Chyna was seriously struggling before she died -- so much so, police found her wasted and passed out on the ground outside her apartment building ... TMZ has learned.
Law enforcement tells us they got a call in November for a woman lying unconscious at 7 AM in Redondo Beach, CA -- and when they arrived, officers found Chyna. We're told she was slurring her speech, had bloodshot eyes and reeked of booze.
Cops say Chyna admitted drinking wine the night before and said she decided to sleep outside because she was struggling with her keys. She was also carrying nearly $20k in cash she says she made at an autograph session.
Paramedics on scene determined she was too drunk to take care of herself, and cops booked her for public intoxication.
Chyna was found dead on April 20. Her cause of death is still under investigation.
source: tmz.com
May 7, 2016
Chyna Busted Drunk and Sleeping Outside ... Months Before Death
May 6, 2016
WWE Fans Might Soon Be Able to Watch Raw and Smackdown Live Online
NBCUniversal in Talks to Join Hulu Channel Bundle
NBCUniversal is in talks with Hulu to join the streaming service’s planned over-the-top offering of cable and broadcast channels, Variety has learned.
The two companies are in the early stages of active negotiations, according to a person familiar with the situation. The source added that NBCUniversal was recently approached by Hulu about the prospect of partnering on the offering.
The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday evening that Hulu was in talks with Fox and Disney about creating a low-cost streaming package of cable and broadcast networks that would circumvent traditional cable distribution. The package would include key networks such as ESPN, Disney Channel, ABC, Fox, FX and Fox Sports 1. According to the Journal, Hulu is eyeing a $40 price for the package.
Sony Corp.’s PlayStation Vue and Dish Network’s Sling TV have already established a market for so-called “skinny bundles” that stream television channels to consumers who do not wish to pay for a complete cable package.
Disney, Fox and NBCUniversal are ownership partners in Hulu, though NBCUniversal is a silent partner under federal conditions of parent company Comcast’s agreement to acquire NBCUniversal in 2011.
In addition to the NBC broadcast network, NBCUniversal’s cable channels include Bravo, E!, MSNBC, CNBC, Oxygen, Syfy and USA.
Hulu will make its annual presentation to advertisers on Wednesday in New York. Representatives for Hulu and NBCUniversal declined to comment.
source: variety.com
Rumor Mill - Bret Hart Describes Tension Backstage At WWE Payback Between Shane, Stephanie & Triple H
With Shane I sensed he was really relaxed but I also sensed a distance there. In the backstage area I never saw Stephanie, Triple H and Shane all in the same room. I’m just reading between the lines without knowing anything. I could see that there was real tension there. They were all really friendly to me when they saw me but you never saw anybody at the same time. I noticed when I saw Shane after Natalya’s match that he didn’t go into what they call the Gorilla Position. He wasn’t in there. He wouldn’t go in there. He kind of stayed out and I realized then that it was just Stephanie and Triple H that were in there. I don’t know, maybe there’s real tensions there. I’ve said it before and I don’t know anymore than what I’ve said in recent broadcasts. I do sense there is some real tension in the family. I got the impression from watching it on TV, just like the fans do, that Vince is loving it. He loves the tension between them and this little storyline that they have seems like it’s true and based on a real situation. A lot of times that’s what Vince likes to play on. He likes to play on real sensitive issues. Even like what he did to me in Phoenix a few years ago. It was all based on, “You screwed me,” and, “Bret screwed Bret,” and all these things that were so sensitive a few years before. He wanted to milk that as much as he could and get as much mileage out of it as possible. I sensed a lot of that in Chicago. There’s a lot of real tension in the air and Stephanie, Triple H and Shane aren’t really comfortable with the attention but Vince is loving it. He’s just throwing more gas on the fire.
Eric Young Talks WWE NXT Contract Status, Meeting Triple H And Hitting It Off, His TNA Departure
Eric Young spoke with NiagaraThisWeek.com to promote this weekend's House of Hardcore event. The full interview can be found at this link. Below are highlights:
Making his WWE NXT debut and Triple H:
"It was in the works. I was supposed to go and talk with Hunter (WWE executive Paul Levesque). They reached out to me and there was an opportunity. Hunter and I hit it off right away, joking like we had known each other for 10 years. About half way through the day he called me aside to see if I'd be interested in doing a promo with the NXT champion Samoa Joe to start the show. I went and grabbed my stuff out of my rental and we got to business. The crowd reaction was insane. I figured it would be decent, but it was insane."
His WWE status:
"We are working on contract stuff now, but there isn't a final pen to paper yet."
Leaving TNA:
"Things don't end because they are good. You don't get divorced in your life because you are still in love. You get divorced because things aren't how they are supposed to be. It didn't end badly. We couldn't agree on some things and I went my separate way. I had their blessing to do that. I wish them all the luck in the world. A lot of my close friends work there, and not just wrestlers. They provided me with a very good life and I'll never forget that."
Eight Superstars Released Today
From WWE.com:
WWE has come to terms on the release of WWE Superstars King Barrett, Damien Sandow, Santino Marella, Cameron, Hornswoggle, Alex Riley, El Torito and Zeb Colter as of today, Friday, May 6, 2016. WWE wishes them the best in all of their future endeavors.
Stephanie McMahon: Chyna Will Be In HOF ... 'At Some Point'
Fear not, wrestling fans ... pro wrestling legend Chyna WILL be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, so says WWE honcho Stephanie McMahon who tells TMZ Sports it's only a matter of time.
After Chyna passed away last month, McMahon called her a "pioneer in our industry" -- and fans wanted to know when she'll be enshrined among the greatest in her sport.
Everyone knows the HOF was extremely important to Chyna -- and people close to her claim she was depressed about the snub before she passed away.
So when we saw Steph in NYC Thursday, we had to ask if plans were in motion.
"I'm SURE that we will see Chyna in the Hall of Fame at some point in the future. I'm not sure exactly what year that will be, but there's no denying her contributions to WWE."
source: tmz.com
May 5, 2016
Is NXT recruit Nicola Glencross the 'Best in the Galaxy'? The former Nikki Storm speaks out
"Best in the Galaxy” is not a distinction that is easily obtained — yet, Nicola Glencross has it. Competing around the globe as Nikki Storm, the newest WWE Performance Center recruit has received worldwide praise for her distinct and impressive in-ring abilities. With her NXT journey just beginning, Glencross sat down with WWE.com to discuss her hopes, dream matches and how she plans to prove her grandiose nickname is more than warranted.
WWE.COM: How does it feel to be a member of the WWE Performance Center roster?
NICOLA GLENCROSS: It feels amazing; it feels so good to be here. This is something I’ve been working towards for a really long time, so I’m just happy to be here and am excited for the future.
WWE.COM: Can you take us through the process of your signing with WWE?
GLENCROSS: Last year in London I did a tryout — that was last spring. During the summer they contacted me to start the hiring process, and then, here we are [laughs].
WWE.COM: What was the tryout like?
GLENCROSS: It was a lot of fun! We did a lot of conditioning drills, had a couple of practice matches and we did some promos. It was a three-day tryout and a fascinating experience. It was fun and it was challenging in a really good, positive way.
WWE.COM: You’ve competed internationally for much of your entire career. What advantages does that bring you as you begin your WWE career?
GLENCROSS: For me, the good thing about traveling and wrestling across all these different countries is it makes you really grow as a person.
WWE Releases Strength & Conditioning Coach
WWE released Strength & Conditioning Coach Matt Wichlinski last week. He's been replaced by a former NFL Strength Coach.
May 3, 2016
WWE Announces Shane McMahon Podcast Interview
WWE has announced that Shane McMahon will be featured in a “tell all interview” hosted by Mick Foley. The interview will air on WWE Network after the May 23 edition of Raw.
It’s interesting that Foley is conducting the interview rather than Steve Austin, who shines as the host of the network podcast interviews. It’s worth noting that Chris Jericho previously interviewed Stephanie McMahon on the network.
Ryback Publishes Lengthy Blog On His WWE Status, Being Sent Home, Meeting With Vince McMahon, More
As seen below, Ryback has launched a new Tumblr blog to address his WWE status:
Feed Me More
Today I sit and fly home and for the first time in years feel absolutely free. I will start by saying I did request to be taken off of WWE television until myself and Vince could get a yes or no on a new deal. This has been going on since my IC Title run and had been nothing but a major strain on my life as all I ever wanted to do was work for WWE. I was told to head home until we agree or not agree to specific terms and contrary to reports it isn't over money or a bus that stuff was settled a while ago. It comes down to a major problem I have with not only WWE but wrestling in general.
Wrestling is pre determined, we as performers know before we go out to that ring or perform a backstage scene who is winning and losing etc or have a general idea of what we are going to say. It blows my mind how in a sport which is pre determined from a company standpoint winners are paid so much more than the losers. Every single person who works for WWE from top to bottom is absolutely just as valuable as the next. The winners cannot win unless the losers go out there and agree to lose to them.
It blows my mind that in this day and age though we still adhere to this formula.
Bret Hart Talks Catching Up With Triple H, “We Had More Laughs Than Anything About Ric Flair”
We met and we talked but it was nothing special. If anything it was just more about our health. We had some more laughs than anything about Ric Flair and stuff like that. Triple H was very cordial to me and treated me like a million bucks. He treated me great and I have no complaints about anything. He treated me really good and so did Stephanie for that matter. With Stephanie I felt that she was honestly or genuinely worried about me when I had the cancer. I think she was just really glad to see me. Maybe it was the same with Triple H. That can never be a bad thing. I sensed a lot of sincerity there on everyone’s part. From Vince down to Triple H to Shane. Shane was very gracious and had some really nice things to say about me that I had forgot about. I was a very protective guy of Shane years ago when he was just a young guy in the business. I looked out for him a lot and I think it was nice for him to tell me that. That he never forgot how much I looked out for him and protected him from a lot of the vices and evils that were lurking about in pro wrestling.
Update on Ryback’s Current WWE Contract Dispute, His Original WWE Raw Plans, Reported Meeting with Vince McMahon & More
As noted last night, Ryback is currently amidst some type of contract dispute with WWE, and The Big Guy was subsequently sent home from Raw in St. Louis last night and is off WWE TV indefinitely. Ryback was scheduled to participate in the U.S. Title #1 contenders Battle Royal match on Raw last night, but that of course did not happen after he was sent home.
According to F4WOnline.com, multiple WWE sources are confirming Ryback, real name Ryan Reeves, is indeed involved in a contract dispute with WWE, and it could possibly stem from comments Ryback made while WWE was on tour in Dubai.
While WWE was in the UAE, Ryback was pretty outspoken in an interview with radio personality Myles, which you can watch in the video above. During the interview, Ryback vents his frustration with his spot on the past two WrestleMania cards, and according to Dave Meltzer, while wrestlers talk privately about their frustrations all the time, it’s not considered a good career move to speak out publicly unless you are an untouchable top level star in WWE.
Ryback reportedly met with Vince McMahon yesterday afternoon about renewing his contract, which expires this summer. Ryback apparently was not happy with the offer which was presented, with Meltzer adding the two sides were very far apart on money. The discussion ended with McMahon suggesting that Ryback go home, to which Ryback agreed.
Ryback also seemed to take somewhat of a shot at his current spot in WWE when he wore a “pre-show stopper” belt as part of his WWE Payback ring gear. Ryback also mocked Chicago native CM Punk during his PPV entrance, as Punk previously made negative comments about The Big Guy during an appearance on Colt Cabana’s podcast.
Adam Rose Provides A Doctor's Note To Prove He Is In Compliance With WWE's Wellness Policy
My doctors note as promised. I did nothing knowingly wrong and was following all the correct protocols. #WWE pic.twitter.com/FOk4DgFmFZ
— Adam Rose (@WWEAdamRose) May 3, 2016
Rumor Mill - Ryback Reportedly Pulled From Television and Sent Home From Raw Following Big Contract Dispute
According to PWInsider.com, WWE star Ryback was pulled from TV indefinitely and sent home from Raw tonight following what was said to be a contract dispute between The Big Guy and WWE. The report added one source claimed Ryback himself asked to be taken off WWE TV.
Ryback’s current WWE contract is said to be expiring sometime this summer, and the two sides have not been able to come to terms on a new deal. Ryback last competed at WWE Payback and lost a U.S. Title match to Kalisto.
May 2, 2016
Jim Ross: Don't Blame Chyna's Death On WWE
Helping one escape the horrors of drug an alcohol addition starts with the person that one sees in their mirror IMO so to blame society, the WWE or any other entity regarding Joanie Lauer's tragic passing isn't fair or accurate.
I communicated many times with Joanie over the past year or so and it was generally about Joanie talking about the fact that she knew that she had to make changes in her life even though she fully realized that the battle would not be easily won. Even Joanie realized that the solution to her issues started with her and no one else which is never eay to admit. Joanie never blamed anyone else for her troubles to me even though some people today are. These issues were far from being about her tenure in WWE, which was hugely successful by the way and, arguably, Joanie's happiest days, but more about the personal choices that she made after leaving WWE in 2001.
Perhaps the saddest aspect of this matter is the fact that WWE would have fully paid for Joanie Lauer to get the best treatment for her issues had she simply asked them for the help as so many of her peers have done over the years. Again, this process starts with the talent essentially 'raising their hand' and admitting that they need the help and then allowing WWE to put the wheels in motion to start the process. Former talents can't be forced to go into rehab but if the individuals in need ask for the help, WWE is there to assist them.
However, I still feel that some will continue to blame WWE in some misguided and ridiculous manner for Joanie Lauer's drug and alcohol issues which is massively inaccurate.
We seemingly live in a society that passing the buck, fading the heat, etc is prevalent instead of accepting responsibility for one's actions and doing something to rectify the matter.
source: jrsbarbq.com
The rise of the celebrity couple, a powerful, influential and highly profitable brand
source: independent.co.uk
Christopher Daniels Talks AJ Styles And Samoa Joe Joining WWE, WWE's Global Cruiserweight Series
"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels has seen it all and been a little bit of everywhere after two decades in wrestling. From appearances in WWF and WCW to stints in TNA, ROH and NJPW, Daniels is a true veteran of sports entertainment.
Daniels was crucial in the prime of TNA's X-Division, and once actually got a shot at the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship. When I spoke to him recently about WWE's upcoming Global Cruiserweight series, he seemed optimistic about the idea.
"I guess I'll have to wait and see," Daniels explained. "I feel like the last couple of months for NXT have shown they're willing to think outside the box and get rid of the constraints they put on their programming back in the day in terms of their attitude towards cruiserweights. You look at some of the hirings over the past couple of months, picking up Austin Aries, giving guys Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, Rich Swann an opportunity to excel. I look forward to the matches, knowing that a guy I hold in high regard like Zack Sabre Jr. is going to be a part of it. I'll see what they do with it. I feel like they're giving it an honest chance to get over. I think NXT is the right platform to do that."
While Daniels is under an exclusive contract with Ring of Honor and won't be participating the tournament, or in the WWE any time soon, a few of his friends that he's made history with will be. Daniels was a part of one of the greatest matches in the last 20 years when he took on AJ Styles and Samoa Joe in the main event of TNA Unbreakable 2005. Fast forward 11 years, the WWE has signed both Styles and Joe to contracts.
"I try to keep in touch with them as much as possible," Daniels told me. "I'm thrilled to see them doing well and knew they would if they were given the opportunity. I kept in contact with Joe as he was going through the process of signing with them and finding out the opportunities he was being given, it's exciting. It shows you there's a change of perception in the office there. If there's anyone that deserves it that opportunity, it was Joe. He did so much at TNA and ROH, he deserved to be seen on a grand scale. Now he's showing his worth in NXT, and he's the first guy to hold the TNA, NXT and ROH title. History is his."
WWE Performance Center Assistant Coach Will Be At The Next WWN Seminar/Tryout
WWN is very pleased to announce a rare opportunity and learning experience on June 10th in Ybor City, FL at The Orpheum before the EVOLVE event that night.
We will host an all day Seminar/Tryout with a very special guest. WWE Performance Center Assistant Coach Norman Smiley will attend and observe this Seminar/Tryout. Mr. Smiley will represent WWE in scouting at this Seminar/Tryout. He will give a lecture on what WWE/NXT is looking for and how they do things. He will also offer critiques and guidance when warranted. This is the first time Mr. Smiley has attended a Seminar/Tryout for independent wrestlers.
There will be limited spots for this WWN Seminar/Tryout. The format is designed to educate, be a networking opportunity, give quality video footage for you to use to promote yourself, as well as provide you with a chance to be booked in the WWN Family!
The WWN Seminar & Tryout will be led by head trainer Drew Gulak, assistant trainer Tracy Williams and WWN VP of Talent Relations Gabe Sapolsky.
Hulk Hogan Suing Gawker For Ending His Career
The New York Post reports that Hulk Hogan is suing Gawker for ending his career with WWE.
After being awarded $140 million by a jury earlier this year, Hogan has now filed a lawsuit in Florida that Gawker releasing the sex tape with Heather Clem led to his income being cut off, his "legacy in entertainment was severely damaged (if not completely destroyed), and his global brand was forever tarnished."
Hogan also names several Florida residents in the suit, including DJ Mike "Cowhead" Calta, for sending at least one of the secretly recorded tapes to Gawker. Police previously declined to pursue charges against Calta and others involved in the leak.
Hogan is asking for unspecified money damages in the new suit.
WWE Payback match stopped as Enzo Amore suffers concussion
Just minutes into the start of WWE Payback, the opening match of the company's May pay-per-view was stopped in its tracks as one of the its newest but most popular performers was injured in the ring.
In the middle of a No. 1 Contenders' Match for the Tag Team Championship, Enzo Amore was thrown out of the ring only to have his head strike the middle rope, snapping his neck backwards. Amore immediately went to the ground and stayed down under the ring apron. WWE quickly cut away from the injured performer to the announcers but showed multiple replays of the move that led to Amore's injury.
Shortly after the match was stopped, WWE lead play-by-play man Michael Cole told the viewing audience that Amore was on his way to the hospital to be treated for an undisclosed injury. The wrestler was able to move his extremities and speak to medical personnel on his way, which is some early good news.
Amore and tag team partner Colin Cassady were competing against The Vaudevillains in the match, which obviously ended without a result.
Before the main event of Payback began, Cole disclosed that Amore, while at the hospital, was diagnosed with a concussion. All other tests came back negative.
