Theodore Long to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017

Holla, holla, holla! Theodore Long is the next inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017, as first reported by FoxSports.com.

Long’s induction is the culmination of a 30-plus year career in the sports-entertainment industry, dating back to the early 1980s, when he did odd jobs in various territories around the southern United States. That led to a position on the ring crew with Jim Crockett Promotions, the predecessor to World Championship Wrestling, and eventually a position as an official NWA referee. He shared the ring with legends and Hall of Famers like Ric Flair and The Four Horsemen, Dusty Rhodes, Magnum TA, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and countless others.

As the 80s drew to a close, Teddy Long left behind the referee’s stripes and became a manager, guiding the careers of up-and-coming grapplers. His first success as a manager came when his charges Doom, the powerful tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed, captured the WCW World Tag Team Titles from the Steiner Brothers. During his tenure as a manager in WCW, Long helped guide the careers of a varied group of competitors, including Chris Jericho, Johnny B. Badd, Ice Train and One Man Gang, among countless others.

In 1998, Long made the jump to WWE, once again donning the referee’s stripes and doing his best to enforce the rules during some of the Attitude Era’s biggest matches. By 2002, he once again turned to managing, this time hitching his wagon to the nasty trio of D-Lo Brown, Rodney Mack and Jazz, later adding Christopher Nowinski, Mark Henry and Mark Jindrak to the fold.

However, Long may best be remembered by the WWE Universe for his work as a General Manager. He was made the SmackDown GM in 2004, becoming the first African-American to hold the position. During several tenures at the helm of SmackDown and ECW, Long established himself as someone who would work his hardest to give the WWE Universe the best shows possible. That included the New Superstar Initiative, which introduced WWE fans to the likes of Kofi Kingston and Jack Swagger, among others.

On top of that, Long was often lauded for his matchmaking skills. When tensions ran high between groups of four (or more) Superstars, he knew how best to diffuse the situation – by splitting them up into squads for a tag team match! Long’s love for impromptu tag team matches became his calling card, endearing him even more to the WWE Universe.

Long’s groundbreaking career in sports-entertainment makes him worthy of the awesome honor of induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Triple H came up with the idea for SANITY nearly a decade ago

Writing a diary ahead of the TakeOver: San Antonio event for ESPN, Young revealed that Triple H had the vision for SAnitY for around 10 years, but was never able to make it to television.

He wrote: “The group is Hunter’s brainchild.

“I guess he’s had this idea for, I think, going on 10 years now. He’s tried in a couple of different kind of ways, and it never really made it on TV because it didn’t feel right.”

Young – who made his name on TNA before jumping ship – went on to reveal that Triple H wanted him as the leader years ago, after watching one particular TNA promo where he did what he does best, act like a lunatic.

He added: “I met Triple, and he said, ‘It’s my job to pay attention to what’s going on in the wrestling world. I’ve known about you for years, and I’m still very close with Kevin Nash and I talk to him every now and then.’

“Kevin had talked to Hunter about me before, him and Road Dogg, about me being a guy that he should keep his eye on. He said he really liked my work, and that he was excited to bring me over.

“He told me he remembered seeing a clip of one of the first promos I did against Bobby Roode, when I had turned on Bobby in the ring, yelling like I lunatic. I couldn’t even tell you what the promo was, to be honest.

“He told me that was the guy he wanted to lead this group.”

Vince McMahon Talks WWE UK And WrestleMania 33 Momentum, 'Super Serving' Content To Fans, More

WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, Chief Strategy and Financial Officer George Barrios and SVP Financial Planning & Investor Relations Michael Weitz hosted a Fourth Quarter 2016 earnings call today from WWE headquarters in Stamford. Below are highlights:

- Weiss opens the call and welcomes everyone. He gives the standard introduction and mentions that the earnings release can be read on the WWE Corporate website. Vince takes over and touts the record revenue announced this morning. Vince talks about how they're "super serving" the WWE Network audience with live shows and in-ring content - specifically 205 Live and the WWE UK Title tournament. He mentions how the cruiserweight division will have their own sources of revenue such as merchandise and live events. It didn't sound like he was indicating cruiserweight-only live events. He said they had 294 million hours of watched content on the Network. He mentioned how social media is big barometer for him and how they had more than 15 billion video views. They're satisfied but not thrilled with their 2016 performance. Barrios takes over the call next.

- Barrios talked about the release and some of their growth, touting that they are the 5th largest streaming service.

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Updated WWE Network Subscriber Count

WWE noted in today's fourth-quarter earnings report that the WWE Network had 1.5 million paid subscribers as of January 31st of this year.

The Network averaged 1.41 million subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2016. This breaks down to 1.1 million in the United States and 400,000 internationally.

WWE previously reported 1.458 million subscribers at the end of the third quarter in 2016 - 1.071 million in the US and 373,000 internationally.

Former WWE Announcer And RAW GM Mike Adamle Diagnosed With Dementia And "Severe" CTE

The former WWE announcer and RAW General Manager announced to NBC Chicago that he has officially been diagnosed with dementia and that he likely does have a severe case of CTE.

He says that he has been suffering from epilepsy for around 19 years, and that doctors believe that he has symptoms of CTE due to brain injuries suffered from his days back in the NFL. CTE can only be diagnosed after death but he is showing many of the CTE symptoms and dementia is the final phase of CTE.

"I’ve been on short-term disability and then long-term disability, I’ve had seizures and epilepsy for the last 19 years." He said that he can no longer work and the diagnosis is the reason why he’s been off the air for a year. He was an anchor on the local NBC affiliate in Chicago up until a year ago.

He had been asked how many concussions he thinks he had during his NFL days and he replied he couldn't put a number on it. He has memory loss, depression, anxiety, and other symptoms with dementia.

TNA Announces Partnership With Japanese Wrestling Promotion

TNA today issued the following:

IMPACT & PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING NOAH PARTNERSHIP

As announced earlier today in Tokyo, Japan, IMPACT Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH have come to terms on a working relationship. This is an exciting time for both companies with a more formal announcement coming soon.

In a Press Conference held earlier today, NOAH President Masayuki Uchida made the official announcement.

We look forward to making a formal announcement soon in Tokyo and seeing IMPACT Stars compete at NOAH's Yokohama event on March 12. We are thrilled to build this relationship even further with more details to come.

Stay close to impactWrestling.Com and all of our social media channels for more on this exciting partnership.

Dana Warrior Signs Multi-Year Deal With WWE

Dana Warrior, the widow of WWE Hall of Famer The Ultimate Warrior, announced today on the official Warrior website that she has signed a deal with WWE to become a brand ambassador for the company. Warrior wrote the following:

“The relationship with WWE has built slowly and meaningfully; the way good ones do. From day one it was my mission to preserve my late husband’s legacy and ensure his Warriors around the world continued access to his brand of inspiration. I could not have anticipated all the ways WWE would partner with me and then go beyond in sewing Ultimate Warrior into their universe’s fabric. I could not have predicted how through this company I would find and develop myself, cultivate and unearth my skills. My roots were already at WWE; they’ve given me a place to struggle through growing pains but ultimately bloom.

This contract is affirmation of crossing into a new era of Warrior. The next phase honors the Warrior Women amongst us who carry the mantle too. WWE has been championing women emerging as athletes, executives, and business pioneers all along. I am honored to be amongst so many I admire and deeply respect.

Personally this opportunity feels like the ultimate “Always Believe” moment. It makes worth every sleepless night, every sacrifice, every moment of doing what scared the blonde out of my hair to do. It is proof if you work diligently you can prove yourself an asset, not a project. It is proof that hard work feels better than being handed something. For me, it is an example to my own Warrior Girls service to others is the greatest gift we give yielding ultimate reward.”

WWE Announces the Next 2017 WWE Hall of Fame Inductees

WWE has announced the following:

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, one of the greatest tag teams in sports-entertainment history, will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2017 during WrestleMania Week. The news was first reported by CBSSports.com.

Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson first joined forces in 1983, in fellow Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler’s Memphis-based territory, and immediately skyrocketed into superstardom. With long, flowing hair and bandanas adorning their flashy ring gear, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express were true rock stars stepping into battle inside the squared circle. The teen idol tag team squared off with the likes of “Macho Man” Randy Savage and his brother Lanny Poffo in Memphis, Tenn., but it wouldn’t be long before they began their worldwide journey to the top.

More?

Triple H On Vince McMahon's Thoughts On Charlotte And Sasha Banks Headlining HIAC

Triple H recently spoke with the Gorilla Position podcast after making an appearance on this past episode of Raw. Here are some of the highlights:

Sasha Banks and Charlotte in the Hell in a Cell main event:

"We didn't give them the main event, they earned the main event. They earned it by knocking the ball out of the park each and every night. Vince [McMahon] had to have confidence that Charlotte and Sasha could close out Hell in a Cell inside Hell in a Cell, for the first time ever and make that entire event deliver."

The evolution of women's wrestling:

"We changed the business with a handful of girls in NXT - Paige, Emma, Natalya and Charlotte and then Sasha and Bayley. I am so proud of them. I feel like a dad - I am more nervous than when I walk out at WrestleMania. I have watched them become stars and represent themselves so well in interviews. When you build something from nothing and they deliver to that level it makes you so proud. They have come so far, so fast and will continue to get that opportunity because they deliver."

Charlotte / Sasha Banks / Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 32:

"You had all these things happening where women in athletics were becoming more prominent and accepted - Venus and Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, the US women's soccer team. It was a perfect opportunity to put our athletes, who I argue are among the best in the world, out there in that manner - it made my job easy knowing they had the ability to steal the show."

Triple H also discussed his progression from full-time performer to working in a backstage role. You can hear the entire interview by clicking here.

Viewership For XFL Doc

Thursday's "This Was The XFL" ESPN 30 For 30 documentary drew 917,000 viewers for the premiere. The show ranked #8 for the night behind on cable. In comparison, a July 2016 30 For 30 on former MLB players Dwight Gooden & Darryl Strawberry drew 1.196 million viewers while a May 2016 30 For 30 on Cleveland sports drew 844,000 viewers and an April 2016 30 For 30 on the NBA's Orlando Magic teams of the mid-1990s drew 1.509 million viewers.

WWE Hall Of Famer Tammy Sytch Out Of Prison And Into Rehab

Tammy "Sunny" Sytch has been released from prison, according to Pro Wrestling Sheet.

Sytch was released this morning from the Carbon County Correctional Facility on parole.

Pro Wrestling Sheet previously reported that Sunny was taken into custody back in September for violating her parole. PWInsider reported that she was charged with possession of alcohol and being under the influence of alcohol — both of which violated the zero tolerance terms of her probation.

Percy Watson gets a second chance at living his dream in NXT

It’s rare in life when you get a second chance to pursue your dream. However, that is precisely the case for “Showtime” Percy Watson. Originally setting out to pursue an in-ring WWE career, Watson thought his dream was all but gone when he was released in 2013. However, it was a chance phone call that gave him another opportunity to live his WWE dream. This week, Watson sat down with WWE.com to talk about life after WWE, and his new role as a WWE NXT broadcaster.

WWE.COM: First off, congratulations on joining the NXT announce team. What has the experience been like thus far?

PERCY WATSON: I feel privileged and honored to be a new addition to the announce team. It's a lot of fun, but there’s a lot to learn. Nonetheless, I look forward to being around as long as I possibly can.

WWE.COM: You initially joined WWE in 2009 after playing in the NFL. How would you sum up your first stint with the company?

WATSON: It was a huge learning experience and the most fun I've ever had in my life. There's no business in the world like WWE. I felt like I had more to do as a wrestler, but things happen in life and you move on.

WWE.COM: Was it hard adjusting to life after WWE?

WATSON: It was tough at first. I loved being a sports-entertainer and there was literally nothing I could replace that feeling with. You're performing in front of 10,000-plus people. You walk down that ramp and your music is playing, people are screaming. There's so much energy in the arenas.

WWE.COM: What lead to your return after being away for more than three years?

WATSON: I’ve missed WWE since the day I left. I got a random call out of the blue and was offered the commentary opportunity, so I jumped at the chance.

More?

Court Bauer Issues Statement Clarifying Lucha Underground’s Deal With Netflix; Talks Future Of Series On Netflix

I spoke with Court Bauer just now and he further commented on what he said on MLW Radio yesterday in regards to Lucha Underground beginning to feature previous seasons on Netflix later this month. Bauer had the following to say:

The Netflix deal is an extension of Lucha Underground’s broadcasting distribution model. Netflix will air Season One and Two with an opportunity to air future seasons thereafter on Netflix that have already aired on El Rey. Lucha Underground is not moving their programming exclusively to Netflix. This is just like any show on CW or NBC taking an earlier season or more and distributing it through digital platforms such as Hulu or Netflix. Lucha Underground is not for sale to the best of my knowledge. El Rey is very happy to the best of my knowledge with the series. It’s cornerstone programming that’s outperforming everything on the network. El Rey remains a minority partner in the venture which gives them a truly vested interest in seeing this succeed. The Netflix deal will bring Lucha Underground to additional regions beyond North America that will be revealed at a later date.

In the past Court has been attached to Triple A and Lucha Underground projects.

Video: Samoa Joe Ambushes Seth Rollins

The Latest on Concussion Lawsuits Against WWE, Plaintiffs Attempting to Unseal Depositions Given By the McMahons and Triple H

According to PWInsider.com, a hearing has been set regarding the sanctions requested by Vince McMahon and WWE against attorneys Konstantine Kyros, Brenden Leydon, S. James Boumil, Anthony Norris, Erica C. Mirabella, and R. Christopher Gilreath. The hearing will take place on March 2nd in Hartford, CT at 10:30am.

Back in November 2016, WWE claimed that the attorneys had plagiarized some of the allegations against the company from a NFL-concussion lawsuit. Below are other claims made by WWE:

-The most recently amended complaint against the company includes facts that have already been proven false over the course of discovery.

-The complaint falsely claims WWE was aware of the effects of concussion-related disease such as CTE for decades.

-That WWE and Dr. Joseph Maroon have shot down claim and studies that several football players have been diagnosed with CTE.

-That WWE requested to examine the results and research on Chris Benoit’s brain.

-That WWE hid their knowledge of the dangers of CTE and other concussive effects from their performers.

On January 27th, WWE filed motions to fight requests to unseal depositions Vince McMahon, Paul Levesque and Stephanie McMahon Levesque gave in relation to the lawsuit. WWE argued that the request is premature in that the depositions have yet to be sealed.

Furthermore, WWE’s motion cited the following:

“Plaintiffs’ call for public dissemination of the confidential deposition testimony of WWE’s highest-ranking executives is their latest action in a protracted and abusive litigation campaign against Defendants. This Court has already repeatedly admonished Attorney Kyros for misrepresenting testimony and evidence in this case and for taking actions that are intended to generate negative publicity against Defendants. Such misconduct on the part of Attorney Kyros raises serious concerns about the potential misuse of the confidential deposition transcripts if the Court were to order them to be made public.”

OurMine Hacked Several WWE Accounts

Notorious hacker group OurMine is back at it, hacking social media profiles to let the world know just how easy it can be to get inside an account.

This time, the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) group is at the receiving end.

Several Twitter accounts affiliated with WWE, including those of WWE Universe, WWE NXT, wrestler and celebrity John Cena, WrestleMania, WWE Network and Summer Slam were hacked Saturday with the group OurMine claiming responsibility.

Some of the tweets have already been taken down, but others are still visible to the millions of people who follow WWE accounts. Additionally, WWE's official Tumblr page was also compromised.

As it has done in previous actions against Netflix and others, OurMine noted in its tweets that it hacked the profiles only to prove how poorly configured such high-profile accounts are typically.

Speaking with Mashable over email, a representative of OurMine claimed all the WWE accounts were linked to one profile. At the time of writing, WWE has not responded to Mashable's request for comment.

"We just hacked it using the head of WWE social media account," a representative said. "It is linked to all of WWE Superstars accounts — Twitter and Facebook."

This isn't the first time OurMine has hacked a high-profile account. Last month, it hacked several Marvel-owned Twitter accounts.

The group insists it is only testing security. However, on its website, it offers commercial services including testing social media and email accounts for vulnerabilities.

source: mashable.com

CM Punk ‘feverishly’ working to book his next fight in the UFC

CM Punk is anxious to get back in action after suffering a loss in his UFC debut this past September.

The former WWE superstar turned mixed martial arts novice suffered a heartbreaking defeat in his debut when Mickey Gall made short work of him with a first-round submission at UFC 203 in Cleveland.

Since that time, Punk and UFC president Dana White have hinted about his return to action, but four months later there’s still no word on when he will book his next fight.

According to Punk, who spoke with FOX Sports’ Carrlyn Bathe on Saturday, he’s been in contact with White, giving him names and dates in hopes of landing another fight in the near future.

“I am working on it feverishly,” Punk said. “I’m throwing names at Dana (White), opponents, dates. I don’t know if he’s waiting for a Chicago show or what the deal is but if it doesn’t happen in the UFC, it will happen somewhere else.

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Corey Graves Leaving NXT Announce Team

Announced tonight on the NXT Takeover kickoff show, Corey Graves will be stepping away from his duties as NXT commentary and announcer following tonight’s big show in San Antonio. He will be replaced by veteran wrestler and former Ring of Honor announcer Nigel McGuinness, who made his debut for the company at the recent WWE UK Championship Tournament, and was praised for his work alongside Michael Cole.

Graves will maintain his role on WWE Monday Night Raw, as a part of the commentary team with Michael Cole and Byron Saxton.

WWE NXT Year-End Awards Results

BREAKOUT STAR OF THE YEAR: Billie Kay & Peyton Royce

MATCH OF THE YEAR: The Revival vs. DIY, NXT Takeover: Toronto

TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR: The Revival

FEMALE COMPETITOR OF THE YEAR: Asuka

MALE COMPETITOR OF THE YEAR: Shinsuke Nakamura

COMPETITOR OF THE YEAR: Shinsuke Nakamura

WWE NXT Takeover: San Antonio Media Call with Triple H Recap