• WWE HISTORY (June 19, 2003) – WWE SmackDown!
On this day in 2003, World Wrestling Entertainment aired another episode of their weekly TV show ‘WWE SmackDown!’.
This episode was broadcasted from the SBC Center in San Antonio, Texas and featured matches, interviews & storyline segments on the road to the ‘WWE Vengeance 2003’ PPV.
Here’s the card:
1. The Undertaker vs. Nunzio
2. U.S. Title Tournament Match #1: Chris Benoit vs. Rhyno
3. Rey Mysterio vs. Kanyon
4. Billy Gunn vs. Jamie Noble
5. Kurt Angle vs. Charlie Haas
6. Eddie Guerrero vs. Sean O’ Haire
7. Brock Lesnar vs. The Big Show
• WWE Reportedly Trying To “Brainwash” Their Wrestlers – Promise That Positive Changes Are Coming
According to Slice Wrestling, WWE officials recently held a meeting where a speech was given about how WWE is “The Big League” and “The best wrestling promotion a wrestler could work for”.
This was seen as a brainwash tactic to prevent wrestlers from jumping ship to All Elite Wrestling once their WWE contracts expire.
WWE wrestlers were also promised during this meeting that positive changes are coming soon.
This meeting was likely done after Chris Jericho was interviewed on “The World According To Jesse” and Jericho went into detail why he believes AEW is a better option than WWE.
Below is what Jericho said during the interview:
“I don’t know everybody’s specific deals, but I am an employee of AEW. So there are inroads for that, at least for me. I’m a registered employee of the company. There are options that are opening up to this sort of vibe.
When you play for a sports team — The Khan Family owns AEW, Jacksonville Jaguars, Fulham FC – there’s a different vibe there. It’s more of a big time sports mentality rather than the old school ‘the way things are done’ wrestling mentality.
There is a time when you have to change that. Just because it is that way, doesn’t mean that it’s right.
AEW has health care and dental for the performers. You’re talking about a big sports team mentality instead of the every man for himself mentality the business has had for years. It’s something that appealed to me.
I worked for WWE for 18 years. It’s hard to leave the place you’ve been for so long. There are loyalty and sentimental standpoint. From a business standpoint, there was no choice. AEW was better across the board, from the guarantee I was given, the contract I was given, the employee status, the healthcare.
There’s a lot more of that going on, and I think that’s going to continue to grow, which will force eventually WWE to follow suit, or else everybody will want to leave to come to AEW, which is already happening anyway.”
