— As is to be expected by those aware of the predominant political ideology within WWE, Vince McMahon reportedly enjoyed Joey Styles’ string of Twitter comments on Barack Obama. Political discussions are reportedly frequent on McMahon’s plane trips and in company meetings, and sources say McMahon has historically given favorable treatment to those who offer staunch conservative rhetoric. Nonetheless, while the anti-Obama rants have reportedly turned Styles into a Vince McMahon “favorite,” those close to Styles say he has been offering his true beliefs.
WWE officials recently put pressure on Styles to scale back the comments, as noted by the recent Tweet about Styles’ views not representing those of WWE. Higher-ups felt that the partisan rhetoric could hurt the company on a number of levels, including in its relations with advertisers, in its non-partisan “SmackDown! Your Vote” campaign and in executive Linda McMahon’s standing as a School Board official.
— The latest on Jeff Hardy is that while he has not yet signed a long-term extension, such a deal is inevitable. Hardy is nonetheless expected to workout a deal that allows him to take a few months off before the new contract takes effect.
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter