It’s been 10 years since World Wrestling Entertainment went public and started selling company stock.
Several WWE personalities were in New York City on Wednesday morning at the New York Stock Exchange to ring the morning bell and commemorate the anniversary. Among those in attendence were Triple H, Kelly Kelly, WWE’s COO Donna Goldsmith and CFO George Barrios.
Here is video of the event:
It’s been confirmed that the special 3-hour November 29th episode of Monday Night RAW will feature the return of the King of the Ring tournament. The show will take place from Philadelphia, PA.
This will be the first KOTR tournament since 2008, when William Regal was crowned king.
The King of the Ring tournament began back in 1998 and ran almost every year until 1993, when the event was turned into its own pay-per-view event. WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart was crowned King of the Ring in 1993 and the event ran on PPV until 2002. KOTR winners in that period included stars like Steve Austin, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Edge and Brock Lesnar.
After the brand split, the show disappeared for 4 years, when it was revived on the SmackDown brand and won by Booker T, which kicked off his “King Booker” gimmick. There was no KOTR in 2007 and the following year, William Regal won the event. There was no KOTR last year.
No word yet on whether the entire tournament will take place that night, but its likely.
With the amount of young talent on the RAW roster, WWE will have no problem filling the brackets with good match-ups.
Cable network A&E sent us the following press release on Thursday afternoon:
A&E PRESENTS: “FINDING HULK HOGAN” ONE-HOUR SPECIAL GIVES AN UNFLINCHING LOOK AT HULK HOGAN’S LIFE IN THE AFTERMATH OF HIS DIVORCE AND HIS LAWSUIT FROM HIS SON’S TRAGICCAR ACCIDENTAS HE REBUILDS HIS LIFE AND RETURNS TO THE RING
SPECIAL PREMIERES WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17 AT 10PM ET/PT
NEW YORK, NY – October 27, 2010 – Terry Bollea, better known as Hulk Hogan, has been world-famous for almost thirty years. From the fan frenzy of Hulkamania all the way through to the tabloid-driven fascination with his family, Hulk has lived his entire adult life in the public eye. Losing nearly everything in the aftermath of his divorce, a pending lawsuit from his son’s tragiccar accident, and a body riddled with injuries from years in the ring, Hogan must now start over at a time when he thought he would be happily settled into his retirement. Emotional, and completely honest, “Finding Hulk Hogan” tells his side of the story — and gives viewers a Hulk Hogan they’ve never seen before. The one-hour special premieres Wednesday, November 17 at 10PM ET/PT.
Hogan gives fans a stark glimpse at his entire life, including his darkest moments of depression, thoughts of suicide, alcohol and prescription pill abuse, his broken marriage, losing his entire fortune, deciding to return to Totally Nonstop Action (TNA) wrestling despite severe medical warnings, making amends with his children, finding God and committing to his girlfriend, Jennifer McDaniel.
Candid interviews with Hogan and the people in his life help chronicle the ups and downs and round out the story of a man who is trying to rebuild the pieces of his empire and move forward with his life.
“Finding Hulk Hogan” is produced by Bischoff HerveyEntertainment. Eric Bischoff, Jason Hervey and Terry Bollea are the Executive Producers. A&E Executive Producers are Robert Sharenow and Andy Berg.
– The early PPV buyrate numbers are in for WWE’s Night of Champions 2010 pay-per-view and once again – the downward trend continues.
According to early estimates, this year’s event drew 169,000 buys, down a sharp 36.7% from 267,000 last year. WWE will report the official number in its third quarter 2010 earnings report, which will be released on November 4.
The preliminary buyrate expected to rise a bit before the final results are in, but it’s becoming more apparent by the month that WWE’s pay-per-view business is in bad shape and big changes are needed.
This year’s Night of Champions was $5 more expensive than last year and was headlined by Randy Orton winning the WWE title in a Six-Pack Challenge and the first match of the latest Undertaker & Kane feud.
– We reported earlier this week that CM Punk appeared to suffer a back or hip injury at Sunday’s Bragging Rights pay-per-view. CM Punk noted on Twitter hat he underwent an MRI yesterday, his birthday. Punk has been pulled from the next few WWE live events as a precaution and the results of the MRI should be available in the next few days. We’ll follow up on this.
– Several national media outlets have picked up on the story that WWE merchandise is no longer banned at Connecticut voting stations on Election Day.
– Vince McMahon is reportedly the person behind R-Truth’s new theme song. The idea is that like a real hip hop performer, R-Truth will release a few songs a year that will get played on WWE programming.
– WWE Monday Night Raw on January 24th, 2011 will be held at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Tickets go on sale December 4th, 2010. (Credit: Devin Cutting.)
(Credit to pwinsider.com for some of the info used in this report)
WWE Diva Maryse was interviewed by the UK Sun last week and had some interesting things to say about her on-screen character, being a sexy Diva in today’s “PG” environment, whether she has a boyfriend and fans spitting at her. Here are some highlights of what Maryse said about:
Being a Sexy Diva in Today’s “PG” Environment:
“We do wear revealing outfits but it’s not like wearing a g-string like in the past. I’d never wear that – I don’t think it would be very comfortable. Our outfits are sexy but not provocative to the point where people will say, ‘oh my God, my kids can’t watch this.'”
Her Personal Life – Does She Have A Boyfriend?
“I’m not married but I’m dating. I have a great boyfriend, he’s not a wrestler.”
The rigorous WWE travel schedule:
“What we do is physical and very hard on the body. I travel 300 days a year which is tough. Sometimes we’re up at 4am for a flight. The show stays brilliant because all the stars compete to keep it interesting.”
Her on-screen character and fans spitting at her:
“I would compare what I do to being a rock star, a movie star and professional wrestling star combined together. I don’t take anything seriously. But Maryse’s ring character is like, ‘you want to look like me, be like me, have everything I have but you can’t.’ I’d like to get my character to point where people really, truly want to fricking kill me.”
Fans Spitting On Her:
“Fans know my hair is my thing – I flip my hair every time I get in the ring – and believe it or not some spit in my hair. They can’t touch to you so they spit on you. They get really into it.”
– Monday’s 10/25 episode of WWE RAW drew a 3.1 cable rating, virtually even with last week. The show did hours of 3.06 and 3.08 and averaged 4,641,000 viewers for the two hour broadcast. Not a great sign of momentum coming out of Sunday’s Bragging Rights pay-per-view, but at least they’ve got 2 consecutive weeks above 3.0.
– The 10/23 episode of WWE AM RAW did a 0.64 cable rating with 835,000 viewers.
– WWE is planning on making changes to the format of “Tough Enough” before it hits the USA Network, although the nature of those changes is unknown at this time. We have heard that WWE is talking with a few top production companies that specialize in reality television about running the show.
This article is an update to: WWE Sues Connecticut Secretary Of State For Censorship
—
To update the earlier report about WWE suing Connecticut’s Secretary of State for banning WWE merchandise when voters go to the polls in the Connecticut Senate race on 11/2, the following statement was released on Tuesday:
STAMFORD, Conn. – “The moment Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz issued an un-American, unconstitutional and discriminatory directive prohibiting voters from wearing WWE merchandise at the polls, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal should have immediately stepped in to enforce the law. As a result of the Attorney General’s inaction, I brought suit to enforce these basic, fundamental constitutional rights. Within hours of filing the lawsuit, Blumenthal recused himself, and Bysiewicz reversed her position and immediately notified all Local Registrar of Voters and Town Clerks via email. I am pleased that Connecticut voters have had their freedom of expression and their right to vote restored,” said Vince McMahon, Chairman and CEO, World Wrestling Entertainment.
— Additional matches taped for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars tonight in Milwaukee, Wisconsin were Tyler Reks vs. Chris Masters and MVP vs. Curt Hawkins.
Matches taped last night prior to Raw were Tyson Kidd vs. Zack Ryder and Mark Henry vs. Jey Uso.
— MVP debuted a new theme song prior to his Superstars match.
— The WWE website has added Papa Shango and Missing Link to its Alumni section.
– Local advertising in Miami, Florida is hyping that Kane will defend the World Heavyweight title against Edge at Survivor Series on November 21st.
– RAW Diva Melina is not very popular with WWE officials recently, according to f4wonline.com. No word yet on what caused the heat on her.
– SEScoops reader Carl Dantes sent in the following up date on Shawn Michaels:
Shawn Michaels and Keith Mark of MacMillan River Adventures will be at Devils Lake, North Dakota all week filming an episode for The Outdoor Adventure Foundation, Inc. They will also be hunting with a few children and young adults with cancer and other life threatening illness and disabled veterans.
Check Out: Shawn Michaels & Wife Appearing On Hunting Show (Pictures)
World Wrestling Entertainment announced today that it is suing Connecticut’s Secretary of State after it ruled that any Connecticut voters who showed up to vote for Linda McMahon’s Senate campaign wearing WWE merchandise would be turned away.
The statement from WWE Chairman Vince McMahon reads as follows:
STAMFORD, Conn., October 26, 2010 – “On behalf of myself, my company, WWE® fans and any Connecticut citizen who wants to exercise their constitutional right to vote, I have filed a lawsuit today asserting that Susan Bysiewicz’s directive that allows poll workers to refuse registered voters wearing WWE merchandise the right to vote is a flagrant act of censorship and discrimination,” said Vince McMahon, Chairman and CEO, World Wrestling Entertainment.”
What do you guys think? Is Vince going overboard – or is it really discrimination? Comment below and share your thoughts.
UPDATE: TMZ.com has picked up this story and released new details on the papers filed in federal court. McMahon claims the ban will “threaten the constitutional rights and liberties of voters who have expressed a desire to wear WWE paraphernalia to their poling places.”
Vince also says he “intends to wear WWE paraphernalia when he enters the polling place to cast his vote on November 2, 2010.”
Vince argues that Linda McMahon is no longer a WWE employee and demands that a judge “immediately” reverse the ban on WWE merchandise at voting sites across Connecticut.
Shaul Guerrero, the 20 year old daughter of Vickie Guererro and the late Eddie Guererro, has reportedly signed a developmental deal with World Wrestling Entertainment.
Shaul Guerrero has been telling fans at recent FCW live events that she’s signed to a deal and waiting to begin her training. She also recently updated the “About Me” section of her MySpace page with a message that says she is moving from El Paso, Texas to Florida to pursue a professional wrestling career with WWE’s developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling.
The third generation diva had been working on a musical career since graduating high school and has done some modeling in the past.
Guerrero been seen at ringside at several WWE shows over the years, including the annual Hall of Fame ceremonies. She was also interviewed on WWE’s DVD, “Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story”
According to her mother Vickie, Shaul has been traveling on the road with WWE. Earlier this month, Vickie was asked by a fan who she was riding with to a live WWE event, to which she responded, “my oldest daughter.”
Check out these pictures of the beautiful Shaul Guerrero:
– On Monday’s RAW, it was announced that John Cena will be the special guest referee for Randy Orton’s WWE title defense against Wade Barrett at Survivor Series. The match stipulation states that if Cena can help Barrett win the belt, he will be relieved from his duties as a member of Nexus.
To update how long John Cena will be a part of Nexus, a commercial that aired during Monday’s WWE RAW announced Randy Orton & Mark Henry are scheduled to face Sheamus & Wade Barrett in a tag team match at the Raw World Tour house show to be held in Biloxi, Mississippi on December 12. The ad stated John Cena would be in the corner of Sheamus and Barrett during the match.
While these TV ads are always subject to change, it’s worth noting that WWE is advertising Cena as a member of Nexus as far off as December.
– As noted earlier, last Friday night’s WWE SmackDown! on Syfy scored a 1.7 cable rating, down from a 1.8 rating two weeks ago. That’s tied for the lowest rating in the four weeks since SmackDown! came to the network. The show’s premiere on the network also scored a 1.7 on October 1st. For the night, SmackDown! was the #5 show on cable TV among males 18-34. It was #2 among males 18-49, behind the MLB Playoffs. The show’s ratings were down for the 18-34 & 18-49 demos, as well as males 18-34 & 18-49, and males 12-34. It was up for ages 12-17, though, which saved the overall rating.
– WWE Tough Enough alum Daniel Puder is pitching a new reality TV series that would see him traveling around the country to confront high school bullies. Puder has appeared on TMZ.com a few times in recent weeks talking about the project.
– Andrew Whitaker, WWE’s Executive Vice President of International affairs, cashed out $31,000 in company stock last week. WWE’s stock is currently valued around $14 per share, close to the 52-week low.
According to a TNA source, the following matches are scheduled for tonight’s MPACT! television taping in Orlando – set to air next week, November 4th:
* Mickie James and Ink Inc. vs. Generation Me and Tara
* AJ Styles vs. Rhino vs. Rob Van Dam
* Douglas Williams vs. Kazarian
* “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero vs. Abyss
* Sarita vs. Velvet Sky
(Source: prowrestling.net)
— Chris Jericho is now considered a former WWE Superstar as his profile on WWE.com has been moved to the Alumni section.
Jericho, who has been touring Europe with his band Fozzy since his departure from the organization, will be taking parting in a WWE function this Saturday at Ringside Collectibles’ Ringsidefest this Saturday at Caroline’s on Broadway in New York City. He will be signing autographs and taking part in a Q&A session. Kane and The Miz are also scheduled to appear.
— Battle royals notwithstanding, Goldust’s match with Ted DiBiase at Bragging Rights was his first bout on a pay-per-view broadcast since the December 2002 event Armageddon. Additionally, he had not competed in a singles bout on pay-per-view since February 2002 — against Rob Van Dam.
— Two matches for this Thursday’s episode of WWE Superstars were taped prior to Monday’s Raw broadcast: Tyson Kidd vs. Zack Ryder; Mark Henry vs. Jey Uso.
— Yoshi Tatsu beat Primo in a dark match prior to the Superstars taping.
— Ted DiBiase and Maryse are advertised to appear at the Best Buy in Miami, Florida on Saturday, November 20 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
— The official website of MTV has posted an article on its website celebrating CM Punk’s birthday, who turns 32 years old today.
The article makes mention of several MTV newsroom staffers being fans of professional wrestling who would have hard pressed to not acknowledge the WWE Superstar’s day of birth, especially with his love of music.
In related news, MTV Movie managing editor and personality Josh Horowitz recently sent us a link to a video short he shot with John Cena, Malin Åkerman and Elijah Wood. Those who missed the video can view it here.
— WWE.com has added Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty to its Raw Superstars page. Both generational wrestlers were inducted into The Nexus by group spokesman Wade Barrett last night on Raw.
Meanwhile, the website has yet to add Alex Riley to the roster page despite his appearances on Raw the past several weeks.
— A poll is ongoing on WWE.com for a new CM Punk T-shirt.
— A fan asked Randy Orton over the weekend on Twitter whether he has plans to open a YouTube Channel. “The Viper” snarked, “And do what? Eat grapes?”
Orton’s comment is in reference to Matt Hardy posting a video entry last month on YouTube of himself eating grapes while “shooting from the hip” on his uncertain status — at the time — with World Wrestling Entertainment.
— According to a fan seated behind the stage for the Buried Alive Match at Bragging Rights, a stairwell was built into the the faux cemetery at the convenience of Paul Bearer, who’s mobility is greatly limited these days due to his advanced age and large frame. The fan noted Bearer’s strenuous climb up the stairs — to hide behind a tombstone — as “beyond unintentionally hilarious.”
— The WWE website quietly added The Boogeyman to its Alumni section Monday.
SEScoops reader Eric sent in the following TNA iMPACT! tapings results from Monday night in Orlando:
Dark Matches:
* Brian Kendrick defeated Neicko, who was a student of Booker T’s.
* Stevie Richards beat Okada.
Xplosion:
* Magnus comes out with Chelsea to take on Orlando Jordan. Jordan wins with a sleeper.
* Kazarian beat Rhino.
iMPACT:
* Ric Flair is backstage talking to a woman. Matt Morgan comes in and asks if Eric Bischoff is really making Mr. Anderson wrestle with a concussion. Morgan says it’s not right. Flair says in his day they were men and took care of their business.
* Robbie E. defeated X Division Champ Jay Lethal in a non-title match. After the match, Cookie sprayed something in Lethal’s eyes after the match and Robbie hit his finisher.
* We see Tara attacking Mickie James at catering. They brawl all over the place. Madison Rayne comes to help Tara while The Beautiful People show up for Mickie. Sarita also comes out also and they brawl into the iMPACT Zone. Ric Flair and his security come break things up. Tara hits Flair and he goes nuts. Mickie slaps Flair and he flops. The brawl continues and Mickie, The Beautiful People vs. Madison, Tara and Sarita is set for later.
* Backstage segment with Eric Bischoff and Ric Flair. Bischoff says Hulk Hogan is away working on major deals. Bischoff threatens security with firing them. A TNA trainer comes in and talks with Bischoff about making Anderson wrestle with a concussion. More concussion talk and this isn’t cool.
* A casket is brought to the ring before The Pope comes out. Pope cuts a promo on Abyss, who shows up in the crowd. Abyss says Hogan and Bischoff told him to take care of Pope. The Last Rites match is on for Turning Point.
* Tommy Dreamer comes out with EV 2.0 and says Rob Van Dam hasn’t returned their calls or anything. RVD comes out and Dreamer wants to end the beef. RVD says he doesn’t know who he can trust. It ends up with RVD and Raven getting into it. Fortune comes out and Flair laughs them off. Fortune vs. EV 2.0 is announced for the PPV. The winner gets to pick an opponent to be fired. Raven and RVD vs. AJ Styles and Douglas Williams is announced for tonight.
* The Motor City Machineguns beat Generation Me and Ink Inc. in a Tag Team Title match. Team 3D come out after the match and puts over TNA’s tag teams. They talk about retiring and want to go out with the best, against the Guns. Guns accept the challenge for the PPV. It’s Guns vs. Team 3D with the belts on the line.
* Matt Morgan talks more to Eric Bischoff about concussions and Mr. Anderson. Bischoff says it’s a great idea but Morgan disagrees.. Anderson vs. Jarrett is still on.
* Sarita, Tara and Madison beat The Beautiful People and Mickie James when Sarita pins Velvet.
* Matt Morgan tries to talk with Mr. Anderson backstage.
* AJ Styles and Douglas Williams beat Raven and RVD when Williams pins RVD. Ric Flair busted Raven with the TV Title during the match. After the match, RVD and Raven had words.
* Mr. Anderson vs. Jeff Jarrett in a Chain Match. Jarrett comes out and calls Anderson to the ring. Matt Morgan comes out instead and says it’s up to them to look out for the next generation of wrestlers safety. Jarrett says it’s all about survival in TNA and tells Morgan to leave. It’s going to be Morgan vs. Jarrett in a Chain Match now. Jarrett gets the win with The Stroke. Morgan attacks Jarrett after the loss but Fortune comes out and beat down Morgan.
– Wade Barrett announced on RAW that Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty are officially Nexus members.
– Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel beat John Cena & David Otunga to win the WWE Tag Team Championship on Monday’s RAW. The finish camed when Otunga laid down for Slater to pin him. Cena & Otunga won the belts from “Dashing” Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre the night before at Bragging Rights.
– There is talk of holding next year’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view at Madison Square Garden. SummerSlam has taken place from the Staples Center in Los Angeles the past two years and it had been reported that Los Angeles was going to be a regular host-city for SummerSlam, but nothing is confirmed at this time.
– The mystery RAW General Manager will be making some “very special messages” at the December 26th RAW live event at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Michael Cole will be there to deliver the messages.
– After reports that The Undertaker is taking time off to heal a shoulder injury, it’s been announced that the Dead Man will no longer be appearing at the SmackDown live event on October 31st at the TD Garden in Boston, MA.
– Last week’s episode of Smackdown on Syfy drew a 1.74 cable rating with 2,662,000 viewers.
(Partial credit to pwinsider.com for some of the info used in this report)
– Randy Orton will defend the WWE Championship against Wade Barrett once again at WWE Survivor Series on November 21st. Nexus member John Cena will serve as the special guest referee for the match. Barrett said that if he doesn’t win the WWE Title, Cena will be fired. If Cena makes sure Barrett wins, he will be relieved of all responsibilities he has with Nexus. If Barrett doesn’t win the title, Cena is fired.
– In a dark match that took place after Monday’s RAW went off the air, Randy Orton beat Wade Barrett to retain the WWE championship.
– Friday’s SmackDown will feature Kane presiding over a funeral for The Undertaker.
– Comedian Pee-Wee Herman will be the special guest star of next week’s WWE RAW from the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York.
– Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz looks like it will happen next week on RAW.
— The December 2010 issue of WWE Magazine, which officially hits newsstands tomorrow, features a candid interview with Evan Bourne. The aerialist delivers news on his new RKO-proof high-risk maneuver, praises The Miz for his work ethic, whether he’s had his greatest match yet, and much more. In response to fans who argue that he’s too small to main event a WWE pay-per-view, the Raw Superstar warned:
“Well, those people obviously haven’t shown up to an event.
“I’ll plop them down in the front row to watch me wrestle. And when I’m done — prove me wrong. Anyone who doubts me, anyone on earth, I’ll make him eat his words, it’s as simple as that.”
— The newest Rasmussen poll has been released, showing Richard Blumenthal with a thirteen point lead on Linda McMahon at 56% – 43%.
— The Hartford Courant, New Haven Day and Norwich Bulletin all endorsed Richard Blumenthal for Senate. The New Haven Day’s editorial was very harsh on Linda, saying that they couldn’t understand why the Republicans pushed her over Rob Simmons. The Republican American announced their support of McMahon.
— Chris Masters has rejoined Twitter. His previous account was quietly deleted over the summer.
— WWE Monday Night Raw will be held at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island on Jan. 31, 2011 (the day after the Royal Rumble). (Thanks to Devin Cutting)
— Today is Perry Saturn’s birthday. He turns 44 years old. Jim Ross confirmed on his website today that the former WWE star was backstage at last night’s Bragging Rights pay-per-view in Minneapolis.
Two matches were announced for TNA’s Turning Point pay-per-view at Monday’s iMPACT tapings from Orlando:
EV 2.0 vs. Fortune
Winner gets to fire a member of the losing team.
Last Rites Casket Match
Abyss vs. The Pope
These matches are in addition to the main event that was announced last week on iMPACT!:
TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Mr. Anderson
TNA Turning Point takes place in 2 weeks on November 7th from Orlando.
— Goldust revealed on Twitter that his wedding with Aksana would take place on next week’s episode of NXT.
— Fit Finlay, who still works behind the scenes for World Wrestling Entertainment, is the focus of a new film from director Ronan McCloskey, reports SunSport.
The biopic looks at Irish wrestling in general while also concentrating on the WWE Superstar’s family.
The film, called The Finlays, will air on Setanta Ireland and the BBC in the UK.
— A poll is ongoing on WWE.com for a new CM Punk T-shirt.
French Canadian WWE Diva and former Playboy Playmate Maryse attended a special screening of the new “Jackass 3D” movie earlier this month.
Check these pictures – Ted DiBiase is a lucky man!
Despite widespread speculation about Brock Lesnar returning to WWE to wrestle The Undertaker at WrestleMania 27 in April, UFC President Dana White says its not going to happen – and it’s because the former UFC Heavyweight champ is still under a UFC contract.
The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar had a face-to-face confrontation at Saturday’s UFC 121 pay-per-view following Lesnar’s UFC Heavyweight title loss.
Dana White tells TMZ.com:
“Brock Lesnar is still under contract with the UFC … he is not going to wrestle in the WWE. He cannot wrestle, box or fight anywhere else.”
There remains the possibility that Lesnar could appear in a non-physical capacity, but so far there’s no word out of Lesnar’s camp as to whether he is interested in working with WWE again.
* VIEW HERE: UNDERTAKER & LESNAR Go Face-to-Face at UFC 121 (VIDEO)
Michael Benoit, the father of the late Chris Benoit, is speaking at a press conference in Connecticut today for Linda McMahon’s Democratic Senate race opponent, Richard Blumenthal. Benoit is speaking out about how WWE treats its wrestlers and said he was there to “change an industry that is out of control.”
Benoit says that Vince and Linda McMahon are motivated by nothing but money.. “The only reason that woman wants to go to Washington is to protect the dollars that WWE makes, to head off any attempt to regulate their industry.” said Benoit.
Linda McMahon spoke to reporters shortly before Benoit’s press conference and calls Michael Benoit’s position “bitter and sad.”
“I think Mr. Blumenthal has really tried to focus in only saying that WWE does not treat its performers well, when in fact, WWE treats its performers incredibly well and it wants to make sure that those men and women in the ring are protected,” she said.
“I can truly understand the pain of a father who has not only lost a child but a son who was involved in a heinous crime of killing his wife and his son,” McMahon said to reporters. “I can understand that his feelings are bitter, sad, wants to find answer and would like to also find someone to blame.”
Benoit responded: “Maybe I come off as a bitter father. I’m determined to make change in this industry so we don’t have people dropping dead at the age of 30.”
