Tough Enough Press Release.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

Vince McMahon Looking For The Next Triple H Or Rock

 

That's his goal for the Tough Enough winner

WWE issued the following press release today regarding Tough Enough.

 

World Wresting Entertainment Announces $1,000,000 Tough Enough To Find The Next WWE Superstar

 

Winner Receives A WWE Talent Contract Worth up to $1 million and the Recognition of Being Tough Enough to be a WWE Superstar

 

STAMFORD, Conn., August 24, 2004 - World Wrestling Entertainment is bringing back the highly successful Tough Enough. The reality program that drew top ratings for MTV on Thursday nights will be a special part of WWE SmackDown!, and this time WWE will award someone a WWE talent contract worth up to $1 million.

 

After selecting the eight finalists for the $1,000,000 Tough Enough, the official competition will be held weekly on WWE SmackDown! on UPN (Thursdays, 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT) beginning this October. The eight contestants will train with Tough Enough Trainer Al Snow, and then appear on WWE SmackDown! to undertake specific tasks to show why they are worthy to be Tough Enough Champion. Each week, a contestant will be eliminated based on fan voting leading up to the finale on December 16 when the winner is declared.

 

"We are looking for someone to be the next The Rock or Triple H, someone with a great look, physical strength and charisma, who's interested in becoming a WWE Superstar," said WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. "Each week, these eight contestants will have to impress me and the millions of fans of WWE SmackDown! to prove that they are truly Tough Enough to be part of an elite group of WWE Superstars. In the end, only one of these contestants will be able to make that claim."

 

"Tough Enough was a terrific program for us when it was on MTV," said Kevin Dunn, WWE Executive Producer. "It exposed us to a wider audience in a memorable way. People kept asking when we would do another Tough Enough. We wanted to do something that would keep the franchise fresh as well as further promote our Thursday night showcase, WWE SmackDown!, and our TV partner, UPN. We think the one million dollar Tough Enough will fill the bill in an exciting and innovative way."

 

People interested in competing in the $1,000,000 Tough Enough can send a VHS containing 1 minute of material to WWE to demonstrate why they should be considered for the $1,000,000 Tough Enough. Tapes should be sent to: $1,000,000 Tough Enough, PO Box 1395, Stamford, CT 06904.

 

Deadline for submissions is midnight Wednesday, September 8. Applicants must be male, and age 20 or older. For more information, go to wwe.com.

 

Tough Enough competitors will be selected from three regional casting events held this Fall in Los Angeles, Miami, and Dallas, where potential competitors will be evaluated on athleticism, charisma and personality.

 

Credit: PWTorch.com

[Guest Nobody in Particular]

So they're using the same format here as the diva search.

[Guest Fook]

Apparently Vince hasn't considered looking at his own talent for the next superstar.

[Guest Anglesault]

So they're taking, on average, 45 minutes to an hour away from Smackdown every week.

[Guest Nanks]

The winner of this one is going to be hazed about 100000 times worse than any previous winners. It seems that on top of getting a bigger contract than any previous winner they're not even going to have to do the live-in training camp.

[UZI Suicide 0]

I think I'm going to actually want Hardcore Holly to go out and stiff the shit out of all of them.

[humongous2002 0]

The next Rock or HHH? Well WWE already knows that their Rock (Orton) and Austin (Cena) clones are not increasing any ratings or buyrates.

[CanadianChick 0]

The next Rock or HHH? Well WWE already knows that their Rock (Orton) and Austin (Cena) clones are not increasing any ratings or buyrates.

Yes, because both have been given so many oppertunities to increase buyrates with their PPV main eventing.

 

What? Orton's only main evented once and Cena hasn't main evented a PPV yet? Don't make comments like that if niether have been given the oppertunity yet.

 

You'd think that they would want to find the next Stone Cold, since he got them so much money and all...

[Promoter 0]

Yeah, I would think they would want another Steve Austin or Hulk Hogan. Those are franchises. So, is the Rock, but he left for hollywood. I don't think we need another Triple H. Who would he marry to get into the family?

 

So basically, Vince is looking for another Brock Lesnar type of situation here by giving someone big money and a big push over the whole roster who most likely won't have the same passion as guys like Benoit that have been busting their ass for years without complain.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

WWE News: Upset Staff, Tough Enough, Injury, More

 

Some WWE news items....

 

- Many of WWE's backstage staff, including members of the production team, are not happy with the fact that WWE is cutting costs (ie not giving them any raises or bonuses) while expecting them to work long hours. Many of these people came to WWE because it was their dream to work for the company and thus accepted lower salaries, but now are considering other options. With Vince & Linda McMahon increasing their pay each year, many are upset. This has led to many of WWE's backstage workers leaving the company over the past few months. [PWInsider.com]

 

- Chavo Guerrero was injured at the Smackdown taping yesterday. He had to be taken to the back on a stretcher. No other details on his injury are currently available. [PWInsider.com]

 

- Below is the card for WWE's 10/1 RAW house show in Portland, Maine:

 

Randy Orton, Chris Benoit & Eugene vs. HHH, Ric Flair & Batista

Edge vs. Chris Jericho for the WWE Intercontinental Title

La Resistance vs. Rhyno & Tajiri for the World Tag Team Titles

Shelton Benjamin vs. Chuck Palumbo

Victoria vs. Trish Stratus for the WWE Women's Title

John Jeter vs. Christian

Matt Cappotelli vs. Tyson Tomko

Maven vs. Simon Dean

The Hurricane vs. Mark Magnus

 

- WWE will be interviewing potential Tough Enough contestants on 9/23, 9/30, and 10/7 in Los Angeles, Miami, and Dallas. Here is a description of what they are looking for:

 

"Fan-voting WWE segment during WWE Smackdown! Winner gets $1,000,000.[MALES] Looking for athletic and charismatic males only. 20 years and older. TV taped casting special semi-finalists. You will train and perform on national TV. Typical week, train Friday thru Mon, travel to taping city, perform Tuesday, and head home Wednesday. All finalists will appear on national TV Smackdown! Must be willing to offer 10 weeks of time. Show will be an in segment promotional production of Smackdown! Chance to win a contract with WWE even if you don't win. 8 finalists will compete for the fans votes each week on Smackdown!. One person will be eliminated each week. Looking for athletic, strong and charismatic males. The finalists will not be living together in a reality show format."

[CanadianChick 0]

I didn't even realize it was males only.

 

If that doesn't show where priorities are regarding looking for females and males to hire, I don't know what does.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

WWE.com's Michael Dworkis has two new stories online:

 

- A column looking back on SummerSlam's greatest IC Championship matches can be found here.

 

- A story on Mark Jindrak in the Entertainer's Basketball Classic can be found here.

 

Additionally, columnist Keith Elliot Greenberg discusses the human rights implications of the Lita situation,

and "This Week In Sports Entertainment" looks back at SummerSlam 2002. [Credit: WWE.com]

 

WWE Becoming Like A 'Police State', Note On Chris Nowinski

 

So many rules, you would think wrestling is an actual sport

As previously reported, WWE management has a strict policy that no WWE wrestlers are to get near or even socialize with the Raw Divas candidates in or out of arenas. Management wants to avoid any personal issues causing problems or even legal complications should the winner be involved with a wrestler at the time she wins. Along with the dress code, in-ring rules they're to follow as far as their match style (making Kurt Angle take less risks for example), and Vince McMahon's pep talk a couple weeks ago telling wrestlers there is no room for them to ask for any days off until business turns around has led to a feeling in some circles of the locker room that WWE has become a bit of a police state. This will probably affect morale in the locker room.

 

This Friday at the Minnesota State Fair, Christopher Nowinski appears at 4 p.m. at the secretary of state booth in the Education Building to sign autographs and promote registration and voting as part of the WWE's "Smackdown Your Vote!" Initiative.

 

Credit: Wade Keller, PWTorch.com

[Brett Favre 0]

Who the hell wants to be the next HHH?

[k thx 0]

I didn't even realize it was males only.

 

If that doesn't show where priorities are regarding looking for females and males to hire, I don't know what does.

I'd quite happily have females in Tough Enough if they'd let males into Diva Search.

 

It would have been fabulous.

[CanadianChick 0]

I'd quite happily have females in Tough Enough if they'd let males into Diva Search.

 

It would have been fabulous.

Shannon Moore would have made a great diva...

[Guest Anglesault]

I didn't even realize it was males only.

 

If that doesn't show where priorities are regarding looking for females and males to hire, I don't know what does.

I'd quite happily have females in Tough Enough if they'd let males into Diva Search.

 

Just inviting the return of Jeff Hardy.

 

Anyway, if we look at this logically, Linda said months ago that the actual training part would take half an hour of SD!. And, as we've seen from the Diva search, the stupid ass "specific tasks" can last anywhere from 10 minutes to half an hour.

 

They could be looking to chop SD! actual storyline show down to about 70 minutes.

[Guest syncer55]

Predicting the winning won't be abel to hack the tough schedule of the WWE. They should really invest that money in their current rosters to keep them from leaving or underperforming.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

WWE News: WWE and University of Miami Presenting Live Debate

 

Superstars, students, elected officials to debate Bush and Kerry's responses to Smackdown Your Vote! voter issues paper...

WWE Superstars, Students, Elected Officials To Debate Bush, Kerry Responses To National Voter Issues Paper For 18-to 30-Year-Olds In Live National Debate

 

World Wrestling Entertainment® and University of Miami to Present Debate on Wednesday, September 29, at the University of Miami

 

STAMFORD, Conn., Aug 26, 2004 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The voices of 18-to 30-year-old Americans will be heard at a presidential debate eve forum sponsored by WWE's Smackdown Your Vote! ®, a non-partisan campaign that has pledged to increase voter turnout of 18-to 30-year-olds by 10 percent in this election, and the University of Miami.

 

The first-ever Smackdown Your Vote! Debate will be held at the Gusman Concert Hall on the University of Miami Coral Gables campus, on Wednesday, Sept. 29, the night before the first in a series of debates between President George Bush and Senator John Kerry. The debate is being produced by the WWE in consultation with the Commission on Presidential Debates.

 

Current WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield and WWE Superstar and New York Times best selling author Mick Foley will be among those participating. Other participants, including students and elected officials, will be announced in mid-September.

 

The Smackdown Your Vote! Debate will focus on the answers given by President Bush and Senator Kerry to The 18-30 VIP, the first ever national voter issues paper presented by WWE and its Smackdown Your Vote! partners. The 18-30 VIP covers issues important to young Americans of voting age - such as the economy, Iraq, and education -- as determined by research conducted by various organizations, including Harvard University. Organizations that support the VIP are the Harvard Institute of Politics, MTV's Choose or Lose, the League of Women Voters, Rock The Vote, New Voters Project, Hip-Hop Team Vote, 18to35, Declare Yourself, Youth Vote Coalition, The University of Virginia Center for Politics, Close Up/First Vote, George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management, and the National Council of LaRaza.

 

"We want to show all the disenfranchised 18-30's out there that the candidates are taking them seriously, and that they can make a difference in the outcome of this election," said Layfield, who is co-chair of Smackdown Your Vote!. "The presidential candidates have responded to The 18-30 VIP, now it's our turn to respond to them."

 

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon said the debate will focus on issues in the election, and what needs to be done to effect change once the election is over. "Younger Americans have some excellent ideas on how to address the issues important to them, which we want to bring out in this debate," said McMahon. "More importantly, we want this debate to inspire more 18-to 30-year-old Americans to vote in this election so that lawmakers at the federal and state levels, when they take office in 2005, will pay more attention to addressing the issues important to this age group."

 

The WWE and the Smackdown Your Vote! partners have set the goal of getting 20 million 18-to 30-year-olds to the polls in November, an increase in turnout of two million, or 10 percent, for this age group from the 2000 elections.

 

In addition, the WWE, the Commission on Presidential Debates and the University of Miami are partnering to undertake a civic education initiative in the Miami area at local schools during the week of the Smackdown Your Vote! Debate.

 

The University of Virginia Center for Politics and its Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI) are using The 18-30 VIP and the debate as part of curriculum materials for 10,000 teachers nationwide. YLI conducts the largest secure on-line mock election in the nation in October, using electronic cyber-ballots tailored to each student's home congressional district. The 2004 YLI Mock Election will include presidential and congressional races in all 50 states as well as this fall's 11 gubernatorial races.

 

Smackdown Your Vote!, founded in July 2000, is a non-partisan approach to getting young people involved in the political process and registered to vote. Through Smackdown Your Vote!, WWE has collaborated with many non-profit, non-partisan organizations to engage 18-to-30-year-olds in the political process. including the League of Women Voters, the Youth Vote Coalition, Rock The Vote, Harvard Institute of Politics, MTV Choose or Lose, New Voters Project, 18-to-35, and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network. The collaborative program's goal is to get 20 million 18-to 30-year-olds to the polls in 2004, an increase of two million over the election turnout in 2000. In addition to conducting voter registration at WWE live events, Smackdown Your Vote! will visit high schools and colleges across the country conducting voter registration rallies. For information on the program go to smackdownyourvote.com.

 

The University of Miami's mission is to educate and nurture students, to create knowledge, and to provide service to our community and beyond. Committed to excellence and proud of the diversity of our University family, we strive to develop future leaders of our nation and the world. www.miami.edu

 

For a complete listing of events, and more information on the Presidential Debate at the University of Miami, visit www.miami.edu/debate04

 

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) is an integrated media and entertainment company headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto and London. Additional information on the company can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.

 

Trademarks: The names of all World Wrestling Entertainment televised and live programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans and wrestling moves and all World Wrestling Entertainment logos are trademarks which are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. All other trademarks and company names cited herein are the property of their respective owners.

 

SOURCE: WWE