– WWE officials met with a top executive from Russia’s Match TV at WrestleMania. This would be a big deal for the company, since WWE’s only clearance in Russia is on the 2×2 channel, which airs 1-hour versions of RAW and SmackDown and is available in less than 2% of Russian homes. Match TV is in about half the homes and carries UFC programming (including airing PPV’s for free).
– As noted last month, Evolve, Progress and Revolution Pro will be hosting qualifying matches for this summer’s WWE Global Cruiserweight Series. Announcements regarding those matches are expected in the next week or two.
– WWE was scouting independent talent during WrestleMania 32 weekend in Dallas. William Regal, Matt Bloom and Canyon Ceman attended the Evolve training seminar and tryout camp. WWE also had people at the Evolve and Shimmer shows. There were several performers that got WWE’s attention, most notably Will Ospreay, Zack Sabre, Ricochet and Shimmer star Nicole Savoy.
H/T: Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Visit f4wonline.com for subscription information.
