Category: WWE News

Tough Enough did 1.05 million viewers Tuesday night, a drop from 1.21 million the previous week. The replay of Raw did not crack the top 100 shows in the 18-49 demo on cable last night.

From Hershey, PA, for air Wednesday in Canada and Thursday in the U.S.:

– The show opened with WWE Champion Seth Rollins, Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble out.  They announced Rollins vs. Roman Reigns and Mark Henry vs. Ryback in singles matches.

– Bray Wyatt b Dean Ambrose

– Adam Rose was doing a promo. R-Truth as King What’s Up came out which led to a match R-Truth won.

– Mark Henry did an interview challenging Ryback.

– Ryback b Mark Henry with the Shellshock.

– Brie Bella b Naomi due to interference from Alicia Fox.

– WWE Tag Team Champions Prime Time Players b The Ascension

– Rusev did a promo that got super heat.

– Evidently there is a segment on the show where Reigns takes a beating. Rollins came out for the main event and said that Reigns had a ten count to get to the ring or Rollins wins by forfeit. Reigns came out and ended up making a comeback until Noble & Mercury hit the ring for the DQ. They were beating down Reigns until Ambrose made the save.  Rollins and Noble ran off, leaving Mercury by himself to be laid out by Reigns and Ambrose.

By Kenneth Nida @knida89

Last week’s episode was an uneventful introduction to the show. Many of the people who stood out in the try outs faded into the background.  The episode was predominantly ZZ’s show, as he was the only person to show any sort of personality that wasn’t negative. If ZZ goes home, there’s going to be a large void of charisma in his absence; luckily I don’t see voters letting him go home even if he’s in the bottom 3 every week.

The second episode started off with Chris Jericho and Renee Young introducing the judges. They talk with them briefly about the contestants. They go back over the rules of elimination, and show the contestants reactions to last week’s elimination. More fighting between the contestants, with almost everyone declaring they want Dianna to go home. There’s also an amazing argument between Patrick and Alex about whether having knowledge about wrestling is important. The highlight being Alex declaring that “Knowledge is nothing!”

The next challenge is a courage challenge consisting of swimming in alligator/snake infested waters to an airboat which has a title belt attached to it. The contestants then have to swim back to shore with the belt. ZZ is simply amused, while others are beyond terrified. Dianna ends up winning for the women, and Tanner wins for the men. Some of the contestants required assistance, with Alex needing to be rescued by a life guard. Billy Gunn is very upset with Daria for losing her title in the water, causing her to cry.

Back at the barracks, Josh is upset, feeling that Tanner cheated. He basically challenges him to a fight. Giorgia consoles Daria, and confesses she thinks Dianna cheated.  

Roman Reigns is in the ring when all the contestants enter the training area. Most of the women swoon, with Gabi even declaring that she swears she got wet at seeing him. Roman speaks briefly about taking a Spear or Superman Punch, and introduces Bull Dempsey who shows off his top rope finishing move. We go briefly back to the judges for their thoughts on the challenges.

Back from the break, the contestants take turns taking flat back bumps. The second courage challenge is to take a flat back bump from a platform on the tope rope. Everyone does so, with Dianna taking a long time because she’s afraid, even though she swore she wasn’t afraid of heights. The judges declare that Patrick and Giorgia were the best, and congratulate everyone but remind them that someone has to go home.

More arguing and shouting between the women. Dianna is not pleased with her Princess Dianna nickname, and she gets into a shouting match with Daria and Amanda. Dianna gets ZZ to agree to trade rooms with her and encourages him to snore and fart in his sleep to drive the other women crazy.

The judges interview the contestants. Daniel Bryan brings up Alex’s comment about knowledge not mattering. Alex says knowing all the statistics in the world won’t make you a better athlete. Paige points out that Amanda and Sara Lee are blending into the background a bit, and encourages them to show more personality.

The bottom 3 are chosen. Daniel Bryan chooses Alex, Paige chooses Sara Lee, and Hogan chooses Dianna. Each contestants gets 30 seconds to plead their case. The judges decline to use their saves this week. Sara Lee gets 50% of the vote, Dianna gets 35% of the vote, and Alex is eliminated with 15% of the vote.

By Dave Meltzer, WrestlingObserver.com

The June 29 WWE Raw did 3.46 million viewers, the second lowest non-holiday number for the show since 1997 — lower than when they go up against the NFL.

The only non-holiday Raw that fell below 3.46 million viewers was on December 3, 2012, went against a monster ratings for a New York Giants vs. Washington Redskins game. What makes this number even worse is that competition was non-existent (aside from the usual Love & Hip Hop Atlanta 4) and there was nothing of note when it came to sports competition other than a ESPN baseball game that drew 669,000 viewers.

If there is a positive, the numbers for the second straight week grew during the show and peaked in the final hour. Raw was still the highest rated show on cable for the night.

The three hours were:

– 8 PM: 3.36 million viewers

– 9 PM: 3.48 million viewers

– 10 PM: 3.54 million viewers

As noted yesterday, Nattie Neidhart was brought into Washington, DC, yesterday for WWE RAW. She was used to be part of a “Be a Star” rally, but wasn’t written into the television show.

She was originally booked for yesterday and today but is not part of tonight’s Smackdown tapings and has returned home. The plan was for her to take some time off while husband Tyson Kidd starts his recovery from neck surgery, but she is on call for television if needed. 

By Jeff Hamlin, WrestlingObserver.com

Big Takeaway: Once again, the John Cena-Kevin Owens segment stole the show. This time, Cena made Cesaro into a star in one night with the best Raw match of the year. Owens ran in for a DQ to get Cesaro more over as a face. The first hour featured Seth Rollins being a game show host, and it culminated with the unified Authority laying out Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. 

Show Recap: 

Seth Rollins came out with J&J Security and Kane saying he showed true power last week when he took Suplex City and burned it to the ground. He claimed Brock Lesnar was boarding a plane to Japan right now.

He put over Jamie Noble for suffering three broken ribs at the hands of Lesnar last week and ordered the fans to give him a round of applause. There were a few “Noble” chants. Rollins gave everyone new Apple watches, which I hope is a product placement.

Rollins had a special gift for Kane, mentioning his debut in 1997. He told Kane he was sending him on his first vacation to Hawaii, and unveiled one of those placards from “Let’s Make A Deal.” Hula dancers and a ukulele player came out. Before Kane left, Rollins proposed a tag match against Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns.

Then Rollins brought out a new Cadillac for J&J Security, complete with a game show model unveiling the new car. Joey Mercury wanted to hug Noble, who couldn’t because of his injury. This was the longest game show segment in history, with Rollins unveiling the sticker price. It succeeded in killing the crowd.

The Big Show defeated Mark Henry (1:24)

The Big Show won with two Knockout punches. The Miz was on commentary talking about how his manager has given him numerous career opportunities.

Ryback came out afterwards and gave Show a chop block. Miz ran in and dodged Ryback, who challenged Miz to a match.  

Ryback (C) defeated The Miz via countout in a nontitle match (5:06)

Ryback hit a Meat Hook clothesline and Miz walked out for the countout. Miz had a comeback and it was a pretty good match until the weak finish.  

Paige defeated Alicia Fox (9:35)

Best match on the show thus far. Nikki Bella tried to distract Paige and Alicia Fox tried a rolling reverse cradle, but Paige reversed it for the pin. Nikki and Brie Bella were at ringside. Crowd got into Paige’s comeback, which was the most heat so far tonight. 

John Cena came out for the return of the U.S. Championship open challenge. They made mention of Cena being nominated for the ESPN 2015 Sports Humanitarian of the Year, along with Anquan Bolden, Henrik Lundqvist and Tamika Catchings. At first, Kevin Owens came out like he was going to accept the U.S. challenge, but Owens said he would wait for Battleground. Instead, Cesaro answered the call.  

John Cena (C) and Cesaro went to a no contest, so Cena retains the U.S. Championship (20:12)

Finish came when Cesaro used an 8-rep Cesaro Swing, then sank in the Sharpshooter. Owens ran in and gave both men a pop-up power bomb, with Owens saying the man who was going to beat Cena for the U.S. Championship was going to be him. It was a hell of a match with the whole crowd thinking Cesaro was going to win after hoisting Cena into the air and throwing a forearm uppercut. Cena gave Cesaro the entire match and what a show Cesaro put on. Cena kicked out of a neutralizer. Owens was on commentary. Michael Cole was going crazy calling the bout a match of the year contender. At one point, Owens felt disrespected and slapped Cole’s headset off. The thinking was Owens would get more heel heat for costing Cesaro a chance to win, since the crowd really likes him. 

Bray Wyatt did an interview saying he always wanted to be his father’s favorite, but he got thrown out like a piece of trash. Now, he has wings. You mean Rotundo’s favorite was Bo Dallas? Kevin Nash had better talent judgement than that. Wyatt told Reigns to run because he will always be his crown of suffering. 

They showed the Rock’s apperance at the Boston house show giving Dallas the People’s Elbow. 

The Prime Time Players and the Lucha Dragons defeated the New Day and Bo Dallas (14:28). 

Good match, if a little long. Titus O’Neal pinned Kofi Kingston after a spinebuster. Darren Young got the heat and Dallas even had some offense. 

Dolph Ziggler and Lana came out for a segment where it was announced that “they were going public.” Dolph said the relationship between he and Lana didn’t start as love at first sight because she admitted to him that she was using him to get back at Rusev. But the situation has changed. Lana said for years she didn’t know what a real man was. Crowd was giving her the “what” treatment, which visibily frustrated Ziggler. Lana said they have grown to be more than just friends and said Dolph was very passionate. 

Rusev came out with Summer Rae for the first time. Rusev said he doesn’t care about Lana anymore and never did. He said when he kissed Lana, it was like kissing the ringpost. Ziggler interrupted Rusev and called Lana his girlfriend. He told Rusev to walk away before he does something about his other leg. They teased a fight before Rusev left. Summer Rae spoke up and called Lana a gold digger. 

Summer said Lana was a two-faced phony, then slapped her. Lana tackled Summer and they jostled around. Lana tackled Summer again before Rusev pulled Rae away. Crowd chanted “yes.” Fans crapped on Ziggler’s interview segment because they don’t believe this Ziggler-Lana partnership. 

Ambrose was talking to two Terminator robots backstage when Reigns came up and wanted to know if he was ready for tonight’s tag match.  I assume as part of his video package, Neville now has a comic book cover depicting him in animated form which looks really cool. 

Sheamus defeated Nevile (12:42)

Sheamus won with the Brogue Kick in a good match. JBL, who is usually the voice of Vince McMahon backstage, was being fatalistic about Neville’s future, overemphasizing how high flying wrestlers never have a long career because they take too many chances. Neville had the Red Arrow set up but Sheamus broke it up by kicking the top rope. For Sports Illustrated’s “Where are they Now?” issue this year, they’re profiling Hulk Hogan. Perhaps a better idea would be finding all of the wrestlers from companies Hogan has bankrupted over the years. 

King Barrett defeated Jack Swagger (1:46)

Barrett won with the Bullhammer Elbow. He’s now doing the Harley Race gimmick of demanding every wrestler bow down to him in reverance to the crown. Jack Swagger did no such thing, which really gets the whole deal over. 

Seth Rollins and Kane defeated Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns (11:46)

Crowd seemed tired. Ambrose pulled out a table until Mercury pull it away. Reigns no sold a kendo stick shot from Mercury and blasted Kane and Mercury with Kendo Sticks, then hit Kane, Rollins and Mercury with Superman Punches. Wyatt magically showed up and took Reigns out with a uranage onto the announcer’s table. With Regins out of commission, Kane gave Ambrose a choke slam and Rollins pinned him after a Pedigree. 

Postmatch, the heels teased putting Ambrose through a table but Reigns made the save until Kane choke slammed Reigns. Rollins talked crap to Reigns as he was down until Reigns made his own comeback to clear the ring. The Authority ganged up on Reigns again, with yet another choke slam by Kane. Rollins then power bombed Reigns through a table in the corner to leave him laying. Reigns teased getting up from the table shot, but Rollins gave him a Pedigree. 

After The Authority left, Wyatt walked in the ring and gave Reigns Sister Abigail. 

SUMMARY: The Cena-Owens feud has been the best in wrestling for 2015. It’s made new stars, and not just the two principal characters in the program. It’s had dynamic matches. It doesn’t get often enough, but Cena is really a remarkable performer. Though not a tactically gifted wrestler, his value to the company has never been more apparent over the last year in getting new personalities over. If WCW had someone with his unselfishness in 1998, maybe they would still be in business. The Cena-Cesaro match made the show. 

Nattie Neidhart is at TV today and tomorrow.

She had been off since her husband, T.J. “Tyson Kidd” Wilson, underwent neck surgery.

Originally she was going to be off for a while to take care of her husband but was always to be available if they felt they needed her.

The following is a press release:

The inaugural Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, presented by ESPN and PlayStation, will celebrate and honor athletes, teams, nonprofits and members of the sports industry for using sport to serve communities and make a positive impact on society, it was announced by John Skipper, President, ESPN. The event, which will take place Tuesday, July 14 at the Conga Room at L.A. Live, will be the first of its kind, bringing together the leagues and sporting community to pay tribute to the collective good of sports. 

Multiple sports-related leagues and/or governing bodies — including MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, USOC, USTA, WNBA, WWE and the Women’s Sports Foundation — have nominated athletes, teams and community members that are using the power of sports to transform lives and uplift communities. Highlights of the evening will be featured during a 30-minute special on ESPN, July 23 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

During the event, which will be hosted by Laila Ali, winners will be announced from among the finalists for two major award categories — Sports Humanitarian of the Year and Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year. Additionally, the event will celebrate four inaugural “Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award” (ESPN + inspire) winners, recognized for taking risks and using innovation to help the disadvantaged.

“Through their selflessness and compassion, the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees are improving lives of many around the world,” Skipper said. “The awards pay tribute to some incredible individuals and organizations and the extraordinary impact of their efforts on society.”

PlayStation is the presenting sponsor of the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, which will benefit the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund at The V Foundation — a fund that encourages cutting-edge research for minority populations suffering from cancer. An independent panel of judges selected the finalists, including, Tracy Hoover, CEO of Points of Light,  Sharon Roerty, Senior Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Sab Singh, Founder of Sports Doing Good and professor at Farmingdale State College, and Caryl Stern, CEO of the US Fund for UNICEF.

“Humanitarianism is a central narrative of sport — as athletes aspire towards greatness, their ability to make a mark on society is as important as their athletic accomplishments,” said Stern. “The Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards give rise to the increasingly important role that sports can play in society, and how the sports community can work together to build and inspire strong communities.”

SPORTS HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR

The Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award is given to an athlete whose continuous, demonstrated leadership has created a positive impact on their community through sports. The honoree will receive a $75,000 grant (and $25,000 grant for each of the three finalists) from ESPN’s Corporate Citizenship department to advance the impact of the charity related to the award-winning humanitarian efforts.

Finalists (winner to be announced at awards ceremony July 14):

• Anquan Boldin, San Francisco 49ers (NFL): Inspired by his own humble beginnings, Boldin is a passionate advocate for underprivileged youth and works to help them to overcome their limitations by expanding educational and life opportunities. Through his foundation, he provides a network of support with mentoring and after-school programs, scholarships, and annual summer enrichment programs — all of which are creating tangible impacts in the lives of children in Baltimore, South Florida and San Francisco. Becoming an Oxfam Ambassador on his own accord, Boldin also has testified before Congress to strengthen human rights protections for communities impacted by the oil and mining industries in Africa. In 2014, Boldin and his wife, Dionne, made a $1 million pledge to help youth in need by providing 4-year college scholarships to four deserving high school graduates annually.
• Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever (WNBA): Growing up with a hearing impairment, Catchings was no stranger to being bullied, but she used her disability as inspiration and fuel to do her best in the classroom and on the court. Today, she teaches young girls about embracing their differences, building their self-esteem and overcoming obstacles. Through her Catch the Stars Foundation, she promotes fitness, literacy and mentoring to youth in Indianapolis. Catchings has served on the U.S. Department of State’s Council to Empower Women and Girls Through Sports and has supported countless programs in the community through her unwavering volunteer efforts and financial support.
• John Cena (WWE): WWE Superstar John Cena’s popular catchphrase “Never Give Up” is also a real-life mantra that he uses to inspire those battling life-threatening illnesses. For more than a decade, Cena has been a force in granting the wishes of children in partnership with Make-A-Wish. As the most requested wish granter of all-time, he has granted nearly 500 wishes for children around the world. Additionally, Cena is also a passionate advocate in the fight against breast cancer, helping to spread the word about the importance of early detection.
• Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (NHL): As founder of the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation and an ambassador for the Garden of Dreams Foundation, Lundqvist has seized the opportunity to positively impact the lives of children most in need through education and health services. He’s touched the lives of thousands of children and families in New York City, the Dominican Republic and Sweden with both personal and financial support. He’s also providing a platform to the next generation of community leaders, by selecting a group of young adults to complete community service projects and volunteer work, as part of his Young Ambassadors Program.

SPORTS HUMANITARIAN TEAM OF THE YEAR

The Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year represents a sports team (and their community relations department or foundation) that demonstrates how teamwork between athletes and their team’s community relations or foundations can create a significant impact on a community or cause. The winner will receive a $75,000 grant (and $25,000 grant for each of the three finalists) from ESPN to the qualified charity related to the award-winning humanitarian efforts.

Finalists (winners to be announced at awards ceremony July 14):

• Chicago Bulls (NBA): The Chicago Bulls’ work in the community is a collaborative effort among the team’s players, fans, corporate partners, community partners, and front office staff. Community is a fundamental part of the team’s business operations and the Bulls feel a responsibility to give back to the city and people who give so much to them. Last year, the Bulls organized over 100 community events focused on youth education, health and wellness, violence prevention, and the military with more than 30,000 people impacted. The team’s Season of Giving alone, reached 16,000 people in the Chicago community, with 1,000 gifts and 2,200 meals provided to families in need. Additionally, the Bulls distributed $2.5 million in cash and in-kind donations in support of local organizations.
• Portland Timbers (MLS): Stand Together, the club’s community outreach platform, harnesses the power of sport to improve the lives of children and families in the Portland metro area through targeted programs, deep partnerships and philanthropic giving. Stand Together focuses on youth activity, education and the environment, with an emphasis on cultural diversity and access for all to play. Since the club’s inaugural MLS season in 2011, the Timbers have given more than $2.4 million in cash and in-kind donations, including their philanthropic work through the Portland Timbers Community Fund, the club’s field-grants program, and various experiential and charitable activities. The club’s signature Stand Together Week annually benefits 30+ different nonprofits throughout the greater Portland metro area. Since 2012, Stand Together Week has generated over 7,000 volunteer hours by 2,000 volunteers on more than 100 projects.
• San Francisco 49ers (NFL): At the heart of the 49ers philanthropic efforts is their deep commitment to the San Francisco 49ers Academy, a middle school for low-income students in the highly challenged city of East Palo Alto. The team has supported the Academy from top to bottom with grants; player, alumni, ownership and staff involvement; mentorships; and facility enhancement. Inclusive of the contributions to the 49ers Academy, since 1992, the Foundation has donated $30.6 million to support nonprofits, contributing $4.6 million in 2014, including a $1 million grant to launch the 49ers STEM Leadership Institute to enable motivated and talented young scholars to reach their full potential.
• WWE Community Relations: WWE leverages the power of its brand and platforms to help address important social issues worldwide, and through its partnerships, they support programs and initiatives that positively impact children and families around the world. WWE has granted more than 6,000 wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions through Make-A-Wish, and launched an anti-bullying program, Be a STAR, to encourage young people to treat each other with tolerance and respect through education and grassroots initiatives.  More than 100,000 kids from all 50 U.S. states and 100 countries have taken the pledge to end bullying through the program. WWE is also a strong advocate for athletes with intellectual disabilities and breast cancer awareness through their work with Special Olympics and Susan G. Komen respectively, and they are staunch supporters of the U.S. military through their annual Tribute to the Troops celebration and partnership with Hire Heroes USA to help returning vets transition to the civilian workforce.