WWE just celebrated the biggest WrestleMania weekend in company history. With over 200,000 fans attending the events in Philly, the company was quickly back to business as they fired some high-profile internal names.
The recent round of “spring cleaning” came as Dan Ventrelle, Sid Scala, Trent Wilfinger, and Sue Aitchison were let go. Each one of those cuts were notable.
Dan Ventrelle
Many fans were surprised to discover that Dan Ventrelle, formerly WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, was released on April 11. He had been with WWE for many years, working closely with Nick Khan and Paul Levesque. He entered WWE by way of the NFL, where he joined the Oakland Raiders in 2003, rising to executive vice president and playing a pivotal role in the team’s move to Las Vegas and new stadium construction. After being appointed interim president of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021, he focused on community integration and initiatives like vaccine verification before his departure in May 2022.
Trent Wilfinger
WWE cut Trent Wilfinger, who was Senior Vice President of Athlete ID & Development. He started his tenure at WWE in the summer of 2021, concentrating on Global Athlete Strategy & Development under Paul Levesque. Prior to WWE, he spent more than ten years at the fitness company EXOS.
Sue Aitchison
WWE Hall of Famers were not immune from the recent releases. Sue Aitchison was the longtime Director of Community Relations at WWE. After joining WWE in 1986, Aitchison had a 38-year tenure. During her time in WWE, she significantly influenced WWE’s community outreach and enhanced the company’s partnership with Make-A-Wish. In recognition of her contributions, she received the Warrior Award at the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019, inducted by Stephanie McMahon.
Sid Scala
Known as the British Superstar for many fans, Sid Scala was released from WWE in the last wave of internal cuts. He had been part of the company since the start of the NXT UK brand in 2017, serving as the Assistant General Manager with Johnny Saint. The NXT UK brand was absorbed by the OG NXT show, with NXT Europe still in the pipeline, but delayed due to the Endeavor takeover.
WWE’s New Era
WWE is entering into a new era under Triple H’s leadership. Vince McMahon is out of the picture, and some notable exits have followed, including long-time WWE executive producer Kevin Dunn in December 2023.
The company went through a major change as Endeavor merged WWE with the UFC. Now as a new company, fans are seeing how things will operate after WrestleMania, and there have already been some notable changes roll out this week.
In the aftermath of Kevin Dunn’s departure from WWE, notable changes have emerged, and recent developments shed light on the impact of this shift. Sean Ross Sapp dropped a detailed report on Fightful Select to shed light on new details.
Numerous sources, approached by Fightful, provided insights into Dunn’s working dynamics. According to one source relayed by Corey Brennan, Dunn, contrary to expectations, was not excessively challenging to work with. However, he maintained a standard of excellence, expecting the best from everyone involved.
Dunn’s influence extended across various facets of WWE broadcasts, encompassing graphics, lighting, camera work, audio, pyrotechnics, and video production. He actively engaged in providing feedback for improvements and played a central role as the orchestrator of the broadcasts.
Dunn’s consistent presence at almost every show was notable. In instances where he was absent, NXT producers stepped in to fill his role, particularly during the year-end shows he missed. Comparisons were drawn to Michael Cole’s regular attendance, but it was clarified that Dunn took a standard amount of holidays during his tenure.
It was also noted that Triple H took charge of the broadcast during WWE Survivor Series and CM Punk’s return, given Dunn’s absence from the show.
Kevin Dunn as a Co-Worker in WWE
Colleagues attested to Kevin Dunn’s positive working relationships with Triple H, Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard, and segment producers. So, there was no animosity there, which is a departure from the narrative some painted.
Collaboration and idea exchange were reportedly common practices, and there was a notable emphasis on safety. For instance, during Cody Rhodes’ return at WrestleMania 38, Dunn ensured a prolonged hold on pyrotechnics to guarantee the safety of the camera crew on the ramp.
Kevin Dunn may be gone from WWE, but he left a lasting impression on the entire pro wrestling business with his contributions. Although he was a scapegoat for fans and a controversial figure for others, Dunn was a constant in WWE, and he also left very large shoes to fill.
WWE saw a lot of changes in 2023, as the company merged with the UFC under Endeavor’s new TKO Group Holdings. Now in 2024, the company’s production is on the verge of breaking out some new ideas for the company.
WWE Programming Changing After Kevin Dunn’s Exit
Kevin Dunn’s era in WWE is over, and many fans are paying close attention to what the company puts on television. Some observant fans noticed two distinctive segments that didn’t seem to fit the norm that Dunn established for decades.
Two segments have stood out from WWE Raw and SmackDown in recent memory. One featured Chelsea Green and Piper Niven at a club, confronting Kayden Carter and Katana Chance. The other, showcased on Smackdown, puts the spotlight on Butch/Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate.
Sean Ross Sapp noted on Fightful Select that fans making comparisons to NXT would be accurate to do so. Triple H let Jeremy Borash make up a team in NXT, one that was off Kevin Dunn’s radar of influence. Now that Dunn is gone, they can do a lot more that he would previously nix.
We’re told that Triple H allowed Jeremy Borash to put together a team in NXT for the past three years, where it would be safely under Kevin Dunn’s radar. Triple H was said to have been happy with how they played out, and with Dunn’s departure, there is a door open to feature that style of promos across all WWE shows.
We’ve spoken to several people associated with helping put together the promos that spoke highly of the new process and the freedom to to them. One source noted that under Dunn, the segment would have likely cut away to several different things, but the new method was to let the characters breathe, and the segment to play out.
WWE After Kevin Dunn’s Exit
It seems that the people making these promos are having a good time. It was also noted that both segments received positive internal feedback.
Lee Fitting took over for Kevin Dunn upon his exit from the company. Many were shocked to see Dunn finally leave, but it came after Vince McMahon’s retirement, as Dunn was Mr. McMahon’s right-hand man in production.
WWE is making sure it’s media and production team is getting new leadership in 2024. The company announced on January 9 that Lee Fitting will now be the new Head Of Media & Production. The company made the announcement via a press release, praising Fitting as a “media industry veteran.”
STAMFORD, Conn., January 9, 2024 – WWE®, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced that media industry veteran Lee Fitting has joined the company this week as Head of Media & Production.
“Lee is a phenomenal leader and executive known for work that generates both critical acclaim and mass appeal,” said WWE President Nick Khan. “Lee will be a tremendous addition to our stellar media and production team and play a key role in helping catapult WWE’s growth.”
Fitting brings more than two decades of production experience to WWE from ESPN, where he oversaw production for tentpole properties including Monday Night Football, College GameDay, the College Football Playoff, and many other properties within the Disney portfolio.
Distributed in 25 languages across 165 countries, WWE delivers new and live programming to fans 52 weeks a year. Its flagship shows, including Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown and NXT; Premium Live Events including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble; and award-winning slate of original programs reach more than one billion homes globally.
Fitting steps into a new role as long-time production executive Kevin Dunn leaves his old one. Dunn served as the head of WWE Production for years, but made his voluntary leave as 2023 came to a close.
With Dunn gone, WWE has brought in Lee Fitting as the new Head of Media and Production. This has earned some backlash from those within WWE, PW Insider reports. Some have expressed discontent with an “outsider” assuming a leadership role. Executive Vice President of Television Chris Kaiser and Lighting/Set Director Jason Robinson are being touted as worthy internal candidates who could have replaced Dunn. There are also concerns that Fitting could bring in external personnel of his own, potentially affecting WWE staff.
Not everyone is so against WWE’s new Head of Media and Production. Some have adopted a wait-and-see approach to see how Fitting takes to his new role.
Who is Lee Fitting?
Fitting joins WWE from ESPN where he spent 25 years overseeing production on shows such as Monday Night Football, College GameDay, and the College Football Playoff. In a statement issued this week, WWE President Nick Khan described Lee as a “tremendous addition to our stellar media and production team and play a key role in helping catapult WWE’s growth.”
WWE was hoping to keep Dunn around for longer than he planned…
WWE kicked off 2024 with a huge episode of RAW, and fans did not know what to expect. They received two action-packed title matches, and The Rock’s return. Those within the company also had a meeting prior to the whole event starting in San Diego.
WWE’s Meeting Before Day 1 RAW
PW Insider reported that Paul Levesque and Nick Khan held a talent meeting before the January 1st episode of WWE RAW. This was said to be a positive meeting with good vibes.
We haven’t heard much yet other than it was a short, positive meeting.
It was further reported that, “One source relayed it was a ‘great meeting’ that focused on rallying the troops. It was just much a ‘rah rah’ meeting to thank them for everything they’ve done and will do for the company.”
WWE is heading into a new year, and they had a blockbuster 2023 behind them. The company is also going to see some shifting internally, because long-time WWE Executive Producer Kevin Dunn is no longer a part of the picture.
Kevin Dunn concluded his three-decade tenure with the company, steadfast in his decision not to conform to imposed directives, so he is retiring instead. Kevin Dunn remained committed to his hands-on approach to overseeing production, even though there was reportedly a push for him to stay.
WWE is starting out a new year, and that will come with a change to commentary. Some WWE fans don’t remember a day when Michael Cole wasn’t a full-time announcer for the company, but he may be moving out of that role.
WWE Changing Commentary Team
Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Kevin Patrick have made up the SmackDown commentary team for some time. Now, that may change as WWE enters into 2024.
According to a recent report from PW Insider, WWE is making a change to their commentary teams, with two-man teams starting this week. That means that Michael Cole is no longer on SmackDown.
The word making the rounds in WWE is that starting in the new year, the announce teams will all consist of two men booths.
That means that Michael Cole’s time on Smackdown ended last month.
WWE’s Future In 2024 Could See More Changes
With Kevin Dunn’s departure from WWE, some are wondering who will leave next. Vince McMahon’s old guard may be exiting, but this report did not indicate that Michael Cole will be totally leaving WWE with this move.
Michael Cole holds other backstage responsibilities, and he has hinted in the past about leaving the commentary table eventually. This new development could open the door for Michael Cole to pursue other opportunities as SmackDown becomes a two-man team.
In a message shared throughout WWE (obtained by PW Insider), Khan said the following:
After 40+ years of helping to build WWE and, hands down, the best production and media unit in the entire sports and entertainment business, Kevin Dunn, will be leaving our company as of today.
Before WrestleMania 1, Kevin joined Vince at WWF. Many of us remember a pre-WrestleMania WWF – a regional wrestling company that looked like a regional wrestling company. Then we experienced WrestleMania 1, whether live, on closed circuit or years later elsewhere. It was magic. A regional wrestling company had become a global sports entertainment juggernaut. Vince led the way, side by side with Kevin Dunn. When many of us were kids standing in line waiting to play Pac-Man, Kevin was already on the road breaking his back to help build our company.
When you see our product now, there is nothing that comes close to its look or feel – 52 weeks a year, three to four times a week. It is singular and truly special. No other company can or will do that, and that is because of Kevin and our media team’s hard work, smarts and determination.
We are forever grateful to Kevin. He will always be a part of the WWE family.
Some thought that Kevin Dunn would be fired after the retirement of Vince McMahon in July 2022. Click here to check out Triple H’s comments at the time.
Kevin Dunn wasn’t the most well-liked person in WWE, so much so that when Vince McMahon retired in July of 2022, many predicted that Dunn would be fired. This speculation was quashed by Triple H himself, who named Dunn as a major part in WWE’s plans post-McMahon. Despite what some may believe, Dunn was not fired by WWE, according to a report from PW Insider. Instead, he is choosing to retire, and made it clear to WWE higher-ups he was finishing during the Christmas week.
There was a push for Dunn to stay on through the Royal Rumble and possibly finish with WrestleMania 40 in April 2024. Instead, Dunn preferred a clean cut and he is done with WWE “effectively immediately.” The report emphasized how massive a deal for Dunn to be leaving, no matter if people liked him or not.
Why People Dislike Kevin Dunn
Though he always seemed to have Vince McMahon on his side, Dunn was hardly popular within WWE or with the company’s fans. Many take issue with Dunn’s use of quick camera cuts that make the action hard to follow as well as some of his attitudes towards wrestlers. Dunn reportedly was against pushing Becky Lynch because of her Irish accent and believed that she’d never be able to cut a good promo. In his book MOX, Jon Moxley writes about Dunn’s influence.
“In a place like WWE, that one comment, one little seed planted by a guy in Kevin Dunn’s position can be extremely detrimental to someone’s future there. That’s a lot of power, and power breeds ego. Connecticut … old, rich boys’ club ego. I’ve heard all kinds of stories about that guy messing with people’s careers. Suffice to say that dude is a fu**bag.”
Dunn was also said to be against pushing Billie Kay as he did not find her funny. It is also reported that he was against pushing any women he did not find personally attractive.
WWE saw some notable departures in 2023, as the company fired a ton of people after the TKO Group Holdings takeover. Now, Kevin Dunn is leaving the company.
Kevin Dunn’s WWE Departure
PW Insider reports that Kevin Dunn is leaving WWE. Having served as Executive Producer & Chief, Global Television Distribution, Dunn conveyed his decision to depart to WWE during Christmas week, concluding over three decades of association with the company.
Dunn, who held the post of Executive Producer & Chief, Global Television Distribution, informed WWE around Christmas week he was exiting after more than three decades with the company. We are told that a big factor in his decision to retire is changes internally post-Endeavor acquisition and that Dunn was “never going to do anything that was dictacted” to him, as opposed to how he personally oversaw production in the past. We are told this was not an issue of creative but two differing versions of how things should be run from a TV production perspective as WWE seeks to cut costs.
Why Kevin Dunn Is Leaving WWE
The decision to retire was influenced significantly by internal changes post-Endeavor acquisition. Kevin Dunn was unwavering in his stance not to comply with dictated directives, contrasting with his previous hands-on approach to production oversight.
It was also reported that Kevin Dunn’s departure was not linked to creative matters but rather divergent views on television production perspectives aimed at cost reduction.
Despite rumors of his departure in recent years, the company never initiated Kevin Dunn’s exit. On the contrary, the WWE Board of Directors urged Dunn to continue when Vince McMahon initially retired in July 2022. While not surprising, Dunn’s exit carries substantial implications, given his profound influence on the vibe, ambiance, and production of WWE’s product over several decades.
Kevin Dunn’s History in WWE
Since 1993, when the Monday Night Raw era started on the USA Network, Kevin Dunn assumed the role of Executive Producer for all WWE programming, shaping the distinctive style of WWE production recognized by casual fans.
Kevin Dunn’s departure marks the end of an era, as he played a pivotal role in ensuring every WWE broadcast or documentary adhered to his approval.
Kevin Dunn served as the official Director for many live broadcasts and, more importantly, held the Line Producer role for all WWE broadcasts from 1993 onward. The Line Producer is a crucial internal figure responsible for budget breakdown, crew hiring, fiscal oversight during filming, and overall planning to ensure optimal use of capital for production.
Vince McMahon is an interesting person to say the very least.
After retiring ‘for good’ in July of last year, the billionaire is back in charge of WWE, being appointed ‘Executive Chairman’ last month and replacing his daughter Stephanie.
The 77-year-old McMahon has declared that he will retire again if it is in WWE’s best interest, and has kept away from creative meetings and TV tapings thus far.
Hornswoggle
Out of all the little people WWE has used over its many years Dylan ‘Hornswoggle’ Postl is perhaps the most recognizable.
The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion (and Anonymous Raw General Manager) debuted as Finlay’s ‘leprechaun’ in 2006 but would have a solo career in his own right.
While speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Postl explained that Kevin Dunn would often refer to him as “the midget,” a term found offensive by many little people.
“Kevin Dunn on a headset. I was underneath the ring, and I could always hear the conversations between everyone. Everyone. The producers in the back, Kevin Dunn in the truck, Vince in the back.
So Kevin Dunn’s like ‘Vince, we need to figure out how to get the midget back to the back.’ [As Vince] ‘Goddammit Kevin! We don’t use that word. He’s a little person.’”
Dylan ‘Hornswoggle’ Postl.
Postl added that Dunn gave “apology after apology” over the use of the term, both to McMahon and himself.
After being released from WWE in May 2016, Postl would make sporadic appearances, including as part of the 2018 Greatest Royal Rumble.
Postl has also appeared for Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor and had a cameo appearance for AEW Dynamite in November 2020, as part of The Inner Circle’s trip to Las Vegas.
WWE’s Executive Vice President of Television Production was nowhere to be found last weekend at Survivor Series WarGames.
Survivor Series Wargames, the 36th Survivor Series Premium Live Event, saw the iconic double-ring cage stipulation be used on the main roster for the first time ever.
In the show’s opener, Team Bianca defeated Team Damage in the Women’s WarGames match, while The Bloodline stood tall at the end of the night over Team Brutes.
Kevin Dunn
Despite being in such an important role, Dunn wasn’t backstage at last weekend’s Premium Live Event, Fightful Select has confirmed.
The report specified that Dunn remains with WWE, and that there have not been any plans for him to not be working there anytime soon.
After Vince McMahon’s retirement earlier this year, questions arose about what role Dunn would have under the new regime led by Nick Khan, Stephanie McMahon, and Triple H.
Here to Stay
Earlier this year, it was reported that Dunn was expected to leave WWE within the coming 12 months, either of his own accord or by being forced out.
It has been said that Stephanie McMahon is no fan of Dunn, and that he is not a Triple H ‘guy’ either.
Speaking to the media ahead of Summerslam this year, Triple H namedropped Dunn as someone who will be a key part of the new vision for the company.
To take it [WWE] beyond where it is now, the only way we’re gonna do that is with a team. That’s with Steph [McMahon.] That’s with Nick Khan. That’s with myself. That’s with Kevin Dunn
Last Friday, Vince McMahon announced his retirement from WWE, after four decades as the unquestionable leader of the promotion.
A month after stepping down as CEO and Chairman of WWE, McMahon’s retirement saw him relinquish his role as head of WWE creative, which has been filled by Triple H.
In addition to being the head of WWE creative, the former WWE World Champion now serves as head of Talent Relations.
Kevin Dunn Staying
Much has changed behind the scenes in WWE, and one name fans expected to depart the company is Kevin Dunn.
Dunn, who serves as WWE’s Executive Vice President of TV Production has worked with the company for years, but is reportedly not liked by Triple H among others backstage.
It was recently reported that Dunn was expected to leave WWE within the next year, either of his own choice or by being forced out.
It now appears that Dunn will be sticking with WWE after all, as in a recent talk with the media, Triple H name-dropped Dunn as one of the people who is doing important work in the company.
“The Game” spoke about building on the company Vince McMahon created and seemingly confirmed that Dunn will be staying despite the reports.
“To take it [WWE] beyond where it is now, the only way we’re gonna do that is with a team. That’s with Steph [McMahon.] That’s with Nick Khan. That’s with myself. That’s with Kevin Dunn.”
Triple H on the team who will lead WWE into the future in the post-Vince McMahon era.
One big WWE executive appears to be on borrowed time with the company.
Change is coming for the once Vince McMahon-led empire. On July 22, WWE issued a statement announcing the retirement of Vince.
McMahon had been the longtime Chairman and CEO of WWE before stepping back amid an investigation into his alleged million-dollar pacts with former female employees. The “retirement” was actually a resignation as revealed in the company’s 8-K filing.
With McMahon and former Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis gone, the Stephanie McMahon-Triple H takeover is upon us.
Don’t forget about Nick Khan as well.
Kevin Dunn Likely Gone From WWE Eventually
Fightful is reporting that Executive Producer & Chief, Global Television Distribution Kevin Dunn is likely to be gone from the company in due time. It’s been said that he will either leave on his own or be forced out.
PWTorch also shared a similar report. Wade Keller noted that while Dunn isn’t expected to be ousted immediately, he likely won’t be around at this time next year.
The PWTorch report also mentioned that Kevin Dunn is not a Triple H guy. Hunter has been positioned as the new Head of Creative.
It’s also been reported by several outlets over the years that Stephanie McMahon, the new Chairwoman and CEO of WWE, was never a fan of Dunn.
Jon Moxley and Kevin Dunn aren’t likely to exchange Christmas cards this year.
Moxley made his exit from WWE back in 2019. Moxley would appear for AEW and NJPW. In his time outside of WWE, Moxley has become a former AEW World Heavyweight Champion and a former two-time IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion.
Jon Moxley Blasts Kevin Dunn
In his new book, “MOX,” Jon Moxley recalled a conversation he had with longtime WWE employee Kevin Dunn back in 2019. Moxley claimed Dunn spewed lies behind his back following a disagreement.
“If I had gone in there and been an a—–e, why didn’t he just say, ‘F–k you, then, you’re being an a—–e.’ No, he let me go through the whole song and dance, while being completely phony, pretending to accept my apology, pretending it was all good and we were friends. Then five minutes later this little c–t rat goes right to the rest of the office and says I didn’t give a sufficient apology and whatever other b——t he probably said about me, behind my back, no less. This dickless m———-r … and it was 48 hours later. Why didn’t you just call me on the phone right when it happened and say, ‘F–k you, we’re all mad at you, and if you do it again, you’re fired.’? That would have been easy to understand. Instead, I got summoned to the secret castle to meet the Magical King Wizard who lives in the truck and controls the universe to beg for forgiveness? What are all these stupid little games?”
Moxley went on to say that there are plenty of other stories on how Dunn has been “messing with people’s careers.” He ended his rant by saying, “F*ck Kevin Dunn.”
Moxley had been a participant in the AEW World Heavyweight Title Eliminator tournament. He was expected to meet Bryan Danielson in the finals at Full Gear on Nov. 13. Instead, Moxley relinquished his spot in the semifinals as he has entered an alcohol treatment program.
WWE Executive Vice President of Television Production Kevin Dunn was reportedly upset during The Horror Show at Extreme Rules pay-per-view.
There were said to be some “production snafus” that took place during the match between Sasha Banks and RAW Women’s Champion Asuka, according to Fightful.
Dunn, who has been with WWE for more than 20 years, was said to be upset because cameras were catching SmackDown Women’s Bayley in spots where they weren’t supposed to.
While exact instances were not provided, it was noted that the issues “set Kevin Dunn off.”
The snafus were not considered to be significant, but it was enough of a situation that Dunn reportedly shouted at people for not protecting the talent on camera.
The Banks vs. Asuka match ended in controversy after the referee went down by taking errant mist from the champion. Bayley, who had been at ringside to support Banks, then took the referee’s shirt and went on to count a pin for Banks. They quickly escaped with Asuka’s belt, but she is still considered the official champion.
Next Monday’s RAW will feature Banks vs. Asuka in a match where the title can be decided by pinfall, submission, count out or DQ, including outside interference.
With the successful launch of WWE’s new 205 Live series, it’s worth noting that Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn have been directly running the show. There has been speculation on Triple H running things since he was a driving force behind the Cruiserweight Classic, but that’s not the case. Shortly after the brand split, the ‘different feeling’ of SmackDown Live had a lot of fans wondering who was in charge there, then similar reports came out that Vince was in fact still running both RAW and SmackDown.
Vince has been very hands-on with 205 Live and the cruiserweight talent in an effort to get them to execute his vision for the show, according to PWInsider.com. Triple H likely has some input, but it’s almost entirely a Vince & Dunn production.
Both The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar were seen bleeding during the main event at the WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view. Taker and Lesnar’s injuries were not a result of blading, but rather they were both busted open. As seen during WrestleMania 31, Lesnar ran directly into the ring post whereas Taker’s injury was caused by Lesnar taking his glove off and throwing head punches.
An insider backstage texted Bryan Alvarez from F4WOnline.com as they caught Vince McMahon’s reaction to the blood. It was said that due to the no blood policy in WWE, Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn were freaking out as they watched backstage.
Kevin Dunn was reportedly flipping out, demanding WWE doctors go into the Hell In A Cell structure to calm down the situation, however when Lesnar shoved the doctor, he did not return and the match continued regardless.
– Longtime WWE executive producer Kevin Dunn was trending worldwide on Twitter earlier this week after online rumors spread claiming he was the one who ordered Randy Orton to make comments about Kevin Owens’ weight during RAW. The rumors turned out to not be true, as Dunn nor Vince McMahon had anything to do with it.
– Vince McMahon tweeted the following on Friday, congratulating John Cena and Roman Reigns for being included on DoSomething.org’s “Athletes Gone Good” list, which recognizes and appreciates their charitable efforts.
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon reportedly views WWE Tough Enough as such a priority that he has skipped every WWE SmackDown television taping since the show premiered so that he could be live at Full Sail University in Florida.
Generally speaking, McMahon attends every Tuesday night SmackDown television taping, however he, along with longtime WWE Executive Producer Kevin Dunn, have made Tough Enough a priority over the show for the past few weeks.
– Noted Reddit user MetsFan4Ever is reporting that WWE executives, including Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn, have discussed dedicating tonight’s WrestleMania 31 “go-home” edition of WWE RAW to the memory of the late Mexican wrestling legend Perro Aguayo Jr., who tragically died after an accident during a match in Mexico this past weekend.
– WWE.com is currently running a poll asking fans who they are more excited to see at WrestleMania 31 this Sunday. With over 5,000 votes cast as of this writing, 60 percent have voted for Sting, with 40 percent of the votes going to Undertaker.
As noted, WWE security took the fans from their seats a few minutes into the show and had them change their clothes, telling them that apparently their attire was “too distracting,” something that is reportedly a pet peeve of WWE producer Kevin Dunn.
A WWE spokesperson apologized to the fans for inconveniencing them and offered them free tickets to an upcoming event.
Below is a photo of the fans in their gear before they were forced to change.
Additionally, here’s a letter that one of the fans sent to WWE and posted on the Reddit web forum.
“As a life-long fan of your product, I was very excited to attend your show last night (Des Moines 3/16/2015). I had secured 10 tickets in the front row at $100 a ticket. By my math that is $1,000 that we paid the WWE to attend your event. The seats were in the front row. Being a huge fan, I made sure to invite 9 other rabid fans and we all made the decision to pay tribute to our favorite wrestlers and dress like them. Within 10 minutes of the show starting, we were told that our outfits were “too distracting” and to change clothes, or we would be moved. I assure you none of the members of our party were being in any way unruly or belligerent. You can watch the taping and see for yourself. We were merely watching the show. Now, I have heard rumblings in the past of people being booted from their seats for costumes, but I always sided with the WWE and assumed that those fans HAD to have done something else to lose their seats, and WWE wouldn’t boot people for simply dressing up. Now I know that they indeed will do that, regardless of how respectful you are. This seems to contradict your “Be a Star” promotions (which ironically enough was running on the screen as we were being scolded by WWE producers) that seem to encourage fanaticism.
I guess at the end of the day, all I am looking for is an explanation as to why you would boot fans who spend the time, energy, and money on advocating your product. Seems like just the kind of people you would want in your corner.
For the record, I am still in your corner, however disappointed I may be.
Thanks for your time, Matt Sheridan
PS – Had we all been dressed as John Cena or Roman Reigns would the outcome have been different? Please advise so I can let the other 9 guys know for future shows.”
According to a new SEC filing, WWE has signed George Barrios, Kevin Dunn and Michelle Wilson to new deals this week that will see the three top company executives earn 174,095 shares of WWE stock each, as long as they stay with the company through July 2018, and as long as the company reaches certain financial goals.
The 174,095 shares of WWE stock is worth approximately three million dollars.
The new deal also gives each executive a one-year non-compete clause in their new deals, if they do decide to leave the company.
– It’s said that there were no directives made by anyone, including Kevin Dunn or other high-end WWE executives, during the live taping of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast special interview with Vince McMahon. It’s said that Austin was not told to stay away from any specific topics and was free to ask whatever he wanted.
– Sales for the new WWE 2K15 video game are believed to be ahead of what the sales were at this point last year for the WWE 2K14 video game.
– WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler appears to be indicating via social media messages today that United Airlines lost his luggage, which contained the I-C title belt. Ziggler posted the following tweets:
hope @united gets me my bag for #RAW um, anyone in Brooklyn sell replica intercontinental titles? asking for a friend
– WWE has a job opening for an Administrative Assistant to the Executive Vice President of Television Production, Kevin Dunn. The job description, which you can apply for here, includes the following responsibilities:
– Provide full administrative support to the Executive Office
– General office duties, including but not limited to, handling incoming calls, distributing mail, faxes and calendar management.
– Coordinate travel arrangements for executive office.
– Reconcile and prepare expense reports.
– Provide backup administrative support for Executive Offices.
– Develop and maintain a time off schedule for the Executive Office’s direct reports.
– Responsible for replenishing office supplies, maintaining and organizing the office and supply room.
– Handle incoming and outgoing correspondence.
– Responsible for taking lunch orders and picking up lunch.
– Take notes/minutes at monthly Executive meetings.
