MyNetworkTV sent out the following press release this afternoon:
MyNetworkTV Presents a One-Two WWE® Punch
All-Star Kick-Off of âWWE Friday Night SmackDown®â & âWWE WrestleMania® â” The World Television Premiereâ
NEW YORK, N.Y., September 29, 2008 â” MyNetworkTV presents a one-two WWE punch beginning on October 2nd at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) with âWrestleMania â” The World Television Premiereâ leading up to the October 3rd all-star network premiere event of âWWE Friday Night SmackDownâ at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) announced Greg Meidel, president of MyNetworkTV.
In making the announcement, Meidel stated, âWWE â” THE sports entertainment powerhouse is launching on MyNetworkTV in big-way â” complete with the biggest Superstars, historic broadcast television matches, and back-to-back nights of powerful programming.â
The MyNetworkTV debut of âWWE Friday Night SmackDownâ begins with a Superstar-studded night. For the first time ever on broadcast television, it will be a night of Champion vs. Champion including a âTriple Threat Matchâ between WWE Champion Triple H®, World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho® and ECW® Champion Matt Hardy┢.
In addition to the âTriple Threat Matchâ the following matches, comprised of WWE Superstars from all three WWE television brands (SmackDown, RAW®, ECW) are scheduled for the premiere episode of âWWE Friday Night SmackDown:â
– Eight-Man Tag Team Match: Rey Mysterio®, Batista®, Jeff Hardy┢ and Finlay┢ vs. Kane®, MVP┢, JBL┢ and The Brian Kendrick┢
– WWE Intercontinental Champion Santino Marella┢ vs. WWE United States Champion Shelton Benjamin®
– WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix┢ vs. WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool┢
– World Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes┢ & Ted DiBiase┢ will square off with the newly-crowned WWE Tag Team Champions Carlito┢ & Primo┢
– WWE Chairman Vince McMahon added, âThe WWE and MyNet will become the tag team champions of Friday night television.â
In anticipation of the debut of âWWE Friday Night SmackDown,â MyNetworkTV will present âWrestleMania – The World Television Premiereâ the night prior to launch. Viewers can re-live the action and excitement from WrestleMania XXIV. Now, for the first time ever, MyNetwork TV and WWE invite you to enjoy that same exhilaration on broadcast television in an innovative presentation combining the high impact action of the WWE scored to music from some of the industryâs biggest stars including U2, Metallica, Three Doors Down, Three 6 Mafia, and Kid Rock.
About MyNetworkTV®
MyNetworkTV is a primetime general entertainment broadcast television network. Reaching over 97% of the country and targeted to Adults 18-49, MyNetworkTV provides its affiliates 12 hours of diverse programming Monday through Saturday, including âCelebrity Exposé,â Langley Productionsâ âJailâ and âStreet Patrolâ and debuting in October 2008, âMagicâs Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed,â âThe Tony Rock Projectâ and âWWE Friday Night SmackDown®.â For more information, please visit www.mynetworktv.com.
About World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.
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/.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
