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Paul Bearer Talks About His WWE Status, Working With Ricardo Rodriguez, Foley’s HOF Induction

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Former WWE manager Paul Bearer recently spoke with Chris Yandek of CYInterview.com. Here are some highlights from the interview:

His Status With WWE & Outside Projects:

“People that don’t know, that don’t see me, I am still involved. I’m still under contract with WWE. I’m under a legends contract with WWE and I do things now and then with them like WrestleMania and go do signings, this, that and the other. Plus I work the independent organizations all around the country. I go out to L.A. once a month and do Championship Wrestling from Hollywood. We tape four weeks of TV once a month out there and some months I’m busy every weekend doing wrestling stuff.”

Working With Ricardo Rodriguez:

“I think a hell of a lot of Ricardo Rodriguez who manages Alberto Del Rio. He has become a very good friend of mine and I give him tips all the time and not that he needs them. And when I see things that I like, I let him know that I liked it and he’s very respectful and very, knows the history of our business and he deserves to be where he’s at and other than Ricardo Rodriguez, there really isn’t any managers, you know WWE doesn’t have any managers. … Bobby Heenan and Lou Albano and I could just go on and on and on, you know all the old school managers, there are none.”

Mick Foley’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction:

“I love him dearly. I had so much fun managing him when he was Mankind ‘cause we was going against The Undertaker. … We just had so much fun because he wore that mask, you know that covered half of his long hair and that mask and all that and we were just like kids out there all the time and I was the only one that could ever make The Undertaker laugh and he could be laughing and nobody ever knew it and the same with Mick Foley.”

Lilian Garcia’s New Music Video, NXT Release, WWE Sues PPV Provider & More

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– WWE filed a lawsuit on 1/25 against Solar Entertainment Corp. for money owed to the company for TV and PPV broadcasting rights in the Philippines.

– British NXT developmental wrestler Gavin Reid has been released.

– Former WWE Superstar Edge tweeted the following on Tuesday regarding the news that Trish Stratus will be joining him the Hall of Fame when she’s inducted on April 6th:

– Lilian Garcia has released the official music video for her song, “Over & Over.” Here it is:

Wade Barrett Announces The Intercontinental Cup Has Been Cancelled

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WWE’s 8-man Intercontinental Cup was scheduled to kick off on tonight’s episode of Main Event, however, no matches for the Cup took place at Tuesday night’s WWE TV tapings from San Diego, California.

WWE Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett has been teasing a “major announcement” regarding the Cup, and here it is:

The 3-week Cup was going to determine the #1 contender to Barrett’s Intercontinental title.

77-Year-Old Man Shot In The Face But More Upset Over Rock Beating Punk

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Syracuse, New York’s WSYR-TV has a news report up looking at one of the strangest stories we’ve ever covered here on the site.

Last Wednesday, 77-year-old liquor store owner and baseball coach Thomas Dotterer was shot in the eye during the robbery of his Salina Liquors and Wine store in upstate New York. Dotterer was hospitalized in critical condition and underwent surgery on his eye while in the hospital.

He was released from the hospital on Monday and was amazingly back at work on Tuesda afternoon. Dotterer told WSYR-TV, “Every day is great. Every day is great because every day I have an opportunity to meet new individuals and broaden my appreciation of what God has given us all to enjoy.”

Thomas says he used to be a “gloomy pessimist,” an outlook on life that’s changed over time and helped in his recovery.

“All things happen for a reason that preclude, maybe, present understanding, but you deal with the cards that you have dealt,” he said.

After this traumatic brush with death, you would think that getting shot in the eye would be the worst thing that happened to him in the past week. According to Dotterer, he’s actually more upset that CM Punk’s 434 day WWE Championship reign ended at Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view:

“That’s the worst thing that happened to me all week, the Rock beat Punk. Did you know that?”

Here’s the news report:

Del Rio Explains Why WWE Is Backing Off Mexico, Intercontinental Cup Update & More

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– During a recent interview with Yahoo! Deportes over the weekend, WWE World Heavyweight champion Alberto Del Rio revealed that WWE has backed off on their plans to continue touring Mexico. The company previously saw Mexico as a huge new market, however Del Rio cited the country’s declining a economy and the poor attendance and merchandise sales during WWE’s 2012 Mexico as reasons why WWE is now backing off.

Del Rio said he is very thankful that WWE gave him the opportunity to become the superstar he is today and standing by him through some very difficult situations (he did not elaborate). Del Rio says when he retires in a few years, he hopes to work behind the scenes as a WWE producer/agent and help develop younger talent.

– NXT wrestler CJ Parker, who has been out of action for several months with a wrist injury, tweeted that today is a huge day for him because he’s getting checked out by his doctor and will find out when he can return to action.

– It appears that the WWE Intercontinental Cup will not begin on this week’s Main Event as advertised. Matches taped for Main Event were Tensai vs. Titus O’Neil and Ryback vs. Antonio Cesaro.

Wade Barrett tweeted that he will be making a “huge announcement” regarding the Intercontinental Cup.

Depressing Picture Of Sunny In Court On Monday

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Former WWE Diva Tammy “Sunny” Sytch was in court on Monday following her most recent arrest for violating a protective order by being at the home of her allegedly-abusive fiance:

sunny-in-court

 

Edge Endorses Indy Worker & Wrestling Scholarship Winner Steven Walters

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WWE Hall of Famer Edge recently gave the following endorsement to independent wrestler Steven Walters, who recently won a wrestling scholarship by BumpDrunk.com:

“Steven is the first and most likely only guy outside of WWE who I’ve kind of taken under my wing. If I didn’t think he was a great kid with a great attitude I wouldn’t have anything to do with him. I wish there was something like this when I started. I think it’s great for companies like BumpDrunk to invest in guys like Steven. They’re the future of the business. Without them, there is no business. I hope Zero-1 is prepared to have their door blown off the hinges.”

As the first winner of Bumpdrunk.com’s SHOGUN scholarship, Walters will be heading to Japan’s Zero-One promotion to learning through intense competition with various Japanese legends.

For more information on Walters, visit ProWrestlingFusion.com.

* Update On WWE Storyline Plans Through WM29 (Lesnar, Jericho, Undertaker)

What Happened After SmackDown, Ryder’s Hoeski Song, JR At NXT, Kamala-HOF

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– Zack Ryder made the following announcement this week regarding his song Hoeski:

– Jim Ross noted on Twitter that he will be headed to WWE developmental this weekend to evaluate talent at WWE’s latest tryout camp. He will also be at Thursday’s WWE NXT tapings from Full Sail University.

– As previously reported, WWE has reached out to Kamala about a possible induction into the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2013. No word yet on whether he has accepted, but WWE reportedly has a backup inductee in mind if Kamala does not agree.

– After Tuesday night’s WWE SmackDown tapings from San Diego, CA concluded, Big Show came out and cut a promo running down the Spanish fans in the audience. He talked about how he hires “people like them” to clean his pool and cut his grass. Show talked about Alberto Del Rio’s stereotypical love of burrito, which brought out the World Heavyweight champion. The two brawled at ringside, with Del Rio attacking Big Show with a steel chair to end the show.

Goldust Talks About His Return At The Rumble, Working With Cody, Dusty’s Reaction

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Goldust posted the following message on Twitter this week, talking about his return at Sunday’s Royal Rumble:

“Man what a night! A lot of people ask me daily on twitter if i still get nervous before i go out of that curtain. Yes most def i still do and especially at the rumble when it was my turn to go out! Since i have been off of tv for some time i had no idea what kind of reaction i would get. You bet your ass i was nervous! Lol, my stomach was in knots! Asking myself how is goldie going to be received? Had no clue that the #8 entry in the royal rumble 2013 would be what it was! First let me say to the world ty from my heart for the chilling, shocking to me, response i got sunday night. Ty so much. Damn!!!!

As i am waiting my turn and the countdown has started 10,9,8, and my stomach was doing flips, and got down to 1 and my music hit and…… The wwe universe let me know right away that goldust will always be remembered as i received one of the most deffening pops that i have gotten in th 25 yrs in the biz! Holy hell what a road warrior pop! As i walked out of the entrance, all nervousness went away as it always does, and i stood there in all honesty feeling i was on the top of the world because of y’all, the fans, team goldie! The rr2013 is now the greatest moment i have had in the biz to date since wm12 with piper! To stand there and take off my wig and robe and charge cody and trade punches with my brother center stage cannot be topped! It most def was a wm moment for me!

My brother is the future of this biz as are many others but i want cody to succeed more than anybody else. The rhodes family has some serious wrestling jedi shit flowing through our veins. I know dad was at home marking out as much as cody and i were and the rest of the world with giant smiles on their faces. Even the haters were happy lol! One again i say thank you to wwe and the fans for that experience that is at the top of my list because of y’all letting me know by the pop you gave me! The world still remembers the name of goldust and will never forget it. And although cody won this battle, i dream still of wm with my brother cody rhodes.

Dont ever stop believing or dreaming because dreams do come true! You just have to go get them! Get with it and follow me on twitter at dustin_rhodes1 and my booking email is [email protected] ! Ty for reading and please rt!

Goldie”

* Update On WWE Storyline Plans Through WM29 (Lesnar, Jericho, Undertaker)

*Spoiler* News On SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match & WM29 World Hwt. Title Match

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It was announced at Tuesday night’s WWE Smackdown tapings from San Diego, California that the winner of a six-man Elimination Chamber match will determine which wrestler challenges for the the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 29.

The entrants of the match were not announced at the show, however, Dolph Ziggler said he did not want to be part of the match because his Money in the Bank contract already gives him a title shot whenever he wants..

Ziggler also  teased that he will cash in at WrestleMania 29.

El Generico Signs With WWE, Flair & Tyson Appearing Together In Las Vegas

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– Independent wrestler El Generico has officially signed his WWE contract, according to PWInsider.com. Generico has been in talks with WWE for several weeks but first had to pass all of his required medical physicals before officially being offered a contract. He is scheduled to report to NXT in Tampa, Florida over the next few weeks.

* Pictures of EL GENERICO’s Recent Farewell Celebration At Pro Wrestling Guerrilla

– WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair and Mike Tyson are scheduled to appear in Las Vegas this weekend. Tristar Sports Memorabilia is hosting Flair and Tyson for autograph signings on Friday and Saturday, February 1 & 2 at the Tristar Sports Memorabilia shop inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Visit the Tristar Facebook Page for scheduling information.

Shawn Michaels Talks About Missing Being In The Ring, His Hunting Show

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WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels recently spoke to the Kansas City Star to promote his hunting show and several upcoming appearances he’s making at hunting conventions. During the interview, Michaels spoke about the possibility of coming out of retirement.

“I miss being in the ring,” Michaels said. “But I enjoy my ‘new’ life, too.” His “new life” is being a full-time dad spending time with his family and hunting.

“The way I look at it, I’m making up for lost time when it comes to my hunting. I didn’t get started until relatively late in my life. But I am making up for it.”

Michaels also revealed that he first got into hunting after WrestleMania 14 when he was forced into early retirement due to a back injury that kept him out of action for several years.

* Picture of Shawn Michaels & Steve Austin Hunting Together

WWE Main Event Preview, Matches Taped For Friday’s WWE SmackDown

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– WWE taped tonight’s episode of Main Event on Tuesday night from San Diego, California. Here is a spoiler-free preview for the show:

* The Miz will host Miz TV with special guest Ryback.

* Ryback vs. Antonio Cesaro

* Tensai vs. Titus O’Neil

– The following matches were taped for Friday’s SmackDown:

* Alberto Del Rio vs. Dolph Ziggler.

* Daniel Bryan & Kane vs. Sin Cara & Rey Mysterio.

* Kofi Kingston vs. A Returning Superstar

* Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton.

* Sheamus vs. Damien Sandow.

* Great Khali vs. Jinder Mahal.

*Spoilers* WWE SmackDown Tapings Results For Friday

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WWE taped Friday’s episode of SmackDown on Tuesday night from San Diego, California. Credit to Prowrestling.net for these results:

Smackdown opened with Booker T in ring with Sheamus, Kane, Great Khali, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, and A.J. Booker spoke about the Elimination Chamber.

Jack Swagger came out and wants in the Chamber match. Ziggler still has Money in the Bank, so he doesn’t wanna be in Chamber. He threatened to cash in his MITB contract during WrestleMania. Booker announced Dolph would have to fight Alberto Del Rio tonight

– Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara defeated Kane and Daniel Bryan in a non-title match. Huge pop. Great work. Mysterio took a hot tag in to a 619 and a head butt off top rope for the hometown win. Kane and Bryan argued their way out of the arena.

– Great Khali defeated Jinder Mahal.

Booker and Teddy Long appeared on the screen from backstage. Sandow and Rhodes interrupted and said a poem. Sandow had to fight Sheamus. Booker said they go from Rhodes Scholars to Roadkill.

– Sheamus fought Damien Sandow to an apparent no-contest. Sheamus delivered the forearms to the chest. The Shield came in. One of the Shield members took a Brogue Kick, but they ended up Triple Powerbombing Sheamus. No one came out to help. Sheamus walked off with the referee.

– Randy Orton beat Wade Barrett in a non-title match.

On screen, Barrett was about to be interviewed by Matt Striker asking about the Bo Dallas elimination in the Royal Rumble and the loss to him on Raw. Barrett didn’t answer because he saw Dallas talking to some hot chicks. Barrett attacked Dallas.

They have been showing Del Rio outside waiting for Big Show for what he did to Ricardo Rodriguez.

Finally, Big Show arrived and Del Rio attacked him with a stick. Del Rio shouted in Spanish. Show yelled stop and did not fight back. Show jumped on top of a Crown Victoria car, which Del Rio basically tore up. Eventually, Show jumped into another car and drove away.

Backstage, Del Rio told Ricardo Rodriguez, who wore a neck brace, not to come out for his match.

– Alberto Del Rio defeated Dolph Ziggler in a non-title match. There were multiple near falls before Del Rio won by submission with the Cross Arm Breaker. During the Del Rio’s celebration, Big Show appeared on the big screen and had Ricardo by the neck.

Del Rio tried to leave the ring, but Show told him to stay there or he would hurt Ricardo. He warned Del Rio not to attack again. Show gave Del Rio the knockout punch. Del Rio ran to help and screamed in Spanish. Del Rio got a huge pop and was over with the Hispanic population in San Diego.

Elimination Chamber News: Only One Chamber Match, Big Six Man Tag Match

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F4wonline.com is reporting that next month’s WWE Elimination Chamber might feature only one chamber match, which would be for the World Heavyweight championship.

With The Rock offering CM Punk a WWE Championship rematch, that would eliminate the need for a RAW brand Elimination Chamber match. The participants for the SmackDown Elimination Chamber match are rumored to be Alberto Del Rio, Randy Orton and several other top SmackDown stars, possibly Mark Henry.

Another RAW brand match that we will likely see is John Cena, Ryback and Sheamus vs. The Shield’s Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns.

Vince McMahon Injury Update, Jericho To Work House Shows, Jackson Update

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– WWE.com has posted an update on the status of Vince McMahon’s “injury” following the F-5 he took at the hands of Brock Lesnar on RAW. After reporting that he broke his hip, the company website is now saying he will undergo surgery as a result of the injury.

– With Chris Jericho expected to be a regular part of WWE television through WrestleMania 29, he’s currently scheduled to work live events as well.

– WWE NXT trainer Joey Mercury has joined Twitter and can be followed at @WWEMercury.

– Injured WWE superstar Ezekiel Jackson noted on Twitter that he’s been using Diamond Dallas Page’s DDPYOGA program as he trains for a WWE return. He once again told his followers that he’ll be back soon.

– Rey Mysterio was backstage at Monday’s RAW.

* Picture of CHRIS JERICHO’s Huge New Tattoo

(Partial Source: PWInsider.com)

Brock Lesnar’s Upcoming Schedule, The Rock’s Status For Monday’s RAW & More

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– The dark match main event advertised for next week’s WWE RAW from Atlanta, GA will see John Cena & Ryback teaming up against CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler.

– WWE Champion The Rock is currently not scheduled to be at next week’s RAW. This is one of the only shows he is not advertised for through WrestleMania.

– Following his return to WWE television and his attack on Vince McMahon, Brock Lesnar is confirmed for next week’s RAW.

Lesnar is also confirmed to appear at the February 25th RAW from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

(Partial Source: PWInsider.com)

Dolph Ziggler Talks About WWE Download Ending, Social Media & Ric Flair

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WWE superstar Dolph Ziggler recently spoke to Gizmodo.com.au during his recent media tour in Australia last week. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

His WWE Download Show Ending

“I did my very last one on Monday, just before I flew here, and it’ll air this coming Monday. It’s great — I tear apart everybody at work. We’ll see what stays in. It absolutely is a legitimate roast of almost every good guy at work. I’m into comedy and writing, and that full year of writing jokes on the weekend and then performing them, getting a lot of positive feedback has been really fun for me. That’s one of the coolest things I’ve done with the company. They would send me a blueprint, and some clips. Really bad. REALLY BAD cheesy clips, that you’d have seen on America’s Funniest Home Videos 20 years ago. The clips sucked, but it was my job to make up funny lines. Greg Adkins would send me a script with some jokes in it and then I would take the parameters of the script and write a couple of my own jokes. I loved it. Loved it. I’m sad that it’s done.”

Growing up Watching Ric Flair:

“At a very young age I got into Ric Flair, and that got me into thinking ‘this guy is the man’. Some people are happy with “Oh, I want to be a WWE Superstar, happy being the opening match, work here a couple of years.”. I wanted to be Ric Flair — the guy who could go out there with anybody at any point on the card, and it’s the best match on the card.”

The impact of Social Media & The Internet on WWE:

“The mystique is spoiled, because of the Internet. It’s gone. If we do a show on Tuesday night, such as a Smackdown, before that show is over, it’s already on the Internet, what’s happened even though it airs on Friday. That mystique is long gone, I think. With all the channels, and with all the things people can do in the world, you have to keep people’s attention even more, because people go ‘well, i could watch the show, or instead read a quick report instead of watching the two hour show’. We have to be great at our jobs, we have to be better entertainers to keep people’s attention.”

* The Latest On When DOLPH ZIGGLER Will Cash In His MITB Briefcase

*Spoilers* WWE Main Event Tapings Results For Wednesday

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WWE taped the following matches on Tuesday night from San Diego, California for Wednesday’s episode of Main Event:

– Ryback was a guest on Miz TV.

– Ryback defeated Antonio Cesaro via count out. Cesaro attacked Miz at ringside during the match and then ran away to lose by count out.

– Tensai defeated Titus O’Neil.

*Spoilers* WWE Saturday Morning Slam Results From San Diego, CA

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WWE taped the following matches on Tuesday night from San Diego, California for a future episode of Saturday Morning Slam:

– Kaitlyn defeated Aksana by pinfall after hitting a the spear.

– Sheamus defeated Cody Rhodes with White Noise.

– Justin Gabriel defeated Health Slater with the 450 splash. Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre were at ringside, but got ejected during the match because they were dancing at ringside and distracting from the match.

Press Release Touting The Strong Performance Of Monday’s RAW

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WWE and the USA Network issued the following press release on Tuesday afternoon touting the strong performance of Monday’s RAW:

USA NETWORK’S “WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW” DELIVERS BEST NUMBERS IN ALL DEMOS SINCE JULY 2012

WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW – the most-watched, regularly scheduled program on cable, airing live every Monday night, 52 weeks a year – had a great night with the best rating in all demos since July 2012 when the show aired it’s 1000th episode and debuted a new third hour of the show.

This week’s 8pm-11:10pm episode of WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW delivered its biggest audience since converting to a 3-hour format on 7/23/12 with 2.4 million (2.395MM) P18-49, 2.4 million (2.37MM) P25-54,1.3 million (1.25MM) P18-34 and 5 million (5.01MM) total viewers.

RAW delivered more M18-34 than any other program on television, broadcast or cable, and was second only to “The Following” on FOX for M18-49.

RAW made USA the #1 network in cable with double-digit margins over #2 History and was the only network to average over 2 million P18-49 (2.28MM, +58% over #2 HIST), 2 million P25-54 (2.26MM, +25%) or 4 million total viewers (4.80MM, +21%).

WWE RAW Ratings: Best Performance Since July, Over 5 Million Viewers

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The ratings are in for Monday’s RAW – and WWE has reason to feel very confident about the state of the company’s flagship show headed into WrestleMania season.

Monday’s 1/28 post-Royal Rumble edition of WWE RAW drew a 3.7 rating with 5.02 million viewers, the best performance (and the first time the show has cracked 5 million viewers) since RAW went to 3 hours back on July 23rd, 20112 for the RAW 1,000 special.

Here is the hourly viewership data:

Hour 1: 4,860,000
Hour 2: 5,270,000
Hour 3: 4,930,000

Yes, RAW lost viewers in the final hour again, which has been the trend of the 3-hour RAW era. However, that third hour nearly broke 5 million viewers, so there’s really not much to complain about. Overall, it’s a strong indication of The Rock’s drawing power and fan interest coming out of the Royal Rumble.

Jim Ross Blog: Lesnar’s Attack On McMahon, Chris Jericho’s Return, Bo Dallas

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WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com with his thoughts on Monday’s RAW. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:

Bo Dallas: “Loved that Bo wears a black glove much like his WWE HOF family members, Grandpa Blackjack Mulligan and Uncle Barry Windham.”

Chris Jericho’s Return “The return to WWE for whatever the over discussed term of his contract may or may not be for @IAmJericho has been a shining light beginning on Sunday at the Rumble and Monday on RAW. Chris Jericho can make whoever he competes with better which is an artform that isn’t in abundance in today’s mat world. Great ‘get’ by WWE.”

Brock Lesnar Attacking Vince McMahon: “Dramatic conclusion to Raw with the in ring confrontation of Mr. McMahon and @HeymanHustle which I knew would be a highlight of the night but I never dreamed it would become THE highlight of the broadcast. Great, organic chemistry between two men who have had plenty of experience ‘debating’ the other over the years. My black hat is off to both as it was the show closing moment that Raw needed and it delivered. The shocking return of Brock Lesnar was something that I did not expect to see Monday night and I certainly did not foresee the “Psycho Viking” F5’ing the Chairman of the Board. Freighting moment, in my view, taking all elements into consideration.”

* VIDEOS of BROCK LESNAR Giving VINCE An F5 & TENSAI Dancing In Lingerie From RAW

Hulk Hogan Talks About Wrestling Again, How Hulkamania Changed Wrestling & More

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TNA star Hulk Hogan recently spoke to Sky News Radio to promote TNA’s UK tour. Here are some highlights of what Hogan said about:

Wrestling Again: “Well, I’ve learned in this business to never say never. As time goes by, I live vicariously through the younger talent. I was telling my wife Jennifer the other day that I’m in the U.K. and I can’t believe that I’m not ego-talking and I’m not the main event. I can’t believe I’m not wrestling Kurt Angle or I can’t believe I’m not wrestling Jeff Hardy.

“But, that was just the young heart talking. Then, I took a good look in the mirror and I realized that the old man couldn’t do it. I mean, I never say never. If there was a situation where my daughter Brooke might get in a bad spot or something goes awry, you never know. I could roll in there, pick up a steel chair or throw a punch or something. So, you can never say never.”

How Wrestling Changed When He Won The WWF Title From The Iron Sheik 29 Years Ago: “It was more than just my career, it was the turning point of the wrestling business to switch gears and fast-forward into the entertainment direction.

“It started with the world title on the line at Madison Square Garden: Hulk Hogan vs. The Iron Sheik. It was the pefect storm. Iron Sheik had just beaten the mainstay, Bob Backlund, who had been champion for five years. America was at conflict with Iran/Iraq as far as the political situation between the countries. Hulk Hogan was viewed as the American hero and all the elements lead to the very, very perfect confrontation between good vs. evil.

“But, what came out of that was a different performance level. It wasn’t just a wrestling match with good vs. bad with good prevailing. it was the birth of entertainment in this business. As I looked to the crowd, the look and the reaction from the crowd got just as much as acknowledgment as the move in the ring.

“As soon as I realized how important it was to interact with the crowd, I changed my whole mindset as far as my work in the ring. I realized that the crowd was living vicariously through me. I better acknowledge them and not just stay focused on my opponent. So, it was kind of like the beginning of the entertainment being born that day.”

Working with Paul Orndorff in front of 70,000+ Fans in Toronto: “Yeah, that night especially caught everyone off guard. I had never worked at the CNE Center and I figured we’d have 6,000-7,000 people. When we got there and it was 70,000+, I went, ‘Oh, my God.’ That was a nice surprise.

“But, I knew the chemistry was there with Paul Orndorff. It just depended on him and how good of a businessman he wanted to be and how big it could have gotten. Paul Orndorff was a businessman. He got a little stubborn at times, but basically he was a businessman and we did consistent business.

“His work was just so incredibly good. It was good and bad for me (because) I felt like I had been in a car wreck when I got out of the ring working with him. But, his stuff was so good, solid and intense that he just knew how to really turn that dial up and make people believe and make people hate him. Which made it easier for me as far as selling, making huge comebacks and making the buildings rattle.

“So, he was an on-going opponent that I made a ton of money with. He was really good at what he did.”

Wrestlers That He Never Worked Big Programs With: “Yeah, there was a situation because there was so many people to choose from. There was the ‘Macho Man’ and Kamala, who did great business everywhere. There was Bob Orton, Jr., Don Morocco. There were tons of guys — Earthquake, One Man Gang — I could go on and on.

“There were several guys where there would be a feel in the ring or you could tell right away. That’s how everything worked with me, I had to hear it and feel it with the instinct thing.

“I got into a situation with Jake ‘The Snake’ where he had his Piper’s Pit, I don’t know if the name of the show was The Snake Pit. It was an interview show. We did something there which was the beginning of a major story line for Jake and myself. We went to Providence and we worked one night and that was pretty much it. It was like we were at a funeral.

“I just kind of realized that something wasn’t clicking and we kind of move on and moved passed it. … I don’t know what it was. There was a Hulk Hogan style at the time that was real easy and there were several trains of thought with probably about six or seven ways to go to make things perfect.

“For some reason, Jake and I did not fit in any of those categories. I tried my best and he tried his best but we just couldn’t dance with each other. It wasn’t right. I just didn’t want to run this thing out for six months to a year when there were so many other people like the ‘Macho Man’ and everybody else and it was so red-hot. So, it just didn’t work for whatever reason.”