– Tonight’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view is just hours away, but f4wonline.com is reporting that WWE was making changes to the show as recently as late Saturday night.
As always, changes could continue through the day today and WWE is said to be still considering pulling Christian from the Chamber bout.
– WWE has released the following promo video hyping tomorrow’s launch of the WWE Network:
http://youtu.be/GkdcEke9d9Y
– WWE is planning on running a large amount of live programming on the WWE Network during WrestleMania XXX week. Apparently the feeling within the company is that New Orleans, which is the city that will be hosting WrestleMania XXX, is a party city, so WWE wants to keep their talent as busy as possible to avoid any embarrassing incidents.
– The Rock noted in a recent interview for WWE Magazine that his rivalry with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, in his opinion, was cut short. The Rock said, “Ironically, WrestleMania was supposed to be the beginning of The Rock-Austin rivalry, as far pay-per-view storylines, television, etc. was concerned. After WrestleMania, things just started to change. The fans were behind me.”
(Partial Credit: F4WOnline.com)
– Expect to see a lot of tutorials on WWE television from Michael Cole on how to get the WWE Network on Roku, gaming consoles and other devices. Apparently these tutorials will replace the usual WWE App downloading instructions that Cole gives on a weekly basis.
– The following is a clip of former WCW star Buff Bagwell on the Showtime series, “Gigolos.” Bagwell’s appearance on the show is scheduled to air next week.
– Hulk Hogan has been added to the roster page on the official WWE website.
– WWE RAW and SmackDown replays will not be made available on the WWE Network. According to the WWE Network FAQ, only the “best of RAW and SmackDown from 2012 and 2013” will be available.
– The following is a promo from The Wyatt Family, where they send a final message to The Shield before their match at this Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view:
– The WWE Network has been added to Playstation 3, Playstation 4 and Roku devices. Of course, the service doesn’t go live until Monday, but you can download the dedicated apps on those devices now.
Here’s the official WWE Network app download page on Roku.com.
The WWE Network is still not available for Apple TV. It’s expected Apple TV will get the App, however there’s been no official word from WWE on the issue.
– Hulk Hogan has issued another statement regarding his WWE return. He tweeted on Saturday morning:
Well I guess it's that time again, I hope they are ready, this is gonna be the best run ever,it's great to finally be home,WWE4LIFE.ThankuHH
— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) February 22, 2014
The following are highlights of a recent Phoenix New Times interview with WWE Superstar Kofi Kingston:
On the video where CM Punk calls him his “road wife”: “Yeah, we were each other’s road wives. With Punk, I consider him to be like a brother to me. He’s one of the guys who took me under his wing when I first came. So we’ve been able to maintain a good relationship. And there are very few people in the business that you can call true friends, so I consider Punk to be that and more. So yes, “road wife” is the term we used to sum that all up.”
On his take on the WWE Network: “Well, it’s definitely a huge, huge deal for us. We’ve been trying to get this network off the ground, it’s finally going to happen. There’s going to be a lot of content, I can tell you that straight up — high flyers, the Attitude Era and just the history of the business and the future. They have so many ideas and so many different concepts that I think a lot of people are going to look forward to getting to see — just a different side of WWE superstars and the WWE in general and how it’s presented. And it’s really inexpensive, like $10 a month, and you get so much material, including pay-per-views, for that amount.”
Check out the complete interview at PhoenixNewTimes.com.
WWE Superstar Xavier Woods is apparently pushing for his own show on the WWE Network. The show, called “Xavier Woods WWE 2K14 World Tour,” would feature Woods traveling around the country and playing fans on the WWE 2K14 video game. The fans who beat him would then be entered into a tournament for the possibility of being crowned champion during WrestleMania weekend.
For more on this story, check out CharlestonChronicle.com.
One of the big notes to come out of the WWE Network programming announcement earlier this week is the fact that WWE will be going head-to-head with TNA Impact Wrestling on Thursday nights.
WWE noted in the announcement that they will be running a three-hour block of programming on Thursday nights, beginning with Legends House at 8pm (starting April 10th), NXT TV at 9pm (starting March 6th) and Superstars at 10pm (starting February 27th).
– The official WWE website has a new poll up for another edition of their “WWE Countdown” show, which will air exclusively on the WWE Network. This poll asks fans to vote on the greatest tag-teams of all-time. The options are:
Edge and Christian
The New Age Outlaws
The Rockers
The Legion of Doom
The British Bulldogs
The Dudley Boyz
Demolition
The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection
The Fabulous Freebirds
The Hardy Boyz
You can vote at WWE.com.
– The following are the Blu-ray extras for WWE’s new Ultimate Warrior DVD, which is scheduled for an April 1st release:
Dingo Warrior vs. Matt Bourne, WCCW – 10/24/1986
Ultimate Warrior & British Bulldogs vs. Mr. Fuji & Demolition, Maple Leaf Gardens – 7/24/1988
IC Title Match: Ultimate Warrior vs. Dino Bravo, The Main Event – 2/23/1990
WrestleMania VIII Contract Signing – 3/17/1991
Ultimate Warrior vs. Sgt. Slaughter, WrestleFest – 3/30/1991
IC Title Match: Ultimate Warrior vs. Goldust, In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies – 4/28/1996
Here are some highlights of what WWE said about the WWE Network at Thursday morning’s investor conference call:
– WWE hopes to end the year with 1 million subscribers. When asked about a a ballpark figure for the payout for the Network, they said approximately $12 million.
– They think that they can reach 2-3 million subscribers in the United States.
– WWE will give the first Network Subscriber update on April 7th, the day after WrestleMania XXX.
– The buzz on on Social Media and the wide distribution of the WWE App (over 10 million downloads).
– They expect to launch the Network outside of the US by the end of 2014, or early next year.
WWE released their Q4 2013 and Full Year financial results on Thursday morning. Here are the final pay-per-view buy rates:
Without factoring in WWE Battleground (which was a new pay-per-view in 2013), WWE sold 586,000 buyrates in the quarter, up from 582,000 in 2012.
The buyrate for Hell in a Cell was the show’s best since it debuted in 2009 – and the Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton main event outdrew the John Cena vs. Randy Orton WWE World Heavyweight Championship Unification match by a wide margin (26%).
Overall, you can see that pay-per-view is no longer a growth sector for WWE, which makes it an opportune time for WWE to transition those shows to the WWE Network.
Here are the buyrates for Hell in a Cell, Survivor Series and TLC over the past 4 years:
Hell in a Cell:
Survivor Series:
TLC:
As far as the one week trial for the WWE Network goes, you will still be required to sign up with a credit card at launch. Much like other companies, such as Netflix, the subscription will then automatically renew until you cancel the account.
Speaking of the WWE Network, there has been talk within WWE recently about the idea of doing a cliffhanger-type ending to the February 24th RAW (the night the Network launches) to encourage fans to immediately sign up for the WWE Network as soon as it becomes available.
One of the possible reasons WWE didn’t promote the big RAW show next Monday night was due to the fact that the company was focusing their promotional efforts on this Sunday’s Elimination Chamber and the launch of the WWE Network after next week’s RAW.
Apparently the feeling in the company was that they didn’t want to overshadow the Chamber PPV and Network launch with a RAW show, which was previously reported, is expected to feature the returns of both Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker. The show may also feature the announcement of Hogan as the host of WrestleMania XXX.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
– As far as the RAW pre-show on the WWE Network is concerned, due to the West Coast time difference where the show airs three hours later, they will have to replay the pre-show while RAW is finishing up live. For the RAW post-show in the West Coast, they would likely have to replay that via tape-delay for the same reason.
– The following are some recent WWE attendance figures:
February 15th live event in Phoenix, Arizona drew approximately 7,000 fans.
February 16th live event in Las Vegas, Nevada drew approximately 6,000 fans.
February 17th RAW show in Denver, Colorado drew approximately 10,000 fans.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
– As of right now, the tentative plan in WWE is to tape the WWE RAW post-shows backstage during the shows each week. The key reason for this is due to the fact that the post-shows would be going on at the same time as the dark match main-events live inside the arena.
– One of the main reasons that WWE may not be pushing for the Apple TV clearance for the WWE Network is because Apple TV charges a 50 percent cut of all subscriptions. Similar streaming services such as XBOX or Roku charge closer to 30 percent.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
– The new Jim Ross “Ross Report” podcast is already having great success. After only one show, JR’s podcast is already the number one ranked Sports & Recreation podcast on iTunes for the U.S., U.K. Canada and Australia. In overall podcasts, it’s number two in the U.K., number three in the U.S., number five in Australia and number seven in Canada.
– The latest video blog from Cody Rhodes and Brandi Rhodes (aka Eden) is now available. You can check it out at WWE.com.
– It was announced today that the USA Network will be airing a one-hour special for the WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony on Monday, April 7th at 11:05pm E.T. The special will air the night after WrestleMania XXX. The full ceremony will air live on the WWE Network on Saturday, April 5th at 9pm E.T.
– The official WWE website is currently running an article where former ECW announcer Joey Styles looks at what he considers the top five ECW pay-per-views that will be available on the new WWE Network. Styles’ list is as follows:
1. ECW One Night Stand 2005
2. Living Dangerously 1999
3. Heatwave 1998
4. Living Dangerously 1998
5. Barely Legal 1997
Check out the complete article at WWE.com.
– The following is WWE’s “Black History Month” video on current WWE Superstar Xavier Woods:
WWE issued the following press release today:
WWE NETWORK ANNOUNCES PROGRAMMING LINEUP
STAMFORD, Conn., February 19, 2014 – WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 streaming network, has unveiled its programming lineup, which is highlighted by WrestleMania® 30 on Sunday, April 6 at 7 pm ET live from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
In addition, for the first time ever, the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will air live in its entirety on Saturday, April 5 at 9 pm ET on WWE Network. This year’s current inductees include The Ultimate Warrior, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Lita. A one-hour special will also air on USA Network on Monday, April 7, immediately following Monday Night Raw®.
WWE Network will officially launch on Monday, February 24 at 9 am ET and fans will instantly have access to live programming and the most comprehensive WWE video-on-demand library upon signing up exclusively at WWE.com.
WWE Network will be available through the WWE App on TV via connected devices including Roku streaming devices, Sony PlayStation® 3, Sony PlayStation® 4 and Xbox 360. WWE Network will also be available through the WWE App on iOS devices, including Apple iPad and iPhone, Amazon’s Kindle Fire devices and Android devices, as well as on desktops and laptops via WWE.com.
The programming line-up on WWE Network includes:
WrestleMania 30
WWE’s pop-culture extravaganza, WrestleMania 30, will air live on Sunday, April 6 at 7 pm ET from New Orleans. More than 70,000 fans from all 50 states and more than 30 countries are expected to converge on the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with millions more watching around the world. Current WWE Superstars will be joined by a host of WWE Legends for a celebration 30 years in the making.
WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
For the first time ever, the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will air live in its entirety on WWE Network on Saturday, April 5 at 9 pm ET from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. This year’s current inductees include The Ultimate Warrior, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Lita.
Live Monday Night Raw Pre-Show and WWE Raw Backstage Pass
A live, 30-minute RawPre-Show will air each week and premieres on Monday, February 24 at 7:30 pm ET.
WWE Raw Backstage Pass will air live each week immediately following Monday Night Raw, providing analysis of the night’s action and exclusive backstage interviews. The premiere will air on Monday, February 24 at 11:05 pm ET.
Friday Night SmackDown® Pre-Show and WWE SmackDown Backstage Pass
A 30-minute pre-show for SmackDown will air each week and premieres on Friday, February 28 at 7:30 pm ET.
WWE SmackDown Backstage Pass will air each week immediately following SmackDown, providing analysis of the night’s action and exclusive backstage interviews. The premiere will air on Friday, February 28 at 10 pm ET.
WrestleMania® Rewind
WrestleMania® Rewind will provide fans with a comprehensive look back at the most groundbreaking matches and dramatic moments in WrestleMania history. The series premieres on Tuesday, February 25 at 9 pm ET with a sneak peek on Monday, February 24 at 9 am ET.
WWE Countdown™
A one-hour, groundbreaking, interactive, countdown series that will put the power squarely in viewers’ hands by giving the audience the chance to discuss and rank WWE’s most spectacular Superstars, unexpected moments, best catch phrases and more through digital polling and social media interaction. The series premieres on Tuesday, February 25 at 10 pm ET with a sneak peek on Monday, February 24 at 10 am ET.
WWE Legends’ House™
WWE’s greatest Legends reunite for a new title – only this time, they’re competing outside of the ring. Imagine a beautiful house in the suburbs – perfectly furnished, with gorgeous landscaping, a lovely pool and quiet, respectable neighbors. WWE Superstars from the past including Rowdy Roddy Piper, Tony Atlas and Hacksaw Jim Duggan will turn the neighborhood upside down as the house staff tries their best to keep these Legends on time, on speaking terms, and out of trouble in this new reality show. The series premieres on Thursday, April 10 at 8 pm ET.
This is NXT®
A one-hour special that will take viewers inside the action-packed world of tomorrow’s WWE’s Superstars as they aspire to become the future of WWE. Featuring behind-the-scenes moments and in-ring action from WWE’s Performance Center, fans will get up close and personal with the next generation of Superstars. The series premieres on Monday, February 24 at 11 am ET.
NXT ArRival™
WWE Network’s first live in-ring event will air on Thursday, February 27 at 8 pm ET. The live special will showcase the brightest and best of WWE’s rising stars from WWE’s Performance Center, as well as appearances by WWE Superstars John Cena®, Sheamus®, The New Age Outlaws and WWE Legends Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.
Thirty minutes prior to the event, the NXT ArRival Pre-Show will air at 7:30 pm ET and include exclusive interviews and appearances by NXT Superstars, WWE Superstars and Legends.
WWE NXT®
Each Thursday at 9 pm ET, WWE Superstars and Divas of tomorrow face off on WWE NXT, a one-hour, weekly show that features the brightest and best of WWE’s rising stars. WWE NXT showcases the Superstars and Divas from WWE’s Performance Center as well as appearances from WWE Superstars and Legends in an intimate setting. WWE NXT broadcasts from the state-of-the-art Full Sail LIVE venue on the Full Sail University campus in Orlando, Florida. The series premieres on Thursday, March 6 at 9 pm ET.
WWE Superstars®
A one-hour, weekly show highlighting the best of WWE Superstars and Divas in heart-pounding matches. The show will also feature highlights from all WWE programming, as well as a special glimpse at everything going on in the WWE Universe. The series premieres on Thursday, February 27 at 10 pm ET.
Beyond the Ring™
An all-access pass to the fast-paced action of WWE’s home video library. With classic matches and groundbreaking biographies of WWE Legends, fans will have all the action from WCW®, AWA®, ECW® and WWE right at their fingertips. The series premieres on Saturday, March 1 at 8 pm ET.
Best of Raw
Every Wednesday at 9 pm ET, Best of Raw will feature the most memorable episodes from the longest-running weekly episodic show in television history. Each week, see some of the most incredible matches and controversial moments featured over the years on Monday Night Raw. The series premieres at a special date and time on Thursday, February 27 at 4:30 pm ET.
Best of SmackDown
For more than a decade, Friday Night SmackDown has brought amazing action and memorable moments to the WWE Universe. On Saturdays at 1 pm ET, WWE Network will showcase the most exciting episodes of SmackDown. The series premieres on Saturday, March 1 at 1 pm ET.
Expansive Video-On-Demand Library
In addition to live and original programming, fans will have access to the most comprehensive WWE video-on-demand library the instant they subscribe. WWE Network will offer all WWE, WCW and ECW pay-per-views as well as encores of Raw and SmackDown® totaling more than 1,500 hours of video on demand at launch.
Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (RG3) has been tweeting today about his love for professional wrestling. RG3 spoke about being excited for the new WWE Network, and answered some questions from fans about his favorite wrestlers. Below are some recent RG3 tweets:
Big @WWE fan growing up. Looking forward to checking out @WWENetwork when it launches on Feb 24! #WWENetwork
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 17, 2014
“@meka_2389: @RGIII who was ur favorite wrestler ??” @ShawnMichaels @Goldberg and @TheRock
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 17, 2014
“@jeffpop5: @RGIII @steveaustinBSR was the best!!” He was fun to watch
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 17, 2014
“@Chrisrye88: @RGIII you can't forget about sting though..” Every version of him ha ha
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 18, 2014
“@aidansdaddy619: @RGIII Did you like the Ultimate Warrior?” Oh yes sir
He was before my time, dad talked about him a bunch
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 18, 2014
The following are highlights from the latest online blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On tonight’s RAW: “WWE really needs to hit a home run on RAW this week to build some much needed momentum for the Elimination Chamber. During a three hour RAW broadcast there is SO much info disseminated that it’s challenging for any viewer of the three hour broadcast to leave the show at signoff and remember every thing that has been thrown at them. 15 commercial breaks doesn’t help matters but that’s simply the way it is and is not WWE’s fault.”
On CM Punk: “Many have asked but I’m unaware of any new, @CMPunk news. I’m still hopeful that a mutually agreed upon resolution can be worked out sooner than later. I’d love to see Punk steal the show at WM30 and then chill for as long as it takes to get him back on WWE TV in a win-win scenario. If Punk wanted to take off until WM31, simply plan for it. The guy is too talented, has had a tremendous amount of TV time, etc invested in him and the roster is too thin to not see Punk back at some point.”
“I know if I ever do a show in Chicago I’d LOVE for CM Punk to be my special guest/MC and grill me with questions. Maybe we could take in a Cubs game and eat at Lisa Varon’s Squared Circle eatery while in the Windy City.”
“As I’ve said Punk is a favorite of mine and I’d have loved to see him back in the day as one of Cowboy Bill Watts bookers.”
On the WWE Network: “Although I am no longer affiliated with WWE, I can’t logically understand why any wrestling fan, unless they simply can’t afford the approximate 35 cents a day, wouldn’t want to try the WWE Network for 6 months at a cost of $9.99 per month. I’m ordering it w/o question. I don’t have copies of all the WCW PPV’s that I did that I’d like to go back and listen to again.”
On Gerald Brisco scouting for talent: “Gerald Brisco is in Columbus, Ohio scouting for WWE at a major amateur wrestling event. Gerald and I are attending the NCAA Division 1 Nationals in OKC in March….GB as a WWE scout and me as a fan. BTW it was in Columbus, Ohio that I was ‘grilled as in BBQ’ed’ by Kane AND had a cinder block busted over my head in another losing effort to Eric Bischoff which left me defeated and bloody. In other words, a normal in ring outing for Ol J.R. :)”
On E:60 at the WWE Performance Center: “The ESPN E60 piece that is going to air soon re: the WWE Performance Center should really be good. ESPN had virtual, unlimited access on multiple days of shooting at NXT. ESPN has hours of footage to utilize.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com.
WWE has posted the following photo on Instagram hyping the upcoming season of Total Divas, which will feature Summer Rae joining the cast:
– WWE has published the following video featuring Dolph Ziggler and Big E talking about what they’re excited to watch on the WWE Network:
– With the WWE Network launching next week, we’ve heard that 2 users will be able to use the same WWE Network account at the same time.
– In what appears to be a response to Goldust tweeting that he and his brother Cody will not be wrestling each other at WrestleMania XXX, Cody tweeted:
Don't let anybody tell you what is or isn't gonna' happen at @WrestleMania / bottom-line it aims to be the best of the best.
— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) February 17, 2014
The official WWE website recently added a new interview with Joey Styles talking to WWE Hall Of Famers “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Bret “The Hitman” Hart about the WWE Network.
Austin was asked what the Network announcement was like for him, and he noted the following:
“I was actually a bit [ticked] off that I had to be there, because I had just gotten back from Texas, I was out of shape, I hadn’t really unpacked my bags from being at the ranch for two months. But I was so proud and happy that I went. Way back in the day when I started out in 1990, I would have never envisioned that the business would ever turn to this or someone would have the vision to do it. Vince McMahon was standing right in front of me, about two feet away, and I slapped him on the back two times and I said, “That’s impressive.” And I left that thing being extremely impressed with what WWE has come up with now.”
Check out the complete interview at WWE.com.
The following are highlights of a recent Bellevue Reporter interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley:
On getting heckled by fans at his comedy events: “I tend not to get hecklers. I tend to get over-exuberant wrestling fans. Fans who don’t always understand that they shouldn’t shout out the endings to my stories. Because, if they’re fans, they already know how the stories end. Those people enjoy it, but it’s frustrating they don’t let me finish the stories. Fortunately, I’m experienced entertaining on Friday and Saturday nights, when some people are drunker than usual. But if that happens, I just stand back and let the club handle it. I don’t fear a heckler. I don’t take pride in shredding them apart, but I’m not afraid either. We’re supposed to be having laughs… I take honor in the act of entertaining people who laid down their money.”
On whether or not fans can expect a Mick Foley comedy special: “Yeah, yeah. I believe this is the year WWE is rolling out their TV network. WWE gets this option on a special from me and, if they decide they don’t want it, then I can take it elsewhere. But fans can expect a special with an hour of my material relatively soon. And I’ll be happy about that too, because then I can stop going on the air and saying, “Trust me.””
Check out the complete Mick Foley interview at BellevueReporter.com.
– As previously reported, the WWE NXT “Arrival” special live event on the WWE Network will take place on February 27th at 8pm E.T. The word within the company is that this special will be a two-hour event.
– As goofy as it sounds, one of the reasons that Vince McMahon decided to drop the “Antonio” from Antonio Cesaro’s name was due to the belief that the name “Antonio” sounded like the name of a guy who isn’t tough.
(Credit: F4WOnline.com)