– Rapper Machine Gun Kelly, who performed in the main event of WrestleMania 28 in Miami, Florida, announced via social media that he will be appearing at the June 15th edition of WWE RAW at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
– TheStreet.com has a new article up looking at WWE’s business model where the WWE Network is the focus. You can check that out at TheStreet.com.
– NXT Diva Carmella will be hosting a live Twitter Q&A today, fielding questions from WWE and NXT fans. You can take part in the Q&A, which begins at 4pm EST. today, @CarmellaWWE.
– Saturday night’s WWE WrestleMania 28 special on NBC averaged 2.72 million viewers, down a sharp 25% from last year’s WrestleMania special on NBC, which had 3.64 million viewers. The show had a 0.9 rating, with the first half hour drawing a 0.8 and the send half hour drawing a 1.0.
According to Zap2it.com, the show finished third in the network ratings behind preseason NFL football (CBS) and NASCAR (ABC).
– After revealing over the weekend that he suffered a torn hamstring at WrestleMania during his match with John Cena, The Rock says he is completely healed from the injury. He tweeted:
– The first episode of WWE Saturday Morning Slam premiered this morning at 10AM EST and featured Kofi Kingston vs. Alex Riley. Josh Mathews and Santino Marella did commentary.
– Tonight on NBC, will will air its WrestleMania 28 special featuring The Rock vs. John Cena. The show will include “never before seen” footage that will showcase the match in a different way than it was seen on pay-per-view back in April.
– WWE wrestler Curt Hawkins endorsed indy promotion Pro Wrestling Guerrilla on Saturday morning, specifically, the recent Young Bucks vs. Super Smash Brothers No DQ match at the recent “Death To All But Metal” Show. He tweeted on Saturday morning:
Just watched @MattJackson13 & @NickJacksonYB vs The SSB from the latest PWG DVD. Ridiculously innovative & entertaining.
– Former WWE star David Hart Smith turns 26 years old today.
– Matches for today’s WWE Superstars include:
* Cody Rhodes vs. Zack Ryder
* Layla vs. Natalya
* Tyson Kidd vs. Heath Slater
– Shawn Michaels noted on Twitter that today marks the first day of filming for Season 3 of his MacMillan River Adventures hunting show.
– According to the latest business figures released by WWE, WrestleMania 28 now looks to have drawn approximately 1,216,000 buys (713,000 domestic, 503,000 international) – up from last month’s estimated 1,114,000 number.
– WWE issued a press release last month touting that WrestleMania 28 was the biggest WrestleMania of all time, with preliminary data showing the show did approximately 1.3 million buys.
With more data coming in, the buyrate is now looking to be closer to 1.21 million buys. The final number will be reported at WWE’s next quarterly investor meeting.
– Early pay-per-view buyrate numbers are in for WWE’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view featuring John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar. Lesnar’s first WWE match in over 8 years helped WWE more than double the buyrate from 2011.
This year’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view drew approximately 250,000 buys, based (147,000 domestic, 104,000 International) – way up from 108,000 buys in 2011.
As part of WWE’s First Quarter 2012 earnings report announced on Thrusday, the company released pay-per-view buyrate information for this year’s Royal Rumble and Elimination chamber events.
The Royal Rumble drew 443,000 buys, down from 446,000 buys in 2011, and 462,000 buys in 2010.
Elimination Chamber did 178,000 buys, down from 199,000 buys in 2011 and 285,000 buys in 2010.
Even though the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber both did fewer buys in 2012 than they did in 2011, revenue was essentially the same due to more viewers ordering the high-definition feeds of the events, which are more expensive and made up the lost revenue.
As for WrestleMania 28’s buyrate, the official numbers will not be reported until WWE announces its Second Quarter 2012 results in a few months, but WWE CEO Vince McMahon did say that the buyrate is expected to be “nearly 1.3 million pay-per-view buys globally,” indicating the final number might be less than the 1.3 million estimate WWE previously touted.
Following this week’s news that WrestleMania 28 was the most-ordered pay-per-view in pro wrestling history, the chances of a Rock vs. Cena rematch at next year’s show have increased. Whether or not the match takes place at next year’s WrestleMania, Rock and Cena will almost certainly have a rematch over the next 12 months.
The Rock dropped a bombshell on RAW the night after WrestleMania 28 when he revealed his “vision” to once again win the WWE Championship. As of this week, WWE’s plan for the main event of WresteMania 29 is for The Rock to wrestle either John Cena or Brock Lesnar for the WWE title.
Several factors will decide whether The Rock wrestles either Cena or Lesnar, most notably, how Brock Lesnar’s next few months go. WWE officials want to see how Lesnar handles his [limited] schedule and how over Lesnar is after his match with John Cena at Extreme Rules.
While there was early talk of announcing the WrestleMania 29 main event one year in advance like they did with Rock-Cena, it’s now looking like WWE will hold off until the fall before making anything official.
– WWE announced this week that WrestleMania 28 drew an estimated 1.3 million pay-per-view buys, which would make it the highest grossing wrestling PPV in history. While this is a major accomplishment for WWE and a credit to The Rock’s drawing power, it’s important to note that a more “firm” number will not be announced until May/June, when WWE releases its next SEC filing. Even then, it will be several more months until the final numbers come in.
– WWE’s Bella Twins are still expected to be on their way out of the company. Nikki and Brie are currently overseas for WWE’s European tour and defeated the team of Phoenix and Eve Torres at Tuesday’s show from Rome, Italy.
– Earlier this week, we reported that early PPV buyrate data suggested that WrestleMania 28 was on track to do approximately 1.1 million buys. More data is coming in – and right now, it’s looking like like WrestleMania 28 drew approximately 635,000-700,000 buys in the United States alone. This does not include PPV buys in Canada. Last year’s show drew 679,000 ‘domestic’ buys, but that includes US, Canada and Puerto Rico.
While the numbers look promising that WWE will soundly break 1 million buys, these are all first-week estimates. WWE is not expected to release the final numbers until the end of May.
– WWE officials are looking to hold a live Tuesday SmackDown 2 days after next year’s WrestleMania 29 pay-per-view. WWE is looking to capitalize on the WrestleMania momentum, and the feeling is that the show will be hot enough that WWE can get away with holding live television shows on the two consecutive days following Mania.
– While official numbers are not yet available, early indications from cable companies show that WWE’s WrestleMania 28 drew approximately 1.1 million PPV buys.
WWE was initially hoping for 1.3 million buys, but lowered their expectations to 1 million by WrestleMania Sunday.
– Today’s wrestling birthdays include Dustin “Goldust” Runnels (46), ECW original Balls Mahoney (40) and WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race (69).
– Chris Jericho will be appearing on Adam Carolla’s podcast this Friday at AdamCarolla.com.
On Wednesday, ESPN reporter Gus Ramsey wrote on Twitter that he heard the preliminary buyrate for WWE WrestleMania 28 came in at 1.9 million buys, which would make it the most profitable WrestleMania event by a longshot.
Ramsey has posted several follow-up tweets regarding the WrestleMania 28 buyrate:
“I trust who I heard it from, but again no confirmation.”
“just something I heard. I’m not a reporter. Just a guy who likes wrestling and knows some people. Could very well be wrong”
“Re: WM28 buy rate. 1- I work at espn, not a reporter. Not the same thing. 2- I heard the number but have no confirmation.”
“haven’t seen anything in writing. so maybe the # is wrong, or I misheard it, but pretty sure that was the # + WWE very happy”
Early numbers for the WrestleMania 28 buyrate are coming in and preliminary estimates are showing that this year’s event could be the most-bought pay-per-view in WWE history. With one year to build up the blockbuster dream match between The Rock and John Cena, WWE was looking to surpass the annual benchmark of 1 million buys and had its sights on the record-holding WrestleMania 26 buyrate of approximately 1.25 million buys.
According to ESPN’s Gus Ramsey, WWE looks like they might shatter that record. Ramsey tweeted the following on Wednesday:
“… Rock and Brock each sign 1 year deals. WM28 did 1.9M buys. WWE was targeting 1.5M”
– Sheamus made history at WrestleMania 28 on Sunday when he captured the World Heavyweight title from Daniel Bryan in a mere 18 seconds. According to PWInsider.com, the reasoning behind this squash was that WWE wanted to do something “shocking” at the show to catch people off guard. They also want to get the Brogue Kick over as a dangerous move.
Although his first WrestleMania appearance is probably not want he’ll want to remember, there is no heat on Daniel Bryan and the squash was not a punishment in any way. Which definitely deserves a …. YES! YES! YES!
– We’ve received word from several fans who attended WrestleMania that Sun Life Stadium employees were very accommodating to fans who had their views obstructed by the massive palm trees that were constructed around the ring. Because the palm trees were a late addition to the WrestleMania set and the tickets sold for the seats with the obstructed views did not state “Limited Visibility” on them, many of those fans were moved to much better seats closer to the ring.
– The upcoming 3-hour RAW on 4/23 from Detroit, Michigan will have a special “Extreme” theme. This show, which was rumored to be when WWE held the 2012 Draft, is the final RAW before Extreme Rules on 4/29.
– During Sunday’s WrestleMania XXVIII pay-per-view broadcast, Jerry “The King” Lawler referenced TNA Wrestling Senior Vice President of Programming and Talent Relations Bruce Prichard’s former WWE character Brother Love while expressing his disdain for John Laurinaitis’ white suit. Lawler said:
“That suit is so ugly, it would give Brother Love a heart attack.”
Prichard recently suffered a pair of ‘small’ heart attacks, causing him to miss the last set of Impact Wrestling tapings.
– Former WWE Superstar Kevin Nash ranked the top three matches at WrestleMania XXVIII via Twitter.
1. The Undertaker vs. Triple H – “End of an Era” Hell in a Cell Match
2. CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho – WWE Championship Match
3. John Cena vs. The Rock
Nash also refuted Michael Cole’s claim that Sheamus’ defeat of Daniel Bryan was the quickest world title change in WWE history at 18 seconds. “Hey Cole Diesel-Backland 8 seconds,” he said in reference to defeating Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship in 8 seconds in November 1994.
— Friday’s WWE SmackDown will feature Daniel Bryan reacting to his 18-second World Heavyweight title loss to Sheamus at WrestleMania. The WWE Website has this preview up for Friday’s show:
“With his history-making feat, Sheamus becomes a three-time World Champion, while Daniel Bryan leaves WrestleMania with egg on his face. How will the submission specialist react to falling to the Irish Superstar in such a hasty fashion? Find out Friday on SmackDown on Syfy at 8/7 CT.”
– Speaking of the new World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, he is now on Twitter @WWESheamus.
– Jim Ross returned to the WWE announcers table last night and called Hell in a Cell between Triple H and The Undertaker. Ross wrote the following about the John Cena vs. The Rock main event:
“@TheRock and @JohnCena working their asses off. I’m calling it in my head. Is that sick or what?”
According to a WWE source, Ross called the the Hell in a Cell match because The Undertaker made the request several weeks ago.
– WWE held a WrestleMania 28 after party last night. Some of the WWE talents arrived an hour late after the bus they were traveling on took them the wrong way.
– Some fans were under the impression that Maria Menounos had an “accident” during the divas tag match at WrestleMania. Maria set the record straight on Twitter, saying it was just makeup on her butt:
“Just won my match at #Wrestlemania with @realkellykelly.amazing experience.and ps-that was eve’s makeup on my pants-let’s not get cray cray”
– WWE diva Natalya was asked on Twitter if she was upset that Beth Phoenix didn’t pick her as her tag team partner at WrestleMania. She replied:
“I’m confused. Not sure what to think-”
There has been talk of officially splitting up Beth & Natalya and having them feud in the weeks after WrestleMania.
WWE sent out the following press release after WrestleMania touting the event’s unbelievable success:
MIAMI, Apr 01, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — WWE® WWE +0.34% announced tonight that WrestleMania XXVIII set three records. With a sellout crowd of 78,363 fans from all 50 states and 36 countries, the annual pop culture extravaganza became Sun Life Stadium’s largest attended event and highest grossing entertainment event in history. Grossing $8.9 million, it was also the highest grossing live event in WWE history. The event was broadcast around the world on pay-per-view in more than 105 countries and 20 languages.
The previous Sun Life Stadium attendance record was 77,912 for the BCS National Championship in 2005. Its highest grossing entertainment event was U2 on June 29, 2011, grossing more than $7.5 million. WrestleMania XXVIII surpassed the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania in Houston, which grossed $7.2 million. This marks the third consecutive year WrestleMania broke the gross entertainment event record of the host venue.
“WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami-Dade County was an incredible event for WWE. WWE would like to thank our loyal fans, as well as the public and private sector partners for their tireless efforts to help make WrestleMania Week such a success,” said John P. Saboor, Senior Vice President of Special Events, WWE. “We now look forward to building on these achievements as we head to MetLife Stadium for WrestleMania XXIX next year.”
WrestleMania XXIX will take place on Sunday, April 7, 2013 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. Ticket information will be announced later this year.
– The Rock will have several backstage segments at WrestleMania. We noted a few weeks back that officials were giving limited time to the undercard matches so CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho, Hell in a Cell and The Rock vs. John Cena will have as much time as needed.
– After it rained throughout the day in Miami on Saturday, there is now just a 20% chance of rain for Sunday afternoon/evening for WrestleMania. The Weather Channel is calling for just a 10% chance of rain and through the event, the average temperature is 77°.
– According to ESPN.com, Rey Mysterio’s group won the scramble-format competition for the WrestleMania 28 ProAm Golf Tournament earlier this week, at 17-under. The Miz’s group placed fourth at -13 while Sgt. Slaughter’s group and Zack Ryder’s group finished -14. ESPN noted that Mysterio played the tournament without his mask on except when the cameras were on him.
– The latest weather forecast for Sunday’s WrestleMania 28 pay-per-view is a high of 87°F and a 30% chance of rain. The Weather Channel shows a small chance of isolated thunderstorms around 4-6pm on Sunday night but it looks pretty clear after that.
– 2012 WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson told The Miami Herald that he would have preferred to have legends Bruno Sammartino and “Superstar” Billy Graham induct him into the Hall tonight. Tyson said:
“[WWE] has to do what they have to do, but if it was Bruno Sammartino or Superstar Billy Graham, that would be awesome, because that’s when I started watching it. Billy Graham came and changed the game [charisma], and then Bob Backlund beat Graham, but he didn’t change the game. Then Hulkster changed the game.”
– Earlier this week, Triple H spoke tot he Los Angeles Times and actually had some positive things to say about the Ultimate Warrior and his legacy. Triple H referred to Warrior as a legend and said it was an honor wrestle him at WrestleMania 12, even though he was squashed in about two minutes.
The Ultimate Warrior wrote the following on Twitter in response to Triple H’s comments about him:
“Since 2011, WWE’s tone about UW’s mark in the biz has changed. Something’s going on but your guess is as good as mine.”
– John Cena spoke with The Associated Press via The Washington Post this week to promote WWE’s anti-bullying campaign. Here’s a quote:
“I’m one of those guys that gets cheered, but also gets booed. Those who don’t like me, severely don’t like me. Usually your first instinct is to lash out at these people. … but I believe you always need to turn a negative into a positive.”
WWE has issued the following press release announcing the WrestleMania Community Outreach events that will be taking place in Miami. Aside from WrestleMania 28, the Hall of Fame Ceremony and the AXXESS fan fest, WWE goes above and beyond to make a positive impact in the community of the WrestleMania host city.
WRESTLEMANIA READING CHALLENGE
More than 2,000 libraries and 50,000 children from across the United States and Canada participated in this year’s WrestleMania Reading Challenge through the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. As guests of WWE, 20 finalists will compete this Saturday and three winners from grades 5-6, 7-8, and 9-12 will be named World Champions.
“BE A STAR” ANTI-BULLYING RALLIES
WWE’s anti-bullying alliance co-founded with The Creative Coalition, “be a STAR (Show Tolerance And Respect),” will be conducting two rallies with the Miami-Dade County Public Schools on Thursday, March 29, at the Hialeah Gardens Middle School and the John F. Kennedy Middle School. Rock musician and former American Idol contestant James Durbin will be joined by WWE Superstars and Divas to deliver anti-bullying messages to more than 1,000 sixth-grade students.
WWE PREMIERE PARTY FOR ALEX’S PLACE
On Thursday, March 29, WWE, Grammy Award-winning artist Timbaland and Miami philanthropist Stuart Miller will host a VIP party, including a charity auction to benefit Alex’s Place at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center/UMHC in Miami, a pediatric hematology-oncology clinic.
MAKE-A-WISH PIZZA PARTY
WWE Superstar John Cena will host this year’s annual Make-A-Wish pizza party for over 40 wish kids and their families from the United States, Canada and Ireland. This year’s party takes place on Saturday, March 31 at Jungle Island. As part of its 30-year partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, WWE is also hosting the wish kids and their families at WrestleMania.
VISITS TO AREA CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS
WWE Superstars and Divas will be visiting two children’s hospitals in the Miami area — Holtz Children’s Hospital on Wednesday, March 28 and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital on Thursday, March 29. During the visits, more than 150 children will meet many of their favorite WWE Superstars and Divas.
– The majority of WWE’s superstars and divas are staying at the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami, Florida this week. The hotel has a ton of security in place and fans have already been tweeting that The Rock, John Cena, the Undertaker and The Miz have been spotted at the hotel this week.
– After Wednesday’s WrestleMania Press conference in Miami, John Cena and The Miz answered questions sent in from fans on Twitter:
SEScoops.com was at the WrestleMania 28 press conference in Miami, Florida on Wednesday from the Eden Roc Hotel. Check out this video of The Rock and John Cena having a face-to-face confrontation and exclusive pictures from the event:
WWE sources have confirmed that Christian was pulled from the WrestleMania 28 Team Laurinaitis vs. Team Long match because of issues with his ankle. There was hope that he’d be able to compete with the injury, but the decision to pull Christian from the card was made on Monday.
As for why Alberto Del Rio is not booked for the show, he was originally booked to be a member of Team Laurinaitis, but WWE officials felt the match was “below him” and not fitting for a former WWE champion in line for a big push in the coming months. That said, it’s worth noting that former champions Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger and The Miz are all in the match.
WWE is planning a dramatic return for Alberto Del Rio after WrestleMania and Randy Orton has been discussed as his next big feud.
Despite being pulled from the 12-man match, both Del Rio and Christian will be in attendance this Sunday and will likely appear on camera.