Tag: Vince McMahon

Triple H Reportedly Had No Say In Last Week’s NXT Releases

Apparently neither Triple H now Shawn Michaels were consulted on who from NXT should be released last week.

Triple H was reportedly not consulted about which NXT Superstars were going to get released at the end of last week.

WWE continued to add to what is already a list of more than 50 released Superstars and employees last week by letting go of 12 more NXT talents. Perhaps one of the most shocking batches so far as Bronson Reed, Mercedes Martinez, and Bobby Fish were among the names to be shown the door. This all comes amid reports that NXT will be undergoing some major changes in the near future.

Triple H is the man credited with responsibility for turning NXT into what it is today. However, Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer has been led to believe neither he nor his Hall of Fame right-hand man Shawn Michaels had any say in who was cut last week. The decisions were made by Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard, and John Laurinaitis.

Apparently, the reasoning behind the latest releases was that the trio responsible for them foresaw no future for the stars on the main roster. Interesting, as that suggests NXT is still seen as developmental in the eyes of McMahon rather than its own brand. That’s despite the likes of Johnny Gargano and Dakota Kai seemingly staying there for good without a potential call-up looming.

The 12 names let go and the reports that have followed suggest McMahon is reacting to the past two years of NXT. The black and gold brand failing to compete with AEW Dynamite before it moved nights, and whatever problem the boss has with the likes of Karrion Kross and Keith Lee. A message that has also surfaced which some have claimed is a mandate from the boss hints that the goal is to leave smaller wrestlers in the past and only focus on talent under the age of 30.

If Triple H really was kept in the dark about what happened last week, this could be the start of a very different, potentially incredibly bleak era in NXT’s still quite short history. It also suggests McMahon’s recent trip to the Performance Center wasn’t just to scout people he could use on Raw and SmackDown, it was also to rid NXT of stars he doesn’t have any use for elsewhere. This week’s episode of NXT will be incredibly interesting, although any changes being implemented probably won’t take hold right away.

Source: TheSportster

WWE Announces “The United States Of America Vs. Vince McMahon” Series

WWE and Blumhouse Television are partnering for “The United States of America vs. Vince McMahon.”

WWE and Blumhouse announced today that “The United States of America vs. Vince McMahon” will be a limited scripted series that focuses on the WWE steroid trial of the 1990s.

The series is being developed for TV, and will feature the first-ever scripted portrayal of the WWE Chairman & CEO. The first-ever scripted dramatic portrayal of a chapter in WWE history will also feature portrayals of legendary WWE Superstars from that era.

“Jason, Chris and their team at Blumhouse create amazing work and we look forward to delivering an inside look into one of the most pivotal moments in our company’s history,” said Kevin Dunn, WWE’s longtime Executive Producer & Chief of Global Television Distribution, in a press release issued to us today.

McMahon, Dunn, Blumhouse owner Jason Blum, Blumhouse TV President Chris McCumber, and Jeremy Gold will serve as executive producers on the project.

“We have a dramatic, riveting saga – one that’s crazier than fiction – that will appeal to the cross-section of Blumhouse and WWE fans,” said McCumber. “To say I’m thrilled about collaborating again with WWE is an understatement.”

There’s no word yet on the network or premiere date, or the cast, but we will keep you updated when more information becomes available.

Below is the full press release issued today:

WWE ® AND BLUMHOUSE PARTNER TO DEVELOP ‘THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. VINCE MCMAHON’

LOS ANGELES and STAMFORD, Conn., July 26, 2021 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) and Blumhouse Television are partnering to develop a limited scripted series called, The United States of America Vs. Vince McMahon. Jason Blum’s company, Blumhouse, will develop the series for television, led by Blumhouse TV President Chris McCumber. The series, The United States of America Vs. Vince McMahon, will be the first-ever scripted dramatic portrayal of a chapter in WWE’s history. Additionally, it is also the first scripted portrayal of McMahon as well as many of the legendary Superstars of that era.

The show will delve into WWE during the 1990s, at the time Rupert Murdoch had purchased the New York Post to further his massive infiltration into the U.S. media landscape. For years, infamous Post writer Phil Mushnick regularly hammered WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon in his column. Headlines like “Legislators Give WWE A Free Pass On ‘Roids” and “McMahon Skips Through the Cemetery” eventually captured the attention of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York – the nation’s most prestigious federal prosecutor’s office with a conviction rate of over 96 percent.

In 1994, the U.S. government indicted McMahon for allegedly supplying anabolic steroids to WWE talent. McMahon, with his liberty at stake, two school-aged children at home and with WWE on the brink of bankruptcy, refused to take a plea deal. Ultimately, McMahon stood trial and was acquitted unanimously by a jury of his peers and went on to build a multi-billion-dollar global sports entertainment empire.

“Jason, Chris and their team at Blumhouse create amazing work and we look forward to delivering an inside look into one of the most pivotal moments in our company’s history,” said Kevin Dunn, WWE Executive Producer & Chief of Global Television Distribution.

“We have a dramatic, riveting saga – one that’s crazier than fiction – that will appeal to the cross-section of Blumhouse and WWE fans,” said Chris McCumber, Blumhouse Television President. “To say I’m thrilled about collaborating again with WWE is an understatement.”

McMahon, Dunn, Blum, McCumber and Jeremy Gold will serve as executive producers on the project.

The Blumhouse Television team, led by McCumber, have made several significant development announcements in the last few weeks, including: the straight-to-series pick-up of The Thing About Pam, starring Renee Zellweger in her broadcast TV debut for NBC; Blumhouse Ghost Story, the scripted series based on The Battersea Poltergeist BBC podcast, and the companion unscripted series; the continuing series based on Patricia Cornwell’s world’s best-selling “Kay Scarpetta” novels for a major; and the exclusive multi-year partnership with ITV America for provocative, disruptive and terrifying content to every corner of the non-fiction space, including Escape the Maze (wt) the first project derived from the partnership; among several other announcements.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Vince McMahon Reportedly Countersues Former XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck

The USA Today is reporting that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is countersuing former XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck for $572,792.10. 

The suit, filed in Connecticut Federal Court claims Luck defied orders by McMahon when it came to hiring XFL staff and players. McMahon said Luck abandoned his duties when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the league to be suspended in mid-March of 2020.

McMahon also argued that Luck did not follow directions when it came to signing former NFL wide receiver Antonio Callaway for the Tampa Bay Vipers. Vince says that he emphasized to Luck that an XFL player must have “quality football players with good character.” Callaway apparently did not meet McMahon’s standards, during his NFL career, Callaway violated the substance abuse policy, and alos was involved in credit card fraud.

Callaway suffered a knee injury before the start of the XFL season.  The League then had to pay him worker’s compensation pay, and the XFL unable to terminate Callaway’s  contract without paying him his original signing bonus which exceeded $120,000.

The report also notes that the pursuit of former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel also caused issues between Luck and McMahon. It was said that after learning of reports that the XFL would consider signing Manziel, McMahon texted Luck “How long R U going to play this game Oliver? U know there is NO CHANCE IN HELL for Manziel to play for us. I will not change my mind. So what’s Ur plan??”  Luck then responded with “Vince – we have no intention of signing him, none whatsoever. We’re just milking the story to stay in the news. I’m happy to categorically rule him out but both Jeffrey and I think it is worthwhile to milk it until the showcases are finished (July 12). At that point we can say he doesn’t fit into our plans.”

McMahon also accused Luck of leaving the league’s Connecticut headquarters on March 13 and returning to his home in Indiana. After that date, it is said that Luck and McMahon had no direct contact, according to the countersuit, and McMahon claims Luck missed several league operations meetings.

Last month, According to OK!USA, XFL commissioner Oliver Luck is convinced that he will win his wrongful termination suit against former boss WWE CEO Vince McMahon. If Luck wins his case, McMahon would have to pay Luck nearly $24 million.

Back in April of this year, filed suit against Vince McMahon for wrongful termination.  Luck said he received a termination letter on April 9 spelling out the case against him. Luck then denied any wrongdoing. Luck said that he fulfilled his end of the bargain, running the league since its resurrection in January 2018 — only to be “wrongfully terminated.”

April 13, 2020 the XFL officially filed for voluntary Chapter 11 Bankruptcy shortly after the league announced they were ceasing operations permanently.

On August 3, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Dany Garcia announced they, along with RedBird Capital Partners, purchased the football league in August for $15 million.

In a video that was released on October 1, 2020, along with and press release Johnson announced that the XFL will return in the spring of 2022.

Source: WrestleView

WWE Signs “Groundbreaking New Deal” With Netflix For Vince McMahon Documentary

WWE has confirmed that a new film on WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon is in the works.

Nick Khan, WWE’s new President & Chief Revenue Officer, noted during today’s Q3 2020 earnings call that WWE has signed a “groundbreaking new deal” with Netflix. WWE is selling the multi-part documentary that will cover Vince’s life.

The deal is groundbreaking because it is one of the highest-budgeted documentaries in Netflix history, according to Khan.

There’s no word yet on the documentary title or release date. Khan noted that Bill Simmons will executive produce the project, while Chris Smith, who directed Netflix’s Fyre Fest documentary, will produce along with WWE Studios.

This Vince documentary is not the same biopic that was first revealed back in 2017. That project was apparently nixed. Titled “Pandemonium,” the movie was expected to star Bradley Cooper as Vince. Tristar Pictures was to release the movie. The original plan was to film the movie in the spring of 2018, but that depended on several factors. The “Pandemonium” script was written by Craig A. Williams back in 2015, but it underwent several changes after WWE Studios got involved. John Requa and Glenn Ficarra were set to direct the movie, while Zaftig Films’ Charlie Gogolak was to serve as executive producer. Aperture Entertainment’s Adam Goldworn was to produce the movie, along with WWE Studios. The latest update on Pandemonium came in January 2019 when it was reported that a new draft of the movie had been completed and sent to WWE executives, including McMahon, for feedback. There was still no confirmation on Cooper accepting the role, but he had been waiting for an updated version of the script in 2018, and then was planning to make his decision. That January 2019 update stated that while the filming date of spring 2018 had passed, the project was still being actively worked on. It looks like “Pandemonium” is no more.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Taking Over Talents’ Twitch Accounts In Four Weeks

Wrestling Inc. reports that Vince McMahon sent an email to talent this week reminding them that they have until this Friday, October 2nd, to sever any unauthorized business relationships with third parties. It was noted that talent who fail to comply could be fined, suspended or terminated.

It was reported in September, McMahon issued an edict instructing talent that they can no longer engage with third parties. The company later clarified the edict, stating that talent could maintain Twitch and YouTube accounts under their real names, however they would still need to inform the company of those accounts.

Wrestling Inc. has also learned that talent were told this week that the company will be taking control of their Twitch accounts in four weeks. WWE will own those accounts, however talent will receive a percentage of the revenue, which counts against their downside guarantees.

Former Democratic Presidential candidate Andrew Yang openly criticized the edict when it was first revealed last month, and said that he would take action if Joe Biden were to be elected President. Yang spoke with Wrestling Inc. recently about why he feels that WWE has been able to get away with some of their labor practices.

“A lot of it is that wrestlers are afraid to speak out, and I’ve had wrestlers past and present reach out to me and say that Vince has been getting away with exploitation of wrestlers calling them independent contractors while controlling their activities for years and years,” Yang said. “A lot of it is just that they are a quasi-monopoly, and wrestlers fear that if they do try and unionize or organize in any way that Vince doesn’t like, that it will never work again.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Paul Heyman No Longer Executive Director Of Raw, Bruce Prichard To Lead Team For Both Shows

WWE has confirmed their creative teams from Raw and SmackDown have been consolidated into one group which will be led by Bruce Prichard.

According to a statement from WWE:

“In an effort to streamline our creative writing process for television, we have consolidated both teams from Raw and SmackDown into one group, led by Bruce Prichard. Paul Heyman will concentrate on his role as an in-ring performer.”

As you’ll recall, Heyman was made the Executive Director of Raw in June of 2019. Eric Bischoff was hired to be the Executive Director of SmackDown as well, but that didn’t last long and he made his exit from the company months later in October. He was then replaced by Bruce Prichard.

Ratings for all the major wrestling shows have fallen drastically since the Coronavirus pandemic forced the promotions to hold tapings without real crowds. In February, the first full month before the pandemic, RAW averaged 2.29 million viewers (down 14% from an average of 2.67 million viewers in February of 2019). In May, the show averaged 1.77 million viewers, a drop of 23% from February and 24% from the 2.33 million viewers RAW averaged in May of last year. The past six weeks have featured five of the least watched episodes in the show’s history.

PWInsider reported that a source noted to them that Vince McMahon has recently been “very upset” and openly “frustrated” with Raw.

During the Q1 2020 investors call in late April, McMahon was asked why ratings have declined despite the company being the only live sports content on television during the pandemic. Even though SmackDown ratings have also suffered, McMahon claimed that SmackDown ratings had seen virtually no change, while RAW has suffered because of the new talent on the brand, who need time to get over.

“So there’s no audience and it’s a different show, a completely different show,” Vince said. “And I think we’re going to get there. While we may be able to take this negative and already turn it into somewhat of a positive, as far as ratings and what have you are concerned. SmackDown has virtually been no change, very little. RAW has suffered, but not necessarily because of the environment, it’s suffered because we bring in a lot of new talent and to RAW, and it takes a while to get these new talents over.

“We no longer have Brock Lesnar obviously, but we have a new champion and a lot of new performers coming in. So it takes a while. So that’s the reason, and how you use those performers in this story or that story or what have you. So, with new talent it’s just going to take a little while. I’m convinced though, that the RAW’s ratings are going to bounce back considerably.”

Sources: Pro Wrestling Sheet and Wrestling Inc.

Vince McMahon On The XFL Surviving, 20 Potential Buyers Interested In The League

Wrestling Inc has noted earlier at this link, XFL boss Vince McMahon responded to recent claims that he was looking to buy back the league in new bankruptcy court filings. The commiittee of unsecured creditors to the XFL recently objected to the bankruptcy filing, claiming Vince was trying to rig the bankruptcy process as a way to buy back the league without fully paying back debtors. Vince dismissed the speculation and said he would not be a bidder for the league. The response filing from earlier this week labeled the recent claims by the creditors as “inflammatory rhetoric and unsubstantiated accusations.”

Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic has revealed Vince’s full comments from the recent deposition testimony.

“I don’t know why that’s out there, making me out to be the bad guy, (that) I’m going to buy the XFL back for pennies on the dollar, basically,” McMahon said. “That helped me move into the direction of I’m not going to be a bidder, not going to have anything to do with it. I do hope that someone will pay a lot of money for it, and I do hope that it will survive.”

While it looks like Vince won’t be a bidder, there are dozens of potential purchasers currently in “active discussions” with the XFL’s investment bank, Houlihan Lokey, according to the filing. The Athletic adds that most potential purchasers have indicated that the potential for an XFL season in the spring of 2021 is important to them.

“Based on preliminary feedback, there is a robust market for the Debtor’s assets, including a number of potentially interested private equity firms and other strategic and financial sponsors,” Vince’s recent filing said.

Houlihan managing partner William Hardie noted in a separate filing that the prospective buyers are looking to generate revenue and further establish the league in a “content-starved environment” in the spring of 2021, to avoid leaving space out to 2022 that would allow others to potentially act on the opportunity. Houlihan had distributed teasers to 235 potential purchasers as of May 25, and as of that date, 20 potential purchasers had executed non-disclosure agreements and gained access to a date room that contains extensive diligence materials on the league. As of that date, 6 more potential purchasers were in the process of executing non-disclosure agreements to gain access to the data room.

Furthermore, the XFL has crafted a scenario for a potential tournament that would begin in February 2021.

“In fact, I understand the Debtor has modeled for 2021 a made-for-TV, 12-week tournament-style approach to its business – since the XFL is particularly well suited for a crowd-free experience that could thrive in the current environment, given its existing innovations such as in-game audio from players and coaches and live on-screen sports wagering information,” wrote Hardie in his filing.

The committee of creditors wants the sales process to run through mid-September, instead of the early July time frame that was proposed by McMahon. In a concession, Vince agreed to extend the sales process through the first week of August. He warned that any more time would jeopardize a relaunch in 2021.

A Delaware bankruptcy court hearing was scheduled for Wednesday of this week, for the dispute between the league, and its parent company Alpha Entertainment, and the creditors.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Former XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck Files Lawsuit vs. Vince McMahon

Former XFL commissioner Oliver Luck filed a lawsuit against Vince McMahon.

Luck cites wrongful termination after the league ceased operations and filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy.  Luck seeks unspecified damages, judggment on fulfilling terms of his deal. Luck’s deal is reportedly worth around $20 million over its lifespan.

McMahon’s lawyer says luck’s “allegations will be disputed”.

XFL – What A Beginning

Hi readers of Wrestling News Blog!

Let me give you a little background before starting my take on the opening weekend of the reboot of the XFL.

I’m Ed Boston and I am the co-founder of this website. As a veteran of the United States Army, I have chosen to boycott the National Football League for the past 3 seasons due to the league not mandating that all players must stand and be respectful during the Nation Anthem. That said, I’ve been hungry for some professional football and was guardedly optimistic about the all-new XFL kicking off their season.

After week 1, take the word guardedly out of the equation. Leauge owner, Vince McMahon, appears to have found a winning formula and along with league Commissioner Oliver Luck, and they must be beaming with optimism after the first 4 games are in the books.

Here are the results from week 1:

DC DEFENDERS 31, Seattle DRAGONS 19

Houston ROUGHNECKS 37, Los Angeles WILDCATS 17

New York GUARDIANS 23, Tampa Bay VIPERS 3

St Louis BATTLEHAWKS 15, Dallas RENEGADES 9

And here is the schedule for Week 2 of the XFL.

FEB 15: Guardians @ Defenders; FEB 15: Vipers @ Dragons;FEB 16: Renegades @ BattleHawks and FEB 16: Defenders @ Wildcats.

The quality of play in the games was definitely better than I expected. These weren’t future Hall of Famers playing, and there is much room for improved play, but it was good football.

I really enjoyed the XFL’s unique rules. Click here to read the complete set of rules. The rules were put in place with fan interest and player safety as the top priorities. The rules for the pace of place and the extra point opportunities of 1 pt with the play started at the 2-yard line; 2 points started at the 5-yard line, and 3 points started at the 10-yard line make for interesting decisions from the teams after each score.

Commissioner Luck and the league pulled off a great PR move and gave the league legitimacy by hiring well-known coaches to lead the teams.

Look at this line-up:

DALLAS RENEGADES – Head coach: Bob Stoops

DC DEFENDERS – Head coach: Pep Hamilton

HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS – Head coach: June Jones

LOS ANGELES WILDCATS – Head coach: Winston Moss

NEW YORK GUARDIANS – Head coach: Kevin Gilbride

ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS – Head coach: Jonathan Hayes

SEATTLE DRAGONS – Head coach: Jim Zorn

TAMPA BAY VIPERS – Head coach: Marc Trestman

When you look at the list of Offensive and Defensive Coordinators that were hired, you can see that the league is bound to be taken seriously.  Here is a full list of all head coaches and coordinators.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all of the praise being handed out over the weekend with little to no negative reaction. Troy Aiken was interviewed on the sideline by Pat McAfee. Both respected NFL greats had totally positive things to say about the start of the league. Twitter exploded and XFL trended for most of the weekend, and factor in Sunday night was The Oscars.

One concern I have had from when the announcement was made that the XFL was going to start up again was that they would give the impression that they were too gimmicky, like XFL round 1 was.

CONCERNS RELIEVED!!!

This was real football, played by players who have something to prove, coached by coaches who know the game, and the entire package is fan-friendly.

My very favorite part of the fan experience watching from home was the transparency with letting us see what goes on with the play calling and replay decisions. Watching Chuck long calling plays from the booth and seeing the team execute the calls to near perfection late in the St. Louis game was awesome.

Watching and listening to the replay officials in the booth interact with the head referee on the field was must-see if you are a fan of the game. The fact that they did their jobs quickly and effectively along with the fans getting to watch the process was described by one announcer as this needs to be implemented everywhere -STAT!

I know I’m looking forward to week 2. If you didn’t see week 1, you missed some good football.

Vince McMahon Talks Potential “Transformative” WWE Network Deal, Selling PPV Rights

WWE announced today that the company is evaluating “strategic alternatives” for the WWE Network.

During today’s 2019 earnings call, Vince McMahon discussed the possibility of selling the rights of their major pay-per-views to another streaming service. McMahon said that they could continue on with their current model by adding new tiers (WWE quietly added a free tier to the Network last December), or they can “exercise the selling of our rights to all the major [streaming services]” to increase revenue.

“We have a lot of options,” McMahon said (h/t to The Wrap for the transcription). “We could continue on as we are now, with an enhancement of a tier… we also have an option right now, there’s no more better time to exercise the selling of our rights to all the majors who, quite frankly, all the majors are really clamoring for our content.

“So that could be a significant increase, obviously, in terms of revenue.”

McMahon did not confirm that the company would move in that direction, just that it was an option. He did say that they are far along in negotiations for potential deals for the Network and that if it is finalized, it “will be announced this quarter, that’s how far along we are.”

McMahon added that the potential deal will be “transformative” for the company.

Source: Wrestling Inc.