Longest Running Triple H Fansite
Since 2006

July 23, 2015

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon offer Elijah a contract to be an honorary WWE Superstar

Conflicting Reports On Why Bully Ray Did Not Work Recent WWE NXT Live Events


We noted yesterday via The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE wanted to use Bully Ray for a May NXT live event in Philadelphia but changed their mind due to Bully appearing on TNA Impact Wrestling as a special referee.

PWInsider reports that WWE contacted Bully about working that weekend and he agreed to work the shows but before they happened, he suffered an ear injury. Bully reportedly called WWE officials and told them he couldn't work the events because the injury was affecting his equilibrium and he didn't want to have bad matches. PWInsider's story notes that WWE officials appreciated the heads-up and understood the situation, and that was it.

July 22, 2015

Backstage News On WWE - ROH And NJPW, The 'Major Double-Cross' With Jushin Liger, NXT Takeover


The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that WWE announcing international legend Jushin "Thunder" Liger for the August 22nd NXT Takeover event in Brooklyn has opened up a "political hornets nest" due to Liger being a New Japan Pro Wrestling talent and NJPW being a partner of Ring of Honor, which runs head-to-head with NXT in the same city that night, with a show also features NJPW stars.

ROH reportedly sold 1,100 tickets for their Field of Honor show that night, a number they were happy with. They were expecting 2,000 tickets sold but The Observer notes that ticket sales stalled once WWE announced Takeover. Ticket sales also reportedly stalled for Jim Ross' "Ringside" one-man show, which takes place in nearby Manhattan. It was noted that any talks there would have been about moving shows to the afternoon to avoid head-to-head competition were decided against, but it wasn't specified which company decided against making a move. WWE actually canceled a live event in White Plains, NY that night to avoid splitting their audience.

We've noted how there are moves being made behind-the-scenes in WWE that relate to ROH. WWE has reportedly contacted at least one venue that ROH uses with the idea that WWE will run them if they no longer book ROH.

WWE booking Liger could be the start of a relationship between NJPW and WWE, who hasn't officially worked with any groups in Japan for years. ROH was not aware of Liger being booked for Takeover until the news broke and The Observer notes that even by pro wrestling standards, the booking is a major double-cross. It should be noted that Liger is able to book himself anywhere but NJPW is promoting the NXT appearance.

WWE Reportedly Nixes Plans to Bring Big Name in For NXT Appearance Due to Him Appearing on TNA TV


According to The Wrestling Observer, WWE wanted to bring Bully Ray in for the May 15th NXT Live Event which took place in Philadelphia.

WWE knew Bully Ray would get a big pop from the Philly crowd, but after he appeared on the May 8th edition of Impact Wrestling to referee a match between Kurt Angle and Eric Young, WWE nixed the idea to use Bully. The role went to Tommy Dreamer instead, and he ended up working an NXT match against Baron Corbin.

Despite recently returning to TNA as the new authority figure on Impact Wrestling, Bully Ray is still pushing for one last run in WWE with his tag team partner Devon. In a recent interview with The Fight Network, Ray said he thinks him and Devon are in their best shape

Stephanie McMahon Talks Darren Young, Says Young’s ‘Character’ Isn’t Gay, Is There A Reason For Lack Of LGBT Gimmicks?


The Daily Beast recently posted an article discussing WWE’s possible hesitation to promote LGBT characters on their programming, and it features some notable comments from Stephanie McMahon.

McMahon, who was noted to have made the comments while attending the ESPN ESPY Awards last week, said the ‘Darren Young’ character isn’t gay, but the man who plays him, Fred Rosser, is.

“Darren Young was the first WWE superstar to really come out as being homosexual, but his character in the show is not. At least, we haven’t done anything with it either way — just yet.”

McMahon also noted that WWE isn’t opposed to adding a gay or LGBT character, but it should be done right and make business sense:

“It could very well pop up in WWE because we are all about what’s relevant, and what’s pop culture, and what people want to see. So if there is an opportunity, we might just take it…

…You know, in WWE our storylines are a year long. They don’t go episodic, week to week—they really are the arc from WrestleMania to WrestleMania. So sometimes it takes a little longer than people would like for the seeds to grow. But we’re constantly planting them.”

The article goes on to talk about ‘flamboyant’ characters in wrestling history, and some rumored suggestions of taking a “top star” and making him gay. The Wrestling Observer’s Ben Miller, who was also quoted for the piece, added,

“I think the big worry that WWE has is that they think their audience is really stupid. So they worry that they’re going to have a character who comes out as gay, and it’s going to be like the Mexican soccer fans in Charlotte chanting ‘culero’ at [an opposing player]. I think they think that their fans would chant something homophobic at him, and that’s going to get press and make WWE look not progressive.”

Darren Young came out as gay in August 2013, making him WWE’s lone openly gay active wrestlers. While it is public knowledge, almost no mention of Young’s homosexuality has been made on WWE TV, aside from a few comments by his tag team partner, Titus O’Neil, like during a WWE RAW vignette. The pair were talking about a coming out party during their quest for the tag team titles, and Titus quipped that Young ‘already had his’ last year.

WWE NXT Going Head-To-Head With ROH Again


WWE NXT will once again be going head-to-head with Ring of Honor on September 19th in San Antonio, Texas. This is during Night of Champions weekend, which takes place on September 20th in Houston. ROH has their All-Star Extravaganza Night 2 that night at the Shrine Auditorium and NXT has announced a show for the Aztec Theater. The venues are 17 miles apart.

Total Divas Recap 07/21/15

July 21, 2015

Court Document Reveals the Latest Details on WWE Dr. Chris Amann’s Lawsuit Against CM Punk, Where it Currently Stands & What is Next


Back on February 19th of this year, WWE Doctor Chris Amann filed a Libel/Slander lawsuit against Phil “CM Punk” Brooks and Colt Cabana, stemming from comments Punk made during an appearance on Colt Cabana’s “Art of Wrestling” podcast.

The Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court has released court documents which provide updates on the current status of the case, and what will happen next.

The last three entries of the document, which you can view below, are the keys. It looks like there were a few initial amendments to the Complaint and Punk’s initial Motion to strike the Complaint was continued, likely until Colt Cabana’s attorney entered his appearance. Then on July 20th, you see the two entries below where the Judge denied (DND) Punk’s Motion and Cabana’s Motion (Participant Brooks and Colton, as that is Punk and Cabana’s real names, respectively). The Judge then assigned the case to a category and allowed 28 months for Discovery.

In layman’s terms, Amann’s lawsuit has survived initial procedural challenges to its sufficiency. The parties now have up to 28 months to exchange information, obtain medical documentation, depose witnesses, etc. That doesn’t mean that the case will go to trial or that the suit ultimately will be successful. But it does mean that this issue isn’t going away anytime soon.

Activity Date: 7/20/2015 Participant: BROOKS STRIKE OR WITHDRAW COMPLAINT, AMENDED COMPLAINT OR PORTION THEREOF – DND – Judge: BROSNAHAN JANET ADAMS

Activity Date: 7/20/2015 Participant: COLTON STRIKE OR WITHDRAW COMPLAINT, AMENDED COMPLAINT OR PORTION THEREOF – DND – Judge: BROSNAHAN JANET ADAMS

Activity Date: 7/20/2015 Participant: AMANN CASE ASSIGNED TO CATEGORY 2 – DISC. COMPLETED IN 28 MONTHS Judge: BROSNAHAN JANET ADAMS

William Regal On WWE Wanting Stars From Other Feds, What Triple H Looks For In New Talents, More


WWE NXT General Manager William Regal recently sat down with Fighting Spirit Magazine to shed some light on what he is looking for in prospective talents for WWE. Courtesy of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, below are highlights:

* WWE talent scouts are currently looking for an array of different talents and are foremost concerned with their in-ring acumen. The days of only looking for one type of person are over, says Regal. He says they are looking for people who can fill necessary roles for the company, and are particularly interested in men and women who've gotten over in other promotions.

* According to Regal, when someone recommends a wrestler, the first thing Triple H asks is, "Do they look like they can beat somebody up?" Both Regal and Triple H agree that believability is invaluable in their line of work. He recalls one wrestlers who received a try-out 18 months back; he was very good but WWE didn't sign him because he looked too young. Regal wanted "someone who looked like a man," and told him to come back in a couple of years.

* When asked about the perfect age, he says that the best wrestlers are generally around 30-years-old.

* As far as developmental talents who didn't come through the indies, Regal says they're basically looking for people who would "make good action figures." He says that prospective Superstars must at least look the part.

* Regal says that the most successful people in the wrestling industry have usually been those who possessed an incredible work ethic. He says WWE developmental used to be nothing but bodybuilders, which ended up proving fruitless: "You'd get one good one out of every thousand."

* Regal praises NXT's Stuart Tomlinson (Hugo Knox), a former soccer player who just started working NXT live events. He says Stuart is opening doors for WWE in Europe due to his already established notoriety.

* Regal talks about the best exercises for pro wrestlers; he says Seth Rollins and Ryback both do burpees, because standard cardio can't keep them in "wrestling shape." He also praised hill running and kettlebell swinging.

* When asked about the important of an "amateur background," Regal says that MMA training is probably more suitable for today's prospective Superstars. He goes on to say boxing is also probably more applicable than amateur wrestling, as boxing footwork is more akin to how pro wrestlers perform.

* Regal says that major wrestling academies should teach everyone to roll before teaching them how to bump: "If you can roll at every angle, it becomes second nature to protect yourself when you fall."

* Regal calls for a change in wrestling culture, as far as wrestlers taking bumps on their head or neck. He thinks people should stop using brain busters because "the casual fan thinks you just messed up a vertical suplex." Regal had a major neck operation last year, before which he claims he spent 20 years sleeping just three hours a night. He swears by training his neck with bridging exercises, and claims it helped keep him together as long as it did.

Ring Of Honor Issues Global Force Wrestling With A Cease And Desist Letter


Ring of Honor has reportedly sent a cease and desist letter to Global Force Wrestling due to infringement upon ROH’s brand in radio and television ads that promote Friday’s GFW Television taping in Las Vegas, NV at The Orleans casino according to a source at PWInsider.com.

The ad is said to promote the appearance of ROH talent at GFW’s show on 7/24, which also happens to be the same day as Ring of Honor’s “Death Before Dishonor” iPPV in Baltimore, MD. So it's unlikely any ROH talent will be appearing.

PWInsider, also notes that Chris Sabin has not been booked for the GFW show.

July 17, 2015

Backstage News on WWE and Ring of Honor


As noted, WWE has announced that wrestling legend Jushin "Thunder" Liger will be wrestling Tyler Breeze at the "Takeover: Brooklyn" event. This caused controversy as Liger and New Japan Pro Wrestling have ties to ROH and several top NJPW stars will also be wrestling in New York City that night at ROH's Field of Honor event. F4Wonline.com notes that other significant moves are being made behind-the-scenes regarding NXT and ROH, ones that apparently do not involve NJPW. The moves should be made public soon.

WWE Hosting Ultimate Warrior Event During SummerSlam Weekend


WWE will be doing a major book launch for the new Ultimate Warrior book that comes out next month. Dana Warrior will be signing copies of the book on Saturday, August 22nd in Brooklyn at the Powerhouse Arena. There will also be Warrior memorabilia, the statue WWE had made and Warrior face-painting for kids.

July 16, 2015

Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger to appear at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn


International wrestling legend Jushin “Thunder” Liger will appear at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn! The blockbuster announcement was made by NXT General Manager William Regal at tonight’s NXT tapings at Full Sail University in Orlando, Fla and then via Twitter.

A legend in his home country of Japan, Liger is an innovator of the high-flying, hard-hitting style that defined cruiserweight wrestling. A true aerial artist, he is not only credited with the invention of the Shooting Star Press, but is also a dangerous striker, known for his devastating shotei palm strikes.

He brought that style to America in the early 1990s with WCW, where he captured their Light Heavyweight Championship from Brian Pillman on Christmas 1991. Liger and Pillman went on to have a classic battle at SuperBrawl II that is regarded as one of the best cruiserweight matches ever. Liger returned to Japan for several years before coming back to WCW for the debut episode of Monday Nitro in 1995, again squaring off with Pillman in a thrilling affair.

A decorated champion in Japan, Mexico and the United States, Jushin “Thunder” Liger will appear in WWE for the first time ever at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Saturday, Aug. 22.

Don’t miss your chance to see a rare appearance in the United States from one of the most revered highfliers of all time! Tickets for NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn will be available this Saturday at 12 p.m. ET!

Rumor Mill - Backstage News on Why Top WWE Executive Was Recently Released


WWE Executive Vice President of Content Lisa Lee Fox was recently fired from the company. Fox had worked with WWE since 1995 and most recently headed up the WWE writing team, reporting directly to Triple H and Vince McMahon. She also was one of the officials in charge of the WWE Network and TV content.

While the exact reason for her firing remains unknown, Fox was the point person for WWE’s bid on the old Paul Boesch Houston Wrestling tape library. It turns out that NWA’s Bruce Tharpe made the winning bid and got the library instead of WWE. This led to the NWA starting their own streaming service with many matches featuring WWE Legends.

While the NWA’s streaming service obviously won’t directly compete with the WWE Network, WWE did not want a similar service started by another wrestling company that features big name matches.

July 15, 2015

WWE Statement On Sending Belts To Athletes


Tech Times has an article about WWE sending replica belts to athletes and sports teams, including most recently Todd Frazier of the Cincinnati Reds and the United States women's national soccer team. WWE sent the site this statement regarding their tribute:

"WWE sends the WWE World Heavyweight Championship title to athletes and teams either through an individual athlete's representation or to team officials. WWE has sent the Championship title to various teams and athletes for a number of years. The WWE World Heavyweight Championship title signifies the pinnacle of greatness, and it is our honor to present it to those outside of WWE who have achieved this championship level status in their own field. We think it is a fitting tribute to the best of the best."

Potential Legal Issue Leads to TNA Dropping Wrestler & Causes Massive Changes to Impact Wrestling TV Series


An issue between TNA and Lucha Underground has led to a number of planned TNA TV segments being pulled from upcoming episodes of Impact Wrestling, storylines being dropped and one recent TNA signing being dropped from the company, PWInsider.com has learned

At the center of the controversy with Shawn Hernandez, who recently returned to TNA and became part of the Beat Down Clan after appearing on the first season of Lucha Underground on The El Rey Network.

TNA sources indicate that Hernandez was signed to a deal by the company after informing TNA that contractually, he was free and clear to do so. After Hernandez made a number of appearances at TNA TV tapings, Lucha Underground approached TNA and informed them that contractually, Hernandez was still their talent, signed to their series and that he was not released from his obligations to their promotion, therefore he could not legally appear on TNA broadcasts.

As you might imagine, this put TNA into a legally actionable position where they could be sued. With Impact Wrestling already pre-filmed well in advance as well, it put the company into a terrible situation where their storylines, which are worked out well in advance, would be useless.

I am told that TNA management attempted to work out an agreement with Lucha Underground that would allow the existing footage to be used, including offering to pay Underground for Hernandez' appearances. We are told that Underground turned down all those attempts. Given that the producers of the Lucha series come from a film and TV background, I was not surprised to hear that.

Since TNA cannot use the footage, the decision was made to pull anything involving the BDC. As of today, all of the current BDC storylines are completed and done as it would be impossible to edit around Hernandez.

I am told that starting tonight, TNA will be replacing those matches and vignettes with existing material, including some matches from the TNA Slammiversary PPV from a few weeks ago. TNA also intends to film material at their Orlando TV Tapings later this month that they can drop into the segments that are no longer available to be used.

The matches and segments that were filmed are (for now at least) completely scrapped and TNA will re-edit all of their TV.

Hernandez, obviously, is gone from TNA and he is now in a position where he's losing work as TNA wanted to use him and cannot. Lucha Underground is still working to finance a potential second season, so Hernandez is now stuck off TV until they pick up production again.

As far as the rest of the BDC, MVP, Kenny King, etc. are also effectively be off those TV episodes until TNA can get new material with those talents. So, through no fault of their own, a number of TNA talents are now off television suddenly until TNA can work them back in while talents who wrestled them also find their matches yanked.

Obviously, the TNA editing team has their work ahead of them.

source: pwinsider.com

July 14, 2015

Total Divas Recap 07/14/15

Blue Pants On Her WWE NXT Future, If There's Been Jealousy Over Her NXT Reactions, More


Leva Bates, known to WWE NXT fans as Blue Pants, recently spoke with Rolling Stone. The full interview is at this link. Below are highlights:

How did NXT happen? Did they contact you?

They have a recruiting page online, and I filled it out and they got a hold of me through that. Actually, my first time I did anything with WWE was being a Rosebud. So when they called me for NXT, I assumed it was another Rosebud gig, which I was all for. Then they told me I was going to be on NXT doing a match. That's kind of how it went down. They actually called me the day of the show, so thank God I was local. I ended up just leaving Universal and going straight there.

Are you surprised you've become a Full Sail favorite?

It was definitely unexpected. I didn't expect to be called Blue Pants, I didn't expect it to catch on like it did. And then when I got called back the second, and even third time, I didn't expect for the chants to keep happening. Whenever I get those "Blue Pants" chants, it just blows my mind. I think part of it was Carmella though, whenever her character would be disgusted with me, and then I'd come out all excited, the crowd just ate it up. It really was just right place, right time; the stars aligned, and now the sky's the limit.

Some wrestlers are concerned that if they are enhancement talent on a regular basis, that's what they become. Are you worried about that?

Not really. I'm getting a lot more attention now. I've gotten more opportunities in wrestling, my fans have increased, a lot of doors have opened for me. I still do a lot of things outside of NXT, and people get that. Some of my fans have actually gotten more upset about that than me. They talk about how I'm not Blue Pants, I'm Leva. But I really don't mind it. I have a lot of creative ideas, and I don't think Blue Pants will hinder those ideas, even if they get to know me as her.

Have you sensed any jealousy backstage in regards to the reactions you're getting?

No, not at all. I do hear a lot of disbelief that I'm as over as I am, but everyone has been really nice and supportive. One person even told me that I make superstars, or villains, which was really cool. Everyone has been super nice; they even celebrated my birthday the last time I was there. All of that caught me off guard. That was incredibly heartwarming. The thing is, if one person succeeds, it proves that success is possible. Everyone just stays positive there, which is great for me, since I'm a super-positive person.

I know that you've started to get used on the house shows for NXT, instead of just the TV tapings. Has there been any talk of getting a developmental contract?

We've talked about doing more house shows in the future, which is a lot of fun. I think I'm kind of creating something new with them. I'm sort of a free-agent regular. I can do my things, but also appear on their shows. If they do offer me something though, that would be awesome. If they don't, that's still great, because I get to live my dream. I get to work with WWE. That's always been a dream of mine. I'm just looking at everything positively. You have to enjoy the moment. I could be sitting here concerned about if they're going to be offering me a contract or not. Instead, I'm enjoying every time they're calling me. I can say I've won a WWE match now! I can cross that off my bucket list. I got to wrestle the NXT champion! I got be on Raw! Cross all that off my bucket list. Instead of worrying what comes next, you have to enjoy what you've accomplished so far. I think so many people, especially wrestling fans, are concerned about what comes next. I don't know what's going to happen, I just ride the moment. You never know when it's going to end. I've had an awesome ride.

Former Security Guard Suing 12 WWE Superstars Over 2013 Live Event Incident, WWE Responds


A former security guard at the Savannah Civic Center in Savannah, Georgia is suing WWE and several Superstars after he was hit with a steel chair at a WWE live event in 2013, according to Courthouse News Service. The complaint was filed in late June.

Troy Rivers says he was unexpectedly hit "about the head, neck and back" with a chair at the event. His suit names John Cena, Ryback, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, Fandango, Damien Sandow, Cody Rhodes, Kane and R-Truth. Rivers is unsure who actually hit him, believing it may be Ambrose, so his attorney is suing every Superstar who competed that night. His attorney Kevin Elwell said:

"We haven't reviewed the video from the event yet, so we're bringing in everyone on the card that night. Only one guy did it, but we don't know which one yet."

Rivers says the incident left him with "serious, significant and permanent personal injuries." River's wife Mary is also a plaintiff in the suit and claims that the incident has deprived her of "conjugal fellowship" with her husband. Troy also claims that because of gross negligence by WWE, he is suffering from "physical and mental anguish, diminishment of his earning capacity, and continues to suffer a loss of enjoyment of life."

The man is seeking unspecified punitive and compensatory damages. WWE issued a written statement in response and said they have no knowledge of "any such incident and the security company that hired the plaintiff doesn't have any record of this matter either. Furthermore, the plaintiff's attorney has admitted he has no basis to sue the individual defendants named in the lawsuit."

Global Force Wrestling Will Feature Four Divisions; Tournaments Announced to Crown New Champions in Las Vegas


Global Force Wrestling has announced that it will feature four unique divisions when the promotion heads to Las Vegas later this month for its first ever television taping. Additionally, four tournaments will kick off on July 24th at the Orleans Arena to crown the inaugural champions.

GFW Global Championship: This will be the company’s perceived top prize, defending all over the planet against names from anywhere in the world, making it a true “world championship”.

GFW Women’s Championship: The company will be looking to bring in the top female wrestlers from around the globe to create the ultimate women’s division.

GFW Tag Team Championship: Let’s be honest…how long before the Young Bucks have won these?

GFW NEX*GEN Championship: This is a division specifically set up to bring a focus to the “stars of tomorrow”. Up-and-coming names from all around the world will battle for a chance to make a name for themselves, providing the fans with a chance to acquaint themselves with fresh faces.

July 13, 2015

Video: Stephanie McMahon launches a revolution in the Divas division by introducing Becky Lynch, Charlotte and NXT Women's Champion Sasha Banks on Raw

Three NXT Divas Debut On Tonight's WWE RAW






Sometimes all you need is a spark to start a revolution. - Triple H

WWE Hall Of Famer Sunny Arrested


WWE Hall of Famer Tammy "Sunny" Sytch was arrested back on May 30th for DUI in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, according to The Standard Speaker.

Arrest papers say state police stopped her in the parking lot of a local Walmart at 1:32am. She was stopped because police saw her enter the exit for the parking lot and hit a curb. Sunny reportedly failed a field sobriety test and had a blood alcohol level of .253.

Sunny lives in nearby Palmerton and was charged with two counts of DUI and two summary violations after the incident - one for suspended license and one for careless driving.

July 12, 2015

WWE Performance Center Celebrates Second Anniversary

Interview with Magnum T.A.

Former NWA star Magnum TA granted a brief rare interview with legendary wrestling journalist Bill Apter. The two spoke about his NWA career and the accident that eventually ended it. You can see the full interview above.

Brie Bella on Daniel Bryan's Recovery, Wanting to Become Parents, the WWE Divas Title, More


Brie Bella recently spoke with the UK's Mirror to promote WWE Total Divas. The full interview is at this link. Below are some highlights:

The new season:

I actually have to say this is probably one of my favourite seasons and I'm not just saying that so y'all tune in. A lot has happened, a lot happens. We start the season where the girls are in an uproar because Eva Marie doesn't want to train in NXT and it doesn't sit well with the other Divas. And it shouldn't. And you just see a lot of people start pouring their hearts out, start speaking the truth, and it turns into a lot of drama. I think everyone will be surprised and that's what you have to tune in for.

My husband and I, you know we've really just been going back on forth on becoming parents, it's something we really, really want. I'm just dying to be a mom and you're going to see that struggle this season and Daniel Bryan and myself getting our fertility checks which is just crazy, but we did that, I really wanted to know, and you'll see a lot of things that get us ready for motherhood and fatherhood.

My sister, you'll kind of just see her going back and forth whether she's going to re-sign with WWE or not and being the Divas Champion. It's crazy, we're on the road just about 350 days a year and we sacrifice everything, so you just start looking at all your family's pictures and you're like 'oh my gosh, I'm not in that, that or that, wow, I've not been in the last 10 years of your life'. We're really looking at that. I think family is everything to the Bella Twins and that's what we've been looking at and thinking about the most.

One of the main things we'll see you having to deal with is the career threatening injury Bryan has suffered. How is he doing?

You know he's doing really well, he is, but it has been very hard. This injury unlike any other has just been the hardest because in the past we at least knew 'okay it's surgery, this long to recover', he unfortunately had a relapse, but then we knew how long it would be to recover after the relapse. But with this one it's so unclear and that's the hard thing. As a wife, to put myself away from wrestling, as a wife it's so hard to see your husband go through this. I mean, you know when doctors are starting to think, and you see his dreams come crashing down, it breaks my heart. To the point where I wish I was in his position and he was in mine because I hate seeing him like that. But my husband has so much fight in him and he tells me every day 'I'm getting back in that ring, just you watch' and I'm like 'oh I bet you will'. I have his support 100% and I really think he will get back in there, I really do. He doesn't see it any other way.

You were the Divas Champion in 2011. Is it an ambition of yours to hold the title again?

Oh my gosh I would love to. It would be such an honour to hold it again. You know I'm proud of my sister right now and she couldn't be a better champion and I'll always have her back, but there are definitely times when I think, 'look at that, I think it would look better in my hands'! SummerSlam is coming up, which brings up a lot of bad memories, but I have her back, blood is thicker than water.

What was it like to feud with Stephanie and your sister and be part of such a big storyline this time last year?

Oh, it was the highlight of my career. It was amazing to work with Stephanie McMahon, you know for a Diva it was amazing to have a great story. And to have it happen organically from the Daniel Bryan situation. You know Stephanie and I main evented Raw two weeks in a row. Just as women. We had no men in our storyline, it was just two women who had beef. And then when we were going into SummerSlam to have Vince McMahon tell us that we helped sell the pay-per-view and that was the main story going in, it was incredible. Those are moments I will be telling my grandchildren, that I will remember forever. And the best part too, someone like her was bullying my husband and I got be the bitch that stepped in and put her in her place.

Interview with the Lucha Dragons


The Lucha Dragons were interviewed by CBS affiliate WDJT in Milwaukee this past Tuesday, promoting that evening's SmackDown event, which you can watch in the video above. During the interview, Sin Cara talked about returning to the city.

"Obviously it's a city where they love wrestling, they love WWE," Sin Cara said. "To be here is an honor. It's great to come back to Wisconsin. Actually my high school coach in wrestling, he's from Dodgeville Wisconsin and he lives in Milwaukee. Hopefully I get a chance to say hi to him tonight."

Kalisto also talked about how wrestling in Mexico prepared him for WWE.

"Lucha libre is an art, and right now, lucha libre is universal," said Kalisto. "It prepared me a lot. We have a lot in common, me and Sin Cara. Ever since I started in XT, there was a different atmosphere, a different style, but lucha libre did help a lot. It helped us so much because we're both athletic and we're both high flyers. And we display a different art in the ring."

WWE HQ turmoil: one executive fired by Vince McMahon, another one leaves of his own accord


In a worrying sign for WWE investors, the quick turnaround of high ranking executives within the company has continued over the past month with one being fired by Vince McMahon and another leaving of his own accord.

Outside of family members whose jobs are guaranteed for life and big hitters like WWE's Chief Marketing Officer Michelle Wilson and their Chief Strategy and Financial Officer George Barrios (whose jobs are likely secured in the short term due to being named in the WWE stockholders lawsuit along with Vince and Stephanie McMahon), the past five years has been marked by a series of corporate departures, particularly in roles related to the company's creative direction.

The first sign of increased volatility at WWE headquarters was seen by the shocking resignation of WWE's COO Donna Goldsmith in late January 2011, believed to be tied to the disappointing financial results of the preceding quarter, despite having earlier success in her role through landing the company's lucrative Mattel deal.

Michael Pavone, the Executive Vice President of the money bleeding WWE Studios division was not surprisingly the next victim, resigning from his position in August 2011. However, worse bloodletting was yet to come.

With slowly eroding television viewership and the teething pains of setting up their own online channel, the WWE Network, executive turnover has spiralled out of control since the autumn of 2012.

Brian Gewirtz, the long time head writer of Monday Night Raw was the first to be punished on the creative side of things when he was removed from the writing team and demoted to a mere consultancy role on Oct. 8th, 2012 over poor ratings. Next to fall out of favour was WWE's SVP of Creative and Development, Eric Pankowski, who was let go after just 15 months in the position in March 2013. Pankowski's replacement, Adam Rudman, lasted just six weeks in the job before Stephanie McMahon gave him his marching orders, likely due to his limited knowledge of the WWE product. The next head writer, David Kreizman, wanted out almost immediately upon being promoted, but was convinced to stay on for a few months longer.

In 2014, it was largely the people involved in the launch of the WWE Network that either got out while the going was good or were given their pink slip.

First to go was WWE's Vice President of Global Sales, Brian Maddox, in January of that year when he accepted a job as a Vice President at Silver Chalice Ventures, a next generation digital/video sports media company. You may remember Maddox as being the backtracking whistleblower known as Confidential Witness Number 1 or CW1 for short in the aforementioned WWE stockholders lawsuit.

WWE's Executive Vice President of Digital Media, Perkins Miller, was next to follow Maddox out the door, in order to take a job with the NFL as their new Chief Digital Officer in the spring of 2014.

Unlike Maddox and Miller, WWE's EVP of Programming, Matthew Singerman wasn't so lucky, getting the chop after just six months in the newly created role, a scapegoat for the WWE Network performing well below expectations in its early days of existence.

Basically, there's been so many departures of late that it's hard to keep track, so forgive me if I've forgotten anyone of importance.

Now, there's two more. The MLW twitter account broke the news yesterday that WWE had recently fired their Executive Vice President of Content, Lisa Fox Lee, after just six months in the role like Singerman.

Lee was someone who had worked for WWE since she left university over two decades ago, starting in their television and sponsorship sales division in March 1995 and gradually being promoted up the ranks to VP, SVP and EVP roles in TV and later Network programming. According to James Caldwell of PWTorch.com, the move in January to put all of the main content divisions under one umbrella quickly became viewed as a mistake internally and Lee struggled with her greater responsibility and workload:

"Regarding Lee, WWE went through a six-month trial run of having Lee oversee Creative, digital programming, and Network programming. The goal was to put all of the main content departments under one umbrella. But, it did not pan out....

The main issue is that before her promotion, Lee worked for WWE in various mid-level jobs contributing to TV & PPV content delivery, sales, and social media, but she did not have experience as a key decision-maker in WWE upper management.

Promoting Lee to a high-ranking executive position was viewed internally as a rash decision trying to put all of WWE's content arms under one person. And, WWE employees viewed Lee as the wrong person for the role if such a role was to be created.

The decision was made to fire Lee instead of demote her back to her previous position. It appears that sitting in on meetings with McMahon, who Lee was suddenly reporting to, led to her demise since she was no longer protected in a mid-management role.

After cutting Lee, WWE shifted back to individual content departments reporting to various executives, removing the "one umbrella for all content" approach just six months after the new set-up."

Caldwell also broke the news that WWE's Senior Vice President of Digital Content, Rob Bernstein, has left the company for a more senior position with IPG - Mediabrands Publishing, a global media agency. Unlike Lee, internally this is being viewed as a major loss for WWE's digital media division, as he was instrumental in monetising WWE's YouTube channel, launching their offshoot YouTube gaming channel UpUpDownDown that stars Austin "Xavier Woods" Creed, overseeing the development of the WWE App and growing the WWE.com website.

The latest episode of Titan Towers turmoil begs several important questions about WWE as a business. Why can't they retain the services of their most gifted executives like Miller and Bernstein? Why do they hire or promote people so ill-suited to key positions that they are fired in less than six months? Is Vince McMahon so difficult to work with and so whimsical in his thinking nowadays that he has become a detriment to the day-to-day running of WWE, even though his instincts as a promoter has a proven track record of being second to none?

source: cagesideseats.com

CZW Signs Live PPV Deal


According to PWInsider.com, Combat Zone Wrestling, a promotion which has been around since the late 90’s, and has featured names such as Dean Ambrose (fka Jon Moxley), has signed an official PPV deal. The deal has been in the works for quite sometime, and will see CZW produce live PPV events which will be distributed via traditional PPV outlets.

Steve Karel, who’s Stonecutter Wrestling produces a number of taped PPV entities as well as the Urban Wrestling Federation, was at tonight’s CZW event to sign the deal with CZW owner DJ Hyde. Stonecutter will be producing and distributing the CZW PPV events.

Arrow's Stephen Amell Confirms Stuff With The WWE

Ricky Steamboat Comments on the Future of WWE


Ricky Steamboat sounds like a proud father when discussing the current crop of WWE superstars. Along with his WWE Hall of Fame career, The Dragon had a hand in the early days of the company’s developmental system from Florida Championship Wresting to NXT.

“It’s very exciting for me to see the company make this very strong attempt for a third brand,” Steamboat said. “We have Raw, SmackDown and now NXT. I like it and am very excited for it because 99 percent of the staff and personnel come out of the school. We are putting our young kids on the road. I also like the fact they are sort of being initiated old school. Every night they go to the towns. They are doing a lot of driving. We were doing that back in the 1970s where it would be 2 or 300 miles a night without GPS. I always wondered how we made it with a map at night. I’m happy to see NXT grow. Everything they are doing, they are going in the right direction.”

For Steamboat, the future is bright and now.

“There is just so much new talent,” he said. “Look at the talent that has broken through. Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Cesaro. There are a number of talents there. Everyone wonders if you give them the ball, are they going to score or are they going to fumble? Obviously, all the names I mentioned have scored very well. I got to help them while coaching at the school, which is great.”

July 10, 2015

Big Show: STOP BLAMING WWE FOR DEATHS Vince Takes Care Of Us


WWE superstar Big Show says Doink the Clown's family is WRONG to go after the WWE for the wrestler's death ... claiming Vince McMahon does EVERYTHING he can to protect the talent.

The 7-footer was out in L.A. when we asked about the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the mother of Doink's children -- which claims Doink's life spiraled out of control due to concussions he suffered in the ring.

"I think that everybody who steps through those ropes knows what could possibly happen," Big Show says.

"You gotta accept that responsibility as a talent if you step those ropes, whether you're a boxer, ultimate fighter or sports entertainer."

Big Show says he has nothing but good things to say about the WWE -- adding, "I've seen how much they've gone above and beyond to take care of the talent and do everything they can where no one ever did that before."

source: tmz.com

 photo i_zps0ebed5ab.jpg
Oderint Dum Metuant: Let Them Hate As Long As They Fear