The latest development in the ongoing battle between WWE and the various wrestlers suing them came today in the form of WWE filing a motion to dismiss the action filed by Marcus “Buff” Bagwell and Scott “Raven” Levy. This is the case dealing with WWE Network royalties, and there are two prongs to it:

1. That WWE has a legal obligation to pay both wrestlers royalties for WCW footage in general.
2. Levy’s 2000 WWF contract, because it allows for royalties from videos released in formats yet to be invented and did not specifically exempt royalties from internet and video on demand subscription fees the way current WWE contracts do.

WWE’s motion to dismiss deals with each in simple yet highly detailed fashion:

1. WWE does not fall under any of the legal criteria that would make it a successor company to WCW, if just because the legal entity formerly known as WCW still exists as the Universal Wrestling Corporation. Both plaintiffs’ WCW contracts also saw them forgo video royalties in exchange for other considerations.
2. The key language in the contracts is that royalties come from a “direct sale” of WWE home video products, with the references to technology not yet invented referring to formats like Blu-Ray. It didn’t exist at the time of the contract, but, like VHS, Laserdisc, and DVD, it’s a physical product that can be sold and re-sold. There’s also a detailed argument about how there’s legal precedent saying that a “sale” refers to a physical product, not a temporary license like a WWE Network subscription is. WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt also points out that a WWE contract’s royalty structure is pretty much impossible to apply to WWE Network.

No word yet as far as when a ruling should be expected.

At a couple different points tonight, the official WWE Games Twitter account tweeted these animated GIFs to hype Tuesday’s release of the Hall of Fame downloadable content pack for WWE 2K16, which is out this Tuesday:

Tatsumi Fujinami battles @RicFlairNatrBoy in the #WWE2K16 HOF DLC on 2/23! Details: https://t.co/jp2yakMZRp pic.twitter.com/MraHdecC2r

— #WWE2K25 (@WWEgames) February 19, 2016

Tatsumi Fujinami vs. @RicFlairNatrBoy in the #WWE2K16 HOF DLC! Drops 2/23! Details: https://t.co/jp2yakMZRp pic.twitter.com/KHlWWxZmho

— #WWE2K25 (@WWEgames) February 19, 2016

It was already known that 1991 versions of Ric Flair and Tatsumi Fujinami plus a relevant match replay mode were in the Hall of Fame pack, but they had two matches that year. It seemed like it made more sense for 2K to base it off their match from Superbrawl in St. Petersburg, Florida, but from the above footage, it looks like they didn’t. Instead, 2K picked the OTHER Flair-Fujinami match, from the NJPW Tokyo Dome show that year, which is known as both WCW Japan Supershow and NJPW Starrcade ’91 In The Tokyo Dome. So that means that the arena that comes in the pack is an ersatz Tokyo Dome, faithfully recreated by 2K Sports. They can’t call it that (and I don’t believe WWE games ever name real venues), but 2K does a great job with the presentation of the arenas and this should be no exception.

Here’s the full lineup for the DLC pack, which, if this is any indication, should also include at least two more WCW arenas and some early ’90s WWF arenas along with period appropriate versions of the wrestlers:

• “Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts
• Rikishi vs. The Rock
• Alundra Blayze vs. Paige
• Larry Zbyszko and Arn Anderson vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and Dustin Rhodes
• Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Ric Flair
• The Bushwhackers (Butch Miller and Luke Williams) vs. The Natural Disasters (Typhoon and Earthquake)
• The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) vs. Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray)

Former WWE, WCW, and territorial star Jacques Rougeau joined the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast this week and covered a number of topics. Some of the more interesting quotes are below:

On the Mountie gimmick:

To be honest with you I had the greatest moments as The Mountie in my career. I was working guys like Macho Man, I remember a match with him in England against him with Elizabeth, I had matches with Undertaker, matches with Sid Vicious of course matches with Big Boss Man just so many fantastic memories. There is nothing I didn’t do as The Mountie. I remember simple matches with Tito Santana as The Mountie or Koko B. Ware. I had so much fun with that character and I honestly made people believe that I thought I was The Mountie. That I was so convinced that they started believing. It is amazing because when you build a character and I always tell this at my school that how are you going to get people to believe in your character if you don’t believe it. I had a brother-in-law who was a real Royal Canadian Mounted Police who gave me some tricks and some moves that they used when they arrest a guy so all those moves that I used in the ring were actually legit.

Not being able to use the Mountie gimmick in Canada due to restrictions from the RCMP:

I was doing such a great job of making The Mounties look bad in Canada that they suspended me on TV and I wasn’t allowed to be used on TV anymore. So the only way I was allowed to wrestle was if I took off the sleeves, the shirt and kept the black pants and they would announce me as Jacques Rougeau. Everyone knew me as Jacques Rougeau anyway so that was fun. I think they (The Mounties) took it all a little too serious. Like in movies and everywhere else there is always dirty Cops or bad Cops but they don’t ban the movie because the Cop is crooked. But I think that my character was becoming so strong that eventually they decided and voted on it and sent a letter to Vince saying that I wasn’t allowed to wrestle on TV in Canada anymore. Eventually and after that they let that character go because it wasn’t helping me at all so I took a year off and came back a year and a half later with Carl Ouellet as The Quebecers with the same suit and our music was “We’re not the Mounties.” So I think Vince wanted to get back at them in a way.

His famous “jailhouse match” with The Mountie at SummerSlam ’91:

It is one of the greatest matches that I’ve ever had in my career. Ray Traylor who was the Big Boss Man who unfortunately left us was the kindest person. I had never seen Big Boss Man talk bad to anyone in the dressing room or show lack of respect. He was another Owen Hart. So working with a guy like that for a year to a year and a half around the world was a night off every night and it was such a pleasure because he would take care of my body, take care of me and I would take care of him. It was a great time in my career.

What type of impact did the Mountie gimmick have?

The Mountie was great. I’ll never forget winning the Intercontinental Title against Bret Hart and losing it to Rowdy Roddy Piper. I had three different dolls made and sold in Toys R Us’s around the world as The Mountie and when I give conferences in schools now against intimidation. The first thing I do is because they don’t know me because they are too young and they have only heard of me but I do so many personal appearances and am on TV that when I come in and start talking to kids and I take my belt out and my dolls out they start to say “hey this guy was important”. All of that was done because of the Mountie character.

In the full interview, he also talks about his backstage issues with Dynamite Kid, leaving the Montreal territory for the WWF, his family’s legacy, the Hart family, and more.

“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff sat down with CJ Sabia on the debut episode of the Blue Steel Cage on the VOC Nation Radio Network. Check it out as “Mr. Wonderful” about his body and extensive training regimen in the 1980s, his shoot-style wrestling ability, recovery from neck injury, thoughts on Mr T, wrestling for WCW, and experiences turning on and wrestling Hulk Hogan.

Blue Steel Cage airs weekly, Friday nights at 9 PM ET on the VOC Nation Radio Network at vocnation.com, and simulcast on thebradyhicks.com. The show takes a look at professional wrestling from the viewpoint of an experienced former wrestling promoter, covering today’s wrestling news from both The WWE and the independent wrestling scene. Call into the show (855) VOC-RADIO.

On Not Beating Hogan for the WWF World Title:

“That’s what they should have done. And instead of making hundreds of millions of dollars they could have made thousands of millions of dollars if they had done that. We talked about it some and that’s what they should have done … I guess for some reason because [Hulk] was 6’5” and weighed 320 pounds that he was this big huge thing that nobody should beat him for the belt. If they would have said “Let’s go out there, Paul, and you fight for your life and Terry, you go out there and you fight for your life,” you can bet your ass I would have fought. I guarantee … I would have won and [Hulk] knows it.”

On Today’s Product:

“It’s been so downgraded. You look at boxing, you look at MMA fighting, that’s what people are watching. It’s more believable. That’s what people want to see. They don’t want to see that phoney baloney out there. They want to see something real. They want to see somebody lose a tooth, have a black eye.”

On Working with Hulk Hogan

“It worked out because the heel ran the show. I ran the matches, and I worked off of [Hulk Hogan]. [Hogan did] his best to work off of me because [he’d] never be able to keep up with me. I did that with Hogan. That’s why we worked together good. We [were] two Florida boys. I wasn’t buddy-buddy with him. I didn’t weigh 300 pounds but I weighed 240 pounds and I was a badass and he wasn’t.”

On the Art of Being a Great Wrestler:

“I still call it a sport, because it is a sport. To me it takes years and years and years and you’ll never master it. As long as you have an opponent, you have to work around that opponent. And you’ll never master it. Never. You can be good at it, you can be great at it like I was. Or you can be good at it and okay with it. Whatever.”

It is an interesting “day in history” for pro wrestling today, September 9th. WWE Hall Of Famer “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair had his official WWE (WWF at the time) debut match on this day in 1991. Flair defeated Jim Powers at a television taping in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Also on this day, in 2000, former WWE Superstar Rhino defeated Kid Kash for the ECW Television Title. That is interesting to note because Rhino would end up being the final ECW TV Champion in history, as he would hold onto the belt until the company folded in April of 2001.

On this day in 2008, current TNA Impact Wrestling star Kurt Angle was found not guilty of driving under the influence and careless driving in a Allegheny County, Pennsylvania courtroom. Angle was arrested for one of his earlier DUI’s after a witness filed a complaint. Angle’s lawyer would later challenge the use of the witness, since police could not corroborate her claims.

Huge *SPOILER* On How TNA Plans To Bring Kurt Angle Back To TV! [READ HERE >>]

The following are highlights from a recent interview with wrestling legend Lex Luger.

On whether or not he was informed that he would win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 10: “Contrary to what people believe, I was never told I was going to be given any kind of title. The only discussion me and Vince [McMahon] had was what to do with the Lex Luger character in the future if he DID decide to put the title on me. But no, I was never told I’d be WWF Champion at any point.”

On appearing on the debut edition of WCW Monday Nitro: “On reflection, that was a pretty bad move by me. Me and Vince had a verbal agreement. I worked for him for 6 months without any sort of contract as my contract had expired. My mistake came when WCW signed me. I didn’t get to have a conversation with Vince to tell him I’d be leaving. But that was 100% my fault.”

On finding religion later in his life: “I feel wonderful now. I got to a point in my life where I realized that God is God and I’m not. I was beneath rock bottom but for whatever reason God put people in my life and he showed me the way. A very supernatural experience and that’s the only way I can put it.”

Check out the complete interview online at TheWrestlingMania.com.

WWE SummerSlam Spoilers

This week on The Breakdown, Steve showcases a post made on Reddit regarding allegations of sabotage in WCW during the time of its sale. Corruption or inept leadership? Get the story on this week’s show! (more…)

-Frank Stewart, who performed under the ring name “Dutch Savage” in the Pacific Northwest, where he was a major star for a long period of time, passed away on Saturday, August 3, 2013. Stewart was 78 years old at the time of his passing.

-The pro wrestling community also lost Art Donovan this weekend. The NFL Hall Of Famer, who worked the WWE King Of The Ring show in 1994 as a guest commentator, was 88 years old at the time of his passing.