Triple H On WWE Working With Other Promotions: ‘We’re Open For Business’

During a media call promoting NXT TakeOver: WarGames, Triple H was asked about by All Elite Wrestling partnering with IMPACT Wrestling and if WWE or NXT would be open to such a collaboration. Triple H says WWE is open for business as long as it makes sense for both sides.

“We’re open for business in a lot of ways and a lot of things,” Triple H responded. “People’s thoughts and misperceptions, their perceived knowledge of what we do and how we think is often greatly misinterpreted and not accurate. Are we open to the right business opportunities? Yeah, at any given time we’re open to things. It just depends on what they are and if they’re beneficial to us in the long-term. When I say long-term I don’t mean three months, I mean 10 years. Long-term .That’s how we think. We’re not necessarily worried about minute-by-minutes. Open for business, I think Vince says that a lot and I’ve been around him long enough that if it’s the right thing and meaningful to business, he’s open to anything.”

Wrestling Legend Dan Gable To Receive The Presidential Medal Of Freedom

The National Wrestling Hall Of Fame issued the following announcement, confirming Dan Gable will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on December 7 at the White House.

Gable was contacted on October 14 to inform him that he would be receiving the award, making him the first wrestler to receive the nation’s highest honor for a civilian. Other athletes who have been honored include Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, Jesse Owens, Billie Jean King, Michael Jordan, and Babe Ruth.

“It’s an honor,” said Gable. I’ve received a lot of awards and have a lot of trophies, but this is the highest honor a civilian can receive. It’s really hard to wrap my head around that.”

Established by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded by the President of the United States to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the security or national interests of America, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

Past recipients have been movers and shakers in a range of fields, including public service, medicine, journalism, entertainment, and business. The impressive list of past honorees includes Steven Spielberg, Angela Merkel, Nancy Reagan, Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

“To get an award like this, it’s a lifetime achievement award, not only for what you did, but for what you continue to do,” said Gable.

The namesake of the Dan Gable Museum in his hometown of Waterloo, Iowa, Gable was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1980 and into the Dan Gable Museum’s Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa in the Charter Class of 2002. He is also a member of the World Wrestling Hall of Fame, the USA Wrestling Hall of Fame, and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.

Gable was a three-time Iowa state high school champion for Waterloo West and a two-time NCAA champion and three-time finalist for Iowa State. He had a combined record of 181-1 in his prep and college career, losing only in the 1970 NCAA finals. Gable won the Pan American Games and the world championships in 1971 and the Tblisi Tournament and the Olympics in 1972. He did not surrender a single point in his six matches at the Olympics and was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the Tblisi Tournament, considered by many to be the toughest tournament in the world.

After stepping off the mat, Gable became the most successful coach in NCAA history, coaching the University of Iowa from 1978 to 1997. He led the Hawkeyes to 21-straight Big Ten titles and 15 NCAA team championships, including a record nine in a row from 1978 to 1986. Gable coached 152 All-Americans, 46 national champions and 12 Olympians, who combined to win eight medals (four gold, one silver and three bronze).

Gable’s influence on professional wrestling is strong, including Chad Gable’s ring name being inspired by him, and Kurt Angle also citing him as an influence.

WWE Hall Of Famer Pat Patterson Passes Away

From WWE.com: WWE is saddened to learn that Pat Patterson has passed away at the age of 79. A true trailblazer of the industry, Patterson was linked to many "firsts" in sports-entertainment throughout his storied career, including the first-ever Intercontinental Title reign and the creation of the Royal Rumble Match. In a career spanning six decades, the renaissance man left an indelible mark on the industry in the ring, on the microphone and behind the scenes. Patterson began his career in 1958 in his native Canada before becoming a fixture in the Bay Area for nearly two decades. After winning the AWA Tag Team Championship with Ray Stevens in 1978, Patterson moved on to WWE. Under the tutelage of The Grand Wizard, Patterson made an immediate impact and became the first Intercontinental Champion in September 1979. Patterson's most legendary WWE rivalry was undoubtedly his war with Sgt. Slaughter, which captivated the WWE Universe with Boot Camp Matches and a brutal Alley Fight at Madison Square Garden. Shortly before his in-ring retirement in 1984, Patterson joined Mr. McMahon as a color commentator. Even after hanging up his boots, Patterson was far from finished reimagining the possibilities of the sports-entertainment industry. In 1988, Patterson brought one of the ring's most groundbreaking ideas to life by creating the original format for the Royal Rumble Match. Patterson returned to the ring during WWE's electric "Attitude Era," creating many memorable moments alongside Gerald Brisco as one of Mr. McMahon's hilarious "Stooges." Patterson even pinned Crash Holly to claim the Hardcore Title. For all his efforts, Pat Patterson was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996 by Bret Hart. In his 25-plus years in WWE, Patterson was synonymous with making history. From the Intercontinental Title to the Royal Rumble Match and beyond, his name will forever be revered in WWE lore. This amazing legacy was captured in Patterson's 2016 autobiography, Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE, a moving chronicle about his life both inside and out of the ring.

WWE Creative Update On Vince McMahon And Bruce Prichard

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com revealed the following about WWE creative: "Creatively, everything flows through Prichard at the moment and his word has been described as 'very much the Gospel' for Vince McMahon, which as you might image, being in that position translates into a lot of frustration and heat towards Prichard among talents privately." Vince has been completely hands-on with is the sword entrance that WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has been doing recently. Triple H reportedly filled in for Prichard on this week's Raw and those backstage described the situatioas a "breath of fresh air" according to PWInsider.

WWE NXT Tops AEW Dynamite On Night Before Thanksgiving

Week 59 of the Wednesday Night War saw WWE NXT defeat AEW Dynamite in viewership, but not the ratings in the key demographic. The numbers are just now being released due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Wednesday's NXT averaged 712,000 viewers on the USA Network, edging out the 710,000 viewers garnered by AEW Dynamite by just 0.3%, according to Showbuzz Daily. AEW ranked #7 in the Cable Top 150 for the 18-49 demo, while NXT ranked #25. AEW ranked #64 in total viewership, while NXT ranked #63 in viewership. Last week's Dynamite show drew 850,000 viewers (-16% from last week) and ranked #7 in the Cable Top 150, and #60 in viewership. Last week's NXT episode drew 638,000 viewers (+11.6%) and ranked #56 in the Cable Top 150, and #74 in viewership. AEW drew a 0.26 rating in the 18-49 demographic (-30%) while NXT drew a 0.20 (+43%) in the same demo this week. Last week's AEW show drew a 0.37 rating while the NXT episode drew a 0.14 in that demographic. This was the second-best NXT viewership and 18-49 demographic rating since October, besides the Halloween Havoc special, which drew 876,000 viewers and a 0.25 rating in the key demo. NXT viewership was down 12% from the 2019 Thanksgiving Week episode.

Stephanie McMahon On ThunderDome Boosting TV Ratings, Challenges Faced By WWE Due To COVID-19

At the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in March, three of the four major sporting leagues in the U.S. were temporarily shut down, The Masters was postponed, and nearly every sporting event across the world was put on hold. Even Hollywood production houses hit the pause button on all their projects. However, WWE didn't miss a beat and continued producing shows at its Performance Center [Capitol Wrestling Center] in Orlando, FL, where it hosted all three of its weekly TV shows [Raw, SmackDown, and NXT] before introducing ThunderDome at the Amway Center. Stephanie McMahon, the Chief Brand Officer of WWE, recently appeared on the 2020 Forbes CMO Summit Virtual Series and spoke of the challenges faced by WWE at the start of the pandemic. "For WWE, we never stopped producing our content, and that was a very difficult decision in and of itself," said Stephanie. "First and foremost, we had to ensure the health and safety of our talents, crew, and employees." She went onto talk about how WWE had no choice but to adapt to the new normal. "WrestleMania, for example, was supposed to be an event attended by 80,000 fans [at Raymond James Stadium] and instead became a two-day event at our Performance Center, which is essentially a warehouse where we develop and train our future stars. "It was a stark contrast to what WrestleMania normally is," she added. Stephanie emphasized that the pandemic era has made WWE realize just how crucial the fans are to its programming. "We continue to produce 7 hours of live programming every week, and produce content for a myriad of channels and platforms. And we never stopped. What we found [through this experience]] is that our fans mean everything. They bring the energy, the excitement, and the spectacle, and without them, the shows are just not the same." While touching upon WWE's ratings decline at the start of the empty arena era, Stephanie said WWE tried to bring in developmental talent to be a part of the audience but "that wasn't enough" to bring back the excitement to the live programming. "We had hoped to be back in the arenas during the fall but that wasn't to be," she revealed. "So, we decided to double down and invest in the ThunderDome. Today, we have 1,000 virtual fans every show and nearly 100,000 fans who have signed up for this experience." She continued, "These fans are live, they give us real-time reactions, and we see their faces. We also mix in additional audio, which we found very helpful. We bring that audio into the arena [besides piping in the noise for TV] because the performers need to hear the audience too, and feed off that crowd." Stephanie said ThunderDome has also enabled its production crew to explore technologies such as AR, Drones, Pyros, and Lasers in ways that "we had never been able to do before." She added, "Through ThunderDome, we have brought the spectacle back to WWE and have seen our ratings increase because of that." WWE will be moving its ThunderDome set to Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay, FL, starting with the episode of SmackDown on Friday, December 11.

WWE And Omaze Are Offering Fans The Chance To Tour The WWE PC With The Undertaker

The Undertaker just had his Final Farewell at WWE Survivor Series, but WWE is offering fans the rare chance to step into the ring with “The Phenom” Through Omaze and a collaboration with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the winner of a sweepstakes will get get to meet “The Deadman”” himself. The experience includes a tour of the WWE Performance Center, led by The Undertaker, and a picture with him, too. Plus, the winner gets to make their own ring entrance, Here’s the announcement from the official website: “Hear that? It’s the Undertaker’s bell. And it tolls for YOU. The Undertaker is inviting you and a friend to join him at the WWE Performance Center for an unforgettable experience. You’ll tour the training center for the wrestling stars of tomorrow with the wrestling legend. Take some truly epic photos. And even step into the ring with The Undertaker—don’t worry, not for a Tombstone Piledriver—but to create your own custom ring entrance! Flights, hotel and autographed WWE title belt included.” Fans can enter the running until it ends on February 24, 2021. No donation is required, but fans who buy numerous entries can increase their chances of winning while donating to the cause. The winner will be announced on March 10, 2021.

WWE Confirms $39 Million Class Action Lawsuit Settlement

A new SEC filing by WWE reveals that the company has closed on a $39 million settlement for a class action lawsuit filed by the City of Warren, Michigan Police & Fire Retirement System.

The suit alleged that WWE executives deceived investors over their business dealings in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, inflating the company stock and selling more than $280 million worth of shares at fraudulently inflated prices.

The suit, originally filed in March, had been consolidated by six different law firms. It alleged that WWE officials failed to disclose how the expected business agreements with Saudi Arabia for Middle Eastern TV deal had not been consummated, but that by allowing investors to believe otherwise, the company had caused the stock to rise when it should not have.

The settlement will include a full release of all Defendants in connection with the allegations made in the lawsuit, and will not contain any admission of liability or admission as to the validity or truth of any or all allegations or claims by any of the Defendants.

The Term Sheet provides for the settlement payment, all of which the Company expects will be paid by the Company's insurance carriers.

The Company believes that resolving the matter is the right business decision and that it is prudent to end the protracted and uncertain class action process.

The Undertaker Has Talked With Triple H About Coaching At The WWE PC

The Undertaker recently spoke with Tony Maglio of The Wrap and in a Q&A session, he discussed various topics, from The Boneyard Match at WWE WrestleMania 36 to The Last Ride documentary. In one interesting exchange, Undertaker said he’s trying to figure out what’s next for him, adding that he’s open to being a coach but travel is one obstacle in his way.

“You know, that’s the pickle that I’m in right now, is trying to [figure] out what lane I want to take. I’ve been on the road for so long, that really doesn’t appeal to me, traveling and doing all that. I love to teach. Triple H and I have had many conversations about me working with the talent there at NXT, in Orlando at the PC. And I really enjoy that. And we’re just trying to figure out how it works because I’d have to come in and go out. I live in Texas. So I’m sure I will do more of that moving forward. I think there’s a lot of– I think I have a lot to offer. The product is changing and evolving, but I think there’s a lot of what I bring to the table that is still applicable to the product and these guys need to hear it and see it from somebody who has made it work. So we’ll see what happens there.”

Stephanie McMahon Named One of Adweek’s Most Powerful Women in Sports

Adweek has revealed their list of the Most Powerful Women in Sports, with Stephanie McMahon among names like The Rock’s business partner Dany Garcia, WWE Board Member Erika Nardini and Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeannie Buss, who had previously worked with WOW – Women of Wrestling. When asked about empowering women, McMahon said: “As a mother to three daughters, I am passionate about empowering and showing young girls and women that there are no boundaries to what you can do or be. Empowering women begins impactful, meaningful conversations.”

WWE Confirms Reason For Zelina Vega's Release

WWE confirmed to Sports Illustrated that Zelina Vega (Thea Trinidad) was terminated on Friday for breaching her contract.

The "final straw" was considered to be Vega opening an OnlyFans account, despite WWE's edict on third-party platforms. Her account featured exclusive videos and photos of "cosplays, lingerie, swimsuits and more," for $30 a month. In September, WWE Superstars were told they would have to close down accounts on sites, like Cameo and Twitch — even if they were using their real names and avoided any affiliation with WWE.

Vega was reportedly very vocal about keeping her Twitch account, but according to the SI report, WWE upper management felt she "boxed them into a difficult situation" by sticking with her third-party platforms. WWE had said previously talent would be fined, or potentially released, if they didn't adhere to their demands.

This, of course, has brought on the debate of how WWE treats its talent, as they are currently classified as independent contractors. That conversation has grabbed not only the attention of Andrew Yang, but, SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris, who sent Wrestling Inc. a statement this morning in regards to the possibility of working with wrestlers:

"Wrestling is as much about media as it is sports, and we are going to directly engage with members of this profession to help find ways for them to protect themselves," Carteris wrote. "As more people reinvest in unions, and as more working people are harassed by employers who don't want to protect them, SAG-AFTRA is committed to doing what we can to help professional wrestlers secure the protections they deserve."

Carteris also personally reached out to Vega on social media after Zelina's "I support unionization" tweet picked up steam.

The 18th annual WWE Tribute to the Troops will air on FOX

The 18th annual WWE Tribute to the Troops will air on FOX on Sunday, December 6, adjacent to Sunday’s regional NFL broadcasts. Viewers with an NFL matchup airing at 1:00 PM ET can watch WWE Tribute to the Troops at 4:30 PM ET; viewers with an NFL matchup airing at 4:05 PM ET can watch the special at 3:00 PM ET. The event will take place inside the state-of-the-art WWE ThunderDome™, and include servicemen and women and their families from Marine Corps Air Station New River, US Army Post Fort Hood, U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), Naval Air Station Fallon and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.

“Supporting the United States military year-round is an essential part of FOX Sports’ mission, and partnering with WWE on their Tribute to the Troops is an incredible extension of this ongoing commitment,” said Eric Shanks, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Producer, FOX Sports.

“This is a unique time and we look forward to providing our troops and their families with an interactive experience that only WWE can deliver as we celebrate our servicemen and women with millions of our fans watching at home on FOX,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO.

In what is considered TV’s most patriotic and heartwarming show of the year, WWE began Tribute to the Troops in 2003 to honor our servicemen and women and their families and thank them for their continued sacrifice to our country. In addition to the event, WWE will also be hosting virtual meet and greet sessions with WWE Superstars and military members.

Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina is home to Marine Aircraft Groups 26 and 29, Headquarters and Support squadron, and several premiere training units. New River also serves as the East Coast’s only rotary wing and tiltrotor Air Station, with approximately 8,000 Marines, Sailors and civilian employees.

With more than 37,000 active duty Soldiers and Airmen assigned to the post along with more than 100,000 family members, Fort Hood in Texas is the largest active duty armored post in the United States Armed Forces and trains an additional 22,000 Reserve Soldiers annually.

Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in Ridgecrest, CA, covers more than 1.1 million acres and is known for research, development and testing of some of the world's most cutting-edge weapons, including the Sidewinder & Tomahawk.

In the coming weeks, WWE will announce celebrity guests from the world of sports and entertainment that will take part in the Tribute to the Troops broadcast on FOX.