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Howard Finkel Offers Predictions For Tonight’s WWE Hell In A Cell PPV

Matt Boone
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The official WWE website has a new article up where WWE Hall Of Famer Howard Finkel and ECW Original Joey Styles offer their predictions for tonight’s WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view.

Below are the predictions “The Fink” offered for the Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt and Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar matches.

On Reigns vs. Wyatt: “Their differences are varied by nature, but their goals are similar in scope: To do a number on their opponent. With no Wyatt Family members running interference, the advantage should favor Reigns. But I look for Wyatt to turn it up a few notches and score the victory! WINNER: Bray Wyatt”

On Undertaker vs. Lesnar: “There is no love lost between these two iconic figures. When the dust settles, Brock Lesnar will come out the victor, in what should be a match for the ages! WINNER: Brock Lesnar”

Check out more predictions from “The Fink,” as well as Joey Styles, by reading the full article at WWE.com.

Lucha Underground Season 3 In The Works, Big Influx Of Cash, Space Aliens

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With Season 2 of Lucha Underground set to premiere on the El Ray Network in January, the promotion is already working on plans for a third season.  According to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live, there’s a rumor going around that Lucha Underground has secured a “big influx of cash” and that will allow them to tape season 3 immediately after season 2 wraps with virtually no break in between.

“Dr. Lucha” Steve Sims, who was Alvarez’s guest, said he could not confirm the rumor but that appears to be the case. Sims said he has heard a lot of good news and people in the promotion are very excited about how things are going. He didn’t expect a third season to come because of finances but apparently it’s happening.

This one is pretty out there – but apparently there’s also a rumor of the show having a “space alien” sci-fi influence in the coming seasons.

Bubba Ray Dudley Talks About Struggling Singles Wrestlers Finding Success In Tag Teams, NXT

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Bubba Ray Dudley recently spoke with IGN.com to promote Sunday’s Hell In a Cell and the new WWE 2K16 video game. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

Struggling Singles Wrestlers Finding Success In Tag Teams:

“The New Day is definitely an example of that. Kofi’s been around for a while and tasted some success. Big E.’s tasted some success. But they’re tasting the most success together. And now with Xavier added to the mix you’ve got one hell of a good tag team and one hell of a great entertaining unit.”

His Thoughts On NXT:

“There’s not one bad thing to say about NXT. There’s no negative down there. Yes, it’s a developmental system that’s meant to mold up-and-coming talent, but it’s also become its own promotion. That’s the best of both worlds. It’s great for rising wrestlers who are just getting their first taste of the business and it’s also great for guys like a Samoa Joe or a James Storm because it’s another place for wrestlers to go and work. Joe’s been doing great there and I’m sure Storm will be amazing. And it seems like wrestling fans all over the world are really hot about NXT. It works on all levels.”

Brodus Clay Says He Thought His Funkasaurus Gimmick Would Be Career Suicide

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Former WWE Superstar Brodus Clay appeared on WrestleZone Radio this week and spoke about his time as Snoop Dogg’s bodyguard and how he reacted when WWE told him about his Funkasaurus gimmick. Here are the highlights:

His reaction to being given the Funkasaurus gimmick in WWE:

“I thought it was career suicide. I thought I was going to walk out and the crowd was going to go, “What the hell?” Just boo the hell out of me like I was Max Moon. When I walked out you could have dropped a pin. You could have dropped an absolute pin. Straight silence. Corpus Christi, TX was like, “What?”

There was a guy who had shaved his head like me. Had the “Monster Brodus Clay” tank top on. He was just starring at me with his mouth open. I made eye contact with him and went down to the ring and he was saying, “Damn it. This is going to be bad.” Then when I am in the ring doing my thing I hit Hawkins with something and the guy stands up and yells, “You suck Brodus Clay!” I just yelled back, “My bad!” I just didn’t care, you know? I’m just going to do this. The crowd popped when I said, “My bad!” Then I just started talking to the crowd during the match and it was one of those things we are not supposed to do.

At that point I figured it couldn’t possibly get any worse. You just don’t know. So, I did the thing and the music hits so loud and they may have been cheering kind of loud. I walked through Gorilla and everybody clapped and I was like, “Uh huh.” Then Triple H came around the corner and said, “Whatever you do don’t look on the internet.”

Being a bodyguard for Snoop Dogg:

“The biggest thing about Snoop is, you gotta understand, everybody wants a piece of him. They want to touch him. They want to talk to him. They feel like Snoop is the kind of guy that they can have a beer with or hang out at their house and play video games with. Fans are very aggressive when it comes to Snoop.

They just want a piece of him so much. I would probably say more so than any other celebrity because he’s so tangible. He’s always around. So, you have to be very aggressive in setting boundaries with people. Letting them know that it’s not something they are going to do. During my time with Snoop we never had a situation where somebody got hands on him. They tried numerous times. Especially in Europe. Very, very hands on huggy people.”

Kofi Kingston Hypes HIAC, Talks About New Day Playing Pranks

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Kofi Kingston spoke with TechTimes.com to promote Sunday’s WWE Hell in a Cell PPV. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

New Day’s Tag Title Defense Against The Dudley Boyz At Hell in a Cell:

“Anybody who’s been watching knows that there’s a lot of bad blood between us and the Dudleys. We used to be the Dudleys’ fans, watching them while growing up and it was awesome to see them come back to the WWE. Unfortunately, the Dudleys have a problem with The New Day just because we’re tag-team champions.

It’s just a shame because I’m very torn because I was a fan of the Attitude Era and tables and ladders and chairs and everything the Dudleys have done up until this point. Unfortunately now, they have victimized us. I don’t know if you saw Raw this past Monday, but Xavier Woods was powerbombed through a table and he’s in real rough shape. It’s not cool what these Dudleys have been doing.

I know a lot of people have been enjoying them now, but we can’t let them become tag-team champions because they are everything that’s wrong with the WWE in terms of their regard of furniture, respecting the champions and their demeanor. They got a bad attitude and The New Day doesn’t like that.”

New Day Pulling Pranks On Each Other:

“There are a lot of funny stories … we get along so much. There was one time actually where [laughs], we pulled up to a hotel and I forget what it was, but one of us lost a bet, so the consequence was Xavier had to do all of the booking of the rooms and checking in with an English accent. So, he comes in at like 4 in the morning with an English accent and the lady [at the hotel] isn’t trying to hear it.

So, he’s talking [in English accent], ‘I need to check in, my name is Xavier’ and the lady is calming him down and telling him to be quiet. The funny thing is she called E the wrong name, which we still call him to this day. When we go to Hotwire and fill something out, we put in Etmore. She kept calling him Etmore and that kind of stuck. We have a lot of stories like that where things just happen to us. It’s good times all around at all hours of the night.”

You can read the entire interview here.

Von Erich Family Matriarch Doris Adkission Passes Away

David Bixenspan
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A number of wrestling personalities and journalists, including Dave Meltzer on Twitter and Mike Mooneyham on his personal Facebook account are reporting that Doris Adkisson (born Doris Smith), the former wife of Jack “Fritz Von Erich” Adkisson and the mother of the Von Erich brothers, has passed away. She was 82.

Yesterday, her son Kevin had been tweeting about his mother succumbing to complications from emphysema:

https://twitter.com/KevinVonErich/status/657606795737698308

https://twitter.com/KevinVonErich/status/657638240455782400

https://twitter.com/KevinVonErich/status/657638913612185600

Unfortunately, Doris is best known for having to endure the early deaths of all but one of her children (Kevin being the only survivor). The deaths were reportedly a factor in her split from Jack/Fritz. The first tragedy was a freak accident, with Jack Jr. dying in 1959 after being electrocuted,. David, Mike, Chris, and Kerry died over the course of about a decade from 1984 to 1993, with all but David committing suicide. David officially died of an intestinal illness, and while accounts of wrestlers who were in Japan with him have supported alternate theories, he did look seriously ill n his last matches in Texas.

The deaths of her sons devastated Doris much in the ways you’d expect. In his book, Gary Hart wrote about how, when she’d visit his office, she’d touch the photos of her sons and almost break down crying when she left.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Adkisson family.

Al Snow Interview: People Joining The Business For Fame, His ECW & WWE Runs

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Al Snow appeared on the The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast for an almost-2 hour discussion about his career and the direction of the professional wresting industry. Al spoke to John and Chad about how he was wrestling’s best kept secret for nearly 15 years and how his unique character, undeniable in ring work and desire to conquer the wrestling business in nearly every big name company propelled him to be possibly the most respected trainer in modern day pro wrestling.

Here are the highlights:

Is the now non traditional means of getting into the wrestling business making  people more focussed on being famous rather then becoming a star in professional wrestling: 

“To one part of that, certainly. It takes away the mystique of it all. It takes away that being enamored with of wanting to be it, because no longer is it this great, grand thing that only select people get to do or be apart of. I really feel and this is purely conjecture and opinion but I think it really is our society now supports my opinion and that is that maybe seven or eight out of ten people whether it be wrestling or anything anymore are more concerned about being famous for being famous sake or being a celebrity then they are about having a true passion for doing the things they do.

I’m not saying that there aren’t people out there that still have a passion for doing it but the real true motivating factor for a large number of people is that they get to be a celebrity and a prime example of this as far as wrestling is concerned is and you talk to anybody and rightfully so, they all want to be in WWE and who wouldn’t because it’s the biggest platform to sell your product, which is you. But the problem is some of these people don’t look at this as a platform to sell your product they look at it as a partnership with WWE and a business relationship. They look at it as an opportunity now to be recognized on the street and for people to come up and ask for autographs and there be all end all is in professional wrestling is to be a WWE Superstar and for a lot of these people they feel like that once they are removed from WWE their careers are now suddenly over and they no longer can exist as a wrestler when that’s not the case.

You now have the opportunity to go out in the world and take advantage of the platform that WWE gives which is such an immense amazing platform and then reinvent yourself and maybe be brought back again in a completely different manner and get a completely different run to WWE one more time. ”

How he originally got noticed by the WWF in the early 1990s: 

“At the time I had been working for probably thirteen years and they weren’t there yet but were just becoming Independents because back in that day you just worked the territories and then when the territories started going away there were outlaw groups. They weren’t aligned with the National Wrestling Alliance or any one particular territory.

One of the last hold outs at the time in 95 and the early part of the 90s was ECW of course and WCW was still in existence and then Smoky Mountain with Jim Cornette. I had known Cornette for quite a few years and he never really seemed to take notice of me because I didn’t have a character or definable personality per-say but that’s the one thing you have to figure out for yourself. I was working with Dan Severn and I had broken him into professional wrestling. He wanted to do UFC, which back then was truly it’s own style of mixed martial arts. We went to Oklahoma City for UFC 4 and I trained and worked with Dan to prepare him for that and I was in his corner. He had won two fights and was being interviewed and I could tell that the interviewer was trying to have Dan put over Royce Gracie as the star of the UFC and they were trying to lead him on into saying something and I just snapped and after another stupid question I said what do you think he was going to do? He is going to have sex in the locker room and they cut us off real quick and got us out of there.

Cornette was watching the pay per view and thought it was awesome and at the time I was working for ECW for Paul Heyman and he brought me into Smoky Mountain to be this smart-alecky chicken heel and unfortunately Eddie Gilbert had been in that spot and had passed away. Cornette had brought me into be Unibomb’s (Glen Jacobs/Kane) partner and I was supposed to be the mouth and pick the fights and Kane would be the muscle and Jim Ross was doing the announcing there and Jim recommended me and suggested me to WWF.”

Why his enormously successful run in ECW ended after being on loan by the WWF and not beating Shane Douglas at Wrestlepalooza 98:

“Paul loved to do the opposite and alternate thing and I think because Paul was in communication with the WWE a lot. I was really happy in ECW and I was prepared to send a letter to ask for my full release (from WWE) because you had to do it 90 days in advance. I was prepared to stay in ECW. But Paul E. never really invested anything in me, other then he gave me the TV time and he took what I did and I never really beat anyone or I didn’t get what you would call a “wrestling push”. I didn’t beat Sabu, I didn’t beat Rob Van Dam, I didn’t beat Tommy Dreamer on my way up to Shane Douglas.

I worked with all the underneath guys, which was fine. But I had gotten over to the point where Paul E and ECW would have to capitalize on it. His great plan according to him was that everybody knows you are going to win. It’s not going to change that fact that I am going to still get myself over and that sounds kind of arrogant to say but it’s the truth so it didn’t matter to me if I won or lost because the one thing that is fake about wrestling is the won or loss doesn’t matter if it still gets you over. I didn’t think it was the right thing to do business wise personally because I thought that people would not be happy about it and I felt that business wise it would have been better to let me win it.”

Outside opinions on ECW’s use of Al Snow and who suggested he rejoin WWF in 98: 

“To prove  that point I had spoken to Terry Taylor when I first went to TNA and he said “I’ve got to tell you that was the biggest mistake I had ever seen because I so expected you to win and felt you should have. The minute you didn’t that was it, I was done. I didn’t care about ECW anymore.” That’s an unsolicited opinion.

So at that same time I had just resigned with WWE and the reason I had was because Vince Russo had contacted me about sending tapes on what I had been doing into the office. I was reluctant to do it and to go back. It wasn’t about the money for me, I just enjoyed doing what I was doing. But then I saw a brand new opening to the (ECW) show that they had just redone it and I wasn’t featured anywhere in the opening. Which told me I wasn’t one of the acts that Paul E. had plans for. That made my mind up and I was going to send my stuff into Vince.”

First-Ever Global Force Champions Crowned At Amped TV Taping

Matt Boone
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Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling crowned the following champions at their GFW Amped television taping on Friday night at The Orleans in Las Vegas, Nevada.

GFW Global Champion: Nick Aldis

GFW Women’s Champion: Christina Von Eerie

GFW Tag-Team Champions: The Bollywood Boyz

GFW NEX*GEN Champion: PJ Black

Below are some photos of the aforementioned talents winning their respective titles at Friday’s taping.

Jim Ross Blog: Hell In A Cell Thoughts, Tyler Breeze’s Debut, Jesse Ventura

Matt Boone
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WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official blog with his latest thoughts and opinions on a number of current topics. Below are some of the highlights.

On John Cena’s U.S. Challenge on Sunday: “WWE has a golden opportunity, no pun intended, to do some water cooler talk-like business this Sunday at the HIAC event in Los Angeles in the US Title Open Challenge offered up by the title holder John Cena. The table is perfectly set for a challenger to take a giant step in becoming much more relevant if they defeat John Cena for the United States Title. Cena is and will remain WWE’s biggest, full time star no matter the outcome of Sunday’s US Title match but what Cena can do is elevate a talent into the much needed main event sphere of WWE. With Cena stepping away from WWE for a few weeks to apparently tape a new TV show for Fox, or so I’m hearing, giving another wrestler the ‘rub’ elevates the new champion and gives Cena a destination, if desired, when he returns.

I’d love to see WWE take a bold more on this matter come Sunday notwithstanding taking other calculated risks to move additional talents up the ladder. It’s not an impossible feat if one has the courage to pull the trigger and try a new, creative approach. How about Samoa Joe getting the valued, Cena ‘rub?'”

On Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar this Sunday: “Been asked a lot about the outcome of the Lesnar vs. Taker match inside HIAC Sunday and I see Brock winning. Could there be a strong piece of creative waiting in the wings for this match? Will another competitor, or more, get involved? Could Lesnar AND Taker both be left down at the end of Sunday’s show or does that simply defy logic? That could help ‘make’ multiple heels to a large degree. If Lesnar wins and there is an opportunity, do the two warriors shake hands at the end of their battle? No matter the extracurricular stuff than may transpire, I’ve got Lesnar winning the match.”

On Tyler Breeze’s SmackDown debut: “Enjoyed antagonist, Tyler Breeze’s debut Thursday night on Smackdown and the Lance Storm Wrestling Academy product has some viable, old school traits that WWE should be able to monetize. Would WWE be so bold as to have Breeze upset John Cena to become the new WWE Champion Sunday in LA? Stranger things have happened in the biz over the years.”

On Jesse Ventura’s recent comments about him: “Been asked to comment on Jesse Ventura’s recent statements on “Busted Open Radio about working with me. I dropped the ball on that matter and I’m man enough to admit it. I was jealous and frustrated over what Jesse was earning for a few hours of work a week while I was hitting it hard multiple days a week and earning less than half of what he was earning. Just reading that sentence back is embarrassing as I was unnecessarily pissed at the wrong guy. Jesse and I did not have the chemistry that he had with Vince McMahon or Gorilla Monsoon and I did not have the mojo with the Governor that I had with the King, Paul Heyman, Bob Caudle, Jim Cornette and others. I wish we had done better for the fans sake but the failure to do so is on me. I was burning out and the stress and pressure of WCW politics was getting the better of me I’m sad to admit. As a result of that scenario, I soiled the sheets. Life Lesson learned.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

WWE Releasing New Brock Lesnar Documentary DVD In 2016

Matt Boone
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WWE is planning on releasing a new Brock Lesnar DVD and Blu-ray set in 2016, according to a new report from WrestlingDVDNetwork.com. The last Lesnar DVD, “Here Comes The Pain,” came out in 2003 and was re-released as a Collector’s Edition in 2012.

The new Lesnar DVD and Blu-ray fills one of the last two slots on WWE’s 2016 “Home Video” schedule. The set appears to be a compilation of matches and moments, with all-new documentary footage of Lesnar’s life and career.

As previously reported, WWE is also planning on releasing documentary sets on Eric Bischoff, Scott Hall, The Dudley Boyz and possibly Shane McMahon in 2016.

Ryback Talks About How Much Control He Has With His Character

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Ryback spoke with AZCentral.com this week to promote Tuesday’s SmackDown taping at the US Airways Center in Phoenix, AZ. During the interview, the Big Guy commented on how much control he has with his character.

“I can say that for me, personally, I 100 percent have been able to do anything I want to with Ryback,” Ryback said. “We’ve talked about things and certain elements, but I’ve been allowed creative control to do what I want to do. If Vince (McMahon, WWE CEO) doesn’t like anything, he would tell me and we’d correct.”

He also commented on how much he is like his on-air Ryback character.

“I’m ultra-aggressive, really intense,” he said. “The thing I have in the ring is how I apply myself in real life. I like to win. I like to be my best. Here’s an example. At camp a few months ago, there was a pingpong    table. I love pingpong. Since I was a kid, I’d always play pingpong. Now, Jimmy Uso and Adrian Neville both kicked my ass playing pingpong. I played them 10 games each. I couldn’t let it go. I wanted to keep getting better. That’s the kind of intensity and focus I have. When I step foot in the ring, it’s still there.”

You can read the entire the interview here.

Photos: First Look At Global Force Wrestling’s Championship Belts

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Global Force Wrestling will be running the final GFW “Amped” television taping remaining on their current schedule tonight at The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The first ever GFW World Champion, GFW Tag-Team Champions and GFW NEX-GEN Champion will be crowned at tonight’s taping and earlier today, the official GFW Twitter account posted photos of the first-ever GFW title belts.

Check out photos of the GFW title belts below.

Daniel Bryan Resurfaces Showing Off His Gardening Skills

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If you miss Daniel Bryan, then here’s a brand new 25 minutes of him for you to watch. He’s in his element…well, the one that isn’t pro wrestling. As many fans are aware of, one of Bryan’s biggest passions is the environment, with a goal of being able to be fully self-sustainable.

Along with his wife Brie Bella in their alter-egos of Bryan and Brianna Danielson, they talk with “The Vegan Athlete” Jake Mace about desert gardening in the video embedded above. Being that he’s been out of action for a while but not necessarily injured, he’s able to remain active and has been building up a garden behind his and Brianna’s house.  Being that they live in Phoenix, Arizona, this is easier said than done.

In the video, Bryan talks about going to Mace’s tour of his house nearby, where he has a gigantic garden outside. So being that he grew up gardening in the much more forgiving climate, Mace was a good starting point for learning how to get a garden going in the desert. They talk about growing cherry trees, kale, and all sorts of other good stuff. It’s actually pretty interesting, so check it out.

Tyler Breeze Cuts Promo On Samoa Joe (Video), Another NXT Name Change, More

Matt Boone
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– NXT Diva Gionna Daddio is now using the name “Marley.” She will be facing Eva Marie on the November 4th episode of NXT TV, which was taped on Thursday night at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

– Also at the NXT TV tapings on Thursday night, independent wrestlers Corey Hollis and John Skyler worked a tag-team match against The Mechanics. That match will air on the November 18th episode of NXT TV.

– As noted, Samoa Joe vs. Tyler Breeze is scheduled for next week’s edition of NXT TV. Breeze cut the following promo on Joe ahead of their match.

Rusev & Lana Attend NBA Game (Photos), New Book Of Austin Vignette, Jericho

Matt Boone
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– Busted Open Radio hosts Doug Mortman and Dave LaGreca are the guests on the latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which is now available. You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

– Newly engaged couple Rusev and Lana attended a Los Angeles Clippers pre-season NBA game in Los Angeles on Thursday evening. Below are some photos of Rusev and Lana with NBA stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.

– The latest “Book Of Steve Austin” vignette for the WWE 2K16 video game is now available. You can check out “Austin 3:13” below.

Bullet Club Gets A New Member At Today’s NJPW Show

David Bixenspan
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2D6ZZ20J6g

Earlier today, NJPW ran a house show as part of theRoad to Power Struggle tour in Saitama, which aired live on NJPW World. The big news coming out of the show is that the Bullet Club announced a new member: Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Chase Owens. Owens, Kenny Omega, and the Young Bucks defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, Mascara Dorada, and the Time Splitters when Omega pinned Dorada after hitting the One-Winged Angel.

The NWA issued a press release today that included this note about Owens joining the Bullet Club:

The wrestling world was rocked when we recently received word from Japan that former NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion “THE CROWN JEWEL” CHASE OWENS has joined the Bullet Club!

Does this signal the start of an NWA – Bullet Club Alliance? NWA President Bruce Tharpe has indicated that this is only the first of many controversial surprises to come involving the NWA.

Tharpe has served as the manager of Owens and the other NWA-aligned Americans like Rob Conway. He was a big part of Owens’ feud with Jushin Thunder Liger, cutting promos, interfering in matches, and so on.

WWE Network Launches In India, WWE Stock Spikes

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WWE shares spiked over 7% on Friday after it was announced that the WWE Network is launching in India on November 2nd. Here is the official announcement:

WWE NETWORK LAUNCHES IN INDIA

MUMBAI and STAMFORD, Conn., October 23, 2015 – Beginning Monday, November 2, WWE Network will be available in India for $9.99 (U.S.) per month, with no commitment and the ability to cancel any time. Fans in India can sign up online by going to WWENetwork.com and can watch WWE Network on their desktop, laptop and mobile devices.

WWE Network subscribers in India will receive their first month of service free and have access to the U.S. English language version of WWE Network. Subscribers will get access to 24/7 scheduled programming and the most comprehensive video-on-demand library with more than 3,700 hours of content, including Raw® and SmackDown® re-airs, and every WWE, WCW™ and ECW™ pay-per-view. In addition, all 12 WWE pay-per-views will be available to subscribers 24 hours after they air in India, and will be broadcast live on WWE Network beginning in 2017.

“India is a strategically important market for WWE and we are thrilled to make WWE Network available to our fans there,” said George Barrios, WWE Chief Strategy & Financial Officer. “The global expansion of WWE Network is a key driver in our commitment to growing the WWE brand internationally.”

WWE Network will be made available on additional devices, including Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Roku and Smart TVs prior to Survivor Series® on Sunday, November 22.

WWE Network programming highlights include:

Breaking Ground™ – Breaking Ground, WWE Network’s newest original series, gives viewers access to the WWE Performance Center, chronicling what it takes to become a WWE Superstar.

Swerved™ – Directed by Jeff Tremaine (Jackass, Bad Grandpa), Swerved combines the worlds of comedy and sports entertainment as WWE Superstars and Divas play hilarious pranks on one another.

The Monday Night War™ – WWE Network’s 20-episode original series documents the epic television ratings battle between entertainment icons Vince McMahon and Ted Turner.

Stone Cold® Podcast Live! – WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin® sits down with the biggest names in WWE and the world of sports and entertainment for a no-holds-barred, in-your-face, exclusive interview.

NXT TAKEOVER LIVE! – The future is here. WWE’s hottest up-and-coming Superstars compete to prove they’ve got what it takes. More than just evolution, it’s a revolution. Witness these WWE Superstars of tomorrow as they take over WWE Network with live two-hour specials.

WWE® 24 – The acclaimed 30-minute docu-series that takes viewers on a lightning-fast journey through a day in the life of WWE’s most intriguing Superstars and groundbreaking events.

Total Divas™ (Seasons 1-3) – Total Divas gives viewers an exclusive, outside-the-ring look at WWE’s top Divas with an inside glimpse into their personal lives as they balance their own drama and the non-stop action of their professional careers.

WWE Network will also be available in other countries in the Indian subcontinent including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. For a complete listing of WWE Network availability by country and device, please click here.

The Rock Announces Partnership With Under Armour

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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has landed yet another major endorsement deal. The WWE legend revealed on Thursday that he has launched a new partnership with Under Armour sports apparel to release a line of products for men, women and children. He noted that the partnership has been “years in the making.”

Related: The Rock Partners With Ford Motor Company

https://instagram.com/p/9Jy1paIh-r/

Jim Ross Q&A: Undertaker Not Retiring In 2016?, WWE Titan Tron, More

Matt Boone
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WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official Q&A section, answering questions from fans on a number of various topics. Below are some of the highlights.

On WWE having a creative team of 25 people but still producing weak storylines: “This is news to me as it’s an area that I spend little time addressing. It’s a tough, thankless job but I’d agree that recent creative has not been, seemingly, what the TV viewers want to see.”

On if WWE asked him to take over RAW announcing again: “Everyone has their ‘magic’ number including yours truly.”

On his memories of the old “Livewire” show: “Everyone has their ‘magic’ number including yours truly.”

On WWE no longer using the Titan Tron for RAW or SmackDown: “I wasn’t aware of such as I have not been to a WWE RAW or Smackdown event in years. I don’t know why they would have stopped using the ‘Tron but I’d assume that there’s a good reason.”

On Undertaker’s WrestleMania match possibly having a retirement stipulation: “No one’s creative ideas are bad but simply different. Taker needs to be in a high profile match without a doubt come Wrestlemania but I don’t think that he’s retiring in 2016. That would surprise me.”

Check out more JR Q&A updates at his official website, JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

James Storm Talks About Going To NXT, If We’ll See Him In WWE & More

Matt Boone
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The official WWE website recently spoke with former TNA Champion and new NXT star James Storm. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On how the conversation of him coming to NXT began: “It came about because I’m good friends with Road Dogg and Billy Gunn. They put it in Triple H’s ear that I was free and clear of all contracts, to see if there’s some interest there. I actually called Road Dogg to see if it was OK that I went up to the NXT Nashville show not too long ago. He said, “Yeah, just try to stay out of sight.” So, I stayed in the locker room. There were reports that I was sitting in the front row at an NXT show, and I didn’t deny that I was there. I just said, “I saw the reports and I’m sorry, but that was not me sitting in the front row.” [Laughs.]

Then, [WWE Performance Center Head Coach] Matt Bloom pulled me aside and asked if I was available to come down that Wednesday and Thursday to Orlando. I went down and talked to Triple H at the NXT TakeOver: Respect special. Then the next night, he asked if I was willing to appear, and I said yes.”

On what it was like walking into the NXT locker room in Nashville for the first time: “I really didn’t know what to expect because I didn’t know if these guys were looking at me, going, “Here’s a guy coming in, trying to take my job.” Basically, that’s what I’m doing. I’m trying to find me a spot. I learned a long time ago that you don’t have to worry about your spot if you’re doing your job right. But all the guys were so cool. All of them came up to me; a couple of them made me feel kinda old, like, “Hey, I used to watch you 10 years ago.” [Laughs.] But nobody said a negative word or gave me a dirty look, or anything like that. Everybody was super-cool and actually welcoming me in with open arms.”

On when we will see him back in NXT or even WWE: “That’s the million-dollar question. That’s not really up to me. My job is to go out and get myself over, as they say. And it’s up to what we call “the suits” to make the decision of whether to bring me back to NXT or the WWE main roster. I get so many people all the time saying, “We want to see you and Bray Wyatt go at it on the microphone.” I always say that you never know what’s going to happen in wrestling. And I just take one day at a time.”

Check out the complete interview at WWE.com.

WWE Partnership Boosts EVOLVE Morale, Former TNA Knockout Works NXT TV Taping

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– We noted recently that the EVOLVE promotion set attendance records at their EVOLVE 49 and EVOLVE 50 events in New York City, featuring appearances by NXT star Sami Zayn.

Apparently the iPPV buys for the shows were up as well, despite the fact that Zayn didn’t appear on the actual broadcasts. This was credited to the buzz surrounding EVOLVE’s partnership with WWE and the news that Zayn would be appearing for the promotion.

Attendance and iPPV buys being up led to backstage morale being up, according to a new PWInsider.com report. The morale is up right now with the roster buzzing about what the new partnership with WWE could mean for them and EVOLVE as a whole.

– Former TNA Knockout Rosie Lottalove worked the NXT television taping on Thursday night, losing to Emma in singles action taped for the November 18th episode.

Rosie lost more than 100 pounds over a year ago and has been competing in the SHINE Wrestling promotion under the name “Andrea.” She used her real name, MaryKate, at the NXT tapings last night.

Below are some photos of her appearance.

https://twitter.com/Manic_Pineapple/status/657359540955017216

Bubba Ray Dudley On Possibility Of Velvet Sky To WWE, His Own Return & More

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WWE Superstar Bubba Ray Dudley recently spoke with Scott Fishman of Channel Guide Magazine to promote this Sunday’s WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view in Los Angeles, California. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On how his WWE return started: “The very first person I spoke to was Road Dogg. He was the one who reached out saying, ‘Hey Bubba, would you be interested in coming to the Royal Rumble? I told him yes. I always had a great working relationship with him in the ring and a good working relationship outside of the ring. Me and D-Von won our first WWE tag team championship from the New Age Outlaws. He got in touch with me. That’s how it all started. It was pretty funny because I think a lot of people within WWE were shocked by the reaction. I think they all thought, ‘Oh its Philly, so he’ll get a nice little reaction.’ I didn’t think they were expecting anything like that.”

On WWE now vs. then: “It has been great and the locker room has been great, but the locker room was great back in the day, too. The only difference now really is the guys are much younger than me and D-Von. They’ve come up different ways in the business. Back in the Attitude Era you had guys that came up more the old school way, who were able to go out there and do what they wanted to get themselves over. This is as opposed to now where creatively WWE has much more of a presence and wants their wrestlers to do their job a certain way. As far as the locker room operates and the chemistry within the locker room, it’s phenomenal. It has been nothing but positive.”

On his girlfriend Velvet Sky possibly joining WWE: “It’s no secret that me and Velvet [Sky] are together. If you go on Twitter I think the entire Twitter-verse would like to see that. She is probably the most over female wrestler out there that has never been in WWE. She looks phenomenal. I think the fans and the WWE Universe would love to see her in a WWE ring. Who knows? Maybe it will happen one day.”

Check out the complete interview at ChannelGuideMagBlog.com.

Batista Says WWE Was Always Disorganized, Talks 007: Spectre & More

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Part-time WWE performer Batista recently spoke with LatinPost.com to promote his role in the new James Bond “007: Spectre” movie. Below are some of the highlights.

On the most fascinating thing about playing the Mr. Hinx role in 007: Spectre: “I think the cool thing is that he was going to be categorized as a henchman. And my fear was always that I didn’t like being cast as a muscle head. So two questions I asked Sam at that meeting was if Hinx was a bada**. Then I asked if he was intelligent and he said “Absolutely.” Those were my two concerns because I didn’t wanted to be categorized as a subservient henchman. I wanted to be a man on a mission doing his own thing. And that’s what Mr. Hinx is.”

On the most exciting scene that he took part in during 007: Spectre filming: “We did this elaborate car chase through Rome that was incredible. They literally shut down the city for us at night. When we driving these exotic cars through Rome it was insane. It felt like I was really in a James Bond film.”

On the most exciting thing about being in films like Guardians of the Galaxy and 007: Spectre: “I don’t think that I find anything particularly fascinating. For me it’s about the characters. I take jobs based on characters. I noticed that conditions are better on bigger budget films, but I don’t mind roughing it once in a while if the quality of the material is there. I can get used to some disorganized stuff. I was with WWE and everything was always disorganized there.”

On whether or not transitioning from WWE to Hollywood was tough: “It was actually really rough. It didn’t seem to start rolling until Guardians was released. The first film I ever did, I was with WWE and it was a favor to a friend. When I did it, I realized I was a horrible actor. It pissed me off because I left feeling embarrassed. It made me want to prove myself and get better so I could get a second chance. And there you go.”

Check out the complete interview at LatinPost.com.

*Spoilers* 3 Weeks Of NXT TV Tapings (Through 11/18)

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The following are spoiler results from the set of NXT television tapings held on Thursday, October 22, 2015 at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

NXT TV Spoilers For 11/4

– Asuka def. Cameron via submission

– Bull Dempsey def. Angelo Dawkins

– Eva Marie def. Gionna Daddio, who is now using the name Marley.

– Apollo Crews def. Finn Balor ended in a DQ when Baron Corbin attacked both guys in what was a NXT title match, so the title didn’t change hands. After Corbin hit the ring, Samoa Joe came out and took out Corbin, but then shocked everyone by attacking Finn Balor for a surprising heel turn to close out that week’s show.

NXT TV Spoilers For 11/11

– Adrien Reese (aka Athena) def. Peyton Royce with a top-rope jump into a Stunner for the 1-2-3.

– Baron Corbin vs. Tye Dillinger never takes place as Apollo Crews takes out Corbin.

– Bayley, Zack Ryder & Mojo Rawley def. Alexa Bliss, Blake & Murphy in a six-person inter-gender tag-team match. Bliss stole Bayley’s title and ran off with it during the match. Bayley hit a Belly-To-Bayley on one of the men and then ran after Bliss. Ryder hit the Rough Ryder to get the win for his team.

– Nia Jax def. Deonna Purrazzo in a squash match.

– The Mechanics def. The Vaudevillains via submission to become the new NXT Tag-Team Champions. Great crowd reactions for this match and for the title change.

– Samoa Joe came out for a promo segment. The fans boo him because he turned heel and attacked Finn Balor on “last week’s show.” Balor ends up coming out and confronts Joe. They get into it but referees end up holding them back. This segment ends the 11/11 edition of NXT TV.

NXT TV Spoilers For 11/18

– Nia Jax def. Carmella in a squash match.

– Chad Gable & Jason Jordan def. The Ascension in tag-team action when Gable and Jordan score the pin after hitting the assisted German suplex.

– Emma def. Mary Kate (aka Rosie Lottalove and Andrea) with the Emma-lock.

– The Mechanics def. Two local talents (believed to be Corey Hollis and John Skyler) to retain the NXT Tag-Team titles.

– Bayley def. Alexa Bliss via the Huggplex to retain the NXT Women’s Championship. Eva Marie ended up coming out to challenge Bayley to a future title match.

TNA & ROH On Destination America Viewership For October 21st

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The Wednesday, October 21st edition of TNA Impact Wrestling drew 264,000 viewers on Destination America for the first airing and 63,000 viewers for the second airing, making a combined total of 327,000 viewers. That number ties last week for the third lowest viewership total since moving to Destination America.

Ring Of Honor on Destination America fell 24 percent this week going head-to-head with the New York Mets vs. Chicago Cubs MLB game, which drew 7.94 million viewers, as ROH drew 132,000 viewers on Wednesday night.

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