Stephanie McMahon On Why Triple H Started NXT, WWE's Two Brands Helping Each Other, More

Stephanie McMahon was in Las Vegas two weeks ago and spoke at the 2015 Experian Marketing Services Client Summit, which was attended by several UFC employees. The UFC employees were said to be very impressed with how Stephanie talked up the WWE product and their social media efforts.

Stephanie reportedly pushed the NXT brand in a pretty logical way and noted that WWE's main product isn't necessarily liked by every wrestling fan, acknowledging there is another group of fans with different tastes, and that's why Triple H came up with the NXT concept - to reach that fan.

She also pushed the idea that WWE having two different styles will result in each brand helping each other. The idea is fans that like the NXT style will follow their favorite Superstars and Divas to the main roster and the main roster fans will watch NXT to see the future Superstars and Divas first, with the idea that they will become bigger stars because of it.

WWE to “ANSWER THE CALL” for Families of Fallen NYC Heroes

WWE is joining forces with Hollywood celebrities and professional athletes through a global online auction on Charitybuzz.com, featuring unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences in support of “Answer The Call,” the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund.

Fans can now visit www.Charitybuzz.com/WWE through Tuesday, August 25 at 12 noon ET to bid on exclusive experiences with WWE Superstar John Cena®, Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Messier, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin, talk show hosts Michael Strahan and Kelly Ripa and many more. WWE’s support of “Answer The Call” is part of WWE’s community outreach initiatives in celebration of SummerSlam®, which takes place on Sunday, August 23 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

“We are thrilled to have WWE’s support as they ‘Answer the Call’ for the families of New York City’s fallen first responders,” said Mark Messier, Vice President of Community Affairs for the NY Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund. “Our partnership will ensure that we continue to provide a network of support and financial assistance for those who have lost a loved one in the line of duty.”

“WWE is committed to using the power of our brand to help improve the lives of families around the world,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. “We are proud to support ‘Answer The Call’ and the families of the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect their city.”

Online auction highlights include:

• Mark Messier’s personal New York Rangers tickets and a meet and greet with the Hockey Hall of Famer.
• Meet and greet with John Cena at Monday Night Raw®.
• Take over the court at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
• Backstage tour and meet and greet with Stephanie McMahon at Monday Night Raw.
• Meet and greet with Stone Cold Steve Austin at a live taping of the Stone Cold Steve Austin Podcast on WWE® Network.
• Rookie mini-camp at MetLife Stadium for 50 people.
• Suite at a Brooklyn Nets game during the 2015-2016 season and an autographed team photo.
• Meet and greet with Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman at a WWE event.
• Meet and greet with Michael Strahan and Kelly Ripa and four tickets to LIVE with Kelly & Michael.
• Attend the season finale of WWE Tough Enough and meet Daniel Bryan, Paige, Lita, Booker T and Billy Gunn.
• Two tickets to Late Night with Seth Meyers and a mug autographed by Seth Meyers.

For more information or to bid on the full list of auction items, visit www.Charitybuzz.com/WWE. Proceeds will provide assistance to the families of New York City Police Officers, Firefighters, Port Authority Police and EMS Personnel who have been killed in the line of duty.

Hulk Hogan Accused Of Lying Under Oath

The National Enquirer has a new article saying Hulk Hogan has been accused of lying under oath.

Their report notes that court transcripts reveal Hogan allegedly made conflicting statements to the FBI and to lawyers for the Gawker website, who Hogan has the $100 million lawsuit against. During a hearing on July 2nd, Gawker attorney Seth Berlin told the judge that he had learned Hogan made statements under oath during a talk with the FBI and during a deposition that are "directly at odds with another." Berlin wrote:

"So we have a situation... where the key participant, the plaintiff, is telling us one thing under oath and telling the FBI something else."

Legal experts told The Enquirer, who recently revealed the racist comments made by Hogan in 2008, that if the accusation is true, Hogan would be guilty of either perjury or obstruction of justice, depending on if he lied to the Gawker lawyers or the FBI. Those charges could potentially carry jail time, as defense attorney Anthony Brooklier told The Enquirer:

"That's how Martha Stewart got nailed. It wasn't insider trading that put her in jail. It was the lie she told to the cops."

WWE Taps Out ... On 'Submission Sorority'

The WWE fixed its colossal XXX mistake ... by dropping its Divas team name after it accidentally pointed fans toward tons of Internet porn.

According to the WWE, it changed Paige, Charlotte and Becky's Submission Sorority because its TV programming is PG -- and they didn't know the name had porn ties.

As we reported ... the search results for Submission Sorority turned up thousands of porn results.

During Thursday night’s episode of "SmackDown" the Diva team name was quietly changed to PCB on parts of WWE's website. Charlotte even started hashtagging with it.

source: tmz.com

Rumors On WWE Meeting With Destination America

There have been a lot of rumors lately about WWE meeting with executives at Destination America, which currently airs Ring of Honor and TNA programming.

One WWE source noted to us that details weren't available but it was believed WWE met with Destination America to shop their Superstars and Main Event programs. WWE has apparently been trying to shop those two shows to whichever network will buy them in the United States.

For now, WWE meeting with Destination America should be taken as a rumor but it definitely is making the rounds within the industry. Another source noted to us that they heard WWE floated the idea of airing NXT to Destination America but that's also not confirmed and we're not sure how far any talks went. We will keep you updated on any information that become available.

WWE To Change Stable Name Due To Adult Website?

As noted, WWE has given Paige, Becky Lynch and Charlotte the "Submission Sorority" name for their stable. WWE did not do proper research and quickly found out that this is the same name of an adult website.

There's talk of changing the group name to The Submission Sisters. The idea of calling them the Horsewomen was also thrown around but that could be seen as stepping on Ronda Rousey's toes.

WWE Diva Announces Pregnancy

WWE posted an article today, announcing that WWE Diva Rosa Mendes is pregnant.

"I'm pregnant, and I'm having a little girl," Mendes said. "Her name's going to be Jordan Elizabeth Schubenski and she'll be born February 2016. Mom's middle name is Elizabeth, and I've always loved the name Jordan for a girl.

"I'm three months, and I'm feeling really good. I'm past the morning sickness stage, so, I'm feeling awesome, but the hardest part was not telling anybody [and keeping] it a secret from all my friends and loved ones. That was the hardest part for me."

WWE COO Triple H hosts 18-minute Q&A on Facebook Live

From WWE.com:

WWE COO Triple H invited the WWE Universe into his innermost circle this afternoon — with the help of Facebook’s newest feature.

Using “Live,” a video streaming service available to celebrities and public figures with a verified page that appears on their followers' news feeds, The King of Kings hosted a live, 18-minute Q&A session with the WWE Universe. Fielding questions from his followers' comments, Triple H's topics of discussion ranged from the upcoming NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn live special on the award-winning WWE Network to the ongoing Diva Revolution, in which The Game has a personal stake. One of the first users of the new feature, the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion also took viewers on a quick tour of his office, including his collection of vintage and current WWE World Heavyweight Titles and a peek at his private link to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla.

Given that Facebook videos have no expiration date, the full Q&A is currently posted on Triple H’s Facebook page. See the full video below and keep your eye out for future interactions with your favorite Superstars and Divas!

Click here for the video.

Triple H's Involvement With New Ultimate Warrior Book

There will be an "Ultimate Warrior Day" event in Brooklyn during SummerSlam weekend that will serve as a launch for the new book, "The Ultimate Warrior: A Life Lived Forever: The Legend of a WWE Hero." The book was written by sports and entertainment author Jon Robinson, Triple H and Warrior's wife Dana.

The website for the book launch notes that Dana is currently the president of Warrior's gym, Ultimate Creations, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Paige And Steve Austin On Who Started The Divas Revolution, More

Austin brings up Triple H being a big influence on her and she says he's been a huge influence. She went through a stage where she had bad luck - a car wreck, surgery, had to be out of action for 3 months, her bank account got hacked and her dog got hit by a car. She was ready to go back home but Triple H worked with her and soon after she made history by winning the NXT Women's Title. She says the whole Divas Revolution really was started by Triple H. The next Twitter question asks if Paige she thinks she started it. Triple H was the one who started it with NXT. She brings up AJ Lee and says she looked up to her. She talks about how surprised they were when Triple H gave she and Emma 20 minutes at the first NXT special. She says he started it but her and Emma got the ball rolling. She says they opened the door for other Divas like Charlotte and Bayley but she gives huge props to trainer Sara Del Rey. She also gives props to Finlay and Dean Malenko, who she goes to a lot these days...More?

WWE honors 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper with moving tribute on Monday Night Raw

WWE aired their tribute to the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper on the August 3 episode of Monday Night RAW. In summation, it highlighted all of Piper’s great moments from his life and in the WWE and evoked all of the emotions that you wanted it to. Quite frankly, it was the catharsis that many fans have needed since Piper’s death.

Fans weren’t alone in that. The video tribute aired after the entire roster was gathered on stage for a 10-bell salute. The roster left the stage once the video came on, save for two individuals who stood side by side and watched the tribute on stage:

Vince and Triple H hanging back to watch the Roddy Piper tribute video. pic.twitter.com/jnKdfVZeE9

— Dan Ryckert (@DanRyckert) August 4, 2015

That would be the owner, Vince McMahon, and COO, Triple H, of the WWE standing on the stage watching the tribute to Piper. That brings on a whole other wave of emotions.

Piper’s influence and impact on the WWE and the wrestling business as a whole is massive. The respect that’s been shared by many of his fellow wrestlers and co-workers and even the respect shown by Vince and Triple H in that picture shows the type of man that wrestling and the world lost in Piper.

The WWE is red hot again. Here's why.

The WWE has cut ties with Hulk Hogan after racist comments came to light -- a rant that took place in the middle of recording a sex tape no less.

But this scandal hasn't hurt WWE one bit. The company is flying high with fans ... and investors.

Shares of WWE (WWE) (yes, it's actually a public company) are up 75% so far this year. The company reported sales for the second quarter that topped forecasts and a healthy profit.

The main reason? WWE is in the process of transforming itself into a streaming media outfit. That's right. WWE has a little Netflix (NFLX, Tech30) in it.

WWE unveiled a streaming WWE Network last year. The goal was to get more of its fans to pay $9.99 a month to watch big events like WrestleMania and Summer Slam as well as gain access to the company's extensive library of older matches.

It was a rocky transition. WWE shares plunged nearly 25% last year -- the equivalent of a wrestler getting smacked in the head with a steel chair -- as the early subscriber figures did not live up to expectations.

Investors were also disappointed by the terms of a new TV deal WWE signed last year with long-time partner NBCUniversal, the media arm of Comcast (CMCSA). WWE airs weekly shows on NBCUniversal's USA and Syfy cable networks.

But it now looks like the move to streaming is paying off. WWE said last week that it ended the second quarter with nearly 1.2 million subscribers for WWE Network -- an 83% increase from last year and a 31% jump from the first quarter.

People who have bet against the WWE (and there a lot of them) may be forgetting that the company remains popular because of newer stars.

It's not just about 80s legends like Hulk Hogan, the late Rowdy Roddy Piper (sigh) and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka -- who is now battling stomach cancer. (Double sigh.)

John Cena is in the Amy Schumer comedy "Trainwreck." WWE also has a show called "Tough Enough" on USA that features people training and competing for a WWE contract.

The WWE's reality programming is particularly appealing. In fact, a reality TV mogul recently bought a sizable stake in WWE, leading to questions about what's next from the company.

John de Mol, the Dutch media executive responsible for creating "Big Brother" and "The Voice" acquired nearly 2 million shares in WWE in the second quarter -- 6% of the company's total shares.

It seems unlikely that de Mol is looking to take over the WWE -- even though one of de Mol's media firms has ties to the highly acquisitive John Malone of Liberty Media (LMCA).

WWE CEO Vince McMahon and his family -- wife Linda and daughter Stephanie -- have a controlling stake in the company through Class B shares that are not publicly traded. So any purchase of WWE would have to be friendly.

But de Mol's investment is intriguing.

BTIG analyst Brandon Ross, who has a "buy" rating on WWE, wrote in a report Tuesday that "WWE content fits perfectly with de Mol's expertise."

source: money.cnn.com

WWE Refuses Phone Call From Chyna's Manager

Chyna's YouTube channel released the video above of her manager Anthony Anzaldo calling WWE in hopes of finding out where Chyna's royalties are going. The representative on the phone revealed that she was instructed to not pass along any calls relating to her.

"I've actually been instructed not to pass along any in regards to her," the WWE representative said.

Chyna, who was sitting next to Anzaldo during the call, wondered out loud if she was being "out of line." Anzaldo noted that the situation with WWE is "getting worse."

You can view the video here.

Dolph Ziggler and Kane Starring in WWE Studios’ 6:42

Dolph Ziggler and Kane are starring in a new WWE Studios film. The film, 6:42, is being presented by Lionsgate and will mark Dolph Ziggler’s motion picture debut. The film also stars Katherine Isabelle (See No Evil 2, Ginger Snaps, Hannibal) and is described as follows:

Ray Fitzpatrick (Ziggler) is a tough as nails narcotics cop working the beat in Los Angeles. After a drug bust goes wrong, Ray is forced to shoot his own partner, leading to his suspension from the police force. Before you know it, Ray is dragged right back into the thick of it when a mysterious package arrives at the station addressed to him.

The package leads Ray and his colleagues to an encrypted website where an unidentified kidnapper broadcasts a threat to Ray and the entire police force. The kidnapper, it turns out, is holding a young boy hostage and unless the police department can come up with a $2 million ransom, he’ll set off a time-bomb strapped to the child’s chest.

The department, led by Lt. Cronin (Kane) comes up with the payoff and Ray is tasked as the bagman. When the handover goes down, Ray is forced to shoot and kill the kidnapper before he can set off the bomb and kill the child.

With 6 hours and 42 minutes left before the timed explosive detonates, Ray and Internal Affairs agent Julia Baker (Isabelle) race against time to find the now deceased kidnapper’s hidden lair and save the child before it’s too late.

MiLB Team Announces WWE Night, Superstars And Divas To Play In Charity Softball Game

The Brooklyn Cyclones minor league baseball team will be holding "WWE Night" to promote SummerSlam weekend this month. It will take place on August 19th at MCU Park in Brooklyn, the same site of ROH's Field of Honor event on August 22nd during SummerSlam weekend. Charlotte, Eva Marie, Fandango and Ryback will be participating in a charity softball game that afternoon and they will be meeting fans.

Below is their announcement:

The Brooklyn Cyclones and WWE have partnered for SummerSlam Night at MCU Park on Wednesday, August 19 to kick off a borough-wide celebration as WWE brings SummerSlam, the biggest event of the summer, to Barclays Center on Sunday, August 23.

As part of the night's festivities, WWE Superstars and Divas including Ryback, Fandango, Eva Marie and Charlotte, will join members of the FDNY, NYPD and other celebrities in a pre-game Celebrity/Civil Servants All-Star Challenge and softball game prior to the 7:00 PM game against the Lowell Spinners. Also scheduled to participate in the game are NBA Hall of Famer and current St. John's Men's Basketball Coach Chris Mullin, Mets Hall of Famer John Franco, Greg Kelly & Rosanna Scotto – the hosts of Good Day New York – and many others. The first 2,500 fans in attendance will go home with a Greg & Rosanna bobble head courtesy of Municipal Credit Union.

WWE Superstars and Divas will also take part in a pre-game autograph session for fans, with giveaways and prizes courtesy of WWE and Tapout.

All tickets for this game are just $10 and available now by calling 718-507-TIXX, logging on to BrooklynCyclones.com or in person at the MCU Park Box Office.

Ronda Rousey Brutally Knocks Out Bethe Correia, Thanks Rowdy Roddy Piper At UFC 190

Ronda Rousey was all out of bubblegum tonight.

We all waited hours for a 35 second fight at UFC 190. Few were complaining about it when it was over. Ronda Rousey knocked #5-ranked Behte Correia and retained her UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship. Not only that, she went to Correia's home country of Brazil and did it.

None of Rousey's last four fights have lasted longer than 70 seconds. This one went 34, as Rousey willfully traded punches with Correia. The champion ate several of those, pushed through and feigned a takedown. Correia fell anticipating it, and Rousey pounced. A huge knee to the body set up more punches from Rousey.

Correia face-planted into the mat, and that was a wrap. Ronda Rousey wins again.

The show itself took what seemed like an eternity. UFC had to add two more fights to the main card, as The Ultimate Fighter Brazil Finals were promised to be on Globo in Brazil. This led to a three-and-a-half hour wait for the main event that took little more than a half minute.

After the fight, Rousey thanked WWE Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who gave her his nickname.

"We lost a really close friend, 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, who gave me permission to use his name as a fighter. I hope he and my dad had a good time watching this today," Rousey said.

Rousey's father committed suicide as a child, something that caused a great deal of animosity between Correia and Rousey, as Correia had previously said she hoped that Rousey "wouldn't kill herself" after losing.

Rousey continues her reign of domination, and next up is a third fight with Miesha Tate, who has given her two of her toughest fights to date. Of the three Rousey fights to last longer than 70 seconds, Tate was in two of them.

UFC President Dana White fires up fans and pro wrestlers

UFC President Dana White, in responding to a tweet from a wrestling fan who wanted to watch UFC 190 and noted how WWE PPV events are only $9.99, stated that he understood and added, "but fake sh*t should be $9.99." The fan then told White to try out some time and still use the term fake to which White responded, "Not disrespecting what they do. All the WWE guys I have met are awesome people but yes it's fake."

This fired up a number of wrestling fans with the comments making the rounds, sending many tweets White's way including those within the wrestling industry.

Seth Rollins: "Guys, cut @danawhite some slack. I mean he's had a million matches, so his opinion is super valid and should be taken as gospel."

Taz: "What's fake & what's predetermined? @danawhite my body is busted up from that "fake shit" - u think u train less?"

Bully Ray: "Good thing you had "FAKE" @BrockLesnar in @ufc to be your biggest PPV draw of all time. .@danawhite Sir, "do the right thing" and apologize to THE industry that laid the groundwork for YOUR industry. Have a great show tonight."

MVP: "Money doesn't buy class Dana."

Jeremy Borash: "Legit cancelled my UFC buy for tonight. Instead sending $50 to @NikBali, a UK wrestler paralyzed during a fake wrestling match. @danaWhite."

Bull Dempsey: "Hey @danawhite, come to the @WWEPerformCtr & see what we do EVERYDAY & tell me it's fake. Send your "ultimate" fighters too. How dare you."

White then wrote the following early Sunday morning to a fan.

"I pissed off wrestling fans? I respect wrestling and the people who do it. I was just responding to an idiot. It was a joke."

The comments didn't seem to phase WWE's Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon as she tweeted out a photo with Triple H and trainer Joe DeFranco wearing Ronda Rousey t-shirts, a tweet that Dana White later retweeted following Rousey's knockout win on Saturday night.

#andSTILL #Reppin4Ronda #UFC190 @DeFrancosGym @TripleH @RondaRousey pic.twitter.com/qKP3z1BWtj

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) August 1, 2015

Mark Henry On How Veterans Treat Younger Talents Now, His WWE Career, Vince McMahon, More

This week's episode of "Talk is Jericho" with Chris Jericho features former World Heavyweight Champion and The World's Strongest Man, Mark Henry. Courtesy of my good friend Mark Adam Haggerty, below are highlights:

Chris starts the show by performing his cowbell rendition of Mark Henry's theme song. Mark can't remember the name of the Oscar Award-winning hip hop duo that performed his track—Three Six Mafia—and says: "I can't remember. I been hit in the head too many times. Maybe I should get in on this lawsuit with these dummies." Mark says that the majority of the people on the lawsuit only worked in the WWE for a brief period, and it was toward the tail-end of their careers. He says that he mentioned Sinn Bodhi AKA Kizarny on another podcast, and Bodhi was livid over the shoot Henry did on him. Mark went on to say, "Kizarny's mad at me like he could hold water."

Mark says that his very first wrestling match was on pay-per-view. He wasn't trained, he had never taken a bump, but Jerry Lawler insisted that he could work with him. Jericho asks for the details of the feud and Mark says: "Well Jake got cleaned up. Uh—quote, unquote." Mark says that the developmental system was devised specifically for him: "Doctor Tom just decided he was gonna stop wrestling and start training full time." Mark Henry was the first Developmental Superstar in history, as well as the first wrestler in WWE to receive a guaranteed contract. Henry says that he's the second longest contracted wrestler—after the Undertaker. Other Superstars like Goldust and Triple H were around before Mark, but Goldust has come and gone, and Triple H is now semi-retired. Mark says that a fan once told him he's had over 8,000 wrestling matches, and that he's in the Top 10 for most matches of all time.

Chris asks how Mark got into the wrestling business. Mark is—or at least was—the real "World's Strongest Man." He's the only man in history to become a world champion in Power Lifting, Olympic Weight Lifting, and Strong Man Competition. Added to that, he's the only man to also hold a world championship in professional wrestling. That technically makes Henry a 3-sport world champion. He was touring talk shows after the 1996 Summer Olympics, and he was asked by Oprah what he likes to do to unwind. He told her he likes video games, live music, and all sorts of sports. "But on Saturday and Sunday," Henry continued, "I'm watching wrestling. Don't even try to bother me. Those are my wrestling days." Vince McMahon called Mark personally and when Mark picked up, Vince said, "So I heard you like to watch wrestling."

More?

Rumor Mill - Meek Mill WWE Pissed Off Over Undertaker Entrance Song on Diss Track

Meek Mill can't get a break this week ... after getting trashed for his tepid Drake diss song, he's now in the crosshairs of of The Undertaker over the wrestler's famous ring entrance song.

Meek sampled The Taker's signature bells in the diss track, and the WWE is not amused. A spokesperson tells TMZ, "WWE takes its intellectual property rights very seriously, and we're looking into the matter."

'Rowdy' Roddy Piper Dies at 61 From Cardiac Arrest

Wrestling legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper has died at the age of 61 ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Piper -- born Roderick George Toombs -- died from cardiac arrest in his sleep at his home in Hollywood on Thursday night. He was discovered on Friday.

Piper was a wrestling icon -- one of the biggest stars in the WWE back in the '80s, and even wrestled in "Wrestlemania I" back in 1985 ... squaring off against Hulk Hogan and Mr. T.

Roddy's rep tells us, "I am devastated at this news. Rod was a good friend as well as a client and one of the most generous, sincere and authentic people I have ever known. This is a true loss to us all."

Piper had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2006, but last November he said he was cancer free. A family source tells us he was "cancer free" at the time of his death.

A family member tells us, "Our family is saddened by the sudden passing of our father and beloved husband, Roderick Toombs aka Rowdy Roddy Piper."

Roddy was admitted into the WWE Hall of Fame back in 2005 and was one of the top 50 villains in the history of the WWE.

Piper had a long relationship with WWE -- last wrestling back in 2008 ... but appeared on various WWE shows up until 2014.

Roddy is survived by his wife Kitty and their 4 kids -- including 3 daughters and son Colton who's pursuing a career in professional wrestling.

The death is especially shocking considering we just spoke to him on Friday and asked his opinion about the Hulk Hogan scandal.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Offers His Thoughts On Hulk Hogan Controversy

While promoting the HBO dramedy series Ballers at the Television Critics Association's press tour in Beverly Hills, California on Thursday, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was asked about Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Bollea), whose termination from WWE last week coincided with the publication by the National Enquirer and Radar Online of racist remarks allegedly made by the wrestling legend on a leaked sex tape.

"I was pretty disappointed with what I heard, like all of us, by the way," said Johnson. "I've known Terry for a lot of years, my dad helped train him in Florida in the '70s when he was breaking into the business. My uncles helped train him too as well. I have not known the man to be racist."

Johnson adds that while there's no justification for what Hogan said, he believes everyone has "talked trash," especially in private.

"It's funny, it's one of those things where—and not justifying what he said—we've all talked trash, especially in private," said Johnson. "He said what he said, and he's paying the price."

Kevin Nash Says WWE Has Taken The Market, Gives Credit To Triple H

WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash recently spoke with Scott Fishman of The Miami Herald to promote Friday's Legends of Wrestling Night at the Miami Marlins vs. San Diego Padres game. The full interview is at this link. Below are some highlights:

Benefits of the WWE Network:

"With the network now I go to signings and there are as many eight-year-old kids, as well as 35-year-olds because the network plays all the old stuff. To them, it's basically this live stream. They meet you and you maybe don't look like you do on the network, but they understand who you are and what you do. So the network is really nice to have."

Now being a different time for WWE in the business:

"They have built a basic farm system. There isn't anybody in the realm in competing with them. They have taken the market. It now goes Raw, SmackDown and NXT. There are now three brands. There are a lot of guys I watch today. I've been a fan of [Dolph] Ziggler since day one. I saw the big 6-foot-8 kid down at NXT. [Big Cass], I think really has a chance. He is a big guy and athletic. I think he has a chance to make it."

Giving credit to Triple H:

"I think a lot of the credit has to go to Paul Levesque [Triple H]. He really understands the business. One of the most poignant things he ever said to me was, 'It's not only the fact we have to replace the guys in the ring, but we have to teach the guys with the handhelds and steady cams. I've got guys who have been carrying cameras for 30 years now. They aren't going to be doing this forever.' What they've done with NXT and Full Sail [University] is basically also focus on the production. People don't realize how important the cameras are. This is a hands-on experience and proving ground, A to Z, from people in the truck and all the way up. It's about pushing this product and having it continually grow."

WWE Releases Current WWE Network Subscriber Count

As noted, WWE released its second quarter financial earnings report today, and the report notes that current WWE Network subscriber count is at 1.156 paid subscribers as of June 30th, 2015. The current figure is down from the 1.327 million Network subscribers WWE announced the day after WrestleMania 31.

Since the WWE Network has launched, it has done over 2 million paid subscribers, with about 61% of them still active subscribers to the Network.

WWE Studios Acquires Rights To Faith-Based Movie With Shawn Michaels

WWE sent out the following:

WWE® STUDIOS TAKES WORLDWIDE RIGHTS TO THE RESURRECTION OF GAVIN STONE

Brett Dalton, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, D.B. Sweeney, Neil Flynn and WWE Legend Shawn Michaels® Star in the Faith-Based Title

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (July 29, 2015) – WWE Studios (NYSE: WWE) announced today that it has acquired worldwide rights to The Resurrection of Gavin Stone, a faith-based title from the Harvest Bible Chapel's Vertical Church Films. The film recently wrapped production and stars Brett Dalton (Marvel's "Agents of Shield"), Anjelah Johnson-Reyes (Moms' Night Out), D.B. Sweeney ("Suits," "24"), Neil Flynn ("The Middle") and WWE Legend Shawn Michaels.

Written by Andrea Nasfell (Moms' Night Out) and directed by Dallas Jenkins (What If…), who joined the Harvest Bible Chapel and founded Vertical Church Films, The Resurrection of Gavin Stone tells the story of a former child star turned washed-up and troubled actor. After receiving a 200-hour community service sentence, Gavin Stone (Brett Dalton), pretends to be a Christian so he can play Jesus in a mega-church Easter production in order to fulfill his hours of service. Along the way, he reconnects with his past and builds upon his faith to discover that his most important role is far away from the shining lights of Hollywood.

"It is a privilege to be working with the Harvest Bible Chapel and Vertical Church Films, as they share our understanding of the importance of a strong foundation for storytelling," said Michael Luisi, President, WWE Studios. "The Resurrection of Gavin Stone is a heartwarming tale of faith and redemption that will allow us to continue growing our audience as we expand into new genres."

"We're excited to combine resources with a dynamic company like WWE on such a funny, but meaningful project," said Fred Adams, Harvest Bible Chapel Executive Business Pastor.Director Dallas Jenkins added, "Gavin's story is such an entertaining one to tell because the 'fish out of water' aspect is so relatable, no matter what the setting."

WWE Studios will leverage WWE's extensive platforms from weekly TV shows, including WWE's flagship programs, Monday Night Raw® and SmackDown®, digital, social media and WWE Network®, to market the title.

Stephanie McMahon Joins Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation Board of Trustees

WWE has issued the following press release:

WWE® Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon Joins Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation Board of Trustees

PITTSBURGH, July 30, 2015 – Stephanie McMahon, Chief Brand Officer for WWE, has been named to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation board of trustees.

McMahon, her family, WWE, and its fans have been strong supporters of pediatric cancer care and research at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC over the past two years.

McMahon became involved with Children’s Hospital in 2014, when she and her husband, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, met WWE fan Connor Michalek. Connor, 8, was battling medulloblastoma, a rare tumor that affects the brain and spinal cord, at the time. Connor formed a special connection with McMahon, Levesque, and many of the WWE Superstars and Divas. When Connor lost his battle with medulloblastoma in April 2014, Stephanie and Paul decided to honor his spirit by creating Connor’s Cure, a fund within Children’s Foundation that supports brain tumor research. To date, Connor’s Cure has raised more than $560,000 and has been supported by WWE and fans all over the world, including 49 states and six countries.

“We are honored to have Stephanie join our Board of Trustees. She and her family formed a very special bond with Connor, and she quickly demonstrated a passion for putting her talents and resources to work in the fight against pediatric cancer,” said Greg Barrett, president of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation. “In the relatively short time she’s been involved with Children’s Hospital and our cancer program, Stephanie has already made a significant impact and I’m excited to see how her ideas and leadership will further enhance our goals and mission.”

“I’m extremely humbled and privileged to join Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation’s Board of Trustees and help play a role in their continued efforts to further pediatric cancer research,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. “Connor Michalek had such a profound impact on so many people, including my husband and me. Through the tremendous work at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, I hope we can help find a cure for pediatric cancer, and ensure no other child has to endure Connor’s fate.”

Connor’s Cure supports research by Ian F. Pollack, M.D., chief, Pediatric Neurosurgery in the Brain Care Institute at the Children’s Hospital, including laboratory-based research and a vaccine-based immunotherapy research study. This study examines the efficacy of a unique immunotherapy that treats the tumor using a vaccine not entirely unlike the sort of vaccines most of us are familiar with, such as the tetanus or polio vaccines. Dr. Pollack and colleagues observed overexpression of a series of proteins on the surface of gliomas and ependymomas and determined that these proteins could be used as a component of the vaccine.

As WWE Chief Brand Officer, Stephanie is responsible for working with WWE’s business units to support key growth initiatives and represents WWE as its global brand ambassador among key constituencies including community and business partners, advertisers, media, and investors. She is the primary spokesperson for WWE’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, including Special Olympics, Susan G. Komen, and Be a STAR, WWE’s anti-bullying program. Stephanie is also a TV personality, appearing regularly on Monday Night Raw®, one of the most-watched shows on cable each week.

WWE Announces Plans for an NXT Reality Show, New Network Content, More Austin Podcasts, OnDemand Content and More

Along with today’s second quarter financial earnings report, WWE announced the company has plans to add about 180 hours of original content to the WWE Network.

Those plans include the following new shows:

-A reality show for NXT as the NXT Superstars try to make it to WWE’s main roster

-A show called Table 3, which gives viewers a seat at the table with Superstars and Divas

-A studio show highlighting current events in the world of WWE and beyond

-New episodes of WWE 24, The WWE Live and Steve Austin’s podcast

-On Demand additions include The RAW Attitude Era Part 2: Austin/McMahon, WCW Nitro: Accelerating The War and The 20th Anniversary of WCW Monday Nitro

Vince McMahon Comments on Possible Financial Ramifications of Hogan Firing; WWE Stock Soars

Vince McMahon participated in a WWE second quarter conference call today, and during the call Vince was asked several questions about WWE’s current financial state.

One of the questions specifically pertained to Hulk Hogan’s firing, and how it might impact the company due to his merchandise sales. Vince answered by saying Hogan’s firing has “no material effect on them.”

Following the release of today’s second quarter earnings report, WWE stock is currently up 18.69%, trading at $19.54 per share.

WWE Conference Call: Vince McMahon discusses the second quarter financial report

Vince McMahon and members of senior management served as the hosts of a conference call pertaining to the 2015 second quarter financial report that was released on July 30, 2015. The following are the highlights of the call. Refresh the page for the latest updates.

-The call is hosted by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, WWE Chief Strategy and Financial Officer George Barrios, and WWE Investor Relations Michael Weitz. Weitz ran through the legalities and reminded listeners that WrestleMania fell in the second quarter this year, whereas it occurred in the first quarter last year.

-Vince said listeners could see they had a strong quarter. He pointed to improved international numbers and touted the WWE Network subscriber count compared to the same quarter last year. He also hyped the new WWE Network content. Vince struggled to come up with the name of HBO's "Hard Knocks" and said WWE is trying to come up with a better name than that.

-Vince said "Camp WWE" is the WWE version of South Park. He said it's very funny, and cracked that the Mr. McMahon character is especially funny.

-Barrios took over the call and spoke about how WWE is successfully transforming their pay-per-view business into a subscription mode. Barrios ran through the presentation.

-Barrios said the network had roughly 217,000 paid international subscribers.

-Barrios said Too Hot For TV, Swerved, and the Stone Cold podcast are among the most popular programs on the network. He also boasted about the success of the Beast in the East live special.

-Barrios praised the free month campaign. He said one month is the amount of time that subscribers need to become familiar with it.

-WWE plans to release a three-month subscription card that will be sold in retail stores and can be used without offering credit card information.

-Barrios noted that they will not be including an updated subscriber count today. The next subscriber count will be released at the end of the third quarter.

-They opened things up to callers. The first caller noted that they want to produce 180 hours of new programming. He questioned whether there will be increases over their previously listed costs associated with new programming. Barrios said it's materially unchanged.

-A caller asked about new markets getting WWE Network. Barrios said he didn't want to get into specifics.

-A caller asked whether they are making more money with the subscription model than pay-per-view. Barrios said 1.3 to 1.4 million subscribers would get them there.

-The caller asked Vince about the difference between Facebook and Youtube. Barrios said he would take it. He said they have nearly 7 million subscribers on Youtube. He said they are one of the leaders of direct video, and he said they are talking to Facebook and they are in beta mode. "We know how to kill it doing videos, so we're excited about the opportunity," Barrios said. Vince added, "It's a high class problem."

-Vince said they need to develop programming for all four quadrants of their age demographics.

-A caller asked about interest in Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Barrios said they are thrilled with SummerSlam. "It's starting to feel like WrestleMania in August," he said. Vince said it's so strong they moved it to four hours this year. "It's so much great content that we had to do that," Vince said.

-The caller also asked whether they intend to more live specials similar to Beast in the East. Barrios raved about Beast in the East and said they will "continue to more and innovate in that programming because it's just been in a home run."

-The caller asked about developing the NXT franchise. Barrios sang the praises of the brand under Triple H's direction.

-Vince said they are confident with the development of talent from NXT. He spoke about the number of talents going from developmental to the main events.

-Hulk Hogan came up in regards to merchandise. Vince noted that Hogan is "no longer with the association" and downplayed it's "material effect."

-With no additional callers, this concluded the conference call.

Hulk Hogan's Lawyer Tells Judge 'His Career Is Done,' Gawker Trial Date Set, New Claims From Linda

TampaBay.com covered today's hearing in Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea's lawsuit against Gawker for publishing clips of a sex tape that bad been shot by a home security system without his permission. Most of the conversation centered around Hogan's side accusing Gawker of leaked the racist and homophobic comments that Radar and The National Enquirer published this past week.

Hogan's attorneys told the judge that "We want the chance to prove they (Gawker) were directly involved in this," accusing Gawker of "ruining my client's career and potentially ruining his right to a fair trial." Their argument amounted to being that Gawker never wanted the records of the FBI investigation into Los Angeles attorney Keith Davidson allegedly trying to extort $150,000 from Hogan for the videos to help with their defense. Instead, Hogan's side argued, they were "on a path to get this stuff out to the media."

Gawker's recent outing of a publishing executive who attempted to hire a male prostitute was also brought up with the idea that they leaked the transcript to counter negative publicity against the company. That said, the post by Gawker founder Nick Denton alluding to Hogan having another secret (presumably the racist comments) he was trying to protect came a week before the outing controversy. Hogan's lawyers want a forensic investigation of Gawker's computers,

Gawker's attorneys explained that "There are, your honor, a long list of people who knew about Mr. Bollea's use of racist language long before Gawker learned about it." Apparently, a transcript was going around in Tampa at least as far back as 2012. "It cannot be seriously maintained that if this leaked to the Nat. Enquirer, that it came from us," as too many people had access to it. Hogan's lawyers didn't buy it. "His career is done. He's been fired from WWE. At this point judge, we want to find out what happened here." They don't take the Enquirer reporter's claim that it wasn't Gawker at face value, citing a post that shows Gawker knows how to leak things anonymously.

The judge didn't rule on anything today. However, she did set a new trial date: March 7, 2016. Hogan's side was not happy with the delay, but the judge's calendar is full until then due to a ton of mortgage foreclosures she has to deal with. Hogan's side brought up the idea of another judge hearing the case, but it didn't go anywhere.

Meanwhile, Radar Online spoke to Raymond Rafool, the attorney representing Hogan's ex-wife, Linda. He's alleging that Hogan's comments in the transcripts may contradict some of his sworn testimony during the divorce, specifically relating to being blindsided by Linda filing and some issues over the Las Vegas condo he said he was worried about being forced into selling. Hogan's side denied there was any potential issue.

WWE Hall of Famer Tammy Sytch Fails to Appear at DUI Hearing, Bench Warrant Likely to Be Issued, Now Facing 3 DUI’s

As noted, WWE Hall of Famer was arrested and charged with DUI back on May 30th for DUI in Lehighton, Pennsylvania. Sytch failed a field sobriety test after she hit a curb in a Walmart, and had a blood alcohol level of .253, three times the legal limit.

TN Online.com is now reporting Sytch had a hearing for the charge scheduled for yesterday, however Sytch failed to appear in court. The judge will likely issue a bench warrant for Sytch’s arrest, and her arraignment at Carbon County Court is scheduled for September 3rd.

Sytch was arrested twice back in June for DUI, one incident taking place on June 1st, the other on June 20th. Both incidents took place in Towamensing Township, and Sytch has a court hearing scheduled on August 19th for the June 20th incident.

Layla announces retirement from WWE

WWE's website has a new interview with Layla, who has announced her retirement. She commented on the decision:

"I feel like deciding to retire from the ring has been a hard decision to make because I’m passionate and I love performing. I’ve known everybody in that company now for nine years. They’re family. I spend more time with crew and Superstars and Divas on the roster than I did with anybody else. It becomes part of your life. And not only that, it’s hard walking away from the fans. Part of me feels a little bit guilty for walking away because [WWE fans] are 100 percent loyal and have supported me since 2006. I wouldn’t even have this job if the fans didn’t vote in the Diva Search. I was able to win that competition because of them and I was blessed. But sometimes you just need to step out and take a risk and move onto the next phase in life."

She also commented on what's next for her:

"What’s next for Layla? To be perfectly honest, the first two weeks, I’m doing absolutely nothing. [laughs] No, I have stuff that I would like to do. I would maybe like to do some TV stuff, whether it’s in the States or in the U.K. I’ve talked a little bit about maybe going back into my dance background. I’m going to start choreographing and might even go back to the Heat to start choreographing with them. And then, of course, I’m engaged now to my fiancé Richard. We’re going to get married and then later on, in a few years, I want to have some kids and start my family life."

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