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10 mo. ago

  • This or similar is coming to every vehicle sold in the United States, Congress mandated passive monitoring for impaired driving in 2021, and didn't stop the funding of it this year, and that means NHTSA is supposed to issue a rule and this will go into affect in 2027 and probably be fully implemented a few years after the rule is issued.

    The silver lining I guess, unless they change the law, is that a mechanic, dealer, or manufacturer may not disable a "safety" feature as mandated by US law/NHTSA rule, but the person that owns the vehicle can. I look forward to the internet finding out how to do this appropriately, I don't want any future car I might get monitoring and selling my data to the highest bidder, or Lexis Nexis. The catch here is that automakers are likely to claim it's a software thing and that the DMCA anti-circumvention rules apply... at which point, I'd argue just buy a decent old car and learn how to keep it going whether by working on it yourself or saving up to take it to somebody.

  • they were asked to restructure their deals with TKO instead of WWE, and said restructuring involved a substantial pay cut.

    Sounds similar to the UFC buyout, there were complaints and lawsuits that Endeavor was underpaying talent and releasing people that didn't want the lower payouts. They took away their sponsorships for like Reebok, and some talent were cut to make room for cheaper ones. Led to some anti-trust lawsuits that I think got settled, or maybe those were in the Zuffa era. Either way, it's looking like what happened with UFC, let big contracts and older, higher paid talent go to bring in cheaper talent.

    I have no doubt Kofi & Creed will be in high demand, I hope they get a good run somewhere.

  • Ten-Bell Salute

    Such a gut punch, held out a lot of hope life just got in the way, I'll pour one out for him. Hell of a lot of respect for everything he did to keep this community going, from the reddit exodus, to the Kbin 404 forced moving to Lemmy, tons of posts, just all around you don't come across people online you totally appreciate all that often, and he certainly had my appreciation and respect. RIP.

  • Honestly, it mostly was kind of a fluke, I was searching for info on who owned Lucha Underground, LLC which is apparently the holding company behind it now and kept getting search results for the website, and once I realized it said 2026 in the copyright I thought hell, let's see what's here.

  • MGM and United Artists and El Ray (FactoryMade) were owners of the production and names and such, so they likely have the ownership. MGM is now Amazon, and the new Lucha website says they are embarking on a new touring era, and AmazonStudios and FactoryMade are both listed. I think whatever it is, it streams on Amazon.

    Prominent post on the site:

    An Empire Reborn

    Already one of the most recognized brands in wrestling, LUCHA UNDERGROUND is perfectly positioned to become a global presence across multiple mediums, including live event production, gaming, film and TV production, merchandising, and product incubation.

    For years, the loyal LUCHA UNDERGROUND fan base tuned in to its weekly televised product to catch the latest storyline twist or jaw-dropping leap off the top rope. Now it’s time for fans to get to know LUCHA UNDERGROUND up close and personal, as its stars prepare to criss-cross the globe on a regular touring schedule.

    For almost everyone in attendance, it will be their first opportunity to see LUCHA UNDERGROUND live, and the anticipation is growing. Becoming a live, touring wrestling company is an exciting new challenge for LUCHA UNDERGROUND, but one that will generate global interest in the brand, its content and partners – as well as create a significant revenue stream for the company.

    Here is the relevant part where FactoryMade Ventures and AmazonStudios logos are listed.

    An unrivaled team of Hollywood professionals

    As LUCHA UNDERGROUND moves forward with a full slate of exciting new projects, it remains highly regarded as one of the best produced wrestling programs ever made.

    The creative team behind the core weekly LUCHA UNDERGROUND show, and all related content, remains one of the company’s greatest assets and is the reason why we will continue to grow our TV production and distribution department – both for internal projects and as serving the industry as our clients.

  • The rational side of me says, well you can't keep everybody, especially since they are calling up so many from NXT.

    The very angry side of me says, you just announced 8-figure fucking salaries for TKO execs like Ari and Shapiro, and the mother fucking Rock of all people, like a day before doing this, if they dare to call this budget constraints... fucking bullshit.

    I'm sad for the Wyatts, they never got anything more than a cursory we're spooky shit, should have been religious swamp people.

    MCMG, got that bank, I get that at this point in their careers, hope they get a short run against the Bucks, but don't go crazy now.

    I think this sucks for Black and Vega, but you know what, I'm still mad at her for the whole we need unions, I love unions thing, that she immediately dropped in exchange for her job back.

    Santos kinda got the short end here, he just recently it feels like re-signed with the company.

    Andre Chase, I kind of liked Chase U at the start, but that was back in the era when Tony D was still a mobster so it's been a while.

    Apollo Crews, my man, you had a run greater than JTG. JTG dodged that call for like 9 years over two stints in the company, Apollo got 12, I used to enjoy some Uhaa Nation, but WWE did nothing with him, even though they gave him a couple of tries. Good run dude.

    Zoey Starks, man what a rough one, just cleared to return, and immediately gets canned.

    Alba Fyre... Blood boiling angry about this, her addition to the Secret Hervice was great, she can do no wrong, come on uncle Tony, this one, this one.

    Kairi Sane, who in the fuck fires her? An idiot that's who. Just wow.

    EVOLVE, NXT low card, and LFG People, I don't know y'all so I don't have much to rant about for you, good luck.

    Thus concludes today's ranting, raving, and crack-pottery.

  • This is true, but I swear it's gotten worse since companies quit letting him get in the ring.

  • Ok grandpa, that's enough Wooo Energy Drink mixers for the day. Jesus, this man needs help, he's Hogan levels of bullshit in the last few years.

  • This could get interesting after Barnett said nobody else would be allowed to use the name. Makes me wonder who has the actual rights to the name, if anyone.

  • Probably not a lot, this is from their financial disclosure from last week:

    Substantial Doubt About Our Ability to Continue as a Going Concern

    Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming we will continue as a going concern. However, as disclosed in Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements, there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

    For the year ended December 31, 2025, we reported a net loss of approximately $174.5 million and net cash outflows from operating activities of approximately $25.9 million. As of December 31, 2025, we had a working capital deficit of approximately $346.0 million, an accumulated deficit of approximately $1,378.2 million, and a stockholders’ deficit of approximately $328.1 million. As of the date of issuance of these financial statements, the Company has not repaid certain short-term loans, exchangeable notes and convertible promissory notes, all of which are past due and considered in default.

    Link to their SEC Filing.

    Don't forget they initially lost their stock listing last year because they had quit filing these* reports on time.

    Edit: Spelling error, this to these.

  • Not shocking, I figured it was coming when MyAEW was introduced, especially with all the troubles Triller has apparently had this past year.

  • SquaredCircle @lemmy.zip

    AEW Plus Being Discontinued On Triller TV

    www.fightful.com /wrestling/aew-plus-being-discontinued-on-triller-tv/
  • Wrestling is already a hard sell to potential sponsors, add in the whole "bloodsport" of it and well you've just made it that much harder because of the need to then explain it's hybridish mma-wrestling, but not wrestling, but not MMA, it's just complicated.

    That being said it was unique, some good, some bad, a lot of meh, and 8 years is a good run for what's essentially a very niche indie wrestling company.

  • It does make you wonder how they protect "real" sports stars and celebrities, because Booker T said he was mobbed too, to the point people were trying to video him in the bathroom. It was apparently brutal.

    Of course most celebrities, sports or otherwise, typically have their own personal security as well. But they have Players Unions or SAG/AFTRA unions that fight to get them money they are worth to afford that, unlike wrestlers.

  • o7

    Done.

  • So, there's video of CM Punk smacking some dudes phone out of his hand on TMZ, and PWInsider's Mike Johnson has written yet another somebody is going to die article about fans.

    TKO basically threw the talent to the wolves, booking them in a Casino hotel where they would have zero ability to avoid these obsessive crazies, talent were followed and harassed all weekend, culminating in the video of Punk knocking the dudes phone while he's stalking/filming Bayley and AJ Lee. Apparently shortly before this another talent was being harassed until Damien Priest stepped in. TKO should be ashamed, they need to get the talent real security now, hotel security didn't step in until after Punk went at the dude, that's sad, and I think Mike Johnson is right, somebody is going to get hurt if something isn't done to take talent security serious.

    PWInsider Story: CM PUNK INCIDENT UNDERSCORES HOW VULNERABLE WWE TALENTS WERE AT THEIR OWN HOTEL WRESTLEMANIA WEEK

    I'm going to toss some of the quotes in on this, but the whole thing is worth turning on your best adblocker then clicking the link and reading.

    TMZ.com posted footage of CM Punk approaching a fan at the WWE hotel last night after Wrestlemania 42 and slapping a phone out of their hand. In the TMZ.com story, it's noted that the fan was filming footage of WWE's Bayley hugging someone. While not identified, the someone is obviously CM Punk's wife, AJ Lee. In the footage, there are two security guards from the hotel, after the fact, stepping in. After the fact. Not before.

    ....

    tons of fans in the lobby and camped out by the elevators who mobbed everyone they saw, even referees, trying to get photos and autographs

    ...

    Priest had to step in to help a female WWE talent get away from a similar group of fans trying to surround her for photos and autographs

    ...

    It's easy to condemn Punk for stepping to the fan, and in most cases I would agree with you, but this was a case where he and a lot of other WWE talents were thrust into the wild wild west with no to support them - hotel security had obviously, at best, been overwhelmed or at worst, failed at their job. There were no Atlas Security-like security forces brought in to assist or even consult on the situation. No sign of local police being asked to assist with the infrastructure here.

    CM PUNK INCIDENT UNDERSCORES HOW VULNERABLE WWE TALENTS WERE AT THEIR OWN HOTEL WRESTLEMANIA WEEK

    CM Punk Incident Underscores How Vulnerable WWE Talents Were at Their Own Hotel WrestleMania Week

  • SquaredCircle @lemmy.zip

    CM Punk Incident Underscores How Vulnerable WWE Talents Were at Their Own Hotel WrestleMania Week

    www.pwinsider.com /article/207163/cm-punk-incident-underscores-how-vulnerable-wwe-talents-were-at-their-own-hotel-wrestlemania-week.html
  • So, there's video of CM Punk smacking some dudes phone out of his hand on TMZ, and PWInsider's Mike Johnson has written yet another somebody is going to die article about fans.

    TKO basically threw the talent to the wolves, booking them in a Casino hotel where they would have zero ability to avoid these obsessive crazies, talent were followed and harassed all weekend, culminating in the video of Punk knocking the dudes phone while he's stalking/filming Bayley and AJ Lee. Apparently shortly before this another talent was being harassed until Damien Priest stepped in. TKO should be ashamed, they need to get the talent real security now, hotel security didn't step in until after Punk went at the dude, that's sad, and I think Mike Johnson is right, somebody is going to get hurt if something isn't done to take talent security serious.

    PWInsider Story: CM PUNK INCIDENT UNDERSCORES HOW VULNERABLE WWE TALENTS WERE AT THEIR OWN HOTEL WRESTLEMANIA WEEK

    I'm going to toss some of the quotes in on this, but the whole thing is worth turning on your best adblocker then clicking the link and reading.

    TMZ.com posted footage of CM Punk approaching a fan at the WWE hotel last night after Wrestlemania 42 and slapping a phone out of their hand. In the TMZ.com story, it's noted that the fan was filming footage of WWE's Bayley hugging someone. While not identified, the someone is obviously CM Punk's wife, AJ Lee. In the footage, there are two security guards from the hotel, after the fact, stepping in. After the fact. Not before.

    ....

    tons of fans in the lobby and camped out by the elevators who mobbed everyone they saw, even referees, trying to get photos and autographs

    ...

    Priest had to step in to help a female WWE talent get away from a similar group of fans trying to surround her for photos and autographs

    ...

    It's easy to condemn Punk for stepping to the fan, and in most cases I would agree with you, but this was a case where he and a lot of other WWE talents were thrust into the wild wild west with no to support them - hotel security had obviously, at best, been overwhelmed or at worst, failed at their job. There were no Atlas Security-like security forces brought in to assist or even consult on the situation. No sign of local police being asked to assist with the infrastructure here.

  • Brock Lesnar has left his boots and gloves in the ring.

  • I can't find it now, but there was a graphic floating around socials this morning that Night 1 had a whopping 98 minutes of wrestling across the almost 4 hour show. And an hour of ads, plus another of entrances. There were 7 matches I believe, so the average match time at WrestleMania yesterday was 14 minutes, that's low, or seems so, for their "biggest" show of the year.

  • I just don't see this having a long shelf life in WWE, but I've been pleasantly surprised at how smartly they've used him. Then again I thought the same about Truth, and he was there for a long time doing comedy before they cut him and "allegedly" had the backlash and brought him back.

  • I just caught the opening of Mania, am I nuts, or did Cena dress and shape his hair like Vince, it was bad enough they were chanting for him and honoring him at the HoF, but damn dude, all I could see was Vince's favorite son dressing like him.

  • SquaredCircle @lemmy.zip

    MJF Rips TNA for Pulling Talent

    www.pwinsider.com /article/206765/mjf-rips-tna-for-pulling-talent.html
  • SquaredCircle @lemmy.zip

    Dude Wipes Sponsoring Dominik Mysterio | Official WWE Partner

    corporate.wwe.com /about/news/2026/02-17-2026
  • SquaredCircle @lemmy.zip

    TNA Files A Lawsuit Against Gail Kim

    www.fightful.com /wrestling/tna-files-a-lawsuit-against-gail-kim/
  • SquaredCircle @lemmy.zip

    Hiromu Takahashi to leave NJPW

    www.njpw1972.com /626598
  • SquaredCircle @lemmy.zip

    AMC Emerges As Potential Landing Spot For TNA Wrestling

    www.fightful.com /wrestling/report-amc-emerges-as-potential-landing-spot-for-tna-wrestling-media-rights/
  • SquaredCircle @lemmy.zip

    Raja Jackson Arrested for Knokx Pro Incident

    www.pwinsider.com /article/200563/raja-jackson-arrested-for-knokx-pro-incident.html
  • SquaredCircle @lemmy.zip

    Doug Drago on the SykoStu incident with Raja

  • SquaredCircle @lemmy.zip

    Big Internal Change within' WWE... aka TKO Screws Over WWE Employees!

    www.pwinsider.com /article/198365/big-internal-change-within-wwe.html
  • SquaredCircle @lemmy.zip

    www.pwinsider.com /article/198022/tna-seeking-10-million-media-rights-deal-seeks-to-go-live-weekly-sale-not-out-of-question.html