World Wrestling Entertainment news stories on Newser

Pro Wrestler Gets 32 Years for 'HIV Assault'

Mary Papenfuss — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:26:00 CST

A professional wrestler has been sentenced in Ohio to 32 years or having sex with at least 11 women without telling them he has HIV—or lying that he was healthy. Andre Davis, 29—who has wrestled under the stage names "Gangsta of Love" and "Sweet Sexy Sensation"—was convicted...

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...

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...

Wrestling Legend 'Killer' Kowalski Dead at 81

Peter Fearon — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:00:25 CDT

Legendary pro-wrestler "Killer" Kowalski, who founded a famous school for aspiring wrestlers, has died at the age of 81, reports the Boston Globe. Despite his villainous reputation in the ring, Kowalski was a religious vegetarian who enjoyed classical music, philosophy and photography. He might have remained a wrestling obscurity but...

Candidates Climb Into the Ring

Sam Gale Rosen — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:20:26 CDT

The three presidential candidates have each recorded a stilted video for tonight's episode of Raw, the WWE show that attracts 5 million viewers a week. In the segments, intended to promote voter participation, the candidates do some grandstanding with goofball quotes, including Clinton referring to herself as "Hillrod," the AP...

The CW Smacks Down WWE

Michael O'Connor — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:00:00 CST

The CW network and wrestling show/ratings bonanza "Smackdown" are no longer a tag team, Variety reports. Speculation is that the network and World Wrestling Entertainment couldn’t agree on a price for the new season; the CW is also trying to foster a more feminine image. But it's a risky move...

Death Takes Down the Fabulous Moolah

Lucas Laursen — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 04:45:37 CST

Pro wrestling’s "Fabulous Moolah," 30-year champion of World Wrestling Entertainment, has died at 84. Mary Lillian Ellison was the first female wrestler inducted into the WWE’s Hall of Fame. When a promoter asked her why she wanted to wrestle, she answered: “For the money! I want to wrestle for the...

WWE Wrestles With Drugs, Lifestyle

Will McCahill — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:47:38 CDT

Chris Benoit's murder-suicide last June spotlighted the disproportionate number of early deaths among professional wrestlers; one activist has counted more than 60 dead before reaching 50 over the past 10 years. And a taxing, drug-addled lifestyle plays a big role.