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I don’t know what’s more shameful here: The fact that USA Network issued a bogus press release announcing that Donald Trump had bought World Wrestling Entertainment’s popular “Monday Night RAW” franchise? Or that publicly traded World Wrestling Entertainment participated in a scam that sent its share price down nearly 7% at one point on Tuesday? The USA Network (which is part of NBC Universal and in turn publicly traded GE) issued its apology today, acknowledging that “there is no actual ‘sale’.” The phony release was supposed to promote “an ongoing story arc” on the wrestling show. But the release sure looked real, including both companies’ logos as well as real contacts and phone numbers at WWE and USA Networks for reporters and investors to call. The release also included a quote from WWE Chairman Vince McMahon saying that Trump made an undisclosed offer that “I couldn’t refuse”. And Trump was quoted as promising to reward the RAW’s fans by airing the next show this Monday “live and commercial free”. News organizations took it at face value; TV Guide posted a story based on the press release shortly after it was issued. And FoxBusiness.com posted the release itself. Doesn’t the SEC consider it a crime for public companies to mislead investors?
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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I believe that it is possible for Vince McMahon to sell the RAW brand or any brand he wants to sell to someone else. For the record, all the RAW brand Wrestlers do is appear on their own show, house shows that aren’t televised, and Pay Per Views that feature all brands of WWE wrestling. Once in a while the brands may intermix with each other at the Wrestlemania or Royal Rumble events.
The fact that WWE “sold” RAW to Donald Trump shows that it is a work because Donald Trump is a big wrestling fan. Yes he did appear on WWE Television in an angle that resulted in the Wrestlemania 23 Hair vs Hair match, but he also hosted two Wrestlemanias in the late 1980′s to early 1990′s. This was before Vince McMahon had a run in with the federal courts.
I seen the press release and I stand by the fact that NBC Universal is the one to blame for the press release. They have about as much right to the WWE logo as they do to the Olympic Rings logo or the NFL Logo. Yes pro wrestling is fake, but NBCU is a rights holder as with the NFL and Olympics and has the right to publish their logos in press releases. The problem is that NBCU has committed slander and that will come back to bite them when the RAW and ECW contract rights come up for renewal.
BTW, I do know pro wrestling is fake and believe that 9/11 was an inside job and the President is an usurper. Also, Vince McMahon was presumed dead in a angle two years ago, but the real-life murder of Chris Benoit’s wife and kid and Benoit’s suicide scuttled those plans.
Seriously, anyone who thought this was real is a complete moron and idiot. I’ve been watching professional wrestling for over 30 years and Donald Trump has a long and storied history with McMahon having hosted Wrestlemania 4 and 5 in Atlantic City.
Come on. There is no crime here but the idiots in the media have to “blow up” the fun of enjoying the storyline once again, just like they did when Vince McMahon was blown up in the limo in Wilkes-Barre shortly before the Chris Benoit tragedy.
It’s pro-wrestling, it’s fiction. Why doesn’t fox news pick up Days of our Lives or Law & Order.
Great script and story writing, simple as that.
It’s entertainment folks, get over it already!
Wow, and “journalists” actually just regurgitated it, no questions asked? *facepalm*
Anyone who knows the slightest bit about pro wrestling knew this was a work.
It’s not like WWE doesn’t put out bogus press releases to prop up its storylines (ala the Vinnie Mac limo explosion or the McMillion Giveaway). I doubt they were trying to “mislead” investors, but clearly they gave the press too much credit.
Gotta admit I laughed my ass off at this one when I saw “reporters” falling for it all over the place. Say what you will about McMahon, but he knows his shit and how to get people talking about him and the WWE! Look how he managed to spin the screwup that was the Denver Nuggets’ double booking of their arena during the playoffs.
By the way, folks – the storylines are scripted; the results of the matches are planned ahead of time, and some parts of the matches are choreographed. But the physicality is about as real as it gets. I know people who have been in that ring, and I’ve seen the results first hand. And Owen Harte freaking died when a stunt went wrong – it’s like McMahon says – it’s scripted, not fake.
And, if you happen to be reading this, Vince – Triple H needs a haircut, and Jeff Hardy needs to lose the face paint. Just sayin…..
I’m with those who think the real morons are the so-called news outlets who couldn’t even bother to make a simple phone-call to do some fact-checking before just printing it.
BWAAA HAHAHAHA.
This is like when China ran stories from The Onion in state media.
Stupid gamblers.
FYI there were TV ads all over USA’s programming last night proclaiming The Donald now ‘owns’ WWE. As long as you’re tipping off the SEC about the press release mention the ads (they show Trump walking into the arena while what looks to be paper money rains down like confetti etc).
Really dumb promotion if you ask me.
Love the reference to Zimmerman in an earlier comment. That guy has a history of saying the wrong thing to the wrong people at the wrong time. Didn’t last long at Klores. WWE is like a last stop on the career train for PR people.
I believe the lack of responsibility lies in the media flacks at USA Network. If they hadn’t issued the “release” this story wouldn’t have blown up the way it has. I agree with others that mainstream media shouldn’t have run with the release with checking the validity. I will say it again…..Pro Wrestling is NOT reality TV
Its a wrestling tv show. Anyone who thought this was real didn’t bother actually looking into the story in any way. I would think even the news people by now would not fall for such a thing after getting burned by thinking wrestling stories were real such as Vince McMahon dying. Anyone who believed the WWE sold half their company to Donald trump is an idiot.
Ridiculous that no one in their right mind even attempted to fact check this Press Release in any way before going with it.
It just shows you how completely dead journalistic integrity is, and we have to now rely on folks more interested in re-posting crap from the AP before figuring out if it’s actually true.
I applaud WWE/USA for exposing the media as the unreliable sham they have become.
Walter Cronkite died yesterday, the irony is not lost.
I find the situation funny, since it’s clear to me that a surprising amount of stockholders in the WWE have never watched it. If they had, then prices would not have gone down 7%, as it would have been obvious that this was a storyline within the WWE.