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Photos Of Mick Foley’s “Cheap Pops” Taping, Premiere Date Revealed

Matt Boone
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WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley revealed the premiere date for his “Cheap Pops” WWE Network special on social media today.

The hardcore legend noted that the special, which was taped on Friday night at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, will air this Wednesday on the WWE Network.

Below are some comments from Foley regarding the special, as well as some photos from the taping:

“I had an incredible time last night, bringing ?#?CheapPops? to life at ?#?FullSailUniversity?. I believe it will be making it’s premiere on ?#?WWENetwork? on WEDNESDAY! Now I start all over again, working on a brand new show to bring on the road when the new tour starts at the end of May. Who’ll be watching? Who’s ready for some great stories, and some cheap pops!”

https://twitter.com/realmickfoley/status/591735606406991872

https://twitter.com/realmickfoley/status/591799673406521346

WWE Releases Sixth Wrestler From NXT This Weekend

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As reported on Friday evening, WWE has released five developmental talents from NXT this weekend — Dustin Mueller, Leyvonna Zakari, Laszlo Vandracsek, C. Denzel Freeman and Tony Briggs.

There now a sixth release to report – Courtney Freeman, who had yet to wrestle a match at a live event. Freeman was an amateur wrestler from the University of The Cumberlands and was signed by WWE right out of college.

WWE Extreme Rules 2015 Preview & Predictions

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The WWE Universe will get its annual dose of extreme this Sunday at Extreme Rules. Every major title is scheduled to be defended, and nearly every match on the card features some sort of stipulation. Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s pay-per-view.

Tyson Kidd & Cesaro (Tag Team Champions) vs. The New Day (Pre-Show Match)

20150420_LIGHT_ER_Match_HP_Kickoff

The New Day sucks, plain and simple. They belong on the pre-show, and there’s absolutely no way they capture the titles on Sunday. Kidd and Cesaro continue their run as champions after picking up the victory. I do not think they will do so via pinfall or submission, however. I believe the New Day will be on the verge of defeat, leading to Xavier Woods interfering in the match and the New Day viciously attacking the champs. This would further solidify them as heels, while also starting a face turn for the champions by building fan sympathy.

Winners: Kidd & Cesaro by disqualification

Dean Ambrose vs. Luke Harper (Chicago Street Fight)

20150420_EP_ExtremeRulesAmbrose_HOMEPAGE

This has the potential to be one of the better matches of the night. Expect the action to sprawl all over the area in something resembling a hardcore match from the Attitude Era, with multiple weapons being utilized along the way. In the end, Ambrose will find a way to win after incapacitating his opponent with Dirty Deeds, hopefully leading to a push where he goes after the Intercontinental Championship now that it appears Daniel Bryan will be on the shelf for a while.

Winner: Dean Ambrose by pinfall

Daniel Bryan (Intercontinental Champion) vs. Bad News Barrett

20150402_LIGHT_ER_Match_DBBnB_HP

Bryan is injured and will not be competing on Sunday. That’s basically a guarantee. WWE is essentially engaging in false advertising by not announcing that this match will no longer take place. Expect some sort of backstage segment during the show where Bryan is attacked to write him out of the storyline.

Winner: Match will not take place

Jerry Springer Describes His New WWE Network Show, “WWE: Too Hot For TV”

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Famous talk show host Jerry Springer recently spoke to the folks at Business Insider about his new “WWE Too Hot For TV” show, which is scheduled to premiere on the WWE Network this Monday night.

Springer mentioned during the interview that his show will be like The Soup for pro wrestling and will feature him showcasing and talking about outrageous and classic clips from WWE’s vast archives.

“The best parallel I can draw is that show ‘Talk Soup,’ which has been on for years,” said Springer. “I guess the only question I had is: why did it take us so long to think about that because it’s so obvious? It’s been so much entertainment for so many years. It’s a natural fit.”

Springer concluded, “Truth is, our audiences overlap. They’re the same demographic. So yeah, it was easy to say ‘yes’ to.”

Check out the complete interview at BusinessInsider.com.

George “The Animal” Steele On His Green Tongue & Turnbuckle Biting, Bruno Sammartino

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WWE Hall Of Famer George “The Animal” Steele recently appeared on The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast to talk about his legendary career. Below are some highlights.

On the origins of the infamous green tongue: “Today the WWE sits down and come up with all these ideas and different gimmicks and they didn’t do that back then. I had a couple of drinks at a TV taping and I didn’t want the promoter to know it, so I put some Clorets in my mouth and went on television. Now back in the late 60s – early 70s, color TV had just come out, so here I come out there looking like a clown with a green tongue and I didn’t even know it was green, I was just trying to get rid of the breath and about 3 months later I said I wanted to try the green tongue thing again but just for my own laughs. When I did it again, the place went nuts and the next day had signs all over the place with green tongues hanging out so from then on I had the very best breath in wrestling.”

On how the turnbuckle biting originated: “In Pittsburg back in 1967, they would give away different gifts to get fans to come to the TV shows and on this one particular time they gave away these small little couch pillows. They had probably given away about 250 of them. One of the ladies in the crowed had gotten mad at me and threw her pillow at me. So I get the pillow in the ring and what am I going to do with it? I can throw it back and then have 250 pillows then coming back at me or I can take a bite out of it. So I take a bite out of it and it tore and popped because it was so packed with the stuffing, it just exploded so I started throwing the stuffing in the air and it was sticking in my hair like an abominable snowman, then I took the pillow wrapped it around my opponents head and started choking him. It was Bruno’s (Sammartino) wrestling “cousin” Tony Marino that said maybe you should start tearing the turnbuckles and everybody laughed. Two or three weeks later I go and fight (Chief Jay) Strongbow and even though it’s hard to have a boring match with Strongbow the people just weren’t reacting to this match. I looked at the turnbuckle pad and I went over took a bite out of it and it tore really easy and started rubbing his eyes with that and for a very flat match, we had a riot. So the two things that I am known for the green tongue and the turnbuckles and they both happened by accident.”

On working with Bruno Sammartino: “The whole WWWF promotion was about Bruno Sammartino, everything else was secondary. Bruno was such a different kind of talent because he was over so strong. I’ve worked on shows with Hulk Hogan who was over pretty strong worldwide but nothing like what Bruno was in New York, Philadelphia, Boston and the whole Northeast. I was the heel so I would go to the ring first so the people would go crazy and he would wait and start to come down and he was watching. Just about every time he was ready to come down, the crowd would calm down and they would start to make his announcement, so I would start to work the crowd again. Bruno was in such great shape and worked so hard that you had to be in shape to keep up with him.”

On the feeling of the crowd during a match with Bruno: Fans in Madison Square Garden would rush the aisles and try to kill you because they loved him so much. I still have a picture of 15-20 of New York’s finest Police surrounding me just to get me to and from the ring. They just loved him so much. People in New York were trying to kill me. Wrestling back then was always pre-determined and we always knew who was going to win but we didn’t know how we were going to get there. None of this dance stuff like they have now where everything is so choreographed. We actually wrestled until we felt like it was time for the finish and our matches would last anywhere between 30-45 minutes with an hour time limit. Everything was real so when you are going that long and tough and you are actually doing wrestling it’s very believable.”

Check out the complete interview at TMPTOW.Podomatic.cmo.

Notes From Mick Foley’s “Cheap Pops” WWE Network Taping

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WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley taped his “Cheap Pops” special for the WWE Network at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida on Friday night. Below are some notes from the show.

– NXT host Greg Hamilton was the host for the event.

– Foley’s family was in attendance, as his daughter Noelle did an introduction for him and one of his sons also participated during the show.

– JBL was advertised to appear but never showed up and was never mentioned. Some NXT stars were in attendance for the taping, but also weren’t included as part of the actual show.

– While no air date for the special was announced, Foley did announce that he would be doing more shows in Florida this July.

– WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross opened the show with about 30 minutes of stories and a brief Q&A segment.

– Mick Foley followed with about an hour of stories and a longer Q&A.

– A planned meet and greet ended up not happening due to issues with the venue.

WWE Releases Three More NXT Wrestlers

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Earlier today, NXT performers Brian Reid (a/k/a Tony Briggs) and C Denzel Freeman announced on Twitter that they had parted ways with WWE. According to PWInsider.com, WWE has released three additional developmental talents from their respective contracts: Dustin Mueller, Laszlo Vandracsek and Leyvonna Zakari. All three never wrestled before a live crowd.

Mueller is a bodybuilder from Chicago, Illinois who WWE signed last year. He had no wrestling experience prior to joining WWE. He made a few live event appearances as a security guard.

Zakari, a model and actress from California, joined WWE last April. Though she never wrestled, she handled ring announcing duties at a few non-televised NXT events.

Hungarian-born Vandracsek was a member of U.S. National Bobsled Team who WWE recruited late last year.

WWE Releases Two NXT Wrestlers

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WWE has come to terms on the release of NXT performers Brian Reid (a/k/a Tony Briggs) and C Denzel Freeman. Both individuals announced Friday on Twitter that they were parting ways with the sports-entertainment organization.

Freeman, an amateur wrestler from the University of the Cumberlands, began training at the WWE Performance Center late last year. He never competed in a match before a live crowd. He stated:

Briggs, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound wrestler from California, signed with WWE in late 2013. He infrequently wrestled at NXT live events, and was squashed the two times he competed on television.

WWE Considering Releasing DVDs On Eric Bischoff, Lex Luger, The Dudley Boyz & Other Stars

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The WWE Fan Council issued the following survey to fans on possible DVD releases. Below is a list of potential titles under consideration.

Roman Reigns – Roman Reigns has burst on the scene to become one of the biggest superstars to date… but it’s no surprise as his historical lineage has set him up for greatness. Go behind the scenes with Roman as he prepares for the biggest match of his career – the main event of WrestleMania!

WWE’s Greatest Rivalries: Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven – Tommy Dreamer and Raven had one of the fiercest rivalries in ECW… now get a chance to hear both sides as the two sit down with Joey Styles and discuss what worked, what didn’t worked and why their rivalry was so successful.

True Story of Tribute to the Troops – A behind the scenes look at what WWE calls the most important show of the year. Following its inception and with stories from those who traveled overseas each year and the importance of why it has lasted over a decade.

Booker T – An extended version of the network special – Booker T: Sentenced to Greatness. Get a behind the scenes look at Booker T, as he discusses his improbable rise from Prison to WWE Hall of Famer. PLUS a compilation of Booker T’s greatest matches, with commentary from the man himself.

Divas – The Women’s division in WWE has grown in leaps and bounds from the days of the Fabulous Moolah, to Sunny, to Trish Stratus, to Michelle McCool, and now to the future in Charlotte… hear from all the most important figures in history as they discuss how they changed the role of the female in a male dominated sport!

Lex Luger – A natural athlete, who played professional football in the CFL & USFL, then became one of the most popular wrestlers of the 80s and 90s, “The Narcissist” finds God and turns his life around, only to become paralyzed a short time later. Hear from the man himself as well as his friends and enemies as Lex’s remarkable story is told.

JBL: How to Become a Self-Made Millionaire – Follow a “day in the life” of JBL – a self-made millionaire, Texas born, New York refined. A former WWE Champion and currently a financial analyst, a political radio host, and commentator for WWE – JBL does it all, and now you can see and hear it all from the man himself!

Dudley Boyz Bio – Arguably the most successful tag team in the history of sports entertainment. Hear from Bubba Ray and D-Von as they discuss theirs trials and tribulations from the bottom to the top and what made they did that helped them become so successful.

OMG! ECW’s Top 50 Craziest Moments – OMG! It’s back and this time with by far the craziest moments to date, as ECW rears its head on this series. ECW was extreme and there is no shortage of OMG moments throughout its history. Hear exclusive interviews from ECW legends as they tell stories behind some of the craziest moments in ECW history!

Bruno Sammartino – For over 11 years there was no one better than Bruno Sammartino – WWE’s longest reigning champion of all time. Now hear from Bruno as he discusses his reign as champion in the ring and at home!

Sheamus Experience – Get a chance to follow Sheamus around on his daily routine to find out what makes the Celtic Warrior tick. Listen to him as he recalls growing up in Ireland as a fan, to beating John Cena for the WWE Championship in his first year in the WWE.

One Man Show: Stone Cold – Stone Cold Steve Austin was one of the most popular athletes in one of the most exciting times in sports entertainment history, now hear from the man himself as he tells about his meteoric rise to the top. Steve discusses his life story in humorous fashion as only the rattlesnake can, live on stage!

Eric Bischoff – A rare look inside the man who ran WCW and almost put WWE out of business only to ultimately be defeated in the Monday Night War and become a WWE employee as told by himself and those closest to him.

WWE’s Greatest Rivalries: Eric Bischoff vs. Vince McMahon – Sports entertainment was at its peak during the 1990s, and was dubbed the Monday Night War, as the two hottest brands battled in a ratings war for supremacy on Monday nights. Now listen as the head of both shows sit down and discuss this pivotal time period in the industry.

The Best of 1996: Twenty Years Later – WWE goes in depth with one of the greatest years in sports entertainment – N.W.O. takes over WCW; The Iron Man Match at WrestleMania 12; Steve Austin’s rise as Stone Cold, The Rock makes his Debut; and ECW has some of best talent in the business like Mick Foley, Steve Austin and Chris Jericho, but lose them all to the bigger companies. Listen to all the important players from one of the most important years in sports entertainment history!

Hulk Hogan: Immortal – Hulk Hogan is arguably one of the most iconic figures in sports entertainment history – it is now time to make him Immortal! Hulk Hogan gets his face cast as his body will become a bronzed statue – living in Immortality in WWE lore forever. Hear from the Hulkster himself as he talks about his early days as a guitar player in a band, to his legendary prominence as Hall of Famer.

Goldberg Promises Pro Wrestling Return, But Guarantees It Won’t Be With WWE

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Although former WCW acts such as Sting and the nWo made recent WWE appearances at WrestleMania 31, another former WCW performer — Bill Goldberg — guarantees we’ll never see him in WWE again.

Goldberg revealed during a recent interview with FOX Sports that he would be making a return to the pro wrestling world for at least one more match, but promises it won’t be with WWE.

“I’m going to make an appearance in professional wrestling, but it won’t be for the WWE,” Goldberg said last weekend while attending the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway. “If I put wrestling boots and wrestling trunks on one last time — and I’m going to — it’s going to be done by me, and me only.”

Goldberg also noted that he is “sick and tired of dealing with promoters,” and thanks to the connections he’s made over the years, he can come back to pro wrestling without having to deal with them.

“I will be in the ring again, but I can guarantee you it won’t be with the WWE again,” Goldberg said point blank during the interview.

The former WCW mega-star also spoke about how he’s not afraid to say things about Vince McMahon or the WWE, unlike many other wrestlers in the business.

“Anything I did with the WWE was not therapeutic, by any stretch of the imagination,” said Goldberg. “The reality is that nobody’s going to tell you that because they have an umbilical cord hooked to Vince McMahon. I, ladies and gentlemen, do not. So therefore, I can say what I want and not have any repercussions because I don’t rely on them for a job.”

To read the complete interview, visit FOXSports.com.

Samoa Joe Backstage At Thursday’s NXT Tapings

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Samoa Joe, one of the hottest free agents in wrestling, was backstage at Thursday night’s NXT tapings from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. (Full Results)

Joe, who is rumored to be starting with NXT in June, met with WWE COO Triple H, according to a report at PWInsider.com.

No word yet if Joe has signed with WWE, but it sure looks like we could be seeing Joe (perhaps using a new ring name) debut for NXT this summer.

The prospect of Joe feuding with the likes of Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Hideo Itami and Sami Zayn is off the charts exciting, but we’ll contain ourselves until it becomes official.

Joe also met up with Jim Ross on Thursday to tape an episode of the “Ross Report” podcast, which drops on May 5th. Ross was also at the taping.

Preview For Tonight’s Knockouts Edition Of TNA Impact Wrestling

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Tonight on Destination America, TNA presents a special Knockouts-themed edition of Impact Wrestling. Knockouts-related items for tonight include:

– TNA Knockouts Champion Taryn Terrell vs. Awesome Kong

– Angelina Love vs. Gail Kim vs. Madison Rayne vs. Brooke in a 4-way #1 Contender’s match

– Mickie James will make a big announcement

– The debut of the Dollhouse tag team

Plus, TNA World Champion Kurt Angle will defend against Eric Young.

Photo: Seth Rollins & Kevin Owens, “The Ones You’ve Been Waiting for”

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WWE Champion Seth Rollins posted this badass photo with NXT Champion Kevin Owens to Instagram on Friday with the caption:

“Living proof of a stubborn youth. @wwe We are the ones you’ve been waiting for.”

https://instagram.com/p/13aeX0uUxp/

Update On TNA Replacing Taz, EC3 In For A Big Push, Davey Richards’ New Goal, More

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– Tonight’s edition of TNA Impact Wrestling will be called by Josh Mathews by himself. TNA is still in the process of finding a replacement for Taz.

– According to one source, TNA is planning on giving Ethan Carter III a big push in the near future.

– TNA President Dixie Carter noted on Twitter recently that while Eddie Edwards is out with an injury, his tag-team partner Davey Richards will be looking to pursue the TNA X-Division Championship.

– AAA has confirmed that there will in fact be a “Team TNA” in their Lucha Libre World Cup, which takes place on May 24th in Mexico. As of right now, Matt Hardy is the only confirmed member of the team.

Triple H Posts Photo Of 11 New WWE Performance Center Recruits, WM31 Veteran Career Panel

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– Executives from WWE, Hire Heroes USA, San Francisco 49ers and Orion International answered questions and provided career advice to veterans at the WrestleMania 31 Veteran Career Panel & Networking Event last month. WWE recently posted the following video of the event.

– Triple H recently tweeted out a photo of himself with the 11 new WWE Performance Center recruits, touting the fact that they are from seven different countries. “The Game” tweeted the following:

Jim Ross Makes Interesting Comment About Samoa Joe, Mick Foley’s Family Attends NXT Tapings

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WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley, along with his children, attended last night’s NXT television tapings at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

NXT Diva Dana Brooke posted the following photo of herself with the Foley’s at the show last night.

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross was also in attendance at the tapings. JR noted that he saw Samoa Joe earlier in the day in Orlando, Florida, but did not specify where. JR tweeted the following about attending the NXT taping and taping the “Cheap Pops” special with Mick Foley for the WWE Network tonight.

ROH Star Cedric Alexander Says The New Day Faction Is Offensive

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Ring Of Honor performer Cedric Alexander recently spoke with the folks at the Jobbing Out podcast and had some interesting comments to make regarding The New Day faction in WWE.

“This opens up a whole different can of worms here, because everyone I know watching WWE is offended by The New Day,” said Alexander. “Extremely offended because of the whole racial thing. It’s like, `oh, we’re three black guys, we’ll sing, we’ll dance. You’ve got Kofi Kingston, who is a phenomenal athlete. Big E Langston is a gigantic, threatening man and Xavier Woods is extremely intelligent. So why make them sing and dance when they obviously can be more serious, I guess.”

Alexander continued, “When they first started this thing, it was like two or three weeks that they did it where Xavier would come out and be like a Malcolm X type of thing. He was preaching black power, without saying black power, which I think is fantastic because you don’t offend anyone. But when you’ve got three black guys singing and dancing, stereotypes get fed too much and I hate it.”

Check out the complete interview at GlennClarkRadio.com.

Triple H To Attend Mayweather-Pacquiao, HHH Talks About His Friendship With Mayweather

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Triple H recently spoke to the folks at Bleacher Report about his friendship with pound for pound boxing star Floyd Mayweather.

During the interview, “The Game” spoke about walking Mayweather to the ring for a fight he had back in 2009.

“Walking him to the ring, it was a trip,” said Triple H. “To sit there with Floyd, the greatest boxer of his generation, to be around him while he was in his dressing room warming up, it’s amazing to be around somebody at that high a level and see what they go through.”

HHH will be in attendance for Mayweather’s upcoming mega-fight with Manny Pacquiao, which takes place on Saturday, May 2nd.

Check out the complete HHH interview at BleacherReport.com.

Photos: Several WWE, TNA & GFW Stars Attend NHL Playoff Game

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WWE performers Rusev and Lana attended the NHL playoff game between the Nashville Predators and the Chicago Blackhawks. The Predators went on to win the game 5-2. Rusev and Lana, who are a couple in real life, recently purchased a home in the Nashville area.

Lana tweeted the following photos of the couple at the game.

As it turns out, Rusev and Lana weren’t the only pro wrestlers in attendance at the game. In addition to the two WWE performers, several other notable names attended the game, including Jeff Jarrett, Eric Young, Rockstar Spud and Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Below are some photos of them at the game as well.

https://twitter.com/hughthemanatee/status/591612991780487170

Details On WWE’s November UK Tour, Tickets On Sale

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Tickets for WWE’s November UK tour are on sale today. Here’s a full list of the shows, including RAW and SmackDown TV tapings:

WWE Live
Motorpoint Arena Cardiff
Cardiff, GB Thu 11/05/15

WWE Live
The SSE Hydro
Glasgow, GB Thu 11/05/15

WWE Live
The O2
London, GB Fri 11/06/15

WWE Live
First Direct Arena
Leeds, GB Sat 11/07/15

WWE Live
Genting Arena
Birmingham, GB Sun 11/08/15

WWE Live
Liverpool Echo Arena
Liverpool, GB Sun 11/08/15

WWE – RAW
Manchester Arena
Manchester, GB Mon 11/09/15

WWE Smackdown Live
Manchester Arena
Manchester, GB Tue 11/10/15

WWE Live
Odyssey Arena
Belfast, ND Tue 11/10/15

WWE Live
The Brighton Centre
Brighton, GB Wed 11/11/15

WWE Live
Metro Radio Arena
Newcastle Upon Tyne, GB Thu 11/12/15

WWE Live
Capital FM Arena Nottingham
Nottingham, GB Fri 11/13/15

Photo: John Cena To Debut A New T-Shirt At Extreme Rules

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throwbackWWE United States Champion John Cena will debut a new gray “throwback” t-shirt this Sunday at Extreme Rules.

The is already available for sale at WWEShop.com.

Here’s the description:

“Fans love him or hate him. There’s no middle ground, and that’s the power of John Cena. Whatever you think of The Champ, there’s no denying his actions impact everything and everyone around him. Sure, he has his detractors, and they’re vocal, but Cena is still easily the most admired competitor in WWE, as evidenced by his nine million–plus Facebook followers. Cenation is strong. And its message is spreading. Whether competing in the squared circle, performing in front of the camera or donating time to charitable organizations like Make-A-Wish, The Champ is there.”

Solomon Crowe Gets New Theme, New NXT Talent Works Matches, SmackDown Fallout

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– Solomon Crowe debuted new theme music at the NXT television tapings on Thursday night at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. Fans will get to hear the new theme when his match with Baron Corbin airs on the May 13th edition of NXT TV.

– Speaking of last night’s NXT tapings, WWE had the new Performance Center female recruits work matches against the NXT Divas during the show. If the matches make it to air, they will be included on shows that air in May. The new male recruits from the Performance Center worked as security guards in an angle during the taping involving Rhyno.

– Seth Rollins and Kane are featured in this week’s edition of SmackDown Fallout, which you can check out below.

*Spoilers* Main Event & More Matches Confirmed For NXT TakeOver (5/20)

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Following Thursday night’s NXT TV tapings, several matches have been confirmed for the May 20th NXT TakeOver live special on the WWE Network.

Continue

*Spoilers* 3 Weeks Of NXT Tapings Results

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WWE taped 3 weeks of NXT TV on Thursday night from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. These shows run through May 13th, the final episodes before the next NXT TakeOver live special on the WWE Network. 

Continue

Backstage News On Lucha Underground Going On Hiatus, Financial Issues & More

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As things stand right now, it’s looking like there will be a second season of Lucha Underground. Afer the finale of the 39-episode first season, the show will be going on hiatus due to Executive Producer Eric Van Wagenen’s commitment to work with Mark Burnett on the upcoming season of “The Apprentice” on NBC.

Executives from Lucha Underground are said to be in talks with Univision and if they are able to secure a deal, it would be considered a big deal because Univision is available in most homes in the United States.

One of the key problems with Lucha Underground is how the money is being spent on the product. The company has been buying advertising on WWE RAW in certain cities, but it reportedly hasn’t helped them generate any additional buzz past the talk on the internet among die-hard fans who would be aware of the product anyway.

It’s also worth noting that the idea for Lucha Underground to run non-televised live events during the summer has been dropped.

According to a source close to the company, Lucha Underground spent approximately $15.6 million, not including start-up costs, on production for season one of the show. Jim Ross noted on his podcast that he heard they have spent $20 million, so that could be the amount with the start-up costs included. Regardless, it’s a lot of money and the fact that they aren’t running live events to try and make up for some of those loses isn’t helping their bottom line.

On a positive note, Lucha Underground did get a Miller Lite sponsorship deal at the recent television tapings, something that is considered to be a good sign and a step in the right direction. The hope is that they can continue to get licensing deals and a major North American sponsorship deal for the second season of the show, a season where they will need to cut back on production costs.

Those within the industry are said to be amazed at how many people Lucha Underground has hired to work at their shows, so much so that the running joke is that the company has more workers than fans in attendance. One person noted that when a top rope broke during one of their tapings, there were a ton of people there to fix it, many who didn’t know what they were doing to the point that it took twice as long for them to fix it had they used one or two regular ring-crew workers.

Another positive for the company is that they reportedly have the best morale of any promotion in North America. The wrestlers love working there, particularly because they are allowed to do their sopts and not hold back, which is why you see so many crazy spots during matches on their shows.

Many of the regular Lucha Underground talent are looking to secure bookings for the months of May and June now that the first season of the show is wrapped up.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

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