Members of the Raw women’s division were not informed ahead of time that Stephanie McMahon was going to announce a women’s Royal Rumble match in the closing segment of Raw. This was done in an effort to ensure their reactions were genuine.
According to a report from the Pro Wrestling Sheet, only a handful of people were aware the match was going to be announced. This was reportedly done to keep the news from leaking.
Women’s Royal Rumble
So far, Naomi is the only female competitor officially announced for the Rumble match. While it has not been announced yet, the belief is the match will have 30 participants.
As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw in Providence, RI at the Dunkin Donuts Center on the USA Network, Stephanie McMahon officially announced that the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match would take place at the Royal Rumble PPV event.
McMahon spoke with ESPN for a new interview discussing the women’s Royal Rumble match. Here is what she had to say:
“I think that it’s long overdue. There’s been an incredible movement that’s been happening in our business that started nearly three years ago. They’ve been regularly headlining television and pay-per-view events, including their first-ever Hell in a Cell match and first-ever women’s Money in the Bank match. Now, for the first time ever, we’re going to have a women’s Royal Rumble match. Every time our women have had the chance to perform and headline, they have over-delivered, and I have absolutely every confidence that they will do the same thing at the Royal Rumble on Jan. 28. I think that it will be incredibly memorable, I think that they will over-deliver, and I think that fans will get more than their money’s worth.”
“We have a long way to go, but we are certainly getting there, step by step. I think that once we have a women’s match as the main event of WrestleMania, we will know that we’ve made it. And we’re going to keep fighting, piece by piece, bit by bit, until we get there.”
Above is video of Stephanie McMahon entering the ring to check on Triple H after WWE Survivor Series went off the air. For those who missed it, Triple H and Braun Strowman won the men’s 5-on-5 Traditional Elimination Match for Team RAW but the pay-per-view ended with Braun destroying The Game.
Below is a fan clip of Triple H walking into the set as he and Stephanie left to go to the backstage area:
– Michael Cole announced a sold-out crowd of 14,478 fans in attendance at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX for tonight’s Survivor Series pay-per-view.
– As seen on tonight’s WWE Survivor Series Kickoff pre-show, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens defeated Breezango. Below is post-match video of Sami saying they did prove a point tonight but it was the same point they prove each week – that they’re the two best on SmackDown but here they are relegated to the pre-show when they should be leading Team SmackDown. Sami says there are no others even close to them and tonight the point was how it was a mistake to leave he and Owens behind. Sami says they just saw Stephanie McMahon and he gives her props for being delightful. The RAW Commissioner then appears. Sami says he thought he got the shaft on RAW but Stephanie was right about what she said about Shane McMahon. Sami apologizes and Stephanie shakes their hands. Stephanie says she’s also sorry, sorry that her brother doesn’t recognize them as the true talents that they are. Stephanie pats Owens on the back several times and walks off.
RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon made her return to WWE TV on this week’s RAW from Baltimore in the opening segment. This was her first appearance since WrestleMania 33 earlier this year.
Stephanie interrupted RAW General Manager Kurt Angle’s opening segment, featuring the RAW roster on the stage, and announced that Angle would be the Team Captain for the RAW vs. SmackDown 5-on-5 Traditional Elimination Match at the November 19th Survivor Series pay-per-view.
Stephanie also threatened Angle’s job if he comes up short at Survivor Series.
WWE Hall Of Famer and former Monday Night RAW General Manager Mick Foley recently joined Ring Rust Radio to promote his new book, Saint Mick: My Journey From Hardcore Legend to Santa’s Jolly Elf. You can check out the highlights here below:
You recently released your new book, Saint Mick: My Journey From Hardcore Legend to Santa’s Jolly Elf. Why did you feel now was the right time to write this book and what are you hoping to accomplish with its release?
“You guys are officially the first interview I am doing. As of this talk its release date is not there yet it’s October 17. I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s not like it’s a book that lends itself to people that like me as a wrestler or have been chomping at the bit for my Santa memoir. It felt like it was a really good story and a great experience I had in the course of five years. I knew from reading largely wrestling memoirs, the stories that have an arc like a five, six, or seven arcs tend to be more interesting rather than someone looking back at a 30- or 40-year career and trying to cherry pick moments.
“You never really feel like you’re in the moment there. When someone had a storied career and trying to look back to capture everything, I think there is a minimal emotional investment in the book. I felt like I had a pretty good story to tell with lessons that I’ve learned and with a nice balance of the surreal, touching and the foolishness. I felt like if I didn’t get down to it this year, I probably never would have.”
You’ve run the gamut as an author in terms of the types of books you’ve written, but how was the writing process different for this book compared to your earlier autobiographical work, and how did the enjoyment you felt while writing this book compare to those previous ones?
“It was a great experience and in the introduction, I write about the fact that, I don’t want to sound all artsy, but it’s the purest writing experience. The first one was amazing, but I wrote it largely because the guy that was supposed to be writing it, the ghostwriter, did a mediocre job and I felt like I could do it better or I would be stuck for eternity with a mediocre book and nobody wants that. It worked out great and opened up a lot of doors for me. From that point on, the second book was like a way to take advantage of the success of the first book.
“Even Hardcore Diaries and Countdown to Lockdown were six week periods where I was writing them as the events were unfolding. So, story wise it was a roll of the dice and I didn’t know if there were going to be good stories or not. In this case, it’s something I really wanted to do. I didn’t think there was an audience and at certain point I was just really intent on self-publishing like 100 copies for family and friends and then a couple of key people, Stephanie McMahon being one of them, convinced me it might deserve a wider audience.”
The foreword for your latest book was written by Stephanie McMahon. What went into your decision to ask her and how did she react when asked?
“Oh man, I wrote something about that and you guys are kind of getting the sneak preview of that. She had just decimated me verbally in a backstage interview. It was one of the cruelest, verbal tirades even by wrestling standards. It was the one where I think at the end of February that ended with the man that used to be able to stand up to everyone and everything, but can now barely stand at all. When it was done, I said I would like to talk in private if I could. She knows I’m professional and I’m not going to yell at her over a promo, it was hard because it is a tough thing to ask, but I asked her if she would wonder consider writing the introduction to my book and it caught her completely flat footed. She was kind of speechless for a second like she wasn’t expecting that. Then she told me she would be honored to.
“When we were GM and Commissioner, I was working on this book and she would ask me about it. One day she came to catering and started asking me a couple of questions and I thought she came to talk to me about a promo we were doing, but after about 40 minutes, I asked her if she wanted to talk about the promo and she said, ‘No, I just think this is really interesting.’ I asked her if she thought this was a story people would enjoy and she really helped me believe in my own project. I hope I don’t kill her on-air persona, but I really respect her not only as a performer and a person, but also as a writer. Every writer has a few key people they depend on to give them feedback and in this case, she was a key person. She was my sounding board on a weekly basis and the main reason I decided to publish it instead of self-publishing for family and friends.”
It’s often been said that WWE’s motto is “putting smiles on people’s faces,” and the same can be said for playing the role of Santa Claus. How do you feel being a WWE Superstar helped prepare you for being Santa and spreading Christmas cheer all year round?
“Did you say playing the role? I’m not playing, pal! There were times when I was playing the role of characters where I really felt like I was living that role. Those were the best appearances where you get caught up in that character to the point where you feel like you are that character and it’s the same thing. I really feel like the experience I had and I don’t want to give this away, but Stephanie’s got this great line in her introduction and forward and it was something I actually tried to write about getting to the main point of what I learned from doing this, but I didn’t feel comfortable.
“It was almost too heavy and I didn’t want to phrase it without sounding all ideological or crazy, but she remembered it almost word for word from a conversation we had. Basically, all these experiences I had from being in the ring, portraying characters, visiting children and service members, really put me in a unique position so that I could kind of step in and really inhabit this role which I believe is closer to who I really am. I just have to be nicer and kinder and wiser than I am in real life. Whereas when you’re Cactus Jack and Mankind, you have to be crazier, braver and far more aggressive.
“I wasn’t the classic alpha male in the dressing room, but I had to go in there with guys that were six inches taller and 80 pounds heavier who were those alpha males and I do find a way to hold my own. The business is what it is, but if you can’t stand your ground, you get devoured in there. That was really difficult for me and it took me a long time to get the grasp of that. Whereas this character, the Santa character, is a little closer to home I think.”
You can listen to Foley’s interview on Ring Rust Radio by clicking this link here.
Monday Night RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon recently made an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine to discuss a variety of professional wrestling topics. McMahon would go on to put over the ongoing Women’s Revolution and discuss how much women have have taken over the industry today:
“I am the boss,” McMahon joked. “Well, my character is the boss. I use my power at any given chance. And women are a force to be reckoned with! There is now a women’s only tournament, which is part of this whole women’s revolution, where women have gone from lesser roles to becoming the main events at shows. They have taken the world by storm. Women are forces of nature that have been stealing the show – as women often do!”
Stephanie would go on to claim that 40% of today’s WWE audience is women and noted that 40% of families who go to WWE events bring their kids. The Women’s Revolution in the WWE continues to grow astronomically with WWE Superstars such as Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Becky Lynch, and so many more. That revolution could continue to grow with recent rumors sparking that female tag team titles could soon be implemented.
WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley recently took to his official website, RealMickFoley.com, to discuss his upcoming book, Saint Mick. Foley discussed why he picked Monday Night RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon to write the forward for his book, how he reacted after reading it, and what he really thinks of her as a person. You can check out what he had to say here:
Why he picked McMahon to write the forward to his book:
“Writing the foreword to a book is a pretty big deal. I guess I should be honest and tell you that Stephanie McMahon was not my first choice when it came to writing the foreword for SAINT MICK. She was my only choice. While we may have bickered on the air – saying terrible things about each other in the hope of creating good TV – behind the scenes, Stephanie was my weekly sounding board for my book, and her interest and encouragement helped convince me that this very personal memoir might just deserve a wider audience than the 100 people I had planned to self-publish it for.”
How he reacted after reading it:
“I didn’t like Stephanie’s foreword, though. I loved it! While I have no doubt she could have produced a fine forward in 90 minutes, while watching TV, the hard work she put into creating this generous piece of writing (that’s what my publisher called it – a generous piece of writing) is so obvious, is such a great addition to my book – and so greatly appreciated. I teared up when I read it, then teared up again when I read it to my wife – who teared up as well. ‘Mick, that’s really beautiful,’ my wife said. ‘And she obviously worked very hard on it.’ She certainly did. First drafts. Proofreading. Edits. In the end, it was worth the wait, and I will forever be grateful to Stephanie McMahon for going so far above and beyond both the call of duty, and my expectations to produce something so eloquent and beautiful.”
What he really thinks about her as a person:
“Stephanie McMahon is great. Not ‘great’ as a synonym for ‘cool’ or ‘awesome’ or great with an exclamation point behind it in a text message to convey happiness in a single word. Stephanie is great in the sense that she possesses qualities of true greatness, with the potential to accomplish truly great things in her lifetime.”
You can check out Foley’s entire blog entry by visiting this link here.
Roman Reigns fires shot at Cena ahead of their match tonight at No Mercy
Roman Reigns and John Cena have spent the past few weeks on RAW cutting promos on each other. Cena poked fun at Reigns for failing a drug test and Reigns blasted Cena for turning Hollywood and becoming a part-timer. Earlier today, Reigns sent out the following tweet and mocked Cena:
I don't come up with catchy slogans. My life isn't a corny catchphrase. I was born to reign.
Elias will face Apollo Crews tonight during the No Mercy Kickoff Show. Elias posted the following video and warned Crews that he will not find peace in Titus Worldwide. Elias suggested that he should walk with him instead because he is the future of WWE.
WWE Superstars wish Stephanie McMahon Happy Birthday
Vince McMahon and several other Superstars took to Twitter today to wish Stephanie McMahon a Happy Birthday. Stephanie McMahon turns 41-years-old today.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the QUEEN ?! A one of a kind human! My girlfriend ? thank you for all you do @StephMcMahon! Have the best day! ? pic.twitter.com/EbVt1y6MmO
– It was initially reported last year that WWE’s Stephanie McMahon was preparing to release her memoir last October, however, Amazon listed the book on their website with a release date in 2020. McMahon noted on Twitter that the book would be released this year in 2017, but nothing has been said about the project since. A fan asked McMahon about the book, entitled “unREAL!,” recently on Twitter and “The Billionaire Princess” revealed that the book is now officially on hold:
LOL! My book is officially on hold. There are too many stories that need to be told before mine. One day, I promise! https://t.co/StQ9hIiBQK
– The WWE has released a promo for tonight’s (Wed. September 13, 2017) UK Title defense between champion Pete Dunne and Wolfgang, as the pair main event tonight’s episode of NXT. Check it out here:
Earlier tonight, Kairi Sane won the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament by defeating Shayna Baszler in the finals.
Before the event, WWE held a red carpet event and several current and past Superstars were interviewed about the tournament.
Bayley
Bayley stated that her injury was coming along great, but she still hasn’t been able to lift any weights. Bayley said that she would love to see MYC tournament competitor Piper Niven make it to NXT and eventually WWE in the future. She also explained how the Mae Young Classic tournament lights a fire under current Superstars on the main roster because of the talent that could potentially join WWE in the future.
Alundra Blayze
Cathy Kelley interviewed WWE Hall of Famer Alundra Blayze before the finale of the Mae Young Classic tournament tonight. Blayze said that the Mae Young Classic is a dream come true for her because when she was competing, there weren’t too many women for her to wrestle. Blayze stated that the women today have an amazing opportunity in WWE, but they have to capitalize on it.
Charlotte
Charlotte said that she knows she has to work harder now because the talent in the Mae Young Classic is younger and hungrier. Charlotte knows that she has accomplished a lot already in WWE, but that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t all go away quickly because someone else wants to join the roster and take her spot.
Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie stated that she couldn’t be more proud of where the women are today. Stephanie referenced the transition from the Divas division to the Women’s division and how the RAW and SmackDown Women’s Championships are now more akin to the men’s titles in WWE. Women are now called Superstars and are regularly main-eventing WWE television and PPVs. Stephanie said that it was unbelievable how far they have come and how far they are going to go.
Triple H
Triple H believes that in 10 years there will be a lot of girls walking through the ropes in WWE because they were inspired by the Mae Young Classic. Triple H stated that when fans started the “GiveDivasAChance” hashtag, everyone had to listen. Triple H wants the Mae Young Classic to happen every year, but it depends on it’s success.
Triple H said that he wanted the Cruiserweight Classic to happen every year as well, but Vince McMahon wound up turning it into a weekly show so you never know what is going to happen. Triple H added that the tournament was named after Mae Young because she transcended generations.
In the main event segment of Tuesday’s SmackDown Live from ‘Sin City’ Las Vegas, Kevin Owens came down to the ring and waited for Vince McMahon to join him. Vince’s music hit and he power-walked down the entrance ramp and joined Owens in the ring.
Owens said that Vince was intimidated to be in the ring with him. Vince said he wasn’t intimidated, he was nauseated.
Vince McMahon said that Owens didn’t fight back against Shane last week because Shane was kicking his ass. Vince asked Owens how he has any respect at all when he looks in the mirror. Vince said that if Owens filed the lawsuit against the McMahons, he will fire him. The crowd chanted “yes!” as Vince dared Owens to file the lawsuit.
Vince bragged about never losing a lawsuit and being a billionaire. Owens got pissed off and said that Vince’s son put his hands on him. Vince said that he suspended Shane for not finishing the job the last week. Vince said that he suspended Shane because he didn’t kick Owens’ ass enough.
Vince announced that he was going to reinstate Shane and that there is going to be a match between Shane and Owens. Vince then announced that the match will be inside a Hell in a Cell. The crowd once again chanted “yes!”. Owens stated that he needed Vince to promise that he will not be fired if he beats a McMahon senseless. Vince said that Owens has his word that he will not be fired. Owens then shook Vince’s hand and headbutted him. Vince’s head was cut open and Owens grabbed the microphone.
Owens said that Vince just gave his word that he can beat a McMahon senseless. Vince got back to his feet and Owens punched him the face. A referee came down to the ring but Owens continued the attack. Owens then booted Vince in the ribs and more referees got into the ring. Vince got back to his feet and Owens hit him with a Superkick. Owens then threw a referee out of the ring and climbed to the top rope. Owens hit a Frog Splash onto Vince McMahon.
Stephanie McMahon then confronted Kevin Owens on the entrance ramp.
Stephanie then walked down to the ring to help her father. Vince limped up the entrance ramp and fell to his knees. Vince said that his ribs were hurting and Stephanie asked Vince to get on the stretcher but Vince refused. Vince slowly started walking up the entrance ramp as SmackDown went off the air.
WWE Chief Brand Ambassador and RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon has been named one of AdWeek’s Most Powerful Women in Sports. AdWeek featured 35 female executives and influencers who they deemed “MVP’s of the sports marketing world.”
Regarding Stephanie, AdWeek wrote, “Divas” are dead, and “superstars” are born, thanks to McMahon, who retired the old-school name for WWE’s women grapplers and replaced it with the same title superstars given to the sport’s male competitors. McMahon, daughter of CEO Vince McMahon, has spent two decades in nearly every facet of the WWE, both on-air and in its business operations, helping make WrestleMania 33 a $14.5 million-grossing, attendance-breaking event at the Orlando Citrus Bowl this spring (besting a 2015 concert by the Rolling Stones).
Other names on the list include Erika Nardini (CEO, Barstool Sports), Lisa Borders (President, WNBA), Erin Andrews (Broadcaster, Fox Sports), Nancy Dubuc (President, CEO, A+E Networks) and Dawn Hudson (Chief marketing officer, National Football League).
WWE’s Stephanie McMahon recently did an interview with Mirror to talk about The Undertaker’s retirement following his loss to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33, as well as what it’s like working for her father, Vince McMahon. Check it out:
The backstage atmosphere at WrestleMania after The Undertaker retired:
“There will never be another Undertaker… and everyone feels the same whether it’s backstage or out in the arena. I think that everyone that is part of the WWE Universe is a fan of The Undertaker. There will never be anyone [else] like him.”
How long she has known Taker:
“Yeah. Ha ha. He would say ‘maybe not that little’. He’d say ‘I’m not that old’. I’ve known him for a very long time. He’s almost like a brother to me.”
Working for her father, Vince McMahon:
“Working for my dad is incredibly challenging, in a variety of ways. It can be challenging from a family standpoint, right, because I think sometimes working with family you take certain things for granted, and that can be challenging, as I keep saying! But from an opportunistic standpoint, I would never have had the opportunities that I have been given and afforded if it weren’t for my father. I think you have to work that much harder when you are part of the family to prove yourself and to keep growing, but again those are the best life lessons that you can possibly have. The best part of working together, at least in my family, is this incredible shared passion. We all love what we do. To be able to bring different aspects of that passion literally to the table is a unique proposition and one I would never give up.”
WWE’s Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon was recently interviewed by the UK’s Mirror newspaper and discussed a wide variety of topics, including Seth Rollins putting her through a table at WrestleMania, performing in front of the massive WrestleMania crowd each year, Triple H’s iconic WrestleMania entrances and more.
With WWE currently touring overseas, Stephanie was asked if WWE would consider hosting another pay-per-view event from the UK.
“I keep wondering that myself,” Stephanie said. “I think they are because WWE always listens to our fanbase and the UK fans are pretty loud, pretty rowdy in a great way, and you know we are constantly evaluating that. Personally I would love to see it. I know it would be incredible.”
Some fans might not remember that Stephanie is actually a former WWE Women’s Champion (200). When asked if we’ll ever see her lace up the boots again, Stephanie says she’d “absolutely welcome” the opportunity, if it were to present itself.
“I absolutely love the in-ring performance aspect to what we do,” she said. “It’s such an honour to be able to get in there with some of those performers and actually take bumps or tell a story of the match. I’m not necessarily the best but I do love to get in there, so if there’s ever an opportunity again to do that and to help make somebody else then I would absolutely welcome it.”
Head over to Mirror.co.uk to check out the full interview.
Stephanie McMahon appeared on “This Morning” earlier this morning, as part of the company’s promotional work on the UK tour. At one point the hosts praised WWE for continuing to listen to their audience despite how successful the company already is.
The show posted Stephanie’s performance on their YouTube channel. (skip to 3:40 for the “secret sauce” comments):
Highlights of Stephanie McMahon’s Interview
On WWE listening to their fans:
“Our fans are our secret sauce and that is why we are so successful on social media.”
On “Women’s Revolution”: Not sure if this was a Freudian slip or not, but Stephanie referred to WWE’s “Women’s Revolution”, as the “Women’s Evolution”
“There is actually something we call the “Women’s Evolution”. Really all of the credit goes to any woman who has ever stepped foot in a WWE or wrestling ring, but i like to give credit to our audience.”
On WWE’s Family-Friendliness:
“It’s family friendly; people watch in generations. It’s grandparents and grandchildren, and parents and their children.”
“More families watch WWE together than any other franchise, with the exception being the NFL”
Shelton Benjamin was slated to make his return to the WWE last year but an injury prevented him from doing so. After a nine month rehab process, Benjamin is finally ready to return to the squared circle. Time will tell if his return to in-ring action will be in the WWE or not.
After 9 of the hardest months of my life, I'm happy to announce I have been OFFICIALLY CLEARED to return to action. Effective Immediately!
WWE.com has posted a couple of previews for Monday’s episode of Raw. Last week, Stephanie McMahon fired Raw GM Mick Foley. It appears that the storyline surrounding the Raw General Manager will continue on Monday. Below is a preview posted on WWE’s official website.
This past Monday night, Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon unceremoniously ousted General Manager Mick Foley, using the two words that seem to come naturally to members of her family: “You’re fired!”
Now, mere days before WrestleMania, Raw is left without a GM, and with so many high-profile Team Red matches at The Ultimate Thrill Ride on April 2, one wonders if Stephanie is looking for someone new to quickly fill the vacant position, or if she will take on the responsibilities of running the show herself, as she did on Monday after Foley was forced to leave the building. Either way, Raw’s management — or lack thereof — should prove interesting in Philadelphia this Monday night.
The WWE also posted a preview for Monday’s episode of Raw that discussed the Roman Reigns/The Undertaker storyline. Monday is the final episode of Raw before Wrestlemania 33. The WWE is asking the question, has The Undertaker gotten inside Roman Reigns’ head?
The Undertaker emerged in Brooklyn to strike fear into the heart of Roman Reigns, but The Big Dog was ready, delivering a thunderous Spear that left The Deadman dazed … but only for a moment.
Like a scene out of a slasher flick, The Undertaker snapped up from the supine position and rose to his feet, letting The Big Dog know, in no uncertain terms, that it will take more than a Spear to keep The Phenom off his feet. As an eerie mist surrounded him on the entrance ramp, Reigns gazed awestruck at his otherworldly WrestleMania opponent. Perhaps this isn’t Reigns’ yard after all.
– WWE uploaded a video that follows Zack Ryder as he rehabs his injury. Ryder injured his left knee on December 13th, 2016 during a Tag Team No. 1 Contender’s Battle Royal. Ryder is clearly anxious to get back in the ring and the video shows that.
– Eva Marie celebrated 4 years of sobriety by posting this on Instagram:
– WWE uploaded a new video of Top 10 Superstars getting fired. Stephanie McMahon’s recent firing of Mick Foley happened to make the list. You can check out the rest of the Top 10 in the video below.
Peter Rosenberg of WWE, ESPN & Hot 97 is back with another big interview in the lead-up to WrestleMania weekend. After speaking with WWE COO Triple H earlier this week, Chief Brand Officer and RAW commissioner Stephanie McMahon was a guest on the latest installment of the Cheap Heat Podcast. On a side note, Rosenberg mentioned that he’ll be filming another episode of Bring it to the Table from WrestleMania weekend in Orlando, FL.
Here are some highlights of what Stephanie McMahon said about:
Did she always know she wanted to be part of WWE?
“I guess it’s never just ‘the family business’ when it’s WWE. Yes, I have always wanted to be part of it all my life. Not only have I been a fan growing up, but it was also a way for me to be with my family. My parents were busy building this business when I was growing up and I really had a pretty amazing childhood. All I ever wanted to do was be with them and be a part of it. I never really considered everything else.”
The WWE personalities she remembers having a bond with as she was younger:
“I think you learn from everyone all the time. Especially when you are younger, you learn without realizing you’re learning. Even just watching our show, in terms of watching matches, I found myself studying them and studying the reactions. I always had a strong affinity for the heels, as you can imagine. The integral role they play in helping to create the babyface and just how important that role is. The psychology of it and how everybody would respond.
But in terms of people around me, and I know my brother would say this name as well, is Pat Patterson. He was really my dad’s booking partner, which in wrestling, you book, you book your attractions then you build the storyline around those attractions. Very rarely does it happen where it’s the storyline first, though it does work that way sometimes. Pat was very influential in my life. Of course, my father and my mother [were strong influences]. My brother just stretched me every chance he got, so I guess I got to learn from that. There were so many incredible influences around me.
It’s so interesting from my perspective. I knew all these great big tough guys as a little girl and they always treated me differently. I remember Harley Race, one of the toughest competitors ever, one of the toughest people ever, period. When my first daughter was born, I was told by his wife that he went and personally hand picked a pair of earrings for my baby girl.
You look at the Grand Wizard Ernie Roth, who was quite the character in his heyday, and I grew up knowing him as Uncle Ernie. [Laughs] I learned what ribs were and I learned how to take them. I learned how these incredible people were part of this business, not only were they larger than life on-screen personalities, but they were these incredible people behind the scenes in their everyday lives. They were so fascinating. All different walks of life. Growing up, I was exposed to so much and so many types of people, it sort of gives you a different perspective.
Does she remember ever being “smartened up” to the business?
“I sort of smartened myself up. I do remember when I learned carny though. It was actually Pat’s [partner] at the time, Louie Dondero, who taught me carny by the pool when I Pat was booking with my dad. Oh my god, were my dad and brother upset when I learned carny at about 8 years old, because then they could no longer say things that they didn’t want me to understand around me. It was pretty awesome, I loved it. My oldest daughter is always trying to learn carny and she thinks she knows how to speak it, but she doesn’t, and hopefully we won’t be smartening her up any time soon.”
How the business has evolved from previous eras:
“I’m blown away every day in WWE because it grows at such a rapid rate. Our fans suspend their disbelief. It’s no different from a movie or television show. It’s not like in the 80’s when my dad coined the phrase ‘sports entertainment’ and everybody freaked out like, ‘You’re going to kill the business.’ No, he’s going to make the business bigger than it’s ever been before. But he had to prove that out and I certainly understand people being scared of that.
If you look at what the business has become, and it takes all those things, proliferating platforms, it takes digital and social media, launching your own susbsciption service, and also having having traditional linear television product, all of these business models, it takes this incredible executive team that we have as well as these incredible talents.
I think the talent themselves have evolved. Not only are they incredible athletes but they are also businessmen and women and they recognize that they are their own individual brands. They take every advantage, well, the smart and successful ones do, take every advantage to build their brand and their connection to the audience because they recognize that if they do that, it only enhances their popularity and what they mean to the WWE Universe.”
Stephanie also spoke at length about WWE’s charity work and community service efforts.
Goldberg did an interview with CBS Sports before last night’s episode of Monday Night Raw. Goldberg was asked about the possibility of returning to a full time schedule in the WWE.
“If that were to happen, it depends on your definition of full time. If you have the strap, the WWE title, you gotta be on TV to defend it. I guess we’ll cross that bridge if we get there.”
Goldberg also discussed the current WWE locker room and how respectful they have been to him.
“The respect is unbelievable. I feel like an elder statesman. I’m very happy for the business that such good people are in control of it now. It seems like they’re a great group of kids in the locker room. And that’s really nice to see, because in past years, that has not always been the case.”
You can check out he full interview by clicking here.
– Stephanie McMahon and Triple H were in attendance at Friday’s U.S. Presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C. Stephanie’s mother, former WWE CEO Linda McMahon, was chosen by President Donald Trump to serve as the head of the Small Business Administration. Stephanie wrote on Instagram, “Regardless your politics, it was an honor to witness the peaceful transition of power as our 45th President was inaugurated.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPfxFdvDIU9/
– Xavier Woods recently interviewed Seth Rollins before his Madden ’17 WWE Tournament semi-final game with Kofi Kingston on Sunday. The interview was for Woods’ UpUpDownDown channel on YouTube, and Rollins stated that he’ll “annihilate” Kofi in Madden. Rollins is currently the two-time Madden champion in WWE, but Kofi says he’s going to dethrone him. You can watch the videos of Rollins and Kingston below.
Last night on Raw, GM Mick Foley, Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho were having an argument in the ring. Owens was complaining about having to defend his Universal Championship against Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble. Chris Jericho was complaining that he had to be locked in a shark tank and suspended above the ring during that match. Jericho referred to himself as a “sexy piñata” and thought Foley was abusing his power as the general manager of Monday Night Raw. Finally, Stephanie McMahon had seen enough and stormed to the ring. However, her entrance video didn’t play on the jumbotron. Instead, a gigantic Google home screen appeared for a few seconds before someone caught it. Kevin Owens noticed it right away.
I would consider this a crisis averted. The person that made this mistake could have been Googling something not appropriate for PG television. Better yet, they could have been Googling “when the hell is Emmalina going to show up on Monday Night Raw?”.
On Monday Night Raw, the GM is Mick Foley and the Commissioner is Stephanie McMahon. Foley has played a big role in the Sami Zayn and Braun Strowman storyline so far. He even got involved in their match at Roadblock by coming out with a white towel and Zayn had to beg him to not stop the match. Foley is also hated by Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens. Last week on Raw, Foley locked Jericho in a shark cage and had him suspended above the ring.
Foley was on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw, thus Stephanie McMahon ran the show. She opened up Raw on Monday by taunting the Chicago audience. Throughout the episode, Stephanie was a part of several backstage segments and even asked Braun Strowman to destroy Seth Rollins in their match later on the show. Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley will clearly have a power struggle in time and they have already teased that since the brand split.
On Smackdown, Shane McMahon is the Commissioner and Daniel Bryan serves as the GM. Daniel Bryan has stayed out of most storylines but has certainly called out his fair share of Superstars. Daniel Bryan called out Alexa Bliss in a backstage segment and claimed that she was faking an injury to avoid competing. However, most of Daniel Bryan’s interactions with Superstars on the Smackdown roster take place on Talking Smack. The Miz and Daniel Bryan hate each other on Smackdown. The Miz often mocks Bryan during his matches by performing his moves and doing the “yes!” chant. Even though Daniel Bryan was a guest on Miz TV on Smackdown, most of their confrontations have happened on Talking Smack. The same can be said about Baron Corbin. Corbin has been on Talking Smack a few times and has complained to Daniel Bryan about how he is being used on the show.
Shane McMahon may not have as much screen time as Daniel Bryan, but he certainly has been involved in the show. He joined Team Smackdown for Survivor Series and wrestled in the men’s 5 vs 5 match. As of late, Shane McMahon hasn’t come down to the ring too many times. He has been in a bunch of quick backstage segments interacting with Superstars on the roster. Most of the time, Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon are only in brief backstage segments throughout the night.
Discussion: On Raw, the authority figures are a major part of the show. Stephanie McMahon opened up Raw this week and was in several more backstage segments. Triple H may wind up returning soon and that will make things even more crowded. Neither Daniel Bryan or Shane McMahon were on Smackdown last night. Do you find the show more compelling if the Superstars are constantly battling management or have you grown tired of that storyline? Do you enjoy the way management is presented on Raw or Smackdown? Share your thoughts below.
Stephanie McMahon is trending on social media after taking a shot at CM Punk during tonight’s RAW opening segment.
Opening the show in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, Stephanie was met with Punk chants from the crowd. She responded with the following, taking a shot at Punk for losing his MMA debut to Mickey Gall in 2:14 earlier this year:
“If you can keep that up for 2 minutes and 15 seconds, you’d last one second longer than Punk did.”