– Charlotte noted on Twitter that she’ll be ringside for the Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch match scheduled for Monday’s RAW. The winner earns a shot at the Divas Championship,

– NXT Diva Adrienne Reese was wearing a cast on her left arm at last night’s NXT live event from Orlando, Florida. She took part in a meet and greet event before the show. No word yet on when she was injured.

– Triple H and Stephanie were in attendance for last night’s Black Sabbath concert at Madison Square Garden.

Thank you Ozzy and Sharon…amazing @BlackSabbath show last night @TheGarden! @StephMcMahon pic.twitter.com/5gK2WGRQCL

— Triple H (@TripleH) February 26, 2016

– Lana has been posting photos of her wedding dress shopping on Instagram. She and Rusev are scheduled to be married in September.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCO5JQnBKx_/

Mike Johnson at PWInsider is reporting that WWE alerted the roster yesterday to a new bit of policy enforcement. Back in May of 2011, all of the talent had to sign a rider to their contracts that was then added to the standard talent booking contract. From section  9.12 (d) of Stephanie McMahon’s 2013 talent contract, which is the most recent contract publicly available (all caps formatting is in the original):

NOTWITHSTANDING PROMOTER’S CURRENT POLICY OF PAYING MEDICAL EXPENSES FOR INJURIES WRESTLER MAY INCUR WHILE PERFORMING UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, WRESTLER SHALL MAINTAIN, AT HIS COST AND EXPENSE, HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE. THIS HEALTH INSURANCE MUST REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE TERM OF THE AGREEMENT, AND WRESTLER SHALL PROVIDE PROMOTER PROOF OF THIS INSURANCE ANNUALLY. WRESTLER MAY AT HIS ELECTION OBTAIN HEALTH, LIFE AND/OR DISABILITY INSURANCE TO PROVIDE BENEFITS IN THE EVENT OF PHYSICAL INJURY ARISING OUT OF OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES; AND WRESTLER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT PROMOTER SHALL NOT HAVE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCH INSURANCE OR PAYMENT IN THE EVENT OF PHYSICAL INJURY ARISING OUT OF HIS PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES.

Since then, WWE and Linda McMahon (who ran for one of Connecticut’s United States Senate seats in 2012) have been able to truthfully claim in the media that all talent has health insurance. That’s even though WWE does not provide the insurance or offset the cost in any way (unless WWE covering all on the job injuries lowers the wrestlers’ premiums).

What Johnson is reporting today is that WWE announced to the talent that as of February 21st (Johnson wrote 2/21/15 but that appears to be a typo in the context of what he wrote), they will be doing random checks with insurance companies to make sure that the wrestlers are fully compliant with the terms of their contracts. The memo stated that anyone without insurance must get everything in order in the next 60 days or else risk their status being that they would “not be available” to wrestle.

In other words: If you don’t have insurance, you’re being sidelined.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEu6NGPA0Cg

If the details of the report are true, then WWE must have or be in the process of getting HIPAA waivers from each talent to contact their insurance companies. HIPAA refers to the terms set by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which put the current American medical privacy laws into effect. Without a HIPAA waiver from each wrestler for their respective insurance company,the insurer is legally bound from telling WWE (or anyone else without a waiver) if the person in question is a member. It’s not entirely clear why WWE is doing this right now. The obvious inference is that some wrestlers found ways to game the system, perhaps by dropping the coverage for most of the year.

Outside of WWE, there is now widespread coverage of wrestlers in Mexico stemming from a deal made this past Summer. Around 2003-2004, TNA did provide group health insurance to wrestlers, but it didn’t last long and reviews of the coverage were mixed at best.

The folks at the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast are back with another interview: Mean Street Posse member Pete Gas (Pete Gasparino). Being that his on-screen persona of being one of Shane McMahon’s childhood friend was no gimmick, he has a unique perspective that you don’t really hear from anyone else. Here are some of the key quotes from the interview:

Did Shane have aspirations to take over for Vince?

Because of our friendship it’s not like we ever sat around at a bar on Greenwich Avenue and he said “I’m going to run this place”. It was never that type of conversation. Shane started from the bottom up, his father was and we all know his father is a genius. Shane started doing summer jobs and working for the company, he would work in the warehouse one summer. Eventually as he got older he started going on the road during summer break and he would set up the rings, he would get involved and do some refereeing.

Shane was groomed to learn every facet of the business and this way the more you know, the better you are and that was the way it is. I believe Stephanie was too. If I remember correctly she was working in the office in the main building at Titan Tower working in different departments there as well. The family is so close and I know that the bond that they all have is that since it’s just such a close family they always wanted to be together and this business is the air they breathe. It’s everything to them.

Will Shane ever return to WWE?

I think it’s one of those things where you don’t want to live in your Dad’s shadow. To be honest with you the only person who can truly answer that is Shane. It will always be in his blood to be in the business, whether or not he ever comes back. I don’t know, I couldn’t tell you. But he’s one of those guys that truly loves the business, he loved everything about it but maybe it was something he had to prove to himself.

How did the Mean Street Posse end up getting trained to wrestle and put into the developmental system?

At the time Dr. Tom [Prichard] was scouting talent and living in Stamford and it was like a toned down version of what they do on Breaking Ground, it wasn’t as intense it was just about the wrestling aspect. When he didn’t have anybody to train he was working just with us and God Bless Him because we gave him a few potatoes and I know we hurt him a couple of times but he was great to us. We learned from him at the studio and we were training every day after work and as time went on the office said we need to get you more matches so we are going to send you to Memphis to do TVs and you are going to fly back to Memphis on Wednesday’s and do shows with the developmental program.

Did he like the pro wrestler lifestyle?

I could honestly tell you that I woke up every single day jumping out of bed and I truly mean that with all my heart. I would jump out of bed and say I cannot wait to find out what I was going to be doing today. It was new, it was exciting and to live that lifestyle and I see how people get worn out and are beaten down because of the job but I guess it is the individual because for me I absolutely loved it, loved the attention, I always loved giving autographs and helping people out. Whether it was charity or going to a hospital whatever the case was I enjoyed it. The wrestlers that are upset, those guys didn’t have it like Rodney and me had it. Rodney and I never got to win a match. We never got the shine in a match we basically just got our asses kicked and I loved every bit of it.

In the full interview, he also talks about Pete his feud with Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco, meeting Shane McMahon, getting cut by WWE, and more.

WWE issued the following press release:

STAMFORD, Conn. – WWE today announced it has officially changed its corporate logo to convey a more contemporary, bold and powerful image while maintaining the iconic “W,” which has been a part of the company’s long-storied history. The logo, originally designed for WWE Network, will become the beacon of sports-entertainment and will represent the brand as it continues to bring together a passionate, diverse and global fanbase with a unique blend of live action, excitement and drama.

“We are excited to launch a new logo that reflects the evolution and future of WWE’s global brand,” said Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon. “While we usher in a new iconic brand identity, WWE’s best-in-class entertainment, which has stood the test of time for the past 50 years, will continue to reward our fans’ passion with our exciting blend of unique characters, incredible athleticism and engaging storylines.”

The new logo was unveiled on Twitter today by Vince McMahon, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, WWE, at the company’s headquarters in Stamford, Conn. Fans will begin to see it during SummerSlam, this Sunday, August 17, live on WWE Network and pay-per-view as the logo is rolled out across all platforms including live and televised entertainment, consumer products, digital media and WWE Studios.

The following was issued today:

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE, TRAIN, FLO RIDA, SHARON OSBOURNE, OMAR EPPS AND CHELSEA HIGHTOWER

JOIN WWE® AND THE CREATIVE COALITION TO STOP BULLYING

STAMFORD, Conn., August 14, 2014 – The Creative Coalition and WWE (NYSE:WWE), co-founders of the Be a STAR (Show Tolerance And Respect) anti-bullying initiative, today announced the launch of the S.T.A.R. Alliance, a group of actors, musicians, comedians, athletes, television personalities and members of The Creative Coalition, who have joined together to help put an end to bullying.

Members of the S.T.A.R. Alliance will join WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, WWE Superstars such as Big Show®, The Miz® and Mark Henry, and The Creative Coalition to spread the Be a STAR message of showing tolerance and respect to help combat bullying, reaching more than 400 million social media followers combined. Select S.T.A.R. Alliance members will also participate and share their stories at Be a STAR anti-bullying rallies across the U.S., including this week in Los Angeles as part of WWE’s community outreach events during SummerSlam® Week.

“The mission of the S.T.A.R. Alliance is to use pop culture’s most influential voices to help eradicate the raging bullying epidemic plaguing America’s schools,” said Robin Bronk, CEO of The Creative Coalition. “We are delighted to partner with WWE to bring these powerful and inspirational voices of the entertainment industry to encourage children to be participatory in standing up to bullies.”

“WWE is proud to help bring together a diverse group of international celebrities who all share the vision to stop bullying forever,” said Stephanie McMahon, Chief Brand Officer, WWE. “Through the joint efforts of WWE, The Creative Coalition and the S.T.A.R. Alliance, we hope to reach millions of young people and provide them with the knowledge and resources they need to help put an end to bullying in their communities.”

Be a STAR is an anti-bullying initiative co-founded in 2011 by The Creative Coalition and WWE. Its mission is to encourage young people to treat each other with tolerance and respect through education and grassroots initiatives. WWE and The Creative Coalition leverage the power of The Creative Coalition’s entertainment industry constituencies and WWE’s global brand and platforms to help combat the bullying epidemic plaguing today’s youth.

Last night’s Raw was held in Portland, Oregon and featured a crowd packed with hipsters, a few memorable contests, and the nWo reunion that had been teased on social media all week leading into the event.

The show was the “go-home” edition of Raw and was the final build for Sunday’s SummerSlam pay-per-view. As always, a few questions were answered, but many still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered following Monday’s Raw.

5. Is Corporate Kane Back Permanently?

Kane was back in his suit and tie this week on Raw, having once again handed in his mask on last week’s episode. The Demon made a match between Roman Reigns and RybAxel before departing for the locker room.

My question is simple: Does Kane have anything left in the tank with his corporate character? It seems the company doesn’t know what to do with him, as he has shifted back and forth between demon and corporate Kane over the past few months. If Kane is going to become a permanent fixture in the Authority storyline, hopefully something worthwhile comes of it, because it otherwise simply results in a convoluted storyline.

4. Where Have the Usos Been?

The Usos were absent from Raw this past week (other than the announcers issuing an open challenge on their behalf for tonight’s Main Event), and with SummerSlam only a few days away, they are also noticeably absent from the pay-per-view card. There are rumors of a fatal four-way tag team contest being put together for the pre-show, but nothing has been confirmed thus far.

With the Usos having defeated basically every tag team on the roster and holding the titles for most of the year, I think it is time for the brothers to drop the titles. Nothing against the Usos, but they have fought everyone on the roster and their run is quickly becoming stale. It appeared the titles were going to be put on the Wyatt Family a few weeks back, but the Usos prevailed. Hopefully a title change can shake up an otherwise stagnant tag team division.

WWE legend Mick Foley posted the following on his Facebook page on Monday night, questioning whether top company executives should be portraying evil characters on television:

A SERIOUS QUESTION FOR WWE 

“I swear, I’m not posting this right after WWE Monday Night Raw to be a smart alec, a trouble-maker or to create drama. But, could it be – following the precipitous tumble of WWE stock, that having real life WWE Chief Operating Officer Paul Levesque and Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon performing simultaneous duties as the on-air “Authority” is simply not best for business.

No matter where I might go, what I might say, and what type of home appliance WWE decisions may occasionally cause me to break, World Wrestling Entertainment is a GREAT company – a company that managed to post record profits during the worst economic downturn in a generation. I just bought stock myself – some I’m putting money where my mouth is here. I’ve heard from reliable sources that the WWE Network hasn’t yet met its initial goals, and that the recent TV deal signed with USA Network wasn’t as lucrative as investors had hoped. But there has to be something more – probably alot of little things. Might one of those things be the blurred line between the real life McMahon-Levesques and the characters of Triple H – WWE Universe and Stephanie McMahon – WWE they portray?

I vividly recall Vince McMahon looking at me like I was legitimately insane in 2007 when I told him I didn’t think the WWE Universe (I actually called them “fans”) made the distinction between Vince McMahon, the face of WWE, and “Mr McMahon” who, at the time, as a TV personality, has presumably been blown to smithereens in a televised exploding limousine incident.

Likewise, I’m not sure that everyone “gets” that Paul Levesque and Stephanie McMahon are definitely seasoned and intelligent business people who simultaneously portray horrible bosses as on-air authority figures. The lines are awfully blurry – and while most fans seem to understand that the real life Stephanie is that legitimately kind, caring soul we see on “Raw” as the face of the “Be a Star” campaign, and other positive endeavors that the company is involved in – she can be awfully convincing when she has that mic in her hand, and is dressing down, maligning…and occasionally slapping the dog poop out of WWE talent. Personally, I think Steph has been simply sensational as a character this year – but I’m not sure everyone “gets” that she’s essentially a really nice person, doing a really good job of being really, really bad.

Look, I don’t have all the answers, and there are probably far more factors at play than I am capable of understanding. But maybe, just maybe, having investors watch the Chief Operating Officer of a billion dollar company (past tense) kick the dog poop out of a hand-cuffed employee (or Independent contractor) is not best for business as far as Wall Street is concerned.”

The Yes! Movement received the worst possible news this week on Raw, as their unlikely hero announced that he will require neck surgery this Thursday and will be out of action for an indefinite amount of time.

Early reports indicate that Bryan has a broken neck and will be out for at least one to two months, with his possible returning coming at SummerSlam. This is terrible news for Bryan, who after a long journey finally captured the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.

It appears that he also will not be appearing on television in any capacity for at least a few weeks, as the attack later in the show by Kane was likely a way to write Bryan off of television while he recovers from surgery at home. This leads one to wonder about the future of the WWE Championship, and also if Bryan can maintain momentum while missing at least a month of time.

After finally overcoming the Authority at WrestleMania, Daniel Bryan will miss significant time due to injury.

As of now, it is being reported that Bryan will not be stripped of the title. This could of course change at any moment, especially if the product becomes stale during his absence. If Bryan ends up missing the maximum amount of time, that seems like a very long time to go with essentially no champion.

In my opinion, if it is determined that Bryan will miss any more than one month, the Authority should strip him of the title. This could serve a few purposes. First, it would keep momentum strong by having the Authority still trying to hold Bryan down, especially with Stephanie McMahon being the storyline reason Bryan was injured in the first place after unleashing the demon Kane.

Second, it could allow for someone else to receive a push in Bryan’s absence. Imagine if a tournament were held for the WWE Championship similar to the one just held for an Intercontinental Title match. It could allow for a fresh face to hold the championship for a while and create interesting television over the next few weeks by having qualifying matches on Raw, with the championship match being held at Money in the Bank.

WWE issued the following this morning:

For Immediate Release

WWE® RAISES MORE THAN $400,000 FOR CHILDREN’S CHARITIES

STAMFORD, Conn., April 28, 2014 – WWE today announced that its global online charity auction, Superstars for Kids, has raised more than $400,000 benefiting Boys & Girls Clubs and New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees’s non-profit organization, The Brees Dream Foundation.

As a part of WWE’s pro-social initiatives celebrating WrestleMania® 30 in New Orleans, the auction ran from March 31 through April 8 on charitybuzz.com, and featured unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences with WWE Superstars and other sports and entertainment celebrities. In addition to the online auction, a red carpet party featuring a live auction emceed by comedian, producer and star of the hit comedy A Haunted Mansion 2, Marlon Wayans was held at the New Orleans Museum of Art during WrestleMania Week.

“The support from WWE and its fans has been overwhelming,” said Drew Brees, Quarterback, New Orleans Saints. “The proceeds from Superstars for Kids is going to go a long way to improving the quality of life for so many children and their families.”

“We are thrilled and humbled by the generosity that WWE has shown and we are grateful for the opportunities that WrestleMania 30 has provided,” said Frank Sanchez, Vice President, Sports, Entertainment & Alumni Development for Boys & Girls Clubs. “The support from WWE will increase our capacity to create great futures for the youth of New Orleans.”

“WWE is committed to improving the lives of children around the world and I’m proud that our fans stepped up to support two very deserving organizations,” said Stephanie McMahon, Chief Brand Officer, WWE. “The funds raised through Superstars for Kids will help to create a brighter future for so many children.”

About WWE:
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 150 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Miami, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Munich and Tokyo.

Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to https://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

About Boys and Girls Club of America:
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana has been a positive force in the community for nearly fifty years; enabling young people to become productive, responsible and caring citizens through structured programming, safe learning environments and dedicated staff. With a focus on three core priority outcomes – Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Character & Leadership Development, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana provides opportunities to build new skills that raise each Club Member’s belief that he or she can succeed and receive recognition for personal, social and academic accomplishments. Additional information is available at www.bgcsela.org.

About The Brees Dream Foundation:
The Brees Dream Foundation was founded in 2003 by Brittany and Drew Brees with a mission to improve the quality of life for cancer patients, and provide care, education and opportunities for children and families in need. Since its inception, Brittany and Drew Brees and the Brees Dream Foundation have collectively committed and/or contributed more than $20,000,000 to charitable causes and academic institutions globally.To learn more, please visit www.drewbrees.com or follow Drew Brees on twitter at @drewbrees.

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon have taken on more of a leadership role within WWE over the past few weeks. As reported earlier, the two had more control than ever at WrestleMania XXX.

While Vince McMahon is still the top decision maker and WWE and has not shown any signs of stepping away any time soon, there’s a feeling behind the scenes that this is a transition period in WWE.

Analyzing WWE’s Changing Of The Guard

Regarding the death of the Ultimate Warrior, it was Triple H who informed the WWE talent about the tragic news. As you can imagine, Vince McMahon was said to be very shaken up by it.

Photo: Vince McMahon & Warrior At RAW

(Source: F4Wonline.com)