SEScoops

Author: Staff

  • Batista In ‘Deep Talks’ For WWE Return, But AEW Also Interested

    Batista In ‘Deep Talks’ For WWE Return, But AEW Also Interested

    WWE legend Batista has a big choice in front of him. Does he return to WWE for a headline match at WrestleMania, or roll the dice and and join All Elite Wrestling?

    According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, Batista is “deep in talks” with WWE about a featured role at WrestleMania. However, WWE is no longer the only game in town with deep pockets. Executives from AEW have also been courting the Guardians of the Galaxy star and he’s said to be on the fence about which way to go.

    Batista’s most recent WWE television appearance was back in October. He appeared alongside his former Evolution teammates at SmackDown 1000. The Evolution reunion ended with a tense stare-down between Batista and Triple H, leading fans to believe WWE was planting the seed for a WrestleMania showdown.

    Triple H was injured at Crown Jewel the following month and underwent surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. He recently revealed that his recovery is going well and he’s been cleared to train again. Triple H would presumably be healthy in time for April 7th, but it’s not a sure thing that WWE can get Batista on board.

    Batista’s Choice: WWE or AEW?

    Should Batista return home to WWE or lend his star power to the upstart competition?

    In WWE, he’d most likely work against Triple H. This is a ‘farewell’ feud he has talked about for years. One final run with the company ensures he will be portrayed favorably in the future. On the flip side, Batista has been outspoken about WWE in recent years. He still loves professional wrestling, but can’t stand WWE writers. He’s gone so far as to say he would like to return to WWE, but only work non-televised shows, so he doesn’t have to deal with writers.

    All Elite Wrestling offers Batista the same thing they can offer Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho and other big names: Big money, more creative freedom and a lighter schedule. With AEW looking to secure a television deal, Batista is another household name that could put their TV negotiations over the top.

  • Rusev & Lana Removed From Total Divas, Lana Upset With How They Were Portrayed

    Rusev & Lana Removed From Total Divas, Lana Upset With How They Were Portrayed

    Lilian Garcia has published Part 2 of her interview with Rusev and Lana from her Chasing Glory podcast. In the first installment, Rusev and Lana vented about their frustrations with WWE and Vince McMahon. This week, the couple revealed some breaking news. They recently learned they’ve been eliminated from the cast of Total Divas after three seasons.

    Lana was very upset about the news. She said she and Rusev had been getting positive feedback on their performances from WWE  and from Bunim-Murray, the company that produces Total Divas. She thought she and Rusev were primed for their own spin-off show. That was until a meeting with E! Network executives.

    “Kevin Dunn told me that E! Executives took a poll and that we are strongly disliked by the demographic, they do not like us and that I’m hated, we’re hated, and that the E! Executives thought that are stories were very slapstick, and they were a strong no.”

    Lana was stunned by this news. “I was shocked. I just sat there. It was like my tryout for WWE all over again. I’ve gone through a lot of different range of emotions. I’ll cry, but when I get hurt, I get really angry. That’s how I deal with hurt, I get really angry. Like, who is this new E! Executive?”

    She continued through tears, “It’s just that I’m not liked and one part of me is like – and I said that – Mark Carrano and Kevin Dunn was there and I said, ‘Maybe, I’m just not a likable person.’ I know I’m a good person, but maybe I have a boring personality because I’m just not liked.”

    Lana believes post-production editing was used to make her look bad, which precipitated her exit from the show.

    “There’s so many things in edit that I was royally screwed over,” she said. “They take someone saying something from one thing and put it there. In edit they can do whatever they want and that’s out of your control. If they want to make me more annoying and I have to play that annoying girl, they’ll do that.”

    Lana added that she was very displeased with how she was portrayed on the show, but understands that’s what she signed up for with reality television.

    “I understand that when you sign up for reality TV, you have to be ready to be not perfect and I was OK with that.”

    Rusev added that he has already moved on from Total Divas. “I’ll make my own show. Once I get rejected from somewhere or whatnot, I’m moving on.”

    You can listen to Part 2 of Lana and Rusev on Chasing Glory here:

    Listen to “Lana & Rusev – Part 2 – Breaking News Revealed and the Heartbreak Behind It” on Spreaker.

    (H/T to Michael McClead of WrestleZone for the transcribed quotes)

  • Kenny Omega Reveals Details About His All Elite Wrestling Contract

    Kenny Omega Reveals Details About His All Elite Wrestling Contract

    Kenny Omega officially joined All Elite Wrestling earlier this week after signing a four-year deal following the briefest of free agency periods after his previous contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling came to an end.

    Omega was regarded as the biggest free agent in the business but he wasted no time making his decision as soon as he was available to sign a new deal.

    Now Omega will join fellow wrestlers such as Cody, the Young Bucks and Chris Jericho in the fledgling promotion that hopes to send shockwaves through the professional wrestling industry, particularly in the United States.

    While Omega admitted he received a ‘fantastic’ offer from WWE as well as overtures from New Japan in an attempt to keep him, the prospect of working with All Elite and the options that came along with that deal was exactly what he wanted.

    “Now with AEW, I’m signing four years. Yeah so it’s like I’m signing four years and it felt natural,” Omega explained on the Wrestling Observer podcast. “It’s a large contract for me, largest one I’ve signed but I didn’t feel like I was making the wrong choice. It was cool to feel that way.

    “With the contract, it leaves me very open for a ton of crossover potential, which is always the most important thing for me because I don’t necessarily want to be remembered for what I do in the ring. I want to be able to crossover into all sorts of media so I’m going to be able to do my thing with E-sports and be able to do all sorts of stuff with ESPN and the documentary even. These opportunities now, there’s no red tape. It’s in my contract where I can freely do those and pursue them and that’s great.”

    “What we are is a celebration of professional wrestling” ~ Kenny Omega on All Elite Wrestling

    Omega signing with AEW may seem like he’s leaving New Japan behind for good but that’s not actually the case.

    According to the 35-year old Canadian, part of the benefit of his contract with AEW is the ability to return to New Japan whenever he desires.

    “I have it specifically written in my contract and this is something I couldn’t have done on the WWE end of things, I have it specifically written in my contract that I can go any time I want and appear for New Japan Pro Wrestling,” Omega stated.

    Omega says he nearly re-signed with New Japan with an option to appear in AEW whenever he wanted but this ended up being the better deal for his career.

    The chance to crossover between AEW and New Japan or with any other professional wrestling promotion out there is something Omega says the new organization will embrace.

    Beyond anything else offered to him, Omega sounds like that could have been the determining factor in joining AEW for at least the next four years.

    “What we are is a celebration of professional wrestling,” Omega said. “What that means is guess what, the CML guys that AAA hates or the AAA guys that New Japan hates, well some of their guys are better than your guys and that’s just the way it is.

    “We’re going to use the best that is available to us and we’re going to have a very peaceful, celebratory ring where everyone can show their craft, show their art and we’re going to have a number of dream matches or I don’t know if you could call them dream matches but call them matches that you never thought you would see in a wrestling ring and I think it’s going to go make for a more interesting landscape for professional wrestling in 2019 and beyond.”

  • Kenny Omega Explains Why He Chose to Sign with AEW Over WWE or New Japan

    Kenny Omega Explains Why He Chose to Sign with AEW Over WWE or New Japan

    Kenny Omega is no longer the biggest free agent in professional wrestling.

    The former New Japan Pro Wrestling stalwart inked a four year deal to join All Elite Wrestling earlier this week after receiving numerous offers from his former employers as well as WWE.

    Omega confirmed that WWE made him a very generous offer to join the promotion and the executives he dealt with were nothing but professional during the negotiations in an attempt to get him to sign with the company.

    Ultimately, Omega says what he’s getting with AEW was just too good to pass up at this stage in his career.

    “WWE’s offer was of course fantastic as you reported and a lot of people know just common knowledge and they went about it in a very professional, courteous way and those guys are nothing but consummate professionals in how they dealt with me but at the end of the day, AEW presented something that just couldn’t be beat,” Omega said on the Wrestling Observer podcast.

    “I’m with my best friends in the business and I have a little bit of control over my own creative, which is always important and I really feel that it’s the true platform for me to let my voice be heard. I always like challenges. I like the prospect of this being a blundering failure.”

    “I felt I needed to go to a place where I could do more” ~ Kenny Omega on signing with AEW

    Obviously, Omega hopes that AEW is a rousing success but it’s all going to depend on performers like him to help build the company into a place where fans will want to tune in week to week as well as investing to watch the biggest shows.

    He says that there was a part of him that wanted to join WWE just based on having creative control taken out of his hands because Omega has spent many sleepless nights obsessing over the direction of his character and upcoming matches while performing in New Japan.

    “[WWE] is absolutely not a risk,” Omega explained. “Part of me was like do I want to shut my brain off and have people write for me and tell me what to do? It sounds kind of cool actually.”

    Omega also stated that while there were ‘dream’ matches that he definitely could have worked by signing with WWE, the prospect of this particular project was everything he wanted for his career right now.

    “I felt I needed to go to a place where I could do more,” Omega explained. “Japan will always be a home to me and I’m always going to be back. AEW for me, or WWE, kind of seemed like the next step, potential dream matches and all that and using the new platform, not necessarily a better one or a bigger one or whatever. I just wanted a new platform to reach new people.”

  • Mark Henry & Bully Ray Make The Case For Randy Orton Joining AEW

    Mark Henry & Bully Ray Make The Case For Randy Orton Joining AEW

    Earlier this week, there was a report from Fightful stating that Randy Orton has been ‘openly discussing’ his willingness to negotiate with All Elite Wrestling. AEW has already landed former WWE Superstars Chris Jericho and PAC (Neville), but Orton would be the biggest name by a long shot.

    On Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry and Bully Ray spoke about the prospect of Orton jumping to AEW when his WWE contract is up. Both of them think it’s something he should seriously consider.

    “He’s always been a good businessman,” said Mark Henry. “He’s always, you know took the backseat when he should have said, ‘Hey guys, I’m not doing that.’ He’s always been a good businessman. So why wouldn’t he be a good businessman and say, ‘You know what? I need to entertain this conversation.”

    Henry added, “It’s not about the money, it’s about creative control. I think that it would be more creative control and time off with Randy.”

    All Elite Wrestling is a well-financed venture. They’ve already proven their willingness to offer big money to secure world class talent. Chris Jericho has stated that his contract with AEW is the most financially lucrative deal he’s ever signed.

    The WWE locker room is reportedly taking notice on their newfound negotiating leverage. In addition to big money, AEW is offering something that WWE might not be able to: creative freedom and a lighter schedule. Bully Ray thinks this might be what lures in top talent from WWE, such as Randy Orton.

    “They have money,” Bully said of AEW. “They will offer more creative freedom. They will have a much more wrestler friendly schedule. [Orton’s] done it all where he is now, why wouldn’t he be open to it?”

    Listen to Busted Open Radio on weekday mornings on SiriusXM Fight Nation Channel 93.

  • WWE Reports Record Financials For 2018, Vince McMahon Comments

    WWE Reports Record Financials For 2018, Vince McMahon Comments

    On Thursday morning, WWE released their financial results for the 4th quarter of 2018 and the entire year. A summary of the results and a statement from Vince McMahon can be found below. Click here to view the press release, which includes a more detailed breakdown for the performance of each division and WWE’s outlook for 2019.

    Fourth Quarter 2018 Highlights

    • Revenues increased 29% to $272.5 million as compared to the prior year quarter
    • Operating income nearly doubled to $53.4 million from $27.0 million in the prior year quarter
    • Adjusted OIBDA1 increased 57% to $64.4 million, exceeding Company guidance and representing an all-time record quarter
    • WWE Network average paid subscribers2 increased 7% to approximately 1.59 million paid subscribers, consistent with Company guidance

    Full Year 2018 Highlights

    • Revenue increased 16% to $930.2 million, the highest in the Company’s history
    • Operating income increased 51% to a record of $114.5 million
    • Adjusted OIBDA increased 31% to $178.9 million, exceeding Company guidance and representing all-time record performance for the second consecutive year
    • International revenue increased 58% to $317.8 million from $201.3 million in the prior year, the highest in the Company’s history and the first-time international revenue has exceeded $300 million
    • WWE completed agreements with USA Network (NBCU) and Fox Sports, effective October 1, 2019, which increase the average annual value (AAV) of its U.S. distribution to 3.6 times that of the prior deal
    • Produced new, large-scale international events (Greatest Royal Rumble, Crown Jewel and Super Show-Down) and compelling content across platforms, including the first all-women’s pay-per-view, WWE Evolution (WWE Network) and the launch of Miz & Mrs. (USA Network)
    • Digital engagement continued to grow with video views up 57% to 31.4 billion and hours consumed up 77% to 1.2 billion across digital and social media platforms3

    STAMFORD, Conn., February 7, 2019 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced financial results for its fourth quarter ended December 31, 2018.

    “In 2018, WWE generated the highest level of revenue and earnings in the Company’s history by leveraging our brand strength to increase the monetization of our content worldwide,” stated Vince McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Our long-term growth strategy will continue to focus on content creation, digitization and international development.”

    George Barrios, WWE Co-President, added “We increased revenue by nearly $130 million, and achieved a record level of Adjusted OIBDA and network subscribers. We expect to balance 2019 revenue growth with investment in strategic areas that extend the moat around our business, enabling us to continue our business transformation and maximize shareholder value.”

    Fourth-Quarter Consolidated Results

    Revenues increased 29% to $272.5 million from the prior year quarter primarily driven by the increased monetization of content and, to a lesser extent, an $8.1 million favorable impact on licensing revenue due to the adoption of the new FASB standard for revenue recognition (ASC Topic 606).

    Operating Income nearly doubled to $53.4 million from $27.0 million in the prior year quarter driven by increased profits from the Media segment. The Company’s Operating income margin increased to 20% from 13% in the prior year quarter.

    Adjusted OIBDA (which excludes stock compensation) increased 57% to $64.4 million as compared to $41.0 million in the prior year quarter. The Company’s Adjusted OIBDA margin increased to 24% from 19%.

    Net Income was $41.2 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, as compared to $4.8 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2017. This increase was primarily driven by improved operating performance and the impact of a one-time charge of $11.3 million in the prior year quarter due to the re-measurement of our deferred tax assets as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Act”), which was enacted in December 2017.

    Effective Tax Rate declined to 23% from 80% in the prior year quarter, where the latter reflected the tax impact of the $11.3 million charge noted above. Additionally, the year-over-year decline in the effective tax rate reflected the impact of the Tax Act, which reduced the federal corporate income tax rate to 21% from 35%.

    Cash flows generated by operating activities reached $65.2 million and Free Cash Flow totaled $54.3 million as compared to $55.6 million and $48.6 million, respectively, in the prior year quarter.4 The growth in both measures was primarily due to improved operating performance, partially offset by the timing of working capital.

    Full Year 2018 Consolidated Results

    For the twelve months ended December 31, 2018, revenues increased 16% to $930.2 million from $801.0 million primarily driven by growth in the Media segment. Operating incomeincreased 51% to $114.5 million from $75.6 million, driven primarily by the growth in revenue (net of related operating expenses), which was partially offset by higher staff-related costs, including management incentive compensation and stock compensation resulting from improved operating performance and the rise in the Company’s stock price. Adjusted OIBDA increased 31% to $178.9 million from $136.1 million. Net income increased to $99.6 million ($1.12 per diluted share) from $32.6 million ($0.42 per diluted share) in the prior year period.

    Cash flows generated by operating activities reached $186.7 million and Free Cash Flow totaled $154.4 million as compared to $96.6 million and $71.9 million, respectively, in the prior year period.4 The growth in both measures was primarily due to improved operating performance.

    Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were approximately $360 million as of December 31, 2018, and the Company estimates debt capacity under its revolving line of credit of approximately $100 million.

  • AJ Styles Disputes Report He Suffered A Hernia

    AJ Styles Disputes Report He Suffered A Hernia

    AJ Styles is disputing a report that he is out of action due to a hernia.

    Styles was kept of WWE live events this past weekend. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer reported this was because Styles recently suffered a hernia. The former WWE Champion took to social media to shoot down the report.

    Styles also commented on the state of digital journalism.

    AJ Styles appeared on this week’s SmackDown Live and got physical, the first indication that Meltzer’s report was inaccurate.

    The Phenomenal One is advertised to appear at this weekend’s WWE live events. As part of WWE’s annual Road to WrestleMania tour, the SmackDown brand will be in Dekalb, IL Saturday night and Fort Wayne, IN on Sunday.

    Styles will be part of the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match on Sunday, February 17th. Daniel Bryan’s hemp and oak title will be on the line when he faces Styles, Randy Orton, Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy and Mustafa Ali inside the demonic structure.

  • Former Impact Wrestling World Champion Returning

    Former Impact Wrestling World Champion Returning

    Impact Wrestling is teasing the return of a former World Champion during their upcoming event scheduled for WrestleMania 35 weekend.

    On Thursday night, April 4th, Impact presents United We Stand from Rahway, New Jersey. The show will stream live on Twitch. Impact is working with WrestlePro, House of Glory and Major League Wrestling (MLW) for the show.

    The mystery former World Champion will be involved in the main event of  United We Stand. While no further details are available at this time, the identity of the returning World Champion will be announced on Friday’s episode of Impact Wrestling.

    If you’ll be in the NYC area for WrestleMania weekend and want to attend United We Stand, ticket information is available at EventBrite.com

  • AEW Teasing Cody’s Double Or Nothing Opponent, Finn Balor Trolling

    AEW Teasing Cody’s Double Or Nothing Opponent, Finn Balor Trolling

    This Thursday, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is hosting the Double or Nothing ticket announcement party from the MGM Grand hotel and casino in Las Vegas, NV. As part of the hype for Double or Nothing, Cody Rhodes’ Nightmare Family Youtube channel has been running a new web series, Road to Double or Nothing. 

    Episode 2 dropped this week. The episode included The Elite scouting UK star Jimmy Havoc, a profile on “Hangman” Page and the first tease of Cody’s Double or Nothing opponent. Towards the end of video, AEW Coordinator Michael Cuellari tells Cody that somebody called again, but the person’s name is bleeped out. Cody acknowledged that the call was ‘personal’ and said he’s no rush to get back to the person.

    “No, no, I don’t want to handle that one,” Cody said. “I’ll call him back when I feel like it.” Cody then squirmed when Cuellari mentioned that Cody still does not have an opponent for Double or Nothing.

    Perhaps we’ll find out more details at Thursday’s event. AEW is teasing “new signings, exciting new partnerships and a surprise special guest.”

    Check back here Thursday night. SEScoops will be streaming the AEW Double or Nothing Ticket Announcement party starting at 9pm EST / 6pm PST.

    Finn Balor Trolls With AEW Friends

    For whatever reason, WWE Superstar Finn Balor has been posting photos on social media alongside AEW stars Chris Jericho and PAC.

  • Jimmy Havoc Returning To MLW, “Filthy” Tom Attacked At Press Conference, More

    Jimmy Havoc Returning To MLW, “Filthy” Tom Attacked At Press Conference, More

    Here are a few news items for Major League Wrestling:

    – Former PROGRESS World Champion Jimmy Havoc returns to MLW soon. Havoc had memorable battles with Sami Callihan, Tom Lawlor, Joey Janela, Shane Strickland and Darby Allen last year.

    – Earlier this week, “Filthy” Tom Lawlor was attacked during his first press conference as the new World Heavyweight Champion. No further details are available at this time.

    – MLW returns to Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena on Saturday, June 1st. Tickets for this MLW Fusion TV taping go on sale this Friday morning at MLWNOW.com.

    – MLW continues to express gratitude for Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix. The Lucha Bros. lost the MLW World Tag Team Championships to the Hart Foundation at Superfight. The former champions have agreed to work for All Elite Wrestling (MLW).

    Click here for more details on Pentagon & Fenix to AEW.

    https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1092782334343110656

  • Rusev & Lana Vent About Frustration With WWE (Audio)

    Rusev & Lana Vent About Frustration With WWE (Audio)

    Add Rusev to the long list of wrestlers expressing frustrating with their position in WWE.

    Rusev and Lana were Lilian Garcia’s guests on the latest episode of the Chasing Glory podcast. During the interview, the married couple spoke at length about the steps he’s taken to improve himself and stand out to Vince McMahon. He’s lost over 50 pounds, he’s changed his look but “nothing changes.”

    Rusev recently lost the United States Championship to Shinsuke Nakamura during the Royal Rumble kickoff show. Nakamura’s reign was short-lived and he dropped the belt to comedy wrestler R-Truth last week on SmackDown last week. Rusev takes pride in the United States Championship, since it’s the first title he held in WWE.

    “It hurts me because nobody cares about it,” said Rusev. “It feels like I’m the only one that cares about the title. I wanted to make it bigger. I wanted to make it what it was back when I wrestled John Cena for it. But it seems like every time somebody else has it, nothing happens. Now that I’ve lost it, the title is probably going to get lost again. And I’m going to get lost probably too.”

    Rusev said he tries to stay optimistic and envisions himself competing at WrestleMania. Unfortunately, it’s growing more difficult to keep a positive attitude.

    “We became so strong and we’re featured but the more you hang around, the more you’re forgotten,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how good you are. I think I’m good. It doesn’t matter what I do. It kind of ends up the same thing.”

    Lana chimed in and offered up some encouragement. “We’re not going to be forgotten,” she said. “We’re going to fight for our careers. We’re going to knock on Vince McMahon’s door and fight for it. If you do not fight for your career, you will be lost. We’re going to do everything possible. If it’s not meant to be, we’re going to look back and say, ‘We did everything possible.’ And if that was the way the journey was supposed to go, then that’s the way it was supposed to go.”

    In an effort to improve his standing with Vince McMahon, Rusev decided to get into better shape. He began training cross fit and has lost over 50 pounds. He cut his hair short, changed up his look and is in the best shape of his career. He’s still not getting the results he’s after.

    “I would be pissed if I was him,” Lana said.

    Rusev added, “I do all these things but nothing changes. I’m trying to catch Vince’s eye. We pitch, we talk and it never comes to anything,” said Rusev.

    Listen to Rusev and Lana on Lilian Garcia’s Chasing Glory Podcast:

    Listen to “Lana & Rusev – Dealing with Frustrations & Past Traumas” on Spreaker.

  • WWE Spoils Final 2 Teams For Women’s Tag Title Match At Elimination Chamber

    WWE Spoils Final 2 Teams For Women’s Tag Title Match At Elimination Chamber

    The “first-ever” WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions will be crowned at Elimination Chamber on Sunday, February 17th from Houston, Texas.

    The champions will be crowned in a 6-team Elimination Chamber match. Over the past several weeks, WWE has been holding qualifying matches to determine who will challenge for the gold later this month.

    As of this writing, the following teams have officially qualified:

    • Nia Jax and Tamina
    • Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan
    • Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville
    • Peyton Royce and Billie Kay

    Tonight on Raw, Sasha Banks and Bayley will face Alicia Fox and Nikki Cross to determine the final Raw team in the Chamber match. Tuesday’s SmackDown will feature the brand’s final women’s tag team qualifier.

    Over the weekend, a television commercial began airing to promote Elimination Chamber. That commercial revealed all six teams that will be part of the women’s tag team championship match, thus spoiling the final teams. As seen below, the final teams are:

    • Sasha Banks and Bayley
    • Carmella and Naomi

  • Dean Ambrose Advertised For Upcoming WWE Live Events

    Dean Ambrose Advertised For Upcoming WWE Live Events

    WWE is still advertising Dean Ambrose for this weekend’s live events from Canada. The Raw brand is in Saskatoon tonight at the Sasktel Centre and Regina on Saturday night at the Brandt Centre as part of the annual Road To WrestleMania tour. Ambrose is also scheduled for Monday’s Raw from Portland, Oregon.

    This past week, WWE confirmed that Dean Ambrose will not be renewing his contract when it expires in April. It remains to be seen if Ambrose has a prominent role in the build to WrestleMania 35. Historically, departing talent has often been used to elevate others on their way out. Others have been taken off television entirely in an effort to ‘cool them off’ before they start making money for a rival promotion.

    Dean Ambrose’s Final Months With WWE

    Despite being shown up by Nia Jax on Monday’s Raw, there are many factors indicating Ambrose will be portrayed in a positive light during his remaining months with WWE:

    1) WWE was uncharacteristically cordial in its announcement that Ambrose is leaving. Going far beyond the borderline-snide “future endeavors” treatment, WWE’s statement reads, “We are grateful and appreciative of all that Dean has given to WWE and our fans. We wish him well and hope that one day Dean will return to WWE.”

    2) Dean Ambrose’s wife Renee Young is one of the lead broadcasters in the company. She became the first full-time female announcer of WWE Raw back in September. It’s no secret that she has options outside of WWE, whether it be with mainstream sports organizations or other wrestling promotions.

    3) There is a high degree of frustration amongst WWE talent. Some wrestlers are asking to be released, while others are reportedly warning their friends not to sign with the company. With companies like All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and Ring of Honor (ROH) throwing big money around, wrestlers have more leverage than they’ve had in a long time.

    WWE is reportedly meeting with wrestlers with contracts expiring soon in hopes of locking them in to longterm deals. Dean Ambrose was a top star in WWE for the better part of a decade, so you can bet people are paying attention to how he’s treated in the weeks and months ahead.

  • Eric Bischoff: Dean Ambrose Leaving Doesn’t Matter Because “WWE Is The Star”

    Eric Bischoff: Dean Ambrose Leaving Doesn’t Matter Because “WWE Is The Star”

    Eric Bischoff spoke about Dean Ambrose leaving WWE on the latest episode of the After 83 Weeks podcast with Christy Olson.

    As the former President of World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Bischoff is uniquely qualified to provide insight on the situation. Bischoff dealt directly with countless major league stars and more than one of them let him know, “I’m out of here” due to frustration with their creative direction.

    Dean Ambrose is a huge star that WWE spent years investing in departure, but Bischoff does not see it as a big loss for them.

    “No disrespect at all to Dean Ambrose … I don’t think it matters at all,” he said. “That’s not because of Dean’s abilities or lack thereof. But in WWE right now WWE is the star. Everybody else on that roster is a costar, to one degree or another. Stars are now interchangeable.”

    Bischoff said it doesn’t matter how big the star is. If somebody leaves, the WWE machine will keep moving forward .. and that’s by design.

    The roster is deep enough, and the pool of talent is deep enough that whether it’s a situation like Roman Reigns, as devastating as that was, WWE shifted on the fly. They didn’t even have to hit the clutch. They just kept going, right? I think that that’s intentional.”

    Talent Comes, Talent Goes

    Bischoff believes that Vince McMahon has made a conscious effort to make talent secondary and make the WWE brand the real attraction. Talent comes and goes. People get injured, people retire, people jump to the competition. Vince McMahon has learned this lesson many times before. At the end of the day, the wrestlers are interchangeable and it’s WWE that endures.

    “If you’ve invested all of your resources, not just financial but all of your television time and all that real estate into building up a character, and through some scenario that you couldn’t anticipate that character is no longer there, you’re in a rebuild situation,” he said. “That can be devastating. WWE has gone through that before. They learned that lesson. Vince McMahon learned what happened when competition comes along and takes your talent, and I think he endeavored to build a company that was for the most part impervious to that. He did it by making WWE the star, and the talent less significant than the show that they’re on.”

    Listen to the latest episode of After 83 Weeks here:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWVRexZj4zQ&feature=youtu.be

  • AEW Hyping “Special Surprise Guest” For Double Or Nothing Ticket Announcement Party

    AEW Hyping “Special Surprise Guest” For Double Or Nothing Ticket Announcement Party

    Double or Nothing, the first live event under the AEW banner, takes place on Saturday, May 25th from Las Vegas, NV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. A “ticket announcement party” is scheduled for next Thursday, February 7th at the MGM Grand’s Splash Pool.

    AEW sent in some new details about the ticket announcement pool party:

    – We will find out when Double or Nothing tickets go on sale.

    – The Elite crew will be on hand, including Cody and Brandi Rhodes, The Young Bucks, Hangman Page and SCU.

    – AEW is teasing spectacular new signings, exciting new partnerships and a surprise special guest.

    – The AEW Double or Nothing Ticket Announcement party will stream live online starting at 6pm PST / 9pm EST on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #AEW on February 7th.

    AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes commented on the ticket announcement party:

    “We promised to change the wrestling landscape in 2019, and it’s already starting to shift. Our roster is growing every day with awesome acquisitions, we’re gathering incredible momentum among our fanbase, and we’re poised to sell out the DOUBLE OR NOTHING event in record speed. Whether you can join us in person next week or plan to follow the news socially, get ready to party with us on February 7, and let’s start the countdown to DOUBLE OR NOTHING on May 25.”

    Cody’s Nightmare Family Youtube channel is doing a new series titled, The Road To Double or Nothing. If you haven’t seen Episode 1 yet, check it out here:

  • Bray Wyatt’s Advice To Young Talent: “F*** What Anyone Thinks Of You”

    Bray Wyatt’s Advice To Young Talent: “F*** What Anyone Thinks Of You”

    Bray Wyatt has some advice for the up and coming athletes looking to advance themselves in the world of professional wrestling.

    Wyatt is coming up on 10 years since making his debut in former WWE developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling. It has been a long road for the third generation performer. The former WWE Champion has learned a lot along the way and is imparting his wisdom on the next generation.

    In a message posted on Instagram, Wyatt advised young talent to ignore what others think of them. “I remember what it’s like for everyone on the planet to think you are the most amazing new thing they have ever seen,” he said. “I remember even more the feeling of everyone turning on you. Saying you are a one hit wonder, overrated, boring.”

    He continued, “Every time my life is screwed up I find my genius. My calling to this world. To all those up and coming, f**k what anyone thinks of you. The greatest satisfaction is showing up more ready than anyone thought you’d ever be. Revenge is a confession…..”

    Bray Wyatt has been out of action for the past several months. He and former tag team partner “Woken” Matt Hardy went their separate ways last summer. Over the weekend, a fan on Twitter asked when he will be returning to WWE. He replied, “Near time.”

    Bray Wyatt’s Advice

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BtP64i3HgrU/

  • MLW Developing Reality Programming, New Signings, Match Added To Fusion Live

    MLW Developing Reality Programming, New Signings, Match Added To Fusion Live

    – MLW sent in word that they are working on developing reality programming. Crews will be on hand this weekend at MLW Superfight from Philadelphia shooting for this new project.

    – A new match has been added to Saturday night’s MLW Fusion Live special on beIN SPORTS. Ricky “El Sicario” Martinez will take on the returning Kotto Brazil in a grudge match. Updated card for MLW Fusion Live this weekend:

    World Heavyweight Title Match:
    Low Ki (c) vs. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor

    World Tag Team Title Match:
    Pentagón Jr. & Rey Fenix (c) vs. Hart Foundation

    Grudge Match:
    Ricky Martinez “El Sicario” vs. “The Haitian Sensation” Kotto Brazil

    – Simon Gotch has signed with MLW. Gotch has been doing open challenges and we’ll probably see another one this Saturday.

    – A mysterious group identifying itself as CONTRA Unit has been sending “cryptic threats” to MLW’s general feedback email address. According to MLW, “League security are taking these threats security. An investigation is underway.”

    – Ring announcer and master of ceremonies Tim Barr has signed with MLW and will return this Saturday.

    –  MLW COO Jared St. Laurent has commented on the news that MLW is partnering with IMPACT Wrestling for their shows on April 4th during WrestleMania weekend.

    “Both promotions believe in putting the fans first,” said St. Laurent. “Fans will be traveling from all over the world in hopes of seeing the best of the best. MLW and IMPACT Wrestling agreed without hesitation that the fans deserved to be able to see both of these amazing events without having to choose one over the other.”

    MLW’s April 4th event will kick off at 7pm with Impact Wrestling having a bell time of 11pm.

  • Daniel Bryan Unveils New Hemp WWE Championship Belt

    Daniel Bryan Unveils New Hemp WWE Championship Belt

    Daniel Bryan has unveiled a new WWE Championship belt.

    On Tuesday’s edition of SmackDown Live, Bryan came out with Erick Rowan to gloat about his successful title defense against AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble. Bryan said the WWE Championship belt is a symbol of excellence, but it is also a symbol of excess.

    He called the WWE title gaudy and said it’s made from cheap labor and bound to the skin of a cow whose life was taken from her. Bryan named that cow Daisy. Daisy had the ability to feel immense joy and also the ability to feel insufferable pain. Daisy gave her life for a symbol that he stands against. Bryan dumped the WWE Championship belt in the trash.

    When he became WWE Champion, Bryan vowed to change the world. To do so, he said we need new symbols. He then revealed a new title belt made from from 100% sustainable organic hemp and the oak from a tree that fell naturally. Bryan declared the hemp WWE Championship the new symbol of excellence.

    After Bryan unveiled the new championship AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Mustafa Ali, Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton hit the ring, they began brawling until Triple H was shown on the big screen. Triple H announced that Daniel Bryan will defend the WWE Championship against against all 5 men inside the Elimination Chamber. WWE’s upcoming Elimination Chamber pay-per-view takes place Sunday, February 17th.

    The New Hemp & Oak WWE Championship Belt

  • WWE Confirms Dean Ambrose Leaving in April

    WWE Confirms Dean Ambrose Leaving in April

    WWE has confirmed that Dean Ambrose will not be renewing his contract when it expires in April. The news was first reported by PWTorch. In a rare instance, WWE issued a statement regarding Ambrose leaving the company on Tuesday.

    “Dean Ambrose [Jonathan Good] will not be renewing his contract with WWE when it expires in April,” WWE officials confirmed in a statement. “We are grateful and appreciative of all that Dean has given to WWE and our fans. We wish him well and hope that one day Dean will return to WWE.”

    According to the initial report, Ambrose has been unhappy with the direction his character has taken in WWE programming in recent months.

    WWE reportedly attempted to re-sign Ambrose to a new five-year worth more than seven-figures per year to stay with the company. Ultimately it appears Ambrose turned down the offer and will instead exit the WWE in April.

    Dean Ambrose’s WWE Career

    Ambrose has been a mainstay on WWE programming since first joining the promotion in 2011 after working the independent wrestling scene as Jon Moxley following his early days training in his native Cincinnati, OH.

    Ambrose made his breakthrough on the main roster with WWE as part of the faction ‘The Shield’ alongside Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.

    While he was a constant presence on television, Ambrose never quite reached superstar status with the company despite WWE Heavyweight title reign for several months in 2016 as well as a lengthy stay as Intercontinental champion.

    Ambrose was out of action for several months due to injury and then returned last year where he teamed back up with Reigns and Rollins briefly before a heel turn this past October. Ambrose turned on Rollins after Reigns took a real life leave of absence from the company after revealing an 11-year battle with leukemia that required his full attention.

    More recently, Ambrose enjoyed another brief stint as Intercontinental champion before dropping that title to Bobby Lashley. Ambrose made a brief appearance in the Royal Rumble this past weekend before losing to Rollins on Monday Night Raw this week.

    Now Ambrose’s days are numbered with WWE as he awaits the expiration of his contract in April where he can then begin to look towards his next opportunity in professional wrestling.

    Obviously rumors will undoubtedly swirl almost immediately about the possibility of Ambrose joining All Elite Wrestling as that organization looks to get off the ground in 2019 but nothing will happen until at least after April when his WWE deal comes to an end.

  • WWE Still Planning To Add Charlotte To WrestleMania Main Event

    WWE Still Planning To Add Charlotte To WrestleMania Main Event

    Royal Rumble winner Becky Lynch appeared on Monday’s WWE RAW to announce she selected RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey as her WrestleMania 35 opponent.  They had an intense confrontation and fans ate it up. Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey has the makings of a WrestleMania main event for the ages. However, that’s not what WWE has planned.

    According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE still plans to add Charlotte Flair to the mix and make it a triple-threat match. Of course ‘plans can change’ any time, but Meltzer says WWE creative has already devised a storyline to insert Charlotte into the mix. Those plans were still in tact following Raw.

    “For people who are wondering, it is a 3-way,” Meltzer said. “That segment was real strong with Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch. The crowd was going pretty nuts for it, you had a very good dynamic and a lot of people are talking about it, thinking about the way that segment went, that it will be a singles match. I don’t know how they get to Charlotte Flair, I do know they have a storyline in place. After TV, that storyline was still in place.”

    WWE has two more pay-per-view events scheduled before WrestleMania, which is still more than two months away. Elimination Chamber takes place on February 17th and Fastlane is set for March 10th. This leaves plenty of time to modify the RAW Women’s title match.

    WWE WrestleMania 35 takes pace on Sunday, April 7th from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

  • Dean Ambrose Leaving WWE After WrestleMania

    Dean Ambrose Leaving WWE After WrestleMania

    Dean Ambrose is leaving WWE when his contract expires in April, according to PWTorch.com. Ambrose reportedly informed WWE officials about his decision over the weekend and met directly with Vince McMahon to discuss the situation.

    Ambrose has long been frustrated with his creative direction. Sources close to Ambrose say he still has a passion for wrestling, but ultimately decided WWE is not the right environment for him. A WWE source told Wade Keller of PWTorch that Dean “hates hokey sh*t” and it is not entirely surprising that he finally hit a breaking point.

    WWE offered Ambrose a new deal approximately two weeks ago. According to PWInsider, the new contract was for a 5 years worth over a million dollars per year. Ambrose turning down over $5 million gives you an idea of how displeased he’s been.

    The Torch report states, “He’s indicated to WWE management this weekend he’s not interested in negotiating further and made it clear this isn’t about trying to get more money.”

    Ambrose is expected to finish up with WWE shortly after WrestleMania. However, they could write him out of storylines sooner than that.

    Dean Ambrose been a featured player in WWE since his debut with the Shield back in 2012, but he’s still only 33 years old. Now in his physical prime, the next question is what the future holds for him. He’s likely made a ton of money over the years and has some financial independence. With a passion for wrestling and the desire for more creative freedom, there are options.

    After giving a disclaimer that he has not heard anything specific about Ambrose’s future, Keller expects Dean Ambrose will join All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He’s been giving off the impression that he wants to stay active in the wrestling business. He’s been described as ‘an artist with pent up desires to express himself in different ways.’

    This is a developing story and we will have more information on Dean Ambrose leaving WWE in the days ahead.

    What do you think is next for Dean Ambrose?

  • Kenny Omega To AEW Teased Again on Being The Elite

    Kenny Omega To AEW Teased Again on Being The Elite

    Kenny Omega is set to become the hottest free agent in professional wrestling. WWE’s Royal Rumble came and went without a surprise appearance from the ‘best bout machine.’ Some fans were hoping Omega would debut in the Rumble like AJ Styles did back in 2016, but that was not meant to be.

    On the latest episode of Being The Elite (Episode 136), we got another hint that Kenny Omega will join joining the upstart All Elite Wrestling (AEW) promotion.

    During a previous episode, it was revealed that Omega’s cell phone was missing. That phone was later shown with to have the same “countdown” timer the rest of the gang had, which culminated with the reveal of AEW’s formation on New Year’s Eve.

    This week, when it seemed like the episode was over, Matt Jackson was shown speaking on the phone. Jackson said, “Dude, I can’t believe people actually thought you were going to be there. Unbelievable” – an apparent reference to Kenny Omega in the Royal Rumble. Matt continued, “I’m so happy you found your phone. I’ll see you soon.”  We then see Kenny Omega’s phone get flipped over to reveal another countdown clock.

    The 9-day 19-hour countdown expires on Thursday, February 7th. That happens to be same day as the AEW Double or Nothing Ticket Announcement Party at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. While that is far from a confirmation, it’s another hint from The Elite that Kenny Omega is AEW bound.

    Kenny Omega’s Future Teased (Again) on Being The Elite

  • WWE RAW Preview: Royal Rumble Fallout, Road to WrestleMania

    WWE RAW Preview: Royal Rumble Fallout, Road to WrestleMania

    With the 2019 Royal Rumble in the rear view mirror, we are officially on the road to WrestleMania 35. After a marathon show Sunday night, WWE presents Monday Night Raw tonight live from the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.

    Early Monday evening, WWE announced a tonight’s Raw will feature qualifying matches for the Women’s Tag Title match at Elimination Chamber, Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin and Braun Strowman vs. Drew McIntyre.

    WWE.com is also promoting the following points for the show:

    – Seth Rollins celebrates his Royal Rumble victory. By winning the Rumble, Rollins gets to choose who he will face at WrestleMania: Universal Champion Brock Lesnar or WWE Champion Daniel Bryan.

    – Ronda Rousey retained the RAW Women’s Championship at the Royal Rumble. Is she destined for a WrestleMania showdown with Women’s Rumble winner Becky Lynch, or someone else entirely?

    – Finn Balor put up a good fight against Brock Lesnar Sunday night, but it wasn’t enough to slay the beast. Paul Heyman claims Lesnar re-wrote the bible at the Royal Rumble by squashing Balor’s David vs. Goliath story. Who will step up to be Lesnar’s next challenger?

    – Where will the new crop of WWE Superstars wind up? In recent week’s we’ve seen EC3, Lacey Evans, Heavy Machinery and Nikki Cross appear on both Raw and SmackDown. WWE asks, “Which of these NXT standouts will we see compete on Raw this week, and when will their brand alignment be set in stone?”

  • John Cena To Star In Netflix Action Comedy

    John Cena To Star In Netflix Action Comedy

    John Cena is coming to Netflix. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 16-time World champion will star in a new action comedy movie directed and produced by Jason Bateman (Ozark, Arrested Development).

    The story of the untitled film involves a family that gets stuck in an abandoned movie studio. “The sets come to life and the family members find themselves stuck in a various movies.”

    Cena’s acting career continues to flourish as he spends more time on movie sets and less time on the road with WWE. His latest hit, the Transformers spinoff Bumblebee, has grossed over $420 million worldwide since premiering on December 21st. He recently spent several months in China filming Project X-Traction with Jackie Chan.

    Earlier today, The Rock revealed Roman Reigns has joined the cast of Hobbs and Shaw, the Fast and Furious spinoff hitting theaters this summer.

    John Cena tweeted the following about his new Netflix role:

  • Roman Reigns Offers Update On His Condition

    Roman Reigns Offers Update On His Condition

    Roman Reigns is healing. That’s the message from the multi-time WWE champion as he continues to battle leukemia, which forced him to give up the Universal championship three months ago as he took an indefinite hiatus from the ring.

    Reigns made the shocking announcement last October while revealing that he’s been fighting leukemia for the past 11 years.

    Unfortunately, Reigns was forced to drop off the active roster while he dealt with his medical situation but the time away from WWE has allowed him to pursue new endeavors.

    The latest is an acting role in the upcoming ‘Fast and the Furious’ spinoff film titled ‘Hobbs and Shaw’ starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Jason Statham.

    Reigns updated fans on his current condition while celebrating his role in the upcoming film due out later this year.

    “Family healing!” Reigns wrote on Instagram. “I cannot thank my family, friends and my new FAST & FURIOUS FAMILY enough for all the love and support I have received while on this exciting HOBBS & SHAW project. The time I‘ve spent with my cousin on this wonderful island has truly been a healing grace.  I am grateful to the WWE, ‘The Rock’,  Universal Pictures and everyone on the set of “Hobbs and Shaw” for allowing me to be a part of this franchise.

    “All of your outreach and support has been a blessing and it’s only pushed me to get back in the ring as soon as possible. But until then…I’m excited for this movie to premiere this summer, our culture and mana in this film is strong!”

    Reigns was in the midst of an important run in his career when he was sidelined by health issues.

    Obviously he’s continuing the fight outside the ring while staying busy with his new acting career alongside his cousin in the upcoming action film.

    “Hobbs and Shaw” directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2) is due out Aug. 2.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BtEnwiIFr0J/?utm_source=ig_embed