Backstage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on Sunday night following a successful WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view, Stephanie McMahon accepted the ALS “Ice Bucket Challenge” that was extended to her by Maria Menounos.
Prior to being doused with a huge trash can full of ice water, Stephanie extended the challenge to the entire San Francisco 49ers, the entire cast of WWE Total Divas and every member of the WWE Universe.
You can watch the video of Stephanie McMahon taking part in the “Ice Bucket Challenge,” with help from Ronda Rousey and the Four Horsewomen above.
Stephanie McMahon posted the following tweet on her official Twitter account of herself backstage with Maria Menounos, UFC star Ronda Rousey and her Four Horsewomen friends (Jessmyn Duke, Marina Shafir and Shayna Baszler).
The photo in the tweet alludes to the fact that Stephanie has accepted the ALS “Ice Bucket Challenge” from Menounos, who accepted the same challenge from Vince McMahon last week.
It is believed that WWE has simply dropped the Megan Miller portion of the Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella storyline.
At SummerSlam on Sunday night, Brie noted during her promo that Stephanie “paid off” Miller to lie about having an affair with her husband, Daniel Bryan. Many believe that is a sign that the Megan Miller part of their storyline is done and over with.
Another part of the Stephanie/Brie story that appears to be gone is the angle that began when Stephanie McMahon was arrested and Triple H didn’t immediately come to her aid. Originally, it seemed to be the beginning of some storyline trouble between Stephanie and HHH, however that appears to no longer be the case.
– With WWE SummerSlam taking place in Los Angeles, California, several Hollywood celebrities were in attendance. Among them were Maria Menounos, Michelle Beadle, Bill Simmons, and Ronda Rousey, who was accompanied by members of her “Four Horsewomen” stable. I noticed Shayna Baszler sitting next to Rousey, but the shot of Rousey at ringside was so brief, I couldn’t tell who else was sitting with her.
– During the Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella match at WWE SummerSlam on Sunday night in Los Angeles, Nikki Bella made the heel turn that we reported about in the past few weeks. With the help of Nikki, who hit Brie and turned on her sister, Stephanie McMahon ended up winning the match. Afterwards, the announcers spoke about Nikki Bella turning on her sister and “joining The Authority.”
– Apparently both Stephanie McMahon and Brie Bella have spent a lot of time practicing their match over the last week or so. It is being said that the two will be given a decent amount of time for their match tonight, and many expect a lot of bells and whistles to help ensure that the match comes off well on the pay-per-view.
– Following tonight’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view in Los Angeles, Brock Lesnar is scheduled to appear on tomorrow night’s WWE RAW follow-up show, which is advertising a main event (likely a dark match) of Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose & Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton & Seth Rollins & Bray Wyatt.
The following are highlights from the latest Jim Ross blog, which features the WWE Hall Of Famer giving his predictions for tonight’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view.
On John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar: “If you’ve listened to my Ross Report Podcast on podcastone.com and iTunes you know that I’ve been saying for months that I thought Lesnar would win the WWE Title at Sumer Slam even before Cena regained the championship. I will stay with my prediction as I feel that WWE is grooming Roman Reigns for the to spot and that Reigns beating Lesnar next year at WM31 would be a big money match if properly built. Yes, one can build it ‘properly’ even if Lesnar isn’t a ‘full time’ talent. It’s called smart booking. It was done for decades with the traveling, NWA Champion.”
On The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler: “Timing is every thing in the wrestling biz and Ziggler has had too many false starts to endure many more w/o being looked upon by many frustrated fans negatively. I’d put Ziggler over and take a positive step in restoring the shine to the IC Title and what it has meant in years past in WWE…the in ring, work horse champ.”
On AJ Lee vs. Paige: “As I have said many times, AJ is WWE’s top in ring Diva while Paige has the ability to put herself firmly in that conversation. Although neither lady may find themselves ever on ‘Totally Divas,’ and they both may not care, I feel that AJ will retain her title Sunday.”
On Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton: ” ‘The Roman Empire’ begins its build in earnest with a quality win over a proven, top talent at a major PPV. WWE is doing a nice job building Reigns who is a work in progress but, as I’ve said, he has until April 2015 to be truly ready for ‘the spot.’ Funny how some fans of today’s generation are already having issues with Reigns which, based on their own reasoning, is embarrassing in my opinion.”
On Rusev vs. Jack Swagger: “It is hard to logically fathom seeing the Russian Flag prevail over the American flag in a match where capturing the flag determines the winner. I’m going with my fellow Oklahoman Jack Swagger who will always be the 2nd toughest wrestling from Perry, Oklahoma (Next to Dan Hodge) Sunday in LA in this traditional, nationalistic story line. A loss in this type of match won’t hurt Rusev in the least as he is still a work in progress too. The more personality Swagger demonstrates the better chance he has to contribute in a more significant way in WWE.”
On Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella: “I like this storyline, although I wasn’t crazy about the physical therapist component added last week implicating Brie’s husband Daniel Bryan having an affair with the physical therapist, and think that WWE can easily get more mileage out of this pairing. By hook or crook, I’d get Steph over and continue the rivalry in a very personal way which may include Nikki Bella. Steph has been a star in this presentation thus far. For a mother of three who has multiple full time jobs Mrs. HHH looks great and will represent well in the ring.”
On Bray Wyatt vs. Chris Jericho: “Wyatt needs to win here and if he doesn’t I’d suggest counseling for all involved in the decision making process. There’s no reason that these two couldn’t have the match of the night or damn close to it.”
On Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose: “I’d like to see Rollins win a close one here and am curious to see how the Lumberjack Stipulation creatively plays into the match. I’d start the show with this match and feel that these two will tear down the Staples Center if provided the time so that they don’t have to rush the process.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
Based on several online betting sites that are currently running odds for tonight’s WWE SummerSlam, below are the current favorites and underdogs for tonight’s big show.
– Brock Lesnar over John Cena
– Stephanie McMahon over Brie Bella
– Roman Reigns over Randy Orton
– AJ Lee over Paige
– Seth Rollins over Dean Ambrose
– The Miz over Dolph Ziggler
– Jack Swagger over Rusev
– Bray Wyatt over Chris Jericho
Make sure to visit the website tonight for the best WWE SummerSlam live results coverage on the web!
WWE has finally announced a SummerSlam “Kickoff Show” match for this Sunday, as Rob Van Dam will take on Cesaro during the 30-minute pre-show that airs prior to SummerSlam on the WWE Network.
With that now known, below is a look at the finalized card for this Sunday night.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship
– John Cena (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
WWE Divas Championship
– AJ Lee (c) vs. Paige
WWE Intercontinental Championship
– The Miz (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Lumberjack Match
– Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose
Flag Match
– Rusev vs. Jack Swagger
Harper & Rowan Banned From Ringside – Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt
– Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella
– Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns
Kickoff Show Match
– Rob Van Dam vs. Cesaro
Make sure to join us here on the website this Sunday night for the best WWE SummerSlam live results coverage on the web!
The following are highlights of a new E! Online interview with Nikki Bella:
Brie Bella on match vs. Stephanie McMahon at SummerSlam: “I am definitely looking forward to taking on Stephanie McMahon. Two years ago if you’d asked me what my dream match was, I would have said Stephanie, and here I am living out my dream. I think the biggest thing for me is that there’s so much going into this; everything she did to my husband Daniel Bryan to what she did to Nikki—I get to go in there with my boss. How many people would love to get into the ring with their boss and just shake them around? So I feel like I’m really living it up for everyone in the world.”
Nikki Bella on her boyfriend John Cena debuting the new WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Brock Lesnar: “I’m so excited for John but at the same time I’m very nervous for him because I have to say, Brock Lesnar is probably the toughest opponent you could have in WWE history. Brock is just the real deal; he is as tough as it gets, so I’m very excited for John but at the same time I’m like, ‘Please don’t hurt my baby!’ But I’ve got the nurse outfit in the car ready to go in case something happens.”
Variety published a new article focusing on WWE launching their new official company logo at WWE Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut on Friday. Stephanie McMahon spoke to them about the decision to use the new logo.
The new logo is a representation of the evolution of the WWE brand. Everything from the hard edges and the sleek coloring expresses a contemporary feel and demonstrates we’re always looking ahead.”
She also noted that the company didn’t origially intend to use the WWE Network logo to represent the entire company, however they had a “wonderful response” to it in January and that it “represented everything we wanted to say in the marketplace.”
Stephanie also talked about why they kept the red and black colors in the logo, noting that it’s been a company staple for over 15 years, representing “the bold nature of what they do.”
You can check out the entire article at Variety.com.
The following are highlights of a new IGN interview with Daniel Bryan:
IGN: I’ll get out of the way the question that I know you’ll have to deal with all day, which is, how’re things going? When might we see you back?
Daniel Bryan: Right, yeah. I don’t know how things are going. For example, I was supposed to have a second surgery scheduled for Tuesday, but they postponed it to do some more testing — and this has been the frustrating part for me. The nervous system is very complex. So there’s been debate about, “Okay, does he need a second surgery? Does he not need a second surgery?” And people have kind of been going back and forth on it. Then finally we decided, “Okay, he needs the surgery.” We’re going to go get the surgery — no, wait, nope! We’re going to go do some more tests. So I would obviously prefer to not get the surgery, but if I’m going to do it, I want to do it as soon as possible, because the sooner I do it, the sooner I get back. The surgery they’re talking about doing is a three-month recovery. I’ve already been out three months, so that’s another three months. So you’d like to get that done as soon as you can — if it needs to be done. If it doesn’t need to be done, let’s not do it! What they want to do is they want to take the nerve from down a along my elbow and then move it over, and then put it under my forearm muscle there [pointing at arm]. So it’s, like, rewiring me. [Laughs] I don’t like that at all
IGN: Meanwhile, a lot of big stuff is happening with your wife. What’s it been like to see what’s going on for her?
Daniel Bryan: Oh my gosh, I’m so proud of her. Her and Stephanie – the main event to RAW, two weeks in a row! That hasn’t happened with Divas in years. Now she’s in what’s, in my mind, the second-biggest match in SummerSlam, and Divas just don’t get that opportunity very often. So I’m really happy for her, really proud of her. She’s worked really hard. A lot of people don’t understand how hard the girls on Total Divas work. They’re on the road, the same as the rest of us, and then when they get home, they’ve got to be filming this whole time. So it’s a very hard life with very few days off, and she’s finally getting rewarded for that, so that’s really nice.
IGN: On the flip side, her opponent being Stephanie, is that just a funny, surreal thing for you? Stephanie has in-ring experience, but it’s been quite awhile — and you know Stephanie as one of your bosses.
Daniel Bryan: Yeah, and it is funny, because there is something borderline-therapeutic about being able to slap your boss, I think. And because there are so many frustrations we have as wrestlers, it’s like, THWACK! You can see, when Stephanie and Brie slap each other, it’s like, “Holy cow!” [Laughs] I’ve been on the opposite end of a Brie slap on WWE Television before, and I was like, “Holy cow! Why would you do that?” I have a ruptured eardrum in my left ear — it happened in 2007 from a Japanese wrestler named Kenta, who WWE actually has signed. So we were doing a story where I had kind of been dating the Bella Twins, but then they found me with Gail Kim or whatever, and then Brie slapped me. I just asked her, “Okay, please, just don’t slap me in the ear?” The first thing her little hand does is, WHACK! Right in the ear. I was like, “Oh my God!”
IGN: So, I have to ask… You got brought into the Brie and Stephanie story the other day on RAW in a very interesting way.
Daniel Bryan: Wait, by “interesting,” do you mean “stupid”? [Laughs]
IGN: Well, you know, it’s wrestling… anything can be brought into it! [Laughs] So for you, was that like, “Okay… I guess that’s going to be an element?”
Daniel Bryan: Yeah, to me, it’s groan-worthy. I don’t think it added anything to the story. It was just like, “Ugh!” But, you know, they do what they do, and you just gotta roll with the punches. It’s funny, because I feel like sometimes you just have to overcome these things more so than anything else. Like, Brie and Stephanie have to overcome that flaw. To me, that was a flaw in the story. The story was so good, and then here’s this flaw in it. But it’s whatever. It doesn’t hurt my feelings or anything, you know? It’s entertainment. It’s not real, so okay.
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 are highlights of a new Los Angeles Times interview with Stephanie McMahon:
On bullying: “I would suggest that they tell a trusted adult. It’s very important that you tell someone when you are being bullied, someone that you trust. You should never be quiet when you are being bullied or when you see someone being bullied. It’s so important to stand up and say something.”
On advice for future business women: “I would say the two most important things are to believe in yourself. You have to have confidence. You have to believe in yourself and you also need to have a very strong education. So you need to utilize all of the people and all of the tools that are around you to help you succeed. So if that means staying in school a little longer, if that means learning another language, if that means getting a degree that’s higher than a college degree, those are the things that you need to do. But the most important thing is to believe in yourself and respect yourself.”
On training for SummerSlam: “Late at night, I train after I put my kids to bed, because putting my kids to bed is very important to me. I have three daughters, they are 8, 6 and soon to be 4. So I train after they go to bed. And it’s very challenging, but I’ve got to do it because health and fitness are also very important to being a success.”
Cody Barbierri, WWE’s social media guy that was involved in a physical altercation with Alberto Del Rio that led to Del Rio’s release from WWE is said to be a pretty unpopular person among the wrestlers in the company.
One WWE employee noted that Barbierri is a “jerkoff who is very arrogant,” but did mention that he is intelligent and that his attitude has flown under the radar of WWE executives.
Another source within the company noted that Barbierri has been involved in a few bad situations with talent over the past year and has a reputation as a guy who talks down to wrestlers.
In addition to his talent at his job, it has been said that Barbierri has the backing of Stephanie McMahon in particular, and is viewed as a key player in WWE’s social media department.
The hottest event of the summer is practically hours away at this point. The card is set, the matches have been hyped, and it’s time to sit back and enjoy the show (after making a few predictions, of course). Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s pay-per-view.
AJ Lee (Divas Champion) vs. Paige
Paige has been a thorn in AJ Lee’s side since arriving on the main roster, especially since turning heel. She has had the upper hand on the champ over the past few weeks, even pushing her off of the stage on SmackDown at one point. Although Paige has been booked strong, the company realizes AJ Lee is the most marketable Diva on the roster right now. She retains after forcing Paige to tap out to the Black Widow.
Result: AJ Lee by submission
The Miz (Intercontinental Champion) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Since his return, the Miz has sort of fallen flat with the audience, especially since picking up the title at last month’s Battleground. Over the past year, it’s safe to assume Dolph Ziggler will lose any match of even moderate significance, but this could be different, as he has been booked strong and is still over with the fans.
The company is trying to promote the Miz’s dud of a movie that will soon be gracing dollar bins across the country, but I think they realize his title reign isn’t catching on. Dolph Ziggler will pick up the upset victory on Sunday after hitting a Zig Zag in what will likely be one of the shorter matches on the card.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler by pinfall
Jack Swagger vs. Rusev (Flag Match)
Call me crazy, but this is perhaps my most anticipated match on the card. The feud has been built very well and given adequate time to develop. Fans still aren’t entirely sure of what the rules will be for this one, but I’m assuming it’s going to involve the winning wrestler grabbing his country’s flag and waving it proudly in the center of the ring to end the contest.
This is the perfect opportunity for Swagger to go over Rusev and extend the feud a bit longer. He doesn’t have to pin the Bulgarian Brute to win so he won’t look as weak as he would if he lost via pinfall or submission. Expect the managers to also play a role in this one, and expect Swagger to walk out victorious to set up a rubber match at Night of Champions.
Winner: Jack Swagger
Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt
Much like the Rusev/Swagger feud, this program has also been given a proper build. The promo/interview the two cut last week on Raw was awesome and really hyped the match well.
Jericho won last month after hitting Wyatt with a Code Breaker. It will be even tougher for Wyatt this time around, as both Harper and Rowan are banned from ringside. This will likely be a back-and-forth contest with several near falls, with the in-ring work hopefully being a little more polished than last month’s affair. There’s no way Wyatt loses again, however, and will walk out victorious after forcing Y2J to succumb to Sister Abigail.
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.
The dog days of summer are winding down and the biggest wrestling event of the season is just around the corner. With the card for SummerSlam essentially finalized, it’s time to look at the possibilities.
In recent years, the WWE has saved its biggest surprises for the most important pay-per-views of the year, and with SummerSlam being the last special event for the first cycle of WWE Network subscribers, the company will undoubtedly be pulling out all stops in an attempt to entice fans to renew. With that said, here are five potential SummerSlam shockers.
There is talk that Triple H may be added as a special guest referee for the Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella match at SummerSlam.
Additionally, there continues to be discussion about turning Nikki Bella heel at some point during the McMahon-Bella feud. The actual decision as to when she will turn hasn’t been decided yet, but it’s pretty much considered inevitable that it will happen at some point during this program.
The following is a new blog from the official Facebook page of WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley:
I’M A STEPHANIE McMAHON GUY
Let me get the little negatives out of the way first – so I don’t contradict statements I’ve made in the past. Yes, I do think the casual or investor can get confused when real-life authority figures play abusive authority figures on air. I do wish there was an authority figure, a new GM or Commisioner (no, not me, but I’ll have a few suggestions for candidates in a later post) to check and balance The Authority.
But with that being said, I’m proud to say that I’m a Stepanie McMahon guy. Seriously. I am. Stephanie can be such a mesmerizing presense on WWE Monday Night Raw and #Smackdown . Her recent interactions with Brie Bella – WWE Universe have been intense and exciting – and as a long time #DivaBeliever, I love the idea of ending #RAW with the ladies.
I met Stephanie 16 years ago – only minutes after the infamous Cell match, in Pittsburgh, in June, 1998, when I’d been told that a WWE employee and good friend had just learned of the loss of a loved one. I gave my friend a hug, and out of the corner of my eye, saw Stephanie McMahon – WWE for the first time. I gave the young McMahon a smile and then departed to participate in the most awkward run-in/limp-in/stumble in sports entertainment history.
It was 14 years ago that I was the first recipient of a Stephanie on-air slap. I still remember her soaking up everything around her like a sponge; looking at me as I said, “you can slap me as hard as you can – just not on the jaw” as if they were the wisest words in the world. Ms McMahon would go on to slap dozens…and dozens more over the next 14 years – as hard as she could, but hopefully never on the jaw. But hopefully, she has a special memory of the guy she smacked first.
– The official WWE website has a new poll up asking fans who has the “most patriotic submission move,” with the options being Jack Swagger and Rusev. At last check, with just under 15,000 votes cast, Swagger was considerably ahead of Rusev with roughly 80-percent of the votes. You can vote on the poll by going to WWE.com.
– The following is a new WWE 2K15 teaser video from IGN, which features Sting, Paul Heyman, Daniel Bryan, Stephanie McMahon, Steve Austin and John Cena.
