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Eva Marie On Having Issues With Other WWE Divas, Training With Brian Kendrick & More

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WWE Diva and Total Divas star Eva Marie recently spoke with Crave Online to promote this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On if Brian Kendrick had her study any particular film or style: “Absolutely! He didn’t specifically tell me to stay with any certain style but he had me watch film from Japanese wrestling to old school matches with WWE. I watched a lot of super crazy Tajiri matches, which were insane to me because of that style. It’s so fast doing moonsault after moonsault after moonsault was pretty impressive. I just pick and choose from different matches and different eras. Things are always changing but a lot of things are the same just with different little flavors.”

On her NXT ring attire getting the Internet buzzing and how she came up with the look: “That was collaboration between Brian [Kendrick] and myself. His wife actually made my robe for me. I love the old school wrestling. That’s what I watched with my brothers so I wanted to bring back the over the top pageantry, the glam, and no Diva on the roster has an entrance like that so I wanted to be different and bring something new into the generation that I’m in right now.”

On why she has had so much animosity against her during this season of Total Divas: “To be honest, I don’t know the root of the animosity. I’m really just trying to train and get better at my job so I can get on those girls level and be able to entertain and put on matches that everybody is happy about. That’s where I’m coming from. The funny thing is, I’m in California and in Orlando. I’ve been training at the WWE Performance Center as well. It’s just the fact that the times I’m not in Orlando training at the Performance Center, I’m getting in the ring with Brian Kendrick. I’m doing the best that I possibly can with both situations. I’m working on the NXT live events and I go out to Orlando two weeks out of each month so that I can train.”

On what it’s like to work in front of NXT crowds: “For me it’s awesome! I just recently had my fifth singles match so it’s pretty incredible because that crowd is so close not only to the ring but it’s just such an intimate crowd so you can really feed off of however they feel or whatever they take to in the match and it’s a really big interaction between entertainer and fan, which is awesome.”

On what she ultimately hopes to get out of all of this: “I want to be able to bring the WWE Universe with me wherever I go and with whatever I am doing. I want to bring them on this journey just like how they’ve been following me on the last six months through me training and progressing in the ring and and now it’s walk with me to my first match. That was another little step and I want to continue to do that and bring them with me throughout everything, which is a lot of different things and different avenues and really integrate WWE with mainstream as well as be a positive role model and let them know that if you dream something you can definitely achieve it as long as you’re willing to put in the hard work and don’t let other people get in your way.”

Check out the complete interview at CraveOnline.com.

Chris Jericho Talks Lesnar vs. Taker, Vince Being The Boss, Hogan Scandal & More

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Part-time WWE performer Chris Jericho recently spoke with Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard blog to promote this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view. Below are some of the highlights from the interview..

On the reason he’s still around: “I’ve gone far beyond having to do anything for any financial reasons, but it’s a good time to go out there in the ring and it’s very second nature to me. Mentally, it’s still there, and you think about things a little differently after doing this for 25 years. Physically, I feel better than I felt ten years ago. I just started doing yoga five years ago, and it just changed everything around for me, as far as the soreness and the level I had of pain I’d feel during or after a match. But the most important reason I still do this is because I enjoy it. It’s a lot of fun, and I like working with the younger guys–it reinvigorates my desire to continue. Those guys work a lot like the gang of guys from my generation, and that gives me a kick, as well.”

On his current WWE status: “I do as many shows as I can to keep my foot in the WWE door, so I’m not gone for a year at a time. I’ve been off TV for a year, but I’ve worked 50 shows in the interim just doing live events, which, to me, is a lot more fun. I’m also working with all of the younger guys–I worked with Kevin Owens two weeks ago when Cena broke his nose–and that’s fun, too. Anyway I can be involved, I enjoy it. When it comes time for me to be full time, we’ll figure out what I’m going to do and I’ll come back.”

“The invitation is there 365 days a year. It’s not like I’m auditioning for a job with the WWE. It’s the other way around, ‘Give us as many dates as you can. You want to just work weekends? Do it. You want to just work TV? That’s fine, too.’ They leave it up to me, and I like working the schedule I’m on now. I like working the weekends. I don’t have time to commit to doing TV. For example, I don’t work weekends when we have Fozzy shows. I’m working the ones that I’m choosing, but I have the invitation to work 300 days a year with WWE if I wanted.”

On Tough Enough: “We’ve never seen anything like this version of Tough Enough, where it’s half-reality and half-live. When you start something new, there is a little bit of process to see how you’re going to make something work. So, as the weeks have gone by, I’ve increased my presence in the show. I was in the ring helping the competitors work out and book their match [last week], so being involved a little more in the reality portion of it balances out what I’m doing on the live part, as well. It’s been a lot of work, but the show has come into its own. People are always going to complain, ‘I wish it was that way,’ or ‘I wish that guy stayed,’ but it’s a whole new world for us that we’ve created. It kind of reminds me of when the Elimination Chamber happened. We’d never seen one before and there wasn’t anything to look back on, so you had to figure it out as you went along. And that’s what we’ve been doing, and it’s been working out–and it’s a great series so far.”

On the recent Hulk Hogan scandal: “I’m nobody to judge anybody. I’ve had just as many issues as anybody else. But you stand by your friends in good times and bad times, and Hulk’s my friend. That’s all I’m going to say about that.”

On Vince McMahon still being the boss: ?“Until the day he leaves this earth, Vince McMahon is in charge of every aspect of the company. It’s his company and it always will be. He’s giving out more responsibilities but, at the end of the day, anyone who was any responsibilities delegated by Vince still has to get final approval by Vince. He’s still the boss. I work with him very closely on Tough Enough every Tuesday in the direction meetings, and he still has a lot of great ideas. He still has his finger on the pulse of what’s going on. And it doesn’t matter what you hear other people say–everybody who works in the WWE knows who the boss is.”

On Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker at SummerSlam: “Undertaker has to win. There is no way he loses twice. Brock is at his best when he’s there to just fight. “That’s why his match with Reigns at WrestleMania was so good, and that’s something Lesnar and Undertaker didn’t do as much as they could have in their match at WrestleMania [30]. That pull-apart we saw a couple weeks ago on Raw between Lesnar and Undertaker will be the type of match we’ll see. It will be a rough fight. I’m sure they’ll exchange many false finishers, and each one will do the other’s finishing move, but it will be more violent and more hard-hitting. Any time Undertaker is on the show, you know it’s going to be a great show.”

Check out the complete interview at SI.com.

Video: Paul Heyman Sings “Glory, Glory, Brock Lesnar” At Sam Roberts’ Live Podcast Taping

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This afternoon, I attended the live taping of the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast at Caroline’s On Broadway in New York City. It was a very enjoyable 2-hour event and we’ll post a link to the podcast when it goes live on Friday. Shortly after making his entrance, Paul Heyman busted out another rendition of “Glory, Glory, Brock Lesnar” that rivaled the performance we saw on Monday’s RAW.

After finishing – Heyman spotted the Cesaro Section right in front of the stage and joined in on the action, once again showing his support for everyone’s favorite Swiss Superman.

Ric Flair/SummerSlam News, Triple H Looks At Warrior’s Book (Video), SmackDown

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– WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair is in town for WWE SummerSlam weekend. Flair is there primarily to watch his daughter Charlotte wrestle at SummerSlam, and apparently other members of the Flair family are also in town for the show. Former WCW star David Flair is among those from the Flair family that made the trip.

– WWE taped the following matches for tonight’s edition of WWE SmackDown:

* Ryback vs. Big Show
* The New Day vs. Los Matadores and El Torito
* Neville vs. Bo Dallas
* Brie Bella vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch
* Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Cesaro vs. Sheamus, Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Kevin Owens

– WWE posted the following video of Triple H looking at the new Ultimate Warrior book, “Ultimate Warrior: A Life Lived Forever.”

WWE Files Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit Against International TV Partners

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WWE has reportedly filed a lawsuit against CTH, their television partner in Thailand and Malaysia, who has apparently stopped paying their rights fees to WWE.

WWE signed a five-year deal for 2014 through 2018, for RAW, SmackDown, Main Event, NXT, Superstars, Bottom Line, Vintage Collection, Afterburn, This Week In WWE and all pay-per-view events. The annual rights fees were to escalate, starting at $2.8 million in 2014, to $3.64 million to 2015, $4.55 million in 2016, $5.69 million in 2017 and $6.83 million in 2018, bringing the total value to $23.5 million.

One thing worth pointing out is that in the contract, and possibly in other international contracts, is that RAW must be three hours through the end of 2018, so WWE will likely have to redo all of their international deals if for some reason that ever changes. However, as of right now, USA Network ratings have been declining overall, so WWE is becoming more valuable to the network right now, not less.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Video: John Cena Grants 500th Make-A-Wish On NBC’s “Today” Show

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUsKtpHaEQw

WWE U.S. Champion John Cena celebrated his 500th wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation during his appearance on NBC’s “Today” show on Thursday morning. Cena surprised Rocco Lanzer, an eight year old kid who was diagnosed with Leukemia in January. Cena had already visited Rocco in the hospital a few months ago, but Rocco was too sick back then. Cena commented during his appearance:

“A lot of times when people donate time or resources, there’s a little speculation about where it goes. I’m at the finish line. I get to see the families; I get to see the joy and the hope that we bring. I’ll continue to be involved with Make-A-Wish as long as they’ll have me.”

Cena brought Rocco WWE gear, including tickets to an upcoming WWE RAW show. Cena will celebrate his 500th wish during an event at Dave & Busters in Times Square in New York City on Friday. Stephanie McMahon, Sheamus and The Bella Twins are also scheduled to appear.

WWE Veteran Notices Several Problems With The Divas Revolution

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An anonymous veteran wrestler who is considered very respected within the industry when it comes to analyzing matches, noticed several interesting things about the current “Diva Revolution” in WWE.

One of the problems is that the women get worse in the ring on the main roster because three nights a week they are doing five-to-eight minute multiple-person matches, which means they generally do a couple of their regular spots and moves, as opposed to actually “working.”

He also noted that because Team Bella flip-flops from heel to babyface so often, it’s hard for a fresh new act like Sasha Banks to get over in a match working with someone like Nikki Bella as the established act that is supposed to help get her over to the main roster audience.

Finally, the person saw what was basically a promo from Becky Lynch and Charlotte on Twitter, and noted that it was a considerable amount better than their RAW promos because they were just being themselves.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Tough Enough Finalist Amanda Accuses Sara Lee Of Being A “Ring Rat”

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On this week’s edition of WWE Tough Enough, early favorite to win, Tanner, was eliminated from the show, setting the stage for next week’s finale episode.

Although both were already guaranteed a spot in the finals, Sara Lee and Amanda had a big confrontation on Tuesday night.

On the “Tough Talk” post-show on the WWE Network, Amanda claimed that she was only playing a role on the show, and wasn’t actually the person she was portraying. She claimed that Sara Lee was playing a role as well.

“The most annoying thing about Sara is that she plays the role of the girl-next-door, and honestly, she’s not the girl-next-door,” said Amanda.

Amanda would go on to refer to Sara Lee as a “ring rat,” which is a derrogatory word for “groupie” female fans of wrestling and wrestlers.

“I get a rep because of the way I look, and I think it’s kind of funny because maybe the reason she’s so ‘likable,’ because of being at the barracks every weekend practicing her moves, she’s playing ring rat,” said Amanda.

The judges were apparently shocked by Amanda’s claims, as was Sara Lee.

“That’s not true, for the record,” said Sara. “She’s trying to get into my head, or the heads of the WWE Universe. She can say what she wants. She said herself she was going to try to plant seeds of doubt in my head.”

The WWE Tough Enough season finale airs next Tuesday night on the USA Network. Make sure to visit SEScoops.com for a complete recap of the event.

Sasha Banks Comments on RAW Crowd Chanting For Lesnar & JBL During Her Match

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On Monday’s RAW, NXT Women’s Champion scored a clean submission victory over WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella. While the women did their part in putting on a competitive match, fans in the arena still chanted “We Want Lesnar” and JBL during the action.

A fan on Tumblr wrote to Sasha, “I was in attendance at RAW tonight and I would just like to defend those of us that tried our hardest to get people to stop chanting those things. I even yelled at a drunk guy in front of me. I’m very ashamed that this happened…”

The Boss of WWE’s Divas division responded:

“They want change yet don’t change themselves”

WWE SummerSlam Polls: Taker vs. Lesnar, Who Will Leave As Champion

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summerslamSummerSlam is just days away and the anticipation is building for WWE’s annual summer spectacular. The 4-hour show is packed with matches featuring WWE’s top talent, but the two major questions heading into Sunday remain:

  • Can The Undertaker get revenge on Brock Lesnar for conquering his WrestleMania streak?
  • Who will leave SummerSlam with the WWE World Heavyweight championship?

We want to know what you think – cast your votes in the two polls below and don’t miss our live coverage of WWE SummerSlam this Sunday.

[poll id=”32″]

[poll id=”33″]

WWE Announces Details On WWE SuperCard Season 2 Mobile Game

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supercardWWE issued the following press release on Thursday to announce all of the details of their new WWE SuperCard Season 2 mobile game.

2K Announces WWE® SuperCard – Season 2 Now Available for Mobile Devices

Exceeding 7.5 million global downloads to date, 2K’s action-packed WWE mobile collectible card game delivers larger roster, increased customization, expanded tournament play and more

New York, NY – August 20, 2015 – 2K today announced the action-packed entertainment of WWE® SuperCard, the Company’s renowned collectible card-battling game, will raise the stakes with extensive content in WWE SuperCard – Season 2. Featuring an expanded roster of WWE Superstars, Divas, Legends, the debut of NXT Superstars and Divas, enhanced King of the Ring tournament play, an updated Exhibition Mode with a new WWE Divas card slot, increased customization options and more, WWE SuperCard – Season 2 is available now as an update for download free of charge on the App Store for iOS devices, including the iPhone®, iPad® and iPod touch®, as well as the Google Play Store and Amazon Appstore for Android™ devices.

WWE SuperCard has exceeded 7.5 million global downloads since its release in August 2014 and carries an average rating of 4.5/5 stars on the App Store, as well as a 4/5 rating on Google Play. Offering more than 700 cards in active play, with more to come in Season 2, WWE SuperCard challenges players to build teams of WWE Superstars, Divas and Legends, train them to full potential, battle in various match types and test their luck in fast-paced tournament action. In addition, players can enhance their free-to-play experience through purchase of individual card packs.

“WWE SuperCard sets the standard for bringing together the right brand and fan base in WWE with the competitive and engaging nature of collectible card games,” said Harley Howe, Co-Studio Head at Cat Daddy Games. “Season 2 elevates the authentic, hard-hitting WWE action more than 7.5 million fans have grown to love through new content certain to enhance the WWE experience in a mobile format.”

WWE SuperCard – Season 2 features include:

CUSTOMIZABLE CARDS – Customize and train Season 2 cards while earning tokens to permanently increase stats;
LARGER ROSTER – Access hundreds of cards featuring a variety of WWE and NXT Superstars and Divas, including Season 2 additions Brock Lesnar®, Undertaker®, Stone Cold Steve Austin®, Kevin Owens™, Samoa Joe™, Adrian Neville™, Charlotte™ and many more;
EXPANDED EXHIBITION DECK – Compete with an additional WWE Diva in solo matches, as well as in new Divas tag matches;
LOYALTY FUSIONS – Convert Season 1 cards into powerful Season 2 variants via the game’s Fusion Chamber;
GLOBAL CHAT – Connect with anyone in the world while playing WWE SuperCard;
WEEKLY EVENTS – Participate in weekly, real-time events with exclusive rewards to increase overall deck strength;
ENHANCED KING OF THE RING – The 16-man, multi-day tournament is now more strategic than ever with a new enhancement system.

Developed by Cat Daddy Games in conjunction with Visual Concepts, both 2K studios, WWE SuperCard is available now download free of charge on the App Store for iOS devices, including the iPhone, iPad and Pod touch, as well as the Google Play Store and Amazon Appstore for Android devices.

Details On GFW’s Next Set Of “Amped” TV Tapings In Las Vegas

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Following the GFW “Amped” television tapings in Las Vegas, Nevada last Friday, Global Force Wrestling will be heading to Reno, Nevada for another set of television tapings.

The “GFW Grand Slam Tour” continues at Ace’s Ballpark in Reno, Nevada on Saturday, August 22nd.

Below is the advertised lineup for the show:

– Sonjay Dutt vs. Ryan McQueen
– Reno SCUM vs. The Bullet Club
– Christina Von Eerie vs. Amber O’Neal
– Chris Mordetzky (formerly Chris Masters) vs. Nick Aldis (formerly Magnus)
– Virgil Flynn vs. PJ Black (formerly Justin Gabriel)
– JR Kratos vs. Paul Isadora

There will be a VIP meet and greet before the show with GFW co-founder Jeff Jarrett starting at 5:30pm. $41.00 tickets include VIP meet and greet.

You can purchase tickets for the GFW event this weekend at TicketReturn.com.

Interesting 2015 Stats On WWE Superstars, Cool Feature On WWE 2K16 Game (Video)

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– As of this past Sunday, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns have worked the most matches so far in 2015 with each former Shield member having worked 136 matches each so far this year. Coming in at fourth is King Barrett with 127 and Cesaro at fifth with 122. Reigns has won 119 matches this year, while Ambrose has 88 wins. John Cena has won 93 of 99 matches so far in 2015.

– In the following video, a WWE 2K16 video game developer shows off the upgraded face import tool used in the “Create-A-Superstar” mode.

https://youtu.be/_kC_HEfQ2io

Photos & Videos From WWE’s Charity Softball Game From Brooklyn

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WWE SummerSlam Week in New York City officially kicked off on Wednesday with several WWE Community events. WWE Intercontinental Champion Ryback, Eva Marie, Charlotte and Fandango participated in a charity softball game at MCU Park with the Brooklyn Cyclones:

https://instagram.com/p/6lO5w0L6Bg/

Tough Enough Draws Lowest Rating Of The Season, WWE Interested In 2 Indie Wrestlers

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– This week’s penultimate episode of WWE Tough Enough drew the lowest ratings of the season. The show drew a 0.67 rating with 988,000 viewers, down from last week’s 0.70 rating with 1.025 million viewers.

– WWE is interested independent wrestlers Biff Busick and Rich Swann, according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

– Tyler Breeze addresses accusations that he is arrogant:

Sami Zayn’s Return, WWE Trademarks Old Tag Team Name & More

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– WWE recently applied to trademark the term “Cryme Tyme.” JTG and Shad Gaspard have been using the name “Crime Time”on the independent scene.

– WWE has published a video of former NXT Champion Sami Zayn, who says he’ll be out of action for a few more months as he recovers from his injury. Zayn told fans “don’t hold your breath” expecting him to return anytime soon. He also said he’s pulling for Finn Balor, who will defend the NXT Championship against Kevin Owens in a ladder match this Saturday night at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn.

– Baron Corbin says he’s going to demolish Samoa Joe at Takeover: Brooklyn:

Triple H Talks Takeover: Brooklyn, If NXT Is Going After ROH, NXT Call-Ups & More

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On Wednesday morning, WWE COO Triple H a media conference call to promote Saturday’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn live special on the WWE Network. Below are highlights, courtesy of Tom M.:

– Triple H said it’s a historic week for NXT as far as being its own brand and filling its own niche. SummerSlam weekend is a huge opportunity for the brand and at first he wasn’t a big fan of the idea of running Barclays Center. They wanted to curtain it off at 6,000 seats at first but those sold out before tickets officially went on sale, so they went to 13,000 seats. They are very excited about Takeover in New York City. He said if you can make it in NYC, you can make it anywhere.

– He talked about the card and pushed Jushin “Thunder” Liger, Samoa Joe vs. Corbin and the “dual main events” of Bayley vs. Sasha Banks and Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor. He clarified his Twitter announcement and said all the matches revealed are not for the live WWE Network special. They will first film 90 minutes of NXT TV and then air the live two hour Takeover show.

– He announced the WWE Performance Center All-Access pass for September 28th. Tickets are on sale and the full details were posted earlier.

– They are looking at ideas in regards to doing NXT Takeover events before all major pay-per-views but he prefers when they piggyback NXT specials onto week-long WWE events to make the brand part of the entire experience.

– They’re proud of selling out the Barclays Center three nights in a row, noting he doesn’t know too many entertainment brands that can sell out NYC three straight nights. He says 2015 was to be the year they tried new things and NXT is unique. He doesn’t want it to be like RAW or SmackDown, it needs to have its own identity.

– He talked about Vince McMahon taking to which talents he wants to and that being a battle that will always have to be fought in NXT, in regards to talents coming to the main roster. He says he does not cherry-pick the indies, despite online rumors, and says he just wants talented new people, no matter where they come from – sports or the indies.

– He feels like a proud dad watching the “kids” going to the main roster and getting recognized. He talks about the Divas Revolution and is looking forward to them main eventing. He talks about Sasha Banks and Charlotte wanting to main event WrestleMania and doesn’t doubt it will happen.

– Regarding going up against ROH and a potential deal with EVOLVE to go after ROH, Triple H said it’s funny how people see things differently. He’s not trying to cause harm to ROH. He said other companies piggy-back off major WWE events and it makes sense for WWE to do the same thing. He says it’s part of the discovery process for the NXT brand. He says he was unaware of ROH running in Texas when they booked the Night of Champions weekend events. Regarding EVOLVE and Gabe Sapolsky, they are looking for quality events that can help support the business overall. He acknowledged that indies are important to the health of the business and doesn’t want to see anyone fail but he’s always going to do what’s right for WWE business. He says if that affects someone’s business plan, he can’t help that because WWE is priority for him.

– He talked about William Regal and others scouting and recruiting new talents all over the world, including Canada as the reporter asking the question was in Toronto. He mentioned talents get trained by right by people like Lance Storm and others in Canada, which leads to opportunities but not any additional opportunities.

– He talked about how there’s excitement all through NXT, talents are selling tickets and merchandise. They’re thinking about taking NXT international, to the UK. He’s always bragging on NXT to Vince McMahon and telling him to check stuff out. He says it’s more than just making sure WWE has future talents, that’s an important part of NXT but there’s a lot more.

– Regarding talents who get called up continuing to work NXT events, he says everyone wants to go to the main roster but NXT isn’t a bad spot to be in. He said they might move some talents who aren’t being used back down to NXT to revitalize them. He says there’s no rulebook for NXT, they can do anything with the brand.

– He had a lot of praise for Apollo Crews, the former Uhaa Nation. He’s looking forward to his debut at Takeover this weekend. He said Crews has the young, hungry fire and he’s looking forward to him being a huge star. He also said there will be other big debuts and fresh blood soon as others get called to the main roster.

The Rock Signs On For Another Big Budget Disney Movie

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The Hollywood Reporter reports that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is teaming up with Disney to star in a big screen adaptation of the popular Jungle Cruise theme park ride.

Disney has been trying to get the movie going for over a decade. As one of Disneyland’s original attractions, the Jungle Cruise takes riders through Africa’s Nile and Congo rivers. The Rock commented:

“[Disney production president] Sean Bailey and Disney have been awesome partners and now the fun part begins … We’re starting to put in the work with Requa and Ficarra and our creative team. Fired up about this one. Here we go.”

John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (“Focus”). The movie is already in early development.

Roman Reigns: Royal Rumble Fan Rejection Was A ‘Huge Kick In The Ass’

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Roman Reigns appeared on The LAW: Live Audio Wrestling podcast this week to discuss SummerSlam, the past year of his career, the reaction he received at the Royal Rumble, matches with Daniel Bryan, Brock Lesnar and Big Show in 2015 and more.

Reigns said despite the fact that fans completely rejected his Royal Rumble win earlier this year, “it all happened for a reason.”

“In sports entertainment, professional wrestling, entertainment, storytelling, you can do anything, you can tell any story you want to. It’s difficult to say, especially within what we do, with hindsight. I think there is a lot of things we could have done or maybe thought about, but it is what it is, it really is. It all happened for a reason.”

“Bryan and myself were both hurt we were both coming back around similar times. 100% it didn’t help me coming back around the same time as Bryan, especially with everything he has gone though over the past year, year-and-a-half. People talk about getting through adversity and going through some tough stuff, the stuff that happened to Bryan, the ups and downs, I think everyone was rooting for him (Bryan), I was rooting for him. I still to this day root for him. I want to see Bryan back in a wrestling ring, tearing the house down with myself and all the rest of the boys.”

Reigns remains optimistic, having used the uncomfortable situation as a means of motivation. In hindsight, he’s thankful things turned out the way they did at the Royal Rumble and he relishes the opportunity to prove he’s deserving of being a WWE main eventer.

“It was just a tough situation, regardless of what happened or how we could have changed that night as far as responses, as far as having the crowd react properly to me, or how we wanted them to, it didn’t. But it helped me, it helped me grow, it left a huge impression on me, you know I thank Philly every day for that. You have to learn fast in this business and I’d like to think I’m doing that, but without that night, that was a huge kick in the ass, that lit a fire under me. If you’ve seen what I’ve done in the past six-months, I think you can tell Royal Rumble definitely helped me.”

Tough Enough Competitors To Face Cesaro Next Week, Tough Enough Betting Odds

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Bwin.com.com has released the following betting odds for next week’s WWE Tough Enough finale:

– For the men, Josh is currently the favorite to win at 33/100 while ZZ is at 9/4.

– For the women, Sara Lee is the favorite to win at 1/2 while Amanda it at 7/4.

In related Tough Enough news, WWE announced on Wednesday night that Cesaro will be wrestling Joshua and ZZ in two separate matches on next week’s episode.

https://instagram.com/p/6lQ5f3gFC1/

Paul Heyman & Jim Ross Talk About Brock Lesnar’s Work Ethic, His Future & More

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Paul Heyman and Jim Ross spoke to Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report this week to discuss Brock Lesnar as he prepares to face The Undertaker this Sunday at WWE SummerSlam. Here are some highlights:

Brock Lesnar’s Work Ethic:

Jim Ross: “He’s got a very devoted worth ethic because that’s how he was raised. When you’re raised on a dairy farm, people have to understand, those cows are milked every morning and every evening every day of the year. So when you’re raised on a dairy farm, you understand the word ‘commitment’ and nose to the grindstone, for lack of a better term. And that’s the environment that he knew. That’s all he knew. So I think that has helped him establish his character, his integrity, as far as how he approaches his vocation.”

Lesnar Shattering The Undertaker’s Mystique: 

Paul Heyman: “Because the streak was something very special and everyone wanted to believe it would be the exception that defines the rule. That something in the world of sport or entertainment or sports entertainment could truly live on forever. People are still legitimately pissed off because so many people look to live vicariously through the personas and the characters in WWE because it’s a fantasy world. And all of a sudden, the fantasy world of WWE got b—h-slapped into waking up from their dream, because, much like everything else in life, the streak came to an end. And no one likes it when their fantasy is burst. No one.”

Vince McMahon’s Decision To Work With Brock Lesnar Again:

Jim Ross: “It proved to me that despite all those people who love to stand on their soapbox and talk about McMahon’s ego, that he still is gonna do what’s best for his company that he’s built from the territorial smoky arenas to the global brand that it is. It has been built on his back. And he’s had to eat a lot of s–t over the years. That was one of the things he taught me when he promoted me to be in charge of the talent roster and to retool it and to try to change the personality of the locker room. He said, ‘You have to learn to eat a lot of s–t.’ He said, ‘You’ll never like the taste of it, but you’ll get used to it.'”

Lesnar Re-Signing With WWE This Year & His Future:

Paul Heyman: “His timing is impeccable. He knows what he’s doing. He is a world-class global athlete in his prime yet understands how to maximize the money he will make based on the exploitation of his persona. Brock Lesnar is not done yet. Brock Lesnar has not accomplished all that he wants to accomplish yet. And there are still things that Brock Lesnar wants to do that the public is going to be in awe of. We’re just getting started here.”

WWE Takes Over NYC For SummerSlam Week (Press Release)

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WWE sent out the following on Wednesday:

WWE® TAKES OVER NEW YORK CITY WITH SUMMERSLAM®

STAMFORD, Conn., August 19, 2015 – For the first time since 2007, WWE’s SummerSlam returns to the NYC-Metro area with a week-long lineup of events including interactive fan experiences and community outreach programs covering all five NYC boroughs. SummerSlam takes place this Sunday, August 23, live on WWE Network at 7 p.m. ET from a sold-out Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The events begin today and include:

· Children’s Hospital Visits – Wednesday, August 19
WWE Superstars and Tag Team Champions Titus O’Neil® and Darren Young® will be at The Brooklyn Hospital Center and WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose® will be joined by WWE Diva Alicia Fox® at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children in Queens. On both occasions, they will visit with patients and hand out WWE Mattel toys.

· Brooklyn Cyclones Celebrity Softball Game – Wednesday, August 19
The Brooklyn Cyclones and WWE have partnered for SummerSlam Night. As part of the night’s festivities, WWE Superstars and Divas including Ryback®, Fandango®, Eva Marie® and Charlotte, will join members of the FDNY, NYPD and other celebrities in a pre-game Celebrity/Civil Servants All-Star Challenge and softball game prior to the 7 p.m. Cyclones game against the Lowell Spinners. Also scheduled to participate in the celebrity game are NBA Hall of Famer and current St. John’s Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Mullin, Mets Hall of Famer John Franco, Greg Kelly & Rosanna Scotto – the hosts of Good Day New York – and many others.

· SummerSlam Reading Celebration – Thursday, August 20
WWE and First Book will host a reading celebration at JCC Cornerstone Program at Todt Hill Community Center in Staten Island. WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler® and WWE Divas Nikki Bella® and Brie Bella® will read to local Staten Island students from grades 1-3 to promote the importance of literacy. A book donation will be made to all students in attendance.

· Firehouse and Police Precinct Visits to Support “Answer the Call” – Thursday, August 20
WWE is joining forces with Hollywood celebrities and professional athletes through a global online auction on Charitybuzz.com, featuring unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences in support of “Answer The Call,” the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund. To help raise awareness for the program, WWE Superstars Roman Reigns®, Jimmy Uso®, Jey Uso®, Kofi Kingston®, Big E® and Xavier Woods®, and WWE Diva Summer Rae® will be visiting firehouses and police precincts around New York City.

· “Be a STAR” (Show Tolerance and Respect) Anti-Bullying Rally – Thursday, August 20
WWE will host an anti-bullying rally at the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in the Bronx, featuring Be A STAR alliance members, Facebook, GLAAD and DoSomething.org. WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, Facebook Trust and Safety Manager, Emily Vacher, GLAAD Vice President of Programs Zeke Stokes and DoSomething.org’s Chief Marketing Officer Naomi Hirabayashi will join WWE Superstars Kofi Kingston® and Sheamus®, and WWE Diva Eva Marie™ to deliver bullying prevention messages to more than 250 children between the ages of 6-15.

· Hire Heroes Veteran Employment Panel & Event – Friday, August 21
WWE, in partnership with Barclays Center and Orion International will host a Veterans Career Panel and Networking Event in support of Hire Heroes USA (HHUSA) for nearly 80 veterans. Corporate HR and Brand Executives from WWE, ESPN, Marvel, Priceline, MTA, LinkedIn, FDNY and Colgate will be in attendance to discuss veteran hiring practices. WWE Superstars The Usos, WWE Diva Naomi® and WWE NXT Superstars Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, will also be on-hand to speak with the veterans. The event will consist of a panel, networking opportunities and career coaching stations.

· John Cena 500th Wish Celebration – Friday, August 21
Make-A-Wish and WWE will celebrate WWE Superstar John Cena® becoming the first celebrity in history to grant 500 wishes. The event, which is being hosted at Dave & Buster’s Times Square, will feature appearances by WWE Superstar John Cena, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, Make-A-Wish America President and CEO David Williams, WWE Superstar Sheamus, WWE Divas The Bellas and Wish children and their families.

· New York Stock Exchange Opening Bell – Friday, August 21
In celebration of SummerSlam and WWE Superstar John Cena’s 500th Wish, Cena, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon and Make-A-Wish America President and CEO David Williams will accompany seven Wish kids, and ring the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange. For more than a decade, Cena has been granting the wishes of children through WWE’s partnership with Make-A-Wish which began more than 30 years ago. To date, WWE Superstars and Divas have granted more than 6,000 wishes, more than any other sports and entertainment organization.

· Superstar Meet and Greets – Friday, August 21 & Saturday, August 22
These exclusive fan sessions will give the WWE Universe an opportunity to get autographs and photos with their favorite Superstars and Divas including WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins®; Randy Orton®; Roman Reigns; Dean Ambrose®; Bray Wyatt®; WWE Divas Charlotte, Paige and Becky Lynch; WWE Legend Sting; and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels.

· Susan G. Komen Community Health Fair – Saturday, August 22
WWE and Susan G. Komen will be supporting a community health fair featuring The Project Renewal Scan Van, offering mobile mammograms and information on Race for the Cure. WWE Divas Tamina™, Alicia Fox™, Naomi™, and Natalya™ and WWE Superstars Titus O’Neil and Darren Young will take part in a meet and greet at the Church of the Revelation in the Bronx to promote breast health education and the importance of early detection.

· NXT Takeover Brooklyn – Saturday, August 22
On the night before the biggest event of the summer, WWE’s next generation of Superstars and Divas will perform at a sold-out Barclays Center with the biggest NXT Takeover yet. Finn Balor’s reign as NXT Champion hangs in the balance when he takes on Kevin Owens in a Ladder Match. NXT Takeover Brooklyn can be seen live on WWE Network at 9 p.m. ET.

· SummerSlam – Sunday, August 23
A sold-out crowd will converge on Barclays Center for SummerSlam. WWE’s biggest event of the summer, which can be seen live on WWE Network at 7 p.m. ET, will feature WWE Superstars Undertaker® and Brock Lesnar® in a rematch of their historic WrestleMania 30 bout where Lesnar ended Undertaker’s 21-year undefeated streak.

· Monday Night Raw – Monday, August 24
The night after SummerSlam, Monday Night Raw takes place at a sold-out Barclays Center for the third night in a row, where fans can see their favorite WWE Superstars and Divas. Monday Night Raw is the longest-running, weekly episodic program in U.S. primetime TV history and is one of the most-watched, regularly scheduled programs on cable, airing live every Monday night on USA Network.

WrestleMania Headed To Minnesota’s New U.S. Bank Stadium

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WrestleMania is heading to the new U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In a video posted at Vikings.com profiling the $1 billion stadium currently under construction, Vikings’ Executive Vice President of Public Affairs & Stadium Development Lester Bagley said they are gearing up to host a number of world class sporting events, including WrestleMania.

While Bagley did not specify when the U.S. Bank Stadium will be hosting WrestleMania, officials for Meet Minneapolis (the city’s convention authority) and the stadium authority were preparing a bid back in February to host Wrestlemania 33 in 2017.

The U.S. Bank Stadium will have a capacity of 65,000 for Vikings games, expandable to 73,000.

TNA Announces 7 More Upcoming Live Events, Halloween Tour

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TNA Wrestling has announced seven additional live events spanning the east coast and southeast this fall. For ticket information, visit ImpactWrestling.com.

Here’s an updated look at TNA’s upcoming live events schedule:

The Road to Bound For Glory Tour:

  • 9/17 York, PA
  • 9/18 Morgantown, WV
  • 9/19 Pittsburgh, PA
  • 10/2 Beckley, WV
  • 10/3 Salem, VA

Hardcore Halloween Tour:

  • 10/29 Thibodaux, LA
  • 10/30 New Orleans, LA
  • 10/31 Baton Rouge, LA
  • 11/1 Biloxi, MS

Details On WWE’s First “Performance Center All Access” Event

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During Wednesday’s media conference call, Triple H announced that the first ever WWE Performance Center All Access event will take place on September 28th. Tickets start at just 1,499 per person and will be on sale this coming Monday.

Here’s the official announcement from WWE:

See how Superstars are made with a WWE Performance Center: All Access pass

Do you want to know what it takes to become a WWE Superstar? Have you ever wondered what goes into putting a WWE Live Event together? Well, now you can have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to go behind the scenes with WWE Performance Center: All Access!

For the first time ever, WWE is opening the doors to the state-of-the-art Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. to a limited number of fans from the WWE Universe on Monday, Sept. 28. This unprecedented experience will give fans the opportunity to gain knowledge from the best in the business and learn how to produce a private NXT Live Event.

The WWE Performance Center: All Access experience will allow fans to:

• Share breakfast and lunch with NXT Superstars and Divas (meals provided)
• Participate in a Q&A and orientation session with NXT coaching staff
• Attend a Q&A and autograph session with NXT Superstars and Divas
• Sign a one-day WWE booking contract, granting admission to a private NXT Live Event at the WWE Performance Center that you will help produce, manage and watch alongside your favorite NXT Superstars & Divas
• Take an all-access Tour of the WWE Performance Center, which has never before been opened to the public
• Get an inside look at a private NXT training session
• Learn the ropes during a promo class and then create your very own unique promo video

Plus, you’ll be able to take the experience home, with exclusive keepsakes like:

• Commemorative WWE Performance Center: All Access credential
• Photo opportunities to capture and share your once-in-a-lifetime experience with friends
• WWE Performance Center gift bag
• Limited edition event chair
• Personalized promo video; available post-experience
• Downloadable highlight reel; available post-experience

The WWE Performance Center: All Access experience is $1,499 per person.* Tickets will be available beginning Monday, Aug. 24 at 12 p.m. ET at NXTTickets.com. Space is extremely limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Don’t miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime!

*Must be 18 or older, unless accompanied by a legal guardian. Transportation and lodging not included.

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