By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

After a p.r.-friendly first debate and relatively tame second debate, former WWE CEO Linda McMahon and Richard Blumenthal aimed for the opponent's perceived weaknesses with great vigor during Tuesday night's third and final debate promoting the U.S. Senate race in Connecticut.

McMahon continued to paint Blumenthal as someone "who has trouble with the truth," using disputed phrases from the first two debates to go after the Democratic candidate.

Blumenthal seized on McMahon's WWE background more so than in the previous two debates. He focused on the type of content WWE has historically promoted and McMahon's record as CEO operating a promotion with numerous wrestler health concerns.

“There have been seven dead wrestlers since she started this campaign," Blumenthal said. He also referenced the so-called "death clause" in WWE contracts for wrestlers. He said it "absolved WWE of all responsibility if wrestlers were killed in the ring.”

McMahon responded by saying the independent contractor wrestlers in WWE are “totally covered for any injury in the ring.” She cited the highly misleading figure that wrestlers average $500,000 per year and only having to work three days each week.

In actuality, the top one percent of WWE's talent roster pushes the average salary above the mean salary. Also, "working three days each week" does not take into consideration travel in-between TV and house shows that adds an additional day onto the average weekly schedule.

McMahon and Blumenthal also debated a number of political issues, including job creation, solving the economy, government spending, and other topics that were debated in the first two rounds.

Political news reporters covering the debate used words and phrases such as "tense," "a barbed exchange," "much more heated than the previous encounters," and "the gloves came off" to describe the scene.

The series was a classic example of pro wrestling booking with the third "match" in the series pushing the key issues to the forefront and bringing the feud to its peak with the intent of giving voters the most information about the candidates.

Local and National News Coverage Highlights

-- Brian Lockhart on newstimes.com: "Before a packed house at the Garde Arts Center, U.S. Senate candidates Linda McMahon and Richard Blumenthal engaged in their third and final debate, questioning each other's character and jockeying over who can solve the country's economic problems."

-- Daniela Altimari of the Hartford Courant: "Tuesday night's debate between U.S. Senate candidates Richard Blumenthal and Linda McMahon began with a public policy discussion about jobs and the economy but turned into a barbed exchange over character.

-- Rick Green of the Hartford Courant: "Richard Blumenthal drew more blood tonight, particularly when Linda McMahon was repeatedly on her heels and forced to defend what many of us thought was a settled issue: WWE and professional wrestling.

"In a sharp elbows-in-the-ribs and at times unruly debate at the Garde Arts Center, Blumenthal and McMahon pounded each other for an hour, making it clear they do not much like one another."

-- Politico.com: "Call it the final smackdown. In a Tuesday evening debate between Republican Linda McMahon and Democrat Richard Blumenthal, the World Wrestling Entertainment company played prominently in the last hourlong meeting between the two Connecticut Senate candidates.

"This debate...was much more heated than the previous encounters between Blumenthal and McMahon. After all, it was a high-stakes meeting: With McMahon trailing by single digits in most public polls, this debate was the final opportunity for both candidates to take their opponent down live and on camera."

-- WTNH in Conn.: "There was a large, loud crowd outside the Garde Arts Center with McMahon and Blumenthal supporters trying to out-shout each other from opposite sides of the street. The audience was also quite noisy inside during the Tuesday night’s debate."

-- The Associated Press: "The crux of the final Connecticut Senate debate on Tuesday came down to trust, jobs, and professional wrestling."

-- CNN.com: "The gloves were off as Democrat Richard Blumenthal and Republican Linda McMahon traded jabs over health care, taxes and personal character their third debate in the race for a U.S. Senate seat from Connecticut.

"During the debate in front of a raucous crowd at Garde Arts Center in New London, Connecticut, the candidates returned to themes that have punctuated their campaigns since the primary election."

Debate Video: The complete one-hour debate can be viewed in the video below from WTNH.com.

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