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Tag: Ricky Steamboat

  • Ricky Steamboat On His Final Run In WWE, Dolph Ziggler’s Potential & More

    The following are highlights of a new Shining Wizards podcast interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Ricky Steamboat:

    On becoming Ricky Steamboat: “The late Eddie Graham gave me the Steamboat name. In 1976 I walked into the Tampa office and there sat Eddie Graham, and Verne Gagne had sent him pictures of me wrestling as “Rick Blood,” and Eddie said what a great wrestling name- but for a heel. He then said we had a guy here in Florida named Sammy Steamboat and he was from Hawaii. What I would like to do is call you Ricky Steamboat, but I will not bill you as his son. How about you be his nephew? I told Eddie, “you can call me anything you like. I’m just happy to have a job.” The very next night in West Palm Beach- and this is a story that not too many people know… I don’t know if I’ve ever told this story live like this, I told it to a couple friends and some wrestlers- but the story goes that the next night in West Palm Beach, I’m the first match. I’m standing in the ring and the ring announcer goes “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a substitute this evening. Rick Blood is unable to make it.” And I’m standing there and I completely freak out and forget that I’m Ricky Steamboat. So I make my way up to the announcer in the middle of the ring and I’m saying, “I’m here! Hey, hey, look, I’m right here!” And the announcer puts the microphone behind his back and off the side of his mouth says, “Stand in the corner, kid. Get over there and stand in the corner.” So I go back to the corner, and he says “Give it up, Ladies and Gentlemen, for the nephew of Sam Steamboat, Ricky Steamboat!” And the crowd jumped out of their seats, and I’m looking around with my mouth open. The first thought that comes to my mind is, “Oh, this is what they do when they know you or when you get over.”

    On never working heel & wanting to: “I never had a match where I worked as a heel. When I started in 1974, I was always a face, and the reason for that was that the heel would always lead the match. Now for me to graduate to be a heel, most times you started out as a face, and then when you got good, you would transfer over to a heel and you were the guy in charge. So I never had an opportunity to work as a heel, although in and around 1991, I expressed my desire to work as a heel and the response that I got back was it would never work. Pat Patterson said that I was the consummate babyface and it would probably hurt my career. I tried to push it to them hard and said, “Let me go under a mask and let me go under a full suit and cover up my body. I won’t throw any chops and I’ll just kick and punch and I’ll be a heel. Then the big surprise, if we can carry this thing through, after about a year or so, have somebody finally takes the mask off, hopefully the response we get from the fans will be ‘Oh my God, all this time it’s been Ricky Steamboat,’” but they wouldn’t buy it.
    On being legit knocked out by a Jake Robert’s DDT: Well you know, I’ve talked about this on other radio stations and in public. They always bring that up, and I want to make this clear that I wasn’t knocked out. I know people watching that, you could hear the splat of my head hitting the cement floor. I know how to take a DDT, and he knows how to give it. You know he was the best in the business, but I just got caught off guard and my forehead hit the cement. I had all my faculties. I was working. My body language was dictating what would happen to a guy if that happened. Jake Roberts was trying to pick up a dead body and I was limp and everybody was thinking that I was knocked out, but I wasn’t. I mean, it sounded like a hand grenade went off in my brain and it wasn’t too long afterwards I had such a lump appear on my head. I mean I looked like Elephant Man. It was huge and there was water and fluids built up underneath. It was huge, but I wasn’t knocked out.”

    His last run as a performer in WWE: “A lot of the guys say that, but during the match there were moments where I knew I was a step off, and that’s just Mother Nature. I like to go 100 miles per hour when I hit the ropes, and I knew I was a step off. I wasn’t as flexible as I once was. One of my biggest things before the match was having a lot of the guys ask me what I do before a match. Some guys like to run in place, some would do push-ups, some do warm-ups. I really focused on stretching. I really think that helped me throughout my career. Getting back to the match: God, it was such a great feeling. I had a lot of déjà vu coming back over me in that match with (Chris) Jericho. I was so happy he took care of me.”

    On the superstar he’s most proud of: “I was not coaching at the time, but a guy that I’m really, really proud of when I was a producer/agent, with Arn Anderson & Dean Malenko, is Dolph Ziggler. You could talk to him and see it in his eyes that he would get it. He knew what you were talking about. It wasn’t like you just go out there and do something for the sake of doing it. I always told him to have a rhyme and reason. I give this example: You’re having a match and you’ve been working on this guy’s arm and the guy’s gotten away from you a few times but somehow you’ve been able to get back to that arm. The story that you’re telling is that you’re trying to wear the guy’s arm down. Then you have a moment to which he gets away and you end up in the turnbuckle and he charges with a high knee, and you move. He hits the top turnbuckle with his knee and goes down and grabs his knee. I look at Zig and I said, “Dolph, what do you do?” And he said, “Well, I grab the arm.” I said, “You got it, kid.” Most times, the answer I get is “I grab his leg.”

    His favorite match with his favorite opponent, Ric Flair: “This was a match where George Scott was the booker. And I’m going back, say 1979-80. Back then they had time limits and most of the main events had 60 minutes. And we wrestled to a draw. Back then we called them Broadways… George (Scott) said I don’t’ want to beat Ricky & I don’t want to beat Flair, so we wrestled 60 minutes to a draw. I’ve never wrestled anybody as many times as Ric Flair to one hour draws. So we are in Charlotte and this night Flair is going to go over and he was going to cheat, and George said you don’t have to go out there and go 40 or 50 minutes. Just give me a good solid 20. So we’re out there and the flow is going so good after 20-25 minutes that we go 45-50 minutes. The crowd has seen us wrestle so many times to the draw that they’re already calling it. Fifty-five minutes in and the announcer announces: 5 minutes left… 4 minutes left… 3 minutes left… 2 minutes left… 1 minute left in this contest. Then 30 seconds, 15 seconds, and as he starts the countdown 10… Flair hooks my legs and I go down on my back and he puts his feet up on the corner and the ref counts 1-2-3 with 3 seconds left on the clock… I laid there and Flair was laying there, because normally in a Broadway the last couple of minutes you’re really kicking into fifth gear. And I’m painting a picture that I’m trying to pin him all over the place. It’s false finish after false finish because the people understand time’s gonna run out for Ricky. And all of a sudden, he yanks my feet out as he’s begging off in the corner, and throws his feet up on the second rope, and the ref jumps down and counts 1-2-3. There was a hush over the Coliseum, and then all of a sudden it erupted… and they were throwing so much crap at Flair as he was trying to make his way back to the locker room. Coke cans, popcorn, cups… and I just stood there watching him cover up his head and try to make his way to the back… and then I looked up at the people and said, “We got ya.”

    Check out the complete interview at ShiningWizards.com.

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  • Shawn Michaels Talks About DX & Four Horsemen Comparisons, Triple H & More

    The following are highlights of a new Los Angeles Times interview with Shawn Michaels:

    When DX started, when did you first realize that you and Triple H had something special?

    “Actually, never. I’m still waiting for him to come around. He’s been hanging on my coattails for 20 years! Just kidding, obviously. It’s one of those things where the Hunter Hearst Helmsley character that he was portraying at the time, a rich, snobbish character, was totally opposite of the way he is. We would ride in the car together and say “My goodness if we could just bring who we are in the car out on TV.” We finally convinced the powers that be to give us a chance. We just went out there and hammed it up, because we naturally bring that out of each other. The humor was sophomoric, but that’s who we were back then. We were bad guys, but after a while it got to a point where people started enjoying it. The great thing about live events is you get an instant reaction, and that was very encouraging for us. People in the back wanted to reel us in, and we wanted to keep going.”

    A lot of people consider DX and the Four Horsemen to be the two greatest groups in wrestling history. How would you compare the two?

    “They are different in the respect that the Horsemen were classier, more high-brow. The Four Horsemen were limousines and Lear Jets, while DX was trailer parks and outhouses. One was white trash, one was upper crust. I always saw DX and the NWO as the natural rivals at the time.”

    If you could go back in time to your prime and wrestle any other past or present wrestler in their prime, who would you pick?

    “Ricky Steamboat. I would love to have gotten into it with Harley Race. He was such a good wrestler and rough and tough. We wrestled at the same time but never each other. And wrestling Sting would have been something I would have enjoyed. That would have been great at the box office. But if I had to pick, it would be Steamboat or Race.”

    If the Shawn Michaels of today could go back in time and give Shawn Michaels, first-year pro wrestler, some advice, what would you tell him?

    “Don’t be afraid to be who you really are. Enjoy it and don’t take it and yourself so seriously. I probably wouldn’t have listened, but if I did, I would have saved myself some heartache along the way.”

    Check out the complete interview at LATimes.com.

  • MMANEWS.COM: Jones-Cormier POSTPONED, Gina Carano To BELLATOR?! + MORE!

  • Ricky Steamboat Released From WWE As Part Of Budget Cuts

    WWE Hall Of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat has reportedly been released from WWE as part of the company’s recent budget cuts.

    Prior to his release, Steamboat had been working as a coach in NXT, as well as a Talent Relations assistant under Triple H at the WWE offices in Stamford, Connecticut.

    This past May, Steamboat did some promotional work for the company in Malaysia, however he has been booked for several non-WWE wrestling conventions and interviews.

  • MMANEWS.COM: Jim Ross To Work For UFC? Is Brock Lesnar Retired From MMA? [>>]

    (Credit: PWInsider.com)

  • Vader On Tuesday’s “Steve Austin Show,” Ricky Steamboat Promotes WWE Tour

    – WWE Hall Of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat recently visited Malaysia to promote WWE’s upcoming tour of that country. Steamboat did a lot of media and even took a tour of Kuala Lumpur, the country’s largest city.

    – WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin recently revealed that he recorded a new “Steve Austin Show” interview with former WWE Superstar Big Van Vader. Vader noted that their discussion, which was recorded on Friday for the podcast that will air next Tuesday, lasted almost six hours.

  • HUGE Main Event For Monday’s RAW + SCOTT HALL At SMACKDOWN This Week?! [>>]

  • Jim Ross Q&A: Jarrett Leaving TNA, Lesnar vs. Batista, HBK vs. Sting, War Games

    WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross has once again updated the Q&A section of his website. The following are some new highlights:

    On calling the legendary Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat matches: “It was a honor to call them back when play by play was in fashion. Working w/ Bob Caudle was a privilege. Flair & Steamboat were….legendary. I was at right place at right time.”

    On if he feels Tito Santana is underrated: “Tito was a great in ring talent. I don’t know who has underrated him. He was a star.”

    On whether or not Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania was the match of the year: “Thanks for your take. I have no dog in this hunt. There weren’t an overabundance of great matches in WWE in 2013 IMO ”

    On Jeff Jarrett leaving TNA: “I’m not connected to TNA or Jarrett or to what their relationship together was or has been lately. I don’t know what his departure means to TNA. TNA has many fixable issues. I wish Jeff and his family well.”

    On the overrun during WWE RAW on Monday’s: “Enhances the TV ratings minute by minute numbers.”

    On a dream match at WrestleMania between Shawn Michaels and Sting: “At the right place at the right time it would have been terrific. A main event. The ship’s sailed on that one or so I think.”

    On the possibility of the War Games concept being used by WWE: “Highly unlikely. I don’t see it happening. It wasn’t a WWE creation and the blood is a no-no.”

    On Drew McIntyre’s future in WWE: “It’s all about the creative and the production and execution of such. Any one can be made to be relevant in the fictional world of pro wrestling.”

    On the importance of Steve Austin during the Attitude Era: “In the Attitude Era, it was Stone Cold who was the straw that stirred the drink. But he was surrounded by some great talents as well.”

    On the possibility of Brock Lesnar vs. Batista in 2014: “If both are around with enough TV availabilities I’d say it’s possible. It would be a nice attraction.”

    On if the Hardy Boys would ever return to WWE: “I’d say never say never but I’d also guess it would likely be a long shot. Sometimes long shots come through.”

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

  • Details On WWE’s Planned SURPRISE ENTRANTS For The 2014 Royal Rumble Match

  • WWE Releases Richie Steamboat From NXT

    We can confirm that WWE has officially released Richie Steamboat from his developmental deal with the company.

    Steamboat, who is the son of WWE Hall Of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, had been out of action for a while with a back injury.

    WWE quietly released Steamboat at some point in the past week.

  • Luke Harper Makes WWE History, WWE Hall Of Famer At Auto Show In Tampa

    – WWE Superstar Luke Harper became the first man in 2013 to wrestle on WWE RAW, WWE SmackDown, WWE Main Event and WWE NXT in the same week. Harper lost to CM Punk on RAW this past Monday, lost to Daniel Bryan by disqualification on SmackDown this past Friday, teamed with Erick Rowan and defeated The Prime Time Players on Main Event on Wednesday and defeated Kassius Ohno on this week’s edition of WWE NXT.

    – WWE Hall Of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat will be making an appearance at the Tampa Bay International Auto Show on November 23rd from 1pm until 3pm at the Tampa Convention Center on Saturday, November 23rd.

  • Huge Updates To The WWE Survivor Series 2013 PPV Lineup Revealed

  • Dolph Ziggler Talks WrestleMania, His Dream Opponent, Favorite Match Of All-Time

    The following are highlights from a recent interview with WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler:

    On his first memory of watching WrestleMania: “WrestleMania IV when they had the tournament for the title (won by Randy Savage). I was cheering for Ricky Steamboat. I was a big fan of Steamboat as a kid.”

    On his dream opponent for WrestleMania: “Shawn Michaels.”

    On his favorite match in WrestleMania history: “Shawn Michaels vs. the Undertaker at WrestleMania XXV (won by the Undertaker). They could have just had a good match, and we would all still be talking about it. But they went out and had one of the best storytelling matches of all-time. I went into the crowd and just watched it.”

    Check out the complete interview online at NOLA.com.

    Related News: Update On The Undertaker’s Opponent For WrestleMania XXX

  • John Cena Misses WWE Live Event, HBK Appearances This Weekend, APA Reunion

    -John Cena missed the WWE live event on Sunday in Oakland, California, the only house show on the books for WWE this past weekend. While no reason for his absence was given, WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts did tell the live crowd that refunds would be available for those who requested them. We will have a full live report from the WWE show in Oakland, which also featured the in-ring return of The Big Show, later today.

    -WWE Hall Of Famers Dusty Rhodes, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and a special APA reunion are all scheduled as the headline attractions for the Legends Of The Ring convention in Monroe, New Jersey this October. For more information, visit LegendsOfTheRing.com.

    SESCOOPS.COM reader Carl Dantes sent along the following:

    Meet Shawn Michaels and his MRA team at the Field and Stream Shop Grand Opening in Cranberry Township, PA on Friday August 16th from 3-5pm and Michaels will be signing autographs and taking pictures plus a Q&A session and you could also win a dinner with him & his MRA co-host Keith Mark. Yes, it’s free.

    August 16, 2013
    3pm-5pm
    Field & Stream Shop
    1000 Cranberry Square Drive
    Cranberry Township, PA 16066

    Also on Saturday August 17th, Michaels will be at the Cabelas in Hamburg PA.

    August 17, 2013
    10am-12pm
    Cabela’s Retail Store
    100 Cabela Drive
    Hamburg, PA 19526

    And on Sunday August 18th Michaels will be at the WWE’s SummerSlam Axxess – tickets available now.

    August 18, 2013
    1pm-3pm
    WWE SummerSlam AXXESS
    Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE
    800 W. Olympic Blvd.
    Los Angeles, CA 90015

    [Get general admission tickets]
    [Get limited VIP tickets]

    WWE SummerSlam Spoilers

  • Ziggler On His Stand-Up Comedy, Rhodes Feature, Cornette Book, Steamboat

    -The official website of WWE recently ran a featured-piece on Cody Rhodes. The article touches upon Rhodes’ life growing up in the business as the son of “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, and later as the brother of WWE Superstar Goldust. You can check that out online at WWE.com.

    -WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler appeared on “The Bower Show” on ESPN Radio on Thursday. Ziggler talked about his life as a WWE wrestler, his improv comedy skills, how he got started in stand-up comedy and more. You can listen to the interview online at 979ESPN.com.

    -WWE Hall Of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat will be making an appearance at the Legends Of The Ring convention on October 5th. Steamboat will be signing autographs at a meet-and-greet. For more information, visit LegendsOfTheRing.com.

    -Wrestling fans can officially order the new book, “Rags, Paper and Pins: The Merchandising of Memphis Wrestling” online at Amazon.com. The official synopsis for the book, written by Jim Cornette and Mark James, is as follows:

    “Jim Cornette and Mark James take a look back at the origins of Professional Wrestling’s gimmick tables and merchandising in the Memphis and Tennessee territories of the 1960’s and 1970’s. These were the days before merchandising was a million dollar a year business.”

    Cena Turning Heel Soon?, Total Divas *SPOILERS* + Kurt Angle Rehab Update!

  • Steve Austin Speaking To Larry King, Daniel Bryan & Ricky Steamboat Q&A (Video), Lex Luger

    – WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is filming an appearance on Larry King Now today, a web series hosted by the former CNN personality. The series can be accessed at www.ora.tv/larrykingnow.

    Regarding the appearance, Austin wrote on Twitter, “Talking with @kingsthings Larry King today. Excited to talk to the legend himself.”

    – This past Saturday, WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan and WWE Hall of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat participated in a Q&A session with fans at Wizard World’s Philadelphia Comic Con. Footage from the event is available below.

    – Former WCW World Heavyweight Champion Lex Luger celebrated his birthday on Sunday as he turned 55-years-old.

  • Triple H Undergoes MRI, CM Punk, John Cena & More Appearing At Upcoming Comic Con Events

    – As noted earlier, Ric Flair was backstage at Monday’s WWE RAW from Greenville, He was just there visiting and there were no plans for him to appear on television.

    – John Cena, Daniel Bryan and Ricky Steamboat will be appearing at the Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con in Philadelphia, PA, which takes place over the weekend of May 30th.

    – CM Punk will be doing appearing at the Wizard World NYC Experience on June 28th for a signing, photo session and Q&A panel.

    – Triple H underwent an MRI on his wrist this week because there is some concern that he might have suffered a scaphoid fracture. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons describes the injury as typically being “caused by a fall on an outstretched hand, with the weight landing on the palm.”

  • WrestleMania 29 Pre-Show News, Barrett Taunts The Miz, Steamboat Leaves NXT

    – WWE Hall of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat is no longer a trainer at developmental and his final day at NXT was last Thursday. Dave Meltzer reports that he will remain WWE in the Talent Relations department.

    – As announced on RAW, Wade Barrett’s Intercontinental title match against The Miz that was originally scheduled for the WrestleMania 29 pre-show will now take place on the 1-hour pre-show. According to sources in WWE, the plan is for the pre-show to be very interactive with lots of new features.

    – Speaking of Sunday’s Intercontinental championship match, Wade Barrett tweeted the following about The Miz after last night’s RAW:

  • Songwriter Files Lawsuit Against WWE Over WCW Theme Songs

    A licensing inquiry by THQ led one songwriter to file a federal lawsuit against WWE, WWE-owned company Stephanie Music Publishing, Inc., WWE employee Michael Seitz (a/k/a Michael “P.S.” Hayes) and WWE employee James Alan Johnston (a/k/a Jim Johnston). According to a lawsuit filed by songwriter James D. Papa, the sports entertainment organization redirected royalty payments to several wrestling related songs he either wrote or co-wrote by securing the rights to music unlawfully.

    The songs in question are featured in the 1992 WCW compilation album Slam Jam 1 and were used as entrance themes by wrestlers. The songs include “Badstreet USA” (The Fabulous Freebirds), “Don’t Step To Ron” (Ron Simmons), “Man Called Sting” (Sting), “Mr. Bang Bang” (Cactus Jack), “Master of the DDT” (Jake “The Snake” Roberts), “Freebird Forever” (The Fabulous Freebirds), “Simply Ravishing” (“Ravishing” Rick Rude), “Johnny B. Badd,” “The Natural” (“The Natural” Dustin Rhodes) “The Dragon” (Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat), “He’s Smokin” (Barry Windham) and “Steinerized” (The Steiner Brothers).

    Papa says he was contacted by video-game company THQ for permission to license “Badstreet USA” for its Legends of WrestleMania title that was released in March 2009. The lawsuit alleges, “THQ’s records showed the song to be owned by World Wrestling Entertainment.” The suit continues:

    “As a result of the confusion, Papa contacted BMI to ensure that ‘Badstreet USA’ was properly registered to him and his companies. Upon his investigation, Papa learned that ‘Badstreet USA’ had been improperly and erroneously reregistered by Defendants and been given a new registration number, resulting in the royalties being redirected to Defendants. Eventually, through working with BMI, Papa was able to correct the registration to properly reflect his ownership in the work. However, by the time the registration was corrected, THQ had decided not to use the song.”

    The suit says, “His investigation revealed a systematic pattern of errors and omissions by WWE personnel that effectively misappropriated Papa’s musical works and deprived the Plaintiffs of royalty payments that would have been paid but for these errors and omissions.” According to BMI.com, “Mr. Bang Bang” has two separate registration numbers: one for Papa, another that credits James Alan Johnston as songwriter and Stephanie Music Publishing as publisher. Johnston is WWE’s longtime music composer while Stephanie Music Publishing is a company owned by Vince McMahon that was named after his daughter, Stephanie.

    Papa says his songs have appeared on myriad places including numerous video releases, broadcasts of cable television shows and on-demand programming, without his permission and without receiving financial compensation. He is seeking royalties paid (plus pre- and post- judgment interest) on the sale of videos, computer games, the sale or licensing of ring tones, and the broadcasts of cable television shows and on-demand programming; a preliminary and permanent injunction to halt the use of the copyrighted materials; an order directing the named defendants to file a report detailing how they have complied with the injunction; reimbursement for legal fees; and a trial by jury where the court will determine damages. He also wants the court to certify that he owns the rights to the music.

    The entire complaint is available here.

  • Main Event For This Week’s SmackDown, Superstars Matches

    — Randy Orton will face World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. The synopsis reads: “This Friday at 8/7 CT on Syfy, Randy Orton will return to SmackDown with his eyes locked on Daniel Bryan – just two weeks after the World Heavyweight Champion gave WWE’s Apex Predator a concussion that kept him out of the Elimination Chamber Match.”

    — Matches taped Monday night in Portland, Oregon for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars are as follows:

    * WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix vs. Alicia Fox in a non-title match

    * Santino Marella vs. Curt Hawkins (accompanied by Tyler Reks)

    No pre-show dark match was held.

    — WWE Hall of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat turns 59 years old Tuesday.

  • Tatanka Reveals Who He Wants To Induct Him Into The HOF

    Arda Ocal of The Score Television Network spoke with former WWE Superstar “The Native American” Tatanka while he was in Toronto to promote his upcoming appearances for CWI Wrestling (www.cwiwrestling.com). Highlights from the interview are as follows:

    Looking back on the two-year undefeated streak and why it didn’t lead to something bigger than it did:

    “It did lead to a big thing, it lead up to Yokozuna, lead up to Ludvig Borga. Ludvig Borga was the one who actually defeated me. But Ludvig Borga, (WWE) had big plans for him, they really wanted to push him to the sky. They really wanted to do some real big things with Ludvig Borga, but it just never caught with him.”

    Does Tatanka think about the WWE Hall of Fame, has his name come up at all and who you would he like to induct him?

    “Ricky The Dragon Steamboat would be awesome, and the reason for that is because when I started the business, I was in the North Carolinas and we just hit it off. Im one of those guys that beleive that you never become successful by yourself.”

    * Whether or not there was ever any other consideration for a character for Chris Chavis before Tatanka was chosen.

    * His Wrestlemania IX match with Shawn Michaels in 1993 and having the honour of “opening WrestleMania.”

    The five minute video interview can be accessed here.

  • Khali Scheduled To Turn Heel, Steamboat Appears At Live Event

    — The Great Khali and Ranjin Singh encountered Jinder Mahal last night in a backstage segment on SmackDown, with the newcomer once again saying that things will be a lot better due to him. Khali walked off and Singh said while it’s nice to see Mahal, Khali is his brother and he’s got his career on track. Mahal mentioned Khali wearing a tutu on Monday’s episode of Raw. Singh tried to defend Khali on the matter, but Mahal interrupted and said he wasn’t condemning him, just making a comment. He then patted Singh on the back and walked off.

    The angle is scheduled to result in Khali turning heel since many people within WWE feel he’s become too soft as a babyface and no longer portrays a monster type character. This will result in Khali and Mahal working together as a heel tag team with Mahal carrying most of the work.

    — WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Steamboat hosted last night’s Raw live event in Dothan, Alabama, but was interrupted by Alberto Del Rio upon his arrival. Del Rio attacked Steamboat, who was saved by Rey Mysterio. CM Punk then arrived on the scene, but was fended off by Kofi Kingston. Mysterio and Kingston beat Del Rio and Punk in a match later in the show.

    WWE developmental wrestler Percy Watson also worked the show, beating Zack Ryder in a singles match.

    sources: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Pro Wrestling Torch

  • WWE Working On New TV Projects, HOF’ers Hosting Live Events

    — Vince McMahon noted during yesterday’s quarterly conference call that WWE will be introducing “new live event programs” in the “not too distant future” with their current television partners. He added it “won’t be too difficult” to find a home for their expanded programming line-up.

    Regarding WWE Superstars and WWE NXT, management noted in two separate instances during the conference call they’re evaluating the future of where to air those shows.

    — WWE Hall of Famer “Bullet” Bob Armstrong is advertised to host tomorrow night’s SmackDown live event at the Pensacola Civic Center in Pensacola, Florida. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat will host Sunday’s Raw live event at the BI-LO Center in Greenville, South Carolina.

    — The pre-sale password for the July 26 SmackDown taping in Philadelphia is SDPHIL. It is ongoing at Evenue.net.

    source: PWInsider.com

  • Sunny Hopeful For Another Run, Kong Praises Two WWE Legends

    Kia Stevens, better known as Awesome Kong, was honored as an active wrestler last week at the annual Cauliflower Alley Club reunion in Las Vegas, Nevada. She thanked Antonio Inoki for getting her to Japan, where she learned the ropes. She discussed her TNA Wrestling tenure without any bitterness, as well as joining WWE. She notably said she made it in wrestling without being a “skinny bitch.” She also praised Jim Ross and Steve Austin, whom she had met at a prior Cauliflower Alley Club event, for opening the door to get her into WWE.

    A number of WWE Hall of Famers were on hand for the event representing WWE including Jim Ross, Sgt. Slaughter, Gerald Brisco, Ricky Steamboat, Ted DiBiase and Sunny. DiBiase was described as not moving well; he stated in an interview last week that he will be having both his knees replaced as well as his hip. Meanwhile, Sunny stated that she would like another run with WWE.

    Steamboat told Wrestling Observer Newsletter editor Dave Meltzer that he is about 80% recovered from injuries suffered last summer. The WWE Hall of Famer still works a few days a week in Florida Championship Wrestling with WWE’s developmental talent.

    Brisco, who also had recent health problems, is presently working with WWE as a scout.

    source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • WWE Survey On New PPV Names, Former WCW Star Hospitalized

    — WWE issued a survey to fans yesterday querying their thoughts on the following pay-per-view titles:

    * WWE Champions
    * WWE Revolution
    * WWE Uprising
    * WWE Vengeance

    — Former WCW star Scotty Riggs has been hospitalized in Georgia with what is believed to be bleeding ulcers. He underwent a procedure Thursday to locate the source of the bleeding.

    — WWE has a table reserved for the annual Cauliflower Alley Club Reunion, which takes place next week in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jim Ross noted on Twitter that Sunny, Sgt. Slaughter, Ricky Steamboat, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Gerald Brisco and Harvey Wippleman will be on hand for the festivities, as well as himself.

    — WWE United States Champion Sheamus is advertised for an autograph signing on April 29 at Stingray Chevrolet in Plant City, Florida. The signing takes place from noon to 2:00 p.m.

    (source: PWInsider.com)

  • Trish Stratus Appearing On Raw, Steamboat Signing, Jericho

    — According to the official website of Trish Stratus, she will be appearing on Raw tonight.

    — The official website of Florida Championship Wrestling has announced that WWE Hall of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and his son, WWE developmental wrestler Richie Steamboat, will be participating in an autograph signing at the April 8 show in Largo, Florida (located on Largo Minnreg Hall 6340 126th Avenue North). Bell time is 7:30 p.m.

    — Rey Mysterio is featured on the cover of the latest issue of WWE Kids Magazine.

    — ESPN.com has an article on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars highlighting the athletes on the show, Chris Jericho and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward.

  • Ricky Steamboat Talks Classic Matches, Hogan & More

    WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Steamboat spoke with ESPN.com this week to promote the new WWE All Stars video game. Here are some highlights of what Steamboat said about:

    Did He Instantly Know That His Matches With Flair & Savage Were Classics, Or Did It Take Time For That To Sink In?

    “I like to listen to the crowd, I really do. The crowd helps give me that extra boost of adrenaline. When I take a moment and listen to the wrestling fans and they’re shouting, “C’mon Ricky, you can do it!” It helps me in my heart to know that there are people out there who paid good money to watch guys like us go out there and perform. The fans have always played a major role for me and have helped me do what I need to do in the ring. Ultimately, when you dig down deep, if you did it to a silent movie, I know I wouldn’t have the same response as when I have thousands of people cheering. The fans can bring a better match by getting more involved. So when a match is over, they might be talking about how good the match was, but little do they know, that great match was elevated because of them. They’re helping me out. Look at Wrestlemania III. You had 93,000 fans screaming. That’s probably a major reason why that match turned out so good.”

    His WWE Return Last Year & His Great Match With Chris Jericho:

    “I’ll be 58-years-old next month, approaching that big 6-0. We’ve had a lot of guys who wrestled when I wrestled and made appearances — Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper — and you watch them in the ring and remember how they were. I would watch and go, “Oh man, that’s not the same kind of guy.” I didn’t want that to come across with me so I really trained hard. I had been out of the ring for about 14 years at that point, hitting the ropes so to speak, but never having a match. Then we had the match at Wrestlemania and everyone was so surprised to see me, but the fans were singing, “You still got it! You still got it!” Next thing you know, Vince McMahon came up to me and told me he was going to put me in a match against Jericho one-on-one. That’s when I really picked up my training. I was happy just being able to pull it off at my age. The bones still hung together. It was a great moment and it really felt good.”

    Why He Never Got A WWE Title Shot Against Hulk Hogan

    “Timing. A lot of times when you find out you’re going to get a shot at the World Championship, it has to do with the situation of the company and you need to be there at the right time for it. I think my time would have come up, but then I went to the other company that we don’t want to mention. Then I came back, but it was just wrong place, wrong time. I’ve had fans ask me that a lot, “How come you were never WWE Champion?” It was just bad timing.”

  • WWE Considering Turning Kaval Heel, Steamboat Update, More

    — WWE has discussed turning Kaval heel and having him feud with Rey Mysterio early next year.

    When the NXT season two winner was initially signed, Mysterio was one of the people pushing for a program with him. However, injuries to both wrestlers derailed potential plans.

    — Ricky Steamboat is still recuperating from a capillary burst of the brain at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina. When the WWE Hall of Famer returns to work, he is expected to assume a role at Florida Championship Wrestling as a trainer.

    — Last week, WWE pushed Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton as their first encounter in a singles match on Monday Night Raw. That is incorrect, as on the July 5, 2004 episode of Raw, Orton pinned Jericho following interference from Batista.

    source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • Batista Breaks His Silence, Jericho Talks TNA, Kelly Kelly, More

    — Former WWE Superstar Batista will announce his first post-WWE project tomorrow night on Monday Night Mayhem. The following synopsis was released: “In a “Summer of Mayhem 2010” exclusive, “The Animal” Batista will step into the MNM squared circle to announce his first post-WWE project. Rumors have been swirling about what the former six-time World Heavyweight Champion will be doing next, including a transition into the world of MMA with Strikeforce. The former WWE superstar separates fact from fiction only on Monday Night Mayhem.”

    Chris Jericho will also join the program to give “his uncensored thoughts on the direction of TNA and the HardCORE Justice pay-per-view. Fans can listen to the show via www.mondaynightmayhem.com.

    — The Sydney Morning Herald has a brief note on WWE Diva Kelly Kelly’s secret talent.

    “I can burp the alphabet,” she tells the newspaper. “The burping comes out after a few drinks.”

    — The documentary portion of WWE’s DVD release, Ricky Steamboat: The Life Story of the Dragon, will air on pay-per-view in September.

    — Friday’s SmackDown broadcast in New York City on WWOR-TV will be preempted until 11:00 p.m. due to the New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox game.

    — WWE announced at last night’s live Raw event in Daytona Beach, Florida that a Monday Night Raw taping will be held in Orlando at the Amway Arena on Nov. 22.

  • Steamboat Released From Hospital, Masked SES Member Revealed

    — Jim Ross announced on his official website that Ricky Steamboat has been released from the hospital. The WWE Hall of Famer is convalescing at a relative’s home in Florida and slated to return to Florida Championship Wrestling to continue training developmental talent in a month or so.

    — While squashing the unidentified member of The Straight Edge Society on last night’s episode of SmackDown, Big Show unmasked him, revealing former Tag Team Champion Joey Mercury. Mercury re-signed with WWE earlier this year and had been working as the masked man of CM Punk’s group since April.

    — Radio advertisements in San Antonio, Texas are advertising Monday’s Raw main event as Sheamus and Nexus vs. John Cena and Randy Orton in a Handicap Match.