– WWE suerstar Sin Cara was in attendance at last night’s WWE RAW from Washington, DC, but was not used. He checked in on the social media app Foursquare from the Verizon Center arena and noted that he was doing cardio at their gym. Sin Cara has reportedly been cleared to wrestle and should be back in action soon.
– Ricardo Rodriguez tweeted the following after last night’s RAW:
“Swagger legit messes up my ankle and tonight I was temporarily paralyzed after he hit me off the apron. This ain’t no storyline anymore. Beyond grateful I got feeling back in my arms and legs and am grateful to be able to function and live to fight another day!”
– World Heavyweight champion Alberto Del Rio tweeted the following message and photo after getting beaten by Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter on RAW:
Enjoy this moment @RealJackSwagger @WWEZeb because you two made a mistake, I'm still on my feet,and i will break you both in pieces
WWE has released the new “ROCKpocalypse” mobile game featuring WWE Champion The Rock. The game is a 3D open-world action game available for iOS and Android. You can download the game at the following links – and check out these screenshots –
Here’s Part 19 of our WrestleMania Retrospective series, looking back at past WrestleMania events as we march towards WrestleMania 29 on April 7th
WrestleMania X-8 (2003) Tagline: Dare To Dream Sponsor: Snickers Cruncher Date: March 30, 2003 Venue: Safeco Field, S eattle, Washington Attendance: 54,097 The Undertaker’s Streak: 11-0 (Def. Big Show & A-Train)
WrestleMania XIX was the nineteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was presented by Snickers Cruncher and took place on March 30, 2003 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Washington, and the first Wrestlemania to use the WWE name.
WrestleMania XIX was the first WrestleMania to be promoted under the WWE name and the first to have taken place after the WWE Brand Extension. It was a joint-promotion pay-per-view event, featuring performers from the Raw and SmackDown! brands. The tagline for WrestleMania XIX was “Dare To Dream”. The official theme song for the event was “Crack Addict” by Limp Bizkit. Limp Bizkit performed the theme song live, as well as “Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)” during The Undertaker’s entrance.
A record-breaking 54,097 fans from all fifty states and numerous countries from around the world at Safeco Field resulted in a gate attendance grossing US$2.76 million.
The main match on the SmackDown! brand was Kurt Angle versus Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship, which Lesnar won by pinfall after executing an F5. The main match on the Raw brand was the third Wrestlemania meeting between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.The predominant match on the Raw brand was for the World Heavyweight Championship between Triple H and Booker T, which Triple H won by pinfall after performing a Pedigree. Other matches on the undercard included Shawn Michaels versus Chris Jericho, Hulk Hogan versus Vince McMahon in a Street Fight.
The Undertaker defeats A-Train & The Big Show to go 11-0 at WrestleMania
The Undertaker
At WrestleMania XIX, The Undertaker was orignally involved in a tag team match with Nathan Jones against the team of The Big Show and A-Train. It was then announced that The Undertaker would have to face both Show and Train in a Handicap match. Both Show and Train had the advantage of The Undertaker in the beginning of the match, however late into the match, Jones entered the match and attacked Show, which allowed The Undertaker to deliver a Tombstone piledriver on A-Train into a successful pinfall, thus The Undertaker won the match and remained undefeated at WrestleMania.
Hogan vs McMahon
The secondary feud on the SmackDown! brand was between Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon. One month prior at No Way Out, during a match between Hogan and The Rock, McMahon came down to the ring, only to distract Hogan, which allowed the referee, Sylvan Grenier to give The Rock a chair, which Rock used to hit Hogan and pin him for the win. After No Way Out, McMahon proclaimed that Hulkamania was dead and proclaiming a new ‘mania; McMahonamania. On the March 6 episode of SmackDown!, Hogan informed McMahon that Hulkamania was not dead and that McMahon had nothing to do with creating it. McMahon informed Hogan that he did not hate Hulkamaniacs or Hulkamania, but he hated Hogan. He then told Hogan that he hated him for leaving WWE (then known as the WWF) for Ted Turner’s WCW and for testifying against him in the steroid trial in the 1990s. McMahon proceeded by challenging Hogan to a match at WrestleMania where if Hogan lost, he would have to retire from professional wrestling. Hogan accepted his challenge later that night. Two weeks later on the March 20 edition of SmackDown!, McMahon and Hogan had a contract signing for their match at WrestleMania. As Hogan was preparing to sign the contract, McMahon attacked with a steel chair from behind. Shortly afterward, McMahon hit Hogan several times with the chair in the head, causing him to bleed. McMahon then signed the contract and forced Hogan to sign with his blood.
Hulk Hogan takes on Vince McMahon at WrestleMania XIX
In the Street fight between Hulk Hogan and the WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon, at WrestleMania XIX, Both Hogan and McMahon tested each other’s strength in the beginning of the match, until McMahon tossed Hogan onto ringside. Hogan then countered a chairshot by McMahon into several of his own, that caused McMahon to bleed from the head. Late into the match, Roddy Piper interfered in the match as he hit Hogan with a pipe. Hogan however, later retaliated by hitting McMahon with a Big boot into a Leg drop and successfully pinned McMahon, thus Hogan won the match
Rock VS Austin III
The main feud on the Raw brand was between The Rock and Steve Austin. On the February 20 edition of Smackdown!, The Rock returned to WWE after a six month hiatus from wrestling (since SummerSlam). On that evening, he was in a confrontation with Hulk Hogan before their WrestleMania X8 rematch at No Way Out. At the No Way Out event, The Rock defeated Hogan with the help of Vince McMahon. On the following night’s edition of Raw, The Rock returned to the Raw brand in a 20-man Battle royal that would determine the opponent for the World Heavyweight Championship. Rock however, was unable to win after he was eliminated by Booker T; after the match, Rock criticized Steve Austin for being chosen as the Superstar of the Decade by the WWE fans in January, beginning the feud between Rock and Austin. The following week on Raw, Austin, who was on a long hiatus before returning that previous Sunday at No Way Out, made his WWE television return, as he cut a promo about the WWE fans, before he was interrupted by Rock, who challenged him to a match at WrestleMania because The Rock, himself, was obsessed of not beating Austin at a WrestleMania event by the time they fought at WrestleMania XV and X-Seven during a four year span. As soon as the challenge was made, Raw General manager, Eric Bischoff, announced that the following week on Raw, Rock would face Booker T in a match, and if he won, he would have the choice to face either Austin or Triple H at WrestleMania. On the March 10 edition of Raw, Rock, with Bischoff’s approval, announced that he would pick his own opponent for later that night, which turned out to be The Hurricane, in hopes for Rock to gain an easy victory. However, Austin made his way down the entrance ramp, which distracted Rock and allowed Hurricane to Roll up Rock into a successful pinfall, which made the Austin-Rock match at WrestleMania official. On the March 24, and final edition of Raw leading into WrestleMania, Austin was banned from entering the arena that night. He managed to enter the arena and attack Rock, however, before Rock fled the ring.
Rock Vs Austin III was Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Final Match in the WWE.
In the encounter of The Rock and Steve Austin At WrestleMania XIX, the match began with Austin and Rock brawling in the ring, which ended up at ringside. Throughout the match, Rock worked over Austin’s leg, which included Rock applying a Sharpshooter on Austin. Rock then began to taunt Austin, as he put on his vest and imitated his taunts, which led to The Rock running into a Rock Bottom by Austin. Rock then retaliated by hitting Austin with a Stone Cold stunner. After he failed to pin Austin with the People’s elbow, Rock then hit Austin with three Rock Bottoms that led to the Rock successfully pinning Austin, thus The Rock won the match.
Shawn Michael’s first WrestleMania Match in five years.
Y2J vs HBK
A smaller feud, also from the Raw brand was between Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels. When Michaels was a guest on Jericho’s in-ring show The Highlight Reel, Jericho claimed he had idolised Michaels from a young age and that he had been his inspiration to become a wrestler. The feud had been ongoing for some time with Jericho sabotaging Michaels in the Royal Rumble after Michaels received the #1 entry which Jericho wanted to enter. The feud would be settled as the two would face each other in a match at the pay-per-view.
HBK & Y2J at the conclusion of their match. After this photo Hericho would low- blow HBK.
The fifth match was the encounter of Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels. Jericho had the advantage over Michaels in the beginning of the match, as he early on applied the Walls of Jericho onto Michaels. Late into the match, Michaels attempted to hit Jericho with Sweet chin music, however, Jericho countered it into a Walls of Jericho. After Michaels freed himself from Jericho’s submission hold, Jericho attempted a suplex that Michaels countered into a roll-up that gave Michaels a successful pinfall, thus Michaels won the match.
Triple H Vs Booker T
Another feud on the Raw brand was between Triple H and Booker T, with the two feuding over the World Heavyweight Championship. Triple H won the title three months prior at Armageddon by defeating then-champion Shawn Michaels in a 3 Stages of Hell match. Since that event, Triple H had fought Scott Steiner during the following two pay per view events for the World’s title. First was at the Royal Rumble, where Triple H got himself disqualified when he nailed Steiner with the Sledgehammer but retained the title. Then at No Way Out, he defeated Steiner by Pinfall to retain the title. On the February 24 edition of Raw, Booker won a 20-man Battle royal by last eliminating The Rock to become the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. On the March 3 episode of Raw, World Champion, Triple H, cut a controversial promo on Booker T. Triple H downplayed Booker T’s WCW success, pointing out that the WCW Championship had been held by non-wrestlers like Vince Russo and actor David Arquette calling WCW and its title “a joke”. He implied that Booker T, as a convicted criminal, would never win a world championship in WWE, although this is often misconstrued, as a racist promo, as he claimed “people like you” were not championship material. However this misunderstanding may have been intentional by Triple H knowing the heat he would generate. In the Wrestlemania XIX press conference Michael Cole questioned Triple H as to whether he had cut a racist promo, Triple H confirmed this was not the case and was indeed referring to Booker’s criminal past. A week later, Booker got revenge by attacking Triple H in the bathroom, laying him out. On the March 24 episode of Raw, Booker T & Goldust defeated Triple H & Ric Flair in a Tag team match.
Triple H Dispatches Booker T to defend the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XIX
In the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XIX, match between Booker T and the champion, Triple H (HHH). The match began with Booker in control of the match over HHH, however, Ric Flair, who was at ringside in HHH’s corner, tossed Booker’s knee into the ringside steel steps. The attack allowed HHH to work over Booker’s leg, as he applied various submission holds onto Booker’s leg including the Indian deathlock. Booker however retaliated and took control of the match; after he hit HHH with a Harlem legdrop, Booker grasped his knee in pain, which allowed HHH to recover and hit Booker with a Pedigree into a successful pinfall, thus Triple H won the match and retained the World Heavyweight Championship.
Angle vs Lesnar
The main feud heading into WrestleMania on the SmackDown! brand was between Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar, with the two feuding over the WWE Championship. Angle won the title three months prior at Armageddon by defeating then-champion The Big Show with Lesnar’s help. At the Royal Rumble in January, Angle defeated Chris Benoit to retain the WWE Championship, and Lesnar won the Royal Rumble match to become number one contender to the WWE Championship at WrestleMania when he last eliminated The Undertaker. The following month at No Way Out, Lesnar and Benoit defeated Team Angle (Kurt Angle, Shelton Benjamin, and Charlie Haas) in a Handicap match. During that Pay Per View, Edge was supposed to team up with Lesnar & Benoit to wrestle Team Angle in the scheduled Six Man Tag team match but Edge was attacked backstage and it was announced he could not participate in the match. On the March 6 edition of SmackDown!, Lesnar defeated Paul Heyman in a Steel cage match to earn a championship match against Angle the next week. The next week on SmackDown!, Angle defeated Lesnar to retain the WWE Championship. Before the match began, Kurt, who was “praying” in the corner, switched with his brother Eric. Lesnar then came out and the match began. Shortly after the match began, Benjamin and Haas came to the ring and distracted Lesnar, which gave Eric time to switch back with Kurt. As Lesnar regained his focus, Kurt was able to pin him with a small package for the win. The following week on the March 20 edition of SmackDown!, SmackDown General Manager Stephanie McMahon told Angle that if he tries to get himself disqualified or if his brother, Benjamin, or Haas try to interfere in their match at WrestleMania, he would lose the title.
The main event was a WWE Championship match between Brock Lesnar and the champion, Kurt Angle, with the stipulation that there would be no Champion’s Advantage (in other words, the title could change hands on a disqualification or a count out). The match began with Lesnar and Angle wrestling back and forth, until Angle countered a shoulder block into a German suplex. Lesnar would then attempt to retaliate by attempting to F-5 Angle, however, Angle countered it into an Ankle lock, that Lesnar was able to escape out of. As Lesnar escaped, Angle would attempt to deliver an Angle slam, however, Lesnar countered it into an F-5. Instead of covering Angle, Lesnar climbed to the top rope and hit a botched Shooting star press on Angle, which Angle covered for by going for the pin attempt and getting a two count. After Lesnar kicked out, Angle picked up Lesnar only to be hit with another F-5, Lesnar then successfully pinned Angle, winning the match and the WWE Championship.
Kurt Angle congratulates the New WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar.
WrestleMania XIX Results
Sunday Night Heat Rikishi, Scotty 2 Hotty, and Albert defeated Mr. Perfect, Lance Storm and, Test Six-Man Tag Team match with Jacqueline as the Special Guest Referee
• Heat – Lance Storm and Chief Morley (c) (with Dudley Boyz) defeated Kane and Rob Van Dam[4] Tag team match for the World Tag Team Championship.
• Matt Hardy (c) (with Shannon Moore ) defeated Rey Mysterio Singles match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
• The Undertaker defeated Big Show and A-Train
• Trish Stratus defeated Victoria (c) (with Steven Richards) and Jazz Triple Threat match for the WWE Women’s Championship
• Team Angle (Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas) (c) defeated Los Guerreros (Eddie and Chavo Guerrero) and Chris Benoit and Rhyno Triple Threat tag team match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
• Shawn Michaels defeated Chris Jericho Singles match
• Triple H (c) (with Ric Flair) defeated Booker T Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship
• Hulk Hogan defeated Vince McMahon
• The Rock defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin
• Brock Lesnar def. Kurt Angle(c) Singles match for the WWE Championship with the added stipulation that Angle would lose the title if he were counted-out or disqualified.
Ryback spoke with NorthJersey.com this week to promote WrestleMania 29. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
His Leg Injury Being The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Him:
“Deep down in my heart I knew I couldn’t do what I needed to do with the name ‘Skip Sheffield. It’s a dopey name. It’s not a name that the general public will get behind, no matter what I’m doing out there. So being away for a year-and-a-half and coming back under my own terms was a blessing in disguise.”
Being a Part of WrestleMania This Year:
“Last year, I was sitting there watching in the stands as I was coming back from a big injury, and it was kind of still up in the air what we were going to do with [my character]. I was remaining positive, but I told myself last year ‘this was the last one that I’m sitting out [and] I’m going to be a part of the rest of them.’ It was such a horrible feeling not being a part of it.”
His WrestleMania 29 match against Mark Henry:
“You’re going to see two monsters going out there and it’s going to be a match unlike any other match on the card. I think at the end of the day it’s going to be a match people remember; Ryback lifting Mark Henry over his head Shell Shocking him and 70,000 plus screaming at the top of their lungs ‘Feed Me More’ with me.”
Who He Was A Fan of Growing Up:
“Shawn [Michaels] and Bret [Hart], I love. Those two, I didn’t know why I liked them, but I loved them growing up and now I obviously know why they were so good. Razor Ramon was actually my favorite for quite sometime. There was just something about [the character]. The reason I do that ‘finish it’ [taunt] with my arms is because, if you remember, Razor Ramon would always kind of fire it up and throw his arms out.”
– Last night’s WWE RAW from the Verizon Center in Washington, DC was a legitimate sellout, with 16,733 fans announced. WWE had signs up backstage noting saying that no tickets would be comped.
– AfterRAW went off the air, the dark match main event took place, with John Cena, Ryback & Sheamus vs. The Shield. The match ended in a disqualification when Roman Reigns hit Cena with a chair. The Shield attempted to give Cena a triple powerbomb but Ryback and Sheamus made the save, setting up the babyfaces to hit their finishers to end the show.
– The dark match main event being advertised locally for next week’s post-WM29 RAW from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ will also be The Shield vs. Cena & Ryback & Sheamus. The Rock and Chris Jericho are also scheduled to appear.
– The Smackdown taping on June 18th, 2013 will be held in Dayton, Ohio at the Nutter Center. Tickets go on sale April 13th. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)
The following screenshot is a Facebook a post from Michael Moody, son of Paul Bearer. The post has circulated the internet since last night’s segment featuring Paul Heyman’s impersonation of Paul Bearer on Monday Night Raw.
– The WWE Intercontinental title match between Wade Barrett and The Miz will now take place on the 1-hour online pre-show.
– WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels announced on RAW that he will be in Triple H’s corner this Sunday at WrestleMania 29 for his No Holds Barred match against Brock Lesnar.
– WWE Chairman Vince McMahon made his first tweet on Monday night:
Newsday.com has obtained a police report for Reid Flair’s tragic death on Friday. According to the report, Ric Flair calls 911 after finding his son unresponsive in a hotel room at the Residence Inn Charlotte South Park hotel in Charlotte, N.C.
TMZ.comreleased a recording of the 911 call on Monday afternoon, which includes a frantic Ric Flair telling the dispatcher that his son was “out cold” and “turning purple.”
A medic who arrived at the scene listed pronounced Reid dead at 10:40 a.m. Under the category “incapacity types” for Fliehr, “drugs” is the only word noted. The cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner’s office.
WWE taped matches for this week’s SmackDown, Main Event and Superstars shows on Monday night from Washington D.C. prior to RAW. Here are spoiler results, courtesy of Ken McAndrew:
Main Event:
– The Miz vs. Primetime Players in a handicap match. Wade Barrett came out to watch the match. O’Neil did a nice fall away slam without falling away, good power. Miz hit a double axe off the top. Miz wins with the figure four on Young and jaws with Barrett after.
Superstars:
– Great Khali with Nattie and Hornswaggle vs JTG – Khali win with the head chop. Dancing afterwards.
SmackDown:
– Ryback vs. Epico/Primo in a handicap match – Ryback wins a basic squash with a double Shellshock.
– Brodus Clay and Tensai with the Funkadactyls…or not, it’s Rhodes Scholars and the Bellas doing a spoof of Tons of Funk. Sandow and Rhodes treat us to verbal exposition. The Bellas get to hit the you’re welcome as the real deal comes out to fight and clear the ring to dance themselves. Everyone bought it was really them when Rhodes Scholars did it.
– Jack Swagger with Zeb Colter vs. Kofi Kingston (in the same outfit) – Kofi got caught in a cross body, Swagger went for the doctor bomb, Kofi escaped and hit the SOS for 2. Colter distracted Kofi for Swagger to hit a clip and hook the Patriot Lock for the tap.
– A commercial that aired during RAW revealed that Trish Stratus, Donald Trump and Bruno Sammartino will be the inductees shown on next Tuesday’s WWE Hall of Fame television special.
– Pee-wee Herman revealed that he would be at WrestleMania 29 on Sunday. He tweeted:
Ryback joined 4th & Pain this weekend on 106.7 The Fan, co-hosted by Redskins defensive end Adam Carriker and former wrestling announcer Chuck Carroll.
Ryback talked about his forthcoming match with Mark Henry at WrestleMania. When asked, he said he thought he could take him in an arm wrestling contest.
As far as the Goldberg comparisons, Ryback thinks the chants of “Goldberg” have fallen off a bit from when he first debuted and that only a few smart mouths in the stands will start it now. He says fans yelling “feed me more” have overtaken the Goldberg chants.
Ryback isn’t bothered by the comparisons and actually thinks it’s a positive thing. Ryback says he likes Goldberg a lot. He says he’s done something similar to Goldberg’s streak in this era, but acknowledges they are two completely different entities.
He also talked about his stint as a high school football and baseball player.
Believe it or not, he was a kicker in addition to being a halfback, fullback and middle linebacker.
4th & Pain is the only pro wrestling show hosted by an NFL player and a former wrestling announcer, turned weight loss champion, Chuck Carroll. It airs weekends on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, DC and weekdays at noon on 4thAndPain.com.
Here’s Part 18 of our WrestleMania Retrospective series, looking back at past WrestleMania events as we march towards WrestleMania 29 on April 7th
WrestleMania X-8 (2002) Tagline: The One And Only Sponsor: Skittles Date: March 17, 2002 Venue: SkyDome Toronto, Ontario Attendance: 68,237 The Undertaker’s Streak: 10-0 (Def. Ric Flair)
WrestleMania X8 was the eighteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It was presented by Sour Skittles and took place on March 17, 2002 at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. The event marked the final WrestleMania event under the WWF name. The event was the second WrestleMania to take place in the Toronto metropolitan area (following WrestleMania VI in 1990). The record-breaking attendance for the SkyDome of 68,237 grossed approximately $6.1 million CAD ($3.9 million USD). WrestleMania weekend also included WWF Fan Axxess at the Canadian National Exhibition’s Automotive Building.
The main event was between Chris Jericho and Triple H for the WWF Undisputed Championship, which Triple H won after a Pedigree. The main matches on the undercard featured The Rock versus Hollywood Hulk Hogan in a match dubbed “Icon vs. Icon”, Steve Austin versus Scott Hall, and Ric Flair versus The Undertaker in a No Disqualification match.
A major feud for WrestleMania X8 was the rivalry between The Undertaker and the WWF co-owner, Ric Flair. The feud started over The Undertaker’s ambush on The Rock during the build up to No Way Out, with Undertaker giving The Rock a Chokeslam and a Tombstone Piledriver onto a car. Shortly afterwards, Ric Flair openly detested The Undertaker’s actions. At the No Way Out event, Flair interfered with Undertaker’s match against The Rock, finally hitting Undertaker with a lead pipe to aid The Rock in victory. Far from pleased over this result, The Undertaker challenged Flair to a match at WrestleMania. Flair refused, stating that he is an owner and no longer a wrestler. However, Undertaker tried to convince Flair by attacking select members of Flair’s friends and family. Following a match on the February 25 edition of Raw, Flair’s friend Arn Anderson was ambushed by The Undertaker during his road agent duties. The Undertaker followed this the following week by attacking Flair’s son David, threatening that the rest of Flair’s children would follow. Upon this attack, Flair accepted the match on the March 7 edition of SmackDown!. Later that night, the two ended up brawling into the audience, resulting in Flair punching out a fan by accident. As a result, Flair was arrested to Undertaker’s delight. On the March 11 episode of Raw, Flair’s rival co-owner Vince McMahon asked for an emergency board meeting with the WWF board of directors citing that Flair’s attack of a fan was unacceptable and that either he or Flair should have absolute authority and power over the company. With Flair still keen on taking on Undertaker at WrestleMania, CEO Linda McMahon had no choice but to give Vince total control over the company. Despite this, Linda also stated that the ownership situation will also be reviewed after WrestleMania with a final decision. To add further insult, Vince McMahon booked David Flair in a match against The Undertaker on the March 14 episode of SmackDown!. The Undertaker almost gave David a Last Ride, but was stopped by Ric Flair who saved his son with some steel chair shots.
The Undertaker defeats the Legendary Ric Flair to go 10-0 at WrestleMania-X8
At WrestleMania-X8 Ric Flair took on The Undertaker in a No Disqualification match. The match started with a brawl outside the ring with Flair’s back getting smashed into the ring post. Undertaker tried his Old School maneuver on Flair, but Flair retaliated by pulling him off the top turnbuckles. Later on in Arn Anderson dashed out into the ring and hit a Spinebuster on The Undertaker. Despite this, the move only gave Flair a two-count and soon after, Undertaker locked Anderson in a Dragon sleeper. Flair broke them up with a few chair shots on Undertaker’s back. The Undertaker retaliated with a big boot and failing a Last Ride attempt, Undertaker hit the Tombstone Piledriver on Flair and pinned him to increase his WrestleMania winning streak to 10–0.
The secondary feud built up in the lead to the event pitted The Rock and Steve Austin against the New World Order (Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall). The Rock’s involvement with the nWo started after his win over The Undertaker at No Way Out, when a photo request from Hogan for his son turned into a trade of insults. On the following episode of Raw, The Rock interrupted Hogan’s address to the crowd and challenged Hogan to a match at WrestleMania. When Hogan accepted and shook hands with his future opponent, The Rock kept the hold on and hit the Rock Bottom on Hogan. Before The Rock could leave the arena, Hall and Nash ambushed Rock and spray painted the nWo initials on The Rock’s back. With medics attending to The Rock and loading him into an ambulance van, the nWo furthered the attack by chaining up all possible exits and driving a truck through the van with The Rock trapped inside.
Stone Cold Steve Austin nicks evin Nash out of the ring, during his match with Scott Hall.
Steve Austin’s involvement also commenced at No Way Out, when after having their gift of beer refused, the nWo interfered with Austin’s Undisputed Championship match against Chris Jericho, helping Jericho to retain the title before spray painting the nWo initials on Austin’s back. Austin finally got his revenge on the February 21 edition of SmackDown! when he chased the nWo out of the ring with a tire iron. Austin manages to catch Hall and attack him with the tire iron but Hogan and Nash saved Hall from being run over by Austin’s pickup truck. After the nWo found their limousine spray painted “What?” by Austin, Stone Cold kidnapped Hall and closed the show by embarrassing him in the middle of the ring with “3:16” spray painted on his back. On the following episode of Raw, Hall challenged Austin to a match at WrestleMania which Austin accepted afterwards. The feud between Austin and the nWo continued back and forth for the next couple of weeks with Austin attacked by Hall twice with a cinder block and a wrench, while Austin fired a netgun at Nash before beating down Hall. On the March 7 episode of SmackDown!, The Rock made his return and immediately challenged Hogan for a fight. Nash and Hall held Hogan back, leaving Hall to challenge for a match instead. Rock’s match with Hall ended in a three-on-one attack by the nWo. The nWo’s attack was stopped by Stone Cold, however, who saved The Rock with the aid of a steel chair. On the March 11 edition of Raw, Rock and Austin took on the nWo in a Handicap match, resulting in Hogan pinning The Rock after a leg drop.
Icon vs Icon at WrestleMania X8
In the match between Steve Austin and Scott Hall, Kevin Nash came out in in Hall’s corner, Austin was left having to fend off both wrestlers. The nWo’s teamwork enabled Hall to give Austin an Irish whip into a turnbuckle Nash exposed. Austin hit a Stone Cold Stunner on Hall but as the referee counted, Nash pulled the referee out of the ring to break up the count and beat Austin down. Austin returned with a Stunner to both Nash and Hall but another pin attempt on Hall was prevented when Nash elbow dropped the second referee. Hall’s Razor’s Edge attempt was reversed by Austin into a back drop onto the outside of the ring. Eventually, Nash was forced to leave the stadium by a group of WWF officials. Hall then hit Austin with his own Stunner for a two-count, but Stone Cold retaliated with two quick Stunners of his own for the win.
Over 68,000 witnessed history as two of the most famous Superstars Squared off.
In The match between The Rock and Hollywood Hulk Hogan was dubbed “Icon vs. Icon”, was next. Despite the portrayals by Rock and Hogan as the face and heel for the match respectively, the Canadian crowd cheered Hulk Hogan over The Rock instead. During the match, The Rock locked on the Sharpshooter, causing Hogan to tap out. However, the referee was down and unable to acknowledge the submission. The Rock let go of the hold and tried to revive the referee, but Hogan gave him a low blow followed by his own version of The Rock’s finisher, the Rock Bottom for a two-count. The two tried their respective finishers, the Rock Bottom and the leg drop but each kicked out. After two more Rock Bottoms and a People’s Elbow, The Rock pinned Hogan and won the match. After the match, the two shook hands in respect. As The Rock left the ring, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall came and attacked Hogan, therefore ending Hogan’s involvement in the nWo. The Rock returned and saved Hogan from further attack. As a sign of respect, The Rock stopped Hulk from leaving the ring and asked him to pose for the crowd, turning Hogan back into a face again.
The Rock gets Hogan to Tap out, to the Sharpshooter, however the referee was knocked out at the time.
The main feud leading into WrestleMania X8 involved Triple H against the Undisputed Champion Chris Jericho and Stephanie McMahon. At the Royal Rumble, Chris Jericho defeated The Rock to retain the Undisputed Championship on the same event where Triple H earned his opportunity to compete for the Undisputed Championship at WrestleMania by winning the 2002 Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Kurt Angle. The following night on Raw, Triple H interrupted Jericho and warned to prove him that he’s worthy enough to be in the main event. Meanwhile, some hostility between Triple H and his wife Stephanie was starting to show, with the face Triple H tired of Stephanie’s heel characteristics. In order to recover their relationship, Stephanie suggested on Raw that the two should renew their wedding vows on the following week. At first Triple H refused, but Stephanie revealed that she was pregnant, making him change his mind. To further prove it, the two met a doctor on the next episode of SmackDown! with ultrasound images.
Hogan Shakes The Rocks Hand After The Match
On the February 11 episode of Raw just before the wedding, Triple H was met with a phone call by his mother-in-law Linda McMahon, who had sent him a video tape revealing that the doctor was in fact an actor and that Stephanie was not pregnant. At the wedding, Triple H turned on Stephanie and attacked her along with her father Vince McMahon, announcing that their marriage was now over. During these weeks, Kurt Angle was given a match with Triple H’s WrestleMania title shot on the line at No Way Out. In revenge for the ruined wedding, Vince granted Stephanie the chance to be the special guest referee for the match. At No Way Out with clear bias from Stephanie, Kurt Angle defeated Triple H for the title shot. The following night on Raw, WWF co-owner Ric Flair granted Triple H a rematch with Stephanie barred from the ring, enabling him to regain his title shot at Chris Jericho. On the February 21 episode of SmackDown!, Jericho met with Stephanie and put their differences in the past, ending with Stephanie accepting Jericho’s proposal to be his new business partner. To further the feud,
Triple H vs Chris Jericho for the Undisputed WWF Championship.
Jericho later speculated that he ended the marriage by causing Triple H’s quadriceps muscle to (legitimately) tear during their WWF Tag Team titles match on the May 21, 2001 edition of Raw Is War, thus diverting Triple H’s attention to his wife. In the divorce settlement for the two, it was announced that the assets would be split between them “fifty-fifty” to Stephanie’s disgust. Among the assets were Triple H’s first wrestling robe, Stephanie’s Corvette (which Triple H later gave to her with half of it cut off) and Triple H’s bulldog Lucy. Stephanie managed to win Lucy in the settlement and later on the March 11 episode of Raw sent Jericho to walk the dog. Displeased about this, Jericho tied Lucy to a limousine and ordered the unknowing driver to buy some air fresheners, running Lucy over into a critical condition by accident. Wanting retribution, Triple H stormed into the arena and tried to attack Stephanie but was met with two sledgehammer shots to his recovered leg by Jericho. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Stephanie noted that the sledgehammer shots had left Triple H’s quad in a condition that one false move in his WrestleMania match could reinjure his quadriceps once again. At the end of the show, Triple H and Jericho had a brawl in the ring that almost ended with a Pedigree on Stephanie. However, Jericho saved her and locked the Walls of Jericho on Triple H, leaving the show with the advantage.
Triple H Becomes the Undisputed WWF Champion at WrestleMania-X8
The main event of the night was the Undisputed Championship match between Chris Jericho and Triple H. For his entrance, Triple H had Drowning Pool perform their version of his theme song, “The Game”, live. With Triple H’s leg bandaged, both Jericho and Stephanie McMahon gave numerous shots at the leg during the match. Triple H outsmarted the two by dodging Jericho’s attack, causing him to collide with Stephanie who was standing on the apron. Outside the ring, Triple H went for the Pedigree on Jericho through the announcers’ table. However, Jericho reversed it into a back drop, sending Triple H through the Spanish announcers’ table. Stephanie tried to hit Triple H with a steel chair but had it removed by referee Earl Hebner. Stephanie pushed Hebner aside but then, she was met by a Pedigree from Triple H. Jericho tried his own Pedigree on Triple H but ended up having it reversed into a catapult. Triple H then hit the Pedigree on Jericho and pinned him to become the new Undisputed Champion.
WrestleMania X-8 Results
Sunday Night Heat Rikishi, Scotty 2 Hotty, and Albert defeated Mr. Perfect, Lance Storm and, Test Six-Man Tag Team match with Jacqueline as the Special Guest Referee
• Rob Van Dam defeated William Regal (c) Singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship
• Diamond Dallas Page (c) defeated Christian Singles match for the WWF European Championship
• Maven (c) fought Goldust to a no contest Hardcore match for the WWF Hardcore Championship
• Kurt Angle defeated Kane
• The Undertaker defeated Ric Flair No Holds Barred match
• Edge defeated Booker T
• Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Scott Hall (with Kevin Nash)
• Billy and Chuck (c) defeated The APA (Faarooq and Bradshaw), The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) (with Stacy Keibler) and The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff Hardy) Four Corners Elimination match for the WWF Tag Team Championship
• The Rock defeated Hollywood Hulk Hogan
• Jazz (c) defeated Trish Stratus and Lita Triple Threat match for the WWF Women’s Championship
• Triple H defeated Chris Jericho (c) (with Stephanie McMahon) Singles match for the Undisputed WWF Championship
– Last week’s 3/29 episode of WWE SmackDown drew a 2.0 cable rating with 2.85 million viewers. Despite an appearance from WWE Champion The Rock, this was down from last week (2.11 rating, 3 million viewers). SmackDown was the #3 most-watched cable show for the night.
– The Rock tweeted the following on Monday, stating that tonight’s RAW will be the most meaningful RAW of his career:
Eagle has landed – DC. Tonight will be the most meaningful @WWE RAW of my career. Honored its in our nation's capitol.. #BringIt
– WWE has released a video of Triple H training for his upcoming No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania 29. During the video, Hunter explains that he changed his workout program a few years ago to focus more on conditioning instead of having a bodybuilder physique.
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. : WrestleMania® Takes over New York and New Jersey
Fans from all 50 states and more than 30 countries will converge on the New York/New Jersey region for a week-long lineup of festivities in celebration of WrestleMania 29, taking place this Sunday, April 7 live on pay-per-view at 7 PM ET from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
WWE® will take over New York and New Jersey beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, April 2 with the following events:.
Empire State Building Lighting Photo Op – Tuesday, April 2, New York, NY
WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Alberto del Rio, and his personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez, will pose for photos on the Empire State Building’s world-famous 86th floor Observatory. On Sunday, April 7, the exterior lights of the Empire State Building, above the 72nd floor, will be lit in the WrestleMania logo colors of blue and yellow, starting at sunset through 2 AM ET the next day in honor of WrestleMania 29 which airs live on pay-per-view at 7 PM ET from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
Military Meet & Greet – Wednesday, April 3, Lexington Avenue Armory
WWE will hold a meet and greet reception for NY National Guard First Responders to 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy. WWE Superstars and Divas will participate in the event, sign autographs and take photos.
Children’s Hospital Visits – Wednesday, April 3
WWE Superstars, along with Elvis Duran, from Z-100’s Elvis Duran show, will visit St. Mary’s Hospital in Bayside. Also on Wednesday April 3, WWE Superstars and Divas will visit with patients at New York Presbyterian, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in New York City. On the other side of the Hudson River, WWE will visit children at Hackensack University Medical Center’s Don Imus Building and Goryeb Children’s Hospital at Morristown Medical Center.
WrestleMania 29 Press Conference – Thursday, April 4, Radio City Music Hall
Days before Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson defends the WWE Championship against John Cena at WrestleMania 29, the two celebrated icons will come face-to-face at Radio City Music Hall. The WrestleMania headliners will be joined by the biggest names in WWE to offer a preview of this year’s event. The press conference will also be streamed live on wwe.com, YouTube and Facebook.
Superstars for Sandy Relief – Thursday, April 4, Cipriani Wall Street
Entertainment powerhouse Sean “Diddy” Combs will co-host a Superstars for Sandy Relief (#STARS4SANDY) party with WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and special guest Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at Cipriani Wall Street. On March 25, WWE kicked off the largest ever global online auction to benefit Hurricane Sandy Relief efforts in New York and New Jersey at www.Charitybuzz.com/WWE. The auction features unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences with WWE Superstars and other international sports and entertainment celebrities. During the Superstars for Sandy Relief party, a live auction will be led by sportscaster Joe Buck, where more incredible experiences will be made available for bidding. All proceeds will go to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.
Be a STAR Anti-Bullying Rallies – Thursday, April 4 and Friday April, 5
Be a STAR (Show Tolerance and Respect) was co-founded by The Creative Coalition and WWE in April 2011. WWE and The Creative Coalition will host anti-bullying rallies at New York and New Jersey schools. WWE will visit I.S. 51 Edwin Markham in Staten Island and Elliott School in Newark, NJ to deliver anti-bullying messages to more than 500 students. Also for the first time ever, WWE will host a Be a STAR rally at WrestleMania Axxess on Friday, April 5 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ. Students from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Manhattan and New Jersey will participate in the rally and attend WrestleMania Axxess.
WrestleMania Axxess – Thursday, April 4 – Sunday, April 7, IZOD Center
Get ready for a brand-new WWE fan experience when WrestleMania Axxess (#AXXESS) takes over IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., from Thursday, April 4, to Sunday, April 7. This will be the first time in its history Axxess will be held inside an arena, giving fans the opportunity to see the full RAW stage on display during the event. This year, the WWE Universe will get unprecedented access to meet their favorite WWE Superstars, Divas and Legends, with more matches than ever before and interactive activities all throughout the arena.
NYSE Closing Bell – Friday, April 5 – New York, NY
WWE Superstar John Cena will ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange in recognition of WrestleMania 29 which airs live on pay-per-view from MetLife Stadium on Sunday, April 7 at 7PM ET. John Cena will be accompanied by executives from Susan G. Komen for the Cure and breast cancer survivors. Under Cena’s leadership, WWE worked to help raise $1 million dollars for breast cancer research and create awareness about the importance of early detection during breast cancer awareness month this past October.
WrestleMania Reading Challenge – Friday April, 5 and Saturday, April
On Friday, April 5, WWE, Pearson Foundation and We Give Books will host a reading celebration with students at Thomas G. Connors Elementary School in Hoboken, NJ. In addition to the reading celebration, the school will be the recipient of a book grant from the Pearson Foundation. As part of the WrestleMania Reading Challenge, a new digital reading platform was created this year in partnership with We Give Books. More than 25,000 students participated, reading over 110,000 books.
The eighth annual WrestleMania Reading Challenge Finals will take place on Saturday, April 6 in the Aronow Theater at City College in New York City. More than 1,000 libraries from across the United States and Canada participated in this year’s WrestleMania Reading Challenge through the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. Eighteen finalists will compete to win ringside seats to WrestleMania at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, April 7 at 7 PM ET.
Make-A-Wish Pizza Party – Saturday, April 6, Liberty Science Center
WWE Superstars John Cena, Santino Marella and R-Truth will host this year’s annual Make-A-Wish pizza party for more than 40 wish kids and their families from the United States, Belgium and Australia. As part of its 30-year partnership with Make-A-Wish, WWE is also hosting the wish children and their families at WrestleMania 29. This year’s pizza party will also help launch Make-A-Wish’s World Wish Day campaign to raise airline tickets, a critical wish resource, through cash and airline mile contributions during the month of April.
WWE 2013 Hall of Fame Ceremony, Saturday, April 6, Madison Square Garden
A capacity crowd will fill Madison Square Garden for the 2013 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (#WWEHOF). WWE Superstars and global celebrities will pay tribute to icons of the past including Bruno Sammartino, who will be inducted by Arnold Schwarzenegger; Bob Backlund, who will be inducted by Maria Menounos, Donald Trump, Mick Foley, Trish Stratus and Booker
Empire State Building Lighting, Sunday, April 7, New York, NY
In celebration of WrestleMania 29, the exterior lights of the Empire State Building, above the 72nd floor, will be lit in the WrestleMania logo colors of blue and yellow, starting at sunset through 2:00 AM ET the next day.
WrestleMania 29, Sunday, April 7, MetLife Stadium
More than 75,000 fans are expected to converge on MetLife Stadium for WrestleMania 29 (#WRESTLEMANIA). This year’s pop-culture extravaganza, which can be seen live on pay-per-view at 7 PM ET in more than 100 countries and 20 languages, will feature the highly anticipated re-match between The Rock and John Cena for the WWE Championship. The pay-per-view is available through cable, satellite or telco providers and on Xbox consoles and Samsung Smart TVs, inside “Xbox Live” and the Samsung “Smart Hub” respectively.
WWE Monday Night Raw, Monday April 8, IZOD Center
The night after WrestleMania, WWE Monday Night Raw (#RAW) comes to IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ. See all of your favorite WWE Superstars and Divas as the road to WrestleMania 30 begins. WrestleMania 30 will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday, April 6, 2014.
CM Punk recently spoke to IGN.com to hype Sunday’s WrestleMania 29 pay-per-view and his match against The Undertaker. Here are some highlights from the interview, including the significance of the Undertaker’s streak, what to expect from their match and who his dream WrestleMania opponent is.
Breaking The Undertaker’s Streak:
“I mean, does anybody really think they have to break the streak? It’s one of those things. The streak is this monumental thing and I think everybody has these feelings of not wanting to see it broken, so therefore it should never be broken. But once that bell rings I don’t have a boss and nobody can tell me what to do. The guy who beats the streak is gonna go down as a legend. If I broke the streak, I’d be a legend. So it’s up to me to do everything I can to break it.”What To Expect From The Match:
“I don’t know what anybody else expects from this match given [Undertaker’s] year away from the ring and possibly his physical condition. Or the fact that I don’t have a Hell in a Cell or all these different kinds of stipulations, like No Disqualification, to work with. But I like it when they handcuff me. I always seem to find a way to make it the best that it can be, given the circumstances,” he continued. “I don’t think I can look at it like ‘Oh, this has to be better than other matches Undertaker’s done.’ To me this match is going to be what it has to be. It’s part of a story, you know. So I don’t look at those other matches. It’s really a different beast. I’m making him angry. It’s not just ‘I’m going to break your streak.’ I’m trying to piss the guy off and I want him to try and kill me. So it’s a completely different animal than the last couple matches he’s had at ‘Mania.”
His Dream WrestleMania Opponent:“To be honest. I mean, I probably would have said, hell, at this point, John Cena. You know what I mean? Or, of course, Stone Cold Steve Austin. He’s always been my answer to that question over the last two years.”
Paul Heyman recently spoke with Phil Strum of the Poughkeepsie Journal to hype Sunday’s WWE WrestleMania 29 pay-per-view. Here are some highlights of what Heyman said about:
How He Feels About His Current WWE Run:
“It’s been a total career highlight. I never thought I was going to come back and to come back and get to be a part of two of the three main events of WrestleMania, in my hometown, with my two best friends? It’s circumstances I never thought and I couldn’t have imagined.”
Bringing A New Dimension To CM Punk & Brock Lesnar:
“It’s really easy with Brock Lesnar. All I have to do is sing the praises of the most gifted athlete that’s ever walked into a WWE ring. He’s a former NCAA heavyweight champion, a former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion and a former undisputed WWE heavyweight champion. He’s legitimate and these are his credentials, so how hard is that? He’s a beast. He’s the most physical. And CM Punk, he’s the best. Heh, I’ve got the beast and I’ve got the best. CM Punk is the most passionate, most driven superstar of this generation. Every time I am in the ring with him, listening to him or stepping back and watching him, I am a huge admirer of his extraordinary talent. It doesn’t take much to be his advocate and his confidant. What you see on TV is the true dynamic between us. Especially, when I’m off in the corner, plotting, conspiring.
The Most Appealing Thing About Today’s WWE Product:
“I’d say the global scale of it all. And the push to new screens that are still developing. People will say, ‘oh man, how exciting would have been to be around in the 1950s when television was expanding’ or ‘oh man, it would have been great to be watching in the 1980s when pay-per-view and cable television truly exploded.
Now, we have new platforms. We have new media, social media, the internet and all of these platforms are new screens to play on. We’re in the midst of a revolution and a lot of it could even be different a year from now. No viewing habit will ever be the same. WWE, to their massive credit, has an initiative to beat everybody else onto those screens and be a leader and a flagship in terms of content.
I own a viral marketing agency called Looking 4 Larry and that’s the type of stuff we keep a close eye on. It’s fun to see how WWE is so far ahead of the NBA, the NFL, Major League Baseball and the NHL and to see how those big sports are playing second fiddle because WWE is so far ahead of them as they push to be on new screens.
– Scott Hall’s Indiegogo campaign has surpassed $101,000 – well over his initial goal of $80,000. Hall is scheduled to undergo hip replacement surgery on April 9th and has pledged that the surplus funds will be donated to charity.
Video: Scott Hall Updates Fans On His Condition (3/28)
– WWE has been nominated for several “Shorty Awards” – which recognize excellence in Social Media. WWE is up for awards in the following categories:
Tonight’s WWE RAW takes place from Washington, D.C. WWE will also film segments for Friday’s SmackDown tonight.
It’s the final RAW on the Road to WrestleMania and all of WWE’s top superstars are advertised for the show, including WWE Champion The Rock, Brock Lesnar,The Undertaker, Triple H, John Cena, CM Punk, Chris Jericho and more.
WWE is advertising a “State of the Union Address” by Zeb Colter to promote Jack Swagger’s World Heavyweight title match against Alberto Del Rio this Sunday.
The dark match main event advertised for the crowd is John Cena, Ryback & Sheamus vs. The Shield in a six-man tag match.
– Today’s wrestling birthdays include TNA star Jesse Sorensen (24) and Randy Orton (33).
– Sin Cara noted on Twitter that he’ll be at tonight’s WWE RAW from Washington, DC. There’s no word on whether he’ll be competing tonight. Sin Cara has been out of action for several weeks after recently suffering a concussion during a match against Jack Swagger.
– Paul Heyman tweeted the following in advance of tonight’s WWE RAW:
This Friday night, TNA will be premiering its first “One Night Only” pay-per-view, titled “X-Travaganza,” which will feature past and present stars of the X Division. The show was taped back in January.
Xscape Match:
-Christian York vs Matt Bentley vs Alex Silva vs Sam Shaw vs Lince Dorado vs Puma vs Jimmy Rave
-Tony Nese and Rasad Cameron vs Douglas Williams and Kid Kash
-Robbie E. vs Chavo Guerrero
Ultimate X Match:
-Mason Andrews vs Rubix vs Zema Ion vs Kenny King
-Christopher Daniels and Kazarian vs Sonjay Dutt and Petey Williams
SEScoops.com is teaming up with the Because Wrestling weekly podcast to provide our readers with more great audio content.
This week on Because Wrestling, we return from our week off to announce our huge partnership with SEScoops.com, and we dig into the latest news including the death of Reid Flair, the retirement of Charlie Haas, Chris Masters vs. Nature, X-Pac’s medical trouble, Evan Bourne’s return, the Hall of Fame, Matt Hardy, El Generico, Chyna, we answer reader questions and give our predictions for this Sunday’s WrestleMania 29!
– Comedian Gabriel Iglesias (@fluffyguy) has been named as the Social Media Ambassador for WWE WrestleMania 29.
– NorthJersey.com has a up looking at the financial impact WrestleMania 29 will have on the region, with WWE expected to bring $100 million to the local economy over the next week.
– The latest weather forecast for WrestleMania 29 Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey is Partly Sunny with a high of 53 degrees and cloudy in the evening with a low of 40.
– WWEShop.com has released new “Know Your Worth” t-shirts for the Prime Time Players.
– Forbes.com has an interview up with Kane, who talks about his Team Hell No tag team, WrestleMania 29 and the 2K Sports Video Game Challenge at WWE Axxess.
– G.I. Joe Retaliation took in over $130 million during it’s opening weekend, with around $50 million coming domestically and $80 million coming internationally. The decision to delay the movie’s release by 9 months to convert it to 3D (to charge higher ticket prices) has paid off quite nicely.
Paramount pictures has officially started work on a third G.I. Joe film, so The Rock has another blockbuster movie to add to his schedule.
Trish Stratus recently spoke to the Toronto Sun about her legendary career and her upcoming Hall of Fame induction. Growing up, Trish said she was always a huge wrestling fan, but planned to become a doctor, because there were not many women in prominent roles back in the 80’s & 90’s:
“There wasn’t really a role for the women to look at and go, ‘I want to do that when I grow up’. There was a time when Wendi Richter and Cindy Lauper were doing their thing,” she said, “And I remember thinking, ‘Gosh, that’s so cool,’ but I guess it was such a once-in-a-while thing that you didn’t really look at it as a feasible career option.”
“I’d even say that when I started wrestling, there was no real defined role for the women,” she said. “We knew there were some women in wrestling, but there was no real, ‘This is what women can do in wrestling.’ So I decided to set out and change that once I got in there.”
Stratus would of course go on to have a legendary career that will culminate in her WWE Hall of Fame induction this Saturday night in New York City. Trish has teased that close friend Lita will be inducting her – but says there’s a chance somebody else will:
“I have someone and you’ll just have to wait… That’s obviously been swirling around [Lita inducting her]. It was a difficult choice. There’s a number of people that have really, really impacted my career. In my speech, you’ll know the choice I made is very clear. But you’ll know soon enough.”
