Matt Hardy
TNA star Matt Hardy recently took some time for a quick Q&A session on Twitter and answered questions from fans using the “#MattIsTheTrueChamp” hashtag.
One question Hardy did answer was which NXT star he would most like to face; he answered (NXT Champion) Finn Balor. He also joked that they have a Twitter rivalry going on, stemming from the photo ‘battle’ which starting with Balor crotch chopping in front of the TNA Headquarters last week.
ESPN And WWE Partnership
Forbes’ Alfred Konuwa posted a new editorial looking at the recently announced ESPN and WWE partnership, which includes a weekly ESPN recap of WWE events.
Konuwa claims while this relationship is being met with criticism by some, the ESPN and WWE partnership is actually a great thing for both sides to benefit from. An excerpt from Konuwa’s column is as follows:
ESPN’s flirtations with WWE have drawn ire from journalists in the past. In April, Michael Bradley of the National Sports Journalism Center wrote a critical piece, entitled “Let’s hope media outlets remember what ‘E’ in WWE means.”
Contrary to that point, the “E” in WWE is identical to the ”E” in ESPN. That powerful letter has allowed the sports juggernaut to cover a wide range of competitive genres that now includes gaming, otherwise known as eSports.
Like any great partnership, ESPN and WWE’s relationship has the potential to fill needs that these entities cannot fulfill on their own. With highlights on ESPN’s flagship show, WWE becomes more mainstream, something it hasn’t been since the Attitude Era of the late-90′s. The underground stench of pro wrestling will slowly begin to dissipate, opening the door for more advertisers and sponsorship deals.
