Today's News

New WWE stars:

WWE have added three new talent to NXT. Nick Miller, Oney Lorcan, and Shane Thorne.

Photo:

Wrestling good deed of the day goes to Sasha Banks.

Seth movie:

**Correction** Seth Rollins will appear in Sharknado 4 on SyFy tonight.

Indie great on his way to WWE:

Roderick Strong is highly expected to sign for WWE NXT in the coming weeks. He ended 13 years with ROH earlier this year, and is now on a farewell tour of the indies.

Surprise wedding guest:

WWE wantaway star Ryback joined some of his colleagues at the wedding of Rusev and Lana this week.

WWE man could get out of contract after SummerSlam:

Alberto Del Rio reportedly has a get out clause in his deal, which could be activated in September.

Today's News

Brand split not in effect:

The WWE brand split is not yet in effect for the live tour, the tours are continuing as before, no matter where they were drawn, and NXT promoted talent are continuing to work the NXT tour. The split will be done after SummerSlam, apart from international tours, which will still have selected members of both rosters.

Cena to turn down TV return?:

John Cena has been approached to return as host of his reality show 'American Grit.' This would mean leaving the road for two months later in the year. He says he is reluctant to commit to the show, as he has missed so much ring time in the past year.

Rock show:

The Rock's promo contest YouTube show has debuted. It is presented by YouTube celeb Joe Santagato, and is judged by Kurt Angle.

Lana:

Lana has posted some pictures of her wedding to social media. Here she is in her dress.

Major sports react to WWE lawsuit:

Major law firms in the States have warned top sports like NFL to expect a tidal wave of claims if the WWE lose their current brain injury lawsuit. They advise clauses be put into contracts, to either say they are not responsible for head injuries, or stating a cap on maximum payouts, should there be a claim. WWE will likely be interested in going down that road, whatever the result of this case.

Kane talks political ambitions:

"I'd always hesitated before because I never thought the timing was right for someone like me, because I am an outsider. Now, I think the country is so ready for a change at this point that being an outsider actually plays to my or anyone else in my position's advantage. There are a lot of people in Washington, D.C., who have a lot of experience, and because of that, we're 20 trillion dollars in debt. Maybe we need fresh blood and new perspective… I think that's maybe what people are looking for. Maybe this is naive of me, but I do want to make a difference… I want to make every part of the world a better place to be."

Hurricane reveals which official he still hates:

Shane Helms says he hates, and will never forgive, WWE music chief Jim Johnston for refusing to credit him with a song he wrote for Funaki...

"I was riding with Adam (Edge). The Canadians all adopted me for whatever reason. It was either I was riding with Jericho or Adam and Christian mainly and Lance (Storm). And so, Adam's driving and Funaki and maybe it was Taka (Michinoku). I don't know, but it's Edge driving and some other people and I look over there and I just Mitch Hedberg style, like I do, 'what if Funaki's first name was Kung?' and Adam about ran off the road laughing at that s--t, 'Kung Funaki?'. And then I break out into that song, 'everybody love Kung Fu Naki/that b---h be drinking saki/his body is short and stocky/he drives a Kawasaki' and that was the whole song. So anyway, when they did the song, I emailed Jim Johnston and said, 'hey, I don't know it you know this, but I actually wrote that song'. Yeah, it's based on Kung Fu Fighting song, but the words, they still used my lyrics. Yeah, I wrote the lyrics, not the notes. And I was like, 'I don't want any money'. I mean, I don't know how much money that song would have made anyway, but I just wanted to have that on the résumé, a little songwriting credit just for my own personal benefit that'll be cool. He refused to do it. Johnston refused to acknowledge me: wouldn't email me back, wouldn't return my calls. And I'm talking about several calls and several emails. Especially in the music industry, as Jericho well knows, that's a big no-no. If somebody writes the lyrics to the song, they get credit for that s--t. You can't just decide not to give it to them. And I know it might seem minuscule to people listening, but I made that gimmick up. That was my s--t. My idea. And he completely refused to do it and I hate that motherf--ker to this day."

He also shared a funny story about The Rock...

"Rock did something on that pretape that was interesting to me and I never forgot. He kept blowing the pretape, like he kept flubbing his lines and s--t. And I was just going, 'huh…' and then one time, he kind of flubbed one and then he turned at me and gave me a slight wink. He kept breaking it on purpose, so we would have to do it live and now we don't have to go 90 seconds. Now we can go as long as we want. But he can go as long as he wants. I'm the sidekick here! I remember that little wink like it was yesterday."

SummerSlam:

Sasha Banks vs Charlotte is official. WWE announced the rematch for the PPV today.

Photo:

Today is the 50th anniversary of 1966, any excuse to celebrate our only win.

Today's News

WWE man on tour:

Big Show has moved his WWE promotional trip to China.

WWE cuts:

WWE have released ZZ of Tough Enough, along with two other PC students this week.

Kofi Kingston talks living his dream:

"I always said I would be a WWE Superstar, and they laughed at me. They looked at me and said I was too small. You have to be 6 feet, 8 inches, you have to be 275 pounds and you can't be a WWE Superstar. Down the line, 15 to 20 years later, those same people are asking me for my autograph."

Seth movie:

Sharknado 4, which features Seth Rollins, premieres on SyFy on August 18.

Jake The Snake talks concerns over his movie:

"I struggled with doing it at the beginning, because I've been burned by some people before. But to do it with Dallas and know that I had total control of the movie. If I didn't want it to come out, it wouldn't come out. Trust was a big part of it and once I saw the final product, I thought, 'you know what, this is going to help so many people.'"

Flair critical of Balor:

Ric Flair is not happy that WWE gave Finn Balor a shot at the new Raw title, over Roman Reigns, as small men can never headline a WrestleMania, at the same time as putting Dolph Ziggler over...

"If I'm looking at what's going to draw money, what I would pay to see, I would pay to see Dolph against Ambrose before I'd pay to see Finn Bálor against Seth Rollins, so I think it's phenomenal. I think Finn Bálor is great too. I just think you've got a legitimate heavyweight in Seth Rollins, a legitimate heavyweight in Roman Reigns, and I don't think we'll ever see the day, and I could be totally wrong, that a cruiserweight will ever main event a WrestleMania. And that's what you have to look at, I think, in the total picture of the business, he's of that size. I mean, if you look at the two of them side by side, he [has] got a great physique, gosh, but he's smaller. Yeah, I don't think he weighs 200 pounds."

Charlotte:

Charlotte has not asked for, and will not be taking, time off. WWE decided to change the Women's title, to get the new era of Raw off with a bang. The call was made by Vince McMahon, who feels Charlotte's reign had ran it's course.

Also on this, the Sasha vs Charlotte match is still booked for SummerSlam, but now with Sasha defending.

WWE wedding:

Rusev and Lana are having the first of two weddings today, this one in America will be taped for 'Total Diva's.'

PC coach training for wrestling:

Seth Petruzelli, who works as a striking coach at the PC, is training to get into the ring himself. He had previously been an MMA star.

Dixie leaves TNA taping:

Dixie Carter's leaving of a TNA taping, as it was in progress recently got internet tongues wagging, it turns out she was going on holiday, and had to leave for a flight to Africa. She is on safari.

WWE star gets HOF tattoo:

Enzo Amore has revealed he has a Shawn Michaels inspired tattoo, a heart inked in DX colours.

Raven opens up about mental issues:

"Because I have narcissistic personality disorder, I have histrionic personality disorder, I have borderline personality disorder, I've been diagnosed, I have a lot of emotional, mental issues. It stems from me not being abused as a child, but being neglected as a child. That was just as bad, if not worse than abuse."

Cena on TV:

John Cena will host the teen choice awards this weekend.

Today's News

Mark Hunt accuses UFC of insider knowledge:

Brock Lesnar's vanquished opponent says he has the feeling that UFC knew he was doping, before the fight...

"What upsets me about that is, I'm just thinking maybe they knew. Did they know about this? Is that why they're not doing anything about it? Did they give this (expletive) fool an exemption for four months because they knew about this? Because surely if they know about this, they don't give a rat's about any of us. 'Hey man, we'll let this juiced up freaking monkey go in here and fight with this guy.' I mean, shucks, people say I should have a rematch with him. I wouldn't want to waste my time with that. He's rubbish."

NXT Brooklyn:

Samoa Joe vs Shinsuke Nakamura, for the NXT title, is now official. It will take place at the pre SummerSlam NXT Network special.

WWE business:

WWE have reported record figures for their second quarter of the financial year. Despite this the sale of UFC has made top officials sit up and take notice, and they would not rule out considering a sale of WWE, if the right proposition was made...

"We're always willing to listen. All we care about is doing what's best for our audience, our shareholders and our employees. If someone has a great idea, we're open to listening to it."

Flair discusses brain damage lawsuit vs WWE:

"I think it's bad for the image of the company and I don't think it's good, personally, for the image of the individuals doing it. I think it's unrealistic. I feel bad. And I'm saying this out loud, I feel bad for the guys that are doing this because we've all put ourselves on the line. That's what we did for a living. Nobody twisted our arm. Does that make sense? So it was something we did and it's something that happens and I just think that sometimes hard times can cause you to make bad decisions."

This comes on the day WWE were granted permission to file counter suits against the 53 talents taking them to court, four of which can be against individuals.

WWE star in huge heat:

Despite the fight between Sin Cara and Simon Gotch being one sided, and coming out of nowehere, it is Simon that has heat with the roster. His mouth has a habit of rubbing people the wrong way, and he found out that that, combined with un-opened cans of soda sitting within arms reach... hurts.

His feud with Sin Cara apparently goes back to their NXT days.

Shows renewed:

Lucha Underground season 3 will air on September 7, and The Rock's 'Ballers' has also won a third season.

Kayfabe relationship back on:

Paige has restored all of her posts with Alberto Del Rio, after deleting them when they were split during the brand draft.

Charlotte wanted to drop belt?:

Charlotte has reportedly asked for time off from WWE, after a busy first year. WWE decided to bring forward the planned title change from SummerSlam to Raw this week.

Today's News

Miz talks 10 years with WWE:

"Ten years later, I'm still here in a WWE ring. You need to be a shark in this business, or you're going to be eaten up, swallowed, and spit out. I've been one of those people who've been eaten up, but I stuck with it, survived, and I'm still here today. I remember the first time I stepped into a WWE ring, and I got critiqued and I was told I'd be gone in three months. Here I sit ten years later, and I'm the Intercontinental champion."

SmackDown:

Alexa Bliss and Carmella made their first main roster appearance last night. American Alpha will debut next week. Mojo Rawley also had his first match, taped for Main Event. As well as all of that, new backstage announcer Charley Caruso debuted.

Simon Gotch was involved in the show.

Randy Orton returned to the ring, after 9 months off the road.

Dolph Ziggler earned the number one contender spot for Dean Ambrose's title, and will get his chance at SummerSlam.

Raw stars Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns worked the post show dark match.

Heath changes mind:

Heath Slater has decided he does not like the idea of being a free agent after all, he turned up on SmackDown last night, trying to convince Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan to give him a job, they didn't bite, although someone else did.

WWE returns:

Rhyno returned to the WWE roster last night. He attacked Heath Slater, before being announced as a SmackDown exclusive star. A VT also confirmed the return of multi time title holder Shelton Benjamin to the blue brand.

Not all returns are going blue though, WWE have re-signed Jinder Mahal, he will go to Raw. They have also offered deals, or are talking too, Curt Hawkins, who will go to SmackDown, Melina, Tommy Dreamer, MVP and Carlito.

Edge on TV:

Edge has landed a recurring role on 'Vikings.'

Dudleyz sticking around:

The Dudley Boyz have signed another one year contract with WWE.

Brock Lesnar:

WWE have confirmed that Brock Lesnar is ''Exempt'' from their wellness policy, and will not face any punishment for his UFC drugs fails.

Cena missing first split show:

John Cena will not be involved at Backlash, he will be on a promotional trip to China that weekend.

Barrett begins:

Wade Barrett is in London to begin filming his new movie.

R-Truth:

R-Truth has released a new single today.

WWE DVD's:

WWE have released a list of their planned DVD releases, for the rest of 2016...

• August 9th - Attitude Era Volume 3: Unreleased (DVD, Blu-ray)
• August 9th - Scooby-Doo & WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon (DVD, Blu-ray)
• August 23rd - Battleground 2016 (DVD)
• September 6th - History of the Hardcore Championship: 24/7 (DVD, Blu-ray)
• October 4th - SummerSlam 2016 (DVD, Blu-ray)
• October 11th - Brock Lesnar: Eat. Sleep. Conquer. Repeat. (DVD, Blu-ray)
• November 1st - Night of Champions 2016 (DVD)
• November 15th - Randy Orton Untitled (DVD, Blu-ray)
• November 29th - Hell In a Cell 2016 (DVD)
• December 20th - Survivor Series 2016 (DVD)

Double win for Rock:

The Rock's $200 million lawsuit for stealing the idea for the show 'Ballers' has been thrown out, and his political ambitions are getting noticed. A sign was shown on TV with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's names crossed out, and The Rock's for president written beneath.

Today's News

New championship announced:

WWE Raw will have their own heavyweight title. The Universal Championship will be won by either Seth Rollins or Finn Balor at SummerSlam.

WWE return:

Neville returned to TV on Raw last night, after an injury lay-off.

Axel punished?:

Curtis Axel was given the name ''Mr. Irrelevant'' on Raw last night, possibly as punishment for social media posts he made, complaining about being the last draft pick for Raw.

New champion:

Sasha Banks took the Women's title from Charlotte on Raw last night. The first time the new belt had changed hands.

Cesaro milestone:

Cesaro has hit one million social media followers.

Gimmick change:

Bo Dallas has returned to his Bo-Lieve gimmick, likely meaning the Social Outcasts are no more.

Raw:

Finn Balor and Nia Jax debuted last night, and Brock Lesnar will return next week.

Nikki returns:

Nikki Bella has started her road to recovery. She returned to the WWE PC for training today.

SmackDown @Raw:

John Cena, Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles worked the dark match last night on Raw, despite being drafted to the other show.

Cena will also work the Raw tour in Manilla in September.

SmackDown tease:

• How will Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan maintain SmackDown's success?
• Who will come after the WWE Title on SmackDown Live?
• Will chaos create cash for SmackDown Live with stars like Randy Orton, Kane and Baron Corbin?
• American Alpha, Alexa Bliss, Mojo Rawley and Carmella are coming to SmackDown
• Will Superstars like Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler, Zack Ryder and Kalisto reaffirm that SmackDown is their house?

Reigns punished:

Dave Meltzer is reporting that Roman Reigns was originally going to compete for the new Raw world title, but lost the spot as punishment for his drugs fail.

WWE games:

The McMahon's have been confirmed as characters on the new WWE game. They are the first of a five week ''Census'' where the full roster will be unveiled gradually.

SummerSlam match TBA:

Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan will decide and announce Dean Ambrose's challenger for SummerSlam tonight on SmackDown.

Today's News

BattleGround:

Results...

• Breezango bt The Uso's. (Pre).
• Bayley & Sasha Banks bt Charlotte & Dana Brooke.
• Wyatt Family bt New Day.
• Rusev bt Zack Ryder.
• Sami Zayn bt Kevin Owens.
• Natalya bt Becky Lynch.
• The Miz vs Darren Young ended as a double dq.
• Cass & Enzo and John Cena bt The Club.
• Dean Ambrose bt Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins.

Notes...

• Bayley was named as the mystery partner for Sasha Banks.
• NXT announcer Greg Hamilton worked the event, as a birthday treat.
• Mojo Rawley made his main roster debut, saving Zack Ryder.
• Randy Orton returned.
• WWE Alum Virgil was backstage.

Dolph continues political tour:

Dolph Ziggler was on duty at Donald Trump's Republican conference last week, and will this week be at the Democratic conference.

Cena on TV:

John Cena was guest host on 'Today' today.

Bayley not moving up:

WWE had JBL repeatedly state that Bayley's appearance last night was a one shot deal, and that she would be returning to NXT.

Lilian Garcia:

Lilian Garcia missed last nights PPV, as her father is having more tests for his cancer battle.

SummerSlam:

WWE have announced a SummerSlam concert, with Flo Rida as headliner. Funds raised will go to Warrior Award winner Connor The Crusher's charity.

Raw tease:

• How will Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon "beat blue" now?
• Will Finn Balor and Nia Jax make their first appearances as RAW stars?
• Kevin Owens was embarrassed at Battleground, who will he take it out on?
• Where will Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins take their rivalry next?
• Who will step up to face the recently-outspoken Cesaro?

Why AJ joined WWE:

AJ Styles says the injury crisis that blighted WWE earlier this year is the reason they finally approached him to join them...

"Timing is everything. Timing is everything. I had to go, I'll say it, I had to go to TNA, to go to Japan, to get here. That's okay with me. Listen, I learned a lot in Japan, and, honestly, there were a lot of guys hurt at the time that I made my arrival to WWE. Like I said, timing is everything. I think maybe they needed a little bit of help. The fact of the matter is, I don't think they had an idea of where I would be. As far as I know, I was a middle card guy at best. But then again, I'm kind of like The New Day here. The cream will rise to the top. I will take advantage of every opportunity and I will make my way to the world heavyweight title."

WWE list un-drafted talent:

WWE have listed all talent that were not assigned a brand in last weeks draft...

• Brie Bella
• The Rock
• Emma
• Heath Slater
• Luke Harper
• Paul Heyman
• Rosa Mendes
• Ryback
• Tamina Snuka
• Triple H
• Tyson Kidd
• The Undertaker
• Nikki Bella.

Paul Heyman:

Paul Heyman is now out of contract, but is still expected to be in Brock Lesnar's corner at SummerSlam. WWE are allowing him to fulfill his external projects, before they resume contract talks.

Renee chooses show:

Renee Young says she will be a part of the SmackDown presentation team.

ROH UK:

Tickets to ROH's 3 night UK tour go on sale this week. The tour starts in Liverpool, in November.

Simon Gotch:

Simon Gotch will be off TV again this week, but will be back next. He was seen at the end of last nights PPV, sporting a black eye, from his backstage fight with Sin Cara.

Sunny wants reality show:

Sunny is hoping TV show 'Botched' will pay for her to get her nose fixed, and liposuction on her stomach.

Jeff Hardy talks planned retirement spot:

"Man, I want to Swanton off the top of the cell, onto the commentary table. Then, I want to climb the cell, cut the f--king cage, when Taker's back in the ring, and Swanton though the cage, miss, and then Tombstone 1-2-3."

Today's News

Rock names current favourite star:

The Rock has praised Kevin Owens as his current favourite member of the WWE roster.

Hurricane talks Shane McMahon turning up at WCW show:

"We got to TV and it was Panama, Panama City, Florida and there was a sign on one of the doors that said, like, either 'WWE' or 'McMahons' or something, but we still didn't believe it because they were so weird down there trying to work the boys. But we had a talent meeting, one of those good talent meetings and Shane McMahon walked into the room and that was the 'oh s--t'. It was silence and a little bit of 'oh', but that was the paradigm shift in the business right there. The war was over. He came in. He made some kind of weird comment toward Buff and Lex. It wasn't even weird. It was just Shane. You know Shane. 'Lex. Buff. How are you doing?' Very Vince almost as if he's his son. Almost. And we all caught onto that. That wasn't very subtle at all. And then Shane gave a very good speech, that they bought WCW and they were going to carry it forward. It's going to be it's own thing and we're like, 'okay, whatever'. Nobody knew, no matter what anybody says, nobody in that room knew what their future held after that night."

BattleGround:

Tonight is WWE BattleGround. Many sites are reporting Bayley will be promoted to the main roster as Sasha Banks mystery partner, but she says no-one will be able to guess the identity of the person she has selected.

Goldberg hacked:

Bill Goldberg's social media was hacked last night.

Daniel Bryan:

Daniel Bryan's biog will be released on July 26.

Wrestlers get political:

Kane and X-Pac have expressed support for an independent Presidential hopeful, rather than supporting one of the major parties.

Stephanie reveals Vince shot down her creative plans for brand split:

"We were rehearsing the draft and I was up at the podium and I asked Vince a question, I was confused about how some of this was working. I gave him an idea, and he was stressed because we were going live. He said, 'how about you not give any new ideas at this point, even if they're really great ones?' This is the way that we're doing it, and no more!"

Power couple sell stock:

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon sold over a $100,000 of WWE stock this week.

Shield achieve goal:

Seth Rollins has revealed The Shield will achieve a goal they set themselves when they first got promoted together...

"When we started The Shield, this was the goal -- to fight each other for the WWE title and the top spot. So we're right where we wanted to be three years ago. It might not have all happened like we planned it, but the fact of the matter is, we're all right where we want to be."

Finn's first challenge:

Finn Balor's first main roster rival is set to be Chris Jericho.

Today's News

WWE toys:

WWE have unveiled a Stephanie McMahon WrestleMania 32 figure, Fred Ottman's first figures as Tugboat and Shockmaster, Corey Graves action figure debut, and a retro line, similar to the old Hasbro toys from the 80's and 90's.

Eden talks WWE resignation:

"I was already leaving before he left, so it wasn't a tough decision at all. The only thing that changed in me leaving was I just asked for it to be pushed up one month, and that was it. I was already leaving, and had not let them know yet. But, about three weeks out, I let them know I was not interested in re-signing. Him leaving quickly as he did and being granted his release fairly quickly just made it easier for me to say I'm ready to move on."

TNA:

TNA almost scored a record viewing figure for their first show on Thursday night.

BattleGround:

Breezango vs The Uso's will be the kickoff match.

Reigns return:

Roman Reigns returned at a live last night, attacking Seth Rollins to get Dean Ambrose his title belt back.

Special appearance at live:

Dory Funk was at an NXT live in Florida last night. He entered the ring, and was abused by Mandy Rose, before Bayley made the save.

PPV change:

WWE have confirmed that Clash Of The Champions is replacing Night Of Champions, as a Raw PPV special.

Simon Gotch:

Probably because of damage during his backstage fight with Sin Cara, Simon Gotch has been sent home from the road this weekend.

NXT injury:

Patrick Clarke was bust open on the NXT live tour last night.

Ricochet talks goals:

"I really want to be IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, which is now Kushida. I've challenged for it twice and I've yet to win, but I want to do that. There are a couple of things I want to do. Now my goal, I would like to be in the WWE one day. NXT, wherever, but there are still a couple of things I want to do. Like, Lucha's still going really well. It's still going really great."

Lita:

Lita has left her backstage producer role in WWE, and will now be a full time PPV pre show analyst.

Angle Rocks:

The Rock has named Kurt Angle as the judge for his YouTube promo contest.

Today's News

Bayley not ready for call up:

Bayley told WWE's website that she has one final goal in NXT before she steps up...

"Winning back that title has always been my top priority, because being the best has always been my goal in NXT. Ever since I lost the Women's Championship to Asuka, I feel like I've been targeted in a whole different way. People have tried to keep me down and keep me away from the title picture to make sure that I never get a chance again. And personally, I've struggled with a lot of doubt in myself at times. I've become more aggressive than I was last April. I'm more demanding. I know I deserve this rematch, and I won't take no for an answer any longer."

WWE release food line:

WWE have released Booty O's cereal at select stores in America, priced at $12 a box. In each box you will get a Pop Vinyl figure of one of the New Day members.

Brock Lesnar:

WWE will ''Definitely'' not suspend Brock Lesnar for his drugs fails, and the SummerSlam match will go ahead as planned. This according to Wrestling Observer Radio.

WWE firsts:

AJ Styles, Asuka and Shinsuke Nakamura will get their first WWE action figures, in the next line of Mattel toys.

WWE Alum reacts to lawsuit vs WWE:

Jonathan Coachman is not happy that former stars are taking WWE to court... He said on ESPN last night...

"This is a very, very close topic for me. 2003 was the first time I got in the ring to train to be an in-ring participant. The very first day I was in there I suffered a concussion. There's a very good chance, I didn't get them all evaluated, but probably between 10 and 20 concussions during my time from 2003 - 2008. The one thing I've always said about Vince McMahon is this: he is more loyal than any person, boss or human being I've met in my life. and it's not just because he signed my paychecks for nearly a decade. I don't like it, in fact I hate it, when a certain group of people... and this was always the case when stars would leave to go somewhere else or they'd get fired because of something stupid they did, then they would blame Vince for whatever issues they had. "Vince has recognized that, so he has paid all these guys for years and years. And all he asks, all he asks, is once a year at WrestleMania they show up, sign some autographs, shake some hands and then he pays them enough to live. In response to this, what do these 50 guys do? They go out and file a lawsuit that he was not there for them and the company was not there for them when they had all these concussion issues. This drives me crazy because for a lot of these people this is a dream, a dream come true. It's not an easy business, it's a tough business but to come out and say the company didn't take care of you because of these concussions is just wrong, it will go away and as a former employee and a person that loves that business, it just drives me crazy and I don't like it."

He is not the only one angry, even one of the stars involved is unhappy. The talent is furious that their name has been made public, and is threatening to withdraw their support.

Tyrus:

TNA are re-packaging the former Brodus Clay, as ''The Fixer.''

Backstage fight:

Still no word on who, or what, started the Sin Cara / Simon Gotch brawl this week, but word has gotten out who won. Sin Cara dominated a quick, one sided beat down, meaning he now stands at 4-0 in backstage fights, this joining two vs Sheamus, and one vs Alberto Del Rio.

Bring back jobbers:

WWE are considering bringing back enhancement talent to their TV shows. This would be done to get talent over.

Cody Rhodes interview:

On difficult relationship with his brother...

"People do not realize that Dustin and I are 16 years apart and we grew up in completely different households. And, essentially, even though Dusty is our father, we essentially grew up with different fathers because of how Dusty was when he had Dustin and how Dusty was when he had me. With that said, the first time we really got like a real bonding experience in my entire life with Dustin was when he came up and we had our six-man tag match with The Shield at Battleground and then after, moving forward after that, winning the tag titles and the run we had as Goldust and Cody Rhodes prior to the Stardust/Goldust, so I think watching him is incredibly motivating."

On how WWE convinced him to take on Stardust role, and why the role made him quit...

"Goldust is Dustin's character, so to be like a light version of him was probably a career nightmare and just terrible idea, perhaps, but the idea was when we got it was, 'okay, he doesn't have to be androgynous. He doesn't have to be Goldust. You can be a super villain!', 'oh, okay, I'll be like Jim Carey as The Riddler and I'll find myself a superhero and then I had the match with Stephen Amell, who's on TV as a DC character, he's the damn Green Arrow as an actual superhero.' So I was like, 'this is perfect!' And then, there was supposed to be another match. We had practices scheduled and we were going to be at Hell In A Cell and that match was supposed to be the end of Stardust. It was supposed to be, 'if Stardust loses to The Green Arrow, he'll return as Cody Rhodes'. And when that didn't happen, that was one of the first, the first, kind of kick in the balls for me because Flair said something to me on the bus and I don't know if he remembers it, but he mentioned that, I'm not going to say it because he said it to me, but basically he had said that I had outgrown the character. And I thought, 'well, there's kind of no end in sight and I don't want a fan, if somebody says, 'oh, that's Cody Rhodes' and they say, 'who?' because they know me as Stardust'. That would just break my heart, so that was part of my decision to peace out there at the end."

More stars returning:

Teddy Long has revealed that Shelton Benjamin and MVP have medicals booked with WWE, and will then return to the promotion. MVP has since downplayed the story as rumours.

Titus building bridges:

Titus O'Neil is fronting a campaign to bring the police and young people in Florida together, to try to avoid violent attacks between the two sides...

"We're trying to start the process of trying to prevent what's going on outside of Tampa from happening inside of Tampa. It's our obligation, not only to our youth but to our community, to have a good relationship with law enforcement, both with the Sheriff's Office and the Tampa Police Department."

Eva Marie:

Eva Marie will be on the judging panel of Miss Teen USA.

WWE re-brand shows:

The new logos for Raw and SmackDown have been released today (Photo).

Today's News

Hideo Itami:

Hideo Itami will return to NXT TV in two weeks.

Heath Slater responds to brand split snub:

"I hear all the whispers and all those lies people are spewing. Guess what? They are nothing but angry pleas from other guys who WISH they were free like me. You say I'm "optimistic and delusional"? You say I've "caught the bug"? I've had the bug for a long time now. I've been more than ready - since I was a little boy even - to get my time to shine. I know this company has taken down so many others but I'm not going to let them do the same to me. You'll know my name and you'll see that I'm stronger still. I'll rise up from these ashes and you'll learn to fear my pain, the pain of all the missed opportunities and all the backhanded comments I've endured all these years. Yeah you will. I won't disappear, I definitely won't be hanging up my boots anytime soon. I've got too much to prove before I would ever do that. You'll be seeing me. You'll be seeing a lot of me. Where you might ask? Only time will tell..."

Roman Reigns:

Roman Reigns ban has ended today, just in time for his BattleGround title match. Backstage reports from WWE say he tested positive for a drug called ''Adderall.'' It is used to treat ADHD, but also masks fatigue and pain.

Number 1:

Seth Rollins was not slated to be the number 1 draft pick in the brand split. Until news of his drugs fails Brock Lesnar was booked to be the guy, but was pushed down as punishment?.

NXT:

WWE are planning a second batch of NXT call ups for post SummerSlam.

CWC to WWE:

Four contracts have now been offered to CWC stars. Ibushi and Metalik have been joined by Cedric Alexander and Akira Tozawa.

Manager leaves WWE:

Questions were asked this week when Paul Heyman was not mentioned along with Brock Lesnar during the brand split draw. The reason is Paul's WWE deal has expired. The two sides are talking, but WWE are so unsure of his decision, that they thought it would be best not to mention him on TV, in case he decides to move on.

Nikki's news:

Nikki Bella had good news from her doctor yesterday, and says she is now ready to return to the PC, to prepare for a ring return.

Relationship was kayfabe:

After being split by the brand draft, Paige has deleted all reference to her supposed real life relationship with Alberto Del Rio, from her social media.

First old boys confirmed:

Rhyno and Curt Hawkins are coming back to the WWE roster. Both are expected to join SmackDown.

Johnny Gargano:

Johnny Gargano is now a full time WWE star, he finished up his last indie dates this week.

WWE vs TNA:

TNA are thinking about moving Bound For Glory back a month, as they would have gone head to head with a WWE PPV on September 11.

Bring back Diesel:

Kevin Nash, who refused to go into the HOF as his WWE gimmick, now says he wants to bring the role back for WWE. He wants to be Dolph Ziggler's bodyguard, as he once was for Shawn Michaels.

New Day record:

New Day became the longest reigning WWE tag champs this week. Paul London & Brian Kendrick had the record previously.

Today's News

Brand Split:

WWE have decided their rosters for the brand split, which was officially started last night, on the first live SmackDown...

Raw...

• Commissioner - Stephanie McMahon
• General Manager - Mick Foley
• Seth Rollins
• WWE Women's Champion, Charlotte
• Finn Balor
• Roman Reigns
• Brock Lesnar
• WWE Tag Team Champions, The New Day
• Sami Zayn
• Sasha Banks
• Chris Jericho
• WWE United States Champion, Rusev with Lana
• Kevin Owens
• Enzo Amore and Big Cass
• Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson
• Big Show
• Nia Jax
• Neville
• Cesaro
• Sheamus
• Goldust and R-Truth
• Titus O'Neil
• Paige
• Darren Young with Bob Backlund
• Sin Cara
• Jack Swagger
• The Dudley Boyz
• Summer Rae
• Mark Henry
• Braun Strowman
• Bo Dallas
• The Shining Stars
• Alicia Fox
• Dana Brooke
• Curtis Axel

SmackDown...

• Commissioner - Shane McMahon
• General Manager - Daniel Bryan
• WWE Champion, Dean Ambrose
• AJ Styles
• John Cena
• Randy Orton
• Bray Wyatt
• Becky Lynch
• WWE Intercontinental Champion, The Miz
• Maryse
• Baron Corbin
• Chad Gable and Jason Jordan
• Dolph Ziggler
• Natalya
• Alberto Del Rio
• The Usos
• Kane
• Kalisto
• Naomi
• The Ascension
• Zack Ryder
• Apollo Crews
• Alexa Bliss
• Tyler Breeze and Fandango
• Eva Marie
• The Vaudevillains
• Erick Rowan
• Mojo Rawley
• Carmella

Notes...

• NXT stars Finn Balor, Nia Jax, Chad Gable, Jason Jordan, Alexa Bliss, Carmella and Mojo Rawley have been promoted from NXT.
• Bayley and Shinsuke Nakamura were overloked for the draft, and remain in NXT.
• Daniel Bryan has been moved back onto the WWE roster, as SmackDown GM.
• Emma, Luke Harper and Nikki Bella were not drafted, as they are injured.
• The Wyatt's, The Club and Lucha Dragons were broken up by the draft.
• Heath Slater was missed out, and has declared himself the hottest free agent in WWE.
• John Cena says SmackDown is now the flagship show.
• WWE made last minute changes to the shows for Cesaro, Enzo & Cass, leaving Cesaro legit angry.
• NXT ref Shawn Bennett has also been called up.
• Real life couple Alberto Del Rio and Paige were split in the draft.

Ryback:

Ryback was also un-drafted last night, and has confirmed he has no intention of coming back to WWE. He says his contract is scheduled to expire between August 8 and October 17, and he will than be free of his six year WWE career.

Brock Lesnar exempt:

Despite the drug Brock Lesnar was reportedly using (Clomiphene) being on WWE's list on banned substances, it seems he will not be banned. The wellness policy says regularly competing stars will be subject to the testing, but Brock is not considered a regular roster member, as he competes in less than 10 matches a year. During a heated interview with Vince McMahon today, the WWE chief refused to comment on the testing of Lesnar, Rock, Taker and Triple H, refused to deny taking drugs himself, but did eventually admit that he has never taken a wellness test himself.

It seems Brock will be at SummerSlam no matter what.

Backstage fight:

Sin Cara and Simon Gotch got into a fight in catering at last nights SmackDown. Sin Cara is getting into the habit of scrapping with his co-workers, this being the fourth during his five years on the roster.

Rhodes debut:

Cody Rhodes has signed for ROH, he will debut in December. He has also confirmed his first post WWE match, with this image (Photo).

King culled:

WWE Hall Of Famer Jerry Lawler is no longer a WWE announcer. Raw and SmackDown will have three man teams, but neither show will feature the King. Raw will have Michael Cole, Byron Saxton and Corey Graves, and SmackDown will be Mauro Ranallo, JBL and David Otunga. Tom Phillips will host the other shows, with one man from each team (Graves & Otunga).

King will now be a PPV pre show analyst, along with Booker T and Lita.

Cesaro rants on brand split:

Cesaro, who made it clear he wanted to be on SmackDown, was not happy about being changed, at the last minute, to Raw. He told JoJo backstage...

"First of all I'm not too happy to be drafted 17th in the 6th round. I had a feeling I should be drafted a little bit higher, I was hoping to be at least top ten. Just looking at the rosters and what the GMs talked about yesterday how SmackDown is going to be the wrestling show and all about in-ring product and all about the Superstars and not necessarily about the GMs and that whole drama, I feel like I probably would have been a better fit for SmackDown. But just like in my career so far here, there's always a little stumble block or whatever that I have to overcome, so, um... I'm looking forward to being on the flagship product... trying to see the positive, being on the flagship product, WWE Raw, that's where Cesaro belongs. Honestly, that's part of the problem, that you just asked me that question because I don't really care. I think Raw going forward needs to be about the Superstars, it needs to be about the performers in the ring and not about how Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley co-exist. They need to be there to mediate and make the best show, but that does not need to be the focus. So, the focus should be on the Superstar who got drafted. We have Seth Rollins, we have New Day, we have Finn Bálor coming up from NXT - those are the people we should be here talking about. But we're talking about Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley which is annoying to me. A lot of people talk, it's always a lot of talking and you haven't heard me talk that much. This is actually great. I can be even able to talk and people can see I can actually speak, you know? My brain can form thoughts that come out through my mouth. The problem is sometimes I stumble the words because I speak five different languages, we know all that, so the thing is I like to speak the language that everybody speaks all around the world, that the WWE Universe loves... that's the language of wrestling that I do in the ring. That's what I do best. That's why I always deliver. Cesaro on Raw."

WWE have cut the promo from repeats of the show, and from their YouTube channel.

Nikki nervous:

Nikki Bella is seeing doctors today, for an MRI on her neck. She should find out, once and for all, if she has a future in the sport.

Bayley snubbed:

WWE gave out Bayley signs last night, leading to speculation she was on her way up, but she did not get the call. It is now strongly expected that she will be Sasha Banks mystery partner, to make a big deal of her promotion.

Eden:

Eden has started working on a horror novel. She, like me, is a long time horror nut, and says she has been wanting to do this for some time.

WWE target indies:

WWE have sent cease and desist letters to all indie promotions. They are angry that promotions use WWE pictures and names on posters advertising appearances.

WWE lawsuit:

Here are some interesting accusations from the 51 former stars writ against WWE, filed yesterday, compiled by Wrestling Inc...

Dress code violations...

• Road Warrior Animal (JOSEPH M. LAURINAITIS): He was even threatened with fines for wearing jeans on an airplane and changing a 7 am flight to a later one. (page 21)
• Johnny the Bull (JONATHAN HUGGER): For example, he was fined $500 for wearing a baseball cap on a bus at 3:00 a.m. because the dress code was "business casual." Hugger states he was fined $500 for wearing certain casual clothing on an airplane arriving at a hotel at 7:00 a.m. on a redeye flight from Los Angeles to Toronto. (page 32)
• King Kong Bundy (CHRIS PALLIES): He was fined for missing a show and threatened with fines for wearing shorts on a plane to the shows. (page 29)

Wrestler Pay...

• Omar Atlas (OMAR MIJARES): Although Mijares was well known, he was eventually transformed by the WWE into a "jobber to the stars" and by 1993 he was directed for $200 a night to "put the WWE stars over," meaning he was asked to repeatedly lose in order to make the WWE headliners look better. (page 37)
• Slick (KEN JOHNSON): As recently as April 2016 WWE paid Johnson $2,500 to induct a wrestler who died at age 41 "Big Bossman" in to the WWE Hall of Fame. (page 51)
• Kamala (JAMES HARRIS): Harris' last check paid to him in March 2016 was for $98.01 for his annual quarterly royalties for his performances. (page 27)

Working 300+ Shows...

• Jim Brunzell: Wrestling for WWE from 1985 to 1993, Brunzell would wrestle 300 nights per year often as many as 25-26 days each month. He even once wrestled 43 days in a row. (pages 32-33)
• Butch Reed: Reed wrestled close to 300 nights per year, twice on weekends and often wrestled seven days a week. (page 35)
• Marty Jannetty: He wrestled more than 300 shows per year for WWF and twice on weekends. (page 46)
• Warlord (Terry Scott Szopinski): He described the WWE performance schedule as "full time and rigorous" and performed over 300 shows per year (page 45)
• Barbarian (Sione Havea Vailahi): He wrestled as his partner more than 300 nights per year and "worked like a horse." (page 46)
• Slick (KEN JOHNSON): During most of his tenure at WWE he worked over 300 nights per year sometimes 30-40 nights straight with no breaks. (page 51)
• Boris Zhukov (JAMES HARRELL): Zhukov estimates he wrestled 275-300 nights per year while at WWE. (page 55)
• Akeem/One Man Gang (GEORGE GRAY): I traveled injured, at least 300 nights a year for WWE on the road. (page 52)
• Black Bart (RICK JONES): Some report multiple performances per night and in one instance, Named Plaintiff Rick Jones states he wrestled in 10 shows in a single night. (page 60)

Vince McMahon Stories...

• Rex King (TIMOTHY SMITH): He was told by WWE employee, JJ. Dillon, that he would be paid $500 per week. Smith says received exactly one check, when he called to locate his additional checks he was told by Mr. Dillon "the emperor says he cannot afford to pay you for doing nothing." Smith's understanding was that the term "The Emperor" was a reference to VKM (Vincent K. McMahon). (page 47)
• Ahmed Johnson (ANTHONY NORRIS): He was recruited to WWE by Michael Hayes, and was sent to Connecticut to Meet Vince McMahon. Norris brought his lawyer, but upon arrival Mr. McMahon stated that he "hated lawyers" and instructed Norris' lawyer to leave the office as there was nothing to negotiate. (page 25)

Gimmicks & Names...

• Ahmed Johnson (ANTHONY NORRIS): Norris selected the name Ahmed Johnson over the WWE suggestion of the ring name "Buck" (page 25)
• Akeem/One Man Gang (GEORGE GRAY): Chairman McMahon personally remade his character to "Akeem the African Dream" and required he dress in a yellow Dashiki as a racially stereotypical black, complete with tribal dancers supplied by WWE. (pages 129-130)
• Butch Reed: An African American wrestler, he was given the gimmick by WWF to dye his hair blonde, and so be known as "naturally blonde." He didn't want to do it but "rolled with it." He says Vince McMahon liked to force wrestlers to change to gimmicks that McMahon create. (pages 35-36)
• Rodney Mack (RODNEY BEGNAUD): His WWE assigned gimmick was to portray himself as an "anti-white" black militant. Begnaud explains it "was a 'no no' to discuss injuries or your job would be in jeopardy." His dialogue consisted of lines such as "Damn Right!" and "Yeah!" with his manager uttering lines such as "Kill Whitey" and "Free James Brown." (page 55)
• Boris Zhukov (JAMES HARRELL): Zhukov's gimmick was that of a Russian Communist from the Soviet Union and teamed with another wrestler to form a tag team called the Bolsheviks. Zhukov's birth name was James Harrell and he is of English/Irish descent. Upon entry into the WWE he legally changed his name to Boris Zhukov, he did so because the WWE and Vince McMahon he learned would "own you" if you didn't do this. When Vince McMahon learned that he was legally Boris Zhukov he says it caused much friction and accounts for his failure to get a "Push" in WWE. (pages 55-56)
• Black Bart (RICK JONES): Jones was given the gimmick of being a "bad cowboy" with a black hat and long beard by Dusty Rhodes and was given the name "Black Bart" by WWE as Vince McMahon wanted to "own your name." (page 49)

Getting Hurt...

• Chavo Guerrero Jr (SALAVADOR GUERRERO IV): By way of example on August 24, 2004 he was hit in the head with a knee in a Shooting Star Splash by another wrestler. Guerrero, Jr. was knocked completely unconscious for many minutes, with Stephanie McMahon at ringside before being hospitalized with a concussion and subarachnoid hemorrhage. In 2005 he was kicked in the eye which fractured his orbital bone, yet shortly thereafter he was still required to "drop his belt" (lose to another wrestler) in the ring at the direction of the WWE. (page 24)
• Adam Bomb (BRYAN EMMETT CLARK, JR.): On September 23, 2001, he had a bad neck injury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was choke slammed by the Mark William Calaway a.k.a. The Undertaker (a famous wrestler) and discs in his neck were injured. Clark eventually had these discs replaced in 2014 and had spinal surgery. (page 25)
• Ken Patera: Patera describes a total and complete lack of concern for wrestler health and safety, providing for example a 1987 match in Madison, Wisconsin where his injuries required 450 stitches and eventual surgery, despite no ambulance, doctor, or even ice on site at the performance. (page 29)
• Slick (KEN JOHNSON): In 1987 in a match in Houston with Hulk Hogan he fell through the ropes and was spitting up blood from internal injuries. (page 51)
• Princess Victoria (VICTORIA OTIS): She was seriously injured in the WWE ring, including when she landed on the top of her head in September, 1984 in Philadelphia, where she felt an "ungodly pain and tingling from head to her toes" after the match. She went to the hospital and it was discovered she had cracked two vertebrae in her neck. (pages 40-41)
• Ahmed Johnson (ANTHONY NORRIS): On January 21, 1996, Norris was knocked out completely after a guitar was smashed over his head by Jeff Jarrett in Madison Square Garden leading to a hospital visit and long term neurological injuries. (page 25)

Life After WWE...

• Warlord (TERRY SCOTT SZOPINSKI): Szopinski has no health insurance, and works as a bouncer in a nightclub. (page 45)
• JIM BRUNZELL: He works for a janitorial supply company and has insurance through that job, though Brunzell attributes most of his injuries to his wrestling career. (page 33)
• MARK JINDRAK: He continued his career in wrestling in Mexico where he indicates the working conditions and health and safety practices for professional wrestlers are far more advanced than in the WWE. (page 42)
• Boris Zhukov (JAMES HARRELL): He currently works as truck driver. (page 56)

Getting Your Bell Rung...

• CHAVO GUERRERO, SR: He never heard the word "concussion." "You got your bell rung sometimes" but there was rarely treatment, inquiry or intervention by WWE staff or ringside doctors unless it was an obvious medical emergency. (page 24)
• JAMES BRUNZELL: Brunzell believes he sustained several major concussions in his WWE career and numerous times in WWE had his "bell rung." (page 33)
• Jim Powers (JAMES MANLEY): Manley sustained numerous head injuries while in WWE including being knocked unconscious in a WWE Match in Italy with the Tag Team Demolition (Bill Eadie and Barry Darsow who are also named Plaintiffs in this action), additionally Manley states he has had his "bell rung" numerous times at WWE events. (page 35)
• MARK JINDRAK: After the match the guys were joking about 'having your bell rung like that' including jokes from WWE officials. (page 42)

How Wrestlers Deal With Injuries...

• MARTY JANNETTY: He asserts WWE sometimes had doctors who mostly distributed drugs. "Generally we had to take care of ourselves, I would help other guys pop shoulders back into place." Jannetty described WWE as a place where 'You lick your own wounds." That the medical treatment provided was mostly 'tape and go.' (page 42)
• SYLVAIN GREINER: The rule was "you don't get hurt" and medical attention was not sought or administered unless absolutely essential. Seeing doctors was in fact discouraged and the WWE had very little supporting medical staff if any at the matches. (page 37)
• BUTCH REED: The preferred WWE medical treatment was "Take yourself up, spit on it, put a band aid on it." (page 35).

Hall OF Famer nominated:

Donald Trump has officially been named as the Republican candidate for the presidency of the United States.

Heath leaving?:

WWE have penned an article on their site suggesting that Heath Slater may leave WWE, to go to the indies, naming Evolve as a likely destination. They also suggest he may be setting his sights at getting into acting, wanting to be the next Rock or Batista.