– Below is the latest edition of WWE’s “Five Things” YouTube series, which this time around looks at the five SummerSlam moments WWE would like you to forget.
– The following is a “WrestleMania Rewind Extra,” which features Rey Mysterio talking about his World Heavyweight Championship victory over Randy Orton and Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 22:
– WWE will return to the Amway Center in Orlando on February 16th, 2015 for a live RAW. A pre-sale is going on now with the password RAWTV.
– As previously reported, WWE will not be hosting a SummerSlam Axxess fan fest this year. Instead, the company will be hosting a series of Superstar panels in Los Angeles, including one that will feature the WWE 2K15 roster reveal. in Los Angeles due to the ongoing budget cuts. While it was originally speculated that Axxess was cancelled as a cost-cutting measure, PWInsider.com reports that it was actually an issue related to finding a location to host the event.
– Several NXT stars were backstage at Tuesday night’s SmackDown tapings from Orlando, including newly-signed Japanese star Kenta. WWE posted the following photo of Kenta meeting with Vince McMahon and Triple H:
“Backstage at #WWE: Vince McMahon, @tripleh, and Kenta talk backstage. #WWE”
WWE.com has published Michael Cole’s weekly sit down interview with WWE COO Triple H. Here are some highlights:
– When asked about Stephanie McMahon’s “arrest” on RAW, Triple H said he has been advised not to speak about the case because of “pending legal action.” Cole asked how she was and Triple H got upset, telling him to move on.
– Triple H said he picked “Plan C” Brock Lesnar to face John Cena at SummerSlam because he guaranteed the WWE Universe that Cena would not leave the event as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. He’s going to fulfill that guarantee and Lesnar is the man who will help him keep his word. He assured Cole that Lesnar will get the job done.
– Cole asked about putting WWE’s biggest franchise Superstar in the ring with the man who may have ended The Undertaker’s career. Triple H said Lesnar vs. Cena is best for business and the WWE Universe wants to see Cena have the best possible competition. His job isn’t to protect Cena “because he sells t-shirts.” He added that said WWE has relied on Cena for years, but the company will move on when the time comes. If Lesnar ends Cena’s career, so be it.
– Cole congratulated Triple H on the one year anniversary of the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. Triple H said it has been an amazing year and the Performance Center is a big step into the future for WWE. He said that WWE’s future is bright and the wrestlers using the Performance Center have advantages that previous generations never had.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Stephanie’s Arrest: “Stephanie McMahon arguably stole the show with her interaction with Brie Bella and subsequently Steph getting ‘arrested.’ Her facials were priceless as was her timing and her natural ability to be a heel. The acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree. Steph wrestling at Summer Slam is a gimme as it should be.”
Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena at SummerSlam: “It makes perfect sense for Brock Lesnar to challenge John Cena for the WWE Title at Summer Slam and for Lesnar, as I’ve outlined on the Ross Report podcast the past couple of months, to win the title and then lose it to Roman Reigns at WM31. I love Lesnar as champion and his infrequent, in person schedule of making Monday Night Raw shows doesn’t bother me at all especially if the creative team has their thinking caps on and the booking is territory-like as in where the world champion was never on regular, weekly TV.”
Paul Heyman’s Promo: “Paul Heyman @HeymanHustle promo to close RAW was one of the best that I have heard in years. Even though I am WAY out of the WWE loop, I am still proud that I was able to help Paul early in his career and hope that his DVD that’s released soon will be a huge hit. Listen to Heyman’s promo again and see how he covered every base and will have the Summer Slam crowd in LA loudly cheering for the ‘Angry Viking’ vs. ‘ The Dr. of Thugonomics’ as Paul described Cena. In other worlds, the main event at S’Slam will be loaded with emotion especially if Cena takes it dead serious in his promos between now and then.”
It was announced on the post-Battleground edition of WWE RAW that Triple H would reveal his plan for John Cena’s opponent for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view.
After many teases, it was revealed that Triple H’s “plan A” was Randy Orton, his “plan B” was Seth Rollins, but by the end of the night, “The Game” was convinced by Paul Heyman to go with “plan C,” which is Brock Lesnar.
So there you have it, after weeks of rumors, it has been confirmed that SummerSlam this year will be headlined by John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
– It was announced on Monday’s post-Battleground edition of RAW that on this week’s edition of WWE Main Event, which airs live on the WWE Network on Tuesday night, the United States Champion Sheamus will take on Rusev.
– The following is a video of the Stephanie McMahon and Brie Bella segment from Monday’s RAW, which is expected to have been the beginning of the build to their one-on-one match at this year’s SummerSlam pay-per-view.
The following are highlights of the latest Jim Ross blog:
On not watching Battleground: “I did not watch the WWE presentation of Battle Ground live as I was in the midst of a 600 mile drive home from the cornfields of Iowa but it got me to thinking that WWE might want to consider selling the radio rights to their PPV events to Sirius, for example, for those of us who are travelers to some degree. I’d have loved to have heard the event on radio. It would be new money for WWE plus it would keep more people connected to the brand. And no I don’t think that it would harm the WWE Network whatsoever with the once a month PPV’s airing on radio.”
On some of the angles last night: “Upon taking a fast look at the PPV I can tell you that I enjoyed the tag title bout and enjoyed the 2X3 fall stipulation. Both teams worked hard and seem to have good chemistry. Hopefully, WWE will get other teams ready to engage in the Tag Title picture as I know that there are many who are specifically fans of tag team wrestling which is not dead by any means but it’s not exactly the picture of health within the business as a whole either.”
I was ready to enjoy Ambrose vs. Rollins but that did not happen but the angle that replaced the match was good and it should build more anticipation for them to work at Summer Slam if not too much is given away for free on Raw and/or Smackdown. If this match is kept somewhat clean prior to Summer Slam it will add more to the card.”
On the build to SummerSlam: “Overall, the show appeared to be somewhat of a place holder with a great deal of potential Summer Slam content within it which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I may have more to say about Battle Ground if I sit down to watch the entire event in real time later in the week.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com.
WWE held its annual Battleground pay-per-view last night. It was the second incarnation of the event and featured a total of six matches on the actual card and two additional matches on the pre-show.
On paper, the event looked more than solid and seemed like it would be one of the best shows of the year. Things quickly took a turn for the worse, however, and the WWE dropped a massive turd on its fans last night. The event was clearly slopped together and featured some of the laziest storytelling fans will ever encounter.
Lana and Rusev received some serious heat last night after referencing the recent Malaysia Airlines crash. It will be interesting to see if the WWE takes a step back after receiving criticism from multiple news outlets.
The company also pulled a total bait and switch on fans that paid to see the event. The most anticipated match of the night for many was Seth Rollins squaring off with former Shield partner Dean Ambrose. Prior to the event, the match had been heavily advertised and was clearly one of the main reasons fans were tuning in.
Instead of holding the match, however, Triple H cancelled the contest and threw Dean Ambrose out of the building, eventually awarding the victory to Seth Rollins due to forfeit. Fans were expecting an absolute classic of a matchup, but instead were treated to a few backstage brawl segments that were nothing special, and amounted to the same thing fans can see for free each week on Raw.
Last night, the WWE basically told the fans that this matchup was too good to take place at a crummy pay-per-view such as Battleground and will be saved for SummerSlam. Honestly, fans should feel cheated after what they saw with the Ambrose/Rollins program last night.
– Unless plans change, which they always could and often do, the working plan coming out of last night’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view is for Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose to finally have their big match at SummerSlam, while Roman Reigns and Randy Orton are scheduled to break off into a singles program at the big summer event.
– The following is a post-Battleground backstage interview with the reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena.
It appears that the working plan right now is for The Miz and Sheamus to feud in a program that will build to a unification of the Intercontinental and United States Championships, much like Randy Orton and John Cena did with the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships last year.
As noted earlier today, after Miz’s program with Sheamus, which is expected to last past SummerSlam, the man with the “Money Maker” is then set to work a program with Dolph Ziggler.
WWE has announced a SummerSlam Panel Series, which will take place from August 15th through the 17th at Club Nokia at LA Live in Los Angeles.
Top stars advertised for the panels include Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Steve Austin, DX, Roman Reigns, Cesaro and Sheamus.
The WWE 2K15 roster reveal will also be featured at one of the panels. Tickets go on sale this weekend and full details can be found at WWE.com. Below is the schedule:
SummerSlam Panel Dates & Times
Friday, Aug. 15, 7 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan
Saturday, Aug. 16, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
“WWE 2K15” Roster Reveal with John Cena, Hulk Hogan, Sheamus, Cesaro and Roman Reigns*
Saturday, Aug. 16, 7 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
D-Generation X (WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels & Triple H)
Sunday, Aug. 17, 12 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
*VIP Talent
Ticket Packages
VIP Floor Tickets – $200
– Professional photo with Panel Superstar
– Exclusive SummerSlam Panels collectible pre-signed poster
– Priority floor seating
Floor Tickets – $100
– Exclusive SummerSlam Panels collectible pre-signed poster
– Floor seating
Balcony Seating – $50
* WWE BATTLEGROUND REACTION: Highlights, Lowlights & Random Thoughts
– PopWrecked.com has published photos of The Bella Twins at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Sports Awards.
– Here is the first promo video for WWE SummerSlam, which takes place on Sunday, August 17th from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California:
– This year’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view is reportedly “75-percent booked,” including finishes, meaning most of the important stuff for the show has already been decided. WWE creative is working backwards to tonight’s Battleground show with the booking of story lines.
– After seeing a Beyonce concert, there are some in WWE who want fans to light up Levi’s Stadium at WrestleMania 31 with cell phones. The problem, however, is that due to the fact that the show is being held in California on west coast time, it may not be dark enough for that to happen.
(Credit: Figure Four Weekly Newsletter)
Several weeks ago, Amazon.com posted the artwork for the SummerSlam 2014 DVD featuring John Cena and Brock Lensar. While it was assumed that this would be the SummerSlam main event, a match between the two superstars was technically not mentioned on the poster. Now, WWE commercial hyping John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar is airing in select markets across the United States, confirming the WWE World Heavyweight title match.
Last night’s Raw was the final episode before this Sunday’s Battleground pay-per-view. The Battleground card was finalized with the inclusion of Jack Swagger vs. Rusev and AJ Lee vs. Paige for the Divas Championship.
Overall, the go-home episode of Raw was fairly entertaining and featured a number of notable segments. However, although many questions were answered, a few still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered following this week’s edition of Raw.
5. Can Swagger stay over as a face?
The most over superstar this week on Raw was definitely Jack Swagger. The crowd really ate up the USA-Russia détente segment, with thunderous “USA!” chants ringing throughout the arena.
It appears that Swagger’s face turn is proving to be a success, but can he maintain the momentum after ending his program with Rusev? It is a natural rivalry between Rusev and Swagger, so it will be interesting to see where he goes after his match at Battleground. One thing is certain, though: both superstars are getting over during this program, which makes me hope that it is prolonged for a bit longer following Battleground.
4. Is Heyman planning to ditch Cesaro?
Cesaro competed against Big E last night on Raw. Notably absent during the match was Cesaro’s advocate, Paul Heyman. Brock Lesnar is scheduled to return to television within the next few weeks and will definitely be competing at SummerSlam, leading some to believe that the Heyman-Cesaro partnership will soon be dissolved.
This could go a number of ways. The best-case scenario would be for Heyman to continue to represent both superstars, sparking jealousy between the two before starting a feud. This seems rather unlikely though, considering Lesnar will almost certainly challenge for the title at SummerSlam. My hope is that the two are not separated without a legitimate backstory being provided, similar to the Ryback-Axel-Heyman breakup last fall, as it would amount to a pointless alliance for Cesaro.
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley has posted a new blog on Facebook talking about the ongoing Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt feud:
THE JERICHO FACTOR
Every once once in a while, I look at someone in WWE and think “oh, I could do something with this guy.” As many of you know, per doctor’s orders, I’ll never be in a situation to do anything physically in the ring again. But Bray Wyatt and The Wyatt Family are definately people who give me that “oh I could do something with this” feeling.
Chris Jericho has that same mindset – but unlike me, he can actually act on those impulses; he can actually do something with those guys who have that certain “something”. that make you sit up and say “wow”. Iwas really fascinated last night at his ability to tell a story with just the most subtle of facial expressions. Hopefully, we’ll all be saying “wow” when we see these two monsters of the microphone trade verbal barbs on future episodes of WWE Monday Night Raw and #Smackdown.
It’s looking more and more like the rumored Roman Reigns vs. Triple H showdown will be taking place at either the Night Of Champions pay-per-view, or the Hell In A Cell pay-per-view.
Originally, Reigns vs. HHH was scheduled for SummerSlam, however, as previously reported, it’s looking like Reigns vs. Randy Orton is the plan for that show.
WWE is looking to stack the deck at Night Of Champions, as that’s when the initial six-month WWE Network subscriptions expire. As a result, the Reigns-HHH match was likely pushed back in the plans, as to schedule it so that it happens when Network subscriptions are up for renewal.
Additionally, the thought process is that Night Of Champions or Hell In A Cell would be closer to WrestleMania 31, where the idea is to push Reigns into the top baby face spot.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
As noted previously, the top four matches planned for this year’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view include Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt vs. Chris Jericho and Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella.
Another match that was originally under consideration for the show is a “Buried Alive” match between Daniel Bryan and Kane. That match is considered unlikely at this point, as it depends on Bryan’s condition, which doesn’t seem to be approving at a rate that would allow him to perform in time for SummerSlam.
It’s been noted in the past as well that WWE will be stacking the deck for Night Of Champions, the pay-per-view following SummerSlam, as that is when they will be needing something big to lure subscribers to the WWE Network, as their six-month subscriptions will be expiring at around that time.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
There continues to be talk within WWE that Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns will headline WrestleMania 31 next year. The belief is that Lesnar will defeat John Cena to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion at SummerSlam, building to the moment that he drops the belt to Reigns as Reigns’ crowning moment as the new top baby face in the company.
While there has been no confirmation that Lesnar is defeating Cena at SummerSlam, the word going around is that it is going to be a big show and that September’s Night Of Champions pay-per-view, which will also feature Lesnar, will be just as big to try and persuade people to renew their expiring six-month WWE Network subscriptions.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
Chris Jericho, who returned at Monday’s post-Money In The Bank edition of WWE RAW in Hartford, Connecticut, is reportedly worked into the creative plans through the Night Of Champions pay-per-view on September 21st.
Jericho, who always messes around with the internet fans, tried fooling people prior to RAW by posting photos on social media that showed him with his family, basically to try and throw people off.
It’s said that the working plan right now is for Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt at SummerSlam, although there’s a chance they could work the Battleground pay-per-view as well, with SummerSlam being the followup and/or blow-off of the program.
(Credit: F4WOnline.com)
The WWE’s brightest stars will attempt to cash in at this Sunday’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Two ladder matches will main event the program, with one being held to declare a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. In addition, former champion Daniel Bryan will address the WWE Universe during the pre-show.
Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s event.
Summer Rae vs. Layla (Fandango Guest Referee)
I was never the biggest Fandango supporter, but I definitely thought he would be doing something bigger than referring a divas match a year ago. He has regressed over the past year and lost a lot of momentum. This will likely be the bathroom break match of the night, and Fandango will play a major role in the outcome, of course. Summer Rae will win this one by either rejoining Fandango or using him to influence the outcome of the contest before abandoning him.
Winner: Summer Rae by pinfall
Rusev vs. Big E
These guys performed well together at last month’s Payback, even though they were given less than four minutes total. They will hopefully get a little more time during this one, allowing both superstars to showcase their strengths.
I think Rusev will ultimately win this one, but Big E will also look strong during the match. Big E cut a passionate promo on last week’s Raw, so it appears the WWE wants to showcase him a bit more. Both guys will look good, but Rusev will force Big E to tap out in the end.
Winner: Rusev by submission
Stardust and Goldust vs. Ryback and Curtis Axel
The Rhodes Brothers storyline has been moving slowly over the past few months. It first looked as if the two brothers were going to feud with one another, with Cody searching for an adequate replacement because he felt Goldust deserved better.
He eventually rebranded himself as Stardust and the two have been on a winning streak ever since. They will continue to look strong on Sunday, picking up the win after Cody hits his Diamond Dust finisher on Curtis Axel.
Winner: Stardust and Goldust by pinfall
According to one source, up until the WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view poster with John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar featured on it leaked out earlier this week, the plan was for Cena to win the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship at this Sunday’s WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view.
It’s being said now that with the poster leaking, and with WWE pushing Cena-Lesnar hard in a “news blast,” which we wrote about here on the website earlier today, that there’s a good chance that the originally intended finish for this Sunday’s main event will be changed.
It should be noted, however, that the talk going around is that regardless of what happens on Sunday night, WWE is likely still going to run with a Cena-Lesnar main event for this year’s SummerSlam.
(Credit: F4WOnline.com)
As reported recently, Amazon released a SummerSlam DVD pre-order recently, which featured cover artwork that displayed John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar, leading many to assume that Cena would be winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship this Sunday and headlining the event against Lesnar in August.
After it was released, WWE was reportedly none too pleased that the image was made public and it has since been removed from the website.
Shortly after all of this, however, WWE issued a “news slam” in which they once again teased Cena vs. Lesnar, even going as far as to address the leaked pay-per-view poster. The caption on the “news slam” reads as follows:
“We have an early sneak peek at SummerSlam’s poster, which seems to pit John Cena against the man that brought down the streak, Brock Lesnar. August 17 can’t come fast enough!”
It’s worth noting that even though Cena and Lesnar were featured on the SummerSlam DVD cover, it did not list the two as competing in a match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Money in the Bank is only a few days away, and it appears that the card is all but set. There are two ladder matches scheduled so fans can enjoy double the fun. Leading into the event, most questions have been answers, but a few still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered heading into Money in the Bank.
This past week on Raw, Big E cut a rather passionate promo on Rusev. During his Intercontinental Title run, Big E was never really given an opportunity to connect with fans, leading many, including myself, to believe that his run with the title was stale.
However, after seeing him on Raw last week, I think that he could be one of the top superstars if booked properly. Instead of writing Big E cookie cutter promos that bore the fans, he should be given more time to speak freely and be himself as he did on Raw. If he had been given this opportunity while he still held the title, he could still be holding the strap today.
Bad News Barrett was unfortunately the one receiving the bad news this week after separating his shoulder during a SmackDown taping. It seems that Barrett cannot avoid the injury bug, as he has been known to go down to injury at the worst possible times.
There has been no official announcement regarding his status for this Sunday’s pay-per-view, but it seems as if he will have to sit out while his fellow competitors attempt to win at shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. One can only hope that he recovers quickly and gets back in the ring, especially considering how successful his latest push has been.
The following was issued today:
“CELEBRATING CHAMPIONS: 2014 SPECIAL OLYMPICS USA GAMES” TO AIR ON FOX SPORTS 1 THIS MONDAY, JUNE 30 AT 7 PM ET
STAMFORD, CONN. and NEW YORK, June 26, 2014 – WWE® and FOX Sports today announced that Celebrating Champions: 2014 Special Olympics USA Games, a one-hour television event chronicling the passion, dedication and determination of America’s most inspiring athletes during the week-long celebration of the 2014 USA Games, will air on FOX Sports 1 this Monday, June 30 at 7 pm ET. The special, produced by WWE, will be hosted by Mike Hill and Molly McGrath of FOX Sports 1’s America’s Pregame. Customers of participating video providers can also watch via FOX Sports GO, the app that provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content through iOS and Android devices, as well as on desktops through FOXSportsGO.com.
The one-hour special will highlight six Special Olympics athletes as they travel from their hometowns to the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games. Viewers will experience a first-hand account of the excitement and pride each athlete exudes while training for, traveling to, and participating in the Games.
The special will include the following six athletes:
Theo “TC” Bazile, a 40-year-old from Vacherie, Louisiana, is a track and field athlete in sprints and shot put. Theo is very involved his community, where he volunteers at the local nursing home and fire department, sings in his church choir and remains active with his former high school football team.
Erica Bookout is a long-distance runner from Christiansburg, Virginia. The 22-year-old is a Junior at Radford University in Virginia majoring in Special Education. She is also the 2013 Special Olympics Virginia Athlete of the Year.
Andy Miyares, a 31-year-old from Miami, Florida, has competed in multiple sports, but has a passion for swimming and holds numerous records in the sport. He works for Special Olympics Miami-Dade and speaks both Spanish and English. In 2010, Andy was selected to serve a four-year term as one of just 12 Special Olympics International Global Messengers chosen from around the world to represent Special Olympics.
Derrick and Delon Noble, identical twin brothers from Bloomfield, New Jersey, compete in flag football. At 21-years-old, Derrick is the Quarterback and Delon is the Running Back. In addition to playing in the 2014 USA Games, during the last two weeks they’ve attended prom, seen their images on a Times Square billboard to promote the Games and graduated from high school. The twins were also honorary captains at a Rutgers football game last fall.
Scott Rohrer, a 24-year-old from York, South Carolina, is the 2010 Special Olympics USA Games Gold Medal Golfer with record scores for both 18-hole and 54-hole tournaments. Scott was also the 2013 South Carolina Special Olympics Athlete of the Year and he will be playing in Special Olympics World Golf Cup this August in Denmark.
In addition to the athlete profiles, the TV special will include highlights from the 2014 USA Games Opening Ceremony from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, which was hosted by actress and model Brooklyn Decker and Philadelphia 76ers point guard Michael Carter-Williams. The Ceremony included the traditional parade of athletes, athlete oaths and the lighting of the Special Olympics cauldron. Other celebrities that participated in the Opening Ceremony included WWE Superstars Big Show® and David Otunga®, TV personality Jack Ford, Glee’s Jane Lynch and musical artists Michael DelGuidice & Big Shot.
Also included is coverage of the first-ever Young Athletes Festival, held at the Special Olympics New Jersey Sports Complex. Children between the ages of two and seven, and their families, were invited to learn more about this program which provides critical early childhood development through the power of play.
Founding Partner WWE has helped promote the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games through its global platforms, including TV broadcasts, live events, digital and social media, all of which increased the exposure of Special Olympics and reached a larger and more diverse audience. The partnership was announced in 2013 during WrestleMania® 29 in front of more than 80,000 fans at a sold-out MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and millions more watching around the world. Over the past year, WWE has hosted Special Olympics athletes at its weekly live events, including WrestleMania® 30 in New Orleans, where the athletes got a chance to meet WWE Superstars and Divas, sit ringside and be recognized on TV for their accomplishments. WWE Superstars and Divas also served as honorary coaches for Special Olympics Unified Sports competitions around the country. WWE is the Official Production Partner of the 2014 USA Games, which included producing Celebrating Champions, producing the official sizzle reel and PSA, filming and serving as a production consultant for the Opening Ceremony, and creating daily electronic press kits for national media to help enhance coverage of the Games. In addition, WWE Superstars and Divas participated in various events at the Games, including daily autograph signings and medal presentations, while WWE employees served as volunteers.
21st Century Fox announced its Founding Partnership with the 2014 USA Games in November 2013. The network serves as the Official Presenting Media Sponsor and provided broad exposure for the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games across its U.S. channels, which include FOX News Channel, FOX Business Network, FOX Broadcasting, FOX Sports, 28 local stations and FOX Sports 1. As Presenting Media Sponsor of the 2014 USA Games, 21st Century Fox committed to media exposure across its cable and broadcast networks as well as its local stations, most notably WNYW and WWOR in New York and WTXF in Philadelphia. In addition, 21st Century Fox provided exposure via live and recorded segments on FOX News Channel; FOX Sports 1, including a preview segment that ran the week before Super Bowl XLVIII; a PSA created by YES Network featuring New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter; and, on FOX Television Stations across the country, more than 50 athlete profiles, a 30-minute Games special, and the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games PSAs which have aired thousands of times, among many other efforts. On site at the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games, Mike Hill and Molly McGrath, hosts of AMERICA’S PREGAME on FOX Sports 1, hosted the Closing Ceremony, capping a great week of events. Cleatus and five FOX Sports Girls from across the country – Sara (Ohio), Kendall (North), Katie (Midwest), Chyna (Wisconsin) and Morgan (South) – came out to interact with athletes and fans at the 21st Century Fox tent in Corporate Park.