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

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

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

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

-30-

Media Contact: Gary Davis, 203-353-5066

Investor Contact: Michael Weitz, 203-352-8642

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

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

Media Man Australia Profiles

World Wrestling Entertainment

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

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

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

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

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

Media Man Australia Profiles

Vince McMahon

WWE

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

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

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

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

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

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE

WrestleMania

Affiliate Programs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE

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

Here's a tip.

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, 2008 is a year of change for Johnson.

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

Right?

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

So the question was asked.

He did not appreciate it.

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

Ummm, about a year ago?

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

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

"I enjoy training," he explained.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What did Johnson smell and taste like?

"Soft skin," Carell said.

"Dwayne smells like soft baked cookies."

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

He had his own memory.

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

"It's a fine balance.

"It makes you shiver?

"The kiss was like that."

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

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

"There was different types of kissing.

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

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

"That was weird."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I aspire to be that.

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

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

* Get Smart opens in Australia on June 26.

Media Man Australia Profiles

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson

WWE

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

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

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

Website Video

Live News

Profiles

Dave Batista

WWE

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

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

Media Man Australia Profiles

Vince McMahon

WWE

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

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

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

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

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

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

Also Read: Khali seeks more Indians for WWE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So is Kumar going for gold?

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

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

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

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

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

Media Man Australia Profiles

Olympics

WWE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE Smackdown ECW Live!

WWE

ECW

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There is little rest for a WWE star.

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

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

Pity us poor fools.

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE Smackdown ECW Live!

WWE

McMahon Economic Package - 6th June 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CONTACT: Brad Bernstein 212.664.4401
Nathan Nazario 407.880.5993

Media Man Australia Profiles

Vince McMahon

WWE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Media Man Australia Profiles

Network Nine Australia

WWE

THREE QUESTIONS: Batista - The Sydney Morning Herald - 26th May 2008

Who was your most fearsome opponent?
The Undertaker. He is a true legend and a future Hall of Famer. His size, strength and experience are unmatched. I'm unafraid of any of the other wrestlers.

What's your secret to an even tan?
Lots of beach time and constant turning. For me, living in Florida is a huge plus - you can't get much better.

What is your favourite chick flick?
Sleepless In Seattle. A good dose of romance and comedy mixed in with great performances from Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.

Batista will appear in the World Wrestling Entertainment SmackDown/Extreme Championship Wrestling tour at Acer Arena on June 15.

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE SmackDown/Extreme Championship Wrestling

WWE

ECW

Wrestlers given chance at big time - The New Zealand Herald - 27th May 2008

New Zealand wrestlers will get a shot at the big time as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is to host trials in Auckland.

The WWE is touring Down Under and before the Auckland show on June 11 Kiwi Pro Wrestling (KPW) chief executive Rip Morgan will pick around 12 locals to perform in front of the organisation's talent scouts.

KPW director Janine Carline said a lot of people had put their hands to take part in the audition and despite the massive jump in scale to the WWE - "they have 70,000 people in stadiums, they do Madison Square Garden and Wembley Stadium" - there were some who had a real shot at selection.

"It's our credibility at stake. We're not going to put people across that we don't feel have the potential to make it in the WWE. We're not time wasters here, we're serious."

She said KPW had several former pros tutoring the current crop and they knew what to expect on the international circuit .

Mr Morgan said two of the organisation's top wrestlers - current champion H-Flame ("The Man of the Hour, the Tower of Power, just too sweet to be sour!") and Max "The Axe" Damage (finishing move: Collateral Damage) - had recently returned from a stint performing in Australia.

It has been almost 20 years since New Zealand tag team The Bushwhackers carried the flag in America and with 2008 the first year trials have been held here, it was about time to put New Zealand pro-wrestling back on the map, Mr Morgan said.

Candidates will be judged on ring skills, charisma, drive and fortitude.

Anyone who makes the cut will travel to a training camp in Florida to be groomed for a spot in the WWE.

KPW will name those selected for the try-outs on its website on June 3.

- NZPA

Media Man Australia Profiles

World Wrestling Entertainment

On tour with Kelly Kelly, by Scott Casey - Brisbane Times - 17th May 2008

From high school cheerleader to aspiring journalist to saucy World Wrestling star, Kelly Kelly's career has followed a varied path - to say the least.

The star will join fellow wrestlers including Undertaker and Batista on a WWE tour across Australia in June.

Kelly found her way into wrestling via modelling while she in college studying to become a broadcast journalist, with hopes of becoming a TV anchor.

"I love [wrestling], I just love every day of it," she said.

"WWE contacted me through my modelling agency and they knew I had an athletic background so they sent me down to Atlanta, Georgia where they kicked my butt for a week straight and asked me if I wanted a job at the end of it."

At high school Kelly did gymnastics for 10 years until an injury forced her into cheerleading.

"I still get to use some of my moves so that's pretty good," she said.

Living the life of a professional wrestler working in one of the world's most high-profile pursuits is difficult, she said, with an almost constant training schedule and travel around the United States and overseas.

"Even on my off days now I'm still training, so I try to get into the ring and learn different stuff," she said.

"We consider ourselves a big family [inside wrestling], some people have their own little cliques and we try to get along a best we can."

When Kelly first began as a wrestler she was billed as a "self-proclaimed exhibitionist" and put on strip shows called "Kelly Kelly's Expose".

"My jealous boyfriend Mike Knox used to come out and try and wrap a towel around me but I would still do it and eventually we broke up and I formed Extreme Expose with Booke and Layla and we were a little group who danced every week," she said.

"That ended so now Layla and I are going at each other's throats every week.

"The first night I did it [expose] my nerves were through the roof and then every week after if kept getting easier, but I still get nervous out there now."

She might not dance much any more, but Kelly is looking forward to a long career in wrestling.

"I plan to be here as long as I can," she said.

The SmackDown/ECW hits Australian shores on June 13 and will be in Brisbane on June 17 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE Smackdown / ECW Live

World Wrestling Entertainment

Batista's battles outside the ring, by Nui Te Koha - Herald Sun - 25th May 2008

"I never want to forget what I've been through and where I came from," Batista said in Sydney last week, where he was promoting the Wrestlemania 24 DVD, out June 7.

By any standard – even the wacky melodrama of World Wrestling Entertainment's storylines – Batista's journey is surreal.

Batista – born Dave Bautista – was raised by his mother, Donna, in poverty, and in a violent part of Washington D.C.

During his childhood, three murder victims were found in, or near Batista's front yard, in separate incidents – their home was near an alleyway notorious for violent crime.

"We saw some bad things," he said.

"We saw a couple of people die. There were fights all the time, stabbings were common.

"And I hate to say this, but I was numb to it. That's all I knew."

Batista said his mother, a lesbian, moved the family to San Francisco to escape the violence.

"I never had an issue with my mother's sexuality," he said.

"She loved us, she cared for us, and that's all that mattered."

Batista said her extended family disowned her for "being a Democrat".

Batista, 39, is a divorced father with two daughters. He also has two grandchildren.

He said family forced him to quit womanising.

"I didn't drink or do drugs. Women were my drug of choice," Batista said.

"I would have 10, 20, 30 girls throwing themselves at me. I wasn't equipped to handle it. So I took advantage. "

Batista and WWE stars including Edge, The Undertaker and Big Show will visit Rod Laver Arena on June 13.

Media Man Australia Profiles

World Wrestling Entertainment

WWE Legends of WrestleMania Announced - Pro wrestling spin-off to launch for PS3 and Xbox 360 next spring.

THQ and JAKKS Pacific confirmed this week that they are preparing WWE Legends of WrestleMania, a spin-off from the popular WWE SmackDown vs. Raw franchise, for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Further details were not announced for the new game, but based on the title, WWE Legends of WrestleMania should find the middle ground between the SmackDown franchise and Acclaim's last-gen Legends of Wrestling games, which starred a cavalcade of retired pro wrestlers.

"The development capabilities afforded by next-generation hardware, combined with our established history and deep understanding of fighting videogames, allow us to leverage the strength of the WWE brand to further extend our leadership in the fighting videogame genre and bring this new property to market," said Peter Matiss, vice president of global brand management at THQ.

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE

WrestleMania

THQ

WWE Video Games

Games

Gaming

Wrestler to bow out tonight, By Meghan E. Murphy - Times Herald-Record - 18th April 2008

CITY OF NEWBURGH — No one can predict what will happen when Rowdy Roddy Piper enters the wrestling arena with bagpipes blaring tonight. Only one thing's for certain: The legend says it will be the last time he'll set foot in a ring.

A day after his 54th birthday, the WWE Hall of Famer promises fans one last "Piper's Pin" at Newburgh Free Academy's Spring Slam. The fundraising event will also feature a title bout between Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe, New Windsor's Tony DeVito and the wrestling debut of K104 DJ Chris Marino. Samoa Joe took the Total Nonstop Action wrestling title from Angle just five days ago in a pay-per-view broadcast.

Only about 1,400 fans will get bleacher seats for the retirement match of one of World Wrestling Entertainments' biggest names. Piper has made only occasional ring appearances in the past few years, but said he couldn't turn down an opportunity to help raise money for young wrestlers.

Piper left home at 13 and slept in youth hostels. His first coach advised him to look into amateur competition to stay out of trouble.

In 38 years of wrestling, Piper's won 38 pro titles and more than 7,000 matches. He's also been stabbed three times, suffered spine injuries, has a titanium hip and last year beat Hodgkin's lymphoma. Tonight's match benefits the Newburgh Wrestling Boosters Club, which last year sent a dozen students to camp with Spring Slam proceeds. Coach Jeff Cuilty said the impact on the team of this fundraiser is evident: The team won the league title this year.

Wrestlers will sign autographs and take photos with fans at 6 p.m. Bell time is 8 p.m. at NFA, 201 Fullerton Ave.Tickets start at $15. For more information, visit www.northeastwrestling.com.

mmurphy@th-record.com

Media Man Australia Profiles

Rowdy Roddy Piper

WWE

Wrestling

WWE collecting, storing for future Hall of Fame site, by Jim Varsallone - The Miami Herald - 8th April 2008

With World Wrestling Entertainment honoring its Class of 2008 recently at the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Orlando, WWE Executive Vice President of Global Media Shane McMahon discussed an actual WWE Hall of Fame facility.

''We've been close a number of times,'' McMahon said. ``We actually looked at a place in Orlando a few years ago. We don't know where it's going to settle, yet. I think it's probably still a couple of years away, but we're really anxious to do it.

``We've been collecting memorabilia. We have this warehouse that's under lock and key that we just collect every single little thing. We date it. We put it on there. So, when it opens, it will be really cool.''

• McMahon, 38, said further global expansion is the next step for WWE. The company has increased its international touring and has been discussing business with other countries including an emphasis on Latin America.

Legendary promoter/wrestler Carlos Colon of the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico wants to work more with WWE. Other reps from Latin America including the Dominican Republic would like WWE to start a training program in its country, grooming wrestlers at an international WWE developmental territory or for a specific international WWE brand.

''[An international brand] is a potential,'' McMahon said. ``It's something, excuse the pun, we wrestle with. It's very hard because when you see this caliber of product with Raw and SmackDown! and even ECW, when you see the caliber of athletes and the production value and everything that we put in there with the storylines, that's hard to duplicate.

'My dad [WWE Chairman Vince McMahon] likes to call it, `America's greatest export.' It's hard to argue with him at certain things because we are pretty much ubiquitously distributed throughout the world.

``There could be another entity that develops. We'll have to see what happens.''

WWE is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Shanghai, Tokyo, Toronto and Sydney. The company also plans to open an office in Sao Paulo.

''The countries that we are in, we want to make better,'' McMahon said. ``The countries where we are not currently, which aren't that many, we want to get in, get the market and then bring all of our properties in there.

``The first thing that we do, from our game plan standpoint, is you have to get on the air. So you need television. Once you have a television partner, you start to build certain things with them. After that, you usually bring in a live event. That's usually the next hit. Then from there, you bring in your merchandising, your licensing and all the other intellectual property aspects, and that's how we build the marketplace.''

WWE's television programming can be seen in more than 130 countries around the world. Each year, more than 7,500 hours of WWE programming is broadcast in 23 languages throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Latin America.

In January, WWE in conjunction with Bakus International thrilled Brazilians with the debut of the internationally renowned television programs WWE RAW and WWE SmackDown! on Sistema Brasileiro de Televisóo.

''We're excited to be teaming with Bakus International to get WWE programming on SBT, one of Brazil's top TV networks,'' Carl DeMarco, WWE President, Latin America, China and Canada, said in a release. ``The tremendous athleticism and charisma of the WWE superstars and Divas are going to capture the imagination of all Brazil.''

Gian Teppet, director of New Business Development and Board of Director member, said: ``SBT is proud to welcome WWE as the newest member of our great family. Knowing the Brazilian desire for quality entertainment and WWE's proven success in over 120 countries, we are certain that WWE will be a huge success.''

Bakus International's COO Bill Bakula said: ``The time has come for Brazil to experience WWE at full throttle. WWE is an experience, packed with plenty of thrills, action and fun for the entire family. WWE offers the greatest entertainment value in the universe.''

WWE programs reach more than 16-million total viewers domestically during the average week. WWE is rated among the top weekly cable programs especially in the male demographic.

• Signing wrestlers

WWE has 165 superstars under exclusive contracts, ranging from multi-year guaranteed contracts with established superstars to developmental deals.

''We welcome all styles because we want everybody to have a little something,'' McMahon said. ``What I got out of WWE is different than what you'll get out of WWE. Some people like bug guys. Some like small guys, high fliers, ground soldiers. So we always try to have a good eclectic mix.

``We welcome all of it, but they got to fit, first and foremost, in our locker. Because if you don't fit with our guys -- those are the guys you work with, travel the road with and you're competing against -- it's all about that. Sometimes I enjoy the Mexican style, but you look at what Rey Mysterio has done of adapting the high-flying aspect with the American style with much more of what we do with the psychology aspect.

``It's not just triple backflip into something else. Everything that we do has a meaning, and you're telling the story to the audience. That's one of the secrets of our business.

``Until people can adapt into that style, you won't see more. If those, who can come in, can adapt to it, great.''

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE