Tag: RAW

WWE Confirms Five-Year Media Rights Deals With Fox And USA Network

WWE and the USA Network issued the following today:

USA Network and WWE® Monday Night Raw® Extend Long-Standing Partnership

Three-Hour Live Programming Block to Continue Weekly on Cable’s #1 Entertainment Network

NEW YORK & STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– USA Network and WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced a five-year extension for WWE’s flagship program Monday Night Raw. The new agreement for the live, weekly three-hour block which commences in October 2019 continues WWE and USA’s nearly three decade-long relationship. Monday Night Raw, the #1 show on USA Network, delivers action, drama, compelling storylines and unmatched athleticism, 52 weeks per year.

“Monday Night Raw and USA Network have dominated Monday nights during a truly historic run,” says Chris McCumber, President, Entertainment Networks for NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. “Our partnership with WWE is one of the strongest and most successful in the business, and together we’ll take Raw to even greater heights.”

“We look forward to continuing our long-standing partnership with NBCUniversal and USA Network,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “Monday Night Raw has been synonymous with USA Network and we are excited about what the future holds for WWE’s flagship program.”

On the air for 25 years and more than 1,300 episodes, Monday Night Raw is the longest-running weekly episodic television show in U.S. primetime history and consistently a ratings juggernaut. Among the most-watched, regularly scheduled programs on primetime cable, Raw delivers more viewers in the U.S.than all sports other than the NFL. On USA Network, the weekly block is currently averaging 1.7M P18-49, 1.7M P25-54 and 3.6M total viewers P2+1.

Since its debut in 1993 on USA, Raw has been watched nearly 6 billion times in the U.S. alone. In its 25-year history, Raw has helped launch the careers of pop-culture icons including Dwayne “The Rock®” Johnson, John Cena®, Undertaker®, Triple H®, “Stone Cold®” Steve Austinand The Bella Twins™.

1Source: Nielsen NNTV, 2018 YTD through May (1/1/18-5/31/18), Live+7 Average Viewers for selected demographics (P18-49, P25-54, P2+).

WWE and FOX issued the following today:

FOX Sports Becomes New Home of SmackDown® Live

06/26/2018 – NEW YORK & STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– For the first time, every Friday night beginning October 4, 2019, FOX broadcast network will air WWE®’s flagship program SmackDown Live as part of a new five-year agreement with FOX Sports. The weekly, two-hour live event will air 52 weeks a year and captivate fans with a unique combination of edge-of-your-seat action, unpredictable drama and world-class athleticism.

“At FOX we are thrilled to welcome WWE to the FOX Sports family and bring SmackDown Live to broadcast television,” said Eric Shanks, President, COO and Executive Producer FOX Sports. “We are huge fans and know that together FOX Sports will be the leader in live events for the foreseeable future.”

“WWE and FOX are a perfect match,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “Moving SmackDown Live to broadcast TV and having the ability to leverage FOX’s extensive portfolio of world-class sporting events will expand the reach of our flagship programming.”

SmackDown Live is a consistent winner on television, currently averaging1 1.3M P18-49, 1.3M P25-54 and 3M total viewers P2+.

On air for almost 20 years and nearly 1,000 episodes, SmackDown Live is the second-longest running weekly episodic cable television show in U.S. primetime history, only behind Monday Night Raw®. SmackDown Live is currently among the most-watched, regularly scheduled programs on primetime cable and delivers more viewers in primetime than any cable network in the U.S. (2.9 million average viewers).

SmackDownLive has also helped launch the careers of pop-culture icons including Dwayne “The Rock®” Johnson, John Cena®, Undertaker®, Triple H®, “Stone Cold®” Steve Austin and The Bella Twins™.

1: Source: Nielsen NNTV, 2018 YTD through April (1/1/18-4/30/18), Live+7 Average Viewers for selected demographics (P18-49, P25-54, P2+).

RAW Preview 6/25/18

Tonight’s WWE RAW takes place from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California.

* Seth Rollins battles Dolph Ziggler in Intercontinental Championship rematch

* Who else will battle to become Brock Lesnar’s next challenger?

* What does Nia Jax have planned for Alexa Bliss?

* KO and The Constable forge powerful alliance

* Where do Sasha Banks and Bayley go from here?

Sami Zayn Out Of Action Until 2019 With Two Torn Rotator Cuffs

sami zayn wwe injury details shoulder torn rotator cuff cuffs surgery

Raw will be without Sami Zayn for the foreseeable future … as the wrestler revealed both his shoulders are busted and surgery is required before he can return.

Zayn told WWE.com he’s got two torn rotator cuffs and underwent surgery to fix one of them today in Birmingham, Alabama.

“I guess people don’t know about this injury; I’ve been working with it for some time,” Sami explained. “I don’t know exactly when I tore it. I think I tore it, or initially injured it, on a Montreal Live Event. Which is ironic because I injured my left shoulder — now somewhat famously — in Montreal in my [Raw] debut against John Cena. And at a Live Event this past August wrestling Jinder Mahal, I think I injured it then.”

He continued: “But then my left shoulder, a.k.a my bad shoulder, started to act up again as well. That shoulder hasn’t quite been the same since surgery anyway, so I had just kind of gotten used to the fact that that shoulder was the bad one. But it started to get progressively worse, so basically, long story short, it turns out I have two torn rotator cuffs. The left one and the right one are both torn. I just underwent surgery on the right one, and then in about six or seven weeks, I’ll be undergoing surgery on the left one, and hopefully I can come back healthy and happy.”

As we previously reported, Sami traveled to Alabama to determine how serious his shoulder injuries were. Zayn says he learned surgery would be required after getting an MRI on “the bad shoulder.”

No exact return estimate was given, but Sami says he’d like to be “in the mix” for WrestleMania.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Ronda Rousey’s WWE Schedule During Her RAW Storyline Suspension

Image result for ronda rousey WWE RAW

Ronda Rousey was scheduled for 7 dates during her storyline WWE 30-day suspension, 3 of which were RAW tapings. While Rousey is still scheduled for this Sunday’s WWE live event in Anaheim, she has been pulled from this Monday’s RAW in San Diego. Here is her updated schedule during her suspension:

* 6/24 – RAW live event in Anaheim, CA
* 7/6 – RAW live event in Philadelphia, PA
* 7/7 – RAW live event at MSG
* 7/8 – RAW live event in Bridgeport, CT
* 7/9 – Monday Night RAW in Boston, MA
* 7/16 – Monday Night RAW in Buffalo, NY

Source: WrestlingINC

RAW GM Kurt Angle Suspends Ronda Rousey For 30 Days, WWE Confirms Her Return Date

Image result for RAW GM Kurt Angle Suspends Ronda Rousey For 30 Days after attacking Alexa Bliss, Angle and referees

RAW General Manager Kurt Angle announced on this week’s show that Ronda Rousey has been suspended for 30 days. Rousey interrupted this week’s RAW opening segment to confront new RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss and ended up assaulting Bliss, Angle and a few referees. Angle then suspended Rousey as punishment. Rousey made it clear that she will be going for Bliss when the suspension is up, champion or not.

Below is WWE’s announcement on the storyline suspension along with a post-show tweet from Angle and an apology from Rousey:

Ronda Rousey suspended from Raw for 30 daysRonda Rousey has been suspended from Monday Night Raw for 30 days after attacking Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, two WWE officials and Raw General Manager Kurt Angle.

The incident occurred one night after WWE Money in the Bank, where Bliss caused Rousey’s Raw Women’s Championship Match against Nia Jax to end in disqualification. The Goddess then cashed in her newly won Money in the Bank contract on The Irresistible Force to claim the title.

Jax will challenge Bliss for the title in a rematch at WWE Extreme Rules. Rousey, meanwhile, will be barred from Monday Night Raw until Wednesday, July 18 — three days after that event.

Stay with WWE.com as this story develops.

@therealkurtangle I sincerely apologize for my behavior tonight…. Though you were the first to put hands on me, I shouldn’t have let my temper get the best of me….Despite the fact I was cheated, provoked, and disrespected by Alexa… i shouldn’t have been willing to go through you to get to her. I’ll gladly serve my suspension … but Alexa, know that every moment you don’t see me i am thinking of you and preparing for your comeuppance. So you in 30 days #LittleMissBish

Source: WrestlingINC

RAW Preview 6/18/18

Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the Van Del Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan with the fallout from Money In the Bank.

* Will Alexa Bliss pay for cashing in?

* Does The Monster in the Bank have a plan for Brock Lesnar?

* How will Rollins’ rivalry with Elias play out in the wake of the WWE Money in the Bank controversy?

* Who will dare meet The Big Dog in his yard?

RAW Preview 6/11/18

Tonight’s Money In the Bank go-home edition of WWE RAW takes place from the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

* Strowman, Bálor, Roode and Owens collide

* Will Natalya and Alexa Bliss be able to compete in a Fatal 4-Way Match?

* Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax meet face-to-face before their title clash

* Roman Reigns accepts Jinder Mahal’s challenge for a match this Monday on Raw

* How will Raw’s new “Constable” settle into his new role?

RAW Preview 6/4/18

Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas as the road to Money In the Bank continues.

Ronda Rousey and Roman Reigns are advertised to appear.

* The Monster Among Men faces The Glorious One

* Former Universal Champions lock up – Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens

* Natalya stands up to Nia Jax

* Who will be next to challenge The Deleters of Worlds?

Jim Cornette On SmackDown Moving To FOX & RAW Staying With USA In A $2 Billion Deal

Image result for Jim Cornette on Smackdown Moving to FOX & RAW Staying with USA in a $2 BILLION Deal

Jim Cornette gives his thoughts on the new WWE TV deals for SmackDown & RAW for the fall of 2019. As reported, RAW is staying on USA Network on Monday nights and SmackDown will move to the FOX Network on Friday night.

Cornette wonders how USA got the RAW (A-Show) and FOX got SmackDown (B-Show) because FOX is bigger than USA. He says SmackDown will be the A-Show.

Cornette questions if SmackDown’s move to FOX will help create stars or pay big money for stars and if there is any need anymore for a big match to promote pay-per-views because of the WWE Network.

Cornette talks about WWE not really needing to sale tickets for the house shows and PPV’s because of all the guaranteed money.

Cornette talks about WWE stars not getting heath insurance and having to pay for their own rental cars.

You can listen to what Cornette has to say about WWE’s new TV deal for RAW and SmackDown at this link.

 

RAW Preview 5/21/18

Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the Times Union Center in Albany, New York as the road to Money In the Bank continues.

* How will Sami Zayn “expose” Bobby Lashley?

* Will The Big Dog’s rampage continue?

* Which Raw Superstars will join the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match?

* How will Raw’s male Superstars gain “Money” momentum?

* Who will be next to challenge Seth Rollins?

* Nia Jax prepares to face The Baddest Woman on the Planet