Dave Mustaine presents Triple H with Spirit Of Lemmy Award at Download

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine presented wrestling icon Triple H with the first ever Spirit Of Lemmy Award on the Main Stage at Download today.

Minutes after Megadeth's performance, Mustaine invited Triple H on to the stage to present him with the award – which forms part of the Metal Hammer Golden Gods.

This year's ceremony takes place at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith on Monday night (June 13).

Triple H says: "Having Dave give me this award is a dream come true. Standing on the Lemmy Stage, named after one of my great friends and being given the Spirit Of Lemmy Award is amazing.

"I can feel Lemmy here right now, sitting up on that black cloud over there – drinking a Jack and Coke, probably. The true Spirit Of Lemmy is this fucking crowd right here.

"This is the Spirit Of Lemmy, the Spirit Of Lemmy will never die, because of all of you."

Mustaine, who last year won Metal Hammer's Golden God Award, introduced Triple H to the crowd, bringing huge cheers when he mentioned Lemmy's name.

Brock Lesnar talks about prescription drug abuse during first WWE stint

Ahead of his return at UFC 200, Brock Lesnar talks about abusing alcohol and prescription drugs during his first WWE stint and a mid-flight altercation it led to.

Brock Lesnar's return has been far from quiet.

Lesnar, who has been entered into the USADA testing pool, has been controversially granted an exemption to the USADA provision requiring a four-month notice for athletes coming out of retirement. This exemption is a source of much ire for his UFC 200 opponent Mark Hunt who believes Lesnar has likely been using PEDS. But PEDS are not the only drugs to come up recently in discussions with Lesnar.

On Thursday, Lesnar went on ESPN's Highly Questionable with Dan Le Batard and Bomani Jones in a bit of promotion for his return to the UFC. The interview touched on an assortment of topics, including Lesnar's abuse of alcohol and prescription drugs during his first stint with the WWE and what led him down that road.

"That was the early years of me when I was a young performer in the wrestling ring. You go through things in life such as you become rich and you become famous and you're naïve and you're young and to top it all off you're travelling 360 days a year. The wrestling is fake but the things that go on in the ring - the ring is still a very non-forgiving environment to be in so you're dealing with a lot of different injuries at one time.

"Not only that, I'm not a man to be on the highway. I'm not a man to be in a hotel room every night. I'm not a man to be in an airplane every day and it took all that for me to discover that and to cope with all that was my best friends, vodka and Vicodin."

More?

Gawker Update: Purchase Agreement Reached, Nick Denton Comments

As noted, Gawker Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today after a judge issued a $140 million final judgment in favor of Hulk Hogan.

Gawker issued the press release below revealing that the have reached a purchase agreement with Ziff Davis, which operates IGN, AskMen and PCMag. It stated that the sale will be conducted through a bankruptcy court supervised auction, so others could buy the company if they submit a higher bid.

More?

Judge Issues Final Judgment in Hulk Hogan vs Gawker Case, Gawker Reportedly Files For Bankruptcy

According to Recode.com, Gawker was back in court today and a judge issued a $140 million final judgment in favor of Hulk Hogan. The verdict in the Gawker case was upheld, and furthermore a permanent injunction was issued earlier this week which prohibited Gawker from posting Hogan’s sex tape video. Additionally, a 4.77% interest rate per year was imposed on the $140 million which is owed to Hogan.

As a result of the past two key decisions in the Hogan vs Gawker case, Gawker Media has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and plans to find a new owner for the company. The Recode article notes Gawker has a “firm bid” from publisher Ziff Davis to buy the company for under $100 million. Ziff Davis operates IGN, AskMen and PCMag.

WWE SmackDown Garners Lowest Audience Since Move To USA, Drops Below 2 Million Viewers

This week's episode of WWE SmackDown garnered their lowest audience since their move to the USA Network in January.

Thursday's episode averaged just 1.996 million viewers, down 8% from last week's show, which averaged 2.169 million viewers.

It was the second least watched first-run non-holiday episode in the show's history, barely beating out the September 2, 2015 show on SyFy, which averaged 1.981 million viewers.

Rumor Mill - Backstage News on the Upcoming WWE Brand Split and Its Impact on NXT, Talk of Extending the Length of WWE PPV Events and More

According to F4WOnline.com, WWE has informed Sky Italia to start reserving extra time for PPV events as the duration of the shows will vary. This implies all future WWE PPV events, not just WrestleMania, might start running past 11pm. Prior to the existence of the WWE Network, when WWE was running PPV events via actual PPV providers, they weren’t allowed any PPV overruns. With WWE basically being able to do whatever it wants with the WWE Network, overruns, as he have seen in the past with Steve Austin podcasts, are entirely possible.

As we noted yesterday, Triple H indicated in this week’s NXT Takeover media call that he’s not sure how the upcoming WWE Draft and Brand Extension will change WWE NXT and its roster. He added that whatever happens, even if a bunch of talent from NXT gets called up to the main roster for the brand split, he has 80 to 90 talents at the WWE Performance Center ready to make the jump to NXT.

According to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, people involved have been told that “NXT is being raided for the Draft big time”, and more details are expected to be revealed soon.

Brock Lesnar Drug Tested By USADA Ahead Of UFC 200

We mentioned in a report this week that Brock Lesnar received a USADA exemption for his return to MMA, but the U.S. Anti Doping Association wasted no time in testing Lesnar when he became eligible.

According to Yahoo's Kevin Iole, Lesnar was tested by USADA Wednesday. The results should show up on the agency's official website next week. This comes after Lesnar's opponent Mark Hunt did an interview saying that Lesnar was 'juiced to the gills.'

It's worth noting that a first time failure of USADA's policies can result in a two-year ban from the sport.

Mark Hunt Accuses Brock Lesnar Of Being, “Juiced To The Gills”

In an exclusive and explosive interview with UFC FIGHT WEEK on FOX Sports UFC Fighter Mark Hunt accused his UFC 200 opponent Brock Lesnar of being, “juiced to the gills.”

Recently it was announced that due to the short notice of the fight Brock would be exempt from USADA testing.

Below is an excerpt from the full interview featuring Hunt’s response to Brock’s exemption. The full interview can be found HERE.

“I don’t think that’s fair. I think it’s load of bulls***, I think it’s rubbish,” Hunt told UFC FIGHT WEEK on Fox Sports in an exclusive interview. “I don’t think anyone should be exempt from testing. If they’re trying to clean the sport up — mixed martial arts — this is a bad way to do it. I don’t care who you are. It’s ridiculous.

“I don’t think it’s a great move. I think he’s juiced to the gills — and I still think I’m going to knock him out. So I don’t think that’s correct. I don’t think he should be allowed to get a four-month exemption otherwise everyone else should. Otherwise I should start juicing.

“How are you going to clean the sport up doing that s***? It won’t happen. I don’t think it’s fair.”

“I’ve already voiced my opinion to (UFC boss) Dana (White) about it but apparently he (Lesnar) has been getting tested but he’s probably been off a couple of cycles anyway.

“I think everyone should be tested equally and fairly. Make it an even playing field otherwise you might as well get everyone juiced up and have the juicing UFC competition and the non-juicing (competition).”

Hunt goes on to talk about his confidence going in to the fight and how he believes he is going to knock out Brock Lesnar. In one of his final statements in the interview he closes by saying:

“He’ll probably be super strong being juiced to the gills but it doesn’t mean anything, man. I’m ready for anything he has.”

Triple H Talks WWE NXT Takeover Matches, The End, Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. Samoa Joe, More

Triple H went live with Cathy Kelley on Facebook after tonight's WWE NXT "Takeover: The End" event at Full Sail University. Video is above and below are highlights:

* In regards to what The End means, he joked that NXT was ending and almost broke the internet for a second. He talked about how the Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe rivalry has produced great matches and this was the end, with the two going to war in a steel cage. The biggest way for him to look at "The End" was what we saw in the opening video, seeing NXT from how it started to what it has grown into. He feels NXT has transitioned from being a developmental brand into a brand in itself. He truly believes NXT is its own brand in every way and tonight marked the beginning of them taking everything in that direction

* He thought Andrade "Cien" Almas' debut win over Tye Dillinger was incredible. He's had his eye on the former La Sombra for a while and can't believe anyone would put a mask on him. He gave props to Tye Dillinger and believes when he does flip his switch, it will be special

* Regarding Dash and Dawson taking back the titles from Chad Gable and Jason Jordan, he praised both teams and The Revival for being the first two-time champions. He doesn't believe we've seen the end of it. He's not 100% sure why Paul Ellering was there and says it was a surprise to him. He did name them as "The Authors of Pain" and said they made an impact, and having Ellering with them automatically makes him interested

* He says Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Austin Aries was one of those dream matches you always thought "what if?" about. He praised both Superstars and said they prove why NXT is the place to be because guys at that level are constantly trying to get in the door

* Cathy asked about Bobby Roode walking into Regal's office. Triple H says that's just another example of everyone wanting to be here. He says NXT is the hottest brand right now and if you want to make your mark in this world, NXT is where you do it

* He does not believe Nia Jax taking a loss to NXT Women's Champion Asuka is a setback as he's never seen anyone push Asuka like that. He thinks the other women of NXT are on notice and Jax isn't going anywhere. He says the women's division is an impressive landscape and when you know what he knows about who is coming in, the women's division is about to get very interesting fast. He says Asuka returning to Japan with the title in front of her country and her family is big and some of the pressure is off after tonight

* He believes Joe is really hitting his stride right now. Triple H says Joe is NXT and he feels sorry for anyone who tries to tell him he isn't. Regarding Balor, he doesn't see Balor walking away from the title. The Facebook feed is having issues but he also comments on Nakamura breathing down Joe's neck. He says that battle is coming.

* Triple H says NXT will continue with the explosive growth as they head to the UK for a tour this coming week. He's also looking forward to "Takeover: Brooklyn" during SummerSlam weekend. He says tickets go on sale this weekend and they will move fast. He says this is the end of the beginning but they are just getting started as NXT will just keep going higher.

Titus O'Neil On Turning His WWE Suspension Into A Positive, Facing Rusev At WWE MITB, More

Titus O'Neil is featured in this week's sitdown interview with Michael Cole. Below are highlights:

* Titus jokes how he doesn't like phone calls from WWE HQ when Cole informs him of a phone call he received to announce Titus vs. WWE United States Rusev at Money In the Bank

* Cole asks about the suspension from earlier this year. Titus calls it a negative that he turned into a positive by having more time to be a father, a son and a brother. Titus says he saw things outside of WWE and was able to expand on some of the things he does inside of WWE. He was also able to better some of his personal relationships with the time off

* Cole asks why Titus doesn't believe Rusev has what it takes to be US Champion. Titus talks about how Rusev runs from a fight and says he never will, never has. Titus says the real American heroes are the people - teachers, servicemen, police offers and firefighters. Titus says he's fighting for everyone and will fight anyone to preserve what he feels are the three most important parts of life - faith, family and community

* Titus mentions his kids will be there for the match because it's on Father's Day. Titus says every dad should spend time with their kids on that day but this is the biggest opportunity of his career. Titus says he has the chance to prove to people that he belongs here and will be here for a long time. Titus says there will be plenty of juice boxes and chips at the celebration in Las Vegas that night. Titus says real champions stand up for what they believe in and at Money In the Bank, Rusev will find out what he believes in

UFC lifts ban on Ariel Helwani, MMAFighting.com

Two days after the UFC removed MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani, E. Casey Leydon, and Esther Lin just prior to the UFC 199 main event in Inglewood, California, the promotion has lifted what Helwani said was a lifetime ban from attending events as a credentialed media member. The UFC released the following statement on Monday evening.

"Following a conversation with the editorial team at SB Nation, UFC will not prevent MMAFighting.com from receiving media credentials to cover live UFC events. We respect the role the media plays in our sport and beyond, including MMAFighting's ability to report news. However, in our opinion, we believe the recurring tactics used by its lead reporter extended beyond the purpose of journalism. We feel confident our position has now been adequately communicated to the SB Nation editorial team.

UFC's goal as the world's leading mixed martial arts promotion is to cultivate interest in its world-class athletes and events, and deliver for the fans. We will continue to introduce this sport and its athletes to new fans across the world, and we will do so by working alongside media across all platforms."

This news follows Dana White's assertion to TMZ that Helwani would not be permitted to cover UFC events on-site for as long as he was president. The ban apparently stemmed from Helwani reporting the return of Brock Lesnar on UFC 200, which was published before the UFC's own planned announcement during last Saturday's pay-per-view. Heavy backlash ensued against the UFC by multiple mainstream media outlets for the promotion's actions.

International Athlete Tim Wiese Accepts Triple H’s Invitation to Train at the WWE Performance Center

WWE has announced the following:

Goalkeeper Tim Wiese accepts Triple H’s invitation to train at WWE Performance Center

For the WWE Universe in Germany, a longstanding source of speculation has become a reality: Tim Wiese, the former German national goalkeeper, has accepted a personal invitation from Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events & Creative, to join the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, for an extended training period.

Wiese, who played for Germany’s national team between 2008 and 2012, plus defended between the sticks for Bundesliga soccer clubs SV Werder Bremen and TSV 1899 Hoffenheim, took to Twitter to make what was a short but definitive statement regarding his acceptance of Triple H’s invitation:

The hulking, 6-foot-4 goalkeeper first fueled conjecture in November 2014, as a guest timekeeper for a WWE Live Event match in Frankfurt. There, Wiese interjected himself into the match, scoring immediate fan approval in the process … not to mention widespread gossip and assumptions from the media throughout Europe.

Throughout 2015, Wiese made several public statements that further implied any future involvement in WWE was more a matter of when than if. Those statements eventually prompted WWE to invite him to a one-day workout at the Performance Center, where Wiese continued to impress the facility’s trainers and WWE executives – chief among them, Triple H, who contacted the former soccer sensation about a longer stay in Orlando.

“Tim is tenacious,” said The Game. “He continues to be very vocal in his desire to prove that he has what it takes, and he has shown tremendous resilience and determination to create an opportunity for himself. This is his break to walk his talk. If all goes well in Florida, he will get his chance in the ring.”

Triple H’s challenge is one that Wiese is extremely motivated to accept – so much that he has even attached a timeframe for achieving his goal: Getting ring-ready by the time WWE Live returns to Frankfurt, Munich, Oberhausen and Berlin November 2nd, 3rd, 8th and 9th, respectively.

“I have been training hard for this, and I am excited for the opportunity,” Wiese said. “No matter what it takes, my goal is to be in that WWE ring this November. I want that match!”

Triple H Media Call: Bobby Roode And Eric Young, WWE Brand Split, 'The End,' Nakamura, Muhammad Ali

Triple H joined the call and thanked everyone for joining and noted that there will probably be some questions about the Cruiserweight Classic. Triple H ran down the card for Wednesday's Takeover event. Triple H said that Nakamura will be a key player in the company. He added that he's excited for the debut of Andrade Almas and that he will be "big player."

Triple H said "The End" title for the event has a lot of meanings, which we'll see tomorrow. He said that you can expect it to be the end of the Finn Balor - Samoe Joe series.

NXT will be taping TV on Thursday, and he will be heading to the UK with the NXT crew for the UK tour after the tapings.

The Cruiserweight Classic starts up at the end of the month. Triple H thinks it will be the premier cruiserweight tournament, and he thinks it will be an unbelievable ten weeks. He says that it will be something unlike you've seen from WWE or NXT.

He thinks the NXT roster will look a lot different after the brand split, but he doesn't know for sure. He thinks that one of the strengths of NXT is that their talent rises to the occasion whenever talent leaves for the main roster.

He doesn't think the talent is any more aggressive than they were before, and they're always looking for the best talent around the world. He's always been aggressive in acquiring great talent.

About the brand split, Triple H noted that they've always had two tours and he's not sure how much everything will change.

He was asked about how much they focus on the UK. Triple H said there is a ton of talent in the UK, but they don't focus on any one area for talent, they look everywhere.

On Bobby Roode and Eric Young, Triple H is working on contracts for both men and said to stay tuned. He said they're both talented, and he looks forward to working with both of them.

When asked about NXT touring in Canada, he said that they're looking at everywhere. He said that NXT will be doing 180-190 events this year alone, and with RAW and SmackDown, you're at around 500 events a year. With all the events, there's a lot of factors that go into where they tour.

When asked for an update on Hideo Itami, Triple H said that he can't go too much into his medical information, but everyone heals differently, and Itami had some issues with mobility and scar tissue, and wants him to take his time and return at 100%. Nothing has changed regarding his thoughts on Hideo as a performer, and he looks forward to him returning.

Triple H was asked about doing a women's tournament, similar to the Cruiserweight Classic. Triple H said he had been throwing out ideas about it, and said that he would like to do it if the timing is right. He said it's on the table, but there are a lot of things on the table. He said that it's just an idea that spread quickly on the internet, and when they know what they'll want to do, they'll put out a statement or contact talents.

He said that the process for the Cruiserweight series has been very exciting, and he's enjoyed working with outside promotions to secure talent for the series.

Triple H thanked everyone for calling in. He mentioned the passing of Muhammad Ali, and called him a personal hero of his. He said that Ali's personality and charisma, which admittedly was influenced by pro wrestling, was amazing and and he was able to pass it on to others. Triple H said Ali was integral to what they do, and even though Ali wasn't a part of WWE on a day-to-day basis, that his impact isn't forgotten in the sports entertainment world.

Kimbo Slice Passes Away at Age 42

According to TMZ.com, MMA fighter Kimbo Slice, real name Kevin Ferguson, has passed away at the age of 42. The TMZ report notes Slice died in a Florida hospital from what appears to be heart failure.

Bellator CEO Scott Coker issued the following statement to TMZ:

“We are all shocked and saddened by the devastating untimely loss of Kimbo Slice, a beloved member of the Bellator family.

One of the most popular MMA fighters ever, Kimbo was a charismatic, larger-than-life personality that transcended the sport.

Outside of the cage he was a friendly, gentle giant and a devoted family man. HIs loss leaves us all with extremely heavy hearts, and our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Ferguson family and all of Kimbo’s friends, fans and teammates.”

Kimbo was slated to fight James Thompson at Bellator 158 on July 16, in a rematch from their infamous fight in 2008 that saw Thompson’s cauliflower ear explode. Slice won the fight via TKO in the third round in what is one of the most watched fights in U.S. MMA history.

Kimbo last fought this past February, defeating Dhafir “Dada 5000” Harris via knockout in the third round. Harris’ heart stopped and he technically died during the fight, and he was hospitalized for a week. Slice failed a drug test for nandralone and elevated testosterone levels, and the fight was overturned to a no-contest.

Rumor Mill - WWE Potentially Seeking UFC Fighters to Appear at SummerSlam as Part of Brock Lesnar Deal

Since news broke that Brock Lesnar would be fighting at UFC 200 in July, there has been a lot of speculation as to what WWE would be getting in return for Lesnar appearing at a such high profile UFC event. It seems quite obvious that UFC will be promoting WWE in some fashion, likely the WWE SummerSlam PPV in which Lesnar will return to a WWE ring.

Additionally, PWInsider.com is reporting WWE might be seeking UFC fighters to appear in a segment at SummerSlam, similar to the way Ronda Rousey appeared at WrestleMania.

Specifically, WWE might want some of the female UFC fighters to appear at SummerSlam in an angle involving the women, and a particular name that has come up is Paige VanZant (pictured above), who recently placed second in the finals of Dancing With The Stars.

WWE reportedly reached out to VanZant’s manager and there was at least some communication between both sides.

Triple H Announces Date and Location of WWE NXT Takeover Brooklyn, Reveals Ticket Pre-Sale and General On-Sale Information

After speculation that the WWE NXT Takeover Brooklyn event might not be taking place this year after Ticketmaster pulled the event listing, Triple H has confirmed the event for SummerSlam weekend this year with the Tweet below:

#NXTTakeOver heads BACK to #Brooklyn on Sat. Aug. 20th

Pre-sale starts Wed. at 10am
On-sale Sat. at noon. #WeAreNXT pic.twitter.com/cyYFHvqtLo

— Triple H (@TripleH) June 6, 2016

NY Times On Pro Wrestling Gaining Acceptance

The New York Times Magazine recently posted an article looking at pro wrestling gaining acceptance with mainstream media. They noted that people don't criticize wrestling for being "fake" as much today because "the rest of the world has caught up to wrestling's ethos." They also wrote:

With each passing year, more and more facets of popular culture become something like wrestling: a stage-managed "reality" in which scripted stories bleed freely into real events, with the blurry line between truth and untruth seeming to heighten, not lessen, the audience's addiction to the melodrama. The modern media landscape is littered with "reality" shows that audiences happily accept aren't actually real; that, in essence, is wrestling. ("WWE Raw" leads to "The Real World," which leads to "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," and so forth.) The way Beyoncé teased at marital problems in "Lemonade" — writing lyrics people were happy to interpret as literal accusations of her famous husband's unfaithfulness — is wrestling. The question of whether Steve Harvey meant to announce the wrong Miss Universe winner is wrestling. Did Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj authentically snap at each other at last year's MTV Video Music Awards? The surrounding confusion was straight out of a wrestling playbook.

How Muhammad Ali influenced professional wrestling, MMA

With the passing of Muhammad Ali, much of the talk about his legacy surrounds his contributions inside the squared circle. But Ali’s legacy extends beyond the boundaries of the sweet science as his influence bled into the worlds of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.

The man known as the “Louisville Lip” is often credited for his influence on the world of professional wrestling and the wrestler’s ability to “cut a promo” in order to sell their upcoming match.

However, Ali has publicly credited professional wrestling for shaping and molding his ability to promote a boxing match like no other. It was in 1961 when Ali met pro wrestling superstar Gorgeous George that the future boxing champion realized the significance of selling a fight. In the autobiography “Muhammad Ali: His Life And Times,” Thomas Houser documents how the flamboyant and charismatic professional wrestler affected Ali.

“[George] started shouting: ‘If this bum beats me I’ll crawl across the ring and cut off my hair, but it’s not gonna happen because I’m the greatest fighter in the world,' " Ali told Houser of when he met Gorgeous George. “And all the time, I was saying to myself: ‘Man. I want to see this fight’ And the whole place was sold out when Gorgeous George wrestled … including me … and that’s when I decided if I talked more, there was no telling how much people would pay to see me.”

Ali would go on to establish a legacy of pre-fight theatrics that would hold just as much significance outside of the ring as the action inside of it...More?

MMA Journalist Ariel Helwani Thrown Out of UFC 199 Tonight & Banned For Life After Breaking Original Brock Lesnar Story

MMA journalist Ariel Helwani took to Twitter last tonight following an incredible UFC 199 pay-per-view, stating that he and his MMAFighting.com crew had been escorted out by security prior to the main event, and stripped of their credentials. The reason? Helwani was the writer responsible for breaking the news that Brock Lesnar was close to signing a deal to fight at next month’s UFC 200 event; a breaking news report that has now been confirmed and made official.

Photographer Esther Lin and video director E. Casey Leydon were apparently caught in the crossfire, and were also removed with Ariel.

WWE Issues Official Statement on Brock Lesnar UFC 200 Fight, Announces When Lesnar Will Return to WWE TV

In the wake of the Brock Lesnar UFC 200 fight announcement, WWE has issued the following statement:

Brock Lesnar remains under contract to WWE, however, he has been granted a one-off opportunity to compete at UFC 200. Following this milestone event on July 9, Brock will return to WWE for SummerSlam on Sunday, August 21, live on WWE Network.