Time Warner to black-out TNA fans?

Photo provided

vs.


Photo provided

Earlier this afternoon, I noticed a scrolling text going across my "Spike TV" channel but didn't pay much attention to it as "CSI" was airing and I was watching the "Dog the Bounty Hunter" marathon on "A&E."

However, a little bit later, while channel surfing, I noticed that scrolling text was still going across "Spike TV" so I decided to check out what it said. To my astonishment, the text was alerting cable subscribers that have Time Warner as their cable provider that at midnight tonight, they would be losing "Spike TV," "Nickelodeon," "MTV" and 16-other channels unless they called Time Warner through the phone number provided and DEMAND those channels not be pulled.

A little taken back at what I read, I flipped over to my "Nickelodeon" channel and sure enough, there was that same scrolling text that had been on "Spike TV," which alerted me that this was a serious matter even though I wouldn't be affected since Charter is my area's cable provider.

After doing some research, I learned all of this is a result of Viacom, the company that owns the said 19-networks, wanting more compensation for their programming from Time Warner and that midnight officially ends the two-year contract between the two parties. Should an agreement not be reached, this incident could affect up to 13.3 million homes in the US and some 2 million in the Los Angeles area alone.

If you have Time Warner, there is still time to call in and demand that they don't blackout these channels. If it were me, I would be calling Time Warner every five-minutes because I would be irate if I could no longer watch Ultimate Fighting Championship [UFC] events, "George Lopez Show," "Home Improvement," "Family Matters," Total Nonstop Action [TNA] wrestling and my guilty pleasure, "I Carly."

Divas Champion Maryse dislocates kneecap

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com



Earlier today, I read on the Slam! Sports website that current World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] Divas Champion Maryse [pictured above] was officially diagnosed with a dislocated knee-cap after injuring her knee during a WWE live-event house show over the weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina.

According to reports from fans in attendance sent in to Lordsofpain.com, Maryse and Natalya were wrestling The Bella Twins in the third match of the night and during the match, Maryse was working one of the twins over in the corner when Maryse suddenly crumpled down to the mat as it appeared she had blown her knee out.

The fans then described an awkward scene in which Natalya stood on the ring apron, not knowing what do to, while the Bella Twins went around the ring to play up the crowd. Special referee for the match, Kung Fu Naki, stood over Maryse, talking to her the entire time. The road agent for the match threw up the "X" signal with his forearms and a number of EMT's, referees and road agents hit the ringside area.

In the meantime, Natalya entered the ring and made of the twins submit to her sharpshooter finisher to put an end to the match, which was followed by Maryse being carried off on a stretcher.

I personally feel terrible for Maryse as this injury could not have come at a worse time for Maryse as she just won the Divas championship from Michelle McCool this past Friday on Smackdown.

I know a lot of know-it-all fans aren't big fans of Maryse or many of the Divas in WWE because they all can't wrestle like Natalya or Victoria, but personally, I feel Maryse has really stepped her in-ring game up over the last six months and has become one of, if not the top, female heel in the WWE. Her simple mannerisms remind me of a "heel" Trish Stratus and watching Maryse grow and progress as an in-ring performer in 2008 has been a joy to witness.

Hopefully, the injury isn't too severe and Maryse can be back in the ring in no time. If not, I wish her a speedy recovery and maybe this is the glitch in a storyline that WWE can use to re-introduce Gail Kim.

Joanie "Chyna" Laurer attempted suicide?

Photo courtesy of alivingwonder.com



Late last night, TMZ.com reported that former World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] Diva and frequent Howard Stern radio show guest, Joanie "Chyna" Laurer [pictured above], was rushed to a hospital over the weekend after attending a party where it is believed she mixed a heavy dose of prescription pills with alcohol.

According to the report, Laurer was rushed to a Burbank hospital at about 5.am. Saturday morning after being found passed out with cuts on her arm, leading many to believe the cuts indicated an attempted suicide. In addition, TMZ reported that her blood alcohol content was so high, the doctors felt they wouldn't be able to do a psychiatric examination.

Early Monday morning, Jeff Bauer of Mad Dad Promotions and assistant director of the Lovechild video shoot, released a statement with Laurer's side of the story and stated that upon finishing the video shoot for Lovechild's new single, Laurer and a couple of friends, including himself, had a few drinks to celebrate her birthday and the end of a great shoot.

Bauer went on to state that a newly prescribed medication Laurer was taking had a very adverse effect combined with the alcohol and that she blacked out and fell into her mirrored closet doors, receiving minor cuts on her arms and legs. Bauer admitted that when Laurer fell, it was scary and things looked worse than it was as Laurer only spent half the day Saturday at St. Joseph's emergency hospital and was released by the doctors without being admitted to the hospital. Bauer finished by stating that Laurer is doing fine and is a little embarrassed about forgetting she was on new medication.

I would love to believe Bauer but I am a bit skeptical due to Laurer's past problems with substance abuse and her recent appearance on VH1 Celebrity Rehab where she stated that she doesn't consider herself an addict.

However, I will give Bauer credit for automatically coming out with their side of the story immediately after TMZ released their report rather than waiting days or weeks to make a statement.

It still saddens me to think that just a few years ago, Laurer was just as big and as popular as Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock with both fans and non-fans of professional wrestling during the wrestling "BOOM" period and to see how far she has fallen really stings.

I honestly hope Bauer's statement was what really happened and I do hope Laurer continues to get her life straightened out because it would devastate me to read one day that she just became another statistic for professional wrestling deaths.

McMahon says NO to New Hart Foundation

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com


A few weeks ago, I discussed in an entry about the comments current World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] developmental talent DH Smith, the son of the late "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, made to a local Miami newspaper where he said that he believe he was better than some of the current second and third generation wrestlers currently on the main WWE roster and I agreed with his comments.

On Dec. 4, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Smith was a lock to be called up to the main roster after an incident two months ago. Reportedly, Vince McMahon was in a bad mood on a flight home to Connecticut after what he considered to be a bad week of television tapings and while looking of a paper listing of the ENTIRE roster, which included developmental talents, and afters seeing the name Harry Smith, McMahon scolded and railed on the creative team for letting this "Pedigree Kid" sit on the sidelines waste away.

Following McMahon's rant, Smith was paired up with TJ Wilson [both pictured above] as the "Canadian Bulldogs" in Florida Championship Wrestling [FCW] to get thm on track for thier eventual call-up to the main roster, which appeared to be coming soon as last week, it was reported that Smith and Wilson were on their way to the Smackdown roster to be the "New Hart Foundation" and have current WWE Diva Natalya, the daughter of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart and current girlfriend of Wilson, be their manager.

Indications got stronger after Smith and Wilson dropped the FCW tag-team belts last week at an FCW television tapings to Tyler "Gabe Tuft" Rex and James Curtis coming on the heels of the duo working a Smackdown dark match prior to the television tapings three weeks ago against current WWE Tag Team Champions Carlito and Primo.

Unfortunately, it appears all that speculation was hogwash as the Observer reported today that Smith and Wilson are once again on the back-burner with regards to a call-up to the main roster as the company has decided to go with "The Brian Kendrick" and Ezekiel Jackson in the spot of challenging Carlito and Primo for the tag-titles.

According to Observer, officials main problem with Smith and Wilson is that they are not really that good at talking and even though officials have been grooming Natalya as their mouthpiece, they feel she's not good enough of a talker to get them the needed mic time on the show even though she is outstanding at ringside.

To make things more complicated, the trainers in FCW have been raving about Smith and Wilson and feel they are the most advanced wrestlers in the developmental league right now but it appears to not matter as its back to the drawing board for the duo.

This is now twice that Smith, Wilson and Natalya were suppose to debut as a new generation Hart Foundation and both times have been scrapped. The first time was in the fall of 2007 but Teddy Hart, who was to debut with them and is the nephew to Bret "Hitman" Hart, screwed those plans up with his immature attitude and was released from the company for a second time in Oct. 2007.

I do not know what to say about this other than are you freaking kidding me? Could someone please explain to me like I'm a five-year old how McMahon could suddenly flip his position on Smith and Wilson after scolding the creative team for not doing anything with Smith?

It baffles me beyond belief that WWE has two talents they could make a ton of money off of but because they may not have the strongest mic skills, they are going to waste them in FCW while the likes of Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes, Manu, Vladmir Koslov and others get television time on the main roster with weaker mic skills?

All I know for sure is that these two kids, Wilson and Smith, can produce the goods in the ring and are miles ahead of some of their peers who are currently on the main roster in terms of ring talent and natural ability.

I guaran-damn-tee you that if Jim Ross was still in charge of the talent roster and who got called up to the main roster instead of John Laurinaitis, this duo would already be multi-time tag-champions and would be carving out their name in professional wrestling history.

Hopefully, we will get to see this duo sooner than later as they could be the shot of adrenaline tag-team wrestling needs right now. Only time will tell and if McMahon keeps changing his mind like a dead fish flip-flopping, that wait could be a long, long time.

MMA fighter Justin Eilers murdered on Christmas

Photo courtesy of Sherdog.com

Earlier today, I was shocked to discover on espn.com that Mixed Martial Arts fighter Justin Eilers [pictured above] had been shot and killed late Christmas night in Nampa, Idaho during an apparent domestic disturbance. Eilers was 30-years old.

According to Sherdog.com, Canyon County sheriffs arrived at the residence of the incident at 10:44 p.m. MST, where Eilers was found shot and wounded. Capt. Dana Maxfield said that emergency medical staff took live-saving measures but were unsuccessful in their attempts and pronounced Eilers dead at the scene.

On Friday, a conducted autopsy released the cause of death as a single gunshot wound to the chest and Eilers' longtime manager, Monte Cox, stated that the bullet punctured Eilers' lung before exiting his body

According to Cox, Eilers had gathered with relatives for the holidays but tensions escalated with an ex-girlfriend who was also attending. Eilers was asked to leave the residence but refused and began throwing dishes and other objects in protest.

During Eilers' tirade, it is being reported that the home's owner pulled a gun on Eilers and shot him in the chest after a brief verbal confrontation. Even more heart-wrenching is that in addition to Eilers' ex-girlfriend being in the same room at the time of the shooting, so were Eilers' mother and young son.

The home's owner, James Robert Malec, 48, was arrested and charged with second degree murder in relation with the shooting and it is believed that Malec is Eilers' mother's boyfriend, though nothing is being confirmed other than numerous relatives were at the scene at the time of the shooting.

I am honestly at a loss for words. What can you say after reading this story? I mean, a mother lost her son and a young boy lost his father for no apparent reason other than pure stupidity and typical male-ego aggressiveness.

The sad fact of the matter is that this is now the norm in society with people no longer settling disagreements or arguments with their fists [which were the only weapons people needed a few decades ago] after words don't work but rather, pulling guns out with their trigger happy fingers.

I would like to know what exactly was going through Malec's head that would make him think shooting and killing Eilers was going to solve everything? From what is reported, no one's life appeared to be in danger and the matter could have simply been settled with a call to the local authorities. However, Malec decided to take matters into his own hands and now has a bigger mess than just the objects Eilers threw in the house.

I don't care what Eilers threw in the house or said during the argument....Malec had no right to shoot and kill him unless Eilers had a gun pulled and was going to shoot someone in the house, which doesn't appear to be the case.

As stated earlier, this appears to be a case of two guys trying to be more macho than the other and ultimately, someone's life was cut short. Also, does anyone think its kinda odd that Malec was not only the home owner but also the person that had Eilers' ex-girlfriend over at the house, knowing there was still tension between them? Just something to think about.

Wrestling Recipes Week 17 - What the Hell Stew

Now that the holidays are over and people have stuffed themselves with a plethora of deserts, turkey, ham and other good holiday treats, people now have to come back to reality and get back to eating simple dinners, which is easier said than done with the current shape of today's economy.

Luckily, one-half of the current World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] World Tag Team Champions, The Miz, was gracious enough to lend his recipe to WWE Magazine for the January 2007 issue with a stew recipe that is unlike anything one has seen but guaranteed to leave you wanting more.


WHAT THE HELL STEW


INGREDIENTS:
*1 box creamy flour cheese Rice-A-Roni
*1 can green beans
*ketchup
*1 pound ground beef


DIRECTIONS:
1) Cook creamy flour Rice-A-Roni as directed on box.
2) At same time, brown ground beef in a skillet.
3) Combine green beans, ground beef and Rice-A-Roni.
4) Flavor generously with ketchup.

Merry Christmas from No Limit Wrestling

I would just like to take the time and wish everyone who has visited this page and continues to check in on this page a very Merry Christmas and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and get to spend some quality time with family.

In honor of Christmas, I figured it would only be appropriate to post several of the World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] Tribute to the Troops recap videos from the various years, courtesy of YouTube. Enjoy.



2003 Recap Video



2004 Recap Video



2005 Recap Video



2006 Recap Video



2007 Recap Video



2008 Recap Video

Hade Vansen quickly found the prophecy

On the Dec. 12, 2008 edition of WWE Smackdown, this promo video aired and got professional wrestling fans asking each other who was this guy?

Come to find out, the person in the video, courtesy of AOL Video, is a World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] Developmental talent Hade Vansen, a British wrestler who has been signed with WWE since 2007 and was going to portray a dark character with "cult" overtones and have several associates for his stable.

This afternoon, I read on 411wrestling.com that Vansen has already full-filled his prophecy as plans for his character have been dropped. According to the website, WWE owner Vince McMahon made the call to drop Vansen's character and upcoming angle with the Undertaker due to McMahon not wanting an unproven developmental talent being put into a major angle before being tested.

The planned angle, which was the brain-child of current Smackdown writer Michael Hayes, was to create several new nemesis for the Undertaker as former ECW wrestler Kevin Thorn and another developmental talent, Black Pain, were to be associated with Vansen but were told at last week's television shows that the angle and new characters had been scrapped.

Personally, I can understand McMahon being hesitant about putting an un-proven talent with one of the company's biggest names in company history but was it necessary to scrap the entire character and associates? Honestly, why not just do like in the 1980's when a new talent debuted and have Vansen build wins over preliminary and mid-card talent while gradually preparing him for the big angle?

Maybe I'm just too old school and not in touch anymore.

Vote for the new Great Khali t-shirt

Over at wwe.com, there is currently a poll being conducted where fans can vote for their favorite design for the upcoming Great Khali t-shirt by clicking here.

I have personally viewed both shirts and the only one I would slightly consider wearing would be choice number two just because it seems like a shirt any wrestling fan could wear and non-wrestling fans wouldn't know it that it is a wrestling shirt. The only downside on shirt number two is you might get one or two wackos come up to you and like the shirt a little too much.


Shirt Choice #1

All photos courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment



Shirt Choice #2




Shirt Choice #3

Batista injured....Wrestlemania plans out the door

Photo courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment

This afternoon, I read a post on a message board that stated World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] had been thrown a curve ball and that their plans for the upcoming Wrestlemania event were thrown out the window after learning that Dave Batista [pictured above] had suffered a torn hamstring.

At first, I dismissed the story as hogwash but after the elite section of PWInsider.com confirmed the story, I knew this was the real deal. According to an un-named source within the company, Batista is expected to miss several months and will being undergoing surgery shortly. In addition, the company had known about Batista working with an injury for a while as the hamstring began giving him problems during the most recent European tour and has since worsened.

On last week's episode of Raw, Randy Orton kicking Batista in the head after the match was the storyline reason for Batista's disappearance from the company and at this time, it is unknown whether the company will acknowledge the legitimate reason for Batista being absent or just put all the heat on Orton to make the crowd hate him more.

Word within the company is that as of today, they are not expecting Batista back until June at the earliest, with the worst case scenario being August, so all Wrestlemania plans involving him are out the door for now, which would have seen Batista taking on John Cena with the proper build up instead of the rush job done for Summerslam 2008.

Talk about taking it right on the chin. I have no idea what WWE should do after hearing this devastating news. No doubt that the Batista/Cena match would have had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hand and now, who does the company put Cena against that the fans haven't seen a dozen times?

The logical choice would be Orton but Orton and Cena have had countless matches against each other over the last year and were two-of-the-three participants in last year's triple-threat match for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 24.

The second choice would be Chris Jericho but Jericho and Cena have just main-evented or co-main evented the last two company pay-per-views, Survivor Series and Armageddon, battling each other for the World Heavyweight Championship so why would fans want to see another match between the two?

The only other options on Raw would be JBL, who has already faced Cena at a Wrestlemania event [Wrestlemania 21]; Shawn Michaels, who is rumored to face Undertaker [FINALLY] at Wrestlemania; there's CM Punk and Rey Mysterio if the company wants to be bold but both will most likely be in the Money in the Bank ladder match so their out.

The only big money match I could see with someone on the current roster to face Cena at the Silver Anniversary of Wrestlemania would be the current WWE Champion Jeff Hardy just because it would be something no one is expecting and would have people talking. You have both of the company's champions, both of whom ignite a reaction from the crowd from the time they come out, facing each other at the biggest event of the year in front of 70-to-80,000 people in what could be an undisputed championship match! What more could one ask for?

In reality though, my idea is pure fantasy and the safe bet is that Cena will either face Orton one-on-one or face Orton and Jericho in a triple-threat match. But still, doesn't that Cena/Hardy match idea kinda make you interested to see what would happen if that became the reality? I know I am.

Trying to make sense of Tyson Tomko's week with WWE

Photo courtesy of New Japan Pro Wrestling


This past week has been a bit perplexing for fans trying to piece together what exactly is going on between professional wrestler Tyson Tomko [pictured above] and World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE].

It all started this past Monday night when Tomko, who just recently signed a contract with WWE, defeated current Raw Superstar Paul Burchill in a dark match [which you can view at the end of this entry courtesy of YouTube] shortly before Raw went live, leading most fans to believe that Tomko was going to be used on television shortly.

However, things got a bit strange when on Wednesday, Slam Sports! reported that Tomko was seen at the Raw event with his arm in a sling and the details and extent of his injury were unknown.

On Friday, PWInsider.com reported that Tomko has been dealing with a torn pectoral muscle and went into his match with Burchill at the Raw event injured and kept it quiet from WWE. PWInsider.com also reported that Vince McMahon was unhappy with Tomko's match and wasn't impressed with Tomko's work in the ring, despite the fact that live reports from the show said Tomko was very over with the crowd, whom broke out a "LET'S GO TOMKO" chant.

As a result of McMahon's negative reaction to the match, rumors swirled that Tomko had already been given his release but nothing had been confirmed or announced.

On Saturday, the Wrestling Observer reported that McMahon was not only UN-impressed with Tomko's match, McMahon also blew up at John Laurinaitis, the head of talent relations, due to what McMahon perceived as Tomko being out of shape, which some felt was a result of Tomko's injury and not telling WWE he had an injury before his match with Burchill.

Then today, Ryan Clark reported that Tomko and WWE will likely be parting ways in the near future but because of his injury or McMahon's reaction to his match and conditioning. Rather, Clark's report stated Tomko feels he has worked too hard in Total Nonstop Action [TNA] wrestling and Japan as himself to suddenly undergo a name change or be saddled with a gimmick.

Apparently, when WWE informed Tomko he would wear a body suit and mask, Tomko refused and it was made clear to Tomko he was not being asked to wear the items but told to wear them. Upon hearing that, Tomko asked for his release from the company and it will be given to him in the near future. It is still unclear if and when Tomko will leave WWE but when he does, its should be noted that he left TNA on good terms and has many friends who would welcome him back with open arms.

I have no idea what to make of all this. To me, everyone appears to be in the wrong on this case. First off, Tomko has a mouth and should have used it to tell McMahon and the higher-ups in WWE that he was indeed injured before his match with Burchill instead of trying to be tough guy because it ended up biting him in the rear with his sloppy performance.

Second, McMahon should have cooled his jets and asked Tomko why he didn't seem like himself in the ring instead of blowing up at everyone without having the full story. In addition, the higher-ups in WWE should have known about Tomko's attitude and un-willingness to go along with storyline and character ideas as that was the knock on him during his first run with the company.

Lastly, one would think Tomko would have matured and grown-up in the three-years since he's been gone from WWE but it appears he has grown a giant sized ego and thinks he is the greatest thing since slice bread. I understand he feels he has worked hard as himself but his name isn't going to sell out arenas or headline pay-per-views. What does his name even mean?

Also, I would think a body suit and mask would be a good thing for him as he currently looks like a generic, tattooed mixed martial arts fighter and the long lost brother of Anthrax band member Scott Ian. Nothing stands out about him and this probably why WWE wanted him to have a gimmick so he could show a persona of his the audience may not know existed.

Personally, I say let him go if he doesn't want to be there. There are plenty of guys who would jump at the chance to work for WWE and let's see how much Tomko likes it when he realizes he can't find work overseas in Japan because of the current economies and that TNA hasn't changed one bit since he left.

6th annual WWE Tribute to the Troops on NBC tonight

Photo courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment


Hey everyone, just wanted to remind all of you that at 9 p.m. tonight on NBC, World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] will be showing the sixth annual Tribute to the Troops special where the men and women of WWE head over to Iraq to entertain the troops in the company's biggest and most important show of the year, more so than Wrestlemania.

For those of you who don't want to know what happens since it was taped a couple of weeks ago, here is your non-spoiler preview:

Jeff Hardy/CM Punk/R'Truth vs. Miz/John Morrison/JBL in a six man tag match.

John Cena/Batista/Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho/Randy Orton/Big Show in a six man tag match.

A special visit by Cryme Tyme and Santa's little helpers, which of course are Divas Kelly Kelly, Mickie James, Maria, Alicia Fox and Eve.

Wrestling Recipes week 16 - Holiday Cookies

Photo courtesy of WWE Magazine


With Christmas just less than a week away, I figured it was only appropriate that this week's recipe be something that the kids could leave out for Sana Claus on Christmas Eve night and the teenagers and adults could snack on during Christmas morning.

This week's recipe comes from the 2006 issue of World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE} Magazine where former WWE superstar and current Mixed Martial Arts [MMA] fighter Bobby Lashley, who was gracious enough to share his recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Enjoy.


HOLIDAY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES


INGREDIENTS:
*1.5 Cups Flower
*1/2 tsp. nutmeg
*1 tsp. cinnamon
*1/2 tsp. salt
*3/4 tsp. baking powder
*2 sticks butter
*3 eggs
*3 tsp. vanilla
*1/2 cup sugar
*1.5 cups brown sugar
*4 cups rolled oats
*1 cup Raisins


DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
2) Mix flower, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
3) Mix butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs and vanilla in another bowl.
4) Combine the two mixtures.
5) Fold in oats and raisins.
6) Grease baking sheets.
7) Drop dough by the spoonful onto sheet.
8) Bake for 8-10 minutes.
9) Let cool until cookies are firm.

TNA to air own 24/7 channel titled "TNA EPIX"

Photo courtesy of TNA Wrestling

Earlier today, Total Nonstop Action [TNA] wrestling announced they are creating a new one-hour television series, titled "TNA EPIX," that will debut in early 2009.

According to the press release, "TNA EPIX" will feature and highlight the most awe-inspiring and monumental moments, matches and superstars that shaped the face of TNA from its 2002 inception through today.

"TNA EPIX" will feature material from the early Wednesday nigh Pay-Per-Views that ran from the 2002 inception through lat 2004; the Fox Sports Net era, the evolution of TNA on Spike TV and the most recent wars inside the six-sided ring. In addition, "TNA EPIX" will feature rare matches, archived footage, fresh historical commentary from the TNA Superstars and much more.

I am actually excited for this because I prefer the older TNA matches and material from the weekly pay-per-views and FSN era than what has been shown on Spike TV in the last three years. Yes, its kinda like TNA's version of WWE 24/7 and while it may not be as great a 24/7 since TNA is not as expansive or have the longevity of WWE, reliving some great TNA matches, such as AJ Styles vs. D'Lo Brown Ladder match, Lo-Ki vs. Amazing Red and AMW vs. XXX Cage Match, are a welcome to me.

Even better is that people who are just now getting into TNA can have the chance to go back in time and see just how much better TNA was when the Tag-Team and X-Divisions were in their prime and the backbone and heart of the company. Don't believe? Check out the archive footage, some of which is on YouTube, compare it with today's product and then get back to me with your answer.

Stephanie McMahon against Jeff Hardy being WWE Champion

Photo courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment


Earlier this evening, I read a report from the Wrestling Observer newsletter that shed some interesting light on the decision to give Jeff Hardy [pictured above] a run with the WWE Championship.

According to the report, Vince McMahon brought up the idea two weeks before the Armageddon pay-per-view during a creative team meeting, which took most of the creative team by surprise due to McMahon having stated the company could NEVER put a major title on someone who was at a high risk of being suspended, such as the case of Rob Van Dam's drug possession arrest in July 2006 when Van Dam held both the WWE and ECW Championships, because all of the major storyline plans would have to be overhauled and set a bad example.

During this same meeting, Vince's daughter, Stephanie, was the only person to challenge Vince's idea of putting the belt on Hardy, bringing up Vince's doctrine of a wrestler that is a high risk of getting suspended and receives a major belt would set a bad example to the rest of the talent.

Vince acknowledged the doctrine but stated that in the short-term, his plan could work if Hardy handled the opportunity properly. Should Hardy relapse before his title run comes to an end, Vince made it clear that Hardy would immediately drop the title as a failed drug test would mean termination of Hardy since it would be his third strike and Vince said that if Hardy would to be terminated while champion would send the ultimate message to the locker-room.

I side with Vince on this one because it appears he has truly thought everything out. Vince is no dummy. He knows that Hardy is the most over guy in the entire company, is a favorite of both male and female fans in all age demographics and is someone people have been wanting to be WWE Champion for close to a year now.

As for Stephanie, it sounds to me like someone was upset that her husband [Triple H] wasn't going to regain his title that he lost to Edge at the Survivor Series pay-per-view. Also, does anyone find it kind of odd that Hardy won the title at a minuscule pay-per-view event on the WWE calender in a triple threat match by pinning a guy [EDGE] who hadn't even held the title a full month and had nothing to do with the original feud between Hardy, Vladmir Koslov and Triple H that had been going on since Sept. of this year?

Vince's track record shows that if he thinks someone can draw money for WWE, he will give them a second or third chance and if Hardy has really gotten his head on straight for good this time, which I think he has since his home burned down and his dog was killed, I wish him all the luck in the world. Hardy is finally getting his chance to run with the ball and whether its a long or short run, Hardy's name will forever be in the record books as WWE Champion.

WWE souring on R'Truth

Photo courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment


Earlier this evening, I read a report on ProWrestling.net that stated World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] officials have soured on Ron Killings, aka R'Truth as a result of what they deem as a lack of basic wrestling skills.

Killings re-entered WWE this summer after a series of video vignettes that hyped his return by showing where he had come from and was met with hot fan response. It was also reported that after seeing the fan reaction, there was talk within WWE that Killings could be the next "chosen one."

However, it appears that over the last several weeks, WWE officials have turned cold on Killings in-ring performances as they feel Killings should improve in the ring and even though he can hit flashy spots, such as his spinning flying forearm, he needs to go back and work on the basics.

As much as I like Killings, I have to agree with WWE officials on this one as Killings isn't doing anything different in the ring than he did when he was K'Kwik seven-years ago in WWE. As R'Truth, he still performs his entrance song except now, he comes through the crowd rather than the Gorilla Position. In addition, the only things he does in his matches are the spinning forearm, backflip-into-single-leg-split, jumping heel kick and spinning scissors kick.

Also, another issue I feel that is hampering Killings is that he has had no camera time to develop a character or cut a promo. Rather, Killings comes out, does his random matches and yells, "WhatsUp?" such as when he confronted Shelton Benjamin on Smackdown a while back.

What WWE needs to do is put Killings into a meaty storyline that will have him cut some real, serious promos that will give the fans a reason to emotionally invest in him.

Also, if WWE does have high hopes for Killings, and they must since they do see something in him, there is nothing wrong with having Killings stop by the Florida Championship Wrestling [FCW] training center whenever he has an off day to help brush up his basic wrestling skills to give him the complete package as he already has the charisma, mic skills and high spots down.

Yes, Killings has a long way to go, but he is still pretty young at age 36 and can still get there. He hasn't had any standout matches yet and while he may move awkwardly in the ring sometimes, not pushing him too hard is a good thing at the moment as he can work on improving his craft to show WWE that he really is The Truth.

Hardyz are wrestlng's greatest tag-team ever

Photo courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment


At last night's World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] Armageddon pay-per-view, the unexpected happened as Jeff Hardy achieved a life-long dream when he became the NEW WWE Champion by defeating both Edge and Triple H in the triple-threat main-event match.

With the win, Jeff and his brother, ECW Champion Matt Hardy [both pictured above], cemented their legacies in professional wrestling history as both are World Champions at the same time, put an exclamation point on their seven World Tag Team Title reigns and surpassed the Road Warriors as the greatest tag-team of all-time.

I know wrestling historians will complain with my claim and say the Road Warriors competed during a tougher era of tag-team wrestling with teams such as "The Midnight Express," "The Russians," "4 Horsemen," and "Fabulous Freebirds" and became the first heels to win audiences over as a result of their massive physiques, entertaining promos and high-impact power moves.

However, the Hardyz for over a decade have re-defined what determines a successful tag-team by re-writing the rules. Before the Hardyz came along, a tag-team usually enjoyed a maximum of several years of success before the team was disbanded by the promotion in order to have the light shine on the better partner of the duo in the promotion's eyes, which was the case with teams like "The Hart Foundation," "The Rockers," "Edge and Christian," and even "The Dudley Boyz."

During the BOOM period of WWE when professional wrestling was the "it" thing for popular culture, every expert said that the Hardyz had to disband because they couldn't remain over with the fans due to their lack of promo ability and that there high-flying style would soon bore audiences. How wrong were they?

In actuality, the Hardyz became the first-tag team and wrestlers to become mega-popular with fans, both male and female, without uttering a single word or cutting any promo, serious or comedic, by allowing their wrestling style to do the talking for them.

The Hardyz had and still have that rare ability to allow their ring- work to be their connection with the fans, which magically draws the fans in and gets them on the edge of their seats for their matches.

As already stated, the Hardyz are seven-time tag team champions and while that is not the most title reigns for one team, one still has to factor in their individual accomplishments for the whole scope.

Matt has been a Crusierweight Champion, European Champion, Hardcore Champion, United States Champion and ECW Champion. Jeff has also been European, Hardcore Champion as well as Light Heavyweight, Intercontinental and WWE Champion.

No other team in wrestling history can lay claim to the accolades the Hardyz have achieved during their storied careers, which are now just beginning to peak. For all the innovations the Road Warriors brought to the table during their era, the Hardyz have shattered those innovations with innovations of the their own and have shattered the long-standing wrestling myth that a tag-team could never be THE GUYS in a wrestling company.

My Armageddon predictions

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com


With World Wrestling Entertainment's [WWE] Armageddon pay-per-view less than 15-minutes away, I figured I might as well go ahead and give my predictions for tonights card.


CM PUNK vs. REY MYSTERIO

This match will most likely be the opening match as not only will it get the crowd going but also features two of the company's most popular superstars. Keep in mind that this is match is not to crown a new Intercontinental Champion but rather, to see who will face the current Intercontinental Champion William Regal at a later date. Since Regal defeated Punk in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament this summer, I see Punk getting the win tonight and beginning a long feud with Regal.


MATT HARDY vs. VLADMIR KOSLOV

This match came about as a result of Koslov not being able to defeat Matt Hardy a several weeks back on Smackdown during the "Beat the Clock Challenge," where the winner would face WWE Champion Edge tonight. Koslov was unsuccessful due to Matt Hardy playing cat-and-mouse during the match and out-thinking Koslov. I see Koslov getting the win since its a non-title match but Hardy will put up a good showing.


FINLAY vs. MARK HENRY

This should be the blow-off match to the feud between these two, which will be under "Belfast Brawl" rules, which means anything goes. I see one of two things happening tonight...One, Finlay again tries to protect his "son" Hornswoggle and ends up losing the match, causing him to turn on Hornswoggle or two, Henry's mouthpiece, Tony Atlas, will cost him the match and began to separate himself from Henry, which had its seeds planted this past week on ECW on Scifi. In the end, I go with Finlay.


BATISTA vs. RANDY ORTON

The match that has been four-years in the making and the first one-on-one match between the two former Evolution members since April 2005, I see either Batista winning the match since Orton got the pin on him at Survivor Series and on Raw this past week or Orton's cronies, Cody Rhodes and Manu, will interfere and get Orton disqualified.


EDGE vs. HHH vs. JEFF HARDY

This is my pick for match of the night as all three men have a history with each other. Triple H and Jeff Hardy are in this match since both of them had the same time in their "Beat the Clock" challenge matches. I would love for Jeff to win but I don't see it happening because I would like to hope if the company decides to put the belt on Jeff, it will be at a big show, like either the Royal Rumble or Wrestlemania. I see Edge walking out still champion since he just won it at Survivor Series and we will find out who attacked Jeff Hardy, which I have an inkling its his own brother Matt, setting up Edge vs. Triple H and Jeff vs. Matt.


8-DIVA TAG MATCH

I don't see much happening in this match, which will feature the team of Maria/Kelly Kelly/Mickie James/Michelle McCool taking on Maryse/Jillian Hall/Victoria/Natalya other than Divas Champion McCool finally turning heel and beginning a feud with fellow Diva Maria before Gail Kim debuts on Smackdown. My prediction is Team Maryse.


JOHN CENA vs. CHRIS JERICHO

Even though Chris Jericho won "Superstar of the Year" this past Monday night on Raw, don't be fooled into thinking Jericho is taking the title from Cena, who just won it several weeks ago at Survivor Series. Cena is the guy WWE wants to be carrying the company and and will begin building towards a proper Cena/Batista feud.

"Taking Flight" by WWE Diva Mickie James

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com


Earlier today, over at the WWE Universe fan site, I read a poem that WWE Diva Mickie James [pictured above] posted on her official page, entitled "Taking Flight," which, at times, comes off a bit cryptic:

I reach out. As far as my arms will let me. There is nothing here. Just me. Here I find serenity.

The wind whips through my hair... Between my fingers... Ruffles my
feathers... It blows against my face. So fast, so hard... Almost
brings a tear to my eye... Almost

The warmth of the sun dances across the bridge of my nose onto my
cheeks. They become rosy with delight. Bringing back sweet memories
of my childhood.

Life was so easy then. So innocent & new. I had not a care in the
world. No reservations... No worries... More importantly... No Fear!

Alas... Those days are far too gone. And once again, I find myself
back in this place. I've been here before.

Much too young when I first took flight. Yet still I soar. All
my life... As far back as I can remember. I have been flying.. A
constant search for something true. Something real.

I've desperately tried so hard to fly high. As high as I can. Up.
Through the storm clouds. Higher. Out of sight of all my enemies. So
many predators...

But then... after too long... I start to descend. Just enough to
get a closer look. That's when I usually let my curiosity get the
best of me. Not this time!

I have fallen hard from this place before. I've been shot down,
captured, caged, & tortured. All for someone else's amusement.

Yet somehow... Each time... I have still been able to find my way
back to freedom.

Freedom. We long for it. Freedom. We fight so hard for it. We die
for this beauty we call freedom.

I have licked my wounds. I am strong now. Stronger than ever
before. I am wise now. Wiser than ever before.

I only take with me that which I need. My heart, my soul, my
knowledge, ... my pride.

I go where the wind blows. Makes no difference to me. However,
this time it feels quite different than ever before.

The air is much thicker. Harder to breathe. I am safe, but oddly
enough, it's not the same serenity as I had always found.

It makes me wonder... Why do I fly anyway? Is it truly for
freedom? Or is it simply out of fear? And whilst I soar... Am I really
just missing out on it all?

In this constant battle within myself. Searching for a flicker of
light in this vast darkness... An angel amongst the demons.

If nothing else. I've realized one real thing. Life is beautiful!
Its meant to be embraced & truly lived! To the fullest!

I cant do that way up here. I must fight hard... Love harder...
Live life through childlike eyes. No Fear! Never settling for anything
less than what I deserve.

Its so hard though. In reality I am petrified! And... I'm safe
here. The view is amazing. But does that even matter when I'm the only
one to see it.

Besides... I am so tired of flying. My wings ache... No one truly
knows how I long to land. I cant.. No! I won't let them... But its all
I've ever really wanted.

This time I need to be smart. I will be smart! This time I won't
just slip and fall. This time... I, and I alone, chose when I land.
Where I land.

This time... I will not land in a trap. Only to be put on display
as if I were a trophy piece.

I will not land in quicksand! Where I might sink into the pits of
broken promises.

Not even on a rock! As they are far to cold, hard, and rigid.

This time when I land, it will be on solid ground. On the plush
grass where I can feel it all.. One foot at a time. In my own personal
heaven.

To feel the earth between my toes... To tuck these wings away...
Once and for all... To be free... To be me...

That my friend would be true freedom... True happiness... Isn't
that in fact, all any of us want.

After reading that, two thoughts come to mind. The first thought is that Mickie is trying to tell the fans that she is burnt out from the schedule and wants to take a break, but like most wrestlers, doesn't want to lose her spot.

It's not that far fetched when one considers that since Trish Stratus retired in the fall of 2006, Mickie has been the company's most popular Diva and the focal point of the women's division on Raw. As pointed out though, if Mickie takes a break, she could lose her spot as fellow Diva Melina is now a fan-favorite and up-and-coming Kelly Kelly is gaining new found popularity after each improved outing in the ring.

My other thought as to the meaning of this poem is that Mickie is tired of being a trophy girlfriend and not being able to have a long lasting, serious-relationship as a result of always being on the road, which is the price one pays for being a professional wrestler.

A lot of fans may not know this but nearly all the relationships Mickie has had have been with fellow wrestlers and at one time, was engaged to recently released WWE Superstar Kenny Dykstra. I would think Mickie is looking for something like Trish has, a long-relationship [15-years] with her boyfriend before getting married two-years ago and perhaps, would like to start a family at some point.

Maybe I'm way off and the poem has another meaning. The only person who can answer that question is Mickie herself. But I think I can say one thing for sure...she has been taking creative writing lessons from fellow WWE Superstar Jeff Hardy.

Wrestling Recipes Week 15 - Mint Condition Mojitos

Photo courtesy of WWE Magazine


With World Wrestling Entertainment's [WWE] Armageddon pay-per-view this Sunday, what better way to enjoy the event than by kicking back and knocking down a few mojitos with your closest friends. Thanks to recently retired WWE Diva Torrie Wilson, who was gracious enough to share her recipe for mojitos with WWE Magazine in Feb. 2007, someone at your pay-per-view gathering my leave with a new favorite drink.


MINT CONDITION MOJITOS


INGREDIENTS:
*3 Fresh mint sprigs
*2 tsp. sugar
*3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
*1.5 oz. light rum
*Club soda


DIRECTIONS:
1) Using fork, crush mint along the sides of a tall, thin glass.
2) Add sugar and lime juice and stir throughly.
3) Top with ice.
4) Add rum and mix.
5) Add a dash of ice cold club soda.
6) Finish with a slice of rum-soaked lime and extra mint.
**If you want a nice little twist, Torrie suggests soaking the limes and mint in rum for two days prior to serving.**

WWE releases Gene Snitksy

Photo courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment


This afternoon, I read on the World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] website that Gene Snitsky [pictured above], best known for his hideous yellow teeth and looking like a "Kane" clone, had been released from the company after being on the main-roster for a little over four-years.

All I can say is its about freaking time this guy was released. Snitsky was and is the poster-child for a professional wrestler who gets hired simply because of his size, which he has lost most of as a result of WWE enforcing their wellness policy.

Despite his lack of charisma, in-ring abilities and mic work, Snitsky lasted this long in WWE because WWE chairman Vince McMahon has always favored big-guys with "the look" and even though the company tried everything to make Snistky a monster that would strike fear in everyones hearts, one could hear a pin drop when he came out for his matches because the audience didn't care for him.

In all honesty, the only thing Snitsky will be remembered for during his time in WWE is being the random, laughing jobber whose chair shot to Kane caused him to fall on Lita and cause her "miscarriage" in his first match on Raw.

Say, maybe Total Nonstop Action [TNA] wrestling will pick him up since they love signing all the former WWE wrestlers. That or Snitsky can head back to his old stomping grounds with Afa the Wild Samoan at the World Xtreme Wrestling [WXW] federation.

Either way, just remember, "It wasn't his fault!"

THQ announces final roster for Legends of Wrestlemania Video Game

Photo courtesy of ign.com


Earlier today, I read over at ign.com that THQ has released the official roster for the upcoming "Legends of Wrestlemania" video-game, due out in March 2009 for Playstation 3 and XBox 360, and while the roster is impressive, there is one glaring omission, which I will discuss at the end.


FINAL ROSTER
Andre the Giant
Bret Hart
British Bulldog
Bobby Heenan
Brutus Beefcake
Earthquake
Gorilla Monsoon
Haku
Honky Tonk Man
Howard Finkel
Hulk Hogan
Iron Shiek
Jake Roberts
Jerry Lawler
Jim Ross
Jimmy Hart
Joey Marella [Referee]
Legion of Doom
Mean Gene Okerlund
Mr. Fuji
Mr. Perfect
Ric Flair
Rick Rude
Ricky Steamboat
Rock
Roddy Piper
Sgt. Slaughter
Shawn Michaels
Steve Austin
Ted DiBiase
Tito Santana
Undertaker
Ultimate Warrior
Virgil
Yokozuna


While the roster of wrestlers is impressive, the biggest omission from the roster and game itself is "Macho Man" Randy Savage, who not only competed in eight-of-the-first-ten Wrestlemania's but left the pay-per-view extravaganza with the WWE Championship on two separate occasions, Wrestlemania IV and VIII, each of which was a main event or co-main event match.

However, in all fairness to THQ, they are not the ones that made the call on Savage not being included in the game. That decision was made by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, who not only banned Savage from the game for unknown reasons but also pulled Mick Foley from the game as a result of their personal fallout earlier this fall that saw Foley leave WWE for Total Nonstop Action [TNA] wrestling.

Let's be honest...Savage is way more deserving to be featured in the video-game than Haku, who only competed in only four Wrestlemania's or Jerry Lawler, who I don't think EVER competed in a Wrestlemania match. It is a crime that someone who helped make Wrestlemania what it is today and inspired The Hardy Boyz to become wrestlers is being left-out in the cold because of some unknown personal grudge McMahon holds against him.

At least the game is giving us the create-a-legend feature which will allow die-hard fans to re-create Savage and since both the Xbox 360 and PS3 have hard-drives, all one has to do is put an excellent copy of Savage's theme song, "Pomp and Circumstance," onto the hard drive and upload it as his entrance music when creating him.

But its still not the same as having him fully included, which he should be.

OH MY GOD.....Joey Styles knocked out JBL!

Photo courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment


Earlier this evening, I visited the Slam! Sports wrestling news section and nearly fell out of my chair when I read that former ECW announcer and current Director of Digital Media Content on wwe.com, Joey Styles [pictured above], knocked out Raw Superstar JBL in Iraq last week during World Wrestling Entertainment's [WWE] tour of Iraq for the "Tribute to the Troops" television special.

According to the report, JBL, who has the reputation of being a bully, was messing with Styles during the company's trip to Iraq since it was the first time Styles had gone on the trip and Styles not only stood up to JBL, he knocked JBL down with a straight, direct punch that busted JBL open when JBL charged at him.

Mike Johnson over at PWInsider.com not only verified the story but also added that JBL had been hazing Styles for several days before this incident and pulling a lot of shenanigans that a lot of the talents in the company can't stand but have dealt with since JBL has the political stroke of being a tenured veteran.

Mr. Johnson went on to say that several days into the tour, JBL, who by all accounts had been drinking, did something that caused Styles to physically retaliate in defense and a number of wrestlers had to step in and hold the two apart. When JBL broke free, he went towards Styles, who, according to one witness, "nailed JBL with a perfectly good shot" that layed JBL out and blackened his eye. After that knock-out shot, there were no further incidents between Styles and JBL on the tour.

Mr. Johnson also reported that he was told that at last night's Raw in Philadelphia, JBL was acting totally subdued, something out of character for him as he knew the story was making the rounds as the talk of the day amongst the wrestlers. Styles on the other-hand, was trying to downplay the incident to those who brought it up to him at Raw and is now seen as a locker-room hero.

All I can say is that Karma finally came back to bite JBL in the rear as his antics in the passed have caused talents to quit, such as Palmer Cannon, who quit the company during a European tour with the Smackdown brand and wasn't the only victim of JBL's hazing over the years. Also, let's not forget JBL's infamous ECW One Night Stand beating of the Blue Meanie during the pay-per-view closing brawl inside the ring where JBL Pearl-Harbored the Meanie and busted him open with legit punches.

I'm sorry but I cannot stop laughing at the though of Styles, who weighs like 165-pounds soak-and-wet, knocking out a near 300-pounder with a straight shot. This has to be doubly embarrassing for JBL as not only was he knocked out by a man half his size, but he was the one who set up the initial tour of Iraq in 2003.

It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

Match listing for "Best of Saturday Night's Main Event " DVD

Photo courtesy of silversion.co.uk


On Feb. 10, World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] Home Video will be release the "Best of Saturday Night's Main Event" three-disc dvd set and Silvervision has not only released the box art [pictured above] but also, the entire three-disc match listing, which I think makes it the BEST dvd WWE has ever produced, period.


DISC 1

Gene Okerlund – A Must See Attraction

WWE Championship Match
Hulk Hogan vs. ‘Cowboy’ Bob Orton
Saturday Night’s Main Event May 11, 1985

Uncle Elmer’s Wedding
Saturday Night’s Main Event October 5, 1985

‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper vs. ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Paul Orndorff
Saturday Night’s Main Event October 5, 1985

A Trip to the Zoo
Saturday Night’s Main Event October 5, 1985

Gene Okerlund – Field Reporting

Halloween Contest
Saturday Night’s Main Event November 2, 1985

WWE Championship Match
Hulk Hogan vs. Terry Funk
Saturday Night’s Main Event January 4, 1986

Randy Orton Reflects on his Dad

Boxing Match
Mr. T. vs. ‘Cowboy’ Bob Orton
Saturday Night’s Main Event March 1, 1986

Gene Okerlund – Settling the Score

Snake Pit Match
Jake ‘the Snake’ Roberts vs. Ricky ‘the Dragon’ Steamboat
Saturday Night’s Main Event October 4, 1986

Jake ‘the Snake’ Reflects on Saturday Night’s Main Event

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage vs. Jake ‘the Snake’ Roberts
Saturday Night’s Main Event November 29, 1986

Gene Okerlund – The Steel Cage Match

Steel Cage Match
Hulk Hogan vs. ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Paul Orndorff
Saturday Night’s Main Event January 3, 1987

Gene Okerlund – The 8th Wonder of the World

Battle Royal
Saturday Night’s Main Event March 14, 1987

Natalya Neidhart Reflects on her Dad

Best 2 out of 3 Falls
Hart Foundation vs. British Bulldogs
Saturday Night’s Main Event May 2, 1987

Gene Okerlund – Insurance Policy

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Honky Tonk Man vs. ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage
Saturday Night’s Main Event October 3, 1987

Mega Power Formation
Saturday Night’s Main Event October 3, 1987

The Union of the Mega Powers

”Piledriver” Music Video
Saturday Night’s Main Event October 3, 1987

‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage vs. Bret Hart
Saturday Night’s Main Event November 28, 1987

Extras

• First Ever Match on SNME
Ricky Steamboat & The US Express vs. The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff & George “The Animal” Steele
Saturday Night’s Main Event - May 11, 1985

• “Real American” Music Video
Saturday Night’s Main Event – March 1, 1986




DISC 2

Gene Okerlund – Turning Back the Clock

WWE Championship Match
Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy
Saturday Night’s Main Event January 2, 1988

Gene Okerlund – The Rematch

WWE Championship Match
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant
Main Event February 5, 1988

Ted Dibiase Reflects on his Dad

‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage vs. ‘Million Dollar Man’ Ted Dibiase
Saturday Night’s Main Event March 12, 1988

Andre Passes Out
Saturday Night’s Main Event March 12, 1988

Hulk Hogan vs. ‘The King’ Harley Race
Saturday Night’s Main Event March 12, 1988

Gene Okerlund – Macho Madness

‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage vs. Andre the Giant
Saturday Night’s Main Event November 26, 1988

‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan Reflects on His Flag Match
Saturday Night’s Main Event November 26, 1988

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Ultimate Warrior vs. Honky Tonk Man
Saturday Night’s Main Event January 7, 1989

Beefcake Shaves Ron Bass’ head
Saturday Night’s Main Event January 7, 1989

Gene Okerlund – A Supreme Alliance

Twin Towers vs. Mega Powers
Main Event February 3, 1989

Gene Okerlund – A Grueling Encounter

Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship
Hulk Hogan vs. Big Bossman
Saturday Night’s Main Event May 27, 1989

Best 2 out of 3 Falls
Rockers vs. Brain Busters
Saturday Night’s Main Event November 25, 1989

Extras

• Brother Love Interviews Hulk Hogan
Saturday Night’s Main Event – November 26, 1988

• Dusty Rhodes vs. Big Bossman - Sapphire’s Debut
Saturday Night’s Main Event – November 25, 1989




DISC 3

Gene Okerlund – Hogan vs. The Genius

Mr. Perfect & The Genius Smash the WWE Title
Saturday Night’s Main Event November 25, 1989

Hulk Hogan & Ultimate Warrior vs. Mr. Perfect & The Genius
Saturday Night’s Main Event January 27, 1990

Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura on Horseback
Saturday Night’s Main Event April 28, 1990

Hulk Hogan vs. Mr. Perfect
Saturday Night’s Main Event April 28, 1990

Arrogance

Rockers vs. Hart Foundation
Saturday Night’s Main Event April 28, 1990

Gene Okerlund – Intercontinental Competition

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Mr. Perfect vs. Tito Santana
Saturday Night’s Main Event July 28, 1990

Oktoberfest
Saturday Night’s Main Event October 13, 1990

20 Man Battle Royal
Saturday Night’s Main Event April 27, 1991

Bret Hart vs. ‘Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase
Saturday Night’s Main Event April 27, 1991

Gene Okerlund – FOX Takes Over

Undertaker & Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan & Sid
Saturday Night’s Main Event February 8, 1992

Roddy Piper Shocks The Mountie
Saturday Night’s Main Event February 8, 1992

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
British Bulldog vs. Shawn Michaels
Saturday Night’s Main Event November 14, 1992

Gene Okerlund – The Return

Street Fight
Shawn Michaels vs. Shane McMahon
Saturday Night’s Main Event March 18, 2006

RKO on Hulk Hogan
Saturday Night’s Main Event July 15, 2006

5 on 2 Elimination Match
D-Generation X vs. Spirit Squad
Saturday Night’s Main Event July 15, 2006

Gene Okerlund – One of the Greatest Rivalries in Sports

WWE Championship Match
Edge vs. John Cena
Saturday Night’s Main Event July 15, 2006

Gene Okerlund – Television History

Extras

• Alfred Hayes & Gene Okerlund Go On Safari
Saturday Night’s Main Event – July 28, 1990
• Shawn Michaels Talks About Winning His First Intercontinental Title
• Matt Hardy Talks About Boxing Evander Holyfield



Bottom line is that this dvd set is as thorough and as stacked as it comes. There is a ton of Savage, Hogan, Hart Foundation/Bulldogs 2-out-of-3 Falls Match, matches that set up storylines, promos, skits and more. I cannot wait for Feb. 10, 2009 to get this gem.

Vote for the new Randy Orton Basic T-Shirt at wwe.com

On the heels of the new Edge "Basic T-Shirt" poll for their "Basic T-Shirt" line, World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] now has another poll for Randy Orton's "Basic T-Shirt," which you can vote at by clicking here.

Below are the three choices each of you can vote for. All the photos are courtesy of wwe.com


Option 1




Option 2




Option 3

Who owns the name to the Patriot gimmick?

Early this morning, I read on Slam! Sports wrestling news section that Del Wilkes, who wrestled in Japan, World Championship Wrestling [WCW], World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] and the Global Wrestling Federation [GWF] as the original "Patriot," is reportedly upset at Tom Brandi, who since 2002, has been wrestling as "The Patriot" on the independent circuit, claiming that he purchased the rights to name from Wilkes.



Wilkes as the Patriot.....photos courtesy of onlineworldofwrestling.com


In his recent interview, Wilkes stated that Brandi is simply using the gimmick and trademark without his permission and that he hasn't seen nor communicated with Brandi since 1994, when both were in WCW and Brandi was going under the name "Johnny Gunn."

Maybe its just the cynic in me but if Brandi has been using the Patriot name without Wilkes permission for the last six-years, why hasn't Wilkes filed the proper paperwork for gimmick infringement or seeked out a lawyer for a lawsuit? Also, did Wilkes forget that him and Brandi were in the WWE at the same time in 1997 and thus, they would have seen each other backstage or on the road?



Brandi as the Patriot on the independent scene


Personally, this sounds like a case of Wilkes being in desperate need of money, which isn't too surprising, given the fact that Wilkes was arrested 20 times in South Carolina between 1997 and 2002 on charges of using fake prescriptions to support his steroid addiction and finally kicked his 150-pill-a-day habit by serving a nine-month prison term in South Carolina in 2002-03.

Wrestling Recipes Week 14 - Chicken Wings of Desire

Photo courtesy of WWE Magazine


With the Total Non-stop Action [TNA] Final Resolution pay-per-view event this Sunday, which is headlined by AJ Styles/Samoa Joe/Team 3-D vs. Kevin Nash/Scott Steiner/Booker T/Sting, fans of TNA should check out this recipe for main event BBQ chicken wings that Booker shared with WWE Magazine while during his tenure in the company.


MAIN EVENT BBQ CHICKEN WINGS OF DESIRE


INGREDIENTS:
*8-10 Whole Chicken Wings
*1 bottle Italian Dressing
*4 tsp. Salt
*2 tsp. Pepper
*Fresh Lemon
*2 tbsp. honey
*2 cups BBQ sauce

DIRECTIONS:
1) Trim all fat from wings.
2) Marinate for 8-hours in Italian Dressing.
3) Preheat grill for 15-minutes [make sure its really hot].
4) For added mesquite flavor, use charcoal grill with mesquite wood chips.
5) Throw marinated wings on grill.,
6) Let cook for one hour and brush with royalty BBQ sauce [see below].
7) Let wings cook for 15 minutes.
8) Remove wings from grill and wrap in aluminum foil.
9) Place in pan and bake for 20 minutes at 250-degrees.


ROYAL HONEY BBQ SAUCE
1) In a medium bowl, mix BBQ sauce, honey, salt, pepper and juice from a lemon.