Andy Kaufman To Be Inducted Into WWE Hall Of Fame

Vince McMahon Biopic Will Not Happen Confirm Directors

A biopic based on Vince McMahon which had been in pre-production since 2017 has been nixed.

The movie titled "Pandemonium" once rumored to have Bradley Cooper playing McMahon will no longer be progressing any further.

During a recent interview with Slash Film the directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra noted that, "Pandemonium is dead, sadly”.

Requa then added, "Vince killed it."

The film was required to be signed off by WWE Studios and Vince McMahon himself. Requa places the blame firmly with McMahon:

"So, yeah, we are on a very long list of people who got f***ed over by Vince."

A planned Vince McMahon Netflix series is reportedly in the works.

The Great Muta To Be Inducted Into WWE Hall of Fame

 

ESPN reports that The Great Muta is set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2023. The announcement was made by Ric Flair on today’s episode of The Bump. Muta never appeared for WWE, but has wrestled for WCW, which WWE now owns. He also regularly competed for NJPW, Pro Wresting NOAH and more.

Rey Mysterio is the 1st inductee for the 2023 WWE HOF

WWE in talks with state gambling regulators to legalize betting on scripted match results

WWE is in talks with state gambling regulators in Colorado and Michigan to legalize betting on high-profile matches, according to people familiar with the matter.

WWE is working with the accounting firm EY to secure scripted match results in hopes it will convince regulators there’s no chance of results leaking to the public, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. Accounting firms PwC and EY, also known as Ernst & Young, have historically worked with award shows, including the Academy Awards and the Emmys, to keep results a secret.

Betting on the Academy Awards is already legal and available through some sports betting applications, including market leaders FanDuel and DraftKings, although most states don’t allow it. WWE executives have cited Oscars betting as a template to convince regulators gambling on scripted matches is safe, the people said.

Still, while Academy Awards voting results are known by a select few before they’re announced publicly, they aren’t scripted by writers. Even if regulators allow gambling, betting companies would have to decide if they’re willing to place odds on WWE matches even if it’s legalized. Those discussions have yet to occur at betting firms, according to people familiar with the matter.

A WWE spokesperson declined to comment. A spokesperson for EY couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

source:  cnbc.com

Wells Fargo Analysis Says Fox Unlikely To Renew WWE SmackDown At Increased Rights Fee

WWE's domestic television rights are up for negotiation and renewal this year for broadcasts effective September 2024. This is at least the stated reason for why Vince McMahon returned to the company's board of directors, to steer an attempt to sell the company. In particular, given the expense of sports media rights, the idea was that one distribution partner might entertain buying the company outright. Last month, though, that idea was complicated by the report that Comcast — one of the most theoretically likely buyers, with its approximately $465 million/year commitment for "WWE Raw" on USA Network and WWE Network on Peacock – was not interested in buying the wrestling company. 

On Tuesday, a new wrinkle surfaced that throws another wrench into what's going on: If Fox were to renew "WWE SmackDown," it would not be at an increased rate over its current $205 million/year.

Forbes SportsMoney editor Mike Ozanian tweeted a screenshot from a presentation generated by Wells Fargo Securities analysts about WWE's domestic media rights prospects. The main takeaway was that they don't think Fox is willing to do a new deal at a higher price. He adds that it's "possible" that this could lead to the price of "SmackDown" being partially underwritten by a streaming partner in the new contract or the show outright leaving its current spot on Fox.

In May 2018, The Hollywood Reporter, in detailing the WWE/Fox negotiations, noted that Fox Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch played heavily on the McMahon family's insecurities during their talks, including that Comcast/NBC Universal was "embarrassed by your product." His son, CEO Lachlan Murdoch, laid it on thicker, reportedly adding that, in reporter Marisa Guthrie's words, that the deal "would herald the marriage of the Murdochs and the McMahons, rebel outsiders who had built media empires."

MLW’s Amended Lawsuit Against WWE, Details On Alleged Talent Tampering

PWInsider has more details from MLW’s amended lawsuit against WWE. As noted, MLW has filed a 44-page amended lawsuit against WWE which adds more detail and arguments regarding WWE’s alleged violation of the Sherman Act regarding anti-trust practices and more.

The amended lawsuit focuses its anti-trust arguments on how companies monetize their content and how WWE ices out other companies in their practices. The suit argues that pro wrestling companies need to strike media rights deals to be successful and that WWE has taken actions that make that almost impossible, which has hurt MLW and other possible competitors. It maintains its previous claims that WWE’s involvement caused the FOX-owned Tubi to cancel their contract with MLW the night before a deal was set to be announced between them, as well as the allegation that Vice backed away from a deal with MLW after a WWE executive told Vice that Vince McMahon was unhappy they were working together. The suit argues that with A&E owning a minority share in Vice, their connection to WWE through the WWE programming block on Sundays hurt MLW’s tanding with the network. While all the financial information from the Tubi deal and their current deal with Reelz are redacted, it is noted that:

“In sum, WWE’s predatory and unfair anti-competitive conduct in the Relevant Market is multi-faceted, with the intent and effect of expanding and maintaining its market power. This conduct includes, but is not limited to: (1) substantially foreclosing the Relevant Market through maintaining exclusivity agreements with major media companies and interfering with competitors’ media rights deals; (2) substantially increasing barriers to entry in the Relevant Market by raising rivals’ costs and restricting their access to the critical and scarce inputs required for professional wrestling programming, namely athletic performers with the requisite physical skills, acting talent, and marketability to be professional wrestlers, including by hiring away rivals’ wrestlers and not using them and by threatening to never hire talent that previously signed with rivals (“blacklisting”); and (3) blocking and foreclosing the access of rivals to professional wrestling venues, which are necessary for the production of professional wrestling programming. The combined effect of the conduct is that WWE has maintained its dominant market power.

Through its predatory and exclusionary conduct and abuse of its market power, WWE has substantially harmed competition in the Relevant Market by depriving MLW and other competitors of access to key media distribution platforms. Its conduct has harmed purchasers of media rights for professional wrestling programming by depriving them of programs and enabled WWE to impose and maintain supracompetitive prices, and in turn has harmed wrestling fans by reducing their choices and quality of professional wrestling programming and increasing their costs of consuming that content.

As a result of WWE’s anti-competitive and predatory conduct, MLW and other professional wrestling promotions have suffered and will continue to suffer substantial monetary damages and irreparable harm.”

The lawsuit also goes into specific details regarding WWE’s alleged tampering with talent contracts, claiming that former talent relations head Canyon Ceyman encouraged Swerve Strickland to get out of his deal with MLW so he could sign with WWE. It also alleges that WWE hired Davey Boy Smith Jr. away from MLW but then never used him outside of a dark match, which they argue makes it clear that WWE was intending to impair their ability to build themselves up. PWInsider notes that Smith is not identified as a former WWE star and a WWE legacy talent, and that WWE could argue that they knew of Smith long before he worked for MLW.

The suit also points out that AEW has reached out to WWE demanding that they not tamper with talent contracts, which appears to be referencing the AEW talent meeting where Tony Khan revealed that AEW legal head Megha Parekh emailed Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan telling them to stop contacting AEW-contracted talent.

The lawsuit also details some of the history of wrestling in the early 200s when WCW and ECW fell and were acquired by WWE, pointing out that WWE moving to TNN in 2000 directly contributed to ECW’s death and WWE acquiring the company’s assets in bankruptcy court.

The lawsuit also makes additional allegations of WWE blocking venue bookings beyond the previously-noted claim that Triple H contacted Madison Square Garden to get the ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard blocked in 2019. The suit claims that WWE prevented AEW Dynamite tapings from taking place at Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2019 and 2020. It also argues that WWE has run events opposite AEW PPVs to attempt to prevent those shows from being profitable.

Sonya Deville Arrested For Carrying A Firearm Without Proper Permit

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful shared the news that Daria Berenato, also known as WWE star Sonya Deville, was arrested in New Jersey for carrying a firearm without having a proper permit. The firearm was in her vehicle, and while Deville has a permit in Florida, it was not valid in New Jersey.

Sapp cited sources who noted that Deville was celebrating with her fiancee, following their recent engagement, and a valet found the gun in the glove box of the vehicle. Police arrived on the scene on February 19 and subsequently arrested Deville.

Per court records, she is due in court in March, as she has been charged with one count of unlawful weapon possession – handgun without a permit. She is reportedly trying to have the case thrown out. TMZ reported that Deville started carrying the weapon for protection after she dealt with a stalker who later tried to invade her home.

Additionally, Sapp cited WWE sources who indicated that there is no heat on Deville, as they understood why she would want to protect herself following the aforementioned situation.

Deville was the victim of an attempted kidnapping in August 2020, as a man was arrested after he broke into her home. The perpetrator pled not guilty after he was subsequently charged with armed burglary of a dwelling, attempted armed kidnapping, aggravated stalking, and criminal mischief for breaking into her home. He was later deemed incompetent to stand trial and sent to an institution.

SHIMMER Original Cheerleader Melissa To Be Inducted Into Indie Wrestling Hall Of Fame

Last year marked the inaugural class of the Indie Wrestling Hall of Fame. GCW found relative success with the concept and has begun assembling the Class of 2023 for this year's induction over WrestleMania weekend. Previously, Christopher Daniels was announced as being up for the prestigious honor, and it looks like he'll be joined by some solid company.  Yesterday, GCW announced the Cheerleader Melissa, one of the pioneers of modern-day women's wrestling in the United States, would be a part of this year's class.  

Trained by Daniels, Bryan Danielson, and Robert Thompson, Cheerleader Melissa broke into the Southern California wrestling scene in 2001. However, it wouldn't be until late 2006 that she really began gaining notoriety. That's when she began working for the all-women's promotion SHIMMER, run by both Prazak and Allison Danger. For the next 13 years, Melissa would serve as one of the promotion's most significant stars, winning the SHIMMER Championship twice and the SHIMMER Tag Team Championships once with Mercedes Martinez.

Her success in SHIMMER led to her signing with TNA in 2008, where she portrayed both Raisha Saeed, a Syrian wrestler who wore a niqāb to disguise her appearance, and Alissa Flash. She requested her release from the promotion in 2010 and continued to wrestle independently before joining Lucha Underground in 2015 as the sister to Marty "The Moth" Martinez, Mariposa. She would remain with LU till its final season concluded in 2018.

Though she hasn't officially retired, Melissa hasn't wrestled since November 2019. Fittingly, her last match to date was in SHIMMER, where she wrestled Shazza McKenzie, Elayna Black, Kris Statlander, Nevaeh, and Skylar in a Scramble match

WWE Breaks All-Time Gate & Viewership Records at Elimination Chamber

WWE today announced that the 2023 Elimination Chamber, which emanated from the Bell Centre in Montreal, became WWE’s highest-grossing and most-viewed Elimination Chamber in company history.

Viewership of the 2023 Elimination Chamber saw a 54 percent increase versus the previous record set in 2022. It also marked the largest gate ever for any WWE event held in Montreal and the largest gate in the history of Elimination Chamber.

In addition, 2023 Elimination Chamber broke the all-time event merchandise record and generated the highest-grossing Priority Pass fan experience packages for any non-”Big Five” premium live event through WWE’s partnership with On Location. Elimination Chamber sponsorship revenue was up nearly 300 percent versus 2022.

On social, content featuring WWE Superstars Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn generated nearly 20 million views across WWE’s social platforms. 

Eric Bischoff Says Triple H Taking Over WWE Creative Has Paid 'Huge Dividends'

While on "83 Weeks," WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff weighed in on Triple H taking over as Chief Content Officer, and what he heard in Triple H's voice at the post-Elimination Chamber press conference. "If anything came through in that press conference from Triple H, at least, one word to define it and that would be passion," Bischoff said. "If anybody's got any doubt about how and why WWE has turned things around so quickly over the last six or nine months, creatively speaking, I would say Paul Levesque and team ... are probably now being able to do what they're capable of doing without the kind of duress of tearing up scripts the day of the show and, you know, panicking over grammar and rough drafts and things like that. It's like, all of their focus is on the story itself and the quality of that story and it just paid huge dividends."

Triple H Comments On Potential Sale Of WWE

Triple H says he’s focused on doing his job to the best of his ability.

During his Elimination Chamber post-show press conference, Triple H was asked by Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics if he was in favor of a WWE sale prior to Vince McMahon’s return, or if he was still in favor. Triple H said that there are plenty of variables to consider, but he is OK with whatever situation allows him to keep doing his job.

“Depends on who’s buying, I suppose, what the offer is, what the outcome is. I stay out of it. That’s not a cop-out answer. I have the greatest gig in the world. I helped, in some small way, create the magic we did here tonight. And to me, it’s the best gig on the planet,” he said.

“As long as we get to do this, as long as we get to create it the way we get to create it, as long as we get to do our jobs and we get to go out there and put our passion on display,” Triple H explained, “as long as our talent is allowed to put their passion on display and do what we do, I’m good. I’m good. It is what it is.”