WWE’s message to employees after the latest Vince McMahon bombshell

There’s been no public acknowledgement as of yet, but PWInsider has posted an internal memorandum WWE reportedly sent out today (July 8) after The Wall Street Journal’s latest story on Vince McMahon and hush money payments he made to employees and contractors to cover up sexual misconduct and infidelity.

The Wall Street Journal has published a second story with expanded details on its initial WWE report last month. We want to reiterate that we and our Board of Directors take these allegations seriously.

We’ve been cooperating fully with the investigation led by our Board of Directors and will continue to do so until its conclusion. Please note that upon its conclusion, WWE leadership will make itself available to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you.

WWE Board spokespeople didn’t respond to the Wall Street Journal’s questions about whether the three new NDAs it reported on where part of the ongoing investigation against McMahon. This statement could be read as an indication they are (referring to the instances in today’s report as “expanded details” as opposed to new allegations), but beyond that, it’s essentially a condensed version of the statement they issued when Vince stepped down from his CEO & Chairman roles.

He remains the head of creative, and has made multiple public appearances representing WWE since the investigation was launch in June.

source: cagesideseats.com

Vince McMahon Agreed to Pay $12 Million in Hush Money to Four Women

World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.’s longtime leader, agreed to pay more than $12 million over the past 16 years to suppress allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity, an amount far larger than previously known. The payouts went to four women, all formerly affiliated with WWE who signed agreements with Mr. McMahon that prohibit them from discussing potential legal claims against or their relationships with the 76-year-old executive, according to people familiar with the deals as well as documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. 

The previously unreported settlements include a $7.5 million pact with a former wrestler who alleged that Mr. McMahon coerced her into giving him oral sex and then demoted her and, ultimately, declined to renew her contract in 2005 after she resisted further sexual encounters, according to people familiar with the matter. The wrestler and her attorney approached Mr. McMahon in 2018 and negotiated the payment in return for her silence, the people said. 

In another previously unreported deal, a WWE contractor presented the company with unsolicited nude photos of Mr. McMahon she reported receiving from him and alleged that he had sexually harassed her on the job, according to people familiar with the woman’s 2008 nondisclosure agreement. Mr. McMahon agreed to pay her roughly $1 million, these people said. And in a 2006 agreement, a former manager who had worked 10 years for Mr. McMahon before he allegedly initiated a sexual relationship with her was paid $1 million to keep quiet about it, according to people familiar with the deal. The Journal previously reported about a $3 million hush pact reached in January between Mr. McMahon and a former WWE paralegal with whom he allegedly had an affair, citing documents and the people familiar with the matter. WWE’s board is investigating Mr. McMahon’s agreement with the former paralegal, and the 2018 deal with the former wrestler, people familiar with the inquiry said. 

The board also is investigating allegations that WWE executive John Laurinaitis had a sexual relationship with the same former paralegal, according to people familiar with the inquiry. Additionally, the board is looking at a $1.5 million nondisclosure agreement reached in 2012 with an employee involving misconduct claims against Mr. Laurinaitis, these people said. Mr. Laurinaitis, a former wrestler known as Johnny Ace, had been head of WWE talent relations for eight years when he was forced to step down in 2012 and take a smaller role at the company. His demotion came around the same time as the $1.5 million deal with the employee, who alleged she had an affair with Mr. Laurinaitis and that he demoted her after she broke it off, people familiar with the nondisclosure agreement said. 

Mr. McMahon had restored Mr. Laurinaitis as head of talent relations last year. WWE has since placed Mr. Laurinaitis on administrative leave, a person familiar with the matter said. The Journal couldn’t determine whether the board probe includes the nondisclosure agreements involving the contractor and the former manager, or how far back the investigation will go. A spokesman for the board’s independent directors declined to comment. Neither Mr. Laurinaitis nor an attorney for Mr. McMahon responded to requests for comment. The company is cooperating with the board inquiry, a WWE spokesman said. Mr. McMahon’s relationship with the former paralegal was consensual, the spokesman said, adding that the company is taking the allegations seriously. 

In a June 8 letter to the Journal, Mr. McMahon’s attorney, Jerry McDevitt, said that the former paralegal hadn’t made any claims of harassment against Mr. McMahon and that “WWE did not pay any monies” to the ex-employee “on her departure.” The investigation by the board’s outside counsel at Simpson Thacher and Bartlett LLP was triggered by a series of anonymous emails that directors received earlier this year, the Journal reported. The emails, reviewed by the Journal, described Mr. McMahon’s deal with the former paralegal and alleged that he and Mr. Laurinaitis took advantage of her. Mr. McMahon temporarily stepped aside as the chief executive and chairman of WWE on June 17, following the Journal report on the $3 million agreement with the former paralegal. Mr. McMahon has pledged to cooperate with investigators. 

His daughter, Stephanie McMahon, replaced him pending the outcome of the investigation, though Mr. McMahon still oversees WWE’s creative side, the company said. WWE shares closed at $62.51 on the day Mr. McMahon stepped aside and slid below $60 over the following days. Shares closed Thursday at $65.07. WWE describes Mr. McMahon as critical to the success of the company, which runs the world’s most famous wrestling business and reported record revenue of $1.1 billion last year. WWE said in regulatory filings that losing Mr. McMahon would put its entire business at risk. WWE’s revenue includes a five-year exclusive agreement with NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming platform struck in 2021 and valued at $1 billion. The company also has TV licensing agreements with Fox Corp. and NBCUniversal, and recently secured its first stand-alone international distribution deal with Disney Plus Hotstar in Indonesia. Fox Corp. and Journal parent News Corp share common ownership. 

Mr. McMahon owns a majority of WWE’s Class B shares, giving him the bulk of shareholders’ voting power, securities filings show. The Class B shares have 10 times the voting power of the Class A shares available to regular investors and are owned exclusively by Mr. McMahon, his family and trusts benefiting individual family members, the filings show. “The bar is going to be reasonably high to wrestle the business from family control,” said Brandon Ross, a research analyst at LightShed Partners who follows WWE. But he added that any outcome that would strip Mr. McMahon’s creative responsibilities would materially change the company. 

In 2006, Mr. McMahon made news after an employee at a Boca Raton, Fla., tanning salon accused him of groping her, according to a police report. The employee told police that Mr. McMahon showed her nude photos of himself on his phone and later tried to kiss her, the police report said. Mr. McMahon said “he was only trying to have a little fun,” according to the woman’s account in the police report. Mr. McMahon’s lawyer told police he denied any wrongdoing, the report said. Prosecutors declined to file charges, citing a lack of independent evidence, records show. Mr. McMahon’s wife, Linda McMahon, helped build the company and was WWE’s chief executive until she stepped down in 2009 for the first of two unsuccessful campaigns for the Senate. She served as head of the Small Business Administration under former President Donald Trump. Mrs. McMahon didn’t respond to requests for comment. Mr. McMahon said in an interview with Playboy magazine published in 2001 that he had been unfaithful to Mrs. McMahon with multiple women in prior years but had put a stop to the affairs after realizing “the havoc you create in others’ lives, just from wanting to have a good time.” 

Mr. McMahon’s affairs at the company were common knowledge, according to former WWE employees. The former paralegal to whom Mr. McMahon agreed to pay $3 million was brought into the company as a legal assistant in 2019, according to people familiar with the matter. She never applied for the job, these people said. Mr. McMahon had met her at his Stamford, Conn., condo building, where both were living, the people said. WWE placed her in the legal department because the woman’s resume said she had attended law school, the people said. The woman often talked with colleagues in the department about her close relationship with Mr. McMahon, the people familiar with the matter said. The talk about Mr. McMahon was so frequent that her boss asked her to stop, saying she was making other employees uncomfortable, according to one of the people. In 2021, the woman transferred from the legal department to talent relations under Mr. Laurinaitis, who returned to the role he had held a decade earlier. WWE considered raising the woman’s annual salary from $100,000 to around $300,000, at Mr. McMahon’s request, according to people familiar with the matter. The company settled on a base salary of $200,000 and a director-level position. An anonymous email sent to the board on March 30 this year, and viewed by the Journal, alleged that Mr. McMahon increased the woman’s salary after he began a sexual relationship with her. The email alleged that Mr. McMahon “gave her like a toy” to Mr. Laurinaitis. 

By Joe Palazzolo Ted Mann and Joe Flint at WSJ.com

WWE's Connor Schell Resigns From Board Of Directors

Connor Schell resigned from WWE’s board of directors yesterday. Schell, a film and television producer, cited “an increased slate of responsibilities resulting from his new, expanded role at the newly formed The North Road Company” in the filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. According to the filing, Schell’s exit from the board of directors “was not due to any dispute or disagreement with the Company, its management or the Board on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices.”

Schell’s resignation came in tandem with the news of North Road Company’s formation, and its purchase of Red Arrow Studios, as well as Schell’s Words + Pictures production company. The move puts North Road in control of such popular properties as the reality show “Say Yes To The Dress.” North Road Company was founded by former-News Corp. executive Peter Chernin. Schell will oversee North Road’s non-scripted business.

The news comes as WWE’s board of directors is in the middle of investigating WWE chairman & CEO Vince McMahon over a series of hush money payments made to former female employees alleging misconduct against McMahon and WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis. According to the Wall Street Journal, the investigation began in April, after a Non-Disclosure Agreement between McMahon and a former WWE paralegal led to the discovery of numerous other NDAs. McMahon has since stepped down from his corporate duties, with his daughter Stephanie stepping in as Interim Chairwoman & CEO, though McMahon remains a presence on TV and at the helm of WWE’s creative direction. Laurinaitis has been placed on administrative leave, with Bruce Prichard taking over his duties for the time being.

Schell is a former Executive Vice President at ESPN and was a co-creator of the popular “30 for 30” series, as well as a producer on the Academy Award-winning documentary “OJ: Made In America.”

Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H And Pat McAfee Make Appearance At UFC 276

The McMahon family and company made an appearance tonight at UFC 276 following their own PPV.

The WWE held Money In The Bank on the same night as UFC 276, which is taking place at the nearby T-Mobile Arena during its 10th International Fight Week, just as was the case with Manny Pacquiao vs. Yordenis Ugás that took place on the same night as the previous year’s SummerSlam event.

Following the end of their PPV, Vince McMahon, his daughter Stephanie McMahon, her husband the legendary Triple H and Pat McAfee made an appearance, sitting by the octagon watching the fights.

source: bodyslam.net

UNDERTAKER 1 deadMAN SHOW comes to Nashville July 29

As first reported by the Tennessean, the UNDERTAKER 1 deadMAN SHOW will make its debut on Friday night, July 29 at Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tenn. as part of SummerSlam Week.

UNDERTAKER 1 deadMAN SHOW will feature “The Phenom” in an intimate setting, sharing never-before-heard stories from his Hall of Fame career and taking questions from the WWE Universe in attendance.

Tickets for UNDERTAKER 1 deadMAN SHOW go on sale this Tuesday, June 28 at 10 a.m. CT via Ticketmaster.com.  A limited number of VIP tickets, which includes premier seating and a meet-and-greet with The Undertaker, will also be available. 

G4 And WWE Introduce New Series Titled “Arena”

G4 and WWE announce today they are teaming up for the release of new content series, in partnership with Xfinity, titled, “Arena,” a monthly show where the world of streamers, celebrities, pro-athletes and WWE Superstars will collide and enter the G4 Arena to hash out their personal/professional issues with a gauntlet of chaotic, and hilarious, challenges.

From the content studio that is home to Legacy shows like “Attack of the Show!,” “XPlay” and “Name Your Price” – G4 is no stranger to delivering fans content that resonates. Hosted by WWE Superstar Xavier Woods (AKA Austin Creed) and G4 Host Gina Darling, the series will feature major internet personalities including popular Twitch streamers QTCinderella and Myth who are stepping in to the Arena to air out their personal grievances for episode 1.

“WWE® is known for delivering quality entertainment to its loyal fan base and we are so excited to partner with them to bring this content to life and spotlight a mix of awesome talent" said G4 President Russell Arons. “The G4 network creates a fusion between the worlds of gaming and popular culture. With Arena, we're making a comical collision for fans of WWE, streamers, and celebrities with a monthly series on TV, YouTube and Twitch where rivalries will be resolved once and for all.”

“All of our work on UpUpDownDown over the past seven years has brought us to this moment where we will see the wrestling and gaming universes collide” said Xavier Woods, host of Arena. I’m psyched to partner with G4 and look forward to surprising our UpUpDownDown fans with some new faces in gaming each month.”

Fans won’t want to miss the premiere on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on G4’s Twitch Channel and WWE’s UpUpDownDown YouTube Channel. New episodes of Arena will air every month and feature two new guests to settle their qualms once and for all, with the help of WWE Superstars like Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins and more. During the first challenge of each episode, the Unbeatable Advantage presented by Xfinity will be awarded to the winning contestant and provide them with the precious gift of time for the final challenge.

“Just as Xfinity provides our customers Unbeatable Internet with supersonic Wi-Fi speeds and powerful connections, we are also excited to give contestants an unbeatable advantage during episodes of the Arena,” said Matt Lederer, Vice President of Branded Partnerships for Xfinity.  “We are looking forward to seeing how contestants utilize the time bonus in their competitions throughout the Arena Series.”

For more information on Arena, visit http://www.g4tv.com.

Triple H speaks at the WWE Performance Center

Paul "Triple H" Levesque was back at the WWE Performance Center on Wednesday.

John Pollock of Post Wrestling reports that Levesque was in Orlando, Florida on Wednesday and spoke at the Performance Center. Pollock notes that -- according to the people he's heard from -- Levesque stated that he's "back," but it's unclear what that means.

"According to multiple sources, Paul Levesque was in Orlando today and spoke at the Performance Center," Pollock tweeted.

"Of the people I heard from, Levesque stated 'he's back' - it is unknown what that entails but that was the wording I was given."

Bryan Alvarez confirmed Pollock's report on Wednesday's edition of Wrestling Observer Live. Alvarez notes that Levesque said during the meeting that he "was there for business reasons and he couldn't say why yet."

Five Law Firms Investigating WWE On Behalf Of Investors

After news broke that the WWE board of directors were investigating hush money payments made by Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon to cover up allegations of misconduct, both by former employees and by McMahon himself, a law firm announced it was investigating WWE on behalf of investors, looking into whether or not WWE violated securities laws. As of today, four other law firms have begun their own similar investigations. While none of these have yet gone far enough to be classified a “class” in a class action lawsuit, they are the preparatory stages for such a case. All of the investigations were announced through Business Wire.

Some of the investigations require investors that have lost a certain amount of money, while others only require investors to either have suffered losses from WWE stock or to currently own WWE stock. All share the same general purpose, to determine whether WWE mismanaged the company or neglected their fiduciary duties in a way that could be considered harmful to shareholders.

The issues began last week, when The Wall Street Journal announced that the WWE board of directors had been investigating the payments since April — one of which was allegedly paid out to silence a female employee with whom McMahon had had an affair. This led to the announcement that McMahon would step down from his corporate duties, while still overseeing the company’s creative direction. McMahon’s daughter Stephanie has stepped in as interim Chairwoman & CEO.

Bruce Pritchard Named New Interim Head Of Talent Relations To Replace John Laurinaitis

WWE issued a memo to talents Monday evening following “Raw” announcing that Senior VP Bruce Prichard will be taking over as the Interim Head of Talent Relations effective immediately, according to PWInsider.

The memo also informed talents that John Laurinaitis has been placed on “administrative leave” in light of the serious allegations made against him and Vince McMahon. The memo added that Laurinaitis will not be on the road with WWE “pending the conclusion of our Board of Directors’ internal investigation.”

As noted earlier, Laurinaitis hasn’t been on the road since the WWE Board of Directors’ investigation was publicly revealed last week.

In the explosive Wall Street Journal story that dropped last week, it was alleged that McMahon had a consensual relationship with a WWE paralegal, and later agreed to a $3 million settlement in January 2022 to bar the person from commenting on the affair. While the investigation, which began on March 30, initially focused on McMahon’s settlement with the 41-year-old woman, it has since expanded into NDA agreements involving misconduct claims made by other former female WWE employees about McMahon and Laurinaitis.

Vince McMahon and Oliver Luck Settle XFL Lawsuit

From Cageside Seats:

Settlement talks had broken down between McMahon and Oliver Luck, who had been commissioner of the rebooted XFL football league. Vince claimed the executive had been fired for cause; Luck believed it was a cost-cutting move ahead of shuttering the whole operation at the start of the pandemic.

Luck was suing for the roughly $24 million in compensation he said he was due. McMahon’s counter-claim focused on Luck’s signing of wide receiver Antonio Callaway, whose 2018 legal issues violated the league’s mandate to not sign players with any off-the-field issues. In depositions, Luck’s lawyers brought up McMahon’s own felony charge from his 1994 federal steroid trial, seemingly to demonstrate the mandate was hypocritical.

Last Wednesday (June 15), as we learned the Luck suit was headed to trial in July, the Wall Street Journal’s report on the WWE Board’s investigation into alleged misconduct by McMahon hit. Vince has since stepped down from his roles as CEO & Chairman, with his daughter Stephanie assuming those responsibilities on an interim basis.

Sports Business Journal now says a recent court filing shows that Luck & McMahon have agreed to settle. In a June 17 brief to the court requesting the remaining records in the case be sealed, Luck’s lawyer Paul Dobrowski wrote: ”The parties reached an agreement to resolve this case on June 16, 2022.” McMahon’s lawyer, Jerry McDevitt, does not oppose the motion.

Stephanie McMahon Named Interim WWE CEO And Chairwoman

WWE and its Board of Directors jointly released the following statement today:

Independent directors continue review of alleged executive misconduct Stephanie McMahon named interim CEO and interim Chairwoman

WWE and the Board of Directors today announced that a Special Committee of the Board is conducting an investigation into alleged misconduct by its Chairman and CEO Vincent McMahon and John Laurinaitis, head of talent relations, and that, effective immediately, McMahon has voluntarily stepped back from his responsibilities as CEO and Chairman of the Board until the conclusion of the investigation.  McMahon will retain his role and responsibilities related to WWE’s creative content during this period and remains committed to cooperating with the review underway.

The Special Committee has appointed Stephanie McMahon to serve as interim CEO and interim Chairwoman.

“I have pledged my complete cooperation to the investigation by the Special Committee, and I will do everything possible to support the investigation. I have also pledged to accept the findings and outcome of the investigation, whatever they are,” said Mr. McMahon.

“I love this company and am committed to working with the Independent Directors to strengthen our culture and our Company; it is extremely important to me that we have a safe and collaborative workplace.  I have committed to doing everything in my power to help the Special Committee complete its work, including marshaling the cooperation of the entire company to assist in the completion of the investigation and to implement its findings,” said Ms. McMahon.

WWE and its Board of Directors take all allegations of misconduct very seriously. The Independent Directors of the Board engaged independent legal counsel to assist them with an independent review. In addition, the Special Committee and WWE will work with an independent third-party to conduct a comprehensive review of the company’s compliance program, HR function and overall culture.

The Company and the Board do not expect to have further comment until the investigation is concluded.

WWE's board investigates secret $3 million hush deal from CEO

The board at World Wrestling Entertainment is investigating a secret $3 million settlement between longtime CEO Vince McMahon and a departing employee with whom he allegedly had an affair, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Since April, the board has been probing the January 2022 deal, which reportedly bars the former employee from discussing the McMahon relationship or disparaging him.

And the board may be looking at other, older nondisclosure agreements involving claims of misconduct by McMahon and top executive John Laurinaitis, according to the report.

A spokesman told the paper that WWE is cooperating fully with the board inquiry, and that McMahon's relationship with the first employee in question - hired as a paralegal - was consensual.

Early findings by the board - which contains several company executives as well as members of McMahon's family - suggest that McMahon used personal funds to pay former female employees that signed the nondisclosure deals, the WSJ said.

source:  seekingalpha.com

WWE Hires New Marketing Executive

WWE today announced that Catherine Newman has been named Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing.

Newman brings more than two decades of executive experience to WWE including her most recent role as Chief Marketing Officer of Manchester United Media. She has also held senior positions at The Times of London and Financial Times, leading global marketing initiatives, developing strategic partnerships, and boosting subscription growth across various products.

As part of WWE’s senior leadership team, Newman’s oversight will include Marketing, Brand, Community Relations, Entertainment Relations, Creative Services and Photography.

She is a graduate of Loughborough University, a Chartered Institute of Marketing Postgraduate from Buckinghamshire New University and a Fellow & Mentor in the Marketing Academy, United Kingdom.

WWE, Fox Eye $100,000-Plus Haul Through ‘Hell in a Cell’ NFT Collection Sale

WWE stands to pin down some extra cash — and hopes to whip up fan enthusiasm — in its first sale of NFTs featuring the wrestling entertainment company’s top stars.

WWE, together with Fox Entertainment’s Blockchain Creative Labs, on Friday, June 3, plans to launch its its first NFT (nonfungible token) sale on Moonsault, WWE’s official NFT marketplace. The limited-edition collection will comprise more than 10,000 “NFT Flips,” each featuring a WWE Superstar tied to the Hell in a Cell event, which in the U.S. will stream live this Sunday, June 5, on NBCUniversal’s Peacock.

The NFT Flips will be sold on WWE Moonsault in “Cases” of three, randomized at minting, for $30 per Case, meaning the sale could generate upwards of $100,000. In the days after Hell in a Cell, each NFT Flip will transform to reveal a 10- to 20-second video highlight of the featured WWE star...More?

source:  variety.com

Ric Flair And WWE Working On Documentary

Ric Flair and WWE will team up with film writer, producer, and director Tom Rinaldi to create a 2 hour documentary about “the never-before-revealed history” of the 16-time World Heavyweight Champion. Rinaldi has worked with ESPN to create several standout short films like 2019’s “The Return” and 2016’s “Jacob Jarvis: Why It Matters”.

Sasha Banks And Naomi Suspended Indefinitely, Women’s Tag Team Titles Now Vacant

Last night’s edition of “Smackdown” included a huge announcement regarding Sasha Banks, Naomi, and the future of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.

At the announce desk, Michael Cole stated that Banks and Naomi had “let us all down”. He recounted the statement WWE had put out on social media earlier this week. He says the pair have both been suspended indefinitely and a tournament will be held in the coming weeks to crown new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.

Banks and Naomi had walked out of “Raw” on Monday night. The pair were reportedly not pleased about the creative plans for them. A “6 Pack Challenge” match was announced at the beginning of “Raw”, which included Banks and Naomi.

WWE said Banks and Naomi walked out during the broadcast. According to WWE’s statement, they went into Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis’ office, gave him the women’s tag team titles, and left the arena.

The main event match was hastily changed to a one-on-one match between Asuka and Becky Lynch. Asuka won the match to earn a title shot against “Raw” Women’s Champion Bianca Belair at the upcoming “Hell In A Cell” event.

Former Disney Executive Joins WWE Board Of Directors

Ignace Lahoud has taken up a role in WWE as a Director, according to an SEC filing. 

Lahoud is CEO of Majid Al Futtaim which is an Emirati holding company based in Dubai, that as of 2015 owned and operated shopping malls, retail, and leisure establishments in the Middle East and North Africa, with operations in 13 countries. 

Lahoud has also worked for The Walt Disney Company an executive vice president and Chief Financial Officer for Disney Consumer Products in November 2011 and for Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media in 2015.

Stephanie McMahon Taking A Leave Of Absence

WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon announced this afternoon that she is stepping away from WWE for the foreseeable future. McMahon released a statement on Twitter announcing the move, while also signaling she would eventually return to her post.

“As of tomorrow, I am taking a leave of absence from the majority of my responsibilities at WWE,” McMahon tweeted. “WWE is a lifelong legacy for me and I look forward to returning to the company that I love after taking this time to focus on my family.”

This Day In Wrestling History

Happy Birthday to Andre the Giant

May 19, 1946

Nick Bockwinkel named AWA Heavyweight Champion as he was #1 contender when Verne Gagne retired.

May 19, 1981

The Undertaker defeated Hulk Hogan for the WWE Unified Heavyweight title

May 19, 2002

WWE Announces NXT Live Event Tour Schedule

 

WWE announced on Tuesday that NXT will return to live event touring across the state of Florida.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NXT has not held any live events since 2020.

The touring will begin on Friday, June 10 at the UACDC Complex in Tampa, Florida.

Below is the announced schedule so far:

* Friday, June 10 – UACDC Complex in Tampa, Fla.

* Saturday, July 11 – Largo Event Center in Largo, Fla.

* Friday, June 24 – Jacksonville Armory in Jacksonville, Fla.

*  Saturday, June 25 – Venice Community Center in Venice, Fla.

* Friday, July 8 – Citrus Springs Community Center in Dunnellon, Fla.

*  Saturday, July 9 – Engelwood Neighborhood Center in Orlando, Fla.

* Friday, July 22 – Melbourne Auditorium in Melbourne, Fla.

*  Saturday, July 23 – Cocoa Armory in Cocoa, Fla.

Tickets for the first eight events are set to go on sale this Friday, May 20 at 10 am ET.

WWE Files New Argument Against MLW Antitrust Lawsuit

WWE filed another argument for a court to dismiss the antitrust lawsuit brought against the company by Major League Wrestling (MLW), according to a report by PWInsider.

World Wrestling Entertainment filed its first motion to dismiss the lawsuit in March, and MLW argued against the motion in April. In response, this latest filing by WWE argues that MLW has failed to provide any evidence that WWE has “monopoly power” over the professional wrestling industry. It also states the allegation that WWE interfered with MLW’s contract negotiations is not supported by facts.

An excerpt from WWE’s court filing reads:

“First, MLW’s monopolization claim(s) remain unviable. MLW has not and cannot plead the core elements of a monopolization claim: (1) a relevant product market, (2) monopoly power, (3) anticompetitive conduct, and (4) antitrust injury. Confronted with WWE’s motion to dismiss and the deficiencies of its own Complaint, MLW now tries to reframe its Complaint through its opposition (Opp.), asserting that WWE’s exclusive contracts with Fox and NBCUniversal foreclose MLW from the “market” by cutting off its access to key distributors or purchasers. However, MLW’s complaint is silent on (1) WWE’s use of exclusive contracts, (2) whether these exclusive contracts substantially foreclose the proposed market, or (3) the existence of “key” networks, cable, and streaming services that control access to this proposed marketplace.

MLW originally filed its lawsuit in January, alleging WWE’s “ongoing attempts to undermine competition in and monopolize the professional wrestling market by interfering with MLW’s contracts and business prospects.” Part of WWE’s most recent argument against MLW’s monopoly claim is that WWE is just one of a vast amount of programming options available to its broadcast partners.

WWE vs. AEW: Analyzing the top wrestling companies’ live-event experience

WWE Issues Statement On Sasha Banks and Naomi Walking Out Of RAW

WWE has issued the following strongly-worded statement on the Naomi and Sasha Banks walking out of Monday's WWE RAW broadcast:

“When Sasha Banks and Naomi arrived at the arena this afternoon, they were informed of their participation in the main event of tonight’s Monday Night Raw. During the broadcast, they walked into WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis’ office with their suitcases in hand, placed their tag team championship belts on his desk and walked out.

They claimed they weren’t respected enough as tag team champions. And even though they had eight hours to rehearse and construct their match, they claimed they were uncomfortable in the ring with two of their opponents – even though they’d had matches with those individuals in the past with no consequence.

Monday Night Raw is a scripted live TV show, whose characters are expected to perform the requirements of their contract. We regret we were unable to deliver, as advertised, tonight’s main event.”

Sasha Banks And Naomi Walk Out Of WWE RAW Mid-Show

Reports from PWInsider reveal that Banks reportedly went into Vince McMahon's office and raised concerns about how the booking was set to go down concerning The 6-Pack Challenge that was announced at the top of the show.

After McMahon rejected Sasha's concerns, Banks stormed out of the arena with Naomi.

The report reads:

The word making the rounds backstage at the taping is that Sasha Banks took issue with some of the planned creative for the original main event, a Raw Six Pack Challenge to determine Bianca Belair's next challenger at Hell in A Cell. Banks had a meeting with Vince McMahon and the belief among those we've heard from is that when McMahon didn't choose to change direction on the plans, Banks wouldn't back down on her issues and made the decision to leave the taping.

WWE reportedly shot several new segments with Adam Pearce and Becky Lynch to instead set up Asuka vs. Lynch as the new main event. Corey Graves officially addressed the situation on commentary, stating the duo of Sasha and Naomi had "unprofessionally left the arena" which is being viewed as a direct line from Vince McMahon who is known not to take too kindly to talent who act in this manner.

Banks also reportedly unfollowed a number of WWE Superstars and Vince McMahon on Twitter recently.

This Day In Wrestling History

Bruno Sammartino defeats Buddy Rogers for the (WWWF)WWE Championship at Madison Square Garden.

May 17, 1963

Vince McMahon Sr. died of cancer at 69.

May 17, 1984

Marty Jannetty defeated Shawn Michaels for the WWF(E) Intercontinental title.

May 17, 1993

"British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith died of a heart attack at 39.

May 17, 2002

WWE Will Have Major Presence At Upcoming NBCU And FOX Advertiser Presentations

According to Deadline, WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair headline a list of major WWE stars that’ll speak at the upcoming NBCUniversal and FOX advertisers presentation.

The NBCU presentation, set for Monday, May 16 will feature RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair as well as former WWE Champion, The Miz, who will both speak at the event. NBCU’s presentation is set to emanate from Radio City Music Hall in New York, New York.

FOX’s presentation will also take place on Monday, May 16, but will take place at Skylight on Vesey in New York, New York. It will feature WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and former SmackDown Women’s Champion, Charlotte Flair.

On May 5, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, as well as Chief Revenue Officer/President Nick Khan, Chief Financial Officer Frank A. Riddick, and the company’s Senior Vice President and Head of Investor Relations Seth Zaslow hosted WWE’s First Quarter of 2022 Earnings Call. The company reported a quarterly record of $333.4 million in revenue and announced that WrestleMania 38 generated 2.2 billion social media interactions, which was more than the 1.8 billion impressions that this past February’s Super Bowl LVI generated.

WWE NXT Reportedly Set To Resume Touring

It was reported via Wrestling Observer Radio how there have been talks of NXT resuming a touring schedule of live events, and now POST Wrestling’s John Pollock reports that a schedule has been put together.

The NXT brand is set to resume non-televised live events in the state of Florida beginning in June.

NXT has not held any non-televised live events since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. At one point NXT had two groups touring, one for the state of Florida, and another in various states across the country.

The current plan is for the NXT roster to tour just the state of Florida beginning next month, but it’s possible that they resume the NXT Road Trip tour across the country in the near future.

WWE To Unveil Second “NEXT IN LINE™” Class At Inaugrual NIL Summit In June

WWE will announce the second class of athletes entering its “Next In Line” (NIL) program at the inaugural NIL Summit on Monday, June 13. The class of 15 athletes will be in attendance and unveiled live during the NIL Awards ceremony at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

WWE will join Meta, Wasserman and Invesco QQQ and others as founding Partners of the inaugural NIL Summit and will also serve as the exclusive Presenting Partner for the Breakthrough Athlete of the Year Award. Additionally, WWE is nominated for the Brand of the Year Award which recognizes creative excellence by a brand or organization for collaboration with a student-athlete.

Four of the 16 initial members of WWE’s “Next In Line” program are nominated for awards including Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson (University of Minnesota) for Male Athlete of the Year, Haley & Hanna Cavinder (University of Miami) for Female Athlete of the Year and Jon Seaton (Elon University) for the Hustle Award.

“We are excited to unveil our next class of NIL athletes at the inaugural NIL Summit which brings together the brightest minds across this emerging industry for the first time,” said Paul Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy and Development. “WWE’s ‘Next In Line’ program has already proven to be transformational for our talent pipeline. We have forged many incredible partnerships with student athletes during the first six months of the program and look forward to ushering in the next wave of talent.”

WWE corporate

WWE looks to boost its sponsorship revenue as live events return and a key media deal expires

WWE Releases 10 NXT Superstars

WWE released several NXT talents:

* Dexter Lumis

* Malcolm Bivens

* Dakota Kai

* Harland

* Persia Pirotta

* Raelyn Divine

* Draco Anthony

* Vish Kanya

* Mila Malani

* Blair Baldwin

Triple H Addresses WWE NXT Changes, Competition From AEW, Wrestlers Jumping Ship, More

During an interview with The Athletic, Triple H discussed the recent changes to the WWE NXT brand to NXT 2.0, and the new directive to hire hiring younger talent.

On hiring college athletes and younger talent:

“It always bothered me, like, (to get into wrestling in the past) you’ve almost got to be someone with nothing else going on or can’t take no for an answer and dig and dig and dig. But that pool is so small, people trying to get into this business. As I met more people, and you become savvy to the world of athletes, you realize the NFL is letting go 500 players a year. … You look at that massive pool of incredible athletes (from all sports). If you take that pool and 10 or 5 percent have big personalities that would be good for your business, you’re talking about a talent pool that’s 1,000 times bigger than right now.”

On the change to NXT 2.0:

“There was this point where it was on the (WWE) Network, had this cult following, and we needed to get on television. How do we do that? We need more experience, need to professionalize this a little bit to make the product to where fans want to see that. We got them to that place. The pandemic (messed) it up a little bit because it was right when we went on TV and we had to shift our focus, doing it in front of no people. It completely altered what we were doing. We couldn’t recruit or train talent for almost two years. … But the show stayed. Then we said, OK, let’s reboot it and go back to what we originally were. Some of these people won’t be ready for television, but we’re gonna put them on television, and we believe the audience is invested enough that the numbers might come down, but a core group of them will stay, and now you’re creating fresh stars all the time. That’s where we are now. The numbers have stabilized.

People like Bron Breakker, he’s been training for a year. Half the women, they’ve been here a year maybe. There’s a lot that’s just so fresh and new. People used to say the constant churn of NXT was a negative. The churn is what’s great about it. The people here now, hopefully a year and a half from now, none of them are even in NXT anymore, and the ones that make it will be on to “Raw” and “SmackDown. That’s the magic. It truly is the developmental league, the college football, Triple-A baseball. Yeah, they’re not all quite ready to be in that major-league role yet, but you’re discovering them before they become household names. We were talking about this shift anyway. That’s where we were headed. It happened at a period of time where I had to leave for a bit. Luckily, Shawn (Michaels) had been doing it with me all that time, so it was a seamless thing. I stepped out, did what I needed to do, but that team has killed it. They’ve really created a show where you can really say that’s the next generation of stars.”

On competition with AEW:

“As far as the competition aspect goes, it’s great. It makes everybody sharper. You get lazy if you’re all there and everybody goes about their business. The end of the day, it’ll make us better, and we’ll all be better for it. All those things have forced us to be in a better place right now. Not that we wouldn’t have gotten there anyway, but we had to do it quicker in some manner. That’s an important piece of it, right? As long as there aren’t things hurting the business overall, I think any of that stuff is good. If you’re a 6-year-old kid, you turn on the TV, wrestling is on and you like it. Now you’re caught up in it. Then you start sampling all of it. You get to where you’re a huge fan. That’s the money. There’s room for everybody to do it. It’s like saying the USFL or XFL is starting up and the NFL is panicking about market share. It’s just going to increase people’s love for football. If you love football that much, you’ll watch all of the football, and it’s great. But the NFL is not sweating that.”

On former NXT wrestlers in AEW:

“I like all those guys. They helped us get where we needed to get, and I’m thankful for it. The truth is there was a period of time where we were trying to build NXT. We built NXT. Then we were trying to build a brand that could get a television show and sustain it. All those names helped us get there. Whether anybody believed or not they fit on “Raw” or “SmackDown,” those aren’t necessarily my decisions solely, and they’re Vince’s (McMahon) decisions and fans’ decisions; and then, can we continue to do business with them? If they have great gigs, I’m happy for them. I stay in touch with almost all of them. I like to think they came into us here, we taught them a lot, got them to (a higher level) where they learned how to do television, how to be professionals and all that to be successful there. At some point, they might come back with us, or they might never because they don’t fit our brand as well, but that’s OK. They got us to certain places, and I’m thankful for that, and they’re thankful for that, and they’re off to different things. But that doesn’t stop the train. People leave football teams, move to different teams all the time, and it’s great.”

The Rock Debuts New XFL Logo And Vision