In the past, WWE would announce the date and location of the following year’s WrestleMania either before or after that year’s event. However, WWE didn’t do that for WrestleMania events over the next three years.
This past weekend, WWE confirmed that they would hold WrestleMania 37 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on April 10 and April 11 of this year, WrestleMania 38 on April 3, 2022 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 2, 2023.
WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon recently spoke with Tony Maglio of The Wrap. During the interview, she explained why WWE bucked the trend of announcements.
“It just helps everybody,” she said. “It helps us for planning purposes, it helps our fans plan their trips, it helps in so many different capacities. And now we can really work with all of our partners across the board in all of these major cities and really blow everything out as big as we possibly can,” McMahon said.
She added that she thinks people need hope and something to look forward to during this difficult time as we all live in the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the second consecutive year, WrestleMania will take place over two consecutive days. WrestleMania 37 will be held on Saturday, April 10th and Sunday, April 11th. The host venue will be Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
WWE Executive Stephanie McMahon spoke to TMZ Sports this week to promote WrestleMania. She is “thrilled” because WWE hopes to have a live crowd in attendance. This would be the first show with fans since the start of the pandemic.
“I’m thrilled and excited because, hopefully, this will be the first opportunity for us to have our fans back in attendance. That’s the current plan. Of course, ticket information is not available yet cause we’re still trying to figure out all the machinations.”
Stephanie McMahon said WWE is looking to the NFL and the precautions they’ve taken to run games with a limited audience. There are complicated logistics involved with pulling off any WrestleMania weekend. During the pandemic, it’s an even more intricate process.
“Working with the local organizing committee, all of the health officials, health and safety is first and foremost, of course.” she said. “For our fans, for our performers, for the employees, for the staff working the building, there’s a lot of different logistics that need to determined.Hopefully, it’ll all work out, and this will be the first WWE event where we actually bring the WWE Universe back together in person. I cannot wait.”
You can watch Stephanie McMahon’s comments about WrestleMania 37 in the player embedded below:
Stephanie McMahon has explained how WWE tries to “amplify” its individual stars by allowing them to have “individual voices.”
“One of the things that we understood early on is star power. It’s about the attraction, it’s about the draw,” Stephanie said on The Playbook podcast. “Whether it’s a live event or you’re trying to drive television ratings or social media engagement, you have to have star power.”
She explained how WWE tries to “[…] amplify the individual stars so we can create the biggest moats around them.” According to her, they need to have “individual voices.” Stephanie believes they can achieve this by being “their own personas.”
Stephanie then acknowledged the importance of cultivating engagement between fans and Superstars in the digital age. She explained how this stems from people’s need to relate.
“At the end of the day, the audience might not relate to a brand, to the WWE or another league, but they might relate to a team or an individual star,” Stephanie McMahon explained. “More and more, you’re seeing that in the media space. Whether it’s content creators on TikTok or Twitch, you see these consumers and people getting behind the content creators and influencers individually because they relate to them.”
Stephanie noted how people relate in different ways. However, she argued that “if you can create the opportunities for engagement, then the rising tide will raise all boats.”
WWE recently implemented a third-part edict that saw it Superstars forced to shut down their Cameo and Twitch accounts. This decision has reportedly rankled several Superstars who were making money from their live streams.
During the appearance, the WWE Chief Brand Officer talked about how the company’s ratings fell because of the COVID-19 pandemic. McMahon also confirmed that WWE had hoped to have fans back in attendance at their shows this fall, but that didn’t happen.
“And without them [the fans], it’s just not the same. Our ratings fell off. We tried bringing in our developmental talent to see if that would help in terms of some type of audience.
It just wasn’t enough, and ultimately we had hoped to be back in arenas in the Fall but when we realized that wasn’t gonna happen, we doubled-down and invested with a new partner called The Famous Group and we now have nearly one thousand virtual fans.”
It had been reported several months ago that WWE had hoped to have fans back at shows way back in July. That hope had been pushed back for a few months until WWE decided to hold off on the idea.
There have been various reports about WWE moving WrestleMania 37 from California to Florida due to the states being different regarding COVID-19 protocols.
Stephanie McMahon and Triple H have reflected on last night’s special edition of NXT. The black-and-gold brand resurrected the Halloween Havoc concept for the first time in twenty years with last night’s show.
Triple H tweeted throughout the show’s entirety, hyping how so much action had already taken place during just the first match. NXT Halloween Havoc opened with an NXT North American Championship matchup between Damian Priest and Johnny Gargano.
“The first spin of the wheel, a deflated pumpkin, and absolutely BRUTAL #DevilsPlayground match, and a NEW #NXTNATitle Champion… AND THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST MATCH! #HalloweenHavoc #WWENXT”
He also noted how NXT Superstars Rhea Ripley and Raquel González were able to showcase an “entirely different side” of the NXT Women’s division. Triple H called their bout the “most physical fight” from any division in NXT.
He added a final congratulations and thanks to everyone involved with NXT Halloween Havoc. Triple H also gave props to the crew who made an “incredible set to honour the legacy of #HalloweenHavoc” before thanking the fans at home for tuning in.
Stephanie McMahon shared her thoughts after the show had concluded. She stressed how the entire show was “INCREDIBLE!!!!!” Stephanie also congratulated all involved in the production, stating how she wanted to retweet all of the praise she had seen complimenting the show.
A final congratulations & #ThankYou to the @WWENXT Superstars who put so much into this show, the crew who created an incredible set to honor the legacy of #HalloweenHavoc… and of course everyone at home. THANK YOU for supporting these stars & the black & gold brand! #WeAreNXT
Last year, there were some fans curious why WWE didn’t give Triple H and Stephanie McMahon the positions as Executive Directors of SmackDown and RAW.
Instead, Eric Bischoff took the role on SmackDown and Paul Heyman on RAW. Fightful Select reported today that the married couple wasn’t given the roles for different reasons.
It was stated that many people backstage were “shocked” that Paul Heyman was put into this role as he was under Vince McMahon. It was noted that Heyman had been “the loudest voice in the RAW writer’s room” before getting the Executive Director position.
It was said that Stephanie “didn’t want that spot” as she is happy with her current role in WWE. On the flip side, Triple H didn’t get the spot as most believed that “if Triple H wanted the role, he’d have it.” Thus, he wasn’t interested as he’s in charge of the NXT brand.
Of course, both Heyman and Bischoff are no longer in these roles. In both cases, Vince McMahon made the decision to remove them.
After a few months of Heyman being on the sidelines, he was paired with Roman Reigns while Bischoff hasn’t been in WWE or on television since his departure.
WWE Hall of Famer and AEW Commentator Jim Ross recently discussed WWE RAW from 2005 on the Grilling JR podcast.
This week’s episode of the show was a watch-along of RAW from 10/10/05. That episode was eventful for JR as an on-screen character as he was ‘fired’ on television. As is usually the case, Jim Ross would discuss players and events from the timeframe, including WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon.
JR on Stephanie McMahon
“I think she took after the old man as far as training and dieting” JR began on the podcast. “And in that era [Ruthless Aggression] she was very aware of her appearance as a television performer.”
Ross would then praise McMahon further, making a huge claim regarding her status in the Attitude Era from the late nineties to early 2000’s. “I always believe she was one of the best heels that we had in the Attitude Era. Because she took so much after her dad.”
Initially, Stephanie McMahon played more of a bit-part character in the Attitude Era. When McMahon aligned with Triple H it brought on the McMahon-Helmsley Era, it allowed her to flourish into one of the biggest heels on television at the time. McMahon would largely continue to play a heel role from that point on, both with and against her real life husband Triple H.
“I’ve always said that Vince…even though we philosophically didn’t get along all the time? He was the best heel we had in the Attitude Era” Jim Ross continued. “Because? He was the perfect foil or for top babyface (Steve Austin).”
Do you agree with Jim Ross? Do you think that Stephanie McMahon was one of the best heels in the Attitude Era? Let us know in the comments
Stephanie McMahon has been listed as the #2 most influential marketing officer in the world by Forbes. The famous magazine posted its annual list today.
McMahon finished 2nd behind only Apple’s Phil Schiller.
“McMahon is an outspoken and highly visible executive at WWE, a company in an industry often mired in controversy,” the magazine wrote of McMahon. “The daughter of WWE CEO Vince McMahon, she is a former WWE Superstar herself, and she’s a big proponent of WWE Superstars growing their own brands via social media. She has also championed women’s equality in the WWE.”
The 44-year-old mother of 3 has been an outspoken proponent of women in sport and business. She’s also been a key driver of several of WWE’s charitable efforts, including Conor’s Cure.
“This year she spoke out about making the events that went on during the pandemic safe for fans and Superstars. In June she also reportedly shared what she and the company are doing to eliminate racial inequality on The Female Quotient—and partnered with FQ founder Shelley Zalis to create a discussion series called “Women in the Business of Sports,” Forbes’ report continued.
Additionally, Stephanie shared how Vince McMahon actively “listens to the live audience” and even pays attention to social media. According to her, he is always open to ideas.
“Vince listens to the fans. He listens to the live audience. He listens to social media. He also listens to our employees. He always said you never know where a great idea is going to come from. He solicits that opinion. He talks to people.”
When asked if she believes Vince McMahon and her husband, Triple H, were good at admitting when they are wrong, Stephanie admitted how she tries to be “very transparent” in owning her personal mistakes.
“I think there is a difference between being wrong and making mistakes, I know that’s a subtlety in semantics but human psychology plays into that,” Stephanie McMahon said. “Going back to Vince, he believes in some cost. So if you made a mistake, if something isn’t’ working, stop throwing good money after bad, just move on.”
She explained how Vince McMahon’s approach is to “learn the lesson that you are supposed to learn and then apply it.” As far as he’s concerned, you can make mistakes, but he wants to ensure he doesn’t make the same mistake twice.
Jim Ross recently spent some time with Conrad Thompson talking about an episode of RAW from 2001 on his Grillin JR podcast. During the conversation, Ross offered up his opinion on Stephanie McMahon as a performer.
“Stephanie was a great heel, by the way,” JR said on the show. Conrad then asked Ross if there was any hesitation to putting Stephanie on-screen in such a role.
“She’s got a lot of the old man in her and I had no issues whatsoever because she worked very diligently to improve,” Ross said. “And because she had a major name to carry. She was more like Vince than Shane was like Vince, in my view, and Vince has even said that to me.”
“But she became a great heel and just followed in the footsteps of her old man who was the hottest heel we had in the Attitude Era.”
Stephanie’s first appearance on WWE programming came in 1998 when she was 22-years-old. By 2001, Stephanie was the storyline new owner of ECW and one of the major figures in the Invasion angle.
Last week’s Friday Night SmackDown saw the debut of WWE’s ThunderDome concept brought to life. In a recent interview with Fox Sports, Stephanie McMahon opened up about ThunderDome and the importance of hosting virtual fans.
Stephanie stressed how the WWE Universe’s experience is going to be vastly different thanks to ThunderDome. She explained how the concept has been explored to get WWE back to providing the “spectacle” its fans enjoy.
“Not only are we now going back to arena setting … but now we are going to the Amway Center, which is where we have our residency. It allows us the opportunity to have state of the art production with pyro, with drones … And we’re going to have 1,000 people. We’re going to mix the audio, so we will have audio from the fans that are virtual and also mix in some crowd audio from previous events because we want it to feel as alive as possible and really we’re just getting back to the spectacle that is WWE.”
Stephanie McMahon On Virtual Fan Experience
Regarding the virtual fan experience, Stephanie McMahon shared how she believes it will help Superstars with their performance going forward.
“My hats go off to our talent and the fact that they’ve been performing without that live interaction. I mean, our fans are part of our show. They are our secret sauce. And we have really been missing them, so it’s exciting to get them back.”
She pointed to how this ThunderDome experience will provide a sense of “real time feedback” that WWE Superstars “crave” when competing in the ring. Stephanie acknowledged how the setup is a “very different way to be involved,” adding how the WWE Universe is an integral part of the show.
Over the last year, WWE’s stock price has taken a significant hit from the all-time high of $99.25 per share back in April 2019.
WWE’s stock has been trading around $46 per share this week. Since hitting that all-time high price tag, the company’s value has taken a big hit, down several billion dollars.
Next Thursday (July 30), WWE is expected to report earnings after the market closes. The report will be for the fiscal quarter ending Jun 2020. This quarter will not include how business did around WrestleMania 36 and the beginning of the coronavirus.
Even though WWE stock is down, that didn’t stop several executives from recently cashing out in WWE stock.
This includes WWE CEO Vince McMahon, Paul Levesque, Stephanie McMahon, EVP of Television Production Kevin Dunn, EVP of Operations Bradley Blum, Corporate Controller Mark Kowal and General Counsel Brian Nurse.
According to recent SEC filings, the following trades were made earlier this week (July 20):
Vince McMahon sold 12,762 shares worth $590,370.12. He still owns 69,421 of the Company’s Class A common stock.
Levesque sold 10,628 shares worth $491,651.28
Stephanie sold 11,167 shares totaling $516,585.42.
Stephanie McMahon made an appearance on Ad Age Remotely where she discussed a wide range of interesting topics.
During the interview, she talked about how WWE is operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the outbreak, WWE has continued to hold shows but had to do so in front of no fans from the Performance Center.
“It’s all optional, it’s volunteer-based. It’s up to them if they want to participate, we did have talent and crew members opt-out, and we do support that. We do testing before all programming. It is more advanced testing, it isn’t the rapid test, that does have false positives and negative, we want the best testing positive.
She talked about having pandemic level cleaning every night including fogging and special lighting. They also have an application of a product that creates a barrier between the virus and surfaces.
She added that if someone tests negative for the virus, they still need a temperature check and fill out a form. She called it as thorough as it possibly can be.
Regarding having fans back at their TV events, McMahon gave a teaser about the possible timeline.
“I think that happens sooner than later. So I’ll just throw that out there to the universe.”
It’s been reported that WWE wanted to have fans back this month then that got pushed back to August and now September due to cases of positive tests spiking in recent weeks.
During Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, Triple H was asked what he might be doing had he never met or married Stephanie McMahon. He explained how he’s always had a fascination with how things work behind-the-scenes, regardless of his relationship with Stephanie. He noted that this interest is how he first started working with Vince McMahon. According to him, they started working together during the beginning of the Attitude Era.
“I had never even met Steph at that point,” Triple H explained. “He and I were working creatively when a bunch of writers left us and Vince was kind of doing everything solo. He kind of tagged me in to help him in a manner and riff ideas off and bounce ideas off of and then I started sitting in production meetings and it became more and more my involvement.”
“The Game” continued, “Even for stuff that had zero to do with me, which I tended to prefer. I didn’t like to weigh on the stuff that had to do with me nearly as much because I felt like it was wrong to do and your vision can get warped in that but to weigh in on other people’s things and to weigh in on other shows, I was always as fascinated with that side of the business.”
Triple H believes that even if he had never met or married Stephanie McMahon, he would still be involved in behind-the-scenes activity. He noted how his relationship with her is the best thing that ever happened to him.
During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Stephanie McMahon discussed if there was ever doubt WrestleMania 36 would go ahead. The “Show of Shows” has been forced to pivot and change due to the coronavirus pandemic. She stressed how this is an unprecedented time and that WWE was monitoring the situation closely on a day-to-day basis.
“Ultimately, as brands and leagues and companies are reinventing themselves, it’s important to stay true to your mission,” she explained. “And our mission is to put smiles on people’s faces. We’re a fan-first company, we always want to provide an experience that is worthy of our fans’ passion.”
She continued, “We’re constantly looking at what other leagues are doing, what other providers are doing, assessing the landscape–can we make it as safe as possible? Where can we shoot the content? All of these different factors have come into play. We’re working with local, regional, and global agencies, we’re putting in the best possible testing measures that we can [and] all of the safety precautions that we’re taking to take this very seriously.”
Stephanie McMahon then noted how their decision to deliver WrestleMania 36 isn’t “bullheaded” stubbornness. According to her, every aspect has been a “thought-through effort” in order to entertain the WWE Universe.
“It won’t feel and look like our biggest show of the year, but certainly from a content standpoint and a match standpoint, we’re trying to deliver.”
Stephanie McMahon then her attention to the safety measures WWE has put in place to protect its staff and talent. She stressed how “every performance is voluntary for our performers and crew,” adding that this was a crucially important note to highlight.
“[…] the Performance Center itself is a closed set. We’re shooting in waves. No one person, regardless of who they are, is allowed to enter if they have a temperature of over 100.4, or if they have been out of the country or been in touch with someone who has been out of the country.”
She explained how they do “pandemic-level cleaning,” which includes fogging and ultraviolet light. Admitting that could be viewed as overkill, she isn’t concerned as safety is paramount.
WrestleMania 36 airs on the WWE Network this weekend on April 4 and April 5.
The whole world is cutting down on non-essential operations but WWE is still running their shows, although they are doing it at closed facilities with no audience and bringing only the essential personnel for the events.
During a recent interview with Variety, WWE executive Stephanie McMahon talked about the current situation and also detailed their precautions against the coronavirus spread.
The former Raw Commissioner first discussed how talents are milling about at a typical WWE event but she stressed that this isn’t the case anymore:
“There’s extensive testing and screening when you first come in the facility regardless of whether you’re a talent, a crew member, or anyone else.
Working with our doctors, you have your temperature taken. If you have a temperature over 100.4 degrees, you are automatically asked to leave.”
WWE had previously released a statement on the matter as well and in response to a question, the company had confirmed that all WWE staff are required to participate in medical screening before entering the Performance Center.
Stephanie McMahon On Talents Coming From Other Countries
WWE stars are constantly on road and many of the talents who are not working on the current programming are often sent to other countries on promotional events.
Revealing the promotion’s strategy for talents who have been
to other countries recently, Stephanie McMahon said that they are taking every
precaution they can:
“If you’ve been out of the country or been in touch or in contact with anybody who’s been out of the country you’re not allowed in the facility, we’re taking every precaution we can.”
Stephanie McMahon also took a shot a AEW while talking about WWE taking precautions to protect its talent.
“It’s also why you don’t see talent or anyone else in the audience. We really are adhering to all the guidelines that we can to maintain the health and safety of our crew and our performers.”
In the wake of the current coronavirus outbreak, the company has announced that WrestleMania 36 will be held without an audience and it will be a two-night event this year.
Earlier this week, WWE announced WrestleMania 37 will be held at the brand new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Stephanie McMahon took part in a press conference in Los Angeles Tuesday morning and spoke about what and who she hopes to see at the big event next year.
“We’re always talking to Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson and hoping he’s gonna come back,” Stephanie said when asked if WWE hopes the Rock will be part of the event. “Sometimes it pans out and sometimes it doesn’t but we’re always talking.”
“I think the Rock is the perfect example of what happens when WWE and Hollywood come together so I hope he’ll be a part of it but I can’t promise anything,” she added.
As for Ronda Rousey, McMahon is also hoping to see a return of the former RAW Women’s Champion at WrestleMania 37.
“I sincerely hope we have Ronda Rousey back for WrestleMania here at SoFi only I don’t want to be the one facing her in the ring,” McMahon joked. “It didn’t work out so well for me last time, I think I’ll let her do her own thing.”
“In all seriousness, I hope so,” McMahon later added about Rousey. “I think she’s very serious about coming back. I think she has some things in her personal life that she wants to do and when the time is right she’ll be back, I have no doubt about that.”
McMahon’s comments can be heard in the player below:
Stephanie McMahon says WWE is still committed to presenting a family-friendly “PG” product, despite some recent edgy storylines
AEW has chosen to go with a TV-14 rating. Their rise has once again fueled the debate about whether or not WWE will break from their PG approach. During a recent interview with SportsKeeda, McMahon set the record straight.
WWE’s Chief Brand Officer was talking about the recent storyline between Lana and Rusev and she claimed that the company will remain PG, though there is room to push the envelope in some cases.
“Well, we’re still going to be PG, family friendly, but there is room to push the envelope in some cases,” she said. “In terms of the Lana-Bobby Lashley storyline, WWE is like a variety show. It is, at the end of the day, competition-based, but especially
on RAW and SmackDown, you have more of those soap operatic storylines, and
that’s why it’s been showcased on RAW.”
McMahon was also asked about NXT’s evolution into its own brand and which stars from the Black and Yellow brand she thinks can become the face of WWE in future. She named Keith Lee, Adam Cole and Rhea Ripley and also touted the stars from WWE’s NXT UK brand as well.
Visit Sportskeeda to check out their full interview with Stephanie McMahon.
Stephanie McMahon has commented on the hot story thus far this week involving Kairi Sane.
The WWE Chief Brand Officer did so while doing a recent interview with Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT. This is where McMahon confirmed that Sane did get hurt but made it known that she wasn’t backstage at the show.
Stephanie McMahon Comments
“So I can’t really speak to the mood at that stage or what the communication was. I loved that it was the main event and I’m so sorry Kairi got hurt. The match was absolutely over-delivering up until the point that happened.”
It’s been well documented that Sane suffered an injury, which is believed to be a concussion, at the WWE TLC pay-per-view event. This is where The Kabuki Warriors retained WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.
They went over RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair to retain the titles.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion has been pulled from the post-Christmas WWE live event tour.
Thus, this means that since next Monday’s episode of RAW is taped, she won’t work another WWE show for the rest of 2019.
WWE has yet to publicly comment on her injury or when she’ll be back to in-ring action.
Stephanie McMahon recently took part in an interview with Metro and expressed that she would love to see CM Punk and AJ Lee back in WWE someday. McMahon did note that Punk has been adamantly against an in-ring return but she hasn’t lost hope that we could see him back in a WWE ring someday.
“I personally enjoy watching both of them perform,” Stephanie said to Metro. “I think Punk’s been pretty vocal that he’s not interested in an in-ring return right now, but for sure, that would be interesting.”
“And I would love to see AJ Lee back in the women’s division,” she continued.
Stephanie McMahon on AJ Lee
McMahon continued to talk about AJ Lee during the interview.
“I think AJ Lee was an incredibly compelling character,” McMahon said. “Some of our most interesting and intriguing storylines were with AJ, and I think she deserves as much credit as every other woman on our roster.”
“Nobody should be overlooked, and that’s not the goal to overlook anybody’s name. Every single person is a huge reason for why this happened.”
“You know, I’m a big fan of AJ Lee’s, I really am,” Stephanie continued.
Here’s a Twitter interaction between the two from 2015:
@StephMcMahon Your female wrestlers have record selling merchandise & have starred in the highest rated segment of the show several times,
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon have both addressed Lacey Evans and Natalya’s history-making match at Crown Jewel. The women will compete in the first-ever women’s wrestling match to take place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia later today for the WWE special.
Both took to Twitter to address the occasion. Stephanie McMahon stressed how proud she was of both Superstars, as well as all the women who helped pave the way to this “groundbreaking moment.”
“I’m so proud of @LaceyEvansWWE, @NatbyNature and all the women who have paved the way for this groundbreaking moment, the first-ever women’s match in Saudi Arabia. It’s time to make history again! #WomensEvolution #CrownJewel @WWE”
Triple H shared Stephanie’s sentiment, reiterating how it’s an incredible moment for Evans, Natalya, the entire women’s locker room and all those that came before.
“Incredible for both of these athletes, the entire @WWE women’s locker room, and all those who paved the way for this moment. Congratulations @LaceyEvansWWE and @natbynature, continue to show the world what you can do!!!”
Incredible for both of these athletes, the entire @WWE women’s locker room, and all those who paved the way for this moment. Congratulations @LaceyEvansWWE and @natbynature, continue to show the world what you can do!!! https://t.co/yN2bWguHpo
WWE Superstars Lacey Evans and Natalya are set to make history today as they compete in the first-ever women’s wrestling match in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Stephanie McMahon confirmed that the two will be wearing full bodysuits that will cover most of their bodies. She noted that the decision was made to respect Saudi culture.
“We need to be respectful of the cultures in the countries we perform in,” she explained to TMZ.
WWE previously made history in the Middle East in December 2017. They held a matchup between Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss. Both women wore bodysuits similar to what Stephanie is describing. Their match took place at a WWE Live Event in Abu Dhabi.
Regarding the historic event, Stephanie said “As a woman, as a mother, as just a person, I couldn’t be more proud. I am ecstatic, I am thrilled, I am many different adjectives to describe how I feel right now.”
Stephanie added that WWE officials had been working on securing a women’s match in Saudi Arabia for “a long time” and had meetings with numerous powerful Saudi officials behind the scenes to ensure it happened.
WWE Crown Jewel takes place later today from the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. WWE’s Kickoff show will start at 12PM ET.
Stephanie McMahon recently did an interview with Bleacher Report to talk about the historic announcement WWE made on Wednesday morning.
WWE confirmed that Lacey Evans and Natalya will work the first-ever women’s match in Saudi Arabia at Crown Jewel. These two have wrestled each other quite a bit as of late, which led to fans wondering why they were picked for this historic contest.
“Natalya is somewhat of a legend in the women’s division. She is the veteran. She has been here for so long, been a part of so many of the changes that have happened.” McMahon added that when you consider her legacy and family history, it’s pretty remarkable.
McMahon switched gears to Evans where she noted that Evans is new to the scene but has not been shy about sharing her perspective on overcoming in her life. She also wants to set an example for her daughter, which is why they bring personal stories to the match.
McMahon added that “I can’t think of better representatives for WWE.”
McMahon was also asked about why the company didn’t book a second Evolution PPV event this year. According to McMahon, they considered it but this match was bigger due to its importance.
“We did consider it. A lot of our focus has been on having this particular match as a part of this PPV in Saudi Arabia. More to come on Evolution but it’s most likely not going to happen in 2019.”
The Saudi government had indicated to WWE they could have their first women’s match at the Super ShowDown event earlier this year to the point that WWE flew Alexa Bliss and Natalya out for the show but plans changed at the last minute.
Right off the bat, Angle was asked about working with Stephanie McMahon and Triple H as well as the McMahon-Helmsley storyline. This program was a fan favorite and many people considered this being a feud that helped Angle in his career with the promotion.
For Angle, he agrees with that belief and thinks that it helped him move into the main event scene during the Attitude Era.
“It was working with all of these guys like HHH, Rock, Austin, Taker, Jericho just to name a few. The McMahon-Helmsley storyline helped to elevate me to the main event level. It was fun to be relatively inexperienced and new, and each week was a learning experience for me. I literally had so much fun wrestling and doing promos and backstage interviews. I really got the opportunity to enhance my character. It wasn’t work, it was fun!”
Following his retirement from in-ring action, the legendary pro wrestler has a new role with the company.
He is serving as a producer (also called an agent) on the RAW roster to help the younger talent.
With such a legendary status due to his accomplishments and experience in the pro wrestling business, Angle is great for that role as WWE looks to have another top guy.
Charlotte Flair is scheduled to team up with RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch tonight at Monday Night RAW. They will face off against the team of SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley and Sasha Banks. The women, WWE’s Horsewomen, are known for being instrumental in WWE’s Women’s Evolution.
Speaking with Smacktalks, Charlotte discussed what might be next for the Women’s Evolution. She shared who she believes could be the next two break out female Superstars, and even named Stephanie McMahon as someone she’d like to tap out.
Women’s Evolution
Addressing the Women’s Evolution, Flair listed its next steps as “[…] continuing the momentum and headlining WrestleMania again and proving that it wasn’t a fluke. The women can continue to deliver like this at high levels. It’s gonna take a couple of years to show that. Maybe we’re not the main event this year, but it’ll happen again.”
When it comes to new rivals for her in the women’s division, Charlotte Flair named both Nikki Cross and NXT’s Bianca Belair as Superstars ready to breakthrough.
“I’m expecting big things from Nikki Cross. I’m a huge fan of hers,” Charlotte admitted. “I know she’s been on RAW and SmackDown for a few months now, maybe a year. It takes time, and I think she’s gonna have that breakout moment soon. I’m 100% behind her. From NXT, Bianca Belair just has it. She doesn’t have to try. She has that natural swag. She’s a star, and that’s one thing you can’t teach. You can teach someone how to wrestle and come up with a character, but whether you have it or not is on you, and she has it. I think she’s the next big thing.”
Tap Out
Having recently faced off against WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus, earning a submission victory in the process, Flair was then asked about who she would like to face from WWE 2K20’s roster of legends. She explained that having already tapped out Trish Stratus, “it would probably be tapping out Stephanie McMahon.”
Past tonight’s tag match on RAW, Charlotte Flair will be facing Bayley in a match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Clash of Champions on September 15th.
