The following are highlights of a new interview with Diamond Dallas Page:
On his WWE Hall Of Fame induction speech for Jake Roberts: “Now I know it’s gonna be the strongest shit I’ve ever said and I will have something planned that I’m gonna say. I’ll know what I’m going to say before I go up there, doesn’t mean I’m going to say it!”
On Triple H: “Paul Levesque aka Triple H has been one of the most solid guys I’ve ever met in this business so nobody can talk shit about him around me. You may have your own beef with him, whoever it is but no one who don’t know ain’t got nothing to say about him around me because he’s always been a stand up guy to me.”
On Ric Flair: “I love the guy, I don’t want to have heat with him, fuck that!”
The following are highlights of a recent interview with Jake “The Snake” Roberts:
On DDP saving his life: “Dallas saved my life. I owe everything I have right now to him and helping me get back on the right path. It wasn’t rehab Dallas put me through. It was tough love and it sunk in more than any rehab I ever tried.”
On his “Old School RAW” appearance: “I was feeling such emotion when my old music hit and came out to the ring that night. I had been such a mess for so long and wasn’t sure I would ever be welcomed back to the WWE. I pissed off a lot of people but you never say never in this business.”
On his WWE Hall Of Fame induction: “Had I not gotten clean with Dallas’ help, I wouldn’t be going into the Hall of Fame. The WWE doesn’t want to put someone out there and not be able to trust what they will say in front of a worldwide audience. Being clean has given me another chance in life.”
WrestleMania 1 main event celebrity Mr. T is joining the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2014. TMZ.com broke the story on Monday, with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon commenting:
“His WWE appearances were instrumental in helping to establish WrestleMania as the pop-culture phenomenon it is today.”
Mr. T claims he turned down an offer from WWE to join the Hall of Fame back in 2009, but now the two sides are on better terms.
Mr. T teamed with Hulk Hogan in the main event of the original WrestleMania, defeating Rowdy Roddy Piper and Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorf. He would return the following year, boxing Piper at WrestleMania 2.
The 2014 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony airs live on the WWE Network on Saturday night, April 5th.
In response to the news of Mr. T’s induction, Roddy Piper tweeted:
When Roddy Piper heard Mr.T is going into the WWE's Hall of Fame last night, THE EARTH STARTED SHAKING!
WWE issued the following press release today regarding Mr. T’s induction into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
MR. T TO ENTER WWE® HALL OF FAME LIVE ON WWE NETWORK
STAMFORD, Conn., March 17, 2014 – WWE (NYSE:WWE) announced today that pop-culture icon Mr. T will be this year’s celebrity inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Saturday, April 5 in New Orleans that will be broadcast live, for the first time ever, exclusively on WWE Network at 9:00 PM ET.
Mr. T is one of the most iconic personas in entertainment history, starring in the hit television show “The A-Team” and the blockbuster film “Rocky III.” In addition to his Hollywood career, Mr. T also made many memorable WWE appearances in the mid-1980s. In 1985, he was part of the main event of the inaugural WrestleMania® at Madison Square Garden, successfully teaming with Hulk Hogan to defeat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper™ and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff™. In 1986, he defeated “Rowdy” Roddy Piper by disqualification in a special boxing match at WrestleMania® 2 and also appeared on NBC’s Saturday Night’s Main Event® program.
“WWE is honored to have Mr. T join the WWE Hall of Fame,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman and CEO. “His WWE appearances were instrumental in helping to establish WrestleMania as the pop-culture phenomenon it is today.”
Mr. T is the latest celebrity inductee to enter the WWE Hall of Fame, joining Donald J. Trump, Drew Carey, Pete Rose, Bob Uecker, Mike Tyson and William “Refrigerator” Perry. Other members of the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame Class include Ultimate Warrior™, Jake “The Snake” Roberts™, Lita™, Paul Bearer™ and Carlos Colon™.
The 2014 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony takes place live on Saturday, April 5 from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. Tickets are currently on sale through www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.
WrestleMania 30 takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday, April 6 live on WWE Network. For more information on how to get WWE Network click here. WrestleMania 30 will also be available on pay-per-view. Fans should check with their cable, satellite or telco provider for availability.
At one point, Carlos Colon’s induction into the 2014 class of the WWE Hall Of Fame was to be announced at this past Monday’s edition of WWE RAW. For whatever reason, likely a timing issue, they decided to hold off.
Colon had reportedly been on the short list of legends that WWE intended to induct this year, which at the time included Paul Bearer, Lita, Ultimate Warrior, Jake Roberts, Scott Hall and Mr. T.
According to one source, Colon likely received word about his WWE Hall Of Fame induction in the last week or two.
Colon’s induction announcement will air on this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown.
– Some have found it interesting that Linda McMahon was recently mentioned as the likely candidate to induct The Ultimate Warrior into the 2014 class of the WWE Hall Of Fame. Although she appeared at the WWE Network launch party, it’s been said that Linda McMahon has attempted for years to distance herself from WWE.
– As previously reported, WWE’s market capitalization was recently at a reported $2.05 billion. Since then, and only about a week has passed, the company’s market capitalization is now estimated at $2.25 billion.
– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which features part-time celebrity WWE Diva Maria Menounos, is now available online. You can check out the show at PodcastOne.com.
– According to media reports coming out of Puerto Rico, Carlos Colon, who was recently announced as the latest inductee into the 2014 class of the WWE Hall Of Fame, will be inducted by his sons Carlito and Primo (Diego), as well as his nephew Epico (Fernando).
– WWE legend Scott Hall is still expected to be announced as one of the inductees WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2014.
His longtime friend Sean “X-Pac” Waltman would induct him.
– Jake Roberts visited his doctor on Tuesday to get a medical update following his recent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor behind his knee. He tweeted:
No news from the Doc. Test results not back yet. Supposed to be any day now. Stitches out. Will tweet pics later.
Puerto Rican wrestling legend Carlos Colon Sr. is the next member of the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2014. The announcement was made at Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings.
Colon recently spoke to Primerahora.com about the news.
“Imagine, is the realization of a dream,” Colon said. “It’s the maximum (to) get there. As in other sports, like baseball and basketball, reaching the Hall of Fame is the greatest thing.”
Colon is the father of Carlito and Primo (and the uncle of Epico) has been promoting wrestling in Puerto Rico since the early 1970’s.
The following are highlights of the latest online blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On this week’s Ross Report podcast: “This week the Ross Report podcast has 2013 WWE Hall of Fame inductee Trish Stratus as my guest in one of the most compelling and informative interviews we’ve had. She tells it like it is from a female’s perspective. Honest, candid content from Canada’s greatest export. The new podcast will drop late this Tuesday or by Wednesday at the very latest.”
On his plans for the WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony: “Even though I have no plans on attending the WWE HOF Induction Ceremony at this time due to other obligations, there’s no way that I’m going to miss it on the WWE Network of which I enjoy every day. Warrior is a highly intelligent person with unique perspectives on a variety of things and his acceptance speech should be truly unique and intriguing.”
“Jake Roberts will have a blow away acceptance speech too. Anxious to see who inducts all these deserving folks.”
On the TNA Lockdown PPV on Sunday night: “Thought TNA Lockdown was a better than many TNA PPV’s I’ve watched and was an average presentation in my eyes. I am not a fan of every match being a cage match. I’m not indicting anyone but making every match a cage match puts immense, creative pressure on the talent and there is too much ‘sameness.'”
“James Storm, Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe, Bully Ray, and Gail Kim are ‘players’ without question while others in TNA have the opportunity to be as well if they force themselves to continue to change/evolve and not to be comfortable in their current presentations.”
“Gail Kim is arguably the best female wrestler in the business.”
“As I have said, I hope ALL wrestling organizations are successful because the more talent that’s earning a good living in the biz the better for all involved.”
“I do think that the ‘evil administration’ story line served its purpose long ago within TNA. I find it hard to ‘dislike’ the Dixie Carter TV persona.”
On tonight’s RAW: “RAW emanates from Memphis tonight and one has to be curious to see if Jerry Lawler survives RAW in his hometown or if he’s used to generate ‘heat’ by some up and coming TV Wrestling villain. I hear that some folks don’t fare so well in their home towns on RAW. :) Good luck, King!”
As seen on Monday’s RAW, Paul Bearer joins The Ultimate Warrior, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Amy “Lita” Dumas as the inductees in the 2014 class of the WWE Hall Of Fame. The two names that are being bandied about that have yet to be announced are Scott Hall and Mr. T.
In the case of Mr. T, there is a chance that he won’t be inducted simply as another addition to the celebrity wing of the Hall Of Fame, but instead a joint-induction that would include all of the WrestleMania I main event participants, which include Hulk Hogan, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff and “Cowboy” Bob Orton.
The following are highlights from the latest online blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On Paul Bearer’s WWE Hall Of Fame Induction: “Wonderful to hear that my old pal Paul Bearer also known as Percy Pringle was announced in Chicago as going into this year’s class of the WWE Hall of Fame. Very deserving honor and another product of the territory system to be honored. The loyal, Alabama football and George Jones fan will be smiling down from Heaven when he’s honored in NOLA.”
On the passing of Billy Robinson: “Condolences to the family, friends and fans of the UK’s Billy Robinson who passed away this week at the age of 74. Mr. Robinson was well known as one of the legit tough guys in the business and was the foremost expert in “Catch Wrestling” in the world. His work that can be found on You Tube is simply amazing.”
On fans not hijacking RAW: “Enjoyed many aspects of RAW Monday night. No Punk. No hijacking. The WWE folks steered the course just as I had suggested here and at on my show in NYC Saturday night. Seems like many in the IWC (Internet Wrestling Community) were pulling for a disruptive show and I’m pleased that did not occur.”
On Paul Heyman’s RAW promo: “Great promo to start the show by Paul Heyman. Heyman has no equal on the mic in today’s business. Who has more animalistic presence than Brock Lesnar? I’ve got your answer….nobody!”
On Daniel Bryan: “Liked that the villains kept the heat turned up on Daniel Bryan who was featured prominently on RAW. So prominently, in fact, that it might actually quiet some vocal fans who, based on some tweets I’ve received @JRsBBQ and some emails here, don’t know as much about building a story line as they would like to believe that they do.”
“I still believe that Daniel Bryan will walk away from WM30 as one of the primary stars of the event in the Super Dome. Don’t bet against DB stealing the show in the Big Easy.”
On CM Punk possibly returning to WWE: “As Steve Austin said on my podcast, the Ross Report, which drops later today and officially on Wednesday, I’d still not rule out CM Punk’s return to WWE in time for a WrestleMania match but my gut feeling is that ship is about to sail. Perhaps it already has.”
Check out the complete blog online at JRsBarBQ.com.
– The Usos defeated The New Age Outlaws in a WWE Tag-Team Championship match at Monday’s WWE RAW show in Chicago, Illinois. With the victory, The Usos became the new WWE Tag-Team Champions.
– It was announced later in the show that The Usos and The New Age Outlaws will be having an immediate rematch for the titles in the main event of Tuesday’s WWE Main Event show, which as noted will air live on the WWE Network.
– Another match that will take place during the live Main Event special, which was also confirmed at RAW, is a one-on-one match featuring Daniel Bryan vs. Kane.
– Also announced on RAW was the latest inductee into the 2014 class of the WWE Hall Of Fame. Legendary manager Paul Bearer will join The Ultimate Warrior, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Amy “Lita” Dumas.
The following is the official press release that was issued today to announce Diamond Dallas Page as the official presenter for Jake “The Snake” Roberts at the WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony in April:
Diamond Dallas Page Brings DDP YOGA to New Orleans for WWE Wrestlemania, will introduce Jake “The Snake” Roberts at WWE Hall of Fame ceremony
ATLANTA, Feb. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — There will be plenty of action outside the ring this spring at WWE’s Wrestlemania- thanks to 3-time WCW Professional Wrestling Champion Diamond Dallas Page. Page will be bringing his revolutionary fitness system DDP YOGA to New Orleans April 4th and 5th, to coincide with the biggest weekend in wrestling.
Page will be hosting his intensive DDP YOGA workshops at the Holiday Inn New Orleans Westbank, where attendees will learn how they can tap into the power of dynamic resistance and take control of their health – and their lives.
As a former pro wrestling superstar, Page has reinvented himself as a maverick fitness guru, with the creation of his own workout system that combines dynamic resistance, flexibility, and cardio. DDP YOGA has become hugely popular among current and past athletes, as well as regular people who are seeking to overhaul their health and fitness with a low-impact but amazingly effective calorie-blasting, muscle-building workout.
WWE Wrestlemania will be a particularly poignant weekend for Page, as he will also be making a special appearance in support of his friend and fellow wrestling star/ former mentor, Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Roberts will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 5 and Page will introduce Roberts, who has become one of the most inspiring DDP YOGA success stories to date.
Over the past year, Page has revitalized Roberts’ health and rescued him from the throes of addiction, helping Roberts resurrect his career and reclaim his life through DDP YOGA. With intensive coaching and round-the-clock care, Roberts – who been living with Page – has maintained sobriety and is now in the best shape of his life.
Roberts has said that if he could regain his health through DDP YOGA, anyone can: the program empowers people at any fitness level to take charge of their health and take control of their lives through fitness. At the DDP YOGA workshops, Page will share the inspiring story behind DDP YOGA, the secret of dynamic resistance, active breathing techniques, correct alignment, and a special Q&A on Owning Your Life. There will also be a raffle drawing for DDP YOGA prizes.
The New Orleans workshops will take place Friday (April 4th) 5:00pm-8:00pm and Saturday (April 5th) 11:00am-2:00pm. Entry fee for each 3-hour session is $99.99 and both are open to all levels. Hotel guests at the Holiday Inn New Orleans Westbank will receive 10% off entry fee and 10% off their purchase of the Max Pack DVD set.
Space is limited, so attendees should register for the DDP Workshops early at: http://www.ddpyogaworkshops.com/events/holiday-inn-new-orleans-westbank-hosts-ddp-yoga-wrestlemania-workshop-with-ddp/
About DDP YOGA
DDP YOGA is a hybrid workout that incorporates yoga positions with calisthenics, rehabilitation techniques, dynamic resistance exercises and active breathing techniques for a more challenging and results-oriented workout— all with virtually zero impact on joints. Designed by 3-time WCW World Champion Professional Wrestler Diamond Dallas Page, DDP YOGA differentiates itself from other forms of yoga by integrating the use of dynamic resistance throughout the workout. For more information please visit www.DDPYOGA.com.
The following are highlights from another new Diamond Dallas Page interview:
On DDP Yoga: “There are 30 current WWE wrestlers doing DDP Yoga. Every single wrestler at the Performance Center does it, that’s 19 women and 61 guys doing DDP Yoga.”
On Jake Roberts’ cancer surgery: “He’s got to get the skin cancer removed from his leg. I asked how he could let it spread like this, it’ll be interesting to see what happens tomorrow because they said the surgery could be 2 hours, or it could be 8 hours.”
On a DDP Yoga App: “It’ll be like the Netflix of fitness. We will have our own programming and only through the APP will you be able to get live workouts. We’ll also do cooking and you might see me cooking with Jake or Scott in the accountability crib.”
On having one last match: “I have no intention to do it anywhere other than WWE. The only person I would consider wrestling would be Randy Orton and only because our storyline is built in. We could have a hell of a run but it would break my body up so bad. There is no reason for them to put him in an angle with me because he is too far up the ladder and I’m grateful for that because I’d take it if they offered it.”
On if he will induct Jake Roberts into the WWE Hall Of Fame: “It’s been talked about but everything runs through the WWE so I don’t know what decision they will make. I would be honoured to do it but it won’t hurt my feelings if they pick someone else because it’s Jake’s night.”
– WWE is working on a new Batista DVD set. According to WrestlingDVDNews.com, the DVD and Blu-ray sets will be released on Tuesday, June 10th.
– Despite the announcement not being made at RAW last night as originally expected, Paul Bearer is still considered to be a “lock” for the 2014 class of the WWE Hall Of Fame.
– Apparently many people found it interesting that WWE did not air an “In Memory Of” graphic during RAW for Nelson Frazier, who worked for the company as Mabel, Viscera and Big Daddy V. As of right now, there’s no real word as to why WWE did not air such a graphic, as they normally do when a former Superstar for the company passes away.
– According to reports, legendary manager Paul Bearer is expected to be announced as another inductee into the 2014 class of the WWE Hall Of Fame this coming Monday night on RAW.
Apparently The Undertaker, who has never appeared on-camera during the Hall Of Fame ceremony, is likely to be in attendance to personally induct his former manager.
– Speaking of Monday’s RAW, there are rumors floating around that claim a title change is expected to take place on the show.
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.
Regarding the rumors that Scott Hall will be inducted into the 2014 class of the WWE Hall Of Fame, sources claim that he is indeed on the current list of inductees.
As far as the speculation that Diamond Dallas Page may be inducted along with Hall and Jake “The Snake” Roberts, both of whom he helped get sober over the past year, he is said to not be on the list of this year’s inductees.
– The new Jim Ross “Ross Report” podcast is already having great success. After only one show, JR’s podcast is already the number one ranked Sports & Recreation podcast on iTunes for the U.S., U.K. Canada and Australia. In overall podcasts, it’s number two in the U.K., number three in the U.S., number five in Australia and number seven in Canada.
– The latest video blog from Cody Rhodes and Brandi Rhodes (aka Eden) is now available. You can check it out at WWE.com.
– It was announced today that the USA Network will be airing a one-hour special for the WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony on Monday, April 7th at 11:05pm E.T. The special will air the night after WrestleMania XXX. The full ceremony will air live on the WWE Network on Saturday, April 5th at 9pm E.T.
The following are highlights from a new website Q&A update by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On his debut “Ross Report” podcast and future guests: “Austin will be back for Ross Report #2 next week followed by Mauro Ranallo, Trish Stratus, and Mick Foley. I’ve got some great guests coming on to shoot the breeze. Thanks for listening.”
On why Ron Simmons was more successful as part of a tag-team in WWE: “Hmmm…he did well in both roles especially being pivotal launching Rock from the Nation. The APA thing with JBL was good too and garnered a great deal of TV time. They were two different presentations that were both executed well.”
On whether or not Sting never working for WWE will prevent him from going into the WWE Hall Of Fame: “Absolutely not. I wold bet a case of JR’s BBQ Sauce that Sting is in the WWE HOF within 2-3 years.”
On if he feels Damien Sandow is being underutilized in WWE: “I’d agree that Sandow could be more of a force. That’s partly WWE’s fault and partly the talents. To be great it takes a partnership between company and talent.”
Check out more from JR’s latest website Q&A update at JRsBarBQ.com.