professional wrestling news stories on Newser

Wrestling's Dark Side Dogs McMahon Run

Emily Rauhala — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 06:51:00 CDT

Linda McMahon, GOP Senate hopeful in Connecticut , vows to bring the "real world experience" of running the wrestling powerhouse WWE to the political arena. Though politics and stunt fighting may seem an amusingly apt fit, the New York Times reports that McMahon's spectacularly successful empire has a seriously dark side,...

Wrestlers Smack Down McMahon Senate Run

Harry Kimball — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:40:14 CST

A raft of former WWE wrestlers hope some well-aimed punches at ex-CEO Linda McMahon will send her Senate campaign to the mat. In addition to not providing health coverage—the wrestlers are independent contractors—they fault McMahon, a Connecticut Republican running for Chris Dodd's seat, for coarsening the spectacle. "The...

Wrestling Dynamo Captain Lou Dead at 76

Nick McMaster — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:00:43 CDT

“Captain” Lou Albano, a professional wrestler who also enjoyed success as a mainstream entertainer, died today at 76. Starting in the late '50s as one-half of tag team “the Sicilians,” Albano’s wrestling career spanned four decades. With his signature look—Hawaiian shirt, rubber-band goatee—and a landmark decision to mix...

GOP Lukewarm on Wrestling CEO's Senate Bid

Nick McMaster — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:44:12 CDT

With Linda McMahon eying him as the ultimate takedown of her takedown-filled career, Sen. Chris Dodd has reason to be nervous. The former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment has sharp business acumen, star power—and, perhaps most significantly, $30 million she’s willing to spend to wrest his Connecticut Senate seat...

WWE Offers Kanye $10M to Get Into Ring

Will McCahill — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:23:36 CDT

World Wrestling Entertainment has offered Kanye West nearly $10 million to step into the ring, sources tells MediaTakeOut.com. The rapper, swamped by a wave of disastrous publicity following his award-show interruption of country star Taylor Swift, would be on the hook for some “light wrestling” in three events under...

Wrestling CEO Linda McMahon to Run for Senate

Kevin Spak — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:44:10 CDT

In an announcement sure to inspire a barrage of “stepping into the ring” cracks, Linda McMahon, wife of Vince McMahon and until now CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, is seeking the Republican nomination to take on Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, the Hartford Courant reports. McMahon promised to be “a different...

Rourke Will Wrestle Off-Screen

Nick McMaster — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:02:14 CST

Mickey Rourke will take his character from The Wrestler to the off-screen world of pro wrestling, Wrestling Online reports. Rourke will appear at WrestleMania 25 in Houston on April 5, challenging star Chris Jericho. “The boys from the WWE called me and asked me to do it,” Rourke said. “Chris...

Indie Wrestlers Hope for Big Time

Matt Cantor — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 11:00:00 CST

The WWE isn’t the only pro-wrestling battleground: Outside the mainstream are several indie wrestling leagues where lesser-known fighters can duke it out, the Wall Street Journal reports. There’s little pay—sometimes only $25 a night—and crowds can range from 20 to 18,000, says one contender. But there’s plenty...

WWE Comes Out Swinging in Japan

Drew Nelles — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 19:13:19 CDT

Move over, sumo. WWE is pushing hard into Japan, tailoring its blend of sport and spectacle to this key Asian market, AP reports. The company opened a Japanese office this year—its only overseas outpost devoted to a single country—and now 35,000 Japanese users subscribe to WWE’s mobile...