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Thank You, Axl Rotten (And R.I.P.)

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

UFC HOF'er To Be "Roasted"

From March 19-21, 2015, the NCAA will be holding the D1 Wrestling Championships, which will emanate from St. Louis.

Of particular interest to fans of MMA, the National Wrestling Hall Of Fame's "roast" of former-D1-wrestler Randy Couture, set for Thursday, March 19.

For more information, and for details on the auctioning of a related package, visit the NWHOF's website.

Where Are They Now? A Must-Read On Alexander Emelianenko

Jail, and looking to get married, according to Russian News Outlet TASS.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Programming Alert For November 26

Part-time actress and full-time Women's Bantamweight Champion, Ronda Rousey, is scheduled for Wednesday's edition of ABC's 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' (11:35 ET), marking her second appearance (that I'm aware of) on the show.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment And WWE Announce New Partnership

BURBANK, CA AND STAMFORD, CT – November 19, 2014 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) and WWE (NYSE: WWE) have announced a multi-year partnership for home video distribution of WWE programming that will start on January 1, 2015 and include US distribution rights for physical and digital formats.

The new agreement will provide WBHE the home entertainment distribution rights to release new documentaries, match compilations and pay-per-view events, including WrestleMania® and SummerSlam®, as well as a robust catalog of collectible titles throughout the US. The companies have recently worked together on two animated series tied to the Scooby Doo and The Flintstones franchises.

“WWE is an iconic brand that has one of the most passionate fan bases in sports and entertainment,” said Jeff Brown, General Manager and Executive Vice President, Television, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. “Since WWE titles accounted for all of the Top 10 sports DVDs of 2013 and WrestleMania® 29 was the #1 sports title, we’re very excited to expand our distribution in 2015 and beyond.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Warner Bros Home Entertainment, a brand that has proven itself to be the market leader,” said Casey Collins, Executive Vice President, Consumer Products, WWE. “They have already demonstrated success leveraging the WWE brand with the hit Scooby Doo! WrestleMania Mystery, and we look forward to expanding our home video relationship utilizing their expertise.”

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution, interactive entertainment, technical operations and anti-piracy businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees, as well as directly to consumers through WBShop.com.

About WWE

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide in 35 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all 12 live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 170 countries. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich and Tokyo.

Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to entering into, maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television and pay-per-view programming and our new network distribution agreements; risks relating to the launch and maintenance of our new network; the need for continually developing creative and entertaining programming; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent McMahon; the conditions of the markets in which we compete and acceptance of the Company’s brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties relating to regulatory matters; risks resulting from the highly competitive and fragmented nature of our markets; uncertainties associated with international markets; the importance of protecting our intellectual property and complying with the intellectual property rights of others; the risk of accidents or injuries during our physically demanding events; risks associated with producing and travelling to and from our large live events, both domestically and internationally; risks relating to our film business; risks relating to new businesses and strategic investments; risks relating to our computer systems and online operations; risks relating to general economic conditions and our exposure to bad debt risk; risks relating to litigation; risks relating to market expectations for our financial performance; risks relating to our revolving credit facility specifically and capital markets more generally; risks relating to the large number of shares of common stock controlled by members of the McMahon family and the possibility of the sale of their stock by the McMahons or the perception of the possibility of such sales; the relatively small public float of our stock; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends, general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant.

SOURCE: WWE

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

A RECORD 1.8 MILLION VIEWERS TUNE IN TO SEE TITO ORTIZ-STEPHAN BONNAR BOUT AT BELLATOR 131 ON SPIKE TV

Most Watched MMA Fight On Cable in 2014
Most Watched Bellator Event In Franchise History
Ortiz-Bonnar Fight Peaked At 2 Million Viewers

New York, NY - November 18, 2014 ­Bellator 131 knocked out the competition on Saturday, November 15 with record ratings for the emerging MMA franchise under new president Scott Coker. The Bellator 131 main event between Tito Ortiz and Stephan Bonnar (11:50pm-12:16am) drew 1.8 million viewers, peaking at 2 million, making it the most-watched and highest­-rated MMA fight on cable in 2014.

The Ortiz-Bonnar fight ranks as 2nd highest-rated MMA fight telecast in all of television with Men 18-34 and Men 18-49, including broadcast, in 2014. Also, Ortiz-Bonnar ranked #2 in its timeslot in all of cable with Men 18-34 and Men 18-49.

"Bellator 131 was an incredible event that had something for everybody, and I'm thrilled to see our efforts were so well-received by our fans," said Coker. "I'm very proud of our entire Bellator and Spike family for all of the hard work they put resulting in these record-breaking ratings. The most exciting thing for me is the knowledge that that we are just getting started, and I can't wait for everyone to see what we have in store for the future."

Bellator 131 ratings breakdown:

Bellator 131 ­ Ortiz vs. Bonnar ­11:50p
1.8 million viewers

Bellator 131 ­10:11p
1.3 million viewers

Bellator 131 ­9p
994,000 viewers

Overall, the entire fight card delivered (9:00-12:16) delivered 1,241,299 viewers, a record for Bellator MMA on Spike TV.

Bellator 131 was a knockout with social media as well ­ as it was the most tweeted Bellator event in Spike history. Reach on Facebook and the associated video views were also record highs for Bellator.

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 93.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

*Previous Bellator MMA viewership high was 1.1 million viewers for Alvarez-Chandler II (11/2/13)
*Highest rated MMA telecast of the year among M18-49 and M18-34 (FOX broadcast ­ Sat 1/25)

SOURCE: Spike TV

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

I Don't Know How The Guy Does It!

Sure, his fifteen-minutes-of-fame should've ended before it even began, but, according to an ESPN press release, the network has hired Chael Sonnen to provide analysis of UFC's "major" pay-per-view events (whatever that means).

Lisa Siddell must be ecstatic (he starts on Friday, Lisa), but I can only shake my head in amazement. Well, if recent history is any indicator, it won't be long until Sonnen blows this gig, too.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

UFC Reinstates Anthony Johnson

After a September suspension, which could've resulted in his being placed on the chopping block, Anthony Johnson is back in the UFC.

The gist of it, is that Johnson's original accuser (believed to be the mother of his children) has dropped her complaint, meaning her protection order has been dismissed and Johnson no longer faces any legal issues.

No word on the light heavyweight's next booking, but something tells me it won't be long before we find out.

If You're Going To Be In Or Near Calgary On December 13 (Wandering Euan, I'm Talking To You!) ...

... You can purchase tickets (via Ticketmaster) to see comedian Dane Cook, marking fourteen-years of The Owen Hart Foundation (if you can believe that), who will have shows at 6:30 PM and 10 PM at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.

To members of the general public, tickets will be available starting Monday, November 10 at 10 AM (prices range from $97.65 to $118.40).

We all know that Casey doesn't pay much, so let's hope Wandering Euan has plenty of time to save up.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Former UFC Lightweight Champion Available For Seminars

If you're looking to book Jens "Lil' Evil" Pulver, he's available for seminars at https://fightmatch.com/seminar.