Randy Savage: Cause of Death

Per Lords of Pain, a cause of death has been released for wrestling legend, "Macho Man" Randy Savage

An autopsy by the Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner's Office revealed Savage had an enlarged heart with severe atherosclerosis of his coronary arteries. He suffered only minor abrasions and bruising from the crash.

The cause of death was determined to be Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease; the manner of death was determined to be natural.

Randy Orton Cuts Loose

In news that swept through the wrestling community yesterday reigning World Heavyweight Champion, Randy Orton had a very candid interview with a radio station in Arizona.  Many people were shocked by how open and willing to talk Orton was such as TH at the Wrestling Blog.

Here's just one choice quote from the Viper about his drug overdose as reported by ProWrestling.net:

My wife's crying in this DVD about how I stopped breathing and the ambulance came.

I have zero recollection of this.  I don't know if it didn't hit the internet, I wasn't paying attention or I simply forgot, but that's pretty incredible if you ask me.

I have not heard the interview, but it would appear that Orton opened up about a lot of things including:

• The Rock
• Kelly Kelly's dating habits (covered extensively in the aforementioned TWB post)
• Backstage couples
• John Cena

Here's a link to ProWrestling.net's take on those subjects.

All-in-all I'd say it's a bizarre interview to say the least.

CM Punk's Status

Here's an update on CM Punk's status per Lords of Pain: 

As far as his contract status, Punk's deal apparently expires the second week of July but he signed an extension to work through Money in the Bank. Still with last night's new storyline development, sources maintain that Punk is leaving at Money in the Bank.

Also of note from that article: 

Sources report that CM Punk's entire promo at the end of RAW this week was improvised by Punk and not scripted. Nobody in the back knew what Punk was going to say until he said it live on RAW. 

I find that hard to believe, but that's what "they" are saying.  It will certainly be interesting to see how this plays out as they have created a compelling storyling involving a talent that will allegedly be a free agent in a few weeks.

There are more details in the article, it's definitely worth a look.

The Moondogs in Memphis

The Moondogs on the weekly Memphis show in the 90s were insanity personified.  I used to stay up every Saturday night to watch Joe Pedicino's syndicated wrestling block here in Atlanta.  Near the end of the night, Dad and I were typically watching together and that was just in time to see Memphis wrestling.  Besides Eddie Gilbert hitting Jerry Lawler with a car, my favorite memory from this show was "them crazy Moondogs," as Corey Maclin would often say, beating the tar out of some enhancement talent.  Also note how Richard Lee blows that whistle the whole time they are out there.  It really adds to the chaotic feel. 



Upload Credit: popculturestu

AWA In This Corner: Stan Hansen

Another Stan Hansen clip already? Yessir, another Stan Hansen clip. Why? It's because SAW Contributor, Norko, passed this one along this morning.

Here are a couple of gems to look out for:

"Nobody controls me, jack!"

"I got a big fat wife and 9 kids at home and I gotta feed 'em!"

Also, notice how Stan plays the wildman/loose cannon, but still makes the title matter to him just like he did in that Halloween Havoc promo. That is often overlooked these days, but in the old days the theory was that holding the belt not only made you "the man," but it put money in your pocket. For a guy that has a "fat wife and nine kids at home" that matters and it should. It's a subtle thing, but I don't think that aspect gets played up well enough in the current wrestling product.

Larry Z does a great job acting as the "color commentator" in this interview segment by putting over how wild Stan is and how he, as a guy who has been in the squared circle, thinks Hansen should be banned from competing.

Here's the Bad Man from Borger, Texas doing his thing.



Upload Credit:  Rayla840

RAW Review 6-27-2011

As I promised, here's the first RAW Review I've done in a while.  What an interesting show last night.  We had a legend return, a monster destroy a giant, a conspiracy nut pull off an upset and someone declare themselves the best wrestler and pulling no punches doing so.

Let's get started.

CM Punk "shoots"

I'm going to lead off with something I posted on A1 last night:

We'll have to agree to disagree because I didn't feel that promo went on too long. I also didn't respond to it because "OMG, he called Triple H a doofus." Years ago it's possible that it would have been enough to see him "shoot" like that. It wasn't good because he mentioned Laurinaitis or Triple H or Vince or Stephanie. It was the delivery and the genuine feel. I think it was much better than most "shoot" promos and not just because WWE doesn't run a ton of them anymore.

The Russo shoots fail in part because they run them all the time, but also because they rely too much on "WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?" "I CAN'T BELIEVE HE SAID THAT!" That's not what made Punk's work tonight at all for me.

That, in a nutshell is why this shooty promo worked.  They got the right talent to deliver it.  Does it help that WWE doesn't rely on this stuck-in-the-90s style of shoot promo?  Absolutely, but without the special talents of CM Punk, I seriously doubt this thing is nearly as effective.  Bravo to Punk, he truly is the best we have now.  Bonus points for the SCSA shirt.  Speaking of Austin, take a look at what he had to say on Twitter.

To further this angle, the main story on the WWE site is that WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon has suspended CM Punk indefinitely. They add that this suspension "effectively terminates CM Punk's tenure with WWE." It will be very interesting how they proceed from here with Punk and Cena.

Shawn Michaels returns

I'm admittedly a nostalgia guy (I mean look at this blog for example) so it's always great to see the WWE Legends and heroes from the past return.  Shawn's return was nice, but once again our new Wrestling God made it memorable.  The Sweet Chin Music out of nowhere on the New Nexus probably really offended some folks, but I thought it worked.  This segment was great and a sign of its greatness was that it made you care about a Kane match.  No offense to Kane because I'm a big Kane fan, but the lead up to that match made it 100% more exciting to see him face Punk.

Diamond Dallas Page

*self hi-five*

Yeah, they were just trying to sell the Very Best of Nitro DVD set, but it was great to see DDP back.  HBK didn't work as well for me in this skit, but overall I viewed it as inoffensive fun.

BANG!

The Return of the RAW Review

You may or may not remember a weekly feature I did here called "RAW Review."  Either way, it hasn't been around in a good while and there's a couple of reasons for that:

1. "Real life" kept getting in the way of me watching RAW like I typically did
2. I realized that recapping, well recapping isn't really my thing
3. I also realized that I felt I was delivering enough content that I really enjoyed (random news articles, random old school wrestling clips, One Man, Two Moments, etc.) that I didn't need a weekly recap feature

All that being said, why is it returning?  Mainly because I got home in time to catch up on RAW and watch most of it.  You might wonder why that matters since it wasn't all about missing RAW in the first place.  That is a great question.  The fact is that I watched a RAW for the first time in a minute that really got me fired up.

What's the point of this post?  The point is that there will be a sparkly new edition of the RAW Review tomorrow and I hope you swing by to give it a look.  I expect it to be up no later than 1:00 PM.

I certainly hope you enjoy.

Finlay Likes to Fight and Evolve

Finlay, who was shockingly released as a WWE agent, has finally resurfaced.  Where?  EVOLVE.

Courtesy Lords of Pain:

Finlay will be making his first post-WWE appearance on July 26th in New York City at BB Kings for the EVOLVE promotion. Finlay will be taking on Sami Callihan and signing autographs for fans.

I mention this mainly because Finlay's pretty.  Also because he lives in the same general area I do and Chris Benoit did.  He's local to SAW and that's going to get you a mention here more often than not. 

I wish him luck and hope he returns to WWE some day.

Intense Ric Flair Promo!

SAW Contributer, Norko, passed this along to me. This is in regards to the Horsemen Great American Bash 86 Promo.  A couple of things I love are Dillon's part of the promo, Flair's hat, talking about #1 in all of sports and them putting over Sting and the fact that they are discussing a strategy for getting out of the Scorpion Deathlock. 

That last piece of psychology is a large part of what is missing in pro-wrestling today.



Upload Credit: Riggold

FFA: Moe's Southwest Grill

Saved this FFA for Sunday for a specific reason.  That reason?  My four year old.  Every Sunday when we get out of church and the adults discuss where we want to eat you hear one sweet, small voice say, "Moe's."  That's right, my son loves Moe's and I can't say I blame him.  Now it's funny to me because all he gets is a cheese quesadilla (Mini Masterpiece), lemonade and a chocolate chip cookie.  Regardless, that's his "go-to" place.

What do I get?  I get the good ol' Billy Barou.  You may wonder what that is.  Well, it's the name of Ted Knight's putter in comedy masterpiece, Caddyshack.  At Moe's it's a plate of nachos. 

Here's how I get mine:

• Chicken
• Pico
• Queso
• Lettuce
• Shredded cheese
• Jalapenos (optional)
• Onions
• Sour cream

If you want something that's slightly different than your typical American Mexican restaurant, give Moe's a try.  It's considered "fresh southwest fare" and prides itself on having fresh, healthy ingredients.  If you like Coke like I do,  you will be happy to know that they have outstanding Coke as well.

I doubt you'll be disappointed. 

Horsemen Great American Bash 86 promo

Not much to add to this one.  Another solid promo by the legendary 4 Horsemen.  Ric Flair brings it as always

He has a couple of funny/random ones in here:

• "ROAD WARRIOR...BIG BIRD....HAWK!"
• "HA, HA, HA THAT'S A GOOD ONE!"

 

 

Upload Credit: davnc89

Elite 8 Edge

I finally picked of one of my two must-haves.  Here he is chilling on my desk at work.

Obsessed With Wrestling

No, it's not a disorder.  Well, I'm sure it is a disorder and I have it, but this post isn't about a disorder.  This post is about a fantastic website.

ObsessedWithWrestling.com (OWW)

If you need some wrestling information you can of course ask Google.  Wikipedia is always a help too.  I'm a big fan of OWW though because of how clear and concise the information is.  The detail given and the galleries of photos.

For example: Fabulous Freebirds

The Fabulous Freebirds - World Wrestling Federation:

•1984: The Freebirds had a brief stint with the WWF where they were managed by Cindy Laupers boyfriend Dave Wolfe..
•~~~August 1984: The Freebirds (Hayes/Gordy/Roberts) make several appearance at WWF Madison Square Garden shows..
•~~~~~August 4, 1984: The Fabulous Freebirds vs Ron Shaw / Rene Goulet / Charlie Fulton..
•~~~~~August 24, 1984: The Fabulous Freebirds vs Pete Douerty / Ron Shaw / Butcher Vachon..
•~~~The WWF wanted the trio to split into singles wrestlers, they left the company and returned to World Class in Dallas..

The information is just layed out in a really nice manner.  That, along with the pictures, makes this website worth a visit.

I cannot recommend it strongly enough.

Walmart $5 DVD Bins

If you enjoy the WWE DVDs, I would recommend you check your local Walmart.  The folks on WCMB and A1 have both mentioned that some of the older WWE DVDs have found their way into the $5 bins.  With that in mind, I sifted through one tonight and found the following:

• Word Life (John Cena)
• 100 % Stratusfaction Guaranteed (Trish Stratus)
• Monday Night Wars (WWF/WWE vs WCW/nWo)

I only picked up the last one which has been a glaring omission from my collection since it was released.  I would love to know if any SAW readers/contributors have had similar success yet.

SuperClash III: Jerry Lawler vs Kerry Von Erich

This match is an absolute delight for a number of reasons:

1. Unification match between the AWA and WCCW titles
2. Two huge territory stars in Jerry Lawler and Kerry Von Erich
3. This was the main event on AWA's only PPV
4. It is an absolute bloody war
5. There seems to be something "up" with Kerry

Enjoy!




Upload Credit: thesith89

It's Friday!

Going on-topic for this edition of It's Friday.  Not only is the American Dream a true wrestling great, but this song really fits the It's Friday concept.  It's all about trying to come up with some music that will inspire folks to finish their work week strong.



Upload Credit: onionsrule

Hustler Paying Nancy Benoit's Family?

It would appear so according to this ProWrestling.net article.

Hustler magazine must pay $375,000 in compensatory and punitive damages for publishing nude photos of Nancy Benoit following her murder by her husband and WWE wrestler Chris Benoit.

Chris Shore points out something in this article that I thought as well.

I thought this was dead. The last ruling I heard on this was that it was a First Amendment issue and was dead. Color me surprised.

I seem to recall hearing the same thing or something similar at least. I had not idea that there was an ongoing legal issue between Hustler and Nancy's estate.

NWA Legends Fanfest: The Last Battle of Atlanta

I've never been to a wrestling convention, not even WWE Axxess when it was in town with WrestleMania 27, but this really sounds like it could be a lot of fun.

NWA Wresling Legends Fanfest Weekend: The Last Battle of Atlanta, August 4-7, Atlanta's Airport Marriott Hotel

The roster of individuals who will be appearing is pretty incredible.  Here are the featured guests with those that really interest me in bold:

Ole Anderson, The Assassin, Mr. Wrestling II, Steve O, Killer Karl Kox, "Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase, "Doctor D" David Schultz, "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas, Killer Tim Brooks, The Masked Superstar, Dory Funk Jr., Terry Funk, "Continental Lover" Eddie Mansfield, "Wildfire" Tommy Rich, Nick Bockwinkel, Harley Race, Joyce Grable, Judy Martin, Leilani Kai, Thunderbolt Patterson, Ron Simmons, Gypsy Joe, Stan "The Lariat" Hansen, Teddy Long, "Hands of Stone" Ron Garvin, "Outlaw" Ron Bass, Buddy Colt, Scrappy McGowan, Moondog Rex, Tully Blanchard, "The Perfect 10" Baby Doll, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Big Mama, Lars Anderson, "Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff, James J. Dillon, The Mongolian Stomper, "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, "The Universal Hearthrob" Austin Idol, "Hacksaw" Butch Reed, Pat Rose and Randy Rose.

Again, I've never been so I would really be interested to hear some thoughts on these types of events.  As a fan of old-school southern wrestling I really can't ask for a better roster of greats to see.  I'm not terribly familiar with all these individuals, but there's enough great superstars to make this even a real treat.

I don't know that I'll go, but I will say this is the most interested I have ever been in an event like this.

Photo Credit: NWA Legends.com

Sting's New Japan theme

This post was inspired by this Ringside Collectible Exclusive TNA figure: New Japan Sting.

The theme below isn't listed as the theme from the show that this outfit was taken from, but it was while looking for Sting New Japan footage that I ran across this theme.

I thought this was a must see (or hear as it were) for any Sting fan.



Upload Credit: wtcvidman

Jake "The Snake" Roberts PWI Press Conference

Much like the recently posted Arn Anderson promo, this is an example of a guy doing solid mic work and elevating an angle with nothing more than words.  Jake and Arn both cut such believable promos that you'd think pro-wrestling was real.  He puts over the importance of winning since it makes money.  He puts over the importance of holding a belt.  This is what is missing in today's wrestling by and large, believable promos and motivation.  A guy getting the fans to emotionally invest in what is going on in the ring.

"I don't care for the fans..."

That's an old-school heel right there.



Upload Credit: GShea

Andre: Heart of the Giant

This has to be one of the very worst pro-wrestling related things I have ever seen. Well, besides Eric Young of course.

I recall discussing this around 2007/2008 when this turd was allegedly on its way to theaters.  Looks awful, but I'd really like to see it at some point.  It's so bad...

Trailer:

Arn Anderson Promo

Thanks to SAW Contributor, Norko, for posting this on A1.  Arn is such an incredible promo.  Here he's talking about a non-title house show match and I tell you what, I want to see it.  Arn and especially Ole Anderson are both underrated members of the legendary Horsemen stable.  It was a sad day when Arn had to unexpectedly retire.  The guy was just solid in every facet of the game.




Upload Credit: MadusaWrestling

CM Punk Update

Due to his win over Alberto Del Rio and Rey Mysterio on RAW, CM Punk is the new #1 contender to the WWE title.  Lords of Pain has a sweet little summary of what's going on with Punk right now which has actually been weaved into the story itself via a nice little Punk promo:

CM Punk became the new #1 contender to the WWE Title on tonight's three-hour RAW from Baltimore, Maryland. Punk defeated Alberto Del Rio and Rey Mysterio in a Falls Count Anywhere Match to win the contendership.


Punk will apparently face John Cena for the WWE Title at July's Money in the Bank pay-per-view from his hometown of Chicago, Illinois.


On RAW tonight, Punk says that night, July 17th, will be historic for himself and WWE because he will defeat Cena for the WWE Title. Punk acknowledged on RAW that is also the night where his contract with WWE is coming to an end. Punk says when the 17th is up, he is leaving WWE, and is leaving with the WWE Title.

The heel threatening to leave the company with the strap? Gold (no pun intended).  The thing I had not realized was that this PPV is being held in CM Punk's hometown of Chicago.  That could very well make for a Cena/RVD at One Night Stand type of vibe.  I'm kind of surprised they are going this route to be honest because I believe this crowd will eat up Punk and heel the crap out of Cena.


We'll see...

Heenan Family Burns Tommy Rich with a Cigar

I love sharing some of the wrestling highlights from my youth. Unfortunately, this is a bit before my time. It is, however, a really fantastic clip. You've got Bobby Heenan's "Heenan Family" in Georgia Championship Wrestling during a period where Bobby left the AWA for about a year. Tommy Rich is a wildly popular face in Georgia and there's also a face Ole Anderson in GCW at this point. Sounds odd, but Ole pulls it off. I'm staring to think that he's a really underrated talent.  Of course, Gordon Solie is there so you know you've got some good announcing. This was also around the time when SAW favorite, Stan "The Lariat" Hansen was in this territory.



Upload Credit: TheMidnightEDxpress

Paul Heyman talks TNA Wrestling

Thanks to A1 poster, Zandrax, for bringing this to my attention.



Upload Credit: TVTraX

SummerSlam: Alberto Del Rio vs Cena?

Let's hope this is a sign that they are going to do just that.  I would love for ADR to at least briefly hold the title if they are determined to have Cena champ at WrestleMania 28.



Upload Credit: WWEGames

TNA's Bound for Glory Series

Lords of Pain.net had a nice summary of the recently announced Bound for Glory series.  Call me crazy, but I think this is a pretty good idea.  It is TNA though, so I'm fairly confident that they will find a way to screw it up.  Only time will tell in that regard.

That being said, here's LoP's summary. 

The winner of TNA's Bound For Glory series will receive a World Heavyweight Title shot in the main event at the pay-per-view. Matches in the series can take place at Impact tapings, pay-per-view events and TNA live events, and can be singles, tag team or other types of matches.

Wrestlers will receive 10 points for a submission victory, 7 points for a pinfall victory, 5 points for a count out victory, 3 points for a DQ victory, 2 points for a draw and will lose 10 points for a DQ loss. Rob Van Dam defeated Samoa Joe on Thursday's show to earn 7 points.

At the end of the series, the final four will face off to crown a winner and #1 contender for the Bound For Glory main event. AS noted before, wrestlers in the series are Rob Van Dam, Samoa Joe, Brother Ray, Scott Steiner, James Storm, Robert Roode, Gunner, Crimson, AJ Styles, The Pope, Brother Devon and Matt Morgan.

FFA: Happy Father's Day

I wanted to take a moment and wish all the fathers out there a Happy Father's Day.

Here's a picture of my family circa 1985.  Little FreebirdSTF is 7 years old here.  That's my sister who was turning 1.

Mattel's WWE Figures

Here's a couple of Q&A's Mattel did with WrestlingFigs.com.  If you have any interest at all in this figure line I highly recommend you give them a look. 

Topics include:

• The possibility of 12" figures
• Sin Cara and Kharma figures
• Fixing the US Title
• Legend Rumblers

Wrestling Figs:  Mattel Q&A Part I

Wrestling Figs:  Mattel Q&A Part II

An Interview with Christian

Christian had a fun interview with pennlive.com.  You'll notice that it's obviously a mix of kayfabe and shoot/legit answers.  I though some might appreciate.  There's more at the link above, but I picked out a couple of gems.

Christian on being a face or heel...

Which do you prefer, being a heel or a baby face?

I think I just kinda go out there, I don’t ever go to far... I go out there and I do what I do and I never change what I do. I’ve always tried to keep a lot of my own personality in what you see on television, so it’s kinda of just an extension of myself.

Christian on fan support especially after his World Heavyweight Championship win over Alberto del Rio...

Did you expect to have the huge amount of fan support you did after winning the Championship?

It was overwhelming, to be honest I think that people just saw it as a guy who went out there every week and put everything on the line, no matter what the circumstances. I’ve always worked hard and tried to leave it all in the ring. I think they just appreciated that (win) coming from an underdog perspective.  

Christian on turning his back on his "Peeps"...

You recently disowned all your Peeps (fans)...

There was a big uproar from the fans, my Peeps, when I lost the championship. I really sat back and looked at it, and these are the same people who voted for Randy Orton to the match and they’re the same people who cheered when he won. I took matters in my own hands ... as far as I’m concerned, if I win it will be for myself this time.

Like I said, there's more over at pennlive.com: 'WWE Smackdown' slams its way to Giant Center.  I highly recommend giving it a look especially if you're a Christian fan.

The Sting-Hulk Hogan Confrontation

The guys on A1-Wrestling.com were talking about Sting getting all Joker on Hulk Hogan on this week's Impact Wrestling. I had to take a look. Honestly, TNA doesn't get much right, but this is one hell of a segment.

For that matter, the Hulk Hogan/Jeff Jarrett moment at the beginning of the segment was entertaining as well.

I guess a blind squirrel really does find a nut once in a while.



Upload Credit:  TNAwrestling

WWE: What They Didn't Want You to See (Part 2)

I just posted the first edition of this today. Thanks to the guys at WCMB, I saw Part 2 today as well. 



Upload Credit: Bigdizzle0005

WWE: What They Didn't Want You to See

SAW Contributer, Norko, passed this link along to me.  It is raw satellite footage that has been captured from broadcasts of RAW over the years. I have watched bits and pieces of this before and it really is quite fascinating.

There is some inappropriate or at least NSFW language.



Upload Credit: Bigdizzle0005

FFA: It's Friday!

Love this song and can't think of a better way to get motivated to finish the week STRONG!

Have a great weekend folks. Fresh content to be delivered every day as always.

Upload Credit:  GunsNRosesVEVO

FFA: Roller Coaster Fail

I laughed until it hurt at this. I'm simple, what can I say?



Upload Credit: egrab

Trevor Murdoch Returning to WWE?

According to ProWrestling.net, he is.

Trevor Murdoch is heading back to work for WWE. Pitch.com is reporting that Murdoch will make the announcement of his WWE return at Friday's Metro Pro Wrestling show in Kansas City.

I think this is great. Trevor was a lot of fun in his earlier WWE run.  It's a shame that WWE never got behind the Cade & Murdoch team as I always felt they had a ton of promise.  Of course it's a bigger shame that Cade passed away at such a young age. 

Read the ProWrestling.net article for more from Trevor Murdoch on his apparent WWE return.

Watch the initial Cade & Murdoch vignette below:



Upload Credit: TheUnknown1One1

Good sign for WWE 12?

Courtesy of Lords of Pain:

The new WWE '12 video game won the award for Best Sports Game at the E3 video game convention last week. David Arquette and Roddy Piper were some of the celebrities who played the demo that was available. UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie was there and when he recognized Alberto Del Rio and Kelly Kelly, wanted his picture taken with them.

Funny that out of Rowdy Roddy Piper and David Arquette, it is Arquette who is a former world champion.

Sting outsmarts someone

It's Starrcade 1999 and Sting finally outsmarts someone.



Pretty funny if you ask me.  A couple of things bother me though.  If you're going to have that spot it really should have been at the end of the match.  It would have been great drama.  Also, it's obvious this is WCW at its worst because you have a DQ at Starrcade and Miss Elizabeth still got over on Sting essentially even though he won by disqualification.

Overlooking all that for a moment, it was a funny spot.

Upload Credit: eldandy14

Edge on SyFy's Sanctuary

I've never watched the show, but Edge looks to handle himself pretty well based on this teaser.

Kevin Nash: The Mug Shot

Kevin Nash was involved in what Gordon Solie might characterize as a "Pier 6 Brawl" recently. That has given us the opportunity to take a moment and realize exactly how large Big Kev is.

Kevin claims the guy he battered was drunk, approached his wife aggressively and attacked him with a bottle for what it's worth. Also, the charges against Nash were dropped.

Photo Credit: TMZ.com

Doom's first appearance without the masks

Doom loses their masks and appears on WCW Saturday Night to destroy some jobbers. Good times are had by all. I absolutely love how disgusted Ron and Butch look with the crowd. Ron leaning on the ropes, facing the camera with that disgusted look is a highlight of this clip for me.


Doom in action by Stinger1981

Upload Credit: Stinger1981

The Mavs join the WWE Universe

At SAW we already established that the Miami Heat were the nWo.  We figured that must make Dirk WCW (Sting maybe?), but now we have discovered that the Mavs are in fact part of the WWE Universe.  WWE.com will tell you all about it.

When the Dallas Mavericks prevailed over the seemingly unstoppable Miami Heat to capture their first ever NBA Championship on Sunday night, the Mavs squad clamored for the opportunity to touch the NBA Title trophy as well as another glittering symbol of excellence … “The Belt,” a WWE Title modified with a Mavericks logo.

Not the first time the WWE has made an appearance like this in the professional sports world.  It's always cool to see a team do this though.  The belt looked nicer than the actual WWE title in my opinion.

Michael Tarver released

1.9 seconds.  The amount of time it took Michael Tarver to KTFO a man.  Also, the relative length of his WWE career.

Yeah, that's right, Michael Tarver aka Scary Looking Dude has been released along with four other people that don't matter, but if you're curious Wrestling News Source has their names.  One appeared on NXT and the others were developmental guys I've never heard of before.

Good luck to you Michael Tarver.  You were one bad ass looking dude.

A1 poster Zandrax raises a good question:  What exactly was Michael Tarver hanging around backstage for?

Photo Credit: Wrestlers World blog

Your new TNA/Impact Wrestling Heavyweight Champion

Mr. Anderson......AND-ER-SON!  BTW, I'm not sure what they are actually calling this title.  It's confused along with the rest of the TNA/Impact Wrestling nonsense. 

 

Photo Credit: ImpactWrestling.com

Ox Baker riot footage

I've never heard of this incident, but one of the guys on WCMB found and posted it.  This needs to be shared far and wide so I brought it over here to SAW. 

The year is 1974 and Ox Baker starts a riot.  I love the summary:

Ox Baker starts a huge riot in Cleveland while relentlessly Heart-punching another wrestler

Upload Credit: HardcoreGeriatric

Magnum TA: Reprimand this

Here's another one that made an impression on a young man in the 80s. Not saying it's the first time something like this happened, but it's funny to me that this was 10 years or so before Austin/McMahon saved WWE and launched that promotion into orbit again.



Upload Credit: KabookiX

WWE Over the Limit underwhelms

Per this Lords of Pain.net article WWE Over the Limit pulled WWECW December to Dismember level numbers and that's not good at all.

How exactly would OTL's expected 65,000 buys stack up against the forgettable December to Dismember?  The article linked above explains:

Should this number hold up, it would be WWE's least watched pay-per-view event in nearly five years. The 2006 pay-per-view event December to Dismember drew approximately 90,000 pay-per-view buys, with 55,000 of them domestic—the lowest buyrate in company history.

I'm sure as long as WWE keeps feeding the Cena Beast, things will turn around. 

Signed,

Little Jimmy

Luger fails to rack The Giant

We suddenly have Paul Wight-amania on SAW.  Don't know all the background on this spot, but it looks pretty cool and possibly quite painful for Luger.



Upload Credit: RoundtableVIDEO

Skip Sheffield injury update

Another surgery for Skip Sheffield?  Yes, according to Lords of Pain.net's Daniel Pena crediting Skip himself via Twitter and PWInsider.

Skip Sheffield, who has been sidelined since breaking his leg and ankle on August 18, 2010 at a WWE live event in Honolulu, Hawaii, announced via Twitter that he will be undergoing another surgical procedure this Tuesday.

He wrote, "Will be having a third surgery this Tuesday and it will be the last," Sheffield wrote. "There are a lot of people who are far worse off and this is all happening for a good reason. I wish I was back right now and doing what I love, but things are not right and they have to be fixed. I will be 100 percent very soon and back on WWE TV and I thank all of you for your support. I have kept my head held high and I cannot thank WWE enough for their support in this time. I have worked too hard too long to just give up and while it has been difficult it has only made me a stronger better person so please be patient and I will be back I promise."

That's a tough situation for ol' Skip. He seemed to be poised to be a breakout star with the Nexus. Now we know that group ultimately didn't get treated as well as they should, but still you hate to see a guy with so much potential deal with this type of injury and setback.

I wish Skip the best of luck and hope he can eventually make it back and be at 100%.

I took the time to verify that Skip's Twitter is authentic per WWE's official SuperStar list.

The Big Show: A Giant's World

I took the opportunity to watch WWE's, The Big Show: A Giant's World this week.  Now I'm a Big Show/Giant mark, but I thought this was a really entertaining look at the big man.  The documentary portion is available on Netflix Watch Instantly.  It's right at an hour long so it's a really quick look at Show's past and present. 

The one thing that really jumped out at me is how cognizant he is of the downside of being a giant.  He says more than once, "You don't see many 70 year old giants."  It appears that he is using that perspective to get serious about staying in better shape, taking care of his body and eating properly.

Another interesting aspect is how the tumor that caused the growth affected other aspects of his life.  Removing the tumor probably extended his life, but it also sidetracked his basketball career.  His metabolism slowed and he no longer had the freaking endurance he had up to that point.

Other things they touch on more in-depth than here is the transition and growing pains from WCW, his swank tour bus, the infamous and hilarious Bossman angle and his fitness program.

If you have any interest at all in The Big Show, I highly recommend it.  This is especially true if you have access to Netflix and can stream it.

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

It's Friday!

Arguably the greatest tribute video in pro-wrestling history. I'm a Kid Rock fan to begin with, but this video was so well produced as well. I think it still holds up after all of these years.

As always, finish the week strong folks!



Upload Credit: TruSiaki

G4TV: WWE '12 hands-on

Review sounds fairly positive from what I've seen of other hands-on articles.  They say it's "smoother" than ever.  They've re-routed the grapple functionality to the buttons again which also sounds promising. Of course, it looks as beautiful as always.

Upload Credit: G4TV

FFA: Bryant had an allergic reaction

Apparently, my son is allergic to pistachios. What do you think?

One Man, Two Moments Vol 3

This installment of One Man, Two Moments continues the trend of presenting two related workers.  In this case, Sting and Warrior teamed as Powerteam USA and then the Blade Runners before finding their greatest success as singles stars.

Ultimate Warrior

• Intercontinental Championship destruction of Honky Tonk Man in '88
• WWE Title win over Hulk Hogan

Warrior's sanity is certainly in question these days, but this guy was an absolute phenomenon at his peak.  You will notice that most casual wrestling fans especially in a certain age range all fondly remember the Warrior, his physique and the face paint. 

Sting

• Clash of the Champions 1 draw with Ric Flair
• Sting shows his hand at Uncensored 97

Starrcade 97 should have been it, but it was overbooked and Hogan's ego interfered.  It's really as simple as that.  WCW got cute and tried to milk the angle a bit more, but WCW fans had waited patiently and they were not rewarded with what looked to be an epic main event.  This match really captures the essence of WCW unfortunately.

Sting joins the nWo Wolfpac

This is one of those moments that annoys me now, but at the time didn't seem to bother me as much.  I need to keep digging and find some of the segments where they were profiling Team WCW, nWo Hollywood and nWo Wolfpac and their "pitches" to Sting to join their factions.  The right thing to do would have been to go with Team WCW, but that's not what they did.  The Wolfpac was cool, no doubt about it, but it felt so wrong for Sting to wear nWo colors of any sort.  It was sort of like Batman abandoning Gotham City or Superman leaving Metropolis. 



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DDP talks "Very Best of WCW Nitro"

DDP, Host of the "Very Best of WCW Nitro," sat down for an interview with WWE.com this week to discuss the project.  Lords of Pain recapped the interview and a couple of things came to mind.  To me, DDP has always come across as a guy that worked hard and appreciated the opportunities given to him.  I know many knock his time in WCW in part due to his relationship with Eric Bischoff, but the fact remains that DDP paid his dues, worked hard at his craft and was able to engage the audience in such a way that he was at one point the hottest act in WCW.  Being friends with the boss can certainly open that door for you, but it takes talent to make the most of that opportunity.

The other thing of note is something that I seem to recall hearing before, but it really does bear repeating.  For all the outrage that David Arquette's WCW run deservedly receives, I think it's worth pointing out that Arquette really wasn't the problem.  It was the WCW "powers to be" as the onscreen characters were incorrectly called that deserve the criticism for it.  In fact, Arquette seems like a pretty cool guy in general.  Did you know he did the following?

"I couldn’t believe it; I thought it was some kind of joke. What many people don’t know is that when David signed up to compete, he didn’t do it for the money. All the money he made during his run in WCW, he donated to Brian Pillman’s wife."

Now, the WCW title run was an absolute embarrassment, but that is damn good of David Arquette no matter how you slice it.  I agree with DDP's assessment of the move, but it's nice to see a celebrity do something that generous.

All-in-all I think it's a good read.  DDP also discusses what the production process was like, capturing the WCW "feel" and his title loss to Sting that is featured on the DVD.

I, for one, cannot wait to get my hands on this. 

WWE.com: Recalling Nitro with a BANG!

Photo Credit: Up Against the Wall magazine

Stan Hansen Halloween Havoc promo

Here Stan "The Lariat" Hansen cuts a pre-match promo on US Champion Lex Luger.  It is comedy gold yet he still comes across as a real ass-kicker.  That is one of the main reasons that Stan Hansen absolutely rocks.



Upload Credit: WrestlingClique

One of these things is not like the others

WWE is working with the Miami Dolphins to raise money for charity. One of the perks of the WrestleMania 28 suite was a WWE Title belt autographed by WWE Superstars. The list is below from this Lords of Pain article.

WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase Sr. will be working with the Miami Dolphins during Fins Weekend that will benefit charities through a golf tournament, fishing tournament and more. DiBiase will be auctioning off a WrestleMania 28 suite at the Dolphins stadium that holds 14 people. The suite will come with a WWE Title belt signed by Triple H, John Cena, Kane, The Miz, Rey Mysterio, Ted DiBiase Jr., Sheamus and Randy Orton.

At the risk of being "that guy," I couldn't help but to notice that you've got all these WWE big shots...and Ted Dibiase Jr.

I like Ted, I think Ted could be a big shot in his own right one day, but right now today that name looks out of place.

Kamala the Ugandan Giant and "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert

One of the coolest things about trolling YouTube for wrestling clips is how clicking just one clip of interest opens the door to so many more. For instance, I stumbled upon this glorious Championship Wrestling from Georgia clip. It starts with Jimmy Hart introducing Kamala the Ugandan Giant and ends with a promo for "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert. It is six minutes of absolute quality.



Upload Credit: tim58hsv

Ox Baker and Ron Garvin mix it up

Ox Baker in all his insanse and terrifying fury. "Hands of Stone" Ron Garvin ain't scared though.

One of the comments sums it up best, "Ox Baker is one of the few wrestlers who actually still terrifies me."



Upload Credit: erickrassle

Mick Foley is out

There was some discussion about Foley being fired by the Network at the end of Impact this week.  Rumors swirled that the angle wasn't simply another example of TNA/Impact Wrestling's scatter shot booking style.  According to Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net, Mick Foley is done with TNA.  Furthermore, Foley's contract expires in September, but he will not be an on-screen character while his contract runs out.

Foley himself had this to say on his official Twitter (realmickfoley) earlier today:

I pushed hard for changes I felt would benefit Impact Wrestling. I can understand how some would interpret that as difficult to work with.

It will be interesting to see where Foley lands.  He was a solid color commentator for SmackDown, but apparently didn't enjoy that job.  Foley, much like Flair, is a guy who can still get an angle over with his promo ability.  Much like Flair, Foley is a guy I have zero desire to see in the ring. 

All-in-all, this is another in the long line of TNA failures.  We'll see where they go from here.  On the brightside, they still have Hogan, Bischoff and Dixie Carter....

Vince poisons WWE with the nWo

This video is interesting to me for several reasons. It's a really well produced spot with the cool reveal at the end. It's surprisingly jarring to hear "WWF" now.  Vince took over-the-top and went over-the-top with it.  The angle introducing Flair as the co-owner with Vince was a lot of fun at first.  The nWo coming to WWE seemed like it had a lot of promise as well.  It didn't work out so well, but we'll cover that in the future.



Upload Credit: ARealHulkamaniac

FFA: The Dark Knight Rises

Four more videos are posted over at Entertainment News International (ENI).

Cannot wait to see more footage from this movie.  Batman Begins was great and The Dark Knight took the genre to a whole new level.  To say expectations are high is a complete understatement.

Upload Credit: TheFireRises

Maryse makes Larry Z proud

She makes us all proud, I suppose.  Anyhow, we all know that Larry Zbyszko is a world class staller.  In this clip, Maryse does her best to keep up with Larry.



Upload Credit: AbyssThumbtackSpot

Shaq and WWE

I avoided going with the more sensationalistic "Shaq to WWE?" headline, but thought this was worth discussing.

As most everyone should know, Shaquille O'Neal wrapped a 19 year, Hall of Fame-worthy, NBA career this week.  Obviously, I wish Shaq well as he was one of my three favorite basketball players at one time along with David Robinson and hometown hero, Dominique Wilkins.  The question is, "What will Shaq do now?"  An option I'd like to see Shaq explore is to get back into the professional wrestling industry.  Why wrestling?  He made an appearance at a WCW PPV in Hogan's pre-nWo days and had a memorable confrontation with The Big Show when he guest hosted RAW.  Aside from that, Shaq is extremely charismatic and I think that along with his size would go perfectly in the world of wrestling.  Don't believe me?  How about Dragon Gate USA booker, Gabe Sapolsky?  Lords of Pain posted this article today which included some thoughts from Mr. Sapolsky:

"It's no secret that wrestling .. errrr ... sports entertainment needs something to shake it up," Sapolsky wrote. "WWE gained a great boost recently with the return of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Now they need that one hook for the mainstream public like Mike Tyson was in 1996.

"'The Answer' just quit his job and became a free agent. His name is Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq is on the market. It's well documented he loves wrestling. He understands how to entertain and perform. He has size and athletic ability. The best part is he could now make a long term commitment and he's looking for something new to do."

WWE themselves got in on the act on Friday per the same LoP article:

"WWE Universe member Shaquille O'Neal has had the world abuzz since announcing his retirement from the NBA. After his tussle with Big Show as Raw guest star, WWE fans might wonder if the 15-time All-Star will now look to settle his one-night rivalry."

Will it happen?  I don't know, but I'd give it a look.  The Big Diesel vs The Big Show might not be a technical masterpiece, but it would be an event.

Until next time, enjoy this WCW footage of Shaq, Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart even though it isn't the greatest quality.



Upload Credit: Vegasrossie

FFA: It's Friday!

Going off-topic this week.  I heard this song earlier this week in Walgreen's of all places.  I have this cassette in my car and BLAST it occasionally.  What a great song.

Finish it strong, folks!



Upload Credit: LivingColourVEVO

WWE trolls Mark Henry...and the crowd

This is really bizarre.  Jason Powell of ProWrestling.net posted this yesterday.  It's hard to figure what WWE was thinking.  It's a funny gag on Henry, but you advertised a dark main event for the live crowd and gave them this?!  This occurred at the SmackDown tapings, but it does not contain any spoilers.

The full account is in the story above.  I'm going to hit the "high notes."

Once Smackdown was off the air, instead of the advertised match, fans were surprised to see Mark Henry make an entrance to the ring. As to who his opponent was to be, nobody knew, as nobody ever came out.

Odd, but no big deal really.  Card subject to change and all that...

Mark Henry stood in the ring for nearly five minutes before finally trying to pass the time by cutting an impromptu promo in front of fans at Wells Fargo Arena.

 So Mark's thinking on his feet, that's good, but that's not all.

After 15 minutes had passed since Smackdown had gone "off-air," Tony Chimel made an announcement stating that while fans waited for Mark Henry's opponent, WWE wanted to thank the fans for attending.

That's an eternity for a live crowd to wait for their promised main event if it's true, but at least they're getting a match.  They played Khali's music, Hornswoggle's music and even Mr. McMahon's music as this thing is dragging out. 

Finally, Mark Henry had gotten tired of waiting for an opponent, and walked backstage, ending a nearly 20 minute wait for a dark match opponent. Needless to say, the fans were not happy with the outcome of WWE's promise of a dark match.

There you have it.  Is it a funny joke to pull on Henry? Yeah, kind of, but making your crowd wait for 20 minutes for a promised main event you don't deliver is BS.

FFA: Don't mess with Darius Rucker...

...or his bodyguard will take you down.  Saw this on TMZ and had to share.  Any excuse to get Hootie and the Blowfish mentioned on this blog will be taken advantage of.  I love that band.

Anyhow, the action takes place around 1:17. 



Upload Credit: hannahmahoney

WWE '12 Names Revealed

WWE '12 was announced yesterday.  Marc Middleton posted the following on Lords of Pain today. Nothing Earth-shattering, but it's good to see information getting out. E3 should have even more for us.

Names currently confirmed for the new WWE '12 video game are Alberto Del Rio, The Miz, John Cena and Randy Orton. Ring announcer Justin Roberts and commentators Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler are also confirmed. Ricardo Rodriguez is also confirmed for the game as he's featured in Del Rio's entrance.

It sounds like the game will also feature Legends as The Road Warriors and The Rock are heavily rumored but not confirmed.

I am pleased to see that we will apparently get the full ADR entrance including an appearance by Ricardo.  As always, I'm excited about this year's edition of the WWE video game.

Spike Huber vs "King Kong" Brody

The guys on Wrestling Classics kept bringing up this guy named Spike Huber.  I was curious so I did a quick Google search and found this video.  It's a fascinating watch.  Why?  Well, let's see...

1. National Weather Service Advisory
2. Hard hat
3. Interesting promo style of Mr. Huber
4. Brody's always a riot
5. Huber "commentates" the match with some really odd one-liners

Also of note, Spike Huber was at one point the son-in-law of Dick the Bruiser.  To bring this full-circle, Bruiser Brody went by King Kong Brody in certain territories because of Dick the Bruiser.

Upload Credit: tim58hsv