WWE Cruiserweight Classic Brackets Revealed

The photo below is the official bracket for the WWE Cruiserweight Classic tournament, revealed on WWE Network’s WWE CWC: Bracketology special. The tournament will kick off next week on July 13th on WWE Network.

WWE Signs New Deal For Graphic Novels And Comic Books

The LA Times reports that WWE and Boom! Studios are partnering to produce new graphic novels and comic books No word yet on when they will begin releasing.

"Here at Boom! we're thrilled to be a part of WWE's return to the comic book medium," said Boom! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. "The WWE Universe is a passionate fanbase, and we aim to provide them with the comic series they've always wanted — a series featuring their favorite Superstars and storylines, a series that highlights the incredible history of the brand. An authentic series that matters."

"Boom! is one of the fastest-growing comic book publishers in the industry and their vision for the WWE brand showed us exactly why," said Casey Collins, WWE's executive vice president of consumer products. "We were blown away by the level of detail and creativity and are confident the WWE Universe and comic book fans will agree."

Stephanie McMahon On Having Shane Back In WWE, If Shane Had Impact On WWE - China, HHH - NXT, CWC

Recently on The Wrestling Compadres Slamcast, Stephanie McMahon addressed a number of topics including Shane McMahon's WWE return, WWE's expansion in China, NXT's success, and WWE's Cruiserweight Classic.

With respect to her brother Shane, Stephanie said it is nice having him around once again, as him being away from WWE for seven years was "unusual".

"It [has] been pretty cool, I have to say. Shane and I grew up in WWE and not having him around for seven years was unusual, so it's awesome having him back. We're having a lot of fun together."

Stephanie said that her brother Shane had no involvement with WWE's recent inroads into the Chinese market other than laying some of the groundwork before his departure from WWE seven years ago.

"China [has] been on our map for, on our radar, rather, for a really long time. Certainly given its scale and culture, it's seems a natural fit for WWE. And as a part of the Eisenhower Fellowship, last year, I partook on a trip to China and then our executive leadership team has really been invested for quite some time working with multiple partners and so the timing was right. And it's very exciting and again just to be able to do this."

The former WWE Women's Champion seemed pleased to share that WWE held tryouts in China recently. Notably, WWE Performance Center head trainer Matt Bloom studied Mandarin for a year to be able to conduct the tryouts.

"We had a whole talent recruitment effort there. Yes, and that took place at the Mercedes-Benz Arena for four days. And I believe we're vetting a number of different talent who came out of that tryout and it's the first of it's kind. It's really cool because Matt Bloom, the head trainer, actually took some Mandarin for about a year so that he could be able to coach up these talent as they came through and it was all different athletes from all different backgrounds and they did really, really well, so it's an exciting opportunity from a talent development standpoint as well."

On the topic of NXT, WWE's Chief Brand Officer said that she could not take any credit for it, as it was Triple H's idea.

"I can take no credit whatsoever for NXT. That was all my husband's vision and his team. And he has really created the [WWE] Performance Center, he [has] fostered the partnership along with the executive leadership with Full Sail University, but the brand itself, the storylines, the characters, I mean, really, I could not be more proud of my husband and the team he has built and what they are doing with that brand, it is absolutely remarkable. I think it has surprised a number of executives here. It doesn't surprise me because I have so much faith and I know what my husband can do. I know that he was surprised when we were doing the first live event outside of Florida, around WrestleMania 31, and I know he was surprised that we sold out that venue, and then, a few months later, he had scaled the tickets so that it went to Barclays Center before SummerSlam fully expecting to only sell part of the bowl. And when he sold out Barclays [Center], that was the first stake in the ground of our audience saying, 'we love this brand and we're here to stay and it's going to be bigger than any of you ever imagined because we are NXT' and I think that's such a huge part of the NXT brand is that the audience is a part of it. They are a part of NXT's success. They are a part of why these stars are making it to the main roster and they know it."

Stephanie McMahon Talks Wardrobe Malfunction On WWE RAW, Advice From Vince, Favorite TV Moment
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Stephanie McMahon Talks Wardrobe Malfunction On WWE RAW, Advice From Vince, Favorite TV Moment

During the interview, the Boston University graduate acknowledged that the upcoming Cruiserweight Classic series was the brainchild of Triple H. Also, Stephanie teased another project involving female performers.

"Yep, I mean, that's how I certainly heard about it. [Triple H] sort of started pitching ideas, 'what do you think about this?' He percolates ideas and you can tell he's thinking about something, but he doesn't necessarily come out with it right away. He likes to formulate it a little bit more. He did actually pitch another idea that has to do with the women that I'm not going to get into. So definitely, there are different things in progress and the Cruiserweight Classic is one that made sense on all different levels and we're doing it!"

ECW Original to Guest Coach at the WWE PC

According to PWInsider.com, ECW original Stevie Richards is scheduled to work as a guest trainer at the WWE Performance Center soon, and could end up being offered a permanent role as a coach.

Century ago, Stecher-Lewis wrestling match had a stranglehold on Omaha, but disappointed most

Column by Stu Pospisil / World-Herald staff writer


Imagine sitting in a temporary wooden grandstand on the Fourth of July, watching two heavyweight professional wrestlers “bunny-hug.”

For one hour, then two. Three and four hours pass.

Now dusk is falling. No lights, still no action. Some in the crowd, likely already losers on bets on their home-state favorite, get restless and toss cushions into the ring at the wrestlers.

A few lanterns are rounded up. An auto, maybe a Model T, is pulled up ringside so its headlights can help out.

Finally, after nearly five hours, the bout is declared a draw. No winner.

But this match — Joe Stecher of Dodge, Nebraska, against Ed “Strangler” Lewis — 100 years ago on July 4, 1916, at the old Douglas County Fairgrounds in Benson became legendary.

In 1983, World-Herald columnist Wally Provost said it was Omaha’s most famous Fourth of July sports event. In 1966, Dynamo Dennison, whom Provost called “a sports historian nonpareil,” said upon his 65th birthday that Stecher-Lewis had been Omaha’s greatest sports attraction.

And Stecher-Lewis was included in the “Giant Book of Strange But True Sports Stories,” written in 1976 by Howard Liss and Joe Mathieu. It was a book I read as a 14-year-old, and I developed a fascination with this story, perhaps the only sporting event in the city’s history at that time to rate mention.

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Tammy Sytch Legal Update

Tammy "Sunny" Sytch is scheduled to be sentenced this Tuesday at Carbon County Court in Pennsylvania at 1:15pm for three DUI arrests in 2015.

As noted, Sytch recently revealed on her Facebook that she completed a 95 day stint in rehab. WWE covered the final two months at $40,000 / month. She also told TMZ Sports that she plans to "get back to work ... in front of a webcam."

WWE CWC 'Bracketology' Details

The WWE Cruiserweight Classic "Bracketology" special will premiere on the WWE Network this coming Wednesday at 9pm EST after WWE NXT goes off the air. The description for the one-hour special, hosted by Daniel Bryan and Mauro Ranallo, reads like this:

"Mauro Ranallo, Daniel Bryan and special guests including Triple H analyze the bracket of 32 men competing in the Cruiserweight Classic!"

The Latest On The WWE Concussion Lawsuit

As previously reported on PWInsider.com, many of the lawsuits brought against WWE for allegedly failing to disclose information and caring about the well being of talents when it comes to concussion-related issues and CTE have for the most part been dismissed (although some of those dismissals are currently being appealed). The lone exception, as of this writing, has been the lawsuit brought against the company by former WWE talent Vito LoGrasso and former developmental talent Evan Singleton.

In that case, many of the claims brought against WWE by LoGrasso and Singleton were dismissed for the same reasons as the other lawsuits but one* (see below) of the claims against WWE in this lawsuit was allowed to move forward. Specifically allowed was their claim alleging that in 2005, WWE "became aware of and failed to disclose to its wrestlers information concerning a link between repeated head trauma and permanent degenerative neurological conditions." Since WWE had created the Wellness Policy and LoGrasso and Singleton had wrestled during that period, the court ruled it was within reason that there was a possibility that WWE had a "greater knowledge" of the dangers via information cultivated via Wellness Policy data. So the court is allowing that aspect of the case to move forward so the matter can be determined.

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Jerry Lawler Domestic Assault Case Update, Charges Dismissed, Suspension Lifted

Domestic assault charges against Jerry "The King" Lawler and his fiancee, Lauryn McBride, were dropped Friday, reports The Commercial Appeal in Memphis.

Lawler's attorney Ted Hansom said it was "a big misunderstanding and won't happen again. We are happy with the outcome."

Lawler, 66, and McBride, 27, were arrested in Memphis on June 17 after they both accused each other of domestic violence.

In the incident at Lawler's home, McBride claimed Lawler held her against a kitchen counter during a argument. She said he hit her in the front left side of her head and pushed her against a stove. Then he retrieved an unloaded pistol, placed it on the counter and said, "Go ahead and kill yourself."

According to the affidavit, Lawler said they argued over McBride lying about where she had been. He said she was intoxicated and tried to prevent her from leaving in her car. She then scratched the right side of his face, threw a candle at him and kicked him the groin. Lawler alleged that she got the gun from the garage and threatened to kill herself.

Both were arrested when officers could not determine who was the primary aggressor. Lawler was suspended indefinitely by WWE following the arrest. Today, WWE issued the following statement:

"Jerry Lawler's legal matter has been resolved and his suspension has been lifted, effective immediately."

Adam Rose Talks Wanting To Debut As A Heel In WWE, His WWE Departure

Former WWE star Aldo f.k.a. “Adam” Rose was the latest guest on the Pancakes and Powerslams Show. He had much to say about his run with the WWE, and a number a mistakes made by the company regarding his character. Here are some highlights:

Adam Rose talks about rushing his character from NXT to WWE’s main roster:

“We produced him rather quickly on to NXT, and then on to the main roster. I think in NXT the character was closer to what me and Dusty has visioned. And once it got to the main roster, I think it became somebody else’s vision and we unfortunately had went from having sort of an edgy vibe to it, to being Sesame Street. And I said that to Paul (Triple H) directly, that it is Sesame Street, and he said, ‘it’s funny, because you become someone’s interpretation of the character instead of the character that was actually produced.’ So that is how it all broke down. I wish we had stayed in NXT longer. I definitely think it had legs there, and to run some sort of course there. It never actually ran any course in NXT because it was pulled up so quickly. But I think it’s my fault and the WWE’s fault that we were called up that quick because we had all gotten into the same place; either go up or leave, at this point, because I had been in developmental for so long and I’m not getting any younger. I had said directly to [Triple H], either let’s do something or let me go, because I have a family to support, and if I’m not going to go anywhere, than let’s leave it.”

Rose says he was against debuted on WWE’s main roster as a babyface:

“I did a commercial, and once I did the commercial, I realized that we were going down the wrong path. I think on the main stage, it needed to be introduced as a heel, because it was so quirky and so different. I think if it was introduced as a heel, then people wouldn’t have felt forced to love it, and then I felt that they would have naturally fell in love with certain parts of the quirkiness, and it would have naturally evolved to something or someone who people liked. I think that was a big mistake. I think one of the hardest things to do in this industry is to get over as a babyface. Some people have a natural connection with the audience. [Someone] like Sami Zayn has a natural connection with the audience. I don’t think Adam Rose had any with the audience because he was completely quirky and over-the-top and ridiculous. And I think that’s why it would have been better introduced as a heel because your automatic reaction to seeing someone like that is not to like it.”

Man Shot At WWE PC Ruled Competent To Stand Trial

ClickOrlando.com / News 6 is reporting Armando Montalvo, the man shot by deputies at the WWE Performance Center last September, has been ruled competent to stand trial.

Montalvo did not attend the court hearing today, but a judge ruled that after a doctor’s examination:

“It indicates that Mr. Montalvo has a diagnosis constant with personality disorder not otherwise specified that polysubstance abuse affects him and disruptive mood disregulation disorder. Mr. Montalvo has been determined to be competent by (the doctor).”

Defense lawyers and prosecutors agreed that the case could move forward, with a pretrial hearing set for August 31. Montalvo’s family says that he suffers from bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses.

He has had a history with violent incidents involving WWE, including reports of him tresspassing, making threats and smearing urine and feces on the walls at the WWE PC. Montalvo was shot by deputies after he was seen punching on the glass outside the WWE Performance Center before charging at them.

Brock Lesnar on Stephanie McMahon Saying WWE Is Not “Necessarily” Supporting His UFC Fight: “I Don’t Care What She Says”, Talks UFC 200

Brock Lesnar recently did an interview with MMAFighting.com and below are some highlights:

Stephanie McMahon saying WWE was “not supporting the fight necessarily”:

“I don’t know, I don’t care what she says.”

How a loss might affect his WWE drawing power:

“I really don’t give a s–t.”

Returning to The Octagon for himself:

“This isn’t about my fans. This is about me living my life, being the person that I want to be. Granted, without the fans and everything, none of us would be able to do this. I get that. But I don’t sit up at night wondering is my drawing power gonna be hurt or are my WWE fans gonna tune in and watch me do this. I don’t give two sh*ts about that. This is about me. I want to get in there and be an athlete again. That’s what this is about.”

Possibly doing another fight and how his current camp is going:

“I don’t know, I feel really good. Training camp is going great. I’m happy. I’m happy with my life. I’m happy with everything. Since I left the Octagon after I got beat by Overeem and kind of forced out of the cage because of my illness it haunted me for a long time. Well what do you do? Well, here I am. And before it’s too late, I want to get back in the cage and have fun with it.”

Old Video Of Triple H Beating Up Fan After Match, Steve Austin Talking About The Incident

Above is the video that we discussed on the Wrestling Inc. podcast last night that's been going viral of Triple H attacking a fan in the 90s after a match with Steve Austin.

The incident took place in the late 90s in Germany. In the video, Austin defeated Triple H with the Stone Cold Stunner. After the match, a fan hit the ring and tried to attack Austin. Triple H hit the fan with a hell of a suplex, and then proceeded to drop punches on him. Referee Mike Chioda decided to join in and laid the boots to the fan. Triple H held the fan down and dropped (worked?) punches until officials dragged the fan away.

While the incident took place in the 90s, the video was only uploaded to YouTube this past January, and it's the first time that I can recall seeing it. Steve Austin had discussed the incident on his podcast in 2013.

"I was just about to celebrate and somebody tackles me from behind and takes me down and starts punching me," Austin recalled. Austin said that he thought it was a rib by one of the boys in the back, but it was a "rambunctious fan" that was cheering for Triple H and got upset.

"When you're in the ring with a cat - and I was a babyface, Triple H was the heel - you're always looking out for your guy's back," Austin said. "Triple H - stand up cat - he picked that dude up, slammed him and started punching his lights out!"

Austin said that Triple H was yelling at security to get over there, but security was confused because it happened so fast. Austin noted that he couldn't do anything and help beat the fan up because he was the babyface and that he always gave Triple H credit for doing that. Austin is all for fans being vocal at shows, but if they crossed the railing back then, they were fair game. Still, Austin admitted to finding the incident to be "hilarious."

"It was hilarious," Austin noted. "I always appreciated Triple H for standing up for me and watching my back."

Fans Can Now Stream RAW And SmackDown Live

We noted in May that Hulu was also adding a live TV service in 2017 that would include the USA Network. It appears as if someone has beaten them to the punch, as CNet is reporting that Sling TV has added the NBC and BBC family of channels to their Sling Blue service, which includes the USA Network. El Rey Network, which broadcasts Lucha Underground, is also available with the package. You can check out all the channels available at this link.

WWE Sources Claim Roman Reigns’ Reported Locker Room Apology Never Happened

Earlier today a report from The Wrestling Observer claimed WWE ordered Roman Reigns to apologize to the WWE locker room following news of his 30 day suspension for violating the company Wellness Policy.

According to two sources within WWE, one of them being a talent on the roster, the apology never took place, and the timeframe for when the apology could have happened doesn’t quite compute.

Both sources noted the WWE locker room was informed of Roman Reigns’ suspension on Tuesday, June 21st, when talents arrived for the Smackdown tapings, and no one was aware of it during or after Raw the previous night. Sources added Reigns simply packed his bags and left following the June 20th Raw taping, and if some type of speech or apology took place, it was not in front of the WWE locker room.

Rich Brennan Says Vince McMahon Was Never at NXT Shows

“Never in [Full Sail]. On the main roster, he was always there on the road. Talked to him a handful of times, never had any long conversations with him, a couple of seconds or a minute here or there. At the big shows, he’d pop up. The San Jose show before WrestleMania, Brooklyn, Dallas he was there. As far as coming down to the Performance Center in Florida, I never saw him down there. It’s kind of Triple H’s building.”

Batista On Arguing With Vince McMahon During Last WWE Run, Triple H And Stephanie Disrespecting Him

Recently on MLW Radio's Writers Room, Dave Bautista, also known as WWE's Batista, shared some insight into his most recent WWE run. According to 'The Animal', his time with the company in 2014 was a struggle from the start. Batista talked about some of the problems he faced during the stint. The six-time world champion claimed that he stayed with the company longer than originally planned during his 2014 run and he divulged why he did not return to WWE for SummerSlam 2014.

According to Batista, his 2014 WWE run was a struggle from the start as he did not share the same creative vision for his return as Vince McMahon.

"Right from before I went back, I was arguing with them. For one, Vince wanted me to come back as a babyface and I was like, 'it's not going to work, Vince. I'm a heel. [The fans] want me to be a heel. They like me as a heel. I'm a good heel!' He was like, 'no, they miss you. They love you.' And I was like, 'Vince, that's going to last for like two seconds.' And then, also, the first night I came back, they wanted me to come out and do this goofy thing with all these other people in the ring and I was like, 'it's my first night back! Give me five minutes alone, me and the fans. Let me just have the ring to myself for a night, my first night back.' And they didn't want to do that, so it was a real struggle from the very beginning."

Batista indicated that McMahon wanted to push him too hard. Also, Batista said that some fans blamed him for CM Punk's departure.

"I was just beating my head against a wall, struggling, fighting with them, arguing. Everyday I was standing outside of Vince's office waiting to talk to him." Batista recalled, "Vince just wanted to push me, shove me down their throats, as a babyface. It just got worse and worse and the more they shoved me down people's throats, the more they resented me for being there. And then, there was all this stuff with [CM] Punk leaving and somehow I was blamed for that. I don't know. It was just really odd. It just wasn't very good from the very beginning."

Interestingly, Batista claimed that he stayed with WWE longer than he originally planned because he was "unsatisfied" by his return.

"I was just starting to really break into my stride when I had to leave. And I had to leave. I stayed a month longer than I was supposed to because I just felt so unsatisfied by that return. It just broke my heart because I was thinking about for years going back. I missed it and I wanted to be there. So I was just starting to hit my stride and I literally had to leave because I just started promoting Guardians [of the Galaxy]."

Apparently, Batista wanted to return to WWE for SummerSlam (2014), but when he brought up the possibility of being with the company while also being in the number one film at the same time, he was disrespected by Stephanie McMahon and Triple H.

"When I left, and I haven't talked to a lot of people about this, and I don't care if they're pissed about me saying something, but I wanted to come back and do SummerSlam." Batista continued, "I wanted to come back around [the time of] the release of the film, around Guardians. And I said, 'wouldn't it be great if I was back and I was also in the number one movie in the world?' And they kind of had a snicker and there was, you know, 'yeah, well, we don't know if the movie's going to be that good.' And it was one of those moments. Literally, and I swear I'm not exaggerating. It was that and it was a very uncomfortable moment where I think they were just kind of doubting me and laughing in my face. And I was like, 'okay'. But it's not that I wanted to leave. I even wanted to come back. It's just that they're really difficult to work with and they're just not very flexible.

"If I ever went back it would be a lot different, a lot different for sure. For one, I'd make sure even before I went back that I knew what I was getting into and they had a plan and stuck to it and I'd hold them accountable for what they promised me. The last time, I really didn't and I'm really sorry about the way the whole thing went, man, still. I'm a little sour about it still."

Rumor Mill - WWE Reportedly Orders Roman Reigns To Apologize To Locker Room

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting WWE ordered Roman Reigns to go to the locker room and apologize to everyone after his 30 day suspension was announced.

According to a source, Reigns went to the locker room and apologized to everyone before flying home, and it came with mixed reactions. The Observer noted the source said there was no need to humiliate him, but other people disagreed. The request reportedly was made by Mark Carrano, which would mean it came down from Paul Levesque, not Vince McMahon.

On a related note, Reigns won’t get paid any wrestling pay during the suspension, which was guessed to be around $100,000, less than what he’d miss out on if he was suspended from any PPV’s too. Reigns will still get paid merchandise and royalty checks, but will miss out on live event, PPV and downside guarantee money.

Stephanie McMahon Reaches Out To Orlando Mayor After Pulse Terror Attack, WWE Offering Assistance

WFTV in Orlando reports that WWE reached out to Orlando city officials after the Pulse nightclub terror attack earlier this month to offer their assistance.

WWE hosted RAW from Orlando just one day after the attack that left 49 dead and 53 injured in the city, opening with a tribute to the victims. Recently released e-mails by city officials show that Stephanie McMahon reached out to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and offered to "do everything we can to help support you and your efforts to rebuild the constitution of your great city."

WWE nor Orlando officials would confirm to WFTV what may be in the works but said discussions have taken place. Stephanie also told Dyer that she and other WWE stars were grieving with the residents of Orlando, calling the city a "second home" to the company.

Stephanie also asked about what WWE could do to help the victims and the city, writing: "We are already brainstorming ideas to help raise money for the OneOrlando fund, and I wanted to know if there was more we could be doing."

Dyer responded: "Thank you Stephanie for your kind words and your generosity. Someone will be in touch with you."

Stephanie McMahon Talks WWE Not “Necessarily” Supporting Brock Lesnar in UFC, Why UFC is Not Competition to WWE, Social Media

While attending the Cannes Lions advertising festival in France last week, Stephanie McMahon spoke with Lara O’Reilly of Business Insider and below are some interview highlights:

O’Reilly: How much do you listen to what fans say on social media and how much does that influence what you do as a company, but also storylines?

McMahon: I think it’s one of the secret sauces to our success if you will is that our fans are a part of our show. They engage, they chant, they cheer, they boo. There’s a problem when they don’t react. So, in essence, every live event is like a focus group. So we are getting that real-time feedback from them, in the arena.

Another reason why I think social media was so successful for WWE is because of that fan engagement, because they are a part of what we do, therefore, even when they are not live in the arena, they have influence through social media. I think that it’s so important. A lot of brands just push messages out on social media, but that’s not what social is about. Social is about engaging, it’s about a conversation, it’s about listening and then responding, it’s an ongoing conversation with our fan base.

So when you consider the fact that our fans influence what happens in a match – a lot of it is improv, so they can dictate the flow if something’s not working, you can make an adjustment on the fly. They dictate what’s being said. They can often chant or you can get a feeling they are not engaged with the content, so you have to find a way to transition around that.

O’Reilly: Brock Lesnar [an NCAA wrestler, turned-WWE star, who is now rising to UFC fame] is a really interesting story right now. You’ve not necessarily ever done cross-brand promotions with the UFC before. Are you realizing there is a place for both UFC and WWE? Do they compete in any way? And also the fact that he’s flipped from one to the other and then back again.

McMahon: Brock is a unique proposition, but just to get to the broader question: UFC is not a competitor to the WWE because we are entertainment and UFC is competitive sport. It’s very different. WWE is all about protagonists and antagonists where ultimately our conflicts are settled in the ring with action that is akin to Hollywood. It’s incredible stunt-like action and the match itself tells a story, but our audience is engaged in the characters and their storyline. It has to be relatable to them so that they care to see the tragedy or triumph and we’re at an advantage because we can script it.

UFC, they can make a big star but the second that person loses, they lose credibility, and how do you continue to make that star rise? So I think we have the best of both worlds and the opportunity to tell the stories in the way we want to tell them.

In Brock Lesnar’s case it was really a special case that we are allowing him to do this fight [against Mark Hunt on July 9]. But like you said it’s not really a cross-promotional opportunity, but we are allowing him to participate in that fight.

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