MIKE TYSON ENTERS WWE HALL OF FAME

STAMFORD, Conn. January 30, 2012 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) announced today that boxing legend Mike Tyson will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, FL on Saturday March 31, 2012.

Tyson has a long history with WWE. In 1998, after a face-to-face confrontation with WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin® on Monday Night Raw®, Tyson was named special enforcer for the main event at WrestleMania® XIV between Austin and Shawn Michaels. In that match, Tyson declared Austin the winner, and delivered a knockout punch to Michaels. In 2011, Tyson made his WWE return when he guest starred on Monday Night Raw, teaming with Chris Jericho® against Shawn Michaels and Triple H®. Tyson joins comedian Drew Carey and notable sports figures Bob Uecker, William “The Refrigerator” Perry and Pete Rose in the WWE Hall of Fame.

“I am honored to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame,” said Tyson, “I was the youngest heavyweight champion of all time, but the most fun I ever had in the ring was with WWE.”

As one of the most iconic boxers in history, Mike Tyson was the undisputed heavyweight champion and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles. In addition to his in-ring accolades, Tyson is also a pop culture icon with roles in the blockbuster Hangover movies and the subject of the critically acclaimed biographical film Tyson. His new app, Mike Tyson: Main Event, is currently available on iTunes. For more information, visit his official website at www.MikeTyson.com.

Tyson will be inducted alongside Edge®, The Four Horsemen, Mil Mascaras and others at the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony Saturday, March 31 at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, FL. Tickets can be purchased at the AmericanAirlines Arena box office, www.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets or by calling Ticketmaster Charge By Phone at 1-800-745-3000. Additional inductees will be announced on WWE television over the coming weeks.

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 is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul 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/.

WWE ‘DIGITAL COMPANY OF THE YEAR’

STAMFORD, Conn., December 22, 2011 – The votes are in, WWE® and its Superstars are the proud winners of six 2011 Mashable Awards including being named “Digital Company of the Year” and “Must Follow Brand on Social Media.” The fifth annual Mashable Awards presented by Buddy Media is a community-nominated voting program that honors the year’s best in Mashable’s core content areas: Social Media, Tech, Business and Entertainment.

WWE’s 2011 Mashable Award wins include the following categories:
• Digital Company of the Year: WWE
• Must Follow Brand on Social Media: WWE
• Must Follow Actor on Social Media: Dwayne “The Rock®” Johnson
• Must Follow Athlete on Social Media: John Cena®
• Game of the Year: THQ’s WWE ’12
• Best Social Good Cause Campaign: be a STAR

“We are thrilled to be honored by Mashable and thanks to all those who voted for us,” said Jason Hoch, SVP, Digital Operations for WWE. “Over the past year, we pushed the social media envelope to further listen to and communicate with our fans in fun ways. With the constant evolution of social and digital media, it allows WWE and our Superstars and Divas to expand our interaction and storylines in new meaningful ways.”

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 is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul 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/.

WWE COMES TO RUSSIA FOR THE FIRST TIME

Moscow, December 21, 2011 – WWE® (NYSE:WWE) announced today that it will follow up on its success on Russian television with its first live tour stop ever in the country. WWE RAW® World Tour will perform at Luzhniki Small Sports Arena in Moscow on Wednesday April 11, 2012.

The WWE RAW World Tour will bring some of WWE’s biggest Superstars and Divas to the fans in Russia for all the live excitement. Among the talent slated to attend are: John Cena®, CM Punk™, Alberto Del Rio™, The Miz™, Kelly Kelly™, Eve™ and many more. WWE will be working with the Russian live events promoter SAV Entertainment who has previously brought such prestigious acts as Paul McCartney, U2, Britney Spears, Aerosmith and Elton John to Russia.

“This will be SAV Entertainment’s first experience of this kind of show and we are very happy to launch it in Russia together with WWE” said Nadia Solovieva, SAV Entertainment CEO.

“Following the success of WWE RAW launching on 2×2 this past February, we are excited to bring some of WWE’s greatest Superstars and Divas to our Russian fans,” stated Dominic Hayes, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, WWE International. “WWE has a strong and ever growing fan base in Russia and we are looking forward to further developing the WWE brand in the market with this live tour.”

Tickets will go on sale on Thursday, December 22nd, 2011 and can be purchased at: www.kassir.ru or by phone (495) 730-730-0

* Talent line up subject to change

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 is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul 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/.

About SAV Entertainment
The united group of companies SAV Entertainment and «Russian Show-Center» works in the sphere of show-business for 20 years and became the first private enterprise in the history of the Russian show business. At the moment the company is one of the biggest promoters and event organizers in Russia. For the past years SAV Entertainment and «Russian Show-Center» promoted more than 500 different events. A big number of international mega-stars such as Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Elton John, Metallica, KISS, Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Carlos Santana, David Bowie, Scorpions, Paul Young, ZZ Top and many others.

WRESTLEMANIA XXVIII SETS FIRST DAY TICKET SALES RECORD

STAMFORD, Conn., November 7, 2011 – WWE® announced today that first day ticket sales for WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami resulted in a record gross of $6.3 million, shattering the previous first day record of $4.8 million for the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania.

Tickets went on sale this past Saturday, November 5 for WrestleMania XXVIII, which takes place Sunday, April 1, 2012 from Sun Life Stadium in Miami. The main event will feature The Rock® challenging John Cena® in the most highly anticipated main event ever in sports entertainment history. The event will be broadcast on pay-per-view and viewed in more than 100 countries.

“We are thrilled that WrestleMania XXVIII has already made WWE history in such dramatic fashion,” said John Saboor, Senior Vice President of Special Events for WWE. “Coming off the momentum of last year’s record breaking event in Atlanta, we fully anticipate that this year’s WrestleMania in Miami will be our largest and most successful ever.”

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 is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul 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/.

Having WWE’s WrestleMania in your city is a good thing… Just ask the city of Atlanta.

We all know that WWE’s WrestleMania is a huge event, but did you know it is also makes a tremendous economic impact to a city?

The city of Atlanta quickly learned (according to a study conducted by the Enigma Research Corporation) as it was announced today that WrestleMania generated $62.1 million for the city.

This is a new record as this is a $17 million increase over WrestleMania XXVI.

The research also found that WrestleMania XXVII generated $7.8 million in local, state and county taxes.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said, “”We are proud to have partnered with an organization that not only helped significantly contribute to the economy of Atlanta, but also gave back to the community in a multitude of ways.  WrestleMania Week brought tens of thousands of fans from across the world to our great city and furthered Atlanta’s reputation as one of the sports and entertainment capitals of the world. We look forward to the possibility of hosting a future WrestleMania.”

WWE’s Senior Vice President of Special Events, John P Saboor said, “WWE is thrilled that the city of Atlanta and the great state of Georgia were the recipients of the largest economic windfall to date for WrestleMania. We would like to thank Mayor Reed and all of the public and private sector partners in Atlanta for embracing WWE and our worldwide fans, and for helping create an exceptional outcome for WrestleMania XXVII.”

A capacity crowd of 71,617 fans from all 50 states and 30 countries attended WWE’s pop culture extravaganza this past April.

Key highlights from the study included:

- $62.1 million of direct, indirect and induced impact derived from spending by
non-locals visiting specifically for WrestleMania XXVII.
- 75% of fans that attended WrestleMania were from outside the Atlanta area, with 61% staying three nights or more.
- The economic impact derived from WrestleMania Week equated to the creation of 621 full-time jobs for the area.
- 52% of fans that attended WrestleMania were between the ages of 20 and 34, 21% were under the age of 20 and 20% were between the ages of 35 and 49.

Next year, WrestleMania XXVIII will take place Sunday, April 1 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, FL. The main event will feature John Cena® taking on The Rock® in an epic encounter.

The event will be broadcast on pay-per-view, and viewed in more than 100 countries. Tickets go on sale Saturday, November 5 at 10 AM EST through all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

 

 

(WWE) WWE Suspends Heath Slater

STAMFORD, Conn., October 17, 2011 – In accordance with its Talent Wellness Program, WWE (NYSE:WWE) has suspended Heath Miller (Heath Slater®) for 30 days effective immediately for his first violation of the company’s policy.

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 is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul 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/.

-30-

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.

CEE LO GREEN TAKES THE STAGE AT SUMMERSLAM

STAMFORD, Conn., August 4, 2011 – Grammy Award winner Cee Lo Green will bring his modern pop-soul sound to the biggest event of the summer as he performs at WWE®’s SummerSlam live on pay-per-view Sunday, August 14 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Cee Lo’s new single “Bright Lights Bigger City” is the official theme song of WWE’s annual summertime extravaganza.

Critically acclaimed soul singer, songwriter, rapper and producer – Cee Lo has achieved commercial success as a member of Gnarls Barkley and Goodie Mob, and is now taking the world by storm as a chart-topping solo artist. His solo album “The Lady Killer” has garnered praise from the media and sold more than 15 million units to date. The infectious smash hit “Forget You” sold millions of copies worldwide with the official video receiving more than 57 million views on YouTube.

Most recently, Cee Lo joined Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine earlier this summer as a coach on NBC’s hit reality series The Voice. He is currently the host of Fuse TV’s Cee Lo Green: Talking to Strangers interviewing music’s most innovative artists every Wednesday at 11pm. Cee Lo has appeared on Oprah, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Saturday Night Live, Good Morning America, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and given memorable performances at the BET Awards in a tribute to Patty Labelle and The Grammys alongside The Muppets and Hollywood darling Gwyneth Paltrow.

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 is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore 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/.

WWE SUPERSTAR EDGE WILL GUEST STAR ON SYFY’S POPULAR SERIES ‘HAVEN’ FOR FOUR EPISODES BEGINNING FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, AT 10PM

NEW YORK – August 1, 2011 – WWE Superstar Edge will join the cast of Syfy’s popular series Haven for four episodes in the role of “Dwight Hendrickson,” beginning Friday, August 5, at 10PM (ET/PT), immediately following tag team partner Friday Night SmackDown at 8PM (ET/PT).

A former Army Ranger felled by a supernatural affliction in Afghanistan, Dwight puts his tactical skills to use in Haven as the mysterious “Cleaner.” Working in the shadows, he does the dirty work when it comes to covering up supernatural events — manipulating evidence, making things and people disappear — but when the new police chief (Lucas Bryant) reaches out to him, Dwight’s role expands and brings him face to face with the forces that nearly killed him on the battlefield.

In addition to the August 5 episode of Haven, Edge will guest star in the September 9, September 16 and September 23 episodes.

Haven stars Emily Rose as Audrey Parker. Eric Balfour co-stars as Duke Crocker.

Haven is based on The Colorado Kid from renowned author Stephen King and is currently in production in Nova Scotia. The Syfy original series from leading independent producer Entertainment One is co-commissioned by Shaw Media in Canada and globally via Universal Networks International (UNI).

The creative team behind Haven includes Executive Producers John Morayniss (Hung, Goodnight for Justice) and Noreen Halpern (Call Me Fitz, Rookie Blue) from eOne Television and David MacLeod (Legends of the Fall, The Ray Bradbury Theater) of Big Motion Pictures, who are joined by Lloyd Segan, Shawn Piller, Scott Shepherd (Stephen King’s The Dead Zone) and Matt McGuiness (Journeyman) as well as Sam Ernst & Jim Dunn (Stephen King’s The Dead Zone), who also developed the series.

Haven is produced by Entertainment One and Big Motion Pictures in association with Piller/Segan/Shepherd and airs on Syfy in the U.S., Showcase in Canada and internationally on UNI’s multiple Syfy Universal channels. Entertainment One controls the worldwide distribution rights to the one-hour series and concluded a deal with Germany’s Tele München Group (TMG) for the television rights in Continental Europe.

About Syfy
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com) and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 99 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

About Entertainment One
Entertainment One Ltd. (LSE:ETO) is a leading international entertainment company that specializes in the acquisition, production and distribution of film and television content. The company’s comprehensive network extends around the globe including Canada, the U.S., the UK, Ireland, Benelux, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Through established Entertainment and Distribution divisions, the company provides extensive expertise in film distribution, television and music production, family programming and merchandising and licensing. Its current rights library is exploited across all media formats and includes more than 20,000 film and television titles, 2,500 hours of television programming and 45,000 music tracks.

About Universal Networks International
Universal Networks International, the global channels division of NBCUniversal, is one of the world’s premier entertainment networks, delivering quality content and compelling brands to over 387 million subscribers in over 150 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia. The portfolio includes the brands – Syfy Universal, DIVA Universal, Studio Universal, Universal Channel and 13th Street Universal and now also, with the acquisition by Comcast Corporation, E! Entertainment Television, The Style Network and Golf Channel. These brands deliver a full range of entertainment experiences to local audiences across the globe. Universal Networks International also operates Movies 24 and has an interest in the KidsCo joint venture.
Universal Networks International is part of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.

About Shaw Communications Inc.
Shaw Communications Inc. is a diversified communications and media company, providing consumers with broadband cable television, High-Speed Internet, Home Phone, telecommunications services (through Shaw Business), satellite direct-to-home services (through Shaw Direct) and engaging programming content (through Shaw Media). Shaw serves 3.4 million customers, through a reliable and extensive fibre network. Shaw Media operates one of the largest conventional television networks in Canada, Global Television, and 19 specialty networks including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, History Television and Showcase. Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (TSX: SJR.B) (NYSE: SJR). For more information about Shaw, please visit www.shaw.ca.

WWE SUSPENDS PERFORMER SIN CARA

TAMFORD, Conn., July 18, 2011 – In accordance with its Talent Wellness Program, WWE (NYSE:WWE) has suspended Luis Ignascio Urive Alvirde (Sin Cara™) for 30 days for his first violation of the company’s policy.

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 is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore 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/.

RIP Randy “Macho Man” Savage

For any WWE fan (or WWF fan if you grew up around that time), Randy “Macho Man” Savage has entertained wrestling fans and being wrestling’s favorite bad boy. And one of the coolest wrestlers to watch!

TMZ has confirmed with Savage’s brother that Randy Savage lost control of his vehicle after suffering a heart attack while driving.  The accident occurred at 10:00 a.m. in Tampa, Florida.

Florida Highway Patrol told TMZ that Savage (58) was driving a 2009 Jeep Wrangler which veered to the median through oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a tree. His wife Lynn was a passenger in the vehicle and survived with minor injuries.

Savage recently celebrated his one year anniversary with wife Lynn.

World Wrestling Entertainment has issued the following statement:

WWE® is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the greatest Superstars of his time, Randy Poffo, aka Randy “Macho Man” Savage. Poffo was under contract with WWE from 1985 to 1993 and held both the WWE and Intercontinental Championships. Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends. We wish a speedy recovery to his wife Lynn. Poffo will be greatly missed by WWE and his fans.

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