ESPN's E:60 show filmed footage at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando and the NXT TV tapings at Full Sail University this past Feburary for a feature that will air this season. A promo for the episode aired tonight which featured an interview with Triple H. Xavier Woods was also shown for the feature about NXT.
September 2, 2014
WWE NXT Feature On ESPN
WWE NXT Diva Leaves The Company
WWE NXT Diva Veronica Lane, real name Erika Hammond, has left the company. She was signed back in the spring of 2013 and has done mostly backstage interviews and ring announcing in NXT. She recently recovered from a leg injury.
This Day In Wrestling History
WCW's Clash of The Champions XX celebrates its 20th year of wrestling on TBS. The show also featured the last appearance of Andre The Giant in the USA.
September 2, 1992
Eric Bischoff awarded Triple H the new WWE Raw World title, exclusive to Raw.
September 2, 2002
September 1, 2014
WWE Invites NFL Player Michael Sam to Next Week's RAW, Offers Open Mic
WWE has invited NFL player Michael Sam to next Monday's WWE RAW from Baltimore. Sam was the first publicly gay player to be drafted in the NFL. He was cut by the St. Louis Rams this weekend after a good performance in the preseason.
If Sam comes to RAW next week, WWE will give him an open microphone to tell his side of things.
Next Monday's RAW will face major competition as the NFL returns with a doubleheader.
Development Begins on New WWE Animated Project
A second WWE & Scooby-Doo crossover animated movie project is in the early stages of development according to a report by Mike Johnson. It is said that if the project gets the green light, the hope is for the movie to be out by 2016. The first WWE & Scooby-Doo animated movie, "Scooby Doo Wrestlemania Mystery" was released earlier this year on DVD & Blu-Ray and has now begun airing on Cartoon Network. WWE's next animated project, a crossover movie with the Flintstones, is set to be released in 2015.
source: pwinsider.com
Triple H to be Interviwed on Chris Jericho's Podcast
Chris Jericho revealed that Triple H will be appearing on his podcast this week on both Wednesday and Friday.
Jim Ross Talks TNA Needing To Make Changes
Jim Ross stopped for an in-depth interview with Submission Radio over the weekend and spoke about TNA:
"Well they have to find a North American cable television partner. They gotta find it by the 1st of the year because that's when there extension with Spike ends. So they have to find that partner that pays them enough rights fees to help pay their bills. They can't make, it I don't think - that's my assumptions - I am assuming that TNA Impact wrestling cannot survive long term, simply on the money they earn outside the United States or outside North America. It's just not there to pay their bills, and other than that, they're gonna have to do some retooling on their business model and they're gonna have to work on their budget. So if they don't have that money, I think it's imperative that they get an North American cable outlet that pays them enough money to help them keep their doors open. And I hope that they succeed. They have a potential to be a good brand. I think they have a very variable talent roaster, but I would put it in terms this way, some of them are cast wrong if you wanna use a showbiz term. They're in the wrong rolls, and using an American Football term I think they're running the wrong system. Their talents aren't being used to fit the talent's strengths. But I have a lot of friends that work there and I hope they get a second chance and that they succeed in the future.
"TNA's gotta change the way they present their product if they do get in a new environment, and if they do, they have to become the alternative to the WWE and not be compared as a 'WWE lite' comparison."
You can check out the full interview by clicking here (starting at the 55:14 mark).
No WWE Guests On JR's Podcast
WWE has allowed several of their talents to appear on podcasts for Steve Austin and Chris Jericho but not Jim Ross. A fan on Twitter asked Ross about Ric Flair possibly appearing on The Ross Report and JR replied with the following:
"No. Flair's a wwe guy. WWE hasn't approved any podcast guests for me."
Stephanie McMahon and WWE to promote Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Connor Michalek left a special mark in WWE. WWE’s Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon met the 8-year-old superfan at the 2014 Royal Rumble in Connor’s hometown of Pittsburgh, PA and she could never forget their heart-warming meeting.
To show support for “Connor the Crusher,” WWE will raise awareness for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month throughout September wtih a special campaign. McMahon will turn her social media profiles gold, the internationally recognized color for childhood cancer awareness, and will proudly display gold ribbons to show her support for finding a cure. Other parts of the campaign to spread awareness have not yet been revealed. Before the campaign kicked off on September 1st, McMahon published an article on Huffington Post about Connor’s lasting effect on her.
In June 2014, McMahon and Paul “Triple H” Levesque formed Connor’s Cure fund through Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation in honor of his memory. Net proceeds from all Stephanie McMahon Authentic T-shirts will be donated to Connor’s Cure.
Trish Stratus Talks About Her Relationship With Lita, Brie Bella vs. Stephanie McMahon, Movies, More
Given how many things Trish Stratus has on the go at any one time -- acting, running her Stratusphere Yoga business, raising her son -- it's no surprise that she has to multi-task, like conduct this interview over the phone while taking her son out for a walk. Or like this weekend, where she'll combine a visit from her "bestie," Amy "Lita" Dumas, with an appearance at Fan Expo Canada.
"Team Bestie" will be at the event, which takes place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre this Thursday through Sunday, where they will be holding autograph sessions, photo ops, and a joint Q&A session.
"It's great any time I get to spend time hanging out with Amy," Stratus told SLAM! Wrestling. "We have to work at (scheduling things), but in some ways it can be easy. She can say, 'Hey, I've got this project coming up, so I'm going to swing through Toronto for a couple of days on my way there.' In fact, we just baptized (Stratus' son) Max about a month ago, and (Amy) came in to Toronto for that."
Fan Expo Canada is the largest event the two have done jointly on their current "Team Bestie" tour, and Stratus is looking forward to getting to spend a full four days with Dumas this time.
"We have so much that we can relate to each other," she explained about their tight bond. "It's nice that we were able to stay friends beyond (wrestling). It's funny, because we're total opposites in a lot of ways. On paper, you'd never think that we would hang out together. But we lived so much of our lives together on the same path -- we were in the trenches together, from the beginning all the way through the end when we both retired -- that we just stayed in touch."
This Day In Wrestling History
Ric Flair defeated "Macho Man" Randy Savage for the WWF(E) Heavyweight Title.
September 1, 1992
August 31, 2014
August 28, 2014
Triple H & Stephanie McMahon's Muscle & Fitness Photo Shoot
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon had a photo shoot for Muscle & Fitness magazine today at WWE headquarters in Stamford.
Batista Talks Not Being Happy With Latest WWE Return
Batista is Chris Jericho's guest on the latest episode of the Talk Is Jericho podcast, which you can listen to here. During the interview, Batista talked about his latest WWE run being "bad from the start."
"It was just bad from right off the bat," Batista admitted (props to MStarz for the transcription). "They said, 'We want you to come out and do this thing with Hunter and Steph and Randy,' and I was like, 'First night back and you can't give me five minutes in the ring by myself in front if the fans?
"I told them from the very beginning [making me a babyface] isn't going to work. They said, 'Nah, man. They love you. They love you. They miss you.' That's going to last for 30 seconds. I said, 'They want to hate me and I'm good at that.'"
August 27, 2014
WWE Nixes Plans to Bring Back Tough Enough for the WWE Network
We noted back in July that the new season of WWE Tough Enough, scheduled to be filmed at the Performance Center in Orlando, was being pushed back due to budget cuts.
There had been talk of shooting the show in the fall but in recent weeks there were no discussions about filming. The budget for Tough Enough was heavily reduced this past week and then the show was scrapped altogether. No word yet if WWE will film the show at a later date but for now it's not happening.
Former NFL Player No Longer Affiliated with WWE
Former NFL star Shawne Merriman had been training to be a wrestler and an announcer, reportedly signing a deal with WWE around WrestleMania time. Merriman is no longer under contract and has no affiliation with WWE.
Sting names fallback opponent if he can't get his match with Undertaker
WWE star Sting spoke with Brian Fritz of the Orlando Sentinel and once again expressed his desire to wrestle Undertaker. "I do believe I have enough left in my tank for one more match and I would love for that match to be against (Under)Taker," Sting said.
"If that can’t happen, Triple H, I think. I just would like to have one more match. I would love to say I had one match under the WWE banner and, of course, WrestleMania. Who wouldn’t want to say that they wrestled at WrestleMania at least one time?" Read the full story at OrlandoSentinel.com.
August 26, 2014
TNA Receives Offer From Another TV Network
F4Wonline.com has confirmed that TNA offered a new home on a new network that wasn't as big as Spike TV. According to Raj Giri of WrestlingINC, Discovery Network's VELOCITY channel has offered TNA a timeslot. VELOCITY is only in 48 million homes and is available in HD only.
The biggest issue with this deal would be the rights fee, which is less than a quarter of what TNA is currently getting from Spike TV. The deal may not be worth it if TNA can't find an additional revenue stream.
If they take the deal, TNA would have to cut so far back on production and talent that the TNA as we know it would be no more.
August 24, 2014
SmackDown Moving To Thursdays Beginning Oct. 2 On SyFy
WWE SmackDown is moving to Thursday nights. SyFy has updated their schedule to reveal the move will take place on Thursday, October 2, 2014. You can view the full schedule at this link.
August 23, 2014
August 22, 2014
Stephanie McMahon on sexism, sacrifices and keeping romance alive
Not familiar with Stephanie McMahon? You could be forgiven.
The pro-wrestler and Chief Brand Officer at WWE doesn’t have much time to play the fame game.
She’s busy representing World Wrestling Entertainment Inc – of which she is CBO - in the 150 countries in which they operate, defeating fellow wrestlers in front of millions and raising her three daughters at the home she shares with fellow wrestler Paul Levesque.
Unlikely as it might seem, I am an unapologetic WWE fan despite my 30 years. And for many young fans like me (I started watching at 12), Stephanie was an idol.
She was strong, she was fierce, she was unapologetic and she held her own in the male dominated world of pro wrestling.
Where every other woman I was being encouraged to idolise was stripping off in music videos or falling drunkenly out of a nightclub, here was a woman whose body was strong, whose strength was palpable, whose ambition was worn like a badge of honour.
Stephanie McMahon made her WWE debut at the tender age of 22. She is the daughter of Vince McMahon, who is Chairman of the company to this day.
She became Women’s Champion a year after her debut and, alongside stars like The Rock, Chyna and Stone Cold Steve Austin, hers was one of the golden ages for the WWE.
She worked for the company, on reception, design and TV production during her performing career and was made executive vice president of Creative in 2007.
In 2003 she married fellow wrestler Paul Levesque, Triple H, and in 2006 the couple welcomed their first daughter.
She continues to perform to this day and, she tells me, took her first two girls on tour with her for three years of their lives.
In person Stephanie, 37, is warm, engaging and forthcoming – quite the opposite of the villainous character she plays on WWE. Yet there’s no denying a steel that lies beneath and as the face of the business it’s little surprise that she answers questions in perfect sound bites.
I meet her in London’s Zetter Townhouse - she jetted in from Rome that morning and is off to Berlin first thing tomorrow.
She’s fiercely proud to be a working mum and grateful for the recent trend – galvanised in the USA by Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In – for a more open discussion about a woman’s right to have a family and a successful career...More?
source: stylist.co.uk
TNA Impact Wrestling Viewership Drops On New Night
The first Wednesday edition of Impact Wrestling on Spike TV drew 852,000 viewers which is down on the 1,126,000 viewers it did for the Thursday edition in the week previous.
TNA and Spike would have expected the drop but will hope to make up the loss in the weeks to come.
Rumor Mill - Daniel Bryan May Need Tommy John Surgery
David Shoemaker, author of The Squared Circle: Life, Death and Professional Wrestling, posted on Twitter that he heard that Daniel Bryan needs “Tommy John” surgery which could keep him out for another three months.
What is Tommy John?
WebMD: "Tommy John surgery repairs an injured elbow ligament. It's most commonly done on college and pro athletes, especially baseball pitchers. But it's sometimes done on younger people as well."
This surgery usually requires more than three months recovery time.
August 21, 2014
Update on Shane McMahon's Company - YOU On Demand
China's VOD movie market remains a question mark after high-profile service generates just $183,000 in quarterly revenue
China’s digital movie service You On Demand Aug. 18 posted a second-quarter (ended June 30) net loss of $793,000 — a marked improvement from a net loss of $3.3 million during the prior-year period, according to a regulatory filing.
The subscription streaming and transactional VOD service, with headquarters in New York and Beijing, has over the years secured high-profile content license agreements with Disney Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures, NBC Universal, Warner Bros., Miramax, Lionsgate and Magnolia, as well as a broad selection of content from Chinese filmmakers.
Yet the service generated just $183,000 in revenue in the second quarter, which was up from $51,000 in revenue during the prior-year period. These are hardly impressive numbers in a Chinese market where more than 700 million people are projected to watch online video content this year.
To help secure better connections in China, You On Demand recently appointed Weicheng Liu as CEO, replacing Shane McMahon, who remains chairman of the board. Marc Urbach is president and CFO of the company.
China remains a burgeoning movie-watching market, with theatrical sales expected to become the largest in the world in a couple of years. Social media sites such as Youku and Tudou have hundreds of millions of unique monthly users, but online digital distribution remains a challenge.
Lionsgate is launching a SVOD service in China this month. The service is a partnership with Alibaba, one of the country’s largest e-commerce sites, and includes the latter’s set-top boxes and connected TVs.
Dubbed “Lionsgate Entertainment World,” the service would also include transactional video-on-demand and electronic sellthrough, featuring the Santa Monica, Calif.-based studio’s catalog of movies and TV shows, including The Hunger Games, Divergent, “Nashville,” Rosemary’s Baby and “Mad Men,” among others.
“It’s another way for us to get content into the Chinese market with a great partner,” Jim Packer, president of worldwide television and digital distribution at Lionsgate, told Bloomberg last month. “We’re always exploring opportunities in China, it’s a growing content market, it’s a content market you have to be in.”
Meanwhile, a 2011 McKinsey & Co. report found that successful online video sites would need to expand their bandwidth; hire experienced online advertising salespeople, and license content that will would generate the largest audiences and advertising.
“The best-funded sites are therefore likely to pull steadily ahead, in what could be a winner-takes-all phase of the market,” analyst Alan Lau wrote.
You On Demand’s fiscal results suggest it will take more than content to lure users.
source: homemediamagazine.com
August 20, 2014
Top WWE Stars Reportedly Side with Alberto Del Rio, Will He Speak Out In the US Soon?, More
Alberto Del Rio will reportedly be doing media appearances in the United States soon to go into more details about what happened with his WWE departure. Del Rio's representatives have contacted indie wrestling promoters in the US and said that Del Rio will be taking bookings for autograph signings and matches in the US very soon because he doesn't feel that WWE's one-year non-compete that keeps him from doing MMA and pro wrestling, while not paying him, will hold up in court. Del Rio's asking price for indie bookings is said to be extremely high.
Del Rio has been upset about WWE's social media worker Cody Barbierri not being fired for the incident they were involved in but for legal reasons, hasn't been saying anything like that publicly. At first Del Rio was going to speak out in the US media but decided against it. Now, his lawyers have reportedly given him the green light to speak out in the US.
It was also reported by those close to the situation that when Triple H called Del Rio about the departure, he told Del Rio to keep his nose clean and when the heat died down, they would re-hire him in 6 months. Del Rio said he wasn't interested in coming back. Top stars including Big Show, Randy Orton and John Cena all told Del Rio that they would push for him to be re-hired because most of the locker room was sympathetic to what had happened. Again, Del Rio made it clear he didn't want to come back.
Rumor Mill - What Happened with Triple H & Mysterio When His WWE Deal Expired, More on Rey's Status
Rey Mysterio was essentially forced to stay under contract with WWE for one more year due to a clause in WWE contracts that allows the company to extend a contract if their performers miss a certain amount of time due to injuries.
When Rey's WWE contract expired this year, he reportedly told Triple H that he was not interested in renewing the deal. The two reportedly had a handshake agreement that WWE and Rey would go their separate ways.
Vince McMahon then had Mark Carrano from Talent Relations call Rey to inform him that they were renewing his deal for one more year based on that clause.
Rey is still out of action with a hand injury and has not appeared for them since January. With him living in California, there was some talk last week of bringing him to SummerSlam for media appearances but that obviously did not happen, possibly because WWE didn't want the questions about his status coming up.
WWE Network Exceeds Companies Expectations In Canada
The launch of WWE Network in Canada has been huge success and exceeded the companies expectations according to Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of The Wrestling Observer Radio.
WWE has struggled to gain subscribers in the U.S. since the online-only version launched in February. For the Canadian market they adopted a different approach. Instead of offering an online channel, WWE teamed up Rogers Communications and launched the Network as a premium cable television station.
There was concern that offering the Network in this manner might not appeal as it has a higher price point at launch of $11.99 per month, opposed to $9.99 (U.S) and limited video library, in fact there are only several archived PPV's to watch but it does include 13 of the companies monthly PPV's which works out a better deal.
WWE will be watching this success closely and know there is still a much larger audience to gain in Canada considering Rogers Communications makes up only 25% of the market share.
Stephanie McMahon Presents Award to Komen Founder
Stephanie McMahon presented Nancy Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen, with the Cynopsis Media Impact Award at tonight's Women of Action event at the New York Athletic Club in New York City.
Oderint Dum Metuant: Let Them Hate As Long As They Fear
