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Tonight’s WWE Hall Of Fame Inductee & His Inductor Revealed (UPDATED)

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UPDATE: WWE has now confirmed the fact that Larry Zbyszko is this week’s inductee announcement for the 2015 class of the WWE Hall Of Fame. You can read their official article on the subject by clicking here.

RollingStone.com is reporting that “The Living Legend” Larry Zbyszko will be the WWE Hall Of Fame inductee announcement on tonight’s edition of WWE RAW. Zbyszko will be inducted by Bruno Sammartino at the WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony during WrestleMania 31 weekend later this month.

Zbyszko stated the following about his WWE Hall Of Fame induction:

“My gut feeling over the years was that probably someday, sooner or later, I’d be getting in – and not just because of the long career I had. I’m a fan at heart; I love this business, and the Hall of Fame is an awesome part of the business. This has been my life, and if I had to do it again, I’d do it all the same – except maybe not get married so many times.”

“I already have a speech in my head; it kind of just popped in there, because it’s the story of my dream – to become like my hero Bruno Sammartino. And I’ll also thank the people who helped me along the way. I’ve always considered myself one of the boys – everyone calls me ‘Sir’ these days, but I’m not that old!”

*Spoilers* TNA Impact Wrestling Taping Results For April 17th & April 24th

Matt Boone
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TNA taped the April 17th and April 24th editions of Impact Wrestling in Orlando, Florida this past Sunday night. Below are spoiler results of both shows, courtesy of Bruce Buchanan and F4WOnline.com.

– The show-opening long promo began with the Hardys saying they’ve never been TNA World Tag Team Champions and they wanted the titles. Austin Aries and Bobby Roode interrupted and said they were the next champions. EC3 came out and announced he was teaming with Bram to go after the titles. Bram said of everyone in the ring, he hated EC3 the least. Finally, Mr. Anderson and Rockstar Spud were the fourth and final team to challenge for the vacant tag titles. Presumably, they’ll tape a four-way match on Monday.

– The former Camacho (didn’t catch his new name) b. Kenny King with a Samoan drop. They had to redo the finish, but generally a solid match. The BDC and the Rising got into a brawl after the match. The Rising was getting the better of the exchange when Homicide came in from the back with a billy club and the heels beat down the babyfaces.

– Brooke won a four-way match over Gail Kim, Angelina Love and Madison Rayne to become the #1 contender for the Knockouts Title. They gave them time and all four worked really hard.

– Matt & Jeff Hardy b. James Storm & Khoya. The Hardys were the most over act on the show. Storm was disappointed with Khoya for losing.

– Kurt Angle came out for a promo, building to a title match with Eric Young later in the show Young came out and said he respected Kurt and promised to wrestle cleanly. However, Austin Aries then came out and said he intended to cash in the briefcase for the title shot, and Young would just have to wait his turn.

– In a match for Xplosion, Bobby Roode b. Robbie E.

– Davey Richards b. Manik with a head kick. Good match. The Revolution tried to attack Richards after the match, but the Hardys made the save. They made a challenge for a six-man match.

– Magnus introduced Mickie James, who got a strong reaction. Mickie gave a tearful promo saying she had enjoyed a great career, but it was time to go home and be a mom. James Storm came out and said Mickie was one of the all-time greats, and her place was in the ring and on the stage, not at home. He said the fans didn’t want her to retire. Magnus acted skeptical of his intentions, but Mickie was listening. Storm said she needed to wrestle “One more time!” and Mickie agreed. Magnus wasn’t pleased, but he went along. Presumably, Storm will try to drive a wedge between Mickie and Magnus. This has the makings of an intriguing soap opera-style storyline, and all three were excellent in their roles.

– Mia Yim and Marti Belle debuted as the Doll House. They both are doing a lunatic gimmick. In their debut, Yim wrestled Cherry Bomb, who used a different name (I think Laura Dennis). After several minutes of back-and-forth action, Belle attacked the ref and sent him into the post. They double-teamed Cherry Bomb and even beat up ring announcer Christy Hemme. Hemme had to be helped to the back, selling the beating (she continued to ring announce from back stage).

– EC3 came out for a promo behind a podium. He had balloons and signs, like a political candidate would have, and declared his candidacy for the TNA World Title. Mr. Anderson confronted him and said titles are won through blood, sweat and tears, not speeches. He trashed the podium and ran off EC3 and Tyrus.

– Taryn Terrell b. Awesome Kong in a No DQ match to keep the Knockouts Title. Poor Kong can barely move. Before the match, Terrell asked for a No DQ match, which was an angle alert. The finish saw them set up a table in the ring and both women fighting on the turnbuckles. The Doll House came out with kendo sticks and attacked Kong. Terrell turned heel, joining the Doll House. They tried to put her through the table, but it didn’t break. Terrell used a belt shot to pin Kong and said that anyone who wants her title will have to deal with her new friends.

– Kenny King won the X-Division Title in a four-way ladder match over Rockstar Spud (champion), Tigre Uno and Mandrews. This was short for a ladder match, but some cool spots, including Mandrews hitting a shooting star press to the floor and Tigre springboarding off the ropes onto the ladder. King won the title with help from Homicide.

– Drew Galloway b. Low Ki in a pipe on a pole match. Galloway won with the future shock DDT on a chair. After the match, the Rising and the BDC got into another brawl.

– Next up was supposed to be the Kurt Angle-Austin Aries World Title match. However, Eric Young jumped Aries as he came to the ring, and gave him a piledriver on the ring steps. Angle tried to make the save, but Young attacked him too. Young curbstomped Angle’s head on the steps, and Angle bled. A dozen or so security guys had to pull Young off of Angle. I’m not sure Eric Young is top heel material, but they sure tried to put some heat on him here. Aries did a stretcher job, while Angle had to be helped to the back.

– The final match was the Hardys & Davey Richards vs. Abyss, Manik & Khoya in a street fight. To be honest, this was bad – they blew three spots and had to redo them, which looked awful. The match started in the back and they brawled to the ring, using trash cans and chairs. The Hardys pinned Abyss with the twist of fate/swanton combo and the babyfaces celebrated in the ring to end the show.

Bret Hart Talks Daniel Bryan & Roman Reigns’ Spot, Randy Savage/WWE HOF, WM31 & More

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WWE Hall Of Famer Bret Hart appeared on Live Audio Wrestling this past weekend to promote WrestleMania 31 and his appearance at the WrestleCon event at the San Jose Garden Airport Hotel. Below are highlights from the interview.

On the positioning of Daniel Bryan at this year’s WrestleMania: “All I can say is when I wrestled Lex Luger in the Royal Rumble back in 1994 and I ended up getting the title a few months later, it was very similar to what is going on with Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan now but they went against what the fans wanted and I think that it may bite them on the ass because my logical thinking is you give the fans what they want or you should anyway. I don’t know why they went against the grain, I think Daniel Bryan was a great champion and had his run was cut short and I think fans wanted to see him get that moment that he deserves. Even though he won the title and WrestleMania last year was such a big thing for him, the fans want to see him get his proper chance and I think the WWE put a line through that and I think that’s probably a mistake.”

On comparisons of Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns to Bret Hart and Kevin Nash in 1994 and 1995: “I always tried to bring the best out of all of my opponents and especially in a pay-per-view scenario, I wanted them to have their best match they ever had with me. When Kevin Nash was champion I really tried to support him, he was a good friend of mine back in those days and still a good friend of mine now. I tried to boost his position and help him stay in place and I always had respect for him even as champion, I thought he was a great champion. I think they made a big mistake in giving him a push too early, they should have waited and let him build himself up for another year and I think if they had given Kevin just a little more time to get more experience and get prepared for that role, if that next year he had gotten that big push that they gave him, he may have stayed champion but they sometimes push things they want now and it wasn’t going to happen then, he was still learning a lot.”

On Roman Reigns in the top spot in WWE right now: “I think Roman Reigns is ready and he is really good, I think he is a really great talent and has a lot of potential. I can see why they want to push him but I really think the hearts and minds of the wrestling fans are with Daniel Bryan. His work rate in the ring and what he gives through the match just means so much more to the wrestling fans than anything else.”

On Randy Savage going into the WWE Hall Of Fame: “Well I know we were a lot closer than Hogan was. I’m not quite sure why Hulk Hogan of all people is inducting him because my last conversations I had with Randy, he didn’t have much good to say about Hogan. Regardless, it is a night to remember Randy for all the great contributions he made. He was undoubtedly one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, he was a great champion in the dressing room, he was a Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, a real team guy and always had a lot of respect and love with all of the wrestlers. We will always miss the Macho Man.”

Check out the complete interview at FightNetwork.com.

WWE Lawyers Threaten Wrestlers Over Bill DeMott? Chyna Deletes Bashing Videos

Matt Boone
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– Joey Ryan recently tweeted the following, leading to speculation that he has been threatened by WWE lawyers not to speak out against Bill DeMott anymore.

https://twitter.com/JoeyRyanOnline/status/577253526830612480

– Former WWE performer Joanie “Chyna” Laurer deleted some of the controversial videos she posted on YouTube where she said she was “coming for Triple H” and called Stephanie McMahon a “total b*tch.” She posted the following video after deleting the others.

https://youtu.be/lINeWuG3Yvs

Photo Of Brad Maddox’s WWE Return On Saturday, NXT Diva At NBA Game

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– NXT Diva Dana Brooke was in attendance at the NBA’s Orlando Magic basketball game in Orlando, Florida on Sunday night. The official Twitter account for the Orlando Magic tweeted the following photo of her at the game.

– As reported over the weekend, Brad Maddox made his WWE return at the live event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Saturday night. Maddox came out to a big drum roll tease with spotlights, and lost in a singles match to Zack Ryder. Below is a photo of Maddox at the show.

https://twitter.com/ndyanksWWE/status/576916863860518913

ROH In Talks With Spike TV, Mysterio’s AAA Return Postponed

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– Sunday night’s AAA Rey de Reyes iPPV was postponed to Monday night at 8pm due to extreme rain in Guadalajara. AAA President Joaquin Roldan announced the change with the roster in the ring last night.

Rey Mysterio was scheduled to make his AAA return when he teamed with Myzteziz, the original Sin Cara.

– Spike TV President Kevin Kay recently spoke to the Boston Herald about the network’s new “Friday Night Lights Out” block of combat sports programming. When asked about whether Ring of Honor would be a good fit for the rebranded network, Kay said they’ve had some preliminary talks with them:

“I’m not sure there is a deal there. We’re just kind of getting to know each other. .?.?. I think for Spike, the big question is, do we want to get into the professional wrestling business in any way? And I don’t have the answer to that yet. I don’t know that we’re going to do anything there, but if we do something, it’s probably not part of ‘Friday Night Lights Out.’ We want to keep that for real sports.”

Vince McMahon’s Stolen Bentley Recovered, Paige & AJ’s Team Name

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– Vince McMahon’s stolen Bentley coupe has been recovered by police in the Bronx, according to the New York Post. The charcoal-gray Bentley Continental Coupe was stolen in Connecticut a few months ago and is valued at $189,000. Police sources told the Post that McMahon’s Bentley has a $100,000 sound system.

– Paige and AJ Lee are looking for a tag team name as they prepare to face The Bella Twins at WrestleMania. They tweeted on Sunday night:

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/577278066398892032

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/577278480804532225

*Spoiler* Big Name Scheduled For RAW

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Sting is currently in Des Moines, Iowa and is scheduled to appear live on tonight’s episode of WWE RAW.

As of this writing, WWE has not announced Sting will be at the show.

The former WCW Champion will be there to hype his WrestleMania match with Triple H, which takes place in less than two weeks from Santa Clara, California.

Check back throughout the day for more updated headed into tonight’s RAW.

WWE RAW Preview For Tonight (3/16)

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Here’s a preview for tonight’s WWE RAW from Des Moines, Iowa at the Wells Fargo Arena:

– Will Seth Rollins agree to fight Randy Orton at WrestleMania after Orton’s brutal beat down last week?

– Is there a rift between Lana and Rusev after Lana agreed for Rusev to fight John Cena at WrestleMania?

– Which challengers will be named for Kidd and Cesaro’s tag team championships?

– How will Roman Reigns be tested this week?

The advertised dark match main event will see Cena, Reigns, Bryan and Ambrose vs. Rollins, Wyatt, Kane & Big Show in an 8-man tag match.

As always, join us here tonight for live coverage of WWE RAW.

WWE Teasing Hall Of Fame Announcement For Monday, Hulk Hogan Talks Kevin Owens, Injuries & More

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– Hulk Hogan participated in a Q&A session today on Facebook from South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. Highlights are as follows:

Did you get injuries for your career? which is the most serious one?

“it has to be around about 80 injuries…the back had to be one of the worst.”

What was more fun? Being the all american hero with the (then) wwf? Or one of the best heels ever with the nwo and wcw?

“There was nothing like the 80s. That red and yellow. #Hulkamania running wild was unbelievable.”

What has been the best WWE experience of your life?

“Has to be when I came back home. It was when I was in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The audience was electric it felt like 100 jet planes. So loud HH.”

Besides travel and wear and tear on your body, what would you say has been the hardest part of being a professional wrestler?

“The hardest thing is taking everything in your life and making that second. Work has to be first.”

Are you a fan of NXT, and if so, who impresses you most down there?

“In a huge fan of NXT. Kevin Owens is the guy right now who made me believe again. When Kevin came in and stepped up, it made me say WOW. HH.”

– According to WWE.com, the next inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2015 is expected to be named on Monday.

“The gossip going around WWE is that a former World Champion will be taking his place in sports-entertainment immortality,” WWE states. “Who will be joining “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rikishi, The Bushwhackers, Alundra Blayze and Warrior Award recipient Connor Michalek in the Hall’s Class of 2015 on the eve of WrestleMania 31? Could it be a former WWE World Heavyweight Champion from the company’s early years? Is it an Attitude Era icon? Is it even a WWE competitor, or will it be a WCW or ECW icon joining the Hall?”

Spoiler: TNA Reveals Plans For Special Edition Of Impact Wrestling

Matt Boone
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It was revealed during Saturday’s set of TNA Impact Wrestling television tapings, which will air on the April 17th edition of the show, that an upcoming special edition of Impact Wrestling will take place called “TKO: Total Knockouts.”

While not confirmed, it’s believed that the TKO special will be taped this weekend and will feature a TNA Knockouts Championship match between Awesome Kong and Taryn Terrell. It will also feature a number one contendership match between Gail Kim, Brooke Tessmacher, Angelina Love and Madison Rayne.

Additionally, new Knockouts are scheduled to make their TNA debut.

Bo Dallas & Tyler Breeze Get New Tag-Team Name, Jey Uso Misses WWE Live Event

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– Jey Uso did not work the WWE live event on Saturday night in Seattle, Washington. Instead, Jimmy Uso appeared by himself, defeating The Miz in singles competition.

– Bo Dallas and Tyler Breeze have been working as a tag-team at recent WWE live events. At Saturday’s live event in Seattle, the two lost to The Lucha Dragons in tag-team action, however before the match, Dallas cut a promo, telling everyone that they were witnessing history as he and Breeze teamed up, and are now known as “Bo-Breeze.”

Below are photos of Bo-Breeze at last night’s show.

https://twitter.com/lunaticfr1nge/status/577015404196859904

Spoiler: Update On TNA’s Plans For The World Tag-Team Titles

Matt Boone
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As reported earlier this weekend, due to Eddie Edwards’ broken heel injury, The Wolves were forced to vacate the TNA World Tag-Team Championships at Friday’s set of Impact Wrestling television tapings. It was revealed during Saturday’s set of tapings that a tournament will take place to crown new tag-team champions.

Our live correspondent at the Impact Wrestling tapings in Orlando last night wasn’t clear if the matches that took place on the show were first round matches or tournament qualifying matches, however here are the teams that are involved as of right now:

James Storm and Khoya
Ethan Carter III and Bram
Austin Aries and Bobby Roode
Tigre Uno and Jay Rios
Robbie E and Jessie Godderz
Rockstar Spud and Mr. Anderson
Kenny King and Low Ki

*Spoilers* TNA Impact Wrestling Taping Results For April 10th & April 17th

Matt Boone
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TNA taped the April 10th and April 17th editions of Impact Wrestling in Orlando, Florida this past Saturday night. Below are spoiler results of both shows, courtesy of F4WOnline.com.

– Kurt Angle and Bobby Lashley argued about the finish of their match (presumably on 4/3). Eric Young came out and said he deserved a title shot for beating Bobby Roode. Lashley went to spear Young but took out Angle instead. So this led to a three-way for the title.

– They announced a tag team title tournament for the vacant belts.

– James Storm said that all the members of Revolution would fight for the chance to be his partner.

– Khoya won three-way over Manik and Abyss. Not sure what happened to Sanada.

– Drew Galloway’s new group is called The Rising. They gave Shaun Ricker the name Eli and gave Tevita Fifita (Camacho) the name Myka. This led to another brawl with the BDC.

– Galloway & Eli & Myka b MVP & Kenny King & Low Ki via DQ when a masked man interfered. He turned out to be Homicide. Homicide still needs surgery on his rotator cuff so this isn’t necessariiy a long-term thing.

– Davey Richards b DJ Zema Ion

– Kurt Angle won three-way over Bobby Lashley and Eric Young to retain the title

– Awesome Kong b Gail Kim

– EC3 & Bram b Tigre Uno & ?

– Austin Aries & Bobby Roode b Jessie Godderz & Robbie E in the tag team tournament

– They announced Angle vs. Young as the next TNA title match, maybe taped tomorrow

– Low Ki & Kenny King b Ken Anderson & Rockstar Spud in the tag team tournament

Jim Ross Blog: Impact Wrestling Thoughts, Reigns vs. Lesnar, Melina & More

Matt Boone
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WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross has updated the blog section of his official website. Below are some highlights.

On Friday’s edition of Impact Wrestling: “Thought Impact Wrestling Friday night was one of their best TV shows in a good while and arguably the best wrestling show of the TV week. If TNA simply keeps their talk managed and succinct while focusing on what their talents do best and that’s wrestle they are going to be line over the long haul IMO. It’s not that their talents can’t promo but today’s audiences generally don’t want to have to listen to the ‘never ending promos’ that are over scripted and over thought. Kudos to Rockstar Spud & EC3 on a compelling performance.”

On Melina’s appearance on the Ross Report: “We are getting some amazing feedback on our Ross Report Podcast with @RealMelina this week especially from women. I hope that you will check it out as Melina is brutally honest and opens her heart for all to hear. Download for free at podcastone.com and iTunes or listen to it right here on the home page of our site.”

On Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31: “I think fans should give Roman Reigns an opportunity to prove himself on the big stage at WrestleMania vs. Brock Lesnar. Wouldn’t shock me to see Lesnar win the match even though Reigns is the favorite because of the unknown status of Lesnar’s WWE contractual arrangement.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com.

Johnny Mundo On Rey Mysterio To Lucha Underground, Joey Mercury/WWE, Alberto El Patron

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Johnny Mundo (formerly known as John Morrison) recently appeared on the Pro Wrestling Experience podcast to talk about a number of Lucha Underground related topics. Below are highlights from the interview.

On his experience at Lucha Underground: “Loving it. It’s a combination of lucha libre mix-in with American style pro wrestling and gridy action films. Three things that I like Action, Wrestling and Storytelling. The roster is like the best roster in the world as far as talent goes and everybody backstage is getting along well for a start up federation and it’s seems to continue to find it’s identity each week. Its exciting to be there, the show are great and continuing to improve and the roster is coming to it’s own and we’re continuing to define what Lucha Underground is each week!”

On his thoughts about Rey Mysterio joining AAA and possibly joining Lucha Underground: “I hope he comes to Lucha Underground for selfish reasons because I want to wrestle him. Rey is at a point in his career where he’s done everything and the next thing Rey does is going to be because he wants to do it and hopefully it is with Lucha Underground. I loved hanging out with him and wrestling him and the fans do as well so I think that would be really rad.”

On Alberto El Patron: “I had a bunch of matches with him when we were in WWE, but a lot of them were short tv matches. I’m really looking forward to having a ppv style produced match with him. He’s super talented and super nice guy. Had alot of fun with him on some Florida tours. When he and I get in the ring together we’re going to show what we can do.”

On his former tag team partner Joey Mercury being part of major storylines in the WWE right now: “Couldn’t be happier for him. When I was watching him in the ring with Jon Stewart the other night I was falling out laughing it was awesome. I couldn’t be happier for Joey that guy eat, sleeps and breathes wrestling. He was a genius in psychology when I met him 12 years ago and he’s been improving his game ever since then.”

On who he had the most chemistry in the ring with during his time in WWE: “CM Punk, The Miz, Jeff Hardy, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler”

On his favorite WrestleMania Match: “WrestleMania 24’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match absolutely for the fact that it was first time I had a spotlight on myself on such a grand stage, but also getting to be in the ring with such incredible talent in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, so yea that’s the one for me.”

Check out the complete interview at Speaker.com.

WrestleMania I-X: The Top 10 Matches From The First Decade

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WrestleMania is now only a few weeks away, and to say that the build has been abysmal so far would be a bit of an understatement. Instead of criticizing the company for its incompetence, let’s relive the glory days together.

Over the course of the next week or so, we are going to be looking at the ten best matches from each decade of WrestleMania. Today we start by looking at the first ten WrestleMania events.

10. The British Bulldogs vs. The Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake) (WrestleMania II)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2cyy4p_wwf-wrestlemania-ii-the-british-bulldogs-vs-the-dream-team_sport

This took place at one of the absolute worst WrestleManias of all-time, and was one of the few (if not the only) highlights of the night. Davey Boy put in most of the work for his team, showcasing his power throughout the contest.

There were multiple near-falls in this contest, with the Bulldog attempting Perfect-Plex that registered a two-count at one point. It appeared The Dream Team had the victory at one point, but Valentine foolishly pulled the Dynamite Kid’s head from the mat, and would lose mere seconds later after having his head smashed into the turnbuckle. Overall, there weren’t a ton of memorable tag matches during the first decade of WrestleMania, but this is definitely a highlight, and one that usually doesn’t get much credit.

9. Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs. Rick Martel (WrestleMania VII)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hsfmz_wwf-wrestlemania-vii-jake-roberts-vs-rick-martel_sport

Let me start by saying this match was pretty cheesy. We all knew the two competitors could see each other through the bags they were sporting. With that said, they employed decent in-ring psychology and told a solid story, and it was even unintentionally humorous at times. (I mean how could one not laugh at Martel delivering an elbow to the canvas after The Snake was long gone, or the two running past one another in the most obvious manner?)

Roberts finally tracked down “The Model” and picked up the win after hitting his signature DDT. Most importantly, this was one of the first gimmick matches to be featured at WrestleMania and would lay the groundwork for the next generation, which would deviate away from the traditional wrestling style that had characterized the first six WrestleManias. For that reason alone, I feel that it deserves to be included on the list.

8. Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant (WrestleMania III)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1u6x5h_wwf-wrestlemania-iii-hulk-hogan-vs-andre-the-giant_sport

The action in this one was basically garbage. One of the main selling points involved fans hoping to see Hogan slam Andre for the first time, even though he and others had already done so in the past. And on top of that, it was the main event of the biggest show of the year and only lasted a little over ten minutes. Don’t get me wrong, the feud leading into the event was money, but the match itself was rather meh.

Even though the action didn’t live up to the hype, this was the most important match in the company’s history at the time, and one would be hard-pressed to find one since that had more impact. These guys worked a lengthy feud leading into the event and had millions of eyes watching a product that wasn’t even putting on pay-per-view events just a few years prior. Not only did they have millions of eyes watching at home, they also drew a record 93,173 fans to check it out on in person.

Hogan did slam Andre and followed it up with his Leg Drop for the win. The action wasn’t memorable, but without this match, there’s a good chance the WWE would never have become the global juggernaut it is today, so for that reason alone, it has to be included in a list such as this one.

7. Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage (WrestleMania VII)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hsck9_wwf-wrestlemania-vii-randy-savage-vs-the-ultimate-warrior_sport

After Savage lost his title to Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania V, he had tried on numerous occasions to win it back. Hogan passed the torch to Warrior at WrestleMania VI, and the “Macho King” set his sights on the newly crowed champ. After Warrior refused to grant him a title shot (instead granting one to Sergeant Slaughter), Savage interfered in the contest, hitting Warrior with his scepter and costing him the title.

This led to a feud between the two heading into WrestleMania VII, with Savage putting his career on the line. Sensational Sherri accompanied the “Macho King” to the ring but his former girlfriend Miss Elizabeth was also in attendance. After hitting a remarkable five flying elbows drops, Savage was still unable to diminish the power of the Warrior, eventually taking three shoulder block tackles that each sent Savage to the floor. Warrior would stand over the fallen King and pick up the victory, forcing Savage to “retire.”

Some of the most memorable action actually took place following the match, however, as Sherri attacked Savage, leading to a memorable reconciliation between Miss Elizabeth and Savage, with Savage once again becoming a fan favorite after holding the ropes for Elizabeth. Awesome match. Awesome story. Awesome Wrestlemania moment.

6. Bret Hart vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper (WrestleMania VIII)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2gs2s7_wwf-wrestlemania-viii-bret-hart-vs-roddy-piper_sport

Widely considered to be one of the greatest matches in WrestleMania history, Hart and Piper battled for the Intercontinental Championship back in the days when the title was actually worth a damn.

Hart could make anyone look good, and Piper was an above average worker in his own right, so there was little chance of this contest being anything other than a stone cold classic. It really felt personal too, with stiff action that was a borderline street fight at times. The “Hit Man” bladed during the match and was covered in blood by the end of this brutal affair.

After the referee was driven into the turnbuckle and knocked out for a few minutes, Piper considered using the ring bell as a weapon, but had a change of heart and chose not to. The “Hot Rod” instead attempted to put Hart away with his signature sleeper, but Hart countered the move by propelling himself off of the turnbuckle and countering into one of the most beautiful pinning combinations fans will ever see. Piper embraced Hart and helped him to the back after the contest, earning the respect and admiration of basically everyone in attendance.

Lucha Underground Report and Analysis: The Hunt Inside The Steel Cage

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Lucha Libre is intertwined with Mexico’s legendary history. Its following has made it the most popular sport (for lack of a better word) after soccer in a country of almost 150 million people, and an integral part of pop culture, mass media and entertainment in general.

In the early 1900’s, Mexico was in the middle of a Revolution against the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz. During war time two Italian businessmen, Giovanni Reselevich y Antonio Fournier began promoting fights, in which opponents fought each other hand to hand, without weapons or protection. These fights were known as Lucha Libre, or ‘free fight’, and were notorious for their lack of regulations and violence inflicted upon the luchadores, or fighters.

While common belief is that this fighting style was originally introduced by the French during the invasion of 1863, it wasn’t until this time when Reselevich and Fournier where developing a cross-town rivalry between their respective promotions, that Lucha Libre began to develop large followings throughout many parts of the country. Lucha Libre was a lot different from what we see today and from what I’ve read there was nothing predetermined about it.

In 1929, Salvador Lutteroth González was working in the United States where he began attending professional wrestling matches in El Paso, Texas.  It was there that he became fascinated with the sport, especially the colorful personalities of the wrestlers, and decided to bring the sport to his home country of Mexico.

In 1933, together with partner Francisco Ahumada, González founded the Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL) in Mexico City.  After struggling and being turned down by larger arenas, the EMLL presented its first card in Arena Modelo, which had previously been scheduled for demolition, and had already been partially dismanteled.  Instead, the 5,000 seat arena became the first home of modern Lucha Libre, and within a year, the EMLL was selling out events and looking for larger venues

The EMLL, now called the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) is the longest running active professional promotion company in the world.  Its current home is the 16,000 seat Arena Mexico in Mexico City, considered the Mecca of professional wrestling in Mexico.

Enter Los Enmascarados. The use of mascaras, or Lucha Libre masks, had been a part of Lucha Libre since its inception, however, it wasn’t popularized until the introduction of Santo, El Enmascarado de Plata, or “Saint, the Silver Masked Man”. Santo made his debut in summer 1942, and quickly captured the public’s fascination with his fighting ability and mysterious secret identity. Santo is probably, and some would say absolutely, the greatest luchador of all time. He became so big he actually ascended to the top of film industry in Mexico, similar to what the Rock was able to accomplish here in the United States. Other contemporaries of great popularity include Blue Demon, Dr. Wagner, Solitario, Mil Máscaras, Rolando Vera, Anibal, Ray Mendoza, Rayo de Jalisco, and many more throughout the decades. A popular and important part of a Mexican wrestler’s persona has always been his or her mascara, or lucha libre mask. The masks play an important part of the storyline, as well as the legacy of the wrestler, and can also provide some anonymity in a country enthralled by the sport.

A lot of critics have been hard on Lucha Underground for having “too many” masked fighters and some even believe this is hurting the product as it will prevent the show from crossing over to American mainstream prominence. While I think this is true and in the past I’ve suggested they spend quality time creating more characters like Cage, Angélico and Johnny Mundo, by the same token I think it’s imperative we understand and respect the difference in culture and the importance of masks in Mexico’s storied wrestling history.

We must keep in mind Lucha Libre is and will always be different from what we’re used to here in the United States. It is unique from professional wrestling promotions in the United States and Europe in that the wrestlers usually have smaller physiques and the moves preformed are more aerial in nature, as opposed to the power moves popular in the US. The light weight division, or peso semicompleto, for example, is the most popular in Mexico and features technical and acrobatic skills unparalleled to anything seen in other countries around the world. This is wrestling at its finest. Welcome to Lucha Underground.

We get a video package hyping tonight’s show and new waterfront shots bring us into the arena where Amandititita is performing live. Pentagon comes out while the fans chant his “Zero Fear” slogan in Spanish. This character is super over so let’s hope he can do something of more significance in the future that doesn’t simply involve squashing jobbers.

Penragon Jr. vs. Argenis

The not so very eloquent Vampiro loves Pentagon’s “aggressivity”. Last week he said “luchaness”, I can only wonder what he’ll say next week. Pentagon catches him off a moonsault, but eats a DDT out of trying to do a tilt-a-whirl gutbuster. He gets sent out and hit with an Asai moonsault. Argenis moves to avoid attack and they wind up on top with a double-standing hurricanrana off the top by Argenis. Gorilla press leads to a slam right into the buckle for a sick head landing. I’ve never seen anything like that, it looked as if his neck snapped. Pentagon racks him and does it again but this time inverted. Argenis is one tough fighter. Josh Barnett is shown in the crowd while Striker plugs NJPW World Pro Wrestling and Pentagon hits a sloppy clothesline to Argenis on the apron, sending him down which leads to a somersault flip dive. Running package piledriver hits, leading to the double armbar and of course, he gets his arm snapped back. That piledriver is one heck of a move. I know they’re dangerous and that’s why we don’t see them in WWE, but isn’t the art of wrestling executing a dangerous move safely? That’s why we call it selling. Good match, a little different from the squash matches we’ve been treated to, which is good. This guy will eventually need a feud so it’ll be interesting to see who his nemesis will be. Should be an outstanding rivalry.

There’s a Miami Vice marathon all day Sunday. Catrina tells Fenix he may be a man with a thousand lives but that Mil Muertes isn’t going to stop until he takes every single one of them. Catrina says that the only way to survive is to bury Mil.

We see more shots of Konnan in the rain – he is welding a bada** new cane and beating the heck out of things with it. He promises revenge as he draws a line through the rain and we cut away. I loved the production. He is seen welding a cane the way one would weld a sword. Very creative and a stunning visual to behold. My favorite part of Lucha Underground continues to be the cinematography.

Angelico vs Ivelisse with Son of Havoc as special referee.

I always enjoy these two when they go to work. They have great chemistry together and their matches are comical yet physical. I thought the part where Ivelisse locked a knee bar was great. Ivelisse has an extensive MMA background and it shows in the ring. Angelico is an experienced worker who has been all over the world and one of my favorites currently on the Lucha roster. This was a solid back and forth match until the jealous Son of Havoc started getting involved. His jealousy is highly entertaining. Then again if I had a girl like ivelisse my jealousy would be highly entertaining too. I enjoyed the ending sequence as she slaps Havoc and Angelico wants to join in on the action so he attempts to kick Havoc but he ducks and hits Ivie with a hook kick instead. Angelico then pins Ivelisse with an Edge style humping like pin that leads to Havoc to fast count in order to get Angelico off her. Fun match, I enjoyed it a lot.

Backstage Mil Muertes is seen putting on his mask and Catrina arrives basically to play mind games with him. Next week he faces Fenix in a grave match. Should be interesting. I’m liking the gimmick matches and I’m really looking forward to the grave match. Considering the arena isn’t so big their creative forces will definitely be on display next week.

Mick Foley Talks Jon Stewart’s Recent RAW Appearance, Roman Reigns, WrestleMania 31

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WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley recently spoke with Scott Fishman of The Miami Herald. Below are highlights of the interview.

On Roman Reigns going to WrestleMania 31: “Even though I was pulling for Daniel Bryan to win the Rumble, as soon as I found out it was going to be Roman Reigns I thought there would be some good possibilities and stories that could go on to make it really interesting. If I was commissioner still I would try to do my best to put the matches and the guys in them over as much as I could. That was always my goal with whatever I did. If there was or is a change of re-balancing of power in the future, I hope they would go with someone who could give the show a different feel. I think those shifts are really important every once in a while.”

On the WWE Intercontinental Championship ladder match at WrestleMania 31: “My oldest son [Dewey] and I were talking about how the championship and how it has become a hot commodity because I think there is an understating that these guys are going to put on a match that is going to be hard for anyone to top. That’s what you need to make a great card. If that’s anything but a classic, I’d be personally disappointed. I’m looking forward to that one. I want to see Sting and Triple H like anyone else. I’m going to go out on a limb here to say there better be a spot for AxelMania because it’s running wild. I’m telling you right now. A pairing of AxelMania down the road with Damien Sandow or Mizdow could be the Mega Powers for the new generation.”

On Jon Stewart’s recent appearance on WWE RAW: “I thought he was great. He is such an incredibly important person in our culture, yet not every one of our fans is familiar with him. They know when someone knows their stuff. The idea that someone who talks to Presidents and world leaders knows every intricate detail of our WWE storylines is really impressive. I thought it was a really good appearance. I thought Seth Rollins was excellent. I thought the low blow coming from a collegiate soccer player was appropriate. I think Jon’s kids will remember his appearance on Raw as being more important than his conversations with presidents.”

Check out the complete interview at MiamiHerald.com.

Brad Maddox Making WWE Return This Weekend, Paul Heyman Promoting WM31 Around-The-Clock

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– WWE performer Brad Maddox is scheduled to return on the road with WWE at tonight’s live event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Maddox was also backstage at the WWE SmackDown television taping in Atlanta, Georgia a few weeks ago, but hasn’t been a regular on television since May of 2014.

– Paul Heyman posted the following tweets on his official Twitter account late Friday night regarding promoting this year’s WrestleMania pay-per-view.

Backstage Update On Bill DeMott Controversy, Some Stories Were Exaggerated?

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While many of the accusations that have come out against Bill DeMott took place in early 2013, some of the stories reportedly date back to his first run as developmental coach, which ended in 2007.

Issues with DeMott in the past is one of the reasons WWE had cameras installed in the WWE Performance Center, and are also why all practices are filmed.

WWE reportedly wanted proof to defend themselves in case any lawsuits came up in the future. As noted recently, WWE is expecting lawsuits to be filed as part of the recent DeMott controversy.

The issues surrounding DeMott were well known within the company, so much so that many were said to be surprised that he still had a job. There was said to be a feeling that the controversy was a time-bomb that could go off at any point.

Additionally, there’s a feeling that some of the stories that came out about DeMott in recent weeks were exaggerated by those who were telling them.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WWE SummerSlam 2015 Sells Out Immediately, The Rock To Host SNL During WM31 Weekend

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– Tickets to the public for this year’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view, which takes place on August 23rd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, sold out immediately this morning. Virtually all of the tickets had arleady been sold via pre-sale before today.

– Part-time WWE performer Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson landed a role as host of Saturday Night Live for the March 28th edition of the show, which is the Saturday before WrestleMania 31. The Rock tweeted the following about hosting SNL for the fourth time.

WWE Signs Three Top Executives To New Contracts, Details On Their New Deals

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According to a new SEC filing, WWE has signed George Barrios, Kevin Dunn and Michelle Wilson to new deals this week that will see the three top company executives earn 174,095 shares of WWE stock each, as long as they stay with the company through July 2018, and as long as the company reaches certain financial goals.

The 174,095 shares of WWE stock is worth approximately three million dollars.

The new deal also gives each executive a one-year non-compete clause in their new deals, if they do decide to leave the company.

*Spoilers* TNA Impact Wrestling Taping Results For March 27th & April 3rd

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TNA taped the March 27th and April 3rd editions of Impact Wrestling in Orlando, Florida this past Friday night. Below are spoiler results of both shows.

– James Storm opened the taping, cutting a promo inside a steel cage. Storm spoke about “ending Jeff Hardy tonight.” Hardy ended up coming out and the two exchanged words. This led to Manik coming out and attacking Hardy. Abyss also came out, but ended up getting taken out with a steel chair.

– Kurt Angle came out for a promo segment. Tyrus and EC3 end up coming out to interrupt him. Bobby Roode also came out and demanded to be in the World title picture. Eric Young then came out, as did Austin Aries, who brought his Feast or Fired briefcase with him and said he’s going to win the title soon. Angle says he’ll face everyone. Bobby Lashley comes out and he’s pissed. Tyrus, EC3 and Young attack Lashley and Aries until Mr. Anderson comes out to make the save.

– EC3, Tyrus and Eric Young def. Bobby Roode, Mr. Anderson and Austin Aries in six-man tag-team action.

– Awesome Kong def. Brooke Tessmacher in Knockouts action. After the match, Kong tries to continue her attack until Taryn Terrell comes out to make the save. They end up brawling, leading to Kong putting Terrell through a table.

– Bram comes out for a promo, but is interrupted by Mickie James and Magnus. Magnus and Bram end up brawling. Bram low-blows Magnus and tries to kiss Mickie, but ends up getting beaten down.

– Rockstar Spud def. Low Ki and Drew Galloway to retain the X-Division title. The BDC came out durnig the match. MVP cut a promo on Galloway. The former Camacho and Shaun Ricker end up coming to help Galloway. They end up calling themselves, “The Rising.”

– Gail Kim def. Angelina Love in Knockouts action.

– Eric Young def. Bobby Roode in singles action.

– The Wolves come out for a promo segment. They announce that due to Eddie Edwards’ injury, they are vacating the TNA tag-team titles.

– Magnus def. Bram in a Falls Count Anywhere match. James Storm interfered during the match.

– Kurt Angle def. Bobby Lashley to retain the TNA World title. The finish of this match looks to be leading to a rematch, as Lashley got his shoulder up during the pin.

– Jeff Hardy def. James Storm in a steel cage match with a lot of weapons involved to close out the taping.

Spoiler: Title Change At Impact Wrestling Taping, MVP Re-Signs With TNA

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– With Eddie Edwards currently suffering from an injury, The Wolves have vacated the TNA World Tag-Team Championships. The titles were vacated at the Impact Wrestling tapings on Friday night in Orlando, Florida.

As things stand now, the new TNA World Tag-Team Champions are expected to be decided by the end of the weekend.

– TNA executive John Gaburick announced the re-signing of MVP to the promotion. MVP joins a number of other talents who have re-signed with the company this week.

Below is Gaburick’s announcement of MVP’s re-signing.

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