SEScoops

Author: Eric Lynch

  • Trailer For Batista’s Next Movie, Ambrose Talks Money In The Bank

    – Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dave Bautista is featured in the new film Marauders, which also stars Bruce Willis, Christopher Meloni and Adrian Grenier. Lionsgate Movies released the official trailer this week for the film, which will hit theaters and On Demand on July 1st. You can watch the trailer here:

    – Dean Ambrose recently sat down with Tom Philips for a WWE.com exclusive interview to promote their annual Money In The Bank pay-per-view. During the interview, Ambrose also touches on SmackDown going live this Summer and says that he likes knowing anything can happen at any time and so does the WWE Universe. Ambrose says he was “screwed” out of the Money In The Bank briefcase and the World Heavyweight Title before, but he’s still confident going into the PPV. “What’s a piece of metal to represent who the champion is, I still feel like I’m the king of this place,” Ambrose said.

    Money In The Bank 2016 takes place on June 19th at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. The show airs live on the WWE Network with live play-by-play coverage and discussion on SEScoops.com.

  • WWE SmackDown Spoilers For June 2, 2016

    WWE SmackDown Spoilers For June 2, 2016

    WWE tapes this week’s episode of SmackDown at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford, IL tonight.

    – WWE Tag Team Champs the New Day kick off this week’s SmackDown. They are quickly interrupted by The Club, and AJ Styles vs. Kofi Kingston gets set up for later.

    – Becky Lynch def. Charlotte via DQ: This was a non-title match and the finish came when Dana Brooke interfered and got Charlotte disqualified. Natalya comes out for the save and the two babyfaces beat down Charlotte and Dana.

    – The Dudley Boyz def. Goldust and R-Truth: Tyler Breeze and Fandango came out and caused a distraction that lead to the finish.

    – Dean Ambrose and Sami Zayn def. Kevin Owens and Alberto Del Rio: After the match, Owens sets a ladder up in the ring and climbs it to grab the Money In the Bank briefcase.

    – Rusev def. Jack Swagger: Rusev beat down Swagger after the match until Titus O’Neil came out to make the save.

    – AJ Styles def. Kofi Kingston: Styles hit the Styles Clash to win this main event bout. During the finish, Gallows & Anderson brawled against Big E and Xavier at ringside.

    Keep refreshing this page for live updates & discuss your thoughts in the comments below.

  • Report: Vince McMahon Feels Sasha Banks Is Too Injury-Prone

    Despite reports that Sasha Banks is expected to compete for the Women’s Championship at SummerSlam this year, it sounds like Vince McMahon isn’t her biggest fan. Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Banks is getting a reputation with WWE management for being injury-prone. Meltzer says that Vince has told officials on numerous occasions that he believes she only knows one speed in the ring: all out.

    Months ago, Vince was reportedly comparing Banks and Daniel Bryan to company management. Bryan’s career was cut short at the age of 34 due to numerous concussions.

    Banks returned to in-ring action over the weekend at WWE live events after reportedly suffering a concussion at the May 15th house show in Charlottesville, VA. Meltzer sticks by his original report that her injury was a “significant” concussion, which happened after a freak accident where referee Darrick Moore accidentally hit Sasha with a knee to the head.

    Last year, Banks reblogged a fan’s comment on her Tumblr that read:

    All the marks and smarks will look up and shout “We want Sasha!”… and Vince will look down and whisper “No.”

  • Big Show Hints At Retirement: “All Great Things Come To An End”

    The Miami Herald ran an interview with The Big Show today where he speaks on the new era of talent in WWE, and seems to hint that he’s contemplating retiring from in-ring action.

    “I came in as the youngest in the locker-room by 10 years in 1995, and now I’m one of the old ones still out there,” said the former World Heavyweight Champion. “We’ve got a lot of young, new, great talent deserving of TV time; they’re building their brand. New storylines for them. It’s a changing of the guard.”

    When asked about his role and future with WWE, Show commented that “all great things come to an end.” He indicated that he’s looking for projects outside of the the company, but that his “heart is with WWE.”

    “I love helping the younger talent. I love representing WWE like with Make-A-Wish, Be a STAR, Special Olympics. I think I’ll always have a home in WWE,” he said. “I’ve had a great career and had a lot of fun. So whatever happens in the future, I’m gonna take it. If I get a phone call tomorrow, and Vince [McMahon] says, ‘Thank you very much. I appreciate everything you’ve done.’ Well, that said, I can hold my head high and go on and do other things.”

    Big Show concluded by saying he’s thankful for still having his health, and being able to step into the ring every now and then to do what he loves. You can read his entire interview here.

  • Ric Flair Returning To Podcasting Next Month

    After discontinuing his previous “Wooooo! Nation” series on Play.it earlier this year, Ric Flair will be getting back into the podcast game.

    Flair terminated his contract with Play.it in order to go on the road with WWE, and has been on hiatus from podcasting since his WrestleMania Weekend special. Flair’s co-host Conrad Thompson tweeted on Monday night that he and Flair will be podcasting once again, but now under a different name and with a different company.

    Flair was written off WWE television on last week’s RAW, but is still under a performer’s contract.

  • WWE Announces $1,499 ‘Performance Center: All Access’ Event

    WWE Announces $1,499 ‘Performance Center: All Access’ Event

    WWE will be hosting an “all access” event at their Performance Center in Orlando, FL this summer. On July 25th, WWE will give attendees the chance to see how their talent trains and meet their favorite NXT stars.

    The event will allow attendees to try out things like attending a production meeting, cutting your own promo, and making an entrance down the ramp with wrestlers cheering you on. Attendees will also receive breakfast and lunch, a gift bag, a signed chair, and more.

    The price for the event is $1,499 per person, and attendees must be 18 or older unless accompanied by a legal guardian. Here’s WWE’s press release for the event:

    See how Superstars are made with a WWE Performance Center: All Access pass this July
    Do you want to know what it takes to become a WWE Superstar? Have you ever wondered what goes into putting together a WWE Live Event? Now you can have the incredible opportunity to experience all that and more, when you go behind the scenes at WWE Performance Center: All Access!

    WWE is opening the doors to its state-of-the-art Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Monday, July 25, giving a limited number of WWE Universe members the chance to experience NXT like never before. The unique event will present the opportunity to gain knowledge from the best in the business, become part of a private NXT Live Event and rub elbows with some of your favorite NXT Superstars.

    With this exclusive experience, you will:

    •Share a light breakfast and lunch with NXT Superstars (meals included)

    •Participate in a Q&A and Orientation Session with NXT coaching staff

    •Attend a Q&A and autograph session with NXT Superstars

    •Sign a one-day WWE booking contract, granting admission to a private NXT Live Event at the WWE Performance Center that you will help produce, manage and watch alongside your favorite NXT Superstars

    •Take an all-access tour of the WWE Performance Center

    •Get an inside look at a private NXT Training Session

    •Learn the ropes during a promo class, then create your very own promo video

    •Create your very own entrance as NXT Superstars cheer you on

    Plus, you’ll be able to take the experience home, with exclusive keepsakes, including:

    •Commemorative WWE Performance Center: All Access Credential

    •WWE Performance Center Gift Bag

    •Limited Edition Event Chair pre-signed by NXT Superstars

    •WWE Performance Center: All Access Highlight Reel (available for download after the experience)

    •Your Personal Promo Video; available for download after the experience

    •Professional photos will be taken throughout the day (available for download after the experience)

    The WWE Performance Center: All Access experience is $1,499 per person.* Tickets are available now at NXTTickets.com. Space is extremely limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Don’t miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime!

    *Must be 18 or older, unless accompanied by a legal guardian. Transportation and lodging not included. Please note, WWE Performance Center: All Access is ADA accessible.

  • Goldberg Interview: Dream Opponents In WWE 2K17, His Favorite Matches

    Goldberg Interview: Dream Opponents In WWE 2K17, His Favorite Matches

    It was revealed on Monday that former WWE and WCW World Heavyweight Champion Bill Goldberg will be the special pre-order bonus character for the upcoming WWE 2K17 video game. IGN recently caught up with Goldberg on the set of his 2K17 commercial, who says it’s an honor to be among the other pre-order characters in the 2K video game series.

    “It’s an honor that’s hard to put in words really,” Goldberg said. “All you gotta do is mention the names that came before me, and to know that I’m in the same sentence as those guys, let alone following in their footsteps with this game, it’s a huge honor and not one to be taken lightly.”

    Goldberg said that while he would like to wrestle his old WCW opponent Sting again, he’s more excited about dream matches with wrestlers he’s never faced.

    “People talked about it for years – Me and Steve Austin, and ‘Taker” Goldberg answered when asked about his dream match up in 2K17. “There are a lot of potential opponents people never got to see me wrestle, so to be able to do that in 2K17, that’s pretty cool.”

    Goldberg says if you want to beat his character in the game, he would pick Brock Lesnar. “I think Brock’s probably got the best shot,” Goldberg said of the former UFC Champion.

    The former NFL defensive tackle says his matches he would most like to re-create in the game are his battles against Sting and Diamond Dallas Page. “Halloween Havoc with Dallas Page was arguably my best match by far,” he said, “I’d like to see that one reenacted in the game.”

    The game is now available for pre-order at WWE.2k.com to receive Goldberg as a playable character. The game hits shelves in October for PS4, XBox One, PS3 and XBox 360.

  • WWE RAW Results – May 30, 2016

    The May 30, 2016 episode of WWE RAW takes place from the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI. Tonight’s special Memorial Day edition of RAW will feature the return of John Cena, and tag-team action between The Dudley Boyz vs. Enzo & Big Cass. The final Money In The Bank ladder match participant will also be decided tonight.

    – RAW kicks off with a brief Memorial Day tribute to the fallen soldiers. Shane and Stephanie McMahon come out to open up the show, and they’re quickly interrupted by the New Day, who are curious about the new brand split. The New Day is concerned that Shane & Stephanie will break up the team between the RAW and SmackDown rosters. The Tag Team Champions tell Shane and Stephanie to have a dance challenge to decide who runs RAW and who runs SmackDown. Shane accepts on both of their behalf, and he dances first. Stephanie goes second, but before she can start the Vaudevillains come out to interrupt, and we have a match.

    – The New Day def. The Vaudevillains via DQ: Kofi and Big E are representing the New Day in this one. After some early offense by the Tag Champs, the Vaudevillains take control and slow things down. The finish comes early when Anderson and Gallows interfere and beat down the New Day. Gallows and Anderson cut a promo in the back afterwards saying they’re just getting started without AJ.

    – The Big Show gives Apollo Crews a pep talk backstage. Crews says he doesn’t know why Sheamus picked on him, but he’s going to regret it.

    – The Usos vs. Tyler Breeze & Fandango: R-Truth comes out with Goldust to be on commentary for this one. The Usos get the quick win with a crucifix rollup. After the match, all hell breaks loose at ringside between Breeze & Fandango vs. The Golden Truth. Goldust and R-Truth get the upper hand and lay out Breeze and Fandango.

    – Roman Reigns comes out to address the WWE Universe about Seth Rollins. Rollins comes out to the stage with a mic, but he drops it and starts to walk to the ring. As he gets closer, he decides against it and heads to the back. He teases hitting the ring a few times, but decides against it. Rollins picks up the mic and goes to say something, but again decides against it and heads to the back. Roman Reigns’ music hits and he holds up his belt in the ring. Rollins runs out again, but still doesn’t get in the ring.

    – Rusev def. Zack Ryder: Rusev hits a knee to start things off and dominates with suplexes. Rusev gets the quick win via submission with the Accolade. Titus O’Neil comes out after the match and lays out Rusev. Titus leads the crowd in a USA chant as Rusev walks to the back.

    – In the back, we see Stephanie McMahon cutting a promo on Charlotte and telling her she’s a waste of talent.

    – Enzo & Big Cass def. The Dudley Boyz: The Dudleys start things off with most of the offense. Enzo goes up to the top rope for a comeback but Bubba crotches him on the top turnbuckle. Big Cass gets the hot tag and hits the Empire Elbow on D-Von. Bubba gets the tag and they give Cass a reverse 3D for a 2 count. Cass throws Bubba off the top rope then tags in Enzo. They hit the Rocket Launcher for the win.

    – The champ is here. John Cena hits the ring to make his long-awaited return to RAW. Cena cuts a promo about Memorial Day and leads the crowd in a USA chant. After he’s done speaking, AJ Styles’ music hits and The Phenomenal One comes out. AJ cuts a brief promo and shakes hands with Cena. Their hand shake is quickly interrupted by Gallows and Anderson. Gallows and Anderson say AJ is sucking up to Cena and step closer towards the ring. AJ and Cena get ready to square off against The Club, but then AJ lays out Cena from behind and all three of them take turns beating down Cena. AJ, Gallows and Anderson stand tall over Cena’s motionless body and do the Kliq hand salute. As they’re walking to the back, AJ runs back in the ring and continues the beat-down on Cena. Anderson says “that’s the AJ we know and love.” AJ runs back into the ring again and continues pummeling Cena. They head to the back as referees check on Cena, and AJ once again heats the ring for another beat down.

    – Dana Brooke def. Natalya: Charlotte comes out with Dana. After a distraction by Charlotte, Dana hits a Michinouku Driver for the win in a very quick match. Dana and Charlotte beat down Natalya until Becky comes down for the save. Charlotte and Dana exit through the crowd.

    – Dolph Ziggler cuts a promo in the back about how his wrestling skills are superior to Baron Corbin’s.

    – Baron Corbin def. Dolph Ziggler via DQ: Ziggler comes out in amateur wrestling headgear. As soon as the match starts, Ziggler kicks Corbin in the groin for revenge from Extreme Rules and disqualifies himself.

    – In the back, Chris Jericho tells Kevin Owens and Alberto Del Rio that they should make sure Sami Zayn, Cesaro and Dean Ambrose are hurt going into Money In The Bank

    – Dean Ambrose & Cesaro & Sami Zayn vs. Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens & Alberto Del Rio: Del Rio and Cesaro start off with back and forth action. Del Rio, Owens and Jericho are arguing among each other on the outside when Sami Zayn comes flying over the top rope down onto all three of them on the floor. The heels make a comeback during the commercial break and Owens goes to work on Zayn. Jericho gets the tag and Zayn hits a Blue Thunder Bomb. Ambrose gets the tag and throws Jericho outside, then hits a suicide dive onto Y2J. There is some in-fighting among the heels which leads to Ambrose hitting the Dirty Deeds on Owens for the win. The babyfaces celebrate in the ring as RAW goes off the air.

  • Austin Says Ric Flair-Charlotte Segment Was “Real Bad” & “Hard To Watch”

    Austin Says Ric Flair-Charlotte Segment Was “Real Bad” & “Hard To Watch”

    While he says he’s a fan of the Flairs, Steve Austin says he wasn’t a fan of their segment on last week’s RAW. On episode 328 of The Steve Austin Show, Stone Cold says the segment where Charlotte kicked her Hall of Famer father out of the ring was “real bad.”

    Austin explained that within 10 or 15 seconds of The Nature Boy grabbing the mic, he could tell what was going to happen next. “[Ric Flair] spilled the beans as soon as he went out there. He had only been talking 10 to 15 seconds and I said, ‘oh, he’s getting fired or she’s going to kick him out of the damn ring’ and that’s exactly what happened,” Austin said.

    Austin says after Charlotte’s turn on her father, “she got lost” and tripped up because of the crowd’s reaction. Austin seems to put most of the blame on the WWE creative team, as he believes they over-scripted the segment.

    “Whoever wrote that, and you know Ric is one of the best promos in the history of the business and you don’t need to be writing for Ric Flair. Just let him go out there and do his thing. But, so he’s going out there and he’s trying to memorize this script that someone wrote him and he spilled the beans, started tripping all over himself, and then, it only got worse from there. And then, Charlotte’s trying to recoup and she gets lost a couple of times and goes at the crowd and then kind of misspeaks and then it was extremely awkward and it was hard to watch because I’m such a fan of the Flairs.”

    You can listen to Austin’s entire podcast here.

  • Ricochet Responds to Vader Criticizing His Match With Will Ospreay From NJPW BOSJ

    Ricochet Responds to Vader Criticizing His Match With Will Ospreay From NJPW BOSJ

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASVJlPhbxVU

    Will Ospreay and Ricochet competed at night 6 of NJPW’s Best of the Super Juniors on Friday, but not everyone was a fan of their match. Former WCW and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Big Van Vader, known as Vader in WWE, was among those who didn’t enjoy their efforts. Vader took to his official Twitter account on Sunday to criticize the two performers. The legendary big man indicated that what he saw reminded him of “high school gymnasts.”

    Ricochet, known as Prince Puma on Lucha Underground, responded to Vader’s criticism with a lengthy reply on his own Twitter.

    https://twitter.com/KingRicochet/status/736876715633303552

    Ospreay responded on his own way at Saturday night’s event, performing Vader’s signature “Vader Bomb” move off the turnbuckle.

  • Hogan’s Secret Financial Backer Speaks Out After Good Week In Court For Hulk

    Hogan’s Secret Financial Backer Speaks Out After Good Week In Court For Hulk

    It’s been a good week for Hulk Hogan in court. As previously noted, Judge Pamela Campbell in Florida denied Gawker’s motion for a retrial and to have the verdict reduced this week. According to the New York Times, Gawker argued that Hulk Hogan’s sealed racist comments should have been made available to the jury, and that the jurors had been tainted.

    Hulk Hogan’s secret financial backer was revealed this week to be Peter Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal who was outed as homosexual by Gawker. The Times reports that Gawker argued that Thiel was new discovery material, but the judge refused to look at articles involving his involvement. Thiel reportedly put up $10 million for Hogan’s legal team to work on the case, and has held a grudge against Gawker for outing him in a 2007 article titled “Peter Thiel is totally gay, people”

    Thiel told the Times this isn’t about revenge, but a way to stop Gawker from “bullying” people.

    “It’s less about revenge and more about specific deterrence,” Thiel told the New York Times this week, after it was revealed that he was funding Hogan’s case. “I saw Gawker pioneer a unique and incredibly damaging way of getting attention by bullying people even when there was no connection with the public interest. Even someone like Terry Bollea who is a millionaire and famous and a successful person didn’t quite have the resources to do this alone.”

    After the news broke, Gawker CEO Nick Denton penned an open letter to Thiel on his website, saying that Thiel’s “revenge has been served well, cold and (until now) anonymously.”

    “You [Thiel] admit you have been planning the punishment of Gawker and its writers for years, and that you have so far spent $10 million to fund litigation against the company,” Denton wrote. “Charles Harder, the Hollywood plaintiff’s lawyer who has marshaled your legal campaign, is representing not just the wrestler Hulk Hogan on your behalf, but two other subjects of stories in suits against Gawker and its editorial staff.”

  • Sasha Banks Cleared To Return To The Ring

    After being pulled from scheduled events due to a concussion, Sasha Banks has reportedly been cleared to wrestle.

    According to F4WOnline.com, Banks has already undergone her evaluation and it’s believed she did in fact suffer a concussion back on May 15th. She’s has been cleared to return to action, and is booked for WWE’s live events in Winnipeg and LaCrosse this weekend. Her evaluation originally was scheduled for this coming Saturday.

    Before her injury, Sasha was reportedly scheduled to return soon and work against Charlotte at SummerSlam for the Women’s Championship. There’s no word yet on when she’s scheduled to return to television.

  • AJ Styles Says Roman Reigns Deserves More Credit From Fans

    AJ Styles Says Roman Reigns Deserves More Credit From Fans

    After working several matches with him, AJ Styles says Roman Reigns is better than people give him credit for. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Styles talked about his Extreme Rules opponent and the heat he gets from fans.

    “I think [Reigns] is a better athlete than a lot of people realize. He should get a lot more credit for his athleticism,” Styles said of the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. “He’s unbelievable, he can do a lot of stuff. I think he’s been able to showcase that with me. We’re doing something right – I don’t think people gave Roman a chance.”

    The former TNA World Champion has a theory about why Reigns gets booed so loudly by the live WWE audiences. “In fact, I think a lot of fans jumped on the bandwagon when someone started booing, instead of taking the chance to see what he could do in the ring,” Styles said of Reigns’ heat with the crowds.

    AJ also said he never expected to wrestle at a WrestleMania, and that doing so is a big notch on his belt. Styles mentioned working a WWE main event as another highlight for him, and says someday he wants to be in the Hall of Fame.

  • WWE’s Plans For Big Dual-Brand Episodes Of RAW, Announcers For PPVs

    WWE’s Plans For Big Dual-Brand Episodes Of RAW, Announcers For PPVs

    There are more new details coming out about WWE’s plans for the return of the draft split, which Vince McMahon is reportedly very excited about. According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Live, WWE is already planning some dual-brand episodes of RAW through next year’s WrestleMania.

    WWE is reportedly working on two big episodes of RAW for the night after SummerSlam and the night after WrestleMania. The two episodes will likely be the only times members of both the RAW and SmackDown rosters will be on the same TV show.

    Both rosters will be present on WWE’s pay-per-view events, and according to Wrestling Observer Live there will be two announce teams for all PPVs. Just like during the previous roster split, RAW announcers will be on hand to call RAW talents’ matches, and SmackDown talents’ matches will have their own announcers.

  • Apollo Crews Says He Thought His Main Roster Call-Up Was A Joke

    New WWE star Apollo Crews recently spoke with the State Journal-Register to promote Friday’s live event in Springfield, IL. Crews, who was in NXT for almost a year, revealed that he only learned about being called up to the main roster just days before his April 4th RAW debut.

    “I didn’t find out (it was happening) until the Friday before that,” Crews said of making the jump from NXT to the WWE main roster. That Friday was April 1st.

    “It was April Fools’ (Day). I thought it was a joke. But when it really hit me and I realized what was going on I just started breaking down crying tears of happiness. It was cool for me because I don’t remember the last time I shed a tear of any kind of emotion. So it was cool just to see my dreams come true. … It’s the most satisfying feeling ever.”

    Crews credited being into gymnastics as a kid for his in-ring style, and says the Ultimate Warrior and Undertaker were who inspired him to become a wrestler. As far his career goals go, Crews hopes to win championships and develop his character.

    “I definitely see myself holding multiple titles in my career,” Crews predicted. “As far as short-term goals, I think just being on TV on a weekly basis is amazing. Eventually, hopefully, I can show people more of my character and let them know who I really am as a person.”

    You can read his entire interview here.

  • Dixie Carter On Financial Trouble Rumors, Signing Former WWE Stars

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKdrHovHYSI

    TNA president Dixie Carter was recently interviewed by Renjith Ravindran for the Fan Garage during her trip to India. Carter spoke on the recent rumors of TNA’s financial problems, saying there’s a lot of incorrect information out there. Carter pointed to recent international partnerships as a sign that great things are happening in the company.

    “You can’t react to the rumors about the financial situation. That’s the difficulty about being in my position. There’s so much incorrect information out there about the financial situation of TNA,” Carter said. “We are putting out some of the best television our company has ever put out and if you watch it you can tell, great things are happening to our company. We just announced some associations in the Middle East, we just announced Vietnam and a lot of similar announcements are rolling out.”

    On the subject of signing former WWE stars, Carter says the company is still keeping an eye on what free agents are on the market. Carter put over TNA’s home-grown talent, saying her roster and their wrestling are the best in the business, and mentioned EC III, Rock Star Spud, Eli Drake and Bram.

    “They’ve grown so much but I think we also did a fantastic job with people like Drew Galloway who was at the WWE and came in and completely relaunched himself,” Carter said. “There are definitely some incredibly talented wrestlers on the market right now and some will be available at some part of this year. And I do see ourselves talking to them. I think it would be exciting to bring a few into TNA.”

  • Sasha Banks Scheduled For Evaluation This Weekend After Being Injured By Ref

    As previously noted, Sasha Banks was rumored to have suffered a concussion at the May 15th house show at the hands of a referee. Referee Darrick Moore reportedly hit Sasha in the head with his knee by mistake in what’s being described as a “freak accident.”

    To update on this, Uproxx reports that Banks is scheduled for an evaluation this coming Saturday. It’s anticipated that she will pass the evaluation and be cleared to return to action shortly.

    According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Banks was being kept off TV after WrestleMania to keep her fresh for a Women’s Championship match against Charlotte at SummerSlam in August.

  • Report: Silicon Valley Billionaire Secretly Funding Hogan’s Lawsuits Against Gawker

    Report: Silicon Valley Billionaire Secretly Funding Hogan’s Lawsuits Against Gawker

    The New York Times reports that Hulk Hogan had a secret financial backer with some deep pockets for his lawsuits against Gawker. Hogan successfully sued Gawker for $140 million in an invasion of privacy case this year, and today Judge Pamela Campbell denied motions by Gawker for a retrial and for reducing the penalties awarded to Hogan.

    According to the Times, Peter Theil, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal, secretly bankrolled Hogan’s legal cases against Gawker. As of press time, Hogan has filed a total of three lawsuits against the New York-based publisher. Theil was outed as gay by Gawker in 2007.

    The news of Theil’s funding comes just days after Gawker founder Nick Denton indicated that he believes Hogan’s attorneys were being paid for by someone in Silicon Valley.

  • Full Content Listing For WWE’s Best of Canadian Superstars DVD Set

    Full Content Listing For WWE’s Best of Canadian Superstars DVD Set

    WWE’s latest DVD set, titled Our Nation’s Pride: The Best of Canadian Superstars, was released this week exclusively in Canada. WrestlingDVDNetwork.com confirmed the 15 match content listing for the two disc set, which is hosted by now-released commentator Kyle Edwards.

    Disc #1:

    – Sami Zayn vs. Antonio Cesaro – NXT ArRIVAL • February 27, 2014

    – NXT Championship Match: Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens – NXT TakeOver: Rival • February 11, 2015

    – No Holds Barred Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship: Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio – Extreme Rules • June 7, 2009

    – WWE Championship Match: Chris Jericho vs. John Cena – SummerSlam • August 21, 2005

    – WWE United States Championship Match: Sami Zayn vs. John Cena – RAW • May 4, 2015

    – Champion vs. Champion Match: John Cena vs. Kevin Owens – Elimination Chamber • May 31, 2015

    – WWE Women’s Championship Match: Trish Stratus vs. Lita – Unforgiven • September 17, 2006

    Disc #2:

    – Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match or the WWE Championship: Edge vs. John Cena – Unforgiven • September 17, 2006

    – Ladder Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels – No Mercy • October 5, 2008

    – Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match for the Vacant World Heavyweight Championship (If Undertaker Loses, He Leaves WWE): Edge vs. The Undertaker – One Night Stand • June 1, 2008

    Special features:

    – WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Pat Patterson vs. Ted DiBiase – Madison Square Garden • October 22, 1979

    – WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: The Mountie vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper – Royal Rumble • January 19, 1992

    – Bret “Hit Man” Hart vs. Owen Hart – Wrestlemania X • March 20, 1994

    – Terri Invitational Tournament Ladder Match: New Brood vs. Edge & Christian – No Mercy • October 17, 1999

    – WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match: Booker T vs. Lance Storm – WCW Monday Nitro • August 7, 2000

  • Backstage News On Ric Flair’s Status In WWE

    Backstage News On Ric Flair’s Status In WWE

    It sounds like we haven’t seen the last of The Nature Boy. According to a report on the premium section of PWInsider.com, Ric Flair is still signed to his WWE contract despite the on-air spit with WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte on RAW.

    Regarding Flair’s status with the company, he reportedly is not in any kind of trouble or heat with WWE management despite online speculation. Flair’s departure from TV is said to be simply storyline driven. According to reports, we can expect to see the 16-time World Champion involved in Charlotte’s TV storyline going forward in some capacity.

    On Monday’s RAW, Flair left the arena in tears on-screen after Charlotte turned on him and cut a promo about him not being there during her childhood.

  • When SmackDown Will Air In The UK, Cena Comments On Brand Split

    – It was reported on Wednesday that SmackDown will be going live on Tuesday nights on the USA Network starting July 19th. The show will also be airing live for UK fans starting on the same date. SmackDown will be airing live in the UK on Sky Sports on Tuesday nights.

    – Former WWE champion John Cena took to Twitter today to comment on the news of Smackdown going live, along with splitting the roster between WWE’s two flagship shows. “This is incredible news for @WWEUniverse and for all @WWE superstars,” Cena wrote. “Opportunity is knocking, #NewEra indeed!!!!”

  • Cody Rhodes Posts Cryptic Message About Eden, Ryder Comments

    Recently released WWE star Cody Rhodes posted a cryptic message on Twitter about his wife, WWE announcer Eden. Rhodes hinted in a tweet on Tuesday evening that there will be some sort of revelation about Eden in the next 24 hours. “Lot of folks say “ride or die” these days…well @RealEdenWWE is just that,” he wrote, “in the next 24hrs, most people will realize what I’m saying.”

    Eden first joined WWE in 2011, then after a two-year hiatus returned as an announcer and backstage interviewer. Her and Rhodes got married in 2013.

    https://twitter.com/PrinceCGR/status/735236900089253890

    Zack Ryder is the latest WWE talent to comment on Rhodes’ departure from the company. Rhodes requested his release from the company due to creative differences, and he reportedly left the company on bad terms.

  • WWE SmackDown Spoilers For May 26, 2016

    WWE SmackDown Spoilers For May 26, 2016

    WWE taped the May 26th, 2016 edition of SmackDown tonight at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, VA.

    WWE Main Event taping:

    – The New Day def. The Social Outcasts: The New Day kicks off the taping, and Xavier is wearing Big E’s ring gear because he says his luggage was stolen at the airport. The Social Outcasts come out and say they stole his luggage, which lead to the six-man tag match.

    – Paige def. Summer Rae: Paige won via pinfall after hitting the Paige Turner.

    – Baron Corbin def. Jack Swagger: Dolph Ziggler was on commentary for this one. Corbin won with the End of Days and stared down Ziggler after the match. SmackDown is up next.

    WWE SmackDown taping:

    – Michael Cole is in the ring talking about Money In The Bank. He’s then joined by Dean Ambrose who cuts a promo on Chris Jericho. Kevin Owens interrupts and tells Cole to get the hell out of his ring, then claims he will win the Money In The Bank briefcase. Sami Zayn and Alberto Del Rio also interrupt, and a brawl breaks out between Ambrose, Owens and Zany while Del Rio observes from the ramp.

    – Alberto Del Rio def. Zack Ryder: Del Rio won with the cross armbreaker to secure his spot in the Money In The Bank match.

    – Big Cass and Enzo Amore come out to cut promos and the Dudley Boyz interrupt. The segment ends with The Dudleyz backing down and walking to the back.

    – Rusev and Lana are interviewed backstage, and Rusev says Kalisto has no chance against him tonight.

    – Rusev def. Kalisto: Rusev retains the US Title with The Accolade in what was described as a good back and forth match. After the match, Titus O’Neil hits the ring and challenges Rusev for the title. Rusev backs off.

    – Natalya def. Dana Brooke via DQ: Charlotte is on commentary for this one. The match comes in an end in less than a minute when Charlotte runs in. Natalya gets her in the Sharpshooter, but Dana comes from behind and beats her down with Charlotte.

    – AJ Styles is in the back to be interviewed. When asked what’s next, he says he doesn’t know and walks off.

    – Fandango & Tyler Breeze def. R-Truth & Goldust: This was a short match and the crowd chanted “What the hell?” at one point.

    – Seth Rollins comes out to make his return to SmackDown. He cuts a promo asking if the fans missed him, then says he didn’t miss them. Rolls talks for a couple minutes before heading to the back.

    – The Miz def. Cesaro: Miz won with the Skull Crushing Finale to retain the WWE Intercontinental Title in what was described as a good main event. Miz and Maryse celebrated on the ramp to end SmackDown

  • New Details On Ric Flair’s Upcoming ESPN Documentary, Undertaker & Others Interviewed

    Sports Illustrated ran a story this week about Ric Flair’s upcoming ESPN 30 For 30 special. The story confirmed that the documentary will air in the next 12 months, and revealed that it may air in the fall. The feature will be directed by Rory Karpf, who directed past 30 For 30 documentaries including I Hate Christian Laettner and The Book Of Manning.

    Editing on the film has already begun, and it will run either 90 or 120 minutes long. There are reportedly still a few interviews left to film, and some archive footage they are still trying to secure. Legends interviewed for the film include The Undertaker, Sting, Shawn Michaels, Jim Ross, Arn Anderson, and Ricky Steamboat. Flair’s three living children and first wife were also interviewed.

    Last November, Flair talked about the documentary on his podcast. “It has a little bit to do with my airplane crash, of course, and then coming back from that,” The Nature Boy said. “And then the titles and the championships and it touches a lot on my personal life, which has been up and down. Right now, it’s perfect, but I had a couple rough years there.”

  • New England Patriots Star Considering WWE Career After He Retires From The NFL

    New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski recently appeared in a “Truth or Dare” video for Draft Kings where he talked about a potential career in pro wrestling after his football days are over.

    When asked if he would be open to stepping in the ring, Gronkowski said he would, but probably not full-time. He says his wrestling name would naturally be “The Gronk.” Gronkowski noted that his friend Mojo Rawley is with WWE and is “about to do great” there.

    Back in April, he talked to FOX Sports about Rawley arriving in WWE’s NXT. “I love watching him,” Gronk said. “We were just chilling and we cut a promo together and we had a blast. I can definitely see something in the future. Hopefully Mojo Rawley starts wrestling a lot and starts doing what he has to do and makes it to Monday Night Raw, if my boy is there, I’m there for an appearance.”