As seen earlier this week, Steve Austin immediately downplayed the speculation about a possible WrestleMania 32 match with Brock Lesnar, and apparently there’s a very good reason for that.

According to the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Austin vs. Lesnar will not be happening next year and part of the reason is because Austin and Vince McMahon have some issues. While the key issues aren’t specified, it is noted that McMahon was not happy with how Austin’s “Stone Cold Podcast” with Paul Heyman ended because it caused anticipation and excitement for a match that is not currently part of WWE’s plans for WrestleMania 32.

After the podcast ended, McMahon reportedly spoke to Austin and made it clear that he wanted the story to go away quickly and quietly, so he asked Austin to address it once and then move on, which is exactly what Austin ended up doing.

• PHOTO: Is Ken Shamrock Taking STEROIDS Before Fight With Kimbo?!

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

– WWE.com has published a new feature looking 5 things John Cena has not yet accomplished yet in his career, including an IC Title reign, winning King of the Ring, matching Ric Flair’s 16 World Title reigns and more.

– After Tuesday night’s SmackDown tapings from Lafayette, Louisiana, Dean Ambrose defeated Bray Wyatt with Dirty Deeds.

– Rusev continues to taunt Lana on Twitter. She posted an update on her ankle and Rusev replied with the following:

@LanaWWE positive thoughts.

— Miro (@ToBeMiro) June 10, 2015

– Vince McMahon has Tweeted the following to hype Tough Enough:

Are they really #ToughEnough? The final 13 will be. http://t.co/ZSjx9tuQt1

— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) June 9, 2015

– WWE has announced that NXT Diva Becky Lynch will be returning to action on this week’s edition of NXT television on the WWE Network. Lynch last worked at the NXT Takeover: Unstoppable special, losing to NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks.

– Legendary pro wrestling personality Jim Cornette is the guest on the latest edition of Roddy Piper’s “Piper’s Pit” podcast. You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

– As noted earlier today, WWE touted the fact that they have surpassed the half a billion follower mark on social media. WWE Chairman Vince McMahon has commented on the milestone, as you can see in the following tweet he posted earlier today.

"You can't see me," but thanks to the half a billion people who can see @WWE. pic.twitter.com/kOBE30eCX7

— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) June 8, 2015

• PHOTO GALLERY: Ronda Rousey Looks HOT In New TV Commercial!

As we reported on Monday night, WWE officials were so impressed with Samoa Joe’s merchandise sales that Vince McMahon and Triple H personally pushed for him to sign a full-time deal with WWE.

It is now confirmed that Joe indeed signed a full-time contract with WWE, which is part of the reason he was at RAW last night, defeating Tyson Kidd in a dark match that took place prior to RAW going on the air.

Aside from the success of Joe’s merchandise sales and his NXT performances, the fact that his appearances for Ring Of Honor will be airing on national cable television also played a part in the decision to sign him to a full-time deal.

Joe’s original NXT deal reportedly had a clause in it that would allow WWE to sign him to a full-time deal if they chose to. WWE decided to execute that clause this past Thursday after ROH and Destination America announced their new deal. Both Joe and WWE signed an addendum to the original contract that now makes him a full-time WWE performer.

• Ronda Rousey On Shaquille O’Neal’s Comments About A Fight With Her

(Credit: PWInsider.com)

Wrestling legend Bill Goldberg recently spoke with Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard blog. Below are some highlights from the interview.

On never being one to back down from a fight, even with Vince McMahon: “[Hulk] Hogan once said to me, ‘Hey brother, you’re going to have to play the game. If Vince calls you in the middle of the night to get on a plane, you’re going to have to do it.’ I said to him, ‘You obviously don’t know me.’”

On Sting getting him into the business: “Sting was the guy who changed my mind. He and Lex Luger used to own a gym called Main Event Fitness in Atlanta. When I was with the Falcons, I used to work out there. I would have never imagined in a trillion years that I would have followed this path, but what made the decision realistic for me was the way Sting carried himself. When I met Sting, and observed him leading his family, business, and social life, it was completely different than what I’d ever seen in the past. I thought, ‘You know what? I can do this.’ So I bought thousands of dollars of old tapes trying to perfect moves that nobody had ever done before. I saw something that I liked, then I’d change it and make it my own.”

On WWE trying to dismiss his impact on wrestling: “That’s the way I feel. I’m surely not going to be somebody who pounds his chest and professes I was somebody who couldn’t be replaced, but I think I made a difference. For that character, nobody could do it better. So to not get the credit for the impact that I helped make is frustrating.”

On a recent talk with Triple H: “I had a conversation with Paul [Levesque] recently and I said, ‘Listen, I’m willing to put everything aside. If you guys want to sit down and make some money and have some fun, then let’s do it. My son wants to see me wrestle, and I’m willing to put all the bad feelings aside. If you guys want to move forward and do this thing the right way, then let’s talk.’ And that’s the way it ended. There’s nothing there. Truthfully, I don’t even think they want me to come, period. I’m just not one of them. The fact that I’m not far outweighs the financial gain, which they truly may not even believe is there. And I’m good with that. I’m absolutely fine with that.”

On WWE possibly inducting him into the WWE Hall Of Fame: “I don’t have a time limit and age is just a number for me. If the Hall of Fame presents itself, then I’ll do it in a heartbeat. But it’s not something where I sit here and go, ‘Man, I wish the WWE would induct me in the Hall of Fame.’ I don’t think about what I would say in my speech or who would induct me. I don’t think about that, by no stretch of the imagination.”

Check out the complete interview at SI.com.

• Ronda Rousey On Shaquille O’Neal’s Comments About A Fight With Her

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official website blog with his latest thoughts and comments. Below are some of the highlights.

On Vince McMahon’s RAW promo: “Thought that it was cool that Vince McMahon addressed the live audience in the soon to be closing Nassau Coliseum Monday night. The arena is a big part of the history of WWE and a place that I always enjoyed working. Not sure that I wouldn’t hae had the Fink there to do something, too.”

On Samoa Joe’s WWE deal: “The wrestling media and many in the fan base fascination over Samoa Joe’s ‘contract’ is actually becoming humorous. Is it really that big a story? If the talent is happy and the company’s that are hiring him are happy then what’s the issue other than “I got’s to know?’ I’m ecstatic for @SamoaJoe and feel great things are ahead for him in WWE and if not then someone will have really fumbled in the red zone.”

On TNA and Destination America: “TNA not addressing the rampant TV rumors of their relationship with Destination America is irresponsible. I’ve talked to many within the company who have no idea what their future holds and that’s not good business. Silence speaks volumes more often than not in the wrestling business when it comes to communicating with talent and of that I speak from extensive experience.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com.

• Ronda Rousey STRONGLY Hints At Making SURPRISE WWE Return!

– WWE Chairman Vince McMahon addressed the crowd prior to last night’s RAW, the final WWE show from the legendary Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, New York. Vince thanked the wrestlers and fans for the memories and the good times.

.@WWE CEO & Chairman @VinceMcMahon salutes the crowd at our final @Nassau_Coliseum event. #RAW http://t.co/Dss12ASBct

— WWE (@WWE) May 26, 2015

– NXT Diva Alexa Bliss is upset about fake nude photos of her circulating online. She tweeted on Monday:

https://twitter.com/AlexaBliss_WWE/status/602950591766241282

https://twitter.com/AlexaBliss_WWE/status/602950685982875649

• Ronda Rousey Talks To WWE.com About Returning To WWE Soon!

– Chris Jericho’s official Twitter and Instagram accounts were hacked today. There’s no details on who did the hacking or why, however Jericho is said to be in the process of restoring both accounts.

– WWE Chairman Vince McMahon tweeted the following about the Memorial Day holiday today.

Let's not forget the true meaning of #MemorialDay and those that paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) May 25, 2015

– The apron elbow drop that Adam Rose hit Tyler Breeze with at the NXT television tapings last Thursday was a tribute to Mick Foley, the man Rose claims is the reason he wanted to become a pro wrestler. Rose tweeted the following:

An ode to a the man that made me wanna be a pro wrestler! @realmickfoley thanks to who ever got this pic! #Raw pic.twitter.com/xvxJtFG35a

— Aldo Rose (@Aegis_Rose) May 25, 2015

• Alberto Del Rio Makes Interesting Comments About Goldberg Fight Rumors!

Former NWA/WCW star Nikita Koloff recently appeared as a guest on The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast to talk about his career. Below are some highlights from the interview.

On pinpointing your favorite match or opponent during his career: “My first ever match against Ric (Flair) at the Great American Bash, 13 months into the business and I’m still green, still wet behind the ears and yet I was given the opportunity to step into a main event match against a legend like Ric Flair and have that kind of exposure. Also my eight-man matches against the Horseman in War Games.”

On if he had any hesitations on competing in the original War Games: “The dangers of what we did because it is not an exact science and you do put a lot of trust into the hands of who you are working with and your opponent, that serious things can and will and do happen in and outside of the squared circle. For me personally, it wasn’t so much a match like War Games as much as it was an individual. There were certain individuals who had a reputation for being more reckless then others or more careless you might say when it came to some of their moves or when it came to their ring skills and abilities and so if I was cautious at all it was what I allowed an opponent to do to me as opposed to a match itself like the War Games.”

On whether there was any interest from Vince McMahon and the WWF for him to jump in the mid ’80s: “When Krusher (Kruschev) jumped, he had originally asked me to go with him and certainly I was humbled by his invitation. But literally without hesitation it was not something I was really considering for a couple of reasons. One, I had worked really hard on developing the character of Nikita Koloff and wasn’t really interested in going up there and taking on a new character and a new role and that is the biggest reason I never entertained an offer. Secondly, what he described to me, I felt it was kind of a spin-off of the Road Warriors and out of respect for Mike and Joe that was another factor why I didn’t go do that. As far as Vince and the WWF pursuing me, they really didn’t. But I also didn’t pursue them. I felt really loyal to the NWA and to Jim Crockett because they did give me my big break. Putting a guy in the ring and on television without any professional training or experience, Jim Crockett rolled the dice and it worked out well for me and for him. For that reason I felt a real loyalty to Jim and the NWA, so could I have played that card like so many guys did and leverage that for more money? I could have, but I didn’t.”

On being up for the role of Ivan Drago in Rocky IV: “They flew me out to LA. It was myself, Dolph Lundgren and some other guy. It came down to the three of us as to who would get the final cast of Ivan Drago. So we were on the set with Stallone and I read through my lines a couple of times and Stallone said “lets do one together”. He says; “Let’s go side by side and finish your lines, stare at me in the face and we will have a stare down and we’ll cut”. So we do it and halfway through we are eye to eye and nose to nose he yells cut and asks the director how was it? Sly, in real life is in great shape but he is about 160 lbs. and 5’6 dripping wet with rocks in his pocket legitimately. He is a small guy, a lot of actors are. Keep in mind, I fly out there and I’m 285 lbs. with a 34 inch waist and 8 percent body fat, so when we do that scene and we turn towards each other the way the lighting was in the studio when he yells cut, the director says “well it was pretty good until you turn towards each other and he casts a shadow on you and we lost you”. I’m not the brightest guy in the world but I knew this almost immediately that wasn’t good for his ego or my opportunity. A few weeks later they called and said you were unbelievable, however even for Hollywood your size differential would be too unbelievable that even for Rocky that he would be able to come back and beat you as big as you are. I was humbled by the opportunity to even be considered as one of the three finalists.”

Check out the complete interview at Podomatic.com.

• Alberto Del Rio Makes Interesting Comments About Goldberg Fight Rumors!

Part-time WWE performer The Rock recently spoke with Sports Illustrated’s “Extra Mustard” site. Below are some highlights from the interview.

On being part of the “holy trinity” with Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan, but being the one to thrive in Hollywood: “It’s hard. It’s hard work. That’s the key, but it’s not that those guys don’t work hard. For whatever reason, it just kind of worked out for me. That’s the only answer I can give. I’ve had incredible matches with those guys and I’m good buddies with those guys, especially Austin. I know that they put their heart and soul into everything they do. Think about the matches and the tours I had with Austin. He is probably, if not the greatest of all time. There is a wiring in his head, which is, ‘I’m going out, I’m going to take it, and I’m going to be the best.’ He was my mentor, by the way, back when I was this young buck. With a top guy like Austin or Undertaker, you only get to work with them if they say it’s cool. For Austin to say it’s cool to have The Rock work with him is one thing, but he also wanted me to main event WrestleMania with him. He took me under his wing, taught me a hell of a lot, and I’ll never forget it.”

On Roman Reigns and the reaction he received at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view: “I wasn’t surprised by the reaction at all. That’s the beauty of Philly. I have felt that from Philly on both ends, as a heel and a baby face. Roman was getting booed in every city, and I just knew – we all knew – well, Philly was going to be worse.

“The only advice I gave Roman was that you just need to stay the course. It’s a unique dynamic and relationship that you have with the fans in wrestling. They’re passionate, just like you’re passionate, but they know it’s a work, just like you know it’s a work. It’s this fine balance you have to find between just staying the course and continue to cut your teeth every night by putting in good performances.”

On Vince McMahon and “San Andreas” director Brad Peyton: “This will be the only time that Brad Peyton’s name will ever be mentioned in the same sentence as Vince McMahon. Vince has been a mentor and a father figure to me. I met him when I was eleven years old. Even still today, I appreciate the relationship we have. It’s a real cool father-son dynamic, and especially as I get older, I can appreciate the relationship today better than when I was a punk 25-year-old kid. But here is the connective tissue between Brad Peyton and Vince McMahon – they come to work every single day like it’s their first day on the job and they will outwork every single person in the building. Vince’s work ethic at 70, or however old he is, is just crazy. He’s squatting 500 pounds at one o’clock in the morning. Not that Brad Peyton is squatting 500 pounds, but they both want to excel, raise the bar, and go beyond expectations.”

Check out the complete interview at SI.com.

• RONDA ROUSEY Worried About Nude Photos Of Her Leaking Online!

TNA Knockout Gail Kim took a shot at WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon on Twitter in response to fans raving about the NXT Women’s Championship match at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable.

Kim praised Triple H for the way women are booked in NXT but doesn’t share the same feelings about Vince McMahon and his WWE Divas.

She tweeted on Thursday:

At least @TripleH has a clue on how to book women. @VinceMcMahon needs a clue. #sexist #WomenCanMainEventAnyDay https://t.co/oPoB05B9kl

— Gail Kim-Irvine (@gailkimITSME) May 21, 2015

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are reportedly big proponents of altering the way women are featured in WWE.

According to one source, the decision to change the way woman are used on WWE programming was very much based on Stephanie’s influence and the success that the UFC has had with Ronda Rousey.

It’s being said that while the two aren’t big UFC fans, they are fans of Rousey and when they saw her recent Sports Illustrated cover, among other accomplishments, it was a sign to them that the times have changed and that it’s a different era.

It’s worth pointing out that while Triple H and Stephanie are on board, Vince McMahon reportedly still sees women in the same role that they’ve always had on the WWE roster.

• RONDA ROUSEY Worried About Nude Photos Of Her Leaking Online!

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

– ESPN and FOX have both expressed interest in hiring Renee Paquette (Renee Young) to do mainstream sports news reporting for them once her deal with WWE expires. Whether or not Young is entertaining these offers is unclear as of right now.

– The talk going around backstage in WWE among the staff is that Vince McMahon has made it abundantly clear to everyone that WrestleMania absolutely has to sell out next year at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

– The ESPN E:60 piece on NXT, which focuses primarily on Xavier Woods, Corey Graves and Adam Rose, will be replaying on ABC on June 21st at 5pm EST.

• RONDA ROUSEY Worried About Nude Photos Of Her Leaking Online!

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Steve Austin and WWE are officially back in business together, with his “Stone Cold Podcast” returning to the WWE Network on June 1st with special guest Paul Heyman.

The show will air on the night after the free month of May ends, as historically, the two most-watched shows in WWE Network history, aside from live pay-per-view events, were Austin’s two podcasts with Vince McMahon and Triple H.

Apparently Austin and WWE working together again came as a result of whatever issue Vince McMahon had being mended somehow.

One of the other reasons Austin is coming back is because of the busy schedule of Chris Jericho. Between hosting Tough Enough, doing house shows and touring with Fozzy, Jericho won’t be available to do podcasts on the WWE Network as often as might be necessary.

After Heyman, Austin’s next three guests on the WWE Network podcast will be Sting, The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan.

• Ronda Rousey BLASTS Floyd Mayweather Over His Past With Domestic Abuse!

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

– The A.V. Club website is listing tonight’s NXT Takeover: Unstoppable special as their “Top Pick” for what to watch on television for Wednesday, May 20th. The blurb on the site reads as follows:

WWE NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable (WWE Network, 8 p.m.): TV Club sports entertainment coverage expands with the introduction of NXT to the A.V. Club Universe. Tonight marks the latest live NXT TakeOver special—in a month where the WWE Network is free, by the way—which is guaranteed to be the best WWE has to offer for weeks (maybe even months). The main event is part of a story 15 years in the making, as long time best friends and rivals Kevin Owens (father of Owen Owens) and Sami Zayn (protegé of El Generico) face-off in a NXT Championship rematch. LaToya Ferguson begins her weekly coverage of WWE NXT with this event, because sometimes dreams do come true.

– Speaking of tonight’s NXT special, WWE.com is reporting that Tyler Breeze will be using the social media App “Periscope” to provide a special look at his ring entrance at tonight’s show. Periscope is a new App that allows you to live stream video from your Twitter account.

– Stephanie McMahon tweeted a link to her father Vince McMahon appearing on the David Letterman show back in 1985. Check out the video below.

Check out my dad @VinceMcMahon on @Letterman in 1985 on Dave's 3rd anniversary special! http://t.co/VMmnaanfGd #ThanksDave #Letterman

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) May 20, 2015

• Ronda Rousey BLASTS Floyd Mayweather Over His Past With Domestic Abuse!

Following endorsements from Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, among several others, WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil has been named “Celebrity Dad of the Year” at the 2015 MEGA Dads Awards.

Below is an announcement made by WWE acknowledging the honor O’Neil received, as well as the reaction from O’Neil himself.

WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil named Celebrity Dad of the Year in 2015 MEGA Dads Awards

WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil has been named Celebrity Dad of the Year by everythingfordads.com! The announcement was made on the Everything For Dads Twitter @DadsExpo.

The second annual MEGA Dad Awards 2015 are being presented by Every Thing For Dads to honor the amazing work we see dads carry out that often goes unacknowledged. These awards are given to dads who are determined to change the landscape of fatherhood for the better and for the good of all.

O’Neil was up against actors Stephen Amell, Ashton Kutcher and Vin Diesel, and soccer stars David Beckham and Kaká.

Last year, O’Neil and his sons participated in WWE’s “Take Time to Be a Dad” public service announcements, and he is a regular fixture in WWE’s Community events, from Reading Celebrations to Be a STAR rallies.

Get complete details on the awards at everythingfordads.com/votemegadadsawards! The awards ceremony will take place June 13 in Winter Park, Fla., at the Winter Park Community Center.

Congrats @TitusONeilWWE winner of the Celebrity Mega Dad Awards 2015! #DadExpo pic.twitter.com/WXe3bNDS22

— Every Thing For Dads (@DadsExpo) May 15, 2015

I Honestly can't put how Blessed I feel Right Now! #Fatherhood is something that I never experienced as a Kid #GOD https://t.co/w4dVklm3Sl

— Titus O'Neil (@TitusONeilWWE) May 15, 2015

Thank U!!!Truly Honored Thanks for all who voted @WWE @AdCouncil @VinceMcMahon @TripleH @StephMcMahon @WWECommunity https://t.co/Snc77x39Bv

— Titus O'Neil (@TitusONeilWWE) May 15, 2015

• VIDEO: Ronda Rousey On WWE Return: “I KNOW It’s Going To Happen”

The Chicago Tribune has a new article up on Vince McMahon’s induction into the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Hall Of Fame, and during the interview, McMahon spoke about CM Punk.

When asked if he is tired of the “CM Punk! CM Punk!” chants in Chicago from WWE fans, McMahon simply replied, “No. No.”

McMahon also spoke about WrestleMania possibly being held in Chicago.

“I wouldn’t say Chicago is out of the running. We can do colder environments. We went to (MetLife) Stadium (in New Jersey). People wear coats to football. Why won’t they were jackets and so forth to Wrestlemania? They will.”

McMahon concluded, “Chicago will definitely be in the running in the future.”

Check out the complete article at ChicagoTribune.com.

• Ronda Rousey The Latest Victim Of Celebrity Nude Photos Leaking Online?!

WWE Hall Of Famer Bushwhacker Luke recently spoke with the folks at The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast about his induction this year and more. Below are some highlights from the interview.

On whether he ever expected to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame: “Never would have thought we would end up in that. When we started there was no wrestling on television in New Zealand. I’m not just talking wrestling on television but television itself. On Saturday or Sunday night you would sit and listen to the Soap Operas on the radio. To promote a wrestling show you would actually go down to a radio station and promote it there or just put posters around town so when you walk the streets at lunch time, the main streets of town is where everyone congregated. It has really all come a long way. When we walked out on that stage, I looked out and saw some of our friends from 1970s in the audience like Roddy Piper, it was just so great to be on that stage. At last we are on the biggest platform in sports entertainment.”

On if he spoke to Vince McMahon prior to his speech: “No, no we only talked to Jimmy (Hart) and Terry (Hulk Hogan) in the morning. When we first went in the back we were just going over old times and BS’ing like it was in the ’80s. It’s a completely different ballgame today.”

On what caused the switch from the villainous Sheepherders to the lovable Bushwhackers: “When we first went up there and met with Vinny (Vince McMahon) he said to us that he wanted to make us “good guys” and Butch got up on Vince’s desk and his nose was about fifth teen inches from Vince’s nose and said; “If you can make these faces good-guys then go ahead”. Vince turned around and said check out the mugs on my top baby faces; Hogan, Jake (Roberts), Hacksaw Jim Duggan they aren’t the prettiest. He said I want you guys to be between the Moondogs and the Sheepherders but I want you as good guys. Butch said to me afterwards, that the Moondogs have been on the USA Network for five years, we were on Ted Turner’s WTBS off and on for ten years so let’s create something different. Hence, what we came up with. The marching and the licking and all of that BS. Vince gave us a new name but we came up with the characters.”

On the creativity of the team and the origin of the infamous Bushwhackers’ march: “I’ve got to give it to Butch. He came up with that. We were always creative, when we first came over to North America in 1972, we were Sweet William and The Brute but he (Butch) had to change his name because the Brute here was Brute Bernard. He had been all over Canada and the States so they changed his name to Crazy Nick Carter, so it was Sweet William and Crazy Nick Carter and I led him around on a chain. I was doing that from around (19)69 to 73-74, we were doing the Beauty and the Beast gimmick at the time and we constantly changed our gimmicks. When we went back to New Zealand in the mid-70s to do the first television shows we went back as The Dream Team which later on in life I saw Vince had Greg Valentine and Brutus the Barber as the Dream Team. When we were the Sheepherders we would go to the outside and when we were out on the floor we would go “WHOA” to the people. That was the Whoa and Yay. We had done that before as heels swinging our arms in the air to sort of scare the people at ringside at the barrier. So we decided to put that into our baby face thing, knees up high and swinging the arms.”

Check out the complete interview at Podomatic.com.

• Ronda Rousey The Latest Victim Of Celebrity Nude Photos Leaking Online?!

– Triple H confirmed via social media that NXT star Finn Balor will be debuting a new look this weekend. HHH tweeted a partial photo of Balor’s new body paint design, which he will be showing off at this Friday’s NXT live event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Check out the picture below.

The transformation from man to @WWENXT Superstar is something to behold. See @wwebalor do it on Friday in #NXTPhilly. pic.twitter.com/SAPmWnlex9

— Triple H (@TripleH) May 13, 2015

– Stephanie McMahon and the official WWE Community Twitter account tweeted the following photos of Vince McMahon being inducted into the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and being given a lifetime membership card.

Congratulations to @VinceMcMahon as he gets inducted into the @BGCA_Clubs HOF pic.twitter.com/MaXAqNNY2T

— WWE Community (@WWECommunity) May 13, 2015

Receiving his Lifetime Membership Card at the @BGCA_Clubs Hall of Fame! #BGCAAlumHOF pic.twitter.com/ZfKm3AdUGf pic.twitter.com/Sfr7yBdHY7

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) May 13, 2015

• Ronda Rousey The Latest Victim Of Celebrity Nude Photos Leaking Online?!

WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon will be inducted into the Boys & Girls Clubs Of America Hall of Fame this evening in Atlanta, Georgia. Here’s the official announcement from WWE:

Vince McMahon to be inducted into Boys & Girls Clubs of America 25th Annual Hall of Fame

ATLANTA — This evening, top athletes, entertainers and business leaders will be inducted into Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) Alumni Hall of Fame. Since its inception more than 100 years ago, BGCA has provided kids of all backgrounds with the opportunity to grow and realize their dreams. To celebrate the accomplishments of former Boys & Girls Club members, BGCA annually recognizes distinguished alumni during the organization’s annual National Conference, being held in Chicago in 2015. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Alumni Hall of Fame program, as well as the year the organization changed its name from Boys Club of America to Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The event, hosted by Courtney B. Vance, honors alumni who have gone on to make major contributions in their fields, from sports to entertainment to business. Their stories are very different, but all started out the same — with the life-changing programs, caring staff and fun, safe environment of a local Boys & Girls Club. The BGCA Alumni Hall of Fame Class of 2015 inductees include the following: WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, three-time Grammy Award-nominated singer/producer/actor Trey Songz, fashion and music consultant for FOX’s hit drama “Empire” and Business Executive Monique Mosley, NFL Hall of Famer Andre Reed, world-renown violinist Earl Carlyss, President and CEO of the Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. Larry Young, two-time Oscar nominated costumer designer Ruth E. Carter, leading opera singer Denyce Graves and Professional Golfer on the PGA Tour Robert Gamez.

“Ensuring today’s youth have the encouragement and inspiration they need to pursue their dreams is at the core of our organization, and the Class of 2015 Alumni Hall of Fame inductees all showcase how a local Boys & Girls Club can be a critical element to ensuring a great future,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO of BGCA. “We are honored to have such exemplary inductees join the other prestigious members of the Boys & Girls Club of America Alumni Hall of Fame in its 25th year.”

The Elizabeth City Boys & Girls Club provided McMahon with a sense of belonging and a vision of what is possible, both of which were lacking in his home environment. He looked up to Club staff, who mentored and cared about kids. The feeling that somebody cared about him meant the world. Meeting other kids and teens from all walks of life showed McMahon there was a whole world of possibilities out there beyond what he knew. Since those early days, McMahon has become one of the most well-known pioneers in the entertainment industry, catapulting the WWE brand from a small, regional wrestling promotion to a global, family-friendly entertainment brand with television programming in 650 million homes in more than 175 countries and 35 languages. Today, WWE is one of the most recognized brands in the world with nearly half a billion social media followers. McMahon continues to carry forward the experience he had at The Club by supporting numerous programs and partners to help make a positive impact in the lives of children and families around the world.

With all the things you can criticize WWE for these days, the company should be commended on doing an excellent job in elevating their secondary championships.

If you flashback to around this time last year, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship was virtually ‘on ice,’ only being defended on major pay-per-view events due to the champion at the time — Brock Lesnar — working under a special, limited-date contract.

Now, at the time, you could make sense of it, and even Vince McMahon himself did when asked about the topic during his interview on the short-lived “Steve Austin Show” live WWE Network podcast, as he pointed to the fact that having Lesnar defend the biggest title in the company on an infrequent basis made World Title matches feel that much more important.

Fast forward to the present day, and when it comes to championships in WWE — all systems are “go.”

First and foremost, we finally have a fighting WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Sure, the storyline surrounding Seth Rollins, the current world champion, is that he chickens away from ‘the big fight.’ At the end of the day, however, the bell eventually rings, the referee raises the golden belt up high, and two or more competitors end up vying for the richest prize in all of sports entertainment.

Now, move down one level to the two secondary championships. For the longest time, the WWE United States Championship and the WWE Intercontinental Championship, for all intents and purposes, were viewed as a total joke by the WWE Universe — and rightfully so.

Not anymore.

WWE came up with a great idea heading into WrestleMania 31 this year — put more significance behind their secondary titles. First, slap the U.S. title belt around John Cena’s waist. In a bit of irony, it was Cena who really launched his career off of his first U.S. title run, so in a story-telling fashion, his story comes full circle.

So, basically, WWE decided that now that they want to elevate some new blood into the top spots in the company, they decided to put one of their secondary titles — in this case the U.S. title — on arguably the biggest star in the company today.

On the flip side of the coin, when it comes to the WWE Intercontinental Championship, WWE decided to put that belt on the most popular wrestler in terms of the fans — the leader of the “Yes! Movement,” Daniel Bryan.

And that brings us to Monday’s WWE Payback ‘go-home’ edition of RAW.

After being unable to defend his WWE Intercontinental Championship against Bad News Barrett at the recent WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view as originally scheduled, WWE played the waiting game to find out how the latest round of the Daniel Bryan injury-bug would work out. As it turns out, whatever Bryan is going through is serious enough that WWE felt they had no choice but to have him surrender the Intercontinental Title on live television, much like they had him do shortly after he won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXX last year.

The idea behind his forefitting of the title last night was where the plan regarding secondary titles in WWE remains in tact. The reason given by Bryan, delivered in a passionate way I should add, was that the WWE Universe deserves a fighting champion. A top contender who deserves the right to bust his ass day-in and day-out, city-to-city, state-to-state, country-to-country and even continent-to-continent, all for the right to try and earn what is now once again slowly being viewed as a title of importance. One of value. One worth fighting to obtain.

Where WWE goes next with the Intercontinental Championship in particular remains to be seen in terms of how far they are willing to go to try and elevate the perceived importance of the title.

Basically put, the company can go one of two ways, as I see it. You can follow the mandate that they have been following since this year’s WrestleMania, which is find the most over performer with the fans, give him the I-C title, and try and get the belt over that way, so that in the future, the belt can make the man, as opposed to the current formula, where the man makes the belt.

Their second option is to try and do the opposite. Put the title on an up-and-comer who has the goods to deliver, but just needs something to put him over the edge so he is viewed as a bigger deal than he already is. Names like Neville and Sami Zayn come to mind.

Zayn, depending on his injury, would make a great impact on the main roster by giving U.S. Champion John Cena all he could handle — with an injury no-less, in his first high-profile match on RAW since having his run as NXT Champion in WWE’s developmental system, and then go on to win the next high-profile match he is in and become the brand new WWE Intercontinental Champion.

Keep reading on Page 2 …

Former WWE Superstar JTG of the Cryme Tyme tag-team recently spoke with Greg Beck about his run with the company, his future and more. Below are some highlights from the interview.

On having heat in WWE: “We had heat from the day we stepped foot into the WWE doors.” I asked if the heat was more on Shad’s end. “Man, there’s no such thing as Shad. That’s how it is in the wrestling business when you’re in a tag team. Even if you look up stories about The Rockers. Sometimes Marty Jannetty would get into trouble but The Rockers felt the brunt of it and it was the same thing with Shad. When Shad did something then Cryme Time felt it and vice versa. If I did something then Cryme Tyme felt it.”

On if he had to deal with racism in WWE or is that something that doesn’t exist backstage anymore? “I’m not gonna say it doesn’t exist anymore. I don’t believe WWE is racist. Right now they have the tag team champions Kofi Kingston and Big E and Xavier Woods. I wouldn’t say that they’re [WWE] racist but there’s definitely a system in place, that I believe…this is my opinion, that African American, black Superstars, can go so far. That’s from what I’ve see and that’s my perception because as of right now to this day i’ve never seen a black WWE Champion. Not the title from WCW, I’m talking about the WWE Championship. I haven’t seen a black face of the company.”

On his thoughts on Triple H and whether he would be a good fit to take over the company: “In my opinion, if Triple H could put aside his ego and his dislike for a person and focus on business then I think it could probably be a lot better. For example, I don’t think he was a big fan of Zack Ryder. Zack Ryder did everything he could to get over and he got over and when he was in MSG [at Survivor Series 2011] and The Rock was there and they were chanting Zack Ryder’s name. I wasn’t in New York [at the time] but my buddy told me that he went to Survivor Series and he was on the train and they were chanting for Zack Ryder. That was the perfect time to take advantage and make some money off of Zack Ryder. That was the perfect underdog story and it was all thrown to the side because he wasn’t favored by Hunter.”

“When you see someone try so hard to get noticed..you know Zack Ryder busted his ass and he got a lot of respect backstage and from the boys in the locker room. He got so much respect for getting over on his own and not needing the machine to push him. He got a little push but they buried him. That put a black eye on the morale in the locker room. It was like damn, if he did all that it kind of make everybody not even wanna try.”

Check out the complete interview at WrestlingNews.co.

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WWE Chairman Vince McMahon took part in a Q&A session at “The Corner Office” and spoke about whether or not it was more difficult to make WWE a success in the beginning than it was to keep it a successful business today.

“Both are challenging,” McMahon replied. “At WrestleMania 1, we mortgaged everything we owned, hoping it would be a success.”

“It was a huge gamble that paid off. Today, the challenge is to stay relevant, take advantage of new technologies and continue to evolve. The one constant is to approach every day like it’s my first day on the job with fresh thinking and new ideas.”

McMahon concluded, “But to answer your question directly, it is extremely difficult to get to the top but even more difficult to stay there.”

Check out more from Vince McMahon’s Q&A at Advisornet.org.

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Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard blog has published a new interview with WWE legend “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

Austin told a story about the booking of his memorable WrestleMania 30 opening segment with Hulk Hogan and The Rock  and why he was left thinking the situation was “bullshit” after WWE didn’t deliver on what they pitched him.

He also explained why he wasn’t at WrestleMania 31, his thoughts on legends taking the spotlight at WrestleMania and his plans for next year’s huge show from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“There was no creative for me at WrestleMania XXXI,” said Austin. “Now with WrestleMania XXXII coming up in Texas, I would be pretty damn sure I’m going to be there. It’s my home state and it just makes more sense.

“As much as I love the business and I love my fans, I don’t want to be at every WrestleMania. I was really happy to watch it in my house. I wanted to see Sting and Triple H wrestle, and I was excited for all my buddies in DX and the NWO, but I want the younger generation of wrestlers to experience it and have all the time dedicated to them. That’s the future. Some of the segments that weren’t wrestling went on too long. I love The Rock, but his segment was too long. That was time that could have been given to a talent to make or not make an impact. That’s their proving ground.”

To read more about Austin’s relationship with his parents, Vince McMahon acting as a second father to him and more, check out SI.com/extra-mustard.

Chris Jericho announced on Thursday that he will be hosting the new season of WWE Tough Enough, which premieres on the USA Network on Tuesday, June 23rd.

WWE also issued a press release giving tons more information about the new season, including details on judges, trainers and more.

– Hulk Hogan, Daniel Bryan and Paige will be judges on the series.

– Booker T, Lita and Billy Gunn will be the trainers.

– Tough Enough will be filmed out of the WWE Performance Center and Full Sail University, home of NXT.

– The official Tough Enough app will be launching on May 25th.

– There will be a lot of fan interaction, including the ability to vote via the Tough Enough app and texting to interact with various live elements

– Contestants in the series will “come face to face” with Vince McMahon, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and John Cena over the course of the series.