WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart remembers his brother Owen on the 15-year anniversary of his passing:

Hey Owen, can't believe it's been fifteen years since you left us. It still hurts the same and not a day goes by that I don't think of you

— Bret Hart (@BretHart) May 23, 2014

And smile. There are so many things I wish I could tell you but, most of all, I'd just tell you how much I miss you Brother.

— Bret Hart (@BretHart) May 23, 2014

Missing you Brother http://t.co/XLfvUTb3sD

— Bret Hart (@BretHart) May 23, 2014

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:

WWE’s Stock: “Seems like many members of the IWC have become stock analysts. Where were you when I was evaluating my portfolio? I am NOT a stock analyst but I do honestly feel that WWE stock will eventually, and that’s sooner than later, be a solid, long term investment for those who partake in the market. ”

15-Year Anniversary Of Owen Hart’s Death: “Hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since the most impactful day of my career occurred when Owen Hart fell to his death at the Over the Edge PPV WWE produced in Kansas City. There isn’t a day that seemingly goes by that I don’t think about Owen and that tragic accident in some way. I will never be able to write an autobiography without talking about that night and I dread going back and watching it to be able to better write about it. I have yet to see a single second of footage from that event to this very day. Hopefully, Owen will take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame some day and I can only hope that I am around to see it happen.”

CM Punk’s Legacy “I was asked today by the Chicago Tribune if @CMPunk deserved to be in the top 25 of the all time great wrestlers. I said that all these “All Time Top” whatever lists are overly subjective but my list would be the talents who I would want in my company if I owned a wrestling organization. By the way, that will never, EVER, happen. Nonetheless, I’d absolutely want Punk on my team so therefore under my criteria he’s a top 25 guy. He’s too versatile, too skilled, an excellent hero or villain, can talk, has a great work ethic and is one of the smarter minds I’ve been around.

I was also asked if CM Punk abruptly leaving WWE would adversely affect his legacy. My answer, a simple “Hell, no.”

WWE issued a survey on Thursday, stating that the company is considering releasing new DVDs with more “behind the scenes” view of the WWE Universe. They asked fans to vote how likely they are to purchase DVDs in the following categories, if they were available for $29.93 in retail or online stores:

• WWE Reveals / Investigative Documentary: In-depth look at controversial moments in WWE History in and out of the ring plus 2 bonus discs of matches.
• Legendary Biographies: 90-120 minute documentaries on personal and professional lives of Superstars (like ESPN’s “30 for 30”) plus 2 bonus discs of matches.
• Current Superstars Docu-Reality Series: 3-disc DVD giving an all-access look into the lives of current WWE Superstars (like “Journey to WrestleMania: Daniel Bryan” or HBO’s “24/7: Mayweather v. Pacquiao”)
• One Man Show: Hear the personal tales, life lessons, and never before told road stories from WWE Legends in their own words in this intimate stage show on a 3-disk DVD.

The  “WWE Reveals/Investigative Documentary” category contained some very controversial topics, including “Owen Hart’s Demise” –

• Jerry Lawler/Andy Kaufman
• “The Curtain Call”
• Mike Tyson: Pariah of the Sports World, WWE Savior
• John Stossel Slap/Lawsuit (David “Dr. Death” Schultz)
• Owen Hart’s Demise
• XFL Documentary
• Other
• None of the above

The following are highlights of a new Submission Radio interview with former WWE Superstar and UFC Hall Of Famer Ken Shamrock:

On mending his relationship with his brother Frank Shamrock: “My brother came out with that documentary Blood Brothers ‘Bound by Blood’ and so it was an opportunity for us to get together and really talk about things, and I was happy, I was happy the way it came out. It seemed like he was trying to make an effort trying to make things to make things right, and so I opened my arms. That’s all I ever wanted, was for him to make an honest effort to fix what he broke. I mean I didn’t break it, I didn’t do those things. He did. So I’m not saying I wasn’t at fault at all, because I was. I know I was, but I wasn’t the one who walked out and left, and I wasn’t the one who didn’t go to my Dads funeral, or wasn’t there when he was sick. I didn’t do those things. And so I embraced him when he did that, I was happy.”

On drugs in MMA: “I think that when people talk about banning the substances, its funny because I don’t think people really realized what they’re asking, or what they’re saying. If they take these things out of the sports, people are going to be backed up twenty years as far as competitiveness. What people used to see in colleges that are now like pro now and professional like the supermen; the level of play will be dropped significantly in fighting, in football and in everything that we’re used to seeing. The athleticism and the strength and the stuff these guys are doing will be dropped significantly and the entertainment value will drop with it, and I don’t really think people realize what they’re asking for. They’re asking for the value of the entertainment to drop significantly and we’re going to be ok with that, because considering what we’re used to seeing, it’s just not going to be the same. And I think people are saying ‘oh it’ll still be good, it’ll still be this’ I just don’t really believe they understand what it is that they’re really asking for and I believe personally that things were made to help people and their health and I believe there’s a safe level for people to take these kinds of things to help their body recover and be a safe athlete and be able to get in the ring and compete on a safe level and then be able to have their body’s recover enough for them to be normal throughout the week. Rather than having these guys afraid of getting caught, so they won’t go to a doctor, so they won’t get it legally, they go on the black market, they get it because they can’t let anybody know they got it cause then they can lose the ability to fight or their pro card or whatever it is that they’re doing. They’ll get caught, the media will find out, they’ll get banned, they’ll get fined, all these things happen. So they’ll go to the black market and get it and that’s where the problem is, is that they’re getting stuff (with which) they don’t know what they’re doing, they don’t have doctors for their care to help them do it the proper way so that they’re not putting their health at risk. So that’s the issue right there. I think that If they could somehow find a safe level, make these guys all make sure they got their own doctors to put ’em on it, if they’re gonna go on it to have their own doctors put ’em on it and make sure that the doctors are giving physicals every month, once a month, keeping them at a safe level, I think that’s how you fix the problem.”

“It’s crazy to think people go ‘oh we’re gonna stop it now, now that it’s been going on for fifty years, we’re just gonna completely ban it now’, because I promise you this and I bet you people who understand how many people are using it in sports, they know how BADLY the athletic level will drop it. It’ll be so bad that people won’t want to turn on the TV anymore because there not going to be able to see what there used to seeing.”

On who pays better between Vince McMahon and Dana White: “I don’t know what other people say, but for me it’s definitely Vince (McMahon). I felt like he did me right, even though he may, I don’t know what the issues are with me and him now cause no one will talk to me or say anything, but for me personally I thought he treated me very fairly, he paid me well and I thought he gave me a great opportunity to be able to keep competing in the WWF; Of course I had to do my job, I had to do what they needed me to do, otherwise he wouldn’t give me the time of day. I understand that, I understood that. But when I did do what I was supposed to do he payed me what I deserved.”

On Owen Hart’s tragedy: “We were standing backstage and I was in the gorilla station and I watched it happen. And for the longest time we stood there and just stared at the monitor waiting for some gimmick to pop up, or the match to start, or for him to pop up and then when he was wheeled back in the gurney, still we were waiting for him to get up. I mean, we just didn’t believe that it was real you know, because you know all the gimmicks and stuff that go on there and you’re never told what’s happening and they’ll play all the way out till the next week. And so for the longest time, I think the fans were the same way, was that no one truly believed or understood what was happening at that moment and how real it was and for us, I mean even thought there was a meeting about whether we would go on and do the show, (whether) we were going to keep doing it, out of his honour we were going to do it, at the back of everybody’s mind we were all thinking we were getting worked, like this was a work, someone was working us. And so no one really grasped that until probably after a few weeks afterwards where it set in, in the funeral and in the news and it really set in that it was real. But can could you imagine that, not really knowing something like that?”

On if he considers himself retired: “Oh no I’ll never retire. I’ll never fight again but I’ll never retire”

Check out the complete interview above.

The following are highlights of a new WGD Weekly interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Harley Race:

The incident at Starrcade ’83, where it was in question as to whether he would show up for his match with Ric Flair: “The thing on me not being there, it was all just a big rib to start with. I just wanted everyone there to think that I wasn’t going to be there, because at that point in time, there was a board of directors, and the board had thought it was time to make a rotation with the title, and I just wanted everyone there to believe that maybe I wasn’t going to be there…truthfully, I don’t know if I told Ric or not, you can ask him. I’m sure have at some point in time, I couldn’t let that little lie rest still after all these years.”

Confronting Hulk Hogan backstage at an event as the WWF made the move “across territory lines” in the mid 1980’s: “In confronting the Hulkster, he was the type of guy, that he was being paid to do what he did, and that is how he looked at it. He didn’t look at it as though he was running roughshod over everyone else out there. I confronted him about all that garbage. There was no push come to shove or anything. We never got into anything that far into it. Talent wise, he was as good as there was out there in that era…I was a wrestling style champion, and the Hulkster was a talking style. That was the two sides of it.”

Going to work for Vince McMahon and the WWF and how the “King” gimmick came about: “When it first came up, I thought the easiest way out of this was just for me to come up with an idea that was so far out in one direction or the other that Vince and his group wouldn’t go along with it. So, I said, I want to be the King, I want to come in and win a big tournament, and I want the crown, and then that’s how it turned, with that, how could you not go on with it.”

Owen Hart’s passing, and a conversation he had with him while he was working backstage at that event: “Who the god knew it would be my last conversation with Owen. With him it was always about talking about his father and what they did up there in the Winnipeg area and me coming in and out of there. The Hart Family is as good of a family as there ever was on the face of the earth and they’ve got a lot of kids that were involved in the wrestling part of it. It is just a horrible, horrible thing when stuff like that happens… He didn’t mention (being uncomfortable), that was the amazing part of it. It could’ve been me, it could’ve been anyone else. No one knows when the man up above wants to call your name.”

Becoming a manager in WCW: “I had been as high or higher than almost anyone I think, even still today. It sounds like I’m blowing smoke, you know where, but I had done everything feasibly possible to do in wrestling and to be able to take another guy like Vader or Luger or whoever and be able to help move them up to that top position, it just continued the Harley race version of wrestling. It kept it alive, it kept me alive.”

Check out the complete interview above.

• DIRECT LINK: Photos Of Bray Wyatt’s SMOKIN’ HOT Sister Mika Rotunda [>>]

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently spoke to The Province and revealed one of his favorite Owen Hart rib stories.

JR said the following:

“I was having a long day in my make-shift office at an arena when I was in charge of the talent roster at WWE. I had an extended conversation with someone that was having substance-abuse issues; that was our suspicion. Owen saw that my door had been closed for several hours. (As I headed to the arena to commentate for the TV broadcast), I catch him coming down the hall, stumbling, bouncing off the walls. I get up close to him, he’s got this white substance under his nose like he’s been doing cocaine. Obviously, Owen was not a drug user at all. Long story short, he’d gone to the desert table at catering and got a powdered doughnut, trying to cheer me up and say, ‘You had a rough day. A lot of us are appreciative of what you’re trying to do to help guys.”

You can check out the complete interview at TheProvince.com.

Eric Young has been in TNA for nearly a decade and in that time we have seen him be a member of Team Canada, a stint a a comic book hero Super Eric, all the way through to being the top dog in the company and current TNA World Heavyweight Champion.

The 34-year-old from Florence, Ontario, Canada has won numerous titles turing his time in the company including; X Division champion, multiple time Tag Team champion, Television champion and ever Knockouts Tag Team champion with ODB, however the current title around his waste tops the lot.

We caught up with EY to talk about, getting to work with some of his heroes, his Animal Planet shows, and of course the night he was crowned TNA World Champion, plus much more.

Q. How did you first get into the sport of professional wrestling?

I’ve been a fan since I was five-years-old, I’ve watched it my whole life and it’s all I ever really wanted to do. The week after I finished high school I began training at a gym, and three months after that I had my first pro match and it ha just snowballed from there. I’ve wrestled in all 50 states, every province, wrestled all over the world and now I’m the World Heavyweight champion, it has been a pretty wild ride.

Q. When growing up who were some of the wrestlers that you enjoyed watching?

Being from Canada, Bret and Owen Hart were massive influences on me. Then there were guys like Sting, Terry Funk, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, I have a huge list of wrestlers that I enjoyed watching. I loved Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior, there was just something about it from the age of five or six and I  couldn’t get enough.

Still to this day I have lots of VHS tapes with tens of thousands of wrestling, I loved it when I five and I still love it today.

Q. You’ve had the chance to work with the likes of Sting, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, what was it like working with guys you grew up watching?

It’s hard to put that into words, these were guys that I idolised growing up, these were people that I wanted to be. I actually got to wrestle Sting in his first match back after 10 years away, and just being in the ring with him was a dream come true but very surreal at the same time. Sting was always good to be, Hulk as well, they always had time for me and it was great to be able to share a locker-room with guys like that and be on the same roster.

Q. The likes of Sting, Hulk Hogan, AJ Styles, and Jeff Jarrett have all left TNA in recent months, what has that been like?

There is always massive turnover in professional wrestling, people come, people go, some people go to work in other places and some people end up coming back, that is just the nature of the beast. It’s never nice to see anyone go, but I’m still really good buddies with AJ Styles and we talk whenever we get a chance – we’re actually planning on doing a bike trip together in the summer.

Q. When you first started in TNA did you ever think you’ll become World Heavyweight champion?

It’s always something that I wanted, and personally it’s always something I believed I could do. I don’t think there is anybody that doesn’t want to become World Heavyweight champion when they are in this business. The night I won the belt from Magnus on IMPACT! was a great feeling, I’m not taking anything away from him, it was an amazing match and he’s a super talented guy but I was better that day and now I’m the World champion and that sounds kind of crazy to say out loud.

Q. What can we expect from you as Champion?

I told the fans and I meant it, that I’m going to be a fighting champion, that’s the kind of champion I like and that is the kind of champion I’m going to be. Every chance I get to defend my title I will, I will defend my title against anybody, anytime, any place, any time.

Q. Who are some of the people you are looking forward to defending your title against?

The list is huge, pound-for-pound TNA has one of the pro wrestling rosters in the world. I’ve got a massive history with Bobby Roode, and he was they guy that held the belt longer than anybody, I would love to get in the ring and test myself against him.

Guys like Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, Austin Aries, James Storm, Gunner, Ken Anderson, these are all guys that I want to defend my belt against. They are all worthy, they all deserve a shot at the belt and secondly I want to test myself against the best and see what happens.

Q.  What have been some of the highlights for you during your 10 year tenure in TNA?

Obviously my favourite moment was that night on IMPACT! when I won the gauntlet match and then went on to wrestle Magnus and become the World Heavyweight Champion for the first time. I wouldn’t change anything about my journey, it’s been an amazing journey, I’ve done all these different roles – I’ve been X-Division Champion, I’ve Tag Team champion on numerous occasions, I’ve held the TV title, I’ve even won the Knockouts Tag Titles with ODB.

One of the things I’m most proud of is being on television every week for nearly 10 years, which is something not many people are able to do. I think that shows my versatility, you never know what is going to happen next in this industry, it’s a crazy business but it has been great to experience all of it, the good, the bad and the indifferent.

I’ve always prided myself when the fans say things like, Eric Young is the most entertaining guy in professional wrestling. That’s really important to me, it always has been, it always will be, that’s the name of the game when it comes right down to it, it’s a television show, and it’s about entertaining people, if that with physicality that’s great, if its with comedy that’s great.

My first two years in TNA I didn’t say a singe word, I was the guy on team Canada to carry the action and to be physical, I got hired here because I was a pro wrestler, it had nothing to do with me being funny, and it’s cool to remind people of that because I’m a pro wrestler at my core, or the other stuff is important to me but I’m a pro wrestler first and foremost.

Q. As World Champion, what more can we expect from yourself for the rest of 2014?

More of the same, I’ve always prided myself putting in 100% effort and it doesn’t matter if I’m sick or I’m hurt I will always put in the same amount of effort. As champion I feel that extra weight on my shoulders, being ‘the guy’ it’s important for me that people say Eric Young was involved in the best match on the show. For me it’s about making moments and memories, it’s about making people remember stuff. I’ve had lots of positive feedback so far and I just want to continue defending my belt and being the best I can.

Q. With yourself as TNA Champion and Daniel Bryan as WWE Champion, is it the era of the beard?

Yeah, it’s obviously the era of the beard, I’m not daft, I don’t live under a rock, I hear these things and I’m sure he hears them too. I’ve actually met Daniel in person and I always hear nothing but good things about him. Anytime anyone want to compare me to him, I have absolutely no problem with that, feel free to carry on, he’s a super talented guy and a tremendous wrestler.

Q. Away from wrestling you’ve also presented a number of hit shows on Animal Planet, what has that been like?

It’s amazing, it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. I still have other goals in my life but TV is something that I’ve always wanted to do. I love entertaining people, the shows allow me to combine my passion of extreme sports, I’ve always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I’ve been all over North America and done lots of crazy things, and it’s been an amazing experience.

Q. What is it like being a guest on the Steve Austin podcast?

Steve and myself are kind of wired the same way, he loves pro wrestling and always has, I love pro wrestling. He’s also an outdoors man, he loves fishing an he watched my shows on Animal Planet and loved them and through the miracle of Twitter I got talking to him, we went back a forth and hit it off right away.

We’re still buddies and talk to this day. For me he was a guy that I idolised and is one of the top five pro wrestlers of all time. I got to go to his house in LA, we sat around his computer with the microphone and we just talked about wrestling and life.

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently spoke to The Toronto Sun about a number of topics, one of which was regarding wrestling fans asking him about the Owen Hart tragedy.

JR said, “Someone I cared for, a great friend, died 20 feet from me.” He continued, “It was horrific, and the day I sit down and really put pen to paper is the day I’ll have to go back and watch it, which I’ve never done to this day.”

You can check out the complete interview at TorontoSun.com.

We are a little over a quarter of the way through the year. With WrestleMania behind us, the WWE will now begin its summer programs and hope to build toward its second biggest pay-per-view of the year, SummerSlam.

With that said, I felt it would be interesting to look at the top five matches from the first quarter of 2014. I included full match videos and highlights where possible, but WWE licensing restrictions made it difficult at times. (I also apologize for the terrible music in a few of the videos.)

5. John Cena vs. Cesaro (February 17 Raw) – Say what you will about John Cena’s in-ring ability, but he has put on some great matches so far this year, with none better than this matchup with Cesaro. There were a number of amazing spots during the contest, with Cesaro’s counter of the AA certainly ranking near the top. It appears the WWE is going to push Cesaro hard, and this was the week where his push began after he defeated Randy Orton and pushed Cena to the limit.

4. Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H (WrestleMania) – After weeks of begging for a match with Triple H, Daniel Bryan finally got his wish at WrestleMania. He took full advantage of it during the opening contest of the night. Both superstars really shined during the match and it was, in my opinion, the highlight of the show. It also ranks as quite possibly the best opening match in WrestleMania history, with only Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart at WrestleMania X giving it a run for its money.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzEetf0xlsU

The following are highlights from a new Jim Ross blog:

On the Nancy Grace segment on Ultimate Warrior: “The polarizing Nancy Grace of HLN really was made to look ill informed and poorly prepared by her staff Wednesday night on her report of the death of the Ultimate Warrior. So much erroneous info was reported as fact that I actually felt bad for her. I’d like to believe that Ms Grace is not a mean person but she let down by her producers and research people notwithstanding those who wrote her script for her teleprompter.”

“For Ms Grace to implicate Owen Hart into any drug or steroid scandal is egregious and appalling.”

On mainstream media coverage of pro wrestling: “Pro wresting/sports entertainment is given little credit by the mainstream news media and, as we have seen, seemingly the only time the genre is mentioned is when there is a tragedy. I never heard anyone talking about the economic impact that WrestleMania had on NOLA or the hundreds of Make A Wish interactions that are granted, the work WWE does with the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer organization, the support done in conjunction with the United States Armed Forces, among other great causes.”

“Good news isn’t news in today’s society or so it seems. That’s truly a damn shame.”

On ESPN’s Colin Cowherd: “Same goes for Colin Cowherd of ESPN who has had the basic same stance on pro wrestling since he became a shock jock-like TV character on ESPN. Cowherd plays the role of a broadcasting antagonist on television, IE a heel, and he can’t be positive about ‘rasslin’ or show compassion for a dead man’s family as it would apparently adversely affect his show biz persona.”

“Cowherd is a talented guy and likely a decent man but his pro wresting bias act is getting old and stale and comparing today’s product to the tragedies of a decade or two ago isn’t good journalism and make Cowherd look like he’s grasping for ratings with heat seeking remarks.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com.

Cody Rhodes is the latest wrestler to chime in on the controversy surrounding Nancy Grace’s Wednesday night TV broadcast looking at the Ultimate Warrior’s death and wrestler deaths related to drugs.

Here’s what Cody said about Grace, who listed Owen Hart, Chris Candido, referees Joey Marella and Mark Curtis as people who died young from drugs (none of them did):

“Why are folks surprised by @NancyGraceHLN ?? She got dumped by a pro-wrestler in the 80s’ and started a life quest to be just awful… …if she was remotely confident in her accusations, she’d interview an active talent, yet she won’t do that because she’d have a… …”Mark Cuban/Skip Bayless” situation, and she would come-off as the ignorant sweathog she actually is.”

In related news, #CancelNancyGrace was trending on Twitter on Thursday.

Video of Nancy Grace’s Segment About Wrestler Deaths From Drugs

While this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, the plan is for The Ultimate Warrior to close out the WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony this year.

Speaking of the WWE Hall Of Fame, Bret “The Hitman” Hart noted in a recent Q&A session that he believes Owen Hart will be inducted next year in California.

Also rumored for the Hall Of Fame next year is The Rock.

• VERY DETAILED Breakdown Of EXACTLY How Much Money HHH & The McMahon’s Earn >>

Throughout the course of WWE history, many have had the chance to latch onto the most coveted prize in sports entertainment: the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Many former champions have been memorable. Others have been downright Miz-erable. Unfortunately, some of the most talented and entertaining superstars in the history of the company never had the chance to obtain the sport’s prized possession. Here are five of the most talented superstars to never hold the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

5. William Regal

Regal holds the dubious distinction of being the first inductee into the much-respected “Kiss My Ass Club.” If only that honor were as distinguished as holding the WWE Championship…

Despite never holding the top prize, Regal was no stranger to gold in the WWE, having been a champion on 15 different occasions although he is, in my opinion, criminally underrated.

With all of the skills necessary to have a run as the face of the company, Regal’s situation is likely similar to that of Jake “The Snake” Roberts or Scott Hall, where the wrestler’s personal problems prevented the company from being able to fully commit.

4. Owen Hart

Bret Hart called himself “The Best There Is, The Best There Was, and The Best There Ever Will Be.” One man who could always match him step-for-step in the ring, however, was his little brother Owen.

The so-called “Black Hart,” Owen was one of the best in-ring technicians of his generation, was great on the microphone, and was surprisingly hilarious when guesting as a color commentator (e.g., 1996 King of the Ring).

As we all know, his life was tragically cut short before ever reaching the pinnacle of sports entertainment, but I think most will agree he would have carried the strap well had he been granted the opportunity.

3. Roddy Piper

“The Hot Rod” revolutionized the role of the heel during the 1980s. I mean, who else had the balls to break a coconut over Jimmy Snuka’s head?

His uncouth tactics and lack of respect for those around him would be an inspiration for those who followed, including Steve Austin and CM Punk.

As one of the most recognizable superstars of his era, it seems hard to believe that Piper never got a run as champ, but he was at a disadvantage by wrestling in an era where faces almost always came out on top.

– Earlier this week, a report at WrestlingINC.com stated that Colt Cabana told a fan in India that ‘CM Punk walking away from WWE is not a work. Punk has been pissed off for a while and he probably won’t be at WrestleMania.’

Cabana is calling BS on the report, tweeting:

Some dude in INDIA has been lying about me talking about Punk. I’m sorry yall but Internets been lying. I think he’s dead.

— Colt Cabana (@ColtCabana) February 8, 2014

– Stephanie McMahon was interviewed by Pittsburgh’s KDKA-TV during Royal Rumble weekend and commented on controversial footage airing on the WWE Network, such as the 1999 Over The Edge pay-per-view (when Owen Hart passed away) and Chris Benoit matches.

The Over The Edge pay-per-view will in fact be available on the WWE Network, but all references to Owen Hart will be edited out. As for Chris Benoit matches being included on the Network, she said:

“They are incredible challenging decisions to make. At the end of the day, we try to do what’s right for our fans and we try to give them exactly what they want to see.”

The following are highlights from a recent Kayfabe Kickout interview with legendary wrestling manager Jim Cornette:

On why he left WCW in 1990: “We just decided we’d rather be home than work for this f#@*$ p%#@*. It just came to a head one day when we had come off of a several day tour on the road, landed in Charlotte where we lived, and instead of being able to go home, immediately drove to Andersen, South Carolina to do a TV taping where they hadn’t bothered to tell us that not only was Stan Lane only wrestling one single match, and I was only managing him in that, but that Bobby Eaton wasn’t even wrestling at all.”

On the tragic death of Owen Hart: “Believe it or not, I was not there. That was actually the first WWF pay per view that I had missed in about five years because I was preparing to move from Connecticut back here to Louisville to start the developmental program with Ohio Valley Wrestling and was not needed that night at the pay per view. I was like everybody else, I was sitting at home watching it live as it happened.

Obviously the incident was not aired on television because, it was, fortunately, in a videotaped replay segment that it happened. But when the camera came back in the arena and Jim Ross was trying to cover basically for why there was no action going on and that there was somewhat of a pall over the proceedings, and he didn’t know exactly what had happened so he was trying to choose his words carefully, I knew instantly that something was wrong, but we didn’t know exactly until sometime afterwards what exactly had happened.

That was, you know Owen, I just said guys can get hurt. They’re risking their lives, but that was completely unnecessary. It was something that Owen was doing, that he was not comfortable with, that he was asked to do.

Still to this day I blame Vince Russo, like a lot of people do, because for those who don’t know, Owen, instead of being able to do a normal entrance into the ring and have a wrestling match, which is dangerous enough, they decided that he would make a superhero entrance and be lowered into the ring in this outlandish costume that Russo had booked him to be in and was being lowered by a rigging company that didn’t check the rigging or whatever and there were lawsuits, etc. etc. But he fell a hundred feet from the roof of the Kemper Arena in Kansas City into the ring and was killed.

Owen was a great wrestler and Owen didn’t need all that hoo ha around him, but Vince Russo didn’t feel that he was exciting enough as himself and wanted to make him a superhero, and came up with the idea of doing that. Owen wasn’t comfortable with it, but he had already turned down a few things that he wasn’t comfortable with, and he didn’t want to be Negative Nancy and be known as the guy who kept saying ‘no’, so he went along with it, and it didn’t turn out well.

That’s one of the many things that I blame Vince Russo for, for spoiling the wrestling business, not only for the people in it, but for the people who like to watch it.”

Check out the complete interview online at KayfabeKickout.com.

• Multiple *SPOILERS* For Tonight’s WWE RAW REVEALED! **CLICK HERE**

The following are highlights from a recent Q&A with WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:

On rumors that he was drunk at the WWE 2K14 symposium: “I wasn’t but thanks for asking.”

On Daniel Bryan not holding the WWE Championship for any real length of time: “I think Bryan is more popular today than he ever has been. I’ll enjoy the chase.”

On whether or not Bill Watts ever owned a part of Georgia Championship Wrestling, and talent-sharing in those days: “WATTS at one time owned a piece of Georgia. Talent trades were not unusual in those days either way. JYD & others wrestled in Atlanta.”

On what The Undertaker’s reaction was following the infamous Hell In A Cell match at King Of The Ring 1998: “That was 15 years ago. I really don’t recall. He was likely spent.”

On chances of a Steve Austin vs. CM Punk match in WWE: “Seems like that ship has sailed but I’m merely guessing. I’d love to see it.”

On politics in WWE: “I think politics are overrated and discussed usually on hearsay & by disgruntled individuals. Cream always rises to the top w/ few exceptions.”

On the subject of wrestling newsletters back in the day: “Newsletters weren’t a big topic of open discussion back in the day. Most guys tried to distance themselves from wrestling while traveling.”

On who will replace John Cena as the face of WWE and if a “streak” storyline would work: “I’d say Daniel Bryan is next man up. Don’t see Streak launching a new face of WWE.”

On if Owen Hart will ever be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame: “Likely so. Don’t know when.”

On the career of “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin: “Ronnie was a tough, highly skilled, intelligent in ring talent. Also a pilot. I thought the sharpshooter was a Japanese submission.”

On past WWE Divas in the new WWE 2K14 video game: “I’m not aware of the Diva involvement. Sorry.”

Check out more of JR’s Q&A online at JRsBarBQ.com.

Possible 2014 WWE HOF *SPOILERS* + Austin vs. Punk HAPPENING At WMXXX? […]

Bret Hart relayed his frustration with late brother Owen Hart’s exclusion from the WWE Hall of Fame in a recent interview with 660News, a Calgary-based radio station.

“You know, it’s time to remember what he was. He was a great wrestler, and WWE fans around the world remember Owen, everyday. And, they ask me, everyday. It’s kind of childish,” said Hart.

Hart noted to the radio station that he’s considering writing a book chronicling the life of Owen, who died on May 23, 1999 at a WWE pay-per-view event when an equipment malfunction occurred during his entrance from the rafters of Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri.

F4WOnline.com reported last November that some WWE employees were lobbying for Hart to be enshrined at this year’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which took place on April 6 at Madison Square Garden. The enshrinement did not materialize, and may not ever because his widow, Martha Hart, would not allow it, according to brother Smith Hart.

“Because she blames the wrestling business in its entirety for his death,” he revealed in a Twitter post last year. “She is the sole owner of his estate. With Martha, there will never B a way, perhaps his kids may eventually make the choice. But that’s at least 20 yrs in future.”

In April, Martha reached a a settlement with WWE in her lawsuit over royalties and the use of her husband’s image. Terms, however, were not disclosed.

– WWE and Martha Hart have settled a lawsuit over royalties and the use of the late Owen Hart’s image. The settlement was announced Wednesday by Martha Hart, WWE chief executive Vince McMahon, his wife and former CEO Linda McMahon, and the Stamford, Conn., company. Detail on the settlement were not disclosed.

Owen Hart died in 1999 while being lowered into the wrestling ring at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. He was 34. Martha Hart sued in June 2010, alleging that WWE did not pay royalty payments owed to Owen Hart’s estate and violated a contract restricting the use of her late husband’s name and likeness.

– Michael Cole appeared on Sam Roberts’ “Sh*t Show” radio show this morning:

WWE’s Michael Cole stops by the shit show to talk about wrestlemania, being on the road, his days in radio, and him in a orange singlet.

* WrestleMania 29 Betting Odds From Las Vegas – Find Out Who Is Favored To Win!

– With next year’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony taking place at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the company plans to pay homage to the famous area.

Besides Mick Foley likely being enshrined, there is discussion of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) and Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) being inducted, according to F4WOnline.com. Johnson made his debut at the famous arena in 1996, while Harlem Heat was a New York-based gimmick. In the case of The Nasty Boys, who hail from Allentown, Pennsylvania, the two were billed from “The Streets of New York City” during their time in World Championship Wrestling.

Company officials would also like to honor Owen Hart, who defeated Bret Hart in a memorable WrestleMania match at Madison Square Garden in 1994. Despite the push for Owen, the enshrinement is unlikely to materialize because his widow would not allow it. Hart’s brother Smith revealed on Twitter earlier this year, “Because she blames the wrestling business in its entirety for his death. “She is the sole owner of his estate. With Martha, there will never B a way, perhaps his kids may eventually make the choice. But thats at least 20 yrs in future.”

Plus, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and Live Events, is said to “desperately” want Bruno Sammartino enshrined, but it’s considered a long shot for a multitude of reasons.

– Though WWE has attempted to distance themselves from Chris Benoit since his career and life ended in a murder–suicide on June 24, 2007, the recently released WWE Encyclopedia features a sizable entry on the late wrestler. According to F4WOnline.com, this move has many people in WWE “baffled,” with his entry taking up more than half of a page.

The bio acknowledges Benoit emulating Dynamite Kid after seeing compete when he was 12-years-old, training in Stu Harts’s famous Dungeon, wrestling all over the world, making a name for himself in WCW before jumping to WWE, and fulfilling his destiny when he captured the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XX in a Triple Threat Match versus Triple H and Shawn Michaels. There is no acknowledgment of the double murder/suicide, though he is addressed in the past tense.

– WWE recently reached out to Martha Hart, widow of the late Owen Hart, about getting Owen inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2013. According to PWInsider.com, WWE inducting Owen would be part of a settlement agreement that would involve Martha Hart ending her ongoing lawsuit against WWE. She reportedly turned down the offer.

* Update On Who WWE Wants In 2013’s HALL OF FAME Class

– Zack Ryder will be appearing in Levittown, New York at the FYE store on Hempstead Turnpike next Friday, December 28th at 3pm. The signing is limited to the first 400 fans.

– The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that former WWE announcer Ernest “The Cat” Miller is now the Director of Chuck Norris’ World Combat League.

– Here is the latest episode of Zack Ryder’s Z! True Long Island Story, featuring “Another Very Broski Christmas”:

The former Hart family Home in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where Stu and Helen Hart raised the famous Hart family and countless wrestling legends learned their craft in the legendary basement (the “Dungeon”) has been declared a heritage site that will be protected by the city for generations to come.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi said this about the Hart family home becoming a protected landmark:

“One is the quality of the building itself which is really something quite remarkable and the second of course is the place that building has played in local history.”

“It is, you know, in a city that has a short history as we do. It’s important to recognize what we do have and I understand that the current owners are completely on board with that designation.”

The home was purchased a decade ago and it has since been renovated. Calgary’s city council also approved a rezoning plan for the property that will allow the new owner to build nine new homes on the land, which will help pay for the renovation and preservation of the Hart home.

Stu and Helen hart originally bought the house in the early 1950’s and raised 12 children there.

(Source: Canada’s CBC News)

With the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony taking place from Madison Square Garden in New York City, there has been talk of featuring inductees who have had special moments at the Garden – including Bob Backlund, Mick Foley and the Brooklyn Brawler. It’s also no secret that WWE has been pushing hard for strike a deal with the Ultimate Warrior and Bruno Sammartino.

Despite both men still considered “long shots” – WWE remains optimistic that they can reach a deal with either the Ultimate Warrior or Bruno Sammartino to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame’s class of 2013.

While Sammartino has been very against the idea for years, he’s softened his position in recent months, has spoken with Triple H about it and has told friends that he’d be willing to finally give in if the price was right.

Warrior’s situation is also tricky as a result of his various legal battles with WWE and Vince McMahon over the years. Relations between WWE and Warrior are the best they’ve been in a very long time, but there are trust issues and WWE does not want Warrior to back out or hold them up for more money once he’s been advertised to appear.

Owen Hart is another contender, but his widow Martha Hart wanting nothing to do with WWE could hold that up.

– In an update on WWE’s plans for its Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on April 6, 2013 at Madison Square Garden, Mick Foley is internally considered a lock to be enshrined and there has been a push for Owen Hart to be honored since his star rose with his classic match against Bret Hart at the venue at WrestleMania X.

Despite the push for Owen, the enshrinement is unlikely to materialize because his widow will not allow it, according to brother Smith Hart.

“Because she blames the wrestling business in its entirety for his death,” he stated on Twitter in February. “She is the sole owner of his estate. With Martha, there will never B a way, perhaps his kids may eventually make the choice. But thats at least 20 yrs in future.”

Meanwhile, talk of Ultimate Warrior being inducted into the Hall “has cooled down substantially of late,” according to F4WOnline.com.

– WWE has released 3MB’s entrance video.

– According to WrestlingFigs.com, Jimmy Hart appears at Pro Wrestling World in the Merchants Square Mall 1901 S. 12th St. Allentown, Pennsylvania on December 2, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more information, call 610-798-9900 or e-mail prowrestling1@aol.com.

– As previously reported, Triple H will be appearing on Monday’s WWE RAW from the BMO Harris Bank Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He will address the WWE Universe for the first time since losing to Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Triple H is also advertised for Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings from Green Bay, Wisconsin.

– Eric Bischoff wished Vince McMahon a happy birthday this week on

Twitter:https://twitter.com/ebischoff/status/239076338181476352

– WWE Diva Natalya was asked on Twitter whether her late uncle, Owen Hart, will ever be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. She said:

“@dwells518: @NatbyNature Do you think Your uncle Owen will ever be inducted into the #WWEHOF one day? #AskNatalya” yes, one day.

— Nattie (@NatbyNature) August 25, 2012

– Here is the latest episode of Santino Marella’s Foreign Exchange:

* Update On Top NXT Stars Getting Called Up To WWE’s Main Roster

– Former WWE wrestler Dustin “Goldust” Rhodes is now on Tout and posed a video stating that he wants to wrestle his brother Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 29.

During a recent interview with the Pro Wrestling Torch livecast, Rhodes revealed that he pitched the idea of a match vs. Cody at WrestleMania 28 to WWE management earlier this year, but it was squashed by Vince McMahon. In the same interview, Goldust expressed interest about appearing at RAW 1,000, but said it was unlikely since he was released not too long ago.

– A hearing is set for November 16th in Bridgeport, Connecticut regarding WWE’s motion to dismiss the remaining allegations brought by Martha Hart and the Owen Hart estate. Both Vince and Linda McMahon are being sued personally as part of the lawsuit.

– Former WWE star Shane Helms wrote that Amy “Lita” Dumas and WWE Champion CM Punk went out of their way to alienate themselves at the San Diego Comic Con this past weekend.

Punk and Lita have been romantically linked for several months and have made many public appearances together (including WWE’s Hall of Fame Ceremony earlier this year).

Check out these pictures of Punk and Lita together at a restaurant last week:

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