So, has anyone credible reported that Reigns failed a drug test? All I've seen is the unsourced post on Reddit.

No one else has even commented on it. The guy who posted it did a good job of creating a story, but I don't think it's true.

Well I was completely wrong....not the first or the last time that will happen

 

Per Meltz

 

 

 

One person familiar with the situation as it was going down said Mendez wrote what she did on her own, it wasn’t an angle and the company was completely blind sided by it. Stephanie was absolutely furious at being shown up and made to look bad by one of their own employees, but that seeing the big picture, Vince McMahon ordered Stephanie to respond in the way she did. The only thing the company could do under the circumstances was to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible, because stories about unequal treatment of women starting to get out are can’t wins, similar to the company’s quick attempts of late to quell charges about being racist to Latinos.

Regarding Brock.....also from Meltz

 

 

Brock Lesnar was scheduled for the 2/23 television show in Nashville. Lesnar was there and was scheduled to be on the show. He was advertised all along in local marketing. Why WWE fails to advertise Lesnar on the TV show before his occasional appearances is a crazy question. But they don’t. Instead, they seem to feel it’s more effective to break the news just before show time. So on Twitter, and the web site, as well as in an ad that played on the USA Network, all in the last 20 minutes or so before the start of the show, they started pushing Lesnar would be on the show.

Of course, he wasn’t. This is what we do know. Lesnar flew into Nashville and was there when the show started. There was a business disagreement between Lesnar and Vince McMahon, related to negotiations regarding Lesnar signing a new contract. Speculation that the negotiations included Lesnar wanting to do a UFC fight while under his next WWE contract were not part of this at all. It was only related to the offer and terms of the new contact itself.

The situation, which was not settled at press time, could be settled quickly and perhaps even easily but right now the two sides are at a key impasse related to the new deal and neither side wants to be the one to back down.

What that disagreement was over has been kept secret, but we were told it was all business and had nothing at all to do with current or future creative. The business dispute related to why he didn’t appear on the show, and the company was forced to change its scripting. Lesnar left the arena while the show was going on and flew home. There were reports that he flew on his private jet, but that’s incorrect. When Lesnar comes to WWE shows, the WWE provides him a private jet from his home and back to his home as one of the stipulations of his contract.

 

Well I was completely wrong....not the first or the last time that will happen

 

Per Meltz

 

 

 

One person familiar with the situation as it was going down said Mendez wrote what she did on her own, it wasn’t an angle and the company was completely blind sided by it. Stephanie was absolutely furious at being shown up and made to look bad by one of their own employees, but that seeing the big picture, Vince McMahon ordered Stephanie to respond in the way she did. The only thing the company could do under the circumstances was to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible, because stories about unequal treatment of women starting to get out are can’t wins, similar to the company’s quick attempts of late to quell charges about being racist to Latinos.

 

 

 

Now I have this image of a stern Vince looking over Steph's shoulder while she huffs, puffs and types

There must be huge resentment in the back towards Lesnar, especially if they perceive he isn't drawing well and making them more money through a trickle down effect. One of the biggest complaints workers have about WWE is the endless, tiring traveling and you have them laying on a private jet for Brock straight to his front door.

 

 

Well I was completely wrong....not the first or the last time that will happen

 

Per Meltz

 

 

 

One person familiar with the situation as it was going down said Mendez wrote what she did on her own, it wasn’t an angle and the company was completely blind sided by it. Stephanie was absolutely furious at being shown up and made to look bad by one of their own employees, but that seeing the big picture, Vince McMahon ordered Stephanie to respond in the way she did. The only thing the company could do under the circumstances was to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible, because stories about unequal treatment of women starting to get out are can’t wins, similar to the company’s quick attempts of late to quell charges about being racist to Latinos.

 

 

 

Now I have this image of a stern Vince looking over Steph's shoulder while she huffs, puffs and types

 

 

 

The idea that Vince had to be the voice of reason here is just so hilarious to me.

The brand is god

I'm so used to her gimmick name I didn't even realize how bad it would have been for anyone in WWE to put April MENDEZ on blast after the whole Alberto deal.

Y'all are the biggest marks on earth, Jesus Christ

 

 

Well, you were wrong.

I don't blame him too much. If something feels like a work and smells like a work, it's usually a work. That's just wrestling logic. It's just that we're in a different age, where there are things that trump wrestling logic, and generally, Stephanie having the public perception of being a strong working mother businesswoman who plays a bad guy on TV is more important to the WWE brass than any angle possibly could be.

 

I do blame him for being a jerk about it though.

I don't even think it's a negative to be referred to as a mark anyway. Of course we're all marks, that's why we're here. That's why we still care. I like if I can still get worked every now & then, or get sucked into the story of a match still. With as jaded & pessimistic as I always am, it's refreshing to get caught up in the moment of a show/match or still be genuinely surprised by something.

 

Y'all are the biggest marks on earth, Jesus Christ

 

 

Well, you were wrong.

 

seems that way. apologies if that's the case. though I wouldn't be at all surprised if Meltzer is getting worked too. Wouldn't be the first time.

There must be huge resentment in the back towards Lesnar, especially if they perceive he isn't drawing well and making them more money through a trickle down effect. One of the biggest complaints workers have about WWE is the endless, tiring traveling and you have them laying on a private jet for Brock straight to his front door.

so long as they have the mentality of resenting a guy like lesnar rather than resenting the company then those conditions are never going to change for them. don't hate the player, hate the game, etc.

You never hear of any resentment about Lesnar though, while the resentment towards The Rock has been widely reported. I really think Lesnar has had an easier ride backstage because of his MMA success.

Digging the resurgance of mid 2000's SmackDown guys on NXT! The Brian Kendrick came back last night and looked decent against Finn Balor. Rhino's cut a promo backstage, so he's not just a one time thing.

 

Crossing my fingers for a Chris Masters run!

Crossing my fingers for a Chris Masters run!

 

You know, I was thinking exactly the same thing. Really looking forward to seasoned good hands getting a second bite of the apple in the NXT environment.

Stephanie was absolutely furious at being shown up and made to look bad by one of their own employees, but that seeing the big picture, Vince McMahon ordered Stephanie to respond in the way she did. The only thing the company could do under the circumstances was to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible, because stories about unequal treatment of women starting to get out are can’t wins, similar to the company’s quick attempts of late to quell charges about being racist to Latinos.

 

Way to diffuse the situation, Vince. You made your daughter - and by extension, your company - look so ridiculously bad, that people assumed the most logical explanation for what she did was that she was running an angle for Wrestlemania, because no one other than a wrestling heel would have that little self-awareness. God, this guy sucks. I know a lot of people just lose their touch as they get older, but when you look at the gulf between Vince then and Vince now, are we sure he wasn't abducted by aliens? I'd like to think real Vince is still out there working as some kind of cool space outlaw, and this sad old man is just a pod person.

I don't know, trying to co-opt the #GiveDivasAChance movement for yourself isn't the worst possible strategy in this situation. I don't have any faith at the execution by a creative team predominantly ran by middle-aged men, but paying lip service to change is about the only thing they could immediately do, outside of the UFC strategy of leaking pay information about the complainant.

I don't know, trying to co-opt the #GiveDivasAChance movement for yourself isn't the worst possible strategy in this situation. I don't have any faith at the execution by a creative team predominantly ran by middle-aged men, but paying lip service to change is about the only thing they could immediately do, outside of the UFC strategy of leaking pay information about the complainant.

That. If they could co-opt it well, that would be one thing. They couldn't, and they were better off not bothering.

I'm not really surprised Stephanie had to be cajoled into a diplomatic response. She's a great heel, but sometimes a genuine nasty streak comes out on TV. Her promos when Heyman first returned and that Dusty/HHH promo come to mind.

Brock looks like he's gone:

 

http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/2/26/8111563/lesnar-reaches-contract-impasse-with-wwe

Stephanie is her father's daughter at times.

 

The thing about this is if there was no response at all the story would've been all on AJ

Brock looks like he's gone:

 

http://www.mmafighting.com/2015/2/26/8111563/lesnar-reaches-contract-impasse-with-wwe

 

It sounds like there was an argument over a contract extension Monday night. All seems part of the negotiation process other than its impact on Raw this week. Otherwise, not seeing signs that Lesnar's next move is any clearer than it was a month ago.

Steph and HHH were both elected to the board of directors today, per the Torch.