– The latest edition of Steve Austin’s podcast, “The Steve Austin Show,” is now available. In this edition of the show, Austin shares some of his fondest WrestleMania memories, including his victory over The Rock at WrestleMania X-7. The official description for the show reads as follows:
SASu – EP104 – Spanish Medallions Like A Mother F’er!
This is the last show before Wrestlemania 30 gang… and Steve’s sharing some of his own Wrestlemania memories – like when he defeated The Rock at 17! Plus… edible insects, the Steve Austin Submarine, treasure hunting, and lame-ass suitcases! Look out… Steve’s NOLA-bound!
– WWE has added a new video to their official YouTube channel that features The Orleans Brass Band playing John Cena’s theme song at the Louis Armstrong International Airport. You can watch that one below:
Upon glancing at this year’s WrestleMania card, fans may notice a glaring omission: championship title matches. After unifying the titles at last year’s TLC, there are a total of five championships in the WWE. Of the five, only two are being defended on the actual telecast and the tag team titles will be relegated to the pre-show.
Ignoring championship titles is nothing new in the WWE, as it has become pretty much standard in recent years, especially at WrestleMania. The previous two WrestleManias featured three championship matches on the actual telecast, and the twenty-seventh edition was even worse, with only two championship matches on the entire four-hour program.
This is a far cry from a decade ago at WrestleMania XX, where there were a whopping seven title matches and the belts were used to build up superstars and did not simply remain stagnant for months at a time.
Steve Austin and The Rock were both elevated to the main event scene after battling for the Intercontinental Title.
The perfect example of the diminished value of titles is the United States Championship. A decade ago at WrestleMania XX, John Cena won his first championship by defeating Big Show for the United States Championship. His win helped launch Cena into the main event by putting gold around his waist and making the title seem important.
Fast forward a decade and the United States Championship is completely irrelevant, with Dean Ambrose only defending the title a handful of times since October of last year.
The same holds true for the Intercontinental Title as well. During the Attitude Era, the Intercontinental Title was one of the most important ways to elevate a superstar from the midcard to the main event, with Steve Austin and The Rock’s epic battles for the IC strap serving as an illustration of how to use a midcard title to put an up-and-coming superstar over with the crowd.
Now the title is thrown around the waist of whichever flavor of the week the WWE is trying to make seem important. It was Curtis Axel for a while after he was repacked and paired with Paul Heyman. After they realized he was not getting over with the crowd, they decided to give the belt to Big E and he has done next to nothing.
As previously reported, several past WWE Superstars have been contacted to appear in cameo-type roles at Sunday’s WrestleMania XXX show in New Orleans. Some of the names contacted include The Rock, Steve Austin, Jim Ross, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels and Roddy Piper.
According to one report, there’s a decent chance The Rock will appear on the show, however it’s unknown whether or not he’ll be there live or in a pre-taped interview type segment.
As far as Austin is concerned, he had noted in the past that he wouldn’t go to New Orleans unless WWE had something for him, and wouldn’t simply go to sit in the crowd at the WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony, noting that if that was the case, he’d just watch it at home on the WWE Network.
We do know, and have reported in the past, that WWE had pitched some ideas to Austin for WrestleMania XXX, and based on reports that he will be in New Orleans this weekend, many are under the impression that he accepted one of them.
The following is from UFC’s official YouTube channel.
ONLY ON UFC FIGHT PASS: “The Best of the Beast” anthology features all seven of former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar’s UFC fights, archive material including footage of the 282lbs beast’s amateur wrestling career and — in addition — exclusive interviews with pro-wrestling legends “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Jim Ross.
Below are clips from Steve Austin and The Rock’s interviews about their former WWE co-worker Brock Lesnar:
Best of the Beast: Steve Austin Talks Brock Lesnar
Former WWE champion “Stone Cold” Steve Austin gives his thoughts on former UFC heavyweight champion and current WWE superstar Brock Lesnar.
Best of the Beast: Dwayne Johnson Talks Brock Lesnar
Now on UFC Fight Pass, former WWE champion and MMA fanatic Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson reflects on the career of Brock Lesnar.
– FOXSports.com has published an article looking at Brock Lesnar’s UFC career being cut short due to illness. WWE legend The Rock is quoted in the article, saying:
“I don’t know if anybody will ever accomplish what he’s accomplished in the heavyweight division in that short amount of time. Had it not been for the unfortunate issue he had to deal with his stomach, who knows what could have happened if he continued to train, and continued to hone in on his skills. What he did was epic and historic.”
– Chris Jericho tweeted the following after appearing in The Authority’s video on RAW last night:
Welcome to Raw Is Jericho! Im the Best In The World At What I Do! U will never EVVVER be the same again! #cheapcatchphrases#guiltyascharged
Some new promotional material for The Rock’s upcoming “Hercules” film revealed the following official synopsis, which contains more details about the film than had originally been announced.
“Everyone knows the legend of Hercules and his twelve labors. Our story begins after the labors, and after the legend…Haunted by a sin from his past, Hercules has become a mercenary. Along with five faithful companions, he travels ancient Greece selling his services for gold and using his legendary reputation to intimidate enemies. But when the benevolent ruler of Thrace and his daughter seek Hercules’ help to defeat a savage and terrifying warlord, Hercules finds that in order for good to triumph and justice to prevail… he must again become the hero he once was… he must embrace his own myth… he must be Hercules.”
The film, which is scheduled to be released in July, is based on graphic novel, “Hercules: The Thracian Wars” and will be directed by Brett Ratner.
Additionally, WWE Diva Tamina Snuka has a small role in the film.
– Jim Ross is scheduled to appear on former WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman’s “Coach & Company” on ESPN Radio today.
– The Rock recently told Cinema Blend that nearly 50 people were fired from the new “Hercules” film because they tried to take pictures of The Rock in costume to leak to the media. Rock noted that he and the producers were very serious about keeping the look of Rock as Hercules under wraps. “I would say maybe close to 50 people were fired — crew members — all trying to sneak pictures,” said Rock. “There’s mandate and we all agreed on that.”
The Rock lost to Robert Downey Jr. in the “Favorite Male Buttkicker” category at last night’s Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. The presenters for the award were actually John Cena and The Bella Twins.
Here are some photos of Cena and The Bella’s at the awards show:
– The Rock has reportedly agreed to play an unnamed DC Comics superhero in an upcoming movie. A fan recently asked The Rock who he would love to play in a superhero movie, and Rock responded by saying the following:
Myself & DC have agreed on a character.. extremely complex, well known (but never played) and a pure BAD ASS MF;) #RockTalk .@ThomasEspin
– Speaking of The Rock, here’s a photo of he and UFC president Dana White watching this past Sunday night’s Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua fight:
While there have been some rumors that the reason WWE is inducting Scott Hall as “Razor Ramon” to the WWE Hall Of Fame this year is because they plan to induct him again as Scott Hall next year as part of a faction-induction with the nWo, that likely won’t be the case, at least not in 2015.
From all accounts, it appears as though WWE is hoping to induct The Rock next year, and the guys in the nWo (Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) probably won’t want to be inducted the same year as Rock, as they would likely be featured as the “co-main event” of the ceremony with The Rock being the obvious headliner.
The official trailer has been released for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s upcoming summer blockbuster, Hercules. The film, which is based on the graphic novel “Hercules: The Thracian Wars,” is scheduled for a July 25th release. Here’s the official synopsis:
“Having enduring his legendary twelve labors, Hercules, the Greek demigod, has his life as a sword-for-hire tested when the King of Thrace and his daughter seek his aid in defeating a tyrannical warlord.”
WWE Diva Tamina also has a small role in the film.
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.
– Despite leaving the company, a CM Punk action figure is featured in the new WWE Elite 29 series from Mattel. It has been speculated that this could potentially be the final Punk action figure.
– The Rock will be holding a “#RockTalk” chat on Twitter this coming Tuesday, March 25th at 12pm EST. As previously reported, The Rock will be releasing the first official trailer for his upcoming “Hercules” film.
Bray Wyatt refers to himself as “The Eater of Worlds.” After his first few months with the company, he could also easily refer to himself as “The King of the Promo” and not many would object.
No character in recent memory has used the promo to build up his character as well as Wyatt. Starting with a series of haunting videos preceding the stable’s debut, the Wyatt Family were able to build the foundation that would allow them to become one of the top heel groups in the company.
After a perfect debut (minus the Husky Harris chants) and successful feuds with Daniel Bryan and the Shield, it was revealed that Wyatt would be entering a program with John Cena during the WrestleMania season.
http://youtu.be/x7QJruEbKL4
Many cringed at the thought of Wyatt battling Cena at WrestleMania. I personally thought the match would result in nothing more than the WWE further elevating its biggest star while taking one of the hottest superstars in the company down a notch.
After all, Cena isn’t exactly notorious for putting over stars at WrestleMania, although he has put over the Miz and the Rock in the past. I am not here to make predictions regarding the matchup, but to instead discuss how the two have used masterful promos to build the fight into possibly the most anticipated match on the card.
The Rock is the only man to ever pin Cena clean at WrestleMania? Will Wyatt be able to defeat Superman?
Cena has discussed how his legacy is at stake at WrestleMania, while Wyatt has criticized Cena for being primarily concerned with selling merchandise and achieving fame. This is certainly not a new line of criticism directed at Cena.
In fact, Daniel Bryan levied the same insults at Cena during their build-up to SummerSlam, where he said Cena was in the WWE for fame, while he (Bryan) was there because he loves to wrestle.
Bryan’s rebukes never really felt personal though, largely due to the fact that he had to hold back because he was a face. Wyatt, on the other hand, has not held back one bit, criticizing Cena for living in a castle with his plastic girlfriend during his latest promo (seen above), which is also quite possibly his best yet.
Here is the official synopsis for Hercules, which is based on the the Radical Studios graphic novel “Hercules: The Thracian Wars” by Steve Moore and Admira Wijaya:
“Everyone knows the legend of Hercules and his twelve labors. Our story begins after the labors, and after the legend…
Haunted by a sin from his past, Hercules has become a mercenary. Along with five faithful companions, he travels ancient Greece selling his services for gold and using his legendary reputation to intimidate enemies. But when the benevolent ruler of Thrace and his daughter seek Hercules’ help to defeat a savage and terrifying warlord, Hercules finds that in order for good to triumph and justice to prevail… he must again become the hero he once was… he must embrace his own myth… he must be Hercules.”
– WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus has announced that she’ll be doing a VIP signing at this year’s WrestleMania Axxess event. This will be her first meet and greet in the United States in nearly 3 years.
– Mark Henry will be appearing at next week’s SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. He’ll be co-hosting a “Rap ‘n’ Wrestling” event on March 14th with NYC DJ Peter Rosenberg. Rappers appearing include Slaughterhouse, Tyler The Creator, Ab-Soul and many more.
– The Rock tweeted this photo hyping his new Muscle and Fitness Magazine cover:
The following are highlights of a new ESPN Front Row interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On Brad Nessler: “I think “Ness” is the best all-around play-by-play guy in the business. For a guy who [last season] was doing college football and then an NFL game [for NFL Network] and then another college game like he does shows his work ethic and his talent. And he’s just as well-versed in college basketball.”
On Jonathan Coachman and Todd Grisham: ““Coach” is as multitalented a person as I’ve ever worked with. Grisham? A tall, disillusioned Alabama fan! [Ross supports Oklahoma and revels in the Sooners’ 2014 AllState Sugar Bowl win over the Tide.] I’m proud of both of those guys. [Going to ESPN] was a wonderful career move for them. They’re better fits in ESPN’s world than they were in the WWE’s world.”
On working with E:60 for a future piece on WWE: “I’m expecting a masterpiece. [E:60 producers] were allowed crazy access. . . [Producer] Ben Houser became a student of the business. I was very impressed with Ben. He asked great questions.”
On what Kendrick Perkins and Ronda Rousey have in common: “Sometimes the Thunder is too nice. Would Perkins make a great WWE villain? Absolutely. Perk has the best facial expression and demeanor. The only person in sports right now that has a better facial expression than Kendrick Perkins is Ronda Rousey. When Ronda Rousey walks into the ring to fight, she has the greatest facial expression in sports. I think our girls [WWE female performers] would probably be scared to death [if Rousey joined the circuit].”
On helping The Rock and Brock Lesnar transition into pro wrestlers: ““The Rock” was a unique case because The Rock’s grandfather and father were both pro wrestlers. He had a familiarity with the business in general… He was a third-generation guy and was also had a college degree at Miami who was also broke. You had a bright, broke guy who was also very motivated. I signed The Rock and really felt like he was going to be exceptional from Day 1. The best example would be Brock Lesnar. He came out of the University of Minnesota as a national champion All-American wrestler. He came from a farm in South Dakota. He didn’t go to the ‘U’. He didn’t grow up in the sizzle world of pro wrestling. He was a dairy farmer’s son. So getting him to develop his personality and release his natural charisma was something that took a little bit effort on his part. . . The biggest thing you work on is their personality, their TV presence. He finally got it.”
On what he feels is an indeal scenario for Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania: “I would make sure Daniel Bryan left WrestleMania with his “moment.” Every star in WWE wants to have a WrestleMania moment – meaning some bucket list dream as a professional to go to WrestleMania and steal the show. In a perfect world, just for me , Daniel Bryan would leave WWE [as] World Champion. . . Right now, Randy Orton is the champion. As the deck is currently dealt, it would be Daniel Bryan somehow against Randy Orton.”
“Or, maybe, if you really wanted to have some fun with it, you’d make it a Triple Threat Match. You have two villains – Batista [versus] Randy Orton versus Daniel Bryan. Three guys against each other. First man to score a pinfall or submission wins. The two big villains and the smaller overachieving hero. In my storytelling world, we’d have a happy ending.”
– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been nominated in the “Favorite Male Buttkicker” category in Nickelodeon’s “Kid’s Choice Awards.” This is the same award that The Rock won in 2013. This year, The Rock is up against Hugh Jackman, Johnny Depp and Robert Downey Jr.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently appeared on FOX Sports’ “The Buzz” radio show with Jimmy Traina. Ross talks about his desire to call one more match, his new Ross Report podcast and more. You can check out the interview at FOXSports.com.
– WWE is planning on running a large amount of live programming on the WWE Network during WrestleMania XXX week. Apparently the feeling within the company is that New Orleans, which is the city that will be hosting WrestleMania XXX, is a party city, so WWE wants to keep their talent as busy as possible to avoid any embarrassing incidents.
– The Rock noted in a recent interview for WWE Magazine that his rivalry with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, in his opinion, was cut short. The Rock said, “Ironically, WrestleMania was supposed to be the beginning of The Rock-Austin rivalry, as far pay-per-view storylines, television, etc. was concerned. After WrestleMania, things just started to change. The fans were behind me.”
According to officials within WWE, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is the leading candidate as one of the “main event inductees” for the 2015 WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony in California.
Apparently it’s up to The Rock if he wants to accept the induction, as his decision would basically center around whether or not his Hollywood schedule allows him to be available to take part in the annual wrestling honor.
Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (RG3) has been tweeting today about his love for professional wrestling. RG3 spoke about being excited for the new WWE Network, and answered some questions from fans about his favorite wrestlers. Below are some recent RG3 tweets:
Big @WWE fan growing up. Looking forward to checking out @WWENetwork when it launches on Feb 24! #WWENetwork
– MMA training camp “American Top Team” recently presented Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson with his USWA and WWE Championships. The Rock commented on the gesture:
“BLOWN AWAY! Received the actual two most important titles of my wrestling career as a gift (USWA, WWE) THANK YOU, MMA’s AMERICAN TOP TEAM for welcoming me to your family. Coach Libo, Lambert, Teixeira, Lawler & the entire #ATTNation Truly an honor to walk thru your doors and a privilege to work with all of you. #Family #Champions #UFC #TeamBringIt #ChasingGreatness #Respect”
– The following is another preview clip from the upcoming “Mr. WrestleMania” DVD based on Shawn Michaels: