Vince McMahon

The WWE is reportedly considering its options for the upcoming Wrestlemania 36 event on April 5, including holding it without fans, but pro wrestling's biggest event has not yet been canceled or postponed.

Per TMZ, local officials near Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, have asked Vince McMahon to cancel the event. The WWE is looking at all options, including staging it in an empty arena and broadcasting it live.

According to the report, the event was expected to draw a crowd of 70,000. Health officials across the world have advised the use of "social distancing" to combat the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended against gatherings of over 50 people.

Major American sports leagues like the NBA, MLB and NHL have shut down their games, and UFC Fight Night 170 in Brazil took place in an empty arena. 

The UFC is still hoping to keep its shows going:

UFC President Dana White says fights will continue. pic.twitter.com/0LN7gpwFlM

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 15, 2020

Sportswriter Chamatkar Sandhu doesn't think their resolve will hold out, however, and Wrestlemania is in danger of getting canceled as well:

WrestleMania is getting cancelled. No way it goes ahead as scheduled. The UFC events probably should be cancelled too. Even if they hold them in empty arenas or the Apex, fighters cutting weight are going to be so susceptible to getting the virus. Let's see what happens.

— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) March 12, 2020

The latest edition of SmackDown took place in an empty Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, and while it made for a surreal atmosphere, radio host Bully Ray praised the organisation and its talent for the tremendous effort:

Despite the very real hardships we are living with these days, WWE and the talent did their absolute very best to entertain YOU tonight.

GREAT JOB EVERYONE!!@WWEonFOX #SmackDown @BustedOpenRadio

— Bully Ray (@bullyray5150) March 14, 2020

Brock Lesnar and Drew McIntyre are set to headline the Wrestlemania 36 event with a match for the WWE Championship. Other likely or confirmed matches include Goldberg vs. Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler and AJ Styles vs. Undertaker.

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and All Elite Wrestling.

                

Seth Rollins Discusses Uncertainty Surrounding WrestleMania

With sports around the world making adjustments amid concerns surrounding the coronavirus, WrestleMania 36 remains in doubt.

Seth Rollins was asked about the situation Saturday in a question-and-answer session on Instagram live:

14th March, 2020 Deadboys Fitness Instagram Live Video #SethRollins #DeadboysFitness

Full Video: https://t.co/XzTU3xyEk8

Join: https://t.co/UTsKi48C0a pic.twitter.com/CZqSO9KzSN

— Seth Rollins Fans Media (@SRFansMedia) March 15, 2020

Jeremy Thomas of 411Mania provided the superstar's answer:

"WrestleMania—I don't know. Don't ask me questions, I don't know! I am not in charge of that. I go where they tell me. This Monday, I'll be in Orlando at the PC, doing Raw in front of nobody just like SmackDown was on Friday. Probably just how NXT will be on Wednesday, all right? About WrestleMania, nobody knows. It's all up in the air. So just wait for further announcements from WWE social pages or whatever."

The event is scheduled for April 5 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, and the WWE said in a statement that it "remains committed" to going forward with the plans (h/t Brent Brookhouse of CBS Sports). Still, the organization has put together contingency plans in case a cancelation is required.

The coronavirus has 1,678 confirmed cases in the United States as of Monday, per CNN.com, with more than 6,400 deaths worldwide.

               

Undertaker and Steve Austin Set for Raw

Monday night's WWE Raw is going to be a big one for old-school wrestling fans, as both The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin will be in attendance.

WWE has been hyping the Stone Cold appearance, which comes on March 16 ("3:16 Day"):

https://twitter.com/WWEonFOX/status/1239536900186050560

Though there might have been some concern about travel plans amid the pandemic, both superstars were reportedly already in Orlando on Sunday, according to Mike Johnson of PWInsider.

Austin's return will certainly generate a lot of excitement, but Undertaker has continued to make an impact in WWE, most recently at Elimination Chamber earlier in March:

HE'S HERE!!!!

The #Undertaker just took out @AJStylesOrg and #TheOC at #WWEChamber!!!! pic.twitter.com/HpWGUzfUlk

— WWE (@WWE) March 9, 2020

The two legendary fighters on the same card Monday could create a memorable night.

                  

Vince McMahon Not at WWE SmackDown

Fans weren't allowed at WWE SmackDown on Friday, but the event went on as planned, with Triple H running the show:

What an intro by @TripleH
What an entrance by @JohnCena#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/qhf4fK4VdU

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) March 14, 2020

Besides the thousands of missing fans, one notable absentee was Vince McMahon, with the WWE CEO skipping the event, according to Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats.

The 74-year-old could certainly be at risk during the pandemic, but no reason was given for his absence. 

Several other big names on the roster were fortunately available to help carry the action in the crowdless arena.

WWE revealed the 2020 salaries for executives Vince McMahon, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon on Tuesday as part of a proxy statement ahead of the annual shareholders meeting.

According to WrestlingInc.com's Raj Giri, Vince will earn a salary of $1.4 million, while both Triple H and Stephanie will make $730,000. Vince's pay is the same as last year, while Triple H and Stephanie received $20,000 raises.

The aforementioned figures are base salaries and do not include bonuses, stock options or—in the case of Triple H and Stephanie—additional pay for being an on-air talent.

The 74-year-old Vince McMahon is WWE's chairman and CEO, and he has essentially been the company's head honcho since 1982. While he was a regular on-screen character for many years, much of his work now is done behind the scenes.

McMahon remains a constant presence at Raw, SmackDown and pay-per-view events, and he has also been busy with his Alpha Entertainment company, which owns the XFL.

Triple H, 50, is WWE's executive vice president of talent, live events and creative, which is a title he has held since 2013. He is best known for his work as a wrestler, but the WWE Hall of Famer has not competed in a match since June 2019.

Instead, Triple H has put most of his time and energy into NXT, which is the brand he founded. NXT began airing on USA Network in September, and The Game has helped it develop into a legitimate third brand alongside Raw and SmackDown.

Stephanie McMahon, 43, is the daughter of Vince McMahon and wife of Triple H. She is also WWE's chief brand officer, which is a position she has held since 2013.

Like Vince and Triple H, Stephanie has plenty of experience as an on-screen character, but she has primarily stayed behind the scenes over the past year.

Vince, Triple H and Stephanie are WWE's top three full-time executives following the firing of co-presidents George Barrios and Michelle Wilson in January, and they figure to continue serving as WWE's chief decision-makers for the foreseeable future.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

WWE executive Triple H addressed several topics related to NXT during a media call Wednesday to promote Sunday's NXT TakeOver: Portland event. 

According to Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet, Triple H responded to AEW Dynamite consistently garnering higher viewership and a better rating in the 18-49 demographic than NXT on Wednesday nights: "It's about the long game and what we have to do is get to the people in the younger demos. When you're promoted in younger demos and you are viewed in those younger demos promotionally, then those are the people that you attract."

While NXT has scored a handful of wins in the four months the shows have gone head to head, AEW has generally won the viewership and demo battles, although part of that can be attributed to the excitement that comes along with AEW still being a new product.

Triple H noted that the demo breakdown for NXT is similar to Raw, which may be due to the fact that both shows air on USA Network.

Although NXT is lagging a bit behind AEW as far as the numbers are concerned, the shows are consistently good, and NXT TakeOver: Portland boasts a stacked card and has a chance to be one of the best wrestling events of 2020.

Triple H also discussed NXT Superstar Matt Riddle and the notion that Vince McMahon is unhappy with him in some way.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton) reported last week that McMahon doesn't like the fact that Riddle has consistently laid down challenges to WWE champion Brock Lesnar and called out Bill Goldberg on social media, and that McMahon views Riddle as an "outside guy" with "no respect for the hierarchy of the business."

Triple H shot that rumor down, noting that Vince has "not expressed his disapproval" regarding Riddle, which is something McMahon would have done if he had any issues.

The Game also confirmed Satin's previous report that Lesnar and Riddle exchanged words backstage at the Royal Rumble, but added that he is unsure if there is legitimate heat between them or if they were merely working an angle.

Riddle was eliminated quickly from the Rumble match by King Corbin, which was likely the root of the speculation that he was being punished in some way.

While Riddle has no problem speaking his mind, it hasn't impacted his success in NXT, as he and Pete Dunne are set to challenge Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish of Undisputed Era for the NXT Tag Team Championships at TakeOver: Portland.

    

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

NXT Superstar Matt Riddle seemed to reference rumors that WWE is unhappy with his penchant for calling out Bill Goldberg on social media.

After WWE on Fox tweeted about Goldberg's return to SmackDown on Friday, Riddle responded: "I'm not gonna do what sources are saying I'm not suppose to do. Or am I? What are sources saying?"

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), WWE Chairman Vince McMahon has taken issue with Riddle challenging the likes of Goldberg and WWE champion Brock Lesnar on social media.

Meltzer added that McMahon reportedly views Riddle as an "outside guy" who "has no respect for the hierarchy of the business."

In June, Riddle was highly critical of Goldberg following his performance in a widely panned match against The Undertaker at WWE Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia.

According to Pro Wrestling Sheet's Ryan Satin, Riddle posted and then deleted a video in which he called Goldberg "absolutely the worst wrestler in the business."

That led to several veterans taking issue with Riddle's comments, including WWE Hall of Famer Booker T and AEW world champion Chris Jericho.

Riddle hasn't done much to back down from his comments regarding Goldberg over the past several months. In fact, he has fanned the flames a bit regarding their rivalry by employing Goldberg's signature Jackhammer as part of his offensive arsenal.

In addition to Goldberg, Riddle has been outspoken about his desire to face and retire Lesnar. The matchup looks like a great one on paper since both Lesnar and Riddle enjoyed success in the UFC.

Satin previously reported that Riddle and Lesnar got into a verbal altercation backstage at Jan. 26's Royal Rumble stemming from Lesnar taking issue with Riddle constantly calling him out.

While Lesnar dominated the Rumble with a record-tying 13 eliminations, Riddle was eliminated by King Corbin in less than a minute, which could have been a punishment handed down by McMahon.

It is difficult to predict what the future might hold for Riddle on the main roster if he ever makes it to that point, but he is still a major star in NXT.

Currently, Riddle is one half of the Broserweights tag team with Pete Dunne, and they are set to challenge Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish of Undisputed Era for the NXT Tag Team Championships at NXT TakeOver: Portland after winning the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Meanwhile, Goldberg will challenge "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt for the Universal Championship at WWE Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 27.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

   

Elias Re-Signs with WWE

WWE continues to hand out new contracts, with Elias becoming the latest superstar to sign an extension with the company. 

On Tuesday's episode of WWE Backstage on FS1 (h/t Wrestling Inc.'s Joshua Gagnon), Ryan Satin reported Elias received a multi-year contract to remain in WWE. 

Elias later confirmed his extension is a three-year deal in a post on Instagram:

Elias comments on signing a 3-year contract extension with WWE. https://t.co/x4Y4vo4X9W pic.twitter.com/bkuHKQRMle

— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) January 15, 2020

WWE seemed like it had big plans for Elias in 2018. He had a strong showing in the Royal Rumble, lasting 26 minutes, and was briefly involved in a feud with John Cena. 

Since the start of 2019, though, Elias has been used almost exclusively as a comedy act. He sang a duet with Jeff Jarrett at the Royal Rumble before attacking the legend with a guitar. The Drifter was put in a program with Roman Reigns, who squashed him in an eight-second match at Money in the Bank. 

Most recently, Elias is among the superstars WWE has chasing after the 24/7 title. Even with a limited ceiling in the ring, his ability on the microphone certainly makes him a valuable asset to have on the roster. 

Balor vs. Gargano Set for Takeover

The long feud between Finn Balor and Johnny Gargano will finally be settled on Feb. 16 at NXT Takeover: Portland. 

NXT officially announced the showdown featuring two of the best wrestlers in the world:

It's official: At #NXTTakeOver: Portland, @JohnnyGargano will finally go one-on-one with @FinnBalor! https://t.co/23VRCpaffV

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 15, 2020

This match has been brewing for months, starting when Balor turned heel by attacking Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa to help out The Undisputed Era.

During the beatdown, Johnny Wrestling legitimately injured his neck when Balor hit him with the 1916 on the ramp and was removed from the NXT Takeover: WarGames card. 

Gargano returned to television on Dec. 18, exacting some revenge by costing Balor the NXT title during his match with Adam Cole. After teasing the match on last week's episode of NXT, it has been made official for the WWE Network special next month. 

The only other match expected to take place on the show, as of right now, features Rhea Ripley defending the NXT women's title against the winner of a battle royal on Wednesday night. 

Balor and Gargano are two of the best performers in all of WWE. Their matchup at NXT Takeover: Portland has the potential to be one of the top matches this year and may lead to the winner moving into the title picture. 

     

R-Truth Shares Stories About Vince McMahon, Wesley Snipes Wanting to be 24/7 Champion

Speaking of the 24/7 championship, R-Truth shared a story about Wesley Snipes telling him he wanted to win the title while appearing on the Not Sam Podcast (h/t Wrestling Inc.'s Robert Gunier):

"I got to interview some people from movies... Wesley Snipes was talking about becoming the first actor to become the 24/7 Champion. Man, Wesley Snipes had his hand on his chin while I was interviewing them and he was still contemplating, going, 'What do I have on my schedule tonight? Because I think I'm going to go to the Staples Center and try to win this title.' That would have been great, man."

Truth also relayed a tidbit about convincing Vince McMahon to let him grab a ladder out from under the ring during the 2016 Royal Rumble match: 

"When I came up with that idea, I went up to Vince and said, 'Hey, I've got an idea.' [He said], 'What?' 'What if I got a ladder from up under the ring for the Rumble?' And he looked at me and he burst out laughing and said, 'We're doing it.' I didn't know how it would turn out or if anyone would follow it, or get it."

As long as Truth is able to keep making McMahon laugh, he can have a job working in WWE for life. 

WWE has found ways to turn the 24/7 title into an entertaining joke. No one takes the championship seriously, which makes it the perfect belt for non-wrestlers to hold. 

WWE has taken advantage of the ridiculous nature of the title by giving it to electronic musician Marshmello, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, Santa Claus and Fox Sports analyst Rob Stone. 

Knowing how much WWE loves to create viral moments and generate headlines, having an actor like Snipes get his hands on the title at some point would be perfect.  

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and AEW.

    

Ryback Offers Critique of Vince McMahon, WWE Backstage

Since leaving WWE, Ryback has not exactly been shy about criticizing the company that made him into a star. He's been more vocal of late, using his podcast to offer critiques of NXT and WWE's handling of flights leaving Saudi Arabia.

The Big Guy's latest beef is with WWE Backstage, the FS1 studio show that's overseen by Fox but has WWE's approval. He said he finds the content of the show too "exposed" by the studio environment and ripped Vince McMahon for a quantity-over-quality approach (per Ross Kelly of Wrestling Inc.):

"Very weird place on Tuesday in my opinion and keeping it there. It's weird how that whole production of the show they are doing. It reminds me of Talking Dead, and that's entertainment. I don't know, wrestling it feels like that it is being exposed a little too much by the company. It's one thing to express your views and you talk about it when you are out of the element, but you are taking guys and you're critiquing creative and storylines. It has a weird vibe to me. They're working still kind of in a way; I don't know. I don't see the appeal and having it on Tuesday with SmackDown on Friday and then the weekend goes by. It's just not a good place for it.

"There's too much content. WWE is responsible for that. Vince McMahon just wants to make as much money as possible."

It's hard to argue Ryback's latter point. WWE produces seven hours of live weekly wrestling programming on top of content on the Network and Backstage. It's too hard for even the most hardcore wrestling fan to follow let alone a casual viewer. 

Aside from NXT, which remains a bastion of quality even after the move to USA, it's also fair to say WWE isn't exactly in a creative peak at the moment. Ratings for flagship shows Raw and SmackDown have been nosediving all year, special episodes notwithstanding.

    

WWE Releases Top Returns of the Decade

We're not going to spoil the entire list of WWE returns over the last 10 years, as it's fun to look back on the decade that was and remember those pops. So know your role and watch the video.

    

Fandango Out of Action After Undergoing Tommy John Surgery

The Fashion Police are officially on hiatus after an officer was injured in the line of duty. Again.

Fandango, who missed a year with a labrum tear before returning in July, is back on the shelf after needing Tommy John surgery to repair an elbow injury suffered in a Dec. 11 match with The Singh Brothers on NXT. 

"My dreams of pitching in the MLB are kinda over????" Fandango posted on Instagram.

The timing of the injury could not have come at a worse possible time. Breezango is more over with the NXT crowd than they ever were on Raw or SmackDown, and Fandango put together some of his most dominant offense in recent memory in the win over the Singhs.

There is no timetable for his return, but it's likely he will miss several months. This could be a chance to give Tyler Breeze an extended singles run.

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

   

McMahon Reportedly Mad at Rollins Over Punk Mention

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon reportedly didn't take kindly to Seth Rollins acknowledging CM Punk chants from the crowd in Chicago during Monday's episode of Raw.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Daniel Yanofsky), McMahon was "furious" that Rollins mentioned Punk since WWE has no deal in place with Punk and can't deliver a Rollins vs. Punk match presently.

While Rollins was starting his town hall meeting to discuss Raw's shortcomings at Survivor Series, the fans began to chant for Punk. In response, Rollins said: "I tried to get [Punk] here, I'm sorry. He didn't wanna show up. He wants to sit behind a desk in Los Angeles and talk about a change that he's too afraid to make himself."

Since Punk made a surprise appearance on FS1's WWE Backstage two weeks ago, Rollins has attempted to get his attention. Rollins first called for Punk to fight him:

Fight me @CMPunk

— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) November 13, 2019

When Punk declined and said on WWE Backstage that Rollins should delete his Twitter account, Rollins doubled down:

HELL of a “response.” 🙄. Coward. https://t.co/kJ9vKm3zhI

— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) November 20, 2019

Punk has said on multiple occasions that his deal for WWE Backstage is through Fox and not WWE, which means there are seemingly no plans in place for him to return to in-ring competition for the first time since 2014 as of now.

If Punk does return, Rollins would be a logical opponent, especially since Rollins appears to be in the process of turning heel if he hasn't completely turned already.

Rollins ran down the entire Raw roster for their performance at Survivor Series and then fought Kevin Owens to a DQ finish in the main event when AOP attacked. AOP left Rollins unscathed, and Rollins closed the show by hitting Owens with a stomp.

The crowd reaction has been hugely negative for Rollins lately, and if Punk ever does decide to come back to WWE, Rollins would generate the desired amount of heat as his opponent.

   

Lana Reportedly Re-Signs with WWE

Lana reportedly signed a new, five-year contract with WWE on Tuesday, according to Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet.

Satin added that Lana's real-life husband and on-screen rival, Rusev, has yet to sign a new deal and is still in contract talks with WWE.

As part of Lana's contract, she will reportedly be permitted to take time off to pursue other projects, including acting jobs.

The 34-year-old Lana has been under contract with WWE since 2013. She began as Rusev's manager in NXT, and they were later called up to the main roster together. Lana eventually became an in-ring performer as well beginning in 2016, although she has only wrestled twice in 2019.

Currently, Lana is involved in a storyline with Rusev and Bobby Lashley. As part of the angle, Lana left Rusev for Lashley, filed a restraining order against Rusev and also filed for divorce.

On Monday, Rusev interrupted a match between Lashley and Titus O'Neil before getting arrested for violating the terms of his restraining order.

While the storyline has been widely panned by critics, it has been a key part of Raw for the past few months and has also garnered a lot of viewership on YouTube.

Lana re-signing suggests she is happy with how the angle has played out, and if Rusev is negotiating with WWE as Satin reports, he may be pleased with it as well.

   

WWE Announces Matches for Starrcade Event

WWE announced two matches on Tuesday for Sunday's Starrcade event in Duluth, Georgia.

The Kabuki Warriors will defend their WWE Women's Tag Team Championships in a Fatal 4-Way against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and Bayley, and Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss. Also, the rivalry between Rusev and Lashley will reach new heights in a Last Man Standing match.

Starrcade is technically a live event, but it will stream live on WWE Network on Sunday beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

WWE has made Starrcade a WWE Network event over the past few years, and although it generally hasn't had much of an impact on the storylines or featured any title changes, it has created some memorable moments.

The Fatal 4-Way women's tag team match has a chance to be one of the best matches in recent memory, as many of the most successful women in WWE history are part of the match.

Also, while the Rusev vs. Lashley feud has been criticized often, both men are remarkable athletes and could do something special in the hardcore environment.

More matches are likely to be announced this week, but the early indication is that Starrcade should be a strong show worth watching on the Network.

   

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).