot-6, 305-pound track & field athlete from Ohio State University

* Haley Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University

* Hanna Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University

* A.J. Ferrari of Dallas, Texas, a 6-foot, 200-pound wrestler from Oklahoma State University

* Lexi Gordon of Fort Worth, Texas, a 6-foot basketball player from Duke University

* Aleeya Hutchins of Toronto, Canada, a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from Wake Forest University

* John Krahn of Riverside, Calif., a 7-foot, 400-pound football player from Portland State University

* Glen Logan of Kenner, La., a 6-foot-5, 305-pound football player from LSU

* Isaac Odugbesan of Lagos, Nigeria, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound football player from the University of Alabama

* Mason Parris of Lawrenceburg, Ind., a 6-foot-2, 275-pound wrestler from the University of Michigan

* Masai Russel of Potomac, Md., a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from the University of Kentucky

* Jon Seaton of Hillsborough, N.J., a 6-foot-1, 285-pound football player from Elon University

* Joe Spivak of Lombard, Ill., a 6-foot, 300-pound football player from Northwestern University

* Dalton Wagner of Spring Grove, Ill., a 6-foot-9, 330-pound football player from the University of Arkansas

* Riley White of Hoover, Ala., a 5-foot-6 track & field athlete from the University of Alabama

WWE’s NIL program was announced last week following the NCAA’s historic new policy that took effect on July 1, 2021, which has ushered in the NIL era, allowing college athletes the ability to monetize their name, image and likeness. The comprehensive program serves to recruit and develop potential future Superstars and further enhances WWE’s talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds.

All athlete partnerships will feature access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization, including brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, select athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to be offered a WWE contract.

Learn more about the “Next In Line” program at wwe.com/nil.

Shawn Michaels Provides Update On Why Triple H Hasn't Returned To NXT Yet

 

During an interview with Jim Varsallone, Shawn Michaels provided an update on Triple H's status and health.

“Right now, for me, I’ve told him, ‘I don’t care how good you are, you stay away, get healthy, concentrate on you.’ The thing is, he put in a fabulous team here and that’s why it’s able to continue on without him because he put phenomenal people in place. I’m just the guy that gets to expedite everything and run traffic. The team he put in place was prepared for these kind of days and we want him to get healthy. He doesn’t have anything to worry about, we’ll be here when he gets back.“

WWE Launches NIL Program: NEXT IN LINE

WWE today announced the launch of a groundbreaking NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program that will provide a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE. Following a historic new policy by the NCAA effective July 1, 2021, which ushered in the NIL era allowing college athletes the ability to monetize their name, image and likeness, WWE has constructed a comprehensive program to recruit and develop potential future Superstars. Dubbed “Next In Line™,” the NIL program aims to enhance the talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds. “The WWE NIL program has the potential to be transformational to our business,” said Paul Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy and Development. “By creating partnerships with elite athletes at all levels across a wide variety of college sports, we will dramatically expand our pool of talent and create a system that readies NCAA competitors for WWE once their collegiate careers come to a close.” All athlete partnerships will feature access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization including brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, select athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to be offered a WWE contract. In September, WWE announced its first NIL deal with heavyweight freestyle wrestler Gable Steveson who captured a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The agreement allowed Steveson to return to the University of Minnesota for his senior season where he is defending his NCAA National Championship while beginning his Superstar training with WWE. WWE will unveil the first class of NIL partnerships in the coming weeks.

Booker T Says Triple H Was “A Bigger Star Than CM Punk” Before Marrying Stephanie McMahon

During their highly-praised promo segment on last week’s AEW Dynamite, MJF and CM Punk made several references to WWE legend Triple H.

Near the end of the segment, Punk mentioned how MJF would have to marry Tony Khan’s daughter to emerge as the No. 1 star in AEW, referencing Triple H marrying Stephanie McMahon.

“The only way you’ll be number one is if Tony Khan has a daughter and you marry her,” Punk told MJF.

Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Booker T was admittedly ticked off by Punk’s choice of words, pointing out that The Game was “a bigger star than CM Punk” even before he married the daughter of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

“It ticks me off a little bit, I’ve worked with Hunter since WCW. Hunter was a bigger star than CM Punk was before he even married Stephanie McMahon and that’s just fact,” Booker T said on his Hall of Fame podcast on Wednesday. “As far as becoming a bigger star after that, of course he was going to become a bigger star after that (marrying Stephanie), he was in the family now. Look here, if CM Punk would’ve married Stephanie McMahon, he would’ve become a bigger star, perhaps.”

Booker added, “CM Punk was a big star in WWE and they were treating him like he was a big star in WWE. I don’t see how or why anyone could think that CM Punk wasn’t treated like a mega star.”

Speaking further on the promo segment, Booker T called out Punk for trying to “get a cheap pop” at the expense of Triple H.

“I’ve always been willing to say to someone’s face what I wanted to get off my chest,” Booker stressed. “I’ve never wanted to go and hide somewhere and get a cheap pop talking about someone, especially someone I respect, who has done it the way we all have – entertaining fans in America and abroad, blood, sweat and tears. He (Triple H) is one of those guys who is one of the pillars of WWE, always will be.

“I watched that guy (Triple H) working on the furniture in WCW, I’m talking about stairs, chairs, I’m talking about blood matches, I considered him the real deal. That was coming from one of his peers, that wasn’t from someone who got along with him, broke bread (with him), or ever rode down the road with him one time. I said, ‘This dude is the real deal.'”

H/T to SK Wrestling for the transcription.

Stephanie McMahon Provides Status Update On The Vince McMahon Documentary

Stephanie McMahon was a guest at the March of Dimes event, where someone asked her for an update regarding the Vince McMahon documentary that has been in production.

"It's scheduled to release next year in 2022. The timing is still TBD. I am equal parts excited and really nervous. I don't know what it's going to say, but it's going to capture his life and his story, which so richly deserves to be told."

Kane Thinks Triple H Is The One Person Who Can Take WWE To Even Greater Heights

For years, the belief has been that Triple H would be the person to take over WWE when Vince McMahon passes away or steps down as chairman of the company. 

Kane also believes this and talked about it during an appearance on The Doug Collins Podcast. 

“You know, I don’t know, actually. I’m not close enough to the company to say that right now. I think as companies mature, you become more risk-averse. Because you want to keep what you have and you’re afraid of losing that. Unfortunately, the downside is you become less aggressive and you don’t have that growth just because of where you’re at. I think you kind of see some of that, and that’s not a criticism, that just is what it is, and that’s the kind of lifecycle of an organization. So a lot of stuff as Vince gets older, I think things will change, for better or worse, I don’t know.

“A lot of folks lament, especially some of the wrestlers, how the company’s become much more corporate, but it had to, I mean, in this day and age, that’s just how things work. So you see these natural changes and then you see a change in leadership, I don’t know what’s going to happen. Triple H, I think. has an amazing mind for the wrestling industry. If I were to say, you know, one person that could really take the company and take it even higher and even further, it would be him. I think he’s just got that kind of talent. He’s a genius at this stuff. You know, so but we’ll see what the future holds, certainly.”

H/T to Fightful for the transcript

Stephanie McMahon Provides An Update On Triple H

WWE revealed some potentially scary news earlier this year when it informed fans Triple H had undergone surgery following a cardiac event. The details surrounding exactly what happened to The Game remain unclear. He has been off TV ever since, and before that in fairness, as well as absent from NXT tapings, presumably so he can continue his recovery at home.

Very little has been revealed in the more than two months since WWE broke the news that Triple H would be undergoing heart surgery. The Game tweeted fans a couple of weeks later, letting them know he was okay and thanking them for their support. Talk Sport's Alex McCarthy has now shared a further update after speaking with Stephanie McMahon over Survivor Series weekend.

When McCarthy asked McMahon how her husband is doing, she reportedly informed him that The Cerebral Assassin is “doing great”. Not much, but at least it's positive and a sign that Triple H is recovering well from whatever the event was and the surgery he needed to fix it. No word on if and when Triple H will return to NXT to oversee the brand.

Triple H Spotted For First Time Following Heart Surgery

Paul “Triple H” Levesque has resurfaced in a video posted on TikTok. It’s believed to be the first video of the WWE executive since he had heart surgery following a cardiac event.

The video shows Triple H wearing a hardhat as he walks in a group led by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan. The group is touring a construction site, presumed to be the new WWE headquarters being built in Stamford, Connecticut. Triple H has not made any public appearances since his surgery. 

WWE talents were reportedly not given any timetable on when Triple H would return to work full-time. WWE executive Bruce Pritchard provided a brief update on Triple H’s health earlier this month on his podcast, Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard.

“He is feeling better, he’s coming along good,” Prichard said. “He’s moving along man, more power to him!”

The construction of the new WWE headquarters is still in its early stages. A report earlier this week stated that WWE employees are expected to begin moving into the company headquarters by the end of 2022. WWE originally planned to have construction completed in time for employees to move into their news offices earlier this year. That timeline was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

WWE Releases More Superstars

WWE has released multiple Superstars including multiple-time champion John Morrison alongside former NXT North American Champion Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott.

As first broken by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, WWE has released the following WWE Superstars on November 18th:

John Morrison

Top Dolla

Ashante Adonis

Isiah Swerve Scott

Tegan Nox

Drake Maverick

Shane Thorne

Jaxson Ryker

Stephanie McMahon Named One Of The Most Powerful Women In Sports

WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon has made Adweek’s 2021 Most Powerful Women In Sports list.

The group of 34 female leaders in sports made the list for moving athletics forward for everyone, and elevating their teams, leagues, brands, and clients.

Adweek’s David Cohen wrote the following on McMahon’s profile for the 2021 Most Powerful Women In Sports list:

“As pandemic restrictions began to ease, WWE exploded out of the gates. In January, McMahon was part of the team that inked a landmark streaming pact with long-standing partner NBCUniversal, giving Peacock exclusive rights to direct-to-consumer platform WWE Network. WWE also landed blue-chip brands including General Motors, Procter and Gamble’s Tide, Unilever’s Klondike and Universal Studios, and struck deals that made DraftKings the company’s first-ever free-to-play gaming partner and Snickers the presenting partner of WrestleMania for the sixth consecutive year. And when fans made their long-awaited return to WrestleMania in April, after more than a year of performances with no fans in attendance, the event brought the energy of sellout crowds and featured the first Black women to perform in the main event and a new company signature—’Then Now Forever Together’—which McMahon says was implemented ‘to recognize and celebrate our fans, our community and the message of inclusivity. It was important to show our fans that no matter who they are or where they come from, they belong and will always be part of the WWE family.’ Next up is a partnership with Spotify’s The Ringer for an exclusive audio network and new podcast slate.”

McMahon answered a question from Adweek on how the last 19 months have been. She said they have been “a lesson in the importance of human connection.”

FOX Sports issued a message to Stephanie for the Adweek piece. They said, “The definition of power, style and grace. Congratulations, Stephanie! Keep bringing the SmackDown. Your friends at FOX Sports.”

Stephanie McMahon To Receive Corporate Leadership Award

It was announced yesterday that Stephanie McMahon will be honored with the Corporate Leadership Award from the organization. The ceremony will be held on Tuesday, November 30 at the 38th Annual Sports Luncheon, hosted by the March of Dimes Greater New York/New Jersey Market.

McMahon will be honored along with Big Ten Conference Commissioner Kevin Warren, who is receiving the Sports Leadership Award. Longtime NHL player Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers and 11-time Olympic medalist Allyson Felix will honored with the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards.

The March of Dimes press release noted, “As Chief Brand Officer, Stephanie McMahon is responsible for ensuring WWE’s global brand strength and growth across all lines of business. Stephanie oversees WWE’s Brand, Marketing, Community Relations and Pop Culture strategies as well as WWE’s Global Sales and Partnerships Division. Among her many contributions, she has been the driving force behind WWE’s Women’s Evolution, which has given female performers an equal share of the spotlight both in and out of the ring. Prior to being named Chief Brand Officer in 2013, Stephanie was Executive Vice President, Creative and was the first woman to lead WWE’s Creative Writing, Digital Media, Talent Relations, Talent Brand Management and Live Events businesses. Over the years, she has been recognized by Forbes in the publication’s annual World’s Most Influential CMO list, and in 2020 she was named the world’s most influential female CMO and earned the #2 position overall. Additionally, Adweek has included Stephanie in their list of the Most Powerful Women in Sports for the past five years and previously chose her as a 2019 Brand Genius honoree.”

WWE Reports Third Quarter 2021 Earnings

WWE Releases Several Main Roster Names

WWE has released several main roster Superstars, according to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful. The following names were released this evening – “B-Fab” Briana Brandy, Gran Metalik, Lince Dorado, Eva Marie, Keith Lee, Mia Yim, Nia Jax, and Harry Smith.

Furthermore, the following WWE NXT Superstars were also cut – Trey Baxter, Jessi Kamea, Karrion Kross, Jeet Rama, Zayda Ramier, and Katrina Cortez.

WWE has also released Scarlett Boudreaux, Oney Lorcan, Franky Monet and Ember Moon.

Jon Moxley Entering Alcohol Treatment Program

AEW President, CEO, General Manager & Head Of Creative Tony Khan took to Twitter tonight and revealed that Moxley is going into rehab, noting that Moxley has allowed Khan to make the announcement.

“Jon Moxley has allowed me to share with you that he is entering an inpatient alcohol treatment program. Jon is a beloved member of the AEW family. We all stand with him and Renee, and all of his family and friends, as he shifts his focus to recovery,” Khan wrote.

Khan noted in a follow-up tweet that AEW is embracing Moxley’s choice, and supporting him in any way they can.

“Jon is making a very brave choice to get help, and we’re embracing his choice and supporting him however we can. I’m proud to call Jon a friend, and like many of you, I’m also a fan of Mox and look forward to a time in the future when he is eventually ready to return to the ring. Until then, thank you for supporting Jon and respecting his privacy at this time. If you or a loved one need help, please reach out to SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357),” Khan wrote.

Moxley was scheduled to face Orange Cassidy on tomorrow’s AEW Dynamite episode, in a match for the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament. The winner, previously expected to be Moxley, would then advance to the AEW Full Gear pay-per-view on November 13 to face Bryan Danielson in the finals. There is no word on how AEW will handle Moxley’s spot in the tournament, but we should know more after tomorrow’s Dynamite.

Moxley just released his “MOX” autobiography today, which you can find at this link via Amazon.

Lita ‘Would Love’ To See Wrestling Companies Give Their Talent A Mental Health Resource

Amy Dumas, also known as WWE Hall of Famer Lita, is part of the “Tag Me In” initiative, alongside names like Chris Jericho, Trish Stratus, and Mick Foley, among many others. The group behind this mission is trying to spread the word and normalize mental health in order to break the stigmas associated with it, particularly in the wrestling world.

In an interview with Steven Muehlhausen of DAZN News, Lita discussed the importance of mental health in wrestling. When asked, she stated that major promotions like WWE and AEW should make an effort to provide their talent with an official resource so they can “check in” about their mental health as needed. She argued that, in doing so, the companies would be setting themselves up for success because it would help the performers operate at their highest level.

“I think definitely in professional sports, it’s more focused, and just checking in would be great,” said Lita. “There are these huge companies in professional sports, and just to add an additional point of resource to check in, I think it could provide huge benefits and potentially more profits, which obviously any company is looking at. But if you can have your performers performing at a top level because they feel great, that works for everyone. I would love that.”

Earlier in the interview, Lita shared her stance on the reason(s) it has taken so long for mental health to get the attention it deserves in professional wrestling. She described how it’s often perceived as a weakness, but in actuality, it deserves to be recognized as a vital part of the athletes’ training.

“…Professional sports, in general, is all about being at the top of your game physically, but mentally is also tied in,” said Lita. “I think it’s a perceived weakness that I don’t want to show or let anybody in to think that I can’t perform at my top level. But really, it all goes hand in hand. If you can’t be at your top level and feel comfortable mentally, you’re physically inhibiting yourself from performing at your top.

“So it needs to be extended as a part of your training and not only the physical preparation that goes into it but check in with yourself mentally to make sure that you’re dealing with whatever it is that you need to deal with, whether it is your anxiety, depression or feelings of loneliness to know that you’re not alone.”

ROH Announces Hiatus For Early 2022 As They “Reimagine” The Company

Ring of Honor is planning to go on a brief hiatus.

ROH announced to staff, talent and fans today that they are looking to make changes to their business operations, with a pivot to a new mission and strategy.

Following the December 11 Final Battle pay-per-view in Baltimore, ROH will go on a hiatus as they take the first quarter of 2022 to “work internally to reimagine” the company. There will be no live events during the first quarter of 2022 as the current plan is to return to acting in April with the Supercard of Honor. ROH noted that they hope to return with a “new fan-focused product and provide a unique experience” for fans.

It was noted by PWInsider that this decision was made about one week ago.

Stay tuned for more on this developing story. You can read ROH’s full statement below:

“Throughout the pandemic, our top priority was to keep everyone healthy and safe, and despite not producing any live events over 18 months, we were able to keep everyone fully contracted. We now find ourselves at a time where we need to make changes to our business operations and are planning a pivot for Ring of Honor, with a new mission and strategy.

The year will culminate with a Final Battle in December, and we will be taking the first quarter of 2022 to work internally to reimagine ROH. ROH has the most dedicated fans in the industry, and we appreciate their loyalty and patience as we reconceptualize ROH.

We anticipate returning to live events in April for the Super Card of Honor with a new fan-focused product and provide a unique experience for wrestling fans.”

Shawn Michaels Steps Up for Best Friend Triple H After Health Scare

Forever one of pro wrestling’s all-time greats, Shawn Michaels showcased a rare blend of charisma, athleticism and in-ring precision during his iconic career. He delivered an unmatchable slate of matches, particularly at WrestleMania, creating a timeless body of work in the ring. For the past five years, Michaels has worked as a coach at the WWE Performance Center, where he has also become an integral part of NXT.

Since its inception, Paul “Triple H” Levesque has been NXT’s driving force. But a health scare last month temporarily removed Levesque from his post, and it has been Michaels helping to carry NXT while his friend takes every step needed in his recovery.

“Trying to step in and fill his role is impossible to do,” says Michaels, whose official title is vice president of talent development. “Everybody here misses him unbelievably, especially me. But I always go back to this—everything in real life takes precedence over everything else. This was a situation where my best friend needed my help and needed me to step in, so I look at this as an opportunity, in a small way, to thank him for everything he did for me earlier in my career.

“Taking over the responsibilities here is a drop in the bucket compared to what he did for me all those years back. I’m honored to at least have the opportunity to pay him back a little bit and be there for him. That’s what this whole company does—this whole relaunch has been everyone pulling together, and I’m energized and inspired to keep this NXT territory going strong during his absence.”

NXT just rebranded from its trademark black-and-gold look to a colorful “2.0” version. Michaels noted that change is an inevitable, unstoppable force in the business of professional wrestling.

“Doing this now for 35 years, I’ve seen constant change,” Michaels says. “And change is certainly not new to us in WWE. It’s constantly evolving and changing. I’ve heard people call this a refresh, but it’s still the same crew, which is great because they’re so damn talented. It reminds me of he Attitude Era. We had the same roster the day before he Attitude Era started, and I still remember Vince coming into the locker room and making that speech, inspiring us and making us hungry for the future. That’s what this is—turning over a new leaf, restructuring a few things and putting a brand-new coat of paint on a dominant and incredible brand. It’s chummed the waters, so to speak, and that’s fun to be around.”

source:  si.com

AEW Dynamite To Begin Airing Live Across The Country

AEW President, CEO, General Manager & Head Of Creative Tony Khan took to Twitter today to announce that Dynamite will begin airing on TNT at 5pm on the West Coast, 6pm in the Mountain time zone, and 7pm in the Central time zone, starting with this Wednesday’s episode.

“Great news for you great wrestling fans who support @AEW: we’re back on Wednesdays for #AEWDynamite starting this week in just over 48 hours, from now on we’re officially LIVE everywhere in America! Dynamite every Wednesday @ 8pm ET, 7pm CT, 6pm MT, 5pm PT! See you all Wednesday!,” he wrote.

Happy Anniversary Paul and Stephanie

October 25, 2003

WWE Female Referee Makes History At Crown Jewel

WWE referee Jessika Carr made history at today’s WWE Crown Jewel event from Mohammed Abdu Arena on The Boulevard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Carr worked two matches on the Crown Jewel card – the Hell In a Cell opener between Seth Rollins and the winner, WWE Hall of Famer Edge, plus the King of the Ring Tournament finals between Finn Balor and King Xavier Woods.

With the matches, Carr became the first female referee to call a WWE match in the Kingdom.

Carr tweeted about the opportunity:

“I am so blown away at the opportunity that I was blessed with tonight. Thank you #CrownJewel I’ll absolutely share more of this in the days to come,” Carr wrote.

Carr was covered up in her referee gear, due to local religious laws, as were the female Superstars competing on the show

After a brief stint on the indies as a wrestler, WWE signed Carr to a deal in 2017, to work as the first female WWE referee since the 1980s. The first full-time female WWE referee in history came to the main roster from WWE NXT in December 2019.

Zelina Vega wins first ever Queen’s Crown tournament at WWE Crown Jewel 2021

Crown Jewel delivers everything but the answer to WWE’s biggest question

Stephanie McMahon Inducted Into International Sports Hall Of Fame

Stephanie McMahon was inducted earlier today into the International Sports Hall of Fame. She is the first female executive to be inducted. The ISHOF was established in 2012 to honor the world’s greatest athletes in all categories of sports.

“Humbled & honored to be the 1st female executive inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame with such a prestigious class,” McMahon wrote. “The key messages from all were passion, love, hard work, intention, & believing in yourself – #wordstoliveby. #ISHOF”

Other notable WWE connections who are in the ISHOF: WWE Hall of Famers Arnold Schwarzenegger (2012), Mark Henry (2012), Bruno Sammartino (2013), and Kurt Angle (2016). Also, Triple H (2015) and Ronda Rousey (2018).

Awesome Kong Inducted Into IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Fame

It was announced during the Impact Wrestling Knockouts Knockdown event that Awesome Kong is now inducted into the Impact Hall of Fame.

She will be the second woman inducted into the Impact Hall of Fame, following her rival Gail Kim. This comes following Kong's retirement announcement at NWA EmPowerrr.

WWE Signs Women’s Wrestling Star To Work As Performance Center Coach

WWE has signed former indie wrestling star Allison Danger to work as a coach at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, according to the Wrestling Observer.

Danger, age 44, is the younger sister to ECW Original and current WWE Producer/Trainer Steve Corino.

Danger worked as a guest coach at the Performance Center back in mid-May, but was then brought to Las Vegas in August to work in the ring with talents at the SummerSlam Week tryout camp. It was noted in August that WWE brought Danger to the SummerSlam tryouts because she lived in the Vegas area, and because she had worked as a guest coach in May. That apparently led to Danger getting the full-time gig.

Danger, who wrestled from 2000 – 2013, was significantly influential in the rise of modern day women’s wrestling. She most notably worked for SHIMMER, WSU and ROH. Danger was trained by her brother, CM Punk, the CHIKARA Wrestle Factory, and others.

WWE has also signed Kenn Doane (fka Kenny Dykstra of The Spirit Squad) to work as a WWE Performance Center Coach.

All Elite Wrestling is the strongest challenger WWE has seen in 20 years

Major League Wrestling CEO details plan to take on WWE and AEW juggernauts

AJ Mendez Confirmed As Executive Producer For ‘WOW’ Revival

Former WWE Divas Champion AJ Mendez (AJ Lee) is returning to the “WOW: Women of Wrestling” promotion on commentary. WOW World Champion The Beast and former champion Tessa Blanchard will lead the roster.

ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group announced a new multi-year distribution deal with WOW today. The women’s wrestling promotion is owned by Los Angeles Laker owner Jeanie Buss, and created by David McLane.

New episodes of WOW will launch in weekend syndication beginning in the fall of 2022, according to a press release issued to us tonight. ViacomCBS has already secured 160 markets for the show, representing 70%of the United States via licensing agreements with deals that include CBS-owned-and-operated stations and the Sinclair Broadcast Group. Previous WOW seasons are expected to begin airing on CW Seed and Pluto TV this December.

AJ will provide color commentary on each broadcast, but will also serve as Executive Producer, along with Buss. WOW creator and founder McLane is the Executive Producer of production, along with two-time Emmy winner Nick Staller. ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group will distribute the series in the United States and internationally.

Stephanie McMahon Makes Forbes 2021 List Of World’s Most Influential CMOs

The ninth annual ranking from Forbes is based on 30 digital and social channels analyzed by data science teams from Sprinklr and LinkedIn. The pool of candidates were drawn from more than 500 CMOs and brands from across a wide range of Forbes lists and external lists, such as the World Federation Of Advertisers and the Brand Finance Global 500. Candidates that were considered had to be active and in their role from at least January through May of 2021. The list was created with assistance of artificial intelligence, while the brand performance metrics were based on more than 4.5 billion social media engagements.

McMahon ranked #2 on the list, the same spot she claimed in 2020. She ranked #13 in 2019.

Forbes wrote the following on Stephanie for the 2021 list:

While she may be the only CMO with “professional wrestler” on her resume, Stephanie McMahon an influential marketer far beyond the WWE ring. Along with overseeing the creation of the bio-secure “ThunderDome” during the Covid-19 crisis, McMahon also helped drive fan engagement for live and streaming matches, navigated the return to in-person events in July and built one of the largest TikTok followings for a sports property.

McMahon has also led cross-company collaborations. To help Netflix promote its Army Of The Dead show, WWE had zombies circle the ring and become part of the show. And earlier this month, the WWE partnered with Connor’s Cure and The V Foundation to raise money for fighting pediatric cancer. She’s also helped The Ad Council with its vaccine marketing including PSAs for people to learn more about their options for getting vaccinated.

The Way TV Ratings Are Measured Is Changing, WWE & AEW To Be Impacted

The 18-49 demographic viewership has long been considered the most important number for advertisers when it comes to analyzing the ratings of U.S. television broadcasts.

The higher the 18-49 demo, there more advertisers have been traditionally willing to spend on commercials, however, that is all about to change.

A report in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, reveals there’s going to be a shift away from the traditional 18-49 being used as the sole deciding factor for advertisers and where they spend their money.

The new key data for advertisers to watch will be "total impressions" a show is able to generate. This will reportedly include streaming and on-demand numbers, rather than live broadcasting viewership or demographics.

The change is expected to come in January 2022 and it will be very interesting to see how this impacts both WWE and AEW, especially since they focus on their 18-49 demographic viewership. The belief is that when the new numbers are included, the genre that will benefit the most are sports programs and shows on streaming services such as Netflix.

MGM Teaming With WWE For Revival Of American Gladiators

A report from Deadline reveals that MGM and WWE are teaming up to revive the classic competition series "American Gladiators."

A new series has been pitched by Mark Burnett which would see a reimagined version of the show. MGM and WWE will serve as executive producers on the project.

In 2008 Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali hosted a reboot on NBC. Prior to that, the show had an initial run from 1989-1996 on syndication and also had a successful British version made on ITV in the UK between 1992-2000 with a revival on Sky in 2008.

Another reboot was attempted in the U.S. in 2018 with Seth Rogan, but plans were dropped.