Impact Wrestling Set To Re-Brand As GFW

We noted earlier in the week that Impact Wrestling has officially acquired Jeff Jarrett's Global Force Wrestling promotion. The Tennessean reported today that Impact is re-branding as GFW.

The Tennessean reports that the acquisition is designed to distance the company from the financial struggles and legal drama that has followed the brand. The story is that Impact parent company Anthem Sports will re-brand as GFW and Jarrett will take over the creative aspects of the promotion. The Thursday night show on POP TV will continue to be called Impact.

Sunday's Slammiversary event is being seen as the re-launch of the company's pay-per-view business. GFW will be headquartered at Skyway Studios in Nashville, where they currently do pre and post-production work.

"We're a global brand," Jarrett said of the re-branding. "We have partnerships in Mexico, Japan, other places. Collectively coming together, we've combined forces and basically the rebrand final touches happen (on Sunday) at 'Slammiversary.'"

Anthem's Ed Nordholm told The Tennessean that the company is developing an on-demand streaming service to tap into the valuable tape library they have. Nordholm also said the re-branding was done for two reasons - the double meaning of "TNA" was a turnoff for some potential marketing partners and the name was tainted because of negative media coverage.

"When Anthem got involved we saw a rare opportunity to get involved with an asset that already had global distribution," Nordholm said. "It's a 3,500-hour library, broadcast in 120 countries, existing distribution contracts in India, Africa and now the United Kingdom. The timeline to take a ground zero promotion to that kind of penetration was 15 years. The work now is to fix some things."

Impact Wrestling Acquires Global Force Wrestling

IMPACT Wrestling Acquires Global Force Wrestling

NASHVILLE | TORONTO – Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions LLC, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp. and parent company of IMPACT Wrestling, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Global Force Entertainment, LLC d/b/a Global Force Wrestling.

Jeff Jarrett, the founder of both IMPACT Wrestling and Global Force Entertainment, will join Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions as a member of its board of managers, equity owner and Chief Creative Officer.

“We are thrilled to be joining forces with Anthem as a partner to build the business,” said Karen Jarrett. “This partnership will be complementary of our strengths and bolster our capabilities to grow the IMPACT Wrestling brand. Ed Nordholm as President and Jeff Jarrett as Chief Creative Officer make a great tag team”

“We are excited by the progress we have made with IMPACT Wrestling since acquiring the business in January,” said Ed Nordholm, president of Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions. “Jeff and his team have been instrumental in this success and we are pleased that we have reached an agreement on the basis of which we can combine our businesses to continue to grow. Slammiversary XV will be a fitting occasion to bring the promotions together and merge the titles under the new IMPACT combined belts. By combining our resources and talent, we can produce the best product for our global audience.”

Jim Ross' Announcing Partner For 'Mae Young Classic' Revealed, Triple H Comments, New Details

WWE announced that Lita will be joining Jim Ross to announce the upcoming Mae Young Classic.

The tournament will be shown on the WWE Network, starting with the first four episodes available on demand on Monday, August 28. Episodes five through eight will then be available on demand on September 4 with the final match streaming live on September 12 at 10pm ET.
Here is WWE's full statement:

"WWE has announced that the first-ever Mae Young Classic women's tournament will stream exclusively on WWE Network, starting Monday, Aug. 28, with the first four episodes available on demand. Episodes five through eight will be available on demand on Monday, Sept. 4. The final match will stream live from Las Vegas on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 10 p.m. ET.
The Mae Young Classic will be called by WWE Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross, who will be joined on color commentary by four-time Women's Champion and WWE Hall of Famer Lita. The tournament, named after WWE Hall of Famer and one of the greatest WWE Superstars in history, Mae Young, will feature 32 of the top female competitors from around the world participating in a single-elimination tournament.

"The Mae Young Classic is a unique and exclusive offering for WWE Network subscribers and further highlights our ongoing commitment to the 'women's evolution' in sports and entertainment," said Paul "Triple H" Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events and Creative. "It's a privilege to showcase these talented women from around the world and to provide them with an opportunity to shine before a global audience on WWE Network."

Competitors announced thus far include Toni Storm from New Zealand; Princesa Sugehit from Mexico; Lacey Evans, Sarah Logan, Tessa Blanchard, and Abbey Laith from the United States; Kavita Devi from India; Jazzy Gabert from Germany; and Taynara Conti from Brazil.

WWE Network will also stream an exclusive special entitled, Mae Young Classic: Bracketology immediately following SummerSlam, on Sunday, Aug. 20 at 11 p.m. ET."

AdWeek Names Stephanie McMahon One of their Most Powerful Women in Sports

AdWeek has named Stephanie McMahon as one of their Most Powerful Women in Sports. Here is an excerpt of what AdWeek wrote about her…
“Divas” are dead, and “superstars” are born, thanks to McMahon, who retired the old-school name for WWE’s women grapplers and replaced it with the same title superstars given to the sport’s male competitors. McMahon, daughter of CEO Vince McMahon, has spent two decades in nearly every facet of the WWE, both on-air and in its business operations, helping make WrestleMania 33 a $14.5 million-grossing, attendance-breaking event at the Orlando Citrus Bowl this spring (besting a 2015 concert by the Rolling Stones).

Mauro Ranallo Returning To WWE

WWE has officially confirmed via WWE.com that Mauro Ranallo will soon be returning to the company as a color commentator. However, instead of calling action for SmackDown LIVE as he did before, Ranallo will be joining the NXT announce team.

WWE Announces A New Weekly Television Show To Be Broadcast In Hindi

WWE has issued the following press release:

SONY PICTURES NETWORKS INDIA (SPN) AND WWE® ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE NEW WEEKLY HINDI SHOW, WWE SUNDAY DHAMAAL

MUMBAI, India & STAMFORD, Conn. June 22, 2017 – Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced the launch of a new weekly show in Hindi, WWE Sunday Dhamaal, featuring the best action and family-friendly entertainment from WWE’s flagship programs Raw® and SmackDown® beginning this Sunday, June 25 from 6.00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sony MAX, India’s number one movie channel.

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Triple H Extends Invitation For Conor MacGregor And Floyd Mayweather To Appear On Raw

If Triple H has things his way, we could see an in-ring confrontation between Conor MacGregor and Floyd Mayweather on a future episode of Raw

It's no secret everyone is paying attention to the upcoming fight which is scheduled to take place on August 26 and everyone includes the WWE who is attempting to capitalize on this hype train. Triple H discussed the bout in a recent interview with Sky Sports

“Can a world-class boxer, probably the best ever, can he stand in the ring with an MMA guy? And can that MMA guy bring his striking skills up to the level of somebody like Floyd Mayweather?”

Triple H then extended the invitation for both men to make an appearance on an episode of Raw

“You say it is sports entertainment and, if they want to really showcase what they can do, I would invite both guys to come to Monday Night Raw. There is no bigger platform that they could have to show the world and tell the world, who they are, and why they are the man.”

Triple H Surprises Off-Duty Police Officer Injured In London Bridge Terror Attack

WWE superstar and COO Triple H surprised an off-duty Police Officer in the United Kingdom who was seriously injured as he fought off the London Bridge terrorists.

The emotional visit saw Paul Levesque, better known to WWE fans as "The Game" Triple H meet Charlie Guenigault, 25, who was stabbed multiple times as he took on the terrorist who brought about carnage on the iconic London Bridge.

It was reported that on the night of the attack Charlie was wearing a Sami Zayn t-shirt. Triple H praised Charlie for his "exceptional bravery" and played a personal video message recorded by Zayn.

Zayn said: “You put yourself in the line of danger at a time when you really had no obligation to do so.

“I can’t tell you how much respect I have for you. The fact you were wearing my shirt at the time really puts it into perspective for me."

"Sami Zayn has always been the guy known to stand up to the bad guys, but you did it in the most horrific of circumstances. Man, I’m just blown away, I really am.”

Triple H added: “To run in the direction of a scary situation that can’t even be described in words, to help others, for that to be your instinct to help others – that is a hero.

“People say a lot of times that they watch WWE because these guys are like real-life superheroes. Well, Charlie is a real hero."

Triple H presented Charlie with his very own WWE Championship title.

Several Names Revealed For WWE's Mae Young Classic

As noted, WWE will tape The Mae Young Classic on July 13th and July 14th at Full Sail University. The following names have been confirmed for the 32-competitor tournament:

* Bianca Blair - standout at the WWE Performance Center and signed in April 2016
* Danielle Kamela - WWE developmental talent, trained at WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi's school

* Julia Ho - WWE developmental talent with MMA background, trained with Brian Kendrick

* Kimberly Frankele - WWE NXT talent, formerly known as Kimber Lee on the indies

* Lacey Evans - NXT talent and a Marine, formerly known as Macey Estrella

* Mary Kate - NXT talent and formerly known as Rosie Lottalove in TNA

* Sarah Logan - NXT talent, formerly known as Sarah Bridges in NXT and Crazy Mary Dobson on the indies

* Taynara Melo - WWE developmental talent signed last year, black belt from Brazil

* Victoria Gonzales - WWE developmental talent signed in 2016, college athlete and daughter of Rudy Boy Gonzales

* Zhao Xia - WWE's first female Chinese talent

The tournament will tape on July 13th and July 14th but there are plans to hold live finals on Tuesday, September 12th, possibly at the WWE SmackDown tapings in Las Vegas that night. The plan is to release the first round of the tournament in late August with the second round being released in early September via the on-demand section of the WWE Network.

Stephanie McMahon named Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award Honoree

ESPN will honor individuals and teams for their contributions to humanitarian causes at a ceremony July 11 at L.A. Live.

Laila Ali will host the Sports Humanitarian Awards, which will now have one of its honors named after her father, Muhammad Ali. Golfer Ernie Els, Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Flames defenseman Mark Giordano and Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson have been nominated for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.

There will also be a humanitarian team of the year, a corporate community impact award, a league award, and, finally, an award in the name of the late ESPN anchor Stuart Scott.

The Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award will honor WWE chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon for her corporate social responsibility efforts, the Orlando City Soccer Club for its initiatives after the Pulse nightclub shooting last year and the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) for its work to foster better race relations.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund at the V Foundation. ESPN will also grant another $1 million to the charities of the nominees and winners. More than $1.7 million was distributed from last year's event.

Rumor Mill - WWE said to be working towards a Triple H vs. Kurt Angle match

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio WWE officials are planning on doing a match between Triple H and WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle in the near future.

Meltzer did not comment on when the match will take place, or how they will get there, but it should be noted that there is currently a storyline WWE has been doing with Angle and Corey Graves.

Also, it was noted that RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon should be returning to TV soon to work play off Angle as the RAW General Manager.

Stephanie has not been seen on WWE TV since going through a table at WrestleMania 33. Kurt Angle was named the General Manager of RAW the night after WrestleMania.

Gail Kim On Triple H Creating Change For Women In WWE

According to the interviewer, Kevin Eck - who was on the WWE creative team in 2011 - Vince McMahon didn't think fans wanted to see women fight like men. Gail Kim talks about that environment and why it's changed:
"It wasn't politically correct to say out loud, nor would they say that straight up, but -- I'm not going to say which agent said it -- but they would tell us that Vince doesn't like that. I remember specifically a match I had on Superstars with Jillian [Hall]. We got seven minutes, which was rare back then -- we usually got three minutes. There's no way to tell a story in the ring in that time, so when we had a match on Superstars it was like a pay-per-view match [laughs]. Jillian and I had awesome chemistry, so we'd want to wrestle. We wanted to do a superplex off the top rope, and the agent -- again, I'm not going to name names -- said, 'Go ahead. I'll take the heat for it,' because he knew Vince wouldn't really be happy with that. Now I heard WWE has announced a Money in the Bank match for the girls. I honestly feel like [Triple H] has done so much for the girls, because he started that whole thing in NXT with the Four Horsewomen. When I left WWE, he was one of the people who was so positive. He told me, 'You're talented and don't let anyone else tell you any different.' I was very flattered and glad that he respected women's wrestling."

Former Steeler DeAngelo Williams to try his hand at pro wrestling

I guess while former Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams waits for his next NFL opportunity, he’s going to keep himself busy. According to Brian Campbell of CBS Sports, Williams is going to make his professional wrestling debut on something called Impact Wrestling on July 2.

Williams is expected to enter the ring at Impact’s Slammiversary XV pay-per-view on July 2 in Orlando, Florida. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Williams will compete alongside Moose in a tag team match against Chris Adonis and Eli Drake

Williams is an 11-year NFL veteran who spent the last three seasons with the Steelers. He has been an integral part of the offense in place of Le’Veon Bell, but Pittsburgh seems to have moved forward at the running back position. They signed Knile Davis in the offseason and drafted James Conner.

Big Change To WWE Total Divas Cast

RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax were recently added to the cast of Total Divas for the seventh season, according to a new report from Pro Wrestling Sheet. Filming for the next season is scheduled to begin in a few weeks.

Bliss and Jax were added to the show after producers needed to find a replacement for Eva Marie. We've noted how Eva is not returning to the company and is focusing on her acting career instead. Producers reportedly interviewed the female WWE Superstars for Eva's replacement but decided on adding two new cast members.

Pete Dunne On Triple H's Response To Him Mimicking The Pedigree On The Indies, His Character In WWE

In episode 134 of Sam Roberts' Wrestling Podcast, WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne talked about his affiliation with WWE, developing his flagitious persona, and how Triple H reacted to Dunne doing Triple H's signature spots on the indies.

According to Dunne, he has "the best of both worlds," being able to work under WWE's umbrella while maintaining indie dates. Additionally, 'The Bruiserweight' shared that WWE has treated him very well and he has access to social media training, the WWE Performance Center, and professional wrestling veterans like Triple H.

"WWE has been absolutely brilliant to me and they've looked after me in every way that they can, and even from stuff like training in social media, that kind of stuff. And along with having exposure on these sorts of shows, bringing us out to America and training in the [WWE] Performance Center, and doing all of that, at the same time they're allowing me to do the independents. And I'm a bit different than most [professional] wrestlers, I think, in that I've always looked at independent wrestling as developmental. I didn't necessarily have to be signed to WWE to be learning that stuff. I've always tried to pick up as much knowledge as I could. Now, I continue to do so. Now, I also have access to the Performance Center and even access to people like Triple H, the great minds behind sports entertainment. So the thing for me is the best of both worlds. I love independent wrestling and it's not something that I wanted to leave behind straight away. But equally, I'm learning the way TV is done and the WWE style has been completely new, so I'm still learning on both sides."

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WWE Cancels NXT Live Event At Manchester Arena

WWE has canceled it's upcoming NXT Live event which was due to take place at Manchester Arena in England out of respect for those affected by the Manchester attack which killed 22 and left over 50 people seriously injured.

WWE issued the following statement:

"Out of respect for all those affected by the Manchester tragedy, WWE is cancelling the NXT event on Tuesday, June 6, at the Manchester Arena. WWE is giving fans who purchased tickets to the show a full refund and offering them the option to receive a free ticket at point of purchase to the NXT show on Wednesday, June 7, at First Direct Arena in Leeds.

Our Superstars will be in Manchester on June 6 visiting with those affected by the tragedy, and WWE is making a donation to the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund. We look forward to returning to the Manchester Arena on Monday, November 6, for Raw and Tuesday, November 7, for SmackDown LIVE"

Pete Dunne Says Triple H Has Been Incredibly Supportive

WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne spoke with WWE.com about beating Tyler Bate at NXT Takeover: Chicago to win the WWE UK Championship. Here are the highlights.

On his relationship with Triple H:

“It was really important to get a pep talk like that. Like I said, it’s always in our mind to go out there and kill it, regardless. We know that our future here is less secure than if we were full-time with the NXT brand or SmackDown LIVE or Raw, because we’re fighting to secure a full company in the U.K., and not just for ourselves. As far as the relationship with Triple H goes, he has been incredibly supportive and has given us a chance to make a name for ourselves. That’s one of the most overwhelming things about it. For myself and Tyler Bate to go out there and show what we can do in front of an audience that probably isn’t that familiar with what we do, I’m grateful.”

On who he wants to take on next:

“It doesn’t matter. Anyone and everyone. I want to get as much TV time as possible. I want to get the U.K. brand pushed as far along as possible. I’d love to get in the ring with Wolfgang or Mark Andrews or Trent Seven. I’d really love to have rematches with Tyler Bate. The more time I get in the ring with these people, the more time we have to secure our future, and the greater opportunity I have to prove myself as the future of WWE.”

WWE announces Mae Young Classic women’s tournament to be held at Full Sail Live July 13 and 14

WWE has announced that the first-ever Mae Young Classic women’s tournament will take place Thursday, July 13, and Friday, July 14, from Full Sail Live in Orlando, Fla.

Tickets will go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. ET via www.nxttickets.com.

The tournament, named after WWE Hall of Famer and one of the greatest WWE Superstars in history, Mae Young, will feature 32 of the top female competitors from around the world participating in a single-elimination tournament. The unprecedented event will stream later this summer exclusively on WWE Network.

“The Mae Young Classic will mark a significant moment in the evolution of WWE,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events and Creative. “We are proud to provide this unique opportunity for the best female talent from around the world.”

Jim Ross Confirms He Will Announce This Summer’s WWE Women’s Tournament

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross confirmed to Busted Open Radio on SiriusXM today he will be one of the voices calling the action for this summer’s WWE Women’s Tournament.

Ross returned to call The Undertaker’s final match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania this year, and it was soon reported that he had signed a new two-year deal with the company. He called the action at Friday’s UK Championship Special on the WWE Network, alongside Nigel McGuinness, and will be covering the UK Championship match at Saturday’s NXT Takeover special.

WWE Officially Announces First Weekly Exclusive Arabic Show

WWE issued the following press release on Saturday officially announcing the company's first weekly exclusive Arabic show:

OSN and WWE announce exclusive new weekly Arabic show “WWE Wal3ooha”

DUBAI, UAE and STAMFORD, Conn. — OSN is bringing an all-new localized Arabic show to OSN Sports featuring the best action and family-friendly entertainment from WWE. “WWE Wal3ooha” premieres on OSN this Thursday, May 4, at 8 p.m. (KSA) on OSN Sports Action 1 HD, with repeat broadcast across the weekend, and anywhere, anytime access via OSN Play and OSN On Demand.

Titled “WWE Wal3ooha,” meaning “light it up,” the weekly show features hosts Moein Al Bastaki and Nathalie Mamo delivering exclusive interviews and highlights from the week’s key matches to WWE fans in the region.

The partnership between OSN and WWE provides unprecedented access to WWE Superstars, while featuring the latest big stories from Raw, SmackDown LIVE and pay-per-view events, specifically curated with localized Arabic WWE content, created for the region, from the region.

“We are excited to partner with OSN to bring our passionate fans original and localized content featuring their favorite WWE Superstars,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. “’WWE Wal3ooha’ provides a new destination for our fans in the Middle East to enjoy WWE’s unique blend of action-packed, family-fun entertainment.”

Al Bastaki, a professional magician, and Mamo, a basketball star, bring more than 15 combined years of television to “WWE Wal3ooha.” The show is produced from the OSN Studios in Dubai.