Triple H Talks WrestleMania Match With Roman Reigns Being 'Challenging,' Reigns As A 'Tweener'

Triple H was interviewed by The Mirror during the U.K tour last week. Below are some highlights:

If he enjoyed his match with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 32:

"Yeah, you know, it was a challenging situation on a lot of fronts. Roman is a unique character in the business and a polarising character, much like a John Cena or somebody like that. He's a polarising character, you are in front of 100,000 people and you're also coming up at the end of a six-and-a-half hour plus show - it was long. I was happy with it but to be honest I've not watched it back yet. I'm real funny about watching myself back at this point in time in my career, it's hard for me to see the positives sometimes. But I was there, I kind of know how it went and how it felt out there and yeah, I was happy with it, I felt we did well and we did what we needed to do. For me it's about getting to where you need to be. If you get to the end of a chapter in WWE, and the chapter delivered to get you where you needed to go to start the next chapter, then you did all right."

Reigns being more of a "tweener" in his feud with AJ Styles:

"Yeah. I think the world is a different place now. I think you're going to find it very hard now, at the top level, to find anybody that is either a good guy or a bad guy. Someone who is universally loved or universally disliked. It's very difficult. I think part of that is the internet, in that I don't care what the topic is, whether it's politics, music, sports, anything, you can go on the internet and find somebody who loves it and somebody who hates it. You can jump on whatever conversation you want to have with people who are like-minded to what you think, or opposite-minded to what you think. And that emboldens your position right? So I think the time of 'hey, this is the guy and he's the good guy' and everybody goes 'yay he's the good guy' - I think that time has gone. And I think the time of saying 'this is the bad guy and he's the evil one and everybody is going to hate that person' is really gone too. Because there is just that level of, no matter if you're the bad guy doing the worst possible thing you can do, there is somebody that goes: 'I like that, that's cool, I like the fact he's that evil, that's cool'. There are people on the other side who want a hero saying 'hey, don't quit, never surrender and I'm the underdog...' all those things. I make that sound horrible - can you tell which way I slant? Ha ha.

"I just think that either one or the other time is gone and you're going to rub against that now. I think the real position in the business, and what we do now, is about just being true. Being real, being you and whatever that is, being true to the character that you create. And if you're true to it and believe it and feel it, then people will buy it, either positively or negatively, they will get behind you one way or the other. As long as you're true to that character and who that person is. If you sway from that character and wobble and vary, then there is no buy-in, because they see it's just a front."

Triple H also discussed working with Dean Ambrose, if he felt more pressure headlining WrestleMania 32 than before, NXT returning to the U.K. for the Download festival and more. You can check out the full interview by clicking here.

Chyna Mixed Pill Bottles...Throws Wrench In Death Investigation

Detectives in Chyna's death are dealing with a curve ball -- the ex WWE superstar had a knack for mixing up prescription pills, and it's making it hard to figure out what she took before she died.

Sources close to the investigation tell TMZ detectives discovered several full prescription pill bottles near Chyna's body ... many of which contained multiple meds. We're told there were at least 4 different types of pills, plus she also mixed vitamins in the bottles.

As TMZ reported, Chyna's manager worried she had a problem with Ambien and Valium, but it appears she was taking more than just that.

Our sources say the mixing means investigators will have to wait until the toxicology report is complete to figure out what she ingested.

source: tmz.com

Scott Steiner Rips WWE For Bad Gimmicks, Trashes The WWE For Offering Him A Legends Contract, More

Former WCW Champion Scott Steiner was recently interviewed by Whatculture. During the interview, Steiner was very outspoken about his feelings as it pertained to World Wrestling Entertainment, and those in control of the company.

Steiner was asked if there was a possibility of a Steiner Brothers reunion, and mentioned his brother is really busy in real estate, and he just opened a new restaurant himself. He also revealed that he's been offered a WWE legends contract.

"WWE offered me a legends deal. My lawyer looked at it, and it's basically illegal, Steiner said. "It's not worth the paper that it's written on. So f--k them. That's why a lot of guys are leaving like Rey Mysterio and CM Punk. It's a monopoly and the product suffers because of it. You have two dumbasses running it in Stephanie and her (expletive) husband Triple H."

Scott Steiner went on to call the WrestleMania card 'horses--t.' He said that the way that they treat people that make them money is a key factor in why major names have abandoned the company over the last two and a half years. Steiner also said that he doesn't like that the WWE saddles talent with bad gimmicks.

"How do you get rid of a guy like CM Punk? I'm a friend of Rey's, he's sold a hell of a lot of merchandise. It's a monopoly, the only game in town. They want to treat people like s--t and that's why they leave. It's tough to watch. You have a guy coming up and these jackasses at WWE stamp a bulls--t gimmick on them...It's a bunch of s--t," Steiner said.

When asked about a potential return to WWE, Steiner said it would be financially motivated if he did end up doing it.

"Depends on how big that Brinks truck is that they pull into my driveway," Steiner said.

Bret Hart: "I’ve Never Seen Any Real Genius Come From Triple H", Critical Of Current WWE Product, More

WWE Hall Of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart was recently interviewed by Notts TV News. Below are the key highlights:
On Triple H Rewarding Bodies Over Good Wrestling

“I’m always happy to be proven wrong, but I’ve never seen any real genius come from Triple H yet. I sound like I’m always knocking him, but it seems like he’s quick to push the great wrestling to the side and push the bodies, guys who have [good] physiques, all the time. They wonder why CM Punk quit and they wonder why Daniel Bryan got hurt. It’s because they squeeze so much out of those guys.” Hart said, “I’m just calling it the way it is. Triple H is a former bodybuilder. He’s all about bodies. He thought that Hulk Hogan was the greatest wrestler in the world. They think Ultimate Warrior was the greatest wrestler in the world because that’s what they’re attracted to, but he’s not really a wrestling fan like I grew up. I was a wrestling fan. I had wrestling in my blood. All the way through, I was a wrestling fan. I loved great wrestling. Like this year’s WrestleMania, there was no great wrestling on the card. All the great wrestling was two days before in the NXT [TakeOver: Dallas] show with [Shinsuke] Nakamura and Sami Zayn and [Asuka], whatever her name is, the Japanese girl, that wrestled Bayley. That’s what WrestleMania is all about. This year at WrestleMania, I thought it was absent on the bill. There was no wrestling on the card.”

On WWE Giving The Best Spots at Mania to Part-Timers

“This year, there’s something very wrong about all the part-timers like Undertaker [and] Brock Lesnar getting the main event spots and Shane McMahon’s working in a cage. He’s not even a wrestler wrestling The Undertaker and qualifying as a wrestler, I don’t know how the promoter’s kid gets that kind of qualification to main event with The Undertaker. As much as a great job Undertaker did to carry him, but to me, from a storyline standpoint, Vince McMahon’s son got the main event spot, Triple H got the 1,000th time world champion spot. He’s making the top money. Brock Lesnar is making top money. They’re working twice a year, three times a year, five times a year. You look at Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens and Natalya, people who are slogging it out day in, day out, week in, week out, in every part of the world, traveling every day, and they’re all in the opening matches, the pre-card. There’s something wrong with the logic of that. It bothers me. It offends me a lot. They forget who’s pulling the wagons. All these guys are doing the work all year round and they give the money spots to these guys who are part-timers. It’s just not right.”

This guy is so sad. He doesn't seem to realize that NXT is Triple H's baby or that his idol is Ric Flair not Hulk Hogan. Bret Hart has lost all credibility. Hopefully, after Payback, they will stop booking him.

WWE NXT Announces Eric Young's Arrival; Triple H Comments

Former TNA World Heavyweight Champion Eric Young interrupted a promo by WWE NXT Champion Samoa Joe at tonight's Full Sail NXT TV tapings. It should air on next week's episode.

Below is video from WWE:

BREAKING NEWS: @TheEricYoung has arrived to @WWENXT!!! pic.twitter.com/F0Y5bL3Icg

— WWE (@WWE) April 28, 2016

The new era of @WWENXT... @TheEricYoung @SamoaJoe #WeAreNXT pic.twitter.com/BA3KM7kvAA

— Triple H (@TripleH) April 28, 2016

Kurt Angle Comments On His Relationship With Triple H

"I haven't spoken to Triple H up until this day since I left WWE. My manager had a call with him about a year and a half ago and we were going to have a meeting. That meeting got canceled. I have to attribute that to my 4 DUIs in 5 years. I don't blame WWE for not want to do business with somebody that is that careless. Now I've been clean and sober for 3 years, but, you have to earn your trust back. I understand that."

WWE Network No Longer Allowing Shared Accounts

Fans who share their WWE Network accounts with others on multiple devices are receiving "stream limit exceeded" messages now. WWE recently updated their Terms of Service for the Network and added the following:

Access to WWE Network is subject to approval of your Payment Method information and verification of other information you submit to us or that is otherwise provided to us. Accordingly, if your payment (flat fee or monthly) cannot be processed for any reason, including because your Payment Method is no longer valid, we may terminate your access to the WWE Network immediately. Although your WWE Network subscription is accessible on a number of devices, your use is limited to one (1) WWE Network stream on one (1) device at any given time. IF YOU CIRCUMVENT OR ATTEMPT TO CIRCUMVENT ANY OF THE USE RESTRICTIONS IN THESE TERMS, YOUR SUBSCRIPTION WILL BE SUBJECT TO IMMEDIATE TERMINATION AND YOU MAY BE SUBJECT TO LEGAL ACTION. SHARING OF LOGIN INFORMATION, INCLUDING PASSWORDS, IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN.

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Rumor Mill - ROH Owners Interested In Purchasing TNA Wrestling?

Rumors have been flying for weeks about the possible sale of TNA Wrestling, and a new development has occurred, which has put the owners of Ring of Honor in play.

Ring of Honor owners Sinclair Broadcasting have also been surrounded in rumors that they'll be re-branding the Tennis Channel as the American Sports Network. With that, they'll likely be expanding their sports content, and Ring of Honor could fit well in that programming schedule.

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Sinclair Broadcasting has been rumored to show interest in acquiring TNA, but there are a lot of things in play. The main attraction as it pertains to TNA for Sinclair is that they have a large tape library, and have international TV deals already in place.

A big hangup on the sale continues to be that Dixie Carter is still hoping to retain majority ownership in the company. There have been negotiations with Aroluxe, but no sale has been completed as of yet.

As of now, the Tennis Channel has clearance in 40-50 million homes nationwide. Recently, Ring of Honor Joe Koff mentioned that there's a possibility that ROH TV could also expand to two hours of TV time per week.

Chyna's Manager On The Mix Of Prescription Drugs That He Believes Led To Chyna's Death

Chyna's manager Anthony Anzaldo told The New York Daily News that the former WWE Intercontinental Champion passed away last Wednesday after unintentionally overdosing on a mixture of Valium and Ambien.

Anzaldo said he did not believe Chyna intentionally overdosed and said she had been taking both medications legally for years, but steadily upped her intake to a dangerous amount.

"She was inappropriately taking her legally prescribed medication over the course of two to three weeks," Anzaldo said. "On Sunday night, her body had enough. ... Her normal amount was one thing, but over the course of time she was increasing, and not properly."

It was also noted that Chyna had been dead for days before Anzaldo found her. It will take 8 months before the toxicology results are back but Anzaldo is certain that the lethal mix of Valium and Ambien led to her death.

ROH COO Open To A Working Relationship With WWE, Talks ROH TV Possibly Airing On The WWE Network

Ring of Honor COO Joe Koff recently appeared on "The Ross Report" with Jim Ross to answer Twitter questions.

Koff, who confirmed numerous internal discussions about ROH possibly going to two hours, said he's always been very open to talking with any other wrestling promoters and he'd like to have a relationship with WWE. Koff said, "If they think that we're strong enough to be considered to be part of their plan, I would certainly be open to it. I'm not sure how that would work and I'm not sure that that's something they're open to."

When asked about ROH programming possibly airing on the WWE Network, Koff said it would be up to WWE, if they established a relationship. He said WWE certainly needs as much content as possible and if they would be interested in licensing ROH content for the WWE Network, he would be happy to work out an agreement.

Ric Flair Treated at Boston Airport ... After Bizarre Behavior

Ric Flair was treated for a cut on his hand at Logan International Airport in Boston Wednesday morning ... but witnesses say it was the culmination of a very bizarre morning involving the WWE legend.

Here's what we know ... Flair hit up Lucky's Lounge in the airport before his flight -- and multiple witnesses say Flair was acting like a drunk person.

One witness says Flair was loud and obnoxious. Another witness says he was "having a tough time" and "shambling about."

But we spoke with Airport Police Sgt. Donlon who tells us Flair was NOT intoxicated.

Sgt. Donlon says airport officials got a call for a "man with a cut on his hand" -- and police and medical personnel responded. Flair was treated -- deemed not drunk -- and was allowed to get on his flight.

We spoke with Flair's rep who told us Ric is fine -- and made his flight.

As for how Flair injured his hand -- we're working on it.

9:43 AM PT -- Ric's agent, Melinda Morris Zanoni, tells us she has spoken with Flair and issued the following statement:

"Ric has been working every day around the clock, including internationally, for a month straight and has injuries on his hand that were being looked into this morning."

"While it is true Ric Flair and his buddies have been keeping airport bars in business since the 70s that was not the case at all in Boston. I just hung up with Ric, he is already on the flight and all is good."

4:28 PM PT -- A rep for the Mass. State Police tells TMZ Sports ... Flair's injury was NOT to his hand, but rather his head.

Cops did not say how Flair sustained the injury.

Witnesses at the airport tell us Flair was bleeding from his forehead ... with one person saying, "It was dripping down from his head to his neck. A significant amount of blood."

We reached back out to Flair's rep -- so far, no word back.

source: tmz.com

WWE Raises More Than $300,000 For Boys & Girls Clubs of America

TNA Exec Talks Moving Their Production Studios, Studio CEO Comments

TNA CFO Dean Broadhead and others recently spoke to The Tennessean about moving their offices. You can see highlights below, and the full article at this link.

TNA CFO Dean Broadhead on moving their post-production studios:

"Moving our television production to Skyway Studios provides us the ability to utilize some of the newest technologies, incredible studio space and satellite uplink facilities. This move sets us up nicely for future strategic domestic and international growth."

Julie Stadler, CEO of Skyway Studios, where TNA moved their post-production:

"'Impact Wrestling' is a well-known brand producing and delivering hundreds of hours of original content each year to millions of fans around the world, and we are pleased that they chose to house their operations at our facility."

WWE Lawyer On WWE Network Royalties And Lawsuits, How He Would Describe Vince McMahon

The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling this week is joined by lead WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt. In the 70+ minute interview, McDevitt talks about originally working for WWE in 1987 as part of the Jim Neidhart / US Air lawsuit, current day issues regarding concussions and WWE Network royalties, Vince McMahon and more. You can download the full episode by clicking here, below is a transcription courtesy of John & Chad:

The WWE Network royalties lawsuit being dismissed:

"I think (Rene) Dupree was being manipulated by the same lawyer that has been running around bringing these CTE cases against the company and in fact we know he is. That whole business started with this guy advertising on the internet looking for people to sue the WWE and that he's made various promises and representations to these people about what he thinks he is going to get for them and all the rest of that. After the judge in the CTE cases issued her subsequent rulings throwing out two of the cases and five-sixths of the other one while expressing skepticism about whether that claim would survive, shortly after that we believe he got Dupree to bring this royalties case as kind of a way to deflect attention from what was happening in the other cases and knowing full well that frankly Dupree's case couldn't go anywhere. As matters turned out (Dupree) evidently didn't tell the lawyers he recruited to bring the case and to hide his own involvement that he had signed not one but two contracts that prohibited him from bringing such claims and as soon as the lawsuit was brought to my attention I sent an email the night they filed it to the lawyer in Chicago.

"I brought this to the attention of the Chicago lawyer and said I assume you don't know this because any lawyer who saw these documents wouldn't bring this lawsuit but here is what your client signed. And as you can see it absolutely prohibits this lawsuit that you've brought and that I demand you withdraw it immediately. And he wrote back saying very professionally thank you and that I was not aware of this and that he'll look into it. And I am sure he did and as the evidence shows, he then withdrew the lawsuit which was the only proper thing he could have done frankly. He could have not continued the lawsuit at all once. I brought that to his attention and Dupree would have known it too, and it was all designed I think to create some negative publicity for the company and see if they could maybe get somebody better then Dupree to bring such a lawsuit which is kind of "trolling" if you will for a plaintiff."

How does the dismissed case differ from the Doug Somers/Gilbert Family lawsuits:

"I don't think it does. They were trying to make it different by making contractual claims but these claims have never succeeded yet and I don't think they ever will. Gilbert, Somers and there are a bunch of cases like Freddie Dryer and a bunch of guys that opted out of the NFL and if you remember the NFL had similar cases. They had a class action case brought against them from former NFL players on the NFL Network which the NFL as they seem to do, have a lot of money to throw around and they chose to settle with that class and pay them some money. But a couple guys, including Freddie Dryer, and the rest of about twelve others opted out of that class and brought their own lawsuit alleging that the NFL owed them more money then I guess was bigger than they would have got through the class action settlement (which was kind of a dumb move). Now you have to survive motions to dismiss that can be filled to dismiss such claims and the NFL did and they lost and the court threw their claims out.

"Basically, the way the law works on this stuff is pretty simple. We are the owner of the copyrights of all of these things. The WWE is the sole and exclusive owner of the copyrights. Federal copyright law rewards the people who make the investments in creating these copyrighted works and go out and hire the talent and the stadiums and the cameras and all the expense of creating these films with exclusive rights of display, reproduction and sale. So when these people come in and say you are being unjustly and I'm not getting any of this money, the defense is always that the federal copyright law gives us the exclusive right to do it and preempts any of these state law claims that you are trying to assert that would burden our rights of ownership and they get thrown out every time."

The reason why talent from defunct promotions have no claim to royalties from WWE Network:

"Let me use ECW as an example. ECW if you recall your history went into Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Whenever you go into a Chapter 7 bankruptcy what happens is your assets and your liabilities are marshalled. The bankruptcy trustee tries to sell the assets of the bankruptcy estate to generate some cash to pay off creditors who would be for example any ECW talent that are owed money from ECW and would share any money that is available which is usually not very much because when you are bankrupt you don't get very much and when somebody goes bankrupt like ECW does it essentially wipes out all the claims of anybody that they would have against ECW for contract royalties or contract claims against ECW. The assets of the company are put up for sale free and clear of all liens and that is part of the whole bankruptcy sale. When you think about it nobody is going to buy assets that carry with it liabilities. So what you had there was this entire film library of ECW that would have been sitting somewhere in a cardboard box right now and not being displayed anywhere, and the WWE decided it would buy and pay money to buy the films and the copyrights that go with those films and obtain from the bankruptcy court a bill of sale giving the WWE in exchange for the money we paid for those the sole right, title and interest to the copyrights of those works. That is why the WWE has the legal right to display them on the Network free and clear of any claims, plain and simple."

More?

Vince McMahon To Make Announcement At WWE Payback

Vince McMahon will be at Sunday's WWE Payback pay-per-view in Chicago, to announce who will rule RAW for good - Shane McMahon or Stephanie McMahon and Triple H.

Stephanie returned to WWE TV on last night's RAW from Hartford, CT and made the announcement on Payback. Shane called Payback the first pay-per-view of a new era in WWE.

Sneak peek: Seth Green imagines kid wrestlers for 'Camp WWE'

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and John Cena are superstars in a pro wrestling ring, but Seth Green is on a mission to make their kid selves just as entertaining while toasting marshmallows and driving grownups crazy.

The actor and longtime wrestling fan is reimagining grapplers as 8-year-old boys and girls at summer camp in the adult animated series Camp WWE. The show premieres on demand May 1 on the WWE Network streaming service.

Green and his team at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios regularly tackle pop culture with series such as Robot Chicken and SuperMansion, but with Camp WWE, Green says, “getting to introduce these characters to a different audience (and) a new generation in a way they’ve never seen before is like a unique kind of privilege for me.”

The summer camp is headed up by Vince McMahon — with the WWE chairman, president and CEO voicing himself — though he’s an even more over-the-top persona than in the ring, as he rides giraffes and takes swigs from McMahonade. His daughter Stephanie McMahon and Triple H are 15-year-old camp counselors, while “Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Sgt. Slaughter are activity supervisors for the kids.

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Rumor Mill - Chyna Reportedly Drinking Heavily Before Death, Over Bad Relationship With WWE

The documentary director who was with Chyna in the final months before she died says the ex-wrestler was incredibly broken up about not getting an invite this year to attend WWE‘s Hall of Fame ceremony — and it’s one of the reasons she began to drink heavily before passing away.

Erik Angra tells Pro Wrestling Sheet Joanie Laurer had been distressed over not being invited to the big event to see old friends, and it’s partly why she backed out of flying to Dallas.

For those who missed it, Chyna was scheduled for a meet and greet at WrestleCon but cancelled at the last minute and promoters said it was because she wouldn’t get on the plane.

Sources tell us Laurer expected the documentary she was filming to shine a light on her Hall of Fame situation, and was hoping it would lead to an invite to get the conversation started with company officials. When that didn’t happen, we’re told she began to drink more than usual.

Angra says Chyna was also feeling emotional over attempts to reconnect with her family, and the full story will be seen in their documentary — which they still plan to release in the wake of her passing.

Reports say Chyna’s death is being investigated as a possible overdose — and Angra tells us those working on the film “saw the signs were there” in regards to her addictions.

Official word on her cause of death is pending further investigation.

Coroner Delays Ruling On Chyna's Death

CBS Los Angeles reports that the Los Angeles County Coroner's office has deferred a ruling on Joan "Chyna" Laurer's death pending an additional investigation into what happened.

As noted, the former WWE Intercontinental Champion was found dead at the age of 46 in her Redondo Beach apartment last Wednesday night.

There were no signs of foul play inside the apartment but it was previously reported that her death was being looked at as a possible overdose. Her manager and best friend Anthony Anzaldo, who found her after she went several days without answering her phone, said he found Chyna in bed with two prescription bottles in the same room — one for Ambien, one for an anti-anxiety medication similar to Xanax. He also said there was nothing illegal as she was prescribed those medications and there was no alcohol, no blood, no vomit or any other signs of an overdose.

WWE Studios Signs Deal With Wesley Snipes' Company

WWE Studios sent us the following today:

WWE® STUDIOS AND WESLEY SNIPES' MAANDI MEDIA DMM SIGN MULTI-PICTURE DEAL

Partnership to Develop and Produce Elevated Branded Content

Los Angeles, Calif. (April 25, 2016) - WWE Studios has entered into a multi-picture deal with Wesley Snipes, and his Maandi Media DMM production banner, to develop and produce elevated branded content. The recently announced film, TEMPLE, staring Snipes, Anne Heche, Dave Annable and WWE Superstar Seth Rollins®, which is currently in production, is the first picture under the partnership. It is anticipated that the second picture under the deal will go into production later this year.

"We are always looking for the ideal talent to extend our brand and Wesley is the right combination of action movie star and savvy producer," said Michael Luisi, President of WWE Studios. "We look forward to creating exciting new content with the perfect partner."

"The action genre has been a very big and important part of my career. There is no better way to extend my love for dynamic action based entertainment than with a company like WWE, who have been entertaining fans for decades with incredible visuals and deliciously entertaining storylines," commented Snipes. "Maandi strives to create elevated multi-media content that appeals to all demographics worldwide - from childhood fan to feature film collaborators. Wow, sooo cool! We are all incredibly excited to share visions."

WWE Studios will be handling worldwide rights and will leverage WWE's extensive platforms – including weekly TV shows, digital and social media and WWE Network.

Linda McMahon Talks Chyna's Passing On FOX Business

Linda McMahon appeared on FOX Business this morning, as seen in the video above.

During the interview, Linda discussed helping women in the workplace, issues affecting voters in Connecticut and the 2016 Presidential race, calling Ted Cruz and John Kasich coordinating their efforts to deny Donald Trump the Republican nomination a "collusion." Linda also talked about WWE dropping the terms Divas, saying that by dropping the term, it shows that women wrestlers are equal to their male counterparts and that Stephanie McMahon was behind that effort. She also discussed Chyna's passing, calling it a "loss" and saying that she'll be missed.

"It's always a loss when you've had someone that's come up in the ranks like Joanie [Laurer]," Linda said. "She was kind of in the forefront of the women's power position in WWE, so she'll be missed."