Wrestling News Updated - Media Man Australia Network
WWE.com has removed the "Industry News" section from the front page of its website
Vince McMahon more open to ideas from lock room, insiders say product improving
John Cena doing fantastic community support work, Make-A-Wish Foundation et al
Jeff Hardy says goodbye to WWE family
Rey Mysterio Jr. suspended for 30 days
WWE ramps up Europe, dedicated websites for European regions and more tours upcoming
Bob Barker to host Monday Night Raw
Linda McMahon, CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, is considering running for the United States Senate
WWE Offers Free Tickets to US Military
More details on the WWE.com website and WWE Corporate website
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Wednesday, August 12, 2009
WWE Living Legend News Update
Hulk Hogan turns 56 years old today.
Vince McMahon turns 64 years old on the 24th August. McMahon will be spending his birthday in Las Vegas, where WWE Raw will emanate from that night.
Ric Flair has been doing the news media rounds with Harley Race.
Roddy Piper continues to add excitement and ratings to wrestling shows.
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat will one of the best on WWE current roster.
Andre The Giant online slot game strongly rumored via NextGen Gaming.
Shawn Michaels to work feud and angles with Triple H.
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Hulk Hogan turns 56 years old today.
Vince McMahon turns 64 years old on the 24th August. McMahon will be spending his birthday in Las Vegas, where WWE Raw will emanate from that night.
Ric Flair has been doing the news media rounds with Harley Race.
Roddy Piper continues to add excitement and ratings to wrestling shows.
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat will one of the best on WWE current roster.
Andre The Giant online slot game strongly rumored via NextGen Gaming.
Shawn Michaels to work feud and angles with Triple H.
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Friday, July 24, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Donald Trump’s commercial-free Raw does big rating, by Kevin Eck - Baltimore Sun - 23rd June 2009
Whether it can be attributed to the publicity WWE received from the Donald Trump story line, the commercial-free format, the advertised main event of a Last Man Standing Match for the WWE title between Randy Orton and Triple H, or some combination of the three, one thing is for sure: Monday’s episode of Raw was a huge ratings success.
Raw drew a 4.5 rating (4.3 first hour; 4.8 second hour), a significant increase from last week’s 3.7. The show’s 6,813,000 viewers made it the most-watched episode of Raw since March 25, 2002, according to wwe.com.
You have to hand it to Trump. WrestleMania 23, which was built around his hair versus hair match against Vince McMahon, did a company-record 1.2 million pay-per-view buys in 2007, and now he is the central figure on the highest-rated Raw in more than seven years.
Based on the rating, I wonder if the Trump story line, which appeared to end on Monday after just one week, might continue at some point. A story on wwe.com about Trump’s appearance on Raw said “this may not be the end of the feud between these two world class promoters.” (Credit: Baltimore Sun)
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Whether it can be attributed to the publicity WWE received from the Donald Trump story line, the commercial-free format, the advertised main event of a Last Man Standing Match for the WWE title between Randy Orton and Triple H, or some combination of the three, one thing is for sure: Monday’s episode of Raw was a huge ratings success.
Raw drew a 4.5 rating (4.3 first hour; 4.8 second hour), a significant increase from last week’s 3.7. The show’s 6,813,000 viewers made it the most-watched episode of Raw since March 25, 2002, according to wwe.com.
You have to hand it to Trump. WrestleMania 23, which was built around his hair versus hair match against Vince McMahon, did a company-record 1.2 million pay-per-view buys in 2007, and now he is the central figure on the highest-rated Raw in more than seven years.
Based on the rating, I wonder if the Trump story line, which appeared to end on Monday after just one week, might continue at some point. A story on wwe.com about Trump’s appearance on Raw said “this may not be the end of the feud between these two world class promoters.” (Credit: Baltimore Sun)
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Monday, June 22, 2009
Vinnie Brings The Donald Back Into The Act, by Mike Mooneyham - 21st June 2009
Last year Vince McMahon gave away a million dollars in an attempt to lure viewers to Monday Night Raw.
Now he’s pretending to have sold Raw, WWE’s flagship show, to the even richer and perhaps more megalomaniacal Donald Trump.
Last week’s “shocking” announcement on Raw didn’t produce the effect McMahon had hoped for. That’s because fans rarely believe anything the WWE owner says these days.
But even if the WWE Universe faithful didn’t buy the prank, Vince was betting on selling the angle to the mainstream media. It’s happened before, although the non-wrestling press has become smarter over the years.
Some media outlets, such as TV Guide and Bloomberg, initially reported it as fact. FoxBusiness.com posted the release itself. But they were the exceptions.
The hope now is that Trump, who once was brought in for a storyline feud with McMahon that culminated with The Donald shaving Vince’s head at Wrestlemania 23, will again produce some magic with McMahon.
McMahon, however, is in no danger of losing his company or Raw, which remains one of the top-rated shows on cable television.
WWE and USA Network even issued a bogus joint press release last week to announce the change in ownership. It was, McMahon stated, an undisclosed offer he “couldn’t refuse.”
USA was forced to release an apology Thursday.
“We intended the release to be promotional for that ongoing story arc on the series,” USA said in the statement. “There is no such actual ‘sale.’ We apologize for any confusion.”
The takeover plot continues Monday when the real estate mogul appears on a commercial-free episode of the show as its new owner.
It will mark the first time in more than 838 episodes that Raw will be commercial-free.
“I’m going to do things on the show that have never been done or seen before,” Trump boasted last week.
Whether or not that’s a good thing remains to be seen. Trump looks out of his element on a wrestling show. He’s certainly no Vince. And, like most non-wrestling personalities attempting to do pro wrestling, his delivery is forced and contrived.
- Hall of Famer and WWE fixture Jerry Brisco recently suffered what was believed to be as many as three strokes in a period of several days. Doctors also discovered a small hole in his heart and a heart valve irregularity, and have scheduled surgery for next week.
“Jerry is confident, as am I, that he will make a full recovery as he has been an athlete all his life and has never been a smoker, isn’t overweight, is in excellent physical shape for a man a little north of 60 who was still working out on the mat with his amateur wrestling team at a high school in Tampa where he volunteers,” Jim Ross posted on his blog.
Jerry is one of pro wrestling’s “good guys,” and our thoughts and prayers go out to him, brother Jack and the Brisco family.
- Mitsuharu Misawa, one of Japan’s greatest wrestlers over the past three decades, died last weekend during a tag-team bout in Hiroshima.
Misawa, just days shy of his 47th birthday, was competing in a tag-team match when he took a belly to back suplex from Akitoshi Saito and lost consciousness. The match was stopped and Misawa was administered to before being taken from the arena. He was declared dead at the hospital.
Misawa initially rose to fame in the pro ranks as Japan’s high-flying Tiger Mask, the second wrestler to use that name, during the mid-’80s. His popularity peaked in the early ‘90s when he and top rival Kenta Kobashi engaged in a classic series of matches that were considered among the greatest for that time period. Both were headliners for All Japan Pro Wrestling, a promotion that was considered the most physically demanding in the world, and both operated at extremely high levels.
A national amateur wrestling champion in high school, Misawa was discovered by All Japan owner Shohei “Giant” Baba and trained by Baba, The Destroyer (Dick Beyer) and Dory Funk Jr.
Misawa inherited the position of AJPW president following the death of Baba, but disagreements with widow Motoko Baba led to his departure from the company in 2000 and the formation of Pro Wrestling NOAH.
Misawa was owner of Pro Wrestling NOAH at the time of his death.
- WWE released both Candice Michelle and Sim Snuka on Friday.
Michelle, a former WWE women’s champ, has been recovering from an injury.
Snuka, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Superfly Jimmy Snuka, hasn’t been on WWE TV since January when he and Manu were kicked out of Randy Orton’s Legacy stable. Snuka made his WWE debut in 2006 as part of the Deuce and Domino tag team.
- Lucha star Dos Caras Jr. from Mexico’s EMLL promotion reportedly has signed a three-year contract with WWE.
- TNA’s Kurt Angle told a Detroit radio station Friday that he’d be open to one final run with WWE before he retires from the business.
“I can’t tell you where I’m going to be in three years. I’d like to be in TNA, but I can’t guarantee it,” Angle said on Sports Radio WDFN. “If I could have one last run, heck, I’d do it. Why not? Rumors are going to be flying now that Kurt Angle wants to go to WWE ... That’s completely untrue. I’m very happy where I am.”
“I’m no longer bitter about WWE. Vince McMahon and I had a falling out, but everything is cool now,” added Angle. “Him and I have kind of made peace with each other.”
- WWE will return to the North Charleston Coliseum on July 18 with a Smackdown show.
Tentative top bouts include Jeff Hardy vs. Edge, and a Fatal Four-Way with Christian, Finlay, Jack Swagger and Tommy Dreamer for the ECW crown. Others on the bill include C.M. Punk, Great Khali, John Morrison, Shelton Benjamin, Vladimir Kozlov, Evan Bourne and WWE divas Gail Kim, Melina, Natalya and Maria. (Credit: The Post and Courier)
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Last year Vince McMahon gave away a million dollars in an attempt to lure viewers to Monday Night Raw.
Now he’s pretending to have sold Raw, WWE’s flagship show, to the even richer and perhaps more megalomaniacal Donald Trump.
Last week’s “shocking” announcement on Raw didn’t produce the effect McMahon had hoped for. That’s because fans rarely believe anything the WWE owner says these days.
But even if the WWE Universe faithful didn’t buy the prank, Vince was betting on selling the angle to the mainstream media. It’s happened before, although the non-wrestling press has become smarter over the years.
Some media outlets, such as TV Guide and Bloomberg, initially reported it as fact. FoxBusiness.com posted the release itself. But they were the exceptions.
The hope now is that Trump, who once was brought in for a storyline feud with McMahon that culminated with The Donald shaving Vince’s head at Wrestlemania 23, will again produce some magic with McMahon.
McMahon, however, is in no danger of losing his company or Raw, which remains one of the top-rated shows on cable television.
WWE and USA Network even issued a bogus joint press release last week to announce the change in ownership. It was, McMahon stated, an undisclosed offer he “couldn’t refuse.”
USA was forced to release an apology Thursday.
“We intended the release to be promotional for that ongoing story arc on the series,” USA said in the statement. “There is no such actual ‘sale.’ We apologize for any confusion.”
The takeover plot continues Monday when the real estate mogul appears on a commercial-free episode of the show as its new owner.
It will mark the first time in more than 838 episodes that Raw will be commercial-free.
“I’m going to do things on the show that have never been done or seen before,” Trump boasted last week.
Whether or not that’s a good thing remains to be seen. Trump looks out of his element on a wrestling show. He’s certainly no Vince. And, like most non-wrestling personalities attempting to do pro wrestling, his delivery is forced and contrived.
- Hall of Famer and WWE fixture Jerry Brisco recently suffered what was believed to be as many as three strokes in a period of several days. Doctors also discovered a small hole in his heart and a heart valve irregularity, and have scheduled surgery for next week.
“Jerry is confident, as am I, that he will make a full recovery as he has been an athlete all his life and has never been a smoker, isn’t overweight, is in excellent physical shape for a man a little north of 60 who was still working out on the mat with his amateur wrestling team at a high school in Tampa where he volunteers,” Jim Ross posted on his blog.
Jerry is one of pro wrestling’s “good guys,” and our thoughts and prayers go out to him, brother Jack and the Brisco family.
- Mitsuharu Misawa, one of Japan’s greatest wrestlers over the past three decades, died last weekend during a tag-team bout in Hiroshima.
Misawa, just days shy of his 47th birthday, was competing in a tag-team match when he took a belly to back suplex from Akitoshi Saito and lost consciousness. The match was stopped and Misawa was administered to before being taken from the arena. He was declared dead at the hospital.
Misawa initially rose to fame in the pro ranks as Japan’s high-flying Tiger Mask, the second wrestler to use that name, during the mid-’80s. His popularity peaked in the early ‘90s when he and top rival Kenta Kobashi engaged in a classic series of matches that were considered among the greatest for that time period. Both were headliners for All Japan Pro Wrestling, a promotion that was considered the most physically demanding in the world, and both operated at extremely high levels.
A national amateur wrestling champion in high school, Misawa was discovered by All Japan owner Shohei “Giant” Baba and trained by Baba, The Destroyer (Dick Beyer) and Dory Funk Jr.
Misawa inherited the position of AJPW president following the death of Baba, but disagreements with widow Motoko Baba led to his departure from the company in 2000 and the formation of Pro Wrestling NOAH.
Misawa was owner of Pro Wrestling NOAH at the time of his death.
- WWE released both Candice Michelle and Sim Snuka on Friday.
Michelle, a former WWE women’s champ, has been recovering from an injury.
Snuka, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Superfly Jimmy Snuka, hasn’t been on WWE TV since January when he and Manu were kicked out of Randy Orton’s Legacy stable. Snuka made his WWE debut in 2006 as part of the Deuce and Domino tag team.
- Lucha star Dos Caras Jr. from Mexico’s EMLL promotion reportedly has signed a three-year contract with WWE.
- TNA’s Kurt Angle told a Detroit radio station Friday that he’d be open to one final run with WWE before he retires from the business.
“I can’t tell you where I’m going to be in three years. I’d like to be in TNA, but I can’t guarantee it,” Angle said on Sports Radio WDFN. “If I could have one last run, heck, I’d do it. Why not? Rumors are going to be flying now that Kurt Angle wants to go to WWE ... That’s completely untrue. I’m very happy where I am.”
“I’m no longer bitter about WWE. Vince McMahon and I had a falling out, but everything is cool now,” added Angle. “Him and I have kind of made peace with each other.”
- WWE will return to the North Charleston Coliseum on July 18 with a Smackdown show.
Tentative top bouts include Jeff Hardy vs. Edge, and a Fatal Four-Way with Christian, Finlay, Jack Swagger and Tommy Dreamer for the ECW crown. Others on the bill include C.M. Punk, Great Khali, John Morrison, Shelton Benjamin, Vladimir Kozlov, Evan Bourne and WWE divas Gail Kim, Melina, Natalya and Maria. (Credit: The Post and Courier)
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Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Wrestlers and Arnold Schwarzenegger Gambling, Poker Connection - Gambling911 - 4th May 2009
Ric Flair recently signed a deal to be a spokesperson for the lottery in the Carolinas... The Shelby, NC Star ran a story noting that Ric, David, and Reid Flair are scheduled to appear on Saturday at the Rec Center for a charity show to raise for the Shelby City Parks and Police Department. If he attends this would be Reid's first public appearance since his arrest last weekend.
"This is of course totally the opposite direction to Jesse Ventura's stance on gambling, at least publicly," notes Media Man, Greg Tingle.
Tingle made reference to Ventura's support of an online gambling enterprise, BetUS.com, where he was a paid spokesperson for more than two years. Interestingly enough, the state of Minnesota for which Ventura served as Governor, announced last week it will try to block access to online gambling websites from citizens of that state.
Then there is California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, a one time friend of both men, who reportedly would support an initiative in his state to legalize online poker.
In November 2004, an advertisement began airing in California featuring Ventura. In it, Ventura voices his opposition to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's policies regarding Native American casinos, the very casinos that stand in the way of the proposed poker legislation. Schwarzenegger and Ventura have not spoken in years, according to reports.
In September 2005, Ventura announced on The Mike Malloy Show that he was leaving the U.S. and planned to "have an adventure". In late October 2005, he went on the The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch and reiterated that he was leaving the U.S. due to, among other things, censorship. He has since moved to Baja California, Mexico. (Credit: Gambling911).
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Ric Flair recently signed a deal to be a spokesperson for the lottery in the Carolinas... The Shelby, NC Star ran a story noting that Ric, David, and Reid Flair are scheduled to appear on Saturday at the Rec Center for a charity show to raise for the Shelby City Parks and Police Department. If he attends this would be Reid's first public appearance since his arrest last weekend.
"This is of course totally the opposite direction to Jesse Ventura's stance on gambling, at least publicly," notes Media Man, Greg Tingle.
Tingle made reference to Ventura's support of an online gambling enterprise, BetUS.com, where he was a paid spokesperson for more than two years. Interestingly enough, the state of Minnesota for which Ventura served as Governor, announced last week it will try to block access to online gambling websites from citizens of that state.
Then there is California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, a one time friend of both men, who reportedly would support an initiative in his state to legalize online poker.
In November 2004, an advertisement began airing in California featuring Ventura. In it, Ventura voices his opposition to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's policies regarding Native American casinos, the very casinos that stand in the way of the proposed poker legislation. Schwarzenegger and Ventura have not spoken in years, according to reports.
In September 2005, Ventura announced on The Mike Malloy Show that he was leaving the U.S. and planned to "have an adventure". In late October 2005, he went on the The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch and reiterated that he was leaving the U.S. due to, among other things, censorship. He has since moved to Baja California, Mexico. (Credit: Gambling911).
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Monday, April 06, 2009
Thoughts on WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, by Kevin Elk - Baltimore Sun
Saturday night’s WWE Hall of Fame ceremony at Reliant Center in Houston is best summed up by two words: nice and efficient.
WWE addressed the biggest complaints about last year’s event in Orlando – that the show dragged on too long and the crowd was unruly – by imposing time limits on the speeches and putting up signs that said that catcalling the wrestlers on stage was prohibited and would result in ejection.
Except for the inductions of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Ricky Steamboat, speeches by the inductees were limited to five minutes, and speeches by the person inducting them were held to three minutes. The time was counted down on a large screen at the back of the arena.
The whole event lasted just under 2 hours and 25 minutes. Last year, Ric Flair’s induction speech and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s monologue alone lasted nearly two hours. Personally, I love hearing these great story tellers tell their stories, so I would have been fine with the speakers getting some more time (within reason).
I do applaud WWE for recognizing that the disrespectful behavior of the crowd last year took away from the event. The Hall of Fame ceremony is supposed to be a classy affair and the wrestlers are mostly out of character, but many fans last year acted as if they were at a house show.
For the most part, the audience in Houston was well-behaved. Predictably, John Cena was lustily booed whenever his face appeared on the screen, and there were several “What?” chants, but overall it was a huge improvement over Orlando.
The main event of the evening, obviously, was the induction of “Stone Cold.” What has always impressed me about Austin is that there is no pretense with him. At the hotel bar after the ceremony, Austin – who had changed from his suit into a t-shirt, shorts, flip-flops and baseball cap – mingled with fans and WWE talent while double-fisting some beer. When fans had chanted “One more match!” during his speech, Austin didn’t even bother teasing that he would come back. “Ah, I don’t know about that,” he said.
Steamboat gave a very heartfelt speech, and he also provided the first WrestleMania moment of the weekend for me when he and archrival Ric Flair did a collar-and-elbow lockup on stage.
Other observations from Saturday’s event:
I said earlier that the wrestlers were mostly out of character at the Hall of Fame. The major exception was Chris Jericho, who remained seated for standing ovations for Flair and Steamboat. During Steamboat’s speech, “The Dragon” went into kayfabe mode and called out Jericho, who stood up and smirked. …
One wrestler who rarely breaks character in any setting is The Undertaker. As has become the norm, he did not attend the ceremony, as WWE likes to keep a certain aura surrounding the character. …
Terry Funk had some humorous lines. The best was:” They say you’re only as old as you feel. Well I feel 105 and I’m ready to go.” He then talked about participating in a battle royal in heaven someday. “In heaven, every seat is a ringside seat. … And it’s BYOB.” …
Koko B. Ware came across as a really likable guy and very appreciative of the honor. As usual, though, he may have been upstaged by Frankie, who kept trying to snatch Koko’s notes. …
Former Freebirds leader Michael Hayes works behind the scenes these days, but he still knows how to entertain. Despite being older and heavier, the dapper Hayes still strutted onto the stage and moonwalked to “Badstreet, USA” before inducting Kevin Von Erich. …
Von Erich, the lone survivor of the five Von Erich boys who wrestled, delivered a moving speech that hit the right note. When talking about the deaths of his brothers, he said that he was still part of a brotherhood with his fellow wrestlers, who supported him in tough times. …
Howard Finkel was well aware of the time constraints on his speech, as he zipped through it. This honor obviously means a lot to Finkel, so I felt a little bad for him that he couldn’t just take a deep breath and truly savor every second he had on the podium. …
Bill Watts went over the allotted time on his speech, but he was on a roll and, thankfully, no one gave him the hook. He did create an awkward moment when talking about how much he and Bruno Sammartino used to bench-press back in the day. “And we didn’t even know what a steroid was,” he said. I doubt that will make it onto the DVD.
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Saturday night’s WWE Hall of Fame ceremony at Reliant Center in Houston is best summed up by two words: nice and efficient.
WWE addressed the biggest complaints about last year’s event in Orlando – that the show dragged on too long and the crowd was unruly – by imposing time limits on the speeches and putting up signs that said that catcalling the wrestlers on stage was prohibited and would result in ejection.
Except for the inductions of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Ricky Steamboat, speeches by the inductees were limited to five minutes, and speeches by the person inducting them were held to three minutes. The time was counted down on a large screen at the back of the arena.
The whole event lasted just under 2 hours and 25 minutes. Last year, Ric Flair’s induction speech and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s monologue alone lasted nearly two hours. Personally, I love hearing these great story tellers tell their stories, so I would have been fine with the speakers getting some more time (within reason).
I do applaud WWE for recognizing that the disrespectful behavior of the crowd last year took away from the event. The Hall of Fame ceremony is supposed to be a classy affair and the wrestlers are mostly out of character, but many fans last year acted as if they were at a house show.
For the most part, the audience in Houston was well-behaved. Predictably, John Cena was lustily booed whenever his face appeared on the screen, and there were several “What?” chants, but overall it was a huge improvement over Orlando.
The main event of the evening, obviously, was the induction of “Stone Cold.” What has always impressed me about Austin is that there is no pretense with him. At the hotel bar after the ceremony, Austin – who had changed from his suit into a t-shirt, shorts, flip-flops and baseball cap – mingled with fans and WWE talent while double-fisting some beer. When fans had chanted “One more match!” during his speech, Austin didn’t even bother teasing that he would come back. “Ah, I don’t know about that,” he said.
Steamboat gave a very heartfelt speech, and he also provided the first WrestleMania moment of the weekend for me when he and archrival Ric Flair did a collar-and-elbow lockup on stage.
Other observations from Saturday’s event:
I said earlier that the wrestlers were mostly out of character at the Hall of Fame. The major exception was Chris Jericho, who remained seated for standing ovations for Flair and Steamboat. During Steamboat’s speech, “The Dragon” went into kayfabe mode and called out Jericho, who stood up and smirked. …
One wrestler who rarely breaks character in any setting is The Undertaker. As has become the norm, he did not attend the ceremony, as WWE likes to keep a certain aura surrounding the character. …
Terry Funk had some humorous lines. The best was:” They say you’re only as old as you feel. Well I feel 105 and I’m ready to go.” He then talked about participating in a battle royal in heaven someday. “In heaven, every seat is a ringside seat. … And it’s BYOB.” …
Koko B. Ware came across as a really likable guy and very appreciative of the honor. As usual, though, he may have been upstaged by Frankie, who kept trying to snatch Koko’s notes. …
Former Freebirds leader Michael Hayes works behind the scenes these days, but he still knows how to entertain. Despite being older and heavier, the dapper Hayes still strutted onto the stage and moonwalked to “Badstreet, USA” before inducting Kevin Von Erich. …
Von Erich, the lone survivor of the five Von Erich boys who wrestled, delivered a moving speech that hit the right note. When talking about the deaths of his brothers, he said that he was still part of a brotherhood with his fellow wrestlers, who supported him in tough times. …
Howard Finkel was well aware of the time constraints on his speech, as he zipped through it. This honor obviously means a lot to Finkel, so I felt a little bad for him that he couldn’t just take a deep breath and truly savor every second he had on the podium. …
Bill Watts went over the allotted time on his speech, but he was on a roll and, thankfully, no one gave him the hook. He did create an awkward moment when talking about how much he and Bruno Sammartino used to bench-press back in the day. “And we didn’t even know what a steroid was,” he said. I doubt that will make it onto the DVD.
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Sunday, April 05, 2009
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Friday, March 27, 2009
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Thursday, March 26, 2009
UFC May Juggle Online Poker Sponsors, by Dan Cypra - Poker News Daily - 25th March 2009
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) may be ousting Full Tilt Poker as a sponsor, according to multiple sources. In its place, according to MMAFix.com, could be Absolute Poker, which is owned by Tokwiro, also the parent company of Ultimate Bet. Full Tilt continues to have affiliate banners in place on the UFC's website.
MMAFix.com revealed in a post dated on March 23rd, "We received word from multiple inside sources that Full Tilt Poker is 'banned' from the UFC as a sponsor in the octagon or on its fighters. Whether or not this ban is permanent or temporary is not yet known." Gus Hansen, a Full Tilt Pro, recently battled Theo Jorgensen in Copenhagen inside a boxing ring, displaying the edge of the online poker site and some of its pros. In the end, however, he was bested by Jorgsensen.
The advertisement on UFC's website for Full Tilt Poker shows Phil Ivey saying, "I work on my game at Full Tilt Poker." In the place of Full Tilt, MMAFix.com speculated that one of the two Tokwiro-owned rooms would become its newest sponsor. It explained, "It appears as if UltimateBet’s sister site, Absolute Poker, will be part of this deal, although we’re awaiting confirmation. The real shame here is the UFC is screwing over its fighters yet again. Full Tilt was spending good money on sponsorships, and limiting the competition does them no favors."
When approached by Poker News Daily, officials from Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker could not confirm a potential partnership with UFC. Ultimate Bet is the official sponsor of World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) WrestleMania XXV in Houston, sending one lucky customer to the annual spectacle. A total of 317 players entered the final online qualifier, with Alex Cummings emerging victorious from the pack. He took home two tickets to the event in Houston, round trip airfare, three nights' hotel accommodation, CDN $500 in spending money, two replica WWE championship belts, a framed poster, and a pair of commemorative chairs. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for the Ultimate Bet member.
On sponsoring WrestleMania, Ultimate Bet's own Annie Duke told Poker News Daily, "“As two organizations concerned with providing the ultimate entertainment experience, our Canadian partnership with WWE WrestleMania XXV is a natural fit. Our players are among the millions of loyal and avid watchers of WWE and it’s a privilege for us to give them the chance to play poker to win their way to be part of this marquee event on April 5, while also adding to UltimateBet.net’s reputation for delivering much sought-after prizes.”
On April 18th, UFC will present UFC 97: Redemption, with a headliner of Anderson “The Spider” Silva against Thales Leites. In addition, Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell will battle toe to toe with Brazilian superstar Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. The festivities will take place inside the Bell Centre in Montreal. On May 23rd, UFC 98 will feature a fight between Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida. Poker players in Las Vegas will be able to stroll over to the MGM Grand Garden Arena to watch the action unfold in person when the event kicks off at 7:00pm local time.
Full Tilt Poker is gearing up for the release of the schedule for its 12th Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS). The slate of events is anticipated to be unveiled today, although at the time of writing, no announcement has been made. Last week, the online poker site ran the first installment of its Friday Night Fights, which pitted Andy Bloch against Gus Hansen. Both are card-carrying members of Team Full Tilt, with Bloch coming out the victor after connectivity issues slowed the action early on. The match-up for this Friday has not been announced. The site regularly holds a Friday Night Fight $500 Knockout tournament that boasts a guaranteed prize pool of $75,000. The $535 buy-in means that each player has a $100 bounty on their head, making it a unique tournament.
On Sundays, Full Tilt runs the Sunday Brawl, another high-stakes bounty tournament with a healthy $350,000 up for grabs. The $256 buy-in sends $200 to the prize pool, $16 to Full Tilt, and $40 as a bounty on each player's head. The Sunday Brawl regularly attracts around 2,000 players, making it one of the largest recurring online poker tournaments in the world.
We'll have more news from the world of UFC as it develops right here on PokerNewsDaily.com. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Ultimate Fighting Championship
World Wrestling Entertainment
WWE WrestleMania
Poker
Poker News
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) may be ousting Full Tilt Poker as a sponsor, according to multiple sources. In its place, according to MMAFix.com, could be Absolute Poker, which is owned by Tokwiro, also the parent company of Ultimate Bet. Full Tilt continues to have affiliate banners in place on the UFC's website.
MMAFix.com revealed in a post dated on March 23rd, "We received word from multiple inside sources that Full Tilt Poker is 'banned' from the UFC as a sponsor in the octagon or on its fighters. Whether or not this ban is permanent or temporary is not yet known." Gus Hansen, a Full Tilt Pro, recently battled Theo Jorgensen in Copenhagen inside a boxing ring, displaying the edge of the online poker site and some of its pros. In the end, however, he was bested by Jorgsensen.
The advertisement on UFC's website for Full Tilt Poker shows Phil Ivey saying, "I work on my game at Full Tilt Poker." In the place of Full Tilt, MMAFix.com speculated that one of the two Tokwiro-owned rooms would become its newest sponsor. It explained, "It appears as if UltimateBet’s sister site, Absolute Poker, will be part of this deal, although we’re awaiting confirmation. The real shame here is the UFC is screwing over its fighters yet again. Full Tilt was spending good money on sponsorships, and limiting the competition does them no favors."
When approached by Poker News Daily, officials from Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker could not confirm a potential partnership with UFC. Ultimate Bet is the official sponsor of World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) WrestleMania XXV in Houston, sending one lucky customer to the annual spectacle. A total of 317 players entered the final online qualifier, with Alex Cummings emerging victorious from the pack. He took home two tickets to the event in Houston, round trip airfare, three nights' hotel accommodation, CDN $500 in spending money, two replica WWE championship belts, a framed poster, and a pair of commemorative chairs. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for the Ultimate Bet member.
On sponsoring WrestleMania, Ultimate Bet's own Annie Duke told Poker News Daily, "“As two organizations concerned with providing the ultimate entertainment experience, our Canadian partnership with WWE WrestleMania XXV is a natural fit. Our players are among the millions of loyal and avid watchers of WWE and it’s a privilege for us to give them the chance to play poker to win their way to be part of this marquee event on April 5, while also adding to UltimateBet.net’s reputation for delivering much sought-after prizes.”
On April 18th, UFC will present UFC 97: Redemption, with a headliner of Anderson “The Spider” Silva against Thales Leites. In addition, Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell will battle toe to toe with Brazilian superstar Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. The festivities will take place inside the Bell Centre in Montreal. On May 23rd, UFC 98 will feature a fight between Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida. Poker players in Las Vegas will be able to stroll over to the MGM Grand Garden Arena to watch the action unfold in person when the event kicks off at 7:00pm local time.
Full Tilt Poker is gearing up for the release of the schedule for its 12th Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS). The slate of events is anticipated to be unveiled today, although at the time of writing, no announcement has been made. Last week, the online poker site ran the first installment of its Friday Night Fights, which pitted Andy Bloch against Gus Hansen. Both are card-carrying members of Team Full Tilt, with Bloch coming out the victor after connectivity issues slowed the action early on. The match-up for this Friday has not been announced. The site regularly holds a Friday Night Fight $500 Knockout tournament that boasts a guaranteed prize pool of $75,000. The $535 buy-in means that each player has a $100 bounty on their head, making it a unique tournament.
On Sundays, Full Tilt runs the Sunday Brawl, another high-stakes bounty tournament with a healthy $350,000 up for grabs. The $256 buy-in sends $200 to the prize pool, $16 to Full Tilt, and $40 as a bounty on each player's head. The Sunday Brawl regularly attracts around 2,000 players, making it one of the largest recurring online poker tournaments in the world.
We'll have more news from the world of UFC as it develops right here on PokerNewsDaily.com. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Ultimate Fighting Championship
World Wrestling Entertainment
WWE WrestleMania
Poker
Poker News
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Will '12 Rounds' bodyslam box office?, by Marc Graser - Variety - 23rd March 2009
WWE film unit tries capitalizing on top-tier talents
Once Dwayne (formerly the Rock) Johnson made the successful leap from the wrestling mat to the bigscreen, it was only a matter of time before Vince McMahon threw his hat into the filmmaking ring.
"Movies are a logical extension for our company," says the World Wrestling Entertainment topper. "We know how to tell stories."
Yet while telling those stories on television three nights a week consistently generates strong ratings, doing so at the megaplex has proved to be tougher.
After releasing three underwhelming performers at the box office since 2006 -- "See No Evil," "The Marine" and "The Condemned," which earned a collective $49 million worldwide -- WWE is trying to land its first big hit with "12 Rounds," a Renny Harlin-helmed actioner that stars John Cena, easily the company's most popular wrestler.
"Before we were foundering a bit, but we're starting to crank some good things out," McMahon says.
This year, that includes not only "12 Rounds" but an action comedy that would put Cena in front of the cameras this summer as well. WWE also co-produced the third installment of "Behind Enemy Lines" that was released direct-to-DVD earlier this year, as well as a sequel to "The Marine." "Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia" came out in January, with domestic sales in the vicinity of 150,000 units, according to WWE.
Essentially, "12 Rounds" is a second attempt at putting a spotlight on WWE's athletes in more creative ways while also developing a major revenue stream to boost the company's bottom line and promote its brand worldwide.
"There's a real depth of talent we can use," says WWE Studios prexy Michael Lake of the company's roster of wrestlers. "These guys are already entertainers. They're used to taking direction. We want to fashion movies to fit their personalities."
Lake, a former Village Roadshow exec, has headed up the turnaround of WWE's movie efforts since 2007, when he began developing a fresh slate of features and DVD titles together with Dimension Films alum Steve Barnett.
Upcoming theatrical projects include not only the Cena pics but also laffer "Suckerpunch." There's also a sequel to "12 Rounds" (a Western), a reboot of the Chuck Norris franchise "Missing in Action" with MGM and a "Scorpion King" sequel at Universal. All are planned for straight-to-DVD.
Budgets have gone up, with WWE spending around $20 million for theatrical releases and roughly $3 million-$5 million for DVD projects. Just as its TV shows have gone PG, its movies are also shying away from the expected R rating for genre fare.
Landing a distributor was fairly easy. WWE has a relationship with 20th Century Fox, which released "The Marine" in 2006, and will distribute pics via the Fox Atomic label. (WWE also is on Fox's MyNetworkTV.)
"They want to deliver movies that we're going to get behind," says Debbie Liebling, Fox Atomic's prexy of production. "They're very selective in what they put forward and decide internally who's a wrestler and who's a movie star. ... John was great, and we wanted to see him morph into an action star and build him up outside the wrestling world. There's nothing in the movie that speaks to his day job."
WWE's promotional platforms also should be a major asset in marketing the film projects.
The company produces five hours of TV each week watched by tens of millions and has live events, pay-per-view broadcasts, websites, magazines and DVDs it can use to push pics.
"They're great partners because they speak to their audience through so many forms of media on a very consistent basis," says Jeffrey Godsick, exec VP of marketing and digital content at Fox. "They bring the fanbase."
Yet convincing Hollywood the WWE can deliver wasn't easy, mainly because of the mixed results of previous projects.
"We had to educate people on what it is we were going to do," Barnett says.
That effort's worked, in part, because of the types of projects WWE wants to make, which have attracted producers such as Mark Gordon, but also because the company is one of the few that's financing its own films.
"Once Vince says go, we go," Lake says. "There aren't another 20 people to go through."
Going forward, however, WWE knows it needs to make movies that appeal to the masses, not just its core fans, to perform at the box office. The once-lucrative DVD market just isn't as strong as it used to be.
"For our films to be successful, they need to cross over," Barnett says.
To expand its aud, WWE Studios is also branching into television, developing several scripted projects that would feature wrestlers or promote the brand it hopes to start shopping around to not only U.S. networks but overseas channels as well.
But for now, the attention is on "12 Rounds."
Lake says that while WWE's had a lot of meetings around town, laying the foundation of its film division, "you have to back it up with something. With Vince we have a champion who wants to succeed in the movie business."
If "12 Rounds" strikes a chord with audiences, Lake says, "it would say to Vince that he was right."
Media Man Australia Profiles
John Cena
Vince McMahon
WWE Studios
WWE
WWE film unit tries capitalizing on top-tier talents
Once Dwayne (formerly the Rock) Johnson made the successful leap from the wrestling mat to the bigscreen, it was only a matter of time before Vince McMahon threw his hat into the filmmaking ring.
"Movies are a logical extension for our company," says the World Wrestling Entertainment topper. "We know how to tell stories."
Yet while telling those stories on television three nights a week consistently generates strong ratings, doing so at the megaplex has proved to be tougher.
After releasing three underwhelming performers at the box office since 2006 -- "See No Evil," "The Marine" and "The Condemned," which earned a collective $49 million worldwide -- WWE is trying to land its first big hit with "12 Rounds," a Renny Harlin-helmed actioner that stars John Cena, easily the company's most popular wrestler.
"Before we were foundering a bit, but we're starting to crank some good things out," McMahon says.
This year, that includes not only "12 Rounds" but an action comedy that would put Cena in front of the cameras this summer as well. WWE also co-produced the third installment of "Behind Enemy Lines" that was released direct-to-DVD earlier this year, as well as a sequel to "The Marine." "Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia" came out in January, with domestic sales in the vicinity of 150,000 units, according to WWE.
Essentially, "12 Rounds" is a second attempt at putting a spotlight on WWE's athletes in more creative ways while also developing a major revenue stream to boost the company's bottom line and promote its brand worldwide.
"There's a real depth of talent we can use," says WWE Studios prexy Michael Lake of the company's roster of wrestlers. "These guys are already entertainers. They're used to taking direction. We want to fashion movies to fit their personalities."
Lake, a former Village Roadshow exec, has headed up the turnaround of WWE's movie efforts since 2007, when he began developing a fresh slate of features and DVD titles together with Dimension Films alum Steve Barnett.
Upcoming theatrical projects include not only the Cena pics but also laffer "Suckerpunch." There's also a sequel to "12 Rounds" (a Western), a reboot of the Chuck Norris franchise "Missing in Action" with MGM and a "Scorpion King" sequel at Universal. All are planned for straight-to-DVD.
Budgets have gone up, with WWE spending around $20 million for theatrical releases and roughly $3 million-$5 million for DVD projects. Just as its TV shows have gone PG, its movies are also shying away from the expected R rating for genre fare.
Landing a distributor was fairly easy. WWE has a relationship with 20th Century Fox, which released "The Marine" in 2006, and will distribute pics via the Fox Atomic label. (WWE also is on Fox's MyNetworkTV.)
"They want to deliver movies that we're going to get behind," says Debbie Liebling, Fox Atomic's prexy of production. "They're very selective in what they put forward and decide internally who's a wrestler and who's a movie star. ... John was great, and we wanted to see him morph into an action star and build him up outside the wrestling world. There's nothing in the movie that speaks to his day job."
WWE's promotional platforms also should be a major asset in marketing the film projects.
The company produces five hours of TV each week watched by tens of millions and has live events, pay-per-view broadcasts, websites, magazines and DVDs it can use to push pics.
"They're great partners because they speak to their audience through so many forms of media on a very consistent basis," says Jeffrey Godsick, exec VP of marketing and digital content at Fox. "They bring the fanbase."
Yet convincing Hollywood the WWE can deliver wasn't easy, mainly because of the mixed results of previous projects.
"We had to educate people on what it is we were going to do," Barnett says.
That effort's worked, in part, because of the types of projects WWE wants to make, which have attracted producers such as Mark Gordon, but also because the company is one of the few that's financing its own films.
"Once Vince says go, we go," Lake says. "There aren't another 20 people to go through."
Going forward, however, WWE knows it needs to make movies that appeal to the masses, not just its core fans, to perform at the box office. The once-lucrative DVD market just isn't as strong as it used to be.
"For our films to be successful, they need to cross over," Barnett says.
To expand its aud, WWE Studios is also branching into television, developing several scripted projects that would feature wrestlers or promote the brand it hopes to start shopping around to not only U.S. networks but overseas channels as well.
But for now, the attention is on "12 Rounds."
Lake says that while WWE's had a lot of meetings around town, laying the foundation of its film division, "you have to back it up with something. With Vince we have a champion who wants to succeed in the movie business."
If "12 Rounds" strikes a chord with audiences, Lake says, "it would say to Vince that he was right."
Media Man Australia Profiles
John Cena
Vince McMahon
WWE Studios
WWE
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Arizona Hosts WrestleMania® XXVI
February 24, 2009
Stamford, CT, February 24, 2009 -- The City of Glendale, Ariz., Global Spectrum and World Wrestling Entertainment® announced that the University of Phoenix Stadium will host WrestleMania XXVI on Sunday, March 28, 2010.
Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs, Arizona Cardinals’ Coach Ken Whisenhunt and University of Phoenix Stadium General Manager Peter Sullivan joined WWE® Chairman Vince McMahon and several WWE Superstars and Divas in making the announcement today at a press conference at the University of Phoenix Stadium.
WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza is a coveted event for any major city. The pay-per-view event will be televised to more than 100 countries. WrestleMania XXIV pumped $50 million into the local Orlando economy in 2008 and set the Citrus Bowl attendance record with 74,635 fans from all 50 states, five Canadian provinces and 21 countries.
This year’s 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania will take place in Houston’s Reliant Stadium on April 5th where it is expected to set the stadium attendance record.
Visitors from around the world are expected to travel to Arizona and participate in a week’s worth of activities that will culminate with WrestleMania XXVI. Among the activities will be WrestleMania Axxess, WWE Hall of Fame, WrestleManiArt™ exhibition, Monday Night Raw®, and WrestleMania “Rocks the Block” street party. The University of Phoenix stadium was chosen after a year long bid process. This marks the first time the Glendale/Phoenix area has hosted WrestleMania.
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.
Media Man Australia Profiles
WrestleMania
World Wrestling Entertainment
February 24, 2009
Stamford, CT, February 24, 2009 -- The City of Glendale, Ariz., Global Spectrum and World Wrestling Entertainment® announced that the University of Phoenix Stadium will host WrestleMania XXVI on Sunday, March 28, 2010.
Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs, Arizona Cardinals’ Coach Ken Whisenhunt and University of Phoenix Stadium General Manager Peter Sullivan joined WWE® Chairman Vince McMahon and several WWE Superstars and Divas in making the announcement today at a press conference at the University of Phoenix Stadium.
WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza is a coveted event for any major city. The pay-per-view event will be televised to more than 100 countries. WrestleMania XXIV pumped $50 million into the local Orlando economy in 2008 and set the Citrus Bowl attendance record with 74,635 fans from all 50 states, five Canadian provinces and 21 countries.
This year’s 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania will take place in Houston’s Reliant Stadium on April 5th where it is expected to set the stadium attendance record.
Visitors from around the world are expected to travel to Arizona and participate in a week’s worth of activities that will culminate with WrestleMania XXVI. Among the activities will be WrestleMania Axxess, WWE Hall of Fame, WrestleManiArt™ exhibition, Monday Night Raw®, and WrestleMania “Rocks the Block” street party. The University of Phoenix stadium was chosen after a year long bid process. This marks the first time the Glendale/Phoenix area has hosted WrestleMania.
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.
Media Man Australia Profiles
WrestleMania
World Wrestling Entertainment
Ultimate Bet Sponsors WWE WrestleMania, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 15th February 2009
On April 5th, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) presents WrestleMania XXV, which will kick off from Reliant Stadium in Houston, home of the Texans franchise of the National Football League. The annual spectacle is one of the storied events in the wrestling industry and includes an entire week’s worth of activities culminating in the Sunday night event. Online poker room Ultimate Bet recently announced that it is the official Canadian sponsor of WWE WrestleMania.
Annie Duke, who designed the tournament schedule for the Tokwiro-owned online poker site, commented in a press release distributed by Ultimate Bet this week, “We’re proud to partner with WWE on the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and to offer one lucky player the ultimate entertainment experience to be part of all the drama and action of this pop culture extravaganza.”
As part of its sponsorship, Ultimate Bet will be hosting online qualifiers for a WrestleMania prize package. It includes roundtrip airfare for two to Houston, Texas, hotel accommodations, $500 in spending cash, and two tickets to the show itself. In addition, the package will also feature meet and greets with WWE stars, two replica WWE Championship belts, and a framed WrestleMania commemorative poster. Qualifiers are only open to Canadian members of Ultimate Bet over the age of 18 years-old. Residents of Quebec are not eligible. This year’s WrestleMania festivities will also feature inductions into the WWE Hall of Fame. The 2009 class is headlined by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
The very first WrestleMania was held on March 31st, 1985 at historic Madison Square Garden in New York. The inaugural Main Event featured the tag team of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff. Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik defeated Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham to become the new Tag Team Champions. Andre the Giant, then in his heyday, defeated Big John Studd. Others on the card included Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, King Kong Bundy, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake.
The most recent running of WrestleMania occurred on March 30th, 2008. In a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship, Randy Orton defeated John Cena and Triple H to retain his title. The Undertaker bested Edge to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, while a highly-publicized encounter between boxer Floyd Mayweather and The Big Show ended with Mayweather winning by donning brass knuckles. Shawn Michaels defeated “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Kane outlasted a 24 man field to become the number one contender for the ECW title.
WWE, which was forced to change its name from WWF following a challenge by the World Wildlife Foundation in 2002, purchased rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2001. The acquisition ended a battle between the two wrestling federations for control of Monday night programming, which pitted WWE’s "Raw" against WCW’s "Nitro." WWE also purchased the rights to ECW.
World Wrestling Entertainment is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WWE.” It closed trading on Friday down $0.05 to $9.24. It is near the bottom of its 52 week range, $8.76 to $19.86. An article released on Friday by the company noted that it outperformed the S&P 500 Index by 31% in 2008 and handed out a $1.44 dividend to shareholders. Its CEO is Linda McMahon, who has occasionally appeared as an on-screen personality during WWE programming.
Ultimate Bet recently merged player bases with sister site Absolute Poker to form the CEREUS Poker Network. According to PokerScout.com, which tracks online poker room traffic, the CEREUS network is the sixth largest overall, with an average of 2,750 cash game players online. It sits just behind the Ongame Network (2,900) and ahead of Everest Poker (2,600). Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker accept players from the United States. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WrestleMania
World Wrestling Entertainment
Online Casino News
Poker News
On April 5th, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) presents WrestleMania XXV, which will kick off from Reliant Stadium in Houston, home of the Texans franchise of the National Football League. The annual spectacle is one of the storied events in the wrestling industry and includes an entire week’s worth of activities culminating in the Sunday night event. Online poker room Ultimate Bet recently announced that it is the official Canadian sponsor of WWE WrestleMania.
Annie Duke, who designed the tournament schedule for the Tokwiro-owned online poker site, commented in a press release distributed by Ultimate Bet this week, “We’re proud to partner with WWE on the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and to offer one lucky player the ultimate entertainment experience to be part of all the drama and action of this pop culture extravaganza.”
As part of its sponsorship, Ultimate Bet will be hosting online qualifiers for a WrestleMania prize package. It includes roundtrip airfare for two to Houston, Texas, hotel accommodations, $500 in spending cash, and two tickets to the show itself. In addition, the package will also feature meet and greets with WWE stars, two replica WWE Championship belts, and a framed WrestleMania commemorative poster. Qualifiers are only open to Canadian members of Ultimate Bet over the age of 18 years-old. Residents of Quebec are not eligible. This year’s WrestleMania festivities will also feature inductions into the WWE Hall of Fame. The 2009 class is headlined by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
The very first WrestleMania was held on March 31st, 1985 at historic Madison Square Garden in New York. The inaugural Main Event featured the tag team of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff. Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik defeated Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham to become the new Tag Team Champions. Andre the Giant, then in his heyday, defeated Big John Studd. Others on the card included Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, King Kong Bundy, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake.
The most recent running of WrestleMania occurred on March 30th, 2008. In a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship, Randy Orton defeated John Cena and Triple H to retain his title. The Undertaker bested Edge to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, while a highly-publicized encounter between boxer Floyd Mayweather and The Big Show ended with Mayweather winning by donning brass knuckles. Shawn Michaels defeated “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Kane outlasted a 24 man field to become the number one contender for the ECW title.
WWE, which was forced to change its name from WWF following a challenge by the World Wildlife Foundation in 2002, purchased rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2001. The acquisition ended a battle between the two wrestling federations for control of Monday night programming, which pitted WWE’s "Raw" against WCW’s "Nitro." WWE also purchased the rights to ECW.
World Wrestling Entertainment is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WWE.” It closed trading on Friday down $0.05 to $9.24. It is near the bottom of its 52 week range, $8.76 to $19.86. An article released on Friday by the company noted that it outperformed the S&P 500 Index by 31% in 2008 and handed out a $1.44 dividend to shareholders. Its CEO is Linda McMahon, who has occasionally appeared as an on-screen personality during WWE programming.
Ultimate Bet recently merged player bases with sister site Absolute Poker to form the CEREUS Poker Network. According to PokerScout.com, which tracks online poker room traffic, the CEREUS network is the sixth largest overall, with an average of 2,750 cash game players online. It sits just behind the Ongame Network (2,900) and ahead of Everest Poker (2,600). Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker accept players from the United States. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WrestleMania
World Wrestling Entertainment
Online Casino News
Poker News
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
WWE drops subtle hint about Mickey Rourke’s role at WrestleMania - The Baltimore Sun
In a news release, WWE once again confirmed that Mickey Rourke will be appearing at WrestleMania, reiterating a statement that was issued by WWE chairman Vince McMahon back in January.
McMahon, however, only said that “Rourke will be in attendance at WrestleMania.” In yesterday’s release about Rourke’s appearance at the show, WWE wrote that “you never know what is going to happen at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania. Will Mickey stand fast with his friends?”
I think it’s a lock that Rourke will leave his ringside seat and get in at least one punch on Jericho. And there’s your WrestleMania moment. That clip would be all over television and the Internet.
As for the people who have suggested that Steve Austin will make a surprise appearance at WrestleMania to confront Jericho, I don’t see that happening unless Austin decides to do it at the last minute. If WWE is planning on having Austin get involved in the Jericho match in some capacity, it would be incredibly stupid not to promote it ahead of time, because it would surely mean additional pay-per-view buys. (Credit: The Baltimore Sun)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WrestleMania
WWE
In a news release, WWE once again confirmed that Mickey Rourke will be appearing at WrestleMania, reiterating a statement that was issued by WWE chairman Vince McMahon back in January.
McMahon, however, only said that “Rourke will be in attendance at WrestleMania.” In yesterday’s release about Rourke’s appearance at the show, WWE wrote that “you never know what is going to happen at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania. Will Mickey stand fast with his friends?”
I think it’s a lock that Rourke will leave his ringside seat and get in at least one punch on Jericho. And there’s your WrestleMania moment. That clip would be all over television and the Internet.
As for the people who have suggested that Steve Austin will make a surprise appearance at WrestleMania to confront Jericho, I don’t see that happening unless Austin decides to do it at the last minute. If WWE is planning on having Austin get involved in the Jericho match in some capacity, it would be incredibly stupid not to promote it ahead of time, because it would surely mean additional pay-per-view buys. (Credit: The Baltimore Sun)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WrestleMania
WWE
Mickey Rourke WILL be at WrestleMania on April 5! - Los Angeles Times
Despite recent reports of award-winning "The Wrestler" actor Mickey Rourke focusing on his film career, he will definitely be in Houston at WrestleMania 25 on April 5.
At least that's what I was just told by a publicist for Wrestlemania.
But will Mickey jump in the ring? Or will he be dragged in?
One never knows.
Monday night on "RAW," Chris Jericho challenged WWE Hall of Famers (Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper and Ricky Steamboat) to a match at the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania on April 5 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.
All of these dudes are FOMs. This grudge match was started when Mickey Rourke challenged Chris Jericho on the SAG Awards red carpet.
On camera!
But then Mickey backed down when confronted by Chris on "Larry King Live." Naturally, Mickey’s friends have now decided to confront Chris on Mickey’s behalf.
At the end of last night’s challenge on "Monday Night RAW," Chris offered to buy Mickey Rourke a front row seat to WrestleMania.
He also promised that if Rourke shows up, he won't be responsible for what happens to the Academy Award nominee and his pals.
Let's just hope there are no staple guns around that night.
Will you watch the show to see what happens? How could you not?
And is there gonna be a plastic surgeon on call?
Media Man Australia Profiles
Mickey Rourke
The Wrestler
WrestleMania
WWE Hall of Fame
World Wrestling Entertainment
Despite recent reports of award-winning "The Wrestler" actor Mickey Rourke focusing on his film career, he will definitely be in Houston at WrestleMania 25 on April 5.
At least that's what I was just told by a publicist for Wrestlemania.
But will Mickey jump in the ring? Or will he be dragged in?
One never knows.
Monday night on "RAW," Chris Jericho challenged WWE Hall of Famers (Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper and Ricky Steamboat) to a match at the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania on April 5 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.
All of these dudes are FOMs. This grudge match was started when Mickey Rourke challenged Chris Jericho on the SAG Awards red carpet.
On camera!
But then Mickey backed down when confronted by Chris on "Larry King Live." Naturally, Mickey’s friends have now decided to confront Chris on Mickey’s behalf.
At the end of last night’s challenge on "Monday Night RAW," Chris offered to buy Mickey Rourke a front row seat to WrestleMania.
He also promised that if Rourke shows up, he won't be responsible for what happens to the Academy Award nominee and his pals.
Let's just hope there are no staple guns around that night.
Will you watch the show to see what happens? How could you not?
And is there gonna be a plastic surgeon on call?
Media Man Australia Profiles
Mickey Rourke
The Wrestler
WrestleMania
WWE Hall of Fame
World Wrestling Entertainment
Sunday, March 08, 2009
John Cena criticizes "The Marine," says lead role originally written for former WWE star - Pro Wrestling Torch - 6th March 2009
WWE star John Cena says filming the upcoming "12 Rounds" movie was a much better experience than filming "The Marine." Cena is not a fan of his first movie, which he says was written for Steve Austin.
Cena says he was suddenly thrust into the lead role without acting experience. He didn't feel he made a connection with the script.
"The part was originally written for Steve Austin and he was on the outs with WWE at the time," Cena told the local ABC affiliate in Philadelphia. "They were in pre-production ready to shoot the movie. I was literally thrown into the role three weeks prior."
Cena said the experience of learning how to act in front of a camera without a live audience set him up for a better experience with "12 Rounds."
"This one was planned for me and written with me in mind," Cena said. "The story was everything 'The Marine' wasn't. It was a normal everyday guy just going through one hell of a day."
Cena could pass for actor Matt Damon, and the promotional poster for Cena's new movie has the characteristics of Damon's "Bourne" trilogy. Cena says they drew from "Bourne," "Diehard," and "Speed."
Cena laughs about his role in "The Marine" where he was a superhero who was impervious to bullets. The story is different in "12 Rounds" where he feels more comfortable in the lead role.
"This one - I'm just a normal guy," he said. "More of who I am."
Cena said Hollywood is looking for the next action star and he would like to focus his acting career in that area.
He said it's not a smart move to branch outside of action right now. "I'd like to stick with good ass-kicking action movies, then maybe dive into something else," Cena said. (Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE Studios
John Cena
WWE
WWE star John Cena says filming the upcoming "12 Rounds" movie was a much better experience than filming "The Marine." Cena is not a fan of his first movie, which he says was written for Steve Austin.
Cena says he was suddenly thrust into the lead role without acting experience. He didn't feel he made a connection with the script.
"The part was originally written for Steve Austin and he was on the outs with WWE at the time," Cena told the local ABC affiliate in Philadelphia. "They were in pre-production ready to shoot the movie. I was literally thrown into the role three weeks prior."
Cena said the experience of learning how to act in front of a camera without a live audience set him up for a better experience with "12 Rounds."
"This one was planned for me and written with me in mind," Cena said. "The story was everything 'The Marine' wasn't. It was a normal everyday guy just going through one hell of a day."
Cena could pass for actor Matt Damon, and the promotional poster for Cena's new movie has the characteristics of Damon's "Bourne" trilogy. Cena says they drew from "Bourne," "Diehard," and "Speed."
Cena laughs about his role in "The Marine" where he was a superhero who was impervious to bullets. The story is different in "12 Rounds" where he feels more comfortable in the lead role.
"This one - I'm just a normal guy," he said. "More of who I am."
Cena said Hollywood is looking for the next action star and he would like to focus his acting career in that area.
He said it's not a smart move to branch outside of action right now. "I'd like to stick with good ass-kicking action movies, then maybe dive into something else," Cena said. (Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE Studios
John Cena
WWE
'Missing in Action' back in action, by Steven Zeitchik - The Hollywood Reporter - 5th March 2009
"Missing in Action" is being discovered again.
The Chuck Norris Vietnam pic is being developed as a co-production by MGM and the WWE primarily for home video. Jeremy Passmore, who also penned the story for MGM's "Red Dawn" theatrical remake, is on board to write the script with partner Andre Fabrizio.
The original "Missing in Action" centered on Col. James Braddock (Norris), a POW of the Viet Cong who escapes Southeast Asia and heads back to liberate other U.S. captives. Two other pics were released after MGM's 1984 hit, including a prequel and a sequel, during the next four years.
The new film will be updated to reflect modern military realities and will be set during the current Iraq War. World Wrestling Entertainment, which has beefed up film development under its WWE Studios banner, will produce the new "Missing" pic along with Andrew Stevens ("Heist"). WWE is behind the upcoming Fox Atomic release "12 Rounds," starring pro wrestler John Cena.
The "Missing" project is one of three deals for the suddenly hot Passmore and Fabrizio, who are repped by Paradigm, Adam Goldworm's new banner Aperture Entertainment and lawyer Rob Szymanski.
In addition to "Missing," the writers are penning an adaptation of the video game "Stranglehold" for John Woo banner Lion Rock Entertainment. "Stranglehold" is based on the Woo action pic "Hard Boiled," which revolves around mobsters in Hong Kong and Chicago. The game was released in 2007, while the movie, starring Chow Yun-Fat, was released 15 years earlier and became a hit on several continents.
Passmore also penned the biological thriller "Summer's End," which Platinum Dunes is developing at Rogue, as well as "Dawn." Like the revived "Missing," that movie will take a military threat from another era and give it a modern twist.
The duo also have sold a Las Vegas-set action pic titled "The Prince" to genre banner Echo Lake Entertainment. That company is producing the supernatural thriller "The Ward" for John Carpenter to direct, with the iconic helmer also eyeing "Prince" as a directing vehicle. Rick Jacobs will produce "The Prince."
MGM has been developing a host of remakes based on its vast library, with "The Three Stooges" and "RoboCop" among its more high-profile projects. (Credit: The Hollwood Reporter)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE Studios
WWE
"Missing in Action" is being discovered again.
The Chuck Norris Vietnam pic is being developed as a co-production by MGM and the WWE primarily for home video. Jeremy Passmore, who also penned the story for MGM's "Red Dawn" theatrical remake, is on board to write the script with partner Andre Fabrizio.
The original "Missing in Action" centered on Col. James Braddock (Norris), a POW of the Viet Cong who escapes Southeast Asia and heads back to liberate other U.S. captives. Two other pics were released after MGM's 1984 hit, including a prequel and a sequel, during the next four years.
The new film will be updated to reflect modern military realities and will be set during the current Iraq War. World Wrestling Entertainment, which has beefed up film development under its WWE Studios banner, will produce the new "Missing" pic along with Andrew Stevens ("Heist"). WWE is behind the upcoming Fox Atomic release "12 Rounds," starring pro wrestler John Cena.
The "Missing" project is one of three deals for the suddenly hot Passmore and Fabrizio, who are repped by Paradigm, Adam Goldworm's new banner Aperture Entertainment and lawyer Rob Szymanski.
In addition to "Missing," the writers are penning an adaptation of the video game "Stranglehold" for John Woo banner Lion Rock Entertainment. "Stranglehold" is based on the Woo action pic "Hard Boiled," which revolves around mobsters in Hong Kong and Chicago. The game was released in 2007, while the movie, starring Chow Yun-Fat, was released 15 years earlier and became a hit on several continents.
Passmore also penned the biological thriller "Summer's End," which Platinum Dunes is developing at Rogue, as well as "Dawn." Like the revived "Missing," that movie will take a military threat from another era and give it a modern twist.
The duo also have sold a Las Vegas-set action pic titled "The Prince" to genre banner Echo Lake Entertainment. That company is producing the supernatural thriller "The Ward" for John Carpenter to direct, with the iconic helmer also eyeing "Prince" as a directing vehicle. Rick Jacobs will produce "The Prince."
MGM has been developing a host of remakes based on its vast library, with "The Three Stooges" and "RoboCop" among its more high-profile projects. (Credit: The Hollwood Reporter)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE Studios
WWE
Friday, March 06, 2009
"Legends of WrestleMania" video game demo to be released this week, Details on legal process involved - Pro Wrestling Torch - 4th March 2009
THQ will release a playable demo of WWE's "Legends of WrestleMania" video game tomorrow ahead of the video game's official release later this month.
The video game's marketing has focused on the Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant match at WrestleMania III. That match and characters involved, including Bobby Heenan, will be playable in the preview demo.
The process of adding the "legend" characters to the video game started with THQ's creative department, then went through the legal department to obtain licenses for each wrestler.
"First off the process starts here with the Creative team (we basically ask for everybody) and then it gets passed of to our awesome legal team," THQ's Paul Edwards said in a recent WWE chat. "They actually take on most of the work."
Edwards says if an obvious legend is not included on the game, it's most-likely because they could not obtain legal rights to the character.
"Once legal has it they have to go out and secure all of the deals for the talent," Edwards said. "Sadly, they can't always get the talent we want, due to various reasons that our out of our control."
The special edition video game took about a year and half to develop. That included creating new entrance music for wrestlers who never had theme music when they were with WWE.
THQ simplified the gameplay to make it easy for anyone to pick up and play. They eliminated referees, used arenas from WrestleManias 1-15, and limited the game's availability on video game system.
"We didn't make a PS2 version of the game because we really wanted to focus all our effort on the next-gen systems to make the game as high quality as we possibly could," Edwards said. "Basically we didn't want to get too distracted trying to over do it." (Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)
Media Man Australia Profiles
THQ
WWE
WrestleMania
Gaming
Games
Games Warehouse
WWE Video Games
Virtual Worlds
THQ will release a playable demo of WWE's "Legends of WrestleMania" video game tomorrow ahead of the video game's official release later this month.
The video game's marketing has focused on the Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant match at WrestleMania III. That match and characters involved, including Bobby Heenan, will be playable in the preview demo.
The process of adding the "legend" characters to the video game started with THQ's creative department, then went through the legal department to obtain licenses for each wrestler.
"First off the process starts here with the Creative team (we basically ask for everybody) and then it gets passed of to our awesome legal team," THQ's Paul Edwards said in a recent WWE chat. "They actually take on most of the work."
Edwards says if an obvious legend is not included on the game, it's most-likely because they could not obtain legal rights to the character.
"Once legal has it they have to go out and secure all of the deals for the talent," Edwards said. "Sadly, they can't always get the talent we want, due to various reasons that our out of our control."
The special edition video game took about a year and half to develop. That included creating new entrance music for wrestlers who never had theme music when they were with WWE.
THQ simplified the gameplay to make it easy for anyone to pick up and play. They eliminated referees, used arenas from WrestleManias 1-15, and limited the game's availability on video game system.
"We didn't make a PS2 version of the game because we really wanted to focus all our effort on the next-gen systems to make the game as high quality as we possibly could," Edwards said. "Basically we didn't want to get too distracted trying to over do it." (Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)
Media Man Australia Profiles
THQ
WWE
WrestleMania
Gaming
Games
Games Warehouse
WWE Video Games
Virtual Worlds
Thursday, March 05, 2009
WWE Hall of Fame inducts "Cowboy" Bill Watts
Inside the squared circle, he was as tough as they came. Outside the ring, his no-nonsense approach to doing business made him one of the industry’s top promoters. With that, Cowboy Bill Watts now receives due recognition for his contributions by being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
In the 1960s, this native Oklahoman competed in countless sectors of the United States, and had more of his fair share of battles in Japan. So when Watts arrived in the then-World Wide Wrestling Federation in the middle of that decade, it was quickly understood by his peers that he meant business. Along with fellow WWE Hall of Famer Gorilla Monsoon, they were United States Tag Team Champions. Watts also had many an epic struggle with then-WWWF Champion Bruno Sammartino, giving as good as he got in confrontations that took them up and down the eastern seaboard, into sold-out arenas throughout the mid to latter part of the 1960s.
Eventually, Watts decided to wind down his in-ring career and focus on the promotional end of the industry. His take-no-prisoners approach to doing business was regaled in the Mid South area of the United States, and it was there that Mid South Wrestling was born. The loyal and passionate fans in that area would be treated to many individuals who would later go on to join the ranks of WWE – among them, popular WWE fixtures such as “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and WWE Hall of Famers The Junkyard Dog and Jim Ross. Another WWE Hall of Famer - “The Big Cat” Ernie Ladd, was also a mainstay in Mid South Wrestling, which in its latter years would become known as the Universal Wrestling Federation.
By the early 1990s, Watts would become involved in a managerial capacity with WCW, but it was already clear to wrestling enthusiasts everywhere that The Cowboy had conquered the industry as both a ring performer and as a promoter. For his countless contributions through the years on both fronts, WWE welcomes Cowboy Bill Watts as a member of its Hall of Fame, Class of 2009. (Credit: WWE)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE Hall of Fame
WWE
Inside the squared circle, he was as tough as they came. Outside the ring, his no-nonsense approach to doing business made him one of the industry’s top promoters. With that, Cowboy Bill Watts now receives due recognition for his contributions by being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
In the 1960s, this native Oklahoman competed in countless sectors of the United States, and had more of his fair share of battles in Japan. So when Watts arrived in the then-World Wide Wrestling Federation in the middle of that decade, it was quickly understood by his peers that he meant business. Along with fellow WWE Hall of Famer Gorilla Monsoon, they were United States Tag Team Champions. Watts also had many an epic struggle with then-WWWF Champion Bruno Sammartino, giving as good as he got in confrontations that took them up and down the eastern seaboard, into sold-out arenas throughout the mid to latter part of the 1960s.
Eventually, Watts decided to wind down his in-ring career and focus on the promotional end of the industry. His take-no-prisoners approach to doing business was regaled in the Mid South area of the United States, and it was there that Mid South Wrestling was born. The loyal and passionate fans in that area would be treated to many individuals who would later go on to join the ranks of WWE – among them, popular WWE fixtures such as “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and WWE Hall of Famers The Junkyard Dog and Jim Ross. Another WWE Hall of Famer - “The Big Cat” Ernie Ladd, was also a mainstay in Mid South Wrestling, which in its latter years would become known as the Universal Wrestling Federation.
By the early 1990s, Watts would become involved in a managerial capacity with WCW, but it was already clear to wrestling enthusiasts everywhere that The Cowboy had conquered the industry as both a ring performer and as a promoter. For his countless contributions through the years on both fronts, WWE welcomes Cowboy Bill Watts as a member of its Hall of Fame, Class of 2009. (Credit: WWE)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE Hall of Fame
WWE
Sunday, March 01, 2009
WWE News: JBL on Shawn Michaels angle, Gagne tragedy, Working for his wife on Wall Street - Pro Wrestling Torch - 27th February 2009
-- JBL said in his latest blog on WWE Universe that he won't be facing The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 after losing to Shawn Michaels on Raw, but he has other plans.
"I still believe I am destined to do something great at Mania so tune in Monday Night and you will see my plan start to unfold," JBL said.
-- On the tragic Verne Gagne story that is being investigated as a homicide, JBL said: Really sad to hear about the events regarding Mr. Gagne. I really wish him, the other family, and his family the best in the tragedy."
-- One of the big stories on Wall Street last week was his wife, renown investment analyst Meredith Whitney, starting her own firm specializing in Investment Banking. JBL is licensed to work in that area, so he will be helping Meredith advance her career in the financial industry.
Whitney made the decision following the government's recent intervention in the financial market and JBL believes they can compete against other Wall Street firms for business.
"I am now working for my wife-didn't think that would happen, but I am happy," he said.
Link:
JBL blog on WWE Universe
Greg Tingle comment...
JBL might just be the world's greatest active pro wrestler blogger! The way Layfield has diversified and has created numerous revenue streams and news worthy elements in the process is ultra impressive. If being a total package in the pro wresting industry is part of the key, like Hogan and The Rock were able to do so successfully, JBL is a champion all the way. I witnessed Layfield wrestling in Germany approximately 15 years ago and he worked his ass off. It goes not surprise me to see him going so well. His going on record regarding 'The Wrestler' were gutsy and showed insight that the wrestling business seldom sees. It appears that Layfield's goal to not end up broke like 'The Wrestler' and helping fuel his goals. I believe that Layfield is showing strong leadership in the professional wrestling business for taking on what he has, and it may inspire other wrestlers to diversify and think outside the square. Layfield's darn hard work and staying power, combined with his improved mic work has made him stand out from the pack which is part of the secret in the wrestling business. There may be a spot very close to the likes of Roddy Piper, Chris Jericho and The Funks. Layfield in a clique or tag team situation with Triple H might work, with them both being power players that WWE would be much worse off without, and I think the fans and WWE top brass know this. It appears he also has a great career ahead of him as a writer should Layfield do down that path, and in the current times I think one might do well to listen to his firms financial advise as apposed to some of the others on Wall Street. JBL used to be average, but these days he's a champion. The real deal and one major player for 2009, both in the WWE and in his other endeavours. (Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)
Media Man Australia Profiles
JBL
WrestleMania
WWE
-- JBL said in his latest blog on WWE Universe that he won't be facing The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 after losing to Shawn Michaels on Raw, but he has other plans.
"I still believe I am destined to do something great at Mania so tune in Monday Night and you will see my plan start to unfold," JBL said.
-- On the tragic Verne Gagne story that is being investigated as a homicide, JBL said: Really sad to hear about the events regarding Mr. Gagne. I really wish him, the other family, and his family the best in the tragedy."
-- One of the big stories on Wall Street last week was his wife, renown investment analyst Meredith Whitney, starting her own firm specializing in Investment Banking. JBL is licensed to work in that area, so he will be helping Meredith advance her career in the financial industry.
Whitney made the decision following the government's recent intervention in the financial market and JBL believes they can compete against other Wall Street firms for business.
"I am now working for my wife-didn't think that would happen, but I am happy," he said.
Link:
JBL blog on WWE Universe
Greg Tingle comment...
JBL might just be the world's greatest active pro wrestler blogger! The way Layfield has diversified and has created numerous revenue streams and news worthy elements in the process is ultra impressive. If being a total package in the pro wresting industry is part of the key, like Hogan and The Rock were able to do so successfully, JBL is a champion all the way. I witnessed Layfield wrestling in Germany approximately 15 years ago and he worked his ass off. It goes not surprise me to see him going so well. His going on record regarding 'The Wrestler' were gutsy and showed insight that the wrestling business seldom sees. It appears that Layfield's goal to not end up broke like 'The Wrestler' and helping fuel his goals. I believe that Layfield is showing strong leadership in the professional wrestling business for taking on what he has, and it may inspire other wrestlers to diversify and think outside the square. Layfield's darn hard work and staying power, combined with his improved mic work has made him stand out from the pack which is part of the secret in the wrestling business. There may be a spot very close to the likes of Roddy Piper, Chris Jericho and The Funks. Layfield in a clique or tag team situation with Triple H might work, with them both being power players that WWE would be much worse off without, and I think the fans and WWE top brass know this. It appears he also has a great career ahead of him as a writer should Layfield do down that path, and in the current times I think one might do well to listen to his firms financial advise as apposed to some of the others on Wall Street. JBL used to be average, but these days he's a champion. The real deal and one major player for 2009, both in the WWE and in his other endeavours. (Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)
Media Man Australia Profiles
JBL
WrestleMania
WWE
Freddie Prinze Jr leaves WWE - 1st March 2009
Scooby-Doo star Freddie Prinze Jr has quit his job working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
The actor, an avid wrestling fan, joined the company's creative team in July 2008 contributing to weekly television shows for the SmackDown brand.
However, the star had not been seen at a taping of the programme for several months, leading to rumours of a rift between Prinze Jr and wrestling bosses.
Prinze Jr left the company last Friday after swapping to a part-time role within the creative team, according to PWInsider.com.
A representative for WWE could not be reached for comment as WENN went to press.
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
Scooby-Doo star Freddie Prinze Jr has quit his job working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
The actor, an avid wrestling fan, joined the company's creative team in July 2008 contributing to weekly television shows for the SmackDown brand.
However, the star had not been seen at a taping of the programme for several months, leading to rumours of a rift between Prinze Jr and wrestling bosses.
Prinze Jr left the company last Friday after swapping to a part-time role within the creative team, according to PWInsider.com.
A representative for WWE could not be reached for comment as WENN went to press.
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
Saturday, February 28, 2009
WWE Hall Of Fame 2009
Media Man Australia Profiles
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Terry Funk
Dory Funk Jr.
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
WWE
Website
WWE Hall of Fame
Media Man Australia Profiles
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Terry Funk
Dory Funk Jr.
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
WWE
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WWE Hall of Fame
Wrestling with a crisis - Fairfax - 27th February 2009
The wrestling sector revealed this week that it has taken a body blow from the economic crisis. World Wrestling Entertainment reported a sharp slide in profits and then announced plans to sack 10 per cent of its workforce.
Apparently the number of people wanting to watch large lycra-clad men and women grappling one another fell in the December quarter, and net profit slid 37 per cent to $US13.6 million ($21 million). Pay-per-view and live attendances were down, ratings for the WWE television show SmackDown fell 25 per cent and DVD shipments fell 36 per cent.
The chief executive, Linda McMahon, said: "Over the past year we've seen a difficult economic environment, which deteriorated in the latter half of the year and became especially harsh in the fourth quarter."
With fears that the US stimulus package would not improve the situation enough, WWE said it would proceed with a $US20 million-a-year cost-cutting program.
"WWE may face more challenging trends in the near-term, and circumstances require us to operate in a smarter, more efficient way," McMahon said.
More disappointing was the group's full-year result, which contained $US17.6 million in impairments on two films, See No Evil and The Condemned. It is unclear why the latter, which stars the wrestler Steve "Stone Cold" Austin, was a commercial failure.
The Condemned received rave reviews in the US and narrowly missed out on a nomination for this week's Oscars. Rated R, it tells the story of a prisoner on death row, Jack Conrad, who is "purchased" by a wealthy producer to take part in an "illegal" reality TV game show. Conrad is pitted against nine other death-row inmates from other parts of the world in a fight to the death on a desert island.
A review in The New York Times said: "As one character lectures on the ethics of broadcasting heavily manipulated violence, it is clear the producers, World Wrestling Entertainment, are as ignorant of irony as they are of filmmaking."
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
WWE Studios
The wrestling sector revealed this week that it has taken a body blow from the economic crisis. World Wrestling Entertainment reported a sharp slide in profits and then announced plans to sack 10 per cent of its workforce.
Apparently the number of people wanting to watch large lycra-clad men and women grappling one another fell in the December quarter, and net profit slid 37 per cent to $US13.6 million ($21 million). Pay-per-view and live attendances were down, ratings for the WWE television show SmackDown fell 25 per cent and DVD shipments fell 36 per cent.
The chief executive, Linda McMahon, said: "Over the past year we've seen a difficult economic environment, which deteriorated in the latter half of the year and became especially harsh in the fourth quarter."
With fears that the US stimulus package would not improve the situation enough, WWE said it would proceed with a $US20 million-a-year cost-cutting program.
"WWE may face more challenging trends in the near-term, and circumstances require us to operate in a smarter, more efficient way," McMahon said.
More disappointing was the group's full-year result, which contained $US17.6 million in impairments on two films, See No Evil and The Condemned. It is unclear why the latter, which stars the wrestler Steve "Stone Cold" Austin, was a commercial failure.
The Condemned received rave reviews in the US and narrowly missed out on a nomination for this week's Oscars. Rated R, it tells the story of a prisoner on death row, Jack Conrad, who is "purchased" by a wealthy producer to take part in an "illegal" reality TV game show. Conrad is pitted against nine other death-row inmates from other parts of the world in a fight to the death on a desert island.
A review in The New York Times said: "As one character lectures on the ethics of broadcasting heavily manipulated violence, it is clear the producers, World Wrestling Entertainment, are as ignorant of irony as they are of filmmaking."
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WWE
WWE Studios
WWE Hall of Fame, WrestleMania and 'The Wrestler'
Media Man Australia news story in development
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More details soon
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Websites
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The Wrestler
Media Man Australia news story in development
Collaboration with News Limited
More details soon
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
Websites
WWE Hall of Fame
WrestleMania
The Wrestler
Judge dismisses suit against WWE, by Monica Potts - The Advocate - 26th February 2009
STAMFORD -- A federal judge this week dismissed a lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. by former independent contract wrestlers who claimed the organization cheated them out of health care and other benefits.
The wrestlers -- Scott "Raven" Levy, Christopher "Kanyon" Klucsarits and "Above Average" Michael Sanders -- said the level of control exerted over them by the WWE qualified them as full-time employees.
They said they signed contracts that dictated their compensation, physical training regimens, dates and sites of matches, costumes and storylines for their wrestling personae. WWE also reserved the right to use their images and submitted them to drug screenings, the wrestlers said.
The WWE avoided withholding federal taxes from their paychecks by not classifying them as full-time employees, the suit said. The company did not pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, nor did it pay for performers' benefits such as health care and vacation time, the suit said.
The suit was filed in July in state Superior Court and then was moved to U.S. District Court for Connecticut. The plaintiffs also sought class-action status.
On Monday in New Haven, Senior U.S. District Judge Peter Dorsey granted a WWE motion asking for dismissal. The suit was dismissed Tuesday.
The wrestlers' attorney, David Golub, said they would pursue the case and were considering their options. They could ask the judge to reconsider the decision or file.
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
STAMFORD -- A federal judge this week dismissed a lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. by former independent contract wrestlers who claimed the organization cheated them out of health care and other benefits.
The wrestlers -- Scott "Raven" Levy, Christopher "Kanyon" Klucsarits and "Above Average" Michael Sanders -- said the level of control exerted over them by the WWE qualified them as full-time employees.
They said they signed contracts that dictated their compensation, physical training regimens, dates and sites of matches, costumes and storylines for their wrestling personae. WWE also reserved the right to use their images and submitted them to drug screenings, the wrestlers said.
The WWE avoided withholding federal taxes from their paychecks by not classifying them as full-time employees, the suit said. The company did not pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, nor did it pay for performers' benefits such as health care and vacation time, the suit said.
The suit was filed in July in state Superior Court and then was moved to U.S. District Court for Connecticut. The plaintiffs also sought class-action status.
On Monday in New Haven, Senior U.S. District Judge Peter Dorsey granted a WWE motion asking for dismissal. The suit was dismissed Tuesday.
The wrestlers' attorney, David Golub, said they would pursue the case and were considering their options. They could ask the judge to reconsider the decision or file.
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
Friday, February 27, 2009
WWE Monday Night RAW Ratings Soar Over the Top Rope
Last Two Weeks on USA Nets Highest Ratings in Almost Seven Years
NEW YORK, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire -- The last two weeks on WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW have broken ground to ratings highs not seen in almost seven years for the year-round ratings titan. The 2/16 and 2/23 episodes have delivered an average of 6.015 million total viewers, 3.028 million in P18-49, 2.9 million in P25-54, 4.055 million households and a household coverage rating of 4.1.
"Charismatic characters, high production value, intricate storylines, action-adventure, soap opera, rock concert, comedy, athleticism, and drama are all a recipe for success. When combined with the partnership of USA Network, Monday Night RAW is the undisputed champion of cable television" said Kevin Dunn, Executive Vice President, Television Production.
The two week delivery of 6 million total viewers for RAW was the first time that has happened in almost seven years -- since April 2002
RAW delivered over 3 million in P18-49 two weeks in a row, the first time that has happened in 6 /12 years -- since August 2002
This past week the 10pm hour USA was the #1 TV network among M18-34 (1.153 million) almost doubling the nearest competitor ABC. The 10pm RAW segment also drew in more M18-34 viewers for the night than Fox's 24 (9pm). USA was also #1 in the 10pm hour, above all TV channels, among M25-54 (2.262 million) and M18-49 (2.219 million) and beat CSI Miami among P18-49 (3.258 million). In the 9pm hour USA topped both ABC's The Bachelor and CBS among M18-34 (880,000) and beat The Bachelor among both M18-49 (1.1814 million) and M25-54 (1.951).
*Note: all weekly daypart and program data is Live+SD.
USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in 94 million U.S. homes. A division of NBC Universal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.
Website: http://www.usanetwork.com
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
Last Two Weeks on USA Nets Highest Ratings in Almost Seven Years
NEW YORK, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire -- The last two weeks on WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW have broken ground to ratings highs not seen in almost seven years for the year-round ratings titan. The 2/16 and 2/23 episodes have delivered an average of 6.015 million total viewers, 3.028 million in P18-49, 2.9 million in P25-54, 4.055 million households and a household coverage rating of 4.1.
"Charismatic characters, high production value, intricate storylines, action-adventure, soap opera, rock concert, comedy, athleticism, and drama are all a recipe for success. When combined with the partnership of USA Network, Monday Night RAW is the undisputed champion of cable television" said Kevin Dunn, Executive Vice President, Television Production.
The two week delivery of 6 million total viewers for RAW was the first time that has happened in almost seven years -- since April 2002
RAW delivered over 3 million in P18-49 two weeks in a row, the first time that has happened in 6 /12 years -- since August 2002
This past week the 10pm hour USA was the #1 TV network among M18-34 (1.153 million) almost doubling the nearest competitor ABC. The 10pm RAW segment also drew in more M18-34 viewers for the night than Fox's 24 (9pm). USA was also #1 in the 10pm hour, above all TV channels, among M25-54 (2.262 million) and M18-49 (2.219 million) and beat CSI Miami among P18-49 (3.258 million). In the 9pm hour USA topped both ABC's The Bachelor and CBS among M18-34 (880,000) and beat The Bachelor among both M18-49 (1.1814 million) and M25-54 (1.951).
*Note: all weekly daypart and program data is Live+SD.
USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in 94 million U.S. homes. A division of NBC Universal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.
Website: http://www.usanetwork.com
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Ultimate Bet Sponsors WWE WrestleMania, by Tom Jenkins - Poker News Daily - 15th February 2009
On April 5th, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) presents WrestleMania XXV, which will kick off from Reliant Stadium in Houston, home of the Texans franchise of the National Football League. The annual spectacle is one of the storied events in the wrestling industry and includes an entire week’s worth of activities culminating in the Sunday night event. Online poker room Ultimate Bet recently announced that it is the official Canadian sponsor of WWE WrestleMania.
Annie Duke, who designed the tournament schedule for the Tokwiro-owned online poker site, commented in a press release distributed by Ultimate Bet this week, “We’re proud to partner with WWE on the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and to offer one lucky player the ultimate entertainment experience to be part of all the drama and action of this pop culture extravaganza.”
As part of its sponsorship, Ultimate Bet will be hosting online qualifiers for a WrestleMania prize package. It includes roundtrip airfare for two to Houston, Texas, hotel accommodations, $500 in spending cash, and two tickets to the show itself. In addition, the package will also feature meet and greets with WWE stars, two replica WWE Championship belts, and a framed WrestleMania commemorative poster. Qualifiers are only open to Canadian members of Ultimate Bet over the age of 18 years-old. Residents of Quebec are not eligible. This year’s WrestleMania festivities will also feature inductions into the WWE Hall of Fame. The 2009 class is headlined by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
The very first WrestleMania was held on March 31st, 1985 at historic Madison Square Garden in New York. The inaugural Main Event featured the tag team of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff. Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik defeated Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham to become the new Tag Team Champions. Andre the Giant, then in his heyday, defeated Big John Studd. Others on the card included Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, King Kong Bundy, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake.
The most recent running of WrestleMania occurred on March 30th, 2008. In a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship, Randy Orton defeated John Cena and Triple H to retain his title. The Undertaker bested Edge to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, while a highly-publicized encounter between boxer Floyd Mayweather and The Big Show ended with Mayweather winning by donning brass knuckles. Shawn Michaels defeated “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Kane outlasted a 24 man field to become the number one contender for the ECW title.
WWE, which was forced to change its name from WWF following a challenge by the World Wildlife Foundation in 2002, purchased rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2001. The acquisition ended a battle between the two wrestling federations for control of Monday night programming, which pitted WWE’s “Raw” against WCW’s “Nitro.” WWE also purchased the rights to ECW.
World Wrestling Entertainment is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WWE.” It closed trading on Friday down $0.05 to $9.24. It is near the bottom of its 52 week range, $8.76 to $19.86. An article released on Friday by the company noted that it outperformed the S&P 500 Index by 31% in 2008 and handed out a $1.44 dividend to shareholders. Its CEO is Linda McMahon, who has occasionally appeared as an on-screen personality during WWE programming.
Ultimate Bet recently merged player bases with sister site Absolute Poker to form the CEREUS Poker Network. According to PokerScout.com, which tracks online poker room traffic, the CEREUS network is the sixth largest overall, with an average of 2,750 cash game players online. It sits just behind the Ongame Network (2,900) and ahead of Everest Poker (2,600). Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker accept players from the United States. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
WrestleMania
Ultimate Bet
Poker News
On April 5th, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) presents WrestleMania XXV, which will kick off from Reliant Stadium in Houston, home of the Texans franchise of the National Football League. The annual spectacle is one of the storied events in the wrestling industry and includes an entire week’s worth of activities culminating in the Sunday night event. Online poker room Ultimate Bet recently announced that it is the official Canadian sponsor of WWE WrestleMania.
Annie Duke, who designed the tournament schedule for the Tokwiro-owned online poker site, commented in a press release distributed by Ultimate Bet this week, “We’re proud to partner with WWE on the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and to offer one lucky player the ultimate entertainment experience to be part of all the drama and action of this pop culture extravaganza.”
As part of its sponsorship, Ultimate Bet will be hosting online qualifiers for a WrestleMania prize package. It includes roundtrip airfare for two to Houston, Texas, hotel accommodations, $500 in spending cash, and two tickets to the show itself. In addition, the package will also feature meet and greets with WWE stars, two replica WWE Championship belts, and a framed WrestleMania commemorative poster. Qualifiers are only open to Canadian members of Ultimate Bet over the age of 18 years-old. Residents of Quebec are not eligible. This year’s WrestleMania festivities will also feature inductions into the WWE Hall of Fame. The 2009 class is headlined by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
The very first WrestleMania was held on March 31st, 1985 at historic Madison Square Garden in New York. The inaugural Main Event featured the tag team of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff. Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik defeated Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham to become the new Tag Team Champions. Andre the Giant, then in his heyday, defeated Big John Studd. Others on the card included Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, King Kong Bundy, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake.
The most recent running of WrestleMania occurred on March 30th, 2008. In a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship, Randy Orton defeated John Cena and Triple H to retain his title. The Undertaker bested Edge to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, while a highly-publicized encounter between boxer Floyd Mayweather and The Big Show ended with Mayweather winning by donning brass knuckles. Shawn Michaels defeated “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Kane outlasted a 24 man field to become the number one contender for the ECW title.
WWE, which was forced to change its name from WWF following a challenge by the World Wildlife Foundation in 2002, purchased rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2001. The acquisition ended a battle between the two wrestling federations for control of Monday night programming, which pitted WWE’s “Raw” against WCW’s “Nitro.” WWE also purchased the rights to ECW.
World Wrestling Entertainment is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WWE.” It closed trading on Friday down $0.05 to $9.24. It is near the bottom of its 52 week range, $8.76 to $19.86. An article released on Friday by the company noted that it outperformed the S&P 500 Index by 31% in 2008 and handed out a $1.44 dividend to shareholders. Its CEO is Linda McMahon, who has occasionally appeared as an on-screen personality during WWE programming.
Ultimate Bet recently merged player bases with sister site Absolute Poker to form the CEREUS Poker Network. According to PokerScout.com, which tracks online poker room traffic, the CEREUS network is the sixth largest overall, with an average of 2,750 cash game players online. It sits just behind the Ongame Network (2,900) and ahead of Everest Poker (2,600). Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker accept players from the United States. (Credit: Poker News Daily)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
WrestleMania
Ultimate Bet
Poker News
Sunday, February 15, 2009
WWE Hall Of Fame Inductees for 2009 Include:
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Terry Funk
Dory Funk Jr
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Randy "Macho Man" Savage
Von Erich Family
Gary Hart
More names soon
Website
WWE Hall Of Fame
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Terry Funk
Dory Funk Jr
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Randy "Macho Man" Savage
Von Erich Family
Gary Hart
More names soon
Website
WWE Hall Of Fame
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin™ ToO Be In WWE ® Hall Of Fame
January 13, 2009
STAMFORD, CONN., January 13, 2009 – World Wrestling Entertainment® announced today that the most popular Superstar in the history of the WWE, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on April 4th at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas during the weekend of the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the man who revolutionized an industry, holds every all-time WWE record, including live attendance, Pay-Per-View buys, licensing and merchandise.
Tickets go on sale for the Hall of Fame Ceremony this Saturday, January 17th and are available through: http://www.houstontoyotacenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office, or by calling 1-866-4HOUTIX.
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
Media Man Australia Profiles
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin
WWE
January 13, 2009
STAMFORD, CONN., January 13, 2009 – World Wrestling Entertainment® announced today that the most popular Superstar in the history of the WWE, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on April 4th at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas during the weekend of the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the man who revolutionized an industry, holds every all-time WWE record, including live attendance, Pay-Per-View buys, licensing and merchandise.
Tickets go on sale for the Hall of Fame Ceremony this Saturday, January 17th and are available through: http://www.houstontoyotacenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office, or by calling 1-866-4HOUTIX.
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
Media Man Australia Profiles
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin
WWE
Sunday, February 01, 2009
WWE News: JBL describes his biggest fear of ending up broke, like in "The Wrestler", By James Caldwell, PWTorch.com assistant editor
In the current U.S. economic situation, diversifying where the money is coming from and where investment money is going is very important to maintain a healthy financial position.
Eventually we'll see how WWE's incoming revenue and outgoing investments fared in the fourth quarter 2008 and overall year, as the company is delayed in announcing revenue results for last quarter, but WWE Raw star JBL is taking the "diversification" route very seriously.
He reveals in his latest WWE Universe blog that it's partly out of fear for ending up broke, with real-life imitating art through the Shawn Michaels employment storyline.
JBL has diversified his income sources through the creation of Layfield Energy to distribute energy-related products in case the WWE career and financial analyst positions fall through. Yet, he remains haunted by a fear in the wrestling aspect of his job aspirations.
"My biggest fear is to end up broke," JBL said on WWE Universe. "I once saw an old wrestler who had made a lot of money working as the ground keeper at a Red Roof in Charlotte - that has haunted me to this day."
JBL points to his age as one reason why recently watching "The Wrestler" movie "scares me." Motivated partially by fear, JBL doesn't want end up like some of his peers.
"It's one reason I work so hard to not be him," JBL said. "Because there are a lot of guys who have made a lot of money who have ended up broke, and that is very sad."
Link: JBL blog on WWE Universe.
Caldwell's Analysis: It's tough to thrive in the current economic environment because it's easy to live in a state of fear about job security, not only in WWE, but in real-world jobs where valued workers are actually called employees, not bogus independent contractors. Every day, I hear about a friend who's living in fear of losing his or her job, or recently was laid off. I'm sure many of you Torch readers have experienced someone close being in that situation.
It's certainly not a WWE-only thing, but many wrestlers are considered to be paranoid by nature because they're competing for TV spots and PPV headlining-matches in a very subjective environment of deciding who gets those spots. So, when you see a wrestler protect his body in the ring or wrestle a soft match, don't think it's because the wrestler is trying to cheat the fans, but because he has to protect his investment on a constant basis, especially with WWE releasing talent left and right.
Which brings me to another point on the ultimate oxymoron in the world of an "independent contractor being released." How does someone who's considered "independent" of a company become released? WWE doesn't have any right to "release" someone, when the contractor - in the spirit of the law - should control the work he or she is to perform. It's completely ludicrous. End Rant.
Greg Tingle comment...
All respect to JBL for speaking on these things. My late father, who was mates (and workmates) with a few of the Australian pro wrestlers in the 1980s, thanks to the truck driving profession (where a few of the pro wrestlers got their real pay days) told me.. "balance is the key". I'm not certain the term had been coined back then, but he meant Mind, Body and Spirit. We said along the lines of "work on the body and work on the mind, and work hard".
It's in the best interests of the wrestlers (and their loved ones) that they do prepare for rainy day. As we know, the WWE business model can only allow for a certain amount of workers to be on the books at any one time. It's great the pro wrestling can offer huge exposure via the audience and to network big wigs and the like. Standing out from the pack and being very good or excellent at something else has proven to be a largely successful formula. The best wrestlers are usually very good actors, and they take that mainstream, sometimes with assistance from WWE Studios, sometimes in non WWE productions.
Wrestlers doing MMA, indy productions and "shoot interviews" has mixed results for their career path.
The bottom line is that the pro wrestler needs to do their best, in and out of the ring, to help ensure their livelihood for the day that they hang up their tights and are no longer wanted or needed by the world's top and highest paying pro wrestling promotions. The worker needs to protect their best interests, and that includes taking calculated risks and putting on the best show possible, that both promoter and fans will be happy with, but not killing themselves by getting banged up too badly in the progress.
Next time you think about giving a star rating to a pro wrestling match, think outside the square and take into consideration that the wrestler may be pacing themselves or be in the middle of a hectic travel schedule, or even be in great pain.
JBL's holistic approach - wrestling, financials, private business, commentating and the spot of writing, and intelligent choice of life and business partners, appears to be very sound, and would appear to be a good model for other pro wrestlers to follow. Of course, most pro wrestlers haven't got their pro wrestling to JBL's stage, but it sure the hell is something to aspire to.
I witnessed JBL wrestle in person at a roughhouse wrestling venue in Germany approx 15 years ago, and I had no idea he would make it as big as he has. Nothing stays the same forever... careers go in cycles - up and down. JBL was putting the work in way back then, and I had no idea that he was heading for greatness, but he sure worked hard in the match. JBL must have had a plan and a vision, and he knew where was heading - to the top of one of the the professions in the world.
Disclaimer: I joined JBL's Layfield Energy b2b program as a both a mark of respect and support for wrestlers who can see beyond the flashy lights and body slamming. Our website already has WWE, MBS and JBL content, and attracts over 1 million hits per month, so it was a perfect fit. If it makes some good money for me, that's a bonus, but I did as respect and to support JBL's smarts, guts and leadership. It's great to see that more pro wrestlers and starting to "get it", and much like (some) Australian NRL (National Rugby League) players and clubs, are taking steps to plan for the future, for when their bodies or desire won't be up to being just that "slice of meat" that the promoters hired them to be. The business needs more JBL's, and I would think the McMahon and other top promoters would be supportive. It also helps protect their investment and reputations. Here's to success on all levels.
(Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
John Bradshaw Layfield
Layfield's Energy
Wrestling
The Wrestler
In the current U.S. economic situation, diversifying where the money is coming from and where investment money is going is very important to maintain a healthy financial position.
Eventually we'll see how WWE's incoming revenue and outgoing investments fared in the fourth quarter 2008 and overall year, as the company is delayed in announcing revenue results for last quarter, but WWE Raw star JBL is taking the "diversification" route very seriously.
He reveals in his latest WWE Universe blog that it's partly out of fear for ending up broke, with real-life imitating art through the Shawn Michaels employment storyline.
JBL has diversified his income sources through the creation of Layfield Energy to distribute energy-related products in case the WWE career and financial analyst positions fall through. Yet, he remains haunted by a fear in the wrestling aspect of his job aspirations.
"My biggest fear is to end up broke," JBL said on WWE Universe. "I once saw an old wrestler who had made a lot of money working as the ground keeper at a Red Roof in Charlotte - that has haunted me to this day."
JBL points to his age as one reason why recently watching "The Wrestler" movie "scares me." Motivated partially by fear, JBL doesn't want end up like some of his peers.
"It's one reason I work so hard to not be him," JBL said. "Because there are a lot of guys who have made a lot of money who have ended up broke, and that is very sad."
Link: JBL blog on WWE Universe.
Caldwell's Analysis: It's tough to thrive in the current economic environment because it's easy to live in a state of fear about job security, not only in WWE, but in real-world jobs where valued workers are actually called employees, not bogus independent contractors. Every day, I hear about a friend who's living in fear of losing his or her job, or recently was laid off. I'm sure many of you Torch readers have experienced someone close being in that situation.
It's certainly not a WWE-only thing, but many wrestlers are considered to be paranoid by nature because they're competing for TV spots and PPV headlining-matches in a very subjective environment of deciding who gets those spots. So, when you see a wrestler protect his body in the ring or wrestle a soft match, don't think it's because the wrestler is trying to cheat the fans, but because he has to protect his investment on a constant basis, especially with WWE releasing talent left and right.
Which brings me to another point on the ultimate oxymoron in the world of an "independent contractor being released." How does someone who's considered "independent" of a company become released? WWE doesn't have any right to "release" someone, when the contractor - in the spirit of the law - should control the work he or she is to perform. It's completely ludicrous. End Rant.
Greg Tingle comment...
All respect to JBL for speaking on these things. My late father, who was mates (and workmates) with a few of the Australian pro wrestlers in the 1980s, thanks to the truck driving profession (where a few of the pro wrestlers got their real pay days) told me.. "balance is the key". I'm not certain the term had been coined back then, but he meant Mind, Body and Spirit. We said along the lines of "work on the body and work on the mind, and work hard".
It's in the best interests of the wrestlers (and their loved ones) that they do prepare for rainy day. As we know, the WWE business model can only allow for a certain amount of workers to be on the books at any one time. It's great the pro wrestling can offer huge exposure via the audience and to network big wigs and the like. Standing out from the pack and being very good or excellent at something else has proven to be a largely successful formula. The best wrestlers are usually very good actors, and they take that mainstream, sometimes with assistance from WWE Studios, sometimes in non WWE productions.
Wrestlers doing MMA, indy productions and "shoot interviews" has mixed results for their career path.
The bottom line is that the pro wrestler needs to do their best, in and out of the ring, to help ensure their livelihood for the day that they hang up their tights and are no longer wanted or needed by the world's top and highest paying pro wrestling promotions. The worker needs to protect their best interests, and that includes taking calculated risks and putting on the best show possible, that both promoter and fans will be happy with, but not killing themselves by getting banged up too badly in the progress.
Next time you think about giving a star rating to a pro wrestling match, think outside the square and take into consideration that the wrestler may be pacing themselves or be in the middle of a hectic travel schedule, or even be in great pain.
JBL's holistic approach - wrestling, financials, private business, commentating and the spot of writing, and intelligent choice of life and business partners, appears to be very sound, and would appear to be a good model for other pro wrestlers to follow. Of course, most pro wrestlers haven't got their pro wrestling to JBL's stage, but it sure the hell is something to aspire to.
I witnessed JBL wrestle in person at a roughhouse wrestling venue in Germany approx 15 years ago, and I had no idea he would make it as big as he has. Nothing stays the same forever... careers go in cycles - up and down. JBL was putting the work in way back then, and I had no idea that he was heading for greatness, but he sure worked hard in the match. JBL must have had a plan and a vision, and he knew where was heading - to the top of one of the the professions in the world.
Disclaimer: I joined JBL's Layfield Energy b2b program as a both a mark of respect and support for wrestlers who can see beyond the flashy lights and body slamming. Our website already has WWE, MBS and JBL content, and attracts over 1 million hits per month, so it was a perfect fit. If it makes some good money for me, that's a bonus, but I did as respect and to support JBL's smarts, guts and leadership. It's great to see that more pro wrestlers and starting to "get it", and much like (some) Australian NRL (National Rugby League) players and clubs, are taking steps to plan for the future, for when their bodies or desire won't be up to being just that "slice of meat" that the promoters hired them to be. The business needs more JBL's, and I would think the McMahon and other top promoters would be supportive. It also helps protect their investment and reputations. Here's to success on all levels.
(Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
John Bradshaw Layfield
Layfield's Energy
Wrestling
The Wrestler
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
'Legends of Wrestling' is a great look back, by Mark Satrang, Pro Wrestling Examiner - 27th January 2009
Today, January 27, 2009, World Wrestling Entertainment released another fantastic DVD set, this one entitled “Legends of Wrestling.”
The 3-disc boxed set features a series of roundtable discussions from long-time wrestling personalities and Hall of Famers in their own right, talking about other legends and important moments in wrestling history. The format features a moderator and four long-time wrestling personalities sitting roundtable style giving their uncensored thoughts on the subjects at hand. The discussion is truly unscripted and unfiltered, as these panelists have known and worked with these discussion subjects for a long time, and all have their own unique thoughts, whether good or bad. It’s a good thing there is a moderator to keep the subject on task or else the charismatic panel would take the discussion somewhere completely off subject.
The first disc features a panel discussion on former World Heavyweight Champions Sgt. Slaughter and “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair. In addition to the discussion a series of matches from both men’s careers are included as extras on the disc.
The second disc follows the same format with a roundtable discussion on Jerry “The King” Lawler and Junkyard Dog, two men who were big stars in their own right in World Wrestling Entertainment, but were also very successful in the “old days” of the territory system.
The third disc is the most interesting of the boxed set, as the roundtable discusses “Heatseekers” in wrestling, which essentially was a talk about controversial or unpopular people and characters in wrestling history. The extras features matches from a variety of “heatseekers,” including the Fabulous Freebirds, Scott Hall, Vince Russo, Buff Bagwell and others. The roundtable talk is definitely the most entertaining of the three discs.
As an extra bonus, Best Buy is also selling three separate DVDs with more roundtable discussions and match extras. One highlights former WWE Champions Andre the Giant & the Iron Sheik, a second is about another pair of former WWE Champions in Hulk Hogan & Bob Backlund and the third and final disc discusses the always wild and controversial characters of Rowdy Roddy Piper and Terry Funk.
These roundtable discussions are absolutely fascinating for a wrestling history nerd like myself. It’s great to be able to “pull back the curtain” and see what these industry greats think of their peers good or bad. And much like having a conversation with any “old-timer,” a lot of funny stories come out the discussion. A lot of the panelists are good friends and you can see that camaraderie come out while they talk with each other.
The match extras are an absolutely great bonus for the DVDs, but the discussions are definitely the highlight of the discs. This is only six of the Legends roundtables as more have been recorded and distributed via WWE 24/7, and I’m sure if this set does well we can be sure to see more released on DVD in the near future.
For a fan old-school wrestling or just wants to learn about wrestling from those who lived it this is right up your alley. The actual quality of the match extras are hit or miss, but the roundtable discussions are absolutely fantastic and worth the “price of admission.” (Credit: Pro Wrestling Examiner)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Wrestling Legends
Wrestling
WWE
Today, January 27, 2009, World Wrestling Entertainment released another fantastic DVD set, this one entitled “Legends of Wrestling.”
The 3-disc boxed set features a series of roundtable discussions from long-time wrestling personalities and Hall of Famers in their own right, talking about other legends and important moments in wrestling history. The format features a moderator and four long-time wrestling personalities sitting roundtable style giving their uncensored thoughts on the subjects at hand. The discussion is truly unscripted and unfiltered, as these panelists have known and worked with these discussion subjects for a long time, and all have their own unique thoughts, whether good or bad. It’s a good thing there is a moderator to keep the subject on task or else the charismatic panel would take the discussion somewhere completely off subject.
The first disc features a panel discussion on former World Heavyweight Champions Sgt. Slaughter and “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair. In addition to the discussion a series of matches from both men’s careers are included as extras on the disc.
The second disc follows the same format with a roundtable discussion on Jerry “The King” Lawler and Junkyard Dog, two men who were big stars in their own right in World Wrestling Entertainment, but were also very successful in the “old days” of the territory system.
The third disc is the most interesting of the boxed set, as the roundtable discusses “Heatseekers” in wrestling, which essentially was a talk about controversial or unpopular people and characters in wrestling history. The extras features matches from a variety of “heatseekers,” including the Fabulous Freebirds, Scott Hall, Vince Russo, Buff Bagwell and others. The roundtable talk is definitely the most entertaining of the three discs.
As an extra bonus, Best Buy is also selling three separate DVDs with more roundtable discussions and match extras. One highlights former WWE Champions Andre the Giant & the Iron Sheik, a second is about another pair of former WWE Champions in Hulk Hogan & Bob Backlund and the third and final disc discusses the always wild and controversial characters of Rowdy Roddy Piper and Terry Funk.
These roundtable discussions are absolutely fascinating for a wrestling history nerd like myself. It’s great to be able to “pull back the curtain” and see what these industry greats think of their peers good or bad. And much like having a conversation with any “old-timer,” a lot of funny stories come out the discussion. A lot of the panelists are good friends and you can see that camaraderie come out while they talk with each other.
The match extras are an absolutely great bonus for the DVDs, but the discussions are definitely the highlight of the discs. This is only six of the Legends roundtables as more have been recorded and distributed via WWE 24/7, and I’m sure if this set does well we can be sure to see more released on DVD in the near future.
For a fan old-school wrestling or just wants to learn about wrestling from those who lived it this is right up your alley. The actual quality of the match extras are hit or miss, but the roundtable discussions are absolutely fantastic and worth the “price of admission.” (Credit: Pro Wrestling Examiner)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Wrestling Legends
Wrestling
WWE
Monday, January 26, 2009
Access Exclusive: Mickey Rourke To Get In The Ring With WWE For ‘Wrestlemania' - 25th January 2009
LOS ANGELES, Calif.
Mickey Rourke has received critical acclaim for his comeback role in “The Wrestler,” where he plays a former pro wrestling legend who falls on hard times.
And on the red carpet at the 15th Annual SAG Awards on Sunday night in Hollywood, the actor revealed he’s about to get in the ring in real life.
Rourke will be participating in WWE’s “Wrestlemania 25” in Houston on April 5.
“The boys from the WWE called me and asked me to do it,” Rourke told Access Hollywood. “I said, ‘I want to.’ I’m talking with [WWE legend] Rowdy Roddy Piper about it.”
In fact, Rourke, whose role in “The Wrestler” earned him a SAG nomination for Best Actor (as well as an Academy Award nomination and a win at the Golden Globes earlier this month), said the professional wrestling industry has been extremely supportive of his portrayal of the sport.
“The nicest thing has been the whole wrestling community embracing us,” Rourke said on the red carpet. “The movie was about their world.”
And when he does jump into the ring with WWE, it appears the actor may already have his sights set on an opponent.
“Chris Jericho, you better get in shape,” Rourke added. “Because I’m coming after your a**.” (Credit: Access Hollywood)
Media Man Australia Profiles
The Wrestler
Roddy Piper
WrestleMania
WWE
LOS ANGELES, Calif.
Mickey Rourke has received critical acclaim for his comeback role in “The Wrestler,” where he plays a former pro wrestling legend who falls on hard times.
And on the red carpet at the 15th Annual SAG Awards on Sunday night in Hollywood, the actor revealed he’s about to get in the ring in real life.
Rourke will be participating in WWE’s “Wrestlemania 25” in Houston on April 5.
“The boys from the WWE called me and asked me to do it,” Rourke told Access Hollywood. “I said, ‘I want to.’ I’m talking with [WWE legend] Rowdy Roddy Piper about it.”
In fact, Rourke, whose role in “The Wrestler” earned him a SAG nomination for Best Actor (as well as an Academy Award nomination and a win at the Golden Globes earlier this month), said the professional wrestling industry has been extremely supportive of his portrayal of the sport.
“The nicest thing has been the whole wrestling community embracing us,” Rourke said on the red carpet. “The movie was about their world.”
And when he does jump into the ring with WWE, it appears the actor may already have his sights set on an opponent.
“Chris Jericho, you better get in shape,” Rourke added. “Because I’m coming after your a**.” (Credit: Access Hollywood)
Media Man Australia Profiles
The Wrestler
Roddy Piper
WrestleMania
WWE
Monday, January 12, 2009
WWE is all I have, by Nui Te Koha - Herald Sun - 2nd November 2008
SOMETIMES, the best professional wrestling is all talk. It seemed that way when World Wrestling Entertainment star Triple H rated colleague John Cena recently.
"This is his life, this is his wife, this is his kids," Triple H said of Cena's WWE commitment.
"This is everything he is."
Cena, 31, considers the comment carefully. Was Triple H, the league's cerebral assassin, playing mind games?
"Coming from one of my peers, it could be taken two ways," Cena smiles.
"I guess I am a one-trick pony. I love what I do. I've had opportunities to make a living in other facets of entertainment and I've turned a lot of things down to stay in the wrestling ring."
Cena pauses for thought.
"However I choose to look at it, Triple H is actually very correct," he says.
"I've been in this company quite a while now and everybody knows I'm the guy who doesn't say no.
"I want to spread the good word of this company to whoever will listen.
"I don't have a wife, I don't have kids and I certainly travel 300 days a year. So, well said, Triple H.
"This is my family. I certainly don't have a back-up plan. This is all I have."
Of course, Cena, a WWE champion, actor and rapper, has other options.
His 2005 album, a solid hip-hop outing titled You Can't See Me, was a US Top 10 hit. Cena starred in the action flick The Marine and coming cop drama 12 Rounds.
But his brand as a WWE superstar is global. Initially a bodybuilder, Cena became a wrestler in 2000 and signed to the WWE two years later.
Cena's mojo is based in truth and backing himself -- no matter how it plays with audiences.
"I'm a genuine guy. I act how I want to act, I dress how I want to dress. I don't follow trends," he says.
"If it happens to be cool at the time, so be it, then I'm the cool guy. If it's out of date, then I'm out of date.
"If I'm getting booed because I'm out of place, I don't try to put myself in place. I stay the course and wait for good things to happen."
You Can't See Me was equally polarising.
Cena, influenced heavily by his cousin, Marc Predka, a Boston area rapper known as The Trademarc, had tight flows.
The album rolled with party jams, fight music and battle raps.
On the rhyme Just Another Day, Cena compared his struggles in poverty and wealth.
"I've been broke enough to live out of my car," Cena says.
"I've been virtually homeless and I've been successful and there is a struggle at every rung of the ladder.
"If you don't have two nickels to rub together and win the lotto tomorrow, would you be set for life? No. You'd have a new set of problems to deal with.
"Mo' money, mo' problems," Cena says. "Something happens with every step."
Cena has always put a funny spin on the good life, sex and women.
On his hilarious (and WWE-disowned) video blog, Five Questions with the Champ, Cena once said he was single, available and easy.
In another episode he named his manhood Richard Hammerbush.
How does Cena view women and relationships?
"If you asked me five years ago, I would've had a different answer for you," Cena responds.
"But, being on tour for so many years and having been across the globe seven or eight times, I'm slowing down when it comes to things like that.
"I'm really focusing on being an adult.
"I'd love to be the guy who took this business (WWE) to the next level. Where we can walk the red carpet at the Oscars, we can go on any television talk show in the world, we can be associated with the entertainment and sport elements we're supposed to be associated with.
"That's my vision rather than having a good time tonight so I can have story for you tomorrow. I'm focusing on the big picture."
Summerslam 2008 DVD is out now. WWE Raw Live Tour 2009 (with John Cena, Batista, CM Punk, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio and Kane), Rod Laver Arena, July 7. Tickets on sale now. Raw vs Smackdown 2009 (for XBox 360, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii and Nintendo DS), is released on Thursday. (Credit: Herald Sun)
Media Man Australia Profiles
John Cena
WWE
SOMETIMES, the best professional wrestling is all talk. It seemed that way when World Wrestling Entertainment star Triple H rated colleague John Cena recently.
"This is his life, this is his wife, this is his kids," Triple H said of Cena's WWE commitment.
"This is everything he is."
Cena, 31, considers the comment carefully. Was Triple H, the league's cerebral assassin, playing mind games?
"Coming from one of my peers, it could be taken two ways," Cena smiles.
"I guess I am a one-trick pony. I love what I do. I've had opportunities to make a living in other facets of entertainment and I've turned a lot of things down to stay in the wrestling ring."
Cena pauses for thought.
"However I choose to look at it, Triple H is actually very correct," he says.
"I've been in this company quite a while now and everybody knows I'm the guy who doesn't say no.
"I want to spread the good word of this company to whoever will listen.
"I don't have a wife, I don't have kids and I certainly travel 300 days a year. So, well said, Triple H.
"This is my family. I certainly don't have a back-up plan. This is all I have."
Of course, Cena, a WWE champion, actor and rapper, has other options.
His 2005 album, a solid hip-hop outing titled You Can't See Me, was a US Top 10 hit. Cena starred in the action flick The Marine and coming cop drama 12 Rounds.
But his brand as a WWE superstar is global. Initially a bodybuilder, Cena became a wrestler in 2000 and signed to the WWE two years later.
Cena's mojo is based in truth and backing himself -- no matter how it plays with audiences.
"I'm a genuine guy. I act how I want to act, I dress how I want to dress. I don't follow trends," he says.
"If it happens to be cool at the time, so be it, then I'm the cool guy. If it's out of date, then I'm out of date.
"If I'm getting booed because I'm out of place, I don't try to put myself in place. I stay the course and wait for good things to happen."
You Can't See Me was equally polarising.
Cena, influenced heavily by his cousin, Marc Predka, a Boston area rapper known as The Trademarc, had tight flows.
The album rolled with party jams, fight music and battle raps.
On the rhyme Just Another Day, Cena compared his struggles in poverty and wealth.
"I've been broke enough to live out of my car," Cena says.
"I've been virtually homeless and I've been successful and there is a struggle at every rung of the ladder.
"If you don't have two nickels to rub together and win the lotto tomorrow, would you be set for life? No. You'd have a new set of problems to deal with.
"Mo' money, mo' problems," Cena says. "Something happens with every step."
Cena has always put a funny spin on the good life, sex and women.
On his hilarious (and WWE-disowned) video blog, Five Questions with the Champ, Cena once said he was single, available and easy.
In another episode he named his manhood Richard Hammerbush.
How does Cena view women and relationships?
"If you asked me five years ago, I would've had a different answer for you," Cena responds.
"But, being on tour for so many years and having been across the globe seven or eight times, I'm slowing down when it comes to things like that.
"I'm really focusing on being an adult.
"I'd love to be the guy who took this business (WWE) to the next level. Where we can walk the red carpet at the Oscars, we can go on any television talk show in the world, we can be associated with the entertainment and sport elements we're supposed to be associated with.
"That's my vision rather than having a good time tonight so I can have story for you tomorrow. I'm focusing on the big picture."
Summerslam 2008 DVD is out now. WWE Raw Live Tour 2009 (with John Cena, Batista, CM Punk, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio and Kane), Rod Laver Arena, July 7. Tickets on sale now. Raw vs Smackdown 2009 (for XBox 360, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii and Nintendo DS), is released on Thursday. (Credit: Herald Sun)
Media Man Australia Profiles
John Cena
WWE
WWE cuts staff in economic smackdown - 11th January 2009
World Wrestling Entertainment, a US media group whose superstar wrestlers body-slam their opponents into oblivion, has proved no match for the US recession, unveiling on Friday a round of job cuts.
The company said it was slashing 10 per cent of its staff across all global operations to save an estimated $US8 million ($A11.22 million) annually.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) did not specify the number of jobs to be tossed, but according to the latest available figures, the Stamford, Connecticut-based firm had 570 employees at the end of 2007.
"These efficiencies will help position the company for the long-term, by placing it in a stronger, more flexible position," said Linda McMahon, chief executive at WWE.
"With these actions, we believe we can execute our key strategic initiatives, including our digital strategy and international expansion, in a more profitable manner."
The company said it would take an estimated $US3 million ($A4.21 million) restructuring charge in the first quarter of 2009, part of efforts to cut its cost base by $US20 million ($A28.04 million) in 2009.
The deepening US recession, which began in December 2007, has weighed on the company's bottom line. Third-quarter profit in 2008 sank 38 per cent from a year ago, to $US5.3 million ($A7.43 million).
WWE organises the fights and manages the colourful male and female wrestling "talents" who pound, kick and insult each other in the kitschy entertainment sport.
In 2007, WWE had sales of $US485 million ($A680.03 million): 65 per cent from television broadcasts, 28 per cent from tickets and paraphernalia, and 7 per cent from its website.
Shares in WWE, which realises a quarter of its sales outside North America, have sagged about 45 per cent in the past nine months.
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, a US media group whose superstar wrestlers body-slam their opponents into oblivion, has proved no match for the US recession, unveiling on Friday a round of job cuts.
The company said it was slashing 10 per cent of its staff across all global operations to save an estimated $US8 million ($A11.22 million) annually.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) did not specify the number of jobs to be tossed, but according to the latest available figures, the Stamford, Connecticut-based firm had 570 employees at the end of 2007.
"These efficiencies will help position the company for the long-term, by placing it in a stronger, more flexible position," said Linda McMahon, chief executive at WWE.
"With these actions, we believe we can execute our key strategic initiatives, including our digital strategy and international expansion, in a more profitable manner."
The company said it would take an estimated $US3 million ($A4.21 million) restructuring charge in the first quarter of 2009, part of efforts to cut its cost base by $US20 million ($A28.04 million) in 2009.
The deepening US recession, which began in December 2007, has weighed on the company's bottom line. Third-quarter profit in 2008 sank 38 per cent from a year ago, to $US5.3 million ($A7.43 million).
WWE organises the fights and manages the colourful male and female wrestling "talents" who pound, kick and insult each other in the kitschy entertainment sport.
In 2007, WWE had sales of $US485 million ($A680.03 million): 65 per cent from television broadcasts, 28 per cent from tickets and paraphernalia, and 7 per cent from its website.
Shares in WWE, which realises a quarter of its sales outside North America, have sagged about 45 per cent in the past nine months.
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
Sunday, January 11, 2009
WWE Announce Stone Cold Steve Austin Hall of Fame Induction - 10th January 2009
Media Man Australia Profiles
Stone Cold Steve Austin
WWE
Media Man Australia Profiles
Stone Cold Steve Austin
WWE
Saturday, January 10, 2009
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, By Greg Miller - Good Gear Guide - 11th November 2008
Rating 4 stars
Price $99.95
Reviewed on Xbox 360
Summary
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is a good game but one that falls short of its potential. The Roster Editor is a welcome addition, Create-A-Finisher could be deeper but is a great first effort, the Inferno Match is over-the-top but fun, and Road to WrestleMania is one of the best story modes I've seen in a wrestling game in years. However, I can't shake the feeling that I'm playing last year's game when we get down to the nitty gritty match mechanics.
ON paper, it seems like WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 should cruise to wrestling game greatness.
The title packs more than 60 wrestlers, 14 one-on-one match types including the new Inferno option, the promise of downloadable content before the holidays, a new story mode, better AI, a focus on tag teams and the ability to save replays and create/share your own Highlights Reels.
However, when you get into the punching, grappling, and slamming that make up the game, the world begins to feel like well worn territory. In the end, we have a game that improves on last year's outing in a number of ways but falls short of putting on the five-star bout many were expecting thanks to a noticeably stale feeling.
Don't get me wrong, SVR 09 is a fun game. The solid controls from last year are back – left stick to move, right stick to grapple, reversals via the shoulder buttons, and so on – and come with a few minor touches such as the game flashing "Signature Move" when you can set off a stored special as well as the ability to enter the ring via the steel steps. These are welcome additions, but it's pretty much exactly what you saw last year. Still, there are a handful of other bells and whistles to grab your attention.
For starters, the AI in SVR 09 doesn't suck for a change. On Legend, the computer's still going to be reversal heavy, but it's also going to store Finishers, break up pins in tag matches, and basically give you a run for your money. If you're not happy with how the AI is acting, SVR 09 finally gives us sliders to adjust the game's thinking. You can make Finishers more or less powerful, you can adjust how much the computer reverses, and you can even modify momentum rates.
Customization like the sliders is a theme in this game. While you're messing with menu, a smattering of entrance music is playing as a soundtrack. If you don't like a particular song, you can press in your left stick and skip to the next track. Via the game's Roster Editor, you can mold the WWE as you see fit with a few button clicks – change what brand people are on, give and take away championships, decide who is clean and who is dirty. There are alternate attires for the likes of CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, and others; there are 19 arenas; and you can unlock the WCW brand and classic championship.
Of course, this wouldn't be a professional wrestling game if it didn't add some new gimmick matches. The Inferno Match is an interesting bout that looks good but always ends a bit silly. You and your opponent duke it out in a ring where the edges are set ablaze. As you pull off moves, the flames leap and the temperature in the lower left corner rises. When the magic number reaches 500 degrees, you're supposed to drag your opponent to the ropes and toss him into the fire. When one of you is successful a body flies over the ropes and that guy's clothing is set one fire.
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
Rating 4 stars
Price $99.95
Reviewed on Xbox 360
Summary
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is a good game but one that falls short of its potential. The Roster Editor is a welcome addition, Create-A-Finisher could be deeper but is a great first effort, the Inferno Match is over-the-top but fun, and Road to WrestleMania is one of the best story modes I've seen in a wrestling game in years. However, I can't shake the feeling that I'm playing last year's game when we get down to the nitty gritty match mechanics.
ON paper, it seems like WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 should cruise to wrestling game greatness.
The title packs more than 60 wrestlers, 14 one-on-one match types including the new Inferno option, the promise of downloadable content before the holidays, a new story mode, better AI, a focus on tag teams and the ability to save replays and create/share your own Highlights Reels.
However, when you get into the punching, grappling, and slamming that make up the game, the world begins to feel like well worn territory. In the end, we have a game that improves on last year's outing in a number of ways but falls short of putting on the five-star bout many were expecting thanks to a noticeably stale feeling.
Don't get me wrong, SVR 09 is a fun game. The solid controls from last year are back – left stick to move, right stick to grapple, reversals via the shoulder buttons, and so on – and come with a few minor touches such as the game flashing "Signature Move" when you can set off a stored special as well as the ability to enter the ring via the steel steps. These are welcome additions, but it's pretty much exactly what you saw last year. Still, there are a handful of other bells and whistles to grab your attention.
For starters, the AI in SVR 09 doesn't suck for a change. On Legend, the computer's still going to be reversal heavy, but it's also going to store Finishers, break up pins in tag matches, and basically give you a run for your money. If you're not happy with how the AI is acting, SVR 09 finally gives us sliders to adjust the game's thinking. You can make Finishers more or less powerful, you can adjust how much the computer reverses, and you can even modify momentum rates.
Customization like the sliders is a theme in this game. While you're messing with menu, a smattering of entrance music is playing as a soundtrack. If you don't like a particular song, you can press in your left stick and skip to the next track. Via the game's Roster Editor, you can mold the WWE as you see fit with a few button clicks – change what brand people are on, give and take away championships, decide who is clean and who is dirty. There are alternate attires for the likes of CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, and others; there are 19 arenas; and you can unlock the WCW brand and classic championship.
Of course, this wouldn't be a professional wrestling game if it didn't add some new gimmick matches. The Inferno Match is an interesting bout that looks good but always ends a bit silly. You and your opponent duke it out in a ring where the edges are set ablaze. As you pull off moves, the flames leap and the temperature in the lower left corner rises. When the magic number reaches 500 degrees, you're supposed to drag your opponent to the ropes and toss him into the fire. When one of you is successful a body flies over the ropes and that guy's clothing is set one fire.
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
WWE cuts staff in economic smackdown - 10th January 2009
World Wrestling Entertainment, a US media group whose superstar wrestlers body-slam their opponents into oblivion, has proved no match for the US recession, unveiling on Friday a round of job cuts.
The company said it was slashing 10 per cent of its staff across all global operations to save an estimated $US8 million ($A11.22 million) annually.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) did not specify the number of jobs to be tossed, but according to the latest available figures, the Stamford, Connecticut-based firm had 570 employees at the end of 2007.
"These efficiencies will help position the company for the long-term, by placing it in a stronger, more flexible position," said Linda McMahon, chief executive at WWE.
"With these actions, we believe we can execute our key strategic initiatives, including our digital strategy and international expansion, in a more profitable manner."
The company said it would take an estimated $US3 million ($A4.21 million) restructuring charge in the first quarter of 2009, part of efforts to cut its cost base by $US20 million ($A28.04 million) in 2009.
The deepening US recession, which began in December 2007, has weighed on the company's bottom line. Third-quarter profit in 2008 sank 38 per cent from a year ago, to $US5.3 million ($A7.43 million).
WWE organises the fights and manages the colourful male and female wrestling "talents" who pound, kick and insult each other in the kitschy entertainment sport.
In 2007, WWE had sales of $US485 million ($A680.03 million): 65 per cent from television broadcasts, 28 per cent from tickets and paraphernalia, and 7 per cent from its website.
Shares in WWE, which realises a quarter of its sales outside North America, have sagged about 45 per cent in the past nine months.
Media Man Australia Profiles
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, a US media group whose superstar wrestlers body-slam their opponents into oblivion, has proved no match for the US recession, unveiling on Friday a round of job cuts.
The company said it was slashing 10 per cent of its staff across all global operations to save an estimated $US8 million ($A11.22 million) annually.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) did not specify the number of jobs to be tossed, but according to the latest available figures, the Stamford, Connecticut-based firm had 570 employees at the end of 2007.
"These efficiencies will help position the company for the long-term, by placing it in a stronger, more flexible position," said Linda McMahon, chief executive at WWE.
"With these actions, we believe we can execute our key strategic initiatives, including our digital strategy and international expansion, in a more profitable manner."
The company said it would take an estimated $US3 million ($A4.21 million) restructuring charge in the first quarter of 2009, part of efforts to cut its cost base by $US20 million ($A28.04 million) in 2009.
The deepening US recession, which began in December 2007, has weighed on the company's bottom line. Third-quarter profit in 2008 sank 38 per cent from a year ago, to $US5.3 million ($A7.43 million).
WWE organises the fights and manages the colourful male and female wrestling "talents" who pound, kick and insult each other in the kitschy entertainment sport.
In 2007, WWE had sales of $US485 million ($A680.03 million): 65 per cent from television broadcasts, 28 per cent from tickets and paraphernalia, and 7 per cent from its website.
Shares in WWE, which realises a quarter of its sales outside North America, have sagged about 45 per cent in the past nine months.
Media Man Australia Profiles
World Wrestling Entertainment
Thursday, January 08, 2009
WWE Studios
Breaking News: John Cena back in Hollywood!!!
12 Rounds is an upcoming 2009 film set to be directed by Renny Harlin and produced by WWE Films. Casting is ongoing, but professional wrestler John Cena is set to star alongside Steve Harris, Aidan Gillen, and Brian J. White. Filming has been scheduled to take place in New Orleans between February 25 and May 12, 2008. The film will be released on March 13, 2009
Kane Makes Hollywood Debut!!!
A group of delinquents are sent to clean the Blackwell Hotel. Little do they know reclusive psychopath Jacob Goodnight (Jacobs) has holed away in the rotting hotel. When one of the teens is captured, those who remain -- a group that includes the cop who put a bullet in Goodnight's head four years ago -- band together to survive against the brutal killer.
John Cena Makes A Splash In Hollywood!!
John Cena dominates the big screen as Marine John Triton. Wherever there's danger, Triton is usually smack dab in the middle of it... and he doesn't play by rules! After he's unwillingly discharged from Iraq, Triton's beautiful wife Kate s kidnapped by merciless jewel thieves led by a vicious killer (Robert Patrick)! Now, Triton must fight to save her.
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
WWE Films
Breaking News: John Cena back in Hollywood!!!
12 Rounds is an upcoming 2009 film set to be directed by Renny Harlin and produced by WWE Films. Casting is ongoing, but professional wrestler John Cena is set to star alongside Steve Harris, Aidan Gillen, and Brian J. White. Filming has been scheduled to take place in New Orleans between February 25 and May 12, 2008. The film will be released on March 13, 2009
Kane Makes Hollywood Debut!!!
A group of delinquents are sent to clean the Blackwell Hotel. Little do they know reclusive psychopath Jacob Goodnight (Jacobs) has holed away in the rotting hotel. When one of the teens is captured, those who remain -- a group that includes the cop who put a bullet in Goodnight's head four years ago -- band together to survive against the brutal killer.
John Cena Makes A Splash In Hollywood!!
John Cena dominates the big screen as Marine John Triton. Wherever there's danger, Triton is usually smack dab in the middle of it... and he doesn't play by rules! After he's unwillingly discharged from Iraq, Triton's beautiful wife Kate s kidnapped by merciless jewel thieves led by a vicious killer (Robert Patrick)! Now, Triton must fight to save her.
Media Man Australia Profiles
WWE
WWE Films
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