Life-size bronze statue of the Ultimate Warrior unveiled at Axxess

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03/27/2015

An Ultimate Warrior life-size bronze statue was unveiled last night at WrestleMania Axxess with the Warrior’s family in the ring.

Triple H did the unveiling as Warrior’s widow Dana and their two daughters, Mattigan and Indiana, looked on in the ring.

“The legacy that he leaves behind is something I am so deeply proud of. I am also so proud of what he did here with all of you,” Dana Warrior said. “The Warrior fans really are the ultimate, and I want to thank you; thank you for taking the girls and I in, and loving us too because it has meant the world.”

After the unveiling, Dana, Mattigan, and Indiana grabbed the top rope and shook it just like Warrior used to do. The statue is on display at Axxess.

The Warrior family will be at Axxess meeting the legion of Ultimate Warrior fans and Dana will be presenting the Warrior Award tomorrow at the Hall of Fame ceremony.

WWE.COM has photos of the unveiling which you can see here.

Hideo Itami advances to the Andre Battle Royal after win at Axxess

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/27/2015

Hideo Itami won the NXT mini tournament last night at Axxess to advance to the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal this Sunday at the WrestleMania Kickoff show.

The tournament had Finn Balor defeating Tyler Breeze and then Hideo Itami defeating Adrian Neville with the final Balor vs Itami which ultimately Itami won.

This will be Itami’s debut match at a televised live WWE event.

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal moved to the Kickoff show

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/26/2015

The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal has been moved from the WrestleMania pay-per-view to the Kickoff show. The Kickoff show will now have two matches, the battle royal and the fatal four way for the WWE Tag Team titles.

The demotion of the match to the Kickoff show now leaves the pay-per-view with seven matches on the card. The move is likely due to time constraints with some matches set to last longer than expected and maybe with some addition of “filler” segments in between.

The announcement of the match moving to the Kickoff show was made by Michael Cole during the WrestleMania Today broadcast on the WWE Network.

First look at the WrestleMania 31 stage setup

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/26/2015

A photo snapped from inside the Levi’s Stadium, the home of WrestleMania 31, shows the set that is being constructed for this Sunday’s mega event.

The set features a gigantic LED video wall going across from one side to another with a big circle in the middle which looks like it will be the “play” button that has been part of the WrestleMania 31 logo. The words WrestleMania sit on top of the video wall but using a futuristic-looking font rather than the classic WrestleMania font.

The ring will be covered by some kind of canopy again as there are four large steel structures in the corners that will serve as the base to whatever will cover the ring.

The weather seems to be cooperating so far as forecasts indicate it will be 82 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday and will be sunny.

You can see the photo below.

Perro Aguayo Jr., died “almost instantly” from injuries according to autopsy report

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/26/2015

The autopsy report of Perro Aguayo Jr., revealed that the Mexican lucha lire star died “almost immediately” of his injuries he suffered in the ring, suffering three fractured vertebrae and was dead by the time he was transported to the hospital, said Gilberto Cota Alanis, deputy prosecutor for Baja California state. The report was carried by the Associated Press.

Prosecutors have opened an investigation, and Cota Alanis said the other wrestlers involved in the match would be questioned about the incident as well as Wrestling and Boxing Commission officials who handled Aguayo’s body and the medical workers who attended to him.

The whole incident started when Aguayo Jr., received a missile dropkick and then was thrown out of the ring via a hurricanrana. Once he came back in the ring, looking already a bit groggy, Aguayo Jr., was hit with another dropkick that set him up for the 619 but that was apparently the final blow that lead to his death.

WWE Diva Eva Marie to host the Hall of Fame ceremony

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/26/2015

PWInsider.com is reporting that Jerry “The King” Lawler will be given the day off on Hall of Fame night as his hosting gig has just been given to someone else.

For the first time ever, a Diva will be the MC for the evening, and the honor has been given to Eva Marie.

Only four other individuals have hosted the Hall of Fame ceremony since 2005. Jerry “The King” Lawler has done the show six times, Todd Grisham twice, Gene Okerlund once, and in 2008, Grisham and Okerlund hosted the show together.

The Total Divas star is certainly not the most popular Diva among fans mostly due to her inexperience in the ring despite being in the company for two years already. She was introduced during the first season of Total Divas and has remained one of the cast members ever since.

WWE fan and celebrity Maria Menounos will be returning to host the red carpet event which will kick off an hour before the ceremony at 7PM EST.

TNA lands big television deal in Brazil

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/26/2015

TNA announced today that it has signed a new television deal in Brazil to bring Impact Wrestling for the first time ever to the country on the free-to-air sports broadcaster Esporte Interativo (EI).

Impact Wrestling will first air on Esporte Interativo every Sunday at 10PM and fans will also be able to watch TNA’s monthly PPV and One Night Only events, as well as TNA Xplosion. Xplosion will broadcast every Monday at 7:45PM. Programming will air in Portuguese, thanks to a dedicated Brazilian announce team.

TNA will join global brands including the NFL and the UEFA Champions League on Esporte Interativo, which can be seen by 105 million people in Brazil and is also the home of MMA in the country. Turner Broadcasting, the television arm of the American media group Time Warner, recently became the sole owner of the network.

TNA President Dixie Carter said, “To partner with Esporte Interativo, a major Brazilian network with a reach of more than 100 million people, is another significant chapter in the incredible TNA international story and an important milestone as we look to expand across South America.”

Aloe Blacc to sing America The Beautiful at WrestleMania 31

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/26/2015

WWE fans and country duo Florida Georgia Line revealed on Twitter that their writing partner and singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc will be singing America The Beautiful to kick off WrestleMania 31 this coming Sunday.

“Just found out our #writingpartner @aloeblacc will also experience the @WWE stage! #WM31 #AmericatheBeautiful #WellBeWatching #WWEMusicFam,” the Twitter of FGL read.

The 36 year old California native was recently announced as the guest advisor for Adam Levine’s team on Season 6 of NBC’s The Voice.

He is perhaps best known for writing and performing the vocals on Avicii’s “Wake Me Up” song which went #1 in 22 different countries.

Massive eight-man tag team match headlines Smackdown tonight

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/26/2015

A massive eight-man tag team match headlines Smackdown tonight on SyFy, the last stop before WrestleMania 31 this Sunday.

The main event will be Daniel Bryan, John Cena, Mark Henry, and Roman Reigns teaming up to take on Bray Wyatt, Kane, Big Show, and Seth Rollins.

The only other match taped for the show was Jimmy Uso vs Fernando vs Big E. vs Cesaro. The show will feature a lot of WrestleMania-related footage including live cut-ins to WrestleMania Axxess where matches will be held.

Toy State to develop WWE-branded R/C vehicles

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/26/2015

Toy State, a toy industry leader and innovator, has entered into a licensing agreement with WWE to develop remote-controlled (R/C) vehicles for the North America market, the first of which will be in stores later this year. This agreement marks Toy State’s first licensing agreement under the Nikko brand since their acquisition of the company last year.

“There are few brands with as loyal and passionate a fan base as the WWE,” said Andy Friess, Toy State president. “The personality of the brand is perfectly aligned with the attitude and innovation of our toys, and we can’t wait for WWE fans to see our products when they hit the shelves.”

WrestleMania Today kicks off Mania week on WWE Network at 6PM EST

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/26/2015

The WWE Network will start its WrestleMania week today with the first live broadcast from Axxess at 6PM EST titled WrestleMania Today.

Today’s exclusive sit-down interviews are with WWE World Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, and Triple H.

WWE Hall of Famers Booker T and Ric Flair will be among the hosts who will be covering the show live from the San Jose Convention Center. WrestleMania Today will run till 8PM EST and then tomorrow another live link will be done for two hours for the final WrestleMania Today broadcast.

Brock Lesnar talks with Jonathan Coachman about staying in the WWE

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/25/2015

During an interview on ESPN hosted by former WWE personality Jonathan Coachman, Brock Lesnar said that the older he got, the wiser he became so the decision to completely forget MMA was not an overnight decision, but was a long process for him.

He told Coach that he weighed the pros and the cons but at the end of the day, on Monday night, “old Vince McMahon” put the offer on the table that he couldn’t refuse.

“That’s what it comes down to, business, and money, and health, and well-being. I’ve been on both sides of the spectrum. I’ve been in a bad position with my health, I’ve been in a bad position with my money, and now I’m in a great position with both,” Lesnar said, adding that he loves what he’s doing and that he’s happy.

“I work part time with full time pay, like everybody wants,” Lesnar smiled. “But you can’t have! It’s just me, so I’m happy!”

Coach told Lesnar that he seems at ease with the decision and asks him how much fun does he plan on having, especially Sunday night at WrestleMania.

“If you can’t watch me in the ring and not be entertained and not think that I’m not having any fun, there’s something definitely wrong,” Lesnar said.

He added that he loves being in the squared circle and always did, but he always hated the outside ambiance of everything else. He mentions the old saying in the wrestling business which goes, “It’s all fake but the money and the miles,” and he said the miles were not for him. “Me and the highway did not get along!”

You can watch the interview below.

WWE Hall of Fame ring being sold on eBay for $20,000

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/25/2015

A company called Power Pro Wrestling Figs which specializes in wrestling memorabilia is selling Abdullah The Butcher’s WWE Hall of Fame ring on eBay.

The eBay entry has photos of Abdullah wearing the ring as well as photos of the ring on its own and a short video of himself showing off the ring in its case.

The ring was presented to him in 2011 when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and now the same ring is being sold for $20,000 minus one cent. Hey, at least they’re throwing in free shipping!

No offers have been made for the ring yet although there are 97 accounts watching the auction. To view it you can go to eBay.com and search for item 391092579646.

Vince McMahon congratulates himself on Twitter after re-signing Lesnar

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/25/2015

Vince McMahon congratulated himself on Twitter after managing to acquire the signature of Brock Lesnar which will keep the current WWE World Heavyweight champion in the company for at least the next year. Terms of the new deal were never revealed.

“Brock re-signs with @WWE.” #CongratsToUs,” wrote McMahon on Twitter, posting the tweet along with a photo of Lesnar with Michelle Beadle at ESPN’s SportsCenter.

Lesnar re-signing with WWE was the company’s biggest issue going into WrestleMania. Talks between the two parties went south after a few weeks ago Lesnar walked out prior to Monday Night Raw in an incident which was described as a breakdown in negotiations. Leaving the issue till the last week was not the ideal situation as creatively things were obviously going to change if Lesnar did not re-sign but now the outcome of the main event is even harder to try and guess.

WWE offered Lesnar a deal which basically pays him full time for working part time. The champ had one of the most lucrative deals in the history of professional wrestling, one which even allows him to have his sponsors on his ring gear, something which no one else is allowed to.

Paul Heyman interrupts Roman Reigns on ESPN’s SportsCenter

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/25/2015

Continuing their angle away from WWE television, Paul Heyman interrupted Roman Reigns during his appearance on ESPN’s SportsNation.

Reigns was being interviewed by Michelle Beadle and just before Reigns was going to show how hard he can punch on a boxing machine, Brock Lesnar’s theme kicked in and out came the advocate for the WWE World Heavyweight champion.

“I’m a great admirer of your work, sir,” Heyman told Reigns as he shook his hand. Heyman then introduced himself as Beadle lip synced along.

“Punching bags don’t hit back, Brock Lesnar hits back,” Heyman said as all three stood in front of the machine. Then Heyman told Beadle that Reigns is a WrestleMania main event and she is dressed inappropriately. Beadle, who is a huge WWE fan, pointed out that she was wearing The Shield t-shirt but then Heyman got a “I’m A Paul Heyman Girl” t-shirt from his pocket and presented it to Beadle. “Now you’re dressed appropriately,” Heyman concluded, as he put his shirt on her shoulder.

Heyman then left the stage as he shook hands with Reigns again, wishing him luck for Sunday. You can see the segment below.

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First photos of WWE Superstars sporting Tapout apparel

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/25/2015

The first photos of WWE Superstars and Divas sporting Tapout apparel were published by Business Wire as part of the press release which was issued announcing the deal.

Roman Reigns, Dolph Ziggler, Alicia Fox, and Charlotte were the ones chosen to “model” the Tapout clothing while they are training.

Tapout was founded back in 1997 and by the late 2000 the company took the world of MMA by storm with most fighters wearing their apparel for fights. It’s co-founder, Charles “Mask” Lewis Jr., is the only Non-fighter to be inducted into UFC Hall of Fame.

You can see the photos of WWE personalities with the Tapout clothing below.

ABG and WWE launch Tapout apparel joint venture

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/25/2015

In a deal that was expected for the past few months, WWE and Authentic Brands Group today announced a joint venture for Tapout, a newly repositioned fitness lifestyle brand.

Tapout is now the official fitness and training partner of WWE, and will be integrated across WWE’s global platforms including TV programming, WWE Network, pay-per-view broadcasts, live events, digital, and social media.

“Tapout was ABG’s first acquisition and it continues to be a global brand with strong sales and blue chip partners all over the world. We have a very strong commitment to the brand’s ongoing success,” said Jamie Salter, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ABG. “WWE is a media and entertainment force and we are excited to partner with them on Tapout’s future growth.”

WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon said that the company is always looking for new opportunities to partner with best-in-class organizations, develop new products for fans and drive shareholder value. “This joint venture aligns with our strategic approach, and we look forward to building the Tapout brand,” he said.

As part of this strategic partnership, WWE will create new content featuring its Superstars and Divas in Tapout apparel and market the brand across all platforms. Tapout branding will also be featured at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, and all performers, trainers, and staff will be outfitted in Tapout workout apparel.

“WWE’s expansive reach provides a global platform to broaden Tapout’s presence and consumer base,” said Nick Woodhouse, President and Chief Marketing Officer of ABG. “This is a powerhouse pairing given the synergy between Tapout’s brand promise to be the premiere hard-body fitness brand, and WWE’s commitment to training and fitness.”

Raw rating for 03/23/2015

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/25/2015

The last Raw before WrestleMania pulled in 4,188,000 viewers, up 269,000 viewers from last week’s show. It was the best number since the February 2 show and the first time they broke the 4 million viewer barrier since February 23.

Hour one did 4,178,000 viewers, followed by 4,342,000 in the second hour, and then 4,043,000 in the third and final hour. (Ratings credit: PWInsider.com)

UFC tries to lure Lesnar away just hours before ESPN announcement

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/25/2015

In reaction given to FOX Sports after he was informed that his former Heavyweight champion will not be returning, UFC President Dana White said that he’s happy for Lesnar.

“From what I understand Vince made him a deal that he couldn’t refuse, which is awesome. I’m happy to hear that. I’m happy for both of them.”

White said that Brock had a great stint in the UFC and he did some amazing things and it was fun to have him but at the end of the day, MMA is a sport where “you’ve got to be all in,” something which Lesnar said he wasn’t during the interview on SportsCenter.

The UFC wanted Lesnar to return big time. He said that he turned down an offer worth “10 times” what he was making in his first UFC run according to the Associated Press.

Lesnar informed the UFC about his decision to stay with the WWE while he was parking in the garage at ESPN studios in Los Angeles a few hours prior to making his live appearance on SportsCenter yesterday. Lesnar said that UFC Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta even offered an increase over the figure in an attempt to lure him away.

“Lorenzo said to me, ‘Can we sharpen our pencil? Can we double it'” Lesnar said. “I said, ‘It’s not about that. I’m calling you to tell you where my heart is, and it’s not about the money.’

Lesnar added that in the back of his mind he was thinking that ultimately, yeah, it’s all about the money, but in his WWE deal he doesn’t have to beat up himself for it.

“I’ve been a barbarian my whole life. I’m just a smarter barbarian now. Evolution, you know?”

Brock Lesnar announces he has signed a new WWE deal

By

Colin Vassallo

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03/25/2015

The WWE World Heavyweight champion signed a new deal with WWE on Monday night, keeping him past WrestleMania 31. The news was broken by Lesnar himself who appeared on ESPN’S SportsCenter for an interview with WWE fan Michelle Beadle.

Lesnar said it was a very difficult decision for him as the fighter in him wants to compete but then the father and the husband wants another thing and ultimately decided to stay with the WWE and close the door on his MMA career.

“My legacy in the Octagon is over however my legacy this Sunday at WrestleMania will not be my last,” Lesnar said.

The champ said that he has been training for the past few months for a return to mixed martial arts but there was something missing mentally and that’s when he realized he was born to entertain. It took him a year to make this difficult decision and the money in the UFC was great but he’s happy with his lifestyle and loves being in the WWE.

He said there’s nothing he can gain from the UFC now and while he loved his time in the UFC, the illness really effected him and maybe it was God giving him a signal. He said he didn’t want to leave the UFC on a losing streak but it is what it is now.

“I’m officially closing the door on MMA, yes, and it was hard. I re-signed last night with the WWE,” Lesnar told Beadle, who was surprised with the news.

“The offer on the table I just couldn’t refuse,” Lesnar added.

Beadle said that the timing is “weird” that he announces this before Mania and Lesnar said he thinks it was fair for the fans to know because it was common knowledge his deal was expiring

“On Sunday at WrestleMania I’m going home with that damn belt,” Lesnar said.

You can see the full interview below.

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