– According to a Philly.com article, the reason WWE chose Santa Clara over Philadelphia as the host of WrestleMania 31 is because Super Bowl 50 will be taking place in Levi’s Stadium in 2016 and WWE doesn’t want to follow the Super Bowl in the same venue within a calendar year.
– Stephanie McMahon unloaded 43,838 shares of WWE stock on December 5th and December 6th for approximately $635,553.
Many were surprised that the CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar match at this year’s SummerSlam wasn’t nominated for the “Match of the Year” in the 2013 WWE Slammy Awards. According to reports, several people within WWE feel that it is easily the best match in the entire company for 2013.
According to one source, the reason Punk vs. Lesnar was not nominated is because Punk “can’t have a better match” with Lesnar than Triple H did, so WWE nominated the Lesnar vs. Triple H match instead, and gave Punk the nomination for his match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29 instead.
[Credit: F4WOnline.com]
According to an article in The Contra Costa Times out of California, WrestleMania 31 will be held on Sunday, March 29, 2015. If true, ths would end a string of WrestleMania events being held in the month of April.
The WrestleMania 31 event in Northern California will impact the comparability of WWE’s financial reporting, as WrestleMania business will be reported in the First Quarter 2015 if held in March, instead of the Second Quarter 2015 if held in April.
For more information, check out the full article at ContraCoastTimes.com.
– WWE.com has confirmed that WrestleMania 31 will take place from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Here’s the official statement:
“The Show of Shows is coming to the Bay Area. WWE.com can confirm that Levi’s Stadium, the future home of the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., will host WrestleMania 31 in 2015. This will mark the first time WrestleMania comes to Northern California. As is tradition, the area will also host activities throughout the region for the week-long celebration leading up to WrestleMania itself. Keep checking back with WWE.com for more details on the announcement coming this week!”
– The WWE website has a new poll asking fans which faction would they join – The Shield, The Wyatt Family, The Real Americans, 3MB or The Authority. With over 24,000 votes cast, The Shield is leading with 54%. The Authority is next with 22% of the vote.
– WWE posted the following Tout video of Fandango talking to Summer Rae about his Slammy nomination for Breakout Star of the Year:
One of the top stories of the weekend is that WrestleMania 31 will be coming to California’s Bay Area in 2015 at the brand new Levis Stadium. NBCBayArea.com has confirmed the news and provided some new details on which city was the runner up to host the event – and which city will host WrestleMania 32 in 2016.
Several top WWE Superstars, including John Cena, were at Candlestick Park today, ahead of the official announcement about WrestleMania 31, which will take place on Tuesday.
The article states that WWE officials visited 49ers headquarters in early August, where they were pitched by 49ers CEO Jed York and city leaders on the not-yet-finished $1.3 billion stadium. Several weeks later Santa Clara mayor Jamie Matthews and 49ers executives traveled to WWE headquarters in Connecticut to meet with chairman Vince McMahon.
Levi’s Stadium was chosen over Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.
The big news is that WrestleMania 32 in 2016 is “confirmed” to take place from Dallas, Texas at Cowboys Stadium.
* PHOTOS of KELLY KELLY & MARYSE Touching Each Others Boobs & Butts
We’re still several months out from WrestleMania XXX, but the WrestleMania 31 location has already been decided.
After months of bidding and negotiating with city officials from around the United States, WWE has selected Santa Clara, California as the host city for WrestleMania in 2015. Considering the fact that WrestleMania 29 brought over $100 million to the New York / New Jersey area the past year, this is a major score for the city.
The show will take place from the brand new Levis Stadium, which doesn’t open until next summer. The venue is the future home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers.
There will be an announcement this coming Tuesday from the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California
The 2015 WWE Hall Hall of Fame ceremony and RAW the night after WrestleMania 31 will take place at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com.
As a reminder to fans, tickets for JR’s first 2 one-man shows in New York City (3/1/14) are now on sale at Ticketmaster.com. JR also announced that he will be starting a podcast soon.
Here are some highlights of what he said about:
The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30: “It appears that the smart money, or is it, is on Brock Lesnar facing the Undertaker at WM30. That seems to be the strongest sentiment making the rounds online. For the record, I don’t know as it’s not my hill to die upon these days and I’m merely speculating. On paper, Lesnar vs. The Undertaker is an impressive match IF Lesnar is re-branded/re-energized to the WWE fan base as the indestructible “killer” that he can be.”
JR also stressed the importance of both men appearing on WWE television in the weeks leading up to a potential match, in order to maximize interest and dramatic build. “… having the combatants appear on RAW only sporadically hampers the potential number of PPV buys which one would assume would lessen each man’s potential earnings.”
WWE RAW From Oklahoma: “It’s really strange as to who doesn’t contact their “old friends” when they are in one’s home market ala Monday Night Raw this past week and, conversely, who does reach out from one’s former company.”
“Yep, this rasslin thing is a whacky business. Creatively, many make it much more complicated and harder than it ever needs to be.”
– The official WWE website currently has a poll up asking fans who they feel the biggest trash-talker in history is. The poll options include “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, The Rock, “Superstar” Billy Graham, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, CM Punk, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair, “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Surprisingly enough, Roberts currently leads the poll at 33 percent. Trailing Roberts is Austin with 27 percent and Punk with 11 percent.
– Expect the announcement to be made regarding the location for the 2015 edition of WrestleMania in the near future. According to reports, the decision was made approximately three or four months ago, and will likely either be Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or the San Jose, California area.
[Partial Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
With WrestleMania XXX just 4 months away, top WWE officials are still undecided about the top matches for the show.
WWE creative has been constantly changing plans for the card and there is much more uncertainty regarding the show than in previous years.
The company remains optimistic that a deal will be made with Hulk Hogan to appear. Because of Hogan’s physical condition, the only way he’d be able to compete in the ring would be in a tag match – with John Cena discussed as a potential tag team partner.
Another match previously discussed for WrestleMania is the WWE title unification match between John Cena and Randy Orton, which is now happening at TLC.
* View Here: The Official ROYAL RUMBLE PPV Poster
(Source: PWInsider.com)
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:
If He’ll Be At Tonight’s RAW From Oklahoma: “Been asked a great many times if I was going to be on or at RAW in OKC tonight and the answer is no but I will be watching from our home in Norman, Oklahoma. I hope WWE has great success in my home state and RAW, especially, gets a much needed ‘win.'”
Hulk Hogan At WrestleMania: “Another frequently asked topic concerns the potential of Hulk Hogan at WM30. I brought this up several weeks ago when his TNA contract expired as feel that Hulk could add to WM30 if strategically utilized and that doesn’t mean in a wrestling match. That would not be an option for me but there are endless, creative ways in which to use one of WWE’s all time biggest stars at their biggest event of the year and most earmarked WrestleMania since WM20.”
WWE Title Unification: “If the WWE and World Title are unified prior to WM30, apparently that is what is going to happen at the TLC PPV, then the biggest match currently, on paper at least for me at WM30 would be the Undisputed Champion vs. The Undertaker in a Title vs. The Streak match. Perhaps something else will get hot between now and April but as of today, unless more alums are brought back meaningfully, that seems to be the best main event available on the current roster.”
“There are many ways for one to book WM30 that doesn’t include that idea especially if one knows all the available parts for New Orleans and the creative trigger is pulled to begin the process to build ample anticipation for an event that cannot be just a luke warm success.”
“I’d strongly suggest that the absolute unification of the two, major titles in WWE happen at WM30 especially if the unified title is to mean all it can mean.”
As reported recently, WWE’s newly released History of WWE DVD and Blu-ray features a peculiar edit as the historic WrestleMania III match pitting Hulk Hogan against Andre the Giant is strictly shown from a singular camera angle (there is also no commentary present in the match). According to WrestlingDVDNews.com, there is a “major reason” for this oddity.
The website, which receives firsthand and leaked news from sources within WWE concerning video releases, is claiming that according to a “reliable source,” the bout is being shown from the “hard cam” point of view due to the presence of former ring announcer and behind-the-scenes worker Mel Phillips in the background.
For those unaware, Phillips was exposed as a pedophile who frequently took advantage of underage males he supervised setting up rings at live events, who came from broken homes and troubled backgrounds. Tom Cole, who worked for WWE as a ring attendant in the 1980s and 1990s when he was underage through young adulthood, hurled charges against his former employer that resulted in the resignation of three longtime employees and helped fuel a sex scandal that plagued the company for years. He went public in 1992 with claims that wrestler-turned-front-office employee Terry Garvin attempted to seduce him two years earlier when he was nineteen and that he had been sexually harassed at the age of thirteen by Phillips. WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart claimed in his 2007 autobiography, Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, that both Garvin and Phillips, as well as Pat Patterson, resigned in March of that year, “as a result of the allegations of sexual conduct.” Only Patterson was ever re-hired.
Stating the following as a rumor, the website is claiming that one alleged victim of Phillips continues to watch WWE programming today and says he suffers “flashbacks” when seeing his face again in old footage. It is said that this individual has threatened a lawsuit against WWE if Phillips isn’t removed from future presentations of old footage. Phillips, who appeared as a ring attendant at WrestleMania III, sat ringside during the Hogan vs. Andre match and can been seen on camera during the original airing. It was suggested to the website that WWE opted to feature the match from the “hard cam” so that Philips is not visible.
Cole addressed his past as recently as 2011 in an interview with Mike Mooneyham of The Post and Courier, where he recalled Phillips having an unhealthy fascination with his feet.
“When you’re twelve or thirteen-years-old and you think this guy is wrestling with you, and then he grabs your foot, maybe part of you doesn’t want to believe it or part of you wants to block it out,” Cole said. “I just didn’t have an answer for it. Who would have told you at that age that some guy wants to play with your feet?”
Cole also noted of Phillips in this interview with Wrestling Perspective, “When you started getting older, he started calling less. Once that happened, he started calling less, but I still went to the shows at [Madison Square Garden]. I’d just show up. But he was like trying to get rid of you. He liked the younger kids who couldn’t give him a problem about it or didn’t realize that there was something wrong with it.”
In the interview with Mooneyham, Cole also discussed declining Garvin’s sexual advances, as he recalled spending a night freezing in a van after doing so. “Listen Terry, I came from nothing and I can go back to having nothing,” Cole recalled telling Garvin. “If this is what this job entails, then I don’t necessarily need the job. And I didn’t have the job after that.”
Garvin died in 1998, while the whereabouts of Phillips are currently publicly unknown. Phillips was in the news as recently as 2008 as it was reported on some websites that Hulk Hogan’s former WWF Championship belt, which Mr. Perfect destroyed on a 1989 episode of Saturday’s Night Main Event, was being auctioned off on eBay due to a Phillips estate sale.
– WWE officials are once again interested in having Rey Mysterio face Sin Cara at WrestleMania XXX, with hopes of breaking the world record for the most people wearing a mask in one area.
Though Sin Cara has not appeared on WWE programming since August, his merchandise is reporting selling very well.
– This week on “Backstage Fallout” for SmackDown, WWE cameras catch up with Zeb Colter following his unpleasant incident on the show. Plus, find out how Titus O’Neil is feeling.
(source: F4WOnline.com)
Former WWE Superstar Bill Goldberg appeared at the C4 Comic Con in Winnigpeg a few weeks ago and was asked about the possibility of appearing at WrestleMania XXX for WWE in 2014. Goldberg noted that Triple H has called him multiple times and they have talked, but there is no official deal in place.
Goldberg spoke about being open to coming back, as he would like his son to see him wrestle at least once on a major stage, but he said he would only do it if the price was right. Goldberg said he would never call WWE personally and ask to return. He said the ball is in their court and that they know what needs to be done if they want him to return. One source noted that Goldberg’s financial demands were very significant.
Goldberg also talked about WWE trying to push the idea of him getting an enormous pop, saying “think of the pop you’ll get,” but Goldberg claims they are using the wrong negotiation tactics by saying things like that.
[Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
– WWE officials have indeed been negotiating with Hulk Hogan about a return to the company. According to one source, there is at least discussion of having Hogan team with John Cena, presumably at WrestleMania XXX.
– Former WWE Superstar Diamond Dallas Page recently took part in an “Ask Me Anything” chat on Reddit. Fans interested in reading the transcript from the chat can do so online at Reddit.com.
– Former WWE Superstars Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels will be appearing together at the Houston Autorama at various times this weekend. For more information, visit Autorama.com.
[Partial Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
– According to the latest indications, tickets for the 2014 WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view are nearly sold out already.
– Speaking of tickets, WrestleMania XXX ticket sales were just under the 40,000 mark for the first week. Due to the higher ticket prices, when looking at things from a live gate perspective, it was the second largest grossing first weekend in history, trailing only WrestleMania 29.
– The following is a clip from the documentary portion of the new WWE RAW 20th anniversary DVD box set:
http://youtu.be/5v8ln05Xysg
[Partial Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
WWE Superstar John Cena recently spoke to TMZ about wanting Hulk Hogan to appear at WrestleMania XXX in 2014 in a new video released by the celebrity-gossip website on Wednesday.
When asked if he would want to face Hogan in a match on the show, Cena smiled and said, “I grew up in the ’80s as a fan of the old WWF. It would be a dream come true, but I certainly wouldn’t want to put him in a position he’s not physically capable of. We operate at a high level of speed in the WWE nowadays.”
Cena went as far as to say WWE can’t have WrestleMania XXX without Hogan. “You can’t have a WrestleMania 30 without Hulk Hogan. I really, truly hope he’s there in my heart of hearts. Because as WrestleMania turns 30, I think we need The Hulkster. But, we’ll see if we can get him there to do whatever he can do.”
When asked if Hogan is welcome back in WWE, Cena said he’s speaking as a fan, not from a business perspective, but noted “it would be like kicking Santa Claus out of Christmas.”
The following are highlights from the latest online blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On the late “Mad Dog” Vachon: “Maurice was fearless and embraced being a true, wrestling villain which is becoming a lost art that maybe extinct sooner than later. If that assumption is true, then it does the business no favors. That would make the biz dependent on star power and less on personal issues and villains challenging the heroes in varying scenarios. I wonder what the over/under is on the larger alpha males in numerous bars around the world who thought they could whip Dog’s ass because he was smaller than he appeared on TV. Surprise!”
On WrestleMania XXX weekend: “We’re looking at venues and dates for a JR show, or two, during WrestleMania 30 week in New Orleans. Likely or the Thursday and/or Friday night of WM30 week. Details are still being finalized.”
On Charles Barkley: “Enjoyed Charles Barkley’s color commentary on TNA Thursday night during the Thunder vs. Clippers game. Chuck is unfiltered and is a breath of fresh air in today’s sports landscape of talking heads. Charles actually paid for Jerry Lawler and Stacey Carter’s wedding in Vegas. I know this to be true as I was there.”
Check out the complete blog online at JRsBarBQ.com.
WWE Superstar Ryback recently spoke with CBS Sports in a promotional interview for this Sunday’s WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view. The following are highlights from the interview:
On his role at Survivor Series: “The open challenge [I’ll be holding at Survivor Series] is for anyone out there. I’m kind of a bully. I like a good fight and I like picking on people. If it’s someone bigger than me so be it.”
On Vince McMahon: “He [Vince] is the Roman emperor, and we are all his gladiators. And I want to be the biggest, baddest gladiator.”
On Bill Goldberg: “I have a great amount of respect for Bill Goldberg, but I’m not going to beat around the bush and say I wanna be best friends with the guy. I’d like to face him in the ring. I’ve heard him say he’s not happy with comments I’ve made about him, if he has a problem with it let’s settle it at Wrestlemania.”
Check out the complete interview online at CBSLocal.com.
– As previously reported, WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan is scheduled to appear on a future edition of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast. Also scheduled for the podcast is veteran pro wrestling journalist and editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer. Meltzer’s appearance on the show is scheduled to air either Tuesday or Thursday of next week.
– The latest edition of “WWE Rank’D” on the official WWE YouTube channel looks at the best “Attitude Adjustments” by John Cena at past WrestleMania events. You can watch that video below:
As previously reported, many people within WWE are reportedly under the impression that the much-talked-about WWE Network will launch before WrestleMania XXX in early-2014. Those same people are unaware of specific details past the point that WWE has been shooting a lot of footage for the WWE Network, however nobody seems to know exactly when that footage will be airing.
According to one source, WrestleMania XXX is being strongly talked about as a way to lure people to sign up for the WWE Network. The idea is that WWE will get a large amount of subscriptions immediately if people realize that they can get WrestleMania XXX in HD for “free” by signing up for a $9.95 per month subscription service that includes tons of additional content.
The hope is that if fans sign up for that very reason, most will not cancel because they will be able to get the monthly pay-per-views at a discount and have extra content to go with it. To WWE, this would serve as a way to make the WWE Network an instant hit, as opposed to relying on steady growth over time.
[Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
During a recent interview on the Between The Ropes podcast with Brian Fritz, Cody Rhodes talked about the possibility of wrestling his brother Goldust at WrestleMania XXX:
“I can’t deny the fact I’ve heard all these rumblings of Goldust versus Cody Rhodes and all I can say is that if it’s something the fans want, if it’s something the WWE Universe wants, then they’ll get it. And it’s not always right away. And there’s more things going on and there’s a lot of ‘that’s best for business expression’ but it it’s something that fans want, I could see it being a very high possibility.”
– WWE agent Dean Malenko, who has dealt with heart issues in the past, was apparently sent home early from the WWE European tour due to chest pains. Malenko was first taken to the hospital and after being examined by doctors, was sent home.
– As previously reported, WWE Superstar Sheamus mentioned in a recent interview that his dream WrestleMania opponent would be The Undertaker. Apparently Sheamus is actually trying to push the idea of that match taking place internally, so he seems to be quite serious about it.
[Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
At last check, the first 12 rows of ringside seats for WrestleMania XXX are sold out. These include the first few rows priced at $2,000 each and the rest of the ringside rows at $800 each. As of this past Tuesday, the only tickets left were for the $450 and $175 seats.
There were 7,013 tickets sold through the Stubhub service and most of those aren’t being sold that much higher than the original market price. However, to purchase a ticket through Stubhub for the first few rows, it looks like it will cost approximately $12,000 for a $2,000 ticket.
[Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
The following press release was issued today:
WrestleMania(R) Generates More Than $100 Million for Host City for Second Consecutive Year
WWE (NYSE:WWE) and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie today announced that WrestleMania 29 generated $101.2 million in economic impact for the New Jersey/New York region this past April, according to a study conducted by the Enigma Research Corporation. This marks the second consecutive year that WrestleMania generated more than $100 million in economic impact for its host city.
Over the past six years, WrestleMania has generated more than $400 million in cumulative economic impact for the cities that have hosted the event. WrestleMania 29 also generated approximately $16.5 million in local, state and county taxes.
“On behalf of the great state of New Jersey, we thank all of WWE’s devoted fans who descended on our region from all over the world to be a part of WrestleMania,” said Governor Chris Christie. “The entire week of events helped generate a tremendous boost for our economy, and we look forward to the possibility of MetLife Stadium hosting a future WrestleMania.”
“WrestleMania 29 was a tremendous success for WWE and New York City,” said George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company. “Fans took advantage of all that our region has to offer, including the best hotels, restaurants, retailers, cultural and entertainment options in the world. We are grateful to WWE for its continued support of our City.”
“We are thrilled that WrestleMania created a substantial benefit on both sides of the Hudson, and we thank Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Christie for their incredible partnership and hospitality,” said John P. Saboor, Executive Vice President, Special Events, WWE. “We are also forever grateful to our friends at the New York Giants and New York Jets, as well as all of our regional public and private sector partners that worked tirelessly to welcome our fans from around the world. We now turn our attention to New Orleans for our milestone WrestleMania 30 celebration.”
A capacity crowd of 80,676 fans from all 50 states and 34 countries attended WWE’s pop-culture extravaganza this past April, making it the highest grossing entertainment event at MetLife Stadium. Key highlights from the study include:
– $101.2 million of direct, indirect and induced impact derived from spending by non-locals visiting specifically for WrestleMania 29.
– 54% of fans that attended WrestleMania were from outside the New York/New Jersey area and stayed an average of four nights.
– The economic impact derived from WrestleMania Week was equal to the creation of 943 full-time jobs for the area.
– $5.2 million was spent by non-locals at New Jersey and New York restaurants.
Next year, WrestleMania 30 will take place Sunday, April 6 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Tickets are currently on sale. The event will be broadcast on pay-per-view, and viewed in more than 100 countries.
– WWE will tape this week’s Smackdown and Main Event shows tonight from Atlanta, GA. Confirmed for SmackDown is WWE Tag Team champions Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs. The Real Americans.
– WWE returns to Philadelphia, PA on January 7th for a Smackdown taping. Tickets go on sale this Saturday.
– After WrestleMania XXX tickets went on sale to the general public over the weekend, WWE is said to be thrilled with the demand so far. As of Tuesday morning, Ticketmaster.com only has limited seats available in the $476 range and the limited-view seats for $190. Everything else is sold out. WWE always releases additional tickets closer to the show once the company finalizes the production setup, but the company will have no problem selling out the show.