Major WWE PPV Events Planned For Cable Network?
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WWE News and Wrestling News – WZROnline.com – Wrestling Home WZR TwitterWZR FacebookWZR YouTubeColumns ArchiveMedia CenterHeadlines ArchiveStaffPrivacy Policy Home \Major WWE PPV Events Planned For Cable Network? Major WWE PPV Events Planned For Cable Network?Last Updated on Friday, 23 September 2011 04:35Written by Ryan ClarkFriday, 23 September 2011 04:35
WWE issued a survey yesterday regarding their planned WWE Network launch next year to select mailing list subscribers. The survey suggests that WWE’s “classic big 4? pay-per-view events would be included in the channel at no additional cost.
Imagine a 24-hour cable network that was run by The WWE. It featured a mix of WWE-made programs, including new shows, repeats of Raw and SmackDown from USA and Syfy and “classic” or “historical” programs featuring shows from different promotions like classic WWE footage, WCW, ECW, NWA, AWA, etc. from years past.
It would have two new weekly WWE live in-ring shows (wrestling), but not SmackDown or Raw.
It would have a daily live in-studio viewer interactive show similar to SportsCenter.
Additionally, this network would include WWE’s “classic big 4? pay-per-view events including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series and Royal Rumble to the lineup at no additional cost. Rather than having to pay for them, they would now be specials with the same match quality you’re used to seeing on pay-per-view for no additional cost. These 4 events would only be available on The WWE Network.
In addition to The WWE Network, you would receive approximately 30 additional channels including NFL Network, NBA TV, Biography Channel, Fox Business Network and Fuel TV.
How interested would you be in upgrading your service for an additional $7-$12 per month to a tier which would include the WWE Network described above?
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Reported by Ryan Clark on Friday, September 23 2011- Major WWE PPV Events Planned For Cable Network?
Reported by Ryan Clark on Friday, September 23 2011- Date & Venue Change For ROH Final Battle 2011
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Major SD! Editing, Ref. Out Several Weeks, Abdullah
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WWE News and Wrestling News – WZROnline.com – Wrestling Home WZR TwitterWZR FacebookWZR YouTubeColumns ArchiveMedia CenterHeadlines ArchiveStaffPrivacy Policy Home \Major SD! Editing, Ref. Out Several Weeks, Abdullah Major SD! Editing, Ref. Out Several Weeks, AbdullahLast Updated on Friday, 23 September 2011 06:30Written by Ryan ClarkFriday, 23 September 2011 06:30
Partial Source: Pwinsider
– You can email me (Ryan Clark) at Webmaster@ProWrestlingSCOOPS.com. If you’ve got a newsbit please pass it along. We’ll try to confirm it and then post it here on the website with credit to you.
– Unsurprisingly, heavy editing is expected for the Randy Orton-Cody Rhodes match on tonight’s SmackDown! due to the amount of blood that was unexpectedly spilled.
– Referee Scott Armstrong will be out of action for several weeks.
– There is an article up at MacLeans.ca about the lawsuit filed by Devon Nicholson against Abdullah the Butcher which alleges that Abdullah passed on Hepatitis C by blading Nicholson without his consent. The article states that Abdullah’s lawyers have filed a response in court that stated that Nicholson was the promoter of the event where it went down and Abdullah was simply following his orders by blading. The response also says that if he has hepatitis, it’s because he caught it from Nicholson. He has yet to submit a blood sample to prove it one way or the other.
CommentsOther Headlines- Reby Sky Gives The Latest Matt Hardy UpdatesReported by Ryan Clark on Friday, September 23 2011- Full UFC 135: ‘Rampage vs. Jones’ Weigh-In Results
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Reported by Ryan Clark on Friday, September 23 2011- Major WWE PPV Events Planned For Cable Network?
Reported by Ryan Clark on Friday, September 23 2011- Date & Venue Change For ROH Final Battle 2011
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WWE Edits A Major Bloodbath Off SmackDown!
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WWE News and Wrestling News – WZROnline.com – Wrestling Home WZR TwitterWZR FacebookWZR YouTubeColumns ArchiveMedia CenterHeadlines ArchiveStaffPrivacy Policy Home \WWE Edits A Major Bloodbath Off SmackDown! WWE Edits A Major Bloodbath Off SmackDown!Last Updated on Friday, 23 September 2011 10:39Written by Ryan ClarkFriday, 23 September 2011 10:39
As noted earlier this week here on the website, Randy Orton caused Cody Rhodes to heavily bleed on SmackDown! following an errant shot to the head with the ring bell. Cameras quickly cut to close-up shots of Orton’s face, with Rhodes’ back only being visible for the remainder of the segment. Personnel covered Rhodes’ head with a towel before Orton struck him with an RKO on the broadcast table.
The replay, however, showed blood streaming from the back of Rhodes’ head.
According to fans in attendance at Tuesday’s taping, pools of bloods were scattered around the ring following the segment.
They did a hell of a job editing that as it was said to have been brutal on Tuesday night at the TV tapings.
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Reported by Ryan Clark on Friday, September 23 2011- Date & Venue Change For ROH Final Battle 2011
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UFC signs major contract with FOX Broadcasting, leaving Spike TV
SportsBusinessDaily.com advises that the Organization's Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has signed a multi-year contract with FOX blockbuster broadcasting which see UFC airing on FOX (Fox, FX, fuses) programming networks for the next seven or eight years.
According to the report on the same day the agreement is up to 90 million dollars per year and as four live UFC events will be aired on Fox every year, the first time that UFC will be broadcast on television.
As part of the agreement, the majority of the weekly of UFC programming is in front and Spike TV move to FX from January. Includes cards from fight night live UFC, as well as the successful reality series "Ultimate Fighter".
UFC had reportedly been negotiating with NBC/Comcast for several months, but talks broke down recently.
As to what this means for the Pro Wrestling business, now TNA Wrestling on Spike TV's most valuable brand.
* Story SPOILERS on returning KEVIN NASH & STEPHANIE A. WWE
(Source:SportsBusinessDaily. com)
Backstage Alberto del Rio-WWE major update
Source: Wrestling observer newsletter
As mentioned yesterday, WWE SummerSlam card overtaken on Monday after deciding that their were creative plans for CM Punk at the event "terrible." This caused Alberto del Rio from WWE are again removed title image.
Del Rio should be still WWE champion at some point in the near future. Always change the proximity to the booking situation show that John Cena vs. del Rio for drive belt is planned for September but could be.
One of the reasons of WWE wanted to del Rio as the WWE champion at SummerSlam is due to the Los Angeles market and hope to take it from the Latin community. There was also a long-term plan will champion WWE after Mexico del Rio in October gives the idea, which would be that the first Mexican, a WWE title in Mexico to hold while they were taping TV for the first time. Go del Rio back after Mexico WWE champion is seen as a way to that fan base in what is currently strongest market of the company to expand.
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The doctor orders: update this ridiculous major WWE Superstars 50 DVD
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Top 50 of All-Time
I was recently sitting around on a lazy day off and decided to watch the WWE’s DVD production “The Top 50 Superstars.” Honestly, I was enjoying the heck out of it until I got to #23. It turned out to be Hulk Hogan!? I turned it off at that point because in no possible way in hell could you ever make a best of list and not include Hogan in the top 3. That would be like a group of NBA panelists putting together a top 50 list and putting Bill Russell or Wilt Chamberlain at #23. It’s just so asinine that you can’t possibly take it seriously or give it any credibility. So flabbergasted was I at the notion of Hulk at #23 that I decided to sit down make my own top 50 list.
1)Stone Cold Steve Austin – It’s taken me awhile to give Austin the nod at #1, but I think that as the years go on, the evidence is just too strongly stacked in his favor. We live in an era where TV is king and Stone Cold was the man who made the wrestling business something unbelievably popular to watch on TV. Ratings into the 8.0 and beyond is just insane to even dream about today, but the Austin-led Attitude Era made it possible. Never in the history of entertainment was wrestling more cutting edge and cool than it was in the late 90’s. Austin was the embodiment of the anti-authority times and it clicked with the public to the point of unprecedented success that put the final nail in the notion of there being competition to the WWE in the wrestling/sports entertainment world.
2)Hulk Hogan – For many years, I argued that it was the Hulk that was wrestling’s all-time best superstar. Love him or hate him, he was the king of an era that brought wrestling into the mainstream. Just as Austin had embodied the ideals of the late 90’s, Hogan was the characterization of the 80’s mindset. He was an American hero who fought for every man; the ultimate good in a world full of evil. He made a lot of people rich back in those times for it was him that the WWE rode to making Wrestlemania a reality. Headlining eight of the first nine Wrestlemanias in the final match is an unbelievable feat that likely will never be accomplished again. He set the indoor attendance record for his match with Andre the Giant, he made PPV what it is today, and he was a larger than life personality that is still considered the biggest name in the history of wrestling. Everyone may not know who Steve Austin is, but they damn sure know who Hulk Hogan is.
3)The Rock – The only knock on the Rock’s Hall of Fame, legendary resume is that he did not lead his era and will always be a little behind Austin when there’s talk of the late 90’s. Yet, he cannot be held out of the conversation for greatest of all-time. Rock is without question the most electrifying man in the history of sports entertainment, but the argument between he and Austin is very much Russell-Chamberlain-esque. There is no question that Wilt was a more skilled player just as there is no question that Rocky is more talented than Austin as an entertainer and performer. Yet, it was Russell that commanded the era, just as it was Austin who commanded theirs. The Rock will go down in history as the biggest crossover ever in the business, with a successful foray into the movie making business putting him in a category all by himself. His current run in the WWE may also help elevate him, as he’s proven to be a draw in multiple eras now (which is an area in which his peers cannot touch him).
4)John Cena – You wonder when the detractors are going to stop all the hate and give Cena his due as one of the greatest of the greats. Let’s face the fact that Cena has led his own era to business success in certain avenues, including the most profitable Wrestlemanias of all-time. On Cena’s watch, Mania has achieved a status where mayors sell their cities to the WWE to get the sports entertainment spectacular, knowing that there is $40-50 million on the table in economic boosters. Cena is also young enough to where he’s got no stopping point in sight and could move up the list. He’s in the prime of his career and he’s arguably got his most profitable feud to date coming up this coming Mania season.
5)Shawn Michaels – I think that, outside of the top four, the best of all-times lists become really up in the air. I list HBK at the five-spot because of his excellence at Wrestlemania. At what point does amazing in-ring performance on the most consistent level in the history of the WWE come into play on a best-of countdown such as this one? To me, Wrestlemania is the place where the bar gets raised and HBK made a habit of stealing the thunder in many ways from guys who were the main draws of about three different generations. To a growing majority of the fans that grew up during the Mania years, Mr. Wrestlemania is on a completely different level than the top 4 when it comes to his performance quality.
6)Macho Man Randy Savage – Hulk Hogan arguably skews how most people remember the Macho Man since it was Hogan that has been given most of the credit for building the WWE into a worldwide phenomenon in the 80’s. The WWE’s unquestionable #2 back then was Savage and there’s no if, ands, or buts about it. From the moment that he stole Hogan’s thunder with that monumental performance against Steamboat at Wrestlemania 3, Savage would go on to great heights in the WWE. He was the original Mr. Wrestlemania with several notable performances in the early years that stole the show. He was arguably the MVP of the WWE during those years, reigning as their top babyface, playing foils as a top heel, and becoming the legendary figure at the end of his WWE career. Plus, he went onto more success in WCW.
7)Undertaker – To have a career that included wins over some of the biggest stars in wrestling history of any era suggests that you’ve been around for a long time. Taker has, indeed, been around forever and his resume is a patented one that features some seriously unbelievable accolades. 19-0 at wrestling’s greatest spectacle, more than a handful of World title reigns, a lasting personality that has spawned two decades of destruction, and perhaps the most respected man that the WWE has ever produced in the business…just an incredible career. His one drawback is that he was never THE guy during one of the WWE’s top eras, but he was always a huge player from the moment debuted in 1990. Perhaps no one has ever had the sustained run at the top that the Deadman can claim.
8)Ric Flair – You cannot leave the man that most will say is the greatest professional wrestler of all-time out of the top ten. While most of his body of work was done before wrestling became mainstream, the style, class, charisma, and in-ring grace that he showed for over three decades will always be revered and he’ll never be left out of a top 10 list. Flair was supremely gifted in the art of living and breathing your wrestling character, which made him very good at his craft. He talked better than anyone had before him and arguably better than anyone ever has. He had a knack for the brilliant performances, of which he had dozens. There is perhaps no greater combination of microphone skill and wrestling acumen than that of the Nature Boy. Such is why the Hall of Famer belongs near the top of the mountain, whether he ruled a popular era in history or not.
9)Andre The Giant – Even during the Hulkamania era, Andre was the kind of guy that could be sent out with a group of undercard wrestlers and draw in the main-event when Hogan was in a different town. His towering presence made him an icon the business and his match against Hogan at Wrestlemania III was the biggest main-event in the history of the business. There will never be another match quite like it. Andre was THE guy prior to Hulkamania running wild; the most dominant figure in wrestling. You have to wonder if the WWE really would’ve reached its 1980’s heights had it not been for a guy like Andre around to keep Hogan in check and to ensure that there was an experienced hand to add credibility to the early Hogan-topped cards.
10)Triple H – He could honestly be anywhere from 5th to this spot, but his inclusion in the top 10 should be taken as the compliment that it’s intended to be. Triple H was, much like Taker, never a guy that was “The Man” during one of the more heralded eras. He was a top guy, though, A top guy. He parlayed a successful run during the Attitude era, which included a Wrestlemania win over The Rock during a yearlong display of how good he was and a Mania X-Seven war with Taker into a dominant run at the top of the card once the other key players of that era were gone. Business dipped – and unfortunately he will always be known as the guy on top when it did – but he then helped build the generation of stars that took us into the next era. We must never forget that it was Triple H who groomed Randy Orton and Batista and gave John Cena the signature victory he needed to be 100% legit.
11)Bret “Hitman” Hart – The Excellence of Execution should always be in the conversation for the top 10 because he did, in fact, carry a generation in the industry’s history. His run at the top coincided with some of the worst business that the WWE has ever produced since hitting the mainstream, but the counter argument would be that you’d have to wonder how bad it could’ve been had he not been around. He was, at the very least, a very stabilizing presence during the post-Hulkamania years that worked his way up the ranks and had the respect of his peers and the fans because of how good his in-ring performances were.
12)Chris Jericho – Even though big business was never something that Jericho has really been a directly responsible party for, his all-around excellence in the pro-wrestling ranks is undeniable and nearly untouchable. He has so many titles to his name that you’d literally have to look it up to count them and list them, with the most prestigious of those accolades being that he’s the first-ever Undisputed Champion; the first guy to unite the two most storied championships in wrestling history. The fact that he re-invented himself showed his first-class versatility and elevated him to all-time great status.
13)“Rowdy” Roddy Piper – Piper was the greatest villain of the Hulkamania era and was the only one to really escape Hogan unscathed. An instrumental part in Wrestlemanias 1 and 2, respectively, it was Piper’s charisma and ability to play off Hogan so well that helped make that financially risky period a success. The Hall of Famer will always be overshadowed by Hogan and probably Savage, too, but there’s not many other guys from that era that have any business being placed ahead of him.
14)“Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase – From a business perspective, one could argue that Dibiase is directly responsible for making sure that the Hulkamania era had enough juice left in it to make the Mega Powers story work to its maximum. After Hogan finished with Andre, in walks Dibiase to take the top heel spot and run with it for a while. It earned him a main-event match at one Wrestlemania and the headlining spots at several others. Of course, he’s also one of the best talkers of that era and arguably its best ring general.
15)Kurt Angle – Quite possibly the most gifted athlete in the history of the wrestling business, Angle’s status is elevated by having been a major player in the Attitude era and also helping to transition the WWE out of that era and into a new one. Much like some of his peers, he’s spent a lot of time on top during what were considered to be bad business years (compared to others) and he voluntarily left the chance to further build his legacy on the table when he bolted WWE for TNA five years ago, but the championship reigns during Wrestlemania seasons and the classic matches that he had keep him high on the list. Great overall talent.
16)Harley Race – Most of our list has, thus far, been skewed toward a time period where the WWE had taken over the wrestling world and popularized it like never before. Yet, as a guy who grew up in the south, I can vouch for the fact that wrestling was still huge before it became mega huge and Race was the top guy for a long time in the NWA. The top guys of his era had the utmost respect for his ability to lead a promotion and he was the type of guy that the likes of Flair and Dusty Rhodes emulated en route to the top.
17)Batista – One must shudder to think how high on this list he could’ve reached had he managed to stay healthy during his entire run as a main-event player, but injuries riddled many a year and a few key Wrestlemanias for Big Dave. Mania 21, the first that he main-evented, saw a rise in buyrates and ratings that demonstrated his unexpected ability to connect with the fans. The fact that he developed into a really strong performer and that he was a big part of one of the most profitable Wrestlemanias of all-time doesn’t hurt his case.
18)Mick Foley – He’s a guy that could be higher up on the list due to the role he played during the WWE’s second boom period and for helping groom two of the top guys of this current era, as well. The WWE title reigns that he has to his name, no matter the length, really solidified his legacy and put him in the discussion for as high as a top 10 spot (since it occurred during the heralded Attitude era). The bestselling author of a couple of books, Foley is also the owner of some of the most violent moments in mainstream sports entertainment history.
19)Dusty Rhodes – I think people sometimes forget that there’s a reason why the American Dream headlined a class in the WWE Hall of Fame. Back before the WWE took over, Dusty was one of the kings of the NWA, which was really the most important entity in wrestling at the time. He won the NWA title, at its most prestigious heights, on a number of occasions and has been instrumental behind the scenes for a long time in many promotions. He’s got a mind for the business and he built quite a legacy for himself both as a wrestler and as an entertainer while he was an active performer.
20)Bruno Sammartino – Any man who can hold a title for eight years must have been doing something right, both from a business perspective and a talent perspective. He could easily be a top 10 guy or even higher to a lot of older fans that got to see his work, but even a newer fan cannot deny the impact that he had in the old WWWF. They hitched their wagon to Bruno and he proceeded to carry the company to sell out crowds in Madison Square Garden – wrestling’s most hallowed hall – time and time again.
21)Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat – At some point, ultimately superior in-ring skill has to be taken into account. Such is why Steamboat can fall no further than right here. His all-time classic Mania match with Savage that stole the show from Andre-Hogan notwithstanding, he was also a former NWA champion, Intercontinental, and United States Champion. He’s been called “the greatest babyface ever” and has had dozens of memorable matches with Ric Flair, many of which join his match with Savage in the discussion for greatest match of all-time.
22)Randy Orton – He’s an undeniable superstar with a lot of upward mobility on a list like this since his future could hold greater things than he’s already accomplished. At just 31 years of age, he’s already had a nine year main-roster career that has included more than a handful of World title reigns (including being the youngest in history), three title matches at Wrestlemania, and the clear cut #2 to John Cena’s top guy status for the last few years. He’s also become one of the most respected guys in the business by his peers after a rocky start.
23)Edge – When you get to this stage of the list, it becomes very difficult to leave out a guy that main-evented/headlined four consecutive Wrestlemanias in World title matches before retiring as World Heavyweight Champion. The Rated R Superstar was a great story and provides the modern WWE wrestler the blueprint by which to work your way up through the ranks to achieve ultimate glory. Honestly, as time goes by we may have to put Edge higher on the list and into the top 20. He could certainly make a case based on his 12 World title reigns and endless other titles. He might very well be the most decorated star in WWE history.
24)Sting – You wonder what his legacy may have been had he ever had a significant stint in the WWE instead of never being on the roster of the top promotion in the world, don’t you? Sting is without question one of the all-time greats, but the fact that his entire body of work as a major player was with NWA/WCW works against him just slightly, especially since he just barely missed out on the heyday before WWE took over the business. He’s a multi-time World Champion, though, and one of the most recognizable stars of WCW history during that promotion’s greatest mainstream run.
25)Jake “The Snake” Roberts – Despite never having a run as the WWE Champion, Jake was arguably the WWE’s #3 guy for a few years during the big boom period of the late 80’s (behind Hogan and the combination of Andre and Savage). He was a headliner that the WWE built major programs around. From a talent standpoint, he might be the most underrated wrestler in WWE history. He was quite unique, introducing the DDT as a finisher, becoming a pioneer and modern wrestling psychology, and changing the microphone game with his soft voice (everyone else back then screamed) and intelligent diatribe.
26)Kevin “Diesel” Nash – It is somewhat difficult to rank Diesel because he was both a part of some of the worst financial times in WWE history and also a main cog in the wheel that led WCW to their near defeat of the WWE. He’s a multi-time World Champion, though, and an unquestionably big part of the Monday Night Wars. He’s got great charisma, too, which has translated to several small movie parts.
27)Eddie Guerrero – Latino Heat was one of the most well-rounded superstars in the wrestling world all the way back to his days in ECW, but no one really gave him much of a chance higher up the card in WCW and even WWE because of his small stature. Eventually, though, his talent could not be held down and he ascended to WWE Champion in 2004 and would’ve been World Champion in 2005 had he not suddenly passed away. He’s a Hall of Famer for very good reason.
28)“Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig – Much like some of the greatly talented athletes who never won the big one in their respective sports, Perfect was that kind of guy in wrestling. He was an unbelievably gifted athlete who could wow you with what he was capable of doing in the ring, but he never could get the brass ring. Had he done so, we’d probably have already discussed him. He revolutionized how a heel should take bumps. HBK took that style to the main-event as a heel.
29)Big Show – Only in the modern era would a guy as big and agile as Show end up often underutilized and over brutalized, but there’s no question that he’s arguably the most physically gifted big man of all-time. He can do things in the ring that a man of his size really has no business even attempting (especially in his earlier years). He just gets how to work in the ring. He’s the only guy to hold the ECW, WCW, and WWE titles and he’s also main-evented two Wrestlemanias.
30)Terry Funk – A multi-time World Champion, Funk was a real man’s man and one of the toughest guys in the history of the business. The time I ever saw him was when he was portraying exactly that kind of role in the movie, “Road House.” I then saw him wrestle during the twilight years of his career and was always impressed. Funk helped introduce hardcore into the modern American wrestling vocabulary.
31)Sgt. Slaughter – This Hall of Famer has a resume that could honestly place him higher on the list, but the gap in between his formative years as an American hero who had his own action figure in the G.I. Joe series and his Wrestlemania main-eventing switch to an Iraqi sympathizer was too great. Slaughter has a lasting gimmick that can still be called upon this day to usher in a little patriotism into the product.
32)Rey Mysterio – There may not be a more aesthetically pleasing superstar in the history of wrestling. Mysterio does things so fluidly in the ring that carry such great degrees of difficulty that it is almost unreal. We take that for granted. He’s parlayed that unbelievable ability to two runs as a World Heavyweight Champion despite being one of the smallest top guys of all-time. His cruiserweight matches in WCW, years before his WWE run, were a main reason to keep watching Nitro if you’d switch over from Raw.
33)Superstar Billy Graham – One thing the WWE DVD did get right was the praise for this man. He was one of the main influences on redefining what it meant to have a great body in the wrestling business. His chiseled and tanned physique would be considered the norm today, but back in his era the champions were built but average looking in comparison. Being the man that ended Sammartino’s 8-year championship reign lends credibility to his inclusion in this discussion, as if he needed it.
34)Scott “Razor Ramon” Hall – The Monday Night War officially began, in my opinion, on the night that Hall showed up on Nitro. That was the most impactful shot fired to that point and it be would be the catalyst for the New World Order and the WWE’s short-term demise. Of course, he also had the ladder match – one of the greatest matches of all-time – to his credit, but it was his contributions to the WCW Nitro vs. WWE Raw ratings battle that compliment his considerable skill level well enough to get him included.
35)Chris Benoit – Whether or not you choose to remember his talents is a personal choice, but one can never take away the fact that Benoit was one of the greatest wrestlers in North America for about a decade. His talents were so appreciated at the time that he was given the show closing title victory and subsequent celebration at the 20th Wrestlemania. Between 2000-2004, no one in the WWE had more classic matches than the Rabid Wolverine.
36)The Ultimate Warrior – Always the lightning rod for controversy, Warrior burned a lot of bridges during his wrestling career and is arguably a certifiable lunatic. However, he did have a memorable run atop the WWE as its champion and as one of its biggest superstars. He captured the imaginations of little kids everywhere in the late 80’s and used that to defeat Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania VI in 1990. The masterpiece of modern day storytelling between he and Savage the following year cushions his legacy in a major way.
37)Goldberg – There may not be a man with a greater presence in the history of wrestling than Bill Goldberg. He didn’t have much talent in the ring or on the microphone, but he overcame those two usual prerequisites to success by using his incredible intensity to become a major player during the Monday Night Wars and to become the WCW and eventually the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
38)Bam Bam Bigelow – You could make the argument that Bigelow was the most gifted in-ring performing big man of all-time…and if you did, then you’d probably have quite a few legendary wrestlers back you up on that. Featuring a crazy unique look and the quickness of a man half his size, Bam Bam main-evented a Wrestlemania and had some phenomenal matches with greats like Bret Hart. He was the perfect guy to go up against L.T. at Mania 11.
39)Brock Lesnar – While you have to base his inclusion on just a two-year body of work, that two year body of work is damned impressive. It includes multiple reigns as the WWE Champion, victories and/or major PPV matches against eleven guys on this list that precede him, and several reasons why people consider this guy to be one of all-time prodigies in the wrestling business. Never has there been nor ever will there be a more dynamic mix of size, speed, strength, and wrestling ability.
40)Bob Backlund – Backlund picked up where Sammartino left off with that 8 year title reign and had a five year reign as WWWF Champion of his own, keeping the New York territory afloat and continuing to do good business at MSG in NYC. He was a consummate professional in the ring and was respected amongst the legendary figures of his time for being able to do things like wrestle for an hour. The fact that he came back to the WWE some ten or so years after losing the title and regained the championship, albeit for one day, was the type of thing that padded his resume.
41)Rob Van Dam – Say what you will about the former WWE and ECW Champion, RVD was a very unique performer that wowed the audience wherever he went. He developed a great following that eventually led to his being given the chance to grab the brass ring and, although he embarrassed the WWE a little bit after he did, he will still be remembered as a former champion. He was also instrumental in reviving ECW with his idea for the One Night Stand event that was such a success that it led to ECW becoming the WWE’s third brand.
42)Lou Thesz – One of the pioneers of the NWA, Thesz is the type that had a major influence on a lot of the other guys on this list that were dominant stars of the 70’s and 80’s. He is one of the guys that my grandfather talked about when I was but a miniature fan in awe of the wrestling business. Continuing with the basketball analogy, Thesz would sort of be like Bob Pettit, the original power forward that laid the groundwork. Thesz was a groundwork guy.
43)Arn Anderson – There was another guy during his era that they called the Total Package, but Anderson really was the total package. He was the kind of guy that could talk like few others and could go in the ring and back it up. He was known as the Enforcer and it was not just a nickname; he lived his persona much like his Four Horsemen stable mate, Ric Flair.
44)Kane – Easily one of the best big men of all-time, I firmly believe that it was his 5-month reign as World Champion last year that solidified his coming to mind as a top 50 superstar. He, perhaps more than any other superstar in wrestling history besides the early years for the Taker, has put up with a ton of crap storylines and managed to make them watchable. So, I suppose you could call him a master of turning nothing into something. John Cena called him one of the most underrated stars of all-time. That may be accurate.
45)“Ravishing” Rick Rude – One of my favorites of all-time and another one of those guys that would be in the conversation for most underrated, Rude never had his career completely validated with a World title run even though he certainly had the talent. He was a natural heel that could go at the highest level on the ring and on the microphone, even against a guy with far less talent like Warrior (a sign of being one of the best).
46)Pedro Morales – Had I actually seen more of this man’s work, I might’ve put him higher on this list. Yet, there’s no questioning his legacy. He was the very first man to win the WWE’s triple crown of being the IC champ, a tag team champ, and the WWE Champion. Unfortunately, he was at his prime during the era just prior to the explosion of the WWF’s popularity in the mid-80’s.
47)Jeff Hardy – The daredevil unquestionably earned his place on this list by putting his body on the line like few others in wrestling history. It’s sort of crazy that stupidity, not injuries, were the reason why he never made it farther, but he did become the WWE Champion and a major player at the top of the card. His legacy in the TLC era of the tag team division and his work as a singles performer in the mid-card are unquestioned. He’s a memorable superstar, for one reason or another.
48)Vader – Another of the most talented big men in wrestling history, Vader was a real bruiser that was about as dominant a wrestler as there’s ever been. The moonsault-capable mastodon used an undeniable presence to quickly rise the ranks in WCW en route to World Championships. He never got that far in the WWE, but it did not in any way tarnish the legacy he’d set in the other of North America’s top promotions.
49)Verne Gagne – If it were not for the fact that Gagne was always number 2, whether it be during the NWA’s heyday or the WWF’s first boom period, then perhaps the developer of the AWA would’ve been higher on this list. He was the booker, the leader, often the top star, and was one of the pioneers of an era in wrestling that many look back on as a golden age. The Hall of Famer’s contributions cannot be denied or go underappreciated.
50)Gorgeous George – The best of the Nature Boy personas belonged to that of Ric Flair, who followed in the footsteps of Buddy Rogers. However, it was Rogers that followed in the footsteps of Gorgeous George. The flamboyant star may have been wrestling’s first recognizable national personality, what with TV coming about in many a household around the time that George was making his name. The flair with which he carried himself was controversial to say the least, but it set a precedent in pro-wrestling that guys like Slick Ric built on and perfected.
Spoiler: Major TNA Change Announced at the iMPACT Tapings
- At tonight's TNA iMPACT tapings, Mick Foley revealed that he is the "network" person in an in-ring segment against Hulk Hogan and Immortal.
Foley then announced that from now on, TNA iMPACT will be known as Impact Wrestling and that the show will be all about wrestling.
As noted before, TNA filed for a trademark on "Impact Wrestling" a few weeks back.
Backstage Chyna News, More Big TNA Changes Revealed....
Major Backstage RAW News & Original Plans - Rewritten
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
-- Monday night's RAW was heavily rewritten at the last minute. The plan in the early afternoon was to have Triple H vs. Undertaker take place at SummerSlam with Taker vs. Cena taking place at WrestleMania 28. Obviously, that has changed. Some people believe that the long-term plan has always been to build WrestleMania 28 around The Rock, even if not in a wrestling capacity. Some also believe this is why Miami was chosen as the pay-per-view location.-- Vince McMahon was reportedly going crazy all weekend changing match orders and the like for WrestleMania. This happens all the time but this weekend he changed his mind on what seemed to be an hourly basis.
-- Having Jim Ross call RAW Monday night was a last-minute decision. Ross noted earlier via Twitter that he wasn't notified about calling RAW until nearly 6EST. This appears to be a one-time deal.
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Major Backstage WrestleMania News - HBK, Main Event?
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
-- There have been discussions all week about whether to close Sunday's WrestleMania XXVII pay-per-view event with John Cena vs. The Miz or Triple H vs. The Undertaker. The latter match was scheduled to close the show last week, but Vince McMahon is going back and forth this week on what to do.-- Kevin Nash announced on his Twitter account that he will be on hand for this weekend's WrestleMania Axxess festivities at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. He appears at the event Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon.
-- According to a source, Shawn Michaels is scheduled to appear ringside during The Undertaker vs. Triple H match at WrestleMania XXVII.
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Major DGUSA News Update- New Matches, Free Videos, Porn Star & Playboy Model Headed To Atlanta, New Specials, New DVD, Plus More
Major news this week at Dragon Gate USA. Let's get right to it:
-Dragon Gate USA will now take live iPPV in house. Almost all DGUSA events will air live on www.WWNLive.com exclusively. To read the complete press release of this announcement go to the www.DGUSA.tv Feature Articles section. The first live iPPV will be April 2nd at 8pm EST. The complete lineup was announced this week and is listed below.
-Jon Moxley released this video announcing that an "award winning actress" is heading to DGUSA on 4/2 & 4/3 in Atlanta: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d27Bh0xeBaE
-DGUSA now has the "Freedom Fight 2010" DVD available for pre-order in the DGUSA.tv Store or by calling 267-519-9744. This includes CIMA vs. Shingo, Masato Yoshino vs. YAMATO and Ronin's first tag match together as they take on Austin Aries, Genki Horiguchi & Ricochet plus much more!!!
-DGUSA now offers a DVD 3-Pack Deal. Get any 3 DGUSA titles anytime for just $50, just over $16 each!!! DGUSA already offered a DVD 2-Pack Deal of two titles for $35. You don't have to wait for sales at DGUSA.tv. These deals are available all the time in the www.DGUSA.tv Store or by calling 267-519-9744.
-Playboy model Reby Sky will be on the 4/1 Burlington, NC and both Atlanta events.
-Sami Callihan sent in this creepy, horrific promo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qt52vK044E
-Shane Helms will be on the CWF Mid-Atlantic portion of the DGUSA event on 4/1 in Burlington, NC. He will wrestle Ric Converse. To see the complete lineup go to www.DGUSA.tv Live Events section.
-There are three new www.DGUSA.tv Weekly Specials: 1) FREE SHIPPING if your order is over $60 in the United States or $75 for international. This includes everything in the DGUSA.tv Store. 2) 2nd row and 3rd row tickets for 4/1 in Burlington, NC are $5 off. 3) 2nd row tickets for 4/2 and 4/3 in Atlanta are $5 off or $10 off with our 2 Packs. This will be our only sale for the Atlanta events so don't miss out. All the DGUSA.tv Weekly Specials end on March 30th.
-Ricochet, Brodie Lee and Ronin of Johnny Gargano, Rich Swann & Chuck Taylor are confirmed for the 6/3 Foxborough, MA, 6/4 Long Island, NY and 6/5 Manhattan, NY events.
-Jimmy Rave sent in this promo looking at his DGUSA debut in The Breakout Challenge on April 1st in Burlington, NC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6OwgSmL83o
-The complete lineup for April 2nd live iPPV in Atlanta, GA has been announced, including a few revisions. There is a sale on 2nd Row Golden Circle seats now in the DGUSA.tv Store or by calling 267-519-9744. 1st and 3rd row Golden Circle tickets are almost sold out so act quickly. Here is the card for "Mercury Rising 2011" on April 2nd. Be there in person or watch it at www.WWNLive.com on live iPPV:
Dragon Gate USA
"Mercury Rising 2011"
April 2nd, 2011
8:00pm Belltime (6:30pm Bonus Card for Golden Circle & stage ticket holders)
7:00pm Doors (6:00pm for Golden Circle & stage ticket holders)
The Presidential Ballroom
4001 Presidential Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30340
Tickets are now on sale in the DGUSA.tv Store or by calling 267-519-9744.
Main Event #1 - Open The Freedom Gate Title Match
YAMATO defends vs. Austin Aries
*Aries has stated he will leave DGUSA if he does not win the Championship
Main Event #2 - Grudge Match - The Six Man Tradition Returns
Blood Warriors of CIMA, Naruki Doi & Ricochet
vs.
Ronin of Chuck Taylor, Johnny Gargano & Rich Swann
Main Event #3 - Open The Brave Gate Title Match
PAC defends vs. Akira Tozawa
Special Attraction Match - Non-Title
Open The Dream Gate Champion Masato Yoshino vs. Sami Callihan
Elimination Match
Jimmy Jacobs vs. Brodie Lee vs. Stalker Ichickawa vs. Silas Young vs. AR Fox vs. Jon Davis
Special Challenge Match
Jon Moxley with Trina Michaels vs. Arik Cannon
Plus Playboy model Reby Sky!!!
Rampage Pro Wrestling Will Present The Bonus Card (6:30pm Belltime For Golden Circle & Stage Ticket Holders):
RPW Heavyweight Title Match
J-Rod defends vs. Bull Buchanan
RPW Tag Title Match
The Usual Suspects of Murder 1 & AJ Steele defend vs. Hot Like Lava of Cru Jones & Shaun Banks
Special Challenge Match
Jimmy Rave vs. Kyle Matthews
Bonus Attraction Match
Sal Rinauro vs. Sugar Dunkerton
Go to www.RampageProWrestling.net for more info on the Georgia based RPW.
-Thank you for reading.
A Major RAW **SPOILER** - The Rock-Cena
-- Best-selling author and Jersey Shore star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, who appeared as a guest star on this week's episode of RAW, was well-received amongst the WWE talent. -- As noted earlier, several cable companies are advertising Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson 'firing back' at John Cena on tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw. "The Great One" revealed his involvement with tonight's show on Twitter.
He wrote, "I won't be live on RAW.. BUT, John Cena and I had a much needed heart to heart talk this weekend at my home. U will see it tonight on RAW..."
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Major Japan Events Cancelled Due To Earthquake
* Korakuen Hall, which hosts wrestling, boxing and other assorted combat sports events almost daily, was damaged in the earthquake. Boxing events scheduled for March 12th and March 14th have been canceled. The Shoot Legacy Oz show for March 12th was also canceled.
* The All Japan tour is also in trouble. Most of the shows scheduled were in the areas that the earthquake did substantial damage. The company has canceled today's show in Ishinomaki and has also issued a statement, noting that all wrestlers and staff members are okay. They have also canceled the Match 17th event in Kesennuma, due to a major fire.
* New Japan canceled its March 12th show in Kasukabe.
* The women's Jewels promotion canceled its show today in Tokyo.
* Zero-One was scheduled to have a press conference in Tokyo, which was hit hard. Everyone had to evacuate the building, and the conference was canceled. The promotion did announce a March 27th event in Tokyo, with Shinjiro Otani and Daichi Hashimoto vs. Big Van Vader and son Jesse White.
* Dragon Gate is touring away from where the major damage happened, and as of now, they seem unaffected. Cima noted that everyone is safe and that as of this time there were no cancellations.
For all you website readers from Japan, I hope you're all OK. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers today guys. We'll be posting a link here shortly to a place where you can donate, likely via the Red Cross.
Major Possible WrestleMania 27 **SPOILERS**
There has still been no talk of a Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania 27 as we reported earlier.
The following matches look to be added to the card:
* Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes
* Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan
* Trish Stratus, Kelly Kelly & John Morrison vs. LayCool & Dolph Ziggler
Also as we noted last week here on the website, there has been talk of The Corre vs. Big Show, Kane & Kevin Nash in a handicap match or The Corre vs. The Big Show & Kane & two others, with one of the others likely to be Kofi Kingston. We'll keep you posted as we get more.
Major Update: IMPACT! Scores Highest Rating In Over A Year (Quarter Hours)
Here are the quarter hour numbers:
Q1 - 1.52 (1.5) rating - In-ring segment featuring Dixie Carter, Hulk Hogan, Immortal and Fortune
Q2 - 1.26 (1.3) rating - Backstage segments featuring Bart Scott, Immortal, The Jarretts, AJ Styles, Kazarian, Matt Hardy, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff; Beer Money, Inc. vs. Gunner and Murphy
Q3 - 1.32 (1.3) rating - Beer Money, Inc. vs. Gunner and Murphy; backstage segments featuring The Jarretts and Angelina of Jersey Shore; Velvet Sky vs. Sarita, post-match with The Shore and Angelina
Q4 - 1.17 (1.2) rating - In-ring segment featuring The Shore, Angelina, Sarita and The Beautiful People; backstage segments featuring Mr. Anderson, Eric Young, Orlando Jordan, Jeff Jarrett, Ric Flair, Kurt Angle and Hulk Hogan
Q5 - 1.36 (1.4) rating - The Jarretts' wedding; backstage segments with Hulk Hogan, Jeff Hardy, Eric Bischoff and The Jarretts; Scott Steiner vs. Rob Terry
Q6 - 1.43 (1.4) rating - Scott Steiner vs. Rob Terry; backstage segments with Ric Flair, Bart Scott and Kurt Angle; Matt Morgan vs. Hernandez
Q7 - 1.37 (1.4) rating - backstage segment with Hulk Hogan and Mr. Anderson; The Jarretts' wedding
Q8 - 1.42 (1.4) rating - The Jarretts' wedding, limo shot of boots, Jeff Hardy and Sting ring entrances
Overrun - 1.48 (1.5) rating - Sting vs. Jeff Hardy
As seen above, the show never dropped below a 1.2 and maintained their audience throughout the entire show. As noted earlier, TNA and SpikeTV are both very happy with that number considering the show went head-to-head with a UFC event and the season finale of The Jersey Shore, which did a huge number. Those two shows share the same demographic as TNA and are their main competition on Thursday nights.
Hulk Hogan Reveals A Major WrestleMania **SPOILER**?
Hulk Hogan posted the following on his twitter, possibly spoiling an angle for Wrestlemania. Check out what he said... "I think it's great for Jim Hart to go back to the WWE as Jerry Lawers manager at wrestlemania,I just hope it's not a one off like the RockHH"
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Major Update: Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos To WWE?
Santos has not been offered a fight since her June 26, 2010 match against Jan Finney. It is largely assumed the promotion has been unable to find any willing participants over the course of the past nine months.
Meanwhile, former WWE Women's Champion Beth Phoenix took to Twitter to comment on the rumors of Cyborg possibly joining WWE.
She wrote, "Rumours of Chris Cyborg coming to WWE are.....Interesting...its easy to dominate in any fighting division without the Glamazon. In WWE? Prepare to humbled by yours truly."
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Major RAW **SPOILER** For Tonight
Thanks to Dean for texting us that.
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More On Sin 'Mistico' Cara To WWE - Major Media, More
-- Every major sports paper in Mexico covered the signing, and Sin Cara also filmed interviews for several TV outlets. Jim Ross posted to his Twitter account that he was currently training in Los Angeles. He will be brought right up to the main roster without developmental time or English classes.
-- CMLL stated during their press conference yesterday that they had offered Mistico a new deal two weeks ago, though that was after he had signed with WWE. CMLL said they are retaining the rights, and that they will be eventually putting a someone under the mask as Mistico II, a la Tiger Mask II.
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Major WWE Plans For 'Mistico', IC Title Backstage News, Sheamus' Record
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Many fans have likely noticed that WWE's Intercontinental championship has been put on the back-burner and really isn't used for major angles as of late. An example of this was Kofi Kingston's match against Alberto Del Rio at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. WWE went with a non-title match and the commentators basically ignored it and joked around. We noted prior to the PPV that there was talk of putting the IC title on the line and then doing a 'champion vs. champion' match at WrestleMania between Edge and Del Rio but that obviously didn't happen.Jim Ross tweeted the following on Sin 'Mistico' Cara: "Mistico is signed, sealed & delivered w/ WWE. Now known as Sin Cara. Helluva young hand. A new star looms on the horizon. Congrats Sin Cara. Every major media outlet in Mexico City present 4 Sin Cara media announcement. He's doing 1 on 1's now w/ them including espn deportes. It was great 2 rep WWE in Mexico City 4 Sin Cara signing anouncement. Appreciate the opportunity to step back on the field, so 2 speak. WWE has high hopes for Sin Cara. He has many new masks. Major TV 'rollout,' He's 27 & has (opportunity to be) main eventer. A flyer, offensive innovator." This is obviously WWE's plan for the next Rey Mysterio.
As noted last week here on the website, RAW producer Kevin Dunn is not a big fan of Sheamus despite Triple H being on good terms with him. So far this year, Sheamus has a 1-8 record on WWE TV and pay-per-view events. Ouch.
Major Backstage Update - The Rock's WWE Future
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The latest on The Rock's return to WWE is that company officials want to keep his appearances 'special' and obviously don't want to overexpose him prior to WrestleMania 27. According to sources, The Rock is expected to appear on at least one more RAW broadcast prior to WrestleMania to help push the Cena-Miz match. It'll happen as we get closer to the big event.The Rock tweeted the following after the Triple H-Undertaker confrontation on RAW: "loved seeing both Undertaker and Triple H return..what incredible crowd reactions for both..very happy for them - epic match!"
Numerous people backstage believe The Rock is extremely happy to be back in WWE after seven years. He's told people he's missed being in front of the live crowds.
The Rock's mother also stated the following last week: "I was so proud of him. It was emotional to me, as his music hit and he appeared. It was flashbacks through the past, through three generations in the business we've loved throughout. By the time he hit that ring and took that mic and I saw the goose bumps on his arms, I knew he was in it. The connection between him and the fans was incredible. Like he had never left."
