Friday Night Smackdown on FOX did 1,978,000 viewers in the overnight ratings yesterday, down 123,000 viewers from the October 22 episode. That episode ended with 2,249,000 viewers once the final rating came in on Monday but this one will be definitely lower.
Smackdown started with 2,015,000 viewers in the first hour and then dropped to 1,941,000 viewers in the second. The show did 0.5 in the 18-49 demo and tied first with S.W.A.T and Shark Tank on CBS and ABC respectively. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV.com)
During the conference call with investors yesterday afternoon, WWE President Nick Khan said that the company’s next big rights battle will be the next-day airing of Raw, currently locked by Hulu till the end of 2022.
Khan said that when they secured Hulu in 2018 for these rights, NBCUniversal was an active owner in Hulu but Disney is gearing up to buy out NBCU’s stake in a few years.
“A competitive landscape has already formed,” Khan said. “In terms of the Raw RIA rights, we know from the data that there is a substantial and recurring audience who watch the program via delayed viewing week-to-week on Hulu. When we closed the Hulu deal in 2018, the media landscape was quite different, as we all know.”
The reason why Raw is not uploaded immediately to WWE Network or USA Network’s app is because of this Hulu deal, but that could change with Khan already hinting different streaming services interested in securing these rights.
“We also recently saw executive shifts from Hulu to Peacock, and we believe that in addition to all other platforms looking for event programming that resonates that the battle for Raw’s RIA rights will be intense and fun,” Khan explained.
Nine months after getting hired by WWE, Franky Monet got the call that she got cut with 17 other WWE Superstars. In total nine, of the 18 released were part of the NXT system and despite arriving with much hype and fanfare, Monet never really kicked into gear.
“Well that didn’t go as planned,” she wrote in a statement posted on her social media. “To say I am disappointed would be an understatement, I’m confused, hurt, sad and honestly mad. I came there as one of the top luchadoras of our era and honestly leaving there a little broken.”
The 38-year-old thanked WWE, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and the entire Performance Center staff for welcoming her with open arms and said that she got to live her dream, even though it was cut short.
“I LOVED everyday when I got to go to work, being around the greatest minds in this business, getting to train in the BEST pro wrestling training facility in the world and see my friends everyday. I was completely enveloped in the industry,” Monet wrote.
Monet added that this is just another swerve in her journey and life is full of them, but vowed to fight on as she’s a very good professional wrestler.
“Thank you to everyone that’s supported me through this chapter and thank you to everyone that will continue to support me into the next one. Time to let la WERA LOCA loose. Let’s make magic.”
CM Punk got his match at Full Gear and his opponent will be Eddie Kingston.
The match was set up yesterday night during the live Rampage on TNT, with the two building it up since last week’s show after Kingston lost to Bryan Danielson in the AEW World Title Eliminator tournament.
A face-to-face between the two took place on the show with Kingston telling Punk that back in the day, he was his hero, but Punk held him down in his early career. Punk fired back, telling Kingston that he didn’t live up to his high standards unlike Samoa Joe, Homicide, Bryan Danielson, and others back then, calling Eddie “a bum.”
At that point, Kingston challenged Punk for Full Gear and Punk said Kingston is more suitable for Elevation or Dark. Kingston vowed to send Punk packing for another seven years and that’s when all hell broke lose. Eventually, referees and other AEW officials had to break up the fight and did a bad job at it as the two continued to brawl all over the place.
In a Form 8-K filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission it was revealed that the new WWE Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer will be receiving a salary of $850,000 per year.
Frank A. Riddick III officially took over the role yesterday from outgoing CFO Kristina Salen. Riddick will also receive a one-time $1 million as a cash sign-on bonus payment, a bonus he will have to repay in full if he decides to leave his position within three years. As part of his package, Riddick will also get an annual performance cash bonus and a target incentive award equal to 100% of his base salary.
In addition, Riddick received $5 million in WWE stocks which will vest in equal installments over four years.
Riddick resigned from the WWE’s Board of Directors as well, a step he had to take to assume the role of CFO.
Former Raw Women’s champion Nia Jax released a statement on her Instagram after news started making the rounds that she got pink slipped for not being vaccinated against COVID-19.
In a rare statement regarding her private life, Jax said she recently took a short leave of absence from the company for a mental health break as she needed to take care of herself. The break came with full support of WWE.
“Earlier this week, after WWE sent me my schedule to return to the ring for the November 15 show, I asked for an extension to my mental health break, feeling that I needed more time, and hoping I would have the ongoing support of the company I have given my all to for the past 7 years,” Jax wrote. “I did not receive a response. The next I heard, I was being released. My vaccination status was never mentioned. I wasn’t given any choices or options.”
Jax said that it broke her heart that she was abruptly cut without consultation while dealing with personal matters.
“I loved my career at WWE, I love the men and women I worked with, and I am going to need time to process this huge loss. I appreciate those people who have shown understanding and compassion during an incredibly difficult time,” she added.
NXT lead commentator Vic Joseph and backstage correspondent McKenzie Mitchell announced on social media that they are engaged.
The two had been dating for year publicly and often posted photos together on their Instagram.
Mitchell uploaded a couple of photos of the two from a restaurant showing off her new bling, writing, “Life is fun with you… let’s do it forever.”
Uploading one of the same photos from the same night on his account, Joseph wrote, “I finally listed to Beyonce!”
Joseph, 36, started working with WWE in 2017 and did commentary for several shows including NXT UK, Main Event, Raw, and finally finding a permanent place on NXT. Mitchell has been working with WWE since late 2019 doing backstage interviews.
Johnny Gargano and Kyle O’Reilly are at the Smackdown television tapings and scheduled to perform in dark matches tonight in Evansville, Indiana. The news was broken by John Pollock of POST Wrestling.
Both Gargano and O’Reilly have their contracts coming up next month and both could be free agents with zero no-compete clauses if they do not sign a new WWE deal. Their call-up tonight is interesting although WWE has already released a few who had dark matches in the past and never saw the light of main roster.
Their appearance at the Smackdown tapings does not mean that one or both have signed a new deal although it is another opportunity for them to show the powers that be who don’t closely follow NXT what they’re capable of in the ring.
Gargano and O’Reilly have been with NXT since 2015 and 2017 respectively and were never part of the main roster.
In a story published by the New York Post it was revealed that Nia Jax was cut from WWE because she is not vaccinated against COVID-19.
The company made a big attempt at having everyone vaccinated for obvious reasons but there were those who chose not to follow suit. Jax was not the only one released due to not being vaccinated and there were a handful of others from the 18 released yesterday who had the same status. Those who are not vaccinated cannot go on overseas tours, which could also complicate things further if there are PPVs or television shows held abroad.
The 37-year-old was one of the surprise cuts, having basically her whole wrestling career with WWE from developmental to main roster. She is also the cousin of Roman Reigns and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, something which was probably considered to be “safe” from getting released unless something extraordinary happened.
Jax has been off WWE television for over a month. She is a former WWE Raw Women’s champion and a two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team champion with Shayna Baszler.
This week’s AEW Dynamite did a total of 878,000 viewers, down 63,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. This was the least-watched Dynamite since July 7 and considered a disappointment since they only had the NBA head-to-head. Moving live nationwide is working against AEW at the moment, although that will change with the move to TBS. Dynamite had a 0.33 in the 18-49 demo, down 0.07 from last week and placed #6 in the top 50 cable chart for the day. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Kristina Salen, WWE’s Chief Financial Officer who yesterday spoke during the Q3 2021 conference call, has departed the company hours after the company’s earnings release.
Frank A. Riddick III has now been named Chief Financial Officer & Chief Administrative Officer, reporting to Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. Riddick has served as a member of the WWE Board of Directors for more than 13 years and previously held the role of interim CFO in 2020.
“I’ve had the great fortune of working with Vince McMahon and the talented people at WWE for over a decade and it’s an honor to join them on a full-time basis,” said Riddick.
“Working closely with Frank for many years, we have great confidence in his ability to execute our company’s strategy to increase revenues and drive shareholder value by engaging our global fanbase with phenomenal content,” said Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. “I want to thank Kristina for her contributions to WWE and wish her well in her future pursuits.”
“I started at WWE during the global pandemic and I am proud of what I accomplished with Vince’s leadership and the tremendous team,” said Salen. “We returned to live event touring, exceeded expectations, raised guidance for the year, and have laid a strong foundation for the future. I look forward to WWE’s continued success.”
As CFO & CAO, Riddick will oversee financial planning & analysis, strategy, controllership, investor relations, tax, data analytics, technology, event travel and facilities.
Riddick previously served as CEO for FloWorks International, LLC, JMC Steel Group, Formica Corporation, and Triangle Pacific Corp., and President/COO of Armstrong World Industries, Inc. He has also served in executive management positions, including Chief Financial Officer, Controller, Treasurer, and Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions during a career that spans 40 years.
Some of those released yesterday have used social media to give their reaction to being cut. There were some surprises in the cuts and several industry insiders are reporting that a handful of those released were because they refused to get their COVID-19 vaccination, although they were not identified by name.
“Officially free to work in 30 days! And yes…The Smokeshow is back,” wrote Scarlett after the news came out that she was given the pink slip.
Mick Foley, who was a great admirer of Kross and Scarlett, said that they can get to be a duo again and wherever they go, they will be one of the hottest acts in the business. “Thank you for the kind words Mick! I can’t even tell you how excited I am to perform again! I’m looking forward to my first match in over 2 years,” replied Scarlett.
Scarlett’s fiancee, Karrion Kross, tweeted, “I heard you all the entire time,” along with an hour glass and a video of a graveyard.
Franky Monet, who arrived in NXT with much hype after a successful Impact career under the name of Taya Valkyrie, wrote, “Once I’ve gathered myself from feeling all levels of disappointment, sadness, anger and also uncontrollable laughter, I’ll have a statement. But for now…30 days.”
A fan replied arguing that she never did anything in NXT and Monet quickly fired back. “BECAUSE I DID WHAT I WAS TOLD!!!! That’s what you do when you have a job,” she said.
Former NXT Women’s champion Ember Moon, who was brought up to the main roster and then sent back to NXT, added, “All I can do is laugh…” while another female star who was fired, Mia Yim, added, “90 days, LETS GET TO WORK!”
WWE announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2021.
“During the third quarter, we returned to live event touring with record average attendance, driving our better-than-expected performance,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “Even with only one large-scale international event due to COVID-related circumstances, we will exceed our previous financial guidance given the overall strength in each of our business lines. We think our performance highlights the strength of our brand globally and supports our belief that we are well-positioned to maximize the value of our content and drive long-term shareholder value.”
Kristina Salen, WWE Chief Financial Officer, added “In the quarter, our better-than-expected revenue of $255.8 million and Adjusted OIBDA of $77.9 million reflected robust demand for our live events as we returned to touring and attracted average attendance above 2019 levels. Even with only one large-scale international event this year, we are raising our full-year 2021 Adjusted OIBDA guidance to a range of $305 million to $315 million.”
Highlights from Q3 2021 include:
Revenue was $255.8 million, an increase of 15% or $34.2 million, primarily driven by higher ticket sales and, to a lesser extent, venue merchandise sales, resulting from the Company’s return to ticketed live events, including SummerSlam;
Operating income was $64.0 million, an increase of 1% or $0.6 million, benefitting from the growth in revenue and the absence of COVID-associated severance expense as compared to the prior year. This benefit was largely offset by higher television and event-related production expense;
Adjusted OIBDA was $77.9 million, a decrease of 8% or $6.4 million. Adjusted OIBDA in the prior year quarter excludes COVID-associated severance expense;
WWE returned to live event touring beginning July 16, 2021, with strong demand for tickets that outpaced expectations. WWE live events in North America attracted the highest quarterly average attendance in more than a decade;
SummerSlam was held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in front of a record-breaking, sold-out crowd of more than 51,000 fans. As the most watched SummerSlam in the Company’s history, the event also set a record for sponsorship and grew merchandise sales by 155% compared with 2019’s SummerSlam;
Digital video views were a record 12.8 billion, an increase of 39%, and hours consumed were a record 411 million, an increase of 20%, across digital and social platforms;
Return of capital to shareholders totaled $31.0 million, including $21.9 million in share repurchases and $9.1 million in dividends paid.
It was another sad day in WWE yesterday as the company fired a total of 18 Superstars, nine from the main roster and nine from NXT.
There were some surprises included in the releases, including two former NXT champions. This was the first mass release since early August.
Those released from the main roster are B-Fab of Hit Row, Eva Marie, Gran Metalik, Harry Smith, Karrion Kross, Keith Lee, Lince Dorado, Mia Yim, and Nia Jax. Smith was released before even making his return on television.
From NXT, WWE cut Ember Moon, Franky Monet, Jessi Kamea, Jeet Rama, Katrina Cortez, Oney Lorcan, Scarlett, Trey Baxter and Zayda Ramier.
This was the “deadliest” year so far in WWE when it comes to releases.
Speaking to Deadline.com, TNT/TBS/truTV General Manager Brett Weitz said that the network moved All Elite Wrestling to TBS from TNT after analyzing the data along with some “gut” feeling behind the decision.
“The brand of TBS is we’re always here for a good time. That is exactly what AEW is and AEW Dynamite, and so, when we look at the concentric circles of TBS and TNT, our TBS viewer is a heavy drama viewer, believe it or not,” Weitz said.
The GM added that he’s sure that the AEW fans will be migrating over to TBS once the move starts in January 2022 and believes that wrestling fans will find their content wherever it ends up. “More wrestling’s better for everybody, honestly,” Weitz continued.
The subject of Rhodes to the Top also came up and Weitz confirmed that the network has not picked it up for a second season yet and a decision has not been made.
“It just ran and finished, and we’re settling in with numbers,” he noted, saying that they now see how the show is consumed on VOD and want to see how things continue to play out because “to just go Live+Same Day is so antiquated.”
The American Top Team members who will take on The Inner Circle at Full Gear was selected last night. Jericho and his team got to pick who they will wrestle after Sammy Guevara beat Ethan Page last week with the stipulation also calling that if Guevara lost, he’d have to leave the faction.
In an entertaining segment, Jericho went mic-to-mic with Paige VanZant, who challenged Jericho to choose her. She said judging by the tight pants, none of the Inner Circle five had the balls to handle her. In fact, she would be able to take on all five of them by herself.
In a throwback to some Jericho/Stephanie segments from way back when, Jericho fired back and asked VanZant if she would put that five-on-one affair on her OnlyFans page to a big pop from the crowd.
The five members from ATT who will wrestle The Inner Circle will be Ethan Page, Scorpio Sky, Junior Dos Santos, Andrei Arlovski, and the leader of ATT himself, Dan Lambert. Both Dos Santos and Arlovski are former UFC Heavyweight champions and this will be Arlovski’s first wrestling match.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has vowed to never use real guns again in any of his movies following the Alec Baldwin incident last month.
Speaking at the premiere of Red Notice, Johnson said that he was heartbroken when he learned about what happened and the tragedy triggered a change in his upcoming movies.
“I can’t speak for anyone else, but I can tell you, without an absence of clarity here, that any movie that we have moving forward with Seven Bucks Productions – any movie, any television show, or anything we do or produce – we won’t use real guns at all,” Johnson said as quoted by Variety.
Instead, Johnson said that they will switch to rubber guns and anything that needs to show on camera from the gun will be added in post production, with zero worry about what it costs.
“As we move forward, I think that there are new protocols and new safety measures that we should take, especially in the wake of what happened. It just sucks that it had to happen like this for us to wake up,” he said.
PWInsider.com is reporting that Kyle O’Reilly’s contract with WWE is expiring next month and could also be on the way out of the promotion.
O’Reilly, who signed with WWE in 2017, had a very successful career in NXT where he was part of The Undisputed Era. Along with Roderick Strong, they are the only two members of the group left as both Adam Cole and Bobby Fish are now under an AEW contract.
Speculation is running high that the former NXT Tag Team champion will follow his former Undisputed Era members on the other side. O’Reilly was Adam Cole’s last opponent in NXT, beating him at Takeover 36.
Fellow NXT star Johnny Gargano has his contract coming up in a month as well.
Miro replaced Jon Moxley in the AEW World Title Eliminator tournament last night on Dynamite and defeated Orange Cassidy to advance to the tournament finals.
The former TNT champion will now meet Bryan Danielson at the upcoming Full Gear pay-per-view with the winner receiving an AEW World title shot in the future.
The Miro vs Cassidy match headlined Dynamite and had Danielson on commentary. After the match was over, the two former WWE Superstars had a face off ahead of their big match.
It seems that everyone these days is into martial arts. If you’re still not a fan of MMA, it’s time to become one! If you’re wondering why you should go down that road, we have five good reasons for you.
It’s Ancient
MMA is a sport that doesn’t require many resources. What you need is a pair of fists, a pair of legs, and the will to beat the opponent.
This is why it’s no surprise that this goes all the way back to ancient times. Pankration an Ancient Greek word for “all of the power” referred to martial art. This was such a popular sport at the time it was included in the Ancient Olympic Games.
The ancient discipline of Pankration shares much with the sport we know today. Pankration employed different martial art techniques, including both striking and grappling.
Despite this similarity, modern MMA is not based on the Ancient Greek sport. It traces its roots in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the street fighting culture of Hong Kong. There are also influences from professional wrestling.
Still, the similarities between the two are striking. Perhaps it is proof that the passion for MMA is in human nature.
Its More Than Fighting in the Cage
MMA fighting is often reduced to an idea that two fighters smash one another inside the cage. Yet, MMA events are much more than this simple assessment. The true drama of these matches often occurs before and after the fight.
Fighters often hold grudges against each other. Often the slights to their honor can lead to controversies heading into the fight. Press conferences have become brawls in the past. Occasionally fighters will continue their wars outside the cage. Connor McGregor and his team throwing chairs at Khabib Nurmagomedov’s bus after a match was a particularly egregious incident. It’s not all heels and fights. Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Sean O’Connell are both famous for being the friendliest fighters.
You Can Bet on Martial Arts
Martial arts traditions have always gone alongside wagering. Betting on the outcome that seems to make sport more interesting to most. MMA is represented on all top sports betting sites for this reason. It adds more excitement to your sporting passion.
The thrill of watching your fighter win the fight is hard to match. This goes especially if you’ve backed one that’s thought of as an underdog.
Underdogs Often Cause Upsets in MMA Fights
It takes just one lucky punch for an underdog to win the fight against a massive favorite. It’s happened countless times before, but if you want examples, here are some:
Georges St. Pierre losing the UFC Welterweight Championship to Matt Serra in 2007
Favored Ronda Rousey suffering her first-ever career defeat against Holly Holm in 2015
Mirko Cro Cop getting knocked out flat by Gabriel Gonzaga with a head kick in 2007
These are probably the most famous upsets in the history of MMA, but surprises do seem to happen all the time. Generally speaking, there are at least a couple of underdog wins in almost every MMA event.
There’s Always an MMA Event Going On
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the most popular MMA league in the world. Owned by Dana White, it organizes events on a regular basis. The UFC seems to schedule an event every weekend. There are so many categories it can be hard to keep track. Main UFC events, UFC Fight Nights, Dana White’s Contender Series are only a few of the ways to enjoy.
The UFC is far from the only game in town. There are many other organizations looking to spread MMA as a sport. Bellator MMA, Pride, ONE Championship, and Cage Warriors is a short list that only scratches the surface.
Final Word
If these reasons weren’t enough to turn you into an MMA fan, the best advice for you is simple. Watch an MMA event and you’ll see how fun it can be. As we discussed, the UFC always has an event going on. The league is great at putting on a show for its fans. If you’re a bit of a gambler, it may be even easier to get the UFC betting side of the sport.
Don’t focus on the UFC because they have the most events. If the UFC isn’t intense enough for you check out Bellator MMA or Pride fights. All in all, there are many options to learn to love this ever more popular sport.
