WWE Star Needs A Win Tonight (Video), Shane Helms On His Royal Rumble Return, Why WWE Stock Is Up

By Marc Middleton

- As noted, tonight's WWE SmackDown will feature a Fatal 4 Way to crown a new #1 contender to WWE United States Champion Bobby Roode, featuring Zack Ryder vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Rusev. Above is video of Ryder backstage at the arena for tonight's show. Ryder says he's sick of saying the same old excuses and fans are sick of hearing it. Ryder is sick of being where he is, sick of being the underdog and sick of being the guy not in the Royal Rumble. Ryder says all 4 competitors in the match deserve to win but he needs to win.

Zack Ryder Tweets On Being Left Out Of The WWE Royal Rumble
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Zack Ryder Tweets On Being Left Out Of The WWE Royal Rumble

- WWE stock was up 2.72% today, closing at $35.16 per share. Today's high was $35.19 and the low was $34.43. WWE stock was up against a down market today, along with Liberty Formula One stock, after Morgan Stanley upgraded them to Overweight status. Morgan Stanley sees a benefit from the disruption of direct-to-consumer media, which has brought an increase in spending on subscription TV.

MarketWatch wrote earlier today, "Shares of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. rallied 1.9% toward a record high in morning trade Tuesday, bucking the sharp selloff in the broader market, after Morgan Stanley turned bullish on the company, citing an upbeat outlook for revenue growth and margins. Analyst Benjamin Swinburne raised his rating to overweight from equal weight, and boosted his stock price target by 74% to $40, which is 15% above current levels. Swinburne said the battle for eyeballs across TV and online has led to a rapid increase in content spending, particularly in the area of sports rights, which should accelerate WWE's revenue growth over the next 2-to-3 years. And as WWE's costs continue to grow at a "controlled pace," Swinburne expects the increased revenue to boost margins and operating leverage. In addition, he believes WWE represents "a potentially interesting strategic asset in a rapidly consolidating media landscape." While WWE's stock rallied, the S&P 500 SPX, -1.09% fell 0.8% in morning trade. Over the past three months, WWE shares have shot up 38%, while the S&P 500 has gained 10%."

- "The Hurricane" Shane Helms tweeted the following on his surprise appearance at the WWE Royal Rumble on Sunday and how he stayed hidden in Philadelphia. Helms entered the Rumble at #21 and lasted 45 seconds before being eliminated by John Cena.

I can't thank the city of Philadelphia and the @WWE Universe enough for the reaction and response they gave me at the Rumble. The ring time might've been a little short but the memory will last FOREVER. John Cena is the man! Respect. Thank you all! It meant the world to me.

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