Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Foyd Mayweather has recently been saying that there are no plans to return to WWE, but he is open to it, loved working with them, and is looking forward to working with them again. Mayweather said that he would only do it if he got the same deal he did for WrestleMania, which looks unlikely as things stand right now. The only way WWE could justify giving Floyd that same huge payoff would be if Oscar De La Hoya or Ricky Hatton got in the ring as well. WWE has likely learned from WCW’s work with Dennis Rodman, who drew one of the biggest buyrates in history for his match against Karl Malone but barely drew any attention for his next match with Randy Savage.
Beth gets in a knee, but Michelle gets in a few kicks. Beth grounds Michelle with a big slam. Melina gets the tag and works on the neck of Michelle. Melina with a big forearm to Michelle's back. Michelle countered a sunset flip into a dropkick to Melina's face. Melina gets launched into the corner and Mickie James gets the tag. Melina with an elbow to Mickie, but Mickie fights back with a kick and head scissors takedown from the corner. Natalya gets the tag, but Mickie drops her with a neckbreaker. Natalya knocks Cherry off the ring apron and tags in Victoria. Victoria misses her standing moonsault on Mickie and Mickie levels her with a kick. Cherry then runs over and pulls Natalya off the ring apron. This causes a huge brawl to break out. Lawler begs them to come fight over on their announce table. Ashley with a huracanrana on Jillian Hall with the legal tags. Beth knees Ashley from the ring apron and Beth gets the tag.
Beth goes to work on Ashley's neck. Beth lifts Ashley up. Layla gets kicked away, but Beth prevents Ashley from getting a tag. Mickie runs in and DDT's Beth. Victoria takes out Mickie with the Widow's Peak. Michelle takes out Victoria. Melina takes out Michelle. Kelly Kelly takes out Melina. Jillian takes out Kelly Kelly. Cherry takes out Jillian. Natalya takes out Cherry. Maria takes out Natalya. Layla takes out Maria. Ashley takes out Layla. Beth grabs Ashley and hits her Fisherwoman's Suplex to get the pinfall.
HBK catches Batista with a boot to the face and then gets in a chop block. Batista attempts a spinebuster, but HBK counters into an armbar attempt. HBK drives his knees into the left arm of Batista and then goes back to trying to lock on an armbar. HBK refuses to let go and keeps a modified armbar locked in. Batista uses his strength to lift HBK up over his shoulder and then both fell over the top rope to the outside. Batista favored his shoulder right away. HBK then sent Batista face first into the steel ring post. Jericho starts a 10 count. Batista quickly rolls in and HBK hits some kicks and drops some knees over Batista. HBK goes back to work on Batista's arm wrenching it back with force. HBK with a drop toe hold and forearms to Batista's back. HBK with an armbar hanging over the top rope on Batista. Batista screams out in pain until HBK lets go to break it up when Jericho gets in his face. HBK goes to the top and drops a sledgehammer shot over Batista's neck. HBK tries going back to work on Batista's arm, but Batista quickly lifts HBK up and drops him in a samoan drop. HBK with some chops on Batista in the corner. Batista launches HBK into the corner and then levels him with a clothesline. Batista with a huge powerslam on HBK, cover, but HBK kicks out after two. Batista Bomb attempt, HBK counters and applies a Crossface. Batista got close to getting the ropes, so HBK broke the hold, covered Batista, got a two count, rolled over and applied the Crossface again! Batista eventually got to the ropes. Jericho had to pull HBK off Batista with force to break it up. Batista with a side slam on HBK. HBK with a flying forearm, flips up, but Batista catches HBK with a Spear! Batista covered, but got a close two count. HBK is up on the top, Batista comes up with, HBK punches him off and HBK connects with a flying elbow. HBK goes for Sweet Chin Music, but Batista catches HBK with a huge spinebuster.
Batista Bomb attempt, but HBK counters out, falls down and grabs his knee in pain. Jericho keeps Batista back as HBK favors his knee. HBK gets to his feet and catches Batista with Sweet Chin Music. HBK covers and gets the pinfall.
After the match, special guest referee Chris Jericho raises the hand of Shawn Michaels. We see some highlights of the match leading into the finish, including the end where HBK favored his knee but was able to come back and take out Batista with the Sweet Chin Music to gain the victory. Back live, we see Michaels having his arm over Jericho's shoulder needing help to walk. Two more referees come out and help Michaels to the back.
Kane kicks him away, throws Chavo to the ground and connects with a dropkick to the face coming off the ropes. Kane shows his power lifting Chavo up by his neck behind him and dropping him down. Kane begins choking Chavo in the corner and then lifts him over his head. Kane slammed Chavo down with force to the cheering of the crowd in Baltimore. Chavo gets some offense in tripping up Kane into the corner. Chavo tries to irish whip Kane, but Kane pulls him back and launches him over the top rope. Kane follows Chavo to the outside. Chavo runs back in and then dropkicks Kane when he tries to get in the ring. Chavo jumps at Kane, but Kane catches him and drives him into the ring apron. Kane tries to come off the top rope taking out Chavo, but Chavo trips him up and Kane falls to the outside. Chavo gets in a few kicks and tosses Kane back in the ring. Tazz starts screwing up the move names and says he is starting to pull an Adamle. The commentary is almost more entertaining! In the ring, Chavo goes to work on Kane's leg, pulls him to the corner, but the referee calls him back in. As this takes place, Bam Neely grabs Kane's leg and slams it against the steel post. Chavo then goes to work on Kane's knee in the middle of the ring. Kane kicks Chavo off away. Chavo is up on the top rope, but Kane puts him on his shoulders and drops him down in an electric chair! Kane attempts a chokeslam, Chavo gets out of it, but Kane catches him with a huge big boot. Kane with a side slam on Chavo. Kane with a high back body drop on Chavo. Kane with a flying clothesline on Chavo from the top rope. Chavo then drops Kane's head over the top rope, goes to the top, jumps, Kane catches him, but Chavo drops Kane with a DDT. Chavo with more offense keeping Kane on the ground. Chavo is back to the top, but Kane grabs him by the neck. Chavo kicks Kane off, Chavo jumps and connects with a Frog Splash.
But Kane counters grabbing Chavo by the neck and then drops him with a chokeslam. Kane covers and gets the pinfall to retain the ECW Title!
In this near-biblical battle of WWE giants at Backlash, Big Show proved that size does matter, as The Biggest Athlete in the World outlasted an early onslaught from The Great Khali to pick up the victory.
After a long stare down between the brutes to start the match, the 7-foot-3 Punjabi giant bashed Big Show early, sending him outside the ring with a surprising flurry of offense. Khali’s submission attempts also frustrated the big man, keeping Show in check.
With Khali left looking up at the arena lights, Big Show proved that he can still dominate in a WWE ring, no matter how big or small his opponent is. Who will be next in Show’s sights as he climbs back to the top of the WWE championship ranks?
In a rivalry that has been about who is better than whom, Hardy was the better Superstar on this night – proving that the knee injury that kept him away from the ring for months, courtesy of MVP, did not derail his dreams of holding the gold. In a competitive back-and-forth match between the two, Matt Hardy showed MVP and our fans the fire that has made him one of WWE’s greatest competitors, taking control of a mistake by MVP to deliver a Twist of Fate to get the win and shock the brazen Baller.
A multiple-time tag team champion and former Cruiserweight Champion, European Champion and Hardcore Champion, Hardy has always been viewed as a Superstar with tons of untapped potential. With his huge win at Backlash over arguably his biggest rival in his career, the glass ceiling that Matt Hardy has always been high-flying toward has finally been shattered – all at the expense of the former longest running United States Champion in WWE history, the ever-cocky MVP.
Edge had promised on SmackDown that he would bring the World Heavyweight Championship back “where it belongs.” And coming into Backlash, Undertaker’s career record at the event wasn’t quite as impressive as his WrestleMania streak – 16-0 vs. 2-1-1. But just like WrestleMania XXIV, Backlash saw The Phenom notch a win at the expense of Edge, as The Deadman toppled the Rated-R Superstar for the second straight month to walk out of Baltimore still the World Heavyweight Champion.
Over the last four weeks, Edge’s fiancée, SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero, has thrown just about everything – and everyone – in The Phenom’s path in an attempt to soften him up for Backlash. Undaunted, Undertaker navigated that rocky road, surviving his own brother, ECW Champion Kane, as well as Festus and two battles with Batista to arrive in Baltimore for his second go-round with the Ultimate Opportunist.
During the introductions, Undertaker mouthed “I’m going to hurt you” in Edge’s direction – and that’s exactly what The Phenom did. He came out a house of fire early, bouncing Edge from pillar to post until an opportune moment involving a missing turnbuckle pad helped the Rated-R Superstar weaken the champion’s back and take control.
But in the end, even four weeks of torture and appearances by Hawkins & Ryder couldn’t hold The Deadman down. As he went for a chokeslam, Undertaker saw Zack Ryder heading toward the ring. He cut him off by tossing Edge into him, but when The Phenom went for a Last Ride, the challenger snuck out the back door and rolled The Deadman into a sunset flip.
In reality, The Phenom had Edge right where he wanted him. Moving quickly, Undertaker maneuvered the challenger into his vicious new submission hold; the Ultimate Opportunist fought, but was forced to tap out.
That didn’t mean The Deadman was done. After the bell rang, he continued to hold the choke on Edge, not letting go until SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero was wheeled out to ringside to support her fiancé. Only then did The Deadman release the hold, and it would be Vickie’s fiancé who was wheeled out – leaving the arena on a stretcher with blood leaking from his gaping mouth.
Undertaker certainly made a statement, and made good on his pre-match promise. But now that he has two straight victories over Edge and may have put him out of commission, what lies ahead for the World Heavyweight Champion?
Of course, with the Rated-R Superstar being the fiancé of SmackDown’s General Manager, he will most likely never be out of the title hunt. But with several Superstars positioning themselves in the hunt at Backlash – not to mention the fact that CM Punk’s Money in the Bank briefcase is still in play – could The Deadman be in for even more of an all-out assault on the road to Judgment Day?
Ending the “Age of Orton’s” near seven-month reign HHH not only secured his spot at the top of sports-entertainment, The King of Kings reseated himself upon the illustrious WWE Championship throne .
Boasting a most reputable sports-entertainment résumé, self-proclaimed “wrestling god” JBL was proven false idol by Cena, as the Chain Gang Commander eliminated Layfield with an STFU – the man Cena defeated for his very first WWE Title reign in 2005. With JBL out of the picture, the four-cornered encounter instantly became a WrestleMania XXIV rematch with an elimination clause twist.
At The Granddaddy of Them All one month earlier, The Game came within inches of securing the gold until an opportunistic Legend Killer landed a well-placed punt to Triple H’s skull, enabling Orton to pin a post-Pedigreed Cena. On this night, though destiny would end up displaced from the Legend Killer’s camp, the defending champion’s lunging punt again led to Cena’s downfall.
Before Cena could even release the tight grip of his submission hold on the tapping JBL, Orton connected his boot to the head of his challenger, allowing the titleholder to quickly get the pin on his denim short clad opponent.
Irony heavy on this night, Backlash then became a flashback to No Mercy 2007, the site of Orton’s infamous WWE Title victory against The Game. Then, it was the Legend Killer who took advantage of a battle-weary Triple H on a rollercoaster evening to become a two-time WWE Champion – thus, climaxing a unique war of master vs. apprentice from their days in Evolution.
More than a half-year later, The Cerebral Assassin returned the favor to the Legend Killer, enduring an RKO to keep The King of Kings’ legacy from falling among the list of legendary figures disgraced by Orton. Instead, Triple H added his former ally to a much different list that includes names like Mankind, The Rock, Shawn Michaels, and Goldberg – Superstars conquered by The Game en route to the gold on 11 previous occasions.
The 12-time World Champion’s road back to the WWE Title concluded in glory at Backlash, making this evening at 1st Mariner Arena the first night in which many covetous eyes shift in the direction of The Game. But, without question, the King of Kings anxiously waits from atop his throne, ready (perhaps more than ever before) to defend a career’s worth of sacrifice and maintain the ultimate symbol of his commitment and excellence: The WWE Championship.
WWE has signed a wrestler named Al Barone to play Santino's enforcer. Barone wrestled in Puerto Rico as "Cyber Viking" for the IWA promotion and as "Paul Leduc" in WWC.
More recently, Barone had been wrestling for Ohio Valley Wrestling's subsidiary, Derby City Wrestling. He is expected to be brought up to television sooner than later.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
On the night Mark Coleman was inducted into the UFC(ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP) Hall of Fame, the former UFC heavyweight champion and Pride Grand Prix winner announced he is returning to the Octagon and his first fight will be against Brock Lesnar.
Their fight is scheduled for UFC 87, which takes place on August 9th from Lesnar's hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Coleman told UFC, "I'm gonna dedicate my life to this. The fans want to see me. I'm going to pay my dues. I'm going to do the best I can. He's a beast. He's an animal. Don't bet the house against me. I'm going to bring something for Brock Lesnar."
Coleman's fight with Lesnar at UFC 87 will be the first of a four-fight deal he signed this weekend.
ROH booker Gave Sapolsky and Van Dam haven't spoke about a possible appearance yet but it's hoped that RVD will change his mind and make an appearance at the venue where has had multiple time success.
It's also interesting to note that Van Dam recently said he's "burned out" in an with "The Pain Clinic" and that the next time he stepped in the ring would be due to the financial incentive.
The USA Network has announced that WWE will be running another 3-hour RAW special on June 23rd. The show will take place from Shawn Michaels' hometown of San Antonio, Texas.
Only six contestants will be appearing on the show: Rachel Hunter, Jason "Wee Man" Acuna, Christopher Knight, Antonio Sabato Jr., Blu Cantrell and Janet Evans. No word on why she's been removed from the cast.
Sources tell us that Jonathan Coachman may be getting replaced as the color commentator on the show. WWE officials recently contacted Mick Foley about taking over Coachman's position.
Foley is still under WWE contract and is said to be considering the offer.
Former WWE wrestler and current TV personality Trish Stratus has opened her own yoga studio, appropriately dubbed Stratusphere. An open house will be held today, located in The Village at Vaughan Mills, 255 Bass Pro Mills Drive.
"I practise every day and I got my (teaching) certification, but I'm not going to be teaching right away, because we have some senior teachers who really are fabulous," Stratus said. "I'm kind of selfish because I still want to be in the back, just learning from these people. But after a while I'll put in some 'Stratusfaction' classes here and there."
Stratus also has been filming a new travel TV series -- also called Stratusphere -- that will air on the Travel channel and Discovery HD late this summer.
"I'm travelling all over the world, kicking ass," Stratus said with a laugh. "Well, that's kind of a loose definition. But it's a perfect fit."
The Diva said she’s received many requests to tour her dark and sexy ride from around the country, but naturally she’s most excited for the L.A. Auto Show.“It’s a beautiful car, but I didn’t expect this reaction, though. I get to show it at the L.A. Auto Show!” she said with a smile. “I’ll definitely be there, signing some autographs, pimping out my car. I’ll probably do the inside of my car a little bit more. We did my Chrysler in only a week. We only had seven days to do it before the contest ended, but I think we did a good job.”The first time Victoria drove a Chrysler 300 was as a rental car while traveling with WWE. The ruthless Diva said she was immediately sold on the stylish and powerful vehicle.“I put my heart, my design, my flavor on this car,” she said. “As for the news, Chrysler contacted me, and they posted it on their Web site. I knew we got the most hits, thanks to WWE.com. It’s awesome. It’s an awesome feeling. This is huge for me. The car is totally me, with the spider, the black widow, it’s kind of evil, yet fun and flirtatious!”
“Because of my job, I am very blessed that I get to pick the car I want to drive, and my top choice is the Chrysler 300 with a Hemi,” she said. “I love that car, and I love it more and more. You should see the looks I get when I’m out riding around on the streets. It’s a badass car.”In addition to thanking Chrysler, Victoria expressed her gratitude for her fans who voted her straight to the top.“I would like to thank the Widow’s Peak Freaks out there, my fans, for helping me get the most votes,” she said.The grand opening of Victoria’s new business venture has been delayed, but she promises Black Widow Customs will open its doors in Louisville, Ky., very soon.
“We’re looking to open Black Widow Customs in May. We’re getting the city’s OK on the building. We’re just waiting for that. Once it starts, it’s going to take off,” Victoria cheered.
The Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund benefit has raised more than $82 million since it began in 1985. The event is one of New York City’s biggest, single-evening fundraisers. Funds raised by the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund are donated to organizations dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping children in times of need, including the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, Autism Speaks, Save the Children, Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation and Kids in Distressed Situations, to name a few.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
He added the fight with Randy Couture that he's been plugging lately may not happen. He also admitted that his chances of winning such a fight would be slim because he's broken his neck five times and has never had an MMA match. Angle said he has a handshake agreement to stay with TNA "until they can go head-to-head with Raw." He admitted they have a long way to go. Angle put over Samoa Joe as a "phenomenal worker," but said he generally has to stay in bed for a full day after wrestling him.
For the first time in nearly five months, the World Heavyweight Championship was on the line on SmackDown. But the battle wasn’t just a rematch of last week’s double count-out between Undertaker and Batista; it was also the latest chapter in a rivalry that has now spanned more than a year. Since meeting for the gold – then held by Batista – at Wrestlemania23 last April 1, the two Superstars have clashed six times total, with The Animal holding a 2-1 advantage over The Phenom with three draws.
As if that wasn’t drama enough, there was more hinging on this match. Earlier in the night, General Manager Vicki Guerrero made the match No Disqualification, meaning these two Superstars could use anything under the sun to stop the other. And of course, there was Vickie’s edict last Friday night: The winner would go on to defend the gold against Edge at Backlash. That also meant that if Batista toppled The Deadman, his very personal issue with Shawn Michaels would have to take a spot on the back burner while The Animal battled Edge in Baltimore.
Fortunately for The Deadman, one could argue, HBK made sure that wouldn’t be a problem.
Once again, Phenom and Animal battled tooth and nail. With both men knowing each other so well, it was hard for either to gain a clear-cut advantage for any length of time. Batista managed to block Undertaker’s attempt to go Old School and escaped chokeslams, a Last Ride attempt and even a Tombstone try; likewise, the champion survived Batista’s biggest offense, refusing to succumb to spears, spinebusters and even avoiding the Batista Bomb.
In the end, the No-Disqualification stipulation turned out to be Batista’s undoing – but not before it nearly cost Undertaker the gold. When The Animal kicked out of Undertaker’s Last Ride, The Phenom decided to introduce the steel ring steps into the fracas. Batista, knowing Undertaker’s modus operandi, wiggled out of the champion’s Tombstone attempt on the steps – instead dropping him with a thundering spinebuster that bounced The Phenom’s back off the steel like a motorcycle hitting a guardrail.
But when the challenger went to finish the job, it was he who ended up finished. As Batista set Undertaker up for a Batista Bomb, Shawn Michaels emerged out of the crowd and slid into the ring. The issue between HBK and The Animal has become very personal, and with his Backlash battle with Batista about to go by the boards, Michaels had a choice to make – leave well enough alone or ensure his opportunity at Batista.
In what could be classified as an “un-Michaels-like” moment, HBK chose to take advantage of the No Disqualification edict by rocking The Animal with Sweet Chin Music, nearly taking his head off in the process. With Batista on Dream Street, Undertaker scooped him up and dropped him off at Tombstone Drive. Three seconds later, The Phenom’s long, hard road to Backlash ended in a victory over one of his fiercest rivals.
The WWE's first offering of a PPV since the record-breaking WrestleMania XXIV will take place this Sunday in Baltimore, as the company presents Backlash, this year being the 10th anniversary of the post-WrestleMania offering. The card this year looks rather weak, as we have documented the companies issues in trying to keep the momentum going after Mania, but in just looking at the card, it looks like a solid buyrate is going to be tough to pull off here.
Some of the matches at glance...
World Heavyweight Championship: Undertaker vs. Edge - This match was thrown on last at Mania, in order to allow the fans to go home happy with the Taker again winning at Mania and winning the belt. Edge is the best heel in the sport right now, and his matches always seem to live up to the hype, which is why I can again see this going last. Look for the same result from Mania, with Taker winning in a hard fought match that should deliver on all fronts.
Big Show vs. The Great Khali - Now we get into the crud on the card. The Great Khali has shown us over the course of the last two years his inability to have a good match with anyone, and his battle here with The Big Show is going to be yet another example. Show just worked a main event angle at Mania with Floyd Mayweather, and now he gets the burden of trying to carry the lumbering Khali. Good luck. As for a winner, Show takes this in a match that hopefully will last no more than about 4-5 minutes.
United States Champion MVP vs. Matt Hardy - This could be a match to look forward to, but the issue right now seems to be Hardy, who has shown quite a bit of ring rust since his return right after Mania. The Hardy-MVP feud was one of the better ones over the last year, and after MVP turned on Hardy when they were partners, it looked as if we would have a Mania match between the two, but then Matt got hurt, and it was shelved. Now they are at it again, and while I think MVP wins here, I think that it will be up to the champ to carry Hardy to a good match.
WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. John Cena, JBL & Triple H in a Fatal Four Way Elimination Match - The issues with this match seem aplenty. At Mania, you had a three-way with Triple H, John Cena, and Randy Orton, and frankly the match was a bit of a letdown. Now you add an oversized and aging JBL to the mix, and they will try and same formula again, which at least on paper looks as if it will again be a letdown. Orton has survived the WrestleMania curse of a heel dropping the belt, so there is no reason here to belive on a bad "B" PPV that he'll lose. They need to find a new title program once this match is thankfully over.
ECW Champion Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero - Two totally contrasting styles on display here, as Kane is a bruiser, powerhouse, while Chavo is a technical, high flyer. Look for plenty of outside interference from Chavo's new bodyguard - Bam Neely, and I wouldn't doubt a title change because of that outside help. I said from day one that putting the strap on Kane is kind of like a lifetime achievement award. With that, look for Chavo to end the one-month reign and take the strap back.
Batista vs Shawn Michaels w/ Chris Jericho as Special Referee - I have to say that there is so much wrong with this match, I don't even know where to start. First you have face vs face with (for now) a face ref, meaning someone here is turning, plain and simple. I didn't like the looks or sound of this match from the get-go, as they tried to build the sympathy angle for Ric Flair losing to Michaels and Mania and retiring, even though everyone clearly knew that was coming. Then you throw Jericho into the mix, and with the rumors of his heel turn gaining steam, I can see him taking out both men and walking out on the match to the jeers of the crowd. A winner? I see a draw with a lot of the attention being on Jericho's antics by match end.
12 Diva Tag-Team Match - As if we were missing something, let's throw a hasty 12-diva tag match in the mix to really put the final nail in the coffin on this PPV. The storyline is that we're all supposed to be happy for the gritty Mickie James for her "never say die" attitude that eventually led her to upsetting Beth Phoenix for the women's belt. That's fine, but why then do we need 10 other diva's to muddle what should be a title rematch between James and Phoenix? As usual, WWE booking showing a classic case of missing the mark completely.
As the WWE Superstars return home to the U.S. after a successful U.K. invasion, they will all be making final preparations on SmackDown for the massive pay-per-view encounter at Backlash just 48 hours later.
Last week on SmackDown, the battle between World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker and Batista ended in a double count-out. This Friday, The Phenom will face The Animal in a rematch. However, there will be more at stake this time, thanks to SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero. The title will be on the line and the winner will defend the gold against Edge at Backlash.
Will Edge face a new champion in The Animal, or will he go up against a familiar foe in The Phenom, who defeated Edge last month to bring his WrestleMania streak to 16-0? Regardless of who his Backlash opponent will be, chances are the Ultimate Opportunist will enlist the help of his “familia” like he did on a special edition of The Cutting Edge on ECW – where the “familia” delivered a brutal steel chair assault to Undertaker’s brother, Kane, that left him writhing in pain. (Read the full story…)
Last Friday on SmackDown, The Great Khali evened the score with Backlash opponent Big Show by delivering a crushing Khali Bomb. With tensions past the boiling point between the two behemoths, will the titans clash one more time before their epic battle at Backlash?
Also this Friday, Shannon Moore will square off against WWE Tag Team Champion The Miz. After Jimmy Wang Yang defeated WWE Tag Team Champion John Morrison on ECW, can The Reject make it two in a row for his team over the WWE Tag Team Champs?
And as announced on ECW, there will be an epic 12-Diva Tag Team Match at Backlash. (Backlash preview) SmackDown’s own Michelle McCool & Cherry will be on one team, pitted against rivals Natalya & Victoria on the other team. With tensions already high between these two growing alliances, what conflicts might arise on Friday night as they get ready for Backlash?
As all of the SmackDown Superstars get ready for full scale warfare at Backlash this Sunday, witness the final preparations this Friday Night on SmackDown at 8/7 CT on The CW Network.
Melina's Latest Internet Rant, Candice Michelle's Collarbone Injury, WWE Stars Doing OVW
0 comments Posted by Manish Nair at 07:14
Melina rants again on WWE.com. This time she harps on the babyface Divas throwing Mickie James a party and congratulating her for her title win when they should be fighting for the belt themselves. Melina wrote: "One year later, bravo to Mickie James for regaining the championship. A win is a win. I give it to her. But my anger is not at her championship win. I'm upset because I feel that these girls who gave Mickie the party do not take wrestling and what we do seriously. I am still in awe that these girls threw a little party to celebrate Mickie's championship win. They just did it for attention! Come on people!!!! So they can get dressed up and prance around. Don't any of these women want the championship?" She also adds: "Why become a wrestler if you aren't going to compete to be the best you can? I enter that ring to fight for myself. Fight for what I believe in. I believe in this art form that I have trained and studied to be the best I can in. Listen to me carefully. If you are not wrestling to be the Women's Champion, then you shouldn't step foot in a ring. YOU SHOULDN'T BE WRESTLING! You should do hair or whatever Santino Marella said, "Be in the kitchen making spaghetti."
Regarding Candice Michelle's re-aggravated collarbone injury, which has her on the sidelines again, Lewis from Tucson wrote the following: "Just for your info, I'm on my second collar bone surgery. I think I've told you this story before (thus why I'm on pain killers), but I walked around with a broken compressed collar bone for 3 years, got it fixed, and almost 4 months later to the date the plate broke and I had to get two plates put in and the broken one removed. Candice is done. I'd put money on it. She may try again but I'm gonna bet you she's done. These things can snap so easily and get infected so easily. In fact I'm on antibiotics again right now and my surgery was on February 4th".
A number of WWE stars are booked to appear at Ohio Valley Wrestling Six Flags shows in the upcoming months. WWE told OVW they could continue to use WWE wrestlers after the developmental split went down in February, but they must take care of the expenses. Tommy Dreamer, Elijah Burke, Jerry Lawler, Mr. Kennedy, CM Punk, Jimmy Wang Yang, Shelton Benjamin, Kenny Dykstra, John Cena and Mick Foley are scheduled to make appearances at Six Flags in the ensuing months. Visit the appearances section at WWE.com for more information.
The Sun has an interview with William Regal. He says he wants to be champion. "Of course I want to be involved more in a wrestling capacity, that's why I'm in the shape I'm in. Next I want to be world champion, I really do." He also wants to be a lot more active in the ring. "I’m always jumping all over Vince McMahon to let me wrestle more. He can't stand the sight of me! But you’ve got to.
I’m 40 in a few weeks and I feel like I'm better in the ring, and more on my game, than I've ever been. I don't want to be remembered for pulling funny faces, I want people to get a chance to see me wrestle the top fellas and have some big time matches." He also talks about Chris Benoit. "It was a really weird time for me, because the only time that I got to show off the kind of wrestling I was capable of was against him. And all of sudden it was like ‘that’s it’. It is selfish, after all the horrible stuff that happened, but that was a big part of my career gone. I couldn’t go out and do those matches anymore. Then again I put my name on YouTube the other day and there must be 10 of my matches against Benoit on there. So people are obviously watching them again. They’ve forgotten all about those horrific things and have gone back to watching the actual wrestling." Regal also talks about wrestling stars on the rise, Ric Flair, and more. Click here to read the interview in its entirety.
1. Jonathan Coachman may be getting replaced as the color commentator on Friday Night SmackDown. WWE officials contacted Mick Foley for an announcer role on the brand.
2. Former enemies Kevin Thorn & Stevie Richards will be working together as a tag team at a Florida Championship Wrestling show on 5/3 in New Port Richey, FL at the Jewish Community Center.
3. Devin Cutting sent in the following... WWE returns to the Civic Center in Erie, Pennsylvania on August 23rd, 2008 and the Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on August 24th, 2008. Go to http://www.prowrestlingevents.tk for info about upcoming shows.
Candice Michelle & Maria Kanellis - Who’s The Hotter WWE Diva?
0 comments Posted by Manish Nair at 00:44
Candice Michelle & now, Maria Kanellis, both of the WWE divas have posed for Playboy magazine. Candice Michelle,the former WWE Women’s Champion and the first former Diva Search contestant to win a WWE title. Michelle is also known as the sexy Go Daddy Girl, performing in the company’s annual Super Bowl commercials. She graced the covers of Playboy magazine in April 2006, where she posed nude. Now another WWE Diva, Maria Kanellis has posed for the Playboy magazine.
So are all the WWE divas going nude?
It sure seems that way and it doesn’t seem to hurt them at all.
Marty Garner shares his experince with The Hardys, his WWE dream, working with The Rock.
0 comments Posted by Manish Nair at 00:22
In 1991, I was working out in a small gym in Vass, NC when I met this young, musclebound kid by the name of Matt Hardy. He was telling me that he had a wrestling federation based out of his backyard. He asked me to come check them out. I showed up one Saturday while they were having some matches and almost chuckled. They had a round trampoline with four small trees around it for ring posts and garden hoses for the ropes. There was black plastic enclosing a sizable area with the "ring" in the middle, which made up the so-called "arena". Matt's younger brother, Jeff, had painted graffiti on the plastic arena walls. There was a young kid who was only 11 years old, and really small. The kid was the referee who stayed outside the ring calling the match, who you may now know as Shannon Moore. After a little encouragement, Matt talked me into working a match. It was the most horrible match anyone had seen. Matt came out in baseball pants, no shirt and barefooted, wearing a Jason mask. I came out wearing paper thin, white sweat pants, a pink tank top, a do-rag and shades, and of course, my white tube socks. After I defeated my opponent, that was it....I was hooked. If wrestling was crack, I'd be Pookie from the movie New Jack City.
After a short period of time, we met an older, burley, country man by the name of Kenneth Morgan who I referred to lovingly as "The Wooly Booger". He was a gentle, silent man who happened to have a wrestling ring. The ring he had was hard only on the sides with a long, rectangular trampoline in the middle. Matt and Kenneth worked out a deal that we would work some shows at the local fair using his ring. When I arrived at our first show at the fairgrounds, we only had 5 guys for the show. Matt was in a bit of a tizzy. Since I was an aspiring rap artist, I told Matt I could go out and kill some time either rapping or doing stand up comedy. I actually went out and performed one of my songs, and was really pumped after that. Each wrestler there worked two or three gimmicks that night, but we got through it. The first match I had in Kenneth's ring was just like the first match I ever had. Same opponent, same clothes, same finish. It was awesome! It's so funny to look back on those times, bouncing around on a trampoline, having a wrestling match in front of a crowd. It's kind of embarrassing when the boys see those old tapes, but also, it makes me very proud.
We actually converted Kenneth's old trampoline ring into a regular ring. Our federation name was the New Frontier Wrestling Alliance, the NFWA. In 1995, Matt went into business with a guy named Thomas Simpson. Thomas was the money man and Matt was the promoter of our new federation called the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts, OMEGA. This was a local organization out of Moore County, NC that groomed many of the wrestling superstars you know today. Such as Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Shannon Moore, Shane Helms, Joey Abs, Joey Mercury, Steve Corino, Bo Dupp, Jack Dupp, and of course me, Marty "Cham Pain" Garner. That's first name Cham. Last name Pain. The best kept secret on the Independent scene. This was the time when myself, Matt, Jeff and Jason "Joey Abs" Ahrndt started making sporadic trips to WWF shows. This was a big deal for me personally, because now my family and friends thought I was on the cusp of making it to the "big show".
In 1998, we were getting ready for a show in a local armory in Southern Pines, NC when Matt got a phone call. I was standing next to him when he got the call. He had a strange look on his face as he hung up the phone. It was a look of disbelief. Then I saw a smile emerge. When I asked who it was, Matt said it was Jim Ross and they wanted him and Jeff at RAW the next Monday. I remember being happy for Matt and Jeff, but at the same time, I was very envious of them. The show had a different feel to me because our leader was leaving us. The last show Matt and Jeff did in OMEGA was at Shane Helms' old high school. Shane and his partner, Mike Maverick, were baby-faces and Matt and Jeff, for the first time ever, were heels. Matt and Jeff really played up the WWF thing, and how they were going to be rich superstars and leave all this behind. The crowd hated them for the first time ever and they proceeded to have one of the best Indy tag team matches that I've ever witnessed. As I was watching the match, I remember the sadness I felt. Even thought no one said it, I knew OMEGA was finished. We tried to keep it going for a while, but without Matt, we were lost. He always handled everything from booking to storylines, set up, sponsorships, etc. He did it all. It wasn't long after that when Jason Ahrndt got a call from WWF to work as Joey Abs with the Mean Street Posse. Now, I'm excited because everyone, including myself, thought I'd be the next to go.
After OMEGA, I still worked Independent shows, but they never held a match to what we had. I knew I needed to get my face on T.V. somehow, so I hit the talk show circuit. I did Sally Jesse Raphael, Montel Williams and Jenny Jones. I almost appeared in Playgirl Magazine, but my ex-fiance really disapproved. I was brainstorming how to get a job with a major company. So, myself, Murray "Bo Dupp" Happer, and Mike Maverick came up with a plan. We were going to be a family of rednecks from Lizard Lick, NC named The Dupps. I knew a guy that works for a T.V. crew out of California who said that his buddy could do a video for us. I wrote the script for the video. My name was Puck Dupp. Mike was Jack Dupp. Murray was Bo Dupp and my girlfriend at the time was May Dupp. The video was hilarious and it didn't have any wrestling on it at all. We submitted the video to ECW and got a call back from Tommy Dreamer who said he loved it and wanted us to come up for a tryout. Tommy told us when we got there that was one of the funniest, most original tapes they had ever received. They watched it 7 times in the locker room that night. We did our tryout and they put us to work for a while. Tommy pulled us to the side one day and told us we were getting ECW contracts in a couple of weeks. I was excited and called my fiance. Before I could tell her my news, she broke up with me, over the phone. The other Dupps weren't riding with me at the time, due to a misunderstand that had occurred between us, and I had to drive home alone with that on my mind. It was the best news and the worst news all in one day. What do you do? The next week the other Dupps missed a couple of ECW shows. On the third day when they finally showed up, I asked where they had been. They said Stamford, CT. I asked, "WWF"? They said, "Yes. We got jobs". I said, "We got jobs?" They said, "No. WE got jobs." I was only one day away from being immortalized on the ECW video game-but that didn't happen. Without the other Dupps involved, I was out of luck and out of the job that I'd always dreamed of. The contract never came. My money was running out, so I had to leave ECW and come back home. I had a couple of small bites from WWF but they never actually worked out, which still left me on the Independent circuit.
A couple of years later, at a local show in Raleigh, NC, a man named John Root approached me about doing some video game stunt work. He worked for Epic Games who are the creators of "Unreal", "Unreal Tournament", and "Unreal Warfare". He used my motion capture for both of the good guys on the game "Unreal Tournament 2003", and used Mickie James as the baby-face female. It was a lot of fun and it paid really well. About a year after that, John Root moved to another company and flew me to California to do some motion capture stunt work again. While I was in California, one of the guys at the studio asked me if I knew Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. I said, "Yes, but I haven't seen him in a couple of years." I met Rock when I was doing some T.V. matches for WWE and we created a friendship. We went to the set of the "Run-Down" that night and as soon as Rock saw me he started quoting Cham-Pain lines. The guys that were with me thought that was the coolest thing ever! Rock told me to stay that weekend and go to a big wrap up party for the movie. I met Brittney Spears and Justin Timberlake at an after party in Hollywood. It was a blast! That was in January of 2003. In March 2003, I went to WrestleMania in Washington State to watch my buddies, Matt, Jeff, Shannon, and Shane perform. While I was there, Rock got in contact with me. The next couple of days I hung out with Rock and his family. It was a lot of fun. I asked Rock if I should I go backstage at WrestleMania or should I just sit in the crowd (He told me later that when I asked him that question, it broke his heart). He looked at me and said, "Man, you're coming with me to WrestleMania." The next morning, Rock, his cousin, and myself walk out of the hotel doors into a sea of screaming fans. After we got in the limo, Rock pulls his shades down slightly, looks at me, and says, "You ain't never seen no shit like that, have you?" I looked at him and said, "Nope. Not in Vass, NC." We all got a laugh out of that and went on to WrestleMania. In May of the same year, I got a call. It was Rock. He said, "Marty, you've always been my boy. You've never asked me for anything but advise and I appreciate that. Now, I want to ask you something. How would you like to work for me on an upcoming movie?" I felt my legs get weak and my eyes tearing up as goose bumps covered my arms. I tried to man up and sound strong when I said, "HELL YES!!!" He told me in the beginning that it wasn't a full time gig. I told him that would be fine. I traveled halfway around the world with that guy, attending movie premiers, the CMA's (front row), the Super Bowl, and a long list of many things that I was very blessed to be a part of. We were in Prague in 2005 on the set of "Doom" when I got a phone call from my mom. She asked if I remembered a particular girl from my past, and I said,"Yes, but why?" My Mom said, "Because the girl claims to have your child." I said, "I haven't seen that girl in 11 years." Mom said, "He's 11 years old." I then flew home to take a DNA test. As fate would have it, it was truly my son. After discovering the truth, my son became a wonderful part of my life, and I love him more than I could ever tell you. Ironically, that was the last time I ever worked for Rock. We still keep in touch and will always be really good friends.
People still seem to always ask me if I could autographs from Matt and Jeff for their kids. I don't mind asking for that, but at the same time it still bothers and hurts me. It seems just like yesterday that we were all together, wrestling in OMEGA, and now they're WWE Superstars. It's kind of like I'm The Forgotten Beetle. You know, the member of the Beetles who got lost on the way to the big show, right before their US debut. Suddenly, the band was recreated, with one less member. Please don't think that I'm bitter, because I'm not-I'm more driven than ever. I just want to say how proud I am of all my friends who have gone on to have successful careers in professional wrestling. I still occasionally work for the WWE, with my most recent appearance being April 25th, 2008, on Smackdown against Vladimir Kozlov. Now more than ever, I want my name on the full-time WWE roster. That's where YOU come in. If you believe in my cause, help me flood the websites of WWE and TNA requesting that Cham Pain be added to their roster. If you attend any WWE or TNA shows, please show your support by making signs and chanting loudly, "HIRE CHAM PAIN". I refuse to be denied of my dream. It's time to get the band back together. Thanks for taking the time to read my story, and I hope you'll help me make my a dream a reality.
