There are no plans for DirecTV to carry WrestleMania on pay-per-view next week as the company is sticking to its decision not to carry WWE pay-per-views following the introduction of the WWE Network.
DirecTV’s last WWE pay-per-view broadcast was WrestleMania XXX one year ago and just like DISH Network they have eliminated WWE from their programming lineup as a protest for the inclusion of pay-per-views on the WWE Network for the $9.99 monthly price.
While two of the largest PPV providers will not be offering the show, several others including Broighthouse, CableOne, Optimum, Charter, Xfinity, Cox, Enology, Mediacom, RCN, Suddenlink, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS, and InDemand will be airing the show on traditional pay-per-view.
W-O reader Paul Latif attended last night’s WWE non-televised live event in Tucson, Arizona, and sent in the following results.
Jack Swagger defeated Adam Rose; Erick Rowan defeated Bo Dallas; Zack Ryder defeated Bo Dallas after responding to an open challenge; R-Truth and Goldust defeated Stardust and Fandango; Roman Reigns defeated Rusev via DQ; Cesaro and Tyson Kidd defeated Prime Time Players, The New Day, and The Ascension; Nikki Bella defeated Paige; John Cena defeated Seth Rollins in a street fight in the main event.
Pedro Aguayo Ramirez, AAA’s Lucha Libre star better known as Perro Aguayo Jr., passed away in hospital after injuries he suffered in the ring during a tag team match in which Rey Mysterio was involved. The match, between Aguayo Jr., and Manik vs Rey Mysterio and Xtreme Tiger continued as Aguayo Jr., stayed motionless hanging on the ropes as he was about to get a 619. Mysterio missed the double 619 as Manik moved and he went over Aguayo Jr., and then Konan tried to revive him at ringside as the match went on.
The whole incident started when Aguayo Jr., was hit with a missile dropkick and then was quickly on the receiving end of a hurricanrana from Mysterio which sent him out of the ring. When he entered the ring again, Mysterio dropkicked him and Aguayo Jr., then lands on the ropes ready to take the 619 but at that point he was already gone.
EMTs took quite a while to respond but eventually came out in numbers. There was not even a stretcher available so they used a large board to transport Aguayo Jr., to the back. Footage shot from the ringside cameraman shows the chaos that erupted when it was realized that he was unresponsive.
Aguayo Jr., was transferred from the Municipal Auditorium to Del Prado Hospital earlier today and at 1AM he was pronounced dead. According to the El Mexicano newspaper, the cause of death was listed as whiplash although other reports suggest it might have been some kind of spinal injury.
A video published by TV Azteca Baja California shows the backstage chaos and Aguyao, Jr., being transferred from the board to a proper stretcher and wheeled into a waiting ambulance.
In a message on Twitter, AAA wrote, ”The grief overwhelms our hearts. Rest in peace, El Hijo del Perro Aguayo.” Manik, who was his tag team partner yesterday, also wrote, “Life goes so fast man. I can’t believe some of us pack our bags and don’t make it home.”
The whole thing was caught on video and judging by how Aguayo Jr., was not responding in the ring it’s most likely that he passed on the spot as soon as Mysterio hit the final dropkick. You can see the different videos below.
3-time Emmy winner Chris Van Vliet caught up with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on his Furious 7 press tour and being a wrestling fan, Van Vliet asked the former WWE champion a couple of interesting questions.
Talking about Furious 7 and the Rock Bottom through the glass table, Rock said that it was not in the script and it was something that they added. The Rock said that it was a bit tricky to present it to another movie star, especially since egos are involved, but Jason Statham was a pro and was all up for a Rock Bottom. “It’s the best move of the movie,” Rock said.
The discussion turned to Roman Reigns, and the host asked if his cousin is ready to headline WrestleMania and to be the champ. Rock said headlining WrestleMania and ready to be the champion are two different things. He said he’s in a great position and he was pushed quickly and he has no choice but to be ready. “They’re gonna put one hell of a match,” he said.
Then the talk gets even more interesting. Van Vliet asks the Rock if he’s sad he’s not part of WrestleMania and Johnson starts laughing. He said he’s hosting SNL on Saturday the night before, and that’s in New York, and WrestleMania is in the Bay Area.
“What are you doing on Sunday?” the host asked. Johnson laughed some more and said, “Don’t you worry about it!”
When talking about WrestleMania 32 and the rumors of Rock vs Brock in Dallas, Johnson said, “Possibly. THere’s a lot of things that are up in the air.” He said that he would love to have a rematch with Lesnar and create something that’s going to be special, especially at Dallas in that stadium with a chance to break the all-time WrestleMania attendance record.
TNA announced that three of its wrestlers, Bobby Lashley, Bram, and Robbie E, have all signed new TNA deals to keep them with the company. Ever since TNA moved to Destination America, the company has been busy re-signing several of its talent to new deals since they know they’ll be around till at least the Destination America deal is around.
Meanwhile, the former TNA champion Lashley has also signed a deal with Bellator MMA, listed as a long-term contract extension. Lashley has fought twice under the Bellator MMA promotion so far and both of them were wins, sending his MMA record to 12-2.
“I’ve had two fights with Bellator, and I’m happy to be calling the promotion my home,” said Lashley. “Scott Coker and the company have really reignited my desire to fight and I’m looking forward to a huge year with some dominant wins.”
Kurt Angle made history on last night’s televised Impact show as he won the TNA World Heavyweight title for a record sixth time, beating Lashley in the main event of the show which was taped at the end of January in London, England.
Angle’s TNA future was in doubt towards the end of 2014 when his TNA deal expired in September. A return to the WWE was teased but Angle eventually decided to stick with the company he had been working for for the past eight years.
The Olympic gold medalist last held the title in mid-2011, winning it from Sting at the Hardcore Justice pay-per-view, but then losing it to James Storm in October on an episode of Impact. He has over a combined 500 days with the title over the course of his six title runs so far and for history purposes, Angle is listed as the first ever TNA World champion.
Tonight’s Impact Wrestling will feature the last time Samoa Joe appears on TNA television, at least for the time being, as Joe has opted to part ways with the company.
”Thx for 9 great yrs. You’ll ALWAYS be part of the TNA family. Wishing u much happiness,” tweeted TNA President Dixie Carter ahead of tonight’s broadcast.
Joe announced his departure from TNA on February 17 after nearly a decade with the promotion. He continued to appear on TNA television however as Impact is taped a few months in advance.
Someone from NXT will be participating in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal on WrestleMania as WWE.COM is reporting that a tournament will be held on Thursday at Axxess with the winner advancing to the battle royal.
Tournament participants will include former NXT Champion Adrian Neville, Finn Balor, Tyler Breeze and Hideo Itami. All the matches in the tournament will take place at the San Jose Convention Center on Thursday, March 26.
There were rumors over the past few months about NXT having a presence at WrestleMania and while this is not an NXT match as some would have hoped, it will present a great opportunity for one of the four individuals in the tournament.
WWE has reached their $200,000 goal in the Superstars For Hope fundraising campaign, hitting nearly $214,000 at time of this writing, with $50,000 of them being matched donations from WWE and the San Francisco 49ers.
The company has added three new perks for those who donate four figure sums. For $2,000, you will get to have lunch with the NXT Divas and receive four premium tickets for an NXT taping at Full Sail University. For $3,000 you get to interview Dolph Ziggler for a WWE Countdown show as well as a backstage tour of a live event in your city including four premium tickets. And for $4,000 you can get a WWE Heavyweight title signed by the one and only, The Undertaker.
The Superstars For Hope campaign will close on March 31 at one minute to Midnight PST.
This year, the annual Superstars for Hope campaign was dedicated to raising funds for Special Olympics celebrating acceptance and inclusion, and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford in support of finding a cure for pediatric cancer.
Hulk Hogan, Roman Reigns, John Cena, and other WWE Superstars and Divas will be all over television next week to promote WrestleMania 31.
On Monday, Hulk Hogan kicks off WrestleMania week with an appearance on ESPN2’s SportsNation at 3PM EST. On Tuesday, Roman Reigns will be on television on three different channels, starting with ESPN2’s SportsNation at 3PM EST, TMZ Hollywood Sports on ReelzChannel at 6PM EST, and then on Conan on TBS at 11PM EST.
On Wednesday, John Cena will be on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live at 11:35PM EST and on Friday, several WWE Superstars who are yet to be announced will be on E!’s The Soup at 10PM EST.
Needless to say, it will be a very busy week for everyone involved at WWE as WrestleMania week is full-on crazy with media appearances and little sleep.
The latest iOS and Android update for the WWE App which was released on the iTunes Store and Google Play Store includes something for Canadian fans which will surely be a welcome addition – access to the WWE Network.
Prior to this update, the WWE Network was only accessible for Canadians through either traditional television or else online via a web browser. The app update now enables those in Canada to enjoy the WWE Network like everybody else worldwide.
The app was also completely redesigned both phones and tablets devices.
Meanwhile, Shaw Communications announced that it has also launched the WWE Network for all Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct customers. It is available for Shaw Cable subscribers on channel 225 and channels 117 or 617 for Shaw Direct customers.
“WWE viewers are some of the most passionate and loyal of our cable and satellite customers and we are happy to be giving them unparalleled access to WWE’s extensive content catalogue,” says Katherine Emberly, Vice President, Operations, Shaw Communications. “From original programming, documentaries and reality shows, to every WWE, WCW and ECW pay-per-view event ever, the WWE Network gives subscribers access to a staggering amount of content, just in time for the biggest event of the year, Wrestlemania 31, coming next Saturday, March 29.”
WWE is bringing the Elimination Chamber structure to WrestleMania Axxess for the first time ever next week in San Jose.
The structure will be used to hold WWE Superstar photos with fans who will be brave and patient enough to wait in the sure-to-be long line. The Elimination Chamber uses two miles of chain and 10 tons of steel and it will be probably one of the most popular attractions at Axxess.
WrestleMania Axxess will kick off on Thursday, March 26, and will run through Sunday, March 29. There will be one session each on Thursday and Friday, three sessions on Saturday, and one on Sunday morning. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com.
Warner Bros. has announced that the movie Central Intelligence, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart in leading roles will be released in the United States on June 17, 2016.
In this movie, Hart plays a former high school sports star turned accountant contacted by a classmate, played by The Rock, who was bullied and humiliated as a teen but is now a CIA contract killer, who proceeds to rope him into helping foil a plot to sell classified military secrets.
So far 2016 seems to be a slow year as far as movies are concerned for Johnson as only Central Intelligence and the Disney animated movie Moana are on his schedule. In Moana, Johnson will be the voice actor for the character Maui.
The NXT events today at Orlando Armory in Orlando, Florida, and the one on Saturday, March 21, at UACDC Gymnasium, in Tampa, Florida, have been rescheduled.
The event at Orlando Armory will now take place on Saturday, April 4, at 7:30PM, while the event at Tampa’s UACDC Gymnasium will take place on Thursday, April 2, at 7:30PM.
All tickets purchased for these NXT events will be honored on the new dates. Those who cannot attend the new dates can call (877) 840-0457 for refunds.
WWE today announced that it will host a conference call on Monday, March 30 at Noon EST, to discuss the progress of the WWE Network and reveal the number of subscribers it has up until the day after WrestleMania. The network’s 2015 programming schedule will also be discussed.
The Company’s Chairman and CEO, Vince McMahon, and the Chief Strategy & Financial Officer, George Barrios, will host the conference call.
Last year the company did the same thing following WrestleMania XXX, revealing it had 667,287 subscribers. The number was a big let down for Wall Street and WWE stocks went down nearly 50% after the number was revealed.
The website TorrentFreak.com is reporting that one of the most famous Torrent uploaders who specialized in WWE and UFC content has been arrested in the United Kingdom.
The UK’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) says that it has managed to arrest a 55 year old man at his home in Leicestershire this morning who was involved in piracy distribution and although his name was not released, multiple sources who investigated say that the man is known online as ‘Sir Paul.’
According to the PIPCU, this person has uploaded over 3.2 terabytes of data which were downloaded in excess of two million times.
“WWE provides many options for our fans to watch our content lawfully – on television, pay-per-view, and digitally via YouTube and the WWE Network. We will continue to protect our intellectual property aggressively and combat piracy in any form,” Jim Langham, WWE Senior Vice President & Assistant General Counsel said, while expressing his thanks to the PIPCU.
WWE and DraftKings Inc., a leading destination for daily fantasy sports, today announced a new partnership, which will offer one fan a chance to win the ultimate trip to SummerSlam.
Beginning today and running through April 15, 2015, fans will compete in the “Ultimate SummerSlam Experience” through select professional basketball contests in order to win unique WWE prizes on DraftKings.
The winner and a guest will travel to Brooklyn, New York, attend SummerSlam at Barclays Center on Sunday, August 23, get access to a VIP party, and meet WWE Superstars and Divas. Additionally, DraftKings will be a promotional partner for SummerSlam, which includes integration within the event’s telecast on WWE Network and pay-per-view, and custom digital and social media activations across WWE’s global platforms.
“As daily fantasy sports continue to grow in popularity, we’ve seen dramatic growth in interest from fans in the WWE community,” said Jason Robins, Co-founder and CEO of DraftKings. “WWE is extremely creative when it comes to engaging their fans, and has been a great partner for DraftKings in developing contests and one-of-a-kind new experiences that fans are sure to enjoy.”
During the Smackdown tapings yesterday, WWE announced that Japan’s own Tatsumi Fujinami will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2015 this year in San Jose.
The 61 year old is a former WWF International Heavyweight champion, a title which was recognized by the NWA, WWF, NJPW, and Japan’s UWF. He is also a former WWF Junior Heavyweight champion, a title which was used by WWF and NJPW, with Fujunami holding the belt for a combined 1,406 days.
In 1991, Fujinami won the NWA World Heavyweight title from Ric Flair at the Tokyo Dome in Japan and became the first man to hold the IWGP and NWA World titles simultaneously.
At WCW’s SuperBrawl 1991, Fujinami and Flair battled for two titles, as Flair held the WCW World title and he held the NWA title. In that match, Flair came out victorious at the Bayfront Arena in St. Petersburg, Florida, by pinning Fujinami and holding his tights.
He is the seventh inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame this year with one more person to go in. Connor “The Crusher” Michalek will also be given the Warrior Award on that night.
With two weeks away from WrestleMania, Monday Night Raw this week pulled in 3,919,000 viewers, up just around 60,000 viewers from last week’s show.
Hour one had 3,881,000 viewers, followed by 3,961,000 in the second hour, and then 3,915,000 in the third and final hour. (Ratings credit: PWInsider.com)
WWE announced the full schedule of the WrestleMania-related programming on the WWE Network for the WrestleMania weekend.
On Thursday, March 26, and Friday, March 27, WWE will be broadcasting WrestleMania Today, live, presumably from Axxess. A panel of WWE Superstars and analysts will be holding discussions and this will run from 6PM to 8PM EST.
On Saturday, March 27, the Hall of Fame red carpet will kick off at 7PM EST and then at 8PM EST the live Hall of Fame induction ceremony will broadcast till 11PM EST.
On Sunday, March 28, a two hour WrestleMania Kickoff event live from the Levi’s Stadium will air starting at 5PM EST, followed by WrestleMania 31 at 7PM EST.
On Monday, March 29, the WrestleMania fallout starts on the Raw pre-show at 7:30PM EST.
