Triple H and Shawn Michaels appeared at the Atlanta Falcon’s NFL football game on Thursday night and actually got some microphone time to address the stadium crowd.
The duo was in town to promote the release of WrestleMania 27 tickets, which went on sale Saturday.
Here’s a video of Triple H and Shawn Michaels representing DX at the Georgia Dome:
— Bret Hart returned to the ring Friday at WWE’s SmackDown live event in Cologne, Germany. “The Hitman” teamed with David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd to defeat Husky Harris, Heath Slater and David Otunga. The match concluded when Slater tapped out to Hart’s Sharpshooter.
— Shawn Michaels and Triple H were at the Georgia Dome Thursday before the Atlanta Falcons vs. Baltimore Ravens game. They briefly discussed WrestleMania XXVII before doing the signature ‘Are You Ready’ bit. HBK explained they had to say ‘Rise Up’ instead of a certain catchphrase because it’s the Falcons slogan this year, and also because they don’t want to get in trouble.
To view video from their appearance, click here.
— According to an SPC stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, signs have been posted around the military base advertising WWE’s annual Tribute to the Troops event for Saturday, Dec. 11.
The hour-long special will air 9 p.m. EST/8 p.m. CST the following Saturday on NBC and chronicle WWE Superstars and Divas visiting Fort Hood to meet with the troops and their families, culminating with a live in-ring performance in front of thousands of military personnel.
— A clip of Edge’s profile in WWE’s forthcoming Top 50 Superstars of All Time DVD has been released. The clip highlights his WWE career in under three minutes and features comments from fellow colleagues such as John Cena and William Regal.
To view the video profile, click here.
— Former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia has been announced for Wizard World’s Miami Comic Con, which takes place Feb. 26-27 at the Miami Airport Convention Center in Miami, Florida.
Triple H appeared on an Atlanta radio station Friday promoting WrestleMania XXVII and when asked whether he would miss the event, he said no. He stated that he has been rehabbing his injured biceps and is close to returning. He noted that he felt good when he faced Alberto Del Rio at WWE’s recent Fan Appreciation event.
Triple H refuted recent reports that his wife, Stephanie, couldn’t vote in the state of Connecticut because she wasn’t registered. He did say, however, that they initially went to the wrong polling place.
He also discussed his recent promotion as senior adviser to Vince McMahon, saying his colleagues are starting to get used to him in the role because they feel he understands them and can convey their concerns.
The host suggested that Abdullah the Butcher be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and Triple H said he proposed the idea last week.
— Bret Hart noted on his Facebook account Friday that his ring jacket and sunglasses were stolen at Thursday’s SmackDown live event in Nuremberg, Germany.
“Just a quick update for everyone. The tour’s going well but, unfortunately, somebody stole my ring jacket and sunglasses at the Nurnberg, Germany show last night. Any help would be appreciated. May they wear it in shame knowing they stole it!”
— As of Thursday afternoon, the first four rows on all four sides of the ring for WrestleMania XXVII at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia were sold out, including all of the $1,000 seats.
— During commentary on this week’s episode of WWE Superstars, Michael Cole pondered if “Vince” would be commentating during the “Old School” episode of Raw. Josh Matthews said “the guy’s in a coma,” to which Cole replied, “Oh well then. His commentary won’t be any worse than it was 20 years ago.”
— Today marks the fifth anniversary of the passing of former WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero, who was found dead in a hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
source: f4wonline.com
Shawn Michaels was named the number one Superstar in World Wrestling Entertainment’s forthcoming DVD set counting down the top 50 Superstars of all time, WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time.
The DVD’s complete 1 to 50 ranking is as follows:
1. Shawn Michaels
2. The Undertaker
3. Steve Austin
4. Bret Hart
5. The Rock
6. Harley Race
7. Ricky Steamboat
8. Andre the Giant
9. Rey Mysterio
10. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper
11. Eddie Guerrero
12. Triple H
13. Gorgeous George
14. “Macho Man” Randy Savage
15. “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig
16. John Cena
17. Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair (tied)
19. Edge
20. Jerry “The King” Lawler
21. Lou Thesz
22. Terry Funk
23. Hulk Hogan
24. Bruno Sammartino
25. Chris Jericho
26. Ted DiBiase
27. Fabulous Moolah
28. Classy Freddie Blassie
29. Randy Orton
30. Pat Patterson
31. The Iron Sheik
32. Jimmy Snuka
33. Mick Foley
34. Kurt Angle
35. Buddy Rogers
36. Gorilla Monsoon
37. Junkyard Dog
38. “Superstar” Billy Graham
39. Jake “The Snake” Roberts
40. Big Show
41. Jack Brisco
42. Sgt. Slaughter
43. Kane
44. Nick Bockwinkel
45. Jeff Hardy
46. Dory Funk Jr.
47. Bob Backlund
48. Rick Rude
49. Batista
50. Killer Kowalski
This Saturday night is UFC 122 on Spike TV. The show will only the second UFC event from Germany ever.
In the main event, Nate Marquardt and Yushin Okami square off a middleweight fight with the winner getting a shot at Anderson Silva’s title.
Here’s the final card and the official weigh-in results:
MAIN CARD (Will Air On Spike TV)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Not Televised)
(submit YOUR questions to [email protected])
Q: When Rey Mysterio comes down the entrance way to the ring, what is he saying to those kids when he does that super creepy thing and touches his forehead to theirs? – Franchise Shane Douglas
A: You know, I’d rather not think about that. So long as it doesn’t involve an offer of candy and a room key, it’s nobody’s business.
Q: Where do the superstars who get buried alive escape to when the dirt covers them? Also, do you know how Undertaker got out of the burning casket at the 1998 Royal Rumble? – Big Mike
A: There is a trap door hidden inside the grave on one of the sides. At the appropriate time, the camera will cut away, giving whoever is in the grave an opportunity to safely roll out of dodge before the final mounds of dirt are emptied into the dark tomb. As for the ’98 Rumble, you may recall that after Undertaker was dumped into the casket, there was a considerable amount of time that passed as Kane and Paul Bearer secured him inside before they began rolling the casket down the aisle way. While the casket sat propped up against the side of the ring, there is a trap door through which Taker escaped under the ring. Sometimes, if you pay close attention, you can even see the person moving out of the box and under the ring. Once Bearer and Kane saw this, they knew it was safe to proceed.
Q: When Kurt Angle originally left WWE for TNA, I heard it was because he lied about his reasoning for wanting to be released from his contract. When he turned up in TNA, what was Vince McMahon’s reaction? – Ryan Begley
A: There are disputed accounts about what happened during that final meeting between Angle and McMahon. The most reliable story I’ve heard is that Angle broke down weeping and that, coupled with some bizarre behavior on his part in the weeks leading up to his release (e.g. sending weird text messages to people), made WWE realize that this guy was a walking time bomb and it was in his best interest to leave the company. They fully expected Kurt to go to TNA and, in a way, actually encouraged it. They didn’t encourage it directly the way they did when Vince told Bret Hart to negotiate with WCW back in 1997 because they couldn’t afford to pay his salary anymore, but everyone involved realized that Kurt had substance abuse issues and the WWE road schedule was going to kill him sooner rather than later. Going to TNA with their reduced schedule was the best move for his health and well-being.
Q: Why do the writers at TNA suddenly think its a good idea to bombard their show with segment after segment of people talking, pointless fights and beatdowns, or backstage attacks? – Kieran Andrews
A: Don’t forget swerves, lots of swerves! Simply put, in their minds, whatever worked in 1999 will surely work in 2010. Of course, we all know that’s bullshit, which automatically makes us infinitely smarter than the people running TNA.
Q: Is R-Truth getting a new push with all of the segments with Cena, his recent match against Miz and his tag match with Orton? He is a good performer, but the typical rapper/thug gimmick is played out. I know he will always be a mid-carder in WWE, but I think he could he a high mid-carder. Will we see a heel turn soon? – Chris
A: It’s certainly possible down the road, but I’d be surprised if it happened this year given how hard they are trying to get his new theme song over with the audience. The only thing about his act that was over was his music and now that they changed it, it’s really killed the guy dead in his tracks. Truth has a load of in-ring talent, but to me, the biggest obstacle to him getting anything remotely close to a main event push is his prior arrest record in Canada. Because of that, he is not allowed across the border (which is why he missed one of the Raw shows leading up to Bragging Rights). You can’t have a World champion banned from performing in an entire country.
Q: In NXT season 1, Wade Barrett won the “Talk the Talk” challenge and was promised his own theme music to stand out in the competition. However, he never got that music. Why didn’t they go through with it? – The Brian Collins
A: Wasn’t Kaval promised a title shot for winning season 2 of NXT? Why ask why?
Q: I was watching the Four Horsemen DVD and it was interesting. I was at the part where they attack Ricky Morton and it got me thinking about tag teams and why the Rock ‘N Roll Express is overlooked when the greatest tag teams of all time are discussed or ranked in a Top 10. Are they the most underrated tag team ever? – Andrew Betts
A: I think you’re hanging out with the wrong crowd. They won’t be on everyone’s list, but the Rock ‘N Roll Express are mentioned fairly often when it comes to discussions about the greatest teams in wrestling history. Because they never worked, in their prime, for a company like WWE, they may not have the same level of visibility as the Bulldogs or Steiner Brothers, but they’re not as overlooked as you might think, nor do I think they are the most underrated tag team of all time. That distinction would go to Steve Austin and Brian Pillman as The Hollywood Blondes in WCW. They were an unexpectedly great team that was dissolved way sooner than they should have been. Them, or Head Cheese.
Q: I’ve watched a number of WWE DVD sets over the past few years and I’ve noticed that WWE only blurs certain WWF logos. I know that Vince had to change the name because of the World Wildlife Fund, but it seems like WWE lets the block-style WWF logo appear unblurred. With them having an “Old School” Raw show, along with selling these new retro WWF t-shirts, is there something from the settlement that allows them to use only certain logos? Why doesn’t Vince just pay the royalties/fines in order to keep the old logos intact? – Jim
A: It doesn’t work that way. It would be far too costly for them to do so or they would have done something already. As for the lawsuit, WWE was NOT required to change the name of their company. They opted to do so because while they could continue to call themselves the World Wrestling Federation in this country, they would not have been allowed to do so overseas, which would have created far too much confusion in the marketplace. It’s simply bad branding to call yourself one thing in the U.S. and something different everywhere else. Whatever the reason, the old block-letter WWF logo was never banned from being used, this was only in reference to the scratch logo of the Attitude Era. You’ll notice, they are also allowed to speak the words World Wrestling Federation, but are not allowed to speak the initials WWF (unless your name is Bret Hart). I’d say blame the pandas, but in reality, WWE did breach whatever agreement they had in place with the wildlife folks, so you reap what you sow.
Q: Is it just me or does anyone else think it’s weird that they keep calling Hornswoggle “Horny”? Maybe I am being a little bit immature about this, and granted the kids probably don’t view it like that. To me though, it’s just a little odd that adults (Teddy Long is over 50) can continually, and with a straight face, keep calling a 24 year old midget “Horny.” Who’d have ever thought that being “Horny” would actually be PG? – Geremy Kerr
A: To be fair, I was called “Horny” when I was 24 years old, too. Still am.
Keep those questions coming to [email protected] and remember to include your name!
— WWE officials are planning Monday’s “Old School” themed Raw on the assumption that Jerry Lawler will not be available.
— Matches advertised to take place on tonight’s episode of SmackDown are Big Show vs. Kane, David Otunga vs. Edge, and Dolph Ziggler defending the Intercontinental Championship against MVP. The show will also feature Kofi Kingston vs. Alberto Del Rio and Natalya vs. Layla.
— WWE’s production staff has ceased production on additional “Stand Up For WWE” promotional videos.
sources: PWInsider.com, F4WOnline.com
— Shawn Michaels was asked to fly out to Atlanta, Georgia to promote the first day of WrestleMania XXVII ticket sales because most of the company’s major names are currently touring in Europe. Two names not on the ongoing tour are Triple H and The Undertaker, however the latter is recovering from rotator cuff surgery. (source: f4wonline.com)
— Mae Young has been confirmed to appear at Monday’s “Old School” episode of Raw.
— WWE returns to the Salzburg Arena in Salzburg, Austria on Apr. 20, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale Nov. 13, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
Urijah Faber was victorious in his bantamweight debut against Takeya Mizugaki at Thursday’s WEC 52 show. Faber choked out Mizugaki with a rear naked choke in the final moments of the first round and describes a scary moment before referee Josh Rosenthal called the fight:
“I didn’t realize [Mizugaki] was out for so long. I knew he was going out because I could tell how deep it was. For the most part, I was choking him with one arm, which is how I beat Dominick Cruz, with one arm. I knew he was going out but I didn’t realize it was that bad, he was stiffed up, it was kind of scary. I mean, you don’t want to do that to somebody but I didn’t realize either, I saw the time limit of 1:10 when I started choking him and I just knew I had to get it in there.”
(Credit to WEC.tv for the quote)
The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels appeared on the CBS news in Atlanta on Thursday to promote tickets going on sale for WrestleMania this weekend:
Thanks to Cliff for the following WWE SmackDown spoilers from today’s show in England:
* SmackDown starts with Edge talking about Survivor Series. Nexus, without Wade Barrett, comes out and surrounds the ring. Vickie Guerrero comes out and makes Edge shake David Otunga’s hand. Edge then spears Otunga.
* Alberto Del Rio beat Kofi Kingston by submission.Of course Rey Mysterio came out and hit Del Rio with the 619 afterward.
* Natalya beat Layla in a non-title match with the Sharpshooter.
* Backstage promo with Kane talking about Big Show.
* David Otunga beat Edge in a Lumberjack match. Everyone fought at ringside, Kane came down and chokeslammed Edge. Otunga pinned Edge for the win.
* Dolph Ziggler defeated MVP to retain the Intercontinental title.
* Kane found an urn on the ground backstage, but no Paul Bearer.
* Cody Rhodes came out and cut a promo.
* Big Show beat Kane in a non-title match with a chokeslam. Edge distracted Kane after he brought out Paul Bearer tied up.
WEC 52 held its second to last show last night from “The Pearl” at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Former 145lb. champion Urijah Faber made his debut in the lighter bantemweight division, taking out top challenger Takeye Mizugaki at the end of the main event’s first round.
Here are the full results from WEC 52: Faber vs. Mizugaki:
MAIN CARD
PRELIMINARY CARD
Hulk Hogan and his fiancée Jennifer McDaniel filed for a marriage license this week in Tampa, Florida, reports TMZ.com.
Those close to the TNA Superstar tell TMZ the couple wants to be married by Dr. Michael Beckwith — a spiritual guru based out of Los Angeles.
Hogan commented to the website, “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”
Here are some pictures of the next Mrs. Hogan:
Lacey Von Erich announced on her Twitter page this evening that she has decided to leave TNA Wrestling.
“I decided to respectfully leave TNA today .. I want to try new things, like be a sports host or something :) Love ya’ll!”
She also noted the following on her Facebook page:
“Let’s face it I was no Von Erich in the ring :) But it was so much fun! I’m getting married, and would love to do something local, luckily I live in L.A. so it shouldnt be too difficult! :)”
Von Erich joined the promotion in October 2009 to replace Angelina Love in “The Beautiful People” faction.
Former WWE Intercontinental Champion The Honky Tonk Man issued the following statement via his webmaster yesterday evening concerning next week’s “Old School” episode of Monday Night Raw, which he had been tentatively scheduled to attend:
“HTM and WWE could not come to terms for the Old School RAW show upcoming. HTM informed WWE yesterday that he no longer had a desire to participate on the event.”
A follow-up message was issued on The Honky Tonk Man’s Facebook account announcing that details concerning his dealings with WWE officials will be posted on his official website, www.honkytonkman.net.
“HTM will tell all on www.honkytonkman.net why he and WWE could not come to terms. A story no one wants to miss. We will expose the behind scenes of the things that really happened with e-mails to prove it. You will get an inside look into the way WWE deals with some people. $350 grand to someone for 2 mins. who never worked in pro wrestling but yet a 4 hr. plane ride in a shitty middle seat to a legend. We will have it all.”
Below is the synopsis for WWE’s upcoming three-disc DVD set on Big Show, The Big Show: A Giant’s World, which is set for release on Feb. 22, 2011:
Big Show lays claim to the title of “World’s Largest Athlete” and anyone that doubts it may be on the receiving end of his devastating knockout punch. The 7-foot giant has been a staple of the Sports Entertainment scene since his WCW debut in the 90s, and h as battled some of the all-time greats, including Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Sting, Undertaker, Triple H, John Cena, and more.
He’s also cast his enormous shadow in the worlds of television and movies with roles on Royal Pains, Saturday Night Live, The Waterboy, MacGruber, and Knucklehead.
Now for the first time ever, Big Show’s mammoth career will be highlighted in a DVD set. This 3-disc release will include a never-before-seen documentary on the life and times of Big Show featuring new candid interviews where Show discusses how a giant lives in an average-sized world, his sports entertainment career, and more.
According to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, a grudge match between Strikeforce Welterweight champion Nick Diaz and Jason “Mayhem” Miller is being planned and could be finalized in the near future. Coker told the New York Daily News:
“It’s something that we’re definitely looking at. You have to look at it from all different angles. Would it be a fun fight to promote? Sure. I think we should wait until the beginning of the year, and let’s have another conversation on that because with Miller and Diaz I just couldn’t imagine the extra security that I’d probably need to get to make that fight happen.”
We’ll keep an eye on this story and will post a followup when new details become available.
Hulk Hogan and his fiancée, Jennifer, filed for a marriage license this week in Tampa, Florida, reports TMZ.com.
Those close to the TNA Superstar tell TMZ the couple wants to be married by Dr. Michael Beckwith — a spiritual guru based out of Los Angeles.
Hogan commented to the website, “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”
A&E will be airing a special on Hogan’s personal life next Wednesday, Finding Hulk Hogan.
Related News: First Review Not Good For Hulk Hogan’s A&E Special
Here are the complete weigh-in results for tonight’s WEC 52 event, featuring Urijah Faber vs. Takeya Mizugaki in the main event.
The only person not to make weight was preliminary fighter Zack Micklewright, who weighed in at 158lbs, two pounds over the limit. He was given an hour to get down to 156 and was able to make weight.
MAIN CARD
– Urijah Faber (136) vs. Takeya Mizugaki (136)
– Chad Mendes (145.5) vs. Javier Vazquez (146)
– Erik Koch (146) vs. Francisco Rivera (146)
– Joseph Benavidez (136) vs. Wagnney Fabiano (136)
– Demetrious Johnson (135) vs. Damacio Page (136)
PRELIMINARY CARD
– Raphael Assuncao (146) vs. L.C. Davis (146)
– Edward Faaloloto (154) vs. Anthony Njokuani (156)
– Zack Micklewright (158)* vs. Dustin Poirier (155)
– Clint Godfrey (136) vs. Michael McDonald (135)
– Mackens Semerzier (145) vs. Cub Swanson (145)
-Yves Jabouin (145) vs. Brandon Visher (145)
(Source: MMAJunkie.com)
– The Undertaker underwent shoulder surgery in the past week to repair his torn rotator cuff. Obviously the hope is that he’s healthy in time for WrestleMania, but it’s not guaranteed and it will depend on how his recovery goes.
– CM Punk, who injured his lower back at WWE’s Bragging Rights pay-per-view, opted not to have surgery because a doctor told him he’d be able to rehab what’s believed to be a torn muscle tendon. Punk will be out of action until at least January, but will be healthy in time for WrestleMania season.
– Sheamus has a real nasty bruise on one of his legs and was seen limping around backstage at television this past week. He’s not expected to miss any ring time.
(Credit to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
Former WWE & TNA star Sean “X-Pac” Waltman went on Twitter yesterday and said he’s working on getting a DX reunion together. Waltman wrote:
“Im working on getting a tour of Europe w/a DX Reunion of Myself & The New Age Outlaws. Any reputable promoters interested, FB mesg me.”
When asked by a Twitter follower how he’d be able to promote a DX reunion when WWE owns the rights to the DX trademarks, Waltman replied:
“Well …..Who cares? There would have no longer been a DX when Shawn quit after losing to Austin. We were the real degenerates.”
Later, he spoke about the most recent incarnation of DX (Shawn Michaels, Triple H and all that bad comedy):
“Everyone already had that watered down version of a dx reunion. Not HHH & Shawns fault though .. I just mean that the content was watered down because of the whole PG thing. No disrespect. I love them both dearly.”
The first review is in for the upcoming A&E’s reality TV special “Finding Hulk Hogan” and its not too flattering.
John Griffiths of US Weekly wrote the following:
“Wrestler turned reality fixture Hulk Hogan opens up about his divorce, money woes and bout with depression in a tell-all special. Don’t fret: He soon finds God and a career as an exec for TNA Wrestling. Considering his stature in pop culture, this effort could have been a bit more insightful and less self-promotional.”
“Finding Hulk Hogan” premiers on A&E on Wednesday, November 17th at 10pm (ET).
— TNA Superstar Kurt Angle said “anything is possible” today on his Facebook account in regards to a possible return to WWE.
“A lot of you want me back in WWE. I appreciate your kind words. I love TNA but anything is possible,” he wrote. “Dixie Carter has been wonderful to me. She cares about my well being. That means more to me than anything. So I would never count out WWE, but TNA is my loyalty right now.”
— The seating chart for WrestleMania XXVII has been released online. To view it, click here.
The event is being held on April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.
— The Nov. 6 episode of A.M. Raw drew a 0.52 cable rating, with 646,000 viewers. The rating is way down from the previous week’s 1.04 figure.
