Tag: WWE

Backstage Notes From Vince McMahon’s Pre-RAW Meeting, Karl Anderson Called Out For Tweets, More

Vince McMahon called a backstage meeting at around 3pm ET on Monday before RAW to address the travel debacle coming out of WWE Crown Jewel.

Vince reiterated that there were no issues between the company and officials in Saudi Arabia, and that a mechanical issue prevented the plane from leaving when it was scheduled to, nothing else.

Vince opened the meeting up for questions from talents and nobody asked any questions, and nobody said anything about the story given to them on what happened in the Kingdom. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that there was a feeling that saying anything negative about the story given to them during the meeting wouldn’t do anyone good, and nobody spoke up. The Observer adds that the feeling on saying anything negative about the company’s Saudi story wouldn’t do anyone any good, was apparently the correct call.

Randy Orton said something during the meeting but he was just trying to break the tension by being funny. Vince responded and asked, “Anybody else want to just kiss my ass?”

The meeting was just about to wrap up when Triple H called out Karl Anderson for comments he made on Twitter, about who would be the locker room leader on Monday. As noted, Anderson tweeted, “Looking forward to seeing who the locker room leader is on Monday.. [popcorn emoji] [red heart emoji]”

Anderson reportedly didn’t say much of anything in response. There was apparently more heat to the Anderson situation as he and his wife also joked on Twitter about not going back to Saudi Arabia, but going back because they need a new pool or a second house. He tweeted, “Couldn’t pay me enough to go back .. Well that’s not true, I need a second pool, so…..”

Anderson’s wife responded, “2nd house!! Not a pool..but don’t ever go back AGAIN! We don’t need our daddy/papi/motherlover/absanderson/besttagteam etc. being held hostage while we’re at home worried to death [red heart emoji]”

You can see the Anderson tweets below.

WWE United States Champion AJ Styles spoke at the meeting but didn’t say much. Styles was very unhappy because the delay in the Kingdom caused him to miss one of his son’s wrestling matches. Rusev spoke some and mostly thanked Mark Carrano, WWE’s Senior Director of Talent Relations, for his work in quickly getting hotel rooms booked for everyone while they waited for a flight back to the United States. No one spoke about anything negatively, but there were some remarks about how at times during the debacle, the talents didn’t have access to Wi-Fi and were unable to contact their families.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage News On Why WWE Put Sami Zayn With Shinsuke Nakamura

Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Sami Zayn had been having trouble with his shoulders in recent months. This is why he has been wrestling less and was put with WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura as his mouthpiece.

There’s no word yet on when Zayn will return to regular in-ring action, but word now is that he’s OK and can wrestle, but the current role is what they have him doing. Zayn has worked some live events since being put with Nakamura, including losses to Buddy Murphy while WWE was in Australia last month, but he hasn’t wrestled regularly on TV since August, when he took losses on RAW to Samoa Joe and Cedric Alexander.

AEW Dynamite Barely Tops WWE NXT Viewership This Week, AEW Attendance And Poor Crowd Photos From Dynamite

AEW Dynamite has topped WWE NXT in viewership for the sixth week in a row, however it was by the smallest margin to date.

Wednesday’s Full Gear go-home edition of Dynamite on TNT drew 822,000 viewers, topping NXT’s 813,000 viewers on the USA Network by only 1.1%, according to Showbuzz Daily.

AEW ranked #8 in the Cable Top 150, while NXT ranked #12. AEW ranked #31 in viewership, while NXT ranked #32 in viewership.

For NXT, it was the best number for the show since its two-hour premiere on October 2nd. It was the second lowest number for Dynamite behind last week’s show which averaged 759,000, however that episode was against Game 7 of the World Series.

Last week’s Dynamite episode drew 789,000 viewers and ranked #6 in the Cable Top 150, and #28 in viewership, so the audience was up 4.2%. Last week’s NXT episode drew 580,000 viewers and ranked #32 in the Cable Top 150, and #42 in viewership so NXT saw a much larger 40% increase.

AEW drew a 0.35 rating in the 18-49 demographic while NXT drew a 0.30 in the same demo this week. Last week’s AEW episode drew a 0.33 in that demographic while NXT drew a 0.18.

* Monday’s Crown Jewel go-home edition of RAW on the USA Network drew an average of 2.133 million viewers, down from the previous week’s 2.342 million viewers. RAW was #4 in the 18-49 demographic on the Cable Top 150, with a 0.72 rating

To compare, this week’s pro wrestling viewership looks like this so far:

* Monday’s post-Crown Jewel edition of RAW on the USA Network drew an average of 2.136 million viewers, barely up from last week’s 2.133 million viewers, and the fourth-lowest non-holiday episode in RAW history. RAW was #12 for the night in viewership on cable and #4 in the 18-49 demographic on the Cable Top 150, for the second week in a row, with an average 0.76 cable rating

* Tuesday’s Total Divas episode on the E! network drew 191,000 viewers, down from last week’s 283,000 viewers for the lowest viewership in the history of the show. Total Divas ranked #93 on the Cable Top 150 this week with a 0.08 cable rating in the 18-49 demo

* Tuesday’s official WWE Backstage premiere on FS1 drew just 49,000 viewers in the 11pm hour. The show did not make the Cable Top 150 but drew an 0.02 cable rating in the 18-49 demographic

* Wednesday’s Full Gear go-home edition of AEW Dynamite on TNT drew 822,000 viewers, up from last week’s 789,000 viewers. Dynamite was #31 for the night in viewership on cable and #8 in the 18-49 demographic on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.35 rating

* Wednesday’s NXT episode on the USA Network drew 813,000 viewers, up from last week’s 580,000 viewers. NXT ranked #32 for the night in viewership on cable, and #12 on the Cable Top 150 with a 0.30 rating in the 18-49 demographic

Below is 2019 NXT Viewership Tracker:

September 18 Episode: 1.179 million viewers (one hour on the USA Network)
September 25 Episode: 1.006 million viewers (one hour on the USA Network)
October 2 Episode: 891,000 viewers (season premiere, both hours on the USA Network)
October 9 Episode: 790,000 viewers
October 16 Episode: 712,000 viewers
October 23 Episode: 698,000 viewers
October 30 Episode: 580,000 viewers with a 0.18 demographic in the 18-49 demographic
November 6 Episode: 813,000 viewers with a 0.30 demographic in the 18-49 demographic

Below is 2019 AEW Dynamite Viewership Tracker:

October 2 Episode: 1.409 million viewers (premiere episode)
October 9 Episode: 1.018 million viewers (on TNT, 122k on truTV)
October 16 Episode: 1.014 million viewers
October 23 Episode: 963,000 viewers
October 30 Episode: 789,000 viewers with a 0.33 rating in the 18-49 demographic
November 6 Episode: 822,000 viewers with a 0.35 rating in the 18-49 demographic

The estimated attendance for Wednesday night’s Dynamite episode from Charlotte was in the 5,000 range, according to PWInsider. A hot topic on social media has been the photos going around of the empty seats on the hard cam side, which you can see below:

https://twitter.com/JayNetwork2/status/1192245097557118977

Saturday’s AEW Full Gear pay-per-view from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, MD, Ticketmaster shows more than 1,200 tickets left at this link. They are going for $30 – $125. There are also two floor seats that come together, and include the commemorative take-home chair, for $300 each.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT Preview 11/6/19

Tonight’s WWE NXT episode will air live from the NXT Arena at Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL as the build to “Takeover: WarGames 2019” and Survivor Series continues.

  • What will be the fallout of NXT’s Raw and SmackDown takeovers?
  • Dakota Kai looks to prove herself against Shayna Baszler
  • Pete Dunne set for rematch with Damian Priest
  • How will Tommaso Ciampa’s war continue?

WWE has not confirmed any RAW or SmackDown Superstars for tonight’s show, but it’s rumored that some will appear to continue the Survivor Series build.

Jeff Hardy Scheduled For Court This Thursday

According to PWInsider, Jeff Hardy is scheduled for a court appearance in Moore County Court in North Carolina this Thursday. He will be facing charges of Driving While Impaired.

As noted in October, Jeff Hardy was arrested in Moore County, North Carolina. Last summer Hardy was also arrested for public intoxication and impairment in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Hardy is currently out of action for WWE. He is recovering from knee surgery and will be out of action for 6-9 months.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Randy Orton Signs New Multi-Year Contract With WWE

Last night on WWE Backstage it was revealed that Randy Orton has signed a new multi-year WWE contract.

Back in 2010, it was reported Orton signed a ten-year deal with WWE.

Late last month Orton was posting photos with “Elite” in them, teasing a possible move to AEW with his contract expiring soon, obviously that is no longer the case.

Orton also commented on Twitter and noted the deal is “at least 5 more years.”

Triple H also commented on Orton re-signing.

“I’m glad to put the rumors to rest,” Triple H stated. “For almost two decades, Randy Orton has been a cornerstone of WWE…and Randy Orton will remain a cornerstone of WWE for a long time!”

Alexa Bliss Has Been Out With An Undisclosed Injury

It was announced last night on WWE Backstage that Alexa Bliss is out dealing with an undisclosed injury.

Bliss’ last appearance in the ring was at WWE Hell in a Cell on October 6 in Sacramento, California where she and Nikki Cross lost the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles to The Kabuki Warriors. Bliss did a run-in on RAW the next night, but that was the last time she’s been on WWE TV.

There is currently not timetable for her return.

Bliss was scheduled to appear at Ringside Fest in New York City this past Sunday, but had to cancel last minute due to a personal matter. She was replaced by WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch.

According to PWInsider, Bliss has been absent from the past couple weeks of TV tapings due to a shoulder injury.

Scarlett Bordeaux And Three Other WWE Signings Confirmed

Former Impact Wrestling star Scarlett Bordeaux has officially signed with WWE and is now training at the WWE Performance Center.

Bordeaux’s signing had been rumored for weeks, but was finally announced Tuesday morning.

She joins the Performance Center alongside three other new recruits:

  • Shotzi Blackheart, who was offered a contract by William Regal last month at an EVOLVE show
  • Indi Hartwell, a 22-year-old standout on the Australian scene
  • Referee Stephen Smith, who graduated from OVW and worked in EVOLVE

As you’ll recall, Scarlett was released from Impact in June. She attended a private WWE tryout months later and was locked down with a deal shortly after.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

WWE Announces Expansion Of Partnership With Saudi Arabia

WWE announced that they have expanded their partnership with the Saudi General Entertainment Authority through 2027, to include a second annual large-scale event.

WWE originally announced in March 2018 that the Greatest Royal Rumble event was to be the first of a new 10-year “strategic multiplatform partnership” between WWE and the Saudi Arabian government. WWE has now held 4 events under the deal – Greatest Royal Rumble in April 2018, Crown Jewel 2018 in November 2018, Super ShowDown in June 2019, and Crown Jewel 2019 this past Thursday. It should be noted that WWE has been holding 2 events per year, but this announcement makes it official, perhaps to show solidarity amid the rumors coming out of Crown Jewel on Thursday.

The announcement comes after last Thursday’s Crown Jewel 2019 event, which ended with a travel debacle that you can read the latest on by clicking here.

There’s no word yet on when the next WWE event will be held in the Kingdom, but it should be in early 2020. They would then likely return in late 2020.

Below is the full announcement sent to us by WWE today:

For Immediate ReleaseWWE® AND THE SAUDI GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT AUTHORITY EXPAND EVENT PARTNERSHIP

STAMFORD, CONN. and RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA, November 4, 2019 – Following the historic Crown Jewel event in Riyadh, WWE (NYSE: WWE) and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority (GEA) have expanded their live event partnership through 2027 to include a second annual large-scale event. WWE and GEA also continue to work towards the completion of a media agreement in the MENA region.

This long-term partnership demonstrates WWE and GEA’s commitment to bring sports entertainment to the region and supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Denies Crown Jewel Flight Issues Had Anything To Do With Saudis Owing Money To WWE

WWE has denied that the flight troubles coming out of Saudi Arabia following Thursday’s Crown Jewel event had to do with the Saudi government owing money to the company.

Alfred Konuwa of Forbes reached out to WWE for comment and reports that they “swiftly denied” the owed money allegations that were first brought up by former WWE and current AAA announcer Hugo Savinovich. Konuwa added how WWE confirmed to him that their relationship remains strong with partners in the Kingdom.

Regarding how Crown Jewel started almost an hour late on the MBC Action Network in Saudi Arabia, WWE told Konuwa that the TV feed issues in the Kingdom were “entirely unrelated” to anything regarding a payment. WWE reiterated that mechanical issues were a cause of the flight delay, pointing to how Atlas Air, the charter company, also issued an apology for the mechanical issues.

Savinovich said during a Facebook Live video that while WWE blamed the travel woes on a mechanical issue, he was told that they had to do with WWE not being paid for two of the shows held in the Kingdom. He did not know the exact figure owed, but speculated that it could be between $300 and $500 million. He also said Vince McMahon retaliated on the Saudis by pulling the live Crown Jewel TV feed in the Kingdom. Savinovich also alleged that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud was upset by Vince pulling the feed, so he ordered the WWE crew to be removed from the Atlas Air flight as it was preparing to take off to the United States. Savinovich claimed he heard this account directly from someone close to the situation.

It’s worth noting that the figure of $300 to $500 million is really high as WWE has been estimated to generate $40 – $50 million per event in the Kingdom.

WWE Co-President George Barrios revealed on Thursday’s 2019 Q3 earnings call with investors that WWE received a $60 million payment “for an outstanding receivable” at the end of the third quarter. Barrios did not specify on where the payment come from.

Savinovich continued to push the narrative that there was more to the Saudi situation than a mechanical issue.

“It was a very difficult and dangerous situation because of the fact that Saudi Arabia had already been in serious trouble when they killed that reporter in Turkey at the embassy. So the boys were a little bit – not a little bit, they were very, very concerned,” Hugo added in the new Hannibal TV interview. “Vince (McMahon) had left the country already and Brock (Lesnar) had his own plane. It was just about big, big money, millions of dollars that this guy did not send and Vince got upset and cut the feed for South Arabia.

“And that has the Prince upset, and it stopped them from leaving the country and got them off the plane,” Hugo continued. “So basically what they’re doing is they’re originally trying to make it look like it was just a mechanical situation, but an executive from the company – well, my wife had died, so they were just calling to comfort me. At the same time, I was told not to mention any names but they were concerned, they were very concerned.”

Savinovich went as far as to say that the WWE crew was “kidnapped” while waiting to fly out of the Kingdom. He affirmed that the talents are upset about what happened, and said there will be more people speaking out about the incident.

“A friend of mine that is from Saudi Arabia, that I’ve known for years and years since the era of VHS tapes that I used to do from Puerto Rico, he also gave me the scoop about what happened at the airport,” Hugo explained. “So a lot of people will be talking more about it. The boys are very upset, so I don’t know what the deal is.”

“Of course, we always know that money talks. And if Vince gets the millions of dollars, and maybe the Middle East – that big TV contract, because it didn’t happen and in one day he lost over 200 million dollars (in stock value). So, it’s a very complicated situation but the talent was, you know, I don’t want to use the word kidnapped but he ordered a kidnapping and the guys were stopped from leaving the country.”

Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE wasn’t paid for the June 7 Super ShowDown event from Saudi Arabia, as of September 30. It was noted in the Q3 earnings call that WWE did receive $60 million after September 30, which is when the report closes, but before October 30, hours before the Crown Jewel event. Meltzer said there was “clearly money owed” by the Saudis. It was noted that because of the money, Vince didn’t air Crown Jewel live in the Kingdom, but it ended up airing on a delay after the two sides made an agreement during the show. It was also noted that WWE talents were apparently aware that money was owed by the Saudis.

As noted, WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman flew out of the Kingdom on Lesnar’s private jet that he is given for these events, before the flight issues came up. WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart also left the Kingdom on their private jet. It’s believed that Tyson Fury also left on one of the private jets, but Cain Velasquez was with the group that was forced to stay longer. Vince and his inner circle left Saudi on the WWE private jet, before any of the flight issues even came up.

As noted, WWE has denied to Forbes that the flight issues had to do with any money owed by the Saudis. They have reiterated that their Saudi partnerships remain strong.

Source: Wrestling Inc.