Former WWE Star Hired For The Performance Center

After several recent stints as a guest coach, WWE has hired former WWE Superstar Scott Garland (Scotty 2 Hotty) as a full-time Coach at the WWE Performance Center, according to PWInsider. Garland had been working as a fireman in the Orlando area and in addition to helping out at the Performance Center, he's also helped out at various WWE NXT events.

Cruiserweight Classic Results: Last two Semifinal spots secured

Mick Foley On RAW Promo, Who The Mutual Friend Was That Lost A Loved One, Stephanie Relationship

As noted, Mick Foley noted on social media this week that the story he told about Stephanie McMahon at the WWE Hell In A Cell in 1998 "was 100% true." He elaborated more on the angle on Facebook, as seen below. He noted that he met Stephanie after the 1998 Hell In A Cell event, and said he saw her with Pat Patterson, who had lost a loved one that evening.

THE McMAHON/FOLEY ERA
I was absolutely elated following the opening of Monday Night Raw - an elation that had me looking back on the recent GM opportunity that was presented to me, as well as my extremely positive long-term friendship the woman who presented it to me, Stephanie McMahon.

The initial phone call a few months back caught me completely off guard. I walked downstairs, looked at my daughter Noelle, and said "I was just offered the Raw GM job."

"Are you going to take it?", Noelle asked.
"I have to", I said. "Otherwise, I'll be sitting on the couch, watching someone else do the job, wondering to myself 'what if."

There are two things you need to know that factored into my decision to take the GM job.
1) It's really important to me that I not be the guy sitting on my couch, saying "what if".
2) In regard to my time as WWE Commissioner in 2000, I'm going to quote #CruiserweightClassic stand-out Brian Kendrick quoting 80's hair-band Cinderella, who sang "Don't Know What You've Got Till It's Gone". My time as commissioner was one of the best periods of my life, and not doing whatever I needed to do to keep the job for as long as possible was one of the biggest mistakes of my life.
I guess I should probably include a third factor:
3) I love working with Stephanie McMahon.

In case you're wondering - the story of the girl with the shy smile/guy with the tooth in his nose is absolutely true. I was flattered that Pat Patterson included the story in his memoir "Accepted", and it is included in Stephanie's upcoming "unReal". I was in pretty rough shape after that 1998 #HellInACell match, but even after that pitiful run-in I did at the end of the Austin/Kane main event, I delayed medical care until I could find Pat Patterson who had lost a loved one during the course of the evening. I gave Pat a hug, noticed a beautiful young lady with a shy smile - and gave her what was probably a fairly hideous smile of my own. That was my unofficial introduction to Stephanie McMahon.

More?

Chyna’s Mother Makes Request For Police To Re-Examine Death Case

Pro Wrestling Sheet is reporting Joanie ‘Chyna’ Laurer’s mother is asking police to look into her daughter’s death after she re-evaluated information surrounding Chyna’s death, saying it needs to be further investigated.

The report states Laurer’s mother, Jan LaQue is working with a Redondo Beach detective handling the case, and LaQue claims Chyna’s manager, Anthony Anzaldo, wasn’t completely honest about details of the investigation. LaQue says Chyna might have fired Anzaldo a few weeks before she died, and emails from Chyna stated he stole from her and they were taking a break, with Chyna telling her mom to ‘refrain from talking to Anthony at the moment.’ LaQue told Pro Wrestling Sheet that she thought Chyna was just dealing with personal demons at that time, but now she fears something else was wrong, and now she is speaking up about it.

Several more details are included, such as Anzaldo reportedly giving away Chyna’s cello, and being confrontational about where her possessions are and where money raised and donated to her estate is going. Visit Pro Wrestling Sheet for complete details on this story.

Scott Hall Kicked Out Of Airport Restaurant After Incident With Bartender

TMZ is reporting that Scott Hall was ejected out of a T.G.I. Friday's restaurant in the Atlanta airport last Friday.

According to a witness, Hall was at the bar drinking Coors Lights and tequila shots. He allegedly hit on the bartender and called her a b---h, which caused problems with the bartender's father, who was at the bar. Hall reportedly didn't believe that the man was the bartender's father, and refused to leave when the manager asked him to. Police were called, and Hall left without further incident. No police report was filed. Click here to view the video.

WWE Renames Two Titles?

As noted, the SmackDown brand unveiled the currently vacant SmackDown Women's Championship and SmackDown Tag Team Championship. RAW is apparently following suit with the naming convention, as the WWE Women's Championship is now listed as the RAW Women's Championship on WWE.com, while the WWE Tag Team Championship is listed as the RAW Tag Team Championship.

Stephanie McMahon's Book Delayed Until 2020

It looks like Stephanie McMahon's memoir has been pushed back until 2020. The book was just announced this year for a release next month and Stephanie noted in late summer that she just finished the book.

Amazon has the book listed at this link with a release date of August 25th, 2020. The hardcover is also no longer listed for pre-sale but the e-book download can be purchased for $12.99. The book looks to be 272 pages.

Below is the full synopsis for "UNREAL: Inside the Crazy, Fun Show Business World of WWE":

An entertaining, empowering and revealing memoir packed with never-before-told stories from Stephanie McMahon, the daughter of Vince McMahon, wife of Paul "Triple H" Levesque, and the Chief Brand Officer of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), one of the most powerful brands in entertainment today.

In the ring as one half of the powerful "Authority," Stephanie McMahon's on-screen life is full of drama, villains, heroes, romance and scandal. However, Stephanie's on-screen life pales in comparison to the real story of the family behind the global entertainment powerhouse WWE.

This revealing memoir exposes her life growing up behind the scenes in WWE as the daughter of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. It also uncovers the secrets of her tumultuous romance with her husband Triple H, the frightening FBI investigation that threatened her family, and the reasons Stephanie rose above the rest to become the company's global brand ambassador.

Stephanie shares never-before-told stories of what it was like growing up in the shadow of the ring, and of the many WWE Legends who helped her grow into the woman she is today.

Now as WWE Chief Brand Officer, Stephanie is uniquely placed to shed light on the business behind the multi–billion-dollar entertainment company. Stephanie shares inspiring stories of her journey to the top, her successes and failures in the business world, and valuable advice for any woman working in a male-dominated industry. She is honest and candid about balancing her family life, including a marriage to WWE Superstar Triple H and their three daughters, with her intense, 365-day a year job as well as her on-screen bad-guy persona.

Stephanie McMahon's memoir is like Lean In, with a "billion dollar slap"!

Content Listing For New WWE Network 'Hidden Gems' Series

WWE is to launch a “Hidden Gems” collection on the WWE Network on Tuesday, September 6th which will feature some of the rarest footage and bunch of lost matches including Bret Hart vs. Terry Funk in ECW, Lou Thez vs. Ray Grunke;, and the Last Battle of Atlanta.

The official synopsis for this new series reads:

Journey deep into the archives, and dust off these Hidden Gems in a collection available only on WWE Network. Whether it’s Lou Thesz facing Ray Gunkel from the 1950s, or Bret Hart taking on Terry Funk in a rare ECW match, this collection has a little something for everyone. From the early days with Gorilla Monsoon, Gene Kiniski, and Andre The Giant, to modern day rarities with Seth Rollins, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and more, experience a potpourri of forgotten classics.

The footage featured in the collection, which has been confirmed by WWENetworkNews.com will be as follows:

05/30/1951 – Texas Rasslin’: Thesz vs Gunkel

Journey back in time to see Lou Thesz defend the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Ray Gunkel in a 2-Out-of-3 Falls Match.

09/23/1964 – Gagne-Metrics
Learn a different way to get in shape and feel great with Gagne-Metrics, courtesy of the Verne Gagne Foundation for Physical Fitness.

03/16/1961 – Gino ‘Gorilla Monsoon’ Marella
The dominance of the late Gorilla Monsoon is on display in this hidden gem, as Dave Ruhl tries to defeat Gino Marella for a monetary prize.

02/11/1969 – NWA Title: Funk, Jr. vs Kiniski
Witness Dory Funk Jr. establish his legacy when he battles the legendary Gene Kiniski for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

01/12/1976 – Andre The Giant Feat Of Strength
Discover why Andre The Giant earned the moniker of The Eighth Wonder of The World through these impressive Feats of Strength.

06/12/1976 – McMahon Interviews Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali uses his extraordinary charisma to show his determination to dominate the wrestling world in an interview with Vince McMahon.

07/07/1982 – Roddy Piper vs Jack Brisco
Will the dirty and underhanded tactics of Roddy Piper cost him when he challenges Jack Brisco for the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship?

09/22/1980 – Champs Collide: Race vs Backlund
Styles clash when NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race collides with WWE Champion Bob Backlund to see who is the Undisputed Champion.

10/23/1983 – The Last Battle Of Atlanta
In this historic confrontation, Buzz Sawyer and Tommy Rich battle inside a Steel Cage while Paul Ellering is confined to a cell of his own.

01/20/1987 – Ric Flair vs Barry Windham
The allure of championship gold leads Barry Windham to push Ric Flair to the limit in this classic bout for the NWA World Heavyweight Title.

08/19/1995 – Brothers Of Destruction
Before waging war with Kane in WWE, The Undertaker traveled to Smoky Mountain Wrestling to go one-on-one with Unabomb.

09/14/1996 – South Africa: Austin vs Bret
Far from their battle at Survivor Series ’96, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart lock up in this rarely seen encounter from South Africa.

09/11/1997 – ECW: Bret Hart vs Terry Funk
Go beyond the mat to relive the first of many ‘Retirement Matches’ for Terry Funk when he faces off against WWE Champion Bret Hart.

10/11/2000 – Samoa Joe vs William Regal
In a sign of things to come, Triple H travels to Ultimate Pro Wrestling to witness William Regal face future NXT Champion, Samoa Joe.

04/29/2012 – FCW Champion: Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins proves he has the heart of a champion early in his career by defending the Florida Heavyweight Title against Kassius Ohno.

WWE Announces Performance Center Combine Results

The first-ever WWE Performance Center Combine was held this week in Orlando. WWE announced that Riddick Moss and newcomer Bianca Blair were the male and female leaders. They announced the following:

WWE Performance Center Combine results

Bianca Blair and Riddick Moss were the female and male leaders at the WWE Performance Center Combine.

The results are in for the athletic testing held this week at the WWE Performance Center.

Known also as the PC Combine, the testing involved various NXT Superstars and Performance Center recruits competing in a battery of workouts. The events ranged from 60-yard sled shuttle sprints and overhead medicine ball tosses, to trap-bar deadlifts and bench-pressing for maximum repetitions.

Former University of Minnesota linebacker Riddick Moss was the top performer among the men, followed by 2015 WWE Tough Enough competitors Patrick Clark and Mada at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.

Among the women, Bianca Blair, who was an All-American and All-SEC track-and-field star at the University of Tennessee, finished first. NXT newcomer Ember Moon finished second and Mandy Rose, another Tough Enough alumna, came in third.

The overall standings take into consideration the athletes' performance in all of the events.

Ember Moon On How Booker T Helped Her, Raising The Bar In WWE NXT, Her Unpredictable Ring Style

Byron Saxton recently spoke with WWE NXT Superstar Ember Moon for the WWE website. The full interview is at this link and below are highlights:

What led her to Booker T's Reality of Wrestling promotion:

After training with Vance [Archer, and General Skandor Akbar], I drove five hours for a tryout and made the cuts to be part of Booker T's Reality of Wrestling promotion in Houston. In addition to being able to work his shows, I received full access to his training facility. Booker was the one who helped me hone in on the high-flying aspect of my move set. Even though I was really comfortable in the ring, Booker gave me the confidence and motivation that I really needed to succeed in the wrestling world. Booker even suggested that I try to broaden my training by traveling around the world.

How she would describe her ring style:

My style is unpredictable! You never know what's going to happen next, but you could closely associate it with blend of lucha libre and strong style.

What's on her goal list now that you finally made it to NXT:

I look forward to raising the bar set by the Four Horsewomen of NXT. They changed the way people view the Women's division, and I want to continue that. I am not a porcelain princess; I am here to break barriers. I not only want to change women's wrestling, but I also want to change the industry as a whole. This is the path they choose and the war I will take up arms for. It is a new beginning and I am ready for it.

Roman Reigns Ranked Number 1 By PWI Top 500 List

Roman Reigns has been ranked as the number one wrestler in the world according to PWI Top 500 List. The list was evaulated from July 1st 2015 all the way to June 30th of 2016. During that time, Reigns won the WWE title three times from that point on.

Reigns had the following to say to PWI about being number 1:

"Thank you, man. It's crazy. Last year, was I what, three or four? To just remain in that same company, to be in that class with those guys, it's a world class. It's a great honor and it goes with a lot of hard work. It's very flattering, it just shows that if you keep your head down and stick to your day-to-day, you grind it out and take the long road, good things happen. It is a great achievement and another great accolade."

WWE Announces Campaign Benefiting Pediatric Cancer Research

In an effort to help find a cure for pediatric cancer, WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced the first-ever "Get the Gear, Give the Gear" campaign, where fans, beginning Monday, September 5 through the end of the month, can purchase bracelets and bandanas with 100 percent of net proceeds benefiting Connor's Cure, to support pediatric cancer research.

WWE will utilize its global assets including WWE Network and TV broadcasts, live events, PSAs, digital and social media to generate awareness and encourage fans to get involved. Throughout the month, the WWE announcer table, entrance ramp, ring skirts and ring posts will go gold to promote the fight against pediatric cancer. Additionally, WWE Superstars will visit pediatric cancer patients at hospitals across the country.

"WWE is extremely proud to expand our support of Connor's Cure around Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month," said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. "The continued effort to raise awareness and funds in the fight against pediatric cancer is important to help find a cure for this devastating disease. We are grateful to the WWE Superstars, fans, The V Foundation and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for their continued support."

"The V Foundation is excited to recognize Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month with such a fantastic and motivated partner," said Susan Braun, CEO of The V Foundation. "We are both driven to end this disease, and working as a team to meet that goal means success can come more quickly."

All funds raised through Connor's Cure will be distributed through the V Foundation's grant making process. In addition, WWE will donate a Connor's Cure bracelet or bandana to a child battling pediatric cancer for every item purchased. Fans will also be able to give a donation during checkout on WWEShop.com and can use the Connor's Cure bracelet filter on their Facebook and Twitter profiles to show their support.

Earlier this year, WWE and The V Foundation announced a multi-year partnership to support pediatric cancer research nationally through funds raised by Connor's Cure. In 2014, Connor's Cure was created by Stephanie McMahon and her husband, Paul "Triple H" Levesque, to support pediatric brain and spinal cord cancer research. Connor's Cure was established in honor of 8-year-old WWE fan Connor Michalek, a patient at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC who battled medulloblastoma, a rare tumor that affects the brain and spinal cord. To date, Connor's Cure has raised more than $1 million and assisted more than 100 families around the world.

Every year, 12,000-15,000 children are newly diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. Through the efforts of The V Foundation, progress is being made with cure rates for most pediatric cancers dramatically improving. The V Foundation has awarded nearly $20 million through 66 pediatric research grants to-date, including more than $5 million to pediatric cancer research in 2015.

Cruiserweight Classic Quarterfinal Results

Alberto Del Rio Finished With WWE, Details On When He Gave Notice

Alberto Del Rio is finished with WWE. According to sources close to the situation, Del Rio informed WWE through his lawyer that he was opting out 60 days ago.

Del Rio was apparently frustrated with the empty promises he was given after being recruited to the company last summer. Del Rio had been promised a main event push, but instead was quickly put into a Mex-America angle that went nowhere, followed by being bundled as part of the mid card heel faction, the League of Nations.

As noted, WWE announced on August 17th that Del Rio and his real-life girlfriend, Saraya-Jade Bevis, a.k.a. Paige, were both suspended for 30 days for their first violations of the company's Wellness Policy. The timing is interesting given that Del Rio had given his notice several weeks earlier, in late June.

Del Rio last wrestled for the company on the August 19th episode of SmackDown, where he faced John Cena. He is not expected to return to the company at all, and is free at the end of September to work anywhere in the United States. He will be able to work in Mexico and abroad imminently.

Rob Van Dam on retirement and succeeding in WWE ‘in spite of’ Triple H

The latest Buzzards Wrestling Podcast features highlights of RVD’s session with RAW Events UK.

Van Dam says he has not been contacted by WWE about returning for the brand split shows, but that may be because they contacted him last Fall to work TLC with the Dudleyz (a spot which eventually went to Tommy Dreamer, who claims to have passed on another comeback himself) and the two sides couldn’t agree on a figure.

That could also be because, as this discussion of retirement shows, RVD isn’t exactly working for the love of the business at this point - and maybe hasn’t ever been one of those guys Ryback would say WWE takes advantage of:

I’m not looking to do much more in wrestling, but at the same time, I don’t really see a big advantage in retiring.

Don’t know, really, if you are gonna see the end of my wrestling career real soon. I know, physically, I still feel as good as I have in like the last 20 years. But, honestly, everyone else in the dressing room wants it more than me. They do, and that’s an issue. Because they’re all 22 and they’re all so excited to be there - and I can’t wait to get out of there and get some dinner afterwards. It’s been like that for a long, long time.

In answering a question about going into the company’s Hall of Fame, the ECW legend isn’t sure, but he has his doubts. And they’re rooted in thinking one of WWE’s head guys isn’t a big fan of his:

The fans say, “when are we gonna see you in the Hall of Fame?”

First off, it’s not up to me. I mean, I have no inside information. Second off, Hunter - Triple H - is the boss of WWE, and I really can’t tell you if that’s in his vision. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not. I don’t think he’s ever seen me as someone he thought should be pushed forward. I think every achievement I got was in spite of him and people that think like him. And like I said, I’m an exception. I’m not the traditional, stereotype that they’re looking for. I get that. I get that.

New Universal Champion Crowned on WWE Raw Tonight, Triple H Returns to TV to Help the Fatal Four Way Winner

As seen on WWE Raw tonight, Kevin Owens won the four way elimination match to become the new WWE Universal Champion.

The match came down to Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens, and then Triple H made a surprise return to WWE TV. Triple H delivered the pedigree to Reigns, allowing Seth Rollins to get the pin fall on Reigns. Triple H then stunned the WWE Universe by hitting the Pedigree on Seth Rollins which allowed Kevin Owens to score the pin fall on Rollins and win the match and become the new WWE Universal Champion.

Rumor Mill - Dixie Carter Said To Be 'Pretty Much Done' With TNA

On last night's episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer commented on the ownership situation in TNA following the announcement that Billy Corgan is the new President of TNA. Meltzer noted that former TNA President Dixie Carter is pretty much done with the company.

"Dixie's pretty much out of it now," Meltzer said. "She's out of power completely, she is completely out of power no matter what's said, but she may be gone."

Meltzer noted that Dixie was at the last set of television tapings and was there for some of the segments that were filmed, but that she left shortly after that and didn't stay for the whole week. He added that "there were some things said that were not so great about her."

"She's pretty much on her way out," he added.

As noted, Corgan appeared on Vince Russo's podcast last week and discussed his new role with the company. He said that he has an ownership stake with the company, and that it is a "fluctuating situation" that is moving "progressively into the right direction." He said that there are moves being made and that there were all good moves, but would not confirm if Dixie still owned a majority stake or not.

Ryback Opens Up About Contract Offer And Issues With WWE

Ryan Reeves aka “The Big Guy” Ryback had a very public and very heated ending to his WWE career. He was displeased with a number of issues with the WWE before his official release from the company August 8th 2016.

In the first episode on his podcast “Conversation with the Big Guy” (which can be found on iTunes) he discussed that he was not happy with creative because of how he had been booked. He felt he was never considered the guy for the WWE and felt confused when they put the Intercontinental Title on him in 2015 which is also around the time they started their contract negotiations.

He stated that Vince McMahon told him that he would be the companies number 1 heel if he would just read the scripts that he was given. Ryback also stated that he was supposed to face AJ Styles at WrestleMania 32 and that Vince told him he would “squash that little twerp.” It was highly unlikely that would be the case considering how the WWE booked and promoted Styles as he came into the company. Ryback was pretty much an afterthought by this point anyway so why would the WWE put him over Styles? Ultimately, he went against Kalisto on the Kick Off Show.

Traveling expenses were another issue for Ryback. He stated the WWE wouldn’t cover any of the talents traveling expenses. Ryback said that he would travel by himself so his expenses would be more expensive then guys that travel together. He felt the WWE would take advantage of the talents love for wrestling by not covering their costs because they know the wrestlers are taking advantage of the opportunity using the NXT wrestlers as an example.

Ryback was quoted saying “Not about a money issue, just so everybody knows, I walked away from the WWE, the contract offer that I walked away from was a three-year $1.5 million contract.” He was not happy about the contract and broke it down further saying that $600,000 of the contract would be taxed and that his travel expenses alone would be another $150,000 easy. Seemingly he felt it was a joke and said he and Triple H had a number of heated conversations about the money issue.

Whether it was mostly about the money or the other issues he has come forth about is for you to decide and debate. Ryback said that he was very thankful to the WWE for everything they had done for him. Ryback included that he felt he learned about his work ethic from Vince McMahon in particular.

Ryback is booked to make a number of independent appearances, start a supplement line and release a motivational book. All of which can be found on his website FeedMeMore.com.

Bo Dallas Arrested After Airport Incident

Bo Dallas was pulled from the weekend tour of WWE live events after the incident that we reported earlier at the airport in Dallas, Texas, PWInsider has confirmed. According to a police report, Bo was arrested for public intoxication/drunkenness at 7:25pm local time after police were notified about someone who had to be removed from a flight to Puebla, Mexico after yelling expletives at flight crew members. Bo left his carry-on luggage behind and started walking towards other departure gates after making a scene.

Bo, matching the description of the person police were looking for, wearing a Tapout t-shirt, was found by airport authorities slumped over 6 gates away from the flight he was removed from. He was reportedly looking at his phone with some of his belongings on the floor in front of him. Police described Bo as smelling of alcohol and he admitted to drinking "a little." When asked for more details on what was going on, Bo allegedly stated that he "wasn't really planning on driving today."

The police report described Bo as "swaying side to side" and speaking with a "thick tongue" while slurring his speech. Bo was also described as showing "poor dexterity" while retrieving his belongings from the floor. He was questioned by police and it was determined that he was "intoxicated to the point he was a danger to himself and others." He was then placed under arrest.

This is not the first incident for Bo as he was arrested for DUI back in 2012 while working WWE NXT.

source: pwinsider.com

WWE Hall of Famer Mr. Fuji passes away

WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Harry Fujiwara, known to WWE fans as Mr. Fuji, passed away this morning at the age of 82.

Fuji spent more than 30 years entertaining fans worldwide as both an in-ring competitor and one of WWE’s greatest managers. A five-time WWE World Tag Team Champion, Fuji was infamous for keeping small bags of salt in his tights which he would throw into his opponents’ eyes.

After retiring from the ring, Fuji managed a litany of WWE’s most feared Superstars, such as George “The Animal” Steele, Kamala, Killer Khan, Demolition, The Powers of Pain, Yokozuna and most notably, “Magnificent” Don Muraco.

With Muraco, Fuji treated WWE fans to the classic Fuji Vice, Fuji General, Fuji Bandito and Fuji Chan series. These series were ahead of their time because spoofing successful television shows as they tried to break into Hollywood was the epitome of sports-entertainment.

His career will be remembered by different generations for different reasons but Mr. Fuji, whether as a Superstar or manager, is one of the most entertaining performers in the history of WWE.

WWE extends its condolences to Fujiwara’s family, friends and fans.