SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
TORCH TODAY – Tuesday, February 23, 2016
– Shane McMahon is back in WWE. Not only back in WWE, but advertised for a match at WrestleMania. Not only back in WWE for a match at WrestleMania, but against The Undertaker. During Raw, WWE hard-sold that the match is going to happen with multiple replays of the opening segment and even a graphic!, but this has to be the start of an angle for Taker to face someone else, right? 67 percent of PWTorch readers voted in our poll that they think Shane is a placeholder against Taker. After all, it puts Taker’s character in a weird spot … at WrestleMania … in his home state having to decide whether to beat Shane or intentionally lose so that the McMahons lose control of Raw, something his character would not seem to care about. It’s jumbled at the moment, but WWE has five more weeks to sort it out (along with how to get Roman Reigns over as a babyface).
The other big aspect of this story is that Shane McMahon is actually re-involved in WWE. Shane was content doing his own thing outside of wrestling (which WWE incorporated into the angle last night), so it was surprising that he actually did return. It’s going to be interesting to see if Shane disappears after WM32 to go back to his own life, or if he actually sticks around to “run Raw” now that he’s back in the fold for the Road to WrestleMania. The bottom line is WWE needed a likable figure in one of the top two Mania matches. Shane fits the bill. A match versus Taker, though? This should be subject to change.
– On MMATorch.com: A huge blow to UFC 196 with Conor McGregor’s opponent, Rafael dos Anjos, forced to pull out due to injury.
– On PWTorchLivecast.com: On-Demand access to four full hours of post-game Livecast analysis of Fast Lane and Raw.
– TNA has their “Lockdown” special from London tonight on Pop TV. Included is Matt Hardy vs. Ethan Carter III for the TNA Hvt. Title. The duo were interviewed in-character at SI.com promoting the match. (LISTEN: ECIII on the PWTorch Livecast with Wade Keller last Thursday)
– WWE is running a pre-sale for the “Payback” PPV in Newark, N.J. on Sunday, May 22. The pre-sale code running through Thursday night is “WWEPC.” Interestingly, Ticketmaster lists the PPV event at Prudential Center as “Extreme Rules.”
– In WWE DVD news, the DVD release of Fast Lane is scheduled for March 29, Triple H will be featured in the NXT DVD scheduled for release on March 15, and WWE is planning a “steelbook” release for the Dudleys’s DVD on April 12. (Reports via WrestlingDVDNetwork.com)
– Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon is still working behind the scenes during the Presidential election season. Linda has not decided which Republican candidate she will endorse, reports the Hartford Courant. Linda unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in Connecticut in 2010 and 2012 on the Republican ticket.
– The Miz and WWE executive John Saboor were part of a ceremony at Full Sail University in Florida over the weekend awarding seven $10,000 scholarships to FSU students. As part of WWE’s partnership with FSU over the past three-plus years, WWE has awarded $250,000 in scholarships to students. (Miami Herald Report)
– Also in Florida, “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson began filming scenes for the “Baywatch” movie. Filming is also scheduled for Georgia in March. The Daily Mail published a number of photos from the shooting featuring Rock hanging with co-star Zac Efron.
– There is still no timetable for when Global Force Wrestling TV episodes will be available for viewing – whether through a traditional cable outlet or digital streaming service. GFW star Sonjay Dutt told the “Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling” podcast that the company is “trying to figure out what the best route is.” Dutt suggested any announcement will come later this year.
“I think that the further along we get here in this year, the more announcements we are going to be able to make and hopefully sooner then later we can get our content on television and really show wrestling fans how we are trying to be different and what type of program we are trying to present,” Dutt said.
– The Crockett Foundation, a non-profit organization helping retired military veterans, has started a cause called “Tag Team Partners.” Included are Ricky Steamboat, Baby Doll, and the Rock ‘n Roll Express.
“When the Crockett Foundation approached me about their cause it was an instant yes for me,” said Ricky Steamboat. “People don’t realize how many veterans are coming back from duty and have absolutely no assistance, we are going to do everything we can to change that.” (Donations & Merchandise supporting the cause can be found at CrockettFoundation.com)
– Filsinger Games has released a wrestling/science fiction wrestling show promoting the start of their “Galactic Wrestling Federation.” The debut show, titled “Champions of the Galaxy: The Live Event,” is available for purchase at ChampionsofTheGalaxy.com.
– 2K Sports announced the “2015 Hall of Fame Showcase Pack” now available for download for the “WWE 2K16” video game. The DLC is available for $9.99 featuring the roster and select matches from last year’s WWE HOF. Included is Randy Savage vs. Jake Roberts, The Outsiders vs. Harlem Heat, Ric Flair vs. Tatsumi Fujinami, and more.
– The latest edition of wrestling artist Rob Schamberger’s painting series features WWE women’s star Becky Lynch.
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