WWE has added the latest sit-down interview between Triple H and Michael Cole to their official YouTube channel.
WWE COO Triple H addresses Randy Orton’s attack on John Cena’s father, The New Age Outlaws walking out on CM Punk, the decision to induct The Ultimate Warrior in the WWE Hall of Fame, Batista’s looming return and WWE Network.”
NEWS: Jim Ross BACK With WWE + Daniel Bryan OUT For HOW Long Due To Injury?
– The pre-sale for tickets to the WWE Hall Of Fame 2014 ceremony will take place this Thursday. The pre-sale password for tickets is WM30TW.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan posted the following tweet on his official Twitter account today:
Shooting a really cool Superbowl commercial today!! Brother HH
— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) January 15, 2014
– WWE Hall Of Famer recently confirmed the report we published on Tuesday that noted WWE’s intentions on inducting the WrestleMania I main event into their Hall Of Fame this year. Piper also confirmed the rumors as to why he had issues with WWE officials recently.
You can check out more from “The Hot Rod” by checking out his official Twitter account @R_Roddy_Piper.
– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” has been added online. The seventh edition of the show features part two of Jericho’s interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart. Following a lengthy discussion in part one of their discussion about Hart’s time in the Stampede promotion in Canada, part two features Hart talking mostly about his legendary run in WWE.
You can check out the latest edition of “Talk Is Jericho” online at PodcastOne.com.
WWE is playing around with the idea of inducting a match into the 2014 class of the WWE Hall Of Fame in April.
According to a recent PWInsider.com report, the idea being pitched in WWE right now is for Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, Paul Orndorff and Mr. T to be inducted, making it the first time in history that an actual match itself is inducted into WWE’s Hall Of Fame, as all four were involved in the main event of the first ever WrestleMania.
It’s possible that Jimmy Snuka and Bob Orton Jr. will also be inducted, as they were part of the WrestleMania I main event as well. If the idea comes to fruition, it would leave the door open for future matches to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame as well.
Mr. T has reportedly turned down offers from WWE in the past, but company officials are reportedly negotiating with him to make the aforementioned idea possible.
Obviously if this idea pans out, it would make Hogan, Piper, Orndorff, as well as Orton and Snuka if they are involved, two-time Hall Of Famers. The only two-time Hall Of Famer at the moment is Ric Flair, who was both inducted as an individual and as part of the Four Horsemen.
– There is a cage reportedly hanging above the ring at the arena in Providence, Rhode Island, the site of tonight’s live WWE RAW show. With the cage being set up for use, one would expect a cage match of some sort on tonight’s show.
– Earlier today, WWE announced that tickets for the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony from New Orleans go on sale this Saturday. To kickoff the ticket release, WWE is expected to announce the first inductee for the Class of 2014 tonight on RAW. Our friends at WrestleZone.com are reporting that the announcement will most likely be none other than the Ultimate Warrior.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, legendary pro wrestler The Ultimate Warrior and WWE have officially reached a business agreement.
The report indicates that the deal is likely for the 2014 WWE Hall Of Fame, however that is still unconfirmed at this point. The only thing for sure is that there is an existing business relationship with Warrior and WWE, and it will likely lead to something happening involving Warrior at WrestleMania XXX weekend.
As noted, WWE plans to release an Ultimate Warrior DVD as WrestleMania XXX approaches.
– Following the ratings success of Monday’s Old School RAW, WWE is planning to make the themed show an annual event every January.
– According to a source in WWE, Jake “The Snake” Roberts is a lock to be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame during WrestleMania XXX weekend in April. There is still no definitive word as to whether or not Roberts will appear in the Royal Rumble match later this month.
– People who are considered to be “in the know,” who were aware of Chris Jericho’s previous WWE returns, say they have heard nothing about Jericho returning any time in the near future. Basically, Jericho seems to be telling the truth when he says he has no plans to return to the company at any point in the forseeable future.
– WWE legend The Ultimate Warrior is expected to have some type of role at WrestleMania XXX. Many expect Warrior’s role to be an induction into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin recently shared his thoughts on the possibility of the late Chris Benoit being inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame. Regarding the subject, Austin said on a recent podcast, “Well first and foremost, what I think about Chris Benoit is that guy was one of the most nicest guys I ever met in my life. He’s one of the most talented, hard working cats I’d ever seen in the squared circle. Anybody who knew Chris would tell you those exact two things. That guy loved the damn wrestling business, he was born to be a wrestler and was absolutely phenomenal. Drawing a lot of his influence from The Dynamite Kid, he blazed a path as the Pegasus Kid and his legacy as The Crippler Chris Benoit was just one hellacious career.”
Austin continued, “One night, Chris ended up killing his wife and his kid. That is an act so terrible and horrible I can’t even comprehend or guess as to what happened in that house. That will always overshadow any accomplishment Chris had in the ring. He’ll never be in the Hall of Fame, it will just never happen. His career will speak for itself but his record as a human being, his first and foremost, and those actions will never be forgotten. That’s my feelings on that, we don’t even need to talk about the Hall of Fame. Speaking for myself, Chris Benoit as the person I knew, loved him. Chris Benoit as a wrestler, loved him. Chris Benoit as the person who did what he did, unforgivable. Bottom line.”
You can listen to Steve Austin’s podcasts online at PodcastOne.com.
The following are highlights from another recent Q&A update from WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On if he would consider the WrestleMania 25 match between Undertaker and Shawn Michaels as both of their best matches: “How does one quantify ‘best ever?’ I can’t. However, that match was spectacular.”
On if he feels there is anything that could be done to make NWA a viable brand again: “LOTS of cash….national TV outlet…new stars. So…not too likely.”
On the WWE Hall Of Fame voting process: “If it is an actual voting system, who are the people who get a vote? Used to be an informal committee making suggestions.”
On how weird it would be to see WWE RAW on TNT since WWE is pursuing a new TV deal: “Any thing can happen when rights fees are being negotiated for proven TV content.”
Check out more online at JRsBarBQ.com.
The following are highlights from a Shining Wizard Podcast interview with Lanny Poffo:
On letting WWE induct Randy Savage into the Hall of Fame against Randy’s wishes, and the general lack of respect shown to him: “It occurred to me that I decided “what a minute, I’m not going to be put in the middle of all this.” The thing is the WWE did not ask my permission to run the parody of the Huckster and the Nacho Man, and I don’t have a battery of lawyers on retainer, so my belief is, do what you want. You want to honor him? Go ahead. This is the same company that didn’t send its condolences to my mother who is going to be 87 in January. Now I know they made a nice video tribute, but don’t you understand that that’s just PR. Just like when they fire you, they wish you luck on your future endeavors? That’s PR, they have a public relations department. So naturally, when somebody dies, and everybody always has, you know, because it’s either suicide or an overdose. In Randy’s case it was one of the few honorable deaths they’ve had. His toxicology report was crystal clear. Clean. And that meant a lot to me. Well, name a wrestler that died and they’ve all got something wrong with their toxicology report… Remember the Huckster and the Nacho Man? Everyone says “What’s the matter? Can’t you take a joke?” Well, some of those jokes were a little bit… like they accused Hulk Hogan of doing Elizabeth. Remember that one, when they did the Larry King one? And I thought that was- they said “How was Elizabeth?” “Not too good.” The guy imitating Hulk Hogan and Randy looked at each other. And they made fun of his balding, and that was a little bit of lack of respect. So I said wait a minute, it’s true that Randy wanted the Poffos to go in as a family but you can’t make them do that. So I figured, rather than put myself in the middle for the rest of my life, I said hey, go ahead and do whatever you want. I only have two requests. Leave me out of it- don’t invite me- and please don’t pay me, because I don’t need the thirty pieces of silver. That was the amount Judas Iscariot took to betray Jesus.”
On whether he was an innovator: “I like to consider myself just a guy that was in the right time and at the right place. Everybody says I invented the moonsault. Well, the truth is I invented it like moments after I saw video of Tiger Mask doing it to the Dynamite Kid. I thought, wow, I think I can do that. I don’t know if he innovated it. And then people say “you mind if I do the moonsault?” I said hey, I stole it, too. Just don’t get hurt and don’t hurt anyone, because those are possibilities. I don’t know if I innovated anything, except I can honestly say that every poem you ever heard me recite, I wrote on my own. I don’t consider plagiarism to be a joke.”
On owing his career to Randy and becoming the Genius: “Let’s get something straight. Anything good that happened to me was indirectly or directly because of my brother. If I weren’t the brother of the “Macho Man” Randy Savage, you wouldn’t know who the hell I was. He opened doors for me. We were in the car discussing gimmicks. And he was always on my team trying to help me. We came up with this Genius thing and he was a stickler for details. He presented it, he got it done. I tried to follow through with it and did the very best I could to try to recreate myself. To reshuffle the deck and try to make the people forget that was ever “Leaping” Lanny by changing my personality. And I did my very best to entertain the people; it is sports entertainment… one of the people I really stole from was Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther… It was a one-joke movie. “I knew that, you idiot. I was only testing you.” I thought the Genius would be a good character if he was not that smart, just thought he was. Because if I was really that smart, I would have to be a babyface. But if I’m a heel I would like to be a buffoon genius- to be something hilarious in a business that was very serious at the time. Now they’ve got other comedians sometimes I’ve noticed, but I was like the only one. I have to say, God bless Bobby Heenan, you know he’s a cancer survivor and I hope he’s doing well. He didn’t raise any objection to me being the Genius. After all, he was already the Brain. But what was I going to do? Point to my arms? I have garden-hose arms compared to Hercules Hernandez, the Warlord, the Barbarian, Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior, “Macho Man” Randy Savage. My arms are just as long, but much thinner. I couldn’t point to my arms… I had to point to my head because I didn’t have what they call a body in wrestling.”
The circumstances of Randy’s death: “First of all, he didn’t die from an automobile accident; he had ventricular fibrillation… the heart is divided into the left and right atrium and left and right ventricle. That’s four chambers. And the bottom chamber, which is v-shaped, fibrillated, which means it quivered, which meant he wasn’t getting enough oxygen into his blood; the blood wasn’t going everywhere, and he said “I think I’m going to pass out.” And that was his last words… And his wife, she was the hero because when he passed out at the wheel, his foot was on he accelerator, and she grabbed the wheel of the Jeep Wrangler and steered it into a tree, because they would’ve hit a motorcyclist and behind that was a bus. So when they’re going the wrong way going about 35-40 miles per hour- and that’s just what happened. When you have a heart problem, it would be nice if you’re not driving at the time, but that’s what they were doing, and Lynn was the hero.”
On Randy leaving for WCW and his relationship with Slim Jim: “Randy wanted to work with Shawn Michaels. He wanted to have a two-year program with him. They said they were having a youth movement, and that’s why he quit. He said “I think I’ll get a second opinion on that.” He would’ve lost the match to Shawn Michaels, at WrestleMania, but his goal, and one of the things that bothered him the most, was that he was never able to have a match as good as the one he had with Ricky Steamboat. He felt, even his his advanced years, I guess he was 41, that he could have a Ricky Steamboat-caliber match with Shawn Michaels. I don’t know if he could or if he couldn’t any more that if, you know, if he was already too old or whatever, but wouldn’t you love to see him try? He would’ve put him over, in the middle of the ring, and retired to the announce booth… but instead he went to the WCW and guess what he brought with him? Snap into a Slim Jim. And Vince doesn’t like to lose even one round. You know the difference between WWF and Slim Jim? Slim Jim sent to me and my mom and Randy’s widow? A beautiful bouquet of flowers, and best wishes, and condolences. And we didn’t get anything from the WWE. The only condolences I got are from two guys. They are Howard Finkel, and last month I got a call from Steve Lombardi. Now in these two cases, this is not management, this is labor. So there’s a little bit of a difference there. If I embarrass anybody then so be it. You know what? I’m gonna be 59 years old December 28th… and I’m gonna say exactly what’s on my mind all the time.”
Why wrestling is better now: “First of all, I don’t watch it now. But there’s two reasons why wrestling is better now than then. Number one, we didn’t have iPhones back then, so, you know, that Google Maps? I really love my Google Maps. Before, I couldn’t find my ass with two hands. Now I don’t have to worry about “turn left, stupid.” The other one is I really didn’t like when I wrestled, that all the fans were allowed to smoke cigarettes and whatever, and we had to breathe in all that second-hand smoke. Now almost all the venues are non-smoking. I wish they had been that way when I was breathing in all that smoke.”
Check out the complete interview online at www.shiningwizards.com.
The following are highlights from a recent interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Adam “Edge” Copeland from the “Journey Of A Frontman” music website:
On a backstage story about music he chose for part of his WWE Hall Of Fame induction: “Yeah, it was. It was the one request I had. When I found out I was going in, they said, “Do you want anything?” And I said, “Use Walk for the induction. That would be pretty amazing.” The night before I found out I had to retire, I was listening to that song on the way home and I really paid attention to the lyrics for whatever reason. I knew something was different. I wasn’t feeling great, physically. Those lyrics really, really meant something to me in the aspect of what I was going through at that point. Starting a new part of your life and walking around into the next one. Everybody agreed and they were like, “Yeah! Of course you can use it!” It doesn’t really get any better than that. I got my favorite band, using a song that truly does mean something to me. And I get to go into the Hall Of Fame. So it was very cool and one of those things that the first time that I heard Nevermind, coming back from the Bramalea City Center, I bought it on cassette. And you hear those drums for the first time and then years later, that drummer is letting you use his music for your Hall Of Fame induction. Pretty surreal.”
On replacing his WWE theme music: “Replacing Never Gonna Stop wasn’t my choice. The copyright ran out on Never Gonna Stop. And the way that started is, I tore my labrum in my shoulder, but I didn’t get surgery, so I ended up having a month off. So I threw a shot in the dark. I always hated that You Think You Know Me music because it never fit me and what I actually listen to. I had actually said that I wanted to use this Black Label Society song and they were like, “Okay, well here’s our version of it.” And it just sounded like a bad ripoff with this cheesy voice. The guys that did Big Show’s music and they did this version of Black Label and it was just not good. It just sounded like a bad ripoff. Rob Zombie, he had a new album coming out, “Can we get this?” A shot in the dark. Next week, they brought me a copy of the CD, The Sinister Urge, and I was just like, “Oh, really? Holy shit!” I didn’t think that was gonna happen. So I had four tracks and they said the album hasn’t been released, so you can’t let anybody hear this. And I said, “Okay. Never Gonna Stop.” I come back from an injury, that makes sense. So I used it, really, really liked it. And then when I came back from the neck injury, they were like, “Okay, well we can’t use it.” And also if you watch DVDs, it’s never on the DVDs. So they piped in my original music.”
“When I was out with my neck injury, I met Mark Tremonti. I met him at a Metallica show, actually. And I went back to his place after and he played me what would end up being the first Alter Bridge album. I heard Metalingus and I was like, “Dude, can I use that when I come back?” And he said, “Yeah! Of course!” So that ended up being the genesis of it and when I heard it, it was actually Mark singing. It hadn’t been Myles yet. So it was in its infancy, but I had heard that song. I was like, “Okay, that’s gonna be what I come to the ring to.” And that’s how that all started.”
On his favorite live band performances on WWE programming: “The first one I really remember was Motley Crue. I show up at work one day and I was like, “Oh! Wow, that’s Motley Crue up there! What is going on?” So that was kind of cool because there’s nobody in the arena and you sit there and listen to them soundcheck. So I remember sitting there and I went, “Man! That’s Tommy Lee killin those drums up there! This is amazing!” And you get your own little private show. When Ozzy played Smackdown. It’s Ozzy! And Zakk’s up there ripping away. It was Baltimore and Zakk had this prototype, 1 of 1 half SG, half Randy Rhoads flying V Gibson with Zakk’s bullseye design, and it was just a ridiculous guitar. So I’m just sitting there and he goes “Wanna play this fuckin thing!” I didn’t, not in front of him! But I got a picture with it. Dropped that phone in a toilet though and that picture is gone. Just fun experiences like that, having pictures of Ozzy choking you and stuff. It’s ridiculous, you never know what’s gonna happen. You get a private show with Ozzy Osbourne and Motley Crue.”
On bonding with Chris Jericho through the years over their musical tastes: “There’s always certain guys that you just end up bonding with. Chris and I always knew that we had similar taste in music. Like I said, we’d hit concerts together. We have similar tastes in that it’s not just metal, we love The Beatles, a very open musical pallets. We can sit there and talk music for hours. We’ll talk about music and hockey more than we ever did about wrestling. We’re roughly around the same age, grew up in the same era of music. Iron Maiden. Kiss Army and all that. And then with the emergence of thrash metal and The Big Four and that whole scene. So, also, heavily influenced by Queen and the Stones and Beatles. We were kind of two of a few guys that had kind of the same musical taste. But I think he’s the closest of anyone else in that industry to what my musical tastes are.”
On musical guest hosts of WWE RAW a few years back: “Zombie was apart of it one night, that was fun. We really got to catch up again. And it was in Philly, so during the day, Chris, Rob, and I just sat there and talked about music in the arena. It’s tough because with that, you realize that it’s theatrical and it’s fun and don’t take it too seriously. And I don’t know necessarily if some people would get that. A guy like Rob gets that. Alice Cooper would probably get that. Alice Cooper would have been cool, that would have been pretty fun.”
You can check out the complete interview online at JourneyOfAFrontman.com.
– Former undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Riddick Bowe will make his official professional wrestling debut for the UK-based Preston City Wrestling promotion on either their February 28th or March 1st show. Bowe will be facing Dave Rayne in his first legitimate match.
– The Superior Court in Ontario ruled against WWE Hall Of Famer Abdullah The Butcher on November 5th for the lawsuit filed against him by independent wrestler Devon Nicholson. Nicholson claimed Abdullah gave him Hepatitis C by using the same razor blade on both himself and Nicholson in a match. The court ordered Abdullah to pay $3,500 in court costs within 90 days.
[Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
– It was announced on Monday’s special country-themed edition of WWE RAW that at the WWE Survivor Series Kickoff Show this Sunday there will be a Hall Of Fame expert panel. Representing the panel for the Kickoff Show will be WWE Hall Of Famers Bret “The Hitman” Hart, Mick Foley and Booker T.
– Also announced on RAW this past Monday night is a WWE Tag-Team Championship match between the current champions Goldust and Cody Rhodes, and The Real Americans – Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:
Sunday’s WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view: It will be interesting to see how different the two Hell in a Cell matches are this Sunday on the next , WWE PPV. Because the handicap match featuring CM Punk vs. Paul Heyman and Ryback is more of an ‘attraction,’ so making the two, HIAC matches unique should be less challenging.”
“The money in that HIAC match is obviously Punk closing the current chapter on his issue with Heyman. In the old days, we cranky, old veterans like to use that term when possible, Heyman’s fate would come to a graphic and definitive end. As I said, in the old days. Heyman means more to the match that does any of his villains. I expect Heyman to lose consciousness and to be stretchered out.”
“Hopefully, Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton will establish a helluva wrestling match before they start to utilize all the gimmicks that the giant, steel structure provides. That gives the fans the best of both worlds or so it would seem to me. Logic says that the underdog wins but who knows now days…?”
“The returning John Cena World Title Bout vs. the champion Alberto Del Rio feels a touch lost in the shuffle. Perhaps because it was made essentially out of no where or perhaps, Del Rio has little momentum, or because Cena is returning early from his surgery and he doesn’t feel as if he’s been gone that long to make his return even more special.”
The job the announcers did on Monday’s RAW: “Happy to hear the announce team Monday night point out that ADR would likely target Cena’s arm Sunday on PPV. Any time announcers can make believable, common sense points, no matter if they are a play by play guy or a color analysts, it helps the storytelling. However, telling back stories and constantly trying to fill in gaps in creative while story telling at the expense of not getting talent ‘over’ is a kiss of death. Conversational story telling doesn’t always facilitate the imperative, emotional investment needed to establish and build stars of which the business revolves around.”
Offers he’s been receiving lately: “Getting lots of offers to do a variety of things in New Orleans during WM30 week but so far I’ve declined as we’ve got other thoughts in mind at this time. Stay tuned.”
“I talked to Cowboy Bill Watts this week, who’s doing well by the way, and brainstormed with him about a potential gig that he might want to do during WM30 week but it has nothing to do with what I’m pursuing.”
His thoughts on the WWE Hall Of Fame: “Still getting tons of WWE Hall of Fame questions that I have no answers for but I will say that it is a head scratcher why men like Lou Thesz and Dan Hodge have not ben inducted. These two men, among others obviously, are no brainers. How can a viable argument be made as to why not?”
-The decision was made for TNA president Dixie Carter not to attend Saturday’s Hall Of Fame induction of Kurt Angle. Apparently TNA felt it would be wise to keep Dixie away from the ceremony, considering her new on-air heel persona.
-Approximately 250 fans attended the Hall Of Fame induction of Kurt Angle on Saturday night, along with TNA wrestlers and other TNA staff in attendance.
-Jeff Jarrett and Karen Jarrett were in attendance at the Hall Of Fame, and even sat at the same table with Kurt Angle’s wife and family.
LIVE TNA Bound For Glory PPV Results Coverage TONIGHT At THIS LINK!
[Credit: PWInsider.com]
TNA Impact Wrestling star Kurt Angle was officially inducted into the TNA Hall Of Fame on Saturday night.
According to fans who witnessed the event live in person, fellow TNA stars Samoa Joe, Sting and Magnus all gave what were said to be lengthy, nice speeches about Angle.
Kurt Angle then accepted the honors and gave what was described as a “short, five minute speech.”
Angle returns to in-ring action with TNA at tonight’s “Bound For Glory” event, which airs live on pay-per-view. Make sure to visit SESCOOPS.COM tonight for live results coverage of the show.
Related News: Details On Last-Minute Changes To TNA Bound For Glory
The following are highlights of a recent radio interview with TNA Impact Wrestling star Kurt Angle:
On the Hulk Hogan and Dixie Carter storyline: “I love the heel turn Dixie has made, it has helped a lot. Obviously we have had a few bumps in the road the last few months. We’ve been able to iron it out. Hogan is not under contract right now, but I have a feeling he will be back. I don’t know when. He’s an icon, he’s a guy that has done so much for wrestling you always want him under contract, even if he can’t wrestle anymore.”
On a possible WWE Hall Of Fame induction: “I am very honored to be in the TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame, but any hall of fame that’s out there especially the WWE Hall Of Fame you wanna be a part of it. That’s where I started. I have to give them credit on my character development and for teaching me my skills. You always want to be a part of their Hall of Fame. It’s legendary.”
On his recent rehab: “They have been awesome. I had to take some time out and clear my head and physically get better. TNA has been awesome. They have been 100 percent supportive. Dixie Carter has been amazing. The WWE Rehabilitation program has been awesome for me. My road to recovery is great. I’m really happy to be where I am right now.”
Huge Update On Kurt Angle’s TNA Return + Bound For Glory PPV Spoilers
The following are highlights from a recent interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T:
On WrestleMania compared to other events: “WrestleMania is the biggest deal of them all [major sporting events.] I mean its the spectacle of a lifetime. If you ever have the chance to be a part of it. I mean you guys got to experience the SuperBowl and now you’re going to be able to experience WrestleMania. It’s going to be awesome. Compared [to the SuperBowl] as far as what’s the biggest. Let me tell you WrestleMania is the biggest spectacle that I’ve ever seen and been a part of.”
On the new WWE Performance Center: “I haven’t had a chance to get there as often as I need to. I have my own facility in Houston. I’m trying to filter the wrestling business. You know, more and more students are trying to get it from all different perspectives. But I’ll tell you the training center is something that we’ve needed for quite some time just so the avid fan always wonders ‘How do I get into this business?’ And for us to promote it! Now, we have our own form of something that you can come down and be a part of, try to get into this business. You know there are a lot of kids out there that I feel like we might be losing. We need to advertise a little more and show these guys that you can have a great career in professional wrestling, and the longevity is great as well.”
On The Ultimate Warrior in the WWE Hall Of Fame: “Everybody’s wondering if the Ultimate Warrior is going to go in [the Hall of Fame,] that’s one thing… Ultimate Warrior is probably the one guy that people have been wondering for many, many years, just like Bruno Sammartino. It would be great to take his place in immortality. He deserves it. Hew was great for what he did for the time in wrestling… Back in the day, those guys really were trailblazers, they were one of the reasons that I wanted to be one of those guys.”
On his prediction for the WrestleMania 40 main event: “Dean Ambrose versus Dolph Ziggler.”
Check out the complete interview online at NOLADefender.com
Several KEY Segments For RAW Tonight REVEALED In GREAT DETAIL — Click Here!
The following are highlights from some new Jim Ross website Q&A:
On working with Boyd Pierce and Mid-South attempting to go national: “Boyd was a funny guy who loved to make people laugh. A natural born showman. Mid South attempting to go national was our best hope of surviving in our economically depressed base area.”
On Kurt Angle ever returning to WWE: “Truly, never say never. Kurt in the WWE HOF makes sense….wrestling? Not so sold on that except perhaps a retirement match at WrestleMania.”
On working with TNA in the future: “No disrespect taken…Just not interested in working w/ any wrestling company at this time.”
On JR being rude to fans asking about his contract status: “I’d suggest I interact w/ fans as well as anyone in the business or at least I try. I certainly don’t feel that I’m better than any wrestling fan or anyone else. At the same time, my exact contractual status w/ any organization isn’t something I care to discuss. Bottom line, I’m no longer employed at WWE and look forward to the future engaging other entities. Will my existing work in WWE, WCW and Mud Soth continue to exist on WWE projects? I’d say most likely to that.”
Check out more JR Q&A on his official website at JRsBarBQ.com.
Update On Kurt Angle’s Future, Hulk Hogan/WWE Return Rumors + Early WMXXX News! [>>]
The following are highlights from a recent interview with Tammy “Sunny” Sytch.
On Being Approached by WWE for the Hall of Fame: “When I got the phone call I had no idea what was going on. I was packing for a vacation in Mexico. It was a Monday night at 9:30 and Johnny Ace called; I thought it was really odd that Johnny would call me during the show. About 15 minutes into the call, he asked me to turn on Raw; at the time, they were announcing Shawn’s induction into the Hall of Fame. He then told me that he was talking to Vince and they wanted me to be the second inductee. I cried for about 3 minutes. It was January 10, 2011 that I was told I was going to be inducted.”
On keeping it a secret: “They made me wait 2 months and told me I wasn’t allowed to tell anybody. I can’t keep secrets as it is. Everything that company does is a test, and I think they did it on purpose. I was the second person that they told, and I was the second to last to be announced.”
On being ahead of her time: “Timing is everything. When I got there, there was no platform for girls at all: It was Miss Elizabeth standing there silent, or Sherri Martel and Alundra Blaze wrestling. I had to show the company that you can put all of this responsibility on a girl. Back in 1996 I was the first person other than Hulk Hogan that was doing mainstream interviews as a wrestler. Before me, Hogan was the only person that made it to Hollywood gossip and news shows. Would I have loved to do more? Sure, but we didn’t have the platform at that time.”
On coming in the business with Chris Candido: “I was hired first. They hired me as Tamara Murphy doing the Live Event News. Between WWE and Smokey Mountain I had a 7 day a week job. Five months into it they pulled Chris and I into a meeting and they offered him a job, and turned my broadcasting contract into a regular talent contract and the rest is history. It was easy for us to start together on the road; we were both 21, and being together and starting out that young, it made it so much easier. Chris had so much passion for the business. He started wrestling at 9 years old; that’s passion.”
On who broke her into the business: “Believe it or not, my first paying job in the wrestling business was for Bill Apter at Pro Wrestling Illustrated. I was 17 years old and just out of high school, and I was going with Chris to his shows and taking pictures and videos of his matches for his own use. I don’t know how, but Bill Apter got hold of my pictures one day and he loved the way I shot. I would use my own money to travel to the shows and develop my pictures, and Bill would pay me $10 a shot. But at least I got the credit for it and it got me started (in the business). Bill loved all of us eager young photographers.”
On being arrested for fighting a man: “Tell me you love me, put a ring on my finger, and then go and cheat on me and I’m going to kick your ass. (It’s unfair) to call me psycho, any woman would have done that. 20 days after you get engaged and you find out he’s been cheating the whole time? Any woman would have done that. Guys are pigs, I could go on and on an on.”
On DDP Yoga: “All he did in WCW back in 2001 was ramble about yoga. Back when I was in WCW, the whole locker room used to make fun of him. Before the shows he would be out at ringside with his yoga mat doing his yoga every single night. The boys used to make fun of him and rip him to shreds, and now he’s turned it into an empire; it’s funny.”
On what is missing from today’s crop of Divas: “With the exception of Nattie Neidhart, heart and passion for the business is missing. Nattie is in the business because she loves the business, not because she’s using it as a stepping stone for something else. The others, look what happens when their contract expires: They look for work in TV. In the Divas search, they didn’t even know who Kamala was. Passion and heart is missing, even from a lot of the guys. (There are very few guys with passion) Chris (Candido) had passion, CM Punk has passion, and Daniel Bryan has it too.
Check out the complete interview online at VOCNation.com.
HUGE WWE Battleground *SPOILERS* + MAJOR Storylines For RAW Next Week REVEALED!
-There is still no definite word as to when Kurt Angle will be making his official return to TNA television at this point, however it is expected that he will return soon as it is possible he will be wrestling at the upcoming “Bound For Glory” pay-per-view in October. Additionally, Angle is set to be inducted into the TNA Hall Of Fame.
-The September 12th edition of Impact Wrestling TV from St. Louis drew 2,000 fans, with 1,200 paid. On September 13th, the TNA non-televised live event in Joplin, Missouri drew a reported 800 fans.
More On Kurt Angle’s TNA Return + Huge Bound For Glory *SPOILERS* [>>]
[Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
-According to recent figures, the WWE live event on September 13th in East Lansing, Michigan drew 3,500 fans. The event on September 14th in Saginaw, Michigan drew 3,000 fans. The other WWE live event on September 14th in London, Ontario, Canada also drew 3,000 fans.
-Kevin Nash said during his visit to Comic Con in Montreal recently that he and Scott Hall should be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame together. Nash did note, however, that nothing in that direction has been talked about officially with WWE.
-Apparently the name “Dr. Michael Kirshenbaum,” who portrayed Paul Heyman’s personal doctor on RAW a few weeks ago was an inside joke by WWE, as one of the new writers on the WWE creative team is Mike Kirshenbaum.
Latest Possibilities For WWE Hall Of Fame Inductees For 2014 Class [>>]
[Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
BestofOrlando.com reports that a physical WWE Hall of Fame building (as well as a new WWE-themed restaurant) could be coming to the Universal CityWalk complex in Orlando, Florida.
The Universal Studios theme park recently filed for several demolition permits in an effort to renovate several of the existing CityWalk properties. NBA City in particular is rumored to be shut down and renovated to make way for a physical WWE Hall of Fame building and WWE restaurant.
In recent months, WWE has downplayed the idea that there are plans in place to bring a WWE Hall of Fame building to Orlando. However, construction is already underway on some of the CityWalk venues, so it’s only a matter of time before we find out what new establishments will be opening.
With Orlando, Florida being the home of the new WWE Performance Center and Orlando pushing to host another WrestleMania event in the coming years and the tremendous amount of tourist traffic at Universal CityWalk, it will be interesting to see if this pans out.
“Leapin” Lanny Poffo, real-life brother to the late “Macho Man” Randy Savage recently spoke to the Pro Wrestling Torch about the latest on his brother being inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
Poffo originally noted that his brother’s wishes were for he, Lanny, and his father Angelo Poffo, to all be inducted as a family into the WWE Hall Of Fame. Since then, Poffo has apparently given WWE permission to induct Savage by himself.
Poffo told PWTorch.com:
“I gave them permission to do it without my permission. Just don’t invite me and don’t pay me. I don’t need their 30 pieces of silver to defy my brother’s wishes. Kayfabe Commentaries had my best interview regarding the reasons Randy had for this position.”
Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage & Owen Hart In WWE HOF 2014 Class [READ >>]