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Tag: wrestlemania

  • Hulk Hogan Talks Wrestling In The Past And Future

    Hulk Hogan Talks Wrestling In The Past And Future

    Hulk Hogan is a professional wrestling legend and although some might say he is getting too old for the sport, he says it is something he is still very much interested in.

    Over the years Hulk Hogan has made several appearances on TNA and WWE but he says that he is anxious for more.

    He recently opened up about his experience wrestling in TNA and says that when he watches old videos of himself, he feels embarrassed.

    “The thing is, I watch the old tapes of myself, WCW, and it’s embarrassing because towards the end I was getting to where it was embarrassing to kind of like be in there and then I watch the TNA (Wrestling) stuff and that was a nightmare. I tried to get in there. I was in the middle of the back surgeries trying to keep up. The doctors would say ‘you’ll be fine’ but to watch it now is embarrassing. Not that Vince would want this, not that Triple H would want this but I keep telling everybody that my goal, because I’m not in pain anymore, that my goal would be to get back in there, not embarrass myself if that’s possible and have that one more match. And if that works, if that really were to work I would love to contribute and participate and do some stuff because I miss it so much,” Hogan said.

    Hogan said that he has now recovered and wants to give wrestling another try. Of course, he knows he may not be able to do matches as often as he once did, but he is still anxious to get back in the ring.

    Unfortunately for him, the WWE has other plans and while Vince McMahon wants to keep the character of Hulk Hogan and Hulkamania still alive, he hopes to do that without actually putting Hogan in the ring.

    .“I’m not trying to (get a match with Cena) but if I could have the best best case scenario with what’s going on with my body right now and the people that are helping me get back on track. My back’s fine, everything is cool, with my arthritis I’ve got some people helping me with that. (has it in his elbows and toes) hips and knees are metal so nothing wrong there If I can get more fluid and get rid of this arthritis, my goal would be in a perfect world to have Cena at WrestleMania 31. If that’s unrealistic I get it. But if I had a wish list and you’re asking me, that would I’d love to do. Have my body and be physically ready to have Vince and Triple H trust me enough to go ‘OK, you can handle this’ then get in there and just tear it down,” Hogan said.

    Many people have compared John Cena’s wrestling career and persona to Hogan’s and most wrestling fans would love to see the two men battle it out, but Hogan isn’t sure McMahon will ever make it happen.

    “Vince McMahon and I have always been good friends. On a personal level he would do anything for me, for you, for anyone he loves. He would give you the shirt off his back. On a business level? He’s a different animal. Cut and dry. Black and white,” Hogan added.

    If Hogan had his way, he would wrestle Cena at the next WrestleMania. In the end, it all comes down to whether Vince McMahon thinks it will be good for business.

  • Brock Lesnar Taking Heat For Being A Part-Timer

    Everyone knows that all good things must come to an end.

    Back in April of 2014, Brock Lesnar defeated The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 30. The victory was beyond significant because it was The Undertaker’s first loss at Wrestlemania in 21 years.

    The defeat rocked the WWE and shocked wrestling fans everywhere, who were more than expecting The Undertaker to extend his wrestling streak.

    Since that time, Lesnar has taken a lot of heat. Fans are criticizing Lesnar’s management and creative team, calling him just a part-time WWE star. They think that since he broke The Undertaker’s coveted streak that he should devote more time in the ring.

    Dave Batista, who is currently out promoting his new film Guardians of the Galaxy where he plays an outer-space warrior, has been especially vocal regarding The Undertaker’s streak being broken. He recently voiced his displeasure in an interview with the Huffington Post:

    It sucked! Honestly, I thought it sucked. I haven’t really talked much about it but I think it was a bad decision, a horrible decision. I don’t have any say in the matter but to me, watching as a fan, it made me sick. Brock Lesnar beating him didn’t seem to work and it really wasn’t good that Brock left the day after. I just don’t see how that made sense at all. I don’t think anyone wanted to see the streak broken and it just didn’t make sense to me.

    According to the Inquisitr, Batista is not alone in his thinking. Several full-time wrestlers are not happy with Lesnar’s part-time status. He has wrestled in only seven Pay-Per-View events since 2012. His record during that stretch is 5 – 2. His two losses were to John Cena and Triple H.

    Now, Lesnar will be wrestling for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam 2014 on August 17 against John Cena. If Lesnar defeats Cena (which many think will happen) and straps on the belt expect the anti-Lesnar criticism to go through the roof.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • WWE WrestleMania Breaks Attendance Record

    The WWE held its 30th WrestleMania this weekend, showcasing the best entertainment professional wrestling has to offer. Though the show’s shocking Undertaker loss will no doubt be the most talked-about event from Wrestlemania in the coming weeks, the business side of the WWE is touting this year’s show as a record-breaker.

    The WWE this weekend announced that WrestleMania 30 broke attendance records at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. A sold-out crowd of 75,167 people packed into the stadium to participate in the event. The event was also the highest-grossing entertainment event ever at the Superdome, taking in around $10.9 million. According to the WWE this is also the fifth straight year that WrestleMania has broken the event revenue records for its venue.

    “On behalf of the city of New Orleans, I would like to thank all of the fans who came from around the world to WrestleMania 30,” said Mitch Landrieu, mayor of New Orleans. “WrestleMania has taken its rightful place amongst the most historic events ever held in New Orleans.”

    Less than two days on from WrestleMania 30, the WWE is already promoting next year’s big event. WresleMania 31 will take place on March 29, 2015 at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

    “The success of WrestleMania week in New Orleans would not have been possible without the tireless support of Mayor Mitch Landrieu, as well as our public and private sector partners who built an amazing blueprint to welcome our fans from around the world to this milestone celebration,” said John Saboor, EVP of Special Events, at WWE. “We now begin our exciting journey to Silicon Valley for WrestleMania 31.”

    This good WrestleMania sales news comes as the WWE is announcing the success of another business venture. The company today announced that the WWE Network now has 667,287 subscribers.

    The network, which just launched in late February, provides pro wrestling fans with a massive on-demand streaming repository of classic WWE events and programming. Subscribers to the network also gain access to streaming coverage of WWE pay-per-views. The WWE says that the network is well on its way to hitting its goal of one million subscribers by the end of 2014.

  • Pontiac Silverdome Memorabilia to be Auctioned Off

    Pieces of the former home of the Detroit Lions will soon be auctioned off, as renovations of the Pontiac Silverdome get underway. Fans will have the opportunity to own seats, signs and even stadium urinals, by way of an auction being handled by Plymouth, Michigan-based RJM Auctions. The auction will be held between May 12-16, and a pre-auction is offering seats for sale, starting at $100 a pop.

    The Silverdome held 80,000 seats, and RJM Auctions facilities manager Jim Passeno has stated that every seat will be sold, pending buyer interest.

    The Silverdome opened in 1975, and is located in Pontiac, and spans 127 acres. It was once the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in Washington, D.C. opened in 1997. The Silverdome hosted the Detroit Lions of the NFL (1975–2001), the Detroit Pistons of the NBA (1978–1988) and four first-round games during the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

    During a winter storm, the dome was permanently damaged, as seen here:

    The Silverdome is presently owned by Triple Investment Group, and renovations plan for a permanent, self-supporting roof which includes solar panels.

    Potential buyers can order clusters of seats at the RJM Auction site here. One can have 4 adjoining Silverdome seats for $385, and for an extra $25, a certificate of authenticity would be included. The scoreboard will also be up for auction.

    Silverdome intrigue via Twitter:

    During its heyday, the Silverdome hosted Elvis, Led Zeppelin, Pope John Paul II, The Who, Pink Floyd and the Jackson 5. On March 29, 1987, the World Wrestling Federation’s WrestleMania III set the record attendance of 93,173, the largest recorded crowd for a live indoor sporting event in the U.S.

    Image via YouTube.

  • Hulk Hogan Not Fighting in WrestleMania This Year

    Last month, through his Twitter account, ex-pro wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper, alluded to the fact that he would be fighting Hulk Hogan in this year’s WrestleMania, and quickly word got out to fans, and people began to get excited, hoping to see these two legendary wrestlers square off.

    But unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen, because Dave Meltzer, of Wresting Observer Radio, said Hogan will be involved in this year’s event, but not in the way many people think.

    “As things stand right now, while Hulk Hogan will be returning, and making an appearance in some form at WrestleMania, after being examined, the company made the call to not only put him in a match, but not book anything physical involving him,” he said.

    Obviously, the news will be a huge disappointment to Hogan and Piper fans, as many people thought a match between the two would be good for the sport and wonderful entertainment for all those who loved wresting back in the 80s, especially this person:

    “All grins here, my Friend,” wrote one of our readers, after coming across our story on Piper’s challenge to Hogan. “Having been a fan of wrestling since I was a child, back when Verne Gagne was AWA champion, and the occasional plant in my teens, I get just as thrilled today as I did 40 some years ago with all the entertainment and especially how it has grown over the past 20 years.”

    But Hogan fans might not have to wait too long to watch him wrestle, because Meltzer said he might be back as soon as next month. “Hogan said that he was filming a Super Bowl commercial on 1/16,” said Meltzer. “As far as when he comes back, it could be any time now. Perhaps they could tease it at the Rumble, and there’s some talk of debuting him on the 2/24 Raw, the day the network launches.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Roddy Piper May Fight Hulk Hogan in WrestleMania

    If you were a wrestling fan in the 1980s, then some of your favorite wrestlers were probably Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, Andre the Giant, Randy “Macho Man” Savage, Rocky Johnson and the Iron Sheik, just to name a few. Also, there’s a good chance that Mr. Kilt himself, Rowdy Roddy Piper was one of your favorites too, and if that’s the case, then you’ll be thrilled to hear about the strong possibility of him and Hulk Hogan fighting in April.

    Yesterday on his Twitter account, Piper put the word out that he wants to fight Hogan in this year’s WrestleMania XXX event, and he said if given the chance he’d work harder than ever. “Dare you to put Hogan vs Piper,” he wrote. “Separate the men from the boys. If I did WMXXX with Hogan, I’d train my a– off, and from bell to bell I’d fight with everything I got. I’d win.”

    And although nothing was yet confirmed about a match between Piper and Hogan, from either Hogan himself or World Wrestling Entertainment, Piper says he has some huge news up his sleeve. “I know something you don’t know,” he tweeted. “It happens Monday. You will Love it. Hot Rod won’t #Hint.” With Piper being 59 years of age and Hogan being 60, it would be quite a sight to see these if these two were to go toe-to-toe once again, however, some fans probably won’t be all that thrilled and would rather just see the younger ones wrestle.

    Of course there’s a good chance that Piper felt ultra nostalgic when posting the tweet, because today, January 11, is the 21rst anniversary of the USA Network debuting WWE’s Monday Night Raw, which could have fueled the challenge. But either way, it’ll be interesting if we get to see the two icons in the ring again, because as most people know, it’s always nice to stroll down memory lane. Even if it’s only for one wrestling match.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • WWE 2K14 Gets a New WrestleMania Mode

    WWE 2K14 Gets a New WrestleMania Mode

    2K Games and the WWE are throwing just about anything they can think of into the upcoming WWE 2K14. The game already features an Ultimate Warrior pre-order bonus, and 2K also recently revealed an Undertaker-themed collector’s edition featuring the “American Badass” version of the wrestler.

    Today, 2K announced that WWE 2K14 will have a “30 Year of WrestleMania” mode. The mode is a single-player campaign that takes players through WWE history with classic WrestleMania matches. The 45 different matches include WrestleMania III’s Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant, WrestleMania X8’s Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock, and last year’s WrestleMania XXVIII match up of The Rock vs. John Cena.

    The wrestlers and the venues will change to reflect each era depicted in the WrestleMania mode. For example, the costume and ring entrance for The Rock will change to match his different persona from earlier WrestleMania matches to more recent ones. The game will also use filters to make earlier matches look era-specific.

    The mode will also encourage players to recreate key portions of classic matches using “historical objectives.” For example, performing Hogan’s slam of Andre the Giant might unlock new content, including new playable characters or new costumes.

    The entire roster reveal for the WrestleMania Mode will be announced on 2K’s Twitch.tv channel this coming Saturday, August 17 at 3:30 pm EDT. The reveal will be hosted by Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, and Damien Sandow.

  • Wrestlemania Burns: Dry Ice Was the Culprit, Says Triple H

    Anyone who watched Wrestlemania 29 this past weekend may have wondered what exactly was stuck to Triple H’s torso during his appearance at the event. It turns out that the stuff was dry ice, which burned the wrestler during his ‘No Holds Barred’ match against Brock Lesnar.

    According to a TMZ report, Triple H was hit with dry ice while making his entrance into the MetLife Stadium arena. The special effects that accompanied the wrestler’s bombastic entrance blasted the wrestler with the super-cold carbon dioxide, giving him second-degree burns.

    Being a professional wrestler, however, Triple H worked through the pain. He endured a 24-minute match against Lesnar to, as the storyline held, save himself from forced retirement.

    Triple H took to Twitter this week to show off the aftermath of the burn:

    Triple H also injured his left arm during the Wrestlemania match, leading to a series of X-rays and a bandaged wrist shortly after the fight:

  • John Cena Wins WWE Title at Wrestlemania 29

    John Cena has become the WWE Champion yet again. He won the title during this weekend’s Wrestlemania 29, where the wrestler faced off against The Rock. This is the 11th time Cena has held the WWE Championship belt.

    The main event at this year’s Wrestlemania was set when Cena won the 2013 Royal Rumble back in January, earning a shot at the title. The Rock also won the WWE Championship from CM Punk at the same event. Since then, the Rock/Cena rematch was heavily promoted by the WWE.

    The Rock and Cena also met during the main event of last year’s Wrestlemania. That match was billed as a “Once in a Lifetime” match, and saw The Rock beat Cena in a surprise victory.

    In other Wrestlemania news, WWE wrestler Jack Swagger had his Wrestlemania match against Alberto Del Rio, despite being arrested in February on DUI, speeding, and possession of marijuana charges in Gulfport, Mississippi. Del rio defeated Swagger to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt.

  • WWE ’13 Pre-Orders to Feature Mike Tyson

    WWE ’13 Pre-Orders to Feature Mike Tyson

    THQ announced today that former boxing heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will be featured in WWE ’13. His virtual character will be playable for all customers who pre-order the wrestling video game at any retailer in North America. Pre-orders for any console – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii – will unlock Tyson.

    “As one of the most dominant champions in boxing history and one of the most memorable guests to ever be featured on WWE programming, Mike Tyson led an incredible revolution that changed the way fans perceive the sport,” said Sean Ratcliffe, vice president of global brand management at THQ. “He was a tremendous addition to the ‘Attitude Era’ and is certain to attract a wide variety of fans to ‘live the revolution’ offered in WWE ’13.”

    “Incredible revolution” is obviously hyperbole, but Tyson did indeed appear in some WWE (WWF, back then) story lines in the late 90’s. This is a period that the WWE has evidently dubbed the “Attitude Era,” perhaps in reference to the popular WWF Attitude video game released at the time. In 1998, Tyson joined a group of wrestling baddies knows as D-Generation X. He was featured in the title bout between Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin during WrestleMania XIV, the end of which can be seen in the video below. For his work, Tyson was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in April of this year.

    “The baddest man on the planet is back – and only in WWE ’13,” said Mike Tyson. “Fans everywhere can now relive what I experienced during the ‘Attitude Era.’”

  • Brock Lesner’s Return To WWE Highlighted By Real Punch

    Last week, in the aftermath of the John Cena vs. The Rock at Wrestlemania, Brock Lesner made his triumphant return to the WWE after being gone for 5 years to pursue a career in the UFC. He came out last week with 5 minutes left in Monday Night Raw on USA and gave an F5 to Cena after feigning a friendly hand shake.

    This week Brock Lesner opened the show, and while he was giving a promo, he was interrupted by Cena. Cena slapped Lesner in the mouth then all hell broke lose. Cena was tackled and was inadvertently hit in the mouth causing his lip to bust wide open. Check it out:

    Lesner left the WWE in 2004, pursuing a career in the NFL. He played during the preseason for the Minnesota Vikings, but ended up being a late cut.

    This is from Sescoops.com about Lesners contract:

    Brock signed a 1-year contract with WWE over the weekend – and the backstage buzz is that Lesnar received one of the most lucrative contracts in company history. After seeing what a juggernaut Lesnar was in terms of PPV sales for the UFC, WWE is rumored to have guaranteed Lesnar $5 million to work a limited schedule. Based on what we’re hearing, Lesnar is contracted to appear twice a month for the next 12 months.

    (image)@eHarmonysFINEST
    Willie™    Brock Lesner had Cena leaking last night. He forgot that he isn’t in UFC anymore(image) 2 hours ago via twicca ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@LeeDavies29
    Lee Davies    Looks as though John Cena and Brock Lesner are going to revive there hate for one another.(image) 23 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@AshleySheka
    Sheka Nisaous    Brock Lesner Looks very intimidating with his physical appearance & all but @JohnCena won’t be intimidated! #CeNation – @WWE #RAW(image) 4 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

  • WWE Making Wreslemania Social Media Event Of The Year

    WWE has pushed Twitter on it’s fans in the past several years so hard, that things have finally paid off. Twitter has been a huge source of connecting with the “WWE Universe” with characters like John Cena, and Zach Ryder able to reach out their fans, and making the weekly story lines between the WWE Superstars more believable when they have beefs on Twitter. During live episodes of Monday Night Raw on USA, the WWE consistently has 3-4 of the trending topics, from #BootsToAsses to #CenaSucks.

    @Caddyman46
    J.R.    #bootstoasses the time is getting near #cenasucks 4 hours ago via TweetCaster for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    The push for the Stamford, Connecticut company is moving beyond Twitter and is going to the likes of YouTube, Face Book, and WWE.com for what is the companies man draw, Wrestlemania. This years contest in Miami, Florida features matchups like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson vs. John Cena, C.M. Punk vs. Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship, Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryant for the World Heavyweight Championship and The Undertaker vs. Triple H in a Hell In A Cell match.

    The festivities to make it the “Social Media Event Of The Year” include:

    WRESTLEMANIA INTERACTIVE PRESS CONFERENCE

    To kick off WrestleMania Week, the WrestleMania press conference at the Eden Rock Hotel will live stream on YouTube, Facebook and WWE.com on Wednesday, March 28, at 2:30 p.m. ET. The press conference will take live fan questions via Twitter, allowing online participants to get the scoop from the WWE Superstars in attendance.

    PEREZHILTON.COM RED CARPET COVERAGE

    WWE Divas will bring fans along for all the WrestleMania festivities as they happen, providing exclusive coverage for PerezHilton.com, including tweets and photos from the WrestleMania VIP Party on Thursday, March 29 and the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, March 31.

    MIKE TYSON: WWE SOCIAL MEDIA AMBASSADOR

    This year’s celebrity WWE Hall of Fame honoree, Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson), will be tweeting live from key events, including the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, WrestleMania Axxess and WrestleMania XXVIII. Exclusive videos, photos and articles of Tyson participating in WrestleMania events will be uploaded to YouTube and WWE.com.

    TWITTER FACE-OFF: THE ROCK VS. JOHN CENA

    WWE will also involve fans, celebrities and WWE Legends in a Twitter hashtag battle over who will win the WrestleMania main event featuring The Rock vs. John Cena, utilizing the respective hashtags: #TeamBringIt vs. #Cenation. WWE Superstars will also be tweeting throughout WrestleMania, letting fans in on all the action backstage.

    EXCLUSIVE YOUTUBE VIDEOS

    On Friday, March 30, WWE will post exclusive WrestleMania videos on YouTube’s home page. The series will feature WWE Superstars The Rock, John Cena, Triple H, Undertaker, CM Punk and Chris Jericho. WWE Superstar Santino Marella will also film his popular YouTube show, Santino’s Foreign Exchange, at WrestleMania Axxess.

    The WWE is also running a contest to win one of 100 pairs of tickets and an all expense paid vacation to next years Wrestlemania at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, April 7, 2013 by texting from their phones or entering online at WWE.com during WrestleMania.