WWE Wins Three Sports Social TV Awards

WWE received three awards from the second annual Sports Social TV Awards this week.

The company captured awards for:

*WrestleMania 29 – Best Special Event Award

*WWE – Best Social Commerce or Marketing Program Award

*John Cena – Social TV Sports Entertainer of the Year Award.

The Sports Social TV Awards, "Bring together the top people, platforms and programs in the Sports Social TV space, nominees were recognized for excelling in the fast-moving industry of social TV, specific to the sports market, and pioneering the future of television with second-screen experiences."

Joe DeFranco Discusses Triple H's Training

Triple H's trainer Joe DeFranco recently appeared on The Podcast for Skinny Bastards. During the episode, he discussed how tore up Triple H was when he starting working with him. You can listen to it by clicking here.

Is it time for a new WWE CEO?

With this past week's announcement of World Wrestling Entertainment releasing 11 people from its roster added to the already horrendous drop in the WWE's stock price by almost 50%; reports that Vince McMahon personally lost over $750 million dollars over the last few months; the market's disappointment in WWE's new U.S. television deal; and the number of WWE Network subscribers being stuck at 667,287 which is quite far off the reported 1.5 million subscribers needed for it to break even; questions are being asked about the company's direction.

As is inevitable when a company has this kind of downfall in such a short amount of time, reports have been circulating that many investors are calling for Vince McMahon to resign as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. However, the obvious query is whether or not that should happen and if so who would replace him?

Before devolving further into this issue, though, it has to be noted that Vince McMahon owns roughly 57% of WWE’s Class A common stock - 39.9 million shares - which gives him controlling interest in the company. So if he doesn’t wish to be removed as CEO of the company it would be almost impossible to force him to do so. Additionally, it also means that any successive CEO would need his stamp of approval.

Regardless, this does not mean that it hasn’t come time for someone else to guide the WWE as the CEO...More?

source: slamwrestling.com

More Details on WWE Offering Assistance and Scholarships to Former Contracted Talents

We noted before that WWE recently sent out a letter to all former contracted talents offering them assistance. The name of the program is the WWE Professional Development program. Below is a copy of the letter that was sent out, clarifying some of the details:

"WWE is pleased to announce a Professional Development Program available to former WWE talent, and in some cases, their family members. The Professional Development Program aims to provide guidance and support beyond your tenure with WWE. The first two initiatives are:Financial Education and Continuing Education.

Money Management International (MMI) is the largest non-profit credit counseling agency in the country and has partnered with WWE to provide financial education to WWE talent. Please see enclosed packet for more information. The use of MMI is free for you and your immediate family members. We encourage you to reach out to MMI for assistance.

WWE is now offering financial scholarships to former WWE talent in the amount of $5,000 per calendar year to be used for obtaining a college degree or completing a certificate program. In order to receive this scholarship, a former WWE talent must apply for the three annual scholarships that are available. Please note–the deadline for the 2014 award is Friday, 8/1.

To keep former WWE talent up to date with WWE news, we will be distributing via email an “Alumni Newsletter” on a quarterly basis. The newsletter will include information on WWE news, archives, wellness, professional development and more."

WWE Gives Belt to The Superdome

WWE officials presented The Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans with a WWE World Heavyweight Title belt today, to commemorate the building hosting WrestleMania XXX.

Five Athletic Transformations: The Good, The Bad, and The Strange

Some people change for the worse while others change for the better and some change just for the sake of changing. Regardless of what people change for, in almost every scenario of a transformation, there is a cosmetic overhaul. This applies to athletes as well. Though their physical changes may be something as small as a haircut, or as big as a torso-covering tattoo, the athletic change is not always fashionable. Here is a list of five athletes that have transformed themselves over the years and whether this these changes were good, bad, or just downright strange.

4. Paul Levesque (better known as Triple H). This may come as surprise to a few because many do not view professional wrestlers as professional athletes; rather they see them as stuntmen posing as actors. I could go on a wonderfully long rant about how professional wrestling is an age-old sport that is as deeply rooted in American Sports tradition as baseball, but I wont. Simply realize that they do things, athletically, that no one else in the world can do. Now that I’ve addressed the elephant in the article, we can get back to the athletic transformation of Triple H. “The Game” chopped off his iconic flow of golden locks just a few short years ago. Unofficially retired as an in-ring performer, Levesque traded in his tights for Armani suits and Rolex watches. He is now taking a more hands-on approach to running the WWE from a professional business point of view along side his wife Stephanie McMahon Levesque and father-in-law (and father of modern wrestling) Vince McMahon. Though he will go down as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, the transformation from jock to suit will aid him in infiltrating the business side of wrestling and be able to leave a lasting legacy beyond what he’s accomplished in the ring.

Verdict: The Good

Read the full article here.

source: proplayerinsiders.com

End of TNA Wrestling is Near

Video: Kevin Hart Talks Hosting Raw and Physical Encounter with Triple H

WWE Total Divas Nominated for Award

WWE Total Divas has been nominated for a Teen Choice Award this year. They're up for Choice Reality Show against Cosmos, Dance Moms, Real Husbands of Hollywood and Keeping Up with The Kardashians. The awards take place on August 10th and fans can vote at this link.

Rumor Mill - WWE Looking to Cut $20 Million From its Budget This Year, Noticeable Production Elements Already Scrapped

According to a source within WWE, the company is looking to cut approximately $20 million from its budget this year.

This would explain the round of talent cuts made last week, in addition to other production elements which have noticeably been scrapped.

For example, Fandango's golden curtain entrance has been cut, and the scissor lift is no longer being used for Bad News Barrett. The truck WWE used to transport those entrances has reportedly been taken off the road, which is a $250,000 a year savings.

Former Tag Team Champions Announced for TNA's Hall of Fame

Kurt Angle announced at tonight's TNA Slammiversary pay-per-view that Devon and Bully Ray, known as Team 3D, will be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame at this year's Bound For Glory pay-per-view. Team 3D joins Angle and Sting in the TNA Hall of Fame.

Triple H vs. WWE director Kevin Dunn - battling over what's Best For Business

Is WWE director Kevin Dunn intentionally sabotaging Triple H, the NXT brand and their former wrestlers? Evidence is mounting up.

A few days ago my colleague Geno Mrosko reported that Vince McMahon wasn't high on the recent NXT call ups of Adam Rose, Paige and Bo Dallas, but perhaps the more interesting part of the story is the current jockeying for power between Triple H and Kevin Dunn.

For those that aren't familiar with him, Dunn is WWE's highly paid Executive Vice President of Television Production and has been one of the company's top producers since 1984, but he's been much criticized by wrestling traditionalists like Jim Cornette and the late Paul Bearer for his lack of appreciation of the art form's history and being obsessed with aesthetics over substance. He's been a confidante of Vince McMahon's for well over 15 years and has seen his influence grow, as one by one, the men Vince surrounded himself with in the 80s and the 90s all either left of their own accord or were forced out after falling out with him.

However, after surviving for so long, being someone who Vince clearly trusts the opinion of and there being no sign that he wants to downsize his duties, it seems clear that his job is safe while the old man stays in charge. Conversely, it's clear that his days would be numbered as soon as the WWE leadership baton is passed on to Vince's handpicked successor Triple H. When Paul Levesque became EVP of Talent, Live Events and Creative, he immediately got rid of the executive old guard like John Laurinaitis (whose abilities he didn't rate) and replaced them with his own hires like Jane Geddes and Canyon Ceyman. Everyone predicts that trend will continue as Levesque get more control of the company. Indeed, NXT is the training ground for the next generation of WWE technicians, script writers and TV producers, which shows that The Cerebral Assassin is already preparing for the day he gets complete command.

Thus, Dunn's position depends on trying to ensure that Vince hangs around for as long as possible, which would require him to plant seeds of doubt in Vince's head that Hunter is ready for the responsibility of being in charge of the day to day running of his company. Given his reputation of being insecure and petty, he's not above playing dirty if he has to. Clearly he wouldn't have lasted to this very day, if he wasn't a master of the dark arts of wrestling politics.

There's been online rumors that resentment between Triple H and Kevin Dunn has reached an all time high of late. Apparently, Hunter was outraged that Dunn and his crew somehow missed the shot of The Shield standing tall over his fallen body at the end of the Payback pay-per-view earlier this month. Then came the word that Dunn had successfully buried Adam Rose to Vince and the implication was that he was trying to do the same with Paige and Bo Dallas, but hadn't been quite as convincing in that regard. The obvious conclusion to come to is that Dunn is intentionally trying to sabotage Hunter's NXT brand and is also trying to call into question his talent grooming and judging skills for the main WWE roster, so that he can curry greater favor with the boss.

Kevin Dunn may have won this battle, but this will be a war that only The Game can win.

At a time when the WWE Network needs all the help it can get, this infighting is the last thing the company needs, especially as NXT should be promoted on WWE programming as something worth subscribing to the channel for, a unique opportunity to see tomorrow's WWE Superstars today. Lets hope the heat dies down and they can start working together more harmoniously. That's what's would really be Best For Business!

source: cagesideseats.com

Rumor Mill - Low Attendance at Recent TNA Basebrawl Events Leads to Low Morale, Some Talents Looking to Leave TNA, More

According to The Wrestling Observer, the low attendance figures for TNA's recent Basebrawl stadium events has lead to low morale amongst the talents who worked the events.

There is said to be an air of uncertainty in TNA right now, as so many talents have been let go recently, talents feel The Carter family isn't putting much new money into TNA lately, and since wrestlers use live fan attendance as a way to judge the state of the company, morale has been down to say the least.

TNA's lack of a new TV deal with SpikeTV also has talents nervous, however with several TNA names appearing at the SpikeTV awards show this past week, that's being looked at as a positive sign for TNA and Spike negotiations.

Several TNA stars have reportedly reached out to Ring of Honor and Jeff Jarrett's Global Force Wrestling for potential job opportunities, but since so little has been revealed about GFW, that has lead to growing concern amongst talents.

News on Attendance at WWE's NXT TV Tapings

Thursday night's WWE NXT TV tapings from Full Sail University were sold out again. After the show had started, Full Sail staff members began filling up any empty spot with chairs as more fans were coming in. A fan attending NXT TV tapings and live events across Florida regularly and said this was one of the biggest NXT crowds she's seen.

Rumor Mill - WWE's Network blamed for roster cuts, corporate bloodletting expected

Yesterdays purge of almost a dozen expendable WWE performers (including Brodus Clay, Evan Bourne, Teddy Long, Drew McIntyre, Jinder Mahal, Aksana and JTG) caught everyone by surprise, even though the writing should have been on the wall that major cuts were imminent.

After many years of relative prosperity where WWE could afford to carry a bit of deadwood in their ranks, their wrestlers had been lulled into a false sense of security. Releases only occurred when contracts expired or sackable offenses were committed. As long as you played by the rules, your job was safe. Until today.

Unfortunately such niceties can't continue in a company projected to lose a whopping $45-52 million this annum and whose cash-in-hand is rapidly running out to fund such heavy red ink. This is clearly a time where any excessive or unnecessary spending by WWE had to be ruthlessly eliminated regardless of the lives ruined in the process.

Not just in the wrestling ring, but also on the corporate sides of things too, as Dave Scherer of PWInsider.com has just reported that more cuts and redundancies are expected in all areas of the promotion:

"There is a lot of talk that the cuts/releases are not done and that there will be cuts on the administrative side of the company as well, perhaps as soon as tomorrow. Potential cuts loom across pretty much all departments. The word making the rounds is that the current state of the WWE Network, its success or lack thereof, is what is precipitating cuts both in talent as well as potentially in office staff. That wouldn't bode well for state of the Network base when they release the current subscriber numbers at the second quarter earnings conference call."

A final note from Scherer on the WWE wrestler cuts is apparently those that got the chop were unhappy that Triple H left his corporate lackey Mark Carrano to break the news to them and didn't handle the situation personally:

"We have heard that Mark Carrano, who works in Talent Relations under Triple H, is the man who made most, if not all, of the calls to the released talent today. It is fair to say that at least some of those let go would have appreciated that the call came from Triple H himself."

Brodus Clay, Evan Bourne, Teddy Long, Curt Hawkins and other WWE Superstars released

From wwe.com:

WWE has come to terms on the release of the following Superstars as of today, June 12, 2014:

JTG
Drew McIntyre
Jinder Mahal
Aksana
Curt Hawkins
Theodore Long
Camacho
Brodus Clay
Evan Bourne
Yoshi Tatsu
Marc Harris (referee)

WWE wishes them the best in all their future endeavors.

The Latest on a Possible Physical WWE Hall of Fame

WWE has reportedly approached numerous historians and have made significant money offers to them for memorabilia to potentially fill a physical WWE Hall of Fame.

Vince McMahon is said to have never been to keen on the idea of a physical Hall of Fame, but it's something Triple H is said to be very high on and longterm plans continue to be discussed.

Steve Austin Speaks on WrestleMania XXX Idea He Pitched to Vince

I have a lot of respect for Hulk Hogan. The Rock is a friend of mine and I have a ton of respect for him, and when you get three cats like us in the ring, it was truly a good time, and I think everyone there enjoyed it. I actually pitched to Vince in the back that I wanted to sing "Jambalaya." It’s an old Hank Williams song and he shot that down. He didn’t think it would get over and I think there are some copyright issues or whatever, but could you imagine 70 to 80 thousand people singing "Jambalaya"? it would’ve been badass.

But what you should have heard was me singing "Jambalaya" to Vince in the dressing room with Triple H pacing back and forth getting ready for his match. It was pretty damn funny.

Rumor Mill - John Cena’s Eye Injury, Backstage News on Bray Wyatt Punished in the Past for Similar Incident

John Cena suffered an eye injury during his WWE live event match against Bray Wyatt in Madison, Wisconsin over the weekend. The injury came when Wyatt poked Cena in the eye, which resulted in massive swelling that was visible on Raw this week.

WWE cameras were instructed to shoot Cena from a distance on Raw this week, to camouflage the injury as best as possible.

According to The Wrestling Observer, this is not the first time this has happened, as Bray Wyatt, back when he was performing as Husky Harris, poked Cena in the eye in a similar fashion, and word is Wyatt was demoted back to developmental for the incident as he did not "apologize to Cena enough" for the mistake.

'350 Days' body slams into glamour, drugs of 1980s wrestling

Many of them are now broken men — both physically and financially — but in the 1980s they were like rock stars, lured by a lifestyle of big money, fast women, drugs and steroids.

A new documentary entitled "350 Days" explores their lives and what is described as the "golden era" of professional wrestling.
1980s wrestling

The 1980s saw a surge in its popularity in the United States and Canada. Contributing to its success was the expansion of cable television and pay-per-view and a period of cross-promotion between the WWF and elements of the music industry, including singer Cyndi Lauper.

The documentary is a co-effort of Vancouver-based actor Fulvio Cecere, who is the director and co-producer, along with producer Darren Antola.

"I did wrestle in high school so I appreciate the sport of it, but the entertainment part of it I didn't know anything about it," said Cecere, 54, who grew up in Montreal and has a long list of TV and movie credits.

Cecere said he and Antola were working on reality TV show proposals. When those didn't work out they found the world of professional wrestling provided another opportunity.

An interview with "Superstar" Billy Graham, who was a champion in the late 1970s as well as an award-winning bodybuilder who trained with Arnold Schwarzenegger, was an eye opener.

"He was just so nonchalant. He said, 'I'd get up in the morning and shoot my speed and I did this and this and that' and just rattled it off like a grocery list," said Cecere.

"The honesty, the openness, the stuff that was coming out, I knew I was on to something. From then on we started going to as many people as possible."

The title, "350 Days," refers to the amount of time many of the performers wrestled every year...More?

source: cbc.ca

Joey Styles On WWE Network Royalties, Would Announce NXT

Joey Styles answered some interesting questions on Twitter. The following is from his verified Twitter account:

“@GetTheEOut: @JoeyStyles I hope you get royalties for @WWENetwork views of #ECW shows.” I don't but I do get more offers for appearances.

@Ryzilla85 7@JoeyStyles would u ever get behind the desk again if @WWE asked" Yes for @WWENXT. It reminds me of ECW & tapes monthly in FL.

Shawn Michaels Talks Fan Backlash Against John Cena & His Greatest Quality

Tonight's episode of WWE Rewind on the WWE Network will look at Shawn Michaels vs. John Cena from WrestleMania 23. In the video above, Michaels talks about the company making the decision to have Cena become the face of the company. Michaels noted that the decision was the reason for people rebelling against him and chanting things like "you can't wrestle," and said that Cena "obviously can." Michaels said that Cena's greatest quality is that he's "an incredibly hard worker." Michaels noted that there are a lot of things that they both can't do, but said that he has done "a much better job" of covering it up than Cena. Michaels added that he feels that Cena gets a raw deal, and that Cena has earned everything he's gotten.

Roman Reigns And UFC Champion Ronda Rousey Comment On Rousey Joining The Shield

As noted over the weekend, Roman Reigns was asked by a fan on Twitter if he thinks UFC Women's Champion Ronda Rousey should be a member of The Shield. Reigns replied and said she seems like a good fit, leading to this reply from Rousey and an exchange between the two:

Rousey: "How did I not see this till right now!? #thisisawesome @wweromanreigns "

Reigns: "@RondaRousey well hell lets get a vest on u and start tearing the world apart! #BreakEveryRuleInTheBook"

Rousey: "Btw I fan-girled out on that @WWERomanReigns tweet so bad I screwed up like 5 times lol"

WWE was reportedly interested in having Rousey appear at this year's SummerSlam pay-per-view.

Daniel Bryan Officially Stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship; Complete Story & Update on the Title Picture

Daniel Bryan has been officially stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

The behind-the-scenes story has been developing since Bryan suffered an injury to an already aggravated neck, and was forced to undergo surgery on May 15th. WWE officials were hopeful that the world champion would return to action in time for the Money in the Bank PPV – after sitting on the bench for last month's Payback PPV – but it was reported earlier today that Bryan and the WWE received bad news from doctors, and will not be cleared to wrestle in the coming weeks.

As far as the on-screen story goes, Bryan was attacked by Kane several times, including a very physical match at Extreme Rules, in order to play off his injury on television. Stephanie McMahon announced last week that either Bryan would defend the title in a Stretcher Match at this month's PPV, or he would be forced to vacate the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and the title would be up for grabs in a Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon kicked off Monday Night Raw tonight, announcing what we already knew – Daniel Bryan is unable to compete, and therefor cannot defend the title – prior to officially stripping him of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross Suffered Stroke-Like Symptoms Before Hospital Stint

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross was hospitalized Thursday for mysterious '"stroke-like symptoms" ... but after a few days of extensive testing, doctors were able to pinpoint the source of the legendary announcer's problem.

Ross says he got home from a trip to Vegas Thursday night and wasn't feeling well ... so his wife forced him to go to a nearby hospital in Oklahoma to get checked out.

Doctors ran a battery of tests on the 62-year-old and ultimately determined the symptoms were being caused by meds he had been taking for an unrelated medical issue.

Doctors also informed Ross ... the tests showed he had suffered a minor undiagnosed stroke in the past.

Ross' doctors are confident they fixed the problem -- changed his medication -- and the podcast-host was released from the hospital Saturday evening.

Ross adds, "I'm not ready to tag out just yet."

source: tmz.com

Photo: Low Turn-out for TNA Live Event in Salisbury, MD

TNA Event at Minor League Baseball Stadium Draws Less Than 300 Fans

We've heard anywhere between 100 and 300 fans attended Friday night's TNA live event in Bowie, Maryland at Prince George's Stadium. One fan noted that Bowie's local minor league baseball team, the Bowie Baysox, drew 3,141 fans at their most recent home game.

Terry Taylor & Michael "PS" Hayes Receive Awards

The 2014 Cauliflower Alley Club Reunion took place this weekend at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas with many wrestling legends in attendance. Gerald Brisco presented Michael "PS" Hayes with the Lou Thesz Award, which is a lifetime achievement award and Jim Ross presented Terry Taylor with the Iron Mike Award, the CAC's top honor.

Ross noted in a blog last week that WWE had 4 tables reserved for the reunion. We've heard in the past that WWE had reserved 1 or 2 tables but never 4. No word yet on who attended on their behalf.

Rumor Mill - Legal Issues Between WWE and Rey Mysterio?

Rey Mysterio’s WWE contract was renewed for one year by Vince McMahon last week despite Mysterio wanting to leave with the expiration of his contract.

WWE decided that due to Mysterio's recent injuries, he has missed so much time they enforced a rule in which contracts may be frozen and thus Mysterio is now paying back time to the company he has missed through until May 2015.

According to sources, there is a potential legal issue that has not played out.

WWE Offering Free Financial Planning & Debt Assistance, Scholarships to All Former Talents

WWE's talent relations department issued letters this week to former contracted talents and referees offering them financial planning assistance in a number of ways never before offered by the company.

WWE's letter noted that they are now offering, free of charge, financial planning and debt assistance services through a financial firm for anyone who was ever under contract. The assistance would include help with financial management and for talents who are in debt, help with debt consolidation.

WWE is also offering a $5,000 per semester scholarship to any former talents who wish to further their college education. The letter noted that those interested need to enroll by 8/1 in order to be eligible for the Fall 2014 semester's scholarship and also provide proof of enrollment to WWE.

The letters were sent out earlier this week and former talents are just starting to receive them.

From WWE's corporate site:

WWE also extends a Professional Development Program to former WWE Talent, and in some cases, their family members. This Professional Development Program aims to provide guidance and support beyond talent’s tenure with WWE.

WWE’s Professional Development Program for former talent focuses on two major initiatives- Financial Education and Continuing Education.


• Financial Education: WWE has partnered with Money Management International (MMI), the largest non-profit credit counseling agency in the country, to provide free Financial Education to former WWE Talent and their immediate family members.

• Continuing Education: WWE offers financial scholarships to former WWE Talent in the amount of $5,000 per calendar year to be used for obtaining a college degree or completing a certificate program.

To keep Former WWE Talent up-to-date with current WWE news, WWE distributes a digital “Alumni Newsletter” on a quarterly basis. The newsletter includes information on WWE news, archives, wellness, professional development and more.

Triple H Talks About Shawn Merriman Possibly Joining WWE

We noted last week that Triple H mentioned in his NXT Takeover conference call that WWE had been talking to former NFL star Shawne Merriman and that they would love to have him on their team. The Miami Herald has an article up with Triple H's comments on Merriman. Here's what Triple H said:

"Shawne has done some analyst work for us, done some stuff for the [WWE] Network. We are having conversations with Shawne, and it’s really going to come down to time and what he wants to do. Shawne expressed to me he had two dreams growing up. One was to be an NFL superstar, and he did that, and the other was to be a WWE superstar. He’s done one, and now he’s heavily contemplating the other. We’re in discussions. So we’ll see what happens, see where it goes. He’s a great guy, an amazing athlete, very smart, and we’d love to have him."

E! Touts TV Rating Success for the WWE Total Divas Season Finale