WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins continues to defend the company on Twitter after Sunday's pre-Stomping Grounds tweet about WWE providing the best pro wrestling on the planet.
For those who missed it, Rollins wrote, "Best pro wrestling on the planet. Period."
He later doubled down after the Stomping Grounds Kickoff pre-show match that saw Drew Gulak capture the WWE Cruiserweight Title. Rollins wrote, "Doubling down. Best pro wrestling on the planet. See that Cruiserweight Triple Threat? And that's just one night, one match amongst the many. Find anyone else alive who does what I do as well as I do it as often as I do it. Ya can't. #WWEStompingGrounds #UniversalChampion @WWE"
Rollins later responded to a media tweet that said, "Remember when Seth Rollins said that WWE had the best pro wrestling in the world? #WWEStompingGrounds."
Rollins fired back, "Sure do dorks. And after that PPV I stand by it even more. The crew brought it tonight. From top to bottom all out effort from every person in the ring and out. And you're still talking/writing about it."
Molly Danger creator Jamal Yaseem Igle tweeted and said he loves Rollins, but The Architect should dial it down a notch. Rollins refused. He responded, "Nah dawg, let me dial it up. I've sat back and watched idiots with no clue talk poorly about the place I dedicate my life to EVERY HOUR OF EVERY DAY. The level I perform at on constant is untouchable. Time to let em know."
As we've noted, Rollins' tweets have received responses from The Usos and Roman Reigns, AEW star Chris Jericho, and top NJPW stars Tama Tonga and Will Ospreay. Ospreay responded to Rollins' "double down" tweet and said he's alive. Rollins fired back and said WWE already has a better version of Ospreay - new WWE United States Champion Ricochet. Rollins wrote, "Ahhhh I'm sorry little guy. We already have a better version of you here and he just won his first US Title tonight (Congrats @KingRicochet). Keep working hard though buddy!"
June 24, 2019
Seth Rollins Continues To Defend WWE Against "Idiots With No Clue
WWE Stomping Grounds’ Paid Attendance Estimated At Between 4000 & 4500
Heading into Stomping Grounds, it was pretty much public knowledge that the ticket sales weren’t exactly going all too well. Now, though, in the immediate aftermath of the show, there are some estimated numbers for fans to discuss. According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, between 4,000 and 4,500 paid tickets were registered for the event. This continues the trend of falling numbers not only in regards to RAW and SmackDown Live, but also for live events and pay-per-views themselves.
June 19, 2019
WWE And Netflix Officially Announce New Movie With Kofi Kingston And Other WWE Superstars
WWE and Netflix have officially announced their first movie together, The Main Event.
The film will star Seth Carr, Tichina Arnold, Ken Marino and Adam Pally. Several WWESuperstars will also be featured - WWE Champion Kofi Kingston, The Miz and Sheamus, among others.
Netflix noted that the logline for the movie reads, "After discovering a magical mask, an 11-year-old aspiring wrestler enters a competition to become the next WWE Superstar."
Production on the movie begins this week in Vancouver. The movie is based on an original screenplay by Larry Postel. Jay Karas will be the director.
The Main Event is expected to premiere on Netflix in 2020 some time.
We noted before that this movie also features a reference to John Cena, who reportedly has a cameo role. WWE did not mention Cena being in the movie. It was also recently reported that Bray Wyatt is featured. There are also said to be several WWE NXT references in the script.
This is the first collaboration between WWE Studios and Netflix. The two companies have been working to develop new, original feature films. The projects will be directed towards family audiences.
Netflix sent us the following blurb on the movie:
"The Main Event joins a growing slate of live action movies featuring kids and teens and made for families, which includes the upcoming comedy Tall Girl, A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting, and Hello, Universe, based on Erin Entrada Kelly's Newbery Award-winning, New York Times bestselling novel.
WWE Receives Its Own Category At This Year's ESPYS
For the first time, WWE is getting a "Best WWE Moment" under the Best Performance category at this year's ESPYS, which will be hosted by Tracy Morgan on July 10 at 8 pm ET on ABC.
The nominees for the award are: Roman Reigns' return after his battle with Leukemia, Becky Lynch wins the WWE RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships at WrestleMania 35, Kofi Kingston wins his first WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35, and Ronda Rousey becomes WWE RAW Women's Champion.
Voting is done by the fans via ESPN's site, which you can do by clicking here.
June 18, 2019
WWE Course To Be Offered At The Harvard Business School This Fall, Triple H Comments
"WWE has been a force in live entertainment, television production, and digital content in its 40+ year history. Thrilled that Professor @anitaelberse will highlight our innovations and challenges as a case study for her @HarvardHBS class this fall," Triple H tweeted on the course.
Below is WWE's full announcement on the course:
Harvard Business School to offer course featuring WWE case study
The prestigious Harvard Business School is offering a case study on WWE as part Anita Elberse's course "The Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports," beginning this fall. The course will enroll 180 MBA students in their second year and will also examine other major sports and entertainment brands like The Walt Disney Studios, NBCUniversal, Nike and personalities such as former WWE Champion Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, LeBron James and more.
The course will explore factors that drive sustained success for organizations and individuals in sports and entertainment; understand how companies can diversify beyond their core business to create engagement and value for fans and other stakeholders; and how business can best pursue contracts with star talent.
The course begins in time for the fall semester.
June 13, 2019
Stephanie McMahon Believes A WWE Women’s Match Is In Saudi Arabia’s Near Future
Stephanie McMahon says WWE will be at the forefront of change in Saudi Arabia, and we will see a women’s match in the country in the “near future.”
Stephanie McMahon was speaking at the Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon in Orlando today, and was asked by Spectrum Sports’ Despina Barton about WWE’s agreement for events in Saudi Arabia and how it relates to women being able to compete. McMahon referenced Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks getting “this is hope” chants when they competed in the first-ever WWE women’s match in Abu Dhabi. She noted that it took six years for WWE women to perform in Abu Dhabi, and said she believes the women’s match will happen “in the near future” in Saudi Arabia.
It was reported last week that Natalya and Bliss were flown to Saudi Arabia in the ropes of competing at WWE Super ShowDown in Jeddah, but the match request was ultimately turned down.
Stephanie McMahon's WWE NXT Meeting
WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon was in Orlando this week for a business luncheon. She also visited the WWE Performance Center and Wednesday's WWE NXT TV tapings at Full Sail University. Stephanie reportedly held a talent meeting before Wednesday's tapings, which was described as a pep talk.
Stephanie reportedly pushed how great everything is with the company, and how talents get to be their own brands in the company. Stephanie also pushed social media in a big way. Her presentation included a big screen that showed how Forbes recently listed WWE and WrestleMania as one of the top 10 most powerful brands on social media, among other points.
June 8, 2019
Triple H Talks Match With Randy Orton, What The Future Holds
Triple H was unable to defeat Randy Orton during the WWE Super ShowDown, but he was able to get through the match without injury, and because of the fact that he was back in Saudi Arabia after suffering an injury there, Triple H discussed his future after the match.
“I came back in six months, but that had nothing to do with it. said Randy Orton would be the coal that would be squeezed into a diamond. Still to this day … one of the absolute best that there is in this business, bar none,” he said. “For me to walk out there in this stage of my career … 100-degree heat, six months after a pec tear, it’s a win for me.”
Triple H went on to say that there was nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to losing to Orton, and praised the fans in Saudi Arabia, but noted how hot it was. “All air left the building at about the two-minute mark, but my hats off to Randy Orton, one of the best there is.” According to Triple H, their back-and-forth lead up to the match was nothing but “heat of the moment” stuff, and there’s still lots of respect between the two.
When asked what his plans next were for Triple H, he said that while the opportunities to continue doing in-ring action were “few and far between,” they still mean a lot. “I’m going to fly home, I’m going to take a minute, be with my family, and see what’s next.” he said. Triple H also said that he’d continue to head down to Florida to watch NXT, and make sure the WWE was in good hands for the future.
June 3, 2019
WWE NXT Takeover Draws More Than RAW And SmackDown
As noted, Mauro Ranallo announced that Saturday's WWE NXT "Takeover: XXV" event from the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT was sold out, but no attendance figure was given. Triple H revealed in his post-show media call that the 25th Takeover special was the highest-grossing event WWE has done at that arena.
"This brand can stand on its own, and tonight was special. This was the highest-grossing WWE event we've done in this building. We've done RAW and SmackDown here, and this outdrew them."
There's no word yet on the actual number of fans in attendance but the Webster Bank Arena has a capacity of 10,000 for concerts, up to 9,000 for basketball games, and around 8,400 for hockey games.
June 1, 2019
Jon Moxley: Vince McMahon Doesn’t ‘Know What The F— Is Going On,’ Triple H Should Be In Charge
The Jon Moxley podcast tour continues and he’s continuing to be straight up with how he feels about his former employer. While talking to Pro Wrestling Torch, Ambrose discussed his issues with Vince McMahon. He says that while he used to be a genius, he’s not out of touch.
“In the 80s he was a genius,” said the former Dean Ambrose. “When he created ‘Hulkamania,’ and took over all the territories, and foresaw cable television and all that. He was a genius. In 2019, I don’t think he knows what the f— is going on.”
Moxley went on to say that Vince needs to step aside and let someone else do it if he can’t figure things out. The logical replacement is Triple H, who is being groomed for the role. “When Vince isn’t there, [Hunter] the guy you defer to. He’s got good ideas. His ideas are his ideas, but, he’s a lot more cerebral. He’s not a super open collaborative. … I think he would be more open to giving people more freedom, but he’s smart and he sees things his way. So, if he sees you doing something and he envisions a better way, and a lot of times you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s even cooler.'”
May 30, 2019
Triple H On Tyler Breeze Back On NXT Roster, Creative Decisions When NXT Stars Join WWE Main Roster
In WWE as in life, sometimes things don't go as planned and adjustments are made. An example of that is someone in NXT being called up to the main roster because of necessity which then affects both NXT and whatever brand they join.
Triple H was asked by Wrestling Inc. Managing Editor Nick Hausman about those creative decisions and also the possibility of the 24/7 or Women's Tag Titles being defended in NXT.
"It's definitely a possibility on both," Triple H said. "When Sasha and Bayley had the tag team championships, they talked about it. It's something I would love to have, but it really just comes down to scheduling. Trying to match the schedules up is the biggest problem. But who knows? You could see any of them at any time."
Triple H Coments On His Recent Jabs At AEW, NXT Possibly Airing On FOX
During a TakeOver media call earlier today, Triple H was asked by Wrestling Inc. Managing Editor Nick Hausman about NXT possibly being used by FOX.
"We're looking at everything," Triple H said. "There's a lot of interest in NXT as a brand and it's also very valuable to us on the Network. That's being vetted through here on every level to see what's the best outcome. We'll get there, but everyone will have to wait and see… As will I."
Hunter also discussed how the production of a TakeOver show compares to that of a Raw or SmackDown. He said that Raw and SmackDown are 2-3 hour shows so they are very different than TakeOver.
"When you talk about the TakeOvers, the simplicity of what we do is them in the ring letting them do what they do. This is the culmination and epic fight scene in the movie. The writing and build-up of characters and everything that goes into making that epic fight scene mean something is what takes place prior to that at those one-hour shows," stated Triple H.
