Friday, September 29, 2023

Media Man Affiliates Blog: WWE SmackDown

Media Man Affiliates Blog


SmackDown preview, Sept. 29, 2023: Rey Mysterio defends his U.S. Title against fellow LWO member Santos Escobar





This Friday, Santos Escobar will finally get his chance at the United States Title as he takes on mentor and LWO leader Rey Mysterio.


The WWE Hall of Famer won the stars-and-stripes title after subbing for an injured Escobar, who had originally been slated to challenge Austin Theory just over a month ago.


With outside forces such as Grayson Waller attempting to stir the pot, Escobar requested the match with Mysterio on the Sept. 15 episode of SmackDown.


Which LWO member will leave with the gold? Find out this Friday at 8/7 C on FOX!


John Cena returns to SmackDown after a beatdown from The Bloodline


John Cena returns to the blue brand just one week after suffering a devastating attack at the hands of Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa of The Bloodline. 


The Greatest of All Time originally had AJ Styles in his corner for the fight, but Uso and Sikoa assaulted The Phenomenal One backstage and caused him to be stretchered out. 


They followed that up with an assault on Cena, leaving him down in a heap with their Fastlane tag team match contract laying by the fallen legend’s side.  


With Fastlane fast approaching, what will Cena do to combat his ruthless enemies? Find out on Friday Night SmackDown TONIGHT at 8/7 C on FOX!



The Queen of WWE faces Bayley in a reignition of their rivalry


This Friday, Charlotte Flair and Bayley will reignite their storied rivalry as the two tangle in singles competition for the first time since 2020.


This past week, Charlotte inadvertently cost Asuka the chance to win the WWE Women’s Title from IYO SKY, as Flair brawled with Damage CTRL’s Bayley.


Bayley has a slight edge over Flair in singles competition, as she is 9-8 against The Queen of WWE. The last time these two squared off, Bayley gained the win in a matchup on Raw in May of 2020.


Who will come out on top this time? Don’t miss SmackDown, this Friday at 8/7 C on FOX!



An irate Bobby Lashley joins “The Grayson Waller Effect”



Image credit: WWE



The union between Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits might be on shaky ground. Just as the new trio was rolling, The Street Profits lost to U.S. Champion Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar of The LWO.


This enraged The All Mighty, who stormed out in disgust and demanded they hand back their suits that he bought.


This Friday, Lashley joins “The Grayson Waller Effect.” How will Lashley respond to what happened between him and The Street Profits? Find out this Friday at 8/7 C on FOX!

(Credit: WWE)

Monday, September 25, 2023

Media Man Affilates Blog: News Media

Media Man Affiliates Blog



News Media


Showbiz News from Hollywood; Screenwriters reach tentative deal with studios to end strike


The show must go on - eventually, anyway! With or without a dash of AI et al.


The Writers Guild of America, which represents thousands of Hollywood writers, advised Sunday PM that it has reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with the major entertainment studios, paving the way to end the 146-day strike that has brought television and film production to a standstill. That's right - 146 days! That's some kind of record.


"The WGA and [Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Produces] have reached a tentative agreement," according to an online WGA statement that discloses that more details will follow after the contract language has been finalized...ink had dried, you know the drum.



Though the AMPTP trade alliance of major film and television producers has yet to comment on the development, WGA described the contract to members in a letter as "exceptional." It contains "meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership," it said.


The roughly 11,000 writers were demanding "economic fairness," streaming-service residuals and regulation on the use of AI (artificial intelligence) - take that, you bots!


"What we have won in this contract ... is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days. It is the leverage generated by your strike, in concert with the extraordinary support of our union siblings, that finally brought the companies back to the table to make a deal," it said.


The language of the contract was being finalized, it said, with guild members to vote on whether to accept it in the coming days.


Union members are being advised that "no one is to return to work" unless specifically authorized by the guild.


"We are still on strike until then," it said, though it was suspending picketing.


The Hollywood writers went on strike early May after negotiations with the studios and streaming services fell through, following six weeks of talks, which brought a halt to television productions.


Many insiders as well as regular consumers of streaming media shows and other had noticed a dive in overall quality.


In mid-July, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists joined the movement, shutting down any active studio productions.


The deal announced late Sunday does not mean the resumption of Hollywood productions, as SAG-AFTRA members remain on the picket lines, and WAG is encouraging its members to join in the actors' fight.


SAG-AFTRA issued a statement congratulating WGA on the deal it said it would review.


"We remain on strike in our TV/Theatrical contract and continue to urge the studio and streamer CEOs and the AMPTP to return to the table and make the fair deal that our members deserve and demand," it said.


The agreement was reached following a recent breach in a stalemate in negotiations, which began about mid-August.


The two sides were quiet until Sept. 14, when they said they had agreed to return to the negotiating table, and they have been hashing out a deal since Wednesday.


"After a nearly five-month long strike, I am grateful that the Writers Guild of American and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have reached a fair agreement and I'm hopeful that the same can happen soon with the Screen Actors Guild," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement.


"Now, we must focus on getting the entertainment industry, and all the small businesses that depend on it, back on their feet and stronger than every before."


The strike, which has waylaid productions for months, has hurt the bottom line of studios, with Warner Bros. Discovery telling the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this month in a filing that the strikes have "negatively impacted" the company by a cost of up to $500 million. Some folks in and around the biz are pleased that that likes of a somewhat "woke and broken" Disney had lost so much money.


Under the watercooler Media heard, "More about fairness, distribution of funds, and a fair days pay for a fair days work. We showed the world and this script kind of wrote itself"!



If 99pc of start-ups fail, how do AirTree and Blackbird make money?


Starting an ambitious technology company is undeniably hard, but fresh data suggests failure rates aren’t as high as parts of the industry say.


On a darkened screen, a line of text lays out the stakes for The New Hustle, a 2017 documentary series: “Over 92 per cent of start-ups fail. What separates those who don’t?”


Six years later, the production company behind that feature, Founder Films, was back with a new documentary series called Founder on the same topic. This time, the odds seemed to be stacked even higher against start-up founders. “Ninety-nine per cent of start-ups fail,” the on-screen text from the documentary reads.


Apparently, those six years were a grim time for start-ups, whose founders were portrayed as valorous figures surmounting almost impossible odds. Yet between 2017 and early 2022, start-up funding soared in Australia, giving even questionable firms war chests of cash to sustain their dreams for years.


Statistics requested by The Australian Financial Review from the country’s biggest tech venture investors suggest many more start-up companies are staying afloat than the most heightened founder mythology suggests.


The disparate figures reflect an industry that does not have a uniform definition of failure even as commentators contend that failure is discussed too harshly, or too much, or not enough. And they show how failure rates are deployed to either showcase investment performance or valorise founders.


Startmate, the long-running accelerator, has reported that 63 per cent of the more than 230 companies it has a stake in are still active. AirTree Ventures, the large Sydney-based fund that was founded in 2014, said its failure rate – defined using the fairly common rule of investments where it has got back less than it invested – is lower than 20 per cent. Company closures in its portfolio are even lower, at less than 3 per cent.


Blackbird Ventures, meanwhile provided data from its first fund, raised in 2013, where 25 per cent of the companies have closed down, compared with the same number of exits and 10 that are still operating. Square Peg, the third major Australian venture fund, did not make any data available.


Better than regular businesses


Those start-up failure rates compare fairly favourably to the economy as a whole. For the past four years, failure rates for all Australian businesses with staff have hovered around 8 per cent, according to data from the Bureau of Statistics.


But unlike small-business investors who want to preserve capital and grow slowly, venture capitalists bet on a host of companies hoping a small percentage will become enormously valuable in the knowledge many will fail.


That has led some start-up industry figures such as Finder founder Fred Schebesta to argue some high-profile failures should be celebrated to avoid discouraging founders.


James Alexander, a partner at early-stage investor Galileo Ventures, said he did not support the idea of “celebrating” failure, though he acknowledged that founding a business, whether small business or start-up, was very hard.


“Do I think failure is positive? No, I don’t,” Mr Alexander said. “I don’t think [failures] are positive, but I don’t think they’re anywhere near as bad as people make them out to be.”


Mr Alexander’s portfolio has four failures, defined as firms shut down or sold that returned less than invested capital, out of 18 bets. But he said that if one of those surviving companies became a super valuable firm akin to Google, “No one’s going to mind if we lose money on five, 25 or 30 per cent of the investments or even more.”


Founder Films, owned by the founder of $2.7 billion start-up SafetyCulture Luke Annear, declined to comment on its figures, but a spokesman pointed to a 2012 Wall Street Journal article reporting Harvard research that 95 per cent of start-ups fail to hit projected figures. The 92 per cent failure rate number is also all over the internet, with the figure derived from a 2011 report by an organisation called Startup Genome that no longer appears online.


Mr Alexander said that high failure rate figures were a reflection of the way venture firms sought out exceptional results.


“When people throw out these things like ‘90per cent of businesses fail’, I think usually they mean 90 per cent of businesses never become big,” Mr Alexander said.


Murray Hurps, who runs the industry survey project Startup Muster, did not provide data on failure rates because the varying definitions make it hard to collect. But he said that average failure levels were not as useful as understanding the proposition of investing or building an individual firm.


“There are many kinds of lower risk, technology-enabled entrepreneurial pursuits that entrepreneurs should be considering, and more today than there ever were before,” Mr Hurps said.



What Lachlan Murdoch told fundies in Sydney two weeks ago - September 23, 2023


Lachlan Murdoch’s been in and around Australian business circles for most of his working life, but had little to do with the country’s big investors. Until a few weeks ago.



A couple of weeks ago, Lachlan Murdoch, 52, broke cover with Australia’s investor ranks.


Not one to normally front Australia’s fund managers on roadshows, Murdoch was the headline attraction at a small and private dinner held only a few kilometres from his home in Sydney’s inner-east.


The small crowd were all fund managers – big name stock pickers from the larger institutional equities shops in Sydney – most of who had little to do with Murdoch or his father Rupert over the years, and some of who had never met him despite him being in and out of Australian business circles his whole working life.


Murdoch spoke off the cuff. There were no notes or powerpoint slides, no script and no minders, just an update on the family’s two businesses News Corporation and Fox Corporation, and where he wanted to take them.


Perhaps playing to the small crowd, he repeatedly stressed he was 100 per cent focused on creating shareholder value, according to those at the dinner. It was a friendly crowd; money is the name of the game in funds management, and fund managers tend to bow down to billionaires. He was valued at $3.35 billion on this year’s AFR Rich List.


He was clearly proud some of the investments he had overseen – high growth and conviction bets like News Corp’s $13 billion stake in REA Group, student loans business Credible and streaming business Tubi Corporation for example – and gave the impression of a hands-on and pretty passionate senior executive.


He travels back to US head office every second week from his home in Sydney, where his children go to school. When he’s in Sydney, he tends to work New York hours. That’s the sort of stuff that top Sydney money managers are glad they do not have to worry about.


There were no hints about what was to come and fund managers left the dinner not knowing that only a few weeks later, Murdoch would finally get the keys to his father Rupert’s News Corporation.


He was announced as News Corp’s executive chairman on Thursday night, the same role he holds at sister company Fox Corporation, while his 92-year-old father would step off the board and become chairman emeritus of both companies.


Changing of the guard


Lachlan Murdoch’s succession may end a tumultuous 12 months for the family’s two companies. This time last year, the Murdochs were planning to reunite their News Corp and Fox businesses, calling it the next logical step of the strategy that led the media billionaires to sell entertainment giant 21st Century Fox to Disney in 2017 for $US52 billion.


It was about bringing together live sport and news, two things that consumers want immediately and are arguably less discretionary than TV entertainment and movies – but the deal was off a few months later called “not optimal for shareholders of News Corp and Fox at this time”.


In reality, it also faced considerable backlash from investors including Sydney-based Airlie Funds Management, who didn’t want to see News Corp combined with Fox. News Corp owns the company’s stake in REA and Move in the United States, Foxtel in Australia, Dow Jones and HarperCollins, among other businesses, and trades at a significant discount to its asset backing.


Soon after, it also abandoned talks to sell its US digital real estate business Move for about $US3 billion ($4.4 billion).


Murdoch’s comments from the dinner were ringing through those fund managers’ heads on Friday, as they tried to work out what it meant for the future of the family’s media empire.


It was a timely introduction to a man who’s well known in media circles – there are plenty of former News Corp executives who’ll give their two cents worth and recount fronting him when they hadn’t made budget or wanted money for something – but less in local markets.


Those close to him say he’s been fronting investors in the US for a while, just not Australia. Fox Corp isn’t listed in Australia, while News’ ASX-listing is small.


One thing that stuck in the Australian fund managers’ heads were Murdoch’s remarks about M&A.


He said large media sector deals were hard to get past the antitrust regulator in the United States – which is similar to deals in every concentrated sector (banking, energy, tollroads) in Australia.


So, investors are thinking there is unlikely to be any giant strategic pivot in the near to medium term, at least, although are fully aware that deals (big and small) have been a big part of the family business under Rupert Murdoch and Lachlan has been at the table for plenty of them.


“Evolution not revolution” is how his backers were putting it on Friday, pointing out that he’s done a long apprenticeship under his father at News Corp and has been Fox executive chairman since 2105 (it was 21st Century Fox before a $US50 billion sale of its film production business to Disney) . It is still all about news, sport and digital, and looking forwards not backwards.


Closing the gap in value


The ASX-listed shares were up 1.9 per cent to $32.25 in Friday afternoon trade.


Murdoch junior’s most notable was paying about $10 million for a 44 per cent stake in realestate.com.au (later REA Group), following a direct approach from Sydney real estate agent and company director John McGrath, while others for the company include Credible, where loans are up three-times since News Corp’s acquisition, Tubi, which has tripled subscribers.


Of course, it has not been all winners. He’s still remembered for One.Tel, a telecommunications company that collapsed in 2001, and Channel Ten owner Ten Network Holdings, which went into administration in 2017. News Corp’s betting play is also in trouble.


One of his loudest supporters in Australian markets is Sydney stockbroker Angus Aitken, who is known for backing family-led businesses and was quick to tell clients that News Corp was in good hands.


“Lachlan Murdoch has the same entrepreneurial genes as his Dad and has zero to prove, he already has proved himself in spades,” he said in a 1400 word note to fund managers that hit inboxes as the sun rose over Sydney Harbour.


“Anyone who has heard Lachlan talk about these businesses knows he knows these businesses inside out and knows how to allocate capital and back people within these firms with that capital for the long term.”


He said Rupert Murdoch had turned a three-paper tiddler into $US100 billion of assets, if you add the market capitalisations of News and Fox (about $US30 billion) and some of the big asset sales (c$US70 billion). “It is hard to think of anyone who will replicate that in life.”


Lachlan Murdoch will likely struggle to create anywhere near that much value, but he also doesn’t have to. Investors will be happy enough if he can close the discount between New Corp’s share price and asset value – which funds like Melbourne’s L1 Capital have talked about for years. That discount was so glaring that stockbroker UBS for a while was putting out a regulator News Corp note, pointing out the difference between the sum of its parts and share price.


The bigger news on Friday was the end of the Rupert Murdoch-era, after a career stretching seven decades. Lachlan’s ascension to the top of both companies was telegraphed by his father in the past few years. Second son James moved to the fringes of the family business after the Fox/Disney deal in 2019.



'Take it over’: Perth lands WWE’s first Aussie event in six years - September 23


One of the world’s biggest sporting organisations is coming back to Australia for the first time since taking over the MCG in 2018.


The WWE will return to Australian shores for the first time since 2018 in February after the Elimination Chamber event was announced for Perth’s Optus Stadium.


After months of speculation, the sports entertainment behemoth announced that the 60,000 seat stadium would host the live event on Saturday February 24.


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The last time the WWE came down under was in 2018 when the Super-Show Down took over the MCG with Ronda Rousey stunning a packed house before Triple H pinned The Undertaker.


In the meantime, Aussie Rhea Ripley has become one of the sports’ biggest names and is expected to star as the WWE comes back to Australia, while Grayson Walker is also a near certainty to fight.


While the schedule has not yet been released, it will culminate in at least one six-man cage match with some of the promotion’s biggest names set to visit just one month out from WrestleMania 40.



Wrestlers Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods joined WA Premier Roger Cook for the announcement.


“These are set to be the hottest tickets in town and fans can pre-register and secure their spot from today,” Cook said.


“We expect the premium live event at Optus Stadium will be a sellout with thousands of east coast and international fans flocking to Perth, Western Australia to witness this exclusive show.”



The show is expected to reach an audience of one billion people worldwide and Kingston, who is one of the members of The New Day alongside Woods and Big E, said the Elimination Chamber could “totally change the trajectory of whatever is going on in the WWE landscape”.



“Two combatants enter and there are four pods with the other combatants within them,” Woods added.


“As time passes, one of those pods will open until all of their combatants are inside of the ring.


“And then the match officially begins and you lose by pinfall or submission until there is one combatant standing and they are the winner.


“And the reason that this is so intense is because you are waiting for people to get into this match.”


The wrestlers involved are expected to have community activations and meet-and-greets with fans, and Kingston said they “really come into a town and take it over”.


The WWE has recently merged with the UFC, which had a massive show earlier this year in Perth when Alexander Volkanovski lost a controversial bout to Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title.



Expend4bles


A new generation of stars join the world's top action stars for an adrenaline-fueled adventure in Expend4bles. Reuniting as the team of elite mercenaries, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, and Sylvester Stallone are joined for the first time by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy Garcia. Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables are the world's last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. But new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give "new blood" a whole new meaning.—Lionsgate



The Unbreakable Bunch


An Alien Force Came To Conquer - They Had No Idea This Bunch Was In Town.



Producers Ray “Glacier” Lloyd and Steve Luther Wilson, aka “Big Sexy” Luther Biggs, trained at the Power Plant and broke into the business about the same time. A decade ago, the two started talking about a movie.


“We had this idea,” says Lloyd, “What if a bunch of pro wrestlers had to step out of their wrestling world and into a fantasy world where they have to battle aliens?” 



“We’re both big fans of The Magnificent Seven, The Wild Bunch, The Dirty Dozen, and The Professionals. They were all ensemble casts, and most of them were somewhat diverse. We thought, ‘What if we could make a movie like that and celebrate the wrestling business?’” 


Most wrestling movies either focus on the dark side, or they go for the campy humor,” says Lloyd. “They make movies like The Wrestler, which was very good and yes, that is how some guys turn out. Or they make fun of wrestling and wrestling fans. We wanted to celebrate what’s great about being a wrestling fan and what’s fun about the business without making fun of it. We didn’t think that anyone else was going to make a movie like that, and even if they did, they probably wouldn’t get it right.” 




“The story changed a lot from that first draft, but we tried to stay true to the essence of the characters and what they stood for,” explains Lloyd. 



Ernest “The Cat” Miller

Stan Hansen

Tonga Uli’uli Fifita, aka Haku, aka Meng

Larry Zbyszko

Diamond Dallas Page

David “Gangrel” Heath. 



“An ensemble cast like this has never been done in a wrestling film.” says Lloyd. “We also worked with some great actors we cast in the non-wrestling roles. Nicholas Logan did a tremendous job in our movie, and he’s had some great roles before and after The Unbreakable Bunch. I’m excited to see where his career goes.”


“These are men like us who have their life together,” says Lloyd. “They have good jobs, a nice home. You also see how these guys come together to put on a show. It’s a team effort, whether it’s for one night or a tour. Then they all go their separate ways. That’s something we’ve never seen in a movie about wrestling, and we wanted to portray that.” 



“Wrestling is at its best when everyone can enjoy it,” says Lloyd. “A lot of the fans I meet at shows and convention are grown ups who were kids when I was first on TV. Now they’re bringing their kids because they want the next generation to enjoy wrestling like they did. There’s definitely some action, but we kept it to a PG or PG-13 level. We really want families to enjoy this picture, even if they don’t watch wrestling.” 


“We want this movie to be something that wrestlers and wrestling fans will be proud to recommend to people,” says Lloyd. “At the end of the day, it’s about camaraderie, loyalty, friendship. It’s about the noble side of professional wrestling.” 



WWE Hall of Famer Larry Zbyszko via aQ&A on AdFreeShows.com. In addition to taking fan questions, he also talked about the movie, “The Unbreakable Bunch” that Ernest Miller, himself, and several other wrestlers are in:


"Ray Lloyd, Luther Biggs, had been working their butts off for some years to get this movie going. They wrote it, and then they had to get financed. At the end of 2009, we filmed it and it really came out great. I mean, it's a movie about wrestlers saving a town from aliens, but it's not a wrestling movie. It's kind of a science fiction action movie with emotion and you'll find yourself laughing when you don't expect to. I mean, it was really well done. It's a family friendly movie. Nothing dirty, nothing raunchy. I mean, if you're not a wrestling fan, you're gonna love it too because it's not about wrestling. But it was really well done. I've been dying to see it. As soon as we finished it, like at the end of 2019 right before Christmas, a couple of months later this stupid COVID hit and slowed it down a little bit with the editing, but there was the guy alone editing in the booth. So it's finally all done with the editing and the sound and the music and the special effects, and I hear it's going to come out October 13th. I can't wait to see it."


Zbyszko talking about two movies he should have been in:


"I should have been in two big movies. I'll tell you a story quickly. Alright, 1976 or something I was wrestling in California a little bit. I was wrestling a man and I got a message to talk to some producer in the audience. So after the match, I went to talk to this guy. He said, 'Hey, I'm making my first movie. It's a low budget movie, but I'd like to have you in it because I like the way you look and move.' So I said, 'Okay.' So I went down to his office which turned out to be a crap hole and got a script and read it and I'm going, oh my God. Three weeks in the desert shooting this movie for hardly any money for the guy's independent little movie. It's eating babies and stuff. I said, 'Oh God.' So I nicely told the guy I couldn't do it. I was busy. It turned out the guy's name was West Craven and it was his first movie, 'The Hills Have Eyes.' It became a classic and I'm supposed to be it."


"Then some years ago in like the mid 80s or something. I got a message at the NWA office to call Jerry Reed. I'm thinking Jerry Reed? The only Jerry Reed I know is the country western singer, unless it's Jerry Reed the IRS guide. So I call this number and it's Jerry Reed the singer. He says, 'Son, you're my favorite guy.' We talked and he wanted me to be in the last Smokey and the Bandit movie they were going to make because Jackie Gleason just died and they wanted me to play the part of a young a**hole sheriff after the bandit in the last movie. But right when they were going to do the last movie, that's when Burt Reynolds went off the deep end taking all the Halcyon pills and getting divorced from Loni and getting wiped out, so they never made the movie. So I was supposed to be in the Hills Have Eyes and the last Smokey and the Bandit never happened, but The Unbreakable Bunch, I'm in like the whole movie and I can't wait to see the thing."


AEW WrestleDream - October 1, 2023.

Broadcast into Australia via FITE



Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.


Hangman Page vs. Swerve Strickland


AEW Tag Team Champions FTR defend against Aussie Open


ROH Tag Team Champions Adam Cole & MJF defend against The Righteous (Vincent & Dutch)


NJPW Strong & ROH World Champion Eddie Kingston defends both titles against ROH Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata


TNT Champion Christian Cage defends against Darby Allin in a two out of three falls match


TBS Champion Kris Statlander defends against Julia Hart


Will Ospreay, Konosuke Takeshita, and Sammy Guevara vs. Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, and Chris Jericho 



Additional matches have been added to next Sunday's AEW WrestleDream card.


Don Callis on Saturday’s Collision revealed that Will Ospreay will team with Konosuke Takeshita and his newest family member Sammy Guevara against Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, and Kota Ibushi. This stems from events that took place on Friday’s Ramapge, where Omega made the save for Jericho after Guevara and Takeshita jumped Jericho.


In addition, Christian Cage will defend the TNT title in a two out of three falls match against Darby Allin. On Saturday’s Collision, Allin had a three-way title match won between himself, Cage, and Luchasaurus when Cage posted Allin, allowing himself to pin Luchasaurus. In a backstage interview, Tony Schiavone told Cage he would be defending the title at WrestleDream.


Eddie Kingston in a promo revealed that he will be putting up both the ROH and New Japan Strong titles against Katsuyori Shibata at WrestleDream, saying that he wanted a match that would honor Antonio Inoki.



WWE PPVs


Saturday, Oct. 7

WWE Fastlane

Indianapolis



WWE Crown Jewel 2023

 November 4, 2023

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 



Saturday, Nov. 25

WWE Survivor Series

Chicago



WWE Survivor Series 2023

 November 25, 2023

Rosemont, Illinois (Chicago) - Allstate Arena



Lachlan Murdoch inherits a daunting to-do list. Observers are divided over how he will cope = 23rd September 2023



First among equals is how media mogul Rupert Murdoch once described his eldest son Lachlan, when asked about the succession plan at his global media empire. Now with Rupert’s retirement this week from the boards of Fox Corporation and News Corporation, Lachlan’s position at the top of the family-controlled empire is cemented.


However, 52-year-old Lachlan inherits a daunting task. He takes control of the global newspaper and television businesses as both face major challenges. He becomes head of one of the most influential American media companies as the US goes into perhaps its most important presidential election in recent history. And, his every step will be measured against his father’s legacy.



Former News Corporation executive John Cowley has no doubt that Lachlan is up to the task. “He was trained by the best. His father would have rubbed off on him, but he’s also his own man. He will do a good job,” Cowley said.


Lachlan’s first real job in the Murdoch empire was working for Cowley. It was three decades ago, when at the age of 22, he joined Queensland Newspapers as its general manager. Fresh from having studied philosophy at Princeton University, the young Murdoch would walk the newsroom floor with his shirt sleeves rolled up – exposing a tribal tattoo on his left arm – discussing stories with journalists, much as his father had once done.


Over seven decades, Rupert Murdoch, 92, built a global media empire from a single Australian newspaper. As his business expanded so did his influence and he became one of the world’s most powerful, polarising and right-wing businessmen, owning outlets such as Fox News, the Wall Street Journal, The Times, and The Australian.


R​upert pitted ​Lachlan from an early age against two of his siblings, older sister Elisabeth and younger brother James, to take over the family empire. ​


Lachlan, Elisabeth and James would come and go from the family business, vying for their father’s affection and at times falling out with him. But it would be Lachlan who would return to the fold and stay.​


The Murdoch family governs News Corporation and Fox Corporation through a family trust. Rupert has six children from three wives. The family trust owns almost 40 per cent of the voting shares in both companies.




Each of Murdoch’s children know how difficult it is being the progeny of a successful parent. Put simply, if the adult children of successful parents make good, it’s because of what their parents left them. If they don’t, people ask what’s wrong with them.​


This is what Lachlan is up against, even in his middle age.


Billionaire James Packer can sympathise, as he spent most of the first half of his life being compared against his father – the late media tycoon Kerry Packer.


James multiplied the wealth he inherited from his father. But then his publicly listed Crown casino business became embroiled in a Chinese money-laundering scandal. It was fined, and he sold it, and since then, has focused on private investments.


“Lachlan will do very well. He’s following in a legend’s footsteps, one of the biggest, being Rupert, and that’s never easy,” says Packer, who has been friends with Lachlan for more than three decades. “But I think Lachlan’s ready, and he’s the right man for the job.”


Not everyone agrees.


Rod Tiffen is an emeritus professor at the University of Sydney, who has published books on the news media, including about Rupert Murdoch. He’s critical of Lachlan’s rise to the top of News Corporation and Fox Corporation.


“The idea that a position like that should go by heredity belongs more in the age of Jane Austen than of the contemporary corporate world,” Tiffen says. “It might be okay for the corner store to pass from father to son, but a global corporation should be based on some sort of merit, and not just having the same surname.”


Lachlan becomes chair of News Corporation, which owns newspaper and real estate assets, and also the chair and chief executive of Fox Corporation, which owns Fox News and Fox broadcasting.


In 2019, Fox sold its $US71.3 billion film and television business to Walt Disney, predicting the streaming war that is now playing out, and which has cost companies such as Disney, Netflix and Amazon billions. It was a clever move hailed as Rupert’s crowning achievement.


However, it has left Fox much smaller than many of its peers, with a focus on news and sport. The broadcast and cable TV outlets in the US are declining, and Fox is also competing against bigger players such as Amazon, Netflix, Comcast, Disney and Warner Brothers in securing sporting rights.


The embattled news arm was also sued after broadcasting conspiracy theories and claims of vote rigging promoted by Donald Trump in the 2020 election. Earlier this year, Fox settled a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting systems for $US787.5 million ($1.2 billion). It is now facing another lawsuit from a voting machine manufacturer, Smartmatic, which is likely to be at the top of Lachlan’s to-do list to resolve.


​Another problem for Lachlan is that Donald Trump is shaping up as the most likely Republican candidate for the 2024 election, if he’s able to overcome the legal cases that he is facing.


However, it would be hard for Fox News to back him given Rupert has publicly criticised Trump and disowned him.​ And yet, much of the Fox News audience are Trump supporters. Fox News will risk alienating its audience more if Trump becomes the Republican candidate, and it doesn’t back him.


News Corporation has real estate assets such as REA Group and owns newspapers such as The Times, The Australian and the Wall Street Journal. The print assets are declining while the digital side of those newspapers has been growing, particularly the Dow Jones group in the US.


Matt Williams is head of Australian equities at Airlie Funds Management. It owns 2 per cent of the voting shares in News Corporation, which he argues remains undervalued. “Over the last ten years management have done a very good job with the Dow Jones business in re-aligning the business from being reliant on advertising to much more now a subscription-based business.”



He says Lachlan has been a good steward of News Corporation, and expects the strategy of that group to remain unchanged.


However, Tiffen expects there will be pressure to shut print newspapers when Rupert dies. “Everyone rightly goes on about what a terrific global media empire Rupert Murdoch has built. On the other hand, if you were writing his obituary now, you would say that he’s lost more money on newspapers than anyone else in history. And chances are that won’t continue after he dies.”


Tiffen expects that Lachlan will not make any significant changes to either Fox Corporation or News Corporation’s strategy while his father remains alive. “It’s much more likely that any changes will have to be after Rupert’s death, and then it’s quite unpredictable.”


The unpredictability is over whether Lachlan’s siblings who have voting rights in the trust – Prudence, Elisabeth and James – will be happy with his leadership of Fox Corporation and News Corporation, and the right-wing agendas they have pursued.


“In the short term, while Rupert’s alive, the other three children are going to be respectful,” says Tiffen. “But after he dies, then Lachlan’s relations with his other siblings will be much more difficult to predict.”


(SMH)



Rear Window - September 14, 1999


Kostya, TAB go down fighting


It had more celebrities than a Saturday night in Atlantic City. In one corner, "Break Even" Bill Mordey; in the other, Russian-born dynamo Kostya Tszyu and a gaggle of heavy-hitters including Packer confidant Theo Onisforou and Jeff Fenech.


Mordey won round one when NSW Supreme Court Justice Russell Bainton last year ordered Tszyu to pay $7.3 million to Mordey's Fightvision Pty Ltd for breach of contract, in the process describing the Russian-born boxer as a "spoiled brat".


Yesterday, round two ended with a TKO to Break Even, who managed to deliver a haymaker to TAB boss Warren Wilson. Having bought Sky Channel from Packer's Publishing & Broadcasting and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp last year, TAB will now have to partially foot a $7.3 million damages bill after three appeal judges found Sky Channel had induced Tszyu to breach his contract with Mordey.


Sky Channel will have to pay the costs of Fightvision's original claim against Sky Channel and its appeal in a result Wilson said was disappointing. TAB is considering whether it has any further legal avenues.


The stoush began when Tsyzu appealed against last year's decision, claiming the damages awarded against him were excessive. That prompted Mordey's counterpunch, appealing against the cases he lost to the other five defendants: Fenech, Sky Channel, Onisforou, Tszyu's new promoter, Vlad Warton, and Tszyu's company, Tszyu Enterprises.


The NSW Court of Appeal yesterday dismissed Tszyu's appeal. Mordey had a victory against Sky Channel, Warton and Tszyu Enterprises, but struck out against Onisforou and Fenech. Warton and Tszyu Enterprises will be back for a third round after the court ordered a new trial in relation to Mordey's claims.


Mordey and Fightvision had sought compensation from Tszyu for lost promotion revenue after the fighter breached his contract in early 1995 by agreeing to give Optus Vision or Sky Channel exclusive rights to broadcast his bouts.


In his judgement, Justice Bainton found Tszyu entered into a binding three-year contract with Mordey's Classic Promotions in 1992 and that contract contained an option of renewal for two years. The company wound up in 1993 and Fightvision took over its promotions.


Justice Bainton found that the renewal option in Tszyu's contract had been effectively exercised in January 1995, and that the boxer had broken that contract almost immediately.


Fightvision was entitled to recover from Tszyu profits it would have made from promoting his fights from January 1995 to January 1997 in total $7.3 million.


Room with a view? Er, I'll settle for the ground floor, thanks all the same


While travelling always presents its challenges, Rear Window's Tasmanian tourism operative appears to have struck an unusual problem while cycling through the Apple Isle.


During a bracing journey down the Midland Highway from Launceston to Hobart, our peleton wanabee sought refuge at a cosy bed and breakfast in the hamlet of Campbell Town, where the civic motto is: "Reaching out across the land, over the sea, through the air, towards the stars, Campbell Town is reaching out to you."


Noting the prominent "Vacancy" sign, our operative entered, only to be told by the landlady: "Sorry, we have no vacancies."


But what about the sign? "We haven't got around to making a `No Vacancy' sign yet. Getting the floors fixed comes a long way ahead of a `No Vacancy' sign in our priorities."


We'd advise getting a room on the ground floor.


Rupert shows UK interest but his ratings keep falling


Not content with wading into the murky world of Chinese-Tibetan relations, Rupert Murdoch has turned his hand to matters economic.


Murdoch has attacked the Bank of England in the wake of last week's surprise decision to lift British interest rates, expressing dismay that the central bank should be worried about the United Kingdom's 1.5 per cent economic growth when "the US economy is charging along at 4 per cent with no sign of inflation".


In an interview with London's Sunday Business newspaper, Murdoch also attacked UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, claiming Brown was "wrong" to give the BoE the power to determine interest rate policy one of the central tenets of central bank indepence worldwide.


"We elect governments to govern, not to give up power to faceless bankers," Murdoch reportedly said, highlighting his growing schism with the government of Tony Blair, who only a few years ago attended News Corp's Hayman Island executive love-fest.


Just last week, Murdoch was kowtowing to the Chinese Government, claiming he had heard cynics say the Dalai Lama was "a very political old monk shuffling around in Gucci shoes" and questioning whether Tibet a "terrible old, autocratic society out of the Middle Ages" had any culture before China invaded.


It is all reminiscent of Murdoch's comments at News Corp's 1995 annual general meeting in Adelaide, where he blasted the Australian economy as "a disgrace" as he offered an opinion on all manner of non-media topics.


By 1997, a chastised Murdoch said son Lachlan had told him he was "not allowed" to talk about Australian politics. "I'm now under very strong instructions from my son to keep my mouth shut because I can go back to America and he has to live with what I have said," the elder Murdoch said.


The Sun King might be better off worrying about the performance of his News Corp empire, which recently suffered a hefty drop in profitability and has kicked off the latest United States television season in unspectacular fashion.


Ratings for News Corp's core Fox group are down an average 6 per cent, with not even the 10th series of its old standby, Beverly Hills 90210, improving the situation.


Guess who's late for dinner?


Here's hoping the 2000 Olympics are better organised than Rear Window, which battled the gremlins in yesterday's paper only to have an item about tomorrow night's glamour Australian Olympic Committee 1999 Countdown Dinner run about two weeks too late. Times have changed since the AOC first sought a plug for the function: the dinner is now sold out, with 1,000 people each paying $1,000 to raise a more than $700,000 for the Australian team. A number of team members will be there on the night, with dual gold medallist Kieren Perkins one of the 100 past and present Olympians who will each sit at the tables snapped up by companies including Telstra, CUB and Westfield. Major Olympic sponsor Westpac is holding its own function.


(AFR)


Saturday, September 23, 2023

Media Man Affiliates Blog: Casino News

Media Man Affiliates Blog




Casino News


High Stakes: The ‘life-or-death’ battle over a company name


Two stars of Australia’s new economy – the similarly named share trading platform Stake and online cryptocurrency casino juggernaut stake.com – are locked in a life-or-death court battle over naming rights amid growing concerns the gambling outfit has major plans for its home country.


Stake the share platform launched legal action in the Federal Court in August seeking to enforce its trademarks and stop stake.com, a multibillion-dollar enterprise, from using that name for its business in Australia.


The fast-growing Sydney-based share trading platform, the third-largest broker in the country, alleges that the casino group stake.com has been breaking Australian consumer law and has misled consumers through the use of its brand in Australia and its marketing, including its sponsorship of the Alfa Romeo team and the sale of apparel.


Stake the share trading platform, which owns the URL stake.com.au, alleges stake.com’s use of the name in Australia has potentially led to consumers believing the two brands are related when they are not.


The share trading platform Stake, founded in 2017 by entrepreneurs Dan Silver and Matt Leibowitz, alleges there is a threat that more consumers could be misled if stake.com is allowed to continue with its plans to grow its business significantly in Australia under the brand name Stake.


The casino group, led by Melbourne-based twenty-somethings billionaires Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani, is expected to seek to have the matter summarily dismissed.


A spokesperson for stake.com said: “We are aware of a frivolous claim lodged in the Federal Court by Stakeshop, which in part claims that our global Formula One team sponsorship impinges on their ability to sell trucker hats.”


“We are proud of the global stake.com brand. As a group, we abide by the laws of the countries in which we operate, and do not offer our stake.com platform to Australian customers. We believe the claim has no legal merit and will vigorously defend our rights.”


The court case has shed new light on stake.com’s expansion plans for Australia, where it remains blocked to Australian users.


Court documents reveal the casino group has sought to buy the stake.com.au website from the sharemarket trading platform business. According to the court documents, the casino group has also registered several Australian website domains for its Australian expansion and applied to register a slew of trademarks including Stake Australia, Stake Bet and Stake Casino.


The Federal Court action comes after years of simmering tensions between the two groups over the use of stake.com’s name in Australia.


Stake.com was established in 2017 but flew under the radar in Australia until late 2021, when this masthead revealed the local origins of the business that had grown to be one of world’s largest online casinos, processing hundreds of billions of bets on sports, virtual table games and online slot machines.


In early 2022, stake.com signed hip-hop megastar Drake as its lead ambassador. Later in 2022 it signed a multi-year deal to become lead jersey sponsor for English Premier League team Everton FC as well as its sponsorship of Alfa Romeo’s F1 team.


The significant increase in stake.com’s marketing and media presence was noticed at the share trading platform group that built its user base during the COVID-inspired boom in Gen Y and Gen Z investors, thanks in part to its ultra-low cost brokerage fee model, savvy marketing and the broadening into other financial services including a superannuation product.


A spokesman for Stake the share trading platform said that since the group was founded in Australia it had built a client base of more than 500,000 and more than $2.5 billion in assets under management.


“Over the past six years, we have established a trusted and culturally relevant Australian brand that reflects our dedication to meeting customer needs. It permeates all parts of our business, spanning products, content, internal culture, customer interactions and much more, making it our most valuable asset. We are committed to protecting the Stake brand and the high level of consumer trust associated with it,” the spokesman said.


“We are concerned by the threatened use of the Stake brand in Australia by stake.com in relation to gambling, casino and sports betting services, due to the potential for customer confusion and damage to our brand and reputation.”


Stake.com is not available in Australia but according to court documents, the group is already making arrangements for a major expansion in this country and is seeking a sports betting licence.


In October 2022, stake.com casino executive Brais Pena Sanchez contacted Stake share trading founder Silver on LinkedIn and arranged a video conference meeting where the pair discussed Stake the share platform selling its Australian URL, stake.com.au, to the Curacao-registered, Australian-operated casino group.


During those discussions, Sanchez – the casino group’s chief strategy officer – informed Silver that stake.com planned to launch in Australia under the name Stakebet, or similar, according to court documents. A deal never ensued and the website remains owned by the share trading platform.


Tensions flared again in early 2023 after stake.com the casino was announced as the new team sponsor for Formula 1 team Alfa Romeo, sparking a flurry of legal letters between the two groups ahead of the Melbourne race.


According to the court documents, the casino group’s lawyers assured the share trading Stake that it would not use its logo in conjunction with the Melbourne Grand Prix and did not intend to display the name on any vehicles or uniforms or as part of the Alfa Romeo team name.


However, the share trading Stake alleges that during the four days of the Grand Prix, Stake casino logos appeared on banners for official team merchandise, the team display and on signs at the event and in the race program.


In May, Stake.com was applying to register a large number of new trademarks for goods and services. This included Stake Australia, Stake Bookie, Stake Betting, Stake Gaming, Stake Esports, Stake Casino, Stake Sportsbook, Stake Bet, Stake Punt, Stake Sports, Stake Pokes and Stake Slots.


The casino group has also registered a series of Australian website names under the “.au” domain including stakebet.au; stakecasino.au, stakesports.au and playstake.au.


The case continues.



Crown to launch digital self-exclusion scheme for casinos - July 2023




People with gambling problems will be able to ban themselves from Crown casinos over the internet instead of having to do so in person, as part of a wider overhaul of the group’s approach to harm minimisation.


Crown Resorts’ new safer gambling program also includes the establishment of a dedicated gambling policy team, which will monitor customer playing behaviour and create interventions to better prevent gambling harm from occurring.


Crown boss Ciaran Carruthers joined the business last year following an overhaul of Crown’s management, after a series of bruising inquiries into the company. Carruthers, who has led other global casino groups including Wynn Macau, said the new leadership of Crown was committed to making gambling safer, even if it meant less turnover in its casinos.


“I have been in this business for 34 years and I can tell you – no one does this,” Carruthers said.


“It is critically important to me that when I look at the long-term viability of this business that people see our resorts as entertainment to enjoy safely.”


Under the changes, customers will be able to block themselves from entering a Crown casino through a new digital self-exclusion portal. Those who wanted to ban themselves from Crown venues were previously required to visit, in person, a designated responsible gambling centre run by the group.


The group has also moved to cashless gaming at Crown Melbourne and Crown Sydney – a condition of its temporary gaming licences in NSW and Victoria– as well as introducing $10 maximum bet limits on poker machines at Crown Perth. The technological overhaul required to facilitate the changes has so far cost the business $13 million.


Carruthers pointed to changes Crown has already made which go beyond government regulation, such as encouraging customers to take breaks every three hours, as an indicator of its commitment to shifting problem gambling patterns.


The group said it wanted to establish advisory panels to work with state regulators and community groups to improve gambling harm education and share its research.


Carruthers conceded some aspects of its new approach to harm minimisation, called Crown PlaySafe, would not be welcomed by heavy gamblers. But he argued the changes would make the casinos more appealing to the general public.


Crown’s new head of gambling policy research, Dr Jamie Wiebe, said the most critical shift in the groups gambling policy was a move away from harm minimisation to prevention.


“We want to prevent a problem from ever happening,” she said.


The new program was unveiled just weeks after the Federal Court determined Crown will pay one of the biggest penalties in Australian corporate history to the financial crimes watchdog, after past anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism failings in its Perth and Melbourne casinos.


The $450 million fine is about five per cent of Crown’s last listed market capitalisation before it was taken private by Blackstone Capital for $8.9 billion in May last year.


In 2019, an investigation by this masthead and 60 Minutes revealed Crown had been infiltrated by international criminal syndicates and money launderers.


Crown was forced to overhaul its board, management and procedures to satisfy the regulators, who approved a conditional licence for Crown to operate its Barangaroo casino in June 2022. The conditional licence is valid until the end of this year.


Carruthers said the integrated hospitality offerings at Crown meant the casino could afford to embrace the shift.


“I want people to enjoy the experience of our casinos whether they’re coming for dining, casino or retail. I’m fairly agnostic across which one of those experience or how many of those experiences you want to enjoy,” he said.



Reclusive Sydney gambling mogul emerges as kingmaker in South Africa - September 2023


Reclusive online gambling mogul Martin Moshal is playing an increasingly influential role in a push to oust the South African government.


Mr Moshal, who lives on the exclusive Sydney Harbour row of Camp Cove alongside shopping centre billionaire Steven Lowy, is not on many rich lists but has made a fortune from online casino technology.


Herman Mashaba is the leader of ActionSA, one of a handful of opposition parties Mr Moshal has backed in the lead up to the 2024 South African national election. Mr Mashaba, known for taking a tough line on immigration and endorsing hard labour for prisoners, is hoping the gambling tycoon will continue his support.


“I wish he won’t give up on us and help us democratically remove the [incumbent African National Congress] and bring about a peaceful transition... please help ActionSA,” Mr Mashaba said in an interview with The Australian Financial Review.


“I have been lucky to have known Martin long before I went into politics,” he added. “I approached him and he was willing to back me up because he knows me as a capitalist... Martin was one of the first to come to the party.”


President Cyril Ramaphosa’s social democratic African National Congress party is set to come under pressure next year amid South Africa’s dire economic troubles. A senior party official has warned the country could become a failed state.


Mr Moshal is the largest individual political donor in South Africa in the last two years. He has given 46.5 million rand ($3.8 million), according to electoral records analysed by My Vote Counts, a non-profit advocating for more transparency in politics.


“Given the amounts donated it has become clear to us he now has a large stake in our politics,” said Robyn Pasensie, a researcher at the organisation.


The size of Mr Moshal’s wealth is unknown. He is extremely private and only admitted to his ownership of online gambling giant Betway after UK journalists traced his ownership back to offshore trusts. Mr Moshal did not respond to a request for comment.


Aside from ActionSA, Mr Moshal has donated to the Democratic Alliance (DA), Build One South Africa and said he also intends to support the Inkatha Freedom Party. Mr Moshal is ActionSA’s biggest backer. The Australian Financial Review is not suggesting Mr Moshal supports the party’s policies.


“I’m not saying these parties are all perfect, but we shouldn’t let perfect be the enemy of good... They are all far better than the government we have today,” Mr Moshal told The Jewish Report earlier this year.


“Pirkei Avot was my late dad – John Moshal’s – favourite part of the Talmud within which Rabbi Tarfon is quoted as saying, ‘It’s not up to you to finish the task, but you aren’t free to avoid it’.”


Mr Moshal said he believed South Africa needed a new government and was on its way to becoming a failed state.


“[This is a] government that’s corrupt, cannot provide basic security and opportunity to its citizens... we need the change of government and leadership that these parties can provide.”


ActionSA is known for advocating for life sentences and hard labour for serious offenders and also wants to repeal the ANC’s Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy, a form of affirmative action introduced post-apartheid.


“Martin knows my views on racial policies and how dangerous they are,” said Mr Mashaba, who started off in business and was the founder of African hair care brand, Black Like Me.


ActionSA has also been vocal on immigration, views labelled as “xenophobic” by some critics and politicians.


“We recognise that South Africa was built... on the back of migrants,” said Mr Mashaba. “But they must come here legally... you break our laws, we will send you back to your country, the country where you came from.”


One of South Africa’s main economic problems is mismanagement and corruption inside the country’s electricity utility Eskom. The utility has been forced to implement rolling blackouts, which have further stymied economic growth.


“If Eskom cannot run on a commercial basis then it must die a natural death,” Mr Mashaba said, adding changes were needed to give other companies the opportunity to compete.


Mr Moshal’s Entrée Capital is one of Israel’s most active funds in the Israeli VC space. He is the beneficiary of a trust which is the largest individual shareholder in Super Group, which became the parent of Betway and online casino brand Spin after a 2022 listing. The group reported net gaming revenue of €1.3 billion ($2.1 billion) in 2022.


“Moshal is one of the least visible betting entrepreneurs in the world,” Guardian reporter Rob Davis wrote in his book Jackpot: How Gambling Conquered Britain.


“Moshal made much of his fortune from his home in Durban where he patented a series of technological solutions for the online gambling world and developed them via his company Microgaming. The company has since become one of the industry’s leading software players”


A philanthropist, he sits on the capital management advisory committee of Sydney’s Moriah College, alongside Steven Lowy and former Babcock & Brown chief executive Phil Green. He is also a life trustee of the Moriah Foundation and previously donated to Israel’s SpaceIL project attempting to land spacecraft on the moon.



SkyCity puts aside $45m for potential AUSTRAC penalty - August 2023


SkyCity Entertainment set aside $45 million for a penalty if it is convicted of breaches of anti-money laundering and counterterrorism laws.


The financial crimes watchdog, AUSTRAC, lodged proceedings against SkyCity in December over alleged serious and systemic non-compliance with the laws at its Adelaide casino.


SkyCity said on Monday it was difficult to determine the size and timing of the penalty, given the proceedings are in the early stages. But it decided to lodge a $45 million provision on the basis that each breach attracts a maximum civil penalty of between $18 million and $22.2 million.


“Estimating the potential exposure to penalties with any degree of accuracy at this stage of that ongoing process remains challenging, particularly given the outcome is highly dependent on a range of factors which are not yet known,” a statement said.


AUSTRAC has alleged “serious noncompliance” with anti-money laundering laws against SkyCity, claiming the company allowed 59 suspicious patrons to churn more than $4 billion in dirty cash through its Adelaide casino. The independent review is on hold because of the Federal Court action.


The company cut full-year earnings expectations at an investor day in May, with a slowdown in revenue from the international business and rising legal and compliance costs related to a crackdown on money laundering weighing on its bottom line. Analysts have provisioned about $50 million for the AUSTRAC fine, but there is no guarantee that will be enough.


In late May, SkyCity announced it would hire an independent expert to review its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism programs. It is still waiting for South Australia’s investigation into whether it should hold a casino licence to recommence.


“Judgements in civil penalty proceedings bought by AUSTRAC to date demonstrate that the Court’s determination of the appropriate penalty ... is very specific to the fact in each case and that the Court will have regard to a broad range of factors,” SkyCity said.


SkyCity’s provision announcement coincided with a $45.6 million write-down of the Adelaide casino licence, which was attributed to the value and timing of future discounted cash flows.


The company said the impairment and provision were non-cash and would not affect earnings for fiscal year 2023. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation remain in line with guidance of $NZ300 million ($276.6 million) to $NZ310 million.


SkyCity’s provision comes a month after the federal court agreed on rival casino operator Crown’s $450 million fine for breaches of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism laws. The fine is being paid over a two-year period without interest.


Shares closed on Friday at $2.09.



Hotel room rates plummet for F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend - September 2023


Hotel room rates for Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend have fallen by nearly 60 percent in some cases since they were first posted last fall. But an industry expert says that does not necessarily mean interest in the event is failing to meet expectation.


When select Las Vegas resorts in November 2022 opened their booking schedules for race weekend, listed prices were as high as they have been seen in the city’s history. While still at higher than normal rates, a major decrease has occurred.


When a drop in booking pace occurs, it automatically triggers revenue management systems to suggest the lowering of room rates, according to Dr. Mehmet Erdem, professor of hotel operations and technology at UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality.



Pennsylvania online casinos cross $5 billion in lifetime revenue - September 2023


Business is booming in Pennsylvania. The Keystone State is the clear market leader when it comes to online casino revenue within the US. After August’s total of $171.9 million, Pennsylvania surpassed the $5 billion threshold for lifetime revenue.


Pennsylvania online casinos are constantly upgrading and adding new content, and customers are responding. It doesn’t appear the market will be slowing down anytime soon, either.


Pennsylvania has set the US online casino revenue record four times over the last 11 months, and almost did so again. August’s revenue total of $171.9 million came second to March’s figure of $181.5 million. It was the second-best month of all time for any state with legal online casinos.


Atlantic City: Five-year turnaround of Ocean Casino Resort among city’s greatest successes - September 2023


In the winter of 2019, if any New Jersey sportsbook had tried to offer odds on the Atlantic City casino hotel then known as Ocean Resort Casino making it through another summer, no gambler in their right mind would have taken the bet.


Fast forward to the end of summer 2023, and the property now called Ocean Casino Resort is one of the city’s best performers. In fact, an argument can be made that Ocean’s rise to the upper echelon of the Atlantic City casino market is the most remarkable turnaround of any gambling parlor in history.


From its failed origins as Revel Casino Hotel to its seemingly doomed trajectory in February 2019, the $2.4 billion casino at the north end of the AC Boardwalk felt almost cursed (if you believe in that kind of stuff). But, apparently, the gambling gods decided Ocean was deserving of a better fate.


Once shunned by casino operators, responsible gaming campaign turns 25


At a time when problem gambling matters were rarely mentioned in gaming company boardrooms, Harrah’s Entertainment decided the issue needed to be raised on casino floors.


But it wasn’t just rival corporate executives that looked askance at the idea of employees learning how to spot signs that a customer might have a gambling problem.


“Our own lawyers tried to block it,” recalled Jan Jones Blackhurst, who was then a Harrah’s senior vice president. With the support of company CEO Phil Satre, she led Harrah’s launch of the casino industry’s first responsible gaming initiative in the mid-1990s.


“We had employees that wanted to be educated on the subject. They wanted to be able to help,” said Jones Blackhurst, who completed two terms as Las Vegas mayor before joining Harrah’s. “Maybe because I came out of politics. You have a responsibility to your communities, your customers and your employees. We believed it was the right thing to do.”


Sportsbooks ratchet up targeted advertising at start of NFL season


Shortly after the NFL forged authorized gaming partnerships with a host of leading sportsbooks in the 2021 offseason, operators began flooding the airwaves with a series of humorous spots that featured celebrities hawking their products.


Caesars Sportsbook spent lavishly on an ad package starring the Manning Brothers and actor J.B. Smoove as the eponymous emperor. During Super Bowl LVII last February, Kevin Hart expressed his displeasure for “taking the under” in a DraftKings spot while standing mere feet from WWE wrestler The Undertaker. Another commercial from FanDuel featured a live field goal attempt by former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, one that drifted wide left of the upright at the last second.


Former lieutenant governor calls for Nevada Gaming Commission cyber briefing after MGM and Caesars hacks - September 2023


In light of cyberattacks on MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment, former Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, now a Nevada Gaming Commission member, called for a briefing on the hacking incident to shed more light on what happened and how it can be prevented in the future.


The suggestion comes the same day the Massachusetts Gaming Commission met in executive session “to consider information related to an MGM cybersecurity issue.” It held a similar closed meeting on Monday.


After it returned to the public session on Thursday, the Commission entered into an executive session regarding security at MGM Springfield, according to the Commission agenda.


Krolicki made his comments at the end of Thursday’s five-hour meeting of the Nevada Gaming Commission. Since it was made during the public comment session, the commission could not take up the matter, but it’s likely the issue will return to the Commission and the Nevada Gaming Control Board at some point.


In the latest cyberattack that started being felt Sept. 10 and went into this week, hackers knocked slot machines out of commission and created havoc with ATMs and computer systems. MGM, which is reported by a Wall Street analyst to have lost between $4.2 million and $8.4 million a day with the hack, said its systems were operating normally across their properties nationwide as of Wednesday. Caesars reported it was hacked in late August and had customer information stolen but paid a $15 million ransom that avoided any shutdowns.


In December, the Commission approved cybersecurity regulations for the state’s gaming industry to protect operators’ information systems from attacks that could shutter casinos and compromise customer data. The rules went into effect Jan. 1. That approval came right after BetMGM reported that its customers’ personal information – including Social Security numbers – was obtained in an unauthorized manner and included information on their transactions.


In the regulations, casinos were required to do a risk assessment of their systems by the end of 2023 and take any necessary steps on an ongoing basis to ward off an attack. If any breach was successful that compromised player data, credit card information and other records, including that of employees, properties would be required to report it to gaming regulators within 72 hours.


“It would be important and enlightening given the recent events of the past week regarding cyber security and ransomware in particular at MGM and our friends at Caesars and look at how it impacts our world and regulatory responsibilities,” Krolicki said, later adding,  “I think at some point in time when there’s the energy and understanding of what just happened if we could get some kind of briefing of what transpired that’s appropriate for public record and perhaps policies going forward of how do we avoid these things and if they do happen whether the reporting schemes on whether it was immediately reported to the Gaming Control Board. There are a lot of questions and a lot of publicity. It’s a global story, and I just think it would behoove all of us to get a good handle on what just happened.”


The Nevada Gaming Control Board released a statement on Sept. 13 saying Gov. Joe Lombardo and the board “are monitoring the cybersecurity incident with MGM Resorts and are in communication with company executives. Additionally, the Nevada Gaming Control Board remains in communication with other law enforcement agencies.”


Casino consultant Brendan Bussmann, managing partner of B Global, which tracks gaming boards and commissions, said the Massachusetts hearing won’t be the last and expects states across the country to hold similar sessions wanting to hear from MGM executives.


“Nevada is the second regulator that I know has raised their hand on this after Massachusetts,” Bussmann said. “It should be about what happened and how it happened, which should be considered confidential information. This is going to be a question that every regulator for both commercial gaming and tribal gaming is going to be concerned about. Since we’re still trying to figure out what happened, then we can see what tools we need as an industry to beef up our efforts on cyber-related events.”


While everyone is focused today on MGM and Caesars, this is not the first cyber attack, Bussmann said.


“This can go back to the Las Vegas Sands attacks in 2014 from the Iranians and any other data breaches that happened between then and now,” Bussmann said. “I would expect every state at a minimum has MGM and Caesars in it to at least say what happened and what can we do regulatory to help this and what can we do with testing and what can we do IT and host of things.”


Bussmann said the regulators can’t be reactionary but instead should get evidence on how it happened and use the best resources outside of the casino industry, such as security firms, to do it right.


“There’s no one better suited to regulate Nevada on this issue than the Gaming Control Board in working with law enforcement partners across the country,” Bussmann said.

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Media Man Affiliates Blog: SEO

Media Man Affiliates Blog

SEO, Search Engines, Hunt Machine on the web and more; Gonzo news for business






SEO or Hunt Machine Optimisation is the process of perfecting the website’s visibility to have applicable quests on hunt machines. More visibility in hunt results makes the point attract the attention of the druggies. 


Search Machines similar as Google, Yahoo, Bing use technology to bottleneck on the web on different spots. They collect information about each point and also put them in an indicator. Further, the algorithm analyses the runners in the indicator grounded upon numerous different factors to determine the applicable spots that appear in a hunt result. The ranking factors for seo toronto can be keywords, unique content, applicable length of content, image attributes, etc. Optimizing the point with SEO factors can grease crawling and indexing and help the point rank advanced in hunt results. Unlike paid hunt advertisements, organic rankings on point can’t be achieved on hunt machines. thus, it becomes important to optimize websites to rank advanced in hunt results. 


When it comes to Statistics, The first five Google quests on the first runner account for 67.60, while only 0.78 of Google quest click on the alternate runner. 70 of the marketers consider SEO more effective than PPC for generating deals. 51 of shoppers surveyed say they use Google to probe a purchase they plan to make online. These are a many statistics to punctuate the significance of SEO in 2021. 


An effective SEO strategy can help the runner rank advanced and reach the right followership and increase website business when it comes to businesses. It can also help in getting transformations. Readout why SEO is important for businesses in 2021.


1. Increases visibility of a website 


SEO, when done right, can help businesses increase their visibility on the website. It’s the direct motorist of bettered visibility and prints in the hunt results. Using the right keywords, adding backlinks from high sphere authority websites, optimizing metadata on the point, and participating unique content are among the many factors that can help the point increase visibility. SEO facilitates crawling and indexing, which helps in adding the visibility of a website. 


2. Increases website business

 

Organic hunt is pivotal to a business. Search Machines contribute to a business’s visibility, and SEO can help druggies land to the point. SEO builds an online presence, increases website business, and helps the business to grow. The advanced the website ranks, the further business the business shall admit. The first Google hunt result has a28.5 click- through rate which falls down to2.5 for the tenth hunt result. 


3. Enhances stoner trust on website

SEO establishes the authority of content on the hunt machine by admitting parameters like unique content, quality backlinks, advanced runner ranking, and stoner geste, which enhances stoner trust in the website. spots that are listed on the hunt machine are considered believable than the runners that are n’t. Quality SEO helps establish business credibility, gives exposure, and enhances its character. 


4. This leads to a better consumer experience of the website


SEO can help in perfecting the consumer experience and furnishing quality content to the consumers. It makes the content dependable through quality backlinks and the right keywords. SEO helps search machines in relating the right spots that are helpful to the stoner. Website speed is another criterion that plays an important part. A slow website will have a high brio and tends to distort the stoner experience. 


5. Search Machines aren’t perfect, and if you do n’t take applicable way, your website will be ranked lower


Hunt Machines need or, as we call, colorful conditions to identify point applicability. SEO enables the hunt machine to effectively judge its applicability and show the same in the hunt results. The better these conditions are satisfied, the advanced the runner ranks, which can help the business get website business, make credibility, and lead to transformations. 


6. High website business would lead to advanced transformations


Transformations can be appertained to the asked thing the point or business has. That can be enabling deals, subscribing to a service, adding readership, etc. Quality SEO promotes high website business which in turn leads to advanced transformations. High-engaging websites are bound to get a better conversion as they can gather maximum eyeballs. 


Conclusion

SEO has come a critical element to the online success of businesses. Businesses who want to make sure of their strong online presence need to invest in SEO.


Tell them the Media Man Group including Media Man AustraliaMedia Man Int and Search News Media sent you.

Monday, September 18, 2023

Media Man Affiliates Blog

Media Man Affiliates Blog

Under The Water Cooler. Sydney HQ












Media Man: Under The Water Cooler

Sydney HQ


Up to approx 30 degrees 

Combat sports are red hot right now

WWE  and UFC nder TKO banner as per NYSE 

 


Wrestling Match Of The Decade wheels in motion for WrestleMania: Roman Reigns  vs Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson 


John Cena and Johnson escape fallout from Hollywood writers strike!


MMA: The UFC Sean Strickland era is here. Izzy has been advised by many to rest up, rethink his political allegiance and messaging with China. Will he ever live down the "Dog Day Afternoon" in Sydney, Australia! Pro MMA can be a dog eat dog business and SS's mind games got to "The Last Stylebender". Was the fight already lost for Izzy before the "Let's Fn Go"?


UFC Nucho in Mexico. Grasso vs Shevchenko. Draw says judges! Oops.  Re-match next time on U.S soil?! 


Hot Temp's In Sydney, Australia see pause on bush burn-offs likely for a few days as mini heatwave hits.


Water safety reminder: Beach, rockpools, anywhere around water. 


Work/Biz/Life Balance: If working with screens/computers try 15 mins break from screen for every hour on. Protect eyes, head, well-being. A walk around the block and an extra glass of water can work wonders. Water and coffee in the office (but not too close to keyboards)!


Washington, USA: Political basketcases?! USA set for an authentic leader in office. Many of the most suitable candidates work in private enterprise? Too good for the Oval Office?!  A bit like some in the land down under of Australia, but not quite as obvious.


New South Wales government of Australia scores big praise by Sydney, Australia sports loving fans. About 3 or so more UFC events to hit Sydney within the next 4 years. 


PPV (Pay-Per-View) business models, offerings to get some revamp thanks to TKO (WWE and UFC) deal; What percentage of WWE fans also watch at least some UFC? A higher percentage than the amount of UFC fans who also watch some WWE! Not all exactly or speculative numbers are in the public domain and can we suggest some are hidden - at least in part. Back in the Optus Vision days we used to get our hands on much raw data, thanks to my old bosses and the marketing and PPV department. Many industries have trade secrets, much like the Google Algorithm or KFC's "eleven secret herbs and spices"!


Alt news and niche news finding audiences in Australia, US, Canada, Europe, while many in society has tuned out or largely turned off "TV News" and other "mainstream aka lamestream"; Sky News Australia is an exception to the rule. Sky boasts an interaction with 11.1 million Aussie's each month. Multiplatform strategy works a charm, with quality and authentic journalism - funny about that hey!!! "Happy to help further spread the good and authentic news"..Anon journo type overheard around the watercooler.


24-hour News Cycle vs Always On via The Internet..

Too much news going on all the time? Part of the reason the Media Man Group often updates X (formally Twitter) and blogs such as Media Man Int Blogger and Media Man Blogger quicker than news going live to it's flagship websites.  Evergreen content strategy works a treat as well as unique perspectives and some gonzo journalism type reporting seldom found in mainstream news. The Google Algorithm is friendly to this business model so it's a Win-Win-Win!


Yes, we are still taking on some select PR and advertising campaigns. Email is if you have something you want the world to know about. There's an old expression that goes something like, "If you have the money we have the time"!


Seriously, we love the once great craft of journalism. The decline of the industry is well documented.. Hat's off to the authentic journos who continue to scribe and sniff out a good story. Journos vs AI! That's a big rabbit hole ain't it. 


Remember in this sometimes crazy world, Heath is wealth and time and energy are most valuable resources. 


LinkedIn: For more professional (whatever that is anyway) scribes and media presentation check us out via LinkedIn. Greg Tingle, Founder and Director, Media Man Int and Media Man Australia. LI is a MM multi-time 'Social Media Platform Of The Month' winner and finalist (and so it Twitter, now X, right Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino.


Thanks for stopping by Media Man. Beach to Bush Telegraph via The Internet Superhighway. Wrestling and surfin' the web and beyond. Seagulls and Kangaroos ahead! 



Media Man

Hot Temp's In Sydney, Australia see pause on bush burn-offs likely for a few days as mini heatwave hits.


Water safety reminder: Beach, rockpools, anywhere around water. 


Work/Biz/Life Balance: If working with screens/computers try 15 mins break from screen for every hour on. Protect eyes, head, well-being. A walk around the block and an extra glass of water can work wonders. Water and coffee in the office (but not too close to keyboards)!


Washington, USA: Political basketcases?! USA set for an authentic leader in office. Many of the most suitable candidates work in private enterprise? Too good for the Oval Office?!  A bit like some in the land down under of Australia, but not quite as obvious.


New South Wales government of Australia scores big praise by Sydney, Australia sports loving fans. About 3 or so more UFC events to hit Sydney within the next 4 years. 


PPV (Pay-Per-View) business models, offerings to get some revamp thanks to TKO (WWE and UFC) deal; What percentage of WWE fans also watch at least some UFC? A higher percentage than the amount of UFC fans who also watch some WWE! Not all exactly or speculative numbers are in the public domain and can we suggest some are hidden - at least in part. Back in the Optus Vision days we used to get our hands on much raw data, thanks to my old bosses and the marketing and PPV department. Many industries have trade secrets, much like the Google Algorithm or KFC's "eleven secret herbs and spices"!


Alt news and niche news finding audiences in Australia, US, Canada, Europe, while many in society has tuned out or largely turned off "TV News" and other "mainstream aka lamestream"; Sky News Australia  is an exception to the rule. Sky boasts an interaction with 11.1 million Aussie's each month. Multiplatform strategy works a charm, with quality and authentic journalism - funny about that hey!!! "Happy to help further spread the good and authentic news"..Anon journo type overheard around the watercooler.


24-hour News Cycle vs Always On via The Internet..


Too much news going on all the time? Part of the reason the Media Man Group often updates X 

(formally Twitter) and blogs such as Media Man Int Blogger and Media Man Blogger quicker than news going live to it's flagship websites.  Evergreen content strategy works a treat as well as unique perspectives and some gonzo journalism type reporting seldom found in mainstream news. The Google Algorithm is friendly to this business model so it's a Win-Win-Win!


Yes, we are still taking on some select PR and advertising campaigns. Email is if you have something you want the world to know about. There's an old expression that goes something like, "If you have the money we have the time"!


Seriously, we love the once great craft of journalism. The decline of the industry is well documented.. Hat's off to the authentic journos who continue to scribe and sniff out a good story. Journos vs AI! That's a big rabbit hole ain't it. 


Remember in this sometimes crazy world, Heath is wealth and time and energy are most valuable resources. 


LinkedIn: For more professional (whatever that is anyway) scribes and media presentation check us out via LinkedIn. Greg Tingle, Founder and Director, Media Man Int and Media Man Australia. LI is a MM multi-time 'Social Media Platform Of The Month' winner and finalist (and so it Twitter, now X, right Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino.


Thanks for stopping by Media Man. Beach to Bush Telegraph via The Internet Superhighway. Wrestling and surfin' the web and beyond. Seagulls and Kangaroos ahead! 


#news #newsbiz #PopCulture #combatsports #WWE #UFC #TKO #WrestleMania #gonzo #gonzojournalism #onlinenews #watercooler #watercoolernews #newsroom #sky #skynews #realnews #realviews #nichenews #niche #agent #agency #scribe #blog #blogs #platforms #biz #balance #search #ai #letsgo #forthewin #AndStill #PPV #payperview #streaming #info #intel #scoops #RabbitHole #worldnews #mediabiz #adbiz #buzz #media #mediaman



SEJ Google update Sept 2023


SEJ's Roger on Google. Re if a site loses website traffic, machine learned content, rankings and.more. Google remains king of the search engine in the vast majority of categories despite numerous AI competitors so if your business has anything to do with popularity/rankings on the web it's smart to read up and keep your finger on the pulse. Published via LinkedIn so LI and the Microsoft folks are certainly across updates of this nature also. It's Spy vs Spy as per the iconic section of MAD Magazine. Their Tech Special is quite the collectors item also. Back to the web publishing and online entrepreneurial business activities! 





MMA/Wrestling News : Caged Fury Fighting Championships @CFFCMMA 


Commentary by John Morgan and CM Punk (Phil Brooks) @CMPunk 


"Look who I ran into backstage" - Morgan


"Yeah, I got some time on my hands, for the next two months" - Brooks


"What do you wanna talk about?" - Brooks


#MMA #mmanews #mixedmartialarts #CMPunk #PhilBrooks #JohnMorgan #CagedFury #CFFC #sportsnews #sportsbiz #wrestling #wrestlingnews #mmapromotion #sportspromotion #promotions #entertainment #entertainmentnews #popculture #buzz #trends #broadcast #broadcasting #X #media #mediaman  


All Elite Wrestling

(Image credit: AEW)




Pro Wrestling Dream Match Tipped To Become Reality At All Elite Wrestling @AEW : 'WrestleDream'


FTR vs Aussie Open. 

October 1, 2023. Seattle, Washington


AEW Official YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/AEW


Video


Aussie Open set their sights on the AEW World Tag Team Champions! | 9/16/23, AEW Collision

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxPrZn2GFq0&ab_channel=AllEliteWrestling


#AEW #AllEliteWrestling #AEWWrestleDream #WrestleDream #dreammatch #wrestling #prowrestling #AussieOpen #FTR #aewtag #combatsports #sportsbiz #sportsnews #PPV #payperview #payperviews #FITE #FITETV #streaming #popculture #showbiz #biz #X #media #mediaman 


Pro Wrestling Dream Match: Roman Reigns @WWERomanReigns vs Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson @TheRock finally may become reality in a WWE @WWE ring




WrestleMania Season has come early - sort of! The dream match wrestling fans across the globe have been waiting for may actually happen at the upcoming WrestleMania @WrestleMania 


This past Friday Night SmackDown 'The Rock' finally showed up to largely a very positive responce. He even got a "Welcome home" from long time rival John Cena @JohnCena 


Traditonally with pro wrestling mega matches that are worthy of WrestleMania status, the headliner match or matches get a storyline with usually some confrontations, angles, twists and turns in the lead up.


Reigns remains 'Head Of The Table' and the Tribal Chief of 'The Bloodline'. The trials and tribulations of Reigns and his stable of Samoans are well documented and the numerous crime scenes over the past 3 years have the fingerprints of puppet master and self appointed "Evil Genius" Paul Heyman @HeymanHustle written all over them.


WWE announcers such as Michael Cole @MichaelCole , Corey Graves @WWEGraves and Kevin Patrick @kev_egan sometimes speak of "recruitment drives" as WWE factions look for further strength in numbers. This can strengthen the position much like a Hollywood or MMA agent with numerous world class talents on the books.


Wrestling politics can play in the success of a pro wrestlers (and managers) career, not to mention the always potential threat of talent leaving for a rival faction or promoter!, with or without a Hollywood Writers Strike! 


Johnson's return to the WWE appears very timely, and this news fresh off the official launch of TKO @TKOGrp which is akin to a parent of both the WWE and UFC @UFC. Back in 2009 Johnson put the UFC's BMF title around the waist of MMA legend Jorge Masvidal @GamebredFighter 


WWE Universal Champion Reigns and cousin, Johnson, can both be described as BMF'er. Johnson is no stranger to colourful language, this week giving the hint to the WWE live audience to chant A hole at Austin Theory @_Theory1 The WWE lockeroom is getting "the rub" from Johnson, but upstart and gold contender Grayson Waller @GraysonWWE may say otherwise. The Aussie Dynamite has been blowing up things and people in the WWE and may have something to say about the potential possibility of others stealing his spotlight, and so may "American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes @CodyRhodes for that matter. Rhodes may look to cash in on a fatigued Johnson, Rhodes and/or Rolllins @WWERollins come WrestleMania, Day 1 or Day 2! 


Hollywood's loss (for now) appears to be the WWE Unviverses' gain. The match of the decade continues to near to reality by the day. 


WWE, TKO, Reigns, Rock, BFK'ers abound. A perfect storm is brewing. WWE bean-counters, fans and WWE co-workers win.  The Samoan American connection is alive and well. Chiefs, elders and fans, brace yourself for a wrestling war of electrifiying consequences. It's just about pick 'em time.

#WWESmackDown #WWE #WrestleMania #WrestleMania40 #RomanReigns #TribalChief #DwayneJohnson #TheRock #CodyRhodes #WWEUniverse #TKO #BMF #wrestling #prowrestling #sportsentertainment #sportsbiz #sportsnews #PLE #PPV #payperview #entertainment #entertainmentnews #popculture @showbiz #trend #trends #buzz #X #media 


‘Wrestlers’ Is Here to Rip Your Freakin’ Head Off





The new doc series from the creator of Last Chance U and Cheer is an underdog story pulsing with adrenaline.


From the right corner of the ring, an oiled-up baby face enters with a stone-cold glare and a juicy flex. From the left, a sneering heel climbs through the ropes under floodlights, only to be met with jeers and hisses from the darkness of the stands. What happens next isn’t just a fight; it’s a story. It’s Shakespearean drama. It’s bloody theater that also happens to be more true to life than you’d think. 


Wrestlers, the new doc series from director Greg Whiteley (Last Chance U, Cheer) and BBC Studios Los Angeles takes you right to the center of the fight. It doesn’t only depict the brawls between ambitious athletes managing their stressful lives off the ring (though watching a rage-fueled fighter and a hardened vet go head-to-head in a violent, hair-pulling tussle is thrilling –– especially when you consider they’re mother and daughter). The fight at the center of the story is even more intense: Legendary wrestler Al Snow is attempting to keep professional wrestling league Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) afloat, navigating the brutal waters of mounting debt and the power struggles of new ownership. 


The seven-episode series is intimate, emotional, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional wrestling, revealing the hardship and sacrifice that goes into creating this highly complex feat of performance art and athleticism. 



What is Ohio Valley Wrestling?

OVW is located in Louisville, Kentucky, and once served as a premiere training ground for aspiring pro wrestlers like Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Dave Bautista, The Miz, and Randy Orton. In recent years, OVW has struggled to keep its doors open, prompting Snow to sell a majority stake to a group of local businesses — one of whom is Matt Jones, one of the most popular radio personalities in the state of Kentucky. 


Who Are the Wrestlers at Ohio Valley Wrestling? 

The cast of Wrestlers is comprised of OVW legends like Ca$h Flo, Mr. PEC-tacular, Mahabali Shera, Hollyhood Haley J, and more. To learn more about the babyfaces, heels and bosses at OVW — including their signature moves — check out our Wrestlers cast guide. 


Wait, what’s a babyface? 

In wrestling, a babyface (also known as a “face”) is a heroic “good guy” or fan favorite. Typically, they’ll play it fair in the ring and avoid cheating or dirty manuevers. The babyfaces in Wrestlers include Ca$h Flo and the Amazing Maria James. The babyfaces perform relative to the heels in any given match, and sometimes wrestlers shift between the two identities, depending on their narrative arc. 


So what’s a heel?

Simply put, a heel is a villain — a bad boy, a nasty girl, or anyone who fights dirty in the ring. The heels in Wrestlers include Hollyhood Haley J and Freya the Slaya. 


“In wrestling, you’re going to do the same things you do when you tell any story and have a protagonist and an antagonist,” Al Snow told Tudum. “We've got to explain to the audience what the context of the story is, [and help them] understand the challenge that's facing our protagonist, and what the antagonists are trying to prevent.”


In other words: If nothing else, wrestling is a story of good versus evil — and who prevails depends on the day. 


Watch Wrestlers on Netflix now. 


Video


Wrestlers | Official Trailer | Netflix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY9CISx70Oo&ab_channel=Netflix



Websites


Netflix: Wrestlers

https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81592264


Ohio Valley Wrestling

https://ovwrestling.com


(Credit: Netflix/OVW)



Combat Sports News





UFC @UFC Noche Results:

Alexa Grasso (48-47) and Valentina Shevchenko (48-47) fight to a split draw (47-47)


Jack Della Maddalena (29-28, 29-28) defeats Kevin Holland (29-28) by split decision


Raul Rosas Jr defeats Terrance Mitchell by TKO, Round 1, :54


Daniel Zellhuber defeats Christos Giagos by submission, anaconda choke, Round 2, 3:26


Kyle Nelson (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) defeats Fernando Padilla by unanimous decision


Loopy Godinez defeats Elise Reed by submission, rear naked choke, Round 2, 3:38


Roman Kopylov defeats Josh Fremd by TKO (body shot) at 4:44 of Round 2


Edgar Chairez versus Daniel Lacerda declared a no decision at 3:47 of Round 1


Tracy Cortez (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) defeats Jasmine Jasudavicius by unanimous decision


Charlie Campbell defeats Alex Reyes by TKO (right hand) at 3:38 of Round 1


Josefine Knutsson (30-24, 30-25, 30-27) defeats Marnic Mann by unanimous decision


Videos

UFC YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/ufc


Noche UFC: Post-Fight Press Conference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJrM6yp2r-M&ab_channel=UFC


Alexa Grasso: 'I Hope Every September 16th We Can Have a Card Like This' | Noche UFC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqYOHs7tvfQ&ab_channel=UFC


Alexa Grasso Octagon Interview | Noche UFC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCN6z-gM3W0&ab_channel=UFC


Noche UFC: Pre-Fight Panel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuSXblxM1IQ&t=85s&ab_channel=UFC


#UFCNoche #NocheUFC #UFCResults #ufcwomen #MMA #mixedmartialarts #AlexaGrasso 

#ValentinaShevchenko #sportsnews #sportsmedia #popculture #PPV #payperview #trend #trending #buzz #X #media 



Black Superman - 'Muhammad Ali', By Johnny Wakelin


Lyrics

This here's the story of Cassius Clay

Who changed his name to Muhammad Ali

He knows how to talk and he knows how to fight

And all the contenders were beat out of sight


Sing, Muhammad, Muhammad Ali

He floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee

Mohammed, the black superman

Who calls to the other guy I'm Ali catch me if you can


Now all you fight fans, you've got to agree

There ain't no flies on Muhammad Ali

He fills the arena wherever he goes

And everyone gets what they paid for


Muhammad, was known to have said

You watch me shuffle and I'll jab off your head

He moves like the black superman

And calls to the other guy I'm Ali catch me if you can


He says I'm the greatest the worlds ever seen

The heavyweight champion who came back again

My face is so pretty you don't see a scar

Which proves I'm the king of the ring by far


Sing, Muhammad, Muhammad Ali

He floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee

Mohammed, the black superman

Who calls to the other guy I'm Ali catch me if you can


Sing, Muhammad, Muhammad Ali

He floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee

Muhammad, the black superman

Who calls to the other guy I'm Ali catch me if you can

I'm Ali catch me if you can


Audio

https://music.apple.com/us/album/black-superman-muhammad-ali/286163209


#BlackSuperman #MuhammadAli #Ali 

#JohnnyWakelin #boxer #boxing #legend #popculture #media 





"I'm more into MMA than any other sport. I watch a lot of the UFC @UFC fights. I have since it first came onto the scene" - Jason Statham #JasonStatham #quote #MMA #UFC #combatsports #sportsnews #sportsmedia #popculture #media 




"Video is growing very quickly on Facebook. A lot of people compare that to YouTube. I think that kind of makes sense. YouTube isn't the only video service, but I think it's the biggest, and it probably makes more sense to compare Facebook video to YouTube rather than Netflix because that's a completely different kind of content" - Mark Zuckerberg #MarkZuckerberg #quote #Facebook #Meta #YouTube #video #videoservice #Netflix #content #socialmedia #socialmedianews #socialmediatrends #socialmediawars #socialmediaplatforms #platforms #innovation #bigtech #tech #innovation #popculture #internet #media 



Combat Sports News


UFC @UFC Noche


Women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso defended her championship vs Valentina Shevchenko.


The bout went the distance with both competitors coping a bruising in the five-round affair.


Many MMA insiders and hardcore fans are asking questions about the judges scorecards.


A split draw! (48-47, 47-48, 47-47). You could see a look in the eyes of Shevchenko.


One judge giving Grasso the final round 10-8 despite Shevchenko dominating the majority of the round.


Shevchenko spoke with UFC/MMA living legend Daniel "DC" Cormier.


“I think it really was 3-2 on my side, but I think judges felt a little bit of pressure because it was Mexican Independence Day”.


“In a fair fight, in a fair competition, victory would be mine.”


They used to say in the fight game, "That's boxing", but now they may also say, "That's MMA in a foreign land", or something to that effect. We're all heard of the expression "hometown advantage", be it football, or other. A re-match appears on the cards, this time perhaps on U.S soil, or some other place. MMA will survive. Stay hungry!

#UFC #UFCNoche #ufcwomen #NocheUFC #AlexaGrasso #ValentinaShevchenko #sportsnews #sportsbiz #ufcnews #ufcmedia #fighting #sportsmedia #combatsports #popculture #entertainment #showbiz #PPV #payperview #payperviews #Mexico #trend #trending #X #media 



Combat Sports News


UFC @UFC Noche


Women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso defended her championship vs Valentina Shevchenko.


The bout went the distance with both competitors coping a bruising in the five-round affair.


Many MMA insiders and hardcore fans are asking questions about the judges scorecards.


A split draw! (48-47, 47-48, 47-47). You could see a look in the eyes of Shevchenko.


One judge giving Grasso the final round 10-8 despite Shevchenko dominating the majority of the round.


Shevchenko spoke with UFC/MMA living legend Daniel "DC" Cormier.


“I think it really was 3-2 on my side, but I think judges felt a little bit of pressure because it was Mexican Independence Day”.


“In a fair fight, in a fair competition, victory would be mine.”


They used to say in the fight game, "That's boxing", but now they may also say, "That's MMA in a foreign land", or something to that effect. We're all heard of the expression "hometown advantage", be it football, or other. A re-match appears on the cards, this time perhaps on U.S soil, or some other place. MMA will survive. Stay hungry!

#UFC #UFCNoche #ufcwomen #NocheUFC #AlexaGrasso #ValentinaShevchenko #sportsnews #sportsbiz #ufcnews #ufcmedia #fighting #sportsmedia #combatsports #popculture #entertainment #showbiz #PPV #payperview #payperviews #Mexico #trend #trending #X #media 




"Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that disempowers them or one that can literally save their lives" Tony Robbins #TonyRobbins #quote #beliefs #power #experience #lives #life #create #mindset #attitude #mbs #biz #world #media 




"Back when the UFC @UFC first started, I wanted to see what MMA was all about; at the time, I was training with Tank Abbott, and so I went to see him fight. While at the fight, I saw this guy fighting that I just crushed in high school wrestling, and I thought, 'Hey, I'm a street fighter, and I have a wrestling background,' so I gave it a shot" -Tito Ortiz #TitoOrtiz #quote #UFC #MMA #martialarts #wrestling #fighting #sports #sportsbiz #combatsports #media



"The problem is that with blogging, the model is publish first, maybe fact-check later. In newspapers, the model is you fact check first and then publish. But those models are merging" - Craig Newmark @craignewmark #CraigNewmark #Craigslist #quote #blogging #blogs #blogger #publish #factcheck #publish #models #businessmodels #businessmodel #newspapers #newsmedia #onlinepublishing #onlinenews #media



"Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart" - Marcus Aurelius #MarcusAurelius #quote #stoic #philosopher #stoicism #Roman #RomanEmpire #Rome #Italy #fate #life #heart #mindset #widsom #mbs #media 



"We have a very wide range of content, but the brand-newest movies, what's happening with those is a $30 pay-per-view option - not from Netflix but from DirecTV and others - of movies that are in the theater" - Reed Hastings #ReedHastings #quote #netflix #content #movies #payperview #PPV #directtv #entertainment #homeentertainment #popculture #streaming #showbiz #biz #media 



"You always think as an organization, obviously if you're in sports, you want to be with ESPN. ESPN is it. But you don't really realize how good ESPN is and how big their platform really is until you're in it: Dana White, UFC @UFC #DanaWhite #quote #UFC #ESPN #MMA #combatsports #platform #sports #network #sportsnews #sportsbiz #media 



Media Man: Under The Water Cooler

Sydney HQ.


Up to approx 30 degrees 


Combat sports are red hot right now

WWE 

@WWE

 and UFC 

@UFC

 under TKO 

@TKOGrp

 banner as per NYSE 

@NYSE

 


Wrestling Match Of The Decade wheels in motion for WrestleMania: Roman Reigns 

@WWERomanReigns

 vs Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson 

@TheRock

 


John Cena 

@JohnCena

 and Johnson escape fallout from Hollywood writers strike!


MMA: The UFC Sean Strickland @SStricklandMMA era is here. Izzy has been advised by many to rest up, rethink his political allegiance and messaging with China. Will he ever live down the "Dog Day Afternoon" in Sydney, Australia! Pro MMA can be a dog eat dog business and SS's mind games got to "The Last Stylebender". Was the fight already lost for Izzy before the "Let's Fn Go"?


UFC Nucho in Mexico. Grasso vs Shevchenko. Draw says judges! Oops.  Re-match next time on U.S soil?! 


Hot Temp's In Sydney, Australia see pause on bush burn-offs likely for a few days as mini heatwave hits.


Water safety reminder: Beach, rockpools, anywhere around water. 


Work/Biz/Life Balance: If working with screens/computers try 15 mins break from screen for every hour on. Protect eyes, head, well-being. A walk around the block and an extra glass of water can work wonders. Water and coffee in the office (but not too close to keyboards)!


Washington, USA: Political basketcases?! USA set for an authentic leader in office. Many of the most suitable candidates work in private enterprise? Too good for the Oval Office?!  A bit like some in the land down under of Australia, but not quite as obvious.


New South Wales government of Australia scores big praise by Sydney, Australia sports loving fans. About 3 or so more UFC events to hit Sydney within the next 4 years. 


PPV (Pay-Per-View) business models, offerings to get some revamp thanks to TKO (WWE and UFC) deal; What percentage of WWE fans also watch at least some UFC? A higher percentage than the amount of UFC fans who also watch some WWE! Not all exactly or speculative numbers are in the public domain and can we suggest some are hidden - at least in part. Back in the Optus Vision days we used to get our hands on much raw data, thanks to my old bosses and the marketing and PPV department. Many industries have trade secrets, much like the Google Algorithm or KFC's "eleven secret herbs and spices"!


Alt news and niche news finding audiences in Australia, US, Canada, Europe, while many in society has tuned out or largely turned off "TV News" and other "mainstream aka lamestream"; Sky News Australia 

@SkyNewsAust

 is an exception to the rule. Sky boasts an interaction with 11.1 million Aussie's each month. Multiplatform strategy works a charm, with quality and authentic journalism - funny about that hey!!! "Happy to help further spread the good and authentic news"..Anon journo type overheard around the watercooler.


24-hour News Cycle vs Always On via The Internet..


Too much news going on all the time? Part of the reason the Media Man Group often updates X 

@X

 (formally Twitter) and blogs such as Media Man Int Blogger and Media Man Blogger quicker than news going live to it's flagship websites.  Evergreen content strategy works a treat as well as unique perspectives and some gonzo journalism type reporting seldom found in mainstream news. The Google Algorithm is friendly to this business model so it's a Win-Win-Win!


Yes, we are still taking on some select PR and advertising campaigns. Email is if you have something you want the world to know about. There's an old expression that goes something like, "If you have the money we have the time"!


Seriously, we love the once great craft of journalism. The decline of the industry is well documented.. Hat's off to the authentic journos who continue to scribe and sniff out a good story. Journos vs AI! That's a big rabbit hole ain't it. 


Remember in this sometimes crazy world, Heath is wealth and time and energy are most valuable resources. 


LinkedIn: For more professional (whatever that is anyway) scribes and media presentation check us out via LinkedIn. Greg Tingle, Founder and Director, Media Man Int and Media Man Australia. LI is a MM multi-time 'Social Media Platform Of The Month' winner and finalist (and so it Twitter, now X, right Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino.


Thanks for stopping by Media Man. Beach to Bush Telegraph via The Internet Superhighway. Wrestling and surfin' the web and beyond. Seagulls and Kangaroos ahead! 


#news #newsbiz #PopCulture #combatsports #WWE #UFC #TKO #WrestleMania #gonzo #gonzojournalism #onlinenews #watercooler #watercoolernews #newsroom #sky #skynews #realnews #realviews #nichenews #niche #agent #agency #scribe #blog #blogs #platforms #biz #balance #search #ai #letsgo #forthewin #AndStill #PPV #payperview #streaming #info #intel #scoops #RabbitHole #worldnews #mediabiz #adbiz #buzz #media #mediaman


SEO and online news developments on the horizon


Google to remove "How to (get) rich" results


Google working on another AI search engine


X (X Corp) working on "The Everything App"; Will have a fintech/online banking type functionality


Bloggers want X to have a full blown blogging solution


Will X also start selling website design and development packages ala Google Domains sale to Squarespace


More "alternative media" news websites and alt social media platforms rising up as much of society further moves away from "mainstream media" aka "legacy media"


Become the "go-to* on your line of business.


Build it and they will come (with the right SEO, SEM, meta-tags, webcode and patience)!


Have fun in biz or at work or it's just not worth it.


The winning mindset. Mindset is much of "The Secret"


Plug into trends and hot topics. Become part of the pop culture discussion!


Disrupt the market, unique selling points and solutions,.and seize the day!




Box Office News





Not exactly a record setting week for the movie/theatre biz but the show must go on!


'Nun II' maintains top spot in North American box office for another weekend.


The Nun II is the top movie in North America for a second weekend, earning an extra $14.7 million in receipts, Box Office Mojo has announced.


A Haunting in Venice - $14.5 million #AHauntingInVenice 

The Equalizer 3 - $7.2 million #TheEqualizer3 

My Big Fat Greek Wedding - $4.7 million #MyBigFatGreekWedding3 

Barbie - $4 million #BarbieTheMovie 

Jawan - $2.49 million #Jawan 

Blue Beetle - $2.48 million #BlueBeetle 

Gran Turismo - $2.4 million #GranTurismoMovie 

Oppenheimer - $2.1 million #Oppenheimer 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem - $2 million #TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles 


#TheNun2 #popculture #movienews #boxoffice #movieboxoffice #entertainment #entertainmentnews #showbiz #biz #media



SEL YouTube September 2023


SEL's Nicola on YouTube AI. Alphabet/YouTube is on a roll..More great AI developments.. YouTube Shorts are working a charm for us. Brand logos/images rule.. Improved AI for content, movie and streaming show subtitles and more.. YouTube is now in contention for our 'Social Media Platform Of The Month' awards based on pure merit. YouTube getting on the front foot before X Corp goes ballistic with X and "The Everything App"..Will Amazon Prime Video, Dailymotion and/or Rumble have a counter hold and strike back at this? Stay tuned for the ongoing "social media wars" as we call them. The customer (and YouTube wins). 



SEJ Googles Search Relations September 2023


SEJ's Matt on domain names. Lots of considerations. All part of the branding experience and strategy. Many more elements to consider.. For example, we have a strong portfolio of names and websites and none of the names get old or out of date. The names from Media Man fit in with a wide array of matters, but it's obvious there's a strong news media perspective. Business and world conditions do change but news and media remains a staple of society and the web. Domain names and now websites remain very affordable so business entrepreneurs can take more risks without having to bet the ranch. Google Domains recently sold to Squarespace if you didn't hear already. That news broke approx 2 months ago. Keep spreading the risk, start spitfires and seize the day. Did we say be Google - Alphabet friendly? Yes, with the right amount of AI, X Corp, social media and so on. Trust the gut and use your head in the sometimes crazy world. Another winning number by Search Engine Journal. 



SEL Prepare For Season September 2023


SEL's Jonathan on peak season (for many, but not all) business, goods, services and other sectors. The vast majority of businesses have high and low sectors. We work in and around sports, combat sports, ads/pr, pop culture and related. An advantage of not having a shopfront, warehouse etc etc is the cost saving as well as risk minimization..In addition online news and information based outfits can plug into and generate what is widely know as "evergreen content"..For eg, this rich history of boxing, pro wrestling and martial arts never gets old or out of date. Sports business, sports memorabilia, sports content streaming and such remain popular all year round. This type of content can help drive online based sales of boxing and MMA gloves, mouthguards, home gyms, sports DVDs, ring attire and even broadcasting equipment such as podcast kits, Google Cast and you get the picture. Having previously owned a restaurant I'm all too aware of the challenges faced by many more traditional type businesses. SEO continues to be of benefit to most sectors. We're even helping out many agencies and their clients and associates with this as folks know the importance of it all year round. Spread the risk with paid, organic and other. Win-Win-Win!