Former WWE and TNA star Bobby Lashley captured his first title in MMA on Friday night from Lubbock, Texas.
Bobby Lashley defeated Karl Knothe via submission in the first round of the Shark Fights 21 main event to become the Shark Fights Heavyweight champion.
Check out this picture of The Dominator with his new gold:
Check out this video of Sheamus presenting an award to Justin Bieber at the MTV European Music Awards last week from Belfast, Ireland
Chyna posted a video online Friday answering questions concerning WWE. She continued her campaign to return to the sports entertainment league and pondered why Vince McMahon won’t take her back, unlike other wrestlers.
“All this time I thought that they understood what was happening. I know they thought I quit. There was a contract up I wasn’t happy with. The truth is, they let me go and I never heard from WWE since,” she says of the circumstances behind her departure from WWE in 2001.
“I recently reached out to Vince McMahon. Well, not recently, many times, but more recent, before Vivid offered me a deal. I wanted to see, “Can I get one more hurrah for my fans? Can I go back? Why have you accepted all these other people back: Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Ric Flair. All these people. Why not me? What did I do that was so bad to you that you can’t do business and have me back?”
When asked to give her thoughts on today’s Divas, such as Beth Phoenix, Eve and Natalya, Chyna says she’s paved the way for all of them.
“I do believe that I’ve paved the way for all women in the WWE Universe and I just have to say, if I do come back, they better look out,” she says.
In regards to who she would like face if she returns to WWE, Chyna said she would like to wrestle “the biggest Diva in WWE,” Vince McMahon.
She adds, “I’d lay smackdown on his ass!”
UFC held a press conference on Friday for the upcoming UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem event on 12/30 from Las Vegas. Lesnar will make his return to the octagon and go to war with Alistair Overeem, who will be making his debut with the promotion.
— WWEShop.com has released a John Laurinaitis Future Endeavored T-Shirt (view here).
The 100% cotton shirt reads “Future Endeavored” on the front and “John Laurinaitis Executive Vice President, Talent Relations Interim General Manager, Monday Night Raw” on the back.
The product description reads “When their run has ended, some go out with a bang, some with a whimper, but all are…Future Endeavored.”
— Recently released WWE talent Harry Smith (a/k/a David Hart Smith) appears on Over The Top Radio tonight at 9:00 p.m. He’ll discuss growing up in the Hart Family, his wrestling career in Canada, Japan and WWE, as well as his mixed martial arts aspirations. The show takes place here.
— WWE returns to the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida on Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. and the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida on Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 5:00 p.m.
source: PWInsider.com
Shelly Martinez discussed in the latest edition of her Fun Time Radio podcast (available here) how seeing Dave Bautista Monday night at the film premiere for Immortals in Los Angeles, California gave her so much closure with the ugliness of the wrestling world.
Shelly said of the meeting, “I just went up to him and I said “Oh my gosh, hey, what’s up” and he looked so shocked to see me. Of course, the last time he saw me he was yelling at my face and I slapped his hand out of my face—that was the last time I saw him. So I gave him a big hug and I was like “positive energy to you and vibes and keep doing what you’re doing, you look great” and it was well received—he still looked tripped out though.
“So then, when I was in the car, I was sharing with Stacy (her friend) that dream I had I talk about in my Highspots shoot. I had this dream that I was with Dave and I didn’t know if I was at wrestling show—it looked like a hotel lobby. Which is interesting because when I was looking for him, that’s what it looked like. Tripped me out! I’m telling you, crazy. So then, when I had the dream and we were talking, he had to go to his room and I had to tell him something. So I went looking for his room and I knew which one was his in my dream because there was a ball of string neatly put together and in my dream I remember looking at it saying that’s wrestling. And prior to seeing him, I was telling somebody how my goal was to be in WWE—I did it. And now I’ve learned so much, I’ve had so much closure, especially after the whole tweeting thing with Dave that wrestling for me now is fun again.
“When I went to these shows in Virginia, I had fun. It almost made me feel like when I first started wrestling and did indies and I was really excited to be at the shows. I really wanted to do well. I wanted to have good matches, but not good matches in the sense that like “I’m a wrestler, so I had to be technical,” no, it’s performance-wise. I just remember when I was Desire back in the day, that’s how I felt. I remember feeling that rush and that’s what it got me into it. So I really think I was able to have closure, I was able to enjoy my matches more and that’s what wrestling’s about.”
Shelly was joined by Serena Deeb, who shared similar sentiments regarding the wrestling industry after being released from WWE last year.
Serena says, “It’s been about a year-and-a-half for me since my release from WWE and throughout the year-and-a-half, I’ve had more of mix of emotions than ever before. It too was my childhood lifelong dream to be in WWE and everything that I did before I got there was to get there. Every move that I made in my professional life, everything was to get there. And then afterwards it’s like, you kind of have to refocus your energy because your energy was directed there forever.
“For some people it’s scary. For me, I went through a really tough time at the beginning, but I’ve done more growing up this year than in my whole life combined. The past year-and-a-half of my life I have become a completely different person and I’m really proud of the person that I am right now.”
She continued, “I was really young throughout my experience with WWE and I made some mistakes, but there were times when I was not necessarily proud of who I was as a person. And I think it took that for me to being able to stand here looking at myself in the mirror today and be the woman that I am because I’m actually really, really happy that I went through that roller coaster ride.”
WWE is conducting a survey asking for feedback on 17 show concepts for the upcoming WWE Network.
* Stone Cold Steve Austin and his counterpart, a refined beer expert, visit a different local brewery, pub, or beer fest/competition each week in different U.S. cities. Follow the tour bus online by accessing the show’s interactive GPS map and Join Stone Cold as he meets the owners of different establishments around the country; learns how the beer gets made, learns what to eat with specific beers and on the whole, just has a great time. If you’d watch this show, give me a ‘hell yeah!’
* A show based on the real lives of the largest athlete in the world, the Big Show, and his wife Bess (who has a larger than life personality). What does it take to feed a Giant? What unusual things happen in every day life when you’re 7 feet tall and weigh 500 pounds? Travel on Big Show and Bess’ tour bus from town to town; meet their giant mastiffs that sleep in their already cramped bed, and hear the outrageous stories about the Big Show and his blunders as only his wife can tell them. Then connect with Show himself during his weekly check-in with fans at WWE.com, where viewers can also find un-lockable bonus clips, Bess’s blog, and the “Show cam”, a 24/7 webcam documenting the couple’s life at home.
* Join Mick Foley as he tours the greatest adventure parks in the United States in search of the ultimate roller coaster ride. Experience the food, the people, and the thrill of the action hosted by the greatest roller coaster enthusiast in the WWE, Mick Foley. Learn more about these amazing thrill rides via WWE.com’s interactive coaster map; an annotated guide to the best amusements in the country. Post your own comments, and debate with Mick about the best dips and dives in Theme Park-Dom.
* Hosted by Mick Foley, this program will feature the best OMG moments in Sports Entertainment History. Relive Foley’s death defying fall off Hell in the Cell, Jeff Hardy’s Swanton Bomb to the outside of the ring off a 12 foot ladder, or Shane McMahon’s drop off the side of the Titan Tron. What was going through their minds as they jumped or fell? What did it feel like when they landed? Would they do it all over again? Ask your questions online and have them answered in exclusive interviews by the WWE Superstars who lived the moment.
* Akin to Ice Road Truckers or Deadliest Catch, this series would follow the WWE Road Crews from show to show to illustrate the many facets of what it takes to put on a live television show week after week. This program will follow the lives of everyone backstage: the truckers, the caterers, the television engineers, the pyro crew, as well as the WWE Superstars. What does it take to put on the biggest traveling show in the world week in and week out? Watch to find out, and go online to read the daily posts and photos from these road warriors’ themselves; or thumb through WWE.com’s official guide to landing a job on the Road Crew, and submit your resume!
* A reality show that is the exact opposite of The Biggest Loser; based on WWE Superstars helping “skinny” or “scrawny” guys put on muscle mass while providing tips to build their confidence to get their dream girl. Follow along online, where the WWE Superstars provide exclusive live tips during programming, and where the contestants document their progress on a weekly basis.
* Die-hard, middle-aged fans live out their childhood dreams of becoming a WWE Superstar by training in the ring, learning how to talk on the microphone, and getting “slammed” by their childhood hero. Vote each week to rate how well contestants are performing inside the ring and help them develop their WWE persona through live online polling.
* Each show features a different WWE Superstar or Diva taking a WWE fan through their workout. Watch as the fan sweats through a routine while learning about different training techniques as well as general workout and nutritional tips for people who are looking to get in shape. Download the show’s free iPhone exercise app, and workout alongside the Superstars, from the comfort of home, as you burn calories and build muscle.
* Amazing Race meets Road Trip as the WWE Universe competes for the ultimate prize; front row tickets to WrestleMania. Teams of WWE fans will travel the country through various challenges and roadblocks to score their chance to witness the greatest live event spectacular in entertainment, WrestleMania. A GPS tracker lets viewers follow the teams, who must use social media to help unlock tasks, get clues, and earn rewards.
* The ultimate behind-the-scenes look into the lives of six Divas as they work, train, and party together across the country in the confines of a tour bus; think Bret Michaels’ Rock of Love Tour meets Road Rules; WWE Diva’s style. How do 6 Divas share one shower? What happens when a jilted lover gets intimate with another Diva on the bus? If you thought there were sparks in The Ring every night, wait until you see what happens on The Bus…(and make sure to watch each week for a special code that unlocks the bus’s live 24/7 webcam!)
* Think Hard Knocks meets 24/7 as we follow the lives of hopeful WWE Superstars and Divas as they work, train, and struggle their way to the main roster. What relationships develop as the personal and professional lives of these young men and women intersect? Who dominates as the “alpha male”? Be a part of their triumphant success or witness the crushing blow of their failure. Who will make it up the ladder? Connect with the trainers during the show to make your opinion known, go online to pull up the live “heat map,” which rates which talents are trending most with fans in social circles, and login to Facebook to access bonus “confessional” footage.
* What match would you like to see the most? What classic WWE moment would you like to relive? You decide! Hosted out of the WWE’s state of the art HD Studio, this is where the WWE Universe programs the show and selects the content through social media voting and polling.
* A series about the romantic relationships in the WWE; showcasing famous relationships of the past between Macho Man Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth, Stephanie McMahon and HHH, Edge & Lita, Mr. McMahon’s multiple conquests, and more!
* From George “The Animal Steel”, to the likes of Goldust, Mankind, and the Brood, this 10 part series focuses on the careers and back stories of the “oddest” WWE Superstars in WWE history. Who do you think was the WWE’s most unusual character? You can join the conversation through social media and upload your ideas for the most “different” WWE characters.
* From DX imitating the Nation, to Edge and Christian’s escapades, to The Rock’s classic interviews, this 10 part series highlights the WWE’s most hilarious scenes, commentary, and bloopers. You will have the chance to rate these moments through social media and earn points for finding content we might have missed! This program is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud!
* Classic matches from the libraries of the NWA, AWA, WCW, WWE, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Georgia Championship Wrestling and more, are given a modern day presentation. The bouts of Legends like Bruno Sammartino, Bobo Brazil and Bob Backlund are enhanced with onscreen factoids and interactive interviews that offer a never before seen experience in Sports Entertainment history.
* What happened the night Mr. McMahon’s limo exploded? What happened the night Stone Cold Steve Austin filled Mr. McMahon’s prize corvette with concrete? What incident led to the wedding of Stephanie McMahon and the Undertaker? Relive these classic moments on television and interact via a second screen experience allowing you to unlock exclusive scenes and interviews in a never before seen one hour show. Go back to the water cooler!
The survey is available here.
WWE’s website published an article on Thursday speculating about the Undertaker’s whereabouts – and when he’ll return. The Undertaker, who made his WWE television debut 20 years ago at Survivor Series 1991, hasn’t been seen on television for months.
Jim Ross Comments On Undertaker Wrestling At WM28
The storyline-driven article questions whether the Undertaker could appear at Survivor Series – or at WrestleMania 28 from Miami.
“If The Phenom is to reemerge in time to compete on The Grandest Stage of Them All, he will be attempting to extend The Streak to 20-0. With that in mind, it is possible that The Deadman may not be seen until The Show of Shows.”
The article also plays up the Dead Man’s history of disappearances and returns.
As we reported last week, the Undertaker was backstage at a recent episode of WWE RAW from Dallas, TX and was pitching ideas to WWE management about his return.
John Morrison is no longer being advertised for WWE’s upcoming tour of Japan, which takes place November 30 and December 1, 2011 in Yokohama. Kevin Nash is now advertised for the two-date international tour.
WWELiveTour.com is not advertising Morrison for any events after the November 28, 2011 Raw SuperShow in Columbia, South Carolina. He was advertised for a Raw live event taking place on January 6, 2012 in Jackson, Mississippi, but pulled last week.
PWInsider.com reported in August that Morrison’s contract with WWE would expire at the end of the year.
Mr. Long Island Iced Z is back with another installment of the Z! True Long Island Story:
Chyna, who is clamoring for a return to WWE via Twitter, continues to comment on Triple H’s romantic affair with Stephanie McMahon over a decade ago.
When asked how she discovered Hunter was having an affair with Stephanie, she replied, “I found a love letter that Stephanie sent to Hunter while we were together.”
A follower told her to take the high road. Chyna, however, feels: “I have taken the high road for years. Taking the high road cost me my job.”
She adds further, “I can’t stop true love, but be honest with me about it.”
Despite her grievances with Triple H and Stephanie, Chyna says she has no problem working with them again in WWE since “it’s business, not personal.”
Meanwhile, Chyna posted a YouTube video Thursday night confirming the Twitter account as legitimate.
Devon appeared on Hit the Ropes with Shane Howard, Daris Brown and Demetrus Stokes. Highlights from the interview are as follows:
On his contract with TNA and possible return to WWE: “The contract is still valid up until August; this coming August of next year. The fans on Twitter, Facebook, and in general, in the streets and at the house shows, a lot of the fans wanting Bubba and myself to return to the WWE because of the history we have there and what we’ve done and accomplish. I guess with the state of how the WWE is going now where you see a lot guys from our era, the Attitude Era, starting to make their way back slowly but surely, and not to mention they’ve been wanting that for a while, in terms of tag teams…. Could there be a chance we could be back in the WWE? Absolutely. Could there be a chance we stay in TNA? Absolutely.”
On those who say he may be past his prime: “I look at it this way, the only people I’ve heard this from are the people who sit behind computers and can be able to say what should and should not be in professional wrestling and try to call the shots. If that’s the case, they would be some type of writers; some type of personality within the company. As far as I’m concerned, the matches I’ve been having in the singles I’ve been loving it, the fans have been loving it….
“Those people that are on the Internet writing what their writing, it doesn’t bother me. What would bother me would be the people in the arenas. And that’s what I go by…. If I lost a step, if I was grossly overweight, I can see them having a valid point. But when I’m in the ring with AJ, Samoa Joe, and Hernandez, and so forth and so on, and tearing the house down, it’s hard for me to want to be able to listen to those people who are behind the keyboards who are writing this and actually believe what they are saying….”
Devon also comments on his sons doing amateur wrestling and wanting to be pro wrestlers, the female who played his wife in the storyline with The Pope, Team 3-D Academy, working in Japan, his most memorable matches, and more. The full interview can be accessed here.
The following is a spoiler-free preview for tonight’s WWE SmackDown on SyFy show, which was taped Tuesday night from Liverpool, England:
– Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett.
– World champion Mark Henry vs. Daniel Bryan.
– Sheamus vs. Christian.
– Ted DiBiase vs. Jinder Mahal
– Big Show in a three on one handicap match.
– Alicia Fox vs. Tamina.
– Hunico & Epico vs. The Usos.
Following Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling, here is the final card for Sunday’s TNA Turning Point pay-per-view:
TNA World Heavyweight Title Match
Bobby Roode (c) vs. AJ Styles
TNA Tag Team Title Match
Mexican America (c) vs. Ink Inc.
TNA Knockouts Title Match
Velvet Sky (c) vs. Gail Kim
TNA X Division Title Match:
Austin Aries (c) vs. Kid Kash vs. Jesse Sorensen
TNA Television Title Match:
Eric Young vs. Robbie E
Jeff Jarrett vs. Jeff Hardy
Crimson vs. Matt Morgan
Rob Van Dam vs. Daniels
Bully Ray and Scott Steiner vs. Ken Anderson and Abyss
Dark Match:
* Justin Gabriel beat local wrestler Matthew O’Kay.
WWE SmackDown
* Randy Orton opens the show and talks about the 5-on-5 elimination match. Wade Barrett comes out and says his team will be the victors at Survivor Series.
Christian comes out in a neck brace. They beat Orton down which brings out Sheamus to make the save. Teddy Long interrupts and makes Sheamus vs. Christian and Orton vs. Barrett for tonight.
* Sheamus beat Christian with the Celtic Cross. Another good match between the two. One sweet spot was when Christian jumped out of the ring, got caught by Sheamus, who rammed him into the barricade.
* Daniel Bryan was talking backstage with A.J. and Kaitlyn about he almost cashed MiTB last week. Mark Henry turned up and said how dare Bryan almost cash it in. He said Bryan had guts but he will spill them later tonight in their match.
* A promo package for Ezekiel Jackson was shown.
* A terrible Teddy Long and Aksana backstage segment occurred. The less said the better. Alicia Fox was involved.
* Ted DiBiase beat Jinder Mahal. Jinder didn’t even get an entrance. Ted won quickly. Squash match.
* Mark Henry beat Daniel Bryan. Henry won with the World’s Strongest Slam. After the match, Henry got the chair meaning to break his leg, but Bryan got the chair and hit Henry with it. Henry no sold and gave him the World’s Strongest Slam several times. He put him in the corner with the chair on his leg, but Big Show made the save.
Henry kept Show out of the ring, and hit Bryan on the back with the chair. Show stood on the apron and the two had a stare off until henry got out of the ring. Show got in, tossed the world championship back to Henry, then got on the mic to trash him.
* Big Show defeated three enhancement wrestlers. Henry then trashed him from the ramp. Henry botched his promo afterwards. He did say he has impressed everyone and he will beat Show at Survivor Series and leave him with a lasting impression.
* Alicia Fox beat Tamina. Natalya was on commentary. Said to be a “crappy match.”
* There was a bit with Sheamus and Matt Striker talking about Sheamus’s temper.
* Hunico and Epico beat The Uso Twins. After the match, the Mexicans triple beat on The Uso’s, including a sweet triple finisher. Hunico got the mic and spoke in Spanish and got the “What” treatment.
* Wade Barrett defeated Randy Orton. Orton went for the RKO and Barrett avoided it. Barrett won with a thumb to the eye and a roll up. Good match.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog with a preview of Saturday’s UFC debut on FOX – featuring the blockbuster UFC Heavyweight title match between Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior Dos Santos.
Ross, an avid MMA fan, picks Cain Velasquez to retain the gold this Saturday night.
Some interesting points Ross brought up about the fight:
– Neither man has ever been knocked down in a UFC fight.
– Combined, both men has spent less than sixty seconds on their back in a UFC fight.
– Dos Santos has never been taken down in a UFC contest.
– Cain is 15 of 22 in take down attempts.
Jim Ross’ “Keys to the Fight” – Cain’s striking defense, Junior’s takedown defense, and, with it scheduled for 5 rounds, cardio conditioning which likely favors the Champion.
Ross also talked about former UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar being part of Saturday night’s broadcast – which has seemingly been kept an under promoted secret for some unknown reason. Ross questions UFC’s decision to not hype Lesnar more, “Lesnar still equals TV ratings and he likely has more main stream name identity than either Velasquez or Dos Santos.”
Busted Open Interview: A.J. Styles
Hosts: Dave Lagreca and Doug Mortman
Busted Open can be heard Monday, Wednesday and Friday on Sirius 94 XM 208
Styles on Hulk Hogan: “If you want to see my take my hair and dye it all blonde, slick it back, and hang out with girls all the time, and you know, do that whole thing, and just totally just not be AJ at all, then you would’ve went with Hogan’s idea. To me, that was the same thing they did in WCW with the referee. I don’t know if you guys remember that, but that’s exactly what popped in my mind.
“I was like, ‘I’m not that guy, and I am AJ Styles. I’m not Ric Flair. I am who I am.’ I mean, just because he hasn’t been watching, doesn’t mean that a lot of people haven’t. They know who AJ Styles. I got to be honest man; I don’t think that I need to ride Ric Flair’s coat-tails to be the next great thing in wrestling. I mean, you gotta’ have storylines.
“You gotta’ have em’ or you can’t build up for the next big match. So, we all agree that you gotta’ have those storylines, but you gotta’ pick and choose which ones you’re gonna’ go after because people still want to see that wrestling. I know in Canada, they cut out most of the talking because they only have, I think they only have an hour of TV? I’m not sure exactly on that, but I know they cut out on a lot of the promos, but they’re watching all wrestling. You know, the Canadian fans are some of the hottest fans that we’ve got. So, we must be doing something right in that ring.
“I think that our guys are more than capable of telling great stories in that right; more than capable if given the opportunity, and the time in the ring. That’s what some guys think, that championship titles are props; that the ring is just a prop. I know that I enjoy personally the wrestling part, I really do. I love the physical atmosphere of what’s going on in a wrestling ring. I always say to people, “If you haven’t seen it live, see it live, and you can see how hard-hitting this really can be, and I take pride in that ring.”
Styles on Jeff Hardy: “Listen, I hope Jeff really comes back strong. I think that so far, so good. I think he’s doing great. He looks better. I mean, he just looks physically better. I think maybe having a baby girl has changed some things for him. I think the time that he had off was a good time to be off, but he’s still got a lot to prove in some fans’ eyes, and I think he’s more than capable of doing that, but time will tell. You know I said times have changed before, and they really have. I mean, we’re not the same kind of guys that were working in the ’80s; in the ’90s even.”
Styles on doing minimal interviews: “You know what, man? That’s not even a question for me (Laughs). That’s a question for Impact Wrestling. I don’t know why that is. I busted my butt for how many years now, but I’m not going to be a guy that’s gonna’ complain about every little thing. Yeah, sure, you know, there’s some stuff that I could say and mention, but that’s not who I am. That’s not what I do. I support my company, and whatever they think is best is…well, what we’ll do. I’m behind em’.”
Styles on the direction of TNA: “Don’t get me wrong,, we’re growing. There’s no doubt about that. We are growing, but…we want to grow more. I want us to have household names. I want us to be a household company that people say, ‘Oh, yeah, Impact Wrestling! I know exactly what that is.’ You know, not when we go through …security at the airport or immigration or whatnot where you hear, ‘Oh, oh like WWE?’ I don’t want to hear that. I want them to know exactly who we are. And the thing about us is we have our core crowd. It’s how do we get …our core crowd, our core fans…giving them something to talk about. That’s what we’ve got to give em’ like, ‘You’ve got to see this!’
“You know, that’s what we need. We’ll then get …more fans.. It’s not gonna’ work that way. We just need to make something more interesting to watch. It’s night and day. It’s great you know, going to The Impact Zone, but it’s phenomenal going outside of that, man, and really seeing what the crowd really thinks about you because that’s how you tell. I mean we’ve got a lot of fans that come, but we got a lotta’ tourists that come to The Impact Zone too where they really haven’t followed the story; they really don’t know what’s going on.
“They just know that there’s wrestling, but when you get out of that Impact Zone, you really get to see these fans who’ve watched weekly. …they will tell you what they wanna’ see. They’ll tell you who they wanna’ see, … They’ll tell you who they want them to be. You know what I’m sayin’? That’s what it’s all about! That’s who we have to listen to!”
WrestlingNewsCenter.com reports James Harris, who is known as “The Ugandan Giant” Kamala, had his foot amputated Monday due to complications of high blood pressure and diabetes.
Hollywood Jimmy, a close friend of Harris, wrote Wednesday, “I talked to James today and he’s in good spirit. James is a true Memphis Wrestling legend and will be missed in the wrestling world. I had the opportunity to travel up and down the road with James and he’s one of the nicest people in the wrestling business. I wish James a speedy recovery and we hope he feels better.”
This would likely signal the end of his 37-year career as a professional wrestler, which has included stops in every major promotion including WWE, World Class Championship Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance, Mid-South Wrestling, Memphis Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling and the American Wrestling Association. He continued to compete on the independent wrestling circuit in recent years and would occasionally resurface on national television. He last appeared on a national show at TNA Wrestling’s Slammiversary pay-per-view event in June 2008, as a guest at Jay Lethal and SoCal Val’s wedding.
Harris is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1656220687. His last message, published October 14, reads: “Sometime when I’m riding along the highways in my big 18 wheeler I think of a particular moment in wrestling, and I will just hold on to it as long as I can with warmth. Then again, there are the sad times. I guess we all have them.”
The official website of the Cauliflower Alley Club states Killer Karl Kox, a headliner in the 1960s and 1970s, died Thursday at the age of 80.
Kox, whose real name is Herb Gerwig, suffered a fatal heart attack Thursday morning while hospitalized. He had been hospitalized due to a massive heart attack he suffered on October 20, 2011.
The National Wrestling Association issued a statement regarding his passing: “The Cauliflower Alley Club is reporting the death earlier today of Killer Karl Kox. Kox wrestled all over the world and was a huge star in Australia, feuding with the likes of Spiros Arion, Mark Lewin, and others. Stateside, he held many titles, including the NWA National, Central States, Florida, and Georgia championships. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.”
Jim Ross commented on the legendary grappler’s death on Twitter.
“Killer Karl Kox, who died today at 80, was an awesome wrestler. His matches vs Dick Murdoch were text book classics. Blessed to see Karl at Cauliflower Alley Club,” he wrote.
SLAM! Wrestling has published a story chronicling Kox’s legendary career.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety over at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
Mark Canterbury (Henry Godwin): “Mark Canterbury aka Henry O. Godwin (HOG) is recovering from a serious car accident earlier in the week in which he sustained a broken femur, largest bone in the body aka thigh bone, at least 12 broken ribs, had his appendix and spleen removed and is currently in ICU. Tough hand dealt to a legit tough man.”
“Mark was thrust on the WWE radar after an impressive TV bout vs. The Undertaker back in the day. His efforts albeit in a losing effort turned heads and as I have said many times here, the talent maximized his minutes.”
“Yours truly even got slopped in a Hog Pen Match at an In Your House PPV that originated from Hershey, Pa that featured HOG vs. HHH. Ah, the good old days. Please keep Mark in your thoughts and prayers. He’s a sweetheart of a guy “
His Dream Matches: “Another question we received concerned what match would I have liked to have seen that never occured. I could likely write book about this topic as I’ve been around since 1974 and many matches, due to politics, basic timing, injuries, etc, that were big money matches never occured. One obviously is Austin vs. Hogan but Austin vs. Lesnar would have been special as would Austin vs. Goldberg. As I said, this topic has numerous bouts that would fit the bill.“
The Penn State Scandal: “Unfortunate situation at Penn State with the scandal involving former, long time Nittany Lion coach Jerry Sandusky which has resulted in coaching icon Joe Paterno being fired Wednesday night via telephone. I think no matter the circumstances of the firing that JoePa deserved to be told in person and not on the telephone but I also feel that the PSU higher ups did what they had to do in removing JoePa from the team. I expect there to be a complete house cleaning at Penn State which means that every coach on the football staff will likely be out of work in a matter of weeks. One disturbing aspect of this story, thanks to non news outlets like ESPN, is that this tragedy was largely made to be a football matter when the allegations of child abuse are far from such.”
– THQ’s WWE video game Creative Director Cory Ledesma tweeted on Thursday about Chris Jericho not being included in WWE ’12:
“Not having Jericho on the roster was not a creative decision. Cant say much more than that. Factors beyond our control. We wanted him too.”
– THQ has also released the first footage of former WWE superstar Batista in the upcoming WWE ’12 videogame, who will be available as a downloadable character.
Here are some highlights of what Big Show recently spoke about during an interview CTPost.com:
Mark Henry: “He has really come into his own and stepped up his level of intensity. When you’re in the ring with him, you feel how powerful he is. I’m not embarrassed to say Mark is stronger than I am. “When I’m in the ring with someone who has a real potential to crush my spine, it increases my intensity level. Mark makes me push myself athletically.”
Dark Match Main Events at TV Tapings: “We do a great job putting out our TV product, but for fans in specific market areas, we like to give them something extra. It’s a reward for people for showing their support and coming out.”
His Career: “I’ve never been that kind of guy to talk about great matches or bad matches. What happened yesterday is what happened yesterday. I’ve worked with some of the biggest names in this business. And yeah, I’ve been around a long time and done a lot of cool things. But I just try to stay humble and keep working hard.”
“I enjoy what I do so much, but I don’t want to celebrate. If I keep my head down keep pushing, maybe nobody will notice I’ve been around so long.”
– WWE unveiled a new WWE Network logo during Tuesday’s NXT episode.
The logo is a variation of the “Attitude Era” WWE logo – with one W on top of the other (still no E) and a a futuristic metallic look. The red stripe below the W remains, but has been restyled.
No word yet on whether WWE will be updating the official company logo to this new look – but hit the comments below and tell us if you think this is an improvement over the “Attitude Era” logo.
– The current plan is for Kane to return at the Royal Rumble in January 2012. Kane was written off television back in July after a brutal beatdown at the hands of World Heavyweight champion Mark Henry. At the time, WWE said Kane would be out for “at least 3 months” – but he’s been enjoying some much needed time off, which has helped sell the injury angle.
Check Out: Recent Pictures of Kane With Hair
– WWE star Hornswoggle will be attending the premiere of the new Muppets movie this weekend. After the WWE crew had such a great time when the Muppets guest starred on RAW several weeks back, the feeling within WWE is that the Muppets will be back in the future for occasional cameos at events like WrestleMania.
The WWE website has a new article up by WWE Magazine’s “The Informer” – who dishes some dirt from the WWE locker room.
Here are some of the items included in this update ..
Which WWE Diva just dumped her boyfriend from Hell and now has a private eye spying on him to make sure he’s not stalking her?
One WWE Diva is notorious for not washing her ring gear. WWE has been on tour in Europe for more than a week, and we hear the offending Diva’s luggage smells like “hot garbage and cheap perfume.”
Which WWE staffer parks his Volvo in Mr. McMahon’s reserved spot at WWE HQ Mondays and Tuesdays, knowing that the boss is on the road?
One of WWE’s most masculine Superstars was overheard on the phone telling his significant other that he was looking forward to watching The Notebook with her when he got home. (Not only that, but we’ve every reason to believe that it’s his DVD.)
Which unfortunate Diva got stuck with the bill for a very late return and extra cleaning fees after her rental car had been reportly boosted from a rest stop in Georgia?
— Christian has left WWE’s ongoing European tour after suffering an injury at Wednesday’s SmackDown live event in Brussels, Belgium.
He is believed to have either sprained or broken his ankle.
According to multiple live accounts, Christian suffered the injury within the first few minutes of a match against Sheamus. The match ended abruptly with Sheamus reigning victorious via Brogue Kick. He was then assisted to the backstage area by personnel and was unable to put weight on his ankle.
— WWEShop.com has released a T-Shirt honoring the late “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith—British Bulldog Wolf Grey Old School Scrum T-Shirt.
source: PWInsider.com
