The WWE Hall of Fame has inducted many personalities who were in the WWE and wrestling industries and beyond. It began in 1993 with André the Giant being its sole inductee, after he passed away a few months earlier. More than 200 inductees have been added to the Hall of Fame since then, with many two-time inductees included as well.
Apart from WWE superstars, the Hall is known to have inducted many celebrities who have supported the promotion as well. Be it politicians, singers, or baseball players, everyone has a spot in the ‘celebrity wing’ of the promotion. Here are ten of the fourteen celebrities that have been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
1. Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Schwarzenegger | Credits: WWE
The action star of the ‘80s, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been associated with the WWE for a long time as he was good friends with wrestler Bruno Sammartino. The actor also reportedly...
Apart from WWE superstars, the Hall is known to have inducted many celebrities who have supported the promotion as well. Be it politicians, singers, or baseball players, everyone has a spot in the ‘celebrity wing’ of the promotion. Here are ten of the fourteen celebrities that have been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
1. Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Schwarzenegger | Credits: WWE
The action star of the ‘80s, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been associated with the WWE for a long time as he was good friends with wrestler Bruno Sammartino. The actor also reportedly...
- 4/2/2024
- by Nishanth A
- FandomWire
Paul Heyman has been a promoter, visionary, sh*t stirrer, manager, and advocate. These days the outspoken New Yorker may be in arguably the most rewarding role yet as the special counsel and “Wiseman” to the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Under Heyman’s guidance, the “Tribal Chief” is enjoying a historic reign with The Bloodline leader at more than 1,300 days at the top of the WWE mountain. An incredible accomplishment, especially in the modern era. His name has emerged among the likes of Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino, and other legends with years-long title runs. Reigns’ unprecedented success has not been without setbacks, heartbreak, tragedy, evolution, and growth. Ahead of WrestleMania 40, his journey to greatness is told through the upcoming WWE Legends Biography on A&e. Transitioning from the gridiron to the ring. Dealing with the pressures of being part of a Samoan wrestling dynasty. The battles with leukemia. Coming...
- 3/29/2024
- TV Insider
In a recent interview, Xavier Woods of The New Day made a bold prediction for the main event of WrestleMania 40’s second night. Woods believes the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship will change hands.
Roman Reigns (L) and Cody Rhodes (R) at WrestleMania 39
Woods expressed his belief that Roman Reigns will lose his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship to none other than Cody Rhodes. As the excitement builds for night two of WrestleMania 40, all eyes are on the epic clash for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The current champion, Roman Reigns, is gearing up to defend his title against the winner of the 2024 Royal Rumble, Cody Rhodes.
Suggested“The Rock has already gotten in his head”: Roman Reigns Might Have Made a Grave Mistake by Trusting Dwayne Johnson Before WrestleMania Tag-Team Match
However, Woods’ bold prediction adds an intriguing twist to the anticipation surrounding the event. Could Cody Rhodes indeed emerge...
Roman Reigns (L) and Cody Rhodes (R) at WrestleMania 39
Woods expressed his belief that Roman Reigns will lose his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship to none other than Cody Rhodes. As the excitement builds for night two of WrestleMania 40, all eyes are on the epic clash for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The current champion, Roman Reigns, is gearing up to defend his title against the winner of the 2024 Royal Rumble, Cody Rhodes.
Suggested“The Rock has already gotten in his head”: Roman Reigns Might Have Made a Grave Mistake by Trusting Dwayne Johnson Before WrestleMania Tag-Team Match
However, Woods’ bold prediction adds an intriguing twist to the anticipation surrounding the event. Could Cody Rhodes indeed emerge...
- 3/22/2024
- by Prantik Prabal Roy
- FandomWire
Since securing the WWE Universal title at Payback, 2020, against Braun Strawman and the late Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns has yet to lose his title and is currently standing at 1,294 days. And with WrestleMania 40 inching closer, which will see the WWE Superstar Star going against Cody Rhodes, many believe the champion will be finally pinned for his title on Night Two of Wm.
However, WWE might book it otherwise in order to push the Hobbs & Shaw Star towards one huge record, held by Wwwf legend Bruno Sammartino.
Roman Reigns Is the Closest a Modern Superstar Has Been to Bruno Sammartino’s Record
Bruno Sammartino | Credit: WWE
On January 20 this year, Roman Reigns surpassed the Italian Strongman’s 1,237-day reign as the champion, which Sammartino reached during his second run as the company’s champion. However, this is nowhere close to his unparalleled feat of 2,803 days, which is a testament to Sammartino’s longevity.
However, WWE might book it otherwise in order to push the Hobbs & Shaw Star towards one huge record, held by Wwwf legend Bruno Sammartino.
Roman Reigns Is the Closest a Modern Superstar Has Been to Bruno Sammartino’s Record
Bruno Sammartino | Credit: WWE
On January 20 this year, Roman Reigns surpassed the Italian Strongman’s 1,237-day reign as the champion, which Sammartino reached during his second run as the company’s champion. However, this is nowhere close to his unparalleled feat of 2,803 days, which is a testament to Sammartino’s longevity.
- 3/17/2024
- by Santanu Roy
- FandomWire
When you hear the words “professional wrestler,” whose face comes to mind? “Well, let me tell you something, brother…” there may be no more iconic figure in the world of professional wrestling than Terrence Gene Bollea. But you may know him as Hulk Hogan.
So Wtf happened to Hulk Hogan? With a career that spans over 45 years, a lot. Let’s start at the beginning. But before we do, let’s keep in mind that the source of a lot of what follows is Bollea, himself. The complete record of Terry Bollea’s life is My Life Outside the Ring, his 2009 autobiography, which is more exhaustive than 2002’s Hollywood Hogan. In an industry stocked full of duplicitous people, Hulk Hogan’s long been considered to have perhaps the most strained relationship with the truth of any of them. But neither should we let the truth get in the way of a good story.
So Wtf happened to Hulk Hogan? With a career that spans over 45 years, a lot. Let’s start at the beginning. But before we do, let’s keep in mind that the source of a lot of what follows is Bollea, himself. The complete record of Terry Bollea’s life is My Life Outside the Ring, his 2009 autobiography, which is more exhaustive than 2002’s Hollywood Hogan. In an industry stocked full of duplicitous people, Hulk Hogan’s long been considered to have perhaps the most strained relationship with the truth of any of them. But neither should we let the truth get in the way of a good story.
- 3/2/2024
- by Derek Mitchell
- JoBlo.com
Welcome to this review of WWE Crown Jewel 2022, right here on Nerdly… The controversy over this event seems to die down with each and every event passing and I’m not sure how I feel about that. Anyway, let’s see what happened during this year’s show, which opened off with Sami Zayn defeating Jd McDonagh in a kickoff match!
Match #1: WWE World Heavyweight Championship – Seth “Freakin” Rollins def. Drew McIntyre The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The WWE World Heavyweight Title remains with Seth “Freakin” Rollins but not before an absolute war with Drew McIntyre. The Scottish Warrior looked poise to destroy and dethrone Rollins, and after a plethora of Pedigrees, stomps, and Claymores, the champion dug deep and put his most dangerous challenger down for the count by ducking a Claymore and connecting with another Pedigree and a second ring-rattling stomp. After the bout, Damian Priest...
Match #1: WWE World Heavyweight Championship – Seth “Freakin” Rollins def. Drew McIntyre The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The WWE World Heavyweight Title remains with Seth “Freakin” Rollins but not before an absolute war with Drew McIntyre. The Scottish Warrior looked poise to destroy and dethrone Rollins, and after a plethora of Pedigrees, stomps, and Claymores, the champion dug deep and put his most dangerous challenger down for the count by ducking a Claymore and connecting with another Pedigree and a second ring-rattling stomp. After the bout, Damian Priest...
- 11/7/2023
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Superstar Billy Graham, the professional wrestler whose larger-than-life ring persona and charismatic style was hugely influential on the likes of Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, Jesse Ventura and Ric Flair, has died. He was 79.
In a tweet, Flair confirmed that Graham had died. “The Superstar Billy Graham just left us. Thank you for all your influence on my career!” Flair tweeted. No cause of death was provided but Graham had been suffering poor health for a number of years and was hospitalized in February.
Born Eldridge Wayne Coleman in Phoenix, Arizona in 1943, Graham began bodybuilding at an early age. After dabbling in boxing and pro football, he had his first taste of notoriety when he was featured in a Muscle and Fitness magazine spread with then-fellow bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In 1969, he decided to enter the world of professional wrestling, and adopted the ring name Billy Graham, as a tribute to the...
In a tweet, Flair confirmed that Graham had died. “The Superstar Billy Graham just left us. Thank you for all your influence on my career!” Flair tweeted. No cause of death was provided but Graham had been suffering poor health for a number of years and was hospitalized in February.
Born Eldridge Wayne Coleman in Phoenix, Arizona in 1943, Graham began bodybuilding at an early age. After dabbling in boxing and pro football, he had his first taste of notoriety when he was featured in a Muscle and Fitness magazine spread with then-fellow bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In 1969, he decided to enter the world of professional wrestling, and adopted the ring name Billy Graham, as a tribute to the...
- 5/18/2023
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
WWE 2K23 features quite a few improvements to the franchise formula that will certainly be welcomed by wrestling game fans everywhere. Of course, some things never change, which means that WWE 2K23 still makes you unlock quite a few wrestlers via gameplay accomplishments and by spending both real and virtual currency.
The very good news is that WWE 2K23 makes the various unlock processes fairly painless. The problem is that the game doesn’t always do a great job of telling you exactly how to unlock those wrestlers or the best way to go about acquiring all of them. Hopefully, we can help ease that part of the unlock system just a bit.
How to Unlock Every WWE 2K23 Wrestler With Virtual Currency
The vast majority of wrestlers in WWE 2K23 are unlocked via the game’s Virtual Currency (Vc) system. Every wrestler available via the in-game store costs 1,000 Vc to unlock.
The very good news is that WWE 2K23 makes the various unlock processes fairly painless. The problem is that the game doesn’t always do a great job of telling you exactly how to unlock those wrestlers or the best way to go about acquiring all of them. Hopefully, we can help ease that part of the unlock system just a bit.
How to Unlock Every WWE 2K23 Wrestler With Virtual Currency
The vast majority of wrestlers in WWE 2K23 are unlocked via the game’s Virtual Currency (Vc) system. Every wrestler available via the in-game store costs 1,000 Vc to unlock.
- 3/14/2023
- by Matthew Byrd
- Den of Geek
After John Cena, WWE stopped producing stars.
That hurts a star-driven business like pro wrestling. For the last 80 years, the industry was built around a top star. Lou Thesz carried the torch in the late-’40s and into the ’50s. Bruno Sammartino was a top-drawing star in the ’60s and well into the ’70s. The ’80s belonged to Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, the ’90s were run by Steve Austin and the Rock. The ’00s were headlined by John Cena.
But after Cena, WWE stopped producing stars. Wrestlers weren’t protected anymore and 50-50 booking has made the entire roster feel the same. Sure, the personalities might be different, but there’s not a top guy.
As a result, WWE has relied upon bringing in the last remnants of the last top stars the business has produced. Last night on Raw, Goldberg returned and challenged Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.
That hurts a star-driven business like pro wrestling. For the last 80 years, the industry was built around a top star. Lou Thesz carried the torch in the late-’40s and into the ’50s. Bruno Sammartino was a top-drawing star in the ’60s and well into the ’70s. The ’80s belonged to Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, the ’90s were run by Steve Austin and the Rock. The ’00s were headlined by John Cena.
But after Cena, WWE stopped producing stars. Wrestlers weren’t protected anymore and 50-50 booking has made the entire roster feel the same. Sure, the personalities might be different, but there’s not a top guy.
As a result, WWE has relied upon bringing in the last remnants of the last top stars the business has produced. Last night on Raw, Goldberg returned and challenged Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.
- 1/5/2021
- by Mike Cecchini
- Den of Geek
Vince McMahon has no new ideas left.
Raw is currently a sinking ship, with ratings setting record-lows week after week. Admittedly, in the middle of a pandemic, but the show is at an all-time low.
McMahon clearly has no idea what to do.
This week on Raw the company introduced a new concept, Raw Underground, which consisted of Shane McMahon hosting a “fight club” in a warehouse somewhere, using a ring with no ropes. The no-holds barred fighting looked like a typical brawl in a WWE backstage segment. Nothing was new or fresh. The referee during the fights (underground fights have referees?) even signaled for the timekeeper to ring the bell prior to the fights beginning.
It was a wrestling match, in a dark warehouse, using a ring with no ropes. That’s all it was.
Elsewhere on the show, WWE hyped that Ric Flair would be making an appearance.
Raw is currently a sinking ship, with ratings setting record-lows week after week. Admittedly, in the middle of a pandemic, but the show is at an all-time low.
McMahon clearly has no idea what to do.
This week on Raw the company introduced a new concept, Raw Underground, which consisted of Shane McMahon hosting a “fight club” in a warehouse somewhere, using a ring with no ropes. The no-holds barred fighting looked like a typical brawl in a WWE backstage segment. Nothing was new or fresh. The referee during the fights (underground fights have referees?) even signaled for the timekeeper to ring the bell prior to the fights beginning.
It was a wrestling match, in a dark warehouse, using a ring with no ropes. That’s all it was.
Elsewhere on the show, WWE hyped that Ric Flair would be making an appearance.
- 8/5/2020
- by Mike Cecchini
- Den of Geek
In January, the rapper Westside Gunn found himself in the front row at a show at Paris Fashion week, sitting near stars like J Balvin. Much to the rapper’s surprise, his own gruff voice started blasting through the speakers — “Perfect Plex the brick, broke it down, it got me rich” — as a tap dancer writhed and twisted in front of the crowd. It’s safe to assume that few of those in attendance at Virgil Abloh’s Off-White show had experience breaking down a brick of illegal substances, let...
- 5/12/2020
- by Elias Leight
- Rollingstone.com
Vince McMahon has a lot of negative qualities to him. He’s an egomaniacal, out-of-touch, petty sociopath who will chase people around the workplace with soiled underwear on a stick. Despite being an eccentric psycho, Vince still has his positives. One of them is how whenever WrestleMania comes by, he tends to treat the roster like Ebenezer Scrooge treats people on Christmas Day. WrestleMania is the biggest payday of the year and it’s a show where they try to get as many people on as possible so that even some of the lowest-ranking folks can earn some big money.
It can take many forms, from ten-man tag matches, Fatal 4-Ways, Money in the Bank, or even just tossing in a bunch of pointless singles matches featuring guys who aren’t even feuding. The most tried and true way to get a bunch of wrestlers on the show with little effort is a battle royal.
It can take many forms, from ten-man tag matches, Fatal 4-Ways, Money in the Bank, or even just tossing in a bunch of pointless singles matches featuring guys who aren’t even feuding. The most tried and true way to get a bunch of wrestlers on the show with little effort is a battle royal.
- 4/4/2020
- by Gavin Jasper
- Den of Geek
Two years ago, the Academy documentary branch had to grapple with a record 170 documentary feature submissions for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar. This year, it’s not so bad: only 159 were entered. The short list of 15 will be announced, along with eight others, on December 16.
All year, branch members have been getting lists of secure online screeners available to watch on the Academy website, increasing in volume, with more to come. Each voter is assigned a list of about 22-23 films to screen, so they all get covered. But it’s a burden to see them all, so the ones with the most attention move to the top of the much-watch list.
Give the advantage to box-office hits that were made available earlier in the year such as Neon’s “The Biggest Little Farm” and “Apollo 11,” as well as high-profile titles from HBO (“Diego Maradona” and “The Apollo”), Netflix,...
All year, branch members have been getting lists of secure online screeners available to watch on the Academy website, increasing in volume, with more to come. Each voter is assigned a list of about 22-23 films to screen, so they all get covered. But it’s a burden to see them all, so the ones with the most attention move to the top of the much-watch list.
Give the advantage to box-office hits that were made available earlier in the year such as Neon’s “The Biggest Little Farm” and “Apollo 11,” as well as high-profile titles from HBO (“Diego Maradona” and “The Apollo”), Netflix,...
- 11/12/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Two years ago, the Academy documentary branch had to grapple with a record 170 documentary feature submissions for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar. This year, it’s not so bad: only 159 were entered. The short list of 15 will be announced, along with eight others, on December 16.
All year, branch members have been getting lists of secure online screeners available to watch on the Academy website, increasing in volume, with more to come. Each voter is assigned a list of about 22-23 films to screen, so they all get covered. But it’s a burden to see them all, so the ones with the most attention move to the top of the much-watch list.
Give the advantage to box-office hits that were made available earlier in the year such as Neon’s “The Biggest Little Farm” and “Apollo 11,” as well as high-profile titles from HBO (“Diego Maradona” and “The Apollo”), Netflix,...
All year, branch members have been getting lists of secure online screeners available to watch on the Academy website, increasing in volume, with more to come. Each voter is assigned a list of about 22-23 films to screen, so they all get covered. But it’s a burden to see them all, so the ones with the most attention move to the top of the much-watch list.
Give the advantage to box-office hits that were made available earlier in the year such as Neon’s “The Biggest Little Farm” and “Apollo 11,” as well as high-profile titles from HBO (“Diego Maradona” and “The Apollo”), Netflix,...
- 11/12/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has unveiled the 159 documentary features that have been submitted for the 92nd annual Academy Awards.
A shortlist of 15 films will be announced on Dec. 16. Nominations will be announced on Jan. 13. The winners will be revealed on Feb. 9.
High-profile titles include “American Factory,” “The Apollo,” “Apollo 11,” “The Biggest Little Farm,” “Echo in the Canyon,” “The Edge of Democracy,” “For Sama,” “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice,” “One Child Nation,” “Sea of Shadows,” and “Where’s My Roy Cohn?”
AMPAS noted the several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases.
“Free Solo” won the documentary Oscar on Feb. 24 for filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes, and Shannon Dill.
See the full list below.
Advocate
After Parkland
The All-Americans
Always in Season
The Amazing Johnathan Documentary
American Dharma
American Factory
American Relapse...
A shortlist of 15 films will be announced on Dec. 16. Nominations will be announced on Jan. 13. The winners will be revealed on Feb. 9.
High-profile titles include “American Factory,” “The Apollo,” “Apollo 11,” “The Biggest Little Farm,” “Echo in the Canyon,” “The Edge of Democracy,” “For Sama,” “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice,” “One Child Nation,” “Sea of Shadows,” and “Where’s My Roy Cohn?”
AMPAS noted the several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases.
“Free Solo” won the documentary Oscar on Feb. 24 for filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes, and Shannon Dill.
See the full list below.
Advocate
After Parkland
The All-Americans
Always in Season
The Amazing Johnathan Documentary
American Dharma
American Factory
American Relapse...
- 11/12/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Documentary submissions may also qualify for Oscars in other categories, including best picture.
Apollo 11, The Biggest Little Farm, The Sea Of Shadows and The Elephant Queen are among 159 features submitted for consideration in the documentary feature category for the 92nd Academy Awards.
The Academy unveiled the list on Tuesday (12).Several films have not yet had their Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases. Submissions must fulfil theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process.
Documentary submissions may also qualify for Oscars in other categories, including best picture.
Apollo 11, The Biggest Little Farm, The Sea Of Shadows and The Elephant Queen are among 159 features submitted for consideration in the documentary feature category for the 92nd Academy Awards.
The Academy unveiled the list on Tuesday (12).Several films have not yet had their Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases. Submissions must fulfil theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process.
Documentary submissions may also qualify for Oscars in other categories, including best picture.
- 11/12/2019
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released its list of 159 documentary features that have been submitted for the 92 annual Academy Awards. See the full list below.
A shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 16.
The Academy notes that several of the films have not had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases yet. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process.
Documentary features that have won a qualifying award at a competitive film festival or have been submitted in the International Feature Film category as their country’s official selection also are eligible in the category.
Here is the alphabetical list:
Advocate
After Parkland
The All-Americans
Always in Season
The Amazing Johnathan Documentary
American Dharma
American Factory
American Relapse
Angels Are Made of Light
The Apollo
Apollo 11
Aquarela
Ask Dr.
A shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 16.
The Academy notes that several of the films have not had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases yet. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process.
Documentary features that have won a qualifying award at a competitive film festival or have been submitted in the International Feature Film category as their country’s official selection also are eligible in the category.
Here is the alphabetical list:
Advocate
After Parkland
The All-Americans
Always in Season
The Amazing Johnathan Documentary
American Dharma
American Factory
American Relapse
Angels Are Made of Light
The Apollo
Apollo 11
Aquarela
Ask Dr.
- 11/12/2019
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
A total of 159 documentary features have qualified in the Oscars’ Best Documentary Feature category, the Academy announced on Tuesday.
Last year, 166 documentaries qualified. In 2017, a record 170 made the cut.
All of the films are now available to members of the Documentary Branch to stream on the Academy’s secure members website. The films have been placed there over the last six months, with 23 added to the site in June, 24 in July, 26 in August, 19 in September and 62 in October and only five in November.
Also Read: 'Maiden' Star Tracy Edwards Kept Her Story 'Messy' to Serve the Next Generation of Women Athletes (Video)
Each member is randomly assigned 20% of the films as mandatory viewing but is free to see any additional films beyond those that are assigned. A preliminary round of voting will produce a 15-film shortlist, with a second-round narrowing those 15 to the five nominees.
This year is...
Last year, 166 documentaries qualified. In 2017, a record 170 made the cut.
All of the films are now available to members of the Documentary Branch to stream on the Academy’s secure members website. The films have been placed there over the last six months, with 23 added to the site in June, 24 in July, 26 in August, 19 in September and 62 in October and only five in November.
Also Read: 'Maiden' Star Tracy Edwards Kept Her Story 'Messy' to Serve the Next Generation of Women Athletes (Video)
Each member is randomly assigned 20% of the films as mandatory viewing but is free to see any additional films beyond those that are assigned. A preliminary round of voting will produce a 15-film shortlist, with a second-round narrowing those 15 to the five nominees.
This year is...
- 11/12/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
When you look at the very best WWE superstars of all time, there are certainly certain names that come to mind, but there are a lot of them. If you go back to the eras of Bruno Sammartino and make your way to modern-day, you’ll be reeling off many names. The WWE has existed in defined eras since the days of Hulkamania and Rock ’n’ Wrestling existed in the 80s. We’ve had an array of times, from The Golden Era, The New Generation, The Attitude Era, The Ruthless Aggression Era, The Reality Era and whatever it is right now, in 2019.
So, among these times we’ve had various people at the top of the card, particularly superstars who were “faces” of the company, those who were at the forefront of what WWE was presenting. When you bought a collectors cup or a WWF pillow-case in 1988, it’s pretty...
So, among these times we’ve had various people at the top of the card, particularly superstars who were “faces” of the company, those who were at the forefront of what WWE was presenting. When you bought a collectors cup or a WWF pillow-case in 1988, it’s pretty...
- 10/1/2019
- by Chris Cummings
- Nerdly
WWE Hall of Famer Pedro Morales has died, WWE reports. He was 76. Morales, a native of Puerto Rico, was WWE’s (then WWF) first-ever “Triple Crown” Champion.
Not only did Morales find great success in the ring, he was a fan favorite and important figure among New York City’s growing Hispanic population.
In 1972, more than 22,000 fans turned out to Shea Stadium to watch Morales battle Bruno Sammartino in the main event of the inaugural Showdown at Shea supercard, WWE.com remembered in its obituary. After 75 minutes of action, the bout between the two friends was ruled a draw in accordance with the state athletic commission’s strict 11 p.m. curfew.
Also Read: Dean Ambrose to Leave WWE in April
Morales won the WWE Championship from Ivan Koloff at Madison Square Garden in 1970. His reign lasted until 1973, when Stan Stasiak took the belt off him. Morales won tag team gold alongside Bob Backlund,...
Not only did Morales find great success in the ring, he was a fan favorite and important figure among New York City’s growing Hispanic population.
In 1972, more than 22,000 fans turned out to Shea Stadium to watch Morales battle Bruno Sammartino in the main event of the inaugural Showdown at Shea supercard, WWE.com remembered in its obituary. After 75 minutes of action, the bout between the two friends was ruled a draw in accordance with the state athletic commission’s strict 11 p.m. curfew.
Also Read: Dean Ambrose to Leave WWE in April
Morales won the WWE Championship from Ivan Koloff at Madison Square Garden in 1970. His reign lasted until 1973, when Stan Stasiak took the belt off him. Morales won tag team gold alongside Bob Backlund,...
- 2/12/2019
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Nikolai Volkoff, real name Josip Nikolai Peruzović, best known as the evil Russian who teamed up with The Iron Sheik to become a World Tag Team Champion, has died. He was 70.
“WWE is saddened to learn that Josip Nikolai Peruzović, known to WWE fans as Nikolai Volkoff, has passed away at age 70,” WWE said in a statement. “WWE extends its condolences to Peruzović’s family, friends and fans.”
“My Best Friend,” the Iron Sheik, real name Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, tweeted Sunday morning. “My Partner. My Brother. We Get More Heat Than Anyone On Earth. I Trust Him With My Life. He Take Care Of Me When I Was Down. I Miss You Forever ??'”
Also Read: 'Miz & Mrs': USA Lands Most-Watched Reality Show Launch Since Fellow WWE Series 'Tough Enough'
Other professional wrestlers took to Twitter to pay tribute to the legendary heel, with James Ellsworth writing, “I did...
“WWE is saddened to learn that Josip Nikolai Peruzović, known to WWE fans as Nikolai Volkoff, has passed away at age 70,” WWE said in a statement. “WWE extends its condolences to Peruzović’s family, friends and fans.”
“My Best Friend,” the Iron Sheik, real name Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, tweeted Sunday morning. “My Partner. My Brother. We Get More Heat Than Anyone On Earth. I Trust Him With My Life. He Take Care Of Me When I Was Down. I Miss You Forever ??'”
Also Read: 'Miz & Mrs': USA Lands Most-Watched Reality Show Launch Since Fellow WWE Series 'Tough Enough'
Other professional wrestlers took to Twitter to pay tribute to the legendary heel, with James Ellsworth writing, “I did...
- 7/29/2018
- by Jennifer Maas and Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
WWE rings the start bell on its “Greatest Royal Rumble” pay-per-view from Saudi Arabia today, with a 50-man battle royal anchoring the show. Do to the geographical location and the sheer length of the titular contest, the event will be interrupted by an intermission for Muslim prayer, the pro wrestling organization told TheWrap.
“The break will not impact the television viewing audience,” a WWE spokesman said. “We are working with the Gsa and expect it to be approximately 15 minutes.”
The Gsa or General Sports Authority is the government body responsible for sport in Saudi Arabia.
Also Read: WWE Superstar Shakeup 2018: 42 Wrestlers You'll Now Only See on 'SmackDown Live' (Photos)
The following Superstars are confirmed to be in the actual Greatest Royal Rumble Match:
Daniel Bryan
Braun Strowman
Kurt Angle
Shane McMahon
Chris Jericho
Mark Henry
Rey Mysterio
Elias
Kevin Owens
The Great Khali
Bobby Roode
Baron Corbin
Big E
Kofi Kingston
Xavier Woods
Apollo Crews
Shelton Benjamin
Sin Cara
Chad Gable
Goldust
Titus O’Neil
Mojo Rawley
Dolph Ziggler
The prayer will not breakup that mega 50-man contest.
Also Read: Bruno Sammartino, WWE Legend, Dies at 82
In addition to the Greatest Royal Rumble Match, Friday’s show will include seven title defenses, a Casket Match featuring The Undertaker, and John Cena vs. Triple H.
Per Saudi Arabia law, there will be no women’s matches on the card.
The “Greatest Royal Rumble,” which takes place in the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, airs live on WWE Network beginning at 12 p.m. Et/9 a.m. Pt today.
Read original story WWE’s ‘Greatest Royal Rumble’ Will Be Interrupted for Muslim Prayer At TheWrap...
“The break will not impact the television viewing audience,” a WWE spokesman said. “We are working with the Gsa and expect it to be approximately 15 minutes.”
The Gsa or General Sports Authority is the government body responsible for sport in Saudi Arabia.
Also Read: WWE Superstar Shakeup 2018: 42 Wrestlers You'll Now Only See on 'SmackDown Live' (Photos)
The following Superstars are confirmed to be in the actual Greatest Royal Rumble Match:
Daniel Bryan
Braun Strowman
Kurt Angle
Shane McMahon
Chris Jericho
Mark Henry
Rey Mysterio
Elias
Kevin Owens
The Great Khali
Bobby Roode
Baron Corbin
Big E
Kofi Kingston
Xavier Woods
Apollo Crews
Shelton Benjamin
Sin Cara
Chad Gable
Goldust
Titus O’Neil
Mojo Rawley
Dolph Ziggler
The prayer will not breakup that mega 50-man contest.
Also Read: Bruno Sammartino, WWE Legend, Dies at 82
In addition to the Greatest Royal Rumble Match, Friday’s show will include seven title defenses, a Casket Match featuring The Undertaker, and John Cena vs. Triple H.
Per Saudi Arabia law, there will be no women’s matches on the card.
The “Greatest Royal Rumble,” which takes place in the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, airs live on WWE Network beginning at 12 p.m. Et/9 a.m. Pt today.
Read original story WWE’s ‘Greatest Royal Rumble’ Will Be Interrupted for Muslim Prayer At TheWrap...
- 4/27/2018
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
We all just lived through another WWE Superstar Shakeup, and if your head is still spinning, we’re here to help: TheWrap has tracked down where all 96 main roster wrestlers now work.
In our tallies, we only counted regular in-ring wrestlers, so no managers or agents or wives or escorts, etc. — even if they step between the ropes once or twice a year. Though we listed the obvious and current stables and tag teams together, we added up wrestlers individually.
Readers can check out our “Monday Night Raw” gallery here. With a third hour to fill, that locker room is much more packed.
Also Read: Bruno Sammartino, WWE Legend, Dies at 82
Below is just the half of the “SmackDown” squad:
Aiden English
A.J. Styles
SAnitY: Alexander Wolfe, Eric Young and Killian Dain
Andrade “Cien” Almas (w/Zelina Vega)
Asuka
Becky Lynch
Big Cass
The New Day: Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods
The Iconics: Billie Kay and Peyton Royce
Carmella
The Bar: Cesaro and Sheamus
Charlotte Flair
Chris Jericho
Daniel Bryan
The Shining Stars: Primo and Epico Colon
The Bludgeon Brothers: Harper and Rowan
Jeff Hardy
Click through our actual gallery for all 42 blue brand competitors.
WWE “SmackDown Live” airs Tuesday nights from 8-1o p.m. Et/Pt on USA Network.
Read original story WWE Superstar Shakeup 2018: 42 Wrestlers You’ll Now Only See on ‘SmackDown Live’ (Photos) At TheWrap...
In our tallies, we only counted regular in-ring wrestlers, so no managers or agents or wives or escorts, etc. — even if they step between the ropes once or twice a year. Though we listed the obvious and current stables and tag teams together, we added up wrestlers individually.
Readers can check out our “Monday Night Raw” gallery here. With a third hour to fill, that locker room is much more packed.
Also Read: Bruno Sammartino, WWE Legend, Dies at 82
Below is just the half of the “SmackDown” squad:
Aiden English
A.J. Styles
SAnitY: Alexander Wolfe, Eric Young and Killian Dain
Andrade “Cien” Almas (w/Zelina Vega)
Asuka
Becky Lynch
Big Cass
The New Day: Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods
The Iconics: Billie Kay and Peyton Royce
Carmella
The Bar: Cesaro and Sheamus
Charlotte Flair
Chris Jericho
Daniel Bryan
The Shining Stars: Primo and Epico Colon
The Bludgeon Brothers: Harper and Rowan
Jeff Hardy
Click through our actual gallery for all 42 blue brand competitors.
WWE “SmackDown Live” airs Tuesday nights from 8-1o p.m. Et/Pt on USA Network.
Read original story WWE Superstar Shakeup 2018: 42 Wrestlers You’ll Now Only See on ‘SmackDown Live’ (Photos) At TheWrap...
- 4/24/2018
- by Tony Maglio and Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
A wrestling legend has passed away yet again, and this time it’s the man to hold the championship for the longest period of time ever, Bruno Sammartino. Bruno comes from an age of wrestling which today’s fans will never know since it’s time has come and gone. The glitz and glamour of today wasn’t present back in his time, at least not to this extent. The kind of career Sammartino had was something that hearkens back to the day when the wrestlers weren’t the superstars they are now and didn’t pull in the big bucks that they demand in the
Legendary Wrestler Bruno Sammartino Dies At 82...
Legendary Wrestler Bruno Sammartino Dies At 82...
- 4/19/2018
- by Tom
- TVovermind.com
WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino has died. He was 82.
“WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino passed away at age 82,” WWE said. “WWE extends its condolences to Sammartino’s family, friends and fans.”
Nicknamed “The Italian Superman,” Sammartino was the second-ever WWE Champion, defeating Buddy Rogers at Madison Square Garden for the belt. Of course in those days, the pro-wrestling promotion was not called “WWE.”
Sammartino went on to hold the title for nearly eight years — by far the longest reign ever. The way wrestling storylines are written these days, that mark will never be eclipsed.
More to come…...
“WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino passed away at age 82,” WWE said. “WWE extends its condolences to Sammartino’s family, friends and fans.”
Nicknamed “The Italian Superman,” Sammartino was the second-ever WWE Champion, defeating Buddy Rogers at Madison Square Garden for the belt. Of course in those days, the pro-wrestling promotion was not called “WWE.”
Sammartino went on to hold the title for nearly eight years — by far the longest reign ever. The way wrestling storylines are written these days, that mark will never be eclipsed.
More to come…...
- 4/18/2018
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino has died at the age of 82. The news was first revealed by Pittsburgh journalist Ron Cook, who described him as “one of Pittsburgh’s all-time great sportsmen and great people.” Sad news. Bruno Sammartino has passed at 82. One of Pittsburgh’s all-time great sportsmen and great people. Rest In Peace, Bruno. — Ron Cook (@RonCookPG) April 18, 2018 Sammartino’s wife Carol, and sons, Darryl and Dan were said to have been by his side when he passed away. He died peacefully after suffering from health issues for the past few months. WWE and a string […]
The post How did Bruno Sammartino die? WWE Hall of Famer had been battling health issues appeared first on Monsters and Critics.
The post How did Bruno Sammartino die? WWE Hall of Famer had been battling health issues appeared first on Monsters and Critics.
- 4/18/2018
- by Julian Cheatle
- Monsters and Critics
Hall of Fame wrestler Bruno Sammartino is dead. Sammartino -- who was the longest reigning champion in WWE history (4,040 days) -- passed away at his home in Pittsburgh. Bruno got his start with the Wwwf ... the promotion started by Vince McMahon Sr. -- which eventually led to the WWF and WWE. He was also a color commentator for WWF Superstars of wrestling and WWF All-Star wrestling, during the WWE's explosion of popularity in the 1980's.
- 4/18/2018
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Gavin Jasper Apr 4, 2019
Since the second WrestleMania, the show has been home to many over-the-top-rope free-for-alls featuring giants and football players.
Vince McMahon has a lot of negative qualities to him. He’s an egomaniacal, out-of-touch, petty sociopath who will chase people around the workplace with soiled underwear on a stick. Despite being an eccentric psycho, Vince still has his positives. One of them is how whenever WrestleMania comes by, he tends to treat the roster like Ebenezer Scrooge treats people on Christmas Day. WrestleMania is the biggest payday of the year and it’s a show where they try to get as many people on as possible so that even some of the lowest-ranking folks can earn some big money.
It can take many forms, from ten-man tag matches, Fatal 4-Ways, Money in the Bank, or even just tossing in a bunch of pointless singles matches featuring guys who aren’t even feuding.
Since the second WrestleMania, the show has been home to many over-the-top-rope free-for-alls featuring giants and football players.
Vince McMahon has a lot of negative qualities to him. He’s an egomaniacal, out-of-touch, petty sociopath who will chase people around the workplace with soiled underwear on a stick. Despite being an eccentric psycho, Vince still has his positives. One of them is how whenever WrestleMania comes by, he tends to treat the roster like Ebenezer Scrooge treats people on Christmas Day. WrestleMania is the biggest payday of the year and it’s a show where they try to get as many people on as possible so that even some of the lowest-ranking folks can earn some big money.
It can take many forms, from ten-man tag matches, Fatal 4-Ways, Money in the Bank, or even just tossing in a bunch of pointless singles matches featuring guys who aren’t even feuding.
- 4/2/2018
- Den of Geek
Bruno Mars took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a photo of him and the man who inspired his stage name. According to the singer, whose birth name is Peter Gene Hernandez, professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino is the guy he was nicknamed after. Related: Chance The Rapper Teases Potential Collaborations With John Mayer And Bruno Mars Related: Zendaya […]...
- 8/23/2017
- by Jordan Appugliesi
- ET Canada
You may know Bruno Mars as a mutlitalented performer and a brilliant songwriter, but do you know his real name? It's very common for celebrities to go by stage names that completely differ from the monikers they were given at birth, and Bruno is one of those stars. Born Peter Gene Hernandez, the 31-year-old singer landed the nickname Bruno as a toddler because he resembled famous wrestler Bruno Sammartino. While seeking a recording contract at the age of 17 in La, Bruno acquired the last name Mars because of the responses he would receive: "Your last name's Hernandez, maybe you should do this Latin music, this Spanish music . . . Enrique's so hot right now." Maybe he wanted to sound like he was from another planet?...
- 3/14/2017
- by Monica Sisavat
- Popsugar.com
Ivan Koloff, the former WWE wrestler known as “The Russian Bear,” died on Saturday after battling liver cancer. He was 74. “WWE is saddened to learn that Ivan Koloff, best known to the WWE Universe as one of Bruno Sammartino’s most bitter rivals, has passed away at age 74,” the company said in a statement. “WWE extends its condolences to Ivan Koloff’s family, friends and fans.” WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair also shared the news on Twitter, with a tribute to Koloff. He wrote, “I’m Sad To Wake Up And Hear of the passing of my very close friend the.
- 2/18/2017
- by Joe Otterson
- The Wrap
Ivan Koloff, knowing among wrestling fans as “The Russian Bear,” has died. He was 74.
Koloff had been battling liver cancer and was in need of “urgent medical care,” according to a Go Fund Me page set up by his daughter, Rachel Marley, on Feb. 2.
“My dad was diagnosed with liver disease about 10 years ago and while he has been living with it, he chose not to make this announcement public to his fans and friends,” she wrote. “But doctors are now saying that his liver function is getting worse day by day and it will continue to. There are no...
Koloff had been battling liver cancer and was in need of “urgent medical care,” according to a Go Fund Me page set up by his daughter, Rachel Marley, on Feb. 2.
“My dad was diagnosed with liver disease about 10 years ago and while he has been living with it, he chose not to make this announcement public to his fans and friends,” she wrote. “But doctors are now saying that his liver function is getting worse day by day and it will continue to. There are no...
- 2/18/2017
- by Dave Quinn
- PEOPLE.com
Ivan Koloff, aka The Russian Bear who wrestled to fame for years as a supreme villain, has died. Rick Flair posted the news Saturday morning. The 74-year-old Koloff had been battling liver cancer. Koloff was a former Wwwf World Heavyweight champion who fought the likes of Bruno Sammartino, Superstar Billy Graham and Bob Backlund. He was especially big in the 80's as Ronald Reagan challenged Russia on the world stage. The news comes just 1 day...
- 2/18/2017
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Only a day after George “The Animal” Steele passed away, another WWE Legend is no longer with us. Koloff, who was diagnosed with liver disease a decade ago, had recently announced that his health was rapidly declining, forcing him to cancel appearances. Ric Flair confirmed the sad news this morning on Twitter. Koloff was most well known in WWE circles for being the man who ended the legendary Bruno Sammartino’s 7 year title reign. Koloff began in wrestling at the young age of 19 and would have a career that spanned nearly 30 years. Beginning in 1967 he was managed
WWE Legend Ivan Koloff Dies at 74...
WWE Legend Ivan Koloff Dies at 74...
- 2/18/2017
- by Nat Berman
- TVovermind.com
It’s odd to write about a WWE wrestler dying at the age of 79 because unfortunately most of them die well before that, but George “The Animal” Steele just passed away. He was most well known back when the WWE was the WWF. Steele was considered to be one of the strangest wrestlers who ever entered the ring. He was well known for having weird stuff on his tongue and biting turn buckles. Steele joined the WWE in 1967 after briefly playing football in the short-lived United Football League. Steele feuded with champion Bruno Sammartino before developing the green-tongue, turnbuckle-eating,
WWE Wrestler George “The Animal” Steele Dies at 79...
WWE Wrestler George “The Animal” Steele Dies at 79...
- 2/17/2017
- by Nat Berman
- TVovermind.com
George “The Animal” Steele — one of the WWE’s most notorious villains know for his green tongue, hairy torso and wild, unpredictable style — has died, the WWE announced Friday. He was 79.
Steele, whose name out of the ring was James Myers, had long been battling Crohn’s disease. He was diagnosed in 1988 after a nine year struggle with its symptoms, he explained on his website, and had his colon removed in 2002.
According to a Facebook post by pro-wrestling agent Eric Simms, Steele had entered hospice care on Thursday. His wife Patricia told TMZ he died Thursday of kidney failure.
After news of his death,...
Steele, whose name out of the ring was James Myers, had long been battling Crohn’s disease. He was diagnosed in 1988 after a nine year struggle with its symptoms, he explained on his website, and had his colon removed in 2002.
According to a Facebook post by pro-wrestling agent Eric Simms, Steele had entered hospice care on Thursday. His wife Patricia told TMZ he died Thursday of kidney failure.
After news of his death,...
- 2/17/2017
- by Dave Quinn
- PEOPLE.com
WWE.com
Stan Hansen was officially announced as the latest inductee to the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2016 evening during last night’s Raw broadcast.
Hansen will be honored alongside this year’s other inductees on Saturday, April 2nd, the night before WrestleMania 32.
Hansen has long been regarded as one of the greatest brawlers in professional wrestling history. He started his career in 1973 and wrestled all the way up until 2001. Though Hansen did appear for Wwwf, WWF, Awa, and several regional promotions in America, most of his success came as the stiff-working American in Japan. He wrestled for both All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling during his time in Asia. He is arguably the most successful American wrestler in the history of Japan.
Hansen’s time in McMahon’s territory was highlighted by feuds with Bruno Sammartino, Andre The Giant, and Bob Backlund. He famously broke...
Stan Hansen was officially announced as the latest inductee to the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2016 evening during last night’s Raw broadcast.
Hansen will be honored alongside this year’s other inductees on Saturday, April 2nd, the night before WrestleMania 32.
Hansen has long been regarded as one of the greatest brawlers in professional wrestling history. He started his career in 1973 and wrestled all the way up until 2001. Though Hansen did appear for Wwwf, WWF, Awa, and several regional promotions in America, most of his success came as the stiff-working American in Japan. He wrestled for both All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling during his time in Asia. He is arguably the most successful American wrestler in the history of Japan.
Hansen’s time in McMahon’s territory was highlighted by feuds with Bruno Sammartino, Andre The Giant, and Bob Backlund. He famously broke...
- 3/22/2016
- by Ryan Droste
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
The WWE Hall of Fame news continues with a report that former All Japan Triple Crown and Awa Heavyweight Champion Stan Hansen and former WWE Women’s Champion Jacqueline will be inducted into this year’s class.
Though WWE has not acknowledged the inductions on television or online, the company released a special commemorative WrestleMania 32 magazine last week that named Hansen and Jacqueline as 2016 inductees.
WhatCulture.com actually broke the news of Jacqueline’s induction several weeks ago…
Though Stan Hansen primarily made his reputation in Japan, he also competed for WWE in the 1970s, quickly becoming one of the company’s top heels. When Bruno Sammartino suffered a broken neck in a match with Hansen, credit for the injury was given to “The Lariat’s” devastating finishing maneuver. He headlined shows with Sammartino and Bob Backlund before heading to All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he would spend...
The WWE Hall of Fame news continues with a report that former All Japan Triple Crown and Awa Heavyweight Champion Stan Hansen and former WWE Women’s Champion Jacqueline will be inducted into this year’s class.
Though WWE has not acknowledged the inductions on television or online, the company released a special commemorative WrestleMania 32 magazine last week that named Hansen and Jacqueline as 2016 inductees.
WhatCulture.com actually broke the news of Jacqueline’s induction several weeks ago…
Though Stan Hansen primarily made his reputation in Japan, he also competed for WWE in the 1970s, quickly becoming one of the company’s top heels. When Bruno Sammartino suffered a broken neck in a match with Hansen, credit for the injury was given to “The Lariat’s” devastating finishing maneuver. He headlined shows with Sammartino and Bob Backlund before heading to All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he would spend...
- 3/8/2016
- by Scott Fried
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
It’s fair to say that, over the past thirty five years, Vince McMahon and WWE have established a poor habit of greatly under-appreciating some of their most valuable contributors. Regardless of how they ended up in the unenviable position they are in, too many former WWE personalities have had their place in history slighted for one reason or another.
In almost every case, it is varying degrees unfortunate and sad to see the hard work and sacrifices that these individuals have made throughout their career not receive the same type of recognition had it been credited to someone else, someone that is on the good side of Vince & Co.
Despite what Vince McMahon would have people believe, loyalty to the WWE doesn’t always pay off.
Sure, there are some individuals whose careers would make a good argument against this point. Guys like The Undertaker, Pat Patterson,...
It’s fair to say that, over the past thirty five years, Vince McMahon and WWE have established a poor habit of greatly under-appreciating some of their most valuable contributors. Regardless of how they ended up in the unenviable position they are in, too many former WWE personalities have had their place in history slighted for one reason or another.
In almost every case, it is varying degrees unfortunate and sad to see the hard work and sacrifices that these individuals have made throughout their career not receive the same type of recognition had it been credited to someone else, someone that is on the good side of Vince & Co.
Despite what Vince McMahon would have people believe, loyalty to the WWE doesn’t always pay off.
Sure, there are some individuals whose careers would make a good argument against this point. Guys like The Undertaker, Pat Patterson,...
- 3/2/2016
- by Matt Davis
- Obsessed with Film
Luchaworld.com
Professional wrestling has been around for well over a century now, and has evolved through a variety of different forms as society and popular culture has changed around it.
In fact, back in the 1920s there wasn’t really any such thing as pop culture. America had the Depression and Prohibition instead, the two suckiest horsemen of the apocalypse, and after wrestling’s first superstar Frank Gotch retired, Ed Lewis, Billy Sandow and Toots Mondt – the Gold Dust Trio – responded to the crash in wrestling’s fortunes by changing a fair few things: adding more panache and pizazz to the product, introducing gimmicked holds and the concept of the roster.
Television came along, completely redefining the business. Bruno Sammartino ruled the northeast in the 1960s, but Verne Gagne’s Awa ran the rest of America. With the advent of cable over regional television, the business suffered another seismic change,...
Professional wrestling has been around for well over a century now, and has evolved through a variety of different forms as society and popular culture has changed around it.
In fact, back in the 1920s there wasn’t really any such thing as pop culture. America had the Depression and Prohibition instead, the two suckiest horsemen of the apocalypse, and after wrestling’s first superstar Frank Gotch retired, Ed Lewis, Billy Sandow and Toots Mondt – the Gold Dust Trio – responded to the crash in wrestling’s fortunes by changing a fair few things: adding more panache and pizazz to the product, introducing gimmicked holds and the concept of the roster.
Television came along, completely redefining the business. Bruno Sammartino ruled the northeast in the 1960s, but Verne Gagne’s Awa ran the rest of America. With the advent of cable over regional television, the business suffered another seismic change,...
- 1/9/2016
- by Ben Cooke
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
The WWE Title is still regarded as the most prestigious belt in North American pro wrestling. For almost every young wrestler, the title represents reaching the pinnacle of your craft, which is pretty much what Seth Rollins said in interviews after capturing the thing at WrestleMania 31 earlier this year. WWE may have de-emphasized the importance of title belts over the years, but the WWE Title has remained wrestling’s richest prize.
Scanning a list of wrestlers who have held the belt reads like a who’s who of the best the industry has to offer. Names such as Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino, Randy Savage, The Rock and Steve Austin immediately jump out. These are joined by more modern examples such as John Cena and Cm Punk. There’s no doubt about it, the championship means a lot to those who win it.
Better yet, many title changes have...
The WWE Title is still regarded as the most prestigious belt in North American pro wrestling. For almost every young wrestler, the title represents reaching the pinnacle of your craft, which is pretty much what Seth Rollins said in interviews after capturing the thing at WrestleMania 31 earlier this year. WWE may have de-emphasized the importance of title belts over the years, but the WWE Title has remained wrestling’s richest prize.
Scanning a list of wrestlers who have held the belt reads like a who’s who of the best the industry has to offer. Names such as Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino, Randy Savage, The Rock and Steve Austin immediately jump out. These are joined by more modern examples such as John Cena and Cm Punk. There’s no doubt about it, the championship means a lot to those who win it.
Better yet, many title changes have...
- 10/21/2015
- by Jamie Kennedy
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
Saturday night, October 3, World Wrestling Entertainment returns to the “Most Famous Arena in the World,” Madison Square Garden, for a live broadcast headlined by Brock Lesnar versus Big Show. The match will represent the reigniting of a feud that has spanned a decade-plus and seen both competitors score high profile victories over each other. Dubbed the first stop on Lesnar’s “Go To Hell Tour,” and featuring a WWE Tag Team Championship match between The Dudley Boyz and The New Day, it will be the latest in a lineage of major events to unfold under the WWE banner in the Big Apple.
Throughout the history of the most celebrated venue in professional wrestling, the biggest stars have stepped inside the squared circle to wage war for both personal pride and championship glory. Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and John Cena became household names thanks to their performances...
Saturday night, October 3, World Wrestling Entertainment returns to the “Most Famous Arena in the World,” Madison Square Garden, for a live broadcast headlined by Brock Lesnar versus Big Show. The match will represent the reigniting of a feud that has spanned a decade-plus and seen both competitors score high profile victories over each other. Dubbed the first stop on Lesnar’s “Go To Hell Tour,” and featuring a WWE Tag Team Championship match between The Dudley Boyz and The New Day, it will be the latest in a lineage of major events to unfold under the WWE banner in the Big Apple.
Throughout the history of the most celebrated venue in professional wrestling, the biggest stars have stepped inside the squared circle to wage war for both personal pride and championship glory. Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and John Cena became household names thanks to their performances...
- 10/3/2015
- by Erik Beaston
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
Traditionally, the ‘World’ Champion in any wrestling company is the man expected to lead the promotion by example. Over the years, World Wrestling Entertainment have had many strong titleholders. Men such as Bruno Sammartino, Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan have all been worthy champions. However, even the ‘Immortal’ Hulk himself has had reigns that felt a little cheap, and ultimately pointless.
That’s what is focused on here, those WWE World Title runs that were really quite unnecessary. Not only is the WWE Heavyweight Title itself taken into consideration, but so is the now-defunct World Heavyweight Championship, which was discontinued in 2013. Now, both belts have merged into one, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but both separate belts are examined here.
Incredibly, some of the biggest stars in company history adorn this list. This proves that a champion doesn’t necessarily need to be deemed unworthy to be included,...
Traditionally, the ‘World’ Champion in any wrestling company is the man expected to lead the promotion by example. Over the years, World Wrestling Entertainment have had many strong titleholders. Men such as Bruno Sammartino, Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan have all been worthy champions. However, even the ‘Immortal’ Hulk himself has had reigns that felt a little cheap, and ultimately pointless.
That’s what is focused on here, those WWE World Title runs that were really quite unnecessary. Not only is the WWE Heavyweight Title itself taken into consideration, but so is the now-defunct World Heavyweight Championship, which was discontinued in 2013. Now, both belts have merged into one, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but both separate belts are examined here.
Incredibly, some of the biggest stars in company history adorn this list. This proves that a champion doesn’t necessarily need to be deemed unworthy to be included,...
- 9/14/2015
- by Jamie Kennedy
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
The advent of WWE Network has allowed World Wrestling Entertainment to put a greater emphasis on former titans of the squared circle. The company has gone to great lengths to pay homage to those memorable masters of the mat who have kept the sports entertainment industry strong and profitable for the last 40 years.
Video games, books, magazines and action figure lines have been devoted to immortalizing the likes of Hulk Hogan (until recently), Bruno Sammartino, The Ultimate Warrior and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. A “Legends” clothing line has resulted in Randy Savage, The Iron Sheik and Rick Rude being emblazoned on WWE t-shirts for the first time in decades.
As much focus as WWE has put on the continued respect and admiration for those who laid the groundwork for today’s generation of wrestling stars, they have continually demonstrated poor use of some of the legendary stars they bring back into the fold.
The advent of WWE Network has allowed World Wrestling Entertainment to put a greater emphasis on former titans of the squared circle. The company has gone to great lengths to pay homage to those memorable masters of the mat who have kept the sports entertainment industry strong and profitable for the last 40 years.
Video games, books, magazines and action figure lines have been devoted to immortalizing the likes of Hulk Hogan (until recently), Bruno Sammartino, The Ultimate Warrior and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. A “Legends” clothing line has resulted in Randy Savage, The Iron Sheik and Rick Rude being emblazoned on WWE t-shirts for the first time in decades.
As much focus as WWE has put on the continued respect and admiration for those who laid the groundwork for today’s generation of wrestling stars, they have continually demonstrated poor use of some of the legendary stars they bring back into the fold.
- 9/11/2015
- by Erik Beaston
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
Finishing moves have come a long way over the past few decades. Bruno Sammartino’s bearhug, Ultimate Warrior’s running splash and even Jake Roberts’ Ddt simply won’t cut it anymore. These match ending moves have evolved to become flashier, look more devastating, and often require an incredible amount of strength and athleticism to pull off.
It wasn’t that long ago that you didn’t even need a finishing move to get over. Now, it’s imperative. They are an integral part of the current professional wrestling scene, just like theme music. But who has the best one? It’s a tough call, but that’s what we’re here to find out.
The finishing moves listed here are ranked on a variety of factors: How cool they look, how legitimately painful they appear to be, the surprise factor, the big situations which they’ve been used,...
Finishing moves have come a long way over the past few decades. Bruno Sammartino’s bearhug, Ultimate Warrior’s running splash and even Jake Roberts’ Ddt simply won’t cut it anymore. These match ending moves have evolved to become flashier, look more devastating, and often require an incredible amount of strength and athleticism to pull off.
It wasn’t that long ago that you didn’t even need a finishing move to get over. Now, it’s imperative. They are an integral part of the current professional wrestling scene, just like theme music. But who has the best one? It’s a tough call, but that’s what we’re here to find out.
The finishing moves listed here are ranked on a variety of factors: How cool they look, how legitimately painful they appear to be, the surprise factor, the big situations which they’ve been used,...
- 9/8/2015
- by Andrew Soucek
- Obsessed with Film
The Terminator will be a pre-order bonus for WWE 2K16.
Two versions of the T-800 from The Terminator and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day will be available as playable characters. In both films, the Terminator is portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
A new trailer announced the news, as The Terminator enters a bar and scans Daniel Bryan, Paige, Eva Marie and others, only to be confronted by Dean Ambrose.
Schwarzenegger was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame earlier this year.
The actor also featured in Triple H's Terminator-themed entrance video ahead of The Game's match with Sting at WrestleMania 31.
Schwarzenegger's connections to WWE include appearing over the years on WWE Raw and WWE Smackdown, where he tangled with Triple H and The Miz.
He also inducted his long-time friend and former WWE Champion Bruno Sammartino into the Hall of Fame, and starred opposite WWE...
Two versions of the T-800 from The Terminator and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day will be available as playable characters. In both films, the Terminator is portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
A new trailer announced the news, as The Terminator enters a bar and scans Daniel Bryan, Paige, Eva Marie and others, only to be confronted by Dean Ambrose.
Schwarzenegger was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame earlier this year.
The actor also featured in Triple H's Terminator-themed entrance video ahead of The Game's match with Sting at WrestleMania 31.
Schwarzenegger's connections to WWE include appearing over the years on WWE Raw and WWE Smackdown, where he tangled with Triple H and The Miz.
He also inducted his long-time friend and former WWE Champion Bruno Sammartino into the Hall of Fame, and starred opposite WWE...
- 7/27/2015
- Digital Spy
WWE.com
When it comes to former superstars and their returns to WWE, fans are taught to never say never. After all, the company’s facilitated some of the most improbable second comings of prodigal sons and daughters that most analysts could imagine — from Bruno Sammartino, who badmouthed WWE’s product for years before accepting induction into the 2013 Hall of Fame class; to Sable, who angered her co-workers, sued the company, and came back to work an angle with Torrie Wilson; to Hulk Hogan, who joined WCW, made it the number one wrestling promotion in the world, returned to WWE, joined Tna, failed to work the same magic, and returned to WWE once again. The company and their superstars have made it perfectly clear that there are very few doors that are permanently shut.
Still, there are some superstars and divas with whom, for whatever reason, the company’s bad...
When it comes to former superstars and their returns to WWE, fans are taught to never say never. After all, the company’s facilitated some of the most improbable second comings of prodigal sons and daughters that most analysts could imagine — from Bruno Sammartino, who badmouthed WWE’s product for years before accepting induction into the 2013 Hall of Fame class; to Sable, who angered her co-workers, sued the company, and came back to work an angle with Torrie Wilson; to Hulk Hogan, who joined WCW, made it the number one wrestling promotion in the world, returned to WWE, joined Tna, failed to work the same magic, and returned to WWE once again. The company and their superstars have made it perfectly clear that there are very few doors that are permanently shut.
Still, there are some superstars and divas with whom, for whatever reason, the company’s bad...
- 7/15/2015
- by Scott Fried
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino recently underwent back surgery and is said to be doing well. According to the Wrestling Observer, Bruno hopes to be able to walk on his own soon, but the 80-year-old wrestling legend is using a walker to help him at this point.
Bruno reportedly was dealing with a lot of pain in his legs during WrestleMania 31 weekend in San Jose. Over a month ago, the pain was so bad that he suffered a fall, which led to one of his legs being swollen much more than the other one.
Doctors wanted to operate on Bruno’s leg, but then he went to see Dr. Joseph Maroon, who is also WWE’s top doctor. He found out that the back was causing the pain, rather than the legs. Dr. Maroon performed the “delicate back operation” within the last month and Bruno...
World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino recently underwent back surgery and is said to be doing well. According to the Wrestling Observer, Bruno hopes to be able to walk on his own soon, but the 80-year-old wrestling legend is using a walker to help him at this point.
Bruno reportedly was dealing with a lot of pain in his legs during WrestleMania 31 weekend in San Jose. Over a month ago, the pain was so bad that he suffered a fall, which led to one of his legs being swollen much more than the other one.
Doctors wanted to operate on Bruno’s leg, but then he went to see Dr. Joseph Maroon, who is also WWE’s top doctor. He found out that the back was causing the pain, rather than the legs. Dr. Maroon performed the “delicate back operation” within the last month and Bruno...
- 7/10/2015
- by John Canton
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
Today would have been the 50th birthday of the late great Owen Hart. Sadly, Owen passed away due to an unfortunate accident in May 1999 at WWE’s Over The Edge pay-per-view when he fell into the ring after the apparatus he was wearing did not unbuckle in a safe manner.
Since that time, Owen hasn’t been mentioned that much by WWE. His widow Martha Hart sued WWE as well as the rigging company for the accident and while Owen has been featured on some Hart Family DVDs, he hasn’t been the subject of his own documentary. That is until now.
According to a report from WrestlingDVDNews.com, WWE is planning on releasing a Blu-ray/DVD feature about Owen’s life that includes a documentary. If you have seen other career DVD compilations then you know WWE does a great job with them. They usually run anywhere from 90 minutes to two hours.
Today would have been the 50th birthday of the late great Owen Hart. Sadly, Owen passed away due to an unfortunate accident in May 1999 at WWE’s Over The Edge pay-per-view when he fell into the ring after the apparatus he was wearing did not unbuckle in a safe manner.
Since that time, Owen hasn’t been mentioned that much by WWE. His widow Martha Hart sued WWE as well as the rigging company for the accident and while Owen has been featured on some Hart Family DVDs, he hasn’t been the subject of his own documentary. That is until now.
According to a report from WrestlingDVDNews.com, WWE is planning on releasing a Blu-ray/DVD feature about Owen’s life that includes a documentary. If you have seen other career DVD compilations then you know WWE does a great job with them. They usually run anywhere from 90 minutes to two hours.
- 5/7/2015
- by John Canton
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
WWE announced on Monday that former WWE, WCW and Awa superstar “The Living Legend” Larry Zbyszko will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in San Jose on Saturday March 28.
Zbyszko joins a class that already includes Randy Savage, Rikishi, Alundra Blayze, The Bushwhackers, Arnold Schwarzenegger in the celebrity wing and the inaugural “Warrior Award” inductee Connor “The Crusher” Michalek. It’s expected that Kevin Nash will also be added next week, which will be the last episode of Raw before WrestleMania.
These days Zbyszko is 63 years old and helps out WWE’s developmental talent by heading to the Performance Center on a regular basis. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Larry Z said that he had a feeling he’d get in one day: “My gut feeling over the years was that probably someday, sooner or later, I’d be getting in – and not just because...
WWE announced on Monday that former WWE, WCW and Awa superstar “The Living Legend” Larry Zbyszko will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in San Jose on Saturday March 28.
Zbyszko joins a class that already includes Randy Savage, Rikishi, Alundra Blayze, The Bushwhackers, Arnold Schwarzenegger in the celebrity wing and the inaugural “Warrior Award” inductee Connor “The Crusher” Michalek. It’s expected that Kevin Nash will also be added next week, which will be the last episode of Raw before WrestleMania.
These days Zbyszko is 63 years old and helps out WWE’s developmental talent by heading to the Performance Center on a regular basis. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Larry Z said that he had a feeling he’d get in one day: “My gut feeling over the years was that probably someday, sooner or later, I’d be getting in – and not just because...
- 3/16/2015
- by John Canton
- Obsessed with Film
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