World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. : WWE® Names Michele Martell VP of Kids Entertainment
WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced the appointment of Michele Martell as Vice President, Kids Entertainment. Martell, who will report to WWE Executive Vice President, Creative, Stephanie McMahon, will be responsible for overseeing the strategic development, execution, and promotion of WWE’s kids entertainment strategy. Martell will focus on production, digital media, consumer products, marketing and fan engagement as well as identifying opportunities for external partnerships, acquisitions and community events, all on a global basis.
Prior to joining WWE, Martell held the position of Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for SD Entertainment, where she oversaw the acquisition strategy and execution for entertainment products with an emphasis on children’s brands. Her focus was on the building and expansion of all kids, family and lifestyle entertainment products, digital distribution, marketing, consumer engagement and licensing negotiation. Before SD Entertainment, Martell was Chief Operating Officer of the Entertainment Group for Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp, and was the co-founder of leading digital cinema distribution company The Bigger Picture, which theatrically released more than 200 films and events, as well as its long-running family matinee program, Kidtoon Films.
Martell has also held positions including Vice President of Business Affairs and Business Development at The Jim Henson Company; Senior Counsel of Legal Affairs for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.; and was an attorney in private practice with the entertainment firm Hill Wynne Troop & Meisinger.
Martell graduated with a Juris Doctor from UCLA School of Law and with a Bachelor of Arts from Pamona College.
About WWE:
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), 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, Miami, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul and Tokyo.
Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) 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.
-The official YouTube channel of NWALegends.com has videos up from the Mid-Atlantic Fanfest this weekend. The channel features interviews with such stars as Dr. Tom Prichard, Tully Blanchard, Les Thatcher, Bob Caudle and Dan Masters. You can check all of those out on their official YouTube Channel.
-Speaking of the Mid-Atlantic Fanfest from this past weekend, local news station WBTV covered the event. You can check out video footage of their coverage below:
SESCOOPS.COM reader Nate Stein sent along the following:
*** To be added on future lists, send your event to Nate Stein at [email protected] or on Twitter @PSPhenom.
Mon, Aug 5 to Fri, Aug 9 – UWA Elite – Middlesex County Fair, East Brunswick, NJ – 6 pm, 7:30 pm, 9 pm – UWAElite.com
Tue, Aug 6 – RAPW – Shamrock Night Club, 635 Norton Ave, Barberton, OH – 8 pm – Facebook.com/RAWrestling
Tue, Aug 6 – New Wave – Fairbanks Parks, Terre Haunte, IN – 5 pm – facebook.com/NewWavePro
Tue, Aug 6 – WoF – Topsham Fairgrounds, Rt. 196, Coastal Connector, Topsham, ME – 8 pm – WrestlingOnFire.com
Wed, Aug 7 – OVW – Davis Arena, 4400 Shepherdsville RD, Louisville, KY – 6:30 pm – OVWrestling.com
Wed, Aug 7 – RPW – 1106 E. Third ST, Dayton, OH – 7 pm – Facebook.com/RockstarProWrestling
Wed, Aug 7 – SIWF – Little World’s Fair, Brodhead, KY – 7:30 pm
Thu, Aug 8 – CW – Santino Bros Wrestling Dojo, 5640 Shull ST, Unit S, Bell Gardens, CA – 8:30 pm – SantioBros.Net, HollywoodWrestling.com
Thu, Aug 8 – MWA – Lancaster County Fair, Lancaster Event Center, Lincoln, NE – 8 pm – MWAProWrestling.com
Thu, Aug 8 – HKW – 9505 Dennison Ave, Cleveland, OH – 7 pm – facebook.com/hardknockwrestling
Thu, Aug 8 – XWW – Club Hush, 3500 E Independence Blvd, Charlotte, NC – 7 pm – facebook.com/xtremeworldwrestling
Fri, Aug 9 – 1CW – 6972 Dixie Highway, Franklin, OH – 7 pm – Facebook.com/groups/183747681655800/420820161281883/
Fri, Aug 9 – NWA SAW – 1214B Louisville Hwy, Millersville, TN – 7:30 pm
Fri, Aug 9 – Xcite – American Legion Post 80, 76 Main ST, Binghampton, NY – Facebook.com/pages/Xcite-Wrestling/201316953304733, xcitewrestling.com
Fri, Aug 9 – SLA – Knights of Columbus, 405 E 4th ST, Alton, IL – 6:30 pm
Fri, Aug 9 – MMWA/SICW – GCS Stadium, Sauget, IL – 8 pm – SaintLouisWrestling.com
Fri, Aug 9 – EPWA – Keyser High Schoool, Keyser, WV – facebook.com/EliteProUniverse
Fri, Aug 9 – PWE – The Giant Flea Market, 1700 W Realfoot Ave, Union City, TN – 8 pm – facebook.com/ProWrestlingElitePresentsAllActionWrestling
Fri, Aug 9 – PWG – American Legion #308, 7338 Canby Ave, Reseda, VA – 8 pm
Fri, Aug 9 – MWA – Greenfield Bowl, 200 E. Iowa ST, Greenfield, IA – 8 pm – MWAProWrestling.com
Fri, Aug 9 – FWF – Holy Trinity Church/Christ the King Parish, 408 Prospect ST, Long Branch, NJ – 7:45 pm – Funkdafiedwrestling.com
Fri, Aug 9 – Freedom Pro Wrestling – Onalaska Omni Center, Onalaska, WI – 7:30 pm – FreedomProWrestling.com
Fri, Aug 9 – Full Impact Pro – The Orpheum, 1915 E 7th Ave, Ybor City, FL – 8 pm – FullImpactPro.com
Fri, Aug 9 – WBW – Hamilton County Fair, 7801 Anthony Wayne Ave, Cincinnati, OH – 7:30 pm – WBWTV.co
Fri, Aug 9 – Independent Wrestling Entertainment – Cityside Restaurant, 393 N Main ST, Brewer, ME – 7:30 pm – iwrestlinge.com
Fri, Aug 9 – OVW – American Legion 193, Louisville, KY – 7:30 pm – OVWrestling.com
Fri, Aug 9 – DOA – Keizer Lions Club, 4100 Cherry Ave NE, Keizer, OR – 7:30 pm – facebook.com/DOAProWrestling
Sat, Aug 10 – WSU – Flyers Skate Zone, 601 Laurel Oak RD, Voorhees, NJ – 4 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – CZW – Flyers Skate Zone, 601 Laurel Oak RD, Voorhees, NJ – 7:30 pm – CZWrestling.com
Sat, Aug 10 – FMW – Fairview Community Center, 1357 Charlotte Hwy, Fairview, NC – 7:30 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – C4W – Sports Mall (Formerly X Complex), Myrtle Beach, SC – 8 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – Maryland Championship Wrestling – Green Room, 2401-G N Point Blvd, Dundalk, MD – 7:30 pm – MarylandWrestling.com
Sat, Aug 10 – PWE – TC Howe High School, 4900 Julian Ave, Indianapolis, IN – 4:30 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – WXW – Minneola Recreation Center, 800 N. Highway 27, Minneola, FL – 7 pm – WXWwrestling.com
Sat, Aug 10 – SHOW – 6972 South Dixie Hwy, Franklin, OH – 3 pm – facebook.com/SuperHeroesOfWrestlingShow
Sat, Aug 10 – MMWA/SICW – GCS Ballpark, Sauget, IL – 8 pm – saintlouiswrestling.com
Sat, Aug 10 – Metro Pro Wrestling – Turner Recreation Center, 831 S. 55th ST, Kansas City, MO – 7 pm – MetroWrestling.com
Sat, Aug 10 – PWX – 2125 Beacon ST, McKeesport, PA – 7:30 pm – prowrestlingexpress.com
Sat, Aug 10 – DWO – Farwell Community Center, Farwell, TX – 6 pm- facebook.com/DWOwrestling
Sat, Aug 10 – BPW – Joliet Park District, 3000 W. Jefferson ST, Joliet, IL – 6 pm – facebook.com/pwBLITZ
Sat, Aug 10 – TAP – Old Cheese Factory, 191 Industrial DR, McMinnville, TN – 8 pm – facebook.com/TAPWrestling1
Sat, Aug 10 – MCW – Green Room, 2401-G North Point Blvd, Dundalk, MD – 7:30 pm – MarylandWrestling.com
Sat, Aug 10 – MCPW – Roadhouse Saloon, Mancelona, MI – MCPWOnline.com
Sat, Aug 10 – HRE – El Palacio Mexican Restaurant, 26383 Scott Highway, Winfield, TN – 7 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – PWE – Bethel Park Family Center, 2850 Bethel Ave, Indianapolis, IN – 4:30 pm – facebook.com/events/515389421830295/?ref=23
Sat, Aug 10 – Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium, 501 West South Street, South Bend, IN
Sat, Aug 10 – PWF – National Guard Armory, 20 State Police RD, London, KY – 7:30 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – New Wave – 1439 Ash ST, Terre Haute, IN – facebook.com/NewWavePro
Sat, Aug 10 – RCW – Aztec Indoor Soccer Arena, 9870 Marbach Rd, San Antonio, TX – 8 pm – RCW-Wrestling.com
Sat, Aug 10 – EPW – Black Horse Bar, Winona, MN – elite-pro-wrestling.com
Sat, Aug 10 – KZW – Old Shopville Gym, Somerset, KY – 7:30 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – APW – Morgan Community Center, Bedford, KY – 7 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – PWFreedom – National Guard Armory, London, KY – 8 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – TSW – Kingdom Come Community Center, Linefork, KY – 6 pm – TSWrestling.com
Sat, Aug 10 – Mex Pro – Pappy Pineda Dome, 7962 Salt Lake Ave, Huntington, VA – 8 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – WPPF – Platinum Club, 1643 11th ST, Rock Island, IL – 7 pm – facebook.com/events/504609506276107/
Sat, Aug 10 – NWA Smoky Mountain – Civic Auditorium, Kingsport, TN – 8 pm – NWASmokyMountain.com
Sat, Aug 10 – PWC/DSCW – Empire Arena, 22 Austin Ave, Rossville, GA – 8 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – UWA Elite – Middlesex County Fair, East Brunswick, NJ – 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:30 pm, 6:30 pm, 8 pm – UWAElite.com
Sat, Aug 10 – WWA – Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 300 Court ST, Evansville, IN – 7 pm – Facebook.com/iwa.unlimitedwrestling
Sat, Aug 10 – PWC – Empire Pro Wrestling Arena – 22 Austin Ave, Rossville, GA – 8 pm – facebook.com/pwchatt
Sat, Aug 10 – GXW – Boys & Girls Club, Maloree Gym, N 12th ST, Hopewell, VA – 6 pm – gogxw.com
Sat, Aug 10 – LCW – Lancaster Host Resort & Conference Center, 2300 Lincoln Highway E, Lancaster, PA – 7 pm – LCW-Pro.com
Sat, Aug 10 – FWF – Island Heights Volunteer Fire Company, 15 Lake Ave, Island Heights, NJ – 7:35 pm – facebook.com/pages/Funkdafied-Entertainment/181973713801
Sat, Aug 10 – HRCW – 701 W Berkely Ave, Norfolk, VA – 7:30 pm – facebook.com/hcwhamptonroads
Sat, Aug 10 – HOB – 106 Nauset ST, New Bedford, MA – 6 pm – facebook.com/HoBwrestling
Sat, Aug 10 – EDGE – 1030 Eastern Ave, Nashville, NC – 2 pm – Facebook.com/EdgeProWrestling
Sat, Aug 10 – FMW – Fairview Community Center, 1357 Charlotte Hwy, Fairview, NC – 7:30 pm – FullMomentumWrestling.org
Sat, Aug 10 – DSCW – DSCW Arena, 1580 Appalachian Hwy, Blue Ridge, GA – 8 pm – DSCW.org
Sat, Aug 10 – IZW – Impact Arena, 1009 SW F Ave, Lawton, OK – 7 pm – IZWrestling.com
Sat, Aug 10 – FPW – Eau Claire Indoor Sports Center, Eau Claire, WI – 7 pm – FreedomProWrestling.com
Sat, Aug 10 – RCW – Aztec Soccer Arena, 9870 Marbach Rd, San Antonio, TX – 8 pm – facebook.com/rcwforever
Sat, Aug 10 – NAW – Chewey Community Building, Chewey, OK – 7 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – KAPOW – Roffey Millennium Hall, Horsham, UK -2:30 pm – Facebook.com/events/153161271534877
Sat, Aug 10 – PPW – Providence Fire & Rescue Building, 6655 Old NC Highway 86 N, Providence, NC – 7:30 pm – Facebook.com/pureprowrestling
Sat, Aug 10 – NEPW – Buffalo Rose, 1119 Eashington Ave, Golden, CO – 6 pm – neweraprowrestling.com
Sat, Aug 10 – Adrenaline Unleashed – 953 E. Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV – 6 pm – facebook.com/AdrenalineUnleashed
Sat, Aug 10 – NWA Fusion – Gloucester Moose Lodge, Glouchester, VA – 6:30 pm – Facebook.com/nwafusionwrestling
Sat, Aug 10 – Zero 1 USA – Champaign Park District Douglass Park, 512 E Grove St, Champaign, IL – 1 pm – facebook.com/zero1supreme
Sat, Aug 10 – TCW – The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC – tcwprowrestling.intuitwebsites.com
Sat, Aug 10 – Vintage – Salvation Army Gym, 700 W 24th ST, Sanford, FL – 8 pm – Facebook.com/VintageWrestling
Sat, Aug 10 – Coastal Real Extreme Wrestling – Albemarle 4-H Livestock Arena, 102 Sun Gro RD, Elizabeth City, NC – 7:30 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – Arizona Wrestling Federation – Peoria Community Center, 8335 W Jefferson ST, Peoria, AZ – 6 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – Wildcat Championship Wrestling – 101 Hilltop DR, Lawrenceburg, KY – 7:30 pm – facebook.com/pages/The-Real-Wildcat-Championship-Wrestling-WCCW/307961922578873
Sat, Aug 10 – OVW – Optomist Club, London, KY – 7:30 pm- OVWrestling.com
Sat, Aug 10 – All-Pro Wrestling – Morgan Community Center, Bedford, KY – 7 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – Traditional Southern Wrestling – Old Shopville Gym, Somerset, KY – 7:30 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – New Heights Wrestling – Walton County Fairgrounds, Defuniak Springs, FL – 7 pm – NewHeightsWrestling.com
Sat, Aug 10 – Professional Championship Wrestling – 29 Colorado Court Hallam, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia – 7:30 pm – Facebook.com/australianwrestling, PCWEntertainment.com
Sat, Aug 10 – PWE – Bethel Park Family Center, 2850 Bethel Ave, Indianapolis, IN – 4:30 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – EDGE – 1030 Eastern Ave, Nashville, NC – 7:30 pm – Facebook.com/groups/340562749408327/
Sat, Aug 10 – Pennsylvania Premiere Wrestling – Heritage Fresh Food, 601 S Poplar ST, Hazleton, PA – 8 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – WWWA – Zerns Farmers Market, Gilbertsville, PA – 7:30 pm
Sat, Aug 10 – Pro Wrestling Unplugged – Club Inferno, 709 S Cumberland ST, Morristown, TN – 7 pm
Sun, Aug 11 – RW – Club Cinema, 3251 N Federal Hwy, Pompano Beach, FL – TBA – facebook.com/ringwarriors
Sun, Aug 11 – PWF NE – Silver City Sports Complex, 1 Lawton Ave, Taunton, MA – 2:30 pm – facebook.com/pwfnortheast
Sun, Aug 11 – UWA Elite – Middlesex County Fair, East Brunswick, NJ – 2:30 pm, 4:30 pm, 6:30 pm, 8 pm – UWAElite.com
Sun, Aug 11 – DOA – East Portland Moose Lodge, 16411 NE Halsey ST, Portland, OR – 4 pm – facebook.com/DOAProWrestling
Sun, Aug 11 – United Wrestling Federation – Georgetown Flea Market, Georgetown, KY – 6:30 pm
Sun, Aug 11 – Ohio Valley Wrestling – Derby Park Expo-5, Louisville, KY – 6 pm – OVWrestling.com
Sun, Aug 11 – CW – Oceanview Pavillion, 575 Surfside DR, Port Hueneme, CA – 3 pm – HollywoodWrestling.com
Sun, Aug 11 – Attack! Pro Wrestling – Nethebrook Primary School, Dudley, UK – 4:30 pm – Facebook.com/ATTACKprowrestling
-WWE is advertising a dark match main event of Randy Orton, Sheamus and Rob Van Dam vs. The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) for Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown and Main Event television taping.
-As previously noted, the WWE RAW dark match main event for tonight’s show in Green Bay features John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio in a “Champion vs. Champion” match. Starting with next Monday’s RAW, the dark match main event will feature John Cena and Mark Henry taking on all three members of The Shield in a Handicap Match.
-For whatever this is worth, WWE is no longer advertising Brock Lesnar for the post-SummerSlam edition of WWE RAW. Lesnar is still scheduled for tonight’s RAW and next week’s RAW, the final two editions of the show leading into the annual SummerSlam pay-per-view.
-WWE is advertising the following lineup for the live event on September 22nd in Hidalgo, Texas:
–John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose [Champion vs. Champion Match]
–Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton [Special Challenge Match]
–Mark Henry vs. Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns [2-On-1 Handicap Match]
-Frank Stewart, who performed under the ring name “Dutch Savage” in the Pacific Northwest, where he was a major star for a long period of time, passed away on Saturday, August 3, 2013. Stewart was 78 years old at the time of his passing.
-The pro wrestling community also lost Art Donovan this weekend. The NFL Hall Of Famer, who worked the WWE King Of The Ring show in 1994 as a guest commentator, was 88 years old at the time of his passing.
-WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley performed another stand-up comedy show on Sunday in Atlanta. The part-time WWE Superstar was joined by fellow pro wrestling legends Diamond Dallas Page, Scott Hall and Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Foley commented on the guys showing up for his performance on Twitter, writing, “An awesome time tonight in Atlanta. Loved reliving old times onstage with @DDPYoga @SCOTTHALLNWO & @JakeSnakeDDT.”
-WWE Hall Of Famer Trish Stratus is taking questions from fans for another edition of “Fan Forum Five.” Fans interested in sending in questions for the former WWE Diva can do so at TrishStratus.com.
-Speaking of former WWE Divas, Candice Michelle recently noted on Twitter that she will serve as the special guest referee at the Wrestling Spectacular 2 event. Michelle will work the Women’s match featuring Angelina Love vs. Mickie James vs. Jillian Hall vs. Katie Lee Burchill vs. Rosita.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross updated the blog section of his website on Sunday afternoon. Below are some highlights from his latest entry:
On Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown: “Thought Friday night Smackdown was a really solid wrestling show highlighted by Punk vs. Fandango in what I thought was Fandango’s best outing and the Triple Threat match featuring Orton, Christian and RVD. I’m a much bigger fan of a wrestler earning a title opportunity than being granted, willed, decreed, etc a championship match. Yeah, I’m old school. Alex Riley did a really nice job in filling in for the mountain climbing JBL Friday night. Alex has done some commentary down in NXt and I’ve enjoyed working with him there. Riley is a bright young man who has a viable future in WWE and is the son of talentd broacdater Kevin Kiley.”
On CM Punk’s matches: “Does @CMPunk EVER have a bad match? I don’t recall one.”
On if WWE will ever drop the PG rating and go back to TV-14: “You asked…I do not feel that WWE will or do they need to go back to TV14 ratings for their broadcasts. There are lots of reasons but one is simple….advertisers do not covet spending big money on prime time, TV14 rated shows as much as they do PG programming. Plus, the talent, and not the TV rating, made the Attitude Era so successful. Cursing, foul language, edgy gestures, ect did not draw ratings and set WWE on fire but instead it was the talents who brought intensity and created a competitive nature in the locker room where several Type A personalities ‘needed’ to be the top star.”
On his pick for the Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk match: “You asked…Punk vs. Brock prediction at Summer Slam….I love this match and will be in LA to see it live and I think that Lesnar wins thanks to a little diversion from Happy Heyman aka @HeymanHustle. I do feel that this will be a compellingly physical contest between two alpha males who don’t’ enjoy not having the top billing. This match will be challenging to follow. The key to Punk winning, however, may be is feet. More on that soon.”
Check out the complete blog online at JRsBarBQ.com.
-WWE Superstar Triple H recently put over his best friend, Shawn Michaels, in a new tweet posted on Sunday afternoon. A fan commented to “The Game” about his match with HBK at SummerSlam back in 2002, calling it “such a classic match.” Hunter replied to the fan by saying, “After 5 yrs off… There is only one @ShawnMichaels.”
-According to a new tweet, Matt Hardy was stopped and searched by airport security on Sunday because he had too much cash in his bag. The former WWE Superstar wrote on Twitter, “I got stopped & searched by TSA airport security today because I had too much cash in my bag. What a hassle! ;-)” The tweet was accompanied by a photo of Hardy holding up a sign that sarcastically read, “You don’t understand how hard it is to be Matt Hardy.”
-“WrestleMania” trended worldwide during the airing of the WrestleMania 29 special on NBC on Saturday night. “WrestleMania” reached as high as the number two spot, trailing only “#UFC163,” which trended worldwide at number one throughout most of the entire UFC pay-per-view show from Brazil on Saturday night.
-Also trending worldwide on Twitter, peaking at the number three spot, was “#RedneckIsland,” the CMT reality show hosted by WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Austin encouraged fans to help him get the show trending, as he wrote on Twitter just before the start of the season finale of show, which aired on Saturday night, “Come on, folks. Lets get #redneckisland trending. RT like a sumbitch and hash tag redneck island.” Austin then proceeded to post nearly 50 tweets himself with the hash tag, “#RedneckIsland,” many of which were complaints about commercials and comments about how much beer he was drinking while watching the show.
In preparation for his upcoming return to WWE, the Big Show has been getting himself into peak physical shape. We’ve seen some photos of him looking much fitter than we last saw him on television, but this one takes the cake:
The following are results from the TNA Impact Wrestling live event in Tyler, Texas. The event was held on Friday, August 2, 2013.
-Jeff Hardy defeated Mr. Anderson via pinfall. Hardy picked up the victory after he hit Anderson with his Twist Of Fate finisher for the pin. It’s interesting to note, Hardy never once performed a move off the top-rope in this match.
-Gail Kim defeated ODB in a Knockouts Match via pinfall. The referee for this match was Earl Hebner, so he did his “I Screwed Bret” routine, complete with the “Damn Right I Did” t-shirt and sunglasses. The Kim-ODB match was what you’d expect from these two, similar to their match on Impact Wrestling on Spike TV the night before. The finish came when Kim rolled up ODB and held the tights to secure the 1-2-3.
-Gunner defeated Christopher Daniels via Disqualification. Was said to be a good match. The finish came when Kazarian dd a run-in, costing Daniels the match and giving Gunner the victory via DQ. After the Kazarian run-in, James Storm came out to make the save. This led to an immediate TNA World Tag-Team Championship match.
-James Storm and Gunner defeated Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian via pinfall to retain the TNA World Tag-Team Championships. All four guys worked really hard in this match, and it showed, as this was definitely the best match on the card.
-AJ Styles defeated Devon (with Mike Knox) via Submission. According to live reports, these two did not mesh well as there was a clash of styles (no pun intended) with their in-ring work. Regardless, the match wasn’t that bad.
-Chris Sabin defeated Bobby Roode to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in the Main Event of the evening. This match wasn’t as long as you would think, considering it was the main event of the show and it was for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Regardless, this was an excellent match that the crowd thoroughly enjoyed. In the end, Sabin picked up the victory with his finisher to retain the title.
NOTES:
-According to live reports, there were approximately 300-500 people in a building that can fit nearly 8,000 people.
-TNA never changed the advertising, so anyone who doesn’t read the internet was expecting Kurt Angle at the show. As a result of his not being there, nearly every match on the card had to be altered in some form or fashion.
-WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently posted a new tweet praising the efforts of Fandango and CM Punk on Friday’s taped edition of WWE SmackDown. Ross called the match between the two Fandango’s best match since joining the main roster in WWE. JR wrote, “Very good match on #SmackDown w/ @CMPunk vs @WWEFandango. Fandango’s best outing. Punk never has a bad bout. @WWE.”
-Speaking of JR, the longtime WWE announcer responded to a fan on Twitter who asked for his thoughts on Alex Riley’s work as a commentator on Friday’s edition of SmackDown. JR noted that he thought Riley did a good job filling in for JBL alongside Michael Cole.
-JBL also shared his thoughts on Riley’s work. JBL wrote on Twitter, “Congrats to @AlexRileyWWE on @wwe Smackdown. Heard he did a great job, well done.”
-TNA Impact Wrestling executive Eric Bischoff shared his thoughts on the new WWE reality show, “Total Divas” in a new tweet posted on his official Twitter account. Bischoff wrote, “Had a chance to check out Total Divas on E! via TiVo. Props to WWE (Kevin Dunn). Basic “Kardashian” format, but will grow the brand! Smart!”
Current TNA X-Division Champion Manik recently spoke to The Shining Wizards about a number of TNA-related topics. Below are highlights from the interview:
On the of the X-Division to a Triple-Threat format: “The only thing that bothers me sometimes, every single time you have a match like that, one guy is going to be painted as the dark horse, when in actuality they’re as much a number one contender as any other person in the match. It’s kind of a double-edged sword, because guys are fighting for their individuality which provides for them to put out better performances, but it can complicate it because I think guys feel like they need to compensate more in order to stay relevant. It’s a constructive format in the sense of creating more competition, in every sense, I mean, mentally, professionally, everything, it makes you feel a lot more competitive when you know you have to share the spotlight like that. I mean, in relation to the way that the division has always been, it’s not all that different altogether from any other time in history. Just now, there’s an actual rulebook that says it’s official. We’ve been seeing it for years, it was just never written on a piece of paper.”
On whether or not the Triple-Threat format has the same feel as singles competition: “I kinda feel that it’s not on the shoulders of the format as much as on the shoulders of the individuals competing. There are personal things people are drawn into, they’re there, but if you are not staying relevant as an individual, then people are going to refuse to see it. Recent history is a good example. Myself, Kenny King, and Chris Sabin shared a spotlight for several weeks. Initially, Sabin was on a tear, so a lot of people were drawn to him. So it was my job to make sure that I’m making a statement, vying for the same exact spot he is. And it ended up being a pretty equal share as far as… we all have individual stories, but people were drawn into each direction. There were a lot a people that look to Kenny as a guy that they’re hoping to hang onto his spot, and they can relate to that. There are a lot of guys… obviously the entire world can relate to Chris Sabin and him having such a comeback story. And me, having made a splash out of nowhere, I had to fight to stay relevant. In other cases you don’t see guys holding on to their… they don’t handle themselves well enough to keep that up. It goes back to the competitive nature of it. Although I do think that they are probably going to keep an open book as to how the format will continue. If we are to see headline-style matches… I mean I’m gonna wrestle the World champ in a singles match. If they can see the draw and interest in special occasions, I think the format isn’t exactly set in stone.”
On working with the legendary Hulk Hogan: “I could’ve done without having appeared after beaten within an inch of my life. But outside of limping across the stage, it’s a pretty big moment, and it’s one of those things that you have to take a double-take to appreciate it. This is a guy that my mom had him sign one of my head-shots when I was a kid, and I had his autograph on my wall since before I became a wrestler. Who doesn’t know Hulk Hogan? Ten years from now a new wrestling fan will be created that maybe isn’t even born yet, and they will know who Hulk Hogan is. It’s insane to think know much impact he’s had on the world, that’s how far he reaches. Being able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the guy is a pretty powerful thing.”
On smaller guys getting a chance in the main event spot: “Personally, it’s a case of… look at another company, like WWE, and there’s guys like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, and people firmly believe that they’re doing such revolutionary things. But if you look back through history, there’s been somebody doing that every few years. We’re talking Guerrero and Jericho, Michaels and Hart, we go back as far as the days of Sammartino, and some of those heavyweight main eventers are like 5’10”, 5’11”, and they might be heavier guys but they don’t fit the mold… I think people assume they have a roster of seventy people that look like Batista, and that’s never been the case. But in this case I really feel like the people you mentioned, with myself, and Chris Sabin and Austin Aries, I think that it’s a situation opposite of that where the world is kind of seeing us carry the ball better than previous people who are the exact opposite mold of us within TNA. I think the fact that we’re able to build more momentum and do more with less; I think that’s where you see the transition, as opposed to older stars coming in and being handed the same ball that they’ve had previously, and maybe they can’t carry it the same way, but there was always faith in them. I think now we’re showing there can be faith given across the board because there’s a lot of people that can do just as well.”
On the current state of TNA: “I think things are great. People say this, and it’s not even about wrestling but just about a lot of things, when you’re on the inside or on the outside of things looking in, and how different it can be when you’re not present for everything, and this really fits one of those cases. As far as I can see, everything is about as positive as it can be. When I was like 18 years old, I first came into TNA in 2004, and from then until now, I’ve been back intermittently, and I feel like the changes have been progressively good; I’ve never seen them take a step back, and I think the professional changes that have gone on in formats and, you know, taking the show on the road, and the touring schedule, stuff like that, everything has been a positive transition. And I think they’ve handled it really well. As far as cuts and things like that, I think that a lot of people make a big deal out of making something out of nothing. It sucks when difficult decisions have to be made, but this really isn’t anything new and not anything that you don’t see anywhere else. WWE cuts like fifty people like clockwork the same time every year. It’s just part of being… it’s with anything. If you run a professional sports team, sometimes half the roster is gone at the end of the season, that’s just the way it is. You’d like to see some guys stay. You understand when some guys go. It’s a tough situation, but I think if you look at it in a different way, professional wrestling… you could be a CEO or an executive somewhere, and if you lose your job there there’s no public announcement to the world “hey, we wish the best of luck to this guy, he’s available now,” there’s no validation, so to speak. If you work some other job, it’s more cutthroat. If you’re an executive somewhere and your contract is up or you get fired, you’re done. They don’t put it out in public that you’ve been a great employee, good luck to this guy or anything like that, you’re just out. I don’t see why people think it’s so harsh in wrestling when I feel like we do a lot for each other when ties are cut to maintain careers and such… [Emotion as a fan], something like that will never change, as with anything. You hate to see something you’ve become so attached to go… I didn’t want to see Metta World Peace get amnesty. Sometimes I hate him and want him to go to the bench, but at the same time he gets cut, you’re like, that sucks, but… Any organization, especially in entertainment, they have to make these exact same changes routinely. I think it’s not anything out of the ordinary. I think if anybody sees it that way, I think it’s a case of them trying to see it in a negative way. Then sometimes there’s tough cuts with people, where you feel like they should’ve been given a bigger chance or something like that. Maybe because of the course their career has taken, something like that, or something that’s happened to them within their personal life, or whatever their story is. But at the end of the day we all signed up for this knowing all the negatives, so I don’t see why it should be such a surprise if the ball doesn’t always bounce exactly the way we think. I mean, I’ve been homeless, I’ve been bankrupt, I’ve been cut a million times from a million places, and I’ve had opportunities taken from me that were completely beyond my control, never once did I say “man, I hate this place,” wherever I was. I signed up for this. When I was thirteen years old, I knew what I was getting into. We all do. It’s hard for the fans to understand that, but at the same time, I think if you do see the bigger picture, you would see that it’s just a tough part of any job in the world. As far as morale, not everybody has the luxury of being able to walk the halls of the locker room, but I think morale, to me, especially because I know so many people that I work with, it’s as high as it’s ever been. I think people, whether it’s WWE or here, or a Japanese company, or CMLL, sometimes negative people want… they’ll only want to see a certain reality in their head, like people walking around with their heads down, and that’s never been the case. In fact, I’ve never, ever once seen that be the case from 2004 until now.”
Check out the complete interview online at SWN.ShiningWizards.com.
-WWE Superstar The Big Show recently spoke with Pittsburgh’s NBC affiliate, WPXI, to promote Saturday’s broadcast television premiere of WrestleMania 29. You can check out that interview online at WPXI.com.
-Speaking of Big Show, WWE is reportedly still waiting for him to get official medical clearance to return to in-ring action. With SummerSlam only two weeks away, WWE needs Big Show to get clearance as soon as possible if they want to include him on the pay-per-view lineup.
-On ther 10-Q document, WWE mentioned the following about their “Tout” service:
“On June 25, 2012, the Company invested $5,000 in Tout Industries, Inc.’s (“Tout”) Series B Preferred Stock. In July 2012, the Company entered into a two-year strategic partnership whereby WWE would fully integrate and promote Tout’s technology platform into WWE’s TV broadcasts,digital properties and live events. WWE is eligible to receive up to 11,250 shares of Tout common stock per quarter over the life of the two-year agreement if certain performance metrics are met. During the six months ended June 30, 2013, we achieved the required performance metrics and recorded revenue of $439. The Company increased its investment in Tout for the 22,500 shares it received related to the fourth quarter of 2012 and first quarter of 2013, respectively. The Company recorded a receivable for the shares it expects to receive related to the second quarter of 2013.”
The following are results from the WWE live event in Shanghai, China. The event was held on Saturday, August 3rd.
-Zack Ryder defeated Antonio Cesaro and Heath Slater in a Triple-Threat match to earn a shot at the WWE United States Championship. The finish came when Cesaro hit Slater with his Neutralizer finisher. Ryder snuck back into the ring, threw Cesaro over the ropes and then pinned Slater for the 1-2-3.
-Natalya defeated Aksana via Submission. The crowd was said to be behind Natalya quite a bit. The finish came when Natalya forced Aksana to tap out to the Sharpshooter.
-The Great Khali defeated Jinder Mahal via pinfall. Was said to be a quick match, which the crowd was entertained by. The finish came when Khali hit his big Chop on Mahal for the clean pinfall victory.
-Dean Ambrose defeated Zack Ryder to retain the WWE United States Championship. Ryder won the right to challenge Ambrose for the title earlier in the show. Ryder got some decent offense in, including a missile dropkick off the top rope, and a nearfall off a Broski-Boot. However, in the end, Ambrose was too much for the Long Island native, as he picked up the pin after hitting Ryder with his finisher.
–Intermission–
-Curtis Axel defeated The Miz. The Miz was surprisingly very over with the crowd. Several “Miz is Awesome” chants broke out during the match. In the end, Axel picked up the victory over Miz via pinfall after putting his feet on the ropes during the pin for added leverage.
-Kane & Daniel Bryan defeated Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns via Disqualification in a WWE Tag-Team Championship Match. The crowd continued to get hotter, as they were more into this one than anything on the show thus far. Lots of “Yes” chants throughout this one. In the end, Ambrose interfered, causing Rollins and Reigns to be disqualified, giving Kane and Daniel Bryan the win.
-John Cena defeated Ryback to retain the WWE Championship. Both guys got big pops coming out. Before the match, Cena addressed the fans in Shanghai by speaking in Mandarin. In the end, the match was won by Cena after he reversed a Ryback Shellshock attempt into an Attitude Adjustment for the clean pinfall. After the match, After the match, Cena addressed the crowd again, this time in English.
-Vince McMahon recently took to Twitter to promote tonight’s WrestleMania 29 broadcast special on NBC. McMahon posted the following tweet on Friday afternoon:
“Don’t miss the 1 hour version of the most grandiose, spectacular event in all of show business! #WrestleMania 29 Saturday 9/8 CT on @NBC”
-Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown dropped 21 percent in social media activity as compared to last week’s show. This week’s SmackDown scored a 77,716 in social activity, according to Trendrr.tv. The number marks the lowest score for the show in three weeks, but was still a strong enough score for the show to be number one on cable television on Friday night.
-The “Backstage Fallout” for this week’s SmackDown features Christian cutting a promo on his opponent at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view, World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio. Additionally, AJ Lee and Layla are featured.
Check out the latest SmackDown “Backstage Fallout” video below:
TNA president Dixie Carter recently took to Twitter to post her reaction to the news that Impact Wrestling star Kurt Angle was arrested for DWI in Texas on Friday morning following the TNA Impact Wrestling television tapings in Texas on Thursday evening.
Following the arrest, Angle revealed on Twitter that he was going to check himself into the proper rehabilitation center. Angle also noted that TNA has been nothing but supportive as he continues to battle his own personal issues.
Dixie Carter wrote the following on Twitter late Friday evening:
“The TNA Family is very supportive of the steps @RealKurtAngle is taking in his recovery. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.”
The official website of WWE continues to cover the Randy Orton attack story, which began at the WWE live event in Cape Town, South Africa this past Tuesday when a fan, now known to be Tshepo Sekhabi, jumped the ring and hit Orton in the groin following his match with Big E. Langston.
As reported earlier this week, WWE.com covered the story when it first happened. In fact, they even included a fan-shot video of the incident that originated on YouTube. Many had questioned whether or not the entire incident was a work, considering the fact that fans have hit the ring many times in the past and WWE never publicized such incidents on their official company website.
The coverage by WWE continued on Friday evening, when news surfaced that Sekhabi was charged and plead guilty to assault. WWE.com reported the news by updating their original article on the subject with the following addition:
The accused party pleaded guilty in court yesterday, August 1, 2013, and was charged and ordered to either pay a fine of 500 Rand or, alternatively, serve 30 days in jail.
After acknowledging his wrongfulness, the accused individual was given a three-year suspended sentence, and is not permitted to attend WWE’s Live Events in Johannesburg, South Africa, this week.
Kurt Angle, who was arrested for DWI on Friday morning in Decatur, Texas, recently revealed on Twitter that he is checking himself into a rehabilitation center.
Angle, who posted several comments on Twitter following the arrest, has posted another set of tweets revealing his plans to go to rehab to attempt to resolve his personal alcohol-related issues.
Below are Angle’s latest set of tweets combined into one:
“I am blessed to have the support of my family, my friends and my company. In light of recent events I will immediately be entering a rehabilitation center. I realize that this is a pivotal time in my life and I ask for your understanding as well as your prayers and continued support. I am confident that in taking these steps I can begin to address necessary changes in my life.”
Tshepo Sekhabi, the 20-year-old independent wrestler who attempted to make a name for himself by attacking Randy Orton, and then cut a promo on YouTube claiming he planned the whole thing out in advance, ended up getting charged and plead guilty to assault.
Sekhabi, who performs at local wrestling shows under the ring name “Jozi The Wrestling Machine,” was ordered to either pay a fine of 500 Rant ($50) or serve 30 days in jail.
Additionally, Sekhabi was given a three-year suspended sentence.
The following are results from the WWE live event in Johannesburg, South Africa. The event was held on Friday, August 2, 2013.
-R-Truth defeated Fandango in the opening match. Decent opener. Crowd was apparently way behind R-Truth in this one.
-Rob Van Dam defeated Wade Barrett via pinfall. Van Dam picked up the victory after hitting Barrett with his Five-Star Frog Splash for the pin.
-Justin Gabriel defeated Titus O’Neil via pinfall. Gabriel picked up the victory after hitting O’Neil with his 450 Splash for the pin. After the match, Fandango attacked Gabriel, setting up their match on Saturday’s live event, also in Johannesburg. Despite the attack from Fandango, however, Gabriel still managed to clean house.
-Randy Orton defeated Big E. Langston via pinfall. Orton picked up the victory after hitting Langston with his RKO for the pin. No copycat offenders here, so Orton’s “groin area” was safe in Johannesburg. Orton was said to be the most over with the fans at the Coca-Cola Dome on Friday night.
-Tons Of Funk & Funcadactyles defeated The Rhodes Scholars & Brie Bella. The gimmick here to explain Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes being on the same team was that the two were forced to team up due to pre-existing contract obligations. Regardless, Rhodes ended up abandoning Sandow, leaving him alone with the babyfaces. This allowed Brodus Clay to hit his Splash-finisher on Sandow for the pin.
-Sheamus defeated Jack Swagger via pinfall. Sheamus picked up the victory after hitting Swagger with his Brogue Kick for the pin. Apparently, Sheamus’ Brogue Kick spot received the loudest ovation of the night.
-Alberto Del Rio defeated Dolph Ziggler in a No Disqualification Match via pinfall. Del Rio picked up the victory after hitting Ziggler with his Super Kick for the pin. During the match, due to the No-DQ stipulation, tables and kendo sticks were among the weapons used. After the match, Del Rio cut a promo telling fans that they couldn’t leave until he told them to. This led to Ziggler attacking Del Rio and putting him through a table. Apparently there wasn’t a whole lot of heat for this match, as the fans didn’t seem to react to Del Rio or Ziggler as clear-cut babyfaces or heels. The crowd seemingly didn’t know if they were supposed to cheer or boo each guy.
TNA Impact Wrestling star Kurt Angle took to Twitter on Friday afternoon, following his DWI arrest, which occurred early Friday morning in Decatur, Texas.
Angle addressed the arrest, as well as concern from fellow wrestlers and fans over the fact that this is his fourth alcohol-related arrest in six years.
“TNA and I Are Working to Get Me Better. I’m a fighter,” Angle wrote in a new tweet posted on his official Twitter account on Friday evening. “I’m Getting Help. Much Love,” Angle wrote in response to a fan. “I Will Beat this!” he tweeted to another fan. “I’m Human. It’s time for Me to Work On Me. GOD Bless.”
In addition to responses to fans and fellow wrestlers, such as Matt Hardy, Angle wrote a public tweet that read, “Thank You to All My friends Who Have Supported Me. GOD Bless!!! I Will Overcome this.”
The Thursday, August 1st edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV scored a final cable rating of 1.03, down from last week’s 1.05, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Despite the heavy socal media promotion centered around the “#August1Warning” mystery-man, Impact Wrestling declined five percent in overall viewership.
Impact Wrestling this past Friday averaged 1.246 million viewers, down from the 1.314 million viewers the show averaged last week.
TNA Impact Wrestling star Kurt Angle was arrested on a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) charge early Friday morning in Texas. Angle was arrested following the conclusion of the TNA Impact Wrestling broadcast on Spike TV.
The former Olympic gold medalist was booked about an hour outside of Wichita Falls, the site of Thursday’s Impact Wrestling show, in Decatur, Texas at the Wise County Jail.
According to current jail records, this was Angle’s second DWI offense, and he was released on $2,000 bond. After posting bond, local authorities will schedule a trial date.
Below is the mug shot photo from Angle’s arrest on Friday:
