Kevin Nash will not be appearing at the upcoming “RAW Reunion” special on January 19th in Dallas, Texas.
Nash was originally scheduled to appear along with Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels, however WWE pulled him from the show due to the recent domestic incident with his son that led to his arrest.
As noted, WWE also suspended Nash from his “Legends” contract due to the same incident.
(Credit: WrestlingINC.com)
David Arquette is a former WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Being a World Champion normally means you’re a big star. Vince Russo was a former World Champion. The Great Khali is a former World Heavyweight Champion. Just so we understand each other, these guys, in my opinion, are not among the biggest stars in the history of pro wrestling.
Do we understand the formula?
Today, we are going to look at five legends of the ring who were without a doubt top stars in their prime. At one point or another, each person on this list could be considered “the guy” in the business. All were top stars who reached Championship-level success at one time or another, however they all shared one key factor in common — they pretty much sucked in the ring.
A lot of people have different ideas of what a “good worker” really is. Generally speaking, if you’re in the business, a good worker is someone who can take the live crowd on an emotional journey. Most of the people on this list were able to do that, however if you’re a die-hard fan of the sport, you have a different opinion of what a “good worker” is. To those people, a good worker is someone who took the time to perfect the craft, the art and skill of what goes on inside the squared circle. Guys who have matches that are considered “match of the year” candidates. Guys who could have what die-hard fans call “five-star matches.”
That is who we are looking at today. Guys who by die-hard fan standards would be considered god-awful workers. Guys who couldn’t have a classic, five-star match to save their life, even if they’re able — usually due to star power and enthusiasm — to pop a crowd during a match.
With all of thr explanation out of the way, let’s take a look at who made the list of the top five biggest stars who weren’t good workers.
#5. Hulk Hogan
The guy knows how to have a classic match. His WrestleMania VI clash with Ultimate Warrior, who we’ll be talking about later, surprised many. Still, if you examine the match with your “worker” glasses on you’ll notice that it wasn’t exactly a catch-as-catch-can classic by any means.
It was a great match though in the sense that the crowd was totally invested. A lot of that had to do with the promotional build-up to the match and the characters involved. The same can be said for Hogan vs. The Rock at WrestleMania X8.
A Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat classic it was not.
But the response from the fans was about as passionate as things get. Hogan can have great matches when everything falls into place, but you can’t put just anybody in the ring with him and expect a great match. As far as his star-power is concerned, Hogan is one of — if not the biggest — stars in the history of the sport.
Hulk Hogan comes in at number five.
#4. Andre the Giant
Andre The Giant is one of the biggest and most recognizable stars in professional wrestling history. In his prime as a young wrestler he would come off of the top-rope, he could throw a pretty impressive dropkick and was a lot more agile than he became later in his career.
Most will remember the run Andre The Giant had in WWE in the 1980s, but prior to that he was actually a pretty solid in-ring worker. His most famous years, however, saw a number of rest-holds killing the majority of the time in his matches. It was almost a sure thing that there would be a few bear-hugs, nerve-grip holds and the ever-popular butt-smash in the corner spot.
So again, Andre wasn’t the best in-ring technician, but he was a huge star — literally — and could elicit a great reaction from the crowd from bell-to-bell when matched with the right guy.
Regardless, Andre comes in at number four.
#3. Kevin Nash
Outside of a few matches with Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, better known to WWE-exclusive fans as “Diesel,” rarely had a match above a two-star rating. He was one of the first workers to be labeled as a guy with “five moves of doom,” long before that torch was passed to John Cena.
However, Nash was a big ingredient in the pro wrestling explosion of the late 1990s. His move to WCW, which led to the formation of the nWo, was arguably the jumping-off point of the Monday Night Wars, which ultimately led to WWE’s “Attitude Era.” WWE was forced to switch gears and change the way they do business, and Nash, along with Scott Hall, were two key players at the root of all of these changes.
Despite his importance level in the business, his work level earns him the bronze medal as one of the biggest stars who wasn’t a “good worker.”
Continued on page two …
A lot of the factors in pro wrestling are subjective. Some people enjoy this, some people enjoy that. Some fans prefer a better in-ring technician, some like a strong promo guy and others enjoy a great character. No one is wrong, because it’s all personal preference.
Generally speaking, when an editorial features a list, it’s “the best of” or “the worst of.” Today, we are going to switch gears a bit.
In keeping with the subjective theme, today we are going to look at who I personally consider to be the five best factions in the history of the business. Not the five best, my five favorite. And I’ll explain why, starting with …
#5. The Varsity Club
Many of the current generation of wrestling fans may have never even heard of The Varsity Club. Growing up, they were one of my favorite wrestling stables.
The original group consisted of Kevin Sullivan, Mike Rotunda and Rick Steiner, all of which wore their amateur wrestling letterman jackets. The guys were among the most legitimate tough guys in the business at the time, and the group had the perception of being the baddest son of a bitches on the planet.
As is the case with any wrestling stable, as time went on the group was watered down. Members such as “Dr. Death” Steve Williams and “Dangerous” Dan Spivey were added to the mix, and before too long, the group ceased to exist. While they were around though, in my opinion, they were pretty damn cool.
#4. The Fabulous Freebirds
As far as I’m concerned any writer who doesn’t include The Fabulous Freebirds on their “top stables” or “top factions” lists should have their head examined. The Freebirds were as cool as it got when I was a youngster.
The group was led by Michael “P.S.” Hayes, a current WWE creative team member who is credited with introducing theme music to the ring-walk portion of the professional wrestling presentation. The group consisted of Hayes, Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy and Buddy Roberts. Roberts was considered a great in-ring technician, and prior to the Birds, had a lengthy career worthy of Hall Of Fame status. In fact, Roberts was part of the original “Hollywood Blondes” tag-team, a name that was later used for the team of “Stunning” Steve Austin and “Flyin'” Brian Pillman. Gordy was a legend in Japan and portrayed the “enforcer” role in the group. Hayes was a rock star and easily one of the most charismatic wrestlers of his time, if not of all-time.
Later on, Hayes and Jimmy “Jam” Garvin would bring back The Fabulous Freebirds as a straight tag-team act. How this group has yet to receive an induction into the WWE Hall Of Fame confuses me to this very day.
#3. D-Generation X
I’m of the belief that there is not a fan of North American professional wrestling that has not heard of D-Generation X. That would mean they did their jobs and left a lasting legacy in the business.
D-X consisted of Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Chyna and Rick Rude. When the group officially formed, you could make the argument that along with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, they officially ushered in the infamous “Attitude Era” in WWE. They did things for shock value at a time when Howard Stern, The Jerry Springer Show and many other shock-television style shows reigned supreme. It was a natural fit, and the group really cemented Triple H as a main event performer in WWE.
Later on, as is the case with every faction or stable in history, an attempt was made to get the gang back together, only this time — it worked. You could argue that the second version of D-X was actually more successful than the first. The second group featured Triple H as the leader instead of Michaels, and his group consisted of Chyna, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman, “Bad Ass” Billy Gunn and “The Road Dogg” Jesse James. Anyone who saw WWE RAW the night that D-X “invaded” WCW will never forget that moment. It was amazing entertainment and really symbolized the “Monday Night War” going on at the time between WWE and WCW.
D-X was brought back again in the 2000s as a straight tag-team act that featured the two original members — Triple H and Shawn Michaels. Personally, I didn’t enjoy that run nearly as much as their first run, but it was still a cool thing to see the two back together having fun.
Continued on page two …
– As noted last week, former NXT Champion Adrian Neville is one of the next NXT stars scheduled to be called up to the main roster in early 2015. Neville will be getting a new gimmick that’s been described by PWInsider.com s “Mighty Mouse-esque.”
Mighty Mouse is the old cartoon character that was incredibly strong, despite his small stature.
– WWE has posted a storyline injury update for NXT Champion Sami Zayn, noting that he suffered “cervical and thoracic muscle strains” at the hands of Kevin Owens at TakeOver R: Evolution.
– WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair is currently back home in Atlanta and is not scheduled for WWE television this week. Flair appeared at Saturday’s WWE Live Event from Sioux Falls, South Dakota and served as the special referee for the Roman Reigns vs Kane match.
– WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels will be doing a book signing tour in February to support the 2/10 launch of his new book, “Wrestling for My Life: The Legend, the Reality, and the Faith of a WWE Superstar.”
– In a correction from a previous article, Brock Lesnar has apparently not been pulled from the advertising for the big “RAW Reunion” show on January 19th in Dallas, Texas. This is the show that features the returns of Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Shawn Michaels, and is also the “go-home” show for the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
– Tommy Dreamer and former WWE Diva Ashley Massaro are some of the latest names from the wrestling industry that have started using Diamond Dallas Page’s “DDP Yoga.”
Sometimes things work out. Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins.
Other times, things don’t. Adam Rose, Bo Dallas, Fandango.
After last week’s NXT Takeover: R Evolution special, which fans are still raving about a week later, it became crystal clear to me that WWE is developing a number of future Superstars that have the potential to lead the company into the next generation.
Today, we are going to look at ten current performers/acts in the NXT system that I feel have the best shot at achieving success on the main WWE roster. With that being said, lets jump right into the list at number ten….
#10. The Lucha Dragons
The Lucha Dragons — Kalisto and Sin Cara, two talents that as individuals could flourish, but as a unit, make up one of the best tag-teams in WWE’s developmental system. Their ring work is solid and entertaining. Crowd pleasing. The gimmick is another story, but unfortunately, with WWE being in the middle of their PG-era, gimmicks and characters such as these two are unavoidable.
With that being said, they are what they are, and that’s a great tag-team combination. They’re the Los Matadores, only better. That’s not a knock against them, despite the fact it could be seen as one. If they remain under their current gimmick, it’s pretty much a given that they’ll never reach past mid-card, comedy-team status, but like I said, we’re going to have that one way or the other. Since that’s the case, it might as well be two guys who are as talented as these two.
I think it’s a given that these two guys will eventually make it to the main roster, and equally as predictable is the way in which they’ll be used. They’ll be two guys in a tag-team division on the main WWE roster that isn’t worth much, but for whatever it is worth, these two guys have the potential to be among the top teams in the company. While that’s not saying much, it’s saying something, and in this day and age, you pretty much have to take what you can get if you’re an aspiring wrestler.
#9. Tyler Breeze
Much like The Lucha Dragons, I feel that Tyler Breeze is an extremely talented worker, but is unfortunately stuck in a lame-duck gimmick. On social media, I’ve read a lot of comments that makes it seem like fans are actually believers of the Tyler Breeze gimmick in the sense that it could actually go somewhere on the main roster.
I am not one of those believers.
I’m of the opinion that if Breeze jumps to the main roster and is used with the same exact character that he has now, it’s one that has a ceiling that comes with it. This type of character can only go so far. Think of talents like Fandango and Adam Rose and how they are positioned on the main roster, and you’ve got my opinion of how Breeze would be used in this type of role.
If they were to change his gimmick, he certainly has the potential to go further than this type of character would allow. He’s got the talent in the ring, he has a unique charisma about him and he’s got a great look. His promo work is decent, nothing to ride home about in my opinion, but he’s got enough tools to work with that if he was given a different type of character, it would be interesting to see how far he could take it. Maybe if they started a character-change in NXT and let it grow a bit, that would be the route to take in terms of preparing him for a call up to the big leagues.
Whether or not that ever happens is another subject entirely.
The following are highlights of a new Main Event Madness Radio interview with Global Force Wrestling (GFW) founder Jeff Jarrett:
On his greatest in-ring accomplishment: “Well inside the ring, you know, it goes without saying, anybody that’s ever laced up a pair of boots, anyone that’s wanted to be a professional wrestler that became a professional wrestler, they want to be world champion. So, when I reached that goal, I was very, very happy. Every world title I’ve ever won was a proud moment, you know? The first time I won the [WWE] Intercontinental Title back in 1995, I really enjoyed that. When I look back on my career, you have different phases of your career, and I enjoyed my time and series of matches with Shawn Michaels, and just a couple years ago, my series of matches with Kurt Angle. Those are some of the highlights.”
On if he thought TNA would last as long as it has when it started: “You know, I’ve been asked that question several different ways. When anybody starts a business, you envision it being around for a long time. Nobody starts a business and says, ‘Hey I’m gonna be around for a month or two.’ So, absolutely. I did everything in my power and [I’m] very pleased with my time in TNA.”
Check out the complete interview at Spreaker.com.
As noted earlier today, WWE is hyping up the January 19th edition of RAW as a “RAW Reunion show,” with Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Shawn Michaels all advertised to appear.
What’s also interesting in terms of the advertising side of things is that Brock Lesnar is no longer listed. Originally, the advertising was built around Lesnar, however he is no longer included in the ads for the show.
As things stand now, the tentative plan is for the announcement of WrestleMania 32 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas, where the 1/19 RAW takes place, to be made on that show, or close to it.
Also advertised for the show is a John Cena vs. Seth Rollins “Lumberjack Match” with 30 lumberjacks in a match that is being billed as “the biggest lumberjack match in the history of Dallas.” It’s believed that the match will serve as the actual television main event of the show, with all 30 lumberjacks hitting the ring for the finish to simulate the wildness of a 30-man Royal Rumble match, as the show is also the “go-home” show for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
The website of the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas is advertising a huge reunion show for the January 19th episode of WWE RAW.
The the “RAW Reunion” show will feature nWo originals Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, along with WWE Hall of Famer (and one time nWo member) Shawn Michaels.
The advertised dark match main event will “the biggest Lumberjack Match in the History of Dallas” – as John Cena battles Seth Rollins with over 30 lumberjacks at ringside.
Tickets start at $20. For more information, visit AmericanAirlinesCenter.com.
– The latest edition of the WWE Network original series, “WWE Rivalries,” which airs next Tuesday night, the focus will be on the Triple H and Shawn Michaels feud. The official description for the show reads as follows:
“Personal issues sever bond between Shawn Michaels and Triple H, manifesting themselves into one of WWE’s most captivating rivalries.”
– The newest “Monday Night War” documentary series, which will air on Tuesday night on the WWE Network, will focus on the impact that celebrities had on the WWE vs. WCW battle for supremecy. The official description for that one reads:
“WWE and WCW each work celebrities into their product, as The Monday Night War becomes water cooler conversation.”
– This week’s edition of the “WWE Rivalries” show on the WWE Network will look at the feud between Triple H and Shawn Michaels.
– WWE posted the following promotional video for this year’s WWE TLC pay-per-view event, which takes place on Sunday, December 14th from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels is the official spokesperson for “Smokey Mountain Chew, Inc.,” a brand of herbal chewing tobacco. A press release from Smokey Mountain Chew states –
“Having already been using Smokey Mountain Wintergreen Herbal Snuff, the Smokey Mountain and Shawn Michaels’ partnership is a natural fit. With a lifestyle dedicated to health and fitness, Michaels found Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff to be a great tobacco-free and nicotine free alternative to smokeless tobacco.
‘Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff has been a great product that I’ve incorporated into my life,” Michaels said. “As someone who has spent their life and career dedicated to staying healthy, as well as being cognizant of what I put in my body, Smokey Mountain fits into that category perfectly.’
– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s new show “Wake Up Call” is scheduled to premiere on TNT on December 12th. The show is hosted and produced by The Rock and features him encouraging people to turn their lives around. While it is a reality show, there are no cash prizes and no one gets “voted off,” instead, Rock simply helps people who are down on their luck and need encouragement. The show will air every Friday night at 9pm.
The following are highlights of a new Sports Keeda interview with Chris Jericho:
AG: You’ve wrestled many great matches and faced some of the biggest names such as Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle. Here’s a hard one for you – What has been your best match so far in your career?
CJ: Well I mean, yeah it is a hard one, but sometimes, if I have to tell you one, the one between Shawn Michaels and myself at Unforgiven 2008 – it was a match for the world title. It was a great match and the culmination of the angle that basically grew organically on its own for over 5-8 months. It was a perfect example of really good storytelling.
AG: In recent years, you have come back and put over talents such as Fandango and Bray Wyatt. Do you think WWE has dropped the ball with them since?
CJ: I mean, put them over, beat them or both. It’s just a matter of working with new characters and new guys. WWE doesn’t drop balls; your career goes in waves, it goes in cycles. I know that more than anybody else. Sometimes you work on top, sometimes you’re not and when you’re not, it’s upto you to make your mark and get back on track again. I think that WWE has a plan and never tries to sabotage anybody on purpose. Why would they do that? It costs them money.
Someone like Bray Wyatt has a huge potential, huge upside. He’s got a long way to go, so there are no worries and no rush. Fandango – I thought was kind of a one trick pony as far as his character and gimmick go. There is only so much you can do with it. I think it’s time to update that character and take it to another place because you can only do so much with a character like that.
RM: A lot of the wrestlers in their interviews have mentioned about how snug you are with your work, which in my opinion is what makes it all the more believable. The working style in the WWE, especially in this day and age, is a lot less physical except for a couple of people. Have you had anybody complain about your style or have you toned it down over the years?
CJ: No, not at all. I mean I just worked the way I work. Maybe when I first came to WWE back in 1999. There must have been complaints from certain people but I think those people were complaining about everything I did. Whenever I worked with people like Chris Benoit, Bob Holly, Bradshaw or any of those guys, they worked hard. That doesn’t mean you are stiff, it means you are working solid.
I don’t ever get complaints for the way I work and nor would I expect any. I am not hurting anybody, either Sheamus or Cesaro or anybody who works the general hard style, you are just working, trying to get the best possible match you can make it. No one’s breaking any bones or losing any teeth. I just work hard and that’s what it’s all about.
Check out the complete interview at SportsKeeda.com.
Once an occasional treat for the WWE Universe, the Hell in a Cell match has become a yearly event since the introduction of the eponymous pay-per-view in 2009. Since its inception, the company has yet to truly knock it out of the park with Hell in a Cell, although fans have witnessed some memorable moments.
This year, it will be either John Cena or Dean Ambrose headlining the event against Seth Rollins inside the most ominous structure in sports entertainment. As the company builds up its next pay-per-view, here is a look back at the first five Hell in a Cell events.
5. 2012
This event really didn’t have a pay-per-view feel to it. The undercard was primarily filled with forgettable matches that had little impact on future storylines. The main event was also lacking due to injury.
It was clear that the company had no idea what to do after John Cena went down to injury, leading to Ryback receiving a premature main event push. From top to bottom, this event was lacking and easily locks up the honor of being the worst Hell in a Cell pay-per-view to date.
Main Event: CM Punk vs. Ryback (Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE Championship)
Best Match: Big Show vs. Sheamus
Worst Match: Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara vs. The Prime Time Players
– The nWo is the subject of the latest edition of WWE’s “Canvas 2 Canvas” video, which you can check out below.
– Ryan Kerrigan of the NFL’s Washington Redskins paid tribute to WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels after sacking the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback during Sunday’s game. Kerrigan did HBK’s famous pose after the sack, which you can see pictured below.
– Below is the new “Are you ready for WWE Network” promo video:
– Chris Jericho wrote the following message on Twitter, talking about what an honor it is to be included on the new WWE production trucks:
“Then. Now. Forever. Glad to a part of the history of this great company!! Such an honor to be included on the side of this production truck with two of my all time favorite rivals (@TheRock & @ShawnMichaels) along with HOFs Lita, Sarge & Brock Lesnar! @wwe”
You can check out a photo of the trucks he is referencing below:
Then. Now. Forever. Glad to a part of the history of this great company!! Such an… http://t.co/LIIq5ymrE2
— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) September 2, 2014
The Monday, August 25th edition of WWE RAW averaged 3.973 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. That marks a decrease from the average of 4.194 million viewers who tuned in the previous week.
While RAW did have the returns of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels and John Cena on Monday night, the show faced off against the Emmy Awards for the first time ever.
The houly breakdown for Monday’s show is as follows:
Hour One: 3.859 million viewers
Hour Two: 4.057 million viewers
Hour Three: 4.005 million viewers
We should have the final rating up on the site shortly.
Campuses around the country are infested with returning college students this week. In honor of all the alcohol that will be consumed and the knowledge that will hopefully be absorbed, it’s time to take the WWE to school, and I’ll be the one doling out the grades.
Welcome to the first ever WWE Raw Report Card. Matches will be graded based on usual factors such as workrate, in-ring psychology, move variety, crowd reaction, and overall impact on the storyline. Important in-ring promos will also be graded based on factors such as originality, believability, and importance. Without further ado, here are this week’s grades.
Hall of Fame Forum
This week’s Raw started with a roundtable discussion regarding the upcoming rematch between John Cena and Brock Lesnar. First off, I never thought I’d see the day where Shawn Michaels was the worst dressed man in the ring, but his combination of cowboy hat, jacket, and Remington t-shirt didn’t do him any favors.
Overall, it was nice seeing the legends together, even if it did feel a bit scripted at times and offered little insight. One hilarious moment was when Michaels said everyone loves Cena, eliciting massive boos from the audience. Speaking of Cena, his promo was surprisingly compelling, and it was nice to see him own up to the beating he took at SummerSlam.
Grade: B-
Rusev vs. Jack Swagger
This was likely the last contest between Rusev and Swagger, and all I can say is, “Good riddance.” This match featured a lot of downtime that resulted in a poor workrate, and a lot of the match was spent outside of the ring with nothing going on.
The in-ring psychology was pretty good (Swagger sold the rib injury well) and the crowd was into it, so that raised the grade a bit, but it was ultimately a fitting ending to a rather pointless program that saw Swagger dominated at nearly every stage of the feud.
Grade: C
Rob Van Dam vs. Cesaro
This was a rather short match, but both superstars worked well together during the time they were given. One criticism is that the ending felt a bit rushed. One moment Cesaro was rolling outside of the ring to avoid the Five Star Frog Splash and only a few seconds later he was hitting the Neutralizer for the win in a sequence that felt a bit off.
The match also served its purpose by building a championship match between Cesaro and Sheamus – a program that looks like it could be entertaining with two of the company’s better workers.
Grade: C+
– WWE stock was up by 1.71 percent today, closing at $14.89 per share. The high today was $14.99 per share while the low was $14.66.
– In addition to the matches that we reported about last week, John Cena vs.Triple H from WrestleMania 22 and Cena vs. Shawn Michaels from the April 23, 2007 edition of RAW is also going to be included in the new “John Cena: Greatest Rivalries” DVD.
– Below is a new Sam Roberts interview with Stardust.
WWE RAW takes place tonight at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The main focus on this week’s show is the first televised appearance by John Cena since he was destroyed by Brock Lesnar at WWE SummerSlam.
Also advertised for tonight is a Hall Of Fame segment, which will include Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels talking about the upcoming Lesnar vs. Cena rematch at WWE Night Of Champions.
Make sure to join us here on the website tonight for live WWE RAW results coverage.
The following are highlights of the latest blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On Monday’s announced RAW segment: “WWE announcing a Hall of Fame forum to kick off RAW this Monday that includes Flair, Hogan and Shawn Michaels. I guess I missed the call. LOL. I hope that the panel is hard hitting and thought provoking and refrains from eye ball rolling rhetoric as it’s a great opportunity to sell the Lesnar-Cena rematch coming in September. Let the talents use their old school promo skills and not how a writers rendition of what they ‘think’ these legends might say. Give them bullet points and turn them loose.”
On Mick Foley’s back: “My friend Mick Foley is talking major back surgery to help alleviate the pain that he is in 24X7 after a long career of taking extraordinary bumps. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mick also did not need knee and/or hip replacements sometime down the road as well. Riding in those rental cards thousands of miles each year on his tours doesn’t help matters either. Less may be more for Mick who I hate to see suffer simply getting out of a chair or walking from point A to point B. It almost seems as if Mick is working harder today than he has a certain times of his wrestling career. Mick is simply too nice a man and a friend to see suffer on a daily basis.”
On rumors of Steve Austin wrestling at WrestleMania 32: “Love the speculation on @steveaustinBSR talk of coming back to do one last match at WM32 if it is going to be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The average fan has zero idea how long the odds are on that ever occurring but I assume it’s fun to speculate. No one would like to see it more than me but….”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
– WWE Chairman Vince McMahon celebrates his 69th birthday today. McMahon was born on August 24, 1945.
– As noted earlier this weekend, WWE has announced a segment for Monday’s RAW that features Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels all commenting on the upcominng rematch between John Cena and Brock Lesnar at WWE Night Of Champions. One of the reasons WWE is loading up this Monday’s show is because it is the first time in history that WWE will be going up against the Emmy Awards on NBC.
As noted earlier today, WWE announced that a “Hall Of Fame” segment will open this coming Monday’s RAW, as Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels will comment on the upcoming WWE World Heavyweight Championship rematch between John Cena and Brock Lesnar at WWE Night Of Champions.
Hogan tweeted the following about the segment:
You can't bring legends together w/o me brother.Got some stuff to say about MY champ @JohnCena, see you Hulkamaniacs at #Raw on Monday HH
— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) August 23, 2014
Flair tweeted out this one:
I'm kicking off #Raw on Monday night at 8pm! Brock is a beast, but @JohnCena is MY MAN. We're talking REMATCH.
— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) August 23, 2014
And finally, HBK tweeted the following:
Y'all just keep pullin' me back! 'Ol HBShizzle will be on #Raw Monday night. We're talking @JohnCena/@BrockLensar rematch!! Yee-Haw!!!
— Shawn Michaels (@ShawnMichaels) August 23, 2014
One of the themes of this coming Monday’s edition of WWE RAW will be a WWE Hall Of Famers discussion of the Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena match at WWE Night Of Champions for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Confirmed to be participating are Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels. Additional WWE Hall Of Famers may be involved in the segment as well.
WWE.com wrote the following about the segment:
“The WWE Universe is still buzzing about the brutal beating John Cena suffered at the hands of Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. To kick off Raw, WWE Hall of Famers Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair will be in the house to weigh in on the upcoming Brock-Cena rematch at Night of Champions. And following a week of relative silence for the normally outspoken Superstar, Cena will be at Raw to address the WWE Universe. What else awaits? WWE.com offers some theories and predictions.”
Thousands of fans stood bewildered following last night’s main event, as the WWE’s resident hero John Cena laid battered and beaten after his match with Brock Lesnar. Cena didn’t grab a microphone to offer up an excuse, nor did he attempt any sort of retaliation while both Lesnar and Heyman laughed in his face after seizing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Instead, he simply walked away with the help of officials, with the crowd booing the face of the company while serenading him on his way out the door. Last night’s event felt like a transitional pay-per-view, and not simply because every title that was contested changed hands.
Lesnar was congratulated by Triple H after simply destroying John Cena last night.
The massacre fans witnessed last night for only $9.99 was perhaps the end of the PG era. The evil villain prevailed, the kids’ hero took the beating of a lifetime, and the company seems to finally be looking toward the future instead of the past. Fans have likely noticed in recent weeks that the product has become a bit edgier. Curse words are more frequent, men have assaulted women, and the next generation of superstars has dominated the old guard.
Last night’s event reminded me a bit of the 1993 King of the Ring, during which fans witnessed the death of Hulkamania. After years as the top superstar in the company, Hogan finally met his match in the form of Yokozuna. Hogan lost the title that night (with a little help from a camera man) and didn’t make any excuses. He simply faded away and left the company a few weeks later, not returning to a WWE ring for roughly a decade. This event was followed by a transition period that saw the company stray away from guys like Hogan, Savage, and Warrior in favor of the next generation in the form of Hart, Michaels, and Diesel.
That’s not to say that John Cena is bolting from the company any time soon, because that certainly isn’t the case, but his time as the top guy in the company is likely over. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t have put Lesnar over in such convincing fashion, as Cena barely landed any offensive maneuvers throughout the over 15-minute main event.