WWE Adding Content to Network? – There is talk over Progress and Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW) being added to the network for a good 18 months or so.  The deal was mentioned in an investors call but that was the end of it for a while.  Now Meltzer is noting that the announcement of the promotions joining the network may be announced around the time of the WWE UK Title #1 Contender Tournament in June 18th and 19th.

Triple H himself was quoted by The Mirror as saying;

While we are there at this UK event at the Royal Albert Hall, we will be making some announcements about the future of the UK Championship brand there in the UK and moving forward.  That brand still remains very near and dear to me and it’s something I want to move on. It’s taking a little bit longer than I anticipated in getting things done and getting them done in the way I want them to get done … but it’s happening. It will be meaningful to everybody there and I look forward to showcasing the UK talent to the world.

Vince Targeting Revived Promotion? – In what can only be a story about Vince McMahon, Vince hates wrestling.  We know this.  His desire to squash up and coming promotions by burying talent deep in the minors for years is a fetish of his.  So when news came out today from Dave Meltzer that WWE was targeting talent that MLW wrestling was using for their Friday Night shows which air on beIN Sports, I don’t think anyone was surprised.  While no talent have been named yet, the idea that the WWE is trying to poach the biggest stars from other promotions in order to cripple the promotions is not new, and something that Samoa Joe actively endorses.  Because Joe doesn’t want people to make a living wage away from the WWE.

Here’s were it gets super sketchy.  The talent they approached told the WWE they were signed, and those with the WWE still told the talent to come to tryouts, and be around the system.

Wrestlers, do better.  Stay away from any promotion that has a “system”.  You’ll never be more valuable than you are away from the WWE.

NJPW Star’s Movie Trailer Debut – Hiroshi Tanahashi, the Ace of NJPW, broke the hearts of women everywhere last year when he cut his legendary locks for an upcoming movie roll.  The roll was that as the villainous wrestler, The Cockroach in the upcoming Japanese film “My Dad is a Heel Wrestler”.  The film features Tanahashi’s character having to adapt a heel persona, and his son finding out, crushing his image of his father.  There’s the typical school yard bullying the child endures due to his father’s profession, some type of medical event that Tanahashi deals with and the usual family drama stuff.  It looks good, if you understand Japanese.

 

Quick Hits – CM Punk and Colt Cabana’s libel case against them, filed by Dr. Chris Amann (and backed by the WWE) will not be settled as some rumored, and will go to trial, as jury selection has already begun.  The WWE has began its search for the next installment of the Mae Young Classic.  Johnny Impact’s season of Survivor has a trailer.