Posts Tagged ‘Sara Lee’

Pro Wrestling Social Media is a Double-Edged Sword

Can you imagine what the world of pro wrestling would be like had social media been around in the 1980s or even the 1990s? In the glory days of the Four Horsemen, Dave Schultz, Roddy Piper, Iron Sheik, the “Monday Night War,” Brian Pillman, DX, ECW…The list goes on and on. 

Today platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok have become an important piece of the business for better or worse. A proven double-edged sword in which pro wrestlers and personalities must walk a tightrope. They are in a unique position compared to an actor or athlete. Do they stay in character or not? Many times it’s a hybrid where the lines of reality are muddled, which can help advance a storyline. Then there are the missteps where a single Tweet can make or break someone. 

We’ve seen shoots, work shoots, and instances of being worked into a shoot. Among those who I think manages the waters of social media well is Becky Lynch. She’ll chime in at the right time, knowing what will get people talking. The popular performer has also been known to clap back with receipts like a recent interaction with Vince Russo or shutting down body-shaming attacks on boyfriend Adam Cole. Another good one is Britt Baker, who brings a similar approach. They’ve each grown their popularity, even when they aren’t on TV. 

MJF is known for his outspokenness on AEW shows. It’s this authenticity and confidence that has made him must-watch each week. The same can be seen on social media in which the much talked about star will provide entertainment sparring with the likes of Dionne Warwick. Though he’ll also use the space to draw awareness to some really serious issues.

MJF has called out antisemitism including comments made by Kanye West. Even when tweets are deleted, they live on in cyberspace and headlines. It’s an interesting position to be in when MJF is considered a “heel” on television delivering some pretty harsh and controversial promos.

Social media can be a slippery slope. A back-and-forth between Sammy Guevara and Andrade got heated on Twitter regarding comments Andrade made about Guevara being stiff in the ring to  Más Lucha. A war of words boiled over into reported physicality backstage at Dynamite, which led to Andrade being sent home. 

Unfortunately, social media has also given attention to trolls who like nothing more than to rile someone up. Cyberbullying and body shaming are real problems, and the pro wrestling world is not immune. Hateful things are said just to get a reaction when in actuality it only does harm to your mental health. Imagine getting inundated by these horrible messages on a daily basis.

That doesn’t make you feel good. After all, deep down these figures, we watch in the ring are human beings just like anyone else. There is a reason Jade Cargill took a break from Twitter and Toni Storm just left it altogether. It got so bad for Stardom athlete Hana Kimura, she took her own life. If that doesn’t get you thinking twice about sending a message with the intent of making someone feel bad, I don’t know what will.

Matt Cardona knows how to use social media to help grow his brand. That can be traced all the way back to Cardona’s YouTube show. He has used it as a way to spread the word about everything he has going on and selling. A tool and means to an end. Making money.

Social media can be a powerful way to get a message across and create awareness for a cause. Nobody knows that more than Mick Foley, who has raised thousands of dollars over the years through many fundraisers. Drake Maverick’s emotional reaction to losing his job after being released in 2020 went viral. So much, John Cena took note and WWE couldn’t ignore the groundswell of support. Triple H presented him with a new contract down the line on NXT. 

The pro wrestling community has also mobilized on a number of occasions, coming together to help. When the shocking news broke that Tough Enough alum Sara Lee passed away at age 30, a GoFundMe was set up for her family by friend Bull James. Thanks to wrestling stars and others spreading the word more than $103,000 were generated. A heartwarming response to a sad story. 

Social media isn’t going anywhere. And if you’re a pro wrestler it can be a blessing or curse. The ones who find success are those who maintain a level of authenticity and a genuine voice. They also practice a rule we should all be following. Think before you post.  

Who is your favorite follow? Why? Let me know in the comments or by tweeting me @smFISHMAN. 

WWE Tough Enough Winner Sara Lee Passes Away, Wrestlers Pay Tribute

WWE Tough Enough winner Sara Lee (Sara Ann Weston) has tragically passed away. She was only 30 years old. Her mother announced the news on Facebook on Thursday.

There has been no cause of death revealed at this time. Her mother wrote “It is with heavy hearts we wanted to share that our Sara Weston has gone to be with Jesus. We are all in shock and arrangements are not complete. We ask that you respectfully let our family mourn” in the heartbreaking announcement.

Lee won Tough Enough in 2015 and earned a one-year contract with the promotion. She lost to Alicia Fox in the finale of the show and was released in 2016 after working live events but never debuted on NXT.

Sara was also a competitive powerlifter and entered Tough Enough with no previous wrestling experience. She outlasted Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose, Chelsea Green, and Velveteen Dream in the competition.

She was recently training at the Team Vision Dojo in Orlando. Sara married former WWE Superstar Wesley Blake in December 2017. The couple lived in Orlando and had three children together.

Wrestlers Pay Tribute To Sara Lee

Several wrestlers have commented on the tragic news today. AEW star Saraya sent love to Sara’s family and posted photos of the two together.

Former NXT star Bull James (Bull Dempsey) has set up a fund to help her family. As of this writing, Cody Rhodes, Alexa Bliss, Braun Strowman, Becky Lynch and The Cardonas have donated.

Brandi Rhodes said she never got to meet Sara Lee but noticed her beautiful energy. RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair sent out a message as well.

On behalf of SEScoops, we send our condolences to friends, family, and fans of Sara Lee.

NXT Star and Tough Enough Winner Get Married, WWE Future Endeavors 2017 Video, Francine Joins Twitter

– NXT star Wesley Blake and 2015 Tough Enough winner Sara Lee got married over the weekend in Titusville, Florida.

Former WWE developmental talent CJ Dunning revealed the news in a post on Instagram.

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The couple are the parents of a daughter named Piper, who was born on May 1, 2017.

– Above is the WWE Future Endeavors 2017 video from YouTube user mangler989, which highlights talent that officially parted ways with WWE this past year.

Among those who left WWE in 2017 are Mada Abdelhamid, Rosa Mendes, Jack Swagger, Simon Gotch, Chris Atkins, Andrea D’Marco, Theophilus Agbi, Austin Aries, HoHo Lun, Eva Marie, Emma, Darren Young, Summer Rae, Sawyer Fulton, Leo Gao, Bronson Matthews and James Ellsworth.

– Former ECW star Francine is now on Twitter @ECWDivaFrancine.

Additional Notes On Release Of Tough Enough Season 6 Winner

As noted earlier, in a case of history repeating itself, WWE has released Tough Enough season 6 female winner Sara Lee from her contract in Friday, which was first reported by Ryan Satin at ProWrestlingSheet.com. Being that the Tough Enough season finale took place on August 25, 2015, Lee lasted just a month past the term of her initial one year, $250,000 contract. Male winner Josh Bredl (NXT’s Bronson Matthews) is still under contract for the time being, as well as female runner up Amanda Saccomanno (NXT’s Mandy Rose) and overall #11 Daria Berenato (NXT’s Daria).

While Lee had consistently done well in the viewer voting, Rose appeared to be the coaches’ pick, and if NXT bookings are any indication, Lee was not progressing as quickly as her peers. According to WrestlingData, Lee only had eight matches in NXT, all on Florida house shows, while Mandy Rose and Daria have had individual months where they had that many matches. Bredl/Matthews has had even less matches (five), but there are also more spots for the men.

The winner of Tough Enough’s fourth season (the one on SmackDown), MMA fighter Daniel Puder, was similarly cut after one year of being paid $250,000. He was progressing well and getting pushed on OVW (developmental TV) by then-booker Paul Heyman, but that apparently wasn’t taken into account. Puder is best known for catching Angle in a double wristlock/Kimura during an actual shoot match on SmackDown. Referee Jimmy Korderas was the only one to realize what was happening and counted a pinfall victory for Angle even though Puder had a shoulder up. Angle complained to Puder afterwards that it was supposed to be an amateur wrestling match, even though it had three count pins and he won his previous match with a neck crank, which is illegal in amateur wrestling.

WWE Cuts Tough Enough Winner Sara Lee

After winning Tough Enough last year, Sara Lee has been released from her contract with WWE.

ProWrestlingSheet.com reports that Lee was cut on Friday. There’s no word at this point on why she was let go by the company.

Lee beat out hundreds, if not thousands, of other women last year to earn one-year contract with WWE worth $250,000. She made her in-ring debut in January, but had only competed sparingly since. She was never introduced on NXT television.

Mandy Rose, who was the runner-up, was instantly signed to a contract and cast on the last season of Total Divas. She’s since made a few appearances on NXT television.

The male winner of Tough Enough, Josh Bredl, has yet to debut on television. He has been making sporadic appearances at non-televised NXT live events in Florida, but hasn’t wrestled in nearly three months.

Mark Henry Pulled From The Royal Rumble, Tough Enough Winner Debuts In NXT

– Mark Henry is no longer listed as a Royal Rumble entrant, according to WWE.com. There’s no word yet on why Henry has been pulled from the match after revealing this week that this could very well be his final Rumble before retirement.

– WWE Tough Enough winner Sara Lee made her NXT live event debut at Friday’s show in Cocoa Beach, Florida. She was interviewed in the ring by Tom Phillips and turned heel.

https://twitter.com/snkxwwe/status/688162462361751553

Update On Colin Cassady Injury Angle At NXT TV Tapings

Currently out of action, WWE NXT Superstar Colin Cassady has what appears to be a broken leg. Cassady worked Friday’s meet and greet in Tampa, FL which also featured Enzo Amore and WWE Tough Enough winner Sara Lee. It’s worth mentioning that Cassady was walking on crutches and did not wrestle.

At last week’s NXT TV taping, the storyline appeared to be an injury angle with Cass and The Mechanics for the 10/28 episode. Cassady’s knee brace was removed and they were working his leg over, leading correspondents in attendance to believe it was just an angle for the show.

Tough Enough Finalist ZZ At The WWE Performance Center

Tough Enough finalist Zamariah “ZZ” Loupe was at the WWE Performance Center working out in the ring on Monday, according to PWInsider.com. No confirmation yet as to whether he has signed with the company.

Aside from Tough Enough winners Josh Bredl and Sara Lee earning one year $250,000 WWE contracts, finalist Amanda Saccomanno has reportedly signed on to be a cast member in the next season of Total Divas, which is currently in production.

Update On WWE Tough Enough Finalist Joining Total Divas, Bayley/Izzy (Video), More

– As noted recently, WWE Tough Enough winner Sara Lee has started at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The other winner of this season, Josh Bredi, has also reportedly started at the Performance Center.

– Regarding recent rumors that Tough Enough finalist Amanda Saccomanno has signed with WWE and will be replacing Naomi on Total Divas, while we can’t confirm that she will be replacing Naomi, we can confirm that she has signed on to become part of the Total Divas cast.

– WWE recently posted the following on Twitter, which shows NXT women’s champion Bayley’s number one super fan Izzy hanging out with her recently.

Sara Lee At The WWE Performance Center, Scott Hall On Steve Austin’s Podcast & More

– WWE recently sent out a fan survey and one of the questions asked what time they think WWE PPV events should begin. The choices were 1pm, 5pm, 7pm and 8pm.

– WWE Tough Enough winner Sara Lee began training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando yesterday.

– Diamond Dallas Paige mentioned on Twitter that Scott Hall will be a guest on an upcoming episode of the Steve Austin Show:

– Titus O’Neil is teasing a big announcement coming soon:

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William Regal Wrestling At Takeover: London? Total Divas Season 5 & More

– It’s rumored that NXT General Manager William Regal will be getting back in the ring for a match at the NXT Takeover: London live event scheduled for December 16th.

– Tough Enough winner Sara Lee noted on Twitter that she’s leaving her hometown this week and moving to Orlando, home of the WWE Performance Center.

– Natalya revealed that filming for the next season of Total Divas is underway. She had several family members over on Tuesday (including her father, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart) to watch this season’s finale and Total Divas camera men were there getting footage for Season 5.

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Sara Lee Talks Tough Enough, Possibly Feuding With Paige, Fan Voting & More

WWE Tough Enough winner Sara Lee recently spoke with M Live about her experience on the show. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On if she would have made it to the finals if not for the fan voting: “It’s hard to say because the show would have had a different format. At the end of the day, the WWE is about who people want to see in the ring and see who they connect with. The fans chose who they wanted.”

On if she wants to be a babyface or a heel: “I’m open to whatever, because things are constantly changing in WWE. I’d have to work on my heel character a little bit. With the right tools, I think I could put together a good heel character. Whatever is asked of me, whatever the demands are, I’m ready to try it.”

On if she sees a rivalry in her future with Paige: “I think the foundation is definitely there for a good match with her someday. Outside of the ring, Paige is really cool and everything she says to me, I don’t take it personally. She’s just trying to help me improve. I take her suggestions and criticisms and learn from them. She’s one of my favorite WWE Divas.”

Check out the complete interview at MLive.com.

Mick Foley Calls Out Amanda For “Slut-Shaming” Sara Lee On Tough Enough

WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley took to social media and lashed out at Amanda for what he called “slut-shaming” Sara Lee on the finale episode of WWE Tough Enough on Tuesday evening.

Below is what “The Hardcore Legend” had to say:

THE NIGHT MICK GOT MAD

Yes, I kind of lost it for a few minutes while watching the season finale of WWE Tough Enough. Although I hadn’t commented publicly on the show since the ouster of Patrick Clark seven weeks ago, I’d been watching with my younger kids (who claim it’s “best show ever, in the history of TV) and have actually enjoyed the shows the past few weeks – when the emphasis was put on wrestling, instead of random “challenges”. I hadn’t planned on commenting on the show, voting, or telling anyone who to vote for.

Then I heard it – Amanda publicly “exposing” rumors of Sara Lee’s sex life, in an an attempt to sway voters against her. My immediate thought: she just slut-shamed Sara Lee on national television” – and it struck me as a hateful, petty, vindictive thing to do. Alas, for Amanda, the tactic seemed to backfire, and the bikini model from Yorktown Heights lost in a nearly 2-1 landslide, despite having advantages in almost every category that would seem to matter – beauty, body, athleticism, a save from The Miz, and her self-professed “it” factor.

So I broke my silence, sent out a tweet about how I felt about the situation, and could not have been happier with the outcome of the show. Someone pointed out to me that, in fairness to Amanda, that “apparently there was evidence, Mick”. To which I replied “I don’t give a crap if there was “evidence” – it was mean-girl bullying, and the antithesis of showing tolerance and respect.”

There’s a chance – probably a good chance – that WWE will hire Amanda to a developmental contract. If they do, I suggest they give her a little talk about sexual bullying, or “slut-shaming” – described by the Urban Dictionary as “an unfortunate phenomenon in which people degrade or mock a woman because she enjoys having sex, has sex a lot, or may even just be rumored to participate in sexual activity.” I wish one of the judges, coaches or other participants would have publicly acknowledged Amanda’s accusation. They didn’t. So I have.

What’s the big deal? Simple. Slut-shaming affects lives. It destroys lives. Sometimes, when the burden of public shaming becomes too much to bear, it can even end them.

I’ve put my time and money behind what I believe, which is the reason I’m proud to be part of the upcoming “UnSlut: A Documentary Film”. Please watch and share the trailer. You might just make the world a little better place for all mankind. Just turn down the volume if you’re watching at work….that “S” word come flying out at you a few times. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXvh9c79gqg

Trish Tweets About Sara Lee & The Divas Revolution, What Happened After SmackDown Tapings

– After Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings went off the air, Seth Rollins attacked Dean Ambrose from behind while Ambrose was calling out Bray Wyatt. Rollins cut a promo about being the man in WWE and went to Pedigree Ambrose, but it was blocked and Ambrose nailed him with Dirty Deeds to end the show.

– WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus tweeted the following about Tough Enough winner Sara Lee and the Divas Revolution, questioning why Natalya hasn’t been involved in the movement:

– Variety reports that Sunday’s season finale of The Rock’s “Ballers” on HBO averaged 1.43 million viewers, down from last week’s 1.57 million. Ballers was HBO’s highest-rating comedy series of this decade. The Rock tweeted:

WWE Tough Enough Finale Results: Josh & Sara Lee Earn Contracts

On Tuesday night’s season finale episode of WWE Tough Enough on the USA Network, the two winners of this season of Tough Enough were announced.

After working matches with Cesaro, we had Josh and Z.Z. stand and wait for the voting scores to come in. In a landslide, Josh beat Z.Z. with 70 percent of the votes.

On the female side, both Sara Lee and Amanda worked matches against Team Bella member and veteran WWE Diva Alicia Fox. In the end, the voting saw Sara win in a landslide with 64 percent of the vote compared to 36 for Amanda.

WWE Bans Another Term, Wrestlers At Private Piper Funeral Service, WWE Attendance

– Following the “ring rat” controversy between Amanda and Sara Lee on this week’s edition of the WWE Tough Enough post-show, “Tough Talk,” WWE has banned another term. After the show, where Amanda accused Sara Lee of being a “ring rat,” WWE sent word that the term “ring rat” is banned from any stories on their website.

– Among the pro wrestlers who attended the invitation-only funeral for the late WWE Hall Of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper at The Comedy Store in Hollywood, California on August 17th were Austin Aries, Diamond Dallas Page, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Chavo Guerrero Sr., Mando Guerrero, Lisa Marie Varon, Gene LeBell, Rock Riddle, Bas Rutten, Josh Barnett, Dave Marquez, Will Sasso, John Morrison and Rick Bassman.

– The following are some recent WWE attendance figures:

* August 15th in Citrus Springs, FL for NXT drew 300 fans
* August 15th in Detroit drew 5,500 fans (Seth Rollins tour, John Cena pulled)
* August 15th in Sioux Falls, SD drew 3,500 fans (Roman Reigns tour)
* August 16th in Bemidji, MN drew 2,500 fans (Rollins tour)
* August 16th in Fargo, ND drew 5,500 fans (Reigns tour)
* August 17th in Minneapolis for RAW drew 10,000 fans

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Tough Enough Finalist Amanda Accuses Sara Lee Of Being A “Ring Rat”

On this week’s edition of WWE Tough Enough, early favorite to win, Tanner, was eliminated from the show, setting the stage for next week’s finale episode.

Although both were already guaranteed a spot in the finals, Sara Lee and Amanda had a big confrontation on Tuesday night.

On the “Tough Talk” post-show on the WWE Network, Amanda claimed that she was only playing a role on the show, and wasn’t actually the person she was portraying. She claimed that Sara Lee was playing a role as well.

“The most annoying thing about Sara is that she plays the role of the girl-next-door, and honestly, she’s not the girl-next-door,” said Amanda.

Amanda would go on to refer to Sara Lee as a “ring rat,” which is a derrogatory word for “groupie” female fans of wrestling and wrestlers.

“I get a rep because of the way I look, and I think it’s kind of funny because maybe the reason she’s so ‘likable,’ because of being at the barracks every weekend practicing her moves, she’s playing ring rat,” said Amanda.

The judges were apparently shocked by Amanda’s claims, as was Sara Lee.

“That’s not true, for the record,” said Sara. “She’s trying to get into my head, or the heads of the WWE Universe. She can say what she wants. She said herself she was going to try to plant seeds of doubt in my head.”

The WWE Tough Enough season finale airs next Tuesday night on the USA Network. Make sure to visit SEScoops.com for a complete recap of the event.