Showing posts with label WWE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WWE. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Dead Wrestlers



Dead Wrestlers List


The dark side of Wrestling



Roderick George Toombs image courtsey: wikipedia.org


I think its appropriate to remember the lone wrestler who spoke for the wrestling community and was subsequently fired for doing so. Roddy Piper - "Rowdy" . The HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumble covered a story about the death rate among wrestlers. and That segment featured Vince McMahon mocking the interviewer and slapping the notes from his hands.

Stinging Shock

In June 2003, WWE decided to stop using Piper (who was working without a contract at the time) after a controversial interview with HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel in which Piper discussed the darker side of the wrestling business. On his 2006 DVD, Piper claimed that HBO took parts of his interviews out of context to make wrestling look worse. - Source Wikipedia

Although wrestling is fake and should be viewed strictly as an entertainer one thing thats not so entertaining about wrestling is the death rate among wrestlers which is alarmingly high.


Wrestling Obituaries

Comprehensive list of deceased professional wrestlers.

Name, Age, Date and Cause of Death

  • Frank Gotch 40 December 16, 1917 Uremic Poisoning
  • The Terrible Turk ?? July 4, 1898 Drowning
  • Wayne Munn 35 January 9, 1931 Kidney Problems
  • William Muldoon 88 June 3, 1933 Dies At Home
  • Farmer Burns 75 February 9, 1937 Unknown
  • Gus Sonnenberg 46 September 12, 1944 Tuberculosis
  • Bull Montana ?? January 24, 1950 Dies at Home
  • Danno O'Mahoney 37 November 4, 1950 Auto Accident
  • Maurice Tillet 51 August 4, 1954 Heart Disease
  • Jess McMahon 72 November 22, 1954 Unknown
  • Rikidozan 38 December 15, 1963 Stabbed
  • Gorgeous George 48 December 26, 1963 Heart Attack
  • Ed "Strangler" Lewis 76 August 7, 1966 Dies at Home
  • Sandor Szabo 60 October 16, 1966 Heart Attack
  • Primo Carnera 51 June 29, 1967 Cirrhosis of Liver
  • Stanislaus Zbyszko 88 September 22, 1967 Dies at Home
  • George Hackenschmidt 90 February 19, 1968 Dies at Home
  • Wladek Zbyszko ?? June 10, 1968 Unknown
  • Mike DiBiase 45 July 2, 1969 Dies in Ring
  • Skull Murphy 39 March 23, 1970 Heart Attack
  • Hercules Cortez 39 July 23, 1971 Auto Accident
  • Dory Funk Sr. 54 June 3, 1973 Dies at Home
  • Bobby Shane 29 February 20, 1975 Auto Accident
  • Jim Lindos 78 August 19, 1975 Heart Attack
  • Pepe Lopez 39 July 27, 1976 Auto Accident
  • Antonio Rocca 49 March 15, 1977 Unknown
  • Chris Taylor 29 June 30, 1979 Prolonged Illness
  • Billy McGuire ?? July 14, 1979 Heart Attack
  • Peter Maivia 47 June 13, 1982 Cancer
  • Frank Tunney ?? May 20, 1983 Heart Attack
  • The Grand Wizard 54 October 12, 1983 Heart Attack
  • El Santo 67 February 5, 1984 Heart Attack
  • David Von Erich 25 February 10, 1984 Acute Enteritis
  • Vince McMahon Sr. 69 May 17, 1984 Cancer
  • George Zaharias 76 May 22, 1984 Dies at Home
  • Argentina Apollo 46 August 2, 1984 Heart Attack
  • Eddie Graham 55 January 21, 1985 Suicide
  • Jay Youngblood 30 September 1, 1985 Heart Attack
  • Rick McGraw 30 November 1, 1985 Heart Attack
  • Tarzan Tyler ?? December 20, 1985 Auto Accident
  • Gino Hernandez 29 February 4, 1986 Cocaine Overdose
  • Warren Bockwinkle 74 March 24, 1986 Alzheimer's Disease
  • El Solitario 40 April 6, 1986 Heart Attack
  • Mike Von Erich 23 April 12, 1987 Suicide
  • Malcolm "King Kong" Kirk ?? August 24, 1987 Heart Attack
  • Adrian Adonis 34 July 4, 1988 Auto Accident
  • Pat Kelly ?? July 4, 1988 Auto Accident
  • The Canadian Wildman ?? July 4, 1988 Auto Accident
  • Bruiser Brody 42 July 17, 1988 Stabbed
  • Leroy Brown 38 September 6, 1988 Heart Attack
  • Leroy McGuirk 78 September 9, 1988 Dies at Home
  • Mildred Burke 73 February 18, 1989 Stroke
  • Paul Boesch 76 March 7, 1989 Dies at Home
  • Happy Humphery ?? March 14, 1989 Heart Attack
  • Eduardo Perez 61 September 7, 1989 Dies at Home
  • Haystacks Calhoun 55 December 7, 1989 Diabetes
  • Bronko Nagurski 81 January 7, 1990 Dies at Nursing Home
  • Whipper Billy Watson 74 February 4, 1990 Dies at Home
  • Gory Guerrero 69 April 18, 1990 Unknown
  • Pat O'Connor 65 August 16, 1990 Cancer
  • Ed "The Bull" Gatner 31 December 31, 1990 Suicide
  • Duke Keomuka 70 June 30, 1991 Heart Failure
  • Vivian Vachon 40 August 25, 1991 Auto Accident
  • Chris Von Erich 21 September 12, 1991 Suicide
  • Gene Anderson 58 October 31, 1991 Heart Attack
  • Dick the Bruiser 62 November 10, 1991 Internal Bleeding
  • Wilbur Snyder 62 December 25, 1991 Heart Failure
  • Buzz Sawyer 32 February 7, 1992 Dies At Apartment
  • Tojo Yamamoto 65 February 19, 1992 Suicide
  • Jimmy Lennon Sr. 79 April 20, 1992 Heart Failure
  • Buddy Rogers 71 June 26, 1992 Stroke
  • Uncle Elmer 54 June 30, 1992 Diabetes
  • Danny McShain ?? July 14, 1992 Unknown
  • Roy Heffernan 67 September 24, 1992 Heart Attack
  • Andre The Giant 46 January 27, 1993 Heart Attack
  • Kerry Von Erich 33 February 18, 1993 Suicide
  • Dino Bravo 44 March 11, 1993 Drive-By Shooting
  • Wally Karbo 77 March 25, 1993 Heart Attack
  • D.J. Peterson 33 May 25, 1993 Unknown
  • Don Kent 61 June 14, 1993 Leukemia
  • Brazo de Oro ?? October 26, 1993 Brain Aneurysm
  • Rufus R. Jones 60 November 13, 1993 Heart Attack
  • Larry Cameron 41 December 13, 1993 Heart Attack
  • Eddie Creatchman 66 March 9, 1994 Heart Attack
  • Ray Candy 43 May 23, 1994 Heart Attack
  • George "Crybaby" Cannon 62 July 1, 1994 Cancer
  • Joey Marella 30 July 4, 1994 Auto Accident
  • Boris Malenko 61 September 1, 1994 Cancer
  • Art Barr 28 November 23, 1994 Drug-Related Cause
  • Jerry Blackwell 45 January 22, 1995 Pneumonia
  • Eddie Gilbert 33 February 18, 1995 Heart Attack
  • Big John Studd 46 March 20, 1995 Hodgkin's Disease
  • Ilio DiPaolo Auto 68 May 10, 1995 Auto Accident
  • Killer Karl Krupp 62 October 24, 1995 Heart Attack
  • Little Beaver 61 December 4, 1995 Emphysema
  • Ray Stevens 60 May 3, 1996 Heart Attack
  • Dick Murdoch 49 June 15, 1996 Heart Attack
  • The Missouri Mauler 45 July 19, 1996 Heart Attack
  • Herb Abrams 41 July 23, 1996 Drug Overdose
  • Neil Superior 33 August 23, 1996 Heart Attack
  • Sapphire 61 September 10, 1996 Heart Attack
  • Dr. Jerry Graham 58 January 24, 1997 Stroke
  • Bulldog Bob Brown 58 February 6, 1997 Heart Attack
  • Dr. Bill Miller 69 March 24, 1997 Heart Attack
  • Stan Stasiak 60 June 12, 1997 Heart Failure
  • Larry O'Day 53 June 30, 1997 Liver Cancer
  • Plum Mariko 29 August 16, 1997 Brain Aneurysm
  • Jeep Swenson 40 August 19, 1997 Heart Attack
  • Dale Lewis 62 August 30, 1997 Leukemia
  • Fritz Von Erich 68 September 10, 1997 Cancer
  • Dick "Bulldog" Brower 63 September 16, 1997 Diabetes
  • Brian Pillman 35 October 5, 1997 Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease
  • Big E Sleaze 22 October 26, 1997 Suicide



  • Stanley Blackburn 80 November 20, 1997 Unknown
  • Bobo Brazil 74 January 20, 1998 Heart Problems
  • Louie Spiccoli 27 February 15, 1998 Carisopridol Overdose
  • Junkyard Dog 45 June 1, 1998 Auto Accident
  • The Spoiler 56 June 20, 1998 Heart Failure
  • Shane Shamrock 23 August 17, 1998 Shot by Police
  • Terry Garvin 60 August 17, 1998 Cancer
  • Giant Haystacks 55 November 30, 1998 Stomach Cancer
  • Brady Boone 40 December 15, 1998 Auto Accident
  • Sam Mushnick 93 December 31, 1998 Internal Bleeding
  • Shohei "Baba" Giant 61 January 31, 1999 Bowel Cancer
  • The Renegade 23 February 23, 1999 Suicide
  • Kurt Von Hess 65 March 13, 1999 Heart Attack
  • Rick Rude 41 April 20, 1999 Heart Attack
  • Owen Hart :-( 33 May 23, 1999 Accidental Fall
  • The Sarge Donnie York Sr. 50 May 25, 1999 Complications of Diabetes
  • Jackie Sato 41 August 9, 1999 Stomach Cancer
  • Mark Curtis 38 September 8, 1999 Stomach Cancer
  • Gorilla Monsoon 62 October 6, 1999 Heart Illness
  • Tony Rumble 43 November 13, 1999 Heart Attack
  • Hiro Matsuda 62 November 27, 1999 Cancer
  • Gary Albright 34 January 7, 2000 Heart Attack
  • Al Costello 80 January 22, 2000 Pneumonia
  • Bobby Duncum Jr. 34 January 24, 2000 Drug Overdose
  • Liz Chase 45 February 29, 2000 Died During Surgery
  • Masakazu Fukada 27 April 19, 2000 Bleeding of the Brain
  • Tom Renesto (Assassin #1) 72 April 25, 2000 Heart Failure
  • Tomomi "Jumbo" Tsuruta 49 May 16, 2000 Internal Bleeding
  • Gordon Solie 71 July 27, 2000 Cancer
  • Tony Parisi 58 August 18, 2000 Heart Attack
  • Chris Duffy 36 August 25, 2000 Seizure
  • Toru Tanaka 70 August 22, 2000 Natural Causes
  • "Klondike" Bill Soloweyko 68 October 3, 2000 Bulbar Palsy
  • Leo Nomellini 76 October 17, 2000 Stroke
  • "Yokozuna" Rodney Anoia 34 October 22, 2000 Heart Attack
  • The Blue Demon 78 December 16, 2000 Heart Attack
  • Benny McGuire 54 March 26, 2001 Heart Attack
  • "Red Shoes" Dugan ?? March 26, 2001 Parkinson's Disease
  • Johnny Valentine 73 April 24, 2001 Natural Causes
  • Terry Gordy 40 July 16, 2001 Heart Attack
  • Rhonda Singh (Bertha Faye) 40 July 27, 2001 Unknown
  • Dennis Coraluzzo 48 July 29, 2001 Stroke
  • Chris Adams 46 October 7, 2001 Shot to Death
  • Chief Dave Foxx 44 October 28, 2001 Heart Attack
  • Helen Hart 77 November 4, 2001 Organ Failure
  • Russ Haas 27 December 15, 2001 Heart Failure
  • "Maniac" Mike Davis 46 December 25, 2001 Heart Attack
  • Mighty Igor 60's January 7, 2002 Heart Failure
  • Nelson Royal 70 February 2, 2002 Heart Attack
  • Swede Hanson 68 February 20, 2002 Alzheimer's Disease
  • Wahoo McDaniel 63 April 18, 2002 Stroke
  • Lou Thesz 86 April 28, 2002 Natural Causes
  • Randy "Pee Wee" Anderson 41 May 7, 2002 Natural Causes
  • Erich Kulas (Mass Transit) 22 May 14, 2002 Unknown
  • Alex "Big Dick Dudley" Rizzo 34 May 16, 2002 Unknown
  • Shoichi Arai (FMW President) 36 May 16, 2002 Suicide
  • "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith 39 May 17, 2002 Heart Attack
  • Ted Petty (Rocco Rock) 49 September 21, 2002 Heart Attack
  • Edward "Moose" Cholak 72 October 31, 2002 Natural Causes
  • Billy Joe Travis ?? November 22, 2002 Heart Attack
  • Jeff Peterson 22 November 29, 2002 Cancer
  • "Mr. Wrestling" Tim Woods ?? November 30, 2002 Heart Attack
  • "The Original Sheik" Ed Farahat ?? January 18, 2003 Natural Causes
  • Curt Hennig 44 February 10, 2003 Drug Overdose
  • Tony Altomare 74 February 20, 2003 Heart Attack
  • Hiromichi "Kodo" Fuyuki 42 March 19, 2003 Cancer
  • Sailor Art Thomas 79 March 20, 2003 Cancer
  • Ray Mendoza 73 April 17, 2003 Natural Causes
  • Miss Elizabeth (Elizabeth Heulette) 42 May 1, 2003 Drug Overdose
  • "Classie" Freddie Blassie 85 June 2, 2003 Natural Causes
  • Giant Ochiai 30 July 8, 2003 Brain Injury
  • Anthony "Pitbull #2" Durante 36 September 26, 2003 Drug Overdose
  • Stu Hart 88 October 16, 2003 Pneumonia
  • Road Warrior Hawk (Mike Hegstrand) 46 October 19, 2003 Heart Attack
  • Mike "Crash Holly" Lockwood 32 November 6, 2003 Asphyxiation
  • Richard "Dick" Hutton 80 November 24, 2003 Natural Causes
  • Moondog Spot (Larry Lathman) 51 November 29, 2003 Heart Attack
  • Jerry "The Wall/Malice" Tuite 36 December 5, 2003 Heart Attack
  • Jack Tunney (Former WWE President) 68 January 24, 2004 Natural Causes
  • Don (Hard Boiled) Haggerty 78 January 28, 2004 Natural Causes
  • Hercules Hernandez 45 March 6. 2004 Heart Attack
  • Pepper Gomez 77 May 6, 2004 Kidney failure
  • Billy Redwood 28 July 3, 2004 Auto Accident
  • Pat "Bomber" Roach 67 July 17, 2004 Cancer
  • Ken Timbs 53 August 1, 2004 Heart Failure
  • Dr. Wagner Sr. 68 September 12, 2004 Heart Attack
  • Jim Barnett (Promoter) 80 September 17, 2004 Cancer and Pneumonia
  • Ray "Big Boss Man" Traylor 42 September 22, 2004 Heart Attack
  • Marianna Komlos 35 October 4, 2004 Breast Cancer
  • Dandy Jack Donovan 76 November 27, 2004 Construction Site Accident
  • "Pistol" Pez Whatley 54 January 18, 2005 Heart Failure
  • Chris Candido 33 April 28, 2005 Blood Clot after Surgery
  • Ron Trongaurd (AWA Announcer) 72 June 17, 2005 Liver Cancer
  • Shinya Hashimoto 40 July 11, 2005 Brain Anresum
  • Lord Alfred Hayes 77 July 21, 2005 Stroke
  • Chris Tolos 75 August 13, 2005 Natural Causes
  • Chri$ Ca$h (Christopher Bauman Jr.) 23 August 18, 2005 Motorcycle Accident
  • Ed "Sailor" White (Moondog King) 56 August 25, 2005 Unknown
  • The Crusher (Reggie Lisowski) 79 October 22, 2005 Natural Causes
  • Eddie Guerrero :( 38 November 13, 2005 Heart Failure
  • Chad Floyd (Chazz Rocco) 37 December 10, 2005 Heart Failure
  • El Texano (Juan Aguilar) 47 January 15, 2006 Respiratory Failure
  • Ricky Romero 74 January 16, 2006 Complications of Diabetes
  • Victor Mar (Black Cat) 51 January 28, 2006 Heart Attack
  • Emory Hale ?? January 29, 2006 Complications of Kidney Failure
  • Mike "Johnny Grunge" Durham 39 February 16, 2006 Complications from sleep apnea
  • Victor Quinones (Owner of IWA Puerto Rico) 46 April 2, 2006 Natural Causes
  • Sammy "Steamboat" Mokuahi 71 May 4, 2006 Complications from both Alzheimer's and Diabetes
  • Apache Bull Ramos 71 May 27, 2006 Complications of Shoulder Infection and Diabetes
  • John "Earthquake" Tenta 42 June 7, 2006 Bladder Cancer
  • "Crazy" Luke Graham 70 June 24, 2006 Heart Failure
  • Marlon Kalkai (Tiger Khan) Mid-30's June 28, 2006 Unknown
  • Bob Orton Sr. 76 July 14, 2006 Heart Attack
  • Karl Von Stroheim 78 August 8, 2006 Heart Attack
  • Antonio Peña (Mexican Promoter) 57 October 6, 2006 Heart Attack
  • Jumping Joey Maggs 37 October 15, 2006 Unknown
  • Kintaro Oki (Kim Ill) 77 October 26, 2006 Natural Causes
  • Daniel Garcia (Huracan Ramirez) 80 November 1, 2006 Natural Causes
  • Sputnik Monroe 77 November 2, 2006 Natural Causes
  • Dennis "Tiger" Conway, Sr. 74 November 13, 2006 Massive Stroke
  • Don Jardine (The Original Spoiler) 66 December 16, 2006 Complications of Heart Attack and Leukemia
  • Scott "Bam Bam" Bigelow 45 January 19, 2007 Drug Overdose
  • Mike Awesome 42 February 17, 2007 Suicide
  • Bad News (Brown) Allen Coage 63 March 6, 2007 Heart Attack
  • Alejandro Cruz (Black Shadow) 82 March 8, 2007 Pneumonia
  • Ernie "The Cat" Ladd 68 March 10, 2007 Cancer
  • Arnold Skaaland 82 March 13, 2007 Natural Causes
  • Angel Azteca 43 March 18, 2007 Unknown
  • Abe Coleman 101 March 28, 2007 Natural Causes
  • Mephisto Lephanto 31 May 4, 2007 Sudden Heart Attack in the Ring
  • Sonny Myers 83 May 5, 2007 Natural Causes
  • Sandy Barr 69 June 2, 2007 Heart Attack
  • Sensational Sherri Martel 49 June 15, 2007 Unknown
  • Shane "Biff Wellington" Bower 42 June 23, 2007 Heart Attack
  • Nancy Daus (Woman from WCW) 42 June 23, 2007 Strangulation
  • Chris Benoit 40 June 25, 2007 Suicide
  • Brian "Crush" Adams (43)--August 13, 2007--Natural Causes
  • The Missing Link (Dewey Robertson) (68)--August 16, 2007--Died from cancer
  • Fabulous Moolah (Lillian Ellison) (84)--November 3, 2007--Natural Causes


(Sources include: Pro Wrestling Illustrated Almanac, Obsessed with Wrestling.com, & Wrestling Information Archive)


Related Reading.





Monday, June 18, 2007

WWE - Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson



A True Showman


The Rock Image Courtesy: jagdish.blogs.com


A third generation wrestler from an illustrious wrestling family, Dwayne Johnson has been able to make a mark in the world of entertainment be it pro-wrestling or the movies. His success as an entertainer is illustrated by the fact that he has managed to seamlessly transcend into the world of movies. The only other person who may have managed to do it must be Hulk Hogan. However his screen persona of ‘The Rock’ has been able to capture the imagination of audiences worldwide.


Early days


Rocky Miavia Image Courtesy: areavoices.com

It is ironic to think that when he first started off the crowd hated him. His lineage was always played up and he was even given the ring name of Rocky Miavia (a combination of his dad’s and granddad’s name). The crowd however found him to be boring and sometime even gave chants of “Die Rocky Die”. In keeping with his character Rocky had to smile and bear these cheers even though he was raging inside. This was also the time when Steve Austin became the epitome of the bad boy hero image.


Success!!


The Rock Image Courtesy: drock.net


His fortunes took a turn for the better when he switched to being a heel and took up the ring name of The Rock. From then on there was no turning back. He began to use the opportunity that a heel character would provide to pour out his real life frustrations on the crowd. He would unleash absolutely venomous verbal attacks on the audience and would insult anyone he could lay his eyes on. But amazingly instead of hating him the crowd began to like him and his popularity began to surge aided in no small part by his superb mic skills.


Memorable Quotes


The Rock Image Courtesy: areavoices.com


He began to refer to himself in the third person whenever he was in the ring. He also spewed forth many quotes, which became a rage with every WWE/WWF fan of the time. Some of them were

"If you smell, what The Rock is cooking!"
"Finally, The Rock has come back to (city name)"
"The Rock will take your object, turn it sideways, and stick it straight up your candy ass”
"Just Bring It"
"Layeth the Smacketh Down!"





Unforgettable Rivalries


The Rock v Triple H Image Courtesy: slam.canoe.ca


It was not just his mic skills that helped him win the hearts of the fans at the time. As part of the attitude era he had some really unforgettable rivalries with some of the biggest name in sports entertainment. His feud with Mankind was absolutely brutal. They would go at each other with everything they had and with everything they could lay their hands on. Their ‘I Quit’ and ‘Empty Arena’ matches were truly memorable. Also unforgettable were his feuds with Stone Cold and Triple H. The feud with Stone Cold was interesting mainly due to the great war of words that the two would indulge in. Here were two superstars who no qualms about spouting profanity laden dialogues at each other and the crowd just enjoyed every moment of it. His feud with Triple H was more physical than verbal but it was never found lacking in intensity. It must be said that these three superstars were incidental in helping the WWF win the Monday night wars against the WCW.


Transition into Movies


The Scorpion King Image Courtesy: areavoices.com


The Rock’s first big break in the movies came when he enacted the role of the Scorpion King in ‘The Mummy Returns’ which was a success. This along with his successful stint at ‘Saturday Night Live’ helped him in reprising the role of Scorpion King in a movie by the same name. As his movie career became more and more active his appearances in the ring became more and more sporadic. He would return once in a while to start a new feud (like the one with Hulk Hogan) or as a special guest in some of the matches. He went on to star in movies like The Rundown, Walking Tall, Be Cool and Gridiron Gang. He has since stated countless times that he is done with wrestling.


Whether as a movie star or as one of the most popular sports entertainer of all time, The Rock continues to capture the attention of the masses all over the world. He is one of those rare breed of wrestlers who has the looks, the charisma, the talent and more importantly the brains to make it big. His fans will be hoping that they can smell whatever it is that he is cooking for some more time to come.


Related Reading.


Tuesday, June 12, 2007

WWE – Vince McMahon Dead?


Vince McMahon - Is he really dead?



Mr. McMahon's car exploding Image Courtesy: wwe.com



Vince McMahon is the truest definition of a showman. He is also a very shrewd businessman who has rescued his business from a crisis countless times. Which is why everyone is taking the events at the end of tonight’s RAW with a pinch of salt. But it has to be said that regardless of whether or not Vince McMahon is dead (and I really hope he is not), there is no doubt that he has successfully managed to bring a lot of attention and interest back to the WWE which seemed to be losing its hold over the wrestling fans.



If it is true that he is dead (WWE.com proclaims that he is presumed dead) then this will be one of the most shocking news ever. It would be a news item everywhere and not just on wrestling sites and channels. At the time of writing this post I have not seen or heard anything about this in any of the other popular news channels or other media. This in the day and age, where Paris Hilton’s jail term for a DUI is sensational news. So any sane and reasonable person would have to believe that McMahon is alive and kicking. So it is a wonder that people haven’t already caught on to it.



Mr. McMahon Image Courtesy: wikipedia.org



Other things too point to this being a kayfabe. Tonight was supposed to be a Vince McMahon appreciation night. He just rambled on some crap about smoke and premonitions. Then ‘coincidentally’ his car blew up and the camera was waiting there to capture it…yeah right!!! And on top of it all his body is not found!!! This goes to show the lengths to which some people might go to shock people. Well McMahon has certainly achieved that and more.



McMahon has always pulled off some stunt or the other to sustain his business. Be it the Montreal Screwjob or his many feuds with the other superstars in WWE as his in-ring persona Mr.McMahon. But this one has surpassed all the shocking gimmicks (and I really hope it is one) that he has done so far. The morality of it all though is up to each individual’s discretion. Some would take it as a sick thing to do while others may just shrug their shoulders and move on. But the more serious question would be: Is this entertainment?



Mr. McMahon feuding Image Courtesy: wikipedia.org





There is no doubt that people who saw it at first were shocked. I think realization that it might be a kayfabe may have only sunk in a few minutes later. The initial reaction must surely have been for his welfare. This soap opera-yish style of the WWE may put off some really hardcore wrestling fans. But then again, as MR. McMahon has once said, he is in the sport entertainment business and not in the wrestling business. So maybe these hardcore wrestling fans are barking up the wrong tree.


But whether what happened today is entertainment or not will depend on each individual’s perspective of the subject. It is debatable whether he should have played around with car bombs and explosions considering the times that we live in. Many people all over the world, including here in India, has suffered greatly due to car bombs and suicide attacks. If this is a gimmick then it is belittling the sufferings of those people. But then again maybe we are all taking it a bit too seriously. I certainly wont be surprised if I hear that Mr. McMahon has made a miraculous recovery and is in perfect health. Wonder where it all might be leading to though…



Related Reading.


Wednesday, May 30, 2007

WWE – Stone Cold Steve Austin


His greatest rivalries.



Image Courtesy: search.com



Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time. It was he who ushered in the attitude era of wrestling and allowed the WWE to beat WCW in the famous Monday night wars. If you take a look at almost all the greatest feuds or matches of the time, you will find Stone Cold featured regularly in the almost all of them. It is ironic to think that once Steve Austin was fired from WCW by Eric Bischoff because Bischoff felt that Austin was too unmarketable. Bischoff would later say that he wouldn’t have fired Austin if he had known what Austin would later become. Austin still remains one of the most popular WWE superstars of all time.



Over the years Austin has had some great rivalries in the WWE/WWF over the years. We are showcasing just a few of them here. Readers might have their own take on these rivalries. Please feel free to contribute your own picks on the same in your comments. But again these are our picks…you know why? Coz Stone Cold said so!!!


With Vince McMahon

Image Courtesy: wikipedia.org


This rivalry gained massive crowd support because it pitted the Rattlesnake against the evil corporate character of Mr. McMahon. The crowd took Austin’s battles against Mr. McMahon as one of the common man against the rich. At the time WWE needed it as they were involved in a bitter battle against the WCW who were leading the Monday Night Wars. Austin became a face with his aggressive attitude and doing things that a hero wouldn’t do. He epitomized the rebellion against the establishment angle.


The rivalry really started after Bret Hart’s departure. Austin became the new top superstar of the WWF. After he had won the 1998 Royal Rumble he interrupted Vince McMahon when he introduced Mike Tyson as the baddest man on the planet. Austin’s conduct on that day made Vince scorn the idea of seeing Stone Cold as the next WWE champion. When Austin went on tot win the title at Wrestlemania 14 against Shawn Michaels with the help of Mike Tyson, Mr. McMahon’s worst nightmares came true. He even tried to make the rattlesnake tow the corporate line. But all that he got in return for his efforts were a Stone Cold Salute (which is the showing of the finger), a stunner and a punch to the boss’s “Corporate Grapefruits”. Vince was incensed and went all out to screw Stone Cold in whatever way possible starting off a long and bitter rivalry.


With The Rock





Image Courtesy: wikipedia.org


This rivalry took off at a stage when Stone Cold, with his heel tactics as a face, was defining the role of a tweener in wrestling. Nobody did it as larger than life or as successfully as Stone Cold managed to do. The Rock on the other hand had just turned into a heel by becoming the exact opposite of what his earlier babyface character, Rocky Miavia, was. He started spitting venom at the crowd and made popular several catchphrases like “If you smell what The Rock is cookin'” or “Finally… the Rock has come back to ”. It was sort of inevitable that the Rattlesnake and the Rock would soon collide with such large personalities.


They first collided with each other during Austin’s title reign as the Intercontinental champion. The feud culminated with Austin defeating The Rock within six minutes at In Your House: D-Generation X in 1998. When Vince McMahon asked for a rematch the following night at Raw, Austin simply forfeited the title before handing a stunner to both the Rock and McMahon. The Rock went on to win the WWF championship and was thereafter proclaimed as the corporate champion by Vince McMahon. Austin and the Rock would feud again after the latter became the WWF champion at Survivor Series in 1998. The two would meet each other at Wrestlemania 15. Austin beat The Rock and won the title paving the way for a rivalry between the two for well over a year.


With Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart


Image Courtesy: wikipedia.org


This was the rivalry that really made Steve Austin what he is today. He had just come out with Austin 3:16 phrase and was beginning to assure in the attitude era at the WWE. But he knew that to truly cement his place he had to go after a big name. So he went after Bret Hart who was taking a sabbatical at the time. He would continuously taunt The Hitman with comments like “If you put the letter 'S' in front of 'Hitman', you have my exact opinion of Bret Hart”! Bret had no other option but to accept the Rattlesnake’s challenge and return to the ring and take him on.


The two collided at the 1996 Survivor Series. Bret Hart won the match by applying his famous Sharpshooter on Stone Cold. But to everyone’s surprise the crowd turned on Bret Hart and started cheering for Steve Austin, thus cementing his place among the fans. They continued to feud with each other until they met again at Wrestlemania 13 in a submission match. It was a match where both superstars gave it their all and went at each other. At the end of the match Bret Hart got the sharpshooter in place. But Austin refused to quit. He eventually passed out from the massive blood loss that he was suffering. This match ultimately turned Austin into a face and Bret into a heel. Although they had a bitter professional rivalry they had a good relationship personally. So much so that it was Austin who inducted Bret Hart into the WWE hall of fame



Related Reading.


Sunday, May 20, 2007

WWE SummerSlam

Greatest Matches


Image Courtesy : wikipedia.org


Part of the big four in the WWE calendar along with Wrestlemania, Royal Rumble and Survivor Series, Summerslam has always produced exciting matches. Although sometimes considered lesser in stature than Wrestlemania or the Royal Rumble it has always managed to give the WWE fans something to talk about with its interesting match-ups and great tussles. We have showcased a few such matches here which we found to be interesting. Please bear in mind that this is not a ranking of matches and readers are encouraged to put in their own choices as well.


The British Bulldog vs. Bret “Hit Man” Hart – Intercontinental Championship – 1992


Image Courtesy : wikipedia.org


It is not often that the main event of WWE’s showpiece event is not the World Championship match. But on this occasion things were slightly different at the Wembly Stadium, London. The local man British Bulldog was challenging Bret Hart’s Intercontinental championship and so in an effort to please the British crowd, WWE made this the main event of the evening. To add to the drama was the fact that The British Bulldog was married to Bret Hart’s sister Diana.


The match went back and forth with both superstars going at each other. Bret Hart’s superior class was very evident from the beginning itself. He had the upper hand almost throughout the match. At one point he even had the sharpshooter lock on the British Bulldog. To the Bulldog’s credit he found his reserve from the enormous support of the local crowd and fought back brilliantly. In the end the Bulldog reversed an attempted sunset flip by hooking the Hitman’s leg and rolling him up for the pin. It was a superb end to an equally superb match. Bret Hart’s show of sportsmanship in the end too made it all the more memorable.



Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon – Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship – 1995



Image Courtesy : wikipedia.org


These are the two guys who made the ladder match famous. These two guys had taken everybody’s breath away with their awesome display in a ladder match the previous year at Wrestlemania. It is often argued as to which of the two ladder matches were the better. However there is no denying that each match is a classic one their own.





The two guys started out in brutal fashion using the ladder as weapon. Both were brutal in the way they used it to ram into the body of their opponent. During the course of the match the Heart Break Kid slipped his leg on the ladder and got his leg stuck on a rung. Ramon immediately began attacking the injured leg of HBK. Ramon went on to torture the injured leg of the Showstopper by slamming his injured knee on to the ladder, the apron and wrapping it around the post but HBK showed how big a heart he had for a fight by coming back again and again. Ramon even brought in a ladder of his own and both the superstars started climbing their respective ladders. Both of them traded Superkicks and Razor’s edge off the ladder. The devastated superstars tried again and this time Shawn Michaels back body dropped Ramon when the latter tried another Razor’s edge. He was thus able to claim the championship in a truly memorable match.


Undertaker vs. Mankind – Boiler Room Brawl – 1996


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Undertaker and Mankind have produced some truly unforgettable matches during their time. The most memorable of those was the Hell in the Cell match in 1998’s King of The Ring. This one though was a precursor to that match and was also a unique one. The object of the match was to escape the boiler room and retrieve the urn from Paul Bearer who was waiting inside the ring.


Of the two competitors it was Mankind who started off the more aggressive. He sneaked up behind the Undertaker and nailed him with a steel pipe. This gave us all an inkling of how the match would proceed from then on. The two superstars went at each other with everything they could get their hands on. From pipes to ladders to saw horses, everything and anything that could be used to inflict pain on a human being was used. In the middle the two traded 2x4 and piledrivers too. Towards the end the Undertaker set out to retrieve the urn. But in a shocking twist to the match, Paul Bearer turned his back on his protégé. This helped Mankind to apply the Mandible Claw on the Undertaker and thereby winning the match.


Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels – Unsanctioned Street Fight – 2002


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Right from the outset this match had all the makings of a classic. The match was between two best friends turned into bitter enemies, which added that extra personal touch to the whole proceedings. Shawn Michaels was returning from a potential career ending injury and had planned on joining Triple H and rebuilding the de-generation X team. However Triple H turned on Shawn Michaels and sowed the seeds for a bitter rivalry. They decided on having a street fight at SummerSlam. Due to the personal nature of the match and the brutality that could go with it WWE refused to sanction the match.


Triple H had the upper hand throughout this match. He put backbreakers after backbreakers on the Showstopper. He was targeting the injured back of HBK that had kept him out of action for so long. But HBK just wouldn’t give up and kept coming back at Triple H. Triple H tried chair shots on the back of the HBK and still Michaels would come back. Frustrated Triple H got his trusted sledgehammer out, but Michaels was able to avoid it. Triple H though further attacked HBK’s ailing back by slamming it into a chair. Even as HBK was getting up Triple H was waiting to give him another chair shot. But Michaels Superkicked the chair into the game’s face and came back strongly. Michaels then pummeled Triple H with chair and belt and followed it up with a top rope splash (while the game was laid on a table) and an elbow drop from the top off a ladder.The game however was able to duck a Supekick and went for the pedigree. But Michaels rolled him over for a pin and won the match. Triple H was so furious that he took out the sledgehammer and bludgeoned HBK to La La Land, bringing to an end a superb match.

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Friday, April 13, 2007

WWE Undertaker


The Phenom




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The Undertaker has been a long time favorite of mine. From the first time I saw him I have been a fan of his. His dead man routine is one of the most identified routines in the history of WWE. Born as Mark Calaway, he is however more famous by his ring name of ‘The Undertaker’ and his numerous other nicknames. He is considered as one of the most professional men in the World Wrestling Entertainment roster.


Although he became famous at the then WWF, he made his debut with their rival WCW. There he was an emerging star and even had a famous match against Lex Luger at the time. But he however truly blossomed at the WWF. Although he was initially introduced as Kane the Undertaker, he later on dropped the Kane part from his name and adopted the simpler name of “The Undertaker”. This character was on a mortician in the old western movies. The character‘s trademark was being supposedly impervious to pain and possessing supernatural powers.


He made his Wrestlemania debut in 1991 defeating the legend "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka. His popularity soared from there on and the rest as they say is history. He has an unbelievable win-loss record of 15-0 at Wrestlemania with the latest victory coming at the recently concluded Wrestlemania 23 at the expense of Batista and thereby winning the World Heavyweight Championship.




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He has had many famous feuds over the years and some equally great matches along the way. But in my mind he will always be remembered for two of the greatest Hell in the Cell matches of all time. In 1997 Undertaker had won the WWF Championship title a second time and was defending it against Bret Hart at Summer Slam. The tension in the match was intensified with the decision to make Shawn Michaels the guest referee, who was having a feud with Bret Hart at the time. During the course of the match Bret Hart spit on Shawn Michaels and the latter promptly tried to give a steel chair shot to Hart. However the Undertaker took the hit costing him his WWF championship.


This set up the first Hell in the Cell match between Michaels and Undertaker at the In Your House: Badd Blood in 1997. As an added incentive the winner was given the chance of becoming the number one contender for the WWF championship. The match was completely fresh and innovative. The creativity and originality that these two professionals whipped up was truly unbelievable. Undertaker dominated the match throughout with Michaels fighting back several times. At one point Michaels got the Undertaker tangled in the two top ropes, momentarily immobilizing him. However when Michaels tried to charge at the Undertaker the latter flipped him over the top ropes and on top of a cameraman and injuring the cameraman.




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While the injured cameraman was being taken out of the ring the two superstars took to the top of the cage and began to fight from the top. At one point Michaels was trying to outrun the Undertaker by climbing back down the cell. He was left hanging off the side when the Undertaker stomped on his hands, causing him to fall through the Spanish announce table at ringside from a height of around 10-12 feet. The fall he took is still spectacular to watch. Undertaker followed this up with two chair shots which seemed to have sealed the match. However Kane would come out on his debut and give the Undertaker a tombstone and allowed a bloody HBK to put his arm over the Undertaker and win the match. The match will not be forgotten by any who saw it.





If the first Hell in the Cell match was spectacular then the second one involving the Undertaker and the Mankind (Mick Foley) was absolutely horrific. It was held at the 1998 King of the ring tournament and Mankind wanted to upstage the first Hell in the Cell match and devised the plans for the notorious scenes to follow along with Terry Funk. The match will forever be remembered for the two falls that Foley took which most certainly curtailed his career and has left him injured for the rest of his life.


The match started off with both contestants going at one another from the top of the ring. Sections of the cage buckled and broke through under their weight. After a short battle, The Undertaker threw Mankind off the top of the cage through the Spanish announcers' table 16 feet below, narrowly avoiding monitors and other A/V equipment. Medical technicians quickly rushed to his aid and were wheeling mankind out of the arena. All the people there were genuinely concerned including Vince McMahon. But Mankind got up and despite having a dislocated shoulder came and climbed the top of the cage and continued the match




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What happened next was not planned by either the Undertaker or Foley. The Undertaker chokeslammed Foley on the roof of the cage and that that section of the cage gave way under the weight of it’s impact making Foley fall hard into the ring knocking him out cold for a full 2 minutes. To make matters worse, a steel chair lying on the roof of the cage fell through and struck Foley in the face, dislocating his jaw and knocking out one and a half teeth as well as creating a large cut beneath his lip.


The Undertaker himself was wrestling with a broken bone in his foot and he jumped through the hole in the roof on to the ring. Even in his heavily injured state Foley introduced some thumbtacks into the ring. It is a wonder that the two men were able to work the match for much longer after that. Thankfully the Undertaker ended the horror by giving mankind a chokeslam into the thumbtacks and finsihing him off with a tombstone. The match left Foley with a dislocated jaw, a dislocated shoulder, a bruised kidney, 2 broken ribs, one and a half missing teeth, a concussion, and 14 stitches for the cut beneath his lip. Both men defied the limits of physical torture to provide a truly classical and brutal match.




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Undertaker from that point has gone on to change his gimmick as well as reinvent himself. So much so that he is the current winner of the Royal Rumble for the first time. He is also the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. Lot of new young superstars will be trying to challenge him for the title in the coming but what cannot be challenged will be his legacy.



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Thursday, April 12, 2007

WWE Wrestlemania

WWE Wrestlemania Unforgettables



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Wrestlemania is often considered the crown jewel of the World Wrestling Entertainment calendar. It is the show piece event that WWE promotes above all other events. Even the prize for the winner of the Royal Rumble is a title shot at that Year’s Wrestlemania. This more than anything illustrates the importance an event that is considered to be the super bowl of WWE.


So what better tribute to Wrestlemania than to chronicle some of the best matches ever showcased at the event. The matches showcased in this post follow no particular order and the readers are welcome to rank them as they see fit in their comments. Also if I have forgotten any match that you have liked please feel free to mention it in your comments and those matches can be taken up as the subject of another post. So let’s cut the chase and set the ball rolling shall we?


“Macho Man” Randy Savage v Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat – Wrestlemania 3



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The match was a title match for the Intercontinental championship. There was some good build up to the match when Randy Savage crushed Steamboat’s larynx with a ring bell. Steamboat therefore was understandably looking for revenge. To this day many consider this as the greatest match ever at Wrestlemania. The two men put on a great show of athleticism that was truly heart pounding at the end of which Steamboat pinned Savage with a roll-up.


Shawn Michaels v Bret Hart - Wrestlemania 12



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This was an iron man match for the world championship belt where the man with the most falls within the time limit would be declared the winner. But the two were so good that they cancelled each other out. The two men put on a show so intense that they wouldn’t let the other score a fall. The match as a result spilled over into overtime making it the longest match in WWE history. In the end Shawn Michaels won with one of his trademark sweet chin music move. And who can forget Shawn Michaels’ descend into the ring on a zip line. Truly a timeless classic!!!


Razor Ramon v Shawn Michaels – Wrestlemania 10



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The match had a good build up when Michaels, who had earlier quit the WWF, returned claiming to be rightful holder of the Intercontinental championship. Razor Ramon had won the vacant title in a tournament held during Michaels’ absence. The resulting feud culminated with both men engrossed in a ladder match to decide who would ultimately win the title. This was the match that defined how a ladder match should be played out. Though there has been other ladder matches before and after this, none of them really matched the death defying and inhuman physical sacrifices that these two pulled off that day. Razor Ramon won the match when Michaels got entangled in the ring ropes. But it was Michaels who won in the long run as this match heralded his arrival as a star.





Bret Hart v Steve Austin – Wrestlemania 13



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Talk about a match being brutal and this one will surely come to mind. Probably we should have known that it would be that way when a match between two of the most intense performers of all time at the WWE was scheduled as a I QUIT match. The two men were feuding for some months prior to the match and they both went at it like men possessed. Stone Cold had his head cut open and he passed out from severe blood loss as Bret Hart squeezed him with a sharpshooter. The sight of the blood pouring from down Austin’s face will never be forgotten by whoever watched it. This match marked the beginning of the Stone Cold era and simultaneously assured in the attitude era of the WWF.


Hulk Hogan v The Ultimate Warrior – Wrestlemania 6



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This was supposed to be the ultimate passing of the torch match where the Ultimate warrior was supposed to lead the WWF’s next generation. The fact that the Ultimate Warrior tragically self destructed later on does not take way the sheen from this match. It was definitely not the most technical match ever. But it was the most hyped and electrically charged up matches of all time. It was one of those rare title against tile matches where both The Warrior’s IC championship and Hogan’s World Championship was on the line. Even rarer was the result where Hogan lost a match in a clean job. The match will be remembered more for the hype and drama than actual technique.


There have been countless other great matches over the years in Wrestlemania. But it would be a tough task to put them all under a single post. But take any number of great matches and the name of Bret Hart is bound to crop up more than once. And what about the Undertaker, who has had a phenomenal record of 15-0 at the grandest stage of them all. So let’s hope that we get to see more memorable matches in the years to come befitting the grandeur of wrestlemania.


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Thursday, April 5, 2007

WWE - Fake but Entertaining


Fake but entertaining


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I first started watching World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) when I was around 12. Then it was known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). I was very much taken in by the professional wrestlers at the time. Hulk Hogan was my favorite and I was very much taken in by Hulkamania.


I was later on disappointed when I learned that all of it that I saw was part of an act. It was all a fake. It was tough to accept that the people whom I considered to be heroes were actually playing out their role from a script. I was angry with the whole concept for some time.


But after a few years I found that when I watched the WWE I was actually loving the soap operaish build up to any big ‘fights’. Even though I knew that the matches were fixed I started following the show on TV mainly to see how the story lines would develop, what all plot angles would be explored and especially the theatrics that WWE’s ‘Superstars’ would put on.


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However I also realized that not everything involved in it was fake. Some times the contestants were rivals in real life as well like Shaw Michaels and Bret Hart. Some time screwjobs too are real like the ‘Montreal Screwjob’ by Vince McMahon on Bret Hart.But above all the risks these guys take are also real. You can’t fake a fall from the top of a big 12 ft cage and not have some impact on your body. Sometimes you can only hope that everything would go to plan with some of the stunts that these guys try to pull off. The best example of this being the accidental death of Owen Hart while trying to perform a stunt. The injuries these guys suffer and the torture they put their bodies through are as real as anything else. You have to respect their courage regardless of their intelligence.


The main reason why people like to watch it is because it’s the male version of a soap opera. You have artificial drama, intrigue, treachery and what not. Almost everything that you can find in a soap opera is present in the WWE wrapped in testosterone pumping alpha male combats, albeit staged. It’s brash and profanity laden dialogues are something which you don’t get to hear everyday.





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People who watch professional wrestling are not all idiots. Everyone knows that what they are watching is a fake and the matches pre-determined. But they suspend their belief for some time just like they would when watching a movie about Aliens or Godzilla. They take it as just another form of entertainment. They don’t follow it for the records, because the records are as artificial as the sport they are involved in. They don’t follow it for the excitement of the fight because real fight never lasts as long. They watch for the story line.


Take the latest Wrestlemania 23 for example. People go to watch if Vince McMahon would get his hair shaven by Donald Trump. They go to see if the Undertaker can defend his Wrestlemania record (again a contrived and manipulated one) of 14-0. They go to see if Shawn Michaels can overcome John Cena and become a champion once again.


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Yes the wrestling fans know it’s fake. Some may even question their sanity or their maturity in watching these. But my point is who cares. It’s just another form of entertainment. Take a look at the ratings and you will know for sure that it is entertaining to many. Enjoy it as if you would enjoy any action movie. As for violence, I have seen more violence in movies like ‘Saw’ than in the WWE.



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