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USPTO refuses initial applications for Broken trademarks filed by Anthem

By
Colin Vassallo
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Anthem Sports & Entertainment were dealt with a bump in the road to trademark three Hardy-related terms that are the center of the fight between the two parties.

On April 28, Anthem filed for trademarks for Broken Matt, Brother Nero, and Vanguard1 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, two months after Matt Hardy filed for his own trademark of Broken Matt Hardy.

Matt’s application was initially refused pending further clarification and Anthem and GFW were met with the same situation. A USPTO application search shows that yesterday, the USPTO notified Anthem about their preliminary examination of the trademarks.

For the Broken Matt and Brother Nero applications, the USPTO is asking Anthem to clarify whether the names in the marks identify a particular living individual. “In this case, the application neither specifies whether the name in the mark identifies a particular living individual nor includes a written consent,” the conclusion of the report states.

For Vanguard1, the USPTO points out that the mark is similar or almost identical to the Vanguard trademark that already exists. “As the marks of the parties are almost identical and share the dominant element and the goods and content of the parties are identical, there exists a likelihood of confusion as to the source of the goods and registration is refused.

Anthem has six months to respond and amend their trademark applications.

Fancy betting on the wrestling this summer? Get the lowdown here!

By
Daniel Street
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With the WrestleMania 34 weekend fast approaching in New Orleans, the big fights are the tip of everyone’s tongue. But punters are no longer just watching the tension in the room, more people than ever are having a quick flutter on their favourite sport. With fast paced and tense wrestling matches right left and centre, where does one possibly begin with placing a bet on a wrestling match?

https://youtu.be/w8v5Sfb5zQg

Online betting has become one of the biggest industries in the world as can be seen at http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk. Millions of sports fans can now log on and place real cash on their favourite sports or athletes with the intention of winning some great prizes. In the world of online gambling, you can log on and enjoy a huge range of benefits from free bets to deposit matches which just help you get the best out of the whole experience! What is not to love? Tuning in to watch the wrestling, and standing a chance of winning a great prize? If you love online betting and are looking for a similar kick in-between bouts, you can check out some great games at canadacasinos.ca.

Of course, for wrestling fans across the world one three letter word is a household name everywhere: ’WWE’. WWE and the WrestleMania series are some of the best-known markets up for grabs on the net. Do your homework on the matches upcoming and take a good look at the odds-on offer before placing a bet. Don’t forget to test your luck at online-casinogames.ca as well where you can win even more money!

So, what’s coming up? August 20th sees WWE SummerSlam kicking off. Who is going to be basking in glory and reigning in new titles in Brooklyn, New York? Let’s take a quick peek at the previous year’s success stories:

– 2013: Daniel Bryan won the WWE title from John Cena only to lose it to Randy Orton after he cashed in his MITB briefcase
– 2014: Brock Lesnar destroyed John Cena to win the WWE title
– 2015: The Undertaker defeated Brock Lesnar via submission and Seth Rollins winning the U.S. title along with WWE title
– 2016: Brock Lesnar defeated Randy Orton via a TKO with a controversial ending

Confirmed matches for SummerSlam so far:

– Brock Lesnar vs Samoa Joe vs Roman Reigns vs Braun Strowman for the WWE Universal title
– Naomi vs Natalya for the WWE Smackdown Women’s title
– Alexa Bliss vs Bayley for the WWE Raw Women’s title

Wherever you are, watching some of the biggest wrestling matches in the world, make sure you read around for great predictions and place a bet in time before the big day! It goes without saying to make sure you use a reputable sportsbook and online casino, nobody wants to get smacked except the wrestlers!

Last WWE show ever at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit tonight

By
Colin Vassallo
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The final WWE show ever at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan, takes place tonight with the Smackdown brand getting the honors and assisted from two of Raw’s biggest stars.

In March of this year, WWE held its last television show, Monday Night Raw, at the same arena and tonight the ring will be assembled for the last time before the 38-year-old home of the Detroit Red Wings gets demolished.

Brock Lesnar will be making a rare house show appearance against Samoa Joe for the WWE Universal title. To celebrate this final WWE show at the arena, WWE will be selling a limited-edition red Lesnar shirt which has “Last Throw At The Joe” on the front along with “Suplex City” and “Detroit” while “I Was There” and today’s date are on the back.

Other matches set for tonight are John Cena vs Rusev, AJ Styles vs Kevin Owens, The New Day vs Breezango vs The Usos, Shinsuke Nakamura and Randy Orton vs Jinder Mahal and Dolph Ziggler, Naomi, Beck Lynch and Charlotte Flair vs Carmella, Natalya and Tamina and more.

Throughout the 30 years that WWE has been going to the Joe Louis Arena, the company taped 15 episodes of Monday Night Raw and 13 episodes of Smackdown and in total there have been more than 100 WWE events. Some memorable moments also took place at “The Joe” including Stone Cold Steve Austin driving a Zamboni through the backstage area out to the ring, Austin and The Rock fighting all the way outside ending with Austin throwing The Rock over a bridge, The Undertaker’s first WWE title win at the Survivor Series, Kurt Angle’s pay-per-view debut, Shane McMahon’s return last year, and many more.

WWE Studios movie Pure Country: Pure Heart with Shawn Michaels out on Tuesday

By
Colin Vassallo
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Warner Bros. and WWE Studios will release the movie Pure Country: Pure Heart this coming Tuesday on DVD, Blu-Ray, and Digital HD starring Willie Nelson, Laura Bell Bundy, and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels.

Directed by Damon Santostefano (Another Cinderella Story, Three To Tango) from a script by New York Times best-selling author Holly Goldberg Sloan (Angels in the Outfield, Made in America), Pure Country: Pure Heart is the newest installment of the adored Pure Country franchise and also stars Kaitlyn Bausch (One Life To Live), Cozi Zuehlsdorff (Dolphin Tale, Dolphin Tale 2), Amanda Detmer (Final Destination), Dara Sisterhen (Dog with a Blog, Switched At Birth), Mathew Barnes (Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk), Myra Turley (Flags of Our Fathers), famed singer-songwriter Ivan Neville, and Ronny Cox (Deliverance, Total Recall, Robocop). Pure Country: Pure Heart is produced by Hunt Lowry (Pure Country 2: The Gift, A Time to Kill, A Walk to Remember) and executive produced by President of WWE Studios, Michael Luisi (Fighting with My Family, Oculus, The Call).

The DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD release of Pure Country: Pure Heart will include the all-new original movie, as well as exciting enhanced content featuring a music video with Willie Nelson, interviews with the cast, behind-the-scenes featurettes and more.

Pure Country: Pure Heart is the moving, music-driven tale of teenage sisters Ada and Piper. Upon discovering a letter about their late father, a Marine who died in Iraq, they leave rural Tennessee and hit the road secretly in search of the truth about the man they never knew. As they uncover his past as a budding country music star, the sisters find their own voice, beginning their journey as singers/songwriters.

The movie will cost $18.94 on DVD, $24.98 for the Blu-ray Combo Pack, and $19.99 for Digital HD ($19.99 SRP). The DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack are available exclusively at Walmart.

EVP and Head of International Ed Wells departs WWE

By
Colin Vassallo
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It is being reported that Ed Wells, WWE’s Executive Vice President and Head of International, has left the company after nearly a decade.

Wells started in 2008 as a VP and GM of WWE Japan and then was given the same position, but overseeing all of Asia a year later. In 2011 he was promoted to Senior Vice President and Managing Director of WWE International, a position he retained until he got the EVP promotion in June of last year.

Wells reported directly to Vince McMahon and was part of the Executive Committee, overseeing the global executive team, operations, and strategic development.

His name last appeared on a WWE press release on July 20 when WWE announced its new partnership with Africa’s SuperSport.

Impact rating for 07/27/2017

By
Colin Vassallo
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The July 27 episode of Impact on POP drew 286,000 viewers, down 36,000 viewers from last week’s show. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)

George Barrios says WWE could eventually move off television and on to digital platforms

By
Colin Vassallo
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During the conference call with investors yesterday morning, one question directed at George Barrios, WWE’s Chief Strategy & Financial Officer, was about the possibility of moving the main shows off television and on to a digital platform.

Barrios said that television rights is their biggest revenue stream and the most profitable revenue stream for the company. When it comes to video, they evaluate different platforms and study if those fans are using those platforms and if they are willing to consume long-form content on those particular platforms. There’s also monetization on those platforms and you have to see if the money is appropriate given the value of their content.

“Do I think a digital player will become more realistic to kind of step up into the level of right fee that we have seen from traditional players? I think, eventually, couldn’t tell you if that’s tomorrow or if it’s 5 years from now, but eventually and certainly over the last 2 years we have seen kind of a steady progression towards kind of what you are describing,” Barrios said.

He added that WWE invested a lot on different platforms and the idea is to take advantage of that eventuality when it happens.

“So, it’s a long-winded way of saying yes, could we see that happening? Absolutely,” he concluded.

GFW cancels non-televised live event in Bridgeport, Connecticut

By
Colin Vassallo
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Global Force Wrestling has canceled one of the three non-televised live events which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 6 in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

In a statement, GFW said that the show has been cancelled due to “unforeseen circumstances and logistical challenges.” It was set to take place at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard, a a 5,300-seat baseball park.

All fans who purchased tickets for the Bridgeport event will be fully refunded. GFW also will offer all who purchased tickets complimentary tickets to either of the other shows held during that weekend in New York. The first show is on Friday, August 4 at The Sports Arena in St. James in Long Island and the other on Saturday, August 5 at the Staten Island Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George.

Mike Kanellis and Matt Hardy take a dig at former employer over late payments

By
Colin Vassallo
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WWE Superstars Mike Kanellis and Matt Hardy took a dig on their former employer on Twitter yesterday when someone pointed out to Kanellis that he was a joke at Impact Wrestling and still is a joke in WWE. “Funny how things stay the same,” Twitter user Michael Saxe wrote.

Kanellis saw the funny side of it and instead being all angry about the comment, tweeted back, “Except I get paid now,” along with four $ emojis.

The reply was met with another reply from Matt Hardy, whose current battle against Anthem is not a secret to anyone. “It is truly DELIGHTFUL to get your check every week, on time, without having to chase it down for months,” Hardy wrote. “One might even say it’s….. WONDERFUL,” Mike wrote back.

The issue over late payments, or no payments at all, has been well documented over the past several months, and even years, as the old TNA management had cash flow problems which often resulted in talent and crew not being paid on time.

GFW President Ed Nordholm goes in-depth over the Broken gimmick ownership battle

By
Colin Vassallo
-

In an Q&A interview with Sports Illustrated, Ed Nordholm, the Executive Vice President of Anthem Sports & Entertainment and President of Global Force Wrestling, went in-depth over the whole Broken Universe gimmick situation, standing his ground saying that Anthem owns the gimmick and there’s nothing the Hardy Boyz can do about it.

Nordholm went over the cease and desist letter that was sent to Ring of Honor preventing the Hardys from using the gimmick after they left the company. He said that Matt, Jeff, and Reby all signed deals that sign over all rights to the intellectual property and “that is the fundamental term of every term for every wrestler on our show, that’s a fundamental term for every wrestler with WWE.”

The GFW President said that the company spent “millions” in producing television last year that incorporated various aspects of the Broken Universe and was not aware that Matt and Jeff paid for some expenses themselves. Regardless if they did, the contracts are crystal clear and does not change anything when it comes to who owns the IP.

Nordholm refused to expand on the WWE e-mail that he published which said that WWE was not interested in getting involved in the legal fight and said that when they asked them if they were interested in negotiating for it, they said no.

When asked if Anthem is ready to get back on the negotiating table with Matt and his family, Nordholm said no. “We’re not going back to it, I’m not interested in opening a new dialogue, I’m not interested in opening another conversation about it. We made our best effort, it didn’t happen, and I’m not going to negotiate all over again.”

2K unveil special WWE 2K18 Cena (Nuff) Edition

By
Colin Vassallo
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2K today revealed a special edition of WWE 2K18 titled the Cena (Nuff) Edition, which will celebrate the 15-year career of the 16-time World champion John Cena.

The WWE 2K18 Cena (Nuff) Edition will include the WWE 2K18 Season Pass digital content; Playable WWE Legends Batista and Rob Van Dam; Playable John Cena characters from ECW One Night Stand (2006) and WrestleMania 26 (2010); Kurt Angle Pack: Access to WWE “American Hero” (2001) and ECW “Wrestling Machine” (2006) playable characters; Exclusive premium packaging, including a unique cover sleeve; Exclusive Mattel John Cena / Cena Nuff action figure featuring alternate T-shirt options; Fanatics Limited Edition Commemorative Plaque with a piece of the ring mat, as well as a hand-signed photo from John Cena, in celebration of winning his 16th WWE Championship at Royal Rumble; WWE SuperCard limited edition in-game cards featuring John Cena, Batista and Rob Van Dam, as well as a Cena (Nuff) card back.

This edition is limited to 30,000 copies worldwide and it will be available exclusively on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at participating retailers for a suggested retail price of $149.99.

Players who purchase the WWE 2K18 Deluxe Edition, available in both physical and digital varieties, will also receive early access to their game copies and in-game bonuses – including all Cena (Nuff) Edition digital content – beginning four days early on October 13, 2017 on PS4 and Xbox One.

WWE 2K18 will release on October 17, 2017 on PS4 and Xbox One, as well as in Fall 2017 on Nintendo Switch.

Trailer for the Ric Flair 30 for 30 ESPN documentary ‘Nature Boy’

By
Colin Vassallo
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The trailer for the highly-anticipated 30 for 30 ESPN production on Ric Flair was released along with the premiere date of Tuesday, November 7 at 10PM EST.

Titled Nature Boy, this documentary produced by ESPN and directed by Rory Karpf, will take a look at the life inside and outside the ring of Ric Flair and features original interviews shot solely for this doc by Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Sting, and several other former professional wrestlers as well as his family and friends. Flair sat down for two in-depth conversations with Karpf over a 16-month span.

“This film was basically borne out of working with Rory Karpf on our ‘I Hate Christian Laettner’ documentary,” says 30 for 30 Executive Producer John Dahl. “Rory interviewed Ric for his take on sports villains and wanted to do a film on him next. After watching that interview for the Laettner film, we were convinced that Ric would be a fascinating subject to explore for our first feature-length 30 for 30 on a pro wrestler.”

Director Rory Karpf said, “I grew up a huge wrestling fan in the 1980s and I was captivated by Ric Flair. It’s been a personally rewarding experience to tell the story of arguably the greatest wrestler of all time. Ric’s story transcends the wrestling business, and my hope is that it will appeal to wrestling and non-wrestling fans alike.”

You can see the trailer below.

WWE revenues by business segment for Q2 2017

By
Colin Vassallo
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Out of the nine main WWE business segments, eight of them registered an increase compared to the prior year quarter while only one saw a drop.

Network revenues, which include revenue generated by WWE Network and pay-per-view, increased 6% to $54.9 million. WWE Network subscription revenue increased 7% to $49.1 million from $45.9 million in the prior year quarter; Television revenues increased 18% to $66.2 million from $56.1 million in the prior year quarter; Live Event revenues increased to $52.8 million as compared to $51.9 million in the prior year quarter; Home Entertainment increased by $100,000 to $3.1 million; Digital Media increased to $8.1 million from $6.5 million; Licensing revenue increased 4% to $9.4 million; WWE Shop revenues increased 12% to $8.4 million; WWE Studios increased slightly from $3.2 million to $3.5 million.

The only segment that made less money was venue merchandise which decreased to $6.8 million from $8.7 million in the prior year quarter. WWE attributed this to a lower attendance for WrestleMania compared to last year.

WWE ends Q2 2017 with 1,568,000 paying subscribers to the WWE Network

By
Colin Vassallo
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For the second quarter of 2017, WWE had a total of 1,633,000 subscribers to the WWE Network, out of which 1,568,000 were active paying subscriptions. That is down overall from Q1 2017, where the company had 1,697,000 subscribers and 1,570,000 paying subs.

Out of the 1,568,000 paying subscriptions, 1,158,000 were located in the United States and 410,000 were worldwide. Only 65,000 are on a free trial account. What’s interesting is that a total of 604,000 people canceled their subscription during the quarter. WWE got 598,000 new subs to counteract that massive churn.

During WrestleMania Week, WWE Network subscribers watched 22.5 million hours of content, averaging approximately 13 hours per subscriber.

WWE announces Q2 2017 financial results

By
Colin Vassallo
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WWE today announced financial results for its second quarter 2017. For the quarter, the Company reported Net income of $5.1 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, as compared to Net Income of $0.8 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, in the prior year quarter. Operating income increased to $10.7 million from $1.5 million. Excluding items affecting comparability, Adjusted OIBDA1 increased to $18.1 million from $7.5 million.

“We are pleased with our ongoing efforts to execute our multi-platform content strategy as evidenced by the continued year-over-year growth of WWE Network, the increased production of localized programming across platforms and markets, and the attraction of new sponsors,” stated Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

George Barrios, WWE Chief Strategy & Financial Officer, added “We achieved record revenues in our Network and Live event segments, continued to grow WWE Network’s subscriber base, and generated results that were essentially in line with our guidance. As we continue to drive WWE’s digital and direct-to-consumer transformation, we remain on track to achieve our 2017 financial objectives with record revenue, record Adjusted OIBDA results, and record subscriber levels.”

The full press release can be read at corporate.wwe.com.

Dana White comments on Lesnar/Jones rumors

By
Colin Vassallo
-

During the UFC 214 press conference yesterday, a question came in for Dana White asking him about the Brock Lesnar vs Jon Jones rumors and if that fight is realistic.

“It’s crazy, I don’t even know where that thing came from or how it started. But first of all, believe me, I haven’t talked to Brock Lesnar, so I don’t know,” White replied. He then turned around and asked Jones if he spoke to Lesnar and Jones replied saying, “Not recently.”

White once again repeated the fact that he has not talked to Lesnar recently even though nobody believes him, but it’s the truth.

At that point, Jones picked up the microphone and said, “I’ll deal with Daniel, then I will deal with Brock Lesnar,” a comment which got a chuckle from Dana White at the podium.

Contrary to rumors, no arrest warrant issued for Paige…yet!

By
Colin Vassallo
-

A lot of rumors were spreading online today that there was an arrest warrant issued for WWE Superstar Paige in connection with the airport incident involving herself and her boyfriend Alberto El Patron.

Several industry insiders have confirmed both with Orlando police and San Antonio police that no arrest warrant was issued for Paige and Orlando police have said that they don’t know if the State Attorney’s Office has reached a conclusion on the report they forwarded to them. In their report, OPD stated that there is enough cause to charge Paige with battery but the decision stands with the SAO to proceed with the charges and arrest warrant.

As noted earlier, Paige is risking termination from her WWE contract if she is charged with domestic violence per their Talent Wellness Program policies. Paige has already two suspensions under the Wellness Program, and a third one would be an automatic dismissal. If Paige is charged and arrested, there doesn’t even need to be a conviction as it would put her on three strikes.

Smackdown rating for 07/25/2017

By
Colin Vassallo
-

The post-Battleground Smackdown did 2,535,000 viewers, down just 13,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. This time the show did not benefit from the usual bump following a pay-per-view. Smackdown was #2 in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic and was the third most-watched show on cable for the night. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)

Brock Lesnar says he’d take on Jon Jones “anytime, anywhere”

By
Colin Vassallo
-

The rumors of Brock Lesnar stepping back in the Octagon continue to intensify and the current WWE Universal champion has not shot down the rumors.

The latest rumor is that Lesnar’s first fight would be against Jon Jones, the former UFC Light Heavyweight champion who will once again fight for the title he was stripped of on August 29 against Daniel Cormier.

But would Lesnar take the fight? “Would I fight Jon Jones? Anytime, anywhere,” Lesnar told the Associated Press when he was contacted about the rumors. “Right now he should be worried about D.C. on Saturday night.”

There are two problems currently in the way of this super fight. The first one is that Lesnar is suspended, and his suspension is frozen pending his notice to un-retire from the UFC. He still has six months to serve. The second problem is Jon Jones would have to move up to heavyweight, although it’s a decision he thought about before. So any potential fight would take place somewhere in Spring 2018 at the earliest.

In a post on Facebook, Jon Jones did not back down from the fight either, acknowledging that it would be a big draw and really big for the sport of mixed martial arts. “It would be a great challenge. That’s a big old boy. I doubt Brock Lesnar would take that fight, though. I definitely wouldn’t try to wrestle with him the whole time. I’m not going to tell you what I would do,” Jones said, admitting that Lesnar is a “massive dude.”

John Cena and Shinsuke Nakamura in number one contenders match for WWE title

By
Colin Vassallo
-

The number one contender for the WWE Championship will be decided next week on Smackdown in a dream match so to speak as John Cena will take on Shinsuke Nakamura with the winner taking on Jinder Mahal for the gold at SummerSlam.

After Mahal got rid of Orton, it was Cena who interrupted the WWE champion and decided that it was him who is the number one contender. He told Mahal it doesn’t matter if he had the Singh brothers, The Great Khali, his parents, or anyone else because come SummerSlam, he will be facing Super Cena.

Smackdown General Manager Daniel Bryan did not like that Cena just announced himself as the number one contender and said that that opportunity is earned and it doesn’t matter if your name is John Cena. So if he wants to win the 17th World title, John Cena first has to go through Shinsuke Nakamura next week on Smackdown, and the winner will then take on Jinder Mahal at SummerSlam.

Later in the broadcast, Nakamura said that next week, Cena won’t see him, but he will see Mahal at SummerSlam.

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