The Chris Jericho Incident, The Wrestler, New Talent, & More

This morning on Fox News, they had former federal prosecutor and a defense attorney on the show and discussed the Chris Jericho incident from this past weekend. They discussed the incident, and then played some footage of what happened. The former prosecutor claimed Jericho to be at fault and that he should be charged, because words alone cannot justify his actions. The defense attorney said that security did nothing and said that Jericho acted reasonably due to the issues of provocation. The host brought up how Jericho was forced to stop by a fan jumping in front of his vehicle and then claimed that Jericho’s comments during the show that might have instigated the situation. The prosecutor said that Jericho had no justification and he had alternative means to avoid the situation. He focused on the situation with Jericho and the woman then talked about how wrestling promotes this atmosphere and then says that you cannot change the situation when things go too far. After the segment was complete, the host said that she is on Jericho’s side, claiming that the woman had no right doing what she did.

The Wrestler moved up one spot to #15 at the box office this week, earning $2.2 million, and raising its eight week total to $16 million.

WWE sent out the following press release today: WWE® NAMES NEW MARKETING LEADER STAMFORD, Conn., February 9, 2008 – World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. has named Michelle D. Wilson as Executive Vice President, Marketing. In her new role, Wilson will head WWE’s global marketing and integrated brand initiatives, including pay-per-view, advertising, promotions, research, creative services, and public and government relations. “Michelle brings a unique combination of sports, entertainment and brand marketing experience to WWE,” said Linda McMahon, CEO, World Wrestling Entertainment. “She will be a key player in furthering the WWE brand and bringing great value to our network, advertising and promotional partners.” As the former Chief Marketing Officer of the United States Tennis Association, she was instrumental in making the US Open the highest attended annual sporting event in the world. She developed innovative advertising and promotional campaigns — It’s Showtime and The Greatest Road Trip in Sports — that significantly elevated the image and awareness of tennis in the United States resulting in record television viewership and ticket sales. Wilson was also a pivotal player in the implementation of several innovations for the sport, including in-stadium video screens, blue courts, instant replay, celebrity entertainment and the 2004 launch of the Olympus US Open Series. Prior to the USTA, Wilson oversaw all marketing efforts for the launch of the XFL football league, a partnership between WWE and NBC. She also held positions at the NBA in its domestic and international consumer products groups. Before her career in the sports industry, Wilson held brand management positions at Nabisco. Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

RIC FLAIR arrives at RAW with STEVE AUSTIN **TODAY**!!!