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Batista Back To WWE Weight & Interested In Returning

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Recent pictures of Batista from his Twitter page @DaveBautista:

Former WWE superstar Batista has been working out vigorously in recent months and is now back to his WWE weight of 280 pounds, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Batista dropped considerable weight when he began training in Mixed Martial Arts, where he won his [unspectacular] first professional fight  last year. A second fight never came to fruition and Batista’s MMA gym in Tampa closed last year.

Since leaving WWE, Batista has landed a few solid acting roles, including roles in The Man with the Iron Fists (Brass Body), Riddick (Diaz) and Guardians of the Galaxy (Drax the Destroyer).

Batista has stated publicly that he “definitely” wants to return to WWE, and even named Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker and Triple H as the superstars he wants to work with. With him getting back in shape, a return to WWE might not be far off for The Animal.

More On The Rock’s Injuries, WWE’s New Training Facility, WWE’s App Crashing

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– We’ve got an update on the injuries suffered by The Rock at WrestleMania 29. The Rock suffered a hernia, torn adductor and torn abdominal muscle during the match with Cena, with the initials signs injury occurring when he took the first Attitude Adjustment from Cena.

As Rock continued to wrestle, the muscle continued to tear from his pelvis. By the time the match was over, both his abdominal and adductor muscle had torn completely off the pelvis. As we’ve been reporting, The Rock is trying to rehab the injuries without surgery in order to prevent delaying production for his new “Hercules” movie.

– WWE filmed a lot of footage over WrestleMania weekend for the WWE Network and future DVD releases.

– WWE planned to utilize the WWE App a lot more than they did during WrestleMania, but the app crashed early into the show and announcers were told not to mention it.

– The new WWE Performance Center in Orlando that is opening in June has been molded after a football training facility. There will be several rings set as well as a full gym, coaching staff and medical personnel on staff.

(Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Update On Rey Mysterio’s Return, Swagger DUI News, Cody Upset & More

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– Rey Mysterio is currently rehabbing his knee and is scheduled to return to action in June, but the general feeling is that he’s entering the final stage of his in-ring career.

– Jack Swagger could have a tough road ahead when he appears in court on June 25th in Gulfport, MS. A Gulfport prosecutor is seeking the maximum punishment for his DUI charge, which would include 2 days in jail, a $437 fine for marijuana possession, a $1,300 fine for the DUI and a $188 fine for speeding.

– WWE developmental trainer Bill DeMott tweeted praise for NXT wrestler Aiden English:

– As you can imagine, Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow, Brodus Clay, Tensai, The Bella Twins and The Funkadactyls were upset about their WrestleMania 29 match being pulled from the show. Cody Rhodes in particular was very unhappy about it.

(Partial Source: f4wonline.com)

Foley Comments On The Rock’s Injury, Update On Tyson Kidd’s Recovery & More

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– Mick Foley tweeted the following about The Rock’s injury:

https://twitter.com/realmickfoley/status/322486893797322752

– WWE will return to the XL Center in Hartford, CT on June 3rd for RAW. Tickets go on sale April 19th.

– Titus O’Neil will be appearing at tonight’s Tampa Bay Storm arena football game, with a meet & greet event taking place before the game. For tickets, visit TampaBayStorm.com.

– Tyson Kidd tweeted the following injury update on Thursday:

Orton Comments On RAW Crowd, Ryback Teaming With Mark Henry, Matt Hardy

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– On Thursday, we reported that Ryback is teaming with Dolph Ziggler on Monday night against the team of Cena & Del Rio, a sign that WWE is booking Ryback as a heel. WWE is now advertising Ryback and Mark Henry vs. John Cena and Sheamus for RAW live events in May. Again, this is not necessarily an indication that he’s fully turned heel, but it is a result of him feuding with John Cena.

– Matt Hardy tweeted the following about being added to the Alumni section of WWE.com and being featured as the “Superstar Spotlight”:

– Randy Orton tweeted the following about the crowd at this past Monday’s RAW:

New TNA Tag Team Champions, What Happened After Impact w/Jeff Hardy

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– Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez defeated Austin Aries and Bobby Roode on last night’s episode of Impact Wrestling to become the new TNA Tag Team Champions.

– After Thursday night’s Impact Wrestling went off the air, Jeff Hardy was taken away in an ambulance to sell the effects of Bully Ray putting him through a table.

– TNA has announced the following matches for next Thursday’s show:

*Spoilers* TNA Impact Wrestling Tapings Results For Next Thursday (4/18)

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TNA taped the April 18th episode of Impact Wrestling last night in Corpus Christi. Here are spoilers:

* Mickie James beat Brooke Tessmacher

* Kurt Angle accepts a handicap match against Wes Brisco and Garett Bischoff, and loses when Aces & 8’s attack.

* Sting cuts a promo on Bully Ray

* Kenny King beat Petey Williams and Zema Ion

* Aces & 8s attack Magnus during his match with Devon. Samoa Joe makes the save.

* Kazarian and Daniels are out to talk about AJ Styles. Austin Aries and Bobby Roode come out which leads to a fight with Hernandez and Chavo Guerrero.

* Devon beat Samoa Joe with help from Mr. Anderson

* AJ Styles beat James Storm. After the match, Styles turns on Kazarian and Daniels, walking out. Aces & 8s attack Kazarian, Daniels and Storm.

* Bully Ray says they have taken out all of TNA and the only one left is Hulk Hogan, who will get his next week. Sting, Storm and Joseph Park beat Bully Ray, Devon and Doc in the main event.

* News On RYBACK’s Monster Push & Which NXT Stars Are Getting Called Up Soon

Maria Kanellis Talks About Her Future With ROH & WWE

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Ringbelles’ Women Of Wrestling Podcast interviews Maria Kanellis about a range of topics incorporating her current status with Ring Of Honor, which she clarifies following reports that she and fiancé Mike Bennett were looking to finish up with the promotion:

“I never said that I was done with Ring Of Honor. I just said that WWE had contacted me… Ring Of Honor is still me home.”

As part of the interview, Maria discusses how far down the road she got with negotiations for a return to WWE, and her thoughts on rumours that her proposed return was nixed:

“I don’t think that the Bella Twins could be so immature – I always found them to be very mature and business minded so I can’t imagine them doing that. Unfortunately we may never know the truth unless we get it from the horse’s mouth. I try not to play too much into rumours because that can get you into a lot of trouble.”

Maria explains why she publicly apologised to Barbie “Kelly Kelly” Blank on Twitter earlier this week:

“As you get older you start looking at things… you kinda leave all the stupidity of past angers behind. It’s about making peace with everything that I’ve ever had a problem with in the past and I think that Barbie’s extremely talented; I think that she’s a fan favourite and I just don’t want any negativity in my life anymore. I want to apologise for any time there was an argument.”

They also cover her time after the Diva Search in Ohio Valley Wrestling, where she was under the wing of Paul Heyman:

“Paul’s a great friend of mine. I always say that I’m a Paul Heyman lady. That’s really where my career began – when he started working with me, and really started believing in me is when I started believing in myself.”

They talk about Sara Del Rey training the next generation of WWE Divas and hear all about her relationship with Mike Bennett (including wedding details and their engagement story). They discuss how she got her start in wrestling via the Diva Search, and developing the ditzy character that eventually became her trademark in WWE. They talk Fit Finlay‘s influence on the Divas Division, some of her favorite WWE memories, including where her Slammy Award is now.

WWE SmackDown Preview: Ziggler vs. Jericho, Barrett & Cesaro In Action

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The following is a spoiler-free preview for Friday’s WWE SmackDown:

* World Heavyweight champion Dolph Ziggler vs. Chris Jericho.

* Triple H addresses his Wrestlemania win.

* Randy Orton & Sheamus vs. Big Show.

* United States champ Antonio Cesaro vs. Kofi Kingston.

* Tag Team champs Team Hell No vs. Primetime Players.

* Intercontinental champ Wade Barrett vs. Santino Marella.

* The Bellas & Tamina vs. WWE Divas champion Kaitlyn & Naomi & Cameron.

Plus, there will be appearances from Fandango, The Shield, 3MB, Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio.

Big Show & WWE Sued By Former Creative Team Member

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Former WWE employee Andrew Green is suing Big Show and WWE over an alleged backstage incident at the 2013 Royal Rumble pay-per-view, according to Courthouse News Service. Green claims another WWE producer told him to get an interview with Show after his Rumble match to be posted on the company’s website. Green says Show refused to do it until he said it was at the request of Eric Pankowski. Big Show then began using “profanely indecent language,” saying if he wanted an interview he would give him one. The complaint continued:

“Big Show toward Green enraged, shouting obscenities, and waving his fist in Green’s face. Big Show then grabbed Green by the collar and throat, striking Green in the face and backing him up against a trunk while declaring ‘You son of a bitch … Are you having fun right now … Don’t even come up to me again … I don’t give a shit who you are’.”

Show requested a re-tape of the interview saying he would just walk away. Triple H requested a third take but Show said he didn’t think he would be able to do it because his emotions in the first shoot had been real. A third interview was shot but Pankowski decided to air the first interview.

Green claims he was unable to continue working for WWE after following the incident because he was uncomfortable working around Big Show and other wrestlers. He alleges in the complaint that WWE had previously “suspended or terminated Big Show’s employment because of his behavior, including his engagement in violent and/or unlawful and/or improper activities outside of the wrestling venue.”

Bret Hart Talks WrestleMania 29, His Brother Owen & More

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WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart answered questions from fans on his Facebook page Thursday afternoon,  covering WrestleMania 29, his brother Owen and more. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

WrestleMania 29: “I thought Undertaker and Punk stole the show… I thought the two main events (Rock vs. Cena, Triple H vs. Lesnar) were more than predictable. Step by step. Overall I thought the show was good. The highlight of WrestleMania weekend for me was the induction of Bruno. All of the Hall of Famer recipients were great selections.”

John Cena vs. The Rock: “I thought they both worked really hard, and I’m glad that Cena won. But from an imagination stand point I saw the match that they gave about a year ago in my head… and absolutely nothing surprised me.”

Undertaker’s Streak Ending: “Let’s just say at WM 50 – Undertaker loses streak to Joe Henning… and he is pinned with the PerfectPlex at the 59 minute mark.”

Owen: “I honestly think my brother Owen would still be alive today” had the Montreal Screwjob not occurred.

Ziggler Comments On Title Win, NXT Stars Getting Called Up, HOF Ceremony PPV

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– With WWE calling up several wrestlers from developmental soon, three talents at the top of the list are Bray Wyatt, Kassius Ohno and Adrian Neville.

– WWE is running a digital pay-per-view special where fans can view the entire 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony on WWE.com, the WWE Mobile App, Xbox Live and Samsung SMART TVs. The show costs $7.99 and will be available starting Friday April 12th at 10 a.m. ET through April 19th. For more information, visit WWE.com.

– Dolph Ziggler tweeted the following about his World Heavyweight title win on Monday’s RAW:

https://twitter.com/HEELZiggler/status/322369980773568513

Jim Ross Blog: WM29, RAW Crowd, Ryback Attacking Cena, Fandango Getting Over

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WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:

WrestleMania 29: My match of the night at WM29 was Taker vs. @CMPunk. Loved @TripleH vs. @BrockLesnar too. Tough act to follow, as I have discussed here for weeks, and going on last is always a daunting experience and it was Sunday for @JohnCena and @TheRock but they came through it well especially considering that Rock had a torn abductor muscle that he suffered early in the bout.

The Crowd At RAW: “Co-sign on the great live audience for RAW Monday night made up of many Northeast American fans and, of course, many from out of the country especially from the UK among other countries.”

Fandango Getting Over: “Not shocked, I wrote about it here multiple times, that Fandango had a solid outing with the great @IAmJericho Chris Jericho at WM29 notwithstanding the point that Jericho’s retaliation on Fandango Monday night on RAW was pure textbook. Young wrestlers need to take note of Jericho’s unbridled passion And realism in getting a piece of Fandango on RAW. The Fandango buzz is intriguing and it will last as long as his in ring performances hold up positively to his controversial TV persona.”

Ryback Attacking John Cena on RAW: “Loved how RAW went off the air Monday night, @Ryback22 standing tall over John Cena. Is Ryback a newly minted villain? Not so fast there knee jerkers. I think that the fans will make that call and perhaps even more people will boo John Cena that have previously as Ryback obviously, as he should, has his sights set on the WWE Title and a top spot within WWE.”

Plans For The WWE Tag Team Titles, Latest WWE Inbox Video

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– On Monday’s RAW, WWE had Daniel Bryan and Kane save The Undertaker from a possible beatdown at the hands of The Shield. According to f4wonline.com, the angle was done to plant the seeds for an upcoming tag team title feud.

With WWE Extreme Rules still over a month away, there are reportedly plans for Team Hell No to defend their WWE Tag Team titles against The Shield at the pay-per-view. With The Shield’s impressive work and strong push, it’s expected they will be the ones to end Kane & Bryan’s lengthy title reign.

– Here’s the latest edition of WWE Inbox:

“One Superstar after another attempt to pronounce the most difficult names in WWE. See how well they do, only on WWE on YouTube!”

(Partial Source: f4wonline.com)

Carlito Jokes About The Rock & Steroids, Scott Hall Returns Home, Fandango

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– Scott Hall tweeted the following this morning after undergoing hip surgery earlier this week:

https://twitter.com/SCOTTHALLNWO/status/322312220853821440

– According to Livehits.co, Fandango’s WWE theme “ChaChaLaLa” is currently 17 on the UK music downloads charts.

– Former WWE superstar Carlito tweeted the following comment about The Rock’s injury at WrestleMania, implying Rock is on steroids:

Press Release for WWE Studios “Christmas Bounty” Starring The Miz

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The following press release was issued today by ABC Family:

WWE(R) STUDIOS AND ABC FAMILY BEGIN PRODUCTION ON “CHRISTMAS BOUNTY”

The Original Movie Will Air as Part of the Network’s Annual 25 Days of Christmas Programming Event

Francia Raisa Joins WWE Superstar The Miz

Burbank, CA (April 11, 2013) – WWE Studios (NYSE:WWE) and ABC Family began production this week on “Christmas Bounty,” a television movie that will world premiere during the network’s popular annual 25 Days of Christmas programming event. Network star Francia Raisa (“The Secret Life of the American Teenager”) joins the cast as Tory, opposite WWE Superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin. Will Greenburg (“Modern Family,” “The Office”) and Chelan Simmons (“The L.A. Complex”) will also star.

“Christmas Bounty” is an action-filled comedy about Tory (Raisa), a former bounty hunter turned elementary school teacher. Determined to have a normal life with her new fiancé, James (Greenburg), Tory would love to keep her bounty hunter past a secret. She reluctantly returns home for Christmas when a past bounty comes back for revenge. But when James follows her home for the holiday, she struggles to hide her wild family business and Mike (Mizanin), the bounty hunter ex-boyfriend she thought she’d left behind. Simmons plays Liz, Tory’s best friend who can’t quite understand why Tory would want to keep her past a secret. Also cast as Tory’s mom, Gale, is April Telek (“Hell on Wheels”). “Christmas Bounty” is written by Andrew Black & Vivian Lee, James Berg & Stan Zimmerman and Claudia Grazioso.

Kurt Angle Talks About His Career Winding Down & Working A Reduced Schedule

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TNA star Kurt Angle was recently interviewed by The Sun and had this to say about his career winding down:

“When I do retire, I won’t be coming back. But I do see myself, after my contract is up, going on a reduced schedule where I will be part-time and only doing particular PPVs and TVs.

“I definitely am going to still be involved in wrestling because even though, thank God, I’m financially set, I love what I do.

“It’s hard to walk away from it when you can still do it. I’m still kicking hard and in my prime, I haven’t lost a step.

“If this happens in TNA, then great. I’ll be there for the big shows and represent them the best way I can. Hopefully they’ll get a lot more success out of it, more PPV buys and more attendance.

Angle also stated that he wants to start working a reduced schedule when his current contract expires, working just TV and pay per view events.

Ryback Comments On Cena Attack – Is He A Heel?

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Monday’s RAW ended with Ryback confronting (and laying out) new WWE Champion John Cena. Ryback tweeted the following message about the attack:

https://twitter.com/Ryback22/statuses/322176210832596992

Based on what we saw on RAW, it’s still unclear whether Ryback has actually turned heel or is just solidifying himself as the #1 contender. However – based on a match WWE is booking for next week’s WWE RAW taping from the Bi Lo Center in Greensville, South Carolina, it appears Ryback could in fact be a heel.

The arena is advertising WWE Champion John Cena & Alberto Del Rio vs. Ryback and World Heavyweight champion Dolph Ziggler for the show. It’s likely that the match will take place as the dark match main event after RAW goes off the air.

Also advertised for RAW is the return of CM Punk, who will address his loss to The Undertaker at WrestleMania.

  • DISCUSSION: What do you think about Ryback being a heel? Does his attack on John Cena turn him “bad” – and do you think his character could be better off as a heel? Comment below.

Update On The Rock’s Injury & The Rock In Miami Tonight For Red Carpet Event

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The Rock has provided an update on his injury status after tearing his abdominal and adductor tendons off his pelvis at WrestleMania. He tweeted this image (click to enlarge) of himself giving John Cena a Rock Bottom right after realizing he was injured:

He also tweeted on Thursday morning:

The former WWE Champion is scheduled to begin filming “Hercules” later this month and there was obviously some concern that his abdominal injury would delay production of the film.

Speaking of The Rock, he’ll be making his first public appearance tonight since WrestleMania. He’ll be doing a movie premiere for “Pain & Gain” in South Beach, Miami tonight at the Regal South Beach Stadium 18 theater. The red-carpet even starts at 6:30 p.m.

Chris Jericho Heading Overseas To Tour With Fozzy

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After wrestling Dolph Ziggler in the main event of Tuesday night’s WWE SmackDown tapings from Boston, Chris Jericho has wrapped up is latest run with WWE. He’s now heading overseas with his metal band Fozzy to perform a 3 week European tour.

The first leg of the tour begins tonight with a show in Southampton, U.K and goes until April 28th, when it concludes in Vienna, Austria.

In the middle of the tour, Jericho is scheduled to appear at the April 22nd WWE RAW TV taping from London, UK.

Jericho will then be free for a few months, before Fozzy heads back to the UK in August.

Developmental Star Talks About Being The Only The Australian In WWE

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Australian wrestler Matt Silva recently spoke to Herald Sun about signing a WWE developmental contract. that he will make history. “I’ll be the first Australian to compete in the WWE,” Silva said. “I’m going in as a newbie, and just wait for a call up to the main roster before I start competing against those guys.”

According to the article, Silva was one of 85 wrestlers from around the world that recently took part in WWE tryouts in Tampa, Florida – and was the only man offered a chance to sign with the company.

Silva says he’s already made history and can’t wait to represent his home country to the WWE Universe.

“It’s the biggest wrestling company in the world, so whatever happens, happens. Being the only Australian over there and representing Australia on the biggest wrestling state in the world, I’m looking forward to it.”

TNA Impact Preview: Bully Ray vs. Jeff Hardy Full Metal Mayhem

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TNA will be in Corpus Christi, Texas tonight with a live edition of Impact Wrestling. Here is a preview from the TNA website:

– The huge main event on Thursday’s broadcast will feature World Heavyweight Champion Bully Ray of The Aces and Eights defending the gold against “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy in a Full Metal Mayhem match! Hardy finally gets his rematch from Lockdown for the title against Bully Ray in a bout featuring tables, chairs and ladders – NO DISQUALIFICATION, ANYTHING GOES! Can Hardy recapture the gold? Can the Aces and Eights continue their domination of TNA? Don’t miss it!

– Thursday’s IMPACT will start off with the World Tag Team Championship match with Austin Aries and Bobby Roode defending against Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez in a 2 out of 3 Falls match! Also, if Chavo and Hernandez do not win the Tag Team Titles they can never team together again.

– Is AJ Styles with The Aces and Eights…or with TNA Wrestling? Hulk Hogan wants AJ’s answer on Thursday’s IMPACT! After weeks of questions about AJ’s allegiance, which side will Styles choose?

– The sexy TNA Knockouts will be in action on Thursday LIVE from Corpus Christi as Taryn Terrell makes her singles debut against her bitter rival, Gail Kim!

– Will newcomers Adam Pearce or Magno pass the TNA Gut Check to earn a spot on the roster? One of these two men will face the judges for the final decision on Thursday!

All this and much more on Thursday’s LIVE IMPACT on SpikeTV at 8/7c from Corpus Christi, Texas!

* TNA NEWS Page: Lots More Exclusive TNA News

WWE’s Promotional Efforts & Marketing Touted, Fandango’s Theme On MLB TV

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– Variety.com has an article looking at WWE’s incredible promotional and marketing efforts. The article states, “Hollywood can take a few lessons from the WWE’s all-encompassing approach to brand management” and looks at the ways WWE reaches their audience through various platforms and generates countless streams of revenue.

– The Fandango craze continues below, as the show MLB Now on the MLB Network comes back from commercial:

* VIDEO From After SmackDown – FANDANGO & CENA

HBK On Steve Austin’s Podcast, Otunga Doing Legal Commentary & More

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– Steve Austin’s latest podcast is online, featuring an interview with Shawn Michaels. [Listen Here]

– David Otunga has been appearing on the HLN Network doing commentary on the ongoing Jodi Arias trial.

– Shawn Michaels will be doing a signing and Q&A Session in Waynesboro, VA on 8/31 promoted. For more information, visit Top Rope Wrestling.

WWE Hits 100 Million Facebook Followers

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WWE issued the following:

WWE® TOPS 100 MILLION FACEBOOK FANS AT WRESTLEMANIA

STAMFORD, Conn., April 10, 2013 – WWE® (NYSE:WWE) today announced it eclipsed 100 million Facebook fans across its network of pages during WrestleMania 29, further cementing itself as one of the most followed brands in the world.

WWE’s Facebook network currently has more fans than the NFL and its 32 teams combined and MLB and its 30 teams combined. The main WWE Facebook page also has more fans than the NHL, The New York Times, ESPN, Pepsi, Burger King, NASCAR and CNN. Seventeen WWE Superstars rank in the top 100 most-followed athletes on Facebook, with John Cena ® (more than 14 million fans) as the third most-followed athlete in the U.S. behind only Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

To drive additional fan engagement, WWE launched “Superfan Showdown,” a Facebook app exclusive to the platform that allows fans from around the world to compete in fast-paced interactive trivia challenges, rapid-fire polls, mind-bending puzzles and much more. As fans go head-to-head, they earn points, climb the global leaderboard and accumulate “WWE cash” that can be spent to purchase exclusive virtual goods, including: limited edition badges, rare Superstar trading cards, and never-before-seen WWE video content.

WWE now has more than 150 million followers across all social media platforms while ranking in the top 20 most social companies according to the Dachis Groups Social Business Index. WWE is also one of only seven brands in the world to obtain a Klout score of 99 from Klout.com, which measures a brands’ social media influence on a scale from 1 to 100. The other six brands include YouTube, The New York Times, Huffington Post, Time, Associated Press and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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