WWE(R) SmackDown(R) Vs. Raw(R) 2008 Reaches "Platinum Hits" Sales Milestone for the Xbox 360(R) Video Game and Entertainment System from Microsoft

AGOURA HILLS, Calif., Oct 23, 2008- THQ Inc.
THQ Inc

JAKK today announced that WWE(R) SmackDown(R) vs. Raw(R) 2008 has achieved "Platinum Hits" status for the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The game originally launched in November 2007 and is now available for the suggested retail price of $19.99.

"Attaining 'Platinum Hits' for the Xbox 360 demonstrates the long-standing dedication of our fans to this tremendous franchise," said Scott Guthrie, executive vice president, publishing, THQ. "This accolade comes at an opportune time as we march toward the much-anticipated North American release of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 across all major gaming platforms, including mobile devices, on November 9."
"We are delighted the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw videogame franchise has reached 'Platinum Hits' status for its second consecutive year on Xbox 360," said Nelo Lucich, senior vice president of interactive, JAKKS Pacific. "WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 embodies a host of fan favorite features, including Superstar Fighting Styles and a new Struggle Submission System, which further define the virtual WWE experience."

About WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 for Xbox 360 lets players take the fight into their own hands with the debut of eight Superstar Fighting Styles. Each fighting style has its own unique strategy with exclusive moves and abilities. A brand-new Struggle Submission System gives players intuitive and natural control over their WWE Superstars using the analog sticks. Realism and strategy are at the forefront, as players can now control the amount of pressure they apply. WWE 24/7 Mode, which combines the popular Season and General Manager modes, embraces the intensity of the Superstar lifestyle. Multiple character development options, stat tracking and career goals guide players toward the ultimate achievement of becoming a WWE Legend. In addition, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 includes numerous fan-requested updates, including new rosters, more environmental hotspots, improved out-of-ring action and much more.

More information about WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 can be found at www.smackdownvsraw.com and www.thq.com.

About World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.

WWE can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide.

About THQ Inc.

THQ is a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software. The company develops its products for all popular game systems, personal computers and wireless devices. Headquartered in Los Angeles County, California, THQ sells product through its global network of offices located throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. More information about THQ and its products may be found at www.thq.com. THQ and the THQ logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc.

About JAKKS Pacific, Inc.
JAKKS Pacific, Inc.

JAKK is a leading designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a wide range of products that feature some of the most popular children's toy licenses in the world. JAKKS' diverse portfolio includes Action Figures, Art Activity Kits, Stationery, Writing Instruments, Performance Kites, Water Toys, Sports Activity Toys, Vehicles, Infant/Pre-School, Plush, Construction Toys, Electronics, Dolls, Dress-Up, Role Play, and Pet Toys and Accessories, sold under various proprietary brands including JAKKS Pacific(R), Play Along(R), Flying Colors(R), Creative Designs International(TM), Road Champs(R), Child Guidance(R), Pentech(R), Funnoodle(R), Go Fly a Kite(R), Color Workshop(R), JAKKS Pets(TM), EyeClops(R), Plug It In & Play TV Games(TM), Kids Only(R) and Tollytots(R). JAKKS is an award-winning licensee of several hundred nationally and internationally known trademarks including Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., World Wrestling Entertainment, Ultimate Fighting Championship, Graco and Cabbage Patch Kids. JAKKS and THQ Inc. participate in a joint venture that has worldwide rights to publish and market World Wrestling Entertainment video games. For further information, visit www.jakks.com.

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, copyrights and logos are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, the Xbox logos, and the Xbox Live logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the business of THQ Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as "THQ"), including, but not limited to, expectations and projections related to the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 and the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 video games, and are based upon management's current beliefs and certain assumptions made by management. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, business, competitive, economic, legal, political and technological factors affecting our industry, operations, markets, products or pricing. Readers should carefully review the risk factors and the information that could materially affect THQ's financial results, described in other documents that THQ files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal period ended March 31, 2008, and particularly the discussion of risk factors set forth therein. Unless otherwise required by law, THQ disclaims any obligation to update its view on any such risks or uncertainties or to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

This press release may contain forward--looking statements (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about JAKKS Pacific's business based partly on assumptions made by its management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such statements due to numerous factors, including, but not limited to, those described above, changes in demand for JAKKS' products, product mix, the timing of customer orders and deliveries, the impact of competitive products and pricing, and difficulties with integrating acquired businesses. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date on which they are made, and JAKKS undertakes no obligation to update any of them to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.

THQ
Jaime Jensen, Media Relations
818-871-5111
jaime.jensen@thq.com
or
Julie MacMedan, Investor Relations
818-871-5125
investor@thq.com
or
JAKKS Pacific
Genna Rosenberg, Media Relations
310-455-6235
gennar@jakks.net
or
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.
Kevin Hennessy
203-352-8657
kevin.hennessy@wwecorp.com

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Smackdown VS Raw

Games

Video Games

WWE RAW'S 800TH EPISODE CELEBRATION ONLY ON THE BOX, SKY DIGITAL CHANNEL 5

WWE RAW’S 800TH EPISODE CELEBRATION

On Friday 7th November 8.30pm, the BOX, SKY Digital Channel 5, will broadcast a special three hour episode of WWE RAW to celebrate RAW’s 800th episode milestone.

The special is set to feature WWE Superstars and Divas from RAW, SmackDown and ECW and will originate from the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida.

RAW is seen in over 130 countries, including New Zealand. With its ever changing blend of humor, action and drama, WWE RAW continues to appeal to a variety of demographics generation after generation around the world.

WWE RAW Television Highlights:


· The first episode was taped at the Manhattan Center in New York City, USA.

· Monday Night RAW in the United States has aired more original episodes than some of the most popular television series of all time, including Gunsmoke (633), Lassie (588), Bonanza (430), The Simpsons (420 plus), Dallas (357), ER (309 plus),Cheers (275) and Seinfeld (180).

· 34% of RAW’s viewers are female and RAW is a top 5 ad-supported cable program among Females 12-34 in the US.

· Monday Night RAW is a global phenomenon that has aired original episodes from all over the world including Japan, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy and Iraq.

· RAW is the birthplace of such household names as The Rock®, Stone Cold Steve Austin™, Triple H®, John Cena®, Undertaker®, Shawn Michaels® and Stacy Keibler.

· A pop culture phenomenon, RAW has been a destination for actors, athletes and musicians not only to promote projects but to also enjoy ringside excitement as fans.

· The November 3 airing in the United States will actually be the 806th original episode of Monday Night RAW.

· RAW is the longest running original programming in the United States.


WWE RAW’S 800TH EPISODE CELEBRATION, Friday 7 November, 8.30pm

ONLY on the BOX, SKY Digital Channel 5

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Sky TV

Wrestling the Details, By Bobbi Dempsey - The New York Times - 11th October 2008

I am an only child and grew up in a small town in North Carolina. I was the only girl on the town basketball team who could do a jump shot. When I was 13, I met a handsome guy in church. His name was Vince McMahon and he was 16. We were married soon after I graduated from high school, and I joined him at East Carolina University.

I didn’t know anything about professional wrestling. Vince’s father founded the Capitol Wrestling Corporation in Washington. After college, Vince joined Capitol Wrestling as a television announcer and live-event promoter.

Meanwhile, I had our first child, Shane, and worked as a paralegal at the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington. I learned about intellectual property rights, contract negotiations and general business. We then lived in West Hartford, Conn., where Vince continued his duties for Capitol Wrestling. My job was scheduling, coordination, contracts and record-keeping. I handled operations and took care of Shane and his sister, Stephanie, while Vince traveled all over the Northeast expanding the business. Thus began a business partnership that has grown over the years.

Upon hearing about a small arena that was for sale on Cape Cod, we moved to Massachusetts. I learned the live-event business from the arena owner/manager perspective. I negotiated contracts with Ticketmaster, while selling tickets in our box office and interacting directly with consumers.

When we started, nobody in the wrestling live-event business sold souvenir merchandise. We embarked on a plan to sell merchandise, beginning with T-shirts. Four years later, we moved to Greenwich, Conn., and began focusing on building the company we have today, World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.

In the beginning, revenue from live events and live-event merchandise was the basis of our business. Then, with WrestleMania in 1985, we ventured into the pay-per-view industry followed by licensing of consumer products. Today, we are a global business.

Our business is about content, and is driven by our creative development of our intellectual property, which happens to be the characters and the talented people who bring them to life. There is always going to be the next platform and the next technology to distribute that content. But if the content isn’t compelling, the new technology won’t hold or grow our consumer base.

Our fans are very passionate, especially when it comes to their favorite wrestlers. After hearing just the first note of the Undertaker’s entrance music, for example, the audience in an arena will immediately go wild.

The fans also give you clear feedback by their reactions while the match is in progress. Boos aren’t necessarily bad, because that can mean the crowd is reacting strongly to a “heel” — what we call a bad guy — which tells us we’ve succeeded in creating a compelling character.

Technology keeps you on your toes. We have spectators e-mailing photos during the show, and they’re all over the Internet before the show is even over. It’s instant distribution on a global basis. One of our performers can be out just shopping for sneakers, and all of a sudden it’s a viral video on YouTube.

In the early years, I was content to be in the business background. I once went to a meeting accompanied by our chief marketing officer, a man. The person with whom we were meeting knew only that one of us was the C.E.O. and the other was the marketing person. Of course, they assumed I was the marketing person. However, when our company went public, my role changed and I started to have more of a public persona. Executive confusion doesn’t happen anymore.

My title has evolved to match my responsibilities. I’m now the C.E.O. But the title I cherish the most is “Gamma Gamma,” bestowed upon me by our first grandchild.

As told to Bobbi Dempsey.

(Credit: The New York Times)

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World Wrestling Entertainment

Wrestling's bottom line is no soap opera, von Brooke Masters - The Financial Times - 9th October 2008

World Wrestling Entertainment is spreading the American wrestling phenomenon abroad and raking in international revenue, in one of various attempts to make the sport appeal to a wider audience.

For investors unfamiliar with professional wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment can be a bit hard to take seriously. Its central product involves near-naked men hitting each other with chairs in a carefully choreographed cross between sport and soap opera. Recently, it staged a purported "tragic accident" involving lighting equipment and Vince McMahon, the company chairman, as a plot point on its RAW weekly television show.

But that's wrestling. Having a showman in charge is as much a part of the wrestling ethos as a Texan oil company president wearing cowboy boots and flying his own planes, or a Wall Street magnate hob-nobbing with society matrons and amassing an art collection that rivals that of the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Hokey image not withstanding, WWE is a $1.1bn company that saw $485m revenue last year from TV broadcast rights, live shows, consumer products and internet sales. It is a quintessentially American product and the vast majority of its audience remains in the US.

But Mr McMahon's wife, Linda, the company chief executive, makes no bones about her efforts to go global. WWE shows are broadcast in 130 countries and more than 20 languages. The company recently opened offices in Sydney, São Paulo, Tokyo and Shanghai, to bring its total of overseas outposts to six.

So far, the company has found that its products translate well for an international audience. "While it is based in America and there are a lot of American stars, the themes are worldwide: sibling rivalry, jealousy. We've had no pushback on the fact it was an American product," Mrs McMahon told the Financial Times.

International revenue has nearly trebled since 2002, from $45m to $119m last year and now accounts for 25 per cent of turnover. Mrs McMahon hopes to increase overseas revenue to between $180m and $200m by 2011.

"The company has come a long way from being a northeastern [US] events group. We've made it a global brand. We are a content company. We produce it, we create it, we own it and we distribute it."

Business development

WWE is descended from Mr McMahon's father's company, Capitol Wrestling Corporation and Titan Sports, the live event promotion company founded by Mr and Mrs McMahon in 1979.

While professional wrestling is usually considered a young man's product, WWE is making efforts to reach out to other demographic sectors. The company recently tweaked the scripts on Raw so that it could earn a TV-PG (parental guidance) rating rather than a TV-14 (parents strongly cautioned) in the US. Roughly one-third of the US television viewers are female.

WWE's combination of consumer, TV and live products mean it has few clear peers. It currently trades on 19-times forward earnings, compared with an average of 15 for similar sized travel and leisure companies, according to Bloomberg. Six of the 10 analysts who cover the stock rate it a buy, and four say it is a hold. There are no current sell recommendations.

The company has been publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange since 1999, but the McMahon family controls about two-thirds of the shares. Its share price has outperformed the Standard & Poor's 500 rating by nearly 20 per cent since the beginning of the year.

(Credit: The Financial Times)

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WWE

Extreme Strip Poker comes to ECW, by Craig Tello - 22nd September 2006

WWE.com has learned that Extreme Strip Poker starring all WWE Divas and ECW Vixens will take place on a can't-miss edition of ECW on Sci Fi on Tuesday.

For the first time ever, ECW Vixens and RAW and SmackDown Divas alike will compete to keep their clothes - and this time, the sexiest women on television are at the mercy of the deck.

From full-house to royal flush, one thing is for sure, no matter which femme fatale gets dealt the best hand, the real winners will be ECW on Sci Fi viewers.

Which Diva or Vixen will bring her poker face to ECW in less than three weeks? How will the Vixens and Divas prepare for this provocative game of chance? Tune in to ECW on Sci Fi this week, as well as RAW and SmackDown to find out. And, don't miss the must-see edition of ECW on Sci Fi.

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ECW

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Strip Poker

Poker and Casino News

Casino News Media

MyNetworkTV Presents a One-Two WWE® Punch
All-Star Kick-Off of “WWE Friday Night SmackDown®” & “WWE WrestleMania® – The World Television Premiere”

September 29, 2008

NEW YORK, N.Y., September 29, 2008 – MyNetworkTV presents a one-two WWE punch beginning on October 2nd at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) with “WrestleMania – The World Television Premiere” leading up to the October 3rd all-star network premiere event of “WWE Friday Night SmackDown” at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) announced Greg Meidel, president of MyNetworkTV.

In making the announcement, Meidel stated, “WWE – THE sports entertainment powerhouse is launching on MyNetworkTV in big-way – complete with the biggest Superstars, historic broadcast television matches, and back-to-back nights of powerful programming.”

The MyNetworkTV debut of “WWE Friday Night SmackDown” begins with a Superstar-studded night. For the first time ever on broadcast television, it will be a night of Champion vs. Champion including a “Triple Threat Match” between WWE Champion Triple H®, World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho® and ECW® Champion Matt Hardy™.

In addition to the “Triple Threat Match” the following matches, comprised of WWE Superstars from all three WWE television brands (SmackDown, RAW®, ECW) are scheduled for the premiere episode of “WWE Friday Night SmackDown:”

* Eight-Man Tag Team Match: Rey Mysterio®, Batista®, Jeff Hardy™ and Finlay™ vs. Kane®, MVP™, JBL™ and The Brian Kendrick™
* WWE Intercontinental Champion Santino Marella™ vs. WWE United States Champion Shelton Benjamin®
* WWE Women's Champion Beth Phoenix™ vs. WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool™
* World Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes™ & Ted DiBiase™ will square off with the newly-crowned WWE Tag Team Champions Carlito™ & Primo™

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon added, “The WWE and MyNet will become the tag team champions of Friday night television.”

In anticipation of the debut of “WWE Friday Night SmackDown,” MyNetworkTV will present “WrestleMania - The World Television Premiere” the night prior to launch. Viewers can re-live the action and excitement from WrestleMania XXIV. Now, for the first time ever, MyNetwork TV and WWE invite you to enjoy that same exhilaration on broadcast television in an innovative presentation combining the high impact action of the WWE scored to music from some of the industry’s biggest stars including U2, Metallica, Three Doors Down, Three 6 Mafia, and Kid Rock.

About MyNetworkTV®

MyNetworkTV is a primetime general entertainment broadcast television network. Reaching over 97% of the country and targeted to Adults 18-49, MyNetworkTV provides its affiliates 12 hours of diverse programming Monday through Saturday, including “Celebrity Exposé,” Langley Productions’ “Jail” and “Street Patrol” and debuting in October 2008, “Magic’s Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed,” “The Tony Rock Project” and “WWE Friday Night SmackDown®.” For more information, please visit www.mynetworktv.com.

About World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide.


PRESS CONTACTS:

MyNetworkTV Media Contact: Craig Radow 310-369-3293 / Jessica Moss 212-301-3817

WWE Media Contact: Jennifer McIntosh 203-359-5131

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WWE: 9.4% Yield

STAMFORD, Conn., Sep 29, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The 9.4 % dividend yield on WWE stock is 300% higher than the S&P average. Given its strong balance sheet and cash generative businesses, WWE feels confident it can fund the dividend for the long term. The WWE considers itself a safe harbor in the current volatile marketplace. The popularity of WWE brands continue to accelerate while consistently providing the best value in entertainment.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide.

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, copyrights and logos are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include the conditions of the markets for live events, broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view, Internet, feature films, entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise; acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties relating to litigation; risks associated with producing live events both domestically and internationally; uncertainties associated with international markets; risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television distribution agreements; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In addition to these risks and uncertainties, our dividend is based on a number of factors, including our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan, our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends and such other factors as our board of directors may consider relevant.

SOURCE: World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.


World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.
Media:
Jenny McIntosh, 203-359-5131
or
Investor:
Michael Weitz, 203-352-8642

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WWE

WWE Signs New Home Entertainment Distribution Deal For South America
September 22, 2008

Synergex Corporation is the new distributor of WWE home entertainment products in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Argentina, under a new three-year exclusive agreement.

Synergex will provide packaging localization, sales, marketing, and logistics services for WWE documentaries, career profiles and match compilations focusing on top WWE stars of the past and present, as well as WWE’s complete pay-per-view event line-up, highlighted by its annual WrestleMania pop culture extravaganza. “This agreement supports WWE’s international expansion push into Latin America, and gives us local expertise to distribute our home entertainment productions and increase our retail presence,” said Joel Satin, WWE Vice President, Home Entertainment & Books.

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WWE(R) And Televisa Team Up in Mexico

Press Release

MEXICO CITY, Sep 09, 2008 -- At a press conference in Mexico City today, World Wrestling Entertainment(R) (WWE) and Televisa announced a new agreement which will see WWE RAW available on Galavision Canal 9 in Mexico.

Beginning Sunday, October 5, WWE RAW will be broadcast on Sunday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. to the more than 21 million TV households who watch Galavision Canal 9.
One of WWE's most successful programs, RAW is broadcast in over 130 countries in 23 languages. Millions tune-in every week to view a star-studded roster of WWE's globally renowned Superstars, including John Cena(R), Mexico's own Rey Mysterio(R), Shawn Michaels(R), Batista(R), CM Punk(TM), Randy Orton(R), and Chris Jericho(R). RAW is consistently one of the highest rated shows on cable in the United States showcasing all of the action, excitement, drama and great athleticism that have made WWE one of the most popular and successful properties in the world.
"WWE delivers ratings success to our network partners around the world and we intend to continue to build the same level of success with Televisa in Mexico," says Shane McMahon, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Media. "WWE is very excited to be bringing RAW to Mexican viewers who have a rich lucha libre heritage and who consistently show great enthusiasm for the WWE brand and its Superstars."
"Televisa Deportes, leader in sports-related information and content, keeps its constant commitment to finding new tendencies, shows and ideas to fulfill the demand of its audience," stated Alberto Sosa, Sports Director for Televisa. "Televisa Deportes and WWE RAW are joining efforts starting in October to broadcast RAW, which has had great success in TV markets all around the world including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, China, Spain and Chile, among others. We foresee similar success in audience impact for Televisa Deportes."

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc
(WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, copyrights and logos are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include the conditions of the markets for live events, broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view, Internet, feature films, entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise; acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties relating to litigation; risks associated with producing live events both domestically and internationally; uncertainties associated with international markets; risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television distribution agreements; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In addition to these risks and uncertainties, our dividend is based on a number of factors, including our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan, our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends and such other factors as our board of directors may consider relevant.
SOURCE: World Wrestling Entertainment

Media:
Edelman
Julio Gil, 55 5350 1523
or
WWE
Cynthea Galbraith, 416-847-8348
or
Investors:
WWE
Michael Weitz, 203-352-8642

WWE SmackDown, WrestleMania on MyNetwork - The Miami Herald - 9th September 2008

World Wrestling Entertainment on MyNetworkTV will kick off a night early with a first ever broadcast presentation of WrestleMania at 8 p.m. EST/PST Thursday, Oct. 2, said the network's president, Greg Meidel, in a release.

This special presentation featuring the best moments of WrestleMania XXIV in March from the Citrus Bowl in Orlando including boxer Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show will be followed by the premiere of WWE SmackDown! at 8 p.m. EST/PST Friday, Oct. 3.

WWE SmackDown! moved to MyNetworkTV from the CW Network, formerly UPN which housed WWE SmackDown! from 1999-2006, after CW and WWE opted not to renew their contract. MyNetworkTV, an offshoot of stations dropped when CW took some of UPN's affiliates, quickly snatched the television ratings' grabber.

WWE SmackDown!'s prime-time wrestling show boasts 474 episodes and counting. It has been one of the highest-rated shows on the networks, even drawing millions of viewers when it moved from Thursday to Friday nights, television's death wish.

Meidel said, ``We're thrilled to bring fans even more of their favorite WWE action on MyNetworkTV. These side-by-side primetime events are sure to deliver two nights of edge-of-your-seat, action-packed entertainment.''

WWE SmackDown! will be presented on MyNetworkTV weekly on Fridays and showcase a star-studded cast of WWE stars including Triple H, Edge, Jeff Hardy, Chavo Guerrero, Shelton Benjamin, Big Show, Carlito, Mr. Kennedy, Great Khali, Umaga, Undertaker, Michelle McCool, Victoria, Natalya, Thee Brian Kendrick, Vladimir Kozlov and Miami's own MVP.

It will feature the action, excitement, drama and athleticism that have made it for nine years one of the most popular programs among males on broadcast television and one of the Top 10 English language prime-time programs among Hispanic households.

• WrestleMania is one of the biggest annual sports entertainment events. In addition to the Mayweather/Big Show match, this year's lineup featured the retirement of the legendary Ric Flair following an emotional loss to Shawn Michaels, as well as the crowning of the Undertaker as the new World champ and Kane as the new WWE/ECW champ.

Celebrity appearances included a performance of America the Beautiful by John Legend along with special guest hostess Kim Kardashian and BunnyMania Lumberjack Match Master of Ceremonies Snoop Dogg. Raven-Symon helped entertain 50 children honored by WWE in its largest ever Make-A-Wish event.

WrestleMania XXIV was the highest grossing live event for WWE and the Citrus Bowl.

• About MyNetworkTV

MyNetworkTV is a primetime general entertainment broadcast television network. Reaching more than 97 percent of the country and targeted to Adults 18-49, MyNetworkTV provides its affiliates 12 hours of diverse programming Monday through Saturday. Visit mynetworktv.com.

• About World Wrestling Entertainment

WWE produces original weekly programming, 52 weeks per year, distributed domestically, internationally and via WWE.com. WWE programs reach more than 16 million total viewers during the average week.

Its domestic cable and broadcast programs include Monday Night RAW and A.M. RAW on USA Network and WWE's ECW: Extreme Championship Wrestling on the Sci Fi Channel. WWE's television programming can also be seen in more than 130 countries around the world on broadcast partners including BSkyB in the UK and Foxtel in Australia.

Visit wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com and wwe.com/worldwide.

• Wrestlers Rescue, a very worthy cause, is Sunday, Sept. 14 at the Radisson in Piscataway, N.J.

Meet Torrie Wilson, Terri Runnels, Mick Foley, Dawn Marie, Tammy Sytch, Missy Hyatt, Iron Sheik, Superfly Snuka, Greg Valentine, Lou Albano, Balls Mahoney, Nikolai Volkoff, Lanny Poffo, Brutus Beefcake, JJ Dillon, Sandman, Manny Fernandez, Baywatch's Traci Bingham, boxing legend Emile Griffith and others.

There will be a wrestling convention/autograph session and a semi-formal dinner with the stars. For up-to-date information on the star-studded celebrity guests, schedule, prices, super tickets, auction, charity, etc. visit WrestlersRescue.Org.

Questions about the event, e-mail Michele at wrestlersrescue@aol.com.

• Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling television series debuts 8 p.m. EST Oct. 18 on cable channel CMT.

The celebrities are Dustin Diamond from Saved by the Bell, Tiffany, Todd Bridges from Different Strokes, Trishelle from Real World, boxer Butterbean, Nikki Ziering from Playboy, Sylvester Stallone's acting/singing brother Frank, Erin Murphy from Bewitched, Danny Bonaduce and former NBA player Dennis Rodman. They will be learning to wrestle.

The reality-type television show, under the direction of Eric Bischoff (AWA/WCW/WWE), Jason Hervey (Wonder Years) and Hogan, was filmed in a converted warehouse in California.

Jimmy Hart, Bischoff and Hogan will be the judges. Rodman previously worked with Bischoff and Hogan in WCW. Sylvester Stallone inducted Hogan into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Bischoff and Hervey run their own production company, co-produced a reality show on television sitcom star Scott Baio for VH-1 and actor/singer Billy Ray Cyrus for CMT as well as I Want To Be a Hilton for NBC. Hogan starred in Hogan Knows Best on VH-1.

• The Killer Kowalski Memorial Wrestling Show is 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26 at the Irish-American Club in Malden, Mass. Proceeds will benefit the Walter Killer Kowalski Memorial Fund. See Tito Santana, Nikolai Volkoff and more. Visit superstarprowrestling.com.

• WWE's Monday Night Raw is 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa. Tickets go on sale Saturday, Oct. 4. Prices $70, $50, $40, $30 and $20.

WWE Raw has a house show 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 at the Bank Atlantic Center in (South Florida) Sunrise. Tickets go on sale Saturday, Aug. 30. Prices $60, $45, $35, $25 and $20.

WWE SmackDown/ECW has a house show 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 at the Leon County Civic Center in Tallahassee. Tickets go on sale Friday, Oct. 24. Prices $40, $30, $25 and $20.

• Florida Championship Wrestling, the feeder group to WWE, is Saturday, Nov. 15 at the Lee County Civic Center in Fort Myers, Fla. See talent signed to WWE developmental contracts. Go to fcwwrestling.com.

• Between The Ropes wrestling radio is 6-8 p.m. EST Tuesdays on ESPN Florida AM 1080 and AM 1060. Brian Fritz, Vito DeNucci and Dickerman host the show which is simulcast worldwide online at BetweenTheRopes.com

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WWE diva visits Yokota, By Vince Little, Stars and Stripes - 7th September 2008

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — World Wrestling Entertainment diva Victoria visited airmen and families here Friday evening, and it was a homecoming — of sorts.

Her father, Angel E. Sole, a Vietnam veteran, was stationed at Yokota in the late 1960s. He met her mother in Japan and ultimately spent 20 years in the Air Force, retiring as a master sergeant.

Two of Victoria’s older brothers were born on Yokota, she said.

"With my dad being in the Air Force, I feel a connection," she told a large crowd at the Yokota Enlisted Club. "Every time I’m on an Air Force base, I feel at home."

Victoria is in Tokyo to attend a "SummerSlam" viewing party on Sunday with another diva, Maria, who also had been scheduled to visit Yokota but couldn’t make it due to a late arrival in Japan.

At the Enlisted Club, Victoria signed autographs and posed for photos with fans who lined up to meet the 37-year-old star. Earlier, the two-time WWE Women’s Champion made an appearance at the Samurai Cafe dining facility to hang out with airmen.

She even showed off a couple of wrestling moves.

"I love WWE," said Airman 1st Class Mike Cottingham, 23, of the 374th Logistics Readiness Squadron. "I watch ‘Raw’ and ‘SmackDown.’ I love it here ’cause you get it all for free, even the pay-per-views.

"This is amazing. I like Victoria. I like all the divas. Whenever I get an opportunity, I’ve got to come meet them."

Victor Madaris, 13, an eighth-grader at Yokota Middle School, wore his WrestleMania XXIV T-shirt to meet Victoria. He said he wanted to meet her "because she’s famous."

"It was cool," he said afterward. "I like seeing all the people wrestle in WWE. I’ve been a big fan."

While storylines are fictitious, the bumps and bruises wrestlers endure are real. Over a nine-year career, Victoria said, she’s broken her nose twice, had a few teeth knocked out and suffered a torn ACL — one of four major ligaments in the knee.

"You feel every move in the ring," she told the audience.

Since 2003, WWE has entertained U.S. servicemembers in either Iraq or Afghanistan during the holidays with its "Tribute to the Troops" shows.

"We have a big fan base in the military," Victoria said. "We try to show our appreciation for their hard work. Our military is the real superheroes, not us.

"We love you, we appreciate you. We just want you to be home and safe someday."

(Credit: Stars and Stripes)

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WWE

"Killer" Kowalski Dies at Age 81 - Press Release

STAMFORD, Conn., Aug 30, 2008
World Wrestling Entertainment

WWE is saddened by the passing of WWE Hall of Famer Walter "Killer" Kowalski.

Kowalski, who was an in-demand performer in the 1950's and '60's, was a former WWWF (World Wide Wrestling Federation) Tag Team Champion in the late-1970's.

He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996. He was instrumental in the training of many WWE Superstars, including current WWE Champion Triple H. WWE extends its condolences to the Kowalski family.

SOURCE: World Wrestling Entertainment

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King Of The Ring, by Brian Mciver - Daily Record - 16th August 2008

WWE Superstar Shows Our Man Brian Some Of The Moves That Made Him A Wrestling Legend He's A 6ft 5in Former Us Marine Who Is Built Like A Tank And Throws Grown Men Around Like They Are Rag Dolls - That's Why They Call Randy Orton ..

FACING off against a man called Randy who wears spandex trunks for his daily work sounds frightening enough.

But when the self same giant stares you down with the meanest, darkest eyes this side of Jaws, it's either time to call an insurance firm or an underwear shop.

I had just made the mistake of challenging WWE wrestling superstar Randy Orton to show me his scariest moves, and he immediately showed just why he has been voted one of the best bad guys on television.

The Tennessee-born one time US Marine is a former champion of the American ring phenomenon and one of the best known villains of this theatrical sport.

He makes a living combining his huge frame with a steely stare and lots of general bad boy behaviour.

Randy took time off from his training programme to give the Daily Record an insight into his baddie persona, when he visited the UK to promote this weekend's TV SummerSlam wrestling event, as well as their European tour which comes to Scotland this autumn.

Randy, 28, is one of the best loved (and hated) stars of the sport, and has thousands of adoring fans all over the world.

He has been out of wrestling action for the last two months following a broken collarbone, the result of a bout with rival Triple H.

But the wrestler revealed that the physical side of the sport is only half the battle, with showmanship and image just as important as the combat.

That is where the 6ft 5in giant shows the skills that have made him rich and famous.

When you speak to him out of character, Orton, who was born into wrestling royalty as the son of Cowboy Bob Orton, and with both a grandfather and uncle in the sport, is well spoken and friendly.

But as soon as he gets near a ring or training he becomes the guy who is currently up against Simon Cowell for best baddie in the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.

HE said he would show me the secret to his showmanship style. I thought that would be pulling faces or an affected stare but he gets very scary, very fast.

"It's all about being intimidating when you're in the ring, and you can trash talk their appearance, their record or whatever, and stare them out or go right up to them," he said.

"It wasn't my decision at first to be a heel, because at first when the guys got to knowme, I had kind of an arrogant, narcissistic attitude, and I don't deal with authority figures too well, and that translated into ring, so I became a heel.

"I can get 10,000 people to boo me if I drop a guy with a clothes line and drop my knee on the back of his head with a smirk and then it's like, 'aww, boo' and you get with it.

"My goal is to get the best, or worst, reaction from them as I can."

Randy decided to get a reaction from me by challenging me to a test of strength. The test lasted all of five seconds as he was virtually juggling huge weights while I was requiring physiotherapy after trying to lift some tiny barbells and keep up.

We then gathered ourselves for a ring-style face off, and any doubts I may have had about just how intimidating he could be were excreted away, as he eye balled me with a serial killer stare.

I tried to bravado him back, but even though I wasn't about to take him on in a ring bout and I knew for certain there was no violence on the cards whatsoever, but his constant growl made me flinch at first, before I was virtually leaning back at a right angle to get away from him.

Randy got his big break into wrestling after his military career ended badly.

He was dishonourably discharged from the Marines after disobeying orders and started making inroads into the world of wrestling in 1999 courtesy of his dad.

He quickly found a niche at the home of WWE, and after making his name as a baddie, he used his family background (his childhood home was a wrestlers' hang out, with legends like Andre the Giant and wannabe Scot Rowdy Roddy Piper there all the time) and skills to carve out a successful career.

Since hitting the WWE big time in 2002, he has won four major titles and earned a huge fan base.

"I didn't know what I was gonna do with my life, at first I tried the military, that didn't go too well, so I asked my dad if he could call Vince McMahon and get me a job.

"It was really just out of desperation but it turned out I loved it and I was a natural at it, I got on TV a year and a half after I started training, took off from there.

"At first I felt the pressure (of the family name) but very quickly it dissipated because I did well and the stats show I surpassed my father in terms of ring stats and titles, so I was never really in the shadow of it.

"I pretty much learned things on-the-job and through practice and training, I was under the wing of people like Ric Flair and Triple H.

I learned a lot, and moulded my character into what it is now, figuring out what works, what doesn't, and I got a handle on how to make the crowd despise me." WORKING the crowds is one of Randy's favourite parts of the job, and he said he can't wait for the WWE UK tour in November, when he and his fellow grapplers will bring their pizzazz to Glasgow and Aberdeen.

"Whenever we go overseas, there's a lot more excitement, and the crowds aren't used to seeing us live, so they go crazy, which makes it all more exciting. The adrenaline gets pumping because of that energy.

"It's nice to visit all parts of the world and witness different cultures, we've been all over, and being recognised is pretty cool.

"But I would say travelling and being away from loved ones is the hardest part of the job.

"I've got a newborn at home, it's the first time I've been away from her and I miss her, but it's what I do for living."

After his injury, Randy is missing out on wrestling in tomorrow night's payper-view SummerSlam event, although he will be there to cause some trouble, so he is now really looking forward to the UK tour, and coming back to Scotland.

"I've been to Aberdeen and Glasgow before and it was great, I cant wait to come back.

"I don't know about wearing a kilt. I don't need to, I don't necessarily want the fans to like me.

"If anything, I might call it a skirt, and say 'do men wear dresses here' and p*** them off a bit.

"I'll do what I can to be hated."

The WWE Raw events take place in Glasgow on November 14, and Aberdeen on November 15, while SummerSlam is on Sunday, August 17 at 1am, live and exclusive on Sky Box Office.

'Randy makes a living from combining his huge frame with a steely stare and lots of general bad boy behaviour'

'I've got a newborn at home. It's the first time I've been away from her and I miss her badly, but it's what I do for a living'

(Credit: Daily Record)

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WWE

Wrestlers 'still shocked' over Benoit murders, by Sean Cusick, ninemsn - 15th August 2008

The world of professional wrestling is "still in shock" over the Chris Benoit murders, according to one of the sport's biggest names.

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star Dave "The Animal" Batista says the wrestling industry is still traumatised by Benoit's double-murder suicide almost 14 months ago.

"Still to this day, I think people are in shock over it and a lot of people are still in denial," the US-based Batista told ninemsn.

"It's just the hardest thing we've ever done … a nightmare come to life."

Batista, 39, spent over five years wrestling with Benoit as two of the WWE's most popular entertainers.

He says the pair were close friends and "had a deep personal trust for each other and … talked about personal issues".

Benoit shocked the world last June when he murdered his wife Nancy and seven-year-old son Daniel in his Georgia home.

The 40-year-old Canadian is believed to have strangled his wife with a cord and used a choke hold to strangle his son before placing Bibles next to their bodies.

He then hanged himself with a weights machine in his basement.

"It's just hard to think of Chris Benoit in that way," Batista said.

"We all loved him so much, and we all respected him so much.

"A lot of us are kind of in denial because we don’t associate the Chris Benoit we knew and loved with the Chris Benoit who did that horrible thing."

Batista was speaking ahead of the WWE SummerSlam event, which is airs on Foxtel on Monday.

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Dave "The Animal" Batista

Foxtel

WWE

Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant sowed the seeds of a slam at Shea Stadium, by Elliot Olshansky - New York Daily News - 9th September 2008

Before Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant headlined wrestling's biggest shows of the 80s, they laid the foundation for their most famous moment at Shea Stadium.

The defining moment of the 1980s pro wrestling boom took place outside Detroit, but the seeds were sown at Shea Stadium.

The image is iconic, even among non-fans: Hulk Hogan, at the peak of his popularity - at least until "Hogan Knows Best" hit VH1 - lifts and bodyslams Andre the Giant, thrilling the reported 93,173 fans who filled the Pontiac Silverdome for Wrestlemania III. A short three-count later, the match ends, and Hulk is still the champion of the promotion then known as the World Wrestling Federation.

As Hogan celebrated his win over the mammoth Frenchman, commentators Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura remarked that it was Andre's first loss in 15 years, and the first time he'd ever been slammed. It was a great story, a fitting climax for the largest show in the history of the business. Of course, given the nature of the wrestling business - or, as it's called these days, "sports entertainment" - it's only fitting that the story was a fabrication.

Of course, all discussion of wins and losses in professional wrestling is pointless to begin with, for obvious reasons. However, when it comes to the celebrated bodyslam, before it became "The Bodyslam Heard 'Round the World" in front of 93,000 fans, it was heard - and seen - by some 36,000 at Shea Stadium, 28 years ago on Saturday.

On August 9, 1980, the then-WWF presented its third "Showdown at Shea" event. While World Wrestling Entertainment has routinely drawn more than 50,000 fans for the seven pay-per-view events held at outdoor stadiums, the shows at Shea, like the WWF at the time, operated on a different scale, and being able to attract that many fans to Shea was a major step for the promotion.

"Back then, they didn't have the penetration from TV that they have now," said longtime wrestling writer Bill Apter of 1wrestling.com. "The TV universe was much smaller, so that was equal to a gigantic gate today."

To Keith Elliot Greenberg, a longtime writer for WWE's magazines and a collaborator on the autobiographies of wrestling legends "Classy" Freddie Blassie, Ric Flair, and "Superstar" Billy Graham, that gigantic gate was a major statement for the promotion, and for wrestling as a whole.

"It symbolized that despite the complete exclusion of the mainstream media, professional wrestling could stir hearts of the masses and fill a venue at Shea Stadium," Greenberg said.

After 22,508 showed up in Flushing for the first Showdown at Shea in 1972, and some 32,000 turned out for the second incarnation in 1976, the third Showdown was the biggest yet. A reported 36,295 came out to see Bruno Sammartino battle protégé-turned-rival Larry Zbysko inside a steel cage. Earlier in the evening, however, a young, up-and-coming Hulk Hogan stepped into the ring to face the beloved Andre the Giant.

"At that time, Hulk Hogan was brand new," Greenberg said. "He was young, he was massive, he was golden in color, and he was the future of the industry in more ways than fans realized."

The fans at Shea that night wanted to see the brash newcomer put in his place by the beloved Giant, and they got their wish. Andre pinned Hogan after 7:48 of action, but not before Hogan lifted and slammed his rival.

Shortly after the match, Hogan left the WWF, and when he returned - after a scene in Rocky III and three years in the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association - he began the run that made him a household name, helping to take the WWF from a regional promotion based in the Northeast to a national powerhouse. That run reached its peak in 1987, when he again locked up with Andre.

By this point, Hogan had become the virtuous hero who espoused training, prayer and vitamins, and it hardly made sense to acknowledge his past as a cocky rulebreaker. Besides, the WWF's audience had grown by leaps and bounds in the seven years since Hogan and Andre met in Flushing, and there was no reason for the vast majority of fans to know that the match had ever taken place, or that Hogan had already lifted and slammed the supposedly impossible-to-lift Frenchman.

"There was no reason at that point," Apter said, "because they were recreating their history."

Of course, in the age before YouTube, Wikipedia, and internet message boards, there was really no good way to find out.

"While the Shea Stadium show was a big deal in the New York area, it was little more than a curiosity elsewhere in the country, unless you were a reader of magazines like Pro Wrestling Illustrated," said Scott Keith, author of four books on pro wrestling, including the forthcoming "Dungeon of Death: Chris Benoit and the Hart Family Curse." "Fans were basically at the mercy of the WWF as far as things like match results and history went. So while they may have mentioned in passing that Hulk lost that match, in the bigger picture they could simply pretend like it didn't happen when it suited their needs to do so later on."

As Hulk and Andre became the focal points of a storyline that would last nearly two years and help launch two new annual pay-per-view events (Survivor Series in 1987 and Summerslam in 1988), their earlier history was swept under the rug, never spoken about on WWF programming.

It wasn't until 2002, when Hogan returned to WWE after an eight-year stint with the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling promotion, that the match resurfaced as an official part of the promotion's history. In the summer of 2002, the promotion released a two-DVD set, Hulk Still Rules, documenting the wrestling icon's career, and among the matches included to accompany the main feature was the "lost" match at Shea Stadium.

Today, of course, WWE is much more open about the nature of the business. Fans are as unlikely to believe in a 15-year unbeaten streak as they are to care, and it's commonly accepted and acknowledged that anyone who is lifted and slammed in the ring is a willing participant in the activity. Meanwhile, Hogan is a reality TV star, Andre Roussimoff has been dead for 15 years, and the stadium where the two of them laid the foundation for a defining moment in their profession is set to be dismantled. However, 28 years after the fact, as New Yorkers recall the historic moments that took place at Shea Stadium, one of those events, often forgotten, was a key moment in the career of a wrestling icon.

As Greenberg said of Hogan, "His slamming of Andre the Giant symbolized the fact that Hulk Hogan could go where others could not."

(Credit: New York Daily News)

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WWE Ratings News on Free to Air and Pay TV

WWE Afterburn airing Sunday Afternoon's on Channel 9 was watched by over 214,000 people last week coming in at No.48 of the Top 50 programs. SmackDown & RAW continue to make the Top 50 on Pay TV.

SmackDown averaged 97,000 viewers on Friday August 1st at 3:30pm FOX8, making it the 25th most viewed show during a single screening last week on Pay TV for the second week running.

RAW had an average of 72,000 people tuning in at 3:30 pm on July 30th, making it the 45th most watched show during a single viewing last week.

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WWE

WWE Expands Board - 7th August 2008

STAMFORD, Conn., Aug 07, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.

WWE today announced it has expanded its Board of Directors to 10 members with the addition of Kevin Dunn, Frank A. Riddick, III and Jeffrey R. Speed. In accordance with his previously announced plans, Robert Bowman has resigned from the Board.

Riddick will now chair the Company's Audit Committee. Other members of the committee will be Speed and current Board members David Kenin and Michael Solomon.
"These three outstanding executives bring extensive operating experience and financial acumen to our expanded Board of Directors," said WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. "With their addition, we enhance our ability to meet the challenges of continued global expansion and to capitalize on the future opportunities for our company and brand."

Dunn has served as WWE's Executive Vice President, Television Production, since July 2003. In his current position running WWE's pivotal television business, he manages WWE's television and production facilities, including a team of approximately 165 people that produce five hours of fresh, prime time television programming each week for U.S. networks and nine hours of original programming for markets in 130 countries, as well as content for DVDs, pay-per-views, and video on demand.

Riddick is a consultant to TowerBrook Capital Partners, L.P. ("TowerBrook"), a New York and London - based private equity firm. Riddick is a director of GrafTech International Ltd. Prior to joining TowerBrook, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Formica Corporation, a manufacturer of surfacing materials used in countertops, cabinets, and flooring from January 2002 to April 2008. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Armstrong Holdings, Inc. from 2000 to 2001 and as Chief Financial Officer at Armstrong and its subsidiaries from 1995 to 2000.

Speed has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Six Flags, Inc., the world's largest regional theme park operator, since April 2006. Prior to joining Six Flags, Mr. Speed spent approximately 13 years with The Walt Disney Company, most recently serving from 2003 until 2006 as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Euro Disney SAS, the publicly-traded operator of the Disneyland Resort Paris, which is the number one tourist destination in Europe.
Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

WWE can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide.

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, copyrights and logos are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include the conditions of the markets for live events, broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view, Internet, entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise; acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties relating to litigation; risks associated with producing live events both domestically and internationally; uncertainties associated with international markets; risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television distribution agreements; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated.

SOURCE: World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.

World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.
Media:
Gary Davis, 203-353-5066
or
Investors:
Michael Weitz, 203-352-8642

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WWE Creative Team Taps Prinze, Jr., by Mansha Daswani World Screen - 30th July 2008

STAMFORD, July 30: The actor Freddie Prinze, Jr. is set to take a behind-the-scenes role contributing to World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) weekly TV and pay-per-view offerings.

“Freddie Prinze, Jr.’s passion, energy and creativity make him an excellent fit for WWE,” said the company’s chairman, Vince McMahon.

"Bringing on board an experienced Hollywood writer, actor and producer like Freddie Prinze, Jr. will only increase the level of entertainment to millions of viewers and passionate WWE fans every Monday on USA," added Chris McCumber, the executive VP of marketing digital and brand strategy at USA Network, WWE’s U.S. broadcast partner.

Prinze, Jr.’s film credits include Scooby Doo and Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. He has also been featured in guest spots on a host of TV series, and was the star of the short-lived ABC sitcom Freddie.

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WWE® Rated PG July 28, 2008 - Press Release

STAMFORD, Conn., July 28, 2008 - In recognition of WWE’s family friendly programming, all of its network distributors (NBC, USA Network, SCI FI Channel, CW) now rate WWE’s weekly individual programs as PG.

WWE–produced television has long been thought of as family programming. It’s not uncommon for multiple family members across generations to enjoy the fun-filled excitement of World Wrestling Entertainment®.

WWE RAW® seen on USA Network, has produced more primetime episodes than any other weekly episodic television series in history, and continues to be the most highly rated weekly series on cable television. WWE’s popular SmackDown®, currently on the CW Network on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST, moves to MyNetworkTV in the same time slot on October 3. WWE’s ECW® is seen on the SCI FI Channel on Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. EST (moving to 9:00 pm EST on September 30). These top-rated WWE programs attract nearly 15 million fans per week in the United States. This PG environment, as rated by the respective networks, is also consistent with WWE’s own self-regulation of its website (wwe.com), all other digital assets, and publications. WWE television programming can be seen in 130 countries and is translated into 23 languages.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide

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Media Contact: Gary Davis, 203-353-5066
Investor Contact: Michael Weitz, 203-352-8642

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John Cena a Role Model for Australian Children

WWE Superstar John Cena has been named a role model by kids in Australia according to an article in The Daily Sunday Telegraph (Australia).

In the Cartoon Networks New Generations 2007 study of nearly 2500 young people aged seven to 14, parents were found to be the biggest role models for Australian kids. “Among the study participants, 32 percent of boys and 36 percent of girls nominated their mum or dad as the person they look up to most. A further 22 percent of boys then nominated a sportsperson, with American professional wrestler John Cena and Australian rules footballer Chris Judd also making the list.” Additional role models included Steve Irwin, Spider-Man, Avril Lavigne, Paris Hilton and Hilary Duff.

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WWE Renames Filmed-Entertainment Division - 22nd July 2008

STAMFORD, July 22: World Wrestling Entertainment is renaming its Los Angeles-based subsidiary WWE Films as WWE Studios, reflecting the division’s mandate to develop entertainment across theatrical features, direct-to-DVD movies, scripted TV movies and series and reality programming.

“The name change reflects our focus on expanding the variety of projects that WWE intends to pursue,” said Michael Lake, the president of WWE Studios. “WWE Studios will continue to pursue opportunities which expand the integration of the WWE brand and its Superstars into filmed entertainment.”

Upcoming releases for WWE Studios includes WWE Superstar John Cena’s latest theatrical film, 12 Rounds, in early 2009. Directed by Renny Harlin, the film will be released by 20th Century Fox under the WWE first-look deal with Fox Atomic. WWE Studios, in conjunction with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, also will debut its first direct-to-DVD film, Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia, starring WWE Superstar Mr. Kennedy. Since the subsidiary’s formal inception in 2002, WWE has produced three motion pictures: See No Evil, The Condemned and The Marine.

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Press Release - SmackDown®/ECW® Tour - The Biggest And Best Ever - June 19, 2008

SYDNEY, Australia, June 19, 2008 - On June 11, the entertainment heavyweight that is WWE® descended upon the shores of Australia and New Zealand. The tour swept through seven cities in seven days, playing in front of fanatical crowds in Auckland, Christchurch, Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, and Newcastle before finishing up in Brisbane on June 17, making it the longest live event tour to date in the region.

Along with more than 68,000 WWE fans who attended the seven live events, ringside to watch the drama unfold were top TV comedian Rove McManus, Australian cricket hero Shane Warne, former champion boxer Jeff Fenech, as well as stars from Newcastle Knights, Sydney Swans, The NZ Warriors and Geelong Football Club.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide

-30-

Media Contact: Gary Davis, 203-353-5066

Investor Contact: Michael Weitz, 203-352-8642

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, and logos are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ECW is a trademark of WWE Libraries, Inc. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include the conditions of the markets for live events, broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view, Internet, feature films, entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise; acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties relating to litigation; risks associated with producing live events both domestically and internationally; uncertainties associated with international markets; risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television distribution agreements; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In addition to these risks and uncertainties, our dividend is based on a number of factors, including our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan, our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends and such other factors as our board of directors may consider relevant.

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World Wrestling Entertainment

Vince McMahon, WWE - Tribune newspapers - 24th June 2008

Perhaps Vince McMahon should consider staying home the next time there is a draft on Raw. On last year's draft episode, McMahon's limo exploded into flames seconds after he got into it, kicking off the "Who Blew Up Vince McMahon" story line that was scrapped after a couple weeks in the wake of the Benoit tragedy.

Last night, the three-hour Raw draft special concluded with McMahon being taken out on a stretcher after part of the set collapsed on him. To show that it was "real," Triple H, John Cena and Edge all broke character and tried to come to McMahon's aid. When McMahon regained consciousness, he called out for "Paul," which is his son-in-law Triple H's real name.

The "accident" is being used as the story line reason for ending McMahon's Million Dollar Mania. WWE announced on its Web site after the show that the weekly money giveaways have been suspended for the foreseeable future.

For more, check out the Baltimore Sun's "Ring Posts" wrestling blog here.

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WWE

WWE Promotes New VP Of Affiliate Marketing - Press Release - 25th June 2008

STAMFORD, Conn., June 25, 2008 -- World Wrestling Entertainment® has promoted Lisa Richards to Vice President, Affiliate Marketing. In her new role, Richards will be responsible for the marketing and promotion of WWE’s slate of annual pay-per-view events, including WrestleMania®, and the subscription video-on-demand service, WWE 24/7™ On Demand®. The announcement was made today by Peter Clifford, WWE’s Senior Vice President, Affiliate Sales and Marketing.

“For four years, Lisa has been a primary force behind the affiliate tools and award winning promotions that drive sales of our pay-per-view and VOD products,” said Clifford.

Richards joined WWE in 2004 as Affiliate Sales Director, Western Region. Prior to WWE, she was a manager of sales and marketing at Starz Encore Group.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE), can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com . For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide

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Wests Tigers face more injury woes - The Sydney Morning Herald - 16th June 2008

He weighs in at 130kg and stands 198cm tall, but unfortunately for Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens, Batista won't provide any relief to the NRL club's front row crisis.

The three time WWE world heavyweight champion cut an imposing figure as he joined fellow pro wrestler MVP at Tigers training on Monday, the duo in town for the recently completed `Smackdown Tour'.

With the Tigers down to bare bones in the engine room, Batista would be a welcome addition up front, particularly if he was able to unleash a couple of his trademark `Batista Bombs' on a few unsuspecting Brisbane forwards on Friday night.

"I don't think they'd last too long on a footy field (given) the size of them," Tigers hooker Robbie Farah said.

"We wouldn't mind some big guys at the moment obviously we're a bit down on troops ... with the guys we've got out at the moment we're really struggling."

Makeshift prop Danny Galea joined the injured brigade when he ruptured his Achilles tendon in Sunday's 44-6 loss to Parramatta.

Ryan O'Hara, who hasn't played since the trials due to a broken jaw, is still another couple of weeks away, as is Keith Galloway (foot).

Todd Payten (hamstring) is rated some chance of making the trip north to take on the Broncos, while Bryce Gibbs (knee) is touch and go.

Gibbs has been sidelined since suffering a deep laceration to his right knee which became infected following the round 12 loss to the Sydney Roosters.

"The doc said no, don't play (against Brisbane) but I said I wanted to play anyway," Gibbs said.

"I'm not allowed to run until Thursday. It'd be great to be playing, we haven't got many players left, especially up front.

"If I can run, I can play. All that can happen is that it (the wound) can open back up again.

"We'll have Hodgo (lightweight fullback Brett Hodgson) playing in the front row if I don't come back soon."

Batista and MVP showed off a few of their favourite moves at training on Monday, though not many are likely to see their way onto a football field given the NRL judiciary's crackdown on wrestling manoeuvres.

"He'd get a few weeks for that one," O'Hara said shortly after being swung to the ground in what could only be described as a chicken wing tackle gone mad.

Despite the fact he dwarfed Tigers big men O'Hara and Gibbs, Batista said he had great admiration for NRL players - going as far as to call American football "sissyish" by comparison.

"I think it's insane," Batista said.

"It impresses the hell out of me to seeing big guys run up and down the field all day long for hours.

"It's hard to run around and carry all that weight and all that muscle; that these guys have that agility and endurance is amazing."

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WWE

Rough road to the top for wrestler, by Scott Casey - Brisbane Times - 18th June 2008

Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) lives a glamorous life of global jetsetting, fine clothes, exquisite jewellery and beautiful women - so it's difficult to imagine that his long journey to the top actually began at the very bottom.

MVP, born Alvin Burke, had to grow up fast when at age 16, after running with gangs and getting in scrapes with the law, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison for armed robbery and kidnapping.

During the nine years MVP spent on the inside, he decided to take his life down another path.

"It was at work release where I became a gym rat ... I was what they call 'permanent party' so I couldn't leave the work release facility, I worked in the kitchen, so all I did was eat and work out," he told brisbanetimes.com.au.

"When I got to work release I was 207 pounds (93 kilograms) and by the time I got transferred ... I was 245 pounds (111kg)."

During the work release program, MVP was approached by wrestler "Primetime" Darryl D, who, upon MVP's release, gave him the opportunity to train with another wrestler, "Soul man" Alex G.

While building up his skills and his reputation as an independent wrestler, MVP worked a variety of jobs to support himself.

"I worked primarily in nightclubs ... bodyguard work, things of that sort. I did that work for two reasons: one, because I'm a convicted felon it was hard to find work; and two, because it gave me the flexibility to go to the independent shows."

He managed to turn his difficulty finding work into a positive, and now helps former prisoners to get their lives back on track.

"You send a guy to prison, you put that black mark on him and he gets out he can't live anywhere, can't work anywhere, his options are extremely limited," he said.

"I'd like to show people your options are limited but you need to have the resolve within to overcome."

Now that MVP is at the top of his profession, he looks forward to the expansion of WWE into new markets across the world.

"People that can't even speak English can say, 'MVP you suck!'... I'm excited about the fact we opened up an office in China," he said.

"They talk about WWE being a slice of Americana - well, now it's becoming a slice of Australia and a slice of Brazil and a slice of all these other places where people are just overwhelmed by WWE and this mania."

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WWE

Dwayne drops The Rock for Get Smart - NineMSN - 16th June 2008

Here's a tip.

Memorise it or write it down and store it away in a safe place because it could save you from a severe, physical beating.

If you happen to bump into former professional wrestling star-turned Hollywood leading man, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, do not raise the issue that he may not be as buff as what he once was.

Johnson, standing 1.92m tall, is obviously a big man, but he is also an actor undergoing great change.

Last month his 11-year marriage to wife, Dany, ended and career-wise, Johnson is moving away from the action roles that marked his Hollywood debut, such as 2001's The Mummy Returns and a year later, The Scorpion King.

The 36-year-old has been vocal about pursuing different genres.

He has also decided to drop his old nickname, The Rock, and will now only be billed in his films simply as Dwayne Johnson.

So, 2008 is a year of change for Johnson.

It would make sense if he did decide to lose some muscle as being slimmer would open the possibility for directors to cast him in a wider variety of roles.

Right?

Whether it was the light or maybe the long-sleeved dress shirt Johnson was wearing for this interview on a recent Saturday in Beverly Hills, it did appear he was not as buff as what he was.

So the question was asked.

He did not appreciate it.

"Since when?" Johnson, a former gridiron star for the University of Miami, replied.

Ummm, about a year ago?

"I actually work out more," Johnson said, making it clear he has not slimmed down.

Training, he added, remained an essential part of his life, although he said he can ramp it up or tone it down depending on the type of role he played.

"I enjoy training," he explained.

"Training is usually an anchor for me, for the day.

"That's how I begin my day, whether it's 4am or 8am."

Johnson's latest performance required him to be buff, but is a twist on his big screen action persona.

He plays the invincible Agent 23 in Get Smart, a Hollywood comedy based on the 1960s-70s TV sitcom of the same name.

Comedian Steve Carell stars as Agent 86, the role that Don Adams played in the original TV series.

The film allows Johnson to show off some of his comedy chops, something he proved he had in last year's Disney hit, The Game Plan, which earned almost $US150 million at the worldwide box office, although there's one scene that may leave his former pro-wrestling fans gagging.

It involved Johnson and Carell, as the good guy CONTROL agents fighting to save the world, locking lips in a passionate kiss.

"It was everything you imagined and dreamed about," Carell quipped.

Carell has had fun in numerous interviews to promote Get Smart recalling the kiss.

What did Johnson smell and taste like?

"Soft skin," Carell said.

"Dwayne smells like soft baked cookies."

Johnson lets out a nervous laugh when told of his co-star's memory of the kiss.

He had his own memory.

"Did you ever have warm chocolate cake mixed with ice cream?" Johnson asks.

"It's a fine balance.

"It makes you shiver?

"The kiss was like that."

And, apparently, the kiss was not a quick scene to shoot, with Carell and Johnson making sure the end result drew plenty of laughs.

"We did a lot of takes for that," Johnson adds.

"There was different types of kissing.

"Whatever the funniest way was to elicit great laughs, we'd go for it.

"But, it was a little awkward, though when I felt - just between us - I felt a little tongue.

"That was weird."

Johnson is looking to shake his career up in another way.

He says he was approached eight months ago to work in a theatre production, but it did not fit his schedule.

"In a way, for me, the world that I came from, sports entertainment, that was my theatre," he explained.

"I had 20,000 to 30,000 people to entertain.

"It forced you to have an acumen and be on your feet and that type of theatre really benefits me now.

"It was four hours of live television a week and there was nothing you couldn't throw at me.

"So, hopefully, one day maybe I will do theatre."

In the meantime, Johnson, who once was billed as the actor most likely to replace Arnold Schwarzenegger as Hollywood's number one action hero, will continue accepting roles that he finds challenging and a little different.

"I admire actors with a broad range of work - Tom Hanks, George Clooney and Will Smith, for example.

"I aspire to be that.

"Those guys put out great movies, they're not always box office smashes, but they're still really good movies and they have a broad range of work and they're good people.

"They're inherently good people and I like that."

* Get Smart opens in Australia on June 26.

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WWE

WWE wrestlers take on NRL's Tigers - Live News - Macquarie Radio Network

WWE wrestlers Dave Batista and MVP trained with Wests Tigers today, learning some rugby league moves and teaching some of their own wrestling moves.

The stars of American professional wrestling were naturals when it came to picking up passing and tackling - although their goal-kicking skills left a little to be desired - while a few lucky Tigers got the chance to mix it in the ring with the pros.

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Hey, hey, we're the monks, by Andrew Webster - The Sydney Morning Herald - 16th June 2008

The Swans faithful started cheering wildly when they thought they saw the Dalai Lama walking across the SCG after the victory against St Kilda on Saturday night. It was actually one of six Gyuto monks from Tibet who had attended the game after watching the spiritual leader preaching at Homebush earlier that night. Decked in Swans scarves, they performed a chant in the rooms and presented resident Swans Buddhists Brett Kirk and coach Paul Roos with white scarves. And in a sign that sport really does bring people together, also sighted was Underbelly star Les Hill and Shane McMahon, the son of WWE promoter Vince, who was distributing tickets to yesterday's "Smackdown" in Sydney.

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Indian origin wrestler in Oz Olympic squad - SIFI - 5th June 2008

Sydney: Sandeep Kumar failed to make it to the Indian wrestling squad despite boasting of an outstanding record. Disillusioned by the state of sports administration in the country, Sandeep chose a foreign land to prove his potential and will proudly walk under an Australian flag in the opening ceremony in Beijing Olympics this August.

Sandeep became the first Indian origin sportsperson to make it to an Australian Olympic squad after his selection was announced earlier this month, according to a report in the Indian Link newspaper here.

"I feel very proud and honoured to represent Australia at the Olympics," says Kumar, who only migrated here four years ago and will be competing in the 84-kg freestyle wrestling division in Olympics.

Back home, the 25-year-old Kumar, then a constable with Punjab Police had a room partner in Daleep Singh, today famously known as Khali. And unlike millions others who dream of scoring those winning runs in a one-day cricket match for India, both of them trained hard to make a name for themselves in the wrestling world.

Kumar and Daleep tasted success in national and international circuit. Daleep today is better known as the fearsome Khali on the American WWE circuit.

Also Read: Khali seeks more Indians for WWE

The youngest of four children, Kumar's older brother Anil who was also a wrestler, introduced him to the ancient sport at an early age.

Kumar showed potential early in his career, winning numerous wrestling championships. In 1997, as a teenager, he won a gold medal at the Russian championships and is a three-time winner of the Australian Asian Championships. He has also won the Australia Cup, a wrestling competition hosted by the United Wrestling Club.

"In India, we were getting good money for wrestling - we got government jobs as well. That's why I decided to do wrestling," Kumar, who turned professional at the age of 15, told the paper.

But favouritism amongst Indian selectors meant that despite his achievements, he was not selected to represent India. Kumar's dreams of making a name at the international level went crashing down. He took a bold decision and moved out of the country to prove himself.

"I was a good wrestler in India," he says. "But I didn't get the chance to go to other countries and represent India."

An encounter with Kuldip Bassi, changed Kumar's career - and life - forever.

Whilst training in a Punjab wrestling club four years ago, Bassi, founder and president of the United Wrestling Club (UWC) in Melbourne, handpicked Kumar amongst the hundreds of young Indians in training.

"Technically he was the most talented, and a smart wrestler too," says Bassi.

"I saw he could do better and I thought that if he came to Australia he would have a good future and would make a good name for himself, the club and the standard of Australian wrestling," he adds.

Bassi sponsored Kumar to train with the UWC. Alongside his training, Kumar works as a taxi driver, which he will cease as the Olympics draw closer.

Kumar's achievements are now being recognised and last month he was honoured by Victoria's Ramgarhia Sikh Association.

Earlier this month, the Punjabi Council of Australia honoured him for his contribution to wrestling, at a Baisakhi celebration at NSW Parliament.

So is Kumar going for gold?

"I am trying hard, I think I can win a gold medal. For this I am taking my training very seriously," says Kumar.

Kumar hopes that more youngsters from India will follow his steps in the next Olympics. "I will be (the only Australian of Indian origin) at the Beijing Olympics, but in the next Olympics, some more boys from our community should participate."

Kumar has certainly advanced a long way since his days as a Punjab Police constable. Like Khali, Kumar is making his mark in the sporting arena.

"I watch him on television sometimes!" says Kumar about his former mate.

Perhaps when the Olympics roll around in August this year, Khali will be watching Kumar as he battles, or should we say - wrestles - for gold.

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WWE Smackdown/ECW tour, by Katherine Feeney - Brisbane Times - 14th June 2008

Genre Event
Location Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Address Melaleuca Drive, Boondall
Date June 17
Tickets From $65
Phone Bookings 132 849
Online Bookings http://www.ticketek.com.au

The strange and hugely popular phenomenon of American wrestling is bringing some of its biggest names to Australia this month for the 'Smackdown/ECW' tour.

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is a big business in America and, increasingly, all around the world.

The WWE RAW Survivor Series and various other WWE franchises have toured around the globe everywhere from Portugal to South Africa and Australia to Thailand.

You wouldn't necessarily think that a combination of professional wrestling and scripted, vaudeville dramatisation would be so universally appealing but there you go.

WWE is majority owned and run by the McMahon family, headed by the imposing Vince McMahon, a former wrestler himself, with an annual turnover of around US$400 million, according to Wikipedia.

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Miz fit mania, by Adrian Proszenko - The Sun-Herald - 15th June 2008

Lock up your daughters, Sydney, "The Miz" is in town.

Mike "The Miz" Mizanin, the self-proclaimed chick magnet of World Wrestling Entertainment, reckons he'll have become very familiar with the ladies by the time his tour of Australia ends.

"Chicks dig me and men fear me," Mizanin told The Sun-Herald. "I can't help that, when I walk into a place, women flock to me.

"I can't help that women want to talk to me. What really gets annoying is when they just start throwing themselves on me. Give me some sort of challenge.

"Ladies, expect to get really blushy-faced and really turned on when you see me [in Australia] because I'm much better looking in person than I am on TV."

The Miz and WWE stars including The Undertaker and Big Show square off at Acer Arena tonight.

Mizanin's journey from frat boy to wrestling star began when he dropped out of college, where he was studying business, to appear on reality TV show The Real World.

It was here that he created his trash-talking alter ego, The Miz, which became his wrestling persona through the pro ranks.

"One person you don't want to mess with is The Miz," he warned.

Mizanin holds the WWE's Tag Team championship, dominating the division alongside partner John Morrison.

"We are going to be known and recognised as one of the greatest [partnerships]," he said.

The 27-year-old promised to unleash his seldom-used wrestling move, The Mizard of Oz, while in Australia. However, his usual finishing manoeuvre is the Reality Check, an apt title considering he has appeared in nine reality TV programs.

Although he had to crawl into a pit full of tarantulas en route to winning reality TV show Fear Factor, he said it was nothing compared to his exploits in the ring.

Once he was thrown off a six-metre ladder, he reports. "But screw that!" he adds. "If you get into the ring with The Undertaker, Big Show - people who are seven foot tall and 500 pounds - that's pretty crazy in my mind."

Translated, he's referring to opponents who are more than 2.1 metres and 220 kilograms.

There is little rest for a WWE star.

When he's not pummelling opponents, going to endless red carpet events in Los Angeles or working out until he's "huge and jacked", The Miz loves to sleep in until midday.

"The Miz does not wake up in the morning, that's for losers," he said.

Pity us poor fools.

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WWE

McMahon Economic Package - 6th June 2008

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon to Begin $1 Million Giveaway to Viewers Live on USA Network's 'WWE Monday Night RAW'

WHAT: WWE Chairman Vince McMahon will begin his unprecedented giveaway
of $1 Million to viewers every week on USA Network's "WWE Monday
Night RAW" live broadcast as "McMahon's Million Dollar Mania"
begins

WHEN: Monday, June 9th at 9/8 C

WHERE: USA Network's "WWE Monday Night RAW"

WHY: World Wrestling Entertainment Chairman Vince McMahon has once
again shown his passionate bond with WWE fans by taking the
already #1 weekly year-round show on cable, WWE Monday Night RAW
on USA Network to a new level at the start of this 2008 summer
with a ground breaking on-air promotion.

Never before has such a prominent television executive given away
such a large amount of his personal wealth to the viewing
audience. The giveaway will be the largest ever undertaken on
television.

To participate, viewers must register on wwe.com each week and
then watch Monday Night RAW(R) on USA Network to acquire the code
necessary to win. Winners will be contacted live throughout each
Monday Night RAW broadcast.

Given the difficult economic situation many Americans now face,
"McMahon's Million Dollar Mania" offers an exciting economic
stimulus for loyal RAW viewers. McMahon and WWE are renowned for
creating compelling narratives that tie into current events,
drawing viewers and generating water cooler buzz across the
country.

CONTACT: Brad Bernstein 212.664.4401
Nathan Nazario 407.880.5993

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Vince McMahon

WWE

WWE Afterburn Premieres On Channel Nine - Press Release - 5th June 2008

Channel Nine today announced an exclusive free-to-air-television deal with World Wrestling Entertainment®, giving the network the rights to show WWE Afterburn, one of the most popular international programs of the sports entertainment genre.

WWE Afterburn will screen on Sunday afternoons at 1:30pm starting Sunday, June 15.

WWE Afterburn, features the best matches and interviews of the week from WWE SmackDown®, in an action-packed one-hour show guaranteed to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Hosted by Josh Mathews, WWE Afterburn provides all the best from the week’s matches and features the greatest moments from favourite WWE Superstars including Batista™, Big Show™, Edge™, Finlay™, The Great Khali™, Hornswoggle™, Michelle McCool™, Rey Mysterio® and Undertaker®.

“This exclusive deal with WWE is a great acquisition for Nine which sits well with our audience. It will attract a large number of young males and WWE fans to the network,” said Les Sampson, Nine’s Director of Acquisitions. “We are excited to bring this phenomenally popular international entertainment brand to Australian viewers.”

Jonathan Sully, President WWE Asia Pacific, said; "Our partnership with Nine will allow WWE to reach an extended television audience to the benefit of our fans and business partners. We appreciate Nine’s support, and view it as confirmation of the growing strength of the WWE brand in Australia.”

WWE Afterburn premieres on Channel Nine on Sunday June 15, at 1:30pm.

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WWE