WWE founder and chairman Vince McMahon announced Thursday he is giving a professional football league another go.
It will be called the XFL, the same name of the league McMahon and NBC tried for one season in 2001, but it won't rely on flashy cheerleaders and antics as its predecessor did, he said.
McMahon said he is the sole funding source for the league, which is slated to begin in January 2020. Its first season will have eight teams around the country playing a 10-week schedule. The initial outlay of money is expected to be around $100 million, the same amount of WWE stock McMahon sold last month and funneled into Alpha Entertainment, the company he founded for the project.
"I wanted to do this since the day we stopped the other one," McMahon told ESPN in an exclusive interview. "A chance to do it with no partners, strictly funded by me, which would allow me to look in the mirror and say, 'You were the one who screwed this up,' or 'You made this thing a success.'"
One mark of the new league, McMahon said, will be faster games. The ideal running time, he said, would be two hours.
As for the timing of the announcement, two years before the league's debut, many might point to McMahon's relationship with President Donald Trump, who this fall criticized the NFL for allowing its players to kneel and sit during the national anthem. McMahon said players in his league will not be given the forum to take a personal stance while on the playing field. McMahon's wife, Linda, heads the Small Business Administration in Trump's Cabinet.
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January 25, 2018
Vince McMahon: XFL to return in 2020 without gimmicks
January 24, 2018
Stephanie McMahon Doing Ringside Commentary for Women's Royal Rumble Match
Stephanie McMahon posted the following on twitter :
Announcing the first-ever women's #RoyalRumble match was one of my all-time favorite moments in WWE... And now I'm proud to share that I'll be joining the Announce team for this historic match this Sunday! #RumbleForAll #RoyalRumble
January 23, 2018
Enzo Amore Issues Statement On Rape Allegations Through Attorney
Enzo Amore took to Twitter this evening and issued a statement from his lawyers in response to the rape allegations from Philomena Sheahan, who has accused Enzo of raping her in October 2017. The accusations have led to WWE firing Enzo and an investigation by the Phoenix Police, which has been open since October of last year.
Sheahan went public with TMZ earlier today with details on the alleged incident. You can find that story and video at this link.
Below is the statement from Enzo's lawyer, Timothy J. Eckstein of Osborn Maledon in Phoenix:
STATEMENT FROM COUNSEL FOR ERIC ARNDT
Over the last two days, Philomena Sheahan has made multiple public accusations against Eric Arndt (also known as Enzo Amore with the WWE), including allegations of sexual misconduct concerning an October 2017 incident in Phoenix. Mr. Arndt fully and unequivocally denies those accusations. He is cooperating with the authorities in this matter and looks forward to having it resolved in a timely manner. Neither Mr. Arndt nor his counsel will be making any further public comments on this matter.
WWE Releases Enzo Amore
From WWE.COM:
Enzo Amore released
WWE has come to terms on the release of Eric Arndt (Enzo Amore).
The release comes after Enzo was accused of rape earlier this week. WWE suspended him on Monday, noting that they have zero tolerance for matters involving sexual harassment or sexual assault. Things must have changed between that announcement and today as he has been released.
January 22, 2018
Enzo Amore Suspended By WWE After Recent Sexual Assault Allegations
Pro Wrestling Sheet is reporting WWE has suspended Enzo Amore amidst new allegations that he allegedly raped a woman last October.
According to Twitter user @missgucciwitch, Enzo (Eric Arndt) raped her in a Phoenix area hotel room last October, posting the following text and screenshots:
The original question TOOPOOR asked me was if I would suck Enzo’s dick. I said possibly but if I wasn’t down she said we could all just hang out. Then they got me way fucked up & they left knowing what was about to happen. When Enzo the WWE guy stared coming on to me I was passed out on the couch. I said “I want to get to know you first before doing anything.” He replied, “Bitch I have 1million followers on instagram…you should be begging for this dick.” & then he restrained me & it happened. I never would be this dramatic about something like this but I want you all to know that I would’ve left if I could. I was in psychosis- I had no idea what was going on. I remember bits &pieces & I have constant flashbacks..My mental issues have been the worst ever & i suffer from major PTSD from it.
According to the report, a Phoenix Police Department representative confirmed a report was filed, and the incident remains under investigation, but police are waiting on lab results.
Pro Wrestling Sheet noted one source claimed the incident allegedly took place on October 19th, which would seem to line up with the date included in the accuser’s screenshots. Enzo’s Instagram posts also confirmed he was in the area, attending a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert at the Talking Stick Arena in Phoenix.
When asked about the accusations, WWE also issued the following statement to Wrestlezone:
“WWE has zero tolerance for matters involving sexual harassment or sexual assault. Until this matter is resolved, Eric Arndt (aka Enzo Amore) has been suspended.
January 21, 2018
WWE Issues Brief Statement On Hulk Hogan Possibly Returning
WWE has issued a statement to The Associated Press in regards to Hulk Hogan possibly returning to the company.
Hogan has been speaking with many press publications ahead of Monday's 25th anniversary of Raw in which he has been asked if he will be returning to the company for the big celebrations. Hogan has expressed to many media outlets that he would like to return, possibly for "one more match" but WWE appears committed to their decision in not having Hogan return to the company right now:
"At this time, WWE remains committed to its decision," WWE said in the statement.
WWE fired Hogan in 2015 following racial comments that came to light in which he used the 'n-word' and said: "I guess we're all a little racist."
Roman Reigns Issues Statement About Recent Allegations Involving Steroid Ring
In an update on the story involving Roman Reigns being named as part of a steroid distribution scandal, the current WWE Intercontinental Champion issued the following statement to PWInsider.com:
“I have never heard of Richard Rodriguez or Wellness Fitness Nutrition. I learned from the mistake I made nearly two years ago and paid the penalty for it. Since then, I’ve passed 11 tests as part of WWE’s independent drug testing program.”
Alberto El Patron Says He's Apologized to Triple H And Blames Paige For His Rants
Alberto Del Rio was recently interviewed by Medio Tiempo. He spoke about how he's said sorry to Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and WWE.
His past rants ripping Triple H on social media:
"As you know, I am a man who knows when he was wrong. In fact I was in contact with them. Like WWE, when they admitted their mistake the first time I left, I also admit my mistake.
"I personally apologized to Triple H for the issues we had when I was in a bad relationship with my ex-partner. She and her entire family made me believe that they affected our relationship. She made me believe that the videos [Paige and Maddox] and all that was happening outside to her was perpetrated by Triple H and the company. At the time I believed her, because she was my partner. I defended her by heart and sword, then things were different. Later I realized how wrong I was to place my trust in that person. I deeply regret my words and apologized to Triple H, his wife and WWE. They understood me."
Triple H Talks to Rolling Stone About Upcoming "Raw 25"
For whatever reason, 25 years on the air of episodic television, storylines, characters, ebbs and flows but yet staying in that number-one [slot] on cable television… it's hard not to look at that and go, "Really?" I think that's what the palpable energy is for everyone here, whether that be in the office or for the talent. Some of our talent weren't even old enough to be watching when Raw started on the air.
When you take 25 years of memorable moments and characters, trying to boil that down to a three-hour Raw episode being simulcast and in two places, how do you whittle that down to certain people and times and events? I was doing an interview the other day, and they put out a list so I could refresh my memory, and it was pages and pages of these moments. As I'm going through them, "Oh my god, that was the coolest thing ever. That was the coolest thing ever. That was even cooler." And then there are the ones that involve me. But there are so many others, and that's been the hardest thing – not forgetting stuff. You can't get everybody, and you're going to get a lot of people who go, "I can't believe they didn't do this and talk about that." It's 25 years. You just can't do it all. I can tell you what it will be: It will be one hell of a celebration.
Talent have certain expectations of things, and then there' what the WWE universe is looking for and wants, and that's who we're creating this show for. It's their show. That's been the secret sauce for 25 years – our fanbase and the show that encourages them to be a part of it. It all started with Raw and went from there, so this is for them. This is in celebration of them. If you said, "What's the hardest thing in this?" it would be getting anything done, because it's going to be like old home day for all these talent who haven't seen each other. And once you get wrestlers telling stories its over. We'll all be telling stories all day long and putting ourselves over. At some point, I gotta remember, "I've got a show to make here."
Yeah, and I also think it's that wink and nod to yourself of things that we did and being able to talk about them now and live in that moment, and you're seeing a different side of a lot of people.
Boy, if you're gonna make a list of the people who aren't here who can't be a part of this, it's a fairly long list. I wish they were, but it's been 25 years, so people who had a big contribution unfortunately are no longer here. But no different than anything else in life, the celebration is for living and now. It's the excitement for what the people who are here now have accomplished. It doesn't mean that the other people didn't contribute in dramatic ways. Again, 25 years, we're gonna miss stuff, and I wish everybody could participate in it and celebrate with us, but it just can't be.
Absolutely. Shawn Michaels was in the first one! We were on a panel, and Miz was talking about how Shawn was one of his heroes and now he gets to work with him now and then and make movies with him and do stuff in the ring with him. That's incredible. Name characters in anything that have that kind of longevity.
We have to. Everybody else doesn't make the noise for us in some ways. I think WWE gets lumped into, "We're not fish, we're not fowl." So is it a sport? Is it theater? Is it a television show? You get in this weird mix, and they don't know where to place it, so it gets overlooked. But I don't care how you break it down. Twenty-five years on weekly television, most of which [has been] live. It's an unbelievable amount of television and content and characters that have in some instances shaped peoples lives. I can't tell you – it's the biggest honor of what you do – how many people come up to you on a daily basis from our generation and go, "Hey man, thank you for making my childhood so cool" or something like that. I look back on my childhood and [Ric] Flair and Dusty [Rhodes] and those guys and feel the same way, so I understand what they're saying. And to do that with that level of longevity and not go off the air while everybody else was like, "Yeah, it's just Raw." And we just kept doing it. It's hard to not say it's an incredible accomplishment, whether we have to toot our own horn for it or not.
Dude, that's every week. A year ago, Vince [McMahon] was at WrestleMania, and WrestleMania got done, and he took his headset off, took a deep breath and was like, "Man, that was good." And one of our writers walked over to him and handed him the script for Monday Night Raw. He goes, "That's it? That's my offseason? Here we go." And that is what we do. Tuesday morning when we wake up, that will be the start of the next 25 years.
UFC President Dana White Says CM Punk Will Fight in UFC Again
Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White recently spoke to The New York Post about a variety of subjects related to UFC. When asked about C.M. Punk possibly fighting in UFC again, White says that he plans on giving Punk another chance to redeem himself inside the UFC Octagon:
“I like that guy. He’s a good dude,” White said. “He wants one more. He wants to get another shot. I’m going to give it to him.”
White did say though that as of right now, he doesn't have any particular opponent or a date set in mind for Punk's next fight.
January 20, 2018
Jim Johnston On How Relationship With Vince McMahon Changed, Not Understanding His WWE Departure
On episode 31 of Prime Time with Sean Mooney, the former WWE play-by-play announcer caught up with longtime WWE composer Jim Johnston. Among many other things, Johnston talked about his relationship with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and how it changed over his WWE tenure, how his WWE run came to a close, and what is next for the legendary entrance theme songwriter.
Johnston claimed that he worked very closely with McMahon early on, but Kevin Dunn became more involved over time.
"Well, early on, he and I spent a lot of time together," Johnston recalled, "I was out on the road and fortunately that stopped, so I could really just concentrate on being in the studio. It was actually necessary. It had to stop because of the demands and the need in the company for music was growing so rapidly that I was working seven days a week to keep up with stuff. But early on it was a very direct relationship where he would tell me about new stuff coming up that was needed and it was real simple. Slowly over time Kevin Dunn became a little bit of a go-between between us as well as having his own contributions. Often, he would have very, very good instincts about music."
Johnston indicated that his relationship with McMahon grew more distant as the company grew and their communication got very bad in the last few years.
"And then, as the company grew, sadly, that grew more and more distant because he got swept away into… well, we all got swept away because everything became more important. And then, towards the last years I was there, communication kind of fell apart. I think that's what really got us on a bad road."
According to Johnston, approximately 3 years ago WWE changed and things became more political. The scribe behind 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin's legendary theme should have taken 'The Rattlesnake''s advice: D.T.A.
"I guess three or so years ago, I'd say three to four years ago, a lot of politics got involved, personal stuff that I don't want to go into." Johnson explained, "but over the years I've had a failing in myself that I'll probably keep doing because I know in my heart that I don't think it's a failing, but it's not a good trait for business. I tend to get a bit Polly Annish to a point where I tend to trust people that unfortunately I've been shown that I shouldn't trust. There were people that really thought were friends that turned out not to be friends."
With respect to how his lengthy WWE career came to an end, Johnston said that he spoke with McMahon briefly. Johnston went on to suggest that the situation should have played out differently.
"I had a brief conversation with Vince and it was over," Johnston explained. "All I'll say is that I think there were a lot of ways to end it and the way that it ended was… I think there were better ways to end it where everyone could have walked away with a much better feeling. And after 32 years, it seems like a lost opportunity to me and I don't really understand it."
Johnston stated that he is starting from scratch in a way because WWE never rolls credits after its programs and he is not very well known in other circles.
"This is what I've been doing and it's a combination of not ever having a credit roll in WWE programming, so while fans have been incredibly kind know me well, they're not the people who are hiring to write music for TV shows and films and I'm sort of lesser known there. And while I have a nice resume, it's still something that I'm kind of starting a new business. People kind of know me once I educate them about who I am."
January 15, 2018
First 2018 WWE Hall Of Famer Confirmed
ESPN has confirmed that Bill Goldberg will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year.
"At the end of the day, any business, any venture that you embark upon, you want some type of acknowledgement," Goldberg told ESPN. "You always try to make it to a top. There's no reason to do anything unless you want to be the best."
Goldberg will be the headliner for the 2018 Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which takes place on Friday, April 6th from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, during WrestleMania 34 Weekend. Goldberg commented on the speech.
"It's hard to conceptualize what it's going to be like, just like it was hard to conceptualize what last year was going to be like after being away for 12 years," said Goldberg. "It's another opportunity for me to show how much I appreciate the support and the love I've gotten from the fans. At the end of the day, it's a validation that I've done something right."
The former WWE Universal Champion also kept the door open on another return to the ring for WWE.
"It's going to be tough, I can tell you that," said Goldberg. "It's kind of like bookmarking the end of your career, although it ain't the end of nothing for me. I'm always living and breathing and looking for my next venture -- and who's to say it couldn't happen there again?"
