At this morning’s WWE WrestleMania 33 press conference in Orlando, John Cena confirmed that he will not be wrestling at WrestleMania 32.
“For the first time in a decade in a half, this year I will be watching WrestleMania,” Cena said. “WrestleMania means the world to me.”
WWE announced the following:
WrestleMania 33 comes to Florida in 2017WWE’s pop-culture extravaganza takes over the Orlando Citrus Bowl on April 2, 2017.
WrestleMania 33 is coming to Orlando, Fla.
Next year’s Showcase of the Immortals will emanate from the Orlando Citrus Bowl on Sunday, April 2, 2017, the “Orlando Sentinel” reported late Monday night.
The event marks the second time that the Citrus Bowl has hosted WrestleMania, and the third time that The Grandest Stage of Them All has touched down in Florida. The Citrus Bowl was also the site of WrestleMania XXIV in 2008, where Big Show famously fought boxer Floyd Mayweather. WrestleMania then returned to Florida four years later, when The Rock defeated John Cena in the main event of WrestleMania XXVIII, held at Miami’s Sun Life Stadium.
WWE held a press conference Today:
Those in attendance for the WrestleMania 33 press conference in Orlando today were Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Roman Reigns, John Cena, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Triple H, WWE Divas Champion Charlotte, WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day, NXT Champion Finn Balor, NXT Women’s Champion Bayley, Ric Flair, Apollo Crews, Baron Corbin, Governor Rick Scott, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs.
WWE also announced these WrestleMania 33 Week details today, in addition to various WWE Community events in the area:
Axxess will take place at the Orange County Convention Center
The 2017 WWE Hall of Fame will take place on April 1st, 2017 at the Amway Center
WrestleMania 33 on April 2nd at the Citrus Bowl
RAW on April 3rd at the Amway Center
Source: PWInsider
A new WrestleMania 32 magazine that comes out this week features a “Tribute” section with Jacqueline Moore and Stan Hansen confirmed for the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame. They will join Sting, The Fabulous Freebirds, The Godfather and The Big Bossman. No word yet if Regis Philbin will still be going in the Celebrity Wing.
WWE announced Monday that the Big Boss Man will be the next inductee into the company’s Hall of Fame. CBS Sports’ Adam Silverstein first reported the news of his induction.
Boss Man joins Sting, The Godfather and the Fabulous Freebirds in this year’s class.
WWE issued the following:
Big Boss Man to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016
The WWE Hall of Fame now finally has its law and order. As first reported by CBSsports.com , the newest inductee to the WWE Hall of Fame is The Big Boss Man.
Boss Man, a former Cobb County, Ga., corrections officer turned sports-entertainer decked out in full police uniform, first debuted in WWE in the late ’80s. Managed by the legendary Slick, the ruthless Boss Man gained notoriety for not only defeating his opponents with ease, but also handcuffing them to the ropes and then bashing them with his patented nightstick. Though he had no trouble muscling opponents around, Boss Man was also deceptively quick and agile for a performer who weighed over 300 pounds, often being heralded as one of WWE’s best, and most unique, athletes. He had memorable encounters with the likes WWE Hall of Famers Randy Savage, Koko B. Ware and Shawn Michaels, and he also joined forces with another monstrous Superstar, Akeem, to form the titanic tag team known as The Twin Towers.
Though he initially displayed a warped view on justice, the former cop eventually showed that he did have morals. When “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase attempted to procure his services, The Big Boss Man declared that he couldn’t be bought. The bold move led to Boss Man becoming one of the WWE Universe’s most beloved Superstars, an enforcer of law and order who made evildoers pay for their transgressions. This new demeanor from the Boss Man led to his participation in some of the more unique matches of the 1990s, such as a Jailhouse Match against The Mountie at SummerSlam 1991, where the loser spent the night in a New York City jail, and a Nightstick Match with ex-con Nailz at Survivor Series 1992.
Boss Man went on to compete around the world for several years in the mid-’90s, including a stint in WCW, before returning to WWE in 1998. Adorned fully in black riot squad gear, Boss Man became Mr. McMahon’s personal security detail in the villainous Corporation. He faced off with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Mick Foley and The Undertaker, as well as captured the World Tag Team Championship and, on four occasions, the WWE Hardcore Championship. The Big Boss Man also engaged in infamous rivalries with Big Show and Al Snow, the latter of which resulted in one of the more notorious matches in history, the Kennel from Hell Match, at Unforgiven 1999.
Although the Boss Man passed away in 2004, the memories he created for the WWE Universe will surely live on forever. Because of that, he will be rightfully celebrated as the newest member of the hallowed WWE Hall of Fame on April 2, the night before WrestleMania 32!
Global Force Wrestling issued the following:
SMITH & CO. PARTNERS WITH GLOBAL FORCE WRESTLING FOR TELEVISION TAKEDOWN
Award-Winning Production Company to Produce All-New Wrestling Show
Los Angeles, Calif. – March 2, 2016 – Reality production powerhouse A. Smith & Co. Productions is partnering with Jeff Jarrett and Global Force Wrestling to produce a television series that obliterates the conventions of televised wrestling. The show will unite the dynamic talent of Global Force Wrestling with the innovative format and event production style of A. Smith & Co. series such as “American Ninja Warrior” on NBC, its spinoff “Team Ninja Warrior” on Esquire, “Hell’s Kitchen” on Fox, the upcoming “Spartan Race” on NBC and “Dunk Kings” on Turner, which both premiere this summer.
“Global Force Wrestling is a complete reinvention of the sport that will really resonate with viewers – we’re taking what fans are traditionally used to seeing and flipping it on its head,” said Arthur Smith, CEO of A. Smith & Co. Productions. “All sports go through transitions, and wrestling is primed for its next evolution. We’re going to be adding a number of new features and elements that are going to completely change the entertainment level of the sport.”
The format of traditional televised wrestling has remained largely the same since its inception. This partnership will see the creation of a new style within the sport, with all-new production elements and features that add to the scale and drama, a pool of talent that hails from across the globe, and compelling storylines that take viewers closer to their favorite wrestlers than ever before.
“There are lots of companies that produce sports and lots of companies that produce entertainment, but no producer combines the worlds of sports and entertainment like A. Smith & Co.,” said Jeff Jarrett, president and CEO of Global Force Wrestling. “I can’t think of a better partner to collaborate and innovate with to take the sport that I love and have been part of for decades to new heights.”
With a family history of wrestling dating back three-quarters of a century and 30 years spent in the industry himself, Jeff Jarrett rose to fame in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), where was a six-time Intercontinental champion, and one of only four wrestlers to hold both the Intercontinental and European Championship titles simultaneously. After making his mark at World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Jarrett co-founded Total Nonstop Wresting (TNA) Between the WCW, TNA, and AAA, Jarrett holds 11 world championship titles and 24 total championships.
Founded in April 2014, Global Force Wrestling (GFW) holds alliances with 14 of the biggest wrestling organizations on 5 continents. GFW creates multiple styles of wrestling under their umbrella, with expansions planned this year to North America, Europe, Australia, Japan, and Europe. Global Force Wrestling is currently expanding their alliances to include at least 4 new organizations in 2016.
About A. Smith & Co. Productions
A. Smith & Co. Productions creates some of the most innovative, highly rated, and high-quality programming for the domestic and international television marketplace. The company has produced more than 3,000 hours of award-winning programming – with budgets totaling over one billion dollars across more than 45 broadcast and cable networks. Current productions include “Hell’s Kitchen,” “American Ninja Warrior,” “Spartan Race,” “Ellen’s Design Challenge,” “Unsung,” “Full Throttle Saloon,” “Team Ninja Warrior,” “Container Homes,” and “The Dunk King.” Past hits include “Kitchen Nightmares,” “Wizard Wars,” “Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura,” “UFC Countdown,” “Joe Rogan Questions Everything,” “Paradise Hotel,” “I Survived a Japanese Game Show,” “The Swan,” “Trading Spaces,” “Pros vs. Joes,” “Skating with Celebrities,” and many others. For more information, visit www.asmithco.com.
About Global Force Wrestling
Global Force Wrestling is a privately owned professional wrestling and entertainment company based in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2014, Global Force Wrestling is changing the wrestling and entertainment industry with an innovative and groundbreaking approach to fan interactivity, storytelling and overall entertainment to engage audiences across television, digital and social media platforms.
Source: WrestlingINC
ECW Press, which often works with WWE on new books, has announced “NXT: The Future Is Now” for an April 2017 release. The book will be written by Jon Robinson and will focus on the creation and rise of the WWE NXT brand.
The following was issued today:
NXT: The Future is Now by Jon Robinson (April 1, 2017, ECW Press) follows the rise of NXT from its conception to becoming WWE’s newest global brand. Learn how NXT came to be, from the opening of the WWE Performance Center to WWE’s new, forward-thinking approach to talent development. See how Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt, Paige, Charlotte and other new stars have broken into WWE more prepared than any generation before. Get an inside look into WWE’s future as new and exciting performers hone their skills, personalities, and so much more under the watchful eye of Paul “Triple H” Levesque. With new, insightful interviews from Triple H, NXT trainers, Superstars and Divas, fans will learn how the future is indeed now!
NXT: The Future is Now is scheduled for a Spring 2017 release by ECW Press, in partnership with WWE. Over the past fifteen years, ECW has been a leading publisher of wrestling books, including autobiographies of Jimmy “The Mouth of the South” Hart, Larry Zybyszko, and The Missing Link, as well as The Death of WCW and The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame series.
Source: Bleacher Report
Former WWE Superstar Rob Van Dam is joining the list of athletes who will donate their brains to research for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after their deaths.
Van Dam made the announcement during an appearance onThe Taz Show podcast (h/t Greg Beck of WrestlingNews.co). “I’ve donated my brain and spine to the [CTE] study,” he said. “I used to tell Chris Nowinski that I thought there was a correlation between THC and brains being protected from concussion damage.”
Van Dam addressed the concussions he suffered throughout his career, though he doesn’t believe he suffered any permanent damage:
I’ve had hundreds and hundreds of concussions but I don’t think that I have any permanent damage. A lot of my peers do. A lot of my friends say ‘oh yeah, I space out’ or ‘see lights’ or this and that. … Chris [Nowinski] said ‘you know what, you’re probably on to something, but it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars before even start the study.’ … So anyway, now NFL is all over it.
Van Dam seemed to credit marijuana use for his ability to avoid any long-term effects from his concussions. On Feb. 27, retired Harvard professor Dr. Lester Grinspoon wrote an open letter to the NFL on Vice.com, urging the league to help fund a study to determine whether marijuana can help treat or prevent CTE.
“Given the severity of the problem, however, I think you, and the NFL, must go beyond simply following the medicine, and help lead the way by directly funding research to determine if cannabis…can indeed provide significant protection against the damage of repetitive concussions,” he wrote.
Van Dam became the second major wrestling star this week to announce he would donate his brain to CTE research. On Wednesday, WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash told ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein he would be joining the cause after his death.
Nowinski, another former WWE wrestler, has done extensive work to find causes and solutions for head-related injuries in sports. He even set up the Concussion Legacy Foundation to research the problem.
The 45-year-old Van Dam became a wrestling superstar during his time in ECW, routinely taking direct shots to his head with chairs and other weapons. He has been in the sport for 26 years and is now wrestling on various independent circuits.
As noted last week, WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash also announced that he will donate his brain to CTE research.
WWE recently spoke with actress Candace Cameron Bure about her recent wrestling segment on Netflix’s “Fuller House” show. She commented on getting into the wrestling ring and said she did her own stunts:
“Well, no one expected me to actually get in the ring. They had told me about this wrestling episode with the [Fuller] kids and it would be really fun and I said, ‘Oh, that’s so great!’ My real kids love watching it; they think it’s awesome. The first day in, they brought the stunt doubles and they said we’re just going to watch the stunt doubles. They’re going to work out the wrestling routine, and then they’ll do everything and we’ll just come in and do close-up face shots of me and edit it all together. Well, I watched the stuntwoman do the routine and I just said, ‘She’s not doing it! I’m doing it. I can do that!'”
Source: WWE.com
If you’ve been following Shane McMahon on Twitter, you know that he is pulling out all the stops as he trains to face The Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania. Shane is leaving little to chance as control of Raw — and in essence, WWE — hangs in the balance on April 3. He’s honing his striking attacks with MMA trainer Phil Nurse, building his strength and conditioning with former WBF competitor Jim Quinn, and even getting a refresher course in the art of hardcore from ECW Original Tommy Dreamer.
But before Shane-O-Mac graces The Grandest Stage of Them All, he’ll be coming to the Windy City for Raw. Now that his father, Mr. McMahon has publicly proclaimed that Shane’s inheritance is also on the line at WrestleMania, what’s going through the mind of WWE’s prodigal son? Did The Deadman’s cold reminder that Shane’s blood will be on his father’s hands inside Hell in a Cell resonate with The Boy Wonder? Regardless, you won’t want to miss when Shane’s Jordans hit the entrance ramp.
WWE Tag Team Championship: (C) The New Day VS Y2AJ (Styles & Jericho)
Will #KOMania take shape?
After Divas Champion Charlotte ended Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks’ No. 1 Contender’s rematch on SmackDown, it was revealed that Ric Flair’s calculating daughter will defend her title against both The Irish Lass Kicker and The Boss in a Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania.
No doubt, this turn of events drastically changes Charlotte’s strategy going into The Show of Shows, but it also gives both Becky and Sasha a career-changing opportunity on April 3. What twists await these three Divas on The Road to WrestleMania — and what new obstacles will Charlotte place in the path of her challengers?
Is Dean Ambrose the next WWE World Heavyweight Champion?
TNA is returning to the Impact Zone next week for the first time since July 2015. TNA officially announced the next set of Impact Wrestling tapings. TNA Issued the following:
IMPACT WRESTLING RETURNS TO UNIVERSAL STUDIOS ORLANDO MARCH 15 – 19
FREE ADMISSION TO ALL TELEVISION EVENTS MARCH 15 EVENT BROADCAST LIVE ON POP
WHAT:
Be part of the adrenaline-pumping action March 15–19 as the Stars and Knockouts of IMPACT WRESTLING return to the backlot at Universal Studios in Orlando for five days of televised events, including flagship IMPACT WRESTLING, Xplosion and One Night Only.
The Tuesday, March 15 event will be a LIVE broadcast of IMPACT WRESTLING on Pop.
WHEN:
Tuesday, March 15 through Saturday, March 19
Shows each night begin at 7 p.m. ET
Doors open at 6 p.m. ET
A special matinee show will take place Thursday, March 17 at 1 p.m. ET
Doors for the matinee will open at Noon ET
WHERE:
Sound Stage 20, located on the backlot at Universal Studios in Orlando.
TICKETS:
Admission to the event is FREE.
A limited number of VIP experiences are available for $99 at ShopTNA.com
Each VIP Experience includes a VIP credential, premium seating, commemorative event poster and a nightly meet-and-greet photo and autograph session with a select IMPACT WRESTLING Star or Knockout.
WHO:
IMPACT WRESTLING features a diverse roster of professional athletes and entertainers including Jeff and Matt Hardy, Ethan Carter III (EC3), Bobby Lashley, Drew Galloway, Eric Young, Bobby Roode, James Storm, the best female wrestlersin the world – the TNA Knockouts – led by Gail Kim, as well as the high-flying X-Division, including Tigre Uno.
