As has been rumored for a while, WWE finally confirmed two of the top matches scheduled for the upcoming WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view.
At the end of Monday’s edition of RAW at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, it was announced by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon that at the Hell In A Cell pay-per-view, John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose will take place, with the winner earning the right to face Seth Rollins in an actual Hell In A Cell match later on in the pay-per-view.
WWE executive Stephanie McMahon appeared on the TDB Show (which features Tiki Barber, Brandon Tierney and Dana Jacobson) on CBS Sports Radio this morning to promote tonight’s edition of WWE RAW at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
During the interview, Stephanie also spoke of WWE’s relationship with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which she claims started because John Cena had a family member who suffered from breast cancer.
She said there are a lot of similarities between her childhood and how her own kids are growing up in the business. She mentioned that her oldest daughter has been “bitten by the WWE bug” and apparently wants to become a WWE Diva when she gets older.
During a recent Slam! Wrestling interview to promote upcoming WWE live events in Canada, WWE Diva and Total Divas star Natalya recalled her “flatulence” storyline from 2012. Below is an excerpt from the interview where she touches on the subject.
“”It’s so great to say, ‘No matter what I’m given, I’m going to make it great.’ I’m going to pass gas, maybe I had too many protein bars that morning. I’m sorry, but as a Diva, I’m going to eat a lot of protein, and if I’m going to do that, then I’m going to look like a rockstar doing that, dressed to the nines in vintage couture and I’m going to make it gold.
I think the McMahons really embraced that. Look at Stephanie — she’s the biggest character in WWE. She’s just captivating, whether she’s getting thrown into a pool of mud with Vickie Guerrero or being arrested.”
– The folks at Inc. Magazine recently sat down with WWE executive Stephanie McMahon for a discussion about what makes a great team in the workplace, how her children motivate her in business and more. You can check those video interviews out here and here.
– WWE legend The Undertaker is scheduled to make a rare appearance at the Wizard World Austin Cmoic Con event in Austin, Texas on Friday. For more information, visit WizardWorld.com.
– Stephanie McMahon hosted a backstage party for breast cancer survivors and others involved in the Susan G. Komen Foundation prior to Monday’s RAW in Chicago, Illinois. The WWE Community website has photos from the party, which you can check out at Community.WWE.com.
– As noted on Monday’s RAW, Roman Reigns is set to do an interview on next Monday’s show in Brooklyn, New York. WWE did not specify whether or not Reigns will be live at the Barclays Center or if he’ll be doing a taped interview, although it is possible he will appear live as he is scheduled to be in New York City for his appearance at Ringside Fest.
As noted recently, WWE will be releasing fitness DVDs featuring both Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. The single-disc DVDs are listed at $10.49 each and are scheduled to be released on December 2nd.
The official titles for the DVDs are “WWE Power Series: Triple H” and “WWE Fit Series: Stephanie McMahon” and were produced by Lionsgate.
WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon spoke to ChicagoNow.comthis week to promote Monday’s RAW. Here are some highlights of what she said about:
Being One Of The Top Heels in WWE:
“I wouldn’t say I am taking over for my Dad. My husband and I are involved in a fun storyline where we represent the ‘evil owners’. Playing the bad guy is so much fun for me and I’m not sure why. But it’s very impactful when I do the community service such as the anti-bully campaign. I have the opportunity to tell these kids about entertainment versus reality. Are whole goal is to give these kids tools to stand up to bullying.
It’s funny when I get to show footage during a speaking engagement such as Hijack Raw that happened in Chicago. I will often to show footage that features my character in villainous light and people laugh. The speech I’m giving is in my executive voice and me as a person. Seeing me in character is a complete opposite take of who I am outside of the ring. It’s fun and enjoyable and at the end of the day that’s what it’s all about.”
Top Superstars Getting Injured:
“In terms of the creative writing process, injuries will happen. We just have to prepare for those types of unforeseen incidents. NXT is absolutely one level of our developmental systems. That is really our foundation. The NXT slogan is ‘The Future Is Now’ and we have to prepare the next superstars and divas for that call they could get at any time. The plan also is to have several talent at many levels ready to move up when an injury occurs.”
She also said she’d love for WWE to return to Chicago for another WrestleMania.
– The upcoming line of WWE fitness DVDs featuring Triple H and Stephanie will be titled, “WWE Fit.” The first DVD is due out in November.
– The advertised dark match main event for Monday’s WWE RAW from Brooklyn, New York will see John Cena and Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins and Randy Orton.
– WWE Studios is developing an English-language adaption of French comedy “Les Reines Du Ring.” A DVD of the film will be released next month and features cameos from CM Punk The Miz and Eve Torres.
– WWE is currently working on putting together Fantasy Camps that would allow fans to experience the WWE Performance Center first hand. The company sent out a survey to their “Fan Council” mailing list over the summer and it looks like they got a good response.
Stephanie McMahon appeared on WGN television to promote tonight’s RAW in Chicago, Illinois. During the interview, Stephanie was asked about the possibility of a reconciliation with CM Punk and WWE.
“CM Punk is an incredible character,” said Stephanie. “We’ve had a lot of fun with him and who knows what the future holds.”
Stephanie didn’t seem to be hinting at anything, instead, she merely answered the question.
You can watch Stephanie’s appearance on the program at WGNTV.com.
For the past year, the Authority has dominated WWE storylines. They have been involved in every WWE World Heavyweight Championship feud along the way, often influencing the outcomes of important matches.
Along the way, Triple H started using the phrase, “Adapt or Perish” to describe his stable Evolution. However, over the past few months, it appears that the Game should apply that same philosophy to the Authority.
Rollins has been one of the bright spots in the Authority storyline over the past few months.
Indeed, it has been much of the same as of late with the Authority. Other than adding Seth Rollins as a member a few months ago, the group has done literally nothing to change over the past year. This has resulted in too much Corporate Kane, a reliance on six-man tag matches nearly every week on Raw, and an almost identical storyline for any face attempting to challenge the Authority’s, well, authority.
In my opinion, the Authority has gone stale and needs to do something quickly in order to minimize the risk of losing fan interest. One possible solution would be to add new members. This could easily be accomplished by having one of the current members defect from the stable.
The most logical option would be Randy Orton, as they have teased tension between Orton and the Authority, and he’s a far more marketable star than Kane, the other stooge doing the group’s bidding. By having Orton leave the Authority, it could open the door for another young star as well.
Seth Rollins has benefited immensely since joining forces with Triple H and company. He captured the Money in the Bank briefcase, seems to be more confident on the mic with each passing week, and is way over with the fans. The stable could add another future star (perhaps someone from NXT) in an attempt to inject more life into the program.
In all, adding new talent to the Authority could only help, as the current storyline is extremely repetitive and formulaic, with most programs ending after Kane interferes in a match and the Authority beats down an opponent.
Inside WWE right now, people are discussing a current power struggle going on involving Triple H and Stephanie McMahon on one side and WWE executives George Barrios and Michelle Wilson on the other.
For those wondering, Barrios and Wilson were the key executives in charge of both the WWE Network launch and the new WWE cable television deal, neither of which were anywhere near as successful as the company had hoped for.
– WWE CBO Stephanie McMahon celebrates her 38th birthday today. Stephanie was born on September 24, 1976.
– As noted in the past, Kevin Nash has been rumored to appear in the sequel to the male stripper movie, “Magic Mike.” Nash has since confirmed the news with the following tweet.
Last night, Vince Russo officially kicked off the #DearVince campaign on his Pyro and Balyhoo website and he is giving YOU a platform to make your voice heard by Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, and the entire WWE Universe.
Wrestling fans have become increasingly jaded and bored with the current WWE product and the lack of intriguing, addictive stories that keep them on the edge of their seats. Everyone has complained and vented,but nobody has figured out how to tell Vince McMahon directly. Until now.
Has watching three hours of Raw become a chore for you? Are you bored with the storylines? Are you disappointed with the stop-start pushes and feuds? Are you overall just sick and tired of having your intelligence insulted?
The #DearVince campaign encourages ALL wrestling fans to take to social media – tweet your frustrations on Twitter, post your ideas on Facebook, even upload a video to Youtube or Instagram with the hashtag #DearVince and get involved!
They can’t ignore us all, and the more voices who join…the louder we get. You can learn more about the movement at www.DearVinceProject.com.
In addition to the launch of the campaign, Vince Russo will also be “booking” his own version of each upcoming Raw, allowing the fans to see “what could be”, compared to “what is”. You can decide for yourself which show is best!
As Russo himself says, “#DearVince, it’s time for our voices to be heard, and you WILL hear us!!”
– Stephanie McMahon is featured in the October edition of “Shape” magazine. In the magazine, Stephanie talks about how she stays in shape while not only juggling her WWE career, but while also being a mother to three children. The article promotes the upcoming release of she and Triple H’s upcoming WWE Fit DVD series.
– The Divas who were featured in the NXT Takeover 2 backstage segment with Tyler Breeze were Dasha Kuret, Dana Brooke and Leyvonna.
Former WWE and TNA writer Vince Russo wrote the following open letter to Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H after watching this past Monday night’s edition of WWE RAW. The letter comes courtesy of Russo’s official website, PyroAndBallyhoo.com.
Dear Vince, Stephanie and Hunter,
First let me apologize for my rant last night on Russo on Raw. I’m Italian, I’m emotional, I’m sorry I get that way sometimes. Come to think of it, you probably witnessed it first hand in a galaxy far, far away—many light years ago. The truth is—I hate to criticize RAW. I really do. Having been there and done that, I realize how difficult it is to come up with two hours of compelling content every week – let alone three. The job is not easy, I understand that, and nobody can be criticized for TRYING and giving their BEST EFFORT—nobody. But . . . the question I have to ask is: “Is what we see every Monday Night honestly and truly your best effort? I just know that having worked with all three of you in the past, I don’t think any of us would have been satisfied, or even ALLOWED last night’s show to air in its final form. Are we seriously not better than that? What happened to our mantra during the Attitude Era when this week’s show was going to be better than last weeks? Remember that, Vince?
I don’t know what it is. I don’t know the structure, because I am not there, but nobody—NOBODY—can tell me that with a bit more effort you couldn’t be doing better than what WE THE PEOPLE are being exposed to every Monday Night. Look—we all love wrestling, we are all HUGE fans of the WWE and in all truthfulness—WE WANT TO LIKE THE SHOW!!! But, you just make it so difficult. Asking anybody to sit through three hours of what you’re currently putting on the air is not only asking too much . . .but, it’s also unfair.
Look, I’m not going to tell you what to do, or how to do it, who am I? All I’m asking is that you all ask each other—is this the best that World Wrestling Entertainment has to offer its fans? If the answer is yes, that I guess I’ve just over-rated you, however, I think we all know that’s not the answer. I don’t think any of you can walk away from that building on Monday night honestly believing that you had just put your best foot forward. I don’t believe that for a second.
Right now, you have an UNBELIEVABLE talent roster, up and down from first match to main event, but the writing and producing of the show is just not serving them justice. You have to know that. What happened to the work ethic and the commitment that we all shared during the Attitude Era? What happened to that passion, when we literally used to leave our own BLOOD, SWEAT and TEARS on the script that we wrote. If something didn’t exceed our expectations we were sick over it for days—I know I was.
Vince, Stephanie, Triple H, YES we will always be here no matter what. We support you, and we support the WWE, but the truth is . . . we deserve better. And, deep down inside I know that you know that.
It looks as though WWE has ended their relationship with the social media website, “Tout.” WWE has not used their main Tout page since July 12th and NXT hasn’t used theirs since May 25th. Additionally, several WWE Superstars have gone months without using their Tout accounts.
WWE invested $5,000 with Tout back in July of 2012 and entered into a two-year partnership with the company. It looks like that deal has expired and that WWE has decided not to renew it.
It was reported back in 2012 that WWE CBO Stephanie McMahon would be on Tout’s Board of Directors.
The following are highlights of a new Wrestle Reaction interview with Vince Russo:
On the Nikki Bella backstage segments and storyline: “It’s difficult for me to criticize people, but I try to do it in a nice way. Nikki Bella is not a good actress. Now, you have to understand, these people are wrestlers. Acting isn’t their forte. You’re asking them to be good wrestlers and good actors. Some people are just good wrestlers and not good actors; those are the people you have to work with more. When they first started doing those backstage segments tonight, my first thought is “good”! They’re protecting Nikki Bella. They know she’s not a good actress. They’re putting her in a pre-taped situation where, if it’s bad, they can shut it down and do it over again. Then what do they do? They put her out there in the ring, in front of the people, on a live show where there is no net, no protection, and she’s not a good actress. Something like that makes absolutely no sense! Look at the time we spent on that in-ring segment and at the end of the segment all we got was a shove. If the idea of that segment was for Stephanie McMahon to give Nikki Bella a Diva’s Title shot, well then when she’s in the back with Triple H, call Nikki into the office and do your business back there in 30 seconds. It doesn’t warrant a 12 minute in-ring segment where nothing happened and you made your Diva’s Champion Paige, the most valuable person in that ring, a supporting actress in the background. There was no point to that. At the end of the day, it was a waste of time!”
O the current WWE creative mindset: “When Ed and I were writing for WWE, we were not of the wrestling world. We were fans like you guys. So, we weren’t “The Bookers” who had 25 years of experience in the wrestling business and did things only one way. We were fans, we came in fresh. We were writing from a fan perspective and what the fans wanted. That had a lot to do with the success of the Attitude Era. The minute Ed and I left to go to WCW, WWE went back to what they know and what they know is “wrestling”. They have people working backstage, in their training facility, who have been wrestlers for years and years and that’s the product that they put out there. Unfortunately, and Glenn Gilberti (The Disco Inferno) said it best on my show, “Wrestling does not draw”. At the end of the day, the matches do not draw. It’s everything else in between that draws. They don’t know how to do that anymore. They’re just doing what they know how to do and that’s “wrestling”.”
On Vince McMahon wanting The Rock vs Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31: “This is my opinion. I’m the biggest fan from the guys from my era and generation. I mark out when I see Shawn Michaels come out last week. When I see The Rock, I mark out. But, there has to come a point in time, in my opinion, where the WWE stops relying on that older talent to get a boost in the ratings. They have enough talent now. The talent is there. They have some guys that are unbelievable! That article I wrote for PyroandBallyhoo.com, where I talked about Rollins and the Shield, the fact that they split up the Shield and made stars out of all three is unbelievable! That is a great accomplishment by the WWE. They’ve got those guys, they’ve got Bray Wyatt, the talent is there. At some point, you have to start going with what you have and build that up. You have to stop relying on Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, as much as we love to see them, you gotta bring Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins to that level. I think Vince is out of his mind to go with Brock Lesnar vs The Rock. At some point, the future of the WWE has to be now! It can’t be the Attitude Era, it has to be now!”
The following are highlights from the latest Jim Ross blog:
On WWE’s publicity stunt with Michael Sam: “The publicity motivated move by WWE to invite Michael Sam to next week’s RAW is intriguing as far as media exposure is concerned. The former SEC conference defensive player of the year was recently cut by the St. Louis Rams but is likely to be picked up on another NFL team. Sam is the first, openly gay NFL player to come out prior to the annual NFL Draft. It will be interesting to see how Sam’s creatively utilized IF he accepts WWE’s invite. Perhaps WWE is Michael Sam’s plan B. Who knows?”
“This matter will get WWE more national publicity than any thing else advertised on the first RAW of 2014 versus the NFL’s Monday Night Football. Again, will Michael Sam agree to appear? Stay tuned.”
On Stephanie McMahon and AJ Lee: “The tension between Stephanie McMahon and AJ Lee was interesting. Could be an compelling scenario going forward especially the promos.”
On NXT: “Been enjoying the NXT broadcasts on the WWE Network. Generally an excellently paced, one hour show which makes NXT an easy show to watch. Impressed with Charlotte, Ric Flair’s daughter, who has legit athletic skills and a marketable look. I’d merely suggest that she refrain from getting any more tattoos which officially reconfirms that I’m an old school guy. Seriously, Charlotte has a good shot to have a nice WWE career and I speculate that she will be called up to the main roster sometime this year.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
As seen on last night’s RAW, WWE has invited the first openly gay NFL draftee Michael Sam to next week’s show from Baltimore, where he’d be given an open mic to speak about whatever he wants.
Stephanie McMahon released the following letter to WWE.com, personally extending the invitation to Sam:
Exhibiting class and dignity rarely shown in professional sports, Michael Sam, WWE invites you to next Monday’s Raw to speak of your struggles to succeed, lessons you have learned along the way, the courage it takes to be yourself and the prospects of your continued journey.
You are a role model, who, by example, can encourage everyone to stand up and openly be themselves.
The WWE rolled through midwest tonight, as they set up shop in Des Moines, Iowa. This week’s card featured a total of eight matches, including a life changing six-man tag main event. It’s time to once again take the WWE to school, and I’ll be the one doling out the grades.
As always, matches will be graded based on usual factors such as workrate, in-ring psychology, move variety, crowd reaction, and overall impact on the storyline. Important in-ring promos will also be graded based on factors such as originality, believability, and importance. Without further ado, here is this week’s Raw report card.
Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel
Tonight’s show started with Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel, and featured a shitload of guests, including the Authority, John Cena, and Roman Reigns. There was some entertaining banter during the segment, including Triple H and Jericho hurling corny insults at one another as Jericho dissed Triple H’s pink tie, while the Game chose to attack Y2J’s scarf during a hilarious back and forth. Rollins was extremely over during the promo and got the biggest pop of the night in his home state. Cena threatening to sue the company was pretty lame, however, and held the promo back a bit. It was an overall decent segment, it set up the main event, and the crowd seemed to be into it.
Grade: B
Sheamus and Dolph Ziggler vs. Cesaro and the Miz
The first match of the night was a tag team match featuring the United States and Intercontinental Champions. The Miz showed up with his body double Damien Mizdow and a personal stylist, complete with chairs and makeup. Miz and Sandow were hilarious throughout the contest and the ending was solid. Ziggler and Cesaro also worked well together during the opening portion of the match, with Cesaro’s fall away slam into a pinning combination being one of the most impressive spots I’ve seen in a long time. Overall, it was an entertaining contest and was a good way to advance both feuds.
Stephanie McMahon and WWE to promote Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month
STAMFORD, Conn. — Connor Michalek left a special mark in WWE. WWE’s Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon met the 8-year-old superfan at the 2014 Royal Rumble in Connor’s hometown Pittsburgh, and she could never forget their heart-warming meeting.
To show support for “Connor the Crusher,” WWE will raise awareness for Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month throughout September wtih a special campaign. McMahon will turn her social media profiles gold, the internationally recognized color for pediatric cancer awareness, and will proudly display gold ribbons to show her support for finding a cure. Other parts of the campaign to spread awareness have not yet been revealed. Before campgain kicked off Sept. 1, McMahon published an article on Huffington Post Aug. 28 about Connor’s lasting effect on her.
In June 2014, WWE formed Connor’s Cure charity through Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation in honor of memory. WWE will also donate proceeds from McMahon’s new T-shirt — featuring “Steph! Steph! Steph!” across the front — to Connor’s Cure.
The following are highlights of a new Slam! Wrestling interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Trish Stratus:
Her relationship with Lita and making appearances together: “It’s great any time I get to spend time hanging out with Amy. We have to work at (scheduling things), but in some ways it can be easy. She can say, ‘Hey, I’ve got this project coming up, so I’m going to swing through Toronto for a couple of days on my way there.’ In fact, we just baptized (Stratus’ son) Max about a month ago, and (Amy) came in to Toronto for that.”
“We have so much that we can relate to each. It’s nice that we were able to stay friends beyond (wrestling). It’s funny, because we’re total opposites in a lot of ways. On paper, you’d never think that we would hang out together. But we lived so much of our lives together on the same path — we were in the trenches together, from the beginning all the way through the end when we both retired — that we just stayed in touch.”
The movie Gridlocked that comes out this month: “It was just an amazing opportunity. Acting wasn’t something that I was necessarily actively pursuing, but I always said that if a good project landed on my desk, I’d certainly consider it. I had taken a break (from acting) after my last movie (2012’s Bounty Hunters) to focus more on my business and my brand. Then after a few months, I was meeting with an agent, and thought, ‘Yeah, let’s see what’s out there.’ Then suddenly I got this opportunity. They were filming Toronto, it was an action movie, which is a natural fit for me. I believe it was the universe saying, ‘Yep, here’s something amazing for you.'”
“I’m very proud of what we did with Bounty Hunters, and it was a great vehicle for me as my first film, but I’d say that the things that were missing in that one, we got to have in this one. With a smaller independent film, you don’t necessarily have the time to shoot it, the budget for giant explosions and extravagant set pieces. If you saw Bounty Hunters, you may have noticed that even though I got beaten up a lot, I didn’t spill a single drop of blood. I remember we were doing a panel, it may even have been at Fan Expo, and someone asked why there was no blood. The producer joked that, ‘Well… blood’s expensive.’ So I got to bleed in this movie. You know you’re in the big leagues when you can bleed.”
The recent feud between Brie Bella and Stephanie McMahon: “I texted Stephanie and told her, ‘Girl, you’re looking good — great to see you out there again.’ She was freaking out over not having worked for so long. But she looked fantastic. I love watching Stephanie, and I love how she’s come out to help build Brie Bella by putting her in this program. And I think Brie did an excellent job — she’s a great character, and a great person, and great for the product as well. It’s tons of pressure to work with the boss, and (you have) to be your best every week. If you’re given the opportunity, and you come through, that’s great. That’s the kind of challenge I love.”
WWE executive Stephanie McMahon wrote an editorial feature for the Huffington Post regarding Connor Michalek, the late young WWE fan who was close to so many of the talent and workers in the company.
“This remarkable little boy was not going to let anything stop him from living his life, and doing the things that made him happy,” said Stephanie. “He was beautiful, inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time. I hugged him one more time, and before he left, he looked back at me as if he was trying to tell me something. It felt as though our souls had touched.
“That night, I couldn’t sleep. My husband asked me what was wrong and I told him. ‘I just can’t stop thinking about that little boy and his dad. I wish there was some way we could help them.’ And my husband simply said, ‘You did. For four hours last night that little boy didn’t feel sick, he didn’t even think about being sick, and that is the greatest gift you could give.’ I knew he was right.”
– William Regal was announced as the new NXT General Manager this week. Below is a video of the announcement from NXT TV, as well as a video of him reacting to his first night on the job.
– As noted recently, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon took part in a photo shoot for Muscle & Fitness magazine this week. Stephanie McMahon posted another photo from the shoot on Twitter, which you can check out below.
