— As seen last Friday on SmackDown, Matt Striker was replaced on the program’s announce team by the returning Booker T. He remains as a color commentator for the blue brand as he called tonight’s SmackDown matches on WWE Superstars, alongside Jack Korpela.

— An archival photo of Vince McMahon is featured on the cover art of WWE’s The True Story Of WrestleMania DVD and Blu-ray release. To view the image, click here. The title is set for release in the United States on March 15.

— Former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia announced today on Twitter that she will be attending this Sunday’s 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

WWE held their fourth quarter investors conference call today. Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and CFO George Barrios were on hand for the call today; here were some of the topics covered…

– Vince open the call by praising their performance over the year, but noted some things in the fourth quarter that they were not happy with. He specifically noted the decline in live event attendance and the huge 40% drop in home video. He then talked about their continued international expansion, noting they just ran their first show in China, and they have signed new TV deals in Brazil and Russia. He feels that they have turned the corner in terms of talent development, and how we would be seeing older stars mixed in with new ones at Wrestlemania, stressing we would see talent in main events that had never been in Wrestlemania before. Vince said they have been in discussions with Verizon about the WWE Network, and that the company is continuing to expand, not just internationally, but by changing the model and moving into new areas.

– George Barrios reviewed the financial numbers, and mentioned retail declines as being the issue with home video, and talent development as the cause of the live event drop. On the dropping PPV buys, it was noted that the increase in the price of PPV events helped offset the decline. Increase in TV revenue was put over, and the move of Smackdown to SyFy was also mentioned. Mattel was praised for an increase in toy sales. Video game sales went down, and they noted an overall drop in the video game industry. They feel the new Superstars video game will bring sales back up. The new WWE Films model was discussed, with them saying that they see their direct-to-DVD releases bringing in money over time. They will continue to monitor the new film model, and stated they feel it brings WWE to a new audience and builds the WWE brand. Barrio stressed the increase in TV revenue, the success of the toys, and their own financial discipline.

– Vince feels that they are on the rise in terms of the talent cycle. He said that early indications from the Royal Rumble are that it is already happening, but he sees Wrestlemania as a major launching point for the new talent.

– Mexico is now the second largest market for PPV buys outside the U.S. for the company. Last year, there were no PPV events in Mexico.

– The first quarter of 2011 will reflect the first holiday toy sales since joining with Mattel.

– Vince stated that in 2011, they will run roughly the same number of live events, but likely more international events than last year.

– On the dividend, Vince said it would be evaluate don a quarter by quarter basis.

– When asked about managing costs going forward and their long term earning growth strategy, Barrios said they feel good what they are doing on the cost side and that they worked to get leaner in 2008 and 2009.

– A caller asked about the previously announced WWE Media Center, which has not been built yet. Vince said that it was the plan, but that it was a matter of costs, and that the one they have is good enough for now. They are going to wait on the network before they expand the studio.

– On the WWE Network, Vince stated that they are moving forward and that they just had a meeting with Verizon. He put over their relationship with Comcast, who just bought out NBC Universal. He also thinks that there will not be a ton of cost to run the network.

– Vince was asked about who the next “John Cena” would be. He then put over The Miz, Randy Orton and Alberto Del Rio. He then noted that fans are starting to buy into the newer characters, and that the fan reactions at live events are a barometer for them.

– Due to the economic make ups of the cities, Vince says that Atlanta’s WrestleMania will bring in more revenue than the one in Phoenix last year. Vince stated that they would be using celebrities on a more “selective basis” and that going weekly with stars forced them to go with secondary stars. He also admitted that that using celebrities every week took time away from their own stars. Bottom line is that they want to do it less often, and focus on bigger stars when they do bring them in.

— Vince McMahon opened tonight’s Raw to announce that on next week’s show, the host of WrestleMania XXVII will be revealed.

McMahon’s announcement wasn’t written into the script for tonight’s Raw. It was merely labeled as a McMahon segment.

— Michael Cole noted over commentary tonight on Raw that Natalya will receive a shot at Eve’s Divas Championship on next week’s show.

The third-generation wrestler lost the title in a Fatal 4-Way Match at the Royal Rumble without being pinned.

source: PWInsider.com

– According to WWE’s official Twitter page, Vince McMahon will be appearing on tonight’s episode of WWE RAW. McMahon has been out of action since suffering a beating at the hands of Nexus several months back.

• Possibly Related: Major Angle To Begin Very Soon

– WWE employee Bret Hart (not the Hall of Fame wrestler), who has worked in the live events department for many years, issued his resignation from the company today.

Many were surprised by his decision to leave and are speculating who else may follow Donna Goldsmith out of the company after WWE reveals its latest financial results on Thursday morning.

WWE stock has taken quite a beating in recent weeks since and more people (talent and office employees) are expected to leave the company in the coming weeks to cut costs.

— WWE returns to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 26, 2011 as a SmackDown taping will be held at the Wells Fargo Center.

— Former WWE talent Maven Huffman hosted the Home Shopping Network’s Super Bowl merchandise show last night following the championship game.

– Paul Heyman wrote the following on Twitter on Saturday night during UFC 126 regarding Vince McMahon and Brock Lesnar:

“It’s funny. Vince McMahon hated when I called Brock Lesnar “The Next Big Thing!” HATED IT. WANTED ME TO STOP CALLING BROCK THAT NAME! I’ll tell that whole story … and a lot more … in the book this year. Brock comments on it in his book, too. It was a real war to get Vince to let me keep calling Brock “The Next Big Thing!””

– Chris Jericho wrote the following on Twitter last night  during the show – which is sure to get a rise out of MMA enthusiasts:

“Ok guess I’m the only “old school pro wrestler” to say it…screw UFC fighters. U could NEVER do what me and my brothers do.”

– Jim Ross was also tweeting during the UFC 126 pay-per-view, writing the following about Anderson Silva’s knockout win over Vitor Belfort in the first round of the main event:

“Good God Almighty what a front kick by Anderson Silva! He’s money. What a post fight promo. Everyone knows Anderson speaks some English. :)”

• Check Out: UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort Results

— The latest issue of Power Slam features a story on Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque’s official promotion to Senior Advisor to Vince McMahon, which has led many to conclude that “The Game” is now more interested in a career behind the scenes than in the squared circle. Though in no way confirmed, the article notes that McMahon is expected to step down from his post as Chairman and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment in 2011 or 2012 and hand over the reigns of the company to Levesque. McMahon, however, would remain with the organization in an advisory role.

– The song used during the WrestleMania XXVII promotional video that aired during last night’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view broadcast is “Written in the Stars” by Tinie Tempah (featuring Eric Turner). Tempah is a British rapper.

— Former WWE talent Mark ‘Muhammed Hassan’ Copani has launched an account on Twitter. He lists himself as an actor/entertainer.

On the same day two weeks ago (January 12) that UFC President Dana White shot down online rumors of Brock Lesnar appearing at WrestleMania XXVII in Atlanta, Georgia, he met with Vince McMahon in New York City. It was largely assumed that McMahon would make a proposition for Lesnar to appear at WrestleMania XXVII. It is said that while their encounter was cordial, nothing changed regarding the former WWE Champion appearing at the annual pay-per-view spectacular.

Of those talked to regarding the matter, no one within WWE believes Lesnar will be allowed to appear at the event.

“I don’t think he thought it was as hard as it turned out to be,” one company source stated regarding McMahon’s attempt to land Lesnar for WrestleMania XXVII.

It was not the first time McMahon and White have met. White said in a June 2008 interview that he had breakfast with the wrestling kingpin weeks prior to the interview. White has always been publicly respectful of McMahon, and one source feels that the UFC President notices similarities between himself and the WWE Chairman as promoters.

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

John Piermarini, a former writer with WWE, recently started a blog recalling numerous behind the scenes stories that occurred during his two year stint with the organization. Highlights include:

* Piermarini says he originally proposed that Mason Ryan fill Sheffield’s powerhouse role in The Nexus shortly after “The Cornfed Meathead” fractured his ankle. Vince McMahon, however, rejected the idea.

* Vince McMahon views Skip Sheffield as a potential number two babyface, behind John Cena. He remains sidelined after suffering a compound fracture of his ankle in August.

* Piermarini says the original concept of the Uso brothers was to present them as the opposite of the stereotypical Samoan wrestler—educated, intelligent and wear boots. “Usos would essentially have been the Russell Simmons of the WWE. That preppy hip-hop style,” he says. Piermarini attributes their lackluster push in the organization to Vince McMahon not understanding hip-hop culture, and thus couldn’t comprehend the appeal of the brothers Uso. He also says they fell victim to bad timing due to The Nexus debuting shortly after them.

— Vince McMahon has been discussed for a major role on the revival of Tough Enough on the USA Network. However, it’s considered a long shot because the show will be filmed in Los Angeles and would take a major time commitment.

— The following two matches were taped tonight in Tulsa, Oklahoma for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars on WGN America: Chavo Guerrero vs. JTG, Chris Masters vs. Curt Hawkins.

— Tyler Reks beat Percy Watson in a dark match prior to tonight’s television tapings in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

— Six-time world champion Batista celebrates his 42nd birthday today.

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

In the six years that he was a writer for World Wrestling Entertainment, Ring of Honor producer Dave Lagana worked directly with Vince McMahon and got a good sense of what makes the legendary wrestling promoter tick. Lagana has posted a blog titled, “Hey Pal: What Does Vince McMahon Want From Wrestling?” .. Here are some highlights of what Lagana said about:

Know Your Brand: “Coke is a brand. Tide is a brand. You are a brand. Vince would always make this one point very clear: “Perception is Reality.” Vince McMahon is a brand. From how he walks, to how he carries himself, to the speech patterns he uses. What he does, works for him. Don’t believe me? Check out his net worth. Vince would sit down with talents to talk with them, to get inside their heads and find out who they are. The best characters always come from inside the person playing them. Vince prided himself with finding a little nugget inside a talent and running with it. All the great characters are a piece of themselves, with the volume turned up.”

What’s Your Finish: “No matter if it was a storyline being pitched to Vince or details of a match, he’d always ask ‘What’s your finish?’ He wanted to see if you had thought about where you were going, the goal. While this sometimes could be perceived as a power game, it also made you prepare differently for the next time.”

No Sneezing: “If there is one thing Vince McMahon hates… it’s sickness. “There is no such thing as sick”, was the usual response when someone would try to use it as an excuse. Vince is a workaholic and if anything gets in the way of his work, it makes him angry. Paul Heyman would joke that Vince would get angry with his own sneezes. Perhaps it was because he couldn’t control it. ”

To read the full blog, visit Lagana’s site at IWantWrestling.com.

WWE issues a press release on Thursday regarding Shawn Michaels’ upcoming inducting into the company’s Hall of Fame as part of WrestleMania weekend.

Many people in the wrestling industry have been congratulating Michaels this week, including former rival Steve Austin, who called him the best in-ring worker he’s ever seen. As part of today’s press release, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon echoed Austin’s opinion, with this strong endorsement:

“Shawn Michaels was the best in-ring performer in the history of WWE.”

The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 2 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA, the evening before WrestleMania XXVII.

Stephanie McMahon has been less involved with the creative content of WWE programming than many expected her to be at this point. She took maternity leave following the birth of her third child in August and has largely worked via telecommuting since that time. One company source said Paul Levesque (a/k/a Triple H) appears more creatively involved than he has ever been after his promotion in the fall to Vince McMahon’s Senior Advisor.

Though Levesque does not attend creative meetings, he is more involved in the creative process and has a lot of stroke in producer meetings. He also filled in as a show runner when Vince McMahon missed a few recent television tapings.

“I would say Vince McMahon is the executive show runner and Hunter is the associate show runner,” said one WWE source. “He’s the apprentice.”

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

— Footage has surfaced from the live feed of Monday’s Raw of Melina, Maryse and Alicia Fox apparently ad-libbing a promo prior to their Divas Tag Match against Natalya, Eve Torres and Brie Bella.

Melina gives a half-hearted explanation for her recent actions against Natalya by simply saying, “I guess I don’t really have anything to say other than, I guess I just get a little emotional.” She then laughs and passes the microphone to Maryse, who proceeds to speak in French. Alicia Fox then says, “This is true class right here so just get used to it.”

Click here to see the video.

— Several top World Wrestling Entertainment executives received major stock options at the end of 2010. For instance, Executive Vice President of Television Production Kevin Dunn sold 18,000 shares for $258,300 on Dec 29. Shares of WWE stock owned by Dunn are currently worth $1.77 million. A trust fund Vince McMahon earmarked in 2008, which is separate from his own stock portfolio, sold 2,866,944 shares on Dec. 29—equal to $41,140,646. The current value of his trust fund following the sale is approximately $146 millio

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

— The Great Khali is among the final five contestants on India’s reality television program Bigg Boss. The show is patterned after Big Brother.

— Low Ki, formerly known as Kaval in WWE, is now accepting independent bookings via bookinglowki@gmail.com.

— A Raw live event has been announced for Saturday, Mar. 19 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

— Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis, who rarely attend live events, were backstage at last night’s Raw show in New York City.

source: PWInsider.com

— The Undertaker has began physical therapy for his shoulder and is said to be doing all he can to be healthy enough to compete at WrestleMania XXVII.

— Todd Grisham was officially removed from the SmackDown announce team last week in favor of Josh Matthews. The move isn’t considered a surprise as Vince McMahon has been unhappy with his work in recent weeks. It was suggested to Grisham that he apply for a full-time position with the Fox Soccer Channel — his other job — because it would come across better that he ask to work full-time and give up wrestling while still on the air than after.

source: f4wonline.com

UFC President Dana White recently spoke to Fanhouse.com’s Ariel Helwani about the changes of Brock Lesnar working at WrestleMania, The Undertaker’s face-to-face confrontation with Brock Lesnar following his last fight and his relationship with WWE chairman Vince McMahon.

Regarding the Undertaker – Lesnar confrontation, Dana White said:

“It’s funny you are asking me that because Undertaker called me to apologize for that.”

• View Here: Lesnar & Undertaker Have Staredown At UFC 121 (VIDEO)

White mentioned that he has a “great relationship” with Vince McMahon and gets along well with many of the past and present WWE guys.

White was asked about whether he would allow Brock Lesnar to work with WWE, as has been rumored for next year’s WrestleMania. White’s response is not going to make any WWE fans happy:

“No… No. He is under contract with us … I don’t want to blur those lines. First of all, him coming over and making the choice to leave the WWE and come over here, we gave him that shot. It was a big risk on our part. The guy was 1-0 but he’s done incredibly well. What the guy’s been able to accomplish with no experience in such a short amount of time, I don’t want him going to WWE and blurring the lines of what’s real and what’s not. I think it happens to us sometimes now.”

• Related News: Vince McMahon Still Hopeful He Can Get For Brock For WrestleMania
  

You can check out the full interview here.

— Many within WWE feel Batista isn’t coming back anytime soon since there has been no contact anyone is aware and the expectation is when he returns stateside. from filming Scorpion King 3 that he’ll be signing with Strikeforce.

Likewise, Chris Jericho is another name many within the company believe isn’t coming back anytime soon. It is unlikely at this point that he will be participating in a match at WrestleMania XXVII.

— Since last week’s Raw where Brock Lesnar’s name was mentioned multiple times during the broadcast, Vince McMahon has been telling creative team members and at least one top star that he believes there is still a good chance the former WWE Champion will appear at WrestleMania XXVII. Nonetheless, most feel there is no chance of it happening.

(source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

— Video has surfaced online of Vince McMahon, Big Show, Kelly Kelly and Eve Torres visiting U.S. troops stationed in Kandaha, Afghanistan. McMahon is briefly interviewed, as he discusses WWE’s annual visit overseas.

The video can be accessed here.

Eve Torres noted of the trip on Twitter: “What a truly amazing trip. A strong reminder of how much I appreciate our country & our daily luxuries (like indoor toilets!) Thnk u troops!”

— Due to an injury suffered by Wes Brisco at the Nov. 20 Florida Championship Wrestling live event in Punta Gorda, he and Xavier Woods were stripped of the FCW Tag Team Championship Thursday. Titus O’Neil and Damien Sandow were determined as the new champions the following night in Plant City, Florida.

— It was said to be “night and day” in regards to Triple H producing the announcers instead of Vince McMahon during WWE’s television events in England a few weeks ago—which the WWE chairman missed. “The Game” reportedly said little to the announcers during the broadcasts, which was a huge change of pace from the usual swearing and screaming. Furthermore, when he had a point to make, he waited until a break to say it. (source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

— Ryan-Nemeth.com conducted an interview with Dolph Ziggler’s younger brother, Ryan Nemeth, an aspiring wrestler. He was asked whether he would be interested in taking part in WWE’s revival of Tough Enough and what he thinks of critics who may brush him off as “just” the Intercontinental Champion’s younger brother.

To read the interview, click here.

— Lance Storm confirmed in a post on fans.wwe.com that he has launched an official Facebook Fan Page. The page can be accessed here.

— It’s said to be no secret that Jim Ross wants to return to the announce booth. His appearance on Raw two weeks ago resulted in overwhelming sentiment that he should return, but his fate lies in the hands of Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn, who prefer youth—though Jerry Lawler is three years older than Ross.

Furthermore, Lawler and Cole have pushed for Ross to replace Matt Striker as the third man for pay-per-view broadcasts, whom they dislike. McMahon, however, feels the pay-per-view broadcast team should be limited to those who work television.

— WWE officials were said to be very happy and surprised at the amount of mainstream media attention The Miz’ WWE Championship victory last week on Raw received. His win was covered by TMZ, Access Hollywood, ESPN.com, Entertainment Tonight and MTV, among others.

— WWE returns to the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on Feb. 12, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale Dec. 18, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

— According to sources within WWE, Vince McMahon has taken a more active role within the company again now that his wife Linda’s campaign for U.S. Senator from Connecticut has concluded.

— John Cena noted on his Twitter account that he stopped by the site of tonight’s Raw this afternoon and that he plans on attending the show with a ticket.

“Love it here in philly,” he wrote. “Still got my tix and stopped by arena early to say hi to old pals. Tonight will be fun.”

— Video has surfaced online of WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel emceeing a couple’s wedding. To view the video in question, click here.

source: f4wonline.com

The Undertaker had words with Brock Lesnar following the main event of last month’s UFC 121 pay-per-view event, with their brief exchange caught on camera and designed to get people talking in case a potential WWE match took place. WWE officials want Lesnar to appear in a featured role at WrestleMania XXVII, but the scenario appears highly unlikely due to UFC President Dana White insisting that Lesnar is prohibited from wrestling. Nevertheless, the idea was more than a fantasy proposition to those in WWE.

Vince McMahon was heavily invested in the idea in mid-October as he knew ahead of time that there would be a confrontation between the former wrestling rivals, though the number of people who were previously aware was small. Nobody on creative knew there would be a confrontation until after the pay-per-view, and within a few days, sans a possible referee assignment, it was believed to be a dead idea once White publicly said that Lesnar is prohibited from wrestling.

McMahon feels it will be difficult for WWE to score a grand pay-per-view buy figure for WrestleMania XXVII and therefore concocted at least three different major out-of-the-box ideas, one of which involved Lesnar. The other two ideas, while known to some in WWE, have not been reported yet.

At this point, company officials are actively pursuing individuals not involved with the professional wrestling industry and doing an outsider angle to headline the show.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

WWE Chariman and CEO Vince McMahon has signed a new employment contract with World Wrestling Entertainment. Effective January 1, 2011, Mr. McMahon will remain with the company for three more years, with the contract renewing each year beyond that unless either party chooses not to extend.

Aside from his current duties as Chairman and CEO, he will serve as Creative Director as well as be a writer and performer.

Mr. McMahon’s annual base salary will be $1,100,000 and he’ll be entitled to an annual bonus target of 100% of base salary, depending on “degree of achievement of corporate and individual performance.” He’s entitled to 4 weeks of paid vacation per year.

The entire McMahon family (and their invited guests) will have unlimited access to WWE’s corporate jet for personal use when the aircraft is not needed for business purposes.

In the event that his relationship with WWE is terminated, Vince McMahon cannot compete against WWE or its affiliates for up to one year after termination.

If he is terminated or resigns with good reason, he will receive twice the amount each of his base salary and annual target bonus along with other accrued benefits.

You can read WWE’s official filing with the at Securities And Exchange Commission at Corporate.WWE.com.

– John Cena wrote the following on Twitter after Monday’s RAW:

“CeNation. Officially don’t care anymore what wade thinks or says. Had time to reflect and if i get fired, im ok with it. Sorry to keep quiet for so long. That will never happen again. I have been able to read all of your messages. Thank u to all.”

– Vince McMahon did not fly to Europe for last week’s set of television tapings and was thus Triple H’s first time of being in charge of events in his recently promoted role as the WWE Chairman’s senior advisor. It is said that while the atmosphere appeared different, it was in a positive manner.

– In the intro titling for WWE’s profile on Bruno Sammartino in their Top 50 Superstars of All Time DVD set, his last name is misspelled as “Summartino.”

In what many are calling a prime example of why the list is a joke – Sammartino is ranked No. 24.

(source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

— Bret Hart noted on his Facebook account Friday that his ring jacket and sunglasses were stolen at Thursday’s SmackDown live event in Nuremberg, Germany.

“Just a quick update for everyone. The tour’s going well but, unfortunately, somebody stole my ring jacket and sunglasses at the Nurnberg, Germany show last night. Any help would be appreciated. May they wear it in shame knowing they stole it!”

— As of Thursday afternoon, the first four rows on all four sides of the ring for WrestleMania XXVII at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia were sold out, including all of the $1,000 seats.

— During commentary on this week’s episode of WWE Superstars, Michael Cole pondered if “Vince” would be commentating during the “Old School” episode of Raw. Josh Matthews said “the guy’s in a coma,” to which Cole replied, “Oh well then. His commentary won’t be any worse than it was 20 years ago.”

— Today marks the fifth anniversary of the passing of former WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero, who was found dead in a hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

source: f4wonline.com