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Press Release: WWE Studios Signs Movie Promotional Deal

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The following press release was issued on Saturday:

WWE® Studios, Relativity and Blumhouse Productions Partner on Intrepid Pictures’ Oculus

STAMFORD, Conn., Jan 18, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) — WWE Studios WWE +2.89% , Relativity and Blumhouse Productions announced today a partnership in connection to the release of Intrepid Pictures’ Oculus, the Mike Flanagan-directed supernatural horror film starring Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Not Another Happy Ending), Brenton Thwaites (the upcoming Maleficent,The Giver), Rory Cochrane (Argo, Parkland) and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica, Riddick). WWE Studios will leverage its extensive multi-platform reach to help promote the film that debuted at the Midnight Madness section of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. Oculus was developed and produced by Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans of Intrepid Pictures, who co-financed with MICA Entertainment andis set for a wide theatrical release on April 11, 2014.

Oculus was directed by Mike Flanagan (Absentia, Ghosts of Hamilton Street), and produced by Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans (Safe House, The Strangers, The Raven). Ryan Kavanaugh (The Fighter, Limitless), Tucker Tooley (The Fighter, Limitless), Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity, Insidious), Michael Luisi (The Call, Dead Man Down), Anil Kurian (Sahara, The Raven), D. Scott Lumpkin (Safe Haven), Peter Schlessel (Drive, Looper) and Dale Johnson (Stuck in Love) serve as Executive Producers. The screenplay is by Mike Flanagan & Jeff Howard based on the short film Oculus: The Man With The Plan, written by Mike Flanagan & Jeff Seidman.

Ten years ago, tragedy struck the Russell family, leaving the lives of teenage siblings Tim and Kaylie forever changed when Tim was convicted of the brutal murder of their parents. Now in his 20s, Tim is newly released from protective custody and only wants to move on with his life; but Kaylie, still haunted by that fateful night, is convinced her parents’ deaths were caused by something else altogether: a malevolent supernatural force unleashed through the Lasser Glass, an antique mirror in their childhood home. Determined to prove Tim’s innocence, Kaylie tracks down the mirror, only to learn similar deaths have befallen previous owners over the past century. With the mysterious entity now back in their hands, Tim and Kaylie soon find their hold on reality shattered by terrifying hallucinations, and realize, too late, that their childhood nightmare is beginning again…

“WWE Studios is thrilled to be getting into business for the first time with Relativity and partnering again with Blumhouse on the release of such a superbly crafted, heart-pounding thriller as Oculus,” said Michael Luisi, President of WWE Studios.

Bradley Buchanan, SVP of Business Affairs, negotiated the deal on behalf of WWE Studios.

About WWE Studios

WWE Studios produces a diverse slate of feature films for theatrical release, home entertainment and digital platforms through distribution partnerships with global entertainment companies. The WWE’s film division led by President, Michael Luisi, is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA and continues to create content for audiences of all ages. Films recently produced by WWE Studios include The Call with Halle Berry and WWE Superstar David Otunga®, Dead Man Down with Colin Farrell and WWE Superstar Wade Barrett®, The Marine 3: Homefront with WWE Superstar The Miz® in the third follow-up in the explosive Marine adventures, 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded, the second installment in the action franchise, starring WWE Superstar Randy Orton®, No One Lives co-produced with Pathé Films and released theatrically by Anchor Bay Films starring Luke Evans and WWE Superstar Brodus Clay™, and Christmas Bounty, an action comedy starring WWE Superstar The Miz and Francia Raisa, which premiered on ABC Family during “The Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas” and released on Blu-Ray/DVD by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Upcoming films for WWE Studios include Scooby-Doo! WrestleManiaMystery which pairs WWE Superstars with Scooby and the gang releasing direct to home March 25, 2014 by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; Leprechaun: Origins directed by Zach Lipovsky starring WWE Superstar Hornswoggle® will be distributed by Lionsgate in August 2014; See No Evil 2 starring WWE Superstar Kane® directed by the Soska Sisters will also be distributed by Lionsgate in October 2014; The Fall Guy starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson releasing in 2015, and The Flintstones another Warner Brothers Animation feature releasing in early 2015 by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment which joins Fred, Barney and the whole Bedrock gang with stone age versions of WWE Superstars and Divas.

About WWE

WWE , a publicly traded company WWE +2.89% , is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 150 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Miami, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Munich and Tokyo. Additional information on WWE WWE +2.89% can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to https://www.wwe.com/worldwide/ .

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television and pay-per-view programming distribution agreements; the need for continually developing creative and entertaining programming; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent McMahon; the conditions of the markets in which we compete and acceptance of the Company’s brands, media and merchandise within those markets; our exposure to bad debt risk; uncertainties relating to regulatory and litigation matters; risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of our markets; uncertainties associated with international markets; the importance of protecting our intellectual property and complying with the intellectual property rights of others; risks associated with producing and travelling to and from our large live events, both domestically and internationally; the risk of accidents or injuries during our physically demanding events; risks relating to our film business; risks relating to increasing content production for distribution on various platforms, including the potential creation of a WWE Network; risks relating to our computer systems and online operations; risks relating to the large number of shares of common stock controlled by members of the McMahon family and the possibility of the sale of their stock by the McMahons or the perception of the possibility of such sales; the relatively small public float of our stock; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends, general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant.

About Relativity

Relativity is a next-generation media company engaged in multiple aspects of entertainment, including film production; financing and distribution; television; sports management; music publishing; and digital media. Ryan Kavanaugh is the company’s Founder and CEO.

Relativity Studios has produced, distributed or structured financing for nearly 200 motion pictures, generating more than $17 billion in worldwide box office revenue and earning 60 Oscar® nominations. Recent films include: Safe Haven, Act of Valor and Immortals, the latter two opening number one at the box office in their debut. Relativity’s other films include the eight-time Oscar® nominee The Social Network as well as Limitless and two-time Oscar® winner The Fighter. Upcoming films include 3 Days to Kill, starring Kevin Costner, Earth to Echo, Oculus and author Nicholas Sparks’ The Best of Me.

Relativity Television is one of the country’s largest suppliers of unscripted television and has recently expanded to produce scripted series. Relativity Sports is the industry’s fastest growing sports agency, providing more than 300 NBA, NFL and MLB athletes with services ranging from contract negotiation to custom film and television content production.

For more information, please visit relativitymedia.com.

About Blumhouse Productions

Blumhouse Productions, founded by Jason Blum, is a multi-media production company that has pioneered a new model of studio filmmaking- producing high-quality micro-budget films for wide release. Since its launch, Blumhouse has produced more than 30 feature films including the highly profitable Paranormal Activity, Insidious, The Purge and Sinister franchises, all of which significantly out-grossed their budgets on opening weekend. Blumhouse’s The Purge, its first production under its first-look deal with Universal Pictures, opened to more than $34 million on its opening weekend with a budget of just $3 million. Insidious: Chapter Two from FilmDistrict, grossed $41.05 million on its opening weekend with just a $5m budget. Blumhouse’s upcoming micro-budget wide releases include Oculus for Relativity, Jessabelle for Lionsgate, The Next Chapter of The Purge for Universal and Paranormal Activity 5 for Paramount. In addition, Blumhouse is working on both scripted and non-scripted television projects. Blumhouse executive produced Stranded for SyFy and The River for ABC, and is also working on projects with HBO and MTV.

About Intrepid Pictures

Founded in 2004 by Trevor Macy, Intrepid Pictures is a feature film production and co-financing company with a mandate to produce horror, thriller, action, and comedy. Intrepid has produced eleven pictures to date, including the $82 million worldwide box office hit “The Strangers”. Intrepid Pictures also produced and co-financed Summit Entertainments action film, “The Cold Light of Day” starring Bruce Willis, Sigourney Weaver and Henry Cavill; “The Raven,” starring John Cusack and directed by James McTeigue. Additionally, Intrepid developed and executive produced Universal Pictures project “Safe House,” starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, directed by Daniel Espinoza.

  • MAJOR Change To Royal Rumble JUST Revealed + NEW Matches For WMXXX – CLICK HERE!

    • Tommy Dreamer Replacing Jeff Jarrett In TNA?, Borash On The Food Network

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    – ECW original Tommy Dreamer worked as an agent at the TNA Impact Wrestling television taping on Thursday. Dreamer filled the position left open by Jeff Jarrett when he resigned from the company.

    – TNA personality Jeremy Borash appeared on the “Restaurant Impossible” show on the Food Network on Friday night. Borash appeared with Gail Kim’s husband, Chef Robert Irvine, in Santa Rosa, California.

  • MAJOR Change To Royal Rumble JUST Revealed + NEW Matches For WMXXX – CLICK HERE!

    • Former WWE Superstar Says He’s Taking Time Off To Address Medical Issue

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    Former WWE Superstar Shelton Benjamin recently posted a series of tweets on his official Twitter account to inform fans that he is going to be taking time off to deal with some medical issues.

    Benjamin tweeted the following:

  • MAJOR Change To Royal Rumble JUST Revealed + NEW Matches For WMXXX – CLICK HERE!

    • ECW Legend To Face Former Two-Time Heavyweight Boxing Champion

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    ECW original The Sandman is scheduled to compete against former two-time heavyweight boxing champion Tim Witherspoon in a five-round match to determine the first ever “World Xtreme Entertainment” champion.

    The Sandman-Witherspoon bout will include a special referee, as former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Hollis Thomas will serve as the celebrity ref for the match.

    The WXE event will be promoted by controversial promoter Damon Feldman, who was involved in some of the celebrity boxing events in the past.

    A press conference for the show will be held on Thursday at Chickie and Petes on 1526 Packer Avenue in South Philadelphia.

    Feldman notes in the press release that several “Hollywood actors and athletes” are on board with the company, and that the first event will also feature a “tag-team boxing match” and an “Xtreme Battling Babes title match.”

  • MAJOR Change To Royal Rumble JUST Revealed + NEW Matches For WMXXX – CLICK HERE!

    • Daniel Bryan Misses WWE Live Event, Unlikely For The Royal Rumble

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    Daniel Bryan did not appear at Saturday night’s WWE live event from Hammond, Indiana, despite being advertised. It was announced at the beginning of the show that Bryan would be not be able to appear and refunds were offered to fans who wanted to leave.

    Big Show replaced Daniel Bryan in a match against Bray Wyatt in one of the top matches on the card.

    SEScoops.com was the first site to break the news that Bryan suffered a concussion during the steel cage main event of last week’s RAW.

    WWE has confirmed the news of Bryan’s concussion to multiple independent wrestling news sites, but has yet to make an announcement of the concussion on the company website.

    Bryan is still advertised for Sunday’s live event from Kalamazoo, Michigan, but will not appear.

    There are reports that the concussion he suffered on RAW was so bad that he will not be competing at the Royal Rumble.

    The Bella Twins “Begging” For WWE To Create Divas Tag Titles (Poll)

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    WWE Divas the Bella Twins are strongly in favor of WWE creating Divas Tag Team titles. During an interview with WWE Magazine (February 2014 issue), Nikki Bella said:

    “We’ve been begging to get that done for years! It’d be a great chance to see what us girls could come up with. New finishers, new names, new gear. We’re all so talented and creative and it’d be great to show that in a new way.”

    Brie Bella added:

    “Girls gang up on girls. It’s life. We sit down, we gossip, we group together naturally. Why not bring a little bit more of that aspect to WWE?”

    Girls gang up on girls? Please, tell us more!

    TNA had Knockouts Tag Titles from 2009-2013, with the Eric Young (not a Knockout) & ODB being the final champions before the belts were retired.

    [poll id=”24″]

    Ted DiBiase Speaks On His Son Leaving WWE, WWE/WCW Differences, WMania

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    The following are highlights of a WGD Weekly interview with “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase Sr:

    The differences in working for WWF and WCW: “…The major difference between WCW and the WWF is the WWF is a well-oiled machine that was run very well by Vince McMahon, who had his finger on the button all the time and knew what he was doing. I couldn’t say that for WCW, I’m sorry but they were the worst organization, in the time that I was there, it was kind of like too many chiefs and not enough Indians. There were times that we would go on the live show and they didn’t even know what they were going to do in the last segment yet…”

    His thoughts on his son, Ted, Jr. parting ways with WWE last September: “…At a place and a time in my life, I was putting my life back together and I really came to understand that there was no amount of money that I could make that was worth being away from my family for any length of time, which is a decision that my son had recently made. I didn’t want my sons to wrestle. Not because I didn’t love wrestling and the lifestyle, but because of the demand that it takes from you in terms of being away from family…”

    What is missing in today’s wrestling product: “…In my opinion, that’s the one thing today that’s really missing, and again, I’m not taking anything away from John Cena, Cena is a great guy, he is a consummate pro, he is one of the hardest working guys I have ever seen. But, it’s like every good run has it’s run and I think it’s run its course in terms of he has been there so long but what are they gonna replace him with? Where is that next bigger than life superstar? You had Hogan, then you had Austin, then you got the Rock, you had Shawn Michaels, but it’s like, where is that next star? That is the question that I’m asking…who is it gonna be?”

    Turning down an opportunity to work for the WWF in 1984: “…I went back to Atlanta in 1984. This was when Vince was starting to make his move. We did a television in Atlanta and in walks Pat Patterson and they get all the guys together and Pat makes this big announcement of what is about to happen that the WWF was now going to have its show on TBS…I remember pat saying to the guys there, ‘Now, I don’t want any of you to worry, nobody is losing their job, everybody has got a job. So, I got Pat off to the side, and I said, ‘look, with all due respect, you and I have known each other a long time…you and I both know there is a difference in having a job and having a position. I said, right now, I know you guys have your key guys in position, so I think I’m gonna go back to Mid-South and I am going to wait for a better time. So, I went back to Mid-South in 1984…”

    The original plan for WrestleMania 4, him almost becoming WWE Champion, and how plans changed: “…The show with the twin referee’s at Market Square Arena; the set up for WrestleMania 4 was exactly what it was supposed to be. Andre puts the belt around my waist, basically signifying that he had sold it to me, and I actually wore the belt for about a week or two weeks, then they come out with the Jack Tunney announcement…so they vacate the title and that was the whole idea to set up WrestleMania 4. Now, originally, the thought was that I would in some underhanded way, win at WrestleMania 4. I think there were a couple of things. One thing, the Honky Tonk Man was the Intercontinental Champion and for whatever reason, he didn’t want to drop the belt to Randy Savage, which is I think what they originally thought about doing there. I remember Pat Patterson came to me and he said, ‘Ted, what would put more heat on you, if we do what we normally do, your built as a heel and in some underhanded way you get the title and you have the run with Hogan and of course you drop the title then he goes on with somebody else, or you don’t win the title at WrestleMania, and eventually, you create your own belt.’ In other words, I don’t need your title, I am gonna create my own title and I am going to defend it every night. So, I said, ‘That’s the ticket.’”

    A classic story from his time on the road with Andre the Giant: “…The funniest story is, we were going to Japan. It is a fourteen hour flight from Atlanta, or New York, or Dallas, just about anywhere, to japan. Andre is sitting in first class, and Andre sitting in first class is like me sitting in coach now, you know, you’re jammed in the seat, you’re not comfortable. So, we get off the plane and now it’s another hour into the city, we check into the hotel and we drop our bags and we are going to go get something to eat. So, I push the button on the elevator and there is Andre, ‘Hey boss, let’s go eat’ and so as it starts down, it seems that this elevator stops on every floor and people just keep getting on. Japan is a very small country, with a lot of people, so what you and I would consider a full elevator, not over there. One thing about the Giant is he doesn’t like to be crowded, and he has just been on a fourteen hour flight, crammed in a little seat in a plane, and now he is in a Japanese hotel in a room that is by our standard normal, but in his standard not, and now, he is in an elevator and people keep getting on. He reaches over and taps me on the shoulder or the leg and I glanced up at him and he winked and he smiled. I said, ‘okay, something is going to happen.’ I’m looking straight ahead and all of a sudden, the Giant cuts the loudest, longest fart I believe I have ever heard in my life. I remember standing there thinking when is it going to end, it was like ‘oh my gosh,’ and it just kept going. The poor guy who is standing directly behind him, which obviously…this guy is right at butt level, so he is getting it full force. All I can tell you is this, when the elevator stopped and the doors opened, those people couldn’t get off the elevator fast enough, it was like the exodus. All you could hear was the Giant going, ‘Ho,ho,ho,ho, ho.” I was laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe…it was a classic Andre moment…”

    A chance meeting many years after with the little kid that he kicked the basketball away from in one of his early “Million Dollar Man” spots on WWE TV: “…of all the stunts we did, the one people ask me the most about is that one…I just started saying and of course, this is twenty years later, that kid is five then, so he would be 25 or 26 years old now. I said what is probably gonna happen is I am gonna be walking through an airport and some guy is gonna tap me on the shoulder and he will be six foot six and look down at me and say, ‘hey, remember that kid and the basketball?’ Now, I said it jokingly, then a couple of years ago I flew into Omaha, Nebraska…and I rented a car and I walked out to get the car…So, I’m trying to find a car and this guy walks up, taps me on the shoulder, I turn around and I look up at him, and he is about six foot six, this guy is a monster. He says, ‘Mr. DiBiase, I’m the general manager here. I will help you find a car if you like and, oh, by the way, do you remember that thing you did with the kid and the basketball?’ I looked at him and I just went, ‘No.’ He just got the biggest grin on his face and he says, ‘Yep, it was me.’ I almost had a cow…”

    Check out the complete interview below:

  • Steve Austin’s Role At WMXXX, TNA Stars Set To Get FIRED & Batista/RAW Update

    • WWE House Show Results (1/17): St. Louis, Missouri

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    The following are results from the WWE live event in St. Louis, Missouri. The event was held on Friday, January 17, 2014.

    – Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. The Real Americans in the opening match of the evening to retain their WWE Tag-Team Championships.

    – Xavier Woods def. Brodus Clay in singles action.

    – Alicia Fox def. Aksana in Divas action.

    – Big Show def. Kane in a battle of the big men.

    – The Prime Time Players def. Ryback & Curtis Axel in another tag-team match.

    – Alberto Del Rio def. Sin Cara in singles action.

    – John Cena def. Randy Orton via DQ in the same exact match these two have been putting on for several weeks now.

  • Steve Austin’s Role At WMXXX, TNA Stars Set To Get FIRED & Batista/RAW Update

    • Austin’s Advice To NFL Player Who Was Robbed, DiBiase/WMXXX, Young Bucks

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    – WWE Hall Of Famer “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase Sr. has officially pulled out of his booking at the Mid South Wrestling fan fest, which is set to take place during WrestleMania weekend. The reason DiBiase canceled the booking is because WWE has booked him for their WrestleMania weekend festivities. A replacement for DiBiase at the Mid South fan fest is expected to be announced in the near future.

    – Speaking of WrestleMania weekend cancellations, The Young Bucks have pulled out of their scheduled appearance in New Orleans during that weekend as well.

    – The Philly.com website has a new story up regarding advice WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin gave NFL player DeSean Jackson when he was robbed of $250,000 in cash. You can check that story out online at Philly.com.

  • Steve Austin’s Role At WMXXX, TNA Stars Set To Get FIRED & Batista/RAW Update

    • Batista’s 10 Best Powerbombs (Video), WWE’s “Most Shocking Night”

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    WWE.com has published a feature looking at the company’s “Most Shocking Night” – January 18, 1971, the night Bruno Sammartino lost the WWE Championship to Ivan Koloff.

    The article states that on the following day, the New York Daily News reported the result and published photos of “fans crying as they mourned this incredible loss.”

    – The latest “WWE Top 10” video looks at some of Batista’s best powerbombs.

    Batista has given 100’s of WWE Superstars the Batista Bomb. Which 10 rank as the best Batista Bombs of all time?

    Rey Mysterio Wants Mask vs. Hair Match Against Alberto Del Rio At WrestleMania XXX

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    – Rey Mysterio wants to wrestle Alberto Del Rio at WrestleMania in a Mask vs. Hair match.

    During an interview with WWE Magazine (February 2014 issue), Mysterio said:

    “Ever since the moment that Alberto Del Rio came into the company, he’s been trying to push me aside to a certain degree. I almost feel like he wants to take over the Hispanic fanbase, which is something I feel would be impossible at this point.”

    “If I were to pick a dream [WrestleMania] match-up … it would be against him, and I would definitely put my mask on the line. I want it to be a classic lucha libre-style match, Mask vs. Hair.”

    Make sure to check out our WrestleMania XXX news section for all news leading up to April’s huge event.

    Kane Hangs Up On Radio DJs (Audio), WWE Hall Of Fame Update

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    – Despite some technical issues that fans experienced trying to purchase WWE Hall of Fame ceremony tickets during the online pre-sale, tickets still sold very well. Tickets are now on sale to the general public and the event is expected to sell out.

    On RAW, we saw WWE announce The Ultimate Warrior as the first member of the Class of 2014. Despite the fact that WrestleMania is taking place in New Orleans, there are no plans for this year’s Hall of Fame class to have a “Mid-South Wrestling” theme. WWE is going to be focusing on “30 Years of WrestleMania” instead.

    – WWE Superstar Kane was a guest this week on the KiddChris radio show based out of in Cincinnati, Ohio (WEBN). Kane hung up on the hosts early into the interview when they asked if they were speaking to Kane or his former “evil dentist” gimmick, Dr. Isaac Yankem. Here’s audio of segment:

    Jerry Lawler Wrestling His Son, NXT’s Emma Appears On SmackDown

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    – WWE announced at last night’s live event in St. Louis that they will return to the Scottrade Center on April 28th for a live RAW. The pre-sale password is STLRAW.

    – WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler will face his son Brian “Grandmaster Sexay” Christopher on January 30th in Memphis, TN for the Southern Heavyweight Classic tournament. The event takes place at Minglewood Hall and starts at 7pm local time.

    – NXT Diva Emma made another appearance in the crowd of last night’s WWE SmackDown, once again holding an “EMMAtaining” sign. She tweeted:

    Latest NXT Power Rankings, PTP WWE Network Show, Today’s Birthdays

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    – Today’s wrestling birthdays include Batista (45) and The “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase (60).

    – Darren Young of the Prime Time Players continues to tease that he and Titus O’Neil will be getting their own show on the WWE Network. He tweeted:

    – Here are WWE’s latest NXT Power Rankings

    10. Mojo Rawley
    9. Emma
    8. Aiden English
    7. Tyler Breeze
    6. Sami Zayn
    5. Adrian Neville
    4. The Ascension
    3. Paige
    2. Bo Dallas
    1. Alexander Rusev

    Photo: Small Crowd At Friday Night’s TNA Live Event From Mobile, Alabama

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    The following photo was taken at Friday night’s TNA live event from Mobile, Alabama, courtesy of Twitter user @mearn (click to enlarge):

    kEptaEV 

    SmackDown Backstage Fallout, WWE Attacks On Family Members, Eaton Update

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    – Following Randy Orton’s attack on John Cena’s father on RAW, WWE.com has published a playlist looking back at “ViciousVicious Attacks On Superstars’ Family Members.”

    – Wrestling legend Bobby Eaton was still hospitalized with complications from diabetes as of Wednesday, according to f4wonline.com.

    – Here’s the latest WWE Backstage Fallout video from Friday’s SmackDown:

    The Funkadactyls and Rey Mysterio discuss what happened on this week’s SmackDown.

    The Shield Confirmed For The Royal Rumble Match, Brock Lesnar Appearing On RAW

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    – It was announced on Friday’s SmackDown that all 3 members of The Shield will be entrants in the 2014 Royal Rumble match. Here’s the updated list of confirm entrants (14 remaining):

    – Batista
    – CM Punk
    – Roman Reigns
    – Dean Ambrose
    – Seth Rollins
    – Alberto Del Rio
    – Big E. Langston
    – Goldust
    – Cody Rhodes
    – Rey Mysterio
    – The Miz
    – Bad News Barrett
    – Kofi Kingston
    – R-Truth
    – Xavier Woods
    – Fandango

    Steve Austin Says He Wants To Attend WrestleMania XXX Weekend

    WWE SmackDown Results (1/17)

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    – The Miz did commentary with JBL and Michael Cole.

    – New Age Outlaws def. Goldust & Cody Rhodes in a non-title match to open the show. New Age Outlaws did their usual opening stuff on the mic before the match. Vickie Guerrero came out to interupt the match at one point. She basically rambled on about how at the Royal Rumble it’s every man for themselves. Billy Gunn used the distraction from Vickie as an opportunity to roll up Cody Rhodes for the pin.

    – There was a backstage segment with Renee Young interviewing CM Punk. Punk ends up calling out all three members of The Shield for later tonight.

    – Paul Heyman comes out for an in-ring segment. Heyman puts over Brock Lesnar and talks about not being worried about Big Show getting to him, because Lesnar wouldn’t allow it. Heyman mentions that Lesnar will be at RAW. Big Show ends up coming out and Heyman rans away through the crowd. A replay is shown of Big Show throwing Lesnar around on RAW a few weeks ago, to which Show responds saying next time he’s going to knock Lesnar out.

    – Rey Mysterio def. Alberto Del Rio in singles action. Total Divas star Eva Marie did the ring announcing for this match and apparently the audio cut out on her half-way through. Mysterio cut a promo before the match and talks about Batista. Del Rio ended up attacking Mysterio during his promo, and the match gets underway. The finish comes when Mysterio blocks a kick attempt by Del Rio and rolls him up for the pin. After the match, Del Rio beats up Mysterio. Del Rio applies the Cross Armbreaker on Mysterio and refuses to let go until the referee finally breaks it up.

    – Naomi def. Tamina Snuka. Both Cameron and AJ Lee were at ringside for this match, which was described as a bad match with a lot of botched spots. Cameron attacked AJ at ringside during the match. Naomi got the win via a springboard flip off the ropes for the pin.

    – The Wyatt Family come to the ring for an in-ring segment. A replay is shown of what took place in the main event on RAW. Bray does a long, weird promo, talking about how he had issues with his father. He says he was destined for great things. He says he crawled out of the hole and Sister Abigail saved him and sang sweet songs to him, and he became enthralled with her. He mentions that as he was laying there on RAW he realized he needed to sacrifice himself to be reborn and become the creature he wants to be. He says he gave Daniel Bryan a chance to walk with the reapers but he will now burn.

    – CM Punk is shown backstage again with Renee Young. Punk says he’s calling out The Shield and The New Age Outlaws. All five of them. Young asks Punk if that’s career suicide. He says it’s a gift for The Authority to do what they want.

    – Big E. Langston def. Fandango in singles action to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship. The Bella Twins did the ring announcing for this match. Langston picked up the win in this one after hitting Fandango with his Big Ending finisher for the pin.

    – Renee Young interviews The Shield backstage. They basically talk about how they’re going to kick CM Punk’s ass.

    – The Usos def. The Real Americans in tag-team action. Zeb Colter was in a wheelchair to sell the attack from Big Show on RAW. The Usos were selling their ribs from RAW. The Usos picked up the win in what was described as a pretty good match.

    – CM Punk comes to the ring. Punk talks about Triple H being a coward who hides behind his wife. The Shield come out through the crowd and the New Age Outlaws come out on the ramp. All five guys surround the ring. Kane comes out and tells everyone to stand down. Kane says Punk’s anger is misplaced and The Authority actually wants him to main event WrestleMania, which is why he’s in the Royal Rumble. Kane says his new directive is to make sure Punk gets the respect he deserves. Kane goes to leave but Punk calls him back out and insults him. Kane then says “get ’em boys” and The Shield and the New Age Outlaws beat Punk down. Kane chokeslams Punk and stands over him. The show ends on that note.

    Impact Audience Drops, Yesterday’s TNA Talent Meeting, Davey Richards

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    – Last night’s TNA Genesis edition of Impact Wrestling drew a 1.08 rating and averaged 1.32 million viewers. This was down from last week’s 1.18 rating (1.39 million viewers).

    – The backstage talent meeting that Dixie Carter held on Thursday was uneventful, according to sources who were in attendance. Spike TV’s social media team was on hand to explain to the wrestlers better ways to use Twitter for the #IMPACT365 initiative.

    – TNA star Davey Richards tweeted the following after his brief appearance on last night’s Impact:

     

    *SPOILERS* For Next Week’s TNA Genesis Edition Of IMPACT

    CM Punk & The Miz Appearing On @Midnight, Jim Ross On Warrior Wrestling Again

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    – WWE Superstars CM Punk and The Miz will be appearing as guests on the February 12th episode of the late night Comedy Central show @Midnight, hosted by Chris Hardwick. They’ll be competing against show regular @RonaldFunches.

    – WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated the Q&A section of JRsBarBQ.com commented on the possibility of The Ultimate Warrior wrestling one more match. He wrote:

    “Could be a variety of guys but I’d think that Sandow vs. Warrior would be fun to watch. Whoever it will be, it won’t last long or be a diverse, wrestling match. That’s not to say that it won’t sell PPV’s.”

    Ultimate Warrior Says He’s Open To Wrestling Again

    He also commented on whether the wrestling business has suffered because of “smart fans” –

    “Not in my view. The business suffers because of the lack of young, main event talents that are ‘over’ with the fan base, short term creative planning, and veering far away from the core components of the genre IE wrestling and athleticism.”

    Photo: Dolph Ziggler Attends 2014 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo

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    Dolph Ziggler with Shawn Valentino at the Hard Rock Casino In Las Vegas (1/16/14)

    WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler attended the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo on Thursday night from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    Ziggler is currently out of action after suffering a concussion during a match with Ryback on the January 6th WWE Superstars taping.

    Shortly after the incident, Ryback tweeted (and later deleted):

    “Forearm gave The Showoff a concussion. Excessive hand grip use n rock hard muscle is reported 2 have been the cause n has been disciplined”

    WWE’s Dr. Chris Amann provided the following update on Ziggler’s condition last week:

     “Dolph was evaluated by a neuropsychologist today and he had ImPACT testing performed as well as balance testing,” he said. “Fortunately all of those tests appear to be equivocal to baseline and within normal limits. His symptoms have improved significantly since the injury on Monday, so our plan right now is to have him continue to rest, and when he is asymptomatic have him start doing some light cardiovascular exercise, and if that goes OK, we will proceed with our exertional protocol.”

    Judge Rules That Hulk Hogan’s Sex Tape Can Be Posted Online

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    WWE Hall of Fame Hulk Hogan suffered a legal defeat in court today in his ongoing lawsuit against Gawker.com for posting clips of his sex tape with Heather Clem, ex-wife of Bubba The Love Sponge.

    Tampa Bay Times reports today that the Judge presiding over the case ruled that the website is allowed the post the footage because:

    “Mr. Bollea failed to meet the heavy burden to overcome the presumption that the temporary injunction is invalid as an unconstitutional prior restraint under the First Amendment.”

    Hogan filed a temporary restraining order against Gawker Media back in April 2013 for releasing footage of the encounter. The court ruled that due the the publicity of the tape, the news falls under the First Amendment, which protects “discussions on matters of public concern.”

    HULK HOGAN Says He Will Be “Working” WrestleMania XXX

    Eric Bischoff’s Discovery Channel Show Renewed, Sam Shaw Turns 30, More

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    – TNA wrestler Sam Shaw celebrates his 30th birthday today. The TNA performer was born on January 17, 1984.

    – The Discovery Channel has announced that they have renewed the television show “The Devils Ride” for a third season. Season three of the show, which is produced by Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey, will debut on February 3rd at 9:00pm E.T.

    For more information, visit HollywoodReporter.com.

  • More LEGENDS Returning For WMXXX + Big Surprises For Royal Rumble REVEALED!

    • Update On Brock Lesnar’s Possible UFC Return, Lesnar Confirmed For RAW In L.A.

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    As noted on Thursday, UFC president Dana White spoke about the possibility that Brock Lesnar may still return to fight in the UFC in the future at the post-fight media scrum for the UFC Fight Night event in Atlanta on Wednesday. Below is the quote from White about Lesnar:

    “Do we talk? Yeah, me and Brock talk. I said recently (Brock) said he had some regrets with MMA because he wasn’t healthy, because he was going through those stomach problems the whole time he was here. So he has regrets. He told me he thinks a Brock Lesnar who was 100 percent could have done much better. I told him, `you’re out of your fucking mind. You came in here with one fight, and you became heavyweight champion.”

    Speaking of Lesnar, he is now official for the WWE RAW show in February in Los Angeles, California.

    DDP Interview: Ultimate Warrior In The WWE Hall Of Fame Before Jake Roberts & Randy Savage

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    Wrestling legend Diamond Dallas Page joined Doug Mortman and Dave Lagreca on this week’s Busted Open radio show, which you can hear on satellite radio on SiriusXM Channel 92. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

    If The Ultimate Warrior is a Hall of Famer: “Are you kidding me? Abso-f**king-lutely. I mean you have to look at how guys drew. And there are fans that don’t like the Warrior. There are plenty of fans that don’t like Diamond Dallas Page. I get that. And the people who don’t like him, really don’t like him. But the people who love the Warrior; they f**king love the Warrior. And that was really obvious when we did in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia–they can be the most critical fans on the planet. Me and Jake Roberts we smoked through autographs while we were there for those couple of days, but Warrior and Hogan came in and were doing the 100 to 150 dollar autograph thing and that line went out the door all day long. So you say what you want about Warrior, but the cat is true. He brought his energy. He brought a dynamic to wrestling at that time that was original. And I wasn’t a big fan of his interviews but people fricking loved them! People loved that guy. I was a Jake Roberts guy back in the ‘80’s, so I skate more that way.”

    His thoughts on Warrior going in before Jake Roberts & Randy Savage: “Well I think in Randy’s case, I think Randy he was pissed. I don’t think he really wanted to go in. That’s just my observation from a far. I never heard that from Randy but I’m sure now that the great Randy Savage has passed on, at some point he will be put in there. But I think there was–you have to accept. You have to go there and show up. And there was some heat there. And I think it was just about to get fixed too, just like the Warrior had a lot of heat there. I think he absolutely would’ve gone in. Maybe this year cause Randy was just coming out–when he died, Randy was just starting to come out. About to do a comic-con and stuff; do some autograph signings and stuff. So I think you would have seen him in there. Right after; not too long after his death, I don’t think it had to happen right away but I would imagine that Randy will be in there. And I believe that Jake Roberts will get in. I think I’ll get in. I think there will be a lot of guys that will get in there from Kevin Nash, Scott Hall. I think a lot of those guys will get in. Sometimes it just takes time and I think that Jake doing his turn around that he’s done over these last 16-17 months–or 16 months I think it is–people are buzzing everywhere about Jake. So I think at some point, it would be awesome if it was this year but who knows? You never know.”

    His thoughts on his involvement with helping Jake Roberts change: “Well you know Jake put all the work in. Jake was at my house today cause he doesn’t know if he’s going to get that call for Rumble. But you know what if he gets it; he’s gonna be ready. If he doesn’t get it, he’ll still be ready. And Jake worked his skin off–he had the flu bad too the last four days. And he came to work out today and I’m like Jake you can come tomorrow and he’s like nope, let’s go. We did about an hour; Jake lasted about 46 minutes. I was proud of him that he fought through it and he’s really done an amazing turn around. And he’s had some serious adversities. When people get a chance to see what we have; the footage that we have for The Resurrection of Jake The Snake. I’ve been doing this documentary for close to 15 or 16 months now. You know that right? We’ve been documenting everything. We put pieces up on DDP TV, if anybody wants to see the trailer that we have for The Resurrection of Jake The Snake. We did that the first three months. We’re about to open up with another one of Jake’s that is coming up right around in the next couple of weeks. And it will really–it’ll give you goosebumps. And there is so much–my guys; I got five guys working. I’m a production company more than anything now. DDP yoga is the center piece but everything is happening around from Scott Hall to Cody Hall, who was rookie of the year according to (Dave) Meltzer’s sheet. I didn’t see that but that’s legitimate as it gets. But Cody got out there because of DDP TV and what we put out there with him and Scott and everything. It’s just been awesome. I got my editors; I’ve got five of them. And there’s two guys that are new and they’re going through our footage like oh my god I can’t believe you have this. This is going to be a completely different movie than Beyond The Mat. This is about the resurrection of a legend.”

    Doing DDP Yoga on WWE TV: “Well I got to say first of all; no one and I repeat no one puts anything on Vince McMahon’s TV without his okay. And I’ve had people say to me so what do you think about Vince McMahon trying to ruin your career with the whole stalker thing, blah, blah, blah. Over the years, right? Anything that anyone thought cause I made a lot of those decisions myself and they were stupid decisions by me. Anyone who ever thinks that there has ever been anything between Vince and me or whatever and I’ve always told everyone; no, there’s not. What Vince did for me two Monday’s ago with DDP Yoga was–he couldn’t have given me a better angle. He couldn’t have given me a better spot. He let me go on there for a minute and a half. It was written into the copy! They gave it to me. I didn’t pick up the DVD’s and do that. That was written for me. “Wear your shirt.” Hunter told me do the foot over the head, that always blows people away. You know I was like okay! I expected to be in something but I didn’t expect it to be what it was. And to have Booker T involved too, who is one of my good buddies. Cause he’s the one guy from WCW who really got over. He’s a five time World Champion and he got the strap there. So bottom line is to be able to do it with him and then have Ron (Simmons) come out; it was just–we did so many takes of it, every one was funnier than the next. I had liked the last one the best but there were other ones that were laugh your ass off funny. And we just had a blast. And Ron said (DDP imitating his voice), “Man, Diamond they’re really working you today. This one’s gonna be a shameless plug but you working for that s**t today…DAMN.”

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