Tag: WWE

Monday Night RAW – Fan TAKEN DOWN By Security For Rushing The Ring

raw monday night fan taken down video seth rollins wwe wrestling wrestler

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Some idiot attending Monday Night RAW ran into the ring during Seth Rollins‘ promo tonight … but as you can see in the video, security swiftly handled the situation.

A fan in attendance at the American Bank Center in Texas somehow managed to catch the aftermath on video, and it shows security take the dumb fan to the ground moments after his face-to-face with Seth. The man was only seen on TV for a split second and appeared to be wearing a helmet.

This isn’t the first time Seth has dealt with a fan run-in. Last year, a guy hopped the security wall and attempted to walk with him to the ring also during a taping of RAW.

Police says the security guard was bitten on his forearm by the fan — 23-year-old Edward Ferrero — but did not require medical attention.

He was eventually arrested for assault and criminal trespass.

Below are a couple of fan video’s of the incident:

2016 WWE SummerSlam Betting Odds & Predictions

2016 WWE SummerSlam is coming up this Sunday, SportsBetting Dime has an article looking at the betting odds along with their predictions.

Below are some of the betting odds and their predictions:

Brock Lesnar (-320) vs. Randy Orton (+240)

Thanks to the WWE Draft, both men are now wrestling for two different brands, Orton for Smackdown Live, and Lesnar for RAW, so this match is brand vs. brand; Stephanie McMahon (RAW) vs. Shane McMahon (Smackdown Live). Expect this one to have some fireworks.

This has a big time main event feel to it and I appreciated the MMA-style booking of this bout, which fits Lesnar perfectly.

“The Beast Incarnate” is coming off a win over Mark Hunt at UFC 200, but with that win came a failed drug test for estrogen blockers. Lesnar escaped any discipline from the WWE due to the fact he’s already a part-time performer, but will he be knocked down a peg or two by WWE brass at Summerslam? Let’s not pretend that the failed drug test didn’t embarrass the organization who recently suspended Roman Reigns for violating their wellness program.

Randy Orton has been on the shelf for almost a year recovering from a shoulder injury. The 12-time world champion came back and invaded RAW with an out of the blue RKO on Lesnar that was a thing of beauty. Orton is so over and it’s well overdue. He might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he’s a very bankable star that has become a huge internet sensation over the last couple of years. It’s something the WWE can build upon.

So does it make sense to have Orton come back from a long layoff only to job to Lesnar? I’m sure that was the original plan, but something smells like the WWE could be looking to send a message to the locker room and Lesnar. They might not be able to suspend him, but they can definitely briefly damage the beast’s unbeatable aura and send him packing until the fall. Especially since Brock’s voice piece Paul Heyman is currently without a WWE contract.

Will it be Suplex City or Viperville? It might be best for business to see Lesnar win, but maybe things have changed in the Lesnar, WWE relationship. Somehow, Orton picks up the victory, maybe through interference or some other unclean finish. I see Lesnar’s run coming to an end for now. Take the upset here.

Winner: Randy Orton.

Finn Balor (+160) vs. Seth Rollins (-210) – WWE Universal Championship

I am not going to get used to saying “Universal” Championship, but that’s what the new belt is being called on the re-branded Monday Night RAW. Two fantastic workers will get a chance to show off their talents to see who gets to be the first man to wear the brand spanking new title.

There is so much buzz and expectations regarding this match, will it live up to the hype? Finn Balor’s stellar days in NXT are done, and after rushing onto the WWE scene, will the organization put the strap on him this fast? Balor is definitely a megastar in the making if he isn’t one already. Yet this is a match that is really hard to call.

Rollins is already a company cornerstone that doesn’t necessarily need a title but it’s really easy for the WWE to make him the first Universal Champion to build his legacy even more. He will most likely wear gold around his waist numerous times in his budding career.

Balor, though, is world-renowned, the most successful NXT Champion of all-time, and a fantastic in-ring performer. Whether Balor remains a face or turns heel, this has all the makings of a bold WWE move. Balor wins the WWE Universal Championship and puts a stamp on his career, proving the “New Era” in the WWE is legit.

Winner: And the very first WWE Universal Champion – Finn Balor.

(C) Dean Ambrose (-490) vs. Dolph Ziggler (+330) – WWE World Championship

This is going to be a hot match full of athletic ability, big moves, and hopefully great storytelling. Babyface vs. babyface rarely works, and this one sort of feels forced upon us. But these two are extremely hard workers who could definitely steal the show.

Many have wanted to see Ziggler in the main event spot for a long time, but something tells me his time as a babyface could be nearing an end. Will we see a heel turn at SummerSlam? Some of his best work in the past was as a heel. In my mind, it would be the right move here, and after a great match, maybe it extends this feud with Ambrose. We shall see. Regardless, it’s not Ziggler’s time for a belt.

Expect Ambrose to retain his title so the WWE Smackdown Live brand can continue to push Ambrose as a big face for the company, especially with John Cena on a part-time schedule.

Winner: And still WWE World Champion – Dean Ambrose.

(C) Sasha Banks (-1050) vs. Charlotte (+550) – WWE Women’s Championship

I was a bit shocked that Sasha Banks took the women’s title off of Charlotte on Monday Night RAWback in July. Why not save that big win for Summerslam? Not sure why they needed to rush that booking because it kind of makes this pay-per-view match fairly predictable.

In what will be an ongoing feud, expect Banks to defend her title successfully and not relinquish it anytime soon. I’d be shocked if they swerve here and put it back on Charlotte, but Vince McMahon does like his legacy champions, so there is a small chance we see another title flip. But that’s just conspiracy talking.

Winner: And still the WWE Women’s Champion – Sasha Banks.

The rest of the card (Subject to change):

  • Apollo Crews vs The Miz (c) for the Intercontinental Championship – Winner: The Miz
  • John Cena vs AJ Styles – Winner: AJ Styles
  • Roman Reigns vs Rusev (c) for the United states Championship – Winner: Roman Reigns
  • The New Day (c) vs the Club for the Tag team Championship – Winner: The Club
  • Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens vs Enzo and Big Cass – Winner Enzo and Big Cass  

To read the full article click on this link.

Shawn Michaels’ New WWE Role Revealed

Source: WrestlingINC

WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels is now running the “finishing class” at the WWE Performance Center, previously ran by Terry Taylor. Taylor, who is still with the company, underwent neck surgery recently and that is why Michaels was hired for the job.

Michaels will be working full-time at the Performance Center and has reportedly relocated to Orlando.

Goldberg In New York City For WWE SummerSlam Weekend

Source: WrestlingINC

Bill Goldberg will be in New York City for WWE SummerSlam weekend, according to PWInsider. Goldberg is set to make appearances for the company but they are likely related to the WWE 2K17 video game. Goldberg is not currently scheduled to appear at the WWE TV tapings and there’s been nothing said about him appearing at SummerSlam.

Paige’s Injuries Could Be Worse Than Originally Thought

Source: WrestlingNewsCo.com

There’s a little bit more on Paige’s injury issues in the latest Wrestling Observer newsletter. Dave Meltzer reports that there may be nerve damage regarding her neck and back issues. Meltzer was told that her neck issue is similar to what a lot of guys have had in the past with serious problems where the problem led to weakness in the right arm. That is usually the first stage of major issues with a lot of wrestlers in the past.

One thing that wasn’t mentioned in the Observer was that Paige was diagnosed with scoliosis. She found out while she was still in FCW a few years ago. Basically, that means that she has an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine. That likely contributed to her current issues.

We wish her a speedy recovery. Paige tweeted the following on July 31st:

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/759888005377232896

Former WCW Wrestler Files Lawsuit Against WWE

Source: WrestlingINC

Former WWE and WCW star Marcus “Buff” Bagwell filed a lawsuit against WWE in US District Court of Connecticut on Tuesday, according to PWInsider. Bagwell claims he is owed royalties from his matches airing on the WWE Network.

Bagwell’s suit notes that he was under contract to WWE from 1991 to 2001 after WWE purchased his contract when they bought WCW in March 2001. His WCW deal expired 4 days after WWE purchased the company. Bagwell was signed to a new deal in June 2001, for WWE’s WCW brand, but he was then released in August of that year after a bad RAW main event against Booker T on June 2nd.

The lawsuit alleges that the WWE deal “merged” with aspects of his former WCW contract that expired in March 2001, originally signed in 1998, and that the WWE contract stated: “This Agreement contains the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and all prior understandings, negotiations and agreements are merged into this Agreement. There are no other agreements, representations, or warranties not set forth herein with respect to the subject matter hereof. . .”

Bagwell believes that WWE is bound by his June 2001 WWE contract in regards to payment of royalties for pay-per-view events and home video content. Bagwell’s suit claims that WWE has ignored the following terms from the contract. It should be noted that WCW mentions in these two paragraphs refers to WWE’s WCW brand.

PPV events: “WCW shall allocate 5% of the Net Receipts paid to WCW with respect to the direct sale by WCW of WCW Pay-Per-Views to a talent royalty pool. Thereafter, WCW shall pro-rate payment to Plaintiff and all other talent appearing in such WCW Pay-Per-Views in the same proportion as was the compensation paid to Plaintiff for his appearances in the pay-per-views to the total amount paid to all talent for their appearances on the pay-per-views.”Home video content: “The WCW Video Product is a compilation or derivative work of multiple individual WCW Pay-Per-Views in their entirety, such as a collection of videos, e.g., a WrestleMania box set, payment to Plaintiff shall be calculated as follows: 5% of the Net Receipts paid to WCW shall comprise the talent royalty pool, which shall first be pro-rated based on the number of individual videos in the compilation, and then the payment to Plaintiff for each video shall be consistent with the royalty payment to the Plaintiff at the time each individual video was first released.”

Bagwell notes that the Net Receipts mentioned above would be the gross amount received by WWE, questioning what’s allegedly owed to him as the WWE Network grossed $154.9 million in the final quarter of 2015 and they stream the old WCW pay-per-view events that he performed on. Bagwell also believes he is owed royalties from the WWE Network because language in his 2001 WWE contract said, “video cassettes, videodiscs, CD ROM, or other technology, including technology not yet created.”

Bagwell’s suit also claims that when he was released in August 2001, language in that release agreement noted that WWE was buying out all obligations from his contract, except for royalties that would be owed in the future, as determined by the contract. The release agreement also contained language that said Bagwell could not bring legal action against WWE as long as they stuck to the terms of the release agreement. Bagwell is alleging that WWE broke the agreement by not paying him royalties. The lawsuit also includes a 2016 First Quarter royalties statement sent to Bagwell by WWE, stating that they owe him no royalties. Bagwell does acknowledge that he was owed no royalties for pay-per-view or home video under his 1998 WCW deal, but he claims he’s now owed for that content because the WWE contract changed the terms.

The lawsuit also acknowledges that WWE successfully defended itself against similar allegations from Eddie Gilbert’s estate, former GWF wrestler Stevie Ray and former AWA star Doug Somers, but that those wrestlers had no contractual rights to sue the company. Bagwell says that he has the right to sue WWE because of WWE breaking the agreement.

Bagwell also says his WWE contract allows for him to have his own independent certified accountant do an audit of the books for WWE’s WCW brand. Bagwell claims he tried to have an audit done in June 2016 but was initially told it could be done in late July or early August of this year. He was then informed by WWE lawyers that there would be no audit because Bagwell’s accountant “asserted a pretextual and invalid audit request to attempt to stealthily obtain that information (WWE Network royalty audit)” and that “there is nothing to audit” because Bagwell is not paid WWE Network royalties. Because WWE blocked the audit attempt, Bagwell claims they have forfeited any claim that he did not satisfy their prerequisite actions before filing the lawsuit. The lawsuit also serves as an official dispute of WWE’s 2016 First Quarter royalties statement.

The lawsuit is set up as a class-action suit for talents facing similar situations. Talents who signed a WWE Legends deal from 2004 on are exempt from the class as terms in those deals specifically note that WWE will not pay royalties for “Internet subscriptions or video on demand fees.”

Bagwell’s suit is asking the court to prevent WWE from placing pay-per-view and non-PPV material on the Network until the class is paid royalties and that the class be paid within 90 days of the end of a financial quarter.

Bagwell is asking for a trial by jury. WWE has until November 9th to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit but PWInsider reports that they have not been served with the lawsuit yet, as of Wednesday.

WWE Committed To LGBT Inclusivity And Storytelling Going Forward

Source: WrestlingINC

NBC News has an article on Stephanie McMahon speaking at the Beyond Sport United conference in New York City this week, which is why she was not at Monday’s RAW in Anaheim. Stephanie told NBC OUT that the company is committed to LGBT inclusivity and inclusive storytelling going forward. She said:

“Throughout my life I have grown up knowing gay [WWE] superstars and executives. It’s always been accepted, but now it’s about getting that message out there.”

“We will integrate LGBT characters into our programming … and I do think there will be an opportunity to integrate some of those storylines in the near future.”

Through WWE’s partnership with GLAAD, they are working on prioritizing sensitivity with the WWE creative team.

“We’ve had GLAAD come in and speak to our entire writing team and give a whole tutorial on sensitivities, the right words, the wrong word [and] why those words matters,” Stephanie explained. “I think that with their guidance and support, we will be able to portray that [LGBT storyline] appropriately.”

WWE Universal Title Design Leaked? (Photo)

Source: WrestlingINC

A Reddit user who often posts reliable tidbits on WWE title belts, also known as “Da Belt Guy” on BeltTalk.com, indicated that the new WWE Universal Title will look just like the current WWE Title, but it will be red to represent the RAW brand.

The user, Dvizzle, noted that multiple sources leaked the news to him at the same time.He wrote that it will be the same belt with different wording, and a red background behind the logo. He also indicated that the WWE Title will have a new blue background to match SmackDown.

He was waiting confirmation on this quick render that was worked up based on the description that was leaked to him. It should be noted that this render has not been confirmed as the new look for either title.

Joey Styles Released From WWE

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that Joey Styles was recently released from WWE.

No word as to when the release went down exactly, but his last tweet was on July 29th — just days after a Facebook Q&A he participated in that was described as Joey’s shoot interview.

Styles was extremely open during the chat and talked about not liking the name of the Universal Championship, hating the 3-man commentary booth and why Vince loves Roman Reigns.

Unclear if Joey’s honesty had anything to do with his release, but the video has since been pulled from WWE’s YouTube and Facebook pages.

Styles was an announcer in WWE from 2005-2008 and then transitioned into a position for the company’s website.  He was eventually promoted to Vice President of Digital Media Content.

He was also the famous voice of ECW throughout it’s entire run.

Conor McGregor Had Negative Comments Towards The WWE Roster, WWE Stars Respond

Source: WrestlingINC

During a conference call to promote UFC 202, Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor voiced some negative commenatry for the WWE and Brock Lesnar. You can listen to the interview by clicking here.

McGregor was asked with the cross promotion of the UFC and the WWE if he would ever consider going to the squared circle. McGregor responded that he hasn’t really put much thought into it.

McGregor explained, “For the most part, those WWE guys are pussies. They’re messed up pussies if you ask me.”

When asked about Lesnar, McGregor stated, “at the end of the day he’s juiced up to the eyeballs…so how can I respect that?”

In reference to CM Punk, McGregor said, “The other guy, he hasn’t fought yet so I don’t know about him.”

McGregor says he does not have a problem regarding the McMahons, Triple H and The Rock.

 

WWE superstars, both current and former, have been responding to McGregor’s negative comments. You can check out responses from Rusev, Ric Flair, Big E, Sasha Banks, Baron Corbin and many others below: