– The pre-sale for tickets to the WWE Hall Of Fame 2014 ceremony will take place this Thursday. The pre-sale password for tickets is WM30TW.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan posted the following tweet on his official Twitter account today:
Shooting a really cool Superbowl commercial today!! Brother HH
— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) January 15, 2014
Former two time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Riddick Bowe is once again making a push to enter the world of professional wrestling.
Back in August, Bowe announced that he wants to be first man to win a world heavyweight championship in boxing and professional wrestling.
Here are some of Bowe’s recent tweets talking about his desire to become a pro wrestler – and possibly wrestle Hulk Hogan:
How bout my fans help me convince @TNADixie to give me a shot at wrestling.. spread the word partners
— Riddick Bowe (@riddickbowe) January 14, 2014
Screw all the haters ill be back in the ring and once again the heavyweight champion of the world. Im coming for u klitschkos. Thats whatsup
— Riddick Bowe (@riddickbowe) January 14, 2014
put me in the ring with @HulkHogan and ill bust him up and all his friends. Damns straight thats whats up partners
— Riddick Bowe (@riddickbowe) January 15, 2014
You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream. Why doubt me when mine is to once again be a champion? #bowetalks
— Riddick Bowe (@riddickbowe) January 15, 2014
Morning workout. preparing for my comeback
— Riddick Bowe (@riddickbowe) January 15, 2014
What up my man @THETOMMYDREAMER when you teaching me some wrestling partner
— Riddick Bowe (@riddickbowe) January 15, 2014
TMZ.com caught up with Hulk Hogan this week and asked him about the news of The Ultimate Warrior being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
After their much-publicized personal rivalry, Hogan appears to have buried the hatchet and said “He’s a good choice for the Hall of Fame.” Hogan added, “He’s a good man.”
Back in the summer of 2011, after Hulk Hogan had been running down the Ultimate Warrior in a series of interviews, Warrior unleashed his 55-minute “Karma Collects” video on Youtube, accusing Hogan of being an avid user of cocaine and marijuana, keeping other wrestlers hooked on drugs to hold them down, having an ‘open marriage’ with his ex-wife Linda, offering his wife’s ‘services’ to other wrestlers back in the day and being a disgraceful parent (among other things).
– WWE Hall Of Famer recently confirmed the report we published on Tuesday that noted WWE’s intentions on inducting the WrestleMania I main event into their Hall Of Fame this year. Piper also confirmed the rumors as to why he had issues with WWE officials recently.
You can check out more from “The Hot Rod” by checking out his official Twitter account @R_Roddy_Piper.
– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” has been added online. The seventh edition of the show features part two of Jericho’s interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart. Following a lengthy discussion in part one of their discussion about Hart’s time in the Stampede promotion in Canada, part two features Hart talking mostly about his legendary run in WWE.
You can check out the latest edition of “Talk Is Jericho” online at PodcastOne.com.
Former TNA World Champion Bully Ray joined Doug Mortman and Dave Lagreca on Busted Open.. You can hear Busted Open on SiriusXM 92 and on the SiriusXM app. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Being the “glue” that has been holding TNA together: “Well I appreciate you guys thinking that I’m the glue that holds the company together. That’s always nice to hear. Listen, I go out there–you guys know this damn well–whether you love me, whether you hate me, you gotta respect me just a little bit, cause every night I go out there to steal the show. And give the people exactly what they pay to see. And they pay to hate me. And that’s what they get.”
Where his new, more mysterious Bully is heading coming out of Aces and Eights: “In wrestling, as you guys know, and in sports, in wrestling, in entertainment; you always have to evolve. So I’m giving the people the next level, the next chapter, the next evolution of Bully Ray. Some people might like it, some people might hate it. I really don’t care what they think as long as they tune in. And that’s all that matters.”
How he feels about the new Dixie Carter/Magnus regime: “Listen. In business there is always going to be changes going on. You guys experience change there; working at Sirius XM; all the time. Whether it’s McDonalds, or whether it’s in a hospital or whether it’s an auto body shop, whether it’s pro wrestling. There’s always going to be changes. Changes in talent, changes in personnel, changes in management, changes in direction, changes in theory on how the business should be run. So you always try to evolve. You always try to move forward and see what the next thing is that is going to hit. So you know wrestling is no different than any other business. You keep evolving, you keep changing. So we’ll see what happens with this. Everybody wants to see TNA succeed. Everybody likes to sit back and whether it’s bash TNA or bash the WWE; people will sit there and bash. They don’t do anybody any good. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. You might not like something and that’s cool. But to sit back there and bash a company for no fricking good reason when all of the wrestlers are trying to go out there every single week and do their absolute best. And all of the creative members are trying to do their absolute best in the best interest of the fans. Sometimes things don’t always go the right way. Sometimes they go really great. You kind of gotta roll with the punches.”
His turn at Lockdown in 2013 in San Antonio: “OH! Well the first thing I got to say is this: whoever thought or came up with the delusion that those were plants in the audience; I would love to meet that person face to face and mafia kick them in their fricking jaw. That’s first of all. Then I’ll wish them a Happy New Year. That is the kind of hatred; that is the kind of emotional response that I strive on. That’s the kind of emotional response that me and Devon (Dudley) used to get on a nightly basis in ECW. I was so proud of the response at Lockdown. I was so proud that I was able to pull off what I pulled off. I was proud of the fact of being the champion. I was proud of the fact of being able to pull the wool over the eyes of all of the smart wrestling fans all over the world. And people were pissed off. And that’s what’s going to make me memorable; things like that. The last time you saw an incident like that was in Daytona Beach, Florida when Hulk Hogan joined the nWo. And to be able to do it to him and his daughter (Brooke) and shove it up both of their asses at the same time? That was golden.”
Having a crazy 2013: “No doubt. World Titles; women; whisky. Hanging out with Motley Crue in Vegas. Going crazy. My goal for 2014 is this: I want to get my World Title back. I want to piss off even more people and I want to see how many Knockouts I can get through in the locker room.”
Facing Ken Anderson at Genesis this Thursday on Spike TV: “Well you got to dig the fact that TNA does try to give away quality Pay Per View, main event matches on free TV. I think that’s where you gotta really look at TNA–you gotta tip the hat to them and say Hey! You know they’re trying. They’re not trying to hang us out for 39.95 every single month for a PPV. They are doing some of the old school things. Some of the things to keep wrestling fans happy and interested. And Genesis is going to be a very interesting PPV. Just the fact alone that you got me and Anderson; the feud that has been going on for months and months. And whether you like it or hate it, me and Anderson always deliver in that ring. You know if I’m out there, you gotta keep that channel on. You know if I’m out there, something is going to happen. You know if I’m out there, I’m gonna say something or I’m gonna do something that’s going to be totally unexpected. And at Genesis I plan on doing the same thing. And it started out with House of Hardcore a couple of months ago, followed up at Old School in Poughkeepsie, got Genesis right around the corner. If Bully Ray is out there, expect the unexpected.”
His thoughts on the new WWE Network: “I think it’s great for wrestling fans. As a wrestling fan and personally I am a wrestling fan. There are a lot of things that I would like to see. If I know that I can go to the WWE Network and just order something up and check out a match from back in the day that I want to see; that’s awesome. So I think it’s good for all of wrestling. It keeps wrestling out there. It keeps wrestling in the public’s eye. And now fans have access to whatever they want to see. It’s all about entertainment, guys. KISS goes up there every night; plays the same songs; Gene spits the same blood; they do the same pyro and people pay to see them. Because people love KISS. People love rock and roll; drinking whiskey; naked girls and partying. And that’s the same reason why people will always love pro wrestling. “
The official YouTube channel for Ringside Collectibles has added the following video interviews with John Cena and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin discussing the WWE Network:
John Cena
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin
– The Newsday website recently published a featured article with comments from the former Vice President of Sales at ESPN, Larry Mann, talking about the possibility of the WWE Network hurting the weekly television ratings of WWE’s “RAW” and “SmackDown” cable programs.
You can check that article out online at Newsday.com. (Thanks to Joshua Stewart from Newsday.com for sending along the link.)
– As previously noted, legendary pro wrestling manager Jim Cornette is starting a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a new documentary project. Below is a video of the official announcement:
http://youtu.be/v_hFFb5Q_HU
– TNA star Kurt Angle will be undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on February 11th, according to a report at TNANews.com. The procedure was originally scheduled for January 21st but it was rescheduled so he could appear on the upcoming “Maximum Impact” European tour.
Recovery is expected to last 6 to 8 weeks. With Lockdown taking place less than a month after the surgery, it’s unlikely Angle will be competing on the show.
– As we’ve been reporting, TNA is bringing in some new talent soon. TNA President Dixie Carter tweeted last night that Thursday’s live Genesis edition of Impact Wrestling will feature a few new faces:
Just hung up the phone… New talents coming to #Genesis in Huntsville. Thursday 9/8c on @SpikeTV
— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) January 15, 2014
With two weeks before the Royal Rumble, Noah Mark is back with his analysis of the second raw of 2014. Check out The YES! & The NO! of WWE RAW.” Comment below and tell us your thoughts.
The Usos vs. Bray Wyatt & Daniel Bryan (Part 1) Raw starts off with the match advertised last week of Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt. The USO’s were in the ring at the start of Raw ready for the match. The lights blacked out for the Wyatts entrance, and came back on 30 seconds later to reveal Daniel Bryan and The Wyatts already in the ring. I liked the quick entrance. The match was good with Daniel Bryan in a more aggressive style. Luke Harper and Derek Rowan, interfered just before The USO’s were about to get airborne on Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt. This prompted another DQ on the Wyatts in their second week in a row with Daniel Bryan. Daniel Bryan drops to his knees to receive a Sister Abigail from Bray Wyatt. As I said for the last two weeks, I’m okay with this story in it’s context, provided it doesn’t go 16 weeks to WrestleMania. YES!
Damien Sandow vs. John Cena I was fortunate to be in the crowd at Raw in Orlando, FL the night after The Hell-In-A-Cell Pay-Per-View. It was on that night that Damien Sandow cashed in his Money-In-The-Bank briefcase on John Cena. Although he didn’t win the match then, it was a great competitive match with Cena, and this episode of Raw was no different. There is a great chemistry between Sandow and Cena, and proof that Sandow should have a much more elevated status in WWE. All the things about Damien Sandow I enjoy are stripped away, no more robe, no more witty promos, he’s seemingly just an angry body. Where’s the man that would sign autographs with a quill pen? Why do we get “Sandow-Gimmick-Light”? I question this especially, because when he is called upon he delivers. Match was great. Don’t throw away Sandow after this. YES!
Kane & Brad Maddox, No Triple H or Stephanie. Kane and Brad get into it backstage, and Mr Maddox comes up with a Bray Wyatt & Daniel Bryan vs The Uso’s rematch in a steel cage for the main event. With Kane adding that he will personally chain the cage door shut. I thought this would spell disaster for Daniel Bryan, with some ulterior motive for his former Co-Tag Team Champion.
I did like the fact that Triple H and Stephanie were not on the show this week. Although they seem to back Orton, promoting him as the face Of WWE, they haven’t been targeting John Cena, like they did Bryan, with beat-downs and impossible handi-cap matches. YES!
On an unrelated note, is Kane injured? Kane is one of the longest tenured Superstars on the roster, I know he has been working several holiday house show matches, however I don’t recall him having a TV match since that aforementioned Orlando Raw I was at where, on that show he shed his mask, this was after returning from filming a See No Evil sequel. It looked like he had a noticeable limp coming down the aisle way.
Big Show vs. Jack Swagger I don’t like smiling big show. I liked hoodie and skull cap wearing, intense Big Show from last week. I want all business Big Show. I want a focused Big Show that is going to seriously take on Brock Lesnar. Big show almost has John Cena-itus. Big Show should learn from his mistakes. Smiling Big Show ended 3-4 Raws this fall, then lost the Big One. Big show can smile his way to another loss at the Royal Rumble. I like Zeb Colter, but for some reason I DON’T want to see him hurt. I like Paul Heyman, but I DO want to see him get hurt. NO!
CM Punk & The New Age Outlaws vs. The Shield I’m hoping after The Royal Rumble, CM Punk will move away from The Shield. I love Roman Reigns but If the Shield were to break up, I don’t think he should be put against CM Punk one on one, yet. I like the idea of him building up his singles resume, perhaps with a Big E, Dolph Ziggler, a returning Jericho, maybe even Daniel Bryan, before we see CM Punk vs Roman Reigns in a big time match. I love the New Age Outlaws, and I don’t want to boo them. I haven’t checked out the Smackdown Spoilers (They are scheduled to take on Cody Rhodes and Golddust) so I’m curious to see if they are “bad guys” now. They both appear to be in great shape, and would love to see them, hang around till WrestleMania, but not at heels. Besides, book him however you wish, but at WrestleMania XXX they will no doubt be faces one way or another. NO!
The Funkadactyls vs. AJ Lee & Tamina Snuka Throw-a-way match, AJ being underutilized. AJ hasn’t had many title defenses, the belt isn’t as special, not because of the person, because of the booking. She taps out and pins people left and right, then a silly beat down afterwords. If you’re going to give her a clean win, why bother, having the faces beat her down after the fact, they lost. This is why there is a huge drop off in star power in WWE, because you have someone like an AJ Lee who can cut a dynamite promo, you can cultivate that, make people want to see her, and let her flourish! Instead of losing her in the shuffle of 20 Total Diva® tag matches. NO!
WWE Hall Of Fame 2014 Inductee The Ultimate Warrior will Headline The 2014 Hall Of Fame. Ironic I watched a DVD about how he was horrible person to work with, held up Vince McMahon for money at SummerSlam 1991, and “self destructed” But as the saying goes Money Talks, and there is a lot of people who remember the guy you see below and could care less about what was hapening behind the curtain. So for that (and because our Webmaster is a huge fan of the man from Parts Unknown) we say YES!
View Page 2 to find out more YES and NO from WWE RAW and our Overall Raw Rating
– WWE Superstar Evan Bourne tweeted that he’s been doing some “intense” workouts a he prepares for his upcoming WWE return.
Intense workouts the past few days. When are they not? Ice bath last night. Tonight it's hot tub time…? http://t.co/wU168lfX6w
— airbourne (@findevan) January 15, 2014
Bourne has been out of action for almost two years. After being suspended in early 2014 due to a violation of WWE’s Wellness Policy, he was involved in a serious car accident in March of 2012 and broke his foot in four different places.
– WWE Superstar Justin Gabriel revealed on Twitter that he won’t be part of this year’s Royal Rumble match:
I won't be entering the Royal Rumble this year……
— Justin Gabriel (@Justin__Gabriel) January 15, 2014
– WWE Diva Lilian Garcia will be releasing a new music video today. To hype the release, she published this video highlighting her past music:
Ryback is at it again. On Monday’s RAW, Jerry Lawler joked that if Ryback was in an elevator, he wouldn’t know which direction an elevator goes if you gave him two guesses.
Ryback then responded on Twitter with a remark about Lawer’s ex-wife, former WWE Diva Stacy “The Kat” Carter:
“So apparently I do not know which way an elevator goes if you gave me two guesses according to Jerry Lawler. I can tell you one thing. If I was in an elevator with The Kat it would definitely be going down. Ryback Rules”
The tweet has since been deleted.
– John Cena tweeted the following on Monday while in New York City, joking about the “IWC” –
Ok finally found you! Let's settle this! Just told U don't 'settle' anything,it's more a complaining thing #ikidikid pic.twitter.com/mmhjggNW0B
— John Cena (@JohnCena) January 15, 2014
Cena was in town for a meeting with Left Field Pictures, the production company behind the hit cable show Pawn Stars.
– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross announced on Tuesday that his new podcast will premiere in February at PodcastOne.com.
Start Podcast One in February. Will drop on Wednesdays I’m told. Going to be very interactive. You ready ?
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) January 15, 2014
It was announced at Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings that Bad News Barrett and all 3 members of The Shield will compete in the 2014 WWE Royal Rumble match. Here is the updated card:
* WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton vs. John Cena (Pinfall or Submission)
* Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show
* 30 Man Royal Rumble Match (14 More Entrants TBA)
– Batista
– CM Punk
– Roman Reigns
– Dean Ambrose
– Seth Rollins
– Alberto Del Rio
– Big E. Langston
– Goldust
– Cody Rhodes
– Rey Mysterio
– The Miz
– Bad News Barrett
– Kofi Kingston
– R-Truth
– Xavier Woods
– Fandango
We are saddened to report that WWE Hall of Famer Mae Young has passed away, according to WWE.com.
Young was the oldest living professional wrestler in the world and is the only person in history to have documented matches in nine different decades. Her first match was in 1939 and her latest match was in 2010.
Vince McMahon has issued the following statement regarding her passing:
“There will never be another Mae Young. Her longevity in sports entertainment may never be matched, and I will forever be grateful for all of her contributions to the industry. On behalf of WWE, I extend our sincerest condolences to her family and friends. “
Here are some tweets from the wrestling world regarding Mae Young’s passing:
#RIPTheOneandOnlyGreatMaeYoung A true pioneer and legend has passed tonight. Long live the memory of my friend and @WWE Hall of Famer.
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) January 15, 2014
She’s a wrestling pioneer. I truly had deep affection & respect for “Aunty Mae” Young. RIP. #IMissUMae pic.twitter.com/r9oG9rLw9Z
#RIPTheOneandOnlyGreatMaeYoung Thank you for your example to my girls on how to get all you want out of life! #pioneer #legend #whatarun
— Triple H (@TripleH) January 15, 2014
The legendary Johnnie Mae Young has passed. The Oklahoman lead an amazing life. Her mental/physical toughness is an inspiration to all. RIP
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) January 15, 2014
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) January 15, 2014
Johnnie Mae as I knew her was part of my wrestling family. She will be missed as much a anyone I’ve ever known! pic.twitter.com/4o8riZYkBk
— TheMarkHenry (@TheMarkHenry) January 15, 2014
RIP Mae Young. She was an absolute pleasure to have known, and truly was one of a kind. My sincere condolences go out to her family/friends.
— Howard Finkel (@howardfinkel) January 15, 2014
RIP Mae Young! What a tough incredible woman. Enjoyed being her friend and knowing one of original divas. She’s now reunited with Moolah.
— John Layfield (@JCLayfield) January 15, 2014
Very sorry to hear of the passing of Mae Young.A truly tough and lovely lady.
— William Regal (@RealKingRegal) January 15, 2014
Dark Match
* Alexander Rusev defeated Tyson Kidd by submission with his Accolade finisher (the Camel Clutch). Prior to the match, Rusev cut a heel promo in Bulgarian and got a lot of heel heat from it.
WWE Main Event Taping
* Kofi Kingston defeated Curtis Axel with a rollup pin. After the match, Ryback’s music hit and the Big Guy came out, walked around the ring and then left.
* Damien Sandow defeated Sin Cara with his You’re Welcome finisher. Sandow got a babyface reaction from his hometown crowd. During the match, Ryback came out once again and paced around the ring and taunted fans at ringside.
* Bad News Barrett cut a promo running down the crowd and announced that he will be in the Royal Rumble.
* Ryback came out to his music again and did a lap around the ring before the next match.
* The Prime Time Players beat 3MB in 3-on-2 a handicap match. 3MB demanded that the match be restarted. Brad Maddox came out and denied their request – but said he’d give them a 6-man tag match against Los Matadores up next.
* Los Matadores and El Torito defeated 3MB with their finisher. El Torito got a hot tag during the match and cleaned house. After the match, Ryback came out for the fourth time and walked around the ring.
UPDATE: A WWE spokesperson has confirmed to us that Daniel Bryan did in fact suffer a concussion on RAW.
Monday’s RAW saw Daniel Bryan break free of the Wyatt Family and lead the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island to one of the most electric “Yes!” chants of all time.
Unfortunately, we can report exclusively that Daniel Bryan was diagnosed with a concussion shortly after RAW went off the air.
Based on preliminary testing by WWE doctors after the show, it’s believed injury took place early in the steel cage match main event. In a sad twist of irony, we are told Bryan does not remember much about last night.
Bryan tweeted this afternoon:
I sit humbled and in awe of peoples reaction to last night. I can’t bring down the machine on my own, but we can do it together #YesMovement
— Daniel Bryan (@WWEDanielBryan) January 14, 2014
Based on this news, it seems highly unlikely that he’ll be wrestling at tonight’s WWE SmackDown tapings from the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. No word yet on how long he will be out of action, but he is undergoing testing more today.
WWE is playing around with the idea of inducting a match into the 2014 class of the WWE Hall Of Fame in April.
According to a recent PWInsider.com report, the idea being pitched in WWE right now is for Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, Paul Orndorff and Mr. T to be inducted, making it the first time in history that an actual match itself is inducted into WWE’s Hall Of Fame, as all four were involved in the main event of the first ever WrestleMania.
It’s possible that Jimmy Snuka and Bob Orton Jr. will also be inducted, as they were part of the WrestleMania I main event as well. If the idea comes to fruition, it would leave the door open for future matches to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame as well.
Mr. T has reportedly turned down offers from WWE in the past, but company officials are reportedly negotiating with him to make the aforementioned idea possible.
Obviously if this idea pans out, it would make Hogan, Piper, Orndorff, as well as Orton and Snuka if they are involved, two-time Hall Of Famers. The only two-time Hall Of Famer at the moment is Ric Flair, who was both inducted as an individual and as part of the Four Horsemen.
Monday’s 1/13 episode of WWE RAW drew a 3.12 rating and averaged 4,404,000 viewers. This is slightly down from last week, but still a strong number.
Here’s the hourly breakdown:
Hour 1: 4,399,000
Hour 2: 4,598,000
Hour 3: 4,214,000
The final rating is expected to be around 3.1-3.3, which appears to be the new range, now that football season is over.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is no longer under contract with WWE, however, he’s going to be working with the company on yet another project later this week.
After Jim Ross revealed over the weekend that he’ll be part of WWE’s upcoming Paul Heyman DVD, WrestleZone.com is reporting that JR will be at the WWE Performance Center this Friday to host a “wrap up” panel with the cast of Legends House.
The show is expected to air on the WWE Network as part of the Legends House original series.
TNA has posted the following on their official website, announcing a new fifth match for their upcoming “Genesis” show:
TNA TO BROADCAST GENESIS ON SPIKE TV LIVE FROM HUNTSVILLE, AL., THURSDAY, JAN. 16
TNA is kicking off the new year with a new beginning as for the first time ever, the Genesis Pay-Per-View event will be broadcast free on SPIKE TV live from Huntsville, Ala. Fans will be part of four hours of history-making television as the Superstars of IMPACT WRESTLING bring the hard-hitting, high-flying action of Genesis to two epic IMPACT WRESTLING LIVE! broadcasts scheduled for Jan. 16, and Jan. 23, at 9 p.m. ET, on SPIKE TV.
TNA’s “Genesis” will be a special two-week event on SpikeTV, airing on Thursday, January 16 and Thursday, January 23! Both “Genesis” episodes will feature your favorite TNA superstars competing in high-stakes matches! Featured matches over the two weeks – and more to be announced – include the following:
– “The Icon” Sting vs. Ethan Carter III
– Cage Match: Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode
– Bully Ray vs Mr. Anderson
– Knockouts Title: Gail Kim vs. Madison Rayne
– Briefcase Match: “Cowboy” James Storm vs. Gunner
2014 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee The Ultimate Warrior was recently interviewed by Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard blog. Hare are some highlights:
How much of an impact did headlining WrestleMania have on your career?
“Back at the beginning of my career, I had to make all these sacrifices—sleeping in a car on nights where I’d wrestle in front of 20,000 people—because I wasn’t making any money. Then for two years leading up to WrestleMania, I would hear all the background chatter of how popular the character was becoming. Merchandising and licensing are huge in our business, and back then they actually had a guy, Jimmy, who would set up a table and sell merch before the matches. One day Jimmy took me aside and told me how I wasselling more merchandise than Hogan. “Don’t tell anyone I told you this,” he said. [Laughs]
At that time the typical storyline for WrestleMania was that one of Hogan’s friends would turn on him and set up a good guy-vs-bad guy scenario. But if WWE had done that with Ultimate Warrior, they would have been slicing their wrists, because merchandising was getting ready to go through the roof. So instead it became the Hulkamaniacs versus the Warriors. It was an incredible match—all the excitement, all the drama of the false finishes, and then the first time Hogan lost clean, and that really meant something. Of course, everything is choreographed, but that speaks even more strongly about what type of impact The Ultimate Warrior was going to have on the business.”
Is that your favorite match of your career?
“I have a lot of great memories, including my match against Randy [Savage] in WrestleMania VII. A lot of people say they enjoyed that more than the Hogan match. The Hogan match had so much meaning that it’s impossible not to list among my favorites, but I had all kinds of incredible matches against guys like Rick Rude and André the Giant. I had an incredible run against André all over the world, body slamming him.”
Man, André the Giant. What was he like?
“André either really cared about you, or he hated you. He liked me, I know he really did. Randy worked with him right before I did, but they killed that program because André didn’t like Randy. But André liked me. Hogan always talks about slamming him the one time at WrestleMania, but I travelled to hundreds of places and slammed André all over the place, and I just couldn’t believe that he’d let me do that. I was the last guy to really work with André before he passed away, and he was unbelievably gracious toward me. I’ll never forget what he did for my character. During one match at Madison Square Garden he told me to put him in a bear hug. So I did, and he squealed like a f—ing pig, man. That’s how you sell the power, and he did that for me to convince the people that The Ultimate Warrior was that powerful. Then he told me to slam him. He was a really great guy.”
It’s incredible that Sting is still wrestling. Do you think you still have one big match left in you? Maybe a Royal Rumble run out?
“The 90s version of The Ultimate Warrior, that beast? No. [Laughs] But I’m still very intense, I’m still in great shape, and the way the business is today, I think something could be arranged. But that 90s version of The Ultimate Warrior can’t be done. He’s my muse. I wake up every morning and I’m inspired by him, but trying to go back and bring him back 25 years later, there’s just no way.”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Monday’s RAW: “Enjoyed Monday Night RAW from Providence as it had several moments that stood out to me within the marathon, three hour broadcast. Thought that having more in ring product and keeping the stars in front of the live audience was a good thing. The show had a great deal of wrestling which I like. Obviously , some of the in ring content was better than others but that’s nothing new.”
Ultimate Warrior In The WWE Hall of Fame: “The Warrior package was slick as no one really touches WWE TV production on matters such as this. The decision to roll Warrior out first for the upcoming Hall of Fame class was strategic as it certainly has fans talking … The Ultimate Warrior was one of WWE’s all time most polarizing performers who was a massive star while being one of the most unique TV personas ever in WWE.”
Daniel Bryan Turning On Bray Wyatt: “The show closing moments involving Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt was reminiscent of the Attitude Era as it relates to raw passion and the fans totally buying into the production. I said it last night on Twitter @JRsBBQ that Daniel Bryan was the hottest commodity in WWE today….by far. The connection that he’s made with the audience, which more often than not, can’t be manufactured is priceless.
Daniel Bryan sitting on top of the cage and the sold out crowd chanting Yes! Yes! Yes! was Austin-esque in my eyes. The closing moments of RAW is what one always looks to achieve when formatting a TV show. That special moment that becomes a ‘moment.’
Daniel Bryan is a legit bookers dream. Highly skilled and can make anyone that he competes with appear better, no locker room issues or bad, personal habits and he’s respectful and reliable. The perfect pro. Good role model for any young talent wanting to succeed.”
– WWE Superstar John Cena is scheduled to appear on the “Watch What Happens Live” show on the Bravo network on Wednesday, January 15th at 11pm. The show will replay again early Thursday morning at 2:30am, and again at 8:00am on Thursday.
– The MLive website ran a featured piece on WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley’s upcoming comedy show in Detroit, Michigan. You can check the article out at MLive.com.
The following was published on the official NBA website:
Cavs to Host WWE Night at The Q
It will be a tag-team of fun and excitement when the squared circle of World Wrestling Entertainment meets the hardwood court as the Cleveland Cavaliers host “WWE Night” on January 22nd at 7:00 p.m. The slammin’ night of fun tips off as the Cavs face the Chicago Bulls, and will feature appearances by WWE Superstars, WWE prizes for fans to win and decades of WWE-themed excitement that wrestling fans of all ages will enjoy.
WWE Superstars and Cleveland natives, Dolph Ziggler and The Miz, will bring the face-and-heel drama of the WWE to the Cavaliers’ game entertainment festivities. Whether on the court or around the concourse, the wrestlers will give fans a taste of what they can expect when WWE RAW returns to The Q for a LIVE show on Monday, January 27th.
Cavs mascots Moondog and Sir C.C. will also be in on the action with WWE-inspired costumes and their usual antics. Fans are encouraged to join in the fun and dress as their all-time favorite WWE character or sport WWE gear to the game, and use the hashtag #WWENight to be part of the conversation online. For tickets to “WWE Night,” fans can click here, call 1-800-820-2237, or visit any Northeast Ohio Discount Drug mart location or the Quicken Loans Arena Ticket Office.
WWE RAW in Cleveland
WWE RAW is headed back to Cleveland for another spectacular televised event on Monday, January 27th at 7:30 p.m. This will be wrestling fans’ chance to see the fallout the night after the annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view event! The night’s MASSIVE MAIN EVENT will be a must-see as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is on the line when John Cena battles Randy Orton with special guest referee, Hall of Famer, Jerry Lawler! Plus, The McMahons, Triple H, CM Punk, The Shield & The Wyatt Family, LIVE!
WWE Ultimate Fan Package
Starting at $54, the biggest WWE fans in Northeast Ohio can take advantage of the WWE Ultimate Fan Package, which includes a ticket to both the Cavs’ “WWE Night” on Wednesday, January 22nd at 7:00 p.m., and WWE Raw on Monday, January 27th at 7:30 p.m. For more information and to purchase a WWE Ultimate Fan Package, visit www.cavs.com/wwe.
As noted, WWE scheduled a conference call with Vince McMahon and George Barrios on Tuesday to reveal some information regarding the WWE Network. While there wasn’t a lot of significant news coming out of the call, a few things were revealed. Below are some brief highlights:
– They noted during the call that there are 88 million homes in the United States that have broadband capability.
– Sign-ups for the WWE Network will begin at 9:00am on February 24th with programming beginning approximately 14 hours later.
– WWE is predicting 2-3 million subscribers in the United States by the end of 2015 and an additional 750,000-1.5 million subscribers internationally.
– The company is in talks with USA Network and they believe the network will lead to an increase in both RAW and SmackDown television ratings.
– WWE expects a studio talk show to debut on the network in a few months.