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Trish Stratus Talks About Joining The WWE HOF & The Pinnacle Of Women’s Wrestling

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2013 WWE Hall of Fame inductee Trish Stratus was the featured guest on this week’s edition of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem.

Trish Stratus Discusses Her Forthcoming WWE Hall Of Fame Induction, How She Found Out About Her Induction, Her Reaction To The News About Being Part Of The WWE’s “Class Of 2013,” Her Thoughts On Her Fellow WWE HOF Inductees, Why She Agrees With Others In Saying The “Class Of 2013” Is The Best Of All-Time, What Prompted Her Decision To Retire At The Age Of 30, Why She Credits Fit Finlay For Her Career Going In The Direction It Went,What Being A WWE Diva/Women’s Champion/Role Model To Young Girls Meant To Her Personally And Professionally,Her Favorite Match Of Her Career And Why She Classifies It As “The Pinnacle” Of Her Era In Women’s Wrestling,The Growth Of Her Stratusphere Yoga Studio And Her Stratusphere Yoga Brand, Plus Much More In Her Monday Night Mayhem Debut

  • Listen Here: Trish Stratus/Monday Night Mayhem Interview (.MP3)

Interview highlights courtesy of Kahlil “Paterson” Thomas, MNM’s correspondent & contributor:

Where she was when she found out that news that she was going to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and her reaction to hearing the news about being part of the WWE’s “Class of 2013”: “It was the end of 2012. I was home. I got a call and was told the news. It was a little bit of a shock, because I feel like I just wrestled yesterday. I’m just super honored. It’s exciting, because when I heard about the class and everyone else being inducted, I was just so thrilled and honored to be in the same class. I never thought I would get in, and just to know that I’m accepted, I’m going to be a fan just getting my pictures with everyone.”

Her favorite match of her career and why she classifies it as “the pinnacle” of her era in women’s wrestling: “My favorite will probably have to me my WrestleMania match with Mickie (James) at WrestleMania 22 in Chicago. The fact that it was my last WrestleMania match. I think why our era was so different and memorable than maybe today is the storylines and character development. What that match did was it embodied all the elements that era embodied: strong story and deep character development, but also solid work. I think that whole combination is what was brought out in that match, and you could see the crowd invested in a story that was six months long. I look at that match as the pinnacle of that era.”

The growth of her Stratusphere Yoga Studio and her Stratusphere Yoga brand: “When I retired in 2006, one of my first business venture was to open up a yoga studio. I opened up place north of Toronto called Stratusphere. That’s where I started the foundation for the brand, and spreading the word about yoga, and living a balanced lifestyle. The transition to develop my own style happened when I was about to film my movie ‘Bounty Hunters.’ I realized I was playing this kick-ass bounty hunter, and I was a ‘yoga chick.’ So I ended up creating this routine, which was integrating strength training moments into my yoga flow, and my body totally changed.  So I started showing people the style I was doing, and it really caught on. That’s how I developed Stratusphere Yoga, and then I started producing the DVD’s.”

Much more is contained in Trish’s first-ever interview with Monday Night Mayhem, including her candid thoughts on her fellow WWE Hall of Fame inductees, why she agrees with many others in saying the “Class of 2013” is the best of all-time, what prompted her decision to retire at the age of 30, why she credits Fit Finlay for her career going in the direction it went, what being a WWE Diva/Women’s Champion/role model to young girls meant to her personally and professionally, her influence on women’s wrestling, what matches she is looking forward to at WrestleMania XXIX, plus so much more, including exclusive comments from former WWE Women’s Champion “The Glamazon” Beth Phoenix and Trish’s original trainer Ron Hutchison on what it was like working with Trish and their reactions to her being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Mayhem Nation: Get the latest updates on Trish leading into her WWE HOF induction by logging on to TrishStratus.com and by following Trish on Twitter (Twitter.com/TrishStratusCom). Achieve wellness through balanced living at Stratusphere, Canada’s largest yoga studio. If you live north of the border, sign up for your spring classes at StratusphereYoga.com. If you reside in the U.S. or overseas and looking to try out Stratusphere Yoga, check out the all-new “Stratusphere Yoga for Men” DVD (featuring Trish and former five-time MLB All-Star and two-time World Series Champion Joe Carter), now available!

Update On CM Punk Taking Time Off, Lesnar & Rock Working Extreme Rules

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– CM Punk is still expected to be taking time off after WrestleMania 29, with many people in WWE expecting that he’s more banged up than he’s letting on. Punk has reportedly been at odds with WWE’s creative team in recent months, but he’s also burnt out from being one of WWE’s top work horses over the past two years.

With CM Punk out of action after WrestleMania, WWE has secured both WWE Champion The Rock as well as Brok Lesnar for May’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view. Even though the event is not considered one of WWE’s “A” pay-per-views, the star power of The Rock and Brock Lesnar as well as the 6-week buildup after WrestleMania are strong signs that the show will do a buyrate.

– The producers of the new Bruno Sammartino movie are interested in working with WWE Studios to fund and produce the project.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Ken Shamrock Says He’s Seeking A Return To WWE, Compares McMahon & White

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During an interview with Ring Rust Radio, Ken Shamrock revealed that he is seeking a return to WWE. Highlights from the interview are as follows:

On a return to WWE and how winning the World Title would cement his legacy: “Oh, definitely. I’ve tried to reach out, but I’ve been hitting some walls. I’m not sure if my messages are getting through or not. In my career, if you follow my career and watched everything that I’ve ever done from the time I was in high school to where I’m at now, I’ve always been able to reach the pinnacle. In football, I was able to win championships and go to bowl games in college, be an All-American linebacker and there were a lot of things I was able to accomplish. In my professional career, every time I jumped into an organization, I always reached the top and the title. I know with NWA with Jeff Jarrett, TNA, I was their first heavyweight champion, so I was able to reach that pinnacle. With Pancrase, I was their first champion and was also able to bring it to the U.S. using my character. I also reached the level in the UFC as a heavyweight champion, one of the first of all time, also rookie of the year, fighter of the year. I got into pro wrestling, I’ve got tag team champion, Intercontinental champion, King of the Ring. There were several times where I wished I had got that opportunity, and probably should have had that opportunity, to at least challenge for the Heavyweight Championship belt. I never got that opportunity, and I’m not sure why, but it is what it is. I will keep fighting to try and get that opportunity and close this thing up to be probably one of the only persons in sports history to go into several different organizations and become world champion in every one of them.”

On Brock Lesnar and the transition from wrestling to MMA: “People go, ‘What about Brock Lesnar?’ Brock Lesnar was not a true MMA fighter. Brock Lesnar was basically eye candy for MMA. He came in there, he was big, he was strong, he won a few matches, he captured the title and then he was out. Not much of a career. He is a true pro wrestler and amateur wrestler, so I think it’s a lot easier making the transition from being an amateur wrestler and pro wrestler into MMA than it is being an MMA fighter into pro wrestling.”

On Vince McMahon vs. Dana White: “That would be awesome. The only thing is that this is what I know about Dana [White], and you can ask anyone, Dana always talks and talks and talks, but I’ve never seen him do anything. I saw Vince talk, talk and talk, and he has done something, he has gotten into the ring, he has participated with the fighters and the wrestlers. I have not seen Dana White do that. I’ve seen him call out Tito [Ortiz] like they were gonna fight, and it never happened. I’ve never seen Dana interact with his business the way that Vince has. Vince has stepped in the ring against guys he’s pissed off. Hey, you gotta give him credit for that. He stepped into the lion’s den, per say. He did step into the Lion’s Den one time!”

The audio interview is available here.

WWE Losing Money With THe Hall Of Fame, Sin Cara’s Recent Concussion & More

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– WWE is currently running an online ticket pre-sale for the upcoming live event from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The code is WWEEDMONTON. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Saturday.

– As of this past week, Sin Cara has still not been cleared to wrestle after suffering a concussion back on March 11th in a match against Jack Swagger.

– WWE will be losing a lot of money by holding the 2013 Hall of Fame ceremony at Madison Square Garden. Despite that, Triple H pushed hard for the event to take place at the “World’s Most Famous Arena” – even before Bruno Sammartino agreed to be inducted. Both Mick Foley and Bob Backlund have strong ties to the building and WWE felt it was important to bring some of the WrestleMania action to MSG with the event taking place in the NY/NJ area .

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Chris Jericho’s Black Eye, Tyson Kidd’s Physical Rehab Ahead Of Schedule & More

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– The black eye that Chris Jericho had on Monday’s RAW did not occur that night, but actually at the March 19th SmackDown taping during his match against Jack Swagger.

– Here are some recent WWE attendance figures, courtesy of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

  • 3/22: RAW in Charlottesville, Virginia drew 4,800 fans for $160,000
  • 3/23: RAW in Fairfax, VA drew 5,000 fans for $200,000
    3/23: SmackDown in Norfolk, VA drew a sellout of 8,300 fans for $282,000
  • 3/24: RAW in Salisbury, Maryland drew a sellout of 5,300 fans for $195,000
    3/24: SmackDown in Baltimore, MD drew 7,000 fans for $300,000

– Tyson Kidd posted the following video on Tout this week showing the physical training he’s undergoing as he prepares for his WWE return. Kidd says his recovery is going great and he is currently ahead of schedule with his rehabilitation:

Kofi Kingston Addresses Heel Turn Rumors & Talks About Starting In WWE As A Jamaican

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WWE Superstar Kofi Kingston was interviewed by Brian Soscia of Philadelphia’s Mix 106.1 radio station this week and addressed the rumors that he will be turning heel soon:

“Here’s the thing. I get asked that question all the time,” he said. “It’s really funny because there’s a rumor on the Internet right now. ‘Oh, Kofi’s turning heel.’ And, I’m like, ‘I am?’ I’m always the last one to find these things out. But, I’m very confident as a performer and if that’s the case, I’m sure I’ll knock it out of the park. I don’t even know what’s going to happen tonight, so for me to even think about what’s going to happen way down the line, who knows,” Kingston added. “I guess we’ll wait and see what happens. I have no idea.”

As for WrestleMania 29, Kofi says it’s “crunch time for WWE:

“This is crunch time right now. As of now, I’m doing anything at WrestleMania, so it’s a matter of working your way onto the card. Every match now, every moment that you have on TV is working towards that.”

Kingston also addressed the Jamaican gimmick he had when he entered WWE:

“It’s a miracle that I’m still here based on those vignettes because it makes me cringe every time I go back and look at them.”

WWE Announces Partnership With Sean “Diddy” Combs

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WWE issued the following press release today:

WWE® AND SEAN “DIDDY” COMBS JOIN FORCES

STAMFORD, Conn., March 28, 2013 – WWE today announced a partnership with Sean “Diddy” Combs, featuring a live performance at WrestleMania 29® on Sunday, April 7 by the three-time Grammy Award winner and entertainment powerhouse. Combs will also co-host the Superstars for Sandy Relief party with WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon as a part of the WrestleMania® Week festivities and serve as an ambassador for WWE’s Be a STAR anti-bullying initiative.

Emanating live from MetLife Stadium, Combs will perform a medley of songs in front of more than 70,000 fans in attendance with millions watching worldwide on pay-per-view. Diddy-Dirty Money’s highest charting single, “Coming Home,” from the acclaimed album Last Train to Paris is an official theme song of WrestleMania 29 and will be integrated throughout the show.

The Superstars for Sandy Relief party, co-hosted by Combs and McMahon with special guest Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg kicks-off WrestleMania® Week on Thursday, April 4 at Cipriani Wall Street. The charitable fundraiser is part of WWE’s efforts to unite the sports and entertainment worlds and provide fans the opportunity to bid on unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. As a part of the online auction, Combs is offering the opportunity to be an intern for a day at his world-renowned entertainment company Bad Boy Records and learn what it takes to manage today’s top artists. All proceeds will benefit The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.

Combs will also serve as an ambassador for Be a STAR, an anti-bullying initiative co-founded by WWE and the Creative Coalition to encourage young people to treat each other with tolerance and respect. In addition, through Combs’ association with the Invisible Bully clothing line, he will continue to encourage individuals to put an end to bullying and contribute to Invisible Bully’s mission to stand for something or fall for anything.

“WrestleMania is one of the biggest spectacles in the world and I’m looking forward to performing in front of millions on April 7,” said Combs. “I’ve always been a fan of WWE and I’m excited to support these two important causes, Superstars for Sandy Relief and the Be a STAR anti-bullying initiative.”

WrestleMania 29 airs live on pay-per-view Sunday, April 7 at 7:00 p.m. ET from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

VIDEO – Stephanie McMahon’s Boxing Training (Watch Out Heyman!)

Paul Heyman Talks About Managing “The Best And The Beast”, Steaphanie McMahon & More

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Paul Heyman recently spoke with Trentonian.com to promote WrestleMania 29. Heyman said this year’s show has a special significance to him, since it’s taking place from the greater New York City area. “It means everything,” he said. “Who doesn’t want to perform in front of their hometown?”

The article refers to Heyman as a “brash genius” and “evil mastermind” – to phrases that seem like they were created to describe the man aligned with CM Punk and Brock Lesnar.  “I work with my best friends,” he said. “I like to call them the best and the beast.”

Regarding CM Punk’s match against The Undertaker and what kind of pressure Punk must be feeling headed into the match, Heyman said, “The pressure is not on CM Punk to defeat the streak. It’s on Undertaker to keep the streak.”

As for Brock Lesnar, Heyman describes him as a “once in a lifetime athlete.” With Triple H’s career on the line, he says that Brock Lesnar has a distinct advantage in this contest. “Not only is the New York area my turf, but this type of match is OUR turf.”

Both CM Punk and Brock Lesnar have made their WrestleMania feuds downright personal – with Lesnar [physically] attacking Triple H’s friends and family and CM Punk dishonoring the memory of Paul Bearer since his passing. Heyman says that his clients getting personal is lets the fans know exactly how serious these issues are. “There’s nothing people can relate to more than personal issues,” Heyman said. “Who can’t relate to standing up and fighting for your family?”

Heyman is excited to be ringside for both matches – but he’s hoping that he won’t have to see Stephanie McMahon at the show.  “I wish Stephanie would stay at home and watch the Pay-Per-View on TV,” Heyman said. Stephanie’s hand is no stranger to Heyman’s face – and he admitted, “When she hits me, it hurts.”

The article also talks about WWE helping with Hurricane Sandy relief and the terrible impact the storm had on the New York / New Jersey area last year.

Ryback Talks About How Tough It Is Being A Superstar & WrestleMania 29

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WWE superstar Ryback recently spoke with PressofAtlanticCity.com to promote the upcoming WWE Supershow event from AC on March 30th and of course, WrestleMania 29. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

How Tough It Is Being A WWE Superstar:

“I grew up playing baseball and football, and I was very successful at both of those. I’ve seen guys come in and try to do this and mentally and physically fall apart instantly. It is by far the hardest thing I’ve done in my life –– the things we put our bodies through in a day-in and day-out basis and the injuries we suffer.”

“Anybody who questions the legitimacy of WWE, that’s all you need to know. I literally broke my ankle in three places, and I kept running as my foot dangled and finished the match, whereas one of the premier NFL player fractures his ankle in one place, and goes down and he’s done. The injuries are real, and the emotions we bring out are real –– it’s the best form of entertainment that money can buy.”

WrestleMania 29:

“WrestleMania is the biggest event of the year for us. It’s something you’ve got to see in person to see how magnificent it is. It’s the culmination of a year of hard work. You’ve got the biggest matches and angles going into one night. It’s a lot of fun –– a lot of excitement. You pack in anywhere from 50-, 60-, 70,000 people in an outside arena and it’s just something you’ve got to see.”

Sean Waltman Explains How Bad His Injury Was

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Sean Waltman posted the following on Twitter updating fans on his health condition. Last weekend, Waltman was wrestling at the Jerry Lynn retirement show in Minneapolis, MN and “tore his ass” open while performing his signature Bronco Buster move. Here’s what he wrote about the near-death experience:

“The video doesn’t do justice to the severity of the situation. the turnbuckle wasnt covered & my landing should have been 45 degrees. I ended up landing hard & horizontal.”

 

“The turnbuckle ripped me another new a hole. I knew it right away, U can see me tell ref “tore my ass!” I went to after party briefly, but had to leave as blood starting gushing.”

 

“Hotel looked like a murder scene. So much blood. Hotel security called ambulance & Dr Morken @ HCMC performed sphincterplasty to save me from having to have a colostomy bag. It hard not to laugh. So feel free to find it humorous.”

 

“I did almost bleed out, before ambulance got there. I did the x factor from the top rope & 1 through a table after it happened. My concern was Jerry getting the proper send off, Not my butthole.”

TNA Impact Wrestling Preview For Tonight

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The following is TNA’s official preview for tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling on Spike TV from Jonesboro, Arkansas:

– Thursday’s LIVE IMPACT will feature the return of the monthly OPEN FIGHT NIGHT! Who will get called out? Who has a grudge to settle? Who wants revenge? Tune in and find out!

– The new #1 Contender to the World Heavyweight Championship – “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy – is scheduled for Thursday’s IMPACT! He’s got a vendetta against Aces and Eights! Which member will Hardy call out to battle LIVE on OPEN FIGHT NIGHT?

– Also scheduled for Thursday’s IMPACT on SpikeTV: Will AJ Styles finally speak for the first time? After this past week, AJ continues to leave more questions than answers! Will he explain why he attacked James Storm? Is AJ involved in the Aces and Eights? Will he call out someone during Open Fight Night? Don’t miss Thursday night!

– Plus, will Sting show up again on Impact? After having harsh words for Sting the past few weeks, how will Hulk Hogan react? Hogan is in the middle of an all-out war between the TNA roster and the Aces and Eights – will the battle between both sides go to a new level during OPEN FIGHT NIGHT?

All this and much more on Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 8/7c!

CM Punk Interview: Not Looking To Top Taker’s Matches With HBK, Part Time Stars Getting Top Spots

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WWE superstar CM Punk was interviewed by Mark Madden this week on Pittsburgh’s 105.9 the X radio station to promote his upcoming match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29. Among the topics discussed were:

  • His strategy heading into WrestleMania & how to make the Undertaker seem vulnerable
  • Whether not needing the WWE title to be popular being a blessing or a curse
  • The “Ric Flair dynamic” of getting cheered as a Heel
  • His primary goal during his 434 day title reign
  • Being a great talker, being aligned with another great talker in Paul Heyman and avoiding overkill
  • If He Gets to slow down and enjoy that he’s one of the top guys in WWE
  • Not wanting to be a “Lifer” in WWE

Here are some highlights of what CM Punk said about:

His Match With The Undertaker:

“Everyone is expecting me to try to top the Shawn Michaels matches. But that’s not my goal. My goal is to make this the best that the situation allows me to make it. There’s a chance it could be better than those matches, but that’s not my goal. This isn’t one of those ‘workrate matches.’ I like my pro wrestling when it’s pissed off and angry. I don’t like it when it’s just two dudes going out there and, ya know, just wrestling. I made him mad, I got under his skin, and I got under his skin. Hopefully it’s going to be emotional and psychological.”

Whether He’s Been Able To Enjoy His Run At The Top Of WWE:

“I’m way too busy doing it. I think I put too much stock in being the last match at WrestleMania, so I’m way too angry about not being the the last match. This is real life. I put too much pressure on myself. I certainly don’t enjoy certain aspects. I don’t enjoy ‘the ride,’ so to speak.”

Part-Time Wrestlers Getting The Top Spots In WWE:

“I’m the only guy who says this – ya know, Miz will go out there and be like, ‘It’s great having these guys back!’ and blah blah blah because I truly believe he thinks he has to say that,” Punk said. “The honest reality of it is you bust your ass for 365 days a year and there’s other people who come in and they don’t work as hard, but maybe get paid the same amount of money. So, me as a businessman, it just makes me look at it and go, ‘Okay, that’s the deal I need to get. I need to get the deal where I work 15 dates a year.’ You know what I mean? It makes me work harder, but, dammit, it’s going to burn me out.”

WrestleMania Retrospective – WrestleMania XII (1996)

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Here’s Part 12 of our WrestleMania Retrospective series, looking back at past WrestleMania events as we march towards WrestleMania 29 on April 7th

WM12-Poster

WrestleMania XII (1995)
Tagline: None
Sponsor: Tyco R/C: Maximum Heat!
Date: March 31, 1996
Venue: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California
Attendance: 18,853
America The Beautiful: Special Olympian, Kathy Huey
The Undertaker’s Streak: 5-0 (Def Disel)

The main attraction of WrestleMania XII was the novelty of the WWF Championship match that was guaranteed to last at least one hour. On-screen WWF president “Rowdy” Roddy Piper had announced on an edition of Monday Night Raw that reigning champion Bret Hart must defend the title against Shawn Michaels in the first ever “WWF Iron Man Match”; whereby the winner would be the man with the most decisions over a sixty minute time limit. Michaels had earned the opportunity to face Hart by winning the 1996 Royal Rumble, and had also defeated Owen Hart at In Your House 6 for the right to keep the WrestleMania title shot

The main event was built on Bret Hart wanting to retain the WWF Championship against Shawn Michaels, who had suffered a number of setbacks over the course of the previous year, including: failing to win Diesel’s WWF Championship the previous year at WrestleMania XI, being accosted by a group of Marines at a Syracuse, New York nightclub, forfeiting the WWF Intercontinental Championship at In Your House 4: Great White North in October 1995 to Dean Douglas, suffering a storyline concussion at the hands of Owen Hart, and being betrayed in storyline by close friend Diesel at a house show at Madison Square Garden.

WM12-HBKBret1

Debuts 
WrestleMania XII saw the WrestleMania Debuts of two major WWF Superstars, Triple H and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

Triple H, making an embarrassing WM debut at WrestleMania XII.
Triple H, making an embarrassing WM debut at WrestleMania XII.

Hunter Hurst Helmsley
Triple H, known then by his full name Hunter Hurst  Helmsley, was accompanied at the time by WWF Diva Sable. He went on to suffer an embarrassing 1:40 match to a returning Ultimate Warrior. As part of the storyline, Helmsely would later take his aggression out on her. The debuting Marc Mero—her real-life husband—came to her rescue, starting a feud between the two wrestlers.

Known then as The Ringmaster, Steve Austin defeats Savio Vega in his WrestleMania Debut.
Known then as The Ringmaster, Steve Austin defeats Savio Vega in his WrestleMania Debut.

Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin joined the WWF in late 1995. Initially, Austin wrestled as “The Ringmaster” and was managed by Ted DiBiase, who awarded him with the Million Dollar Championship. He defeated Savio Vega at  WrestleMania XII.  The “Ringmaster” name would soon be removed in favor of the now infamous “Stone Cold”.

The Undertaker
In the summer of 1995, The Undertaker injured his orbital bone near his eye, forcing a period of absence for surgery, until his return at Survivor Series.

The Undertaker bests to 5-0 at WrestleMania by defeating Disel
The Undertaker bests to 5-0 at WrestleMania by defeating Disel

The Undertaker returned at the 1995 Survivor Series, wearing a Phantom of the Opera-like, grey upper-face mask. In the main event of the 1996 Royal Rumble, The Undertaker was unmasked in a WWF Championship match against Bret Hart, when Diesel interfered in the match to cost the Undertaker the championship. A rematch for the title on the February 5 episode of Raw saw similar interference.

At that month’s In Your House: Rage in the Cage, while Diesel was facing Hart in a steel cage match, The Undertaker burst through the ring and dragged Diesel underneath which allowed Hart to get the victory. This feud culminated in a match between Diesel and the Undertaker at WrestleMania XII, in which The Undertaker was victorious, bring his streak to 5-0.

The Iron-Man Match
The rules of an Iron match are, who ever has the most decisions (Pinfalls, Count-outs, DQ’s) at the end of 60 minutes, would be declared the winner. With Less than a minute left, neither Bret Hart nor Shawn Michaels had either scored a decision

Shawn Michaels Hang gliding into WrestleMania XII
Shawn Michaels Hang gliding into WrestleMania XII

Shawn Michaels leaped off the top rope for a dropkick, but Bret caught him and put im in the sharpshooter with 30 seconds left on the clock.  The crowd was going wild while the announcers were yelling that Bret had him and that the match was over. Ref Earl Hebner asked Shawn if he would quit, but Shawn kept saying no. The time expired with Shawn still in the hold. The bell rang. Bret let go of the hold.

Bret was given the title and walked up the aisle while WWF President Gorilla Monsoon talked to Hebner in the ring. Ring announcer Howard Finkel announced that the match would continue under sudden death rules. “There must be a winner!”

In "Sudden Death" Shawn Michaels nails Bret Hart with the Superkick to capture his first WWF Title.
In “Sudden Death” Shawn Michaels nails Bret Hart with the Superkick to capture his first WWF Title.

The overtime period began with Bret back in the ring talking to Monsoon about it. Vince put over that the “must be a winner” idea was agreed upon before the match. Bret restarted the match by working on Shawn’s back. Back body drop for Bret. Bret whipped him in the corner, Shawn countered by jumping over him and Shawn hit the Sweet Chin Music superkick to knock Bret down. Shawn was still out after hitting it because he was still selling the back injury. Bret was dazed by it because Shawn didn’t hit it cleanly. Shawn stood up in the corner, Bret stumbled over towards him and Shawn hit him again with the Sweet Chin Music. Shawn covers for the one…two…three for the win at 61:52, the longest match in WrestleMania history.

Post match, we would later learn that Shawn told ref Earl Hebner to tell Bret to get out of the ring. He used some profanity when he did it too. Bret’s reaction to that wasn’t very favorable just from looking at his face. They also showed Bret’s son Blade singing Shawn’s “sexy boy” song at ringside. That was funny. Bret walked away angrily, even tossing aside a Canadian flag that was thrown to him. Michaels was very emotional in the ring while Vince McMahon delivered the famous line: “The boyhood dream has come true for Shawn Michaels!”

"The boyhood dream, has come true for Shawn Michaels" - Vince McMahon at WrestleMania XIII
“The boyhood dream, has come true for Shawn Michaels” – Vince McMahon at WrestleMania XIII

WrestleMania XI Results
• Camp Cornette (Vader, Owen Hart and The British Bulldog) (with Jim Cornette) defeated Yokozuna, Jake Roberts and Ahmed Johnson (with Mr. Fuji)
• Stone Cold Steve Austin (with Ted DiBiase) defeated Savio Vega Singles match 10:00
• The Ultimate Warrior defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley (with Sable) Singles match 01:40
• The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) defeated Diesel Singles match 16:46
• Roddy Piper defeated Goldust (with Marlena) Hollywood Backlot Brawl 12:15
• Shawn Michaels (with Jose Lothario) defeated Bret Hart (c) Iron Man match for the WWF Championship

Jim Ross Blog: Rock-Cena, Flair’s Health, Funk Inducting Foley, Fandango-Jericho

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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 JR wrote about:

Terry Funk Inducting Mick Foley:

“Great choice by Mick Foley to select Terry Funk to induct Mr. Foley’s baby boy at the 2013 WWE HOF induction ceremony. The Funker is Mick’s mentor and idol. I think it’s pretty cool when a Hall of Fame inductee can actually have their all time favorite wrestler, their father like figure within the business and their role model as it relates to in ring style and approach to the game induct them.”

Ric Flair’s Medical Situation:

“Got a text from Ric Flair early this morning and Naitch is feeling great and has been provided medication to dissolve the blood clot that is in his leg. The doctor’s are highly optimistic that the meds will do the trick and eliminate a potentially, dangerous issue. Ric and I will get together Wednesday evening in Jersey to catch up which is one of our WrestleMania traditions.”

Fandango vs. Y2J:

“Fandango is a lightning rod right now because many or perhaps a few vocal ‘fans’ don’t like the TV persona even though they have yet to see it fully on display in a match of significance. I’m of the persuasion that I’ll reserve my opinions until I actually see the talent get it on bell to bell. Chris Jericho is the perfect opponent to perform with Fandango at WM29 because Jericho is all about stealing the show ala the great @ShawnMichaels no matter Y2J’s role. Fandango can also expect Jericho to beat the hell out of him along the way. Believe that!”

The Rock vs. John Cena:

“Enjoying the serious nature that the Rock/Cena rivalry has taken the past few weeks and it is a departure from 2012 or so it seems to me. Closing a WrestleMania with such high expectations and having a ‘different’ match than last year are tremendous responsibilities notwithstanding the fact that the match is for the WWE Title which should be the primary issue. Cena vs. Rock is a target of varying levels of controversy from some fans but pales in comparison to what their own peers will place upon the show closers in their own matches at WM29.”

New WrestleMania 29 Match Announced, Updated List Of Hall Of Fame Inductors & More

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– WWE has officially announced that Brodus Clay, Tensai & The Funkadactyls will face Team Rhodes Scholars & The Bella Twins at WrestleMania 29.

– Here’s an updated look at the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Class and their inductors:

  • Bruno Sammartino (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
  • Mick Foley (Terry Funk)
  • Trish Stratus (Lita)
  • Bob Backlund (Maria Menounos)
  • Booker T (Stevie Ray)
  • Donald Trump (Inductor TBA)

– WWE will be encouraging fans to Tout videos from their WrestleMania 29 parties on April 7th, with some of the Tout videos to be featured on the air during the pay-per-view broadcast.

  • Pictures Of THE ROCK’s Smokin’ Hot Girlfriend (Dayyumm)

The Rock Appears On Good Morning America & Live With Kelly & Michael (Video)

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– WWE will be heavily promoting The Rock’s new movie “Pain & Gain” at WrestleMania Axxess, with several stars from the film making appearances at the fan fest.

  • Pictures Of THE ROCK’s Smokin’ Hot Girlfriend

– WWE champion “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and “Live with Kelly & Michael” on Wednesday morning to promote the new “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” movie.

On Good Morning America, Rock talked about being a huge fan of G.I. Joe and Star Wars as a kid, his co-star Channing Tatum being named “World Sexiest Man” as well as his favorite part of getting into shape for the movies – his epic “cheat days.” They wheeled out a cart of what The Rock eats on his cheat days – including a dozen pancakes, double-dough pizza (2 pies on top of each other) and brownies that have peanut butter cookies inside of them.

On Live With Kelly & Michael, The Rock spoke a lot about WWE, including the significance of WrestleMania returning home to the New York Market and why he returned to WWE. He also presented host Michael Strahan with a replica WWE Title belt. Here’s video of the appearance:

WWE Casting For “Christmas Bounty” At Axxess, MITB PPV Presale, Big Show

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– WWE has announced that they will be hosting an Open Casting Call for the upcoming WWE Studios movie “Christmas Bounty” starring The Miz during WrestleMania Axxess next week:

“The WWE Studios team is looking for talent during WrestleMania Axxess! You have an opportunity at auditioning for a role in WWE Studios’s upcoming film, ‘Christmas Bounty.’ Your audition could be posted on WWE’s YouTube channel for all to check out…do you have what it takes?”

– WWE has confirmed that this year’s Money In The Bank pay-per-view will take place on Sunday, July 14th from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. An online pre-sale is scheduled for Thursday at 10 AM and the password is WWEPPV. For tickets, click here.

– SportsIllustrated.com has an interview up with the Big Show, who talks about his college basketball career and wrestling’s longstanding relationship with New York City.

Post-WM29 RAW Sold Out, More On Flair’s Medical Scare, WWE Inbox

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– Charlotte, North Carolina NBC affiliate WCNC did a report this week covering Ric Flair’s health scare on Monday night, where he was sent to the hospital by WWE doctors after they were concerned about his swollen foot.

– The April 8th post-WrestleMania edition of WWE RAW from the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey is sold out. Additionally, there are several WWE Axxess events that have sold out as well.

– Here’s the latest episode of WWE Inbox:

There are some strange places WWE Superstars have been asked for an autograph. Watch this’s week edition of “WWE Inbox” to find out where.

Photos Of JBL’s Recent Aconcagua Mountain Climb

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Earlier this month, WWE announcer JBL attempted to climb Argentina’s Mount Aconcagua (“Mt. Death”), but was unable to reach the summit due to bad weather. He climbed up about 20,00 feet, but got caught up in storms that took two lives. He vows to try again next year. Check out these photos he posted on Facebook of his attempt:

News On WWE’s Creative Team, Upcoming WWE DVD Releases & More

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– There have been a lot of changes to WWE’s creative team taking place behind the scenes in recent months. Following the recent departure of Eric Pankowski, RAW’s lead writer is Ed Koskey, Smackdown’s lead writer is Dave Kapoor. WWE also recently hired a new Emmy Award-winning soap opera writer, David Kreizman. There’s a running joke backstage that WWE has so many different writers with various job titles, but the pay is not great and recent requests for pay increases have been denied.

– The official title for WWE’s upcoming War Games DVD is, “WWE: War Games: WCW’s Most Notorious Matches.”

– WWE’s upcoming In Your House DVD, which hits stores on April 30th, will have a total runtime of approximately 7 1/2 hours. The Blu-ray version will have an additional hour and a half of exclusive content.

– Dolph Ziggler tweeted the following about the Bella Twins vs. Funkadactyls match that will air on tonight’s WWE Main Event:

https://twitter.com/HEELZiggler/status/316739596048285698

(Sources: wwedvdnews.com, f4wonline.com)

WWE Superstars Break NFL Bench Press Record, Main Event Preview For Tonight

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– WWE.com has an article up announcing that both Mark Henry and Ryback broke the NFL Combine record for the 225-pound bench press at Tuesday night’s WWE SmackDown taping from Hershey, PA. Visit the WWE.com link to find out who won the competition between the two WrestleMania opponents.

– The following matches will take place on tonight’s episode of WWE Main Event:

  • US Champion Antonio Cesaro vs. Kane (Non-Title Match)
  • The Bella Twins vs. The Funkadactyls

Super Bowl Champion At SmackDown, What Happened After The Show & More

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– The dark main event after last night’s WWE SmackDown tapings in Hershey, PA saw Randy Orton, Ryback adn Sheamus defeat The Shield by DQ when they hit Ryback with a steel chair. The Shield was setting up Ryback for the 3-man powerbomb onto a chair, but Orton and Sheamus make the save and the babyfaces hit their finishers to end the show.

– The Rock noted on Twitter that Tuesday night’s SmackDown tapings from Hershey, PA was WWE’s first sell out crowd in the city in over a decade:

He also tweeted the following picture of himself with Super Bowl Champion Torrey Smith of the Baltimore Ravens, who was backstage at the show:

The Rock will be appearing on Good Morning America this morning to promote “G.I. Joe: Retaliation.”

Ric Flair’s Agent Releases Statement Regarding His Health

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After his reported hospitalization on Monday night, Ric Flair’s agent, Melinda Morris Zanoni of Legacy Talent and Entertainment, released the following statement regarding his health:

“Ric is doing well, he feels great, and is home. WWE’s medical staff performed a physical on Ric yesterday, like they do all of their athletes, and recommended that he have a doctor take a closer look at his swollen leg.”

 

“Upon arriving back in Charlotte today he went to see his doctors and it was determined that there is a blood clot. He was not admitted to the hospital, rather released with medication, which the doctors are confident will work quickly causing Ric to completely heal soon.”

 

“Ric appreciates everyone’s concern and is looking forward to seeing fans at his next scheduled appearance in Hagerstown, MD on Friday and performing for WWE very soon.”

WrestleMania Retrospective – WrestleMania XI (1995)

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Here’s Part 11 of our WrestleMania Retrospective series, looking back at past WrestleMania events as we march towards WrestleMania 29 on April 7th

WM11-Poster
WrestleMania XI (1995)
Tagline: None
Date: April 2, 1995
Venue: Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut
Attendance: 16,305
America The Beautiful: Special Olympian, Kathy Huey
The Undertaker’s Streak: 4-0 (Def King Kong Bundy)

WrestleMania XI was the eleventh annual WrestleMania pay-per-view event held by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut on April 2, 1995. The event featured seven matches, which resulted from scripted storylines and had results predetermined by the WWF.

WM11-LTBam
The WrestleMania XI Main Event – Football Great Lawrence Taylor vs Bam Bam Bigelow

The main event was a match between NFL linebacker Lawrence Taylor, who faced Bam Bam Bigelow as the result of an argument that took place between the two at the 1995 Royal Rumble. Taylor won the match, which led to Bigelow being kicked out of Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Corporation. Shawn Michaels faced WWF Champion Diesel in a title match but was unable to win the championship. Jeff Jarrett retained his WWF Intercontinental Championship against Razor Ramon. Owen Hart and his mystery partner, Yokozuna challenged The Smoking Gunns for the WWF Tag Team Championship and won the title belts.

The most heavily promoted feud going into the event was between Bam Bam Bigelow and Lawrence Taylor. At Royal Rumble 1995, Bigelow teamed with Tatanka in the final round of a tournament for the WWF Tag Team Championship. Bigelow was pinned at the end of the match, which led to the crowd heckling him. He responded by pushing NFL player Lawrence Taylor, who was sitting at ringside. Bigelow refused to apologize and instead challenged Taylor to a wrestling match.Taylor agreed and trained with WWF Champion Diesel to prepare for the match.The storyline between Bigelow and Taylor brought the WWF much mainstream exposure, as the match was discussed by several news outlets.

The Undertaker goes 4-0 at WrestleMania XI against King Kong Bundy
The Undertaker goes 4-0 at WrestleMania XI against King Kong Bundy

At WrestleMania XI, The Undertaker faced King Kong Bundy. Ted DiBiase was at ringside holding the urn that his wrestlers had stolen from The Undertaker at The Royal Rumble 1995. During the match, when DiBiase was close to The Undertaker, he took back his urn. After The Undertaker returned to the ring, DiBiase called Kama, another Corporation member, to the ring. Kama stole the urn, and Bundy attacked The Undertaker in order to let Kama escape backstage.

Bundy picked The Undertaker up and powerslammed him to the mat. He then performed an Avalanche splash to squish The Undertaker against the corner of the ring. The Undertaker was unharmed, however, and performed a powerslam and a clothesline on Bundy before pinning him to win the match.

Larry Young, a Major League Baseball umpire was the referee for the match. Young, the special referee, was written into the storyline as an out-of-work sports official because of the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike, which had ended at the time of WrestleMania.

HBK vs Diesel for the WWF Championship
HBK vs Diesel for the WWF Championship

The other main event at WrestleMania was a match for the WWF Championship between Diesel and Shawn Michaels. Diesel had originally entered the WWF as Michaels’s bodyguard but later began wrestling and forming a tag team with Michaels. The pair held the WWF Tag Team Championship together in 1994. At Survivor Series 1994, however, Michaels accidentally kicked Diesel in the face. This led to an argument during which Diesel dissolved the tag team and vacated the championship.Three days later, Diesel defeated Bob Backlund to become the new WWF Champion.At Royal Rumble 1995, Michaels won the battle royal main event, which earned him a match against Diesel for the title belt at WrestleMania.

Bret Hart faced Bob Backlund in an “I Quit” match at WrestleMania. The feud began the previous summer, when Hart defended the WWF Championship against Backlund. Backlund mistakenly thought he won the match and began celebrating, but Hart pinned him to retain the title. After the match, Backlund turned heel by attacking Hart.This led to a title match at Survivor Series 1994, in which Backlund won the title from Hart.Although Backlund soon lost the belt,the feud continued and Backlund attacked Hart during Hart’s match at Royal Rumble 1995.

 

WrestleMania XI Results
• The Allied Powers (Lex Luger and The British Bulldog) defeated The Blu Brothers (Jacob and Eli) (with Uncle Zebekiah)
• Razor Ramon (with The 1–2–3 Kid) defeated Jeff Jarrett (c) (with The Roadie) by disqualification Singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship
• The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) defeated King Kong Bundy (with Ted DiBiase) w/ Larry Young as the special guest referee
• Owen Hart and Yokozuna (with Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette) defeated The Smoking Gunns (c) (Billy and Bart) for the WWF Tag Team Championship
• Bret Hart defeated Bob Backlund “I Quit” match with Roddy Piper as the special guest referee
• Diesel (c) (with Pamela Anderson) defeated Shawn Michaels (with Sid and Jenny McCarthy) Singles match for the WWF Championship 20:35
• Lawrence Taylor defeated Bam Bam Bigelow (with Ted DiBiase) w/ Pat Patterson as the special guest referee.

Diesel celebrates with celebrates at WrestleMania XI
Diesel celebrates with celebrates at WrestleMania XI

Wade Barrett vs. The Miz Added To WrestleMania 29, RAW Rating Up From Last Week

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– WWE.com has announced that Wade Barrett will defend the Intercontinental Championship against The Miz at WrestleMania 29.

– Monday’s WWE Raw program drw a 3.24 cable rating, up from 3.09 the week before. The show averaged 4.62 million viewers, up from 4.26 million last week. The hourly numbers were:

  • Hour 1: 4.58 million viewers
  • Hour 2: 4.69 million viewers
  • Hour 3: 4.58 million viewers
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