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WWE Royal Rumble, Mike Tyson, The Great Gatsby, James Bond; Wrestling, Movies And Games

2012-01-31T20:56:00.001+11:00

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The Media Man agency has tons of interesting news to report today. We've got pro wrestling WWE style, Hollywood, AussieWood, The Great Gatsby's Leonardo DiCaprio back in Sydney, Australia, James Bond and more.

3, 2, 1 and action...

Today at Bondi Beach, thanks to the wonders of pay TV and Murdoch's Foxtel, Aussies were able to enjoy one of the key WWE showcase events of the year - Royal Rumble, known for its 30 man battle royale, and for establishing stories and matches for pro wrestlers leading into WrestleMania (for which The Rock VS John Cena) has been inked in stone for about a year.

Match Results...

Sheamus aka "The Great White" won the battle royale. This sets him up for a world championship match at WrestleMania
WWE Champion CM Punk def. Dolph Ziggler (Special Guest Referee John Laurinaitis)
Brodus Clay def. Drew McIntyre
John Cena vs. Kane (Double Count-out)
Divas Champion Beth Phoenix, Natalya & The Bella Twins def. Eve, Kelly Kelly, Alicia Fox & Tamina
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan def. Big Show and Mark Henry (Triple Threat Steel Cage Match)

Mike Tyson Enters WWE® Hall of Fame...

The WWE has announced today that boxing legend Mike Tyson will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, FL on Saturday March 31, 2012.

Tyson has a long and colourful history with WWE. In 1998, after a face-to-face confrontation with WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin® on Monday Night Raw®, Tyson was named special enforcer for the main event at WrestleMania® XIV between Austin and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels. In the match, Tyson declared Austin the winner, and delivered a knockout punch to Michaels. In 2011, Tyson made his WWE return when he guest starred on Monday Night Raw, teaming with Chris Jericho® against Shawn Michaels and Triple H®. Tyson joins comedian Drew Carey and notable sports figures Bob Uecker, William “The Refrigerator” Perry and Pete Rose in the WWE Hall of Fame.

"I am honored to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame,” said Tyson, “I was the youngest heavyweight champion of all time, but the most fun I ever had in the ring was with WWE."

As one of the most iconic boxers in history, Mike Tyson was the undisputed heavyweight champion and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles. In addition to his in-ring accolades, Tyson is also a pop culture icon with roles in the blockbuster Hangover movies and the subject of the critically acclaimed biographical film Tyson. His also have a new game application, Mike Tyson: Main Event, which is currently available on iTunes.

Tyson will be inducted alongside Edge®, The Four Horsemen, Mil Mascaras and others at the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony Saturday, March 31 at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, FL.

Austin is our tip to induct Tyson into the Hall.

Australian's don't have to fly to Miami to enjoy the action. You can order it on pay TV via Foxtel's Main Event, or by the time the event comes around, you may even be able to order it via the WWE official website.

The WWE will be back in Sydney, Australia on the 31st August via AllPhones Arena.

Leonardo DiCaprio back into Sydney for The Great Gatsby filming...

He's back - for work, and just a touch of play time with a special lady - (Erin Heatherton) we suspect. Leo's other flick, J. Edgar is currently showing in Australian cinema's. If your into Leo or political movies you will love it. Otherwise, you might want to check out something else with your hard earned cash.

James Bond's cars etc al showed off in UK...

The world’s most famous secret agent turns 50 this year and to celebrate a collection of 50 vehicles from the James Bond films has gone on show in England.

The National Motor Museum in Beaulieu has put together the show, Bond In Motion, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Bond film, Dr No. It took over of planning to bring the huge variety of vehicles together in the one location.

The vehicles have been sourced from a variety of collectors including the Ian Fleming Foundation and Eon Productions as well as several private collectors.

Some of the star attractions include the Lotus Esprit submarine from The Spy Who Loved Me, the crashed Aston Martin DBS from Casino Royale and, of course, the Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger.

The exhibition will run for a year and will coincide with the latest Bond film, due for release later this year.

Mission Impossible 4 breaks own record...

'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' is the most successful film in the movie series' franchise.

The Brad Bird-directed film - which sees Tom Cruise return as operative Ethan Hunt, alongside Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg - has made $571 million worldwide since its release late last year, and studio Paramount has admitted it is delighted with the success.

Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount, said: 'Brad Bird, Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams and the entire team who worked on 'M:I4' created an incredibly entertaining film, one that fans worldwide embraced in record numbers.'

'Mission: Impossible II' is the next most successful film in the franchise, earning $546 million worldwide.

Brad has previously joked he was terrified about being the director who killed off Tom when he made him hang off the world's tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai for the fourth instalment of the movie.

He said: 'I think every director that has worked with him in these kinds of films probably has that feeling where your eyes snap open at three in the morning and you go, 'My god, what am I doing?' Definitely.'

Gaming fans can play the original Mission: Impossible game via Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment owned PartyCasino. See Media Man News for more details on the M: I gaming connection.

AACTA Awards At Sydney Opera House Tonight...

The who's who of the Australian film and television industry is in town for the AACTA awards.

Oscar-winners Geoffrey Rush and Cate Blanchett and Xavier Samuel (Twilight: Eclipse) were in the mix of the confirmed presenters for the event which will be broadcast via Channel 9 from 9.30pm.

The Aussie drama Red Dog is expected to make a huge showing at Australia's largest film awards.

The flick is based on a true story about a kelpie adopted by a remote West Australian mining community.

Red Dog has been nominated for six of the seven major awards at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) including Best Film, Best Director and Best adapted screenplay.

Other nominees for the top award include Mad Bastards, Snowtown and The Hunter.

The AACTAs, previously known as the AFI's, will be held in Sydney on Tuesday.

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MMA And Pro Wrestling News: UFC Returns To Sydney, Australia In March 2012; WWE News, CM Punk

2012-01-29T18:46:00.001+11:00

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The rough and tough MMA based sport of UFC has announced its return to Sydney for 3rd March 2012.

Your main event will be a welterweight match-up between Thiago Alves and Martin Kampmann inside the octagon at a hopefully jam packed Allphones Arena.

The exciting MMA card will also feature the debut of the UFC’s flyweight division with a two-bout tourney to decide the top contenders at 125-pounds (56.7kg).

Tickets are now on sale, and we understand, selling fast, but not quite as quick as the past two Australian tours we've been leaked.

UFC Managing Director of International Development Marshall Zelaznik advised the UFC was wrapt to return to Sydney for its third live event in as many years.

"We’ve had tremendous success with our two previous events, with last year’s UFC 127 remaining the equal fastest sell-out in the organisation’s history," he said.

"I’ve got no doubt that our Aussie fans will be just as excited about our March event, especially as they’ll witness UFC history with the introduction of the flyweight division. The 125-pound contenders will absolutely put everything on the line is Sydney, knowing that the winners of those two bouts will then have a shot at the inaugural flyweight title. It’s going to be a great show."

Zelaznik said on the upcoming Australian tour: “Thiago Alves and Martin Kampmann are two seasoned mixed martial artists who are sure to go to all out in the octagon. Both athletes are coming off recent wins and will be looking to continue their streak to climb the welterweight ladder.”

Insiders will already know that just off his first round beat-up of UFC newcomer Papy Abedi at UFC 139, Thiago Alves (24-7) has returned once again in strong form that has previously seen him rampage through the welterweight division with wins over UFC greats such as Chris Lytle, Matt Hughes and Josh Koschek, before challenging for the welterweight title in July 2009.

Martin Kampmann (18-5) is looking to reinforce his unanimous decision win at UFC 139 over up-and-coming welterweight Rick ‘The Horror’ Story when he faces of against Alves in the Octagon on Australian soil. Whose face gets rubbed in the dirt er soil, remains to be seen.

The Dane has formidable knock-out power and an underrated ground strategy that has seen him score victory in 9 of his 12 fights in the Octagon, including bests over Carlos Condit, Jorge Rivera and Paulo Thiago.

In the flyweight division, ex No.1 WEC bantamweight contender Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson (14-2) will go against the recently crowned Tachi Palace Fights flyweight champion, Ian McCall (11-2), while Joseph Benavidez (15-2) will challenge Japanese competitor, Shooto champ Yasuhiro Urushitani (19-4-6) in the weight division’s two semi-finals.

UFC / WWE Scoops...

Brock Lesnar May return to WWE

Potential opponents are rumoured to be The Undertaker and the recently returned, Chris Jericho (also a rumoured opponent at WWE WrestleMania against CM Punk)

WWE interested in former U.S Olympic wrestling superstar Kurt Angle for Royal Rumble; Angle says he's staying loyal to Impact Wrestling; Angle won't rule out UFC at some point.

CM Punk Talks UFC via MMA Fighting and more...

WWE star CM Punk appeared on "The MMA Hour" with Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting. The highlights...

-Helwani introduced Punk and noted that he received a lot of heat for having him on as a guest because some people don't want any crossover. Punk noted that pro wrestlers are doing submission holds they've picked up for MMA, and noted that Alberto Del Rio battled Mirko CroCop.

-Helwani mentioned Triple H's comments about UFC needing to evolve more than WWE. "I think that's absolutely insane," Punk said. He said every sport or business needs to evolve. "Pro wrestling has, in my opinion, a lot of work to do," Punk said. He said he's spoken with Triple H numerous times about MMA. "He just doesn't get it," Punk said. "He doesn't watch it either. I think it's just an education thing. Saying UFC has to evolve, I guess he's not wrong, but he's missing the big picture that UFC is evolving."

-Punk was quizzed whether MMA has hurt the pro wrestling business. "Well, it hasn't helped," he said. "To deny that UFC isn't our competition is ridiculous." He added that everything from Cirque du Soleil to television shows such as "Breaking Bad" are competition to WWE.

-Helwani probed whether it surprises Punk that WWE hasn't looked at MMA to see things they can emulate. Punk said he's a wrestling guy and he believes it is a sport. "I'm a fan," Punk said. "I would love to see clean finishes, less run-ins, and I'd like to see wins and losses matter... Those are things that are based in reality." He questioned why guys get title shots time after time when they are losing. He said there are certain things that could be tightened up in that regard.

-Punk said some days are better than others when it comes to travel. He said some top guys have buses they travel in. He said he's getting to the point where he's considering that possibility. He said he enjoys traveling and the challenge of living on the road, but he said he would like to be at home for six months just to see what it was like. He added that he would probably go nuts seven days in.

-Punk advised he became an MMA fan early on going back to the first or second UFC event. He said he and his friend were hooked. He said Dan Henderson is probably his favorite wrestler.

-Punk said the last UFC event he watched live was Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez. He said he doesn't go out to find the shows when he's on the road. He said he despises Hooters, and doesn't think it would end well if a pro wrestler went to watch an MMA show with drunk people who want to prove something in the room.

-Punk was asked about the Brock Lesnar and Undertaker confrontation. He said he thinks he knows more about that situation than most people. He thought it was fantastic that two guys could exchange a glance at get the sports world talking. Punk said Dana White will never allow Brock Lesnar to get a WrestleMania payday while he's under UFC contract.

-Helwani asked Punk who he will face at WrestleMania 28. Punk said he doesn't know who he will face tonight on Raw because things change every three minutes. Punk said he would like to face Steve Austin, and joked that Austin would never duck a challenge. "As far as who I am actually wrestling at WrestleMania, I could tell you and it would probably change 162 times today."

MMA fans, that's a wrap.

As per usual, Australian fans who don't attend the matches in person can tune into Main Event TV on Foxtel.

UFC SYDNEY 2012 EVENT DATE:
Saturday 3 March - Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park

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WWE Legend's House begins filming next month in California; Foxtel May Scoop Slam, by Greg Tingle

2012-01-24T20:36:00.001+11:00

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Wrestling fans from Sydney's Bondi Beach, New York, USA, Hollywood and around the world are buzzing at the news of an upcoming WWE television show - WWE Legend's House, which will be one of the showcase programs on the new WWE Network.

Filming is to commence next month in Rancho Mirage, California, USA and its turned into quite a news media frenzy with video camera operators and photographers all seeking out shots of the legends.

This February at least eight former World Wrestling Entertainment stars will be under one roof in a show not too unlike MTV's "Real Life" with a bit of "Jersey Shore", "Big Brother", "The Ultimate Fighter" and "Tough Enough" thrown in there for good measure.

WWE Legends House will be filmed in Rancho Mirage at the historic home of late comedian Harpo Marx at the Tamarisk Country Club.

WWE Hall of Famer "Mean" Gene Okerlund, the legendary wrestling announcer and interviewer, has been confirmed for the show. Australian fans will recognise Gene as the host of "WWE Vintage Collection" as seen on Foxtel - Fox 8, usually in a TV spot next to WWE SmackDown or WWE Superstars.

We're been tipped off that other cast members with include "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and The Iron Sheik. We're hoping that Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, "The Honky Tonk Man", "The Magnificent" Don Muraco or even Ric Flair (*Flair is currently under contract to Impact Wrestling) are also a chance to appear. Don't expect Scott Hall to appear as the man formally known as "Razor Ramon" has been getting some WWE Wellness Program rehab (for real) in recent years, and to have Hall on the new show would not be a wise risk to take at this stage of the game, however we're hopeful Hall may be able to appear on future episodes of Legends House, should the show be as wildly successful as anticipated.

Sadly Australia's "Outback Jack" - real name Peter Stilsbury (circa 1987 with WWF) won't appear, nor will Nathan "The Front Row" Jones. Neither would be considered an outright WWE legend, however both were certainly well known in their day.

Can you imagine The Iron Sheik drinking, eating and just socializing in general with other WWE legends. Something tells us they are going to have to bleep out much of his foul language, but fans familiar with the very funny and vulgar sheik will get the idea.

Hardcore fans will remember the time Australia's Wide World of Sports on Channel Nine aired the Madison Square Garden matches featuring "The Iron Shiek". One was when then WWF Champion Bob Backlund got caught in the camel clutch by the Iranian and Backlund's manager, (the late) Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel. The other famous sheik match that aired on the then Kerry Packer owned Channel Nine was when Hulk Hogan beat the sheik with his famous clothesline and atomic leg drop. The old WWF Championship Wrestling used footage from the Hogan - Sheik match for its intro music video for many years.

The WWE is going to pitch "Legends House" to audiences as unscripted drama, which is curious as pro wrestlers by nature usually work of a script. Wooooo! - we just broke kayfabe again, but most of the western world knows pro wrestling aka "sports entertainment" has storylines, angles, script writers et al these days, but that's not to say they are not talented athletes - they are indeed some of the best athletes on the planet, but only a few such as Roddy Piper could be considered a very talented actor as far as regular movie appearances go.

The concept does share some similarities to the UFC's Ultimate Fighter (TUF) series, but its wrestling legends - not up and coming UFC stars, who have to prove their worth in matches.

Many fans are hoping for a few outcomes - legends sharing tales from the road trips and locker rooms, who hated who for real, secrets of the profession and that sort of thing. We suppose if a real fight breaks out on set that will be a bonus.

The Media Man agency's spokesperson said "We fully expect that WWE Legends House" will become one of the most popular and most talked about shows on both American and Australian television. WWE top brass genius Vince McMahon has really hit the sweet spot with this one. It's got ratings winner all over it and fits in perfectly with the current "reality era" of the WWE, where the pro wrestling action and scripts carry a much more realistic edge than in the '90 - 2000 era. Australian TV networks, be it Foxtel or Network Nine or Ten, would do well to get in early on this one and secure the rights of a sure fire winner. Kids and parents should try not to copy some of the bad language and practical jokes that are bound to be a staple of this hot new show".

*Wrestling History

January 23, 1984: Hulk Hogan beats Iron Sheik to win hist first WWF title - Madison Square Garden, New York, USA

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Hulk Hogan Pro Wrestling God Tours Casinos; Sports Entertainment News Update, by Greg Tingle

2012-01-23T15:21:00.001+11:00

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Sylvester Stallone Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon

From Bondi Beach, Australia to Japan, Canada, the USA - most of the world knows of Hulk Hogan.

Who can forget the Hulk-A-Mania Australian tour from a few years ago where he feuded with long time rival Ric Flair, and how about the wrestling angle at the then Star City Casino (now The Star), where it appeared at first that Hogan and Flair went at it for real when Flair implied he "had" Hogan's wife "Jennifer", before Hulk did! Now, that would start a fight and boy did the blood flow. The action was so hot that Seven News decided to purchase the video camera footage from the Media Man agency for a considerable sum.

The red did turn to green, as the old wrestling kayfabe saying goes, but not anywhere near as much as the Australian promoter or Hogan would have prefered.

The arena numbers in Australia were on the downside so much that it was largely responsible for TNA Wrestling deciding not to to ahead with an Australian tour.

The only American (or actually global) pro wrestling - sports entertainment company that he since graced Australian shores is the one and only WWE, headed up by promoter genius Vince McMahon. Once in a while Hogan teases a return to the WWE, and the two do have some line of communication. Take note that McMahon has old Hogan rival Flair getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame again (with the other 3 Four Horseman members) the night before WrestleMania, so anything can and does still happen in the WWE. Read up on other recent Media Man WWE news for more on that matter.

This writer would like to see Hogan and Flair both become official WWE spokespersons at some point, but if its to be - they need to make the move soon. Father time is ticking away.

Pro wrestling cousin of sorts, UFC from the MMA world is about to hit Sydney, Australia for a third time, but it ain't wrestling. Note, Brock Lensnar from the UFC and pro wrestling world, has left the UFC recently suffering a loss at the hands of Alistair Overeem at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, USA.

Hardcore pro wrestling fans of the WWF and ECK ilk will likely know this bit of trivia. It was Lesnar that "injured" Hogan's back in 2002 which was the official reason that The Hulk didn't visit down under back then. The back story is that Hogan and McMahon couldn't come to business terms. What's left to say but that's the pro wrestling industry.

Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan was at Speaking Rock Casino and Entertainment Center last week.

Hogan was there for the Micro Championship Wrestling event held at the venue.

Hogan was accompanied by the Nasty Boys, Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags, as well as Ed Leslie, better known as Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, the former WWF Tag Team Champion (having held the title with wrestling legend Greg "The Hammer" Valentine).

Micro Championship Wrestling has a show promoted by Hogan on TruTV. The show, which screens as midget wrestling which has been up and running since August. Note we called them midgets, not dwarfs, so haters lay off ok. Some of the wrestlers also like to be called "little people". Whatever, they are full of excitement, talent and fun, and don't mind sharing it with the world.

Australia's Foxtel doesn't currently get TruTV, so we can't enjoy Hogan's midget wrestling show on the box at this stage, but we're hopeful time will change that. Foxtel is going to soon get a new Factual channel, so there's hope yet wrestling fans.

Hogan is the most recognizable figure in the history of professional wrestling from his success in the business since the 1980s. Hogan's also had many of movies and a host of other high profile shows and projects. Hogan's star power even ecliped "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Gorgeous George (Wagner) and Bruno Sammartino (for you old school wrestling fans out there).

Hogan enjoyed high level feuds with the likes of Andre the Giant, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Paul "Mr Wonderful" Orndorff, King Kong Bundy, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, "The Magnificent" Don Muraco, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and "Macho Man" Randy Savage.

On the big screen Hogan has starred in "No Holds Barred," "Suburban Commando" and "Mr. Nanny." He has also made appearances in Rocky III and Walker, Texas Ranger. One can argue that current WWE superstars, John Cena, "The Rock" and Steve Austin took off where Hogan finished as far as mixing wrestling and movies. Roddy Piper is widely regarded as the most talented actor that pro wrestling ever produced. From time to time Piper does his famous "Pipers Pit" talk show segment for the WWE as well as helping out a few other smaller wrestling promotions.

Hogan even had his own reality TV show called "Hogan Knows Best.", and it wasn't long before daughter Brooke, did her own "Brooke Knows Best" show.

Hogan became a household name while in Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation (WWF), now known as WWE, which enjoyed a live event in Las Cruces, New Mexico on Sunday at the Pan American Centre.

He is currently signed to the Impact Wrestling - Total Nonstop Action wrestling promotion and has a range of business projects on the go including in the TV, gaming, casino and internet b2b sectors.

Recently, Hogan has made headlines on celebrity websites for his divorce, his son Nick's car crash, daughter Brooke's music career and the pending removal of his world famous moustache (to satisfy some Hollywood movie producers).

Other

Ric Flair is almost as famous as long time rival Hulk Hogan, who along with Flair is currently under contract to Impact Wrestling. Most would argue that Flair is one of the greatest pro wrestlers in history, while Hogan has earned more income from wrestling and wrestling related activities than just about anyone else.

* The writer has a b2b agreement with the WWE (WWE Shop)

* Wrestling legend Andre The Giant gets online slot game via Richard Branson's Virgin Casino.

* Hogan recently released his Kinnect-based "Hulk Hogan's Main Event" game which got mixed reviews from the gaming industry. The game promo goes "Get pumped and bring the pain in the first full-body wrestling game on Kinect for Xbox 360! In Hulk Hogan’s Main Event Hulkamaniacs can train with wrestling icon Hulk Hogan himself. As your mentor, Hulk will help you build your own wrestling personality and school you in the art of showmanship to win over the crowd. Entertain roaring fans with brutal stunts, combos, even devastating chair hits, that will knock your opponent to the mat or out of the ring. The crazier and wilder your motions, the more high impact your wrestling performance is in your living room ring!"

* Hulk Hogan is also tipped to be soon getting his own online slot game. His Hulk-A-Mania game is being developed by Endemol Games. Endemol is the company behind the famous Big Brother franchise, so you know they know about marketing and publicity. The Media Man agency is tipped to soon come to business terms with Endemol.

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Virgin Casino Releases Andre the Giant Slot Game

2012-01-19T02:10:00.001+11:00

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*sorry, no U.S, Canadian, New Zealand or Australian players. See World Casino Directory

Richard Branson's Virgin Casino announced the release of its latest slot game entitled Andre The Giant this week.

Virgin is in the batch of the first casinos to get this amazing slot game. PartyCasino.com is tipped to also host the pro wrestling themed game.

The new wrestling slot game is a Microgaming flash casino game that is based on the iconic World Wrestling Entertainment star Andre the Giant. It has been launched on the QuickFire platform and is fully licensed by CMG Worldwide.

This 5 reel, 25 pay-line slot game has symbols that revolve around the professional wrestling entertainment genre. Players can wrestle with symbols such as the Andre the Giant logo as the scatter, an image of Andre the Giant acts as the wild and there are additional symbols such as the wrestling ring, championship belt, the mask and tickets.

The biggest pay out a player can win from this game is 5,000 coins and this occurs when five matching symbols appear on the same pay-line. Players can then multiply their winnings by playing a game of Hi or Lo with cards.

The Andre Goes Wild feature round allows the wild symbol to expand to cover all three positions on the reel. This will only occur if the expansion results in a winning combination. The wild symbol only appears on reels 2 and 4 during the game.

If two or more Andre the Giant logo scatter symbols appear on the reels at any one time this will activate a scatter pay out. The scatter pay out for hitting five scatter symbols is 200 coins. If a player hits three or more scatter symbols then they will trigger the Battle Bout Bonus round.

In this round, the player is giving 10 free spins. Throughout these 10 free spins, Attack symbols are collected and saved for the second phase of this bonus round. These symbols are some of Andre the Giant signature wrestling moves. Once the free spins finish, the player then takes the Attack symbols collected into the next part of the bonus round where they pick an opponent to fight and then unleash the Attack symbols on that opponent.

Opponents include Flame Bro, Jimmy Iron Legs and Voltage Van Zandt. No, Hulk Hogan or Jake "The Snake" Roberts are not in the game, but we hear both of these wrestling icons are interested to have their own slot game, and Hogan's wish will be coming soon later this year.

If Andre the Giant hits the opponent then the player wins bonus credits. If Andre the Giant hits the opponent three or more times then the player can select one of Andre the Giant’s finishing moves to win the bout and earn multiple bonus credits.

The Andre the Giant slot game is available to play Virgin Casino right now and Virgin offer some of the best online casino bonuses on the planet so ring the bell!

*Andre The Giant fans may also like The Incredible Hulk online slot. Hulk Hogan purchased the Hulk naming rights to use "The Incredible Hulk" from Marvel Entertainment in a multi million dollar deal approximately 20 years ago.

*Australian, New Zealand and Canadian players - try other Hollywood and branded slot games at PartyCasino.com

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Wrestling News: Ric Flair - Four Horsemen Appearing at the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony

2012-01-17T21:02:00.001+11:00

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From Bondi Beach, Australia to Japan, Canada, the USA - most of the world knows of Ric Flair.

Flair is almost as famous as long time rival Hulk Hogan, who along with Flair is currently under contract to Impact Wrestling. Most would argue that Flair is one of the greatest pro wrestlers in history, while Hogan has earned more income from wrestling and wrestling related activities than just about anyone else.

The last memory of Ric Flair for many people was the night after WrestleMania 24 when he "retired" into the sunset. Maybe only Flair knows for sure if he thought he had retired for real back then.

This past Monday's WWE Raw, the Four Horsemen—Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham, Arn Anderson and Ric Flair—were announced as inductees for the 2012 Hall of Fame.

Ric Flair's inclusion has got the industry and fans talking given "The Nature Boy" is currently under contract with another wrestling organisation.

Ric Flair himself confirms he will be present at the American Airlines Arena the night before WrestleMania 28.

Speculation on how all of this came about is rife.

Did the WWE negotiate a deal with Impact Wrestling so that the 16-time world heavyweight champion could make a one-night appearance?

If such a deal wasn't made, did Flair take it upon himself to commit to show up?

Let's assume a deal wasn't reached between the two companies...it's possible that Flair being shown on WWE TV may have have legal ramifications.

Could WWE top brass Vince McMahon be looking to take over Impact Wrestling, just as he did with WCW and ECW?

Wrestling fans the world over are glued for this developing story and Media Man will be following up.

The Late News...

* Ric Flair spoke with Mike Mooneyham of The Post & Courier about The Four Horsemen going into the WWE Hall of Fame this year.

Flair confirmed reports that Triple H called him while he was at the Impact tapings to tell him about the induction. Flair said the whole TNA crew was watching the Hall of Fame video from RAW backstage at the tapings.

Flair also said that WWE has limited his speech this year to 7 minutes. When Flair was inducted back in 2008, his speech went over an hour.

Flair is looking forward to linking back up with the WWE crew and said, "We’re going to blow the roof off."

* Wrestling legend Andre The Giant gets online slot game via Richard Branson's Virgin Casino.it will be exciting to see the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair on WWE TV even if it's only for a few minutes

* Hulk Hogan is also tipped to be soon getting his own online slot game. His Hulk-A-Mania game is being developed by Endemol Games. Endemol is the company behind the famous Big Brother franchise, so you know they know about marketing and publicity. The Media Man agency is tipped to soon come to business terms with Endemol.

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Wrestling News Media: WWE Australian Tour; International Hulk Hogan, Austin and Piper News, by Greg Tingle

2012-01-13T20:17:00.002+11:00

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Professional wrestling aka "sports entertainment" continues to be a red hot commodity in both Australian and overseas markets.

The United States may be the birthplace of pro wrestling but Australians have long been recognised as some of the most passionate fans on the planet, dating back to the good old days of the original World Championship Wrestling which was broadcast on Kerry Packer's Channel Nine circa 1970 - 78.

Early on into 2012 and pro wrestling appears to be heading towards another golden era in pro wrestling with more focus been giving to wrestler's with tremendous athletic gifts such as CM Punk, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho and the soon (likely) to be returning, Brock Lesnar.

Sydney, Australia, will soon once again be host to the WWE Live Tour, as the gentle giants tour down under, also doing Melbourne and most other capital cities, promoted by Melbourne based Dainty Entertainment. The WWE Tour is set to hit Australia on the 30th August 2012.

Not to be outdone, UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is set to return to Sydney via All Phones Arena on 3rd March 2012, but sadly Brock Lesnar will not be going there, having recently retired from UFC - MMA compeition, following his loss against Alistair Overeem.

This development of course may be WWE's gain, aiming to secure Lesnar for their yearly showcase event - WrestleMania.

WWE RAW World Tour 2012, Australia details...

Presented by: Dainty Group

WWE's unique brand of action packed entertainment is returning to Australia with WWE RAW. Fans will be able to see all their favourite WWE Superstars including John Cena®, Alberto Del Rio®, CM Punk®, The Miz® and many more*.

*Card subject to change

WHEN: In Brisbane from 19.30, Thursday, August 30th
In Sydney from 19.30, Friday, August 31st
In Melbourne from 19.30, Saturday September 1st

WHERE:

Live from the Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Live from the Sydney AllPhones Arena
Live from the Melbourne Rod Laver Arena

Tickets go on sale on Thursday, December 8th at 9am and can be purchased at:
Online: www.ticketek.com.au
Charge by Phone: 132 849

* Card subject to change

TOUR DATES
Thu 30 Aug - Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Fri 31 Aug - Allphones Arena, Sydney
Sat 1 Sep - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Let's bodyslam ourselves into what's news on some of the world's hottest pro wrestlers...

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin - 'STONE COLD' STEVE AUSTIN Tebow Can HAVE My 3:16 If ...

Before there was Tebow 3:16 in the NFL ... there was Austin 3:16 in the WWE ... and now the wrestling legend says he's willing to surrender his iconic numbers to the NFL star, pending one GIANT condition.

TMZ spoke with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin -- who tells us he watched Tebow's Mile High Miracle this weekend and was blown away when he learned Tim threw for exactly 316 yards in the playoff victory.

FYI -- the numbers have a special meaning with Stone Cold, who created the famous faux bible verse back in the '90s to humiliate his enemies -- "Austin 3:16 says I just whooped your ass!!!"

Now, Austin tells us, "Austin 3:16 still rules" ... but adds, "If Tebow can throw for 316 yards again this weekend then hell, he can have the numbers and I'll have no problem with it."

Austin continues, "A guy named John was using it before me ... so if Tebow can do it again, more power to him!"

"I wish him all the luck in the world," Austin says ... adding, "I'm not a Denver fan but Tim's a great role model for kids." (Credit: TMZ)

Hulk Hogan...

Hulk Hogan to shave off his iconic moustache...

Hulk Hogan is going to shave off his iconic moustache.

The wrestling legend has revealed he is planning to take a razor to his famous facial hair and long hair in the coming weeks for some movie auditions.

Hulk - who has starred in several films, including 'Rocky III' and 'Suburban Commando' - said: "I'm getting ready to go to some auditions; I'm getting ready to shave my head and moustache so that should be scary!"

The TNA Wrestling star has also revealed he had to have a "hole drilled" into his head to clear an infection in his mouth.

The 58-year-old grappler underwent surgery in October to get dental implants and then after having a teeth mold fitted he got an infection which wouldn't clear up which was revealed to have been caused by a metal tack left in his mouth by a dentist.

He told TMZ.com: "The theme for today is kids take care of your teeth, because if you stuff candy in your mouth you're going to rot your teeth out.

"After many years of not taking care of teeth correctly I had to finally have surgery and a couple of glitches in the system and we got an infection.

"I had surgery and they drilled a hole in my head - which I needed to let all the hot air out - cleaned everything up so I'm good to go. But it feels like somebody punched me in the face."

Over the course of his five decade spanning career, Hulk has only been seen a handful of times without his moustache in the ring and on screen.

It is not yet known if the 12-time world heavyweight champion will recover in time to join the rest of the TNA roster for the Maximum IMPACT Tour of the UK later this month.

The tour kicks off on Thursday, Jan. 26 at the Nottingham Capital FM Arena before heading to the Manchester MEN Arena.

The company's flagship TV show 'IMPACT Wrestling' - which is broadcast on Challenge TV in the U.K. and Ireland and Spike TV in Canada and the U.S. - will then be filmed for the first time outside of the U.S. at London's Wembley Arena on Jan. 28.

The tour will feature a host wrestling's biggest names, including Kurt Angle and AJ Styles and will also be the last ever appearance made in the UK by grappling icon Sting.

Hulk Hogan Surgery Scare - Metal Tack Removed, Will Shave Off Iconic Mustache?...

Hulk Hogan is going to shave off his iconic mustache.

The wrestling legend has revealed he is planning to take a razor to his famous facial hair and long hair in the coming weeks for some movie auditions.

Hulk – who has starred in several films, including 'Rocky III' and 'Suburban Commando' – said: "I'm getting ready to go to some auditions; I'm getting ready to shave my head and mustache so that should be scary!"

The TNA Wrestling star has also revealed he had to have a "hole drilled" into his head to clear an infection in his mouth.

The 58-year-old grappler underwent surgery in October to get dental implants and then after having a teeth mold fitted he got an infection which wouldn't clear up which was revealed to have been caused by a metal tack left in his mouth by a dentist.

He told TMZ.com: "The theme for today is kids take care of your teeth, because if you stuff candy in your mouth you're going to rot your teeth out.

"After many years of not taking care of teeth correctly I had to finally have surgery and a couple of glitches in the system and we got an infection.

"I had surgery and they drilled a hole in my head - which I needed to let all the hot air out - cleaned everything up so I'm good to go. But it feels like somebody punched me in the face."

Over the course of his five decade spanning career, Hulk has only been seen a handful of times without his moustache in the ring and on screen.

It is not yet known if the 12-time world heavyweight champion will recover in time to join the rest of the TNA roster for the Maximum IMPACT Tour of the UK later this month.

The tour kicks off on Thursday January 26 at the Nottingham Capital FM Arena before heading to the Manchester MEN Arena.

The company's flagship TV show 'IMPACT Wrestling' – which is broadcast on Challenge TV in the UK and Ireland and Spike TV in the US - will then be filmed for the first time outside of the US at London's Wembley Arena on January 28.

The tour will feature a host wrestling's biggest names, including Kurt Angle and AJ Styles and will also be the last ever appearance made in the UK by grappling icon Sting.

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper...

Wrestling Legend “Rowdy” Roddy Piper Reveals One Last Match...

Professional wrestling legend, and star of the cult horror classic movie by John Carpenter "They Live", Roddy Piper announced on his Twitter that he expects to wrestle one last match. A fan asked Piper about the possibility of having a final match and Piper responded, via the social networking site, "I have not been asked to be in Royal Rumble. I tell u a secret, promise to keep it? I am going to do 1 more balls to wall match!"

Andre The Giant

Andre The Giant (the late) - set to appear in an online slot game at Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment - PartyCasino. The game was developed by North Sydney based NextGen Gaming. You can trust the Media Man and Wrestling News Media network to keep following up the story.

WWE producing "Legends House"...

WWE continues to develope a slew of new content for the launch of their upcoming 24/7 channel, WWE Network. "Legends House" is set to be a part of the launch as a reality series focusing on WWE legends living together in the a house. WWE has promoted the show and the new network via WWE RAW on the USA Network.

The concept of the show is expected to be similar to traditional reality set-up like MTV's "Real World" and CBS's "Big Brother", yet with larger-than-life personalities of WWE peformers it will be must-see TV for any wrestling fan, as well as for fans of the reality TV genre.

No legendary stars have been confirmed for the series yet, but there's plenty of speculation.
The very controversial and foul mouthed Iron Sheik is rumored to a part of the cast. On social media many fans have chatted about what legends they would want to see on "Legends House." Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Roddy Piper, Jimmy Hart, and Dusty Rhodes were among some of the names being tossed around between fans on Twitter and Facebook. We're hoping Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, Sgt Slaughter, Billy "Superstar" Graham, Don "Magnificent" Muraco, Paul "Mr Wonderful" Orndorff, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, and Dusty "The American" Dream also get serious consideration. A similar pitch was made to Media Man three years ago, however at the time a number of financial related aspects slowed concept to reality. This time around the project looks to be moving full speed ahead and the Media Man agency will be offering strong media coverage should the project keep moving forward. For the record, we think its going to cross the finish line and put a nice little pay cheque in a few people's pockets. Let's hope the legends are looked after fairly for all their blood, sweat and tears they put out over the years.

The Late News...

Shaquille O’Neal Close to WWE WrestleMania Deal?; Latest on Brock Lesnar’s Return...

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Shaquille "Shaq" O’Neal has reportedly been closing in on his WWE WrestleMania deal, and he may have already agreed to business terms.

WWE creative has been told to start thinking about weaving O’Neal into storylines - likely for a match with The Big Show (Paul Wight).

Due to its John Cena vs. The Rock main-event, WrestleMania 28 is a strong contender to set the all-time buyrate record, and WWE is striving to do everything it can to push the interest and buy rates to the moon. Adding Shaquille O’Neal into the equation, especially with Shaq should help further the event’s must see statue as WWE’s biggest WrestleMania of all-time.

Regarding a Brock Lesnar return, no one has been provided any reason to expect it will happen at this year’s WrestleMania, but it might just happen. WWE top brass Vince McMahon reportedly told at least one creative staff member that it is not a foregone conclusion a Lesnar return would include the return of Paul Heyman as his manager.

Recently returned WWE Superstar, Chris Jericho, for what its worth, has been having little verbal jabs at Lesnar, so we will have to see if that develops into something more.

In any event, this years WrestleMania should be awesome.

For recent updates on pro wrestling keep checking the Wrestling News Media www.wrestlingnewsmedia.com web blog along with the website of our friends over at Wrestling.net.au

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Andre The Giant Slot Game Comes To Virgin Casino

2012-01-13T18:19:00.002+11:00

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RANDY SAVAGE'S BROTHER I Wrote a Macho Man Poem ... Now Listen Up!!!

2011-12-28T14:45:00.001+11:00

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Randy "Macho Man" Savage WWE Wrestling

It's his first Christmas without the Macho Man, but Randy Savage's little brother isn't leaving him behind ... writing an emotional poem in memory of the wrestling legend -- just for the holidays.

Lanny Poffo recites the poem in a typically theatrical Savage family fashion -- and it's pretty awesome, especially if you're a Macho Man fan ... which should be everyone.

And now, our favorite stanza:

His name was Randy Poffo
He became the Macho Man
Randy Savage made it cool
Just to be his fan

That's right. We said stanza. (Credit: TMZ)

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UFC Returns To Sydney, Australia In 2012

2011-12-21T00:50:00.003+11:00

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The brutal mixed martial arts based sport of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has announced its return to Sydney for 3rd March 2012.

Your main event will be a welterweight match-up between Thiago Alves and Martin Kampmann inside the cage (octagon) at a hopefully jam packed Allphones Arena.

The exciting MMA card will also feature the debut of the UFC’s flyweight division with a two-bout tourny to decide the top contenders at 125-pounds (56.7kg).

Tickets are now on sale, and we understand, selling fast, but not quite as quick as the past two Australian tours we've been leaked.

UFC Managing Director of International Development Marshall Zelaznik advised the UFC was wrapt to return to Sydney for its third live event in as many years.

"We’ve had tremendous success with our two previous events, with last year’s UFC 127 remaining the equal fastest sell-out in the organisation’s history," he said.

"I’ve got no doubt that our Aussie fans will be just as excited about our March event, especially as they’ll witness UFC history with the introduction of the flyweight division. The 125-pound contenders will absolutely put everything on the line is Sydney, knowing that the winners of those two bouts will then have a shot at the inaugural flyweight title. It’s going to be a great show."

Zelaznik said on the upcoming Australian tour: “Thiago Alves and Martin Kampmann are two seasoned mixed martial artists who are sure to go to war in the octagon. Both athletes are coming off recent wins and will be looking to continue their streak to climb the welterweight ladder.”

Insiders will already know that just off his first round beat-up of UFC newcomer Papy Abedi at UFC 139, Thiago ‘Pitbull’ Alves (24-7) has returned once again in strong form that has previously seen him rampage through the welterweight division with wins over UFC greats such as Chris Lytle, Matt Hughes and Josh Koschek, before challenging for the welterweight title in July 2009.

Martin ‘The Hitman’ Kampmann (18-5) is looking to reinforce his unanimous decision win at UFC 139 over up-and-coming welterweight Rick ‘The Horror’ Story when he faces of against Alves in the Octagon on Australian soil. Whose face gets rubbed in the dirt er soil, remains to be seen.

The Dane has formidable knock-out power and an underrated ground attack that has seen him snatch victory in 9 of his 12 fights in the Octagon, including bests over Carlos Condit, Jorge Rivera and Paulo Thiago.

In the flyweight division, ex No.1 WEC bantamweight contender Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson (14-2) will go agains the recently crowned Tachi Palace Fights flyweight champion, Ian ‘Uncle Creepy’ McCall (11-2), while Joseph Benavidez (15-2) will challenge Japanese fighter and Shooto champ Yasuhiro Urushitani (19-4-6) in the weight division’s two semi-finals.

UFC Scoops...

Brock Lesnar To Return At UFC 141

Brock Lesnar returns to the UFC on American soil for UFC 141 (December 30) for the virgin time since losing his UFC Heavyweight Championship to Cain Velasquez in October of last year. Since that last match, he's coached a season of The Ultimate Fighter, and also had a match with now-champion Junior dos Santos fall through when his diverticulitis returned.

With his second bout with the disease affecting his career once again, Lesnar decided to undergo surgery to treat the matter. It was an option the first time the problem came up, but when he felt like he could get through the ordeal without an invasive procedure, he attempted to work through it. It was a key reason for mixed results in his fights with Shane Carwin and Velasquez, but he's not focussing with dwelling on the past.

"Looking back, hindsight, you could do things differently," Lesnar advised during a news media teleconference. "But I accomplished a lot in that year, and you have to take the good with the bad. That's where we were, we were trying to figure out what we should do, and you have to live with your decisions."

"Under all the circumstances that I've gone through, this is an opportunity that not many people get. I'm very excited."

Foregoing surgery and trying to convince himself he was 100% in 2010 saw him at less than his best in both of those match ups, and entering this bout with Overeem he states he's feeling better than ever.

However, while his health is no longer a concern into this bout, his 14-month layoff due to the illness certainly could be. But Lesnar says there were also some positives to the layoff, as it allowed him to work on some of the issues he had in the Carwin and Velasquez matches.

"I've had plenty of time to train, and being healthy and once again motivated (has allowed me to] work on a lot of things," Lesnar went on record with. "This is a sport that you have to evolve in if you're going [be successful]. We've put a lot of hours into the Octagon in training. Lots of sparring, lots of jiu jitsu sessions... There's definitely no lack of trying here [for this fight]."

"This is a dog-eat-dog division. It's definitely getting more competitive, so I've got to be more competitive. I'm going to go out and try my best to win this fight, and that's really all I can try to control."

MMA fans, that's a wrapt.

It certainly appears that the UFC is going to finish the year on a high note, and that fans should expect more of the same next year, as the UFC machine continues its world domination.

As per usual, Australian fans who don't attend the matches in person can tune into Main Event TV on Foxtel.

EVENT DATE:
Saturday 3 March - Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park

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WWE RAW World Tour 2012 - Sydney, Australia

2011-12-20T15:35:00.001+11:00

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Presented by: Dainty Group

WWE's unique brand of action packed entertainment is returning to Australia with WWE RAW. Fans will be able to see all their favourite WWE Superstars including John Cena®, Alberto Del Rio®, CM Punk®, The Miz® and many more*.

*Card subject to change

WHEN: In Brisbane from 19.30, Thursday, August 30th
In Sydney from 19.30, Friday, August 31st
In Melbourne from 19.30, Saturday September 1st

WHERE:

Live from the Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Live from the Sydney AllPhones Arena
Live from the Melbourne Rod Laver Arena

Tickets go on sale on Thursday, December 8th at 9am and can be purchased at:
Online: www.ticketek.com.au
Charge by Phone: 132 849

* Card subject to change

TOUR DATES
Thu 30 Aug - Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Fri 31 Aug - Allphones Arena, Sydney
Sat 1 Sep - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

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WWE.com

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All Phones Arena

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Crossface Biopic Probes WWE Pro Wrestling Legend Chris Benoit; Life And Death, by Greg Tingle

2011-12-19T17:18:00.001+11:00

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Many Australians, and fans around the world, known and love professional wrestling - aka "sports entertainment"... especially WWE style, but there is a dark and serious side to the industry - the massive toll the business often takes on its in ring performers.

In the upcoming biopic on the late Chris Beniot, the finger is not so much pointed at the WWE, nor should it be, but it covers and investigates his life and death in what is largely seen as a fair and balanced capacity.

SRG Films have announced plans to adapt a biopic based on Matthew Randazzo's book "Ring of Hell: The Story of Chris Benoit and the Fall of the Pro Wrestling Industry".

It may sound at least a touch sensationalized, but the real life and death story of former WWE Champion Chris Benoit was pretty bizare, even by pro wrestling standards.

For over a decade, Benoit was the poster child of what a professional wrestler should be, however with the murder suicide that all changed and these days his story acts as fodder for those who look to discredit the professional wrestling industry. Professional wrestling may be scripted, some punches may be pulled, taking falls can be practices, but as the WWE promos say 'The Dangers are real' and they are trained professionals. Concussions from the pseudo sport aka "sports entertainment" are all to real and commonplace and have little to do with WWE Mattel Toy or THQ - XBox360 b2b deals.

Entitled "Crossface", the thriller pic explores the situations former WWE superstar Chris Benoit faced throughout his wrestling career. A combination of drug-use, depression, and head trauma made him increasingly difficult to handle and ultimately lead to Benoit killing his wife and young son before committing suicide. The strange set of circumstances made headlines all around the world, and many insiders believe it further encouraged the WWE (and to a lesser extent other wrestling promotions) take better care of their trained professions. There were good financial, political and public relations reasons to look after the performers better. This is something that wrestling legend and former Mayor of Minnesota, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, and his friend in wrestling, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, had been campaigning for, long before Benoit's death was added to wrestling's shameful body count.

The last high profile death of a wrestling legend was that of Randy "Macho Man" Savage, made into a household name thanks to feuds with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. Savage died in a car accident, but the heart attack is what is understood in medical circles as to what caused him to swerve off the road, and into a tree. It was no secret that Savage too was a steroid abuser for much of his career, but to blame wrestler's deaths on steroids alone is naive. The deaths are often a combination of things, such in Benoit's case.

Sarah Coulter turned in a first draft in mid-October. Dale Alexander Carnegie is producing and shooting will begin next Fall.

It is not known if the producer had considered having Hollywood star Mickey Rourke ('The Wrestler') appear in Benoit story. Most in the professional wrestling industry firmly believe that Rourke has done at least a modest amount of steroids over the years, and of course some of Rourke's drug abuse is well documented. To Rourke's credit, he has cleaned up his act and it appears he will be around for a good while longer before his number comes up.

Chris Beniot performed in Australia, including in Sydney and Newcastle under the AWF banner in 1993, and his matches were considered the best on the card by both hardcore and casual fans.

The name Chris Benoit is never mentioned in the WWE - TV, online, print, DVD et al, and WWE top brass Vince McMahon has formally named Benoit as "a monster", but many feel that is a generalisation and that the tragic circumstances of Benoit's life and death involved a complex set of circumstances, some that will never be fully understood.

The WWE has an excellent Wellness policy, including rehab, and offers both current and former WWE Superstars free of charge rehab assistance for any wrestler who applies.

Wrestling legend from the 80s, 90s and 00's 'Razor Ramon' aka Scott Hall is understood to have recently accepted the WWE's rehab offer and fellow legend, Jake "The Snake" Roberts is understood to have vastly improved his health via the WWE's rehab offering, even going on record with "WWE's Vince McMahon saved my life".

A Media Man spokesperson said: "Don't expect the WWE's Vince McMahon to get behind this picture the way they got behind and plugged into 'The Wrestler' that stared Mickey Rourke, nor should they. Benoit spent some of his time including the last number of his wrestling years with the WWE, but to blame the tragic circumstances of his life and that of his family on the WWE alone would not be fair. The case has been the topic of much investigation from the medical profession for many years and will continue to be one of the most documented hard news stories in professional wrestling history. Many fans and media alike look forward to much more positive coverage of the form of entertainment they love - sports entertainment. The film - see it if your a fan but know you will be learning more about the dark side of the industry...one it would prefer didn't exist. Education is a key to learning in society, so perhaps the film should be must see viewing for fans, wrestlers, wrestling promoters and news media across the globe".

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Bruno Sammartino Honored - 9th October 2011

2011-11-05T13:04:00.001+11:00

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Italian promotion, Adriatic Wrestling League, gave paid tribute to legend Bruno Sammartino, who attended the show as a guest.

At the beginning of the show, the common of Pizzoferrato invited athletes in the ring of AWL and international guest star, former world champion in the WWF, the legend Bruno Sammartino to reward him with a plaque.Bruno Sammartino received a tribute on the part of Adriatic League Wrestling and began to retrace his early career, when he survived a serious illness, how he manages with great humility and hard work to train and fight in the Olympic weightlifting to become a professional and record-and calls on all the fans and wrestlers to work hard to pursue their goals.

-Il Marchese defeated Anatema by submission with a Torture Rack.

-Alextreme defeated Matt Mountain with a Fireman's carry Double Knee Gutbuster.

-Tyler Blaze defeated Andrew Winston with an irregular school boy. -Kid Kazama defeated Xander Fenix whit a Cross Legged Samoan Driver. -Low G defeated "Iceman" Flavio Pantaleo whit his Death Sentence.

At the end of the match Low G attacked Flavio Pantaleo helped by Marchese,Tyler Blaze, Xander Fenix e Matt Mountain. Come to help Pantaleo are Kid Kazama, Andrew Winston, Anatema e Alextreme, who save him from the beating.

At the end of the show, they celebrated the 76th birthday of Bruno Sammartino.

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Hulk Hogan And Andre The Giant Online Slot Games Coming Soon

2011-10-27T13:04:00.003+11:00

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Professional wrestler detained over Mexico casino firebomb - 5th October 2011

2011-10-15T17:49:00.001+11:00

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A former pro wrestler suspected of helping to mastermind the August firebombing of a land based casino which left 52 people dead has been detained by Mexican authorities.

In Mexico, pro wrestlers are often called luchadores, where as in the US and Australia, they are often referred to as "sports entertainers", as they are in the "sports entertainment" business.

Federal police detained Jose Alberto Loera Rodriguez and two suspected accomplices on a road in northeastern Mexico on Tuesday, said Luis Cardenas Palomino, regional coordinator of the Public Security Ministry.

Police also confiscated drugs and weapons, including 15 AK-47 rifles and two grenade launchers, he added.

Armed men set The Casino Royale in Monterrey ablaze on August 25 in one of the deadliest attacks in nearly five years of shocking drug violence in Mexico. Forty-two women were among the victims.

Authorities last week detained another suspected mastermind of the attack, Roberto Carlos Lopez Castro, in the suburbs of the western city of Guadalajara.

Nine other suspects have been detained, including a police officer and suspected members of the Zetas drug gang.

Authorities blame the Zetas – a gang set up in the 1990s by ex-elite soldiers turned hired killers – for torching the casino because its owners refused to pay protection money.
A surge in violence in Nuevo Leon is blamed on a turf war between the Gulf drug gang and the Zetas, its former enforcers.

More than 41,000 people have been killed across Mexico since the federal government in 2006 launched a crackdown against drug cartels, according to official data and media tallies.

The last time a pro wrestler got a similar amount of negative media reports from a serious crime was in 2007 when Canadian Chris Benoit murdered his wife and son, then committing suicide. Since Benoit's suicide, numerous explanations for his actions have been proposed, including concussions, steroid abuse, and a failing marriage.

On June 25, 2007, police entered Benoit's home on a "welfare check" after several missed appointments, leading to concerns. The officers discovered the bodies of Benoit, his wife Nancy, and their 7-year-old son Daniel at around 2:30 p.m. EDT. Upon investigating, no additional suspects were sought by authorities. It was determined that Benoit had committed the murders. Over a three day period, Benoit had killed his wife and son before he hanged himself. His wife was bound before the killing. Benoit's son was drugged and likely unconscious before Benoit strangled him. Benoit then committed suicide with a weight machine.

Mexico casino attack kills 53 - 26th August 2011

An arson attack on a casino in Mexico has sparked a massive fire and killed at least 53 people.

The attack occurred in the northern Mexican industrial city of Monterrey, the governor of the state of Nuevo Leon said.

Governor Rodrigo Medina announced the grim toll in an interview with the Televisa network, adding that the vast establishment, the Casino Royale, had been set ablaze using some kind of flammable liquid "like gasoline."

President Felipe Calderon condemned the attack, calling it an "abhorrent and barbaric act of terror" in a message on Twitter and expressing his solidarity with the people of Nuevo Leon, of which Monterrey is the capital.

"An unacceptable act of terror has been committed that will not go unpunished," added national security spokesman Alejandro Poire.

Casinos in Monterrey have recently been targeted because some owners have refused to pay protection money demanded by criminal gangs linked to the country's booming drugs trade, local media have reported.

For more than a year Monterrey has been the epicenter of a battle between the Zetas and the Gulf Cartel, two powerful drug smuggling groups vying for control of the lucrative routes north to the United States.

Mr Medina said the attack was carried out by six men who arrived at the casino in two vehicles around 4 pm (2100 GMT) on Thursday local time.

Some men entered the casino "and screamed out 'everyone hit the floor'," a witness who spoke on condition of anonymity told Mexican media.

"I don't know if there was a weapon that makes such a noise, but an impressive explosion followed - I never want to go through something like that again," said the witness, who fled to the rooftop with a friend to escape the flames.

The state head of civil protection, Jorge Camacho, said that the death toll was so high because many people hid in bathrooms and offices when they heard the explosions instead of heading to the emergency exits.

They were trapped by the flames, and many died of smoke inhalation, he said.

It took firefighters four hours to control the flames, and Mr Medina warned that more bodies could be found inside the casino. Firefighters had to knock large holes in the building's wall to reach the second floor.

Mr Calderon ordered interior minister Francisco Blake to Monterrey to head the government probe into the attack.

Only a few years ago, Monterrey had been seen as one of Mexico's safest cities.

But Nuevo Leon state and its capital, which is home to four million people, have seen an increasing amount of drug-related violence, with more than 70 people killed in Monterrey last month alone.

Nearly 850 people were killed in the state in the first half of the year, compared to 278 murder victims for all of 2010, according to a tally by the national newspaper Reforma.

More than 41,000 people have died in violence linked to Mexico's organized crime gangs since Mr Calderon launched a military crackdown on them in December 2006, according to media counts and official figures.

Ex-wrestler accused over casino firebombing - 5th October 2011

Mexican authorities have detained a former wrestler suspected of helping mastermind the August firebombing of a casino in the northern city of Monterrey, which left 52 people dead.

Federal police detained Jose Alberto Loera Rodriguez and two accomplices on a road in north-eastern Mexico on Tuesday, said Luis Cardenas Palomino, regional coordinator of the Public Security Ministry.

Police also confiscated drugs and weapons, including 15 AK-47 rifles and two grenade launchers, he added.

Rodriguez reportedly wrestled under the name of 'El Voltaje' (The Voltage).

Armed men set the Casino Royale ablaze on August 25 in one of the deadliest attacks in nearly five years of shocking drug violence in Mexico. Forty-two women were among the victims.

Authorities last week detained another suspected mastermind of the attack, Roberto Carlos Lopez Castro, in the suburbs of the western city of Guadalajara.

Nine other suspects have been detained, including a police officer and suspected members of the Zetas drug gang.

Authorities blame the Zetas - a gang set up in the 1990s by ex-elite soldiers turned hired killers - for torching the casino because its owners refused to pay protection money.

A surge in violence in Nuevo Leon is blamed on a turf war between the Gulf drug gang and the Zetas, its former enforcers.

More than 41,000 people have been killed across Mexico since the federal government in 2006 launched a crackdown against drug cartels, according to official data and media tallies.

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Brock Lesnar targets WWE: The Undertaker and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, by Greg Tingle - 14th October 2011

2011-10-14T23:23:00.002+11:00

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News Scoop: Andre The Giant Slot Gaming Coming Soon

UFC and former WWE man monster, Brock Lesnar, is ready to rock, roll and rumble, this time back into the gaming industry.

The former heavyweight champion (UFC and WWE), along with his manager / agent, Paul Heyman, are also interested in suitable business opportunities, and Australian based media agency, Media Man, took the initiative to test the waters in Asia Pacific via some online media exposure and tactics.

As far as we know, the only time Lesnar has ever actually set foot on Australian soil to date was back in 2002 as part of the WWE 'Global Warming Tour', after taking Hulk Hogan's spot on the card, Lesnar having injured Hogan's back (so the storyline went). Hogan didn't make the 2002 Australian tour, but finally got down under in November 2009 with his 'Hulk-A-Mania' tour, but that's another story brother... and sisters.

The Minnesota monster, who left the world of pro wrestling to brawl as a pro mixed martial artist, rocketed to pinnacle of the heavyweight roster in the Ultimate Fighting Championships and realised his dream of becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion after only four career matches.

The title reign ended in Lesnar's third title defence, when he was stopped dead in his tracks inside the first round by Mexican American Cain Velasquez.

As Lesnar told the media: "On any given day anyone can beat anyone. It happened to me too".

He's currently on the comeback trail to the UFC following a illness, yet Lesnar has told the press in a number of US interviews that he may be tempted back to the WWE... yes, the pro wrestling circus. Well, we don't really think its a circus, but some detractors do.

Quizzed if he would return to the WWE for one more match, Lesnar told ESPN, "I think under the right circumstances I will."

"I think if Vince McMahon and I were able to sit down at the same dinner table and break some bread that we could come up with some kind of game plan...I think a lot of things have to fall in the right places for something like that to happen."

Lesnar's ties with the WWE media and marketing machine have been re-established with the news that he will feature in their upcoming video game, WWE 12, and he has also featured in a viral video to help promote the launch of the game.

The ex WWE champ has hinted that he'd very much like to take on The Undertaker (Mark William Calaway), who has never lost at the showcase event WrestleMania.

"There's a guy that's been on a winning streak for a long time that somebody needs to step up to the plate and finish the winning streak," Lesnar told IGN.

Shawn Michaels, Big Show, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Ric Flair and a host other others have all tried and failed. Yes, we know that pro wrestling has predetermined winners, but suspend disbelief with us if you will.

And he had some special words for one of the most popular WWE stars of all time, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

"There's another side of me that says if there was a chance for me to come back to fight a guy, it would be the guy that I was supposed to fight that chicken-sh**ted out on me and didn't show up, and that would be 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin."

"At the end of the day, my life, my character and my profession - I take them very seriously. At the end of the day, if it doesn't help me or my family out, and it doesn't make sense for me to do, then I don't do it. Everything would have to fall in the right place, but would I consider it? Absolutely."

Lesnar is due to return to mixed martial arts action and face off against former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion and K-1 Grand Prix kickboxing champion, Alistair Overeem, in a heavyweight superfight at UFC 141. The match will headline the event at the famous American entertainment and gaming venue, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in 'Sin City' Las Vegas on December 30th. Lesner will be looking for his jackpot Christmas present - the big win.

We can also confirm that Lesnar in interested in other gaming and branding opportunities, perhaps following the lead of fellow monsters Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Kevin Nash and the late, great, Andre The Giant. He is also understood to be keen to further explore online gaming opportunities. The Wrestling News Media network is following up for more details. Don't change your dial.

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2011-10-14T18:40:00.002+11:00

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CM Punk Nominated For 'Best Baddie At Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, by Greg Tingle - 7th October 2011

2011-10-08T18:18:00.000+11:00

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WWE’s vocal and self professed 'Best In The World' CM Punk tore up the orange carpet stage, just off a plane.

Punk is keen on showing Australian's he's the 'Best In The World', both in the ring and on the mic.

Upon hearing that Kyle Sandilands won the award Punk went on a rampage, as you might expect.

"People in America don't even know who Kyle Sandipants is", the 'Best In The World' WWE superstar ranted.

In the end Punk got slimmed in green by an announcer.

CM Punk had earlier been interviewed by SBS World News Australia which is showcased on YouTube.

He then exited the stage, but not before kicking Nick balls into the excited audience.

Stay tuned for more.

Photo by Eva Rinaldi Photography

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHUvzS9JzTs&feature=player_embedded

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www.wrestlingnewsmedia.com

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www.wwe.com

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http://www.wwe.com/superstars/raw/cmpunk

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Toronto 2011: Dominic Monaghan Thriller 'The Day' Picked Up by WWE Studios

2011-10-05T21:04:00.002+11:00

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The Day, which played in the Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness sidebar, has found a home at WWE Studios, which announced it has picked up U.S. distribution rights to the post-apocalyptic action thriller.

Directed by Doug Aarniokoski and written by Luke Passmore, the movie stars Shawn Ashmore, Ashley Bell, Cory Hardrict, Dominic Monaghan and Shannyn Sossamon as a group of survivors fighting to stay alive.

"The Day is a renegade thrill-ride that will not disappoint audiences," Michael Luisi, the newly named president of WWE Studios, said. "We went to Toronto looking for films to showcase and expand the WWE Studios brand and found exactly that with Doug's exceptional film.”

"The Day has been a wild ride from start to finish and we are very excited that we have found the right home to get the film out to the fans in a big way,” said director Aarniokoski, who is currently directing Nurse 3D for Lionsgate.

The film was produced by Guy A. Danella. Aarniokoski, Michael Finley, Tim James, Antonina Armato and Ross M. Dinerstein served as executive producers.

Kevin Iwashina of Preferred Content handled the sale, with Luisi and vp of business and legal affairs Bradley Buchanan negotiating for WWE Studios.

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Hulk Hogan, WWE, Marvel Entertainment, by Greg Tingle

2011-10-05T14:35:00.002+11:00

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Scoop: Hulk Hogan TNA retirement announcement may be real says insiders; Sting angle suggests part "work" YouTube link

Scoop: Mick Foley aka "Mankind" and "Cactus Jack" to return to WWE rings sooner rather than later; 1 to 6 more matches say insiders

Hulk Hogan slashes the price of his Florida mansion by a whopping $16 million...

He is said to be worth a staggering $32 million.

But former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan is so keen to add to his millions that he is slashing the price of his Florida mansion by $16m in a bid to sell it as fast as possible.
The 58-year-old muscle man just reduced the price of the huge home to just $8.85m - the fourth reduction in price since the home was originally listed back in 2006 at $25m.

And it seems he's not above using his celebrity status to help unload the 17,000sq ft Mediterranean-style mansion, which has five bedrooms and 8 bathrooms, and sits on the scenic Gulf of Mexico, in Clearwater.

The description on Realtor.com reads: 'Located on an exclusive tree lined street in the residential Town of Belleair, this exquisite residence is owned by television personality Hulk Hogan.'

The two story home, which was built in 1996, features a gym and spa, five-car garage and a pool with a two-tier waterfall.

The Tudor style property also boasts vaulted beamed ceilings and dark hardwood or tiled floor throughout as well as expansive living areas and lush gardens.

Hulk, whose real name is Terry Bollea, originally lived in the home with his ex-wife Linda, who filed for divorce from the star in November 2007.

The couple, along with their two children, Nick, 21, and Brooke, 23, filmed their reality show 'Hogan Knows Best' in the home.

Meanwhile, Hogan is currently getting slammed by mini wrestler Steve Richardson - aka 'Puppet the Psycho Dwarf' for allegedly ripping off his TV idea.

Steve, who is behind the little-person wrestling programme 'Half-Pint Brawlers' says that he's considering suing the Hulk for copying his venture.

Hulk's latest TV idea is also a dwarf-fighting show - Hulk Hogan's Micro Championship Wrestling (MCW) and Steve says it's just not fair.

"I have no ill feelings toward Hogan, but loads of his wrestlers are the guys I fired," The 42-year-old said. "They're using all the ideas everything I came up with. There's no individuality. They're following the same concepts. It's a violation of intellectual property rights," fumed the 4'4" strongman.

MCW owner Johnny Greene says Steve is flipping out over nothing: "We had this idea first, but they rushed to the network to get their show on the air first, figuring whoever got on the air first would capture the audience," he said.

"But their show sucked. They were doing midgets and 'Jackass,' and ours is a real wrestling show." Holding no punches Greene added: "Puppet's just trying to jump on the bandwagon because their business is dying."

Half Pint Brawlers, Inc was started 15 years ago but they have been having trouble holding down a TV series.

A spokesperson for Hogan declined to comment.

How Hulk Hogan blew his millions: Cars, houses, holidays...

Hulk Hogan blew "hundreds of millions" of dollars on palatial homes and fast cars.

The wrestling legend - real name Terry Bollea - admitted he wasted the vast sums of money he earned during his years in the WWE and WCW and is living in a rented home after slashing US$16 million (NZ$21m) off the price of his Florida mansion in order to get a quick sale.

The WWE Hall of Fame inductee told Good Morning America: "There were houses being bought, and cars being bought, and vacations for family members. There was eight, nine, $10 million, $11 million going out, so it got way off."

Despite his financial troubles, Hulk seemingly announced his retirement from professional wrestling on TNA TV show Impact Wrestling, claiming he wanted to break the news to his fans first because they always stuck by him through the major difficulties in his life, including a divorce from wife Linda in 2007.

However, speculation is rife his retirement is a 'work' - part of a wrestling storyline - and he will step inside the squared circle again against Sting at upcoming pay-per-view Bound For Glory.

Meanwhile, Hulk has run into trouble after attempting to boost his finances with his latest venture, a reality TV show on US network TruTV featuring miniature wrestlers, after midget competitor Steve Richardson - aka 'Puppet the Psycho Dwarf' - accused him of stealing his idea.

He said: "I have no ill feelings toward Hogan, but loads of his wrestlers are the guys I fired. They're using all the ideas everything I came up with. There's no individuality. They're following the same concepts. It's a violation of intellectual property rights."

MCW wrestling owner Johnny Greene said: "We had this idea first, but they rushed to Spike TV to get their show on the air first, figuring whoever got on the air first would capture the audience.

"But their show sucked. They were doing midgets and Jackass, and ours is a real wrestling show. Puppet's just trying to jump on the bandwagon because their business is dying."

Comic Book Movies, Games Et Al...

Be it movies, comics or games, we think that Marvel Entertainment leads the pack, followed by DC Comics, with Dark Horse Comics getting a third, based on the positive news leaks and insider tip offs we've been getting.

As Marvel living legend Stan Lee would say, Excelsior!

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2011-10-04T13:30:00.002+11:00

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Hugh Jackman denies breaking wrestler's jaw - 26th September 2011

2011-09-26T13:16:00.000+10:00

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Hugh Jackman admits that he punched a professional wrestler with all of his might - but disputes claims that he broke his jaw.

The Australian actor attended a WWE wrestling match on September 19 to promote his upcoming boxing film Real Steel. A guest of honour, Jackman was able to hang out in wrestler Zack Ryder's corner while the tournament took place.

At one point during the fight, Jackman travelled over to Dolph Ziggler's corner, Ryder's opponent. Jackman and Ziggler exchanged words and Ziggler received a clean punch to the jaw by the actor quickly thereafter.

"I hit him," Jackman told Entertainment Weekly.

"[Dolph] said, 'Hit me as hard as you can.' So I hit him pretty hard. And you can see it in my eyes. I watched [the clip] again, and you can see me going 'Uh oh' a little. I'm acting like, 'Yeah!' but I'm really like, 'S***, I kinda really clocked him in the jaw'."

Jackman insists that he didn't mean to clock Ziggler with so much force. Ziggler tweeted soon after the incident with claims that Jackman put a hairline fracture in his jaw.

"It was scripted that I would go for that punch," Jackman explained.

"But just before we went on, Dolph was yelling at me, 'You hit me man! Just f***ing hit me!' During rehearsal I said, 'I'd like to do it, but I've spent 20 years pulling punches, trying not to hit. Trying to make it look real, but not really hit.'

"He said, 'There's no way. There's cameras everywhere, there's crowd everywhere, there's no way we can 'whiff it', as they call it'."

Jackman is convinced that Ziggler may be embellishing the extent of his injury a little bit.

"The next day I read he really broke his jaw and I wasn't surprised - but I don't think he did," Jackman said.

"He's prone to exaggeration - which is why I hit him! Nah, just kidding!"

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WWE Internet Championship In Works; Zack Ryder Pushed By Top Brass And Hugh Jackman - 23rd September 2011

2011-09-25T19:10:00.000+10:00

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WWE's Zack Ryder is maintaining his rage to see an official WWE Internet Championship come to pass. Woo Woo Woo.

Contracted pro wrestler Dolph Ziggler tweeted that his mandible was fractured after the actor hit him this past Monday Night Raw, but some insiders say it was all an elaborate stunt. Wouldn't be the first time would it.

Aussie actor Hugh Jackman made a special appearance on Monday night's WWE Raw to promote his upcoming boxing film Real Steel, and got a little more than he bargained for, such is life in and around the WWE.

The actor, who has played beefed-up character Wolverine in Marvel's X-Men films since 2000, got into a been with notorious heel wrestler Dolph Ziggler, who insulted Jackman by calling him the wrong superhero name: Batman.

While this back-and-forth was surely staged, as WWE match-ups are, when Jackman delivered the planned punch, it may have achieved extra impact.

"MRI scheduled for 1 pm.....possible fractured jaw #thanksBatman," Ziggler wrote from his HEELZiggler Twitter account Tuesday. He later seemed to confirm the injury, following up with, "hairline mandibular fracture" tweet.

But, some are claiming that the entire injury is a hoax. TMZ reports that sources close to the wrestler say the entire thing was made up, but that the WWE wasn't in on Ziggler's joke.

Whatever the case, we here at Media Man love it. Keep it up.

Rumours remain that the likes of Mick Foley, Hulk Hogan and another former NWO member will soon return to WWE rings.

We can also confirm the return of the late, great, Andre The Giant this year (but in an online slot game - not in a wrestling ring). Ric Flair may also be following suit, and Kevin Nash is also understood to be keen to further explore online gaming opportunities. Don't change your dial.

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Media Man Website Network Consolidates Online - 23rd September 2011

2011-09-23T15:39:00.001+10:00

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The well known Media Man brand has consolidated online for the foreseeable future.

While Media Man still owns and operates over 20 website domain names, they have for the meantime consolidated the amount of online website portals that they operate.

Media Man will publish their most up to date news via their web blogs, as well as having some of them syndicated via a range of news media and entertainment website portals.

Their flagship websites are Media Man Int, Casino News Media, Global Gaming Directory, Wrestling News Media, Greg Tingle.com and Australian Sports Entertainment.

Greg Tingle remains the founder and director of Media Man.

Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company.

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WWE News: WWE Star Triple H Speaks On His Role, Stephanie McMahon, Movie Scoops and More...

2011-09-12T18:45:00.001+10:00

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In a new interview with Chris Yandek of cyinterview.com Triple H responds to his wrestling critics who believe he has received preferential treatment and greater opportunities on WWE TV, because he is married to Vince McMahon’s daughter, Stephanie.

"I know what I accomplished in this business," Triple H said. "I know why I accomplished it. I don’t. Critics and what people say about this or that or my marriage or any of that stuff is crap. It’s mostly started by people that are either jealous or angry that they failed where other people succeeded. I mean, that’s a common, I was told it when I started in the business.

"It’s a common saying in this business, you can make friends or you can make money. You can have buddies or you can get over. Which one do you want? You know, and they don’t come together. And I think, I don’t, I never look at it that way. I don’t have anything to prove to anybody. I’ll put my body of work up against anybody in the business. I’ll put my drawing power up against anybody in the business. That’s irrelevant. It’s people’s opinions”

Triple H follows up by stating what he believes the WWE product lacks today with the newer wrestlers in the company. He explains what these guys need to be successful.

"We’re a victim of our own success," he said. "There’s no place for guys to go and figure out how to do this. We have to teach them kind of and get them up to speed to speak. Even when you get guys off the independent scene, they are very much independent wrestlers and then the independent scene will, so these guys are the greatest guys in the world and you bring them up and they flounder on the big stage. They can’t. They can’t. It’s a completely different animal and a completely different world and you have to, it’s relearning and re-teaching. That’s the biggest, I think, struggle we have is getting these guys there.

"But listen, at the end of the day, you just have to find guys with the right charisma and they have to be the ones to put that charisma out there. Nobody told The Rock how to be The Rock…Work rate is important, guy’s skill in the ring is important, but at the end of the day it’s about charisma. It’s the ability to draw fans to arenas and the guy that draws the most fans to the arena for whatever reason, positive or negative, he’s the top guy.”

He does believe the WWE product could be bigger than the 7.0 ratings that were put up during the WWE Attitude Era:

"Do I think it can ever get that big again? History can repeat. I say without a doubt. I think it can be even bigger…What tomorrow brings, no one knows.”

Finally, Hunter talks about winning the majority of vintage wrestling auctions from his mentor “Killer” Kowalski. He says they are working on a real WWE Hall of Fame for people to see all the historic wrestling items.

“I think I was gone on the road for SummerSlam, but I had somebody at the office bid online and I got I think like 99 percent of everything wrestling-wise, which I’m glad I did. I just didn’t want that to go to somebody that just hid it away somewhere. I wanted the world to be able to see how great he really was. And do I think they’ll ever be a hall of fame? Yes. I think they’ll be a physical hall of fame.

"That’s something we’re working on. It’s definitely in the works. It’s just a matter of when, where. Is it a traveling hall of fame? Is it a permanent place? There’s a lot of questions and thoughts on it and we’re in the process of collecting things to put in there. But the Kowalski stuff for me was as much a legend in this business was also a very personal thing for me.”

Triple H also talks about his movie role in Inside Out out this weekend and many other wrestling topics including his favorite memory. Check out the write up and listen to the entire interview at CY Interview.

Paul 'Triple H' Levesque talks about 'Inside Out'...

"Paul, WWE has tried to make movies in the past and ... well ... and ... " I said very cautiously remembering that "Paul" is pro wrestler Triple H, who is about 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds.

"Come on, don't be shy. I've seen them," Paul Levesque said.

"Well, they haven't been very good," I continued cringing.

"Things are changing," he said. "We actually have some real stars in this one!"

In the past two years, WWE Studios has made "Legendary," "Knucklehead," "The Chaperone" and "That's What I Am." And WWE likely made more money at one pay-per-view event than those four movies brought in.

But Levesque is starring with "real stars" Michael Rapaport, Parker Posey and Bruce Dern in "Inside Out," a movie coming out Friday about prison, the mob and redemption.

"I read the script and really thought it was great," Levesque said about the role originally slated for David Batista, who was hung up in contract negotiations. "This movie isn't all about action. It's a drama with a message."

Levesque, a 42-year-old Connecticut resident, enjoys making movies but doesn't want to do it for a living, like former pro wrestling stars such as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

"I remember a conversation with owner Vince McMahon in 1999 or 2000 and he wanted the Rock and I do to more movies," said Levesque, who has been married to McMahon's daughter, Stephanie, for nearly eight years. "The Rock was really interested in that. I was crushed, really. I didn't want to do that. I loved wrestling so much and I still do today."

Levesque's most memorable role has been as Jarko in "Blade: Trinity," along with his current co-star Posey. Even after the release of this film, Levesque is taking it one movie at a time.

"I like going to work and coming home to my family, my kids and my dog," Levesque said. "If I wanted to, I could make phone calls in Hollywood and get more movie roles. But I have no interest in that. Wrestling is my passion." (Credit: ESPN)

Michael Luisi to Head WWE Studios...

STAMFORD, Conn., Sep 07, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) - WWE today announced that Michael Luisi has been named President, WWE Studios, effective immediately. In his new role, Luisi will oversee WWE Studios and all of its motion picture productions and initiatives worldwide. Luisi will continue to report directly to WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon.

"Michael's vast knowledge of, and experience in, the motion picture industry make him a tremendous asset for WWE Studios," said Vince McMahon. "I am confident Michael will continue to expand our motion picture business on all platforms worldwide."

WWE Studios will continue to diversify its motion picture portfolio (theatrical, Home Video, VOD) and expand its global audience through strategic production and distribution partnerships, while leveraging WWE's core fan base of over 500 million households worldwide. Luisi's seasoned film background and strong industry relationships will play a key role in the execution of the strategy. Prior to joining WWE, Luisi spent twelve years at Miramax Films, most recently as Executive Vice President, Worldwide Operations. In that role, Luisi oversaw the day to day operations of Miramax, as well as serving as the principal business advisor to the president of Miramax and primary liaison with then parent company Disney. Luisi's new position will enable WWE Studios to expand the WWE studios brand and productions worldwide.

The first project Luisi will oversee for WWE Studios is "No One Lives," a co-production between Pathe Pictures and WWE Studios starring Luke Evans (The Immortals) and directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, which is currently in post production. Luisi brought the project to WWE shortly after joining the company in January 2011 as its Executive Vice President of Business Development & General Counsel.

About WWE

WWE, a publicly traded company WWE is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul and Tokyo.

Additional information on WWE WWE can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide.

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television distribution agreements; the need for continually developing creative and entertaining programming; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent McMahon; the conditions of the markets in which we compete and acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; our exposure to bad debt risk; uncertainties relating to regulatory and litigation matters; risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of our markets; uncertainties associated with international markets; the importance of protecting our intellectual property and complying with the intellectual property rights of others; risks associated with producing and travelling to and from our large live events, both domestically and internationally; the risk of accidents or injuries during our physically demanding events; risks relating to our film business and any new business initiative which we may undertake; risks relating to the large number of shares of common stock controlled by members of the McMahon family and the possibility of the sale of their stock by the McMahons or the perception of the possibility of such sales; the relatively small public float of our stock; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends, general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant. SOURCE: WWE

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Wrestling News Media: Dwayne Johnson aka "The Rock" Bringing Hulk Hogan And Roddy Piper’s Legendary Stories To TV / Movies; NBC Talk, by Greg Tingle

2011-08-30T14:50:00.001+10:00

Scoop: PartyCasino.com By Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment To Get Andre The Giant Online Slot Game

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Dwayne Johnson and Jerry Bruckheimer are teaming up for a new TV project, set in the world of competitive wrestling in the ’80s. The NBC offering hails from Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television; Johnson (“Fast Five”) will be an EP on the project but no word on whether he’ll actually appear in the series. Deadline says it will be written by Brent Fletcher and Seamus Kevin Fahey (”Spartacus: Gods of the Arena”), who will co-executive produce alongside KristieAnne Reed. Johnson will next be seen in the Uni tentpole “G.I Joe : Retalliation”.

NBC Buys Dwayne Johnson-Bruckheimer Wrestling Drama Set In 1980s...

NBC is getting in the ring with a put pilot commitment to a drama about the 1980s professional wrestling boom that is executive produced by one of the biggest ’90s wrestling stars, Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock. The fictional drama set in the world of wrestling in the ’80s hails from Bruckheimer TV, marking a departure from the company’s signature brand of procedurals. It will be written by Brent Fletcher and Seamus Kevin Fahey (Spartacus: Gods of the Arena), who will co-executive produce alongside KristieAnne Reed. Johnson, Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman are executive producing.

The ’80s, often called “the golden age of wrestling”, marked a surge in the popularity of professional wrestling in the U.S. fueled by the growth of cable television and pay-per-view and the efforts of hot-shot promoters like Vince McMahon. During that period, pro wrestling shifted from a system controlled by numerous regional companies to a system dominated by two nationwide companies: Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling and McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation. It featured the launch of WrestleMania and the emergence of wrestling’s first crop of superstars led by Hulk Hugan. The project extends the popularity of period dramas among the broadcast networks, which have two such series, the 1960s-set Pan Am on ABC and The Playboy Club on NBC, premiering this fall. It also expands wrestling’s presence at NBCUniversal. NBC’s sibling network USA carries WWE Raw as well as the revival of WWE Tough Enough. This is the third sale and third put pilot commitment for Bruckheimer TV so far this development season. The company recently set up a Navy SEALs drama at ABC and a procedural about a mom-turned-New York State Trooper at CBS. Fahey, repped by UTA and Underground Films & Management, previously worked with Bruckheimer TV as a writer on the ABC series The Forgotten. Fletcher is with CAA.

Bruce Willis is on board for New Orleans-shot 'G.I. Joe 2,' co-star Dwayne Johnson confirms...

Rumors have been swirling for weeks involving Bruce Willis' reported negotiations to join the New Orleans cast of Paramount Pictures' big-budget, high-octane "G.I. Joe" sequel. This weekend, confirmation finally came -- from none other than "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" co-star Dwayne Johnson.

Johnson, who has been generous with the Twitter updates since arriving in town last month to begin prepping for the film, let the cat out of the bag Saturday (Aug. 20) with the following tweet:

"Welcome brother Bruce Willis to the cast of GI Joe! What an honor. #HeavyArtillery."

Paramount hasn't issued an official announcement yet, but Willis reportedly had been in talks to play Gen. Joe Colton, the character who started the G.I. strike team in the 1980s comic books and who is referred to by many as the "original" G.I. Joe.

He joins a cast that includes Johnson, as Roadblock; Adrienne Palicki, as Lady Jaye; and Channing Tatum, reprising his role as Capt. Duke Hauser from 2009's "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra."

Jon M. Chu ("Step Up 3D," "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never") is directing.

It's only the latest in a string of recent New Orleans-shot projects for Willis, including "RED," "Looper," "Lay the Favorite" and "Fire with Fire."

The big-budget "G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation" started filming last week as part of an extended shoot that is expected to see it continue to Thanksgiving. The film is scheduled for a July 29, 2012, release.

Andre The Giant Slot Game Developed By NextGen Gaming

Legendary wrestler Andre The Giant now has his own slot game. The game was developed by developer NextGen Gaming. The slot game is expected to go live before the conclusion of this year and is tipped to be added to the portfolio of PartyCasino.com Media Man reports.

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Wrestling News Media: Ric Flair And Hulk Hogan News

2011-08-27T16:36:00.002+10:00

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Ric Flair: Boozing Has Not Damaged My Heart...

Wrestling icon Ric Flair is furious over an article which claims the Nature Boy is suffering from a serious medical condition caused by years of hardcore boozing ... because Ric claims it's not true and now he's threatening to sue.

The unflattering article -- which paints Flair as a troubled, irresponsible mess of a person -- ran on an ESPN affiliated website called Grantland.com ... and the report is mostly based on court documents.

But Flair is particularly pissed about the reporter's claim that he suffers from Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy -- a disease caused by years of alcohol abuse which often leads to heart failure.

A rep for Flair whose real name is Richard Fliehr - tells TMZ, "While the information gleaned from courthouse records may be credible, Mr. Fliehr is currently evaluating his legal options with respect to falsehoods in the story, specifically the untrue statement that he suffers from alcoholic cardiomyopathy."

The rep adds, "Our client understands that these allegations are part of the territory when you are not only famous, but a living legend."

Hulk Hogan And Friends Tours American Casinos And Arenas; Gamble Paying Off...

Hulk and Friends, the live show that has been touring the country with stops at casinos, fairgrounds, arenas and other venues, announced that fans will have the chance to meet their favorite wrestlers in a unique and up-close setting on Saturday, October 8, 2011 at 7:30 P.M. at the famous AG Hall, now known as the Agri-Plex within the Allentown Fairgrounds, in Allentown PA.

"I'm really looking forward to meeting all my fans in the Allentown area on October 8th" Hulk Hogan said. "We are having a great time doing this show. Meeting the fans, telling jokes, and brother, everybody's laughing more than we have in years" he continued. Not only will all the fan favorites be there but Hulk Hogan promises to bring some very special guests along with him. "You never know who is going to show up at a Hulk and Friends Show" he added.

Tickets will be going on sale August 5th through Ticketmaster. A limited number of ringside seats (which include a VIP Meet and Greet) are also available. For those interested in sponsorship opportunities, please go to the official website www.hulkandfriends.com

Media Man Website Network Attracting Close To 6 Million Hits Per Month...

The well known Media Man website network, the online arm of Media Man, is attracting close to 6 million hits per month. The company was established in 2001 and coverage over a dozen different business sectors. Some of the Media Man website portals are listed in the Hitwise Australia top ten (entertainment - personalities category). Media Man is currently focused on the celebrity, film and television, technology, gaming and community sector. They plan to further ramp up their Casino News Media, Property News Media and Wrestling News Media brands.

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WWE Studios rethinks its strategy after shooting seven films in New Orleans

2011-08-14T16:03:00.002+10:00

WWE Studios rethinks its strategy after shooting seven films in New Orleans...

WWE Studios' New Orleans experiment might not be down for the count, exactly. But the wrestling-linked outfit's unique local strategy -- in which it shot seven films in town in less than two years, including the just-wrapped "No One Lives" -- is definitely changing.

WWE Studios chief Mike Pavone, who had been a near-constant presence in New Orleans for the better part of a year and a half, is leaving the company "to pursue other opportunities," according to a report this week in the trade paper Variety. That follows by days remarks from WWE honcho Vince McMahon that the company is rethinking its film strategy.

Taking advantage of Louisiana's filmmaking tax credits was a key to that strategy, which was Pavone's brainchild, dreamed up after the locally shot, bigger-budgeted 2009 action film "12 Rounds" performed poorly at the box office in the wake of a marketing push by distributor 20th Century Fox that was lackluster at best.

The Pavone plan was intended to keep the budgets of the studio's films -- mostly family-friendly fare on his watch, ranging in genre from comedies to a period drama -- in the $5 million range, a bargain by Hollywood standards. In addition to taking advantage of Louisiana tax credits, it signed a new deal with independent distributor Samuel Goldwyn Films that gave the studio more say in marketing strategy.

Another key to it all, though, was Pavone's mass-production concept, in which production on one film cranked up just as its predecessor was wrapping, allowing the studio to roll much of its crew over from film to film and tamp down startup costs.

That was great for local film-industry workers hired by the studio, as they saw steady work with largely the same group of people for more than a year. And local movie buffs got to see New Orleans on the big screen. (Particularly memorable: Michael Rappaport's black-and-gold Super Bowl XLIV shirt in the forthcoming "Inside Out," albeit a shirt of questionable copyright.)

WWE's bean counters didn't have much to complain about, either -- at least not at first.

"This whole idea is based on a television model," Pavone said in a September interview on the New Orleans set of the forthcoming "Bending the Rules," starring Jamie Kennedy and wrestler Adam "Edge" Copeland. "Amortizing your costs over several movies, you roll the same crews over and over, you don't have to spend all the money for startup and shutdown costs, which could be to the tune of six grand a day to start up in a new place and hire new people and hire stage space.

"We make all of our deals based on multiple movies, so they give us some better rates and on and on. We found out we save a million dollars a movie."

Unfortunately, while all of that meant savings on the production side, it didn't necessarily translate into quality at the box office. Pavone tried to lend his films credibility by signing established actors -- including Ed Harris, Patricia Clarkson, Danny Glover, Michael Rappaport and Parker Posey -- to star alongside a selection of WWE wrestler/actors. But audiences didn't respond.

The new distribution deal didn't help matters. It was built around a cost-cutting plan to give each film a limited theatrical release followed just weeks later by DVD releases -- meaning WWE Studios would foot the bill for just one, rather than two, advertising campaigns. But the results apparently weren't much different than when Fox had the reins.

Although WWE Studios generated $4.3 million in the past three months, its latest release -- the coming-of-age comedy "That's What I Am," starring Harris and directed by Pavone -- lost $3.3 million during the second quarter after mustering only $6,400 from 10 theaters in three days at the box office, Variety reported.

After getting an exclusive DVD release at Walmart on May 17, "That's What I Am" -- shot mostly in Jefferson -- gets a wide home-video release on Tuesday (Aug. 16).

As for what direction the studio will take next, a hint could be in "No One Lives," which just wrapped production on the north shore.

That film saw the studio team with Pathe U.K., part of a strategy to share costs with other production partners. As a horror flick directed by Ryuhei Kitamura ("Midnight Meat Train"), it also might signal a shift toward more genre fare, Variety speculated, after Pavone's slate of mostly feel-good dramas and family fare didn't appeal to the company's fan base.

And, it's worth noting, Louisiana is apparently still part of the picture.

WWE Studio's Snapshot...

A look at WWE Studios' films shot locally under the supervision of recently departed executive Mike Pavone:

"Knucklehead," available on DVD now.

"Legendary" (working title: "Brother's Keeper"), available on DVD now.

"The Chaperone," available on DVD now.

"That's What I Am" (working titles: "Big Red," "Big Ginger") available Tuesday on DVD.

"Inside Out", set for limited theatrical release Sept. 9.

"Bending the Rules," release date unannounced.

"No One Lives," just wrapped production.

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WWE Wrestling Mixing With Hollywood; Mainstream News Continues, by Greg Tingle - 13th August 2011

2011-08-13T19:05:00.001+10:00

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Pro Wrestling Stars Keen On Casino, Gaming And Online Casino Dealings...

Ric Flair aka "The Nature Boy" was the first, but not last, pro wrestler to cash in on his name in the gambling sector. Flair is the front man for tthe Carolina's Education Lottery with his Wooooo tickets, now in their second campaign. Hulk Hogan followed the money trail to gambling with his Hulk-A-Mania slot machine deal with the Dreamseekers Foundation, but you will have to travel to Californian casinos to check out the game. Hogan also has an online slot on the way in a deal inked with Endomol Games UK. The online slot is expected to hit casinos such as PartyCasino before the end of this year. An Andre The Giant online game is also rumoured to be soon released by North Sydney based NextGen Gaming. Kevin "Diesel" Nash even has some game promos on his official website. Media Man is understood to be the first port of call for the scoops relating to wrestling - gaming deals. PartyCasino currently offers the Sumo slot game, but its not a touch on what a Hogan or Flair online slot will be. Punters, the good news is that the online slots can be played for free or for money, but if you don't bet, you can't win (for real) either, but you won't loose money if you play in that fashion either. Many players are trying out the online games for free, before placing down money. You must be 18 years old or over to play the online slot games in most countries.

Clooney hooks up with WWE wrestler Stacy Keibler...

Just a couple of months after George Clooney broke up with Elisabetta Canalis, he has a new girlfriend, Stacy Keibler, 18 years his junior.

The 50-year-old had done well for himself, extremely well, if the general consensus was anything to go by, after all, there is no denying that the Italian, 32 , had a figure to be envied.

But by George! He's only gone and done it again, as these pictures of his latest paramour prove, and Clooney's new girl has an even better figure than Canalis.

Stacy Keibler, an actress and model, has been fighting professionally in the past.

Clooney’s girlfriend, aged 32, was a successful WWE wrestler, famed because her 42 inch legs allowed her to step in and out of the ring with ease and panache.

Keibler, who hails from Maryland, is incredibly proud of her endless pins, she was quoting as saying: 'Anybody can go out and buy boobs, but you're either blessed with attractive legs or you're not.'

But don't let these statistics fool you into thinking that Clooney was merely attracted to Keibler's comely form.

Us Weekly report that Clooney was bedazzled by the leggy blonde's witty banter.

They report a source as saying: 'They like each other's sense of humour.'

The friend added: 'They have been really close for two years, Stacey is a superchill girl, and George has the same personality.'

Hulk's girl Brooke Hogan gets nude in a cage...

Reality TV star Brooke Hogan has left her wrestling legend dad in a knot over raunchy nude photo campaign for animal rights charity PETA.

The exposing black and white snaps of the 23-year-old naked and behind bars left her dad, Hulk Hogan, red-faced when he viewed the pictures at an exhibition yesterday. See the photos here

Wrestling hero Hulk, real name Terry Gene Bollea, jokingly tried to spare his daughter's blushes by covering up the revealing portraits with his hands.

The shots are part of the PETA's Women In Cages exhibition held in Cafeina Lounge, Miami, Florida which the curvy Hogan Knows Best star Brooke supported by going nude.

Moustachioed muscle-man Hulk had been attending the bash on his 58th birthday along with his wife Jennifer McDaniel and the ex-wrestler and his family were treated to a giant cake adorned with his name in silver lettering.

Hulk Hogan's Micro Championship Wrestling

truTV Announces Premiere Dates for Three Compelling New Series
Network Reveals Premieres of New Seasons of Seven Returning Original Series, Plus the Debut of Hit Series Wipeout
truTV – which is coming off another record-setting quarter in reaching young adults – has lined up an extensive programming slate for the end of 2011 that includes three new series, seven returning hits and the network's biggest series acquisition ever.

The new series Bear Swamp Recovery, about a larger-than-life family-owned repo business, is set to debut Aug. 22, followed by the Sept. 14 premiere of Hulk Hogan's MCW, which will take viewers behind the scenes of a new professional wrestling league. truTV's third new series of the fall and winter, the hidden-camera prank series Impractical Jokers, will arrive in December.

On Sept. 2, truTV adds its biggest series acquisition, the popular competition show Wipeout. Seven of truTV's original series are also set to return, including the hits Hardcore Pawn, Lizard Lick Towing, Full Throttle Saloon and Black Gold.

truTV just scored its most-watched second quarter ever in primetime delivery of three key demos: adults 18-49, men 18-34 and men 18-49. The network, which is growing in popularity with younger viewers, increased its delivery of adults 18-34 by 11% and men 18-34 by 7% in the second quarter.

The following is a rundown of truTV's new and returning series for 2011:

New Original Series
Bear Swamp Recovery – New series premiering Monday, Aug. 22, with back-to-back episodes at 10 and 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT)
Bear Swamp, where the business is big but the family is even bigger, follows PJ Vinch, who runs a booming New Jersey repo company with the help of his senior-with-an-attitude father and his teen son. With a repo order in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other, these bulky Sicilians never hesitate to take jobs other companies can't handle, from massive construction equipment to luxury yachts at the Jersey shore to an entire fleet of racecars. They always get the goods, and they never miss a meal. Bear Swamp Recovery comes to truTV from Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment.

Hulk Hogan's MCW – New series premieres Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Hulk Hogan, one of the legendary stars of pro wrestling, believes you need to start small if you want to win big. Now he's lending his expertise to the new Micro Championship Wrestling, where he gives little wrestlers advice on recruiting, training and mentoring. It's all with the goal of getting the MCW off the ground and into the arena. Hulk Hogan's MCW comes to truTV from Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment.

Impractical Jokers – New series coming in December
Since they were kids, Sal, Murr, Q and Joe have dared one another to do the most ridiculous, humiliating public pranks imaginable. Now, to find out who's best under pressure, they'll compete in unbelievably awkward social experiments – all recorded on camera. The loser must do the most mortifying challenge ever. Impractical Jokers comes to truTV from NorthSouth Productions.

New Acquired Series
Wipeout – Acquired series to air Fridays at 8 p.m. (ET/PT), beginning Sept. 2
truTV has acquired exclusive, off-network cable rights to air this exciting series in which contestants face wildly outrageous barriers, from Big Balls to complex contraptions, for the chance at winning a cash prize. Wipeout, which is also shown in numerous international versions around the globe, ranks among the world's top-rated game shows. The series was recently voted by Entertainment Weekly's readers as "Reality TV's Guiltiest Pleasure."

Returning Series
Lizard Lick Towing – Season 1 returns Monday, Aug. 22, at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT); Season 2 coming in November
Las Vegas Jailhouse – Season 4 launches Sunday, Sept. 4, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Operation Repo – Season 9 launches Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT)
Police POV – Season 2 launches in November
Hardcore Pawn – Season 5 coming in November
Black Gold – Season 4 coming in November
Full Throttle Saloon – Season 3 coming in November

About truTV
truTV is television's destination for real-life stories told from an exciting and dramatic first-person perspective. Currently seen in 93 million U.S. households, the network is enjoying its best deliveries ever in key demographics. truTV features high-stakes, action-packed originals that give viewers access to places and situations they can't normally experience. truTV's primetime fan favorites include the original series Hardcore Pawn, All Worked Up, Lizard Lick Towing, Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura, Black Gold, Operation Repo and World's Dumbest… During the daytime, the channel features expert trial coverage under the name In Session.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

About truTV
truTV is television's destination for real-life stories told from an exciting and dramatic first-person perspective. Currently seen in 93 million U.S. households, the network is enjoying its best deliveries ever in key demographics. truTV features high-stakes, action-packed originals that give viewers access to places and situations they can't normally experience. truTV's primetime fan favorites include the original series Hardcore Pawn, All Worked Up, Lizard Lick Towing, Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura, Black Gold, Operation Repo and World's Dumbest… During the daytime, the channel features expert trial coverage under the name In Session.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

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Finding Hulk Hogan

2011-08-04T01:44:00.001+10:00

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Terry Bollea, better known as Hulk Hogan, has been world-famous for almost thirty years. From the fan frenzy of Hulkamania all the way through to the tabloid-driven fascination with his family, Hulk has lived his entire adult life in the public eye.

Losing nearly everything in the aftermath of his divorce, a pending lawsuit from his son's tragic car accident, and a body riddled with injuries from years in the ring, Hogan must now start over at a time when he thought he would be happily settled into his retirement. Emotional, and completely honest, "Finding Hulk Hogan" tells his side of the story -- and gives viewers a Hulk Hogan they've never seen before.

Weaving together verit footage, Hogan gives fans a stark glimpse at his entire life, including his darkest moments of depression, thoughts of suicide, alcohol and prescription pill abuse, his broken marriage, losing his entire fortune, deciding to return to Totally Nonstop Action (TNA) wrestling despite severe medical warnings, making amends with his children, finding God and committing to his girlfriend, Jennifer McDaniel. Candid interviews with Hogan and the people in his life help chronicle the ups and downs and round out the story of a man who is trying to rebuild the pieces of his empire and move forward with his life.

"Finding Hulk Hogan" is produced by Bischoff Hervey Entertainment. Eric Bischoff, Jason Hervey and Terry Bollea are the Executive Producers. A&E Executive Producers are Robert Sharenow and Andy Berg.

About A&E Network

A&E is "Real Life. Drama." Now reaching more than 99 million homes, A&E is television that you can't turn away from; where unscripted shows are dramatic and scripted dramas are authentic. A&E offers a diverse mix of high quality entertainment ranging from the network's original scripted series to signature non-fiction franchises, including the Emmy-winning "Intervention," "Dog The Bounty Hunter," "Hoarders," "Paranormal State" and "Criss Angel Mindfreak," and the most successful justice shows on cable, including "The First 48" and "Manhunters." The A&E website is located at www.aetv.com

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Comic-Con, Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Comics, WWE And Pro Wrestling News Update, by Greg Tingle - 26th July 2011

2011-07-26T17:53:00.001+10:00

Comic-Con, Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Comics, WWE And Pro Wrestling News Update, by Greg Tingle - 26th July 2011

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Comic-Con - Comics And WWE Pro Wrestling Aka Sports Entertainment Do Mix; Just Ask CM Punk And Triple H...

What a big week its been for comic book, comic book movie and pro wrestling fans. Wrestling fans are welcoming in the WWE Reality Era or Triple H era, depending upon what cliq of fans you ask, with Mr McMahon relieved of his duties, and CM Punk running a mock, including his apparent unscheduled appearance at Comic Com, where he interrupted the WWE - Mattel presser, and showed off his WWE Title (that he "stole" from the WWE at their most recent PPV event). WWE is mixing together real life situations with storylines in a way which has even hardcore fans and "dirt sheet" writers a bit confused. Sure beats the old World Wrestling Federation days where many stupid and down right insulting gimmicks and unrealistic storylines where shoved down the fans throats.

Here's the YouTube clip of CM Punks' invasion of Comic Con.

Here's the official WWE write up of the event on their official website...
http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/punk-invaded-comic-con

CM Punk invaded Comic-Con, mocking Triple H and WWE - 22nd July 2011...

It seems that the de facto holder of the WWE Championship and former WWE Superstar CM Punk is not done poking a stick at his previous place of business.

Thursday morning, during Mattel's WWE panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2011, the ex-WWE Superstar reemerged with the WWE Title still in his possession, strolling into a conference room where Triple H, Hall of Famer Bret “Hit Man” Hart and Rey Mysterio were answering questions.

Punk promptly began to ridicule Triple H – the very Superstar and WWE executive who recently relieved Mr. McMahon of his leadership duties as WWE Chairman on Monday Night Raw.

Punk's mocking led to an intense verbal confrontation between Punk and Triple H. When Punk asked the subject of his scorn, “how’s life in Fantasy Land?” Triple H responded, “how’s the unemployment line?”

Addressing Rey Mysterio about WWE’s match this Monday night on Raw to crown a new WWE Champion, Punk invited The Master of the 619 to Chicago anytime that he wants a title opportunity.

Triple H tried to maintain his professional decorum. After pointing out that “a champion performs,” he informed Punk that “it is a new regime” in WWE, inviting Punk to “give [him] a call and maybe [they] could work something out.”

In the end, the self-exiled Punk left as swiftly as he emerged, brandishing the WWE Championship as he went.

The new head of WWE continued to address the situation after the disruption was over, commenting that he was astounded that the WWE Universe continued to cheer for Punk while Punk was refusing to perform for them. He pointed out that that was what true WWE Champions had been doing “day in and day out” throughout the history of WWE.

This public interruption came on the heels of the monumental events of Sunday, July 17 at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. There, The Second City Saint stunned the WWE Universe by defeating John Cena, exiting through the crowd and leaving the company without its most coveted title.

Late Friday night, WWE.com was granted permission by WWE executives to show footage of Punk's interruption, caught by WWE cameras during the Comic-Con Q & A.

To watch Punk at Comic-Con, click here. http://vids.wwe.com/e/25027139

Comic Book Icon Stan Lee Appears At Day 3 Of Comic-Con; Stan Lee, Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola To Make Appearances...

SAN DIEGO -- Marvel comic book icon Stan Lee, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and the Captain America Monster Truck were among the special appearances on Saturday at Comic-Con, San Diego's annual event held at the convention center.

Stan Lee, best known as the creator of Spider Man, X-Men and the Fantastic Four was on hand to reveal details about an upcoming digital book called "The Seekers," including details about the story behind the work for MTV Comics and information to let artists and writers know how to submit their work in hopes of collaborating on the project.

Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola will appear to promote his new film, "Twixt" a gothic romance horror movie to star Val Kilmer.

One day after the premier of "Captain America: The First Avenger," Marvel Entertainment and Feld Motor Sports will unveil the Captain America Monster Truck, a 10,000-pound 1,500-horsepower beast which cost more than $250,000.

Neil Vanderberg, the lead designer of Monstergeddon: Superhero Smash Up, where the truck will be used to perform stunts next summer, will give interviews.

Spiritual guru Deepak Chopra and comic book writer Grant Morrison will discuss the superhero's role in the social fabric, and the meaning of the superhero archetype.

Other noteworthy events for the day include a panel discussion from Activision and Marvel representatives on upcoming video games, a sketch class with DC artist Adam Hughes and an appearance by stars of television series' Family Guy, Futurama, Community and The Simpsons.

Comic-Con started in 1970 as a modest comic book fair and has since grown into a premier pop culture extravaganza for the fantasy-minded. With a four-day attendance of 126,000, the event has become a major Hollywood marketing tool.

WWE Divas At Comic-Con...

WWE had Kelly Kelly and Alicia Fox making the rounds at the San Diego Comic-Con this weekend. Besides interviewing celebrities for what appeared to be WWE website segments, the two attended several parties including a SyFy/E! party and a Camp Playboy Party.

WWE.com Exclusive: CM Punk tells the WWE Universe he's back (multimedia)

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Hulk Hogan and a Porn Star Lend Their Voices to Saints Row: The Third...

The Hulkster will play the role of Angel, leader of the Lucadores street gang

Saints Row is centered around its zaniness, so it's only right that each game feature some well-known celebrity voices to make everything that much more surreal. Saints Row 2 had Neil Patrick Harris, Michael Dorn, and Keith David, and for Saints Row: The Third, a former porn star and the Hulkster have been tapped to lend their voices.

THQ's announcement on the first wave of celebrity voice actors for The Third includes Sasha Grey, a former porn star who has since begun dabbling in acting and modeling. She'll play the role of Viola DeWynter. Angel De LaMuerte, a "legendary professional wrestler," will be played by Hulk Hogan, the former WWF/WWE wrestler who now, even at the age of 57, has the occasional wrestling match in TNA Wrestling, a WWE competitor. Rounding out the cast is Daniel Dae Kim, who will again assume the role of Johnny Gat, one of the leaders of the Third Street Saints.

More celebrity voice actors are to come, according to THQ -- this is only the first bunch. There's plenty of time for more reveals to come, as The Third won't be out until November 15.

Both Grey and Hogan will be at Comic-Con this week to sign autographs and promote the game. No word yet on if Hogan will make gratuitous use of the word "brother" in his voice acting sessions.

THQ @ Comic Con SD 2011 - Saints Row the Third 3D Projection Show (Multimedia)

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THQ @ Comic Con SD 2011 - Interview with Hulk Hogan on Saints Row the Third (Multimedia)

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The Spider-Man Panel: Spider-Island, Punisher, Daredevil, Return of the Spider-Clone [Comic-Con]...

Senior Editor Steve Wacker led an all-star panel of Spider-Man talent on Friday at Comic-Con International in San Diego, where the Marvel crew discussed what fans can expect from the upcoming "Spider Island" event, whereby everybody in Manhattan finds themselves in possession of the same powers as Spider-Man, as well as new series like Daredevil and The Punisher. Panelists included Zeb Wells of Avenging Spider-Man, Humberto Ramos of Amazing Spider-Man, Mark Waid of Daredevil, Rick Remender of Venom, Nick Spencer of Spider Island: Cloack and Dagger, Antony Johnston of Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, Greg Rucka of The Punisher, Marvel's Director of Communications Arune Singh and Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso.

The panel began with a video message from Dan Slott, writer of Amazing Spider-Man and architect of "Spider-Island," who said that in the story Mayor J. Jonah Jameson has quarantined New York, which becomes known as Spider Island. "Characters you know and love from Spider-Man history will have the same powers as Peter Parker," Slott said. While discussion of the project centered around Spider-Man taking the heroic lead and "having his moment" as major player in the Marvel Universe, Slott did add, "This is the most fun, guilty pleasure you will have all summer."

The eight-part main "Spider-Island" story begins in Amazing Spider-Man #666, on sale July 27.

Naturally, the event will have numerous tie-ins:

"I've been begging to work on a Clock and Dagger book since I got to Marvel," said Spencer. "Emma Rios is turning in the work of her career. It's a fantastic, beautiful book to look at it.

"The book is really about a relationship. We don't have a lot of books about couples. In Cloak and Dagger, we're telling this story about these two people trying to live together and make it work against the backdrop of Spider Island. It's really fun and we're enormously proud of this book."

The panelists indicated that there is a desire to produce more Cloak and Dagger stories and hope audiences enjoy the Spider Island tie-in.

Get Another Look At The Characters Of Ultimate Marvel. Vs. Capcom 3...

Last week, we announced Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 at San Diego Comic-Con. During the panels at Comic-Con, Marvel and Capcom each showed exclusive gameplay videos to attendees featuring the first four characters revealed… Strider, Firebrand, Ghost Rider and Hawkeye.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 will take the epic battle to all new heights with 12 new characters from the Marvel and Capcom universes, a refined fighting system, eight new stages and new modes when it releases for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this November for the low MSRP of $39.99.

For assets, including screenshots, art and videos check out the press center at press.capcom.com. And for more info, head over to Capcom-Unity.com.

Marvel Entertainment and The LEGO Group Announce Strategic Relationship in Construction Toy Category...

-LEGO SUPER HEROES Marvel Branded Collection to Launch at Retail 2012-

BILLUND, Denmark, July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Two of the world's most iconic brands are joining forces as The LEGO Group, world leader in high quality construction toys, and Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a global character -based entertainment company, announced a wide ranging strategic licensing deal. Through the multi-year agreement starting as of January 1st, 2012, Marvel has granted LEGO Group the rights to develop a distinct Marvel branded construction toy collection -- LEGO SUPER HEROES -- which will bring the characters, vehicles and action of Marvel's renowned universe to the world of LEGO® build-and-play adventure. The LEGO SUPER HEROES Marvel collection's initial construction sets, minifigures and buildable characters are scheduled to launch in May of 2012.

The LEGO SUPER HEROES Marvel collection will spotlight three Marvel franchises – Marvel's The Avengers movie, and X-Men and Spider-Man classic characters. The LEGO Marvel's The Avengers movie line brings such ever popular Marvel characters as Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, Loki and Black Widow to LEGO minifigure form. The LEGO X-Men collection includes minifigure comic versions of Wolverine, Magneto, Nick Fury and Deadpool, while the LEGO Spider-Man sets offer minifigure comic versions of Spider-Man, and Doctor Octopus. The first buildable characters in the LEGO SUPER HEROES collection are highlighted by Captain America, The Hulk and Iron Man. Select figures will be unveiled in the LEGO booth (#2829) during Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center July 21-24.

"Our partnership with Marvel helps us continue to deliver some of the best and most constructible Super Hero stories of all time," said Jill Wilfert, vice president, licensing and entertainment for The LEGO Group. "We're thrilled to partner with Marvel to create creative, constructive play sets for builders, fans and collectors alike."

Joann Mclaughlin, Executive Vice President Toys & Hardlines, Marvel Entertainment, commented, "The partnership with LEGO Group furthers Marvel's strategy to align our brand with the best in class leaders across various industries who have the global marketing expertise and distribution clout to stand out in the retail environment. This deal solidifies the already robust presence of our characters and the overall Marvel brand in the ever important toy category."

The retail debut of the Marvel-inspired LEGO SUPER HEROES collection is timed to coincide with the highly anticipated Summer 2012 blockbuster movie release of Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures feature film Marvel's The Avengers.

About The LEGO Group

The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company, based in Billund, Denmark. It was founded in 1932 and today the group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of play materials for children, employing approximately 9,000 people globally. The LEGO Group is committed to the development of children's creative and imaginative abilities. LEGO products can be purchased in more than 130 countries.

LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of The LEGO Group. © 2011 The LEGO Group.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit www.marvel.com. Super Hero(es) is a co-owned registered trademark.

Comic-Con 2011: Sega’s Captain America: Super Soldier Captivates Convention...

Sega has unleashed Marvel Entertainment’s Captain America: Super Soldier in 3D for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game maker had the new action title playable for fans at Comic-Con 2011 to check out at its San Diego pop-up arcade. Actress Hayley Atwell, who stars in Captain America: The First Avenger on the big screen and in the new Sega game.

Captain America Comes To Google Android...

Description

Play as Captain America the First Avenger. Stop the Red Skull!
In celebration of the Captain America: The First Avenger film release, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty will be 80% off through opening weekend.
Sentinel of Liberty features stunning HD graphics! Play as the Super Soldier Captain America in this epic action game. As WW2 rages, Red Skull is leading HYDRA as they build super weapons that will turn the tide of the war. To make matters worse, Falsworth, Dum Dum Dugan and Bucky have been captured. Go behind enemy lines to rescue them and put an end to the sinister plot. Use your unbreakable shield to battle, block, and maneuver your way on what seems like a suicide mission.
SUPER SOLDIER ACTION
Unleash epic combat moves as you take down HYDRA soldiers! Shield slide to traverse difficult terrain, perform takedowns in mid-air or on the ground, and launch your shield for long-range attacks.
TOUCH VISUAL POWER
Spectacular graphics and precise touch controls combine to give Sentinel of Liberty fluid cinematic action. Execute wall runs, slide under traps, and unleash devastating combo attacks with dynamic intensity you can feel.
STORM AND STEALTH
Take down machine gun wielding enemies and maneuver around land mines on battlefields of WWII. Make your way through the secret HYDRA hideout and take down the evil Red Skull.
MASSIVE DEPTH
24 levels, each with multiple pathways and hidden areas, unfold over three massive episodes. Impressive unlockables, high score leaderboards, and tons of extra features add to the massive gameplay experience
ORIGINAL STORY AND SOUNDTRACK
The action of Captain America comes to life with an original story and script written by Marvel writer Christos Gage. Comic panels by Marvel artists Ron Lim and Christopher Sotomayor and a compelling original soundtrack complete the Captain America experience.
Please Note: Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty is a premium gaming experience featuring high-end graphics. Download times will vary depending on your network connection.
Fully tested and optimized on OS 2.2 and up for:
HTC EVO 4G
HTC Evo Shift
HTC INCREDIBLE
HTC Incredible 2
HTC Nexus One
HTC MyTouch4g
Huawei 8800
Motorola Atrix
Motorola Droid Pro
Motorola Droid X
Motorola MB612 XPRT
Samsung Droid Charge
Samsung Epic 4G – Galaxy S
Samsung Galaxy S
Samsung i500 Fascinate/Mesmerize
Samsung i897 Galaxy S Captivate
Samsung I997 Infuse
Samsung T759
Samsung T959V – Galaxy S
SE Xperia Play

Marvel Pinball heading to Vita, Wii U, 3DS, more...

Game-related announcements have been sparse at Comic-Con 2011, but Marvel had one of the biggest with its reveal of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. At the Marvel Interactive games panel today, the comics publisher had a couple of other minor reveals to share, the largest of which pertained to Zen Studios' Marvel Pinball.

Specifically, Marvel said that the well-regarded pinball game will be brought to a variety of new platforms by the end of 2012, including the PlayStation Vita, 3DS, Wii U, and PC, as well as iOS and Android devices. As for versions of the game that are already out, Zen Studios will be releasing the Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue add-on pack through Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network this winter. The add-on brings four new tables, one of which will be themed around Ghost Rider.

Marvel Interactive then marched out a number of creators for various comic-themed games that it is overseeing, beginning with Silicon Knights' X-Men: Destiny. Silicon Knights president Denis Dyack and Activision's Doug Heder gave an overview of the game, saying that players will be afforded an intimate and interactive encounter with established X-Men characters. Two new characters revealed at Comic-Con are Emma Frost and Iceman.

Marvel brought out Gazillion Entertainment president and COO David Brevik to talk about the free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game Marvel Universe. Brevik didn't have much information to share, saying only that the studio may be prepared to release screenshots for the game this year. The game will let users play as Marvel superheroes, and it features a storyline written by Brian Michael Bendis.

A number of Marvel superheroes will be in the game, including Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Spider-Man, Nova, and Squirrel Girl. Brevik also confirmed for the first time today that Deadpool will also be playable in the game.

Fans Want The Hulk To Return To The Big Screen...

The Hulk is returning in "The Avengers" film next year, which also features the likes of Iron Man, Thor and Captain America.. There's hasn't been a Hulk flick since 2008, which starred Edward Norton and enjoyed a $150 million budge. It made $134 million at the U.S. box office. Bring back The Hulk!

Stan Lee reveals details of new comic "Seekers"...

Comic book legend Stan Lee on Friday revealed details of his new web-based, digital series "The Seekers," saying it is set in modern times on an Earth in danger of imminent destruction.

Describing his upcoming new venture with MTV as "a real epic story", Lee told Reuters that "Seekers" will have multiple characters and he hopes it will move from the Internet to TV, movies and videogames.

"It's a real epic story," said Lee, ahead of a detailed presentation of the new comic book series on Saturday at Comic-Con International.

"One of the blurbs I wrote for it says, 'We present these incidents that you're about to witness as a work of fiction in order to avoid worldwide apprehension and panic.' It has to do really with the state of the Earth and all the population on it," he added.

"The Seekers" will launch in early 2012 as a free digital comic series on the MTV Geek website and is expected to eventually become a print comic. Lee, 88, has big plans for what will be his first foray into digital comics.

"Television, movies, video games, you name it, it will be there," said Lee, who helped create Marvel Comics superheroes "Spider-Man", "Thor" and "Iron Man".

Lee said he has written a six-page treatment for "The Seekers". Thousands of years ago an alien race sent "seekers" to every planet in the universe with sentient life. When a race advances enough to a point that it might be a threat to other sentient life across the galaxy, these seekers have the ability to set off a doomsday device that will destroy the planet.

"Our whole planet is in danger," said Lee. "It has to do with man's inhumanity to man."

Three of the main characters will be;

-- The Gatherer, a seeker sent to Earth, who has recently awakened due to the nuclear and biological threats humans now harness.

-- Arthur Nordan, a renowned radiologist who recently watched his colleagues killed by the Gatherer on an expedition.

-- Jennifer Hart, a World News Network correspondent trying to get an interview with Nordan. The duo end up discovering the Seekers and the imminent threat posed by the Gatherer.

Lee said there would be many more players in the stories. "It's a multi-character series, which introduces new characters while keeping the old ones in virtually every episode."

MTV CONTEST

What separates this comic from anything Lee has done before is that he's giving an aspiring artist and comic book writer the chance to become a central part of the development of "The Seekers".

Beginning in early August, MTV Geek will host a contest allowing anyone to send in their own interpretation of "The Seekers". Artists will submit five pieces of art, while writers will turn in a 10-page script based on Lee's treatment.

Lee and his team will pick 20 entries and the online community will vote for the top five submissions. Lee will announce the winners at New York Comic-Con in October and work directly with the artist and writer to create the comic.

"This contest is a big one and it's important because we're excited to give undiscovered talent a chance to shine," he said.

"The comic book industry is expanding with digital comics and motion comics and video games. I think the opportunities are there for new talent, and this project is one way for people to get a job in the industry."

"The Seekers" will join other digital comics that will run on MTV Geek, including Teen Wolf, Divination, The Gloom, Hats, Agent Mom, Me2, Punks, Hell Town, Beowulf Jones, and 1,000.

Tom Akel, executive editor of MTV Geek, said the website has attracted over 800,000 unique visitors since its mid-October launch last year. He expects the partnership with Lee to attract an even larger crowd. (Credit: Reuters)

Captain America Earns Huge Superhero Box Office Take...

Marvel Entertainment’s Captain America: The First Avenger starring Chris Evans is now the biggest superhero movie opening of the American summer. The Paramount Pictures release made an estimated $65.8 million on approximately 7,100 screens at 3,715 locations over the Comic-Con 2011 weekend. That thrashed Marvel’s Thor opening of $65.7 million and X-Men: first Class’s $55.1 million, as well as rival DC Comic superhero Green Lantern’s very average $53.2 million opening.

Hulk Rounds Off Marvel Teaser Week...

Marvel Comics has released the last teaser for its post-Fear Itself project.

The image shows a silhouette that appears to be the Hulk.

The figure contains words including "gamma", "breaker", "calculating", "loner" and "conspiracy".

Previous teasers have included Iron Fist, Red She Hulk, Dr Strange and the Silver Surfer, who all seem to feature as a part of the mysterious group 'The Mighty' which is due to appear in Fear Itself.

All teasers have been accompanied by the words "It's either in you or it's not". No further information has been released about the project beyond the release date of December 2011.

Fans on the Comic Book Resources forums have picked out letters highlighting in distinguishing colors in the teasers to spell out the messages, "Everyone you love dies", "Shut the engines down", "The universe will break" and "Fight to save everything".

Marvel will reveal details of the project at its Fear Itself panel on Sunday, July 24 at San Diego Comic-Con.

Thousands Line Up for 'Avengers' Casting Call...

CLEVELAND — One of Hollywood's biggest films, "The Avengers," is coming to town.

Now, thousands of locals are lining up for a taste of stardom.

"I want to be a part of this movie," said Cincinnati resident, Dhin Soriano. "It's one of the biggest movies coming out next year."

Based on the popular comic book series, The Avengers, will start filming in Cleveland in August.

"I knew the crowd was going to be kind of big, so I made sure I got him up kind of early," said Daryl Burge, of Garfield.

Burge and his cousin, James, were of two of more than 3,000 people who attended Friday's casting call for the Marvel Studio flick.

About 2,000 extras are needed to work alongside stars like Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson.

The movie has generated buzz across the country, attracting many people who hope to be a part of their favorite childhood past time.

"Marvel Comics. Oh, I still got some from the 60's," said Columbus resident, Carolyn Parkman.

Parkman traveled to Cleveland the day before to beat the crowd.

"I've got my magazines, but I love my comics," she said. "I can stand here. That's all I'm thinking about is the fact that this is the chance of a lifetime."

The movie will have another casting call from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 16, at the Holiday Inn, 6001 Rockside Road, Independence, Ohio.

Extras casting directors say if you do plan to apply, come dressed in business attire. Also, be sure to bring an umbrella, pen, food, water and entertainment. You may have to wait in line for hours. Only those who have flexible schedules should apply.

San Diego Comic-Con 2011: Gentle Giant's Deadpool Squirrell...

Marvel and Gentle Giant have teamed up to deliver a special Comic-Con 2011 Squirrelpool exclusive!

Part of the fun of going to awesome events like San Diego Comic-Con is picking up really cool, extremely limited swag. So, Squirrelpool, anyone?

We're pleased to announce, as one of the first items available through our partnership with the mighty statue makers at Gentle Giant (http://www.gentlegiantltd.com/category_s/3.htm), that fans attending Comic-Con from July 20-24 will have the abillity to purchase a rare Squirrelpool statue. As seen on the Deadpool cover variant to 2010's THOR #607 by Mico Suayan, the tiny terror means business!

If you're going to SDCC, head over to the Gentle Giant booth, #3513, but be quick about it! The Squirrelpool statue is limited to only 500 pieces and at only $30, it'll be gone before you can say "acorn tacos."

For continuing coverage of Comic-Con International 2011 including our live video stream, plus news, liveblogs, photos, videos and more, keep checking the Marvel.com

San Diego 2011 hub page at marvel.com/sdcc2011 (http://marvel.com/sdcc2011) and follow along on the Marvel Events App (http://marvel.com/marveleventsapp) & events.marvel.com http://events.marvel.com

What will be the highest-grossing comic book adaptation of 2011?; Box Office Mojo Poll

39.2% Captain America: The First Avenger
18.3% X-Men: First Class
18.1% Green Lantern
13.2% Thor
10.7% Cowboys & Aliens
0.5% Priest

1,832 users polled. (This poll is now closed.)

Marvel Superheroes and the Fathers of Invention (The New York Times) - 25th June 2011...

The comic book industry began life in the early 20th century as the province of con men who stripped artists of their creations, then moved on to the next mark. The artists who were paid virtually nothing for work on characters that are now worth billions at the movies are nearly all dead. But their heirs are beginning to speak for them through a federal copyright law that practically invites descendants to sue for ownership interests in characters whose current value could never have been imagined at the moment of creation.

Courts have already granted a share of the copyright for Superman to the heirs of a co-creator, and sided with Captain America’s creator in another copyright fight. These cases are small fry compared with the battle now being waged between Marvel and the heirs of the legendary comic artist Jack Kirby, who breathed life into such pop culture icons as the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Thor and the Silver Surfer.

Of course these court battles are about money. They also force the modern entertainment industry to reckon with the often amoral practices of the old comics workshops. And they raise deeper questions about how to credit creative works produced at a time when even the most talented artists were treated as serfs.

Marvel pioneered a new method of comic book production. It broke with the industry’s tradition of requiring artists to draw almost by rote from a pre-existing script. Instead, it gave its best creative minds wide artistic latitude.

The Marvel editor Stan Lee sometimes offered general ideas for characters, allowing the artists to run with them. Mr. Kirby plotted stories, fleshing out characters that he had dreamed up or that he had fashioned from Mr. Lee’s sometimes vague enunciations. Mr. Lee shaped the stories and supplied his wisecrack-laden dialogue. And in the end, both men could honestly think of themselves as “creators.”

But Mr. Kirby, who was known as the King of Comics, was the defining talent and the driving force at the Marvel shop. Mr. Lee’s biographers have noted that the company’s most important creations started out in Mr. Kirby’s hands before being passed on to others, who were then expected to emulate his artistic style.

Mr. Kirby’s life experiences informed the look and feel of the genre. The cinematic movement in his narratives came out of his experience as an animator. The crowded fight scenes in comics like the Fantastic Four and the X-Men are reminiscent of his boyhood days as a street fighter on the Lower East Side during the Depression.

In 2009, shortly after Disney agreed to buy Marvel for $4 billion, the Kirby heirs filed notices of copyright termination. They argue that most of Marvel’s film earnings involve Mr. Kirby’s creations — and that therefore they have a right to a share of the copyrights.

Marvel counters that Mr. Kirby’s work falls under the rubric of “work for hire” — meaning it was done under the direction, supervision and control of the company — which, if true, would invalidate the family’s claim. But that could be difficult to demonstrate at trial, given the poor record-keeping of the era and what is known about how Mr. Kirby worked.

According to court documents, Marvel’s predecessor company fired nearly all of the art staff in 1957 to save money, making Mr. Kirby an independent operator who sold his work to the publisher. If this case comes to trial, Marvel’s star witness would likely be Mr. Lee, former chairman of Marvel Comics. In his 2010 deposition, Mr. Lee seemed to suggest that Mr. Kirby was little more than a talented foot soldier who followed the whims of his boss.

Mr. Lee sang a different tune during the Marvel glory years of the 1960s, when he sometimes described Mr. Kirby as an equal in the creative process. In a 1968 interview later quoted in The Comics Journal, Mr. Lee talked about brainstorming with Mr. Kirby, who, he noted, needed “no plot at all” to produce stories: “He just about makes up the plots for these stories. All I do is a little editing. ... He’s so good at plots, I’m sure he’s a thousand times better than I.” Analyzing published articles from that period, the writer Earl Wells, in his famous 1995 essay “Once and for All, Who Was the Author of Marvel?,” said the record “yields as much evidence that Kirby was the author as it does that Lee was — much of it in Lee’s own words!”

In the years since Mr. Kirby’s death in 1994, the once lawless comics business has been transformed into an industry where creators are more fairly paid, credit is clearly apportioned and rights are meticulously spelled out in contracts. The kinds of legal confusions that have recently flared up in the comic book realm are unlikely to ever be seen, say, in the burgeoning world of online games, where corporate authorship is firmly locked down.

It is up to the courts to decide the legal questions at the heart of the Kirby copyright case. There is no doubt that the King of Comics contributed far more to Marvel — and pop culture — than he has received credit for. (Credit: The New York Times)

Marvel Movies Upcoming...

Movie Studio Date

Captain America: The First Avenger Paramount Pictures 7/22/11
Ghost Rider 2 (3D) Sony 2/17/12
The Avengers (2012) Buena Vista 5/4/12
The Amazing Spider-Man Sony 7/3/12
The Dark Knight Rises Warner Bros 7/20/12
Iron Man 3 Buena Vista 5/3/13
Thor 2 Buena Vista 7/26/13

Evans Says Captain America's 'Avengers' Storyline Is 'Multifaceted'

Yet more movie excitement with the the impending release of "Captain America: The First Avenger,". And, how about next year's highly anticipated, superhero-filled "The Avengers."

Chris Evans aka "Captain America" was interviewed by our friends at MTV. Learn about his thoughts on working with fan-favorite "Avengers" director Joss Whedon...

"He's unbelievable," Evans said. "He's so clever. He lives in the world of comic books, so he has in his head an amazing story already mapped out."

"When it comes to directing actors and understanding dialogue, he's an incredibly talented writer. If something isn't working for you as an actor within the words, he can walk away for 10 minutes and come back with seven options that are all fantastic and clever and witty and it's got a pace and a banter," he explained. "He's a great guy to be quarterbacking this thing."

With regard to Captain America's storyline in "The Avengers," the details of which Evans couldn't fully elaborate on but are briefly teased at the conclusion of "Captain America," he said his character is basically a fish out of water trying to understand the modern world around him.

"It's really multifaceted. The guy has to accept the fact that everyone he knew and loved is gone," Evans said of his character's new arc. "Not only is he alone, [but] the world has changed so much, and I think a big part of what makes Cap Cap was his connection to the way things used to be, this kind of pro-American morality and good-ol'-boy sense of life and the way of doing things," he added. "In the modern era, there's a bit of a disconnect. There's not as much human interaction. I think there's more cynicism than there was back then, so it's him trying to come to terms with the way things are."

Captain America: The First Avenger; Could Be The Best And Highest Grossing Comic Movie This Year...

The next big Marvel flick on the back of this year’s critically acclaimed X-Men: First Class, and the more divisive, mighty Thor.

Captain America: The First Avenger pretty much rocks. The Captain was the first Marvel pinup boy to progress from the comic book page to the projector back in 1944.

Starring Chris Evans as the Captain – and with an impressive support cast including Hugo Weaving and Tommy Lee Jones – Marvel films have usually attracted top actors and talent in the business.

Let's have a look at a few Marvel flicks from over the years, to determine if their oldest hero will be profitable, and critically well-received nearly 70 years after its birth.

The Captain’s silver screen début way back then – when Marvel was called Timely Comics – wasn’t followed up with another motion picture from the same house until 1986, some 42 years later. Are'nt you glad that finally decided to start pumping them out.

That film was Howard the Duck, credibly cited in the worst film of all time lists with actors receiving Raspberry awards for their performances. Howard – produced by George Lucas – was a box office flop, barely breaking even and putting off the film arm of Marvel having another crack for three years. Then they teamed up with Dolph Lundgren and did The Punisher - fortunately the quality generally improved as the years moved forward.

Marvel went through quite a rough patch in the 1980s: an area of film that seemed tailor made for their intellectual property. CGI effects, bigger budgets, but the films were still not being very warmly embraced by casual movie fans, hardcores or critics.

The trend for Marvel films – give or take – continued into the 1990s when comic adaptations’ performances generally were not great. Batman and Robin and Steel limped didn't do the genre many favours either.

Blade got a mixed response for Marvel. High performing, taking $131m; near four times its budget, and critically sound, the film spawned the investigation into an X-Men movie franchise and the Spiderman series.

X-Men – already a successful franchise in its own right with computer games, figurines, solid backstory, animations and art – followed up where Blade left off and set the bar higher.

Costing $75 million to attract highly credible stars, solid staple actors, and some young talent – Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen, Bruce Davison, James Marsden, Halle Berry, Rebecca Romijn, Ray Park Tyler Mane – the film was a decent-sized investment at best, and a gamble at worst. It movied forward to snatch a $300m return.

X-Men to date has spawned around $1.6bn and, although a mixed critical reception is synonymous with the franchise, that figure was enhanced with the latest X-Men: First Class, which has been a big box office win.

The Spiderman series has been a real win for Marvel and their respective teams. The fourth in the series is due next year and given the last – 2007′s Spiderman 3 – took almost a billion dollars to cap a highly profitable franchise to date.

Marvel is on the rise, their stock is attractive and it’s sweet timing for Captain America. The UK – mostly unaware of this hero compared to other Marvel winners – has an appetite for Marvel icons on the big screen along with the rest of the world. If these enjoy success in line with Blade, X-Men and Wolverine, the firm will continue to power ahead, unless there's a torpedo on the horizen that Marvel or the industry doesn't know about.

Films in the Marvel series have been all the rage in regions such as America, Europe, the far east and Australia. Marvel flicks at the movies continue to be excelsior!

Comic-Con 2011 Preview...

(CBS) Comic-Con starts next week in San Diego, Calif., on Thursday, July 21, and runs through the weekend (and there's a "Preview Night," Wednesday, July 20).

The event is a big deal (to paraphrase Vice President Joe Biden) and now draws more than 100,000 people a year. Here's a sampling of what you can expect.

For a complete list of the events, go to comic-con.org

Wednesday, July 20

Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings - 6:00-9:00 p.m. - The night before Comic-Con kicks off, Warner Bros. and Comic-Con screen pilot episodes of upcoming TV series. This year's offerings are "Alcatraz," "The Secret Circle," "Person of Interest" and "Supernatural: The Anime Series."

Thursday, July 21

Planet of the Apes in Comics Present and Past - 10:00-11:00 a.m. - With the new movie, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" coming, this is a perfect time to see what's going on with "Planet of the Apes" comics editor Ian Brill and writer Daryl Gregory.

TheOneRing.net: Hobbit Talk - 10:00-11:00 a.m. - This isn't an official Peter Jackson event but TheOneRing.net is an influential fan site and there's bound to be lots of good inside information on the upcoming "Hobbit" films.

Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe - 10:00-11:00 a.m. - "Burn Notice" and Bruce Campbell fans rejoice! Now you can see what happened to Same Axe (Campbell) before he joined Fiona and Michael Weston on the USA series. This made-for-TV movie debuts on DVD at Comic-Con.

Comic-Con How-To: Creating a Character-Driven Story with Maxwell Alexander Drake - 10:00-11:00 a.m. - This is just what it says it is: A how-to on creating great characters and stories.

Kinect "Star Wars" Panel - 10:00-11:00 a.m. - Jorg Neumann of Kinect Publishing and Craig Derrick of LucasArts discuss the upcoming Kinect "Star Wars" game with USA Today's Mike Snider.

Comic-Con Film School 101: Preproduction and Screenwriting - 10:00-11:00 a.m. This is the first day of a four-day class on how to make low-budget movies using desktop postproduction software and available video technology.

Spotlight on Joyce Brabner - 10:30-11:30 a.m. - Brabner will talk about her current projects and the work of her lates husband, Harvey Pekar.

X-Play Live - 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - A live panel with G4's Blair Herter, Adam Sessler, Morgan Webb, Kristin Adams, hosts of the long-running X-Play.

Covert Affairs - 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. - Piper Perabo from USA's "Covert Affairs" will take part in a panel discussion with her co-stars Christopher Gorham, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Kari Matchett, Anne Dudek, Peter Gallagher and executive producers Chris Ord, Doug Liman, Matt Corman, and Dave Bartis. Moderated of Oded Fehr.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 - 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. - Sneak peak! And a filmmaker and cast Q&A!

Focus on Rick Baker - 12:15-1:00 p.m. - The Oscar-winning make-up effects artist will talk about his career, emphasizing his work on the "Men in Black" series.

Stan Lee, Yoshiki, and Todd McFarlane - 1:00-2:00 p.m. - Comic creator and legend Stan Lee and Todd McFarlane sit on a panel with Yoshiki to talk about "Blood Red Dragon." Writer Jon Goff joins them.

"Game of Thrones" Panel and Q&A session - 3:00-4:00 p.m. - Members of the HBO series cast join the panel discussion, including Kit Harington, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Peter Dinklage. Moderated by "A Song of Fire and Ice" creator George R. R. Martin.

Robert Rodriguez's Quick Draw Productions - 4:45-5:45 p.m. - Filmmaker Rodriguez will present Quick Draw's latest. He'll also have exclusive footage of latest project.

Beavis & Butthead - 5:00-6:00 p.m. - Mike Judge, creator of "Beavis & Butthead," talks about the duo's return to MTV. He'll show footage from the upcoming series.

Showtime - 5:30-7:30 p.m. - The premium cable station will have a host of stars and creative people from its shows "Dexter," (including an appearance by star Michael C. Hall), "Shameless" stars William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum and more.

Entertainment Weekly: The Visionaries: A discussion with Jon Favreau and Guillermo del Toro on the Future of Pop Culture - 6:00-7:00 p.m. - Entertainment Weekly moderates a conversation with director Jon Favreau (his "Cowboys & Aliens" comes out July 29) and Guillermo del Toro, who co-wrote the upcoming "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" remake.

Writing Movies for Fun and Profit - 7:00-8:00 p.m. - Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, stars of "The State," "Reno 911!" and writers of the "Night at the Museum" films, talk about how to write movies that will make billions at the box office.

Friday, July 22

Conversations with Sid and Marty Krofft: A Look at the Past, Present and Future - 10:00-11:00 a.m. - Sid and Marty Krofft talk about their creations H.R. Pufnstuf and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.

Comic-Con Film School 102: Production - 10:00-11:00 a.m. - This is Day two of the four-day course on making movies on super low budgets.

Panelists include Valerie Perez, Vera Vanguard, Edward G. Negron, Sean Rourke and Jack Conway.

Epix Pictures: The Captains - 10:15-11:15 a.m. - Kevin Smith moderates a panel with William Shatner and Avery Brooks, captains of "Star Trek." Shatner has produced and directed a documentary about all the actors who have played "Star Trek" captains. This should be amazing.

Page One - 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - This panel, about the first page of a comic, is moderated by Douglas Wolk and features Carla Speed McNeil, Jen Van Meter and Greg Rucka.

AMC's "The Walking Dead" - 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. - Stars and creators of the AMC show talk about the first season of the series and what's in store for season two. Panelists include creator Frank Darabont, executive producer Gale Ann Hurd and stars Andrew Lincoln, Sarah Wayne Callies and Laurie Holden.

Publishing Queer: Producing LGBT Comics and Graphic Novels - 1:00-2:00 p.m. - Moderator Justin Hall leads a panel featuring Bob Schreck, Brian Andersen, Charles "Zan" Christensen Jacquelene Cohen and Shannon O'Leary in which they discuss the challenges and rewards of publicizing and marketing LGBT-themed comics.

Adult Swim: Childrens Hospital - 1:30-2:30 p.m. - Check out a never-before-screened episode of "Childrens Hospital." Rob Corddry, Jon Stern, Malin Akerman, Lake Bell, Erinn Hayes, Rob Huebel and Megan Mullally sit in on a panel to talk about the show.

DreamWorks: Fright Night - 2:45-3:45 p.m. - Actors Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, Christopher Mintz-Plasse), Imogen Poots, Dave Franco, director Craig Gillespie and screenwriter Marti Noxon talk about their remake of the 1980s horror film.

"True Blood" Panel and Q&A session - 5:30-6:30 p.m. - Series regulars Sam Trammell, Rutina Wesley, Ryan Kwanten and more sit on a panel to talk about the HBO series.

Magic: The Gathering Panel - 5:30-6:30 p.m. - Yep. The panel is moderated be head designer Mark Rosewater and includes director of R&D Aaron Forsythe, senior creative Magic art director Matt Cavotta and brand manager Mark Purvis.

Dungeons & Dragons: How to Be a Dungeon Master: The Art of the DM - 6:30-7:30 p.m. - You can learn to be a Dungeon Master! Attend this panel and you'll be on your way.

World Premiere: Batman: Year One - 8:00-10:00 - This is the world premiere of "Batman: Year One" followed by a panel with voice actors Bryan Cranston, Eliza Dushku, Ben McKenzie, Katee Sackhoff and executive producer Bruce Timm, directors Lauren Montgomery, Sam Liu and dialogue director Andrea Romano. Moderated by Gary Miereanu.

Saturday, July 23

Activision - 10:00-11:30 a.m. - Comics legend Stan Lee talks about upcoming Activision Marvel games "X-Men Destiny" and "Spider-Man: Edge of Time." Editorial director of Marvel.com Ryan Penagos moderates. The panel includes Peter David, TQ Jefferson, Dee Brown and Jullian Spillane.

"Chuck" Screening and Q&A - 10:00-10:45 a.m. - Consider this a farewell panel as co-creator Chris Fedak and cast members Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Vik Sahay, Scott Krinsky, Sarah Lancaster and Adam Baldwin have a Q&A with fans.

An Early Evening with Kevin Smith - 5:45-7:30 p.m. - Kevin Smith takes the stage for what has become an annual Q&A. Hear the creator of "Clerks," "Mallrats" and many other cool things talk and talk and talk.

The Art of the Hollywood Movie Poster - 7:30-8:30 p.m. - Leslie Combemale moderates a panel that includes artists who have worked on posters you've grown up looking at and admiring. The artists are Andrea Alvin ("Batman Returns"), Matthew Peak "Nightmare on Elm Street"), James Goodridge ("Harry Potter"), Steve Chorney ("Who Framed Roger Rabbit?") and Lawrence Noble ("The Empire Strikes Back" 10th Anniversary).

MythBusters - 7:45-8:45 p.m. - Like "Mythbusters" needs an introduction. The gang's all here!

HBO's "True Blood" Presents the Comic-Con International Masquerade - 8:30-11:30 p.m.

FX Pilot Sneak Peek Screening - 9:30-10:30 p.m. - FX hasn't released the details - meaning which pilot - but the network has some great shows on its roster. Probably worth taking a peak.

Sunday, July 24

"Glee" - 10:00-11:00 a.m. - Creator and executive producer of "Glee," Ryan Murphy, creator/executive producer Brad Falchuk and stars of the show give the audience a peek at "Glee The 3D Concert Movie." There's also a Q&A session.

Comic-Con Film School 104: Post Production and Distribution - 10:00-11:00 a.m. - The final day of the four-day filmmaking course tells you how to get your movie seen by lots of eyeballs (or at least more than yours and your friends and family).

Watchmen: 25 Years Later - 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Artist Dave Gibbons, editor Len Wein and colorist John Higgins talk about the "Watchmen" legacy. Moderated by Douglas Wolk.

One-on-One with Castle Star Nathan Fillion - 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. - The "Firefly" star, Nathan Fillion, and the cast of "Castle" talk about the crime series in a panel discussion.

BBC America's "Doctor Who" - 12:30-1:30 p.m. - Stars Karen Gillan and Matt Smith, with the help of producers and writers, make their first appearance at Comic-Con for a Q&A and panel. You'll get to see new footage before the show comes back to BBC America later this summer.

Sons of Anarchy - 3:30-4:00 p.m.

Buffy the Musical - 4:00-5:00 p.m. - The weekend closes with a screening of the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" musical episode, "Once More with Feeling."

'Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty' Game Hits the iPhone and iPad...

Following in the footsteps of Thor: Son of Asgard, Marvel Entertainment has released a new iOS videogame tie-in for Captain America: The First Avenger. Arriving on the iPhone/iPad in the form of one convenient app this week, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty puts players in control of Cap in a $4.99 platformer filled with 24 levels of running, leaping, punching and shield-slinging. Check out video and images of the title in action after the jump.

Just as Son of Asgard tapped comic book talent for its story and cutscenes, Sentinel of Liberty features a story by Christos Gage with art by Ron Lim and Christopher Sotomayor.

From the official iTunes listing:
Sentinel of Liberty features stunning HD graphics optimized for Retina Displays! Play as the Super Soldier Captain America in this epic action game. As WW2 rages, Red Skull is leading HYDRA as they build super weapons that will turn the tide of the war. To make matters worse, Falsworth, Dum Dum Dugan and Bucky have been captured. Go behind enemy lines to rescue them and put an end to the sinister plot. Use your unbreakable shield to battle, block, and maneuver your way on what seems like a suicide mission.

Kevin Sutherland speaks about the Stan Lee Excelsior Award...

The noted comic artist (Beano and Dr Who Adventures amongst other titles, and gifted Falsetto Socks Company creator) Kev Sutherland was the keynote speaker at the Stan Lee Excelsior Awards. This is what he had to say:

‘I was honoured and delighted to be part of the Stan Lee Excelsior Awards in Sheffield yesterday.

Organised by Paul Register, the Learning Resource Centre Manager (that’s Librarian in old money) at Ecclesfield School, this splendid award involved a number of local schools (10 I believe, Paul will correct me), whose pupils were given the opportunity to read, review and vote on a shortlist of 8 graphic novels and their votes would find a winner. A few hundred pupils, drawn from each of the participating schools, were in attendance at the presentation.

I did my small Comic Art Masterclass keynote speech, which kept them entertained for half an hour, then we had a presentation from the most marvellous special guest – Theodore “Ted” Adams from the Stan Lee Foundation, who had come all the way over from the States just to be here and give Stan’s seal of approval to the event. We watched some highly entertaining video by and about Stan, and the whole hall posed for a video clip of us shouting “Excelsior” which should wind up on Stan’s website.
Then the awards were presented. In 3rd place was the manga version of Twilight, in 2nd place was Bryan Talbot’s Grandville Mon Amour – Bryan was there to accept the award – and the winner, quitenoverwhelmingly if the students’ applause was anything to go by, was Black Butler by Yana Toboso.

Bryan and Ben Heggarty, author of shortlisted title Mezolith, signed books, the guys from Sheffield Space Centre sold books, the whole event was filmed and should end up online, and I did drawings and signed comics for kids.

This was an absolutely excellent event, reaching precisely the sort of audience that I always wanted my Comic Festival events to reach. The school hall was full of kids who now read comics, some of whom did before but all of whom will do now.

Thanks Paul & congratulations.’

We have permission to print this straight from the website (in case you were wondering), which is here. Kev is an excellent visitor to have in your schools, as he will give comic masterclasses and enthuse your students, turning them on to the joy of graphic novels. (Credit: Heart Of The School)

A Green Lantern Sequel?!...

Warner Bros. is apparently planning a sequel to Green Lantern despite that film's box-office and critical underperformance. The Hollywood Reporter has the word from the studio, noting that that it "won't walk away from the superhero franchise, despite the film's soft box office performance. ... Sources say Warners still believes in the franchise, even if the studio is 'somewhat disappointed' with Green Lantern's result." The film dropped some 66% domestically in its second weekend, meaning it's only made about $89.3 million as of last night. That's not a lot considering the reported costs of the picture ($300 million at least including marketing), and internationally it is not performing either. So why announce a sequel now? As THR notes, with Harry Potter coming to an end, the studio needs big franchises big time. And there's always the chance that Lantern will make a ton of money on DVD and Blu-ray and digital download. Plus, God only knows how the balance sheet looks for these things in terms of toys and all the other merchandising. Movies are also made for games these days, so don't you forget that. Of course, maybe Warner Bros. is just saying there's going to be a Green Lantern sequel since it wasn't very good. Maybe Warner Bros thinks their green monster will create more green cash, and they would know that answer better than most. As they say at Media Man and Marvel Entertainment, "Don't just read the comics and watch the movies, Play the games!"

‘Captain America’ star Chris Evans: It’s not about the flag, it’s about the hero - Los Angeles Times...

Square-jawed superhero Steve Rogers lays strangely immobile in the bowels of an enormous “suborbital bomber” — a contraption that looks like Howard Hughes’ legendary Spruce Goose if it were pimped out for Darth Vader. His eyes closed, the hero might be lost in deep contemplation or possibly praying for help to foil an evil plot, in this case the impending launch of a missile targeted at a major American city.

But from a certain vantage point, his face pressed against the glass encasing the weapon, it sure looks as though Captain America’s snoozing. Even if Chris Evans, who plays the weakling soldier wannabe turned strapping superhero in the new film “Captain America: The First Avenger,” were catching a few winks, it would be tough to blame him. The actor, 30, had to bulk up at the gym to better embody Rogers, who becomes a hulking good guy determined to fight for classic American ideals.

Specifically, Rogers is tasked with thwarting the nefarious designs of the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) in the World War II-era comic book adaptation, which opens in theaters July 22. In addition to the physical demands of the role, though, Evans has had to spend time wrestling with Rogers’ inner demons.

“He’s given this amazing blessing, all of the ability that he has always wanted,” said Evans on the sidelines of a frigid soundstage at Pinewood Studios outside of London late last year. “That can easily corrupt. If you give anyone this power, it is easy to become a bully and let human emotion take over.”

That notion — essentially that with great power comes great responsibility — is, of course, central to the ethos of more than one star character from the Marvel Comics universe, so it’s perhaps not surprising to find that same message at the core of “Captain America.”

What is perhaps more notable is the movie’s retro-futuristic aesthetic, which production designer Rick Heinrichs said is unique in its representation of slick and oversized World War II-era cars, tanks and aircraft; the sets and props combine elegant prewar industrial styles with the organic plantlike visions of the 20th century Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, who is famous for Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia.

“We’re not doing a historic war movie but a stylized and exaggerated war movie,” Heinrichs said. “It is the future as seen from the past.”

The approach extends too to Rogers’ costume — which includes a distressed leather coat that he wears over his familiar red, white and blue garb. Speaking with Hero Complex months later, director Joe Johnston (“The Rocketeer”) said he used “Raiders of the Lost Ark” as a template for developing the story.

“This is futurism in the 1940s; if you went to 1942 and thought of what the future would be, that’s what the approach was,” Johnston said. “The villain has a much more futuristic style and his science and his apparatus — he has a whole design motif that is beyond 1942 but it’s what you might have perceived as futuristic from a 1942 vantage point.”

Of course, setting “Captain America” in the storied past helps avoid some of the more charged political questions that accompany releasing a patriotically themed production around the world at a time when the U.S. is perceived in certain places as somewhat less than heroic.

Marvel is not blind to the potentially alienating title and is planning to open the film simply as “The First Avenger” in South Korea, Russia and Ukraine, where the comic book is not already well known, according to the film’s producer and Marvel Studios’ president Kevin Feige.

But he and Evans, who will reprise his role in next year’s “The Avengers,” point out that the movie highlights the universal elements that have made Steve Rogers an enduring presence in the seven decades since his debut.

“Right now in America how we handle ourselves in political and global issues is up for questioning,” Evans said. “I still think Captain America is timeless. He might wear the red, white and blue, but I don’t think this is all about America. It is what America stands for. It could be called ‘Captain Good.’” (Credit: Los Angeles Times)

Spider-Man To Save Chicago Comics From Doom In Upcoming Issue...

Chicago comic readers looking for a little local edge in the Amazing Spider-Man series should love what’s coming up in the next issue. Hallowed comic book supplier Chicago Comics will be featured on the front cover of about 500 copies of the limited edition of Issue 666.

This is the first time that Marvel Comics has offered the option of personalization to comic book retailers, and Eric Kirsammer, owner of Chicago Comics, wanted to take advantage of the opportunity, in the hopes that the issue will become collectible and the store can become a part of comic history.

The comic, to be released on July 27, will showcase Spider-Man on a mission to save comic book stores across the country, in a small show of appreciation for these institutions helping him become so famous over the years. Fans who might not be prepared for the meta-ness of the event and the collision of reality and fiction into one mind-bending experience should probably stay away and prevent their delicate world-views from being shattered. Further info be releases via the store’s blog
http://www.chicagocomics.com/blog/category/store_info/newthisweek

Thor And X-Men First Class Tipped To Hammer Home Results...

Thor and X-Men: First Class got great reviews and we're awesome, and Captain America: The First Avenger seems set to hit the spot to, but big questions remain about Green Lantern, and the vibe is not particularly good. Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively is getting very reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has a 23% approval among movie critics, according to the 153 reviews counters. But 72% of the 62,000 plus user reviewers say that they "liked it" with it just premiering in the U.S theaters Friday after a midnight release on late Thursday/early Friday. Comic Book Movie.com indicates are pretty negative on the flick. One reviewer called the movie "inert, artificial and dead on arrival." During the midnight release on Thursday, the film drew $3.35 million 0 the same region that alike movies that were recently released did; X-Men: First Class brought in $3.37 million on June 2nd, and Thor did $3.25 million on May 5th. X-Men: First Class and Thor both had a budget significantly less than Green Lantern; the former had a budget of $160 million while Thor had exactly half the budget of Green Lantern — $150 million. While the flick will likely end up eventually surpassing its budget, the fact the other comic book movies had much less budget isn’t a great result. Ultimately, X-Men: First Class raked in $55.1 million in its opening weekend while Thor did $65.7 million. With this being the third comic book-based movie released in a month-and-a-half and mixed reviews, will Green Lantern under perform this weekend, or will the hardcore - fanboy type audience that has been largely ripping on it, check it out at the cinema?

Our top picks: Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger looks like a safe bet.

Be it movies, comics or games, we think that Marvel Entertainment leads the pack, followed by DC Comics, with Dark Horse Comics getting a third, based on the positive news leaks and insider tip offs we've been getting.

As Marvel living legend Stan Lee would say, Excelsior!

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Wrestling News Media: CM Punk Storyline Expected to Continue Outside WWE, by Greg Tingle - July 2011

2011-07-22T16:55:00.002+10:00

Media Man Profiles

Wrestling WWE Vince McMahon WWE Hall Of Fame WWE Games UFC Dana White Brock Lesnar Paul Heyman Hulk Hogan John Cena Steve Austin Triple H Kevin Nash Ric Flair Randy Savage Bruno Sammartino Endemol Media Man

Pro wrestling aka "sports entertainment" continues to go through one of the most interesting and "insider" focused periods in many years, with many commentators saying that WWE is finally getting back to its "Attitude Era", which "Stone Cold" Steve Austin spear headed so successfully, under the direction of WWE top brass Vince McMahon.

A Media Man spokesperson said "WWE is most assuredly getting back to some of the edgy and insider stuff that the WWE Attitude era was based upon. How much the strategy pays off from a financial perspective is yet to be see, however its certainly a popular development with hardcore and long time fans who missed the edgy and inside angles."

CM Punk...

WWE is attempting to continue the CM Punk storyline in such a fashion that, while his name and likeness are banned from WWE television, they're attempting to get Punk booked on late-night talk shows and other news-grabbing entities. The idea is that Punk will continue to taunt WWE with their own world title while WWE tries to, in story, forget that he exists.

WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts informed fans before the start of Raw that there was a ban on chanting Punk's name. As you would expect the fans chanted it anyway several times during the show.

John Laurinaitis Talent Relations...

WWE is looking to hire someone with a sports background to groom for working in talent relations. There is lots of discussion within WWE about John Laurinaitis and his long-term future with the company. It’s no secret that Triple H isn’t a fan of Laurinaitis and Laurinaitis has always been compared in a negative way to Jim Ross when it comes to talent relations. It was discussed after Money in the Bank that Laurinaitis may be established as a new TV character, similar to how Patterson and Brisco were to Vince McMahon years ago.

Kevin Nash...

Kevin Nash is reportedly is signed to a different WWE Legends deal than everyone else. Usually the Legends deals are that you make a percentage of the revenue your name and likeness generate, and they pay you a small amount of per year as a retainer of sorts. Nash is receiving a significant amount of money. Nash is said to be frustrated because he thought the reaction he got at the Royal Rumble would lead to something else on TV.

Bruno Sammartino...

A documentary on the life of wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino will be completed in September, after being worked on for years. A feature film is also being worked on but they're still in the raising money stages because Sammartino insists on doing it as an independent release, so studios don't "Hollywoodize" it up. The movie is being done by Home Alone's Scott Rosenfelt and Sammartino is meeting with Liar, Liar writer and former WWE writer Paul Guay this week about working on the project.

Vince McMahon Meets With UFC's Dana White Re Brock Lesnar...

Dana White recently appeared at WWE Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut to meet with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. White and McMahon meet regarding Brock Lesnar, who is a currently employed with the UFC.

Paul Heyman, Lesnar’s good mate, orchestrated something between the MMA and wrestling organizations and they had one of their first meetings together regarding the upcoming DVD that will feature the former WWE and UFC Champion. The project reportedly will be a mutual project between WWE and the UFC. There are currently no talks of Heyman or Lesnar returning to the WWE anytime in the near future.

Ric Flair Continues Promoting NC Lottery Deals And Selling Goods Online...

Ric Flair official online store
http://ricflair.com/shop/catalog

Ric Flair - Media Man Int profile
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/flair.html

Professional wrestling returns from the 80s - 22nd July 2011 - Stuff.co.nz...

Slammin', bashing and bad-mouthing. The spectacle that is professional wrestling is closer than you think and very much alive and kicking in New Zealand.

Ex-pro wrestler and Kiwi Pro Wrestling boss, Rip Morgan, knows the industry well and how hard it is to break into.

The last New Zealanders to wrestle for the World Wrestling Entertainment (formerly WWF), were The Bushwhackers - Luke Williams and Rip's uncle, Butch Miller - 15-years-ago.

"We do have a lot of good athletes here in New Zealand, but it's very hard to get into the business."

Four KPW wrestlers and two Australians recently had try-outs in front of WWE talent scouts in Sydney, Australia.

Shane "The Technician" Whitehead was one of them.

"In this business you don't call them, they call you, so I just have to cross my fingers and hope for the best."

Shane's one of many passionate performers hoping to wow the crowd at KPW's "True Mana" at the Wellington High School tonight.

It's a whole other world from their day-jobs.

"By day I work a nine-to-five job in an office, sitting at a computer all day," said Tane Kaiwai, or Dane King, who's been wrestling for about a year-and-a-half.

"You do it for the love of wrestling. Obviously you don't do it for the money, doing it locally"

Just two weeks ago, a near sell-out crowd showed up to Auckland's Vector Arena for the New Zealand leg of WWE's world tour. Fans turned up in their thousands to catch a glimpse of their favourite characters, such as WWE champ John Cena.

However, time will tell whether professional wrestling will become a permanent fixture in New Zealand's mainstream entertainment - and perhaps the fans are happy to keep it on the fringes.

"The fans vary. They can be a little quiet person in the back row to a front rower who's going crazy. They can get out of their seats, get carried away, run up to the ring, give some harsh words to our 'bad' guys, so to speak, and that's what makes the show interesting," said Rip.

Movies like 2009's "The Wrestler", which earned Mickey Rourke a best actor Oscar nomination and revived his career, have helped bring wrestling back into the mainstream.

In New Zealand, KPW's ambitious plans to do the same and bring the spectacle into people's living-rooms was realised through Prime's series "Off The Ropes" - the first weekly wrestling show on a major TV network since Steve Rickard's "On The Mat" in the 1980's.

"We're endeavouring to get our second series up and running," said Rip.

It's a debate that's as old as the internet, is professional wrestling a sport? The KPW boss doesn't deny that it's theatre.

"Your job as a wrestler is to entertain the ticket buyer who's come to watch you. That's your job. So I don't think even fans would care who wins or who loses, as long as they remember it was a good match.

"Wrestling has an element of circus, showmanship, dress parades and I think over the generations people have always been attracted to something different, outside their normal hours of work. So I think that's why wrestling still lives." (Credit: Stuff.co.nz)

WWE Hall Of Fame Rumours...

Pushes on to see Randy "Macho Man" Savage inducted, facilitated by his death, along with "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson and Sean Waltman (once known as the "'123 Kid", "X-Pac" and "Syxx Pac", and was a key member in the The Kliq serving below Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall (currently serving about one week in jail). Waltman was also a member of the NWO.

Hulk Hogan online slot game due out before end of year; Endemol Games UK To Release...

Stay tuned to the Media Man Int website portal for more news as it comes to hand on the pending release of the Hulk Hogan online slot game.

WWE Website Content Updated...

WWE Vids - 'Tactical Force' movie with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
http://vids.wwe.com/12654/trailer-for-the-movie-tactical-f

McMahon's Million Dollar Mania ends in disaster
http://vids.wwe.com/12633/mcmahons-million-dollar-mania-en

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Wrestling Legend Bruno Sammartino Movie In The Works, by Greg Tingle

2011-07-22T13:15:00.001+10:00

A documentary on the life of wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino will be completed in September at this stage, after being worked on for numerous years. A feature film is also being worked on but they're still in the stages of raising money as Sammartino insists on doing it as an independent release, so studios don't "Hollywoodize" it up. The movie is being produced by Home Alone's Scott Rosenfelt and Sammartino is meeting with Liar, Liar writer and former WWE writer Paul Guay this week at this stage about working on the project.

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2011-07-22T13:11:00.000+10:00

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Wrestling News Media: Hogan, Flair, WWE, CM Punk, McMahon, Jim Ross, Cena, Rock, Kevin Nash... by Greg Tingle - 12th July 2011

2011-07-12T17:11:00.001+10:00

Profiles

Wrestling WWE Impact Wrestling Hulk Hogan Ric Flair Vince McMahon Jim Ross John Cena Mick Foley The Rock Roddy Piper Kevin Nash Ghost Rider Marvel Entertainment Green Lantern DC Comics WWE Studios Media Man

Media Man and the vast majority of mainstream news and wrestling news outlets agree - pro wrestling... cough, "sports entertainment", is interesting again, with realistic storylines and a reasonable amount of quality pro wrestling matches on offer.

Traditional thinking would dictate that WWE PPV events are going to achieve higher buy rates and the positive momentum should also increase the revenues of marketing and mechanise. Just wait until the highly anticipated WWE TV Network kicks in... tipped to be approximately 12 months away.

Jim Ross...

Jim Ross has noted on Twitter that WWE sold out three straight shows on its current tour of South Africa.

Jim Ross has posted his latest blog. Highlights:

On WWE waiting so long after buying WCW to do the Invasion angle: "Beats me but the top talents that were needed to make the storyline really work were getting significant monies from Turner/WCW to essentially sit at home and fulfill their contracts. When judging the Invasion business, it's easy to Monday morning QB the matter but few will argue that it could have been more productive."

On a potential Hulk Hogan WWE return: "I have no idea. I assume anything is possible. I can't see Hogan returning to wrestle multiple matches in WWE due to his health issues but regarding this talent and his future I simply don't know and nothing would surprise me."

On Scott Hall leaving WWE in 2002: "After the infamous plane ride from hell and the unprofessional incidents that ensued by many, it was decided that having Scott back on the road with extensive traveling was not in the best interests of the talent or WWE."

On CM Punk leaving WWE: "I'm not involved in this matter whatsoever but from what I've read and what WWE has publicly stated, Punk vs. Cena at the MITB PPV in Chicago, Punk's hometown, will be CM Punk's last, foreseeable bout in WWE....win, lose, or draw. As an outsider looking in, I'd say Punk will finish up Sunday July 17 as WWE has stated."

Kevin Nash...

IMDB.com is listing Kevin Nash as appearing in the sequel to the 2007 film "Ghost Rider" starring Nicolas Cage. The sequel will see Cage reprise the role of the Ghost Rider and Nash's character has yet to be named. The film will be titled "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Revenge."

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper...

Piper is to have another check up for cancer. We're pleased he got through the initial battle with the Big C back in 2006. Few on the planet have most heart and guts than Piper, so we're tipping he's going to keep powering along, and perhaps even have some more in ring battles in the near future.

Hulk Hogan...

Purchase Hulk Hogan's Belleair Mansion For Just $9.2 Million...

If you're looking for an infamous Tampa Bay address to call home, the Wall Street Journal notes that Hulk Hogan's Belleair home is on the market. Well, still, anyway, because it's been for sale or years. But look, it's now a bargain at a mere $9,242,000! That's only about $539 per square foot, y'know.

The house, at 130 Willadel Dr., has been for sale for about five years, when it went on the block for $25 million. The Hulk took it back off the market, but it was listed last summer for $10.9 million. What does the new price buy you? A 17,000-square-foot-plus manse with five bedroom, eight full baths and three half baths, a gym, a rec room with its own kitchen, a tanning room, a wet bar, a hot tub, a guest house, a swimming pool with waterfalls and two docks on the Intracoastal.

Terry Bollea and his then-wife Linda bought the parcel in 1992 for only $2 million, so we can only guess what kind of margin is on this house. The Hulkster paid $120,325.85 in taxes in 2010, according to the Pinellas County property appraiser, even with the homestead exemption, so we can see why he'd want to ditch the joint. For a look at the listing, click here. Oh, and don't forget the HOA fee.

WWE Signs National Wrestling Champion...

The Medina Gazette from Ohio reports that WWE signed NAIA national wrestling champion Derek Foore to a developmental deal on Friday. Foore was invited to a FCW tryout months ago after WWE’s Jerry Brisco scouted him at a wrestling competition. Foore is planning a move to Florida where he can begin training at FCW.

The two-time national finalist and three-time high school state wrestling runner-up had the following to say about the signing:

"Right when I got the call I was like, ‘Yes, I’m one step closer. I’m willing to do whatever it takes. When I’m crazy enough, big enough and my career is sound and well-molded, that’s when they’ll say ‘Ok, you’re ready, man.’ I’m just living in the moment. I’m 22 years old and I have this opportunity. I will take it and seize it."

WWE Stars And Legend To Appear At San Diego Comic-Con...

Triple H, Rey Mysterio, members of the WWE creative team, a surprise WWE Legend and Mattel employees will be at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 21st for a special Q&A where they discuss WWE’s past, present and future and how it’s all celebrated with Mattel’s line of WWE toys. The discussion will take place from 11:30am until 12:30.

Vince McMahon - CM Punk Negotiation Behind Closed Doors...

WWE Monday Night Raw is being built around the public negotiation between WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and CM Punk, the two reportedly had a negotiating session in the past 24 hours behind closed doors. According to several key WWE insiders, the meeting was private, between McMahon and Punk, and none of the writing staff or the agents have been notified of the outcome of the negotiation.

WWE DVD Mentioned In Mainstream Newspaper...

Houston Chronicle’s David Barron, who has covered wrestling off-and-on for decades and regularly mentions wrestling stories in his weekly TV/Radio Notebook, referenced WWE’s "Best Cage Matches" DVD in Friday’s paper: "DVD updates: For old-school Texas wrestling fans, WWE’s The Greatest Cage Matches of All Time includes a couple from Jack Adkisson’s WCCW promotion in Dallas-Fort Worth."

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson...

Johnson’s biggest movie to date was Fast Five but he was so important in that movie’s success he was offered a job for a massive blockbuster. What role? He has landed the role of Road Block in the sequel to the hit summer movie "G.I. Joe". Johnson has posted a photo of himself along with the G.I. Joe logo and a caption that reads "It’s official. Call the Pentagon, get me my big ass gun. Rock’s a Joe" on his Twitter account.

Big Show To Appear USA Network Drama This Week...

WWE star Big Show will appear on the USA Network series "Burn Notice." The show airs Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. CT.

Kevin Nash Rumoured To Have Role In 'Rock Of Ages'...

Jim Ross on Kevin Nash's big movie role: "What's Kevin Nash up to. Oh, about 7 feet. Seriously, Kevin called me Monday on his way back from France where he wrestled on a one off event in the southern part of France and was on his way back to Miami where he's filming a movie. Kevin plays Tom Cruise's bodyguard in the film. It's a huge, $200M film w/ an all star cast."

Rumours Of Wrestling Legends Returning To WWE...

Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair and Mick Foley are the 3 prime names been talking about by wrestlers and fans of being legitimate chances to once again return to the WWE. Michael's would be more believable that the other two, but Foley is understood to enjoy solid to good relationships with many WWE top brass and wrestlers, so stay tuned.

WWE Ice Cream Bars To Return?

Will WWE Ice Cream Bars be for sale again at wrestling venues and ice cream trucks soon? During the latest WWE Raw results, wrestler CM Punk demanded the tasty frozen treats as part of his contract negotiations with Vince McMahon, to the delight of the WWE Universe. While Punk tore that contract to shreds to conclude the show, fans certainly haven't forgotten about the ice cream bars made popular in the WWF days.

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WWE Looking For Next Giant

2011-07-04T19:01:00.000+10:00

WWE top brass have been on the look out for future big time wrestlers in recent months. Enter Australian Josh Taylor, who stands at 6'10" and 385 pounds, and is the latest big man wrestler to be checked out by WWE as he showed his stuff to company officials prior to Friday's live WWE event in Sydney. He is billed as the largest wrestler in Australia. Professional Wrestling Alliance Queensland co-owner Andrew Venables said Taylor is Australia's best chance of success overseas. "He is the heart and soul of wrestling in Australia," Venables said. "If he shows them half the dedication as he has locally then he will make it."

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Wrestling News Media: WWE, Australia, CM Punk, Randy Savage, Brock Lesnar, by Greg Tingle - 2nd July 2011

2011-07-02T13:07:00.002+10:00

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WWE Superstar The Miz Multimedia Via Australian TV

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http://www.foxsports.com.au/Other+Sports/interview-with-the-miz/video-e6frf56c-1226084893110?subcat=1225914720791&site=FoxSports

One HD
http://one.com.au/video.htm?movideo_m=115863

WWE: Former WWE Champion Returning To The Company?...

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and former ECW owner, manager, and commentator Paul Heyman are negotiating for a WWE return. However, the proposed return is only for consumer products (according to AOL’s MMA reporter Ariel Helwani) and there is no interest from WWE, Lesnar, or Heyman regarding an on-air return for either of them, but at the same time, anything can and usually does happen in the WWE. Currently, Lesnar and Heyman are very close to making the business deal official with the WWE. Brock Lesnar was in the WWE from 2002-2004 and, in that time, Lesnar became the lead star for over a year, becoming the King of the Ring in June 2002, just four months after his WWE debut. Two months later, Lesnar won the WWE Championship for the first time at SummerSlam. Lesnar continued at the main event level, getting two more reigns as WWE Champion, as well as winning the 2003 Royal Rumble. Prior to WrestleMania XX in 2004, Lesnar made the decision that he would be leaving the WWE to pursue an NFL career. This led to Lesnar facing the also departing Goldberg at WrestleMania, with Stone Cold Steve Austin as the Special Referee, in his final WWE match. After a failed stint in the NFL, Lesnar decided to get into the world of mixed martial arts, ultimately landing in the UFC, securing a reign as the UFC Heavyweight Champion, but lost the title to Cain Velasquez. After the original ECW closed its doors for good in 2001, Paul Heyman joined the WWE as a color commentator before becoming a key player in the WWE Vs. WCW/ECW Invasion angle. After the WCW/ECW faction lost, Heyman was "fired" by Vince McMahon and Heyman went on hiatus until March of 2002 when he returned to become the manager of Brock Lesnar, later turning on Lesnar to join Big Show. Heyman also became the SmackDown General Manager for a time before returning to being a manager for The Dudley Boyz and Heidenreich. When the WWE decided to present a special one night only return of the original ECW called "ECW One Night Stand", Heyman was given heavy booking and promotional involvement in the rebirth. This led to WWE doing a second ECW One Night Stand event in 2006, this time featuring an "invasion" of WWE Superstars. Following the 2006 One Night Stand event, ECW became a third brand (in addition to RAW and SmackDown) under the WWE umbrella. In December of 2006, WWE decided to host an ECW-exclusive event titled "December To Dismember", which did poorly in the PPV sector. The failure of an ECW-exclusive pay-per-view was largely blamed on Heyman. He and Vince McMahon had a very heated argument in front of the WWE writing team, leading to Heyman parting ways with the WWE. WWE history shows that just about anyone can return to the WWE if its good for business, and we're tipping Lesnar and Heyman to make a full return. Be watching this space in coming days and weeks for more on this real life saga that is the WWE.

Randy "Macho Man" Savage Dead Before Car Crashed: Autopsy...

Randy "Macho Man" Savage died of a heart attack before the car he was driving crashed, his autopsy revealed. Savage, 58, died May 20 after he suffered a heart attack while driving in Pinellas County, Fla. His car veered into oncoming traffic before striking a tree. Savage, whose real name was Randall Mario Poffo, was pronounced dead at Largo Medical Center. He wife, Lynn, was in the 2009 Jeep Wrangler with him but suffered only minor injuries. His autopsy revealed advanced heart disease, including an enlarged heart and severe blockage of his arteries. The injuries would not ave been considered life-threatening. Savage had small amounts of hydrocodone in his system, but not enough to have been a factor in the crash. He wrestled during the era of Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Junkyard Dog and other iconic professional wrestlers who helped turn Vince McMahon’s scripted wrestling league into a worldwide phenomenon. He was known for his catchphrase, “oooooh yeah,” and his association with his manager, Miss Elizabeth. He also formed a “partnership” with Hogan, which of course went bad in typical soap-opera fashion. Savage joined World Championship Wrestling after his WWF run. He retired in 2005 after a brief stint with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. He later worked as a pitchman for the “Snap into a Slim Jim” campaign. He joins a long list of wrestlers from his era to die an untimely death, including “Ravishing” Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Andre the Giant and Junkyard Dog. Miss Elizabeth Heulette died in 2003 from a drug and alcohol overdose. Savage was one of the most popular, famous and highest earning professional wrestlers of all time, perhaps only trailing Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair.

WWE Live event results from Acer Arena, Sydney, Australia

Rey Mysterio def CM Punk

Beth Phenoix & Kelly Kelly def Bella Twins

Zack Ryder def Primo

Evan Bourne def Jack Swagger

(US title) Dolph Ziggler def Kofi Kingston

(Tag titles) David Otunga & Michael McGillicutty def Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov

Alex Riley def The Miz

(WWE title) John Cena def R-Truth

CM Punk Shoot / Worked Angle On Raw...

WWE Raw came to an abrupt end Monday night moments after CM Punk’s mic went out while he was cutting a scathing, anti-WWE promo that was filled with insider references, like never done before in a WWE or even WWF or WWWF ring. It was more ECW than ECW, and we're talking about the glory days of the once hardcore promotion.

After the show went off the air, it was announced on the WWE website portal wwe.com that WWE chairman Vince McMahon has suspended Punk indefinitely for unprofessional conduct, and Punk’s bio was removed from the website.

The wwe.com story went like this "with [Punk’s] contract expiring on July 17, one can only assume that this suspension effectively terminates CM Punk’s tenure with WWE."

"John Cena, while you lay there, hopefully as uncomfortable as you possibly can be, I want you to listen to me. I want you to digest this, because before I leave in three weeks with your WWE Championship, I have a lot of things I wanna get off my chest.

"I don’t hate you, John. I don’t even dislike you. I like you a hell of a lot more than I like most people in the back. I hate… this idea… that you’re the best… because you’re not. I’m the best. I’m the best in the world. There’s one thing you’re better at than I am, and that’s kissing Vince McMahon’s ass. You’re as good at kissing Vince’s ass as Hulk Hogan was. I don’t know if you’re as good as Dwayne… he’s a pretty good ass-kisser… always was and still is. Oops… I’m breaking the fourth wall. [Punk waves to the camera.] I am the best… wrestler… in the world. I’ve been the best ever since Day One when I walked into this company, and I’ve been vilified and hated since that day because Paul Heyman saw something in me that nobody else wanted to admit. That’s right, I’m a Paul Heyman guy. You know who else was a Paul Heyman guy? Brock Lesnar… and he split, just like I’m splittin’, but the biggest difference between me and Brock is that I’m going to leave with the WWE Championship.

"I’ve grabbed so many of Vincent K. McMahon’s imaginary brass rings that it’s finally dawned on me that they’re just that. They’re completely imaginary. The only thing that’s real is me, and the fact that day in and day out, for almost six years, I’ve proved to everybody in the world that I am the best on this microphone, in that ring, and even on commentary. Nobody can touch me. And yet, no matter how many times I prove it, I’m not on your lovely little collectors’ cups, I’m not on the cover of the program, I’m barely promoted, I don’t get to be in movies, I’m not on any crappy show on the USA Network, I’m not on the poster of WrestleMania, I’m not on the signature that’s produced at the start of the show. I’m not on Conan O’Brian, I’m not on Jimmy Fallon, but the fact of the matter is I should be, and trust me, this isn’t sour grapes, but the fact that “Dwayne” is in the main event of WrestleMania next year and I’m not makes me sick!

"Oh hey, let me get something straight, those of you who are cheering me right now… you are just as big a part of me leaving as anyone else, because you’re the ones sipping out of those collector cups right now, you’re the ones that buy those programs that my face isn’t on the cover of, and then at five in the morning at the airport, you try to shove it in my face thinking you can get an autograph and sell it on eBay because you’re too lazy to get a real job.

"I’m leaving with the WWE championship on July 17 and hell, who knows, maybe I’ll go defend it in New Japan Pro Wrestling… maybe I’ll go back to Ring of Honor… [Punk waves to the camera again] hey, Colt Cabana, how you doing? The reason I’m leaving is you people because after I’m gone you’re still going to pour money into this company — I’m just a spoke on the wheel — the wheel’s gonna keep turning. And I understand that… that Vince McMahon’s gonna make money despite himself… he’s a millionaire who should be a billionaire… you know why he’s not a billionaire? It’s because he surrounds himself with glad-handing nonsensical [censored] yes-men like John Lauranitis, who’s gonna tell him everything he wants to hear… and I’d like to think that maybe this company will be better after Vince McMahon is dead, but the fact is it’s gonna get taken over by his idiotic daughter and his dufus son-in-law and the rest of his stupid family.

"Let me tell you a personal story about Vince McMahon. You know we do this whole bully campaign…” The mic is cut off Punk is stunned and smacks it a few times, then boos fill the arena he yells" I’ve Been Silenced!" and the feed to the show is cut off the air.

A Media Man spokesperson said "We believe that this is an elaborate work, and a great one at that. Likely the most realistic angle in the history of the promotion and CM Punk pulled it off beautifully. We're of the belief that if this was shoot i.e a totally real situation, the mic volume would have been cut earlier. Never say never, but we're 99% certain this was a work. We think a lot of hardcore and casual fans would have initially believed that it was a totally real situation happening in the ring. CM Punk and the WWE have once again made one of the most memorable happenings ever in a WWE ring. WWE top brass, if or when you read this, keep up the realistic angles and promos. CM Punk and WWE are over big time at the moment, so keep doing what your doing, and keep us guessing".

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Wrestling News Media: WWE CM Punk Shoot / Worked Angle On Raw

2011-06-30T13:22:00.001+10:00

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WWE Wrestling Vince McMahon Paul Heyman Hulk Hogan John Cena The Rock Media Man

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WWE Raw came to an abrupt end Monday night moments after CM Punk’s mic went out while he was cutting a scathing, anti-WWE promo that was filled with insider references, like never done before in a WWE or even WWF or WWWF ring. It was more ECW than ECW, and we're talking about the glory days of the once hardcore promotion.

After the show went off the air, it was announced on the WWE website portal wwe.com that WWE chairman Vince McMahon has suspended Punk indefinitely for unprofessional conduct, and Punk’s bio was removed from the website.

The wwe.com story went like this "with [Punk’s] contract expiring on July 17, one can only assume that this suspension effectively terminates CM Punk’s tenure with WWE."

“John Cena, while you lay there, hopefully as uncomfortable as you possibly can be, I want you to listen to me. I want you to digest this, because before I leave in three weeks with your WWE Championship, I have a lot of things I wanna get off my chest.

“I don’t hate you, John. I don’t even dislike you. I like you a hell of a lot more than I like most people in the back. I hate… this idea… that you’re the best… because you’re not. I’m the best. I’m the best in the world. There’s one thing you’re better at than I am, and that’s kissing Vince McMahon’s ass. You’re as good at kissing Vince’s ass as Hulk Hogan was. I don’t know if you’re as good as Dwayne… he’s a pretty good ass-kisser… always was and still is. Oops… I’m breaking the fourth wall. [Punk waves to the camera.] I am the best… wrestler… in the world. I’ve been the best ever since Day One when I walked into this company, and I’ve been vilified and hated since that day because Paul Heyman saw something in me that nobody else wanted to admit. That’s right, I’m a Paul Heyman guy. You know who else was a Paul Heyman guy? Brock Lesnar… and he split, just like I’m splittin’, but the biggest difference between me and Brock is that I’m going to leave with the WWE Championship.

“I’ve grabbed so many of Vincent K. McMahon’s imaginary brass rings that it’s finally dawned on me that they’re just that. They’re completely imaginary. The only thing that’s real is me, and the fact that day in and day out, for almost six years, I’ve proved to everybody in the world that I am the best on this microphone, in that ring, and even on commentary. Nobody can touch me. And yet, no matter how many times I prove it, I’m not on your lovely little collectors’ cups, I’m not on the cover of the program, I’m barely promoted, I don’t get to be in movies, I’m not on any crappy show on the USA Network, I’m not on the poster of WrestleMania, I’m not on the signature that’s produced at the start of the show. I’m not on Conan O’Brian, I’m not on Jimmy Fallon, but the fact of the matter is I should be, and trust me, this isn’t sour grapes, but the fact that “Dwayne” is in the main event of WrestleMania next year and I’m not makes me sick!

“Oh hey, let me get something straight, those of you who are cheering me right now… you are just as big a part of me leaving as anyone else, because you’re the ones sipping out of those collector cups right now, you’re the ones that buy those programs that my face isn’t on the cover of, and then at five in the morning at the airport, you try to shove it in my face thinking you can get an autograph and sell it on eBay because you’re too lazy to get a real job.

“I’m leaving with the WWE championship on July 17 and hell, who knows, maybe I’ll go defend it in New Japan Pro Wrestling… maybe I’ll go back to Ring of Honor… [Punk waves to the camera again] hey, Colt Cabana, how you doing? The reason I’m leaving is you people because after I’m gone you’re still going to pour money into this company — I’m just a spoke on the wheel — the wheel’s gonna keep turning. And I understand that… that Vince McMahon’s gonna make money despite himself… he’s a millionaire who should be a billionaire… you know why he’s not a billionaire? It’s because he surrounds himself with glad-handing nonsensical [censored] yes-men like John Lauranitis, who’s gonna tell him everything he wants to hear… and I’d like to think that maybe this company will be better after Vince McMahon is dead, but the fact is it’s gonna get taken over by his idiotic daughter and his dufus son-in-law and the rest of his stupid family.

“Let me tell you a personal story about Vince McMahon. You know we do this whole bully campaign…” The mic is cut off Punk is stunned and smacks it a few times, then boos fill the arena he yells ” I’ve Been Silenced!” and the feed to the show is cut off the air.

A Media Man spokesperson said "We believe that this is an elaborate work, and a great one at that. Likely the most realistic angle in the history of the promotion and CM Punk pulled it off beautifully. We're of the believe that if this was shoot i.e a totally real situation, the mic volume would have been cut earlier. Never say never, but we're 99% certain this was a work. We think a lot of hardcore and casual fans would have initially believed that it was a totally real situation happening in the ring. CM Punk and the WWE have once again made one of the most memorable happenings ever in a WWE ring. WWE top brass, if or when you read this, keep up the realistic angles and promos. CM Punk and WWE are over big time at the moment, so keep doing what your going, and keep us guessing".

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Wrestling News Media Website Updated

2011-06-25T18:20:00.002+10:00

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Wrestling News Media: Wrestling Legends Update, WWE, Australia, Movies and more, by Greg Tingle - 19th June 2011

2011-06-19T18:07:00.001+10:00

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Steve Austin Roddy Piper Chris Jericho Hulk Hogan Mick Foley Bruno Sammartino Vince McMahon Miz John Cena The Rock Mickey Rourke Jim Ross John Seru Wrestling Wrestling Legends WWE

In this writer's opinion, pro wrestling aka sports entertainment is hot again. Not quite yet at WWE Attitude levels, but getting close in some fashions.

Why? How about compelling storylines and character's in the WWE, the brand getting back some of their attitude (more hardcore and adult themes), developing talent, and let's face it - more of true legends on the broadcast like "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

The legends back on WWE television helps get the new talent over.

Then there's the elevation of R-Truth Alex Riley, former student of Miz, "Big" Andy Leavine aka "Silent Rage" (who yet had to show he truly brings it)... but the slap by McMahon and the stunner by Austin on Raw a few years ago sure helped get him over, but can Andy maintain the rage? Time will tell.

R-Truth, opponent of John Cena in less than 24 hours is on fire and over in a big way. Anti establishment all round bad ass is what helped get Austin over big time, going back to the King Of The Ring ceremony when he uttered the words Austin 3:16 said that I just whipped your ass. Some comparison can be drawn between R-Truth and The Gangstars in the old Extreme Championship Wrestling, and not just because they are the same colour. It's about the attitude, the out of control charisma, and ability to back in up in the ring. The world loves a rebel, and R-Truth delivers. He's attacking the corporate champion and ripping on WWE merchandise and the conspiracy towards him is hard not to love, if you're into more mature storylines. Randy Orton is on fire and CM Punk is one of the most entertaining superstars, in and out of the ring. Now all we need is for R-Truth to win the strap, and we will have a hell of a meaningful wrestling feud. It's R-Truth VS The World, and we're loving it.

The WWE powers that be do appear to be listening.

It's also compelling to hear that Mick Foley aka "Mankind", "Cactus Jack" and Dude Love", may be soon returning to the WWE, after a decent run in TNA. In addition, TNA's Hulk Hogan also frequently mentioning by name Steve Austin (Hogan wants a match), and Roddy Piper is apparently interested in doing a Piper's Pit with Hogan VS Austin and Hogan VS Ultimate Warrior.

FCW, the feeder promotion for the WWE continues to develop the next generation of wrestling superstars and TNA continues to keep up the good fight, with Hogan publicly getting behind Matt Morgan.

A number of wrestling insiders are saying that WWE needs to keep going with the more hardcore and mature storylines, and that they might also do well to further embrace some more UFC concepts.

Jim Ross, living legend of the wrestling announcer variety, continues to deliver great insight into the world of pro wrestling, mixed martial arts (and BBQ sauce).

Australian fans - don't forget the WWE comes back down to Australia for WWE Live, starting in Sydney on 1st July at Acer Arena.

Let's now take a look at some specific individuals and further probe some of the world's hottest pro wrestling news...

Ross on Steve Austin and Roddy Piper: "(Austin and Piper) were the two highlights for this old schooler on Monday's Raw. They both know how to fully command an audience and still have 'it.' Austin can be so intense that it bleeds through the TV screen. His Clint Eastwood-esque delivered line to CM Punk...."punk" was golden. @CMPunk and Austin have excellent on screen chemistry and back in the day they would have had a helluva run. Nothing but money."

Ross on R-Truth: "R-Truth' s professional career has never been more elevated. He fits the role that he's in well and it would not shock me to see, by hook or crook, R-Truth upset John Cena this Sunday on PPV to win the WWE Title. Long shot? Perhaps....but stranger things have occurred on a WWE PPV and no one can argue that a Truth title win wouldn't 're-shuffle the deck.'"

Ross on The Miz: "(The Miz) is so easy to dislike which is a marketable necessity for any villain. Guys that can talk as well as Miz, who I Tweeted reminded me of a male Kardashian, are essentially Teflon coated. Essentially no matter what occurs in the ring, more often than not, they are right back to where they need to be when provided the opportunity to speak."

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper

Rowdy Roddy Piper recently shared his thoughts on the Warrior vs. Hogan situation; here are the Twitter highlights: "Warrior made some comments I heard that Hogan may sue over. Sex and Wrestling, Warrior talking of Hogan. Hogan talking about Macho. This is not a time to be funny or reckless. I take it very serious! There's a honor a man has to carry with him. I have seen a lot. There's a line that I won't cross for any $ value. I have to catch a plane in 4 hrs. Going to Battle. I will try an address H/W over the weekend.1st. Warriors interviews. Warrior was not making interviews to be analyzed. They were made for the PG audience at the time. For kids! You have to look at the presentation Warrior did a good job presenting. Yes he could have layered it, parents and children could enjoy together. His merchandise. His way. Taking negative about another man's family? YOU CAN DIE FROM THAT!! Nothing to do with business...A thought. Take both Hogan and Warrior together or apart. Do a Shoot Piper's Pit!!! Then again fools rush in were wise men never tread!!"

A Roddy Piper vs. Terry Funk singles match is officially advertised for the 2011 Gathering of the Juggalos event, which takes place August 11-14 at Cave in Rock, Illinois. For more information, visit JuggaloGathering.com

Chris Jericho

(PETERBOROUGH) Chris Jericho has struggled with critics throughout his career, both in the wrestling ring and on stage. Jericho spent two decades climbing the ranks of sports entertainment, passing off the skeptics who labeled him not good enough, too small etc to become one of the most celebrated stars in World Wrestling Entertainment history, including being crowned the first-ever undisputed champion. Now the lead vocalist of Fozzy, playing venues like the Historic Red Dog, is defying the disbelievers who first slammed the heavy metal group as simply "the band with the wrestler." "There were a lot of people who stayed away from us, thinking it was just a novelty," says Jericho. "But I just didn't wake up one day and say, 'Let's start a band.' This was something I've been doing since I was 12. The passion is there, the belief is there and the knowledge is there. "I think people can sense that. That's why we are building momentum. Once people can realize it's real, they'll get behind you." Fozzy's recent Peterborough stop is a visit between two huge concerts in Toronto and Brantford before a major summer tour in Europe alongside metal stalwarts Metallica, Slayer, Slipknot, Anthrax and Motorhead. "You get a different vibe when you play a smaller club than in bigger places," says Jericho. "It's a little sweatier; more energy and a little more rock and roll. We love that." Fozzy Osbourne, a cover band formed in 1999 by Rich Ward of Stuck Mojo, evolved into Fozzy. Jericho joined in 2000, accompanied with characters such as Moongoose McQueen and a satirical storyline. They had signed a 20-year contract to stay in Japan only to discover many famous artists in the U.S. had ripped off their music. The group's high-energy sound led to a record deal and two albums of cover songs, Fozzy (2000) and Happenstance (2002), paying tribute to the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, Motley Crue and Black Sabbath. The second album also included five original songs. "It was a fun side project and suddenly we got offered a record deal just to play covers. We were kind of confused with that but like any self-respecting musician, we took the money and did it," quips Jericho. In 2005, the comical shtick was dropped as was the cover song focus. All That Remains was an album of entirely new music, as was Chasing The Grail, which was released in 2010 to rave reviews and loads of radio time. "The gimmick can only last so long if the music isn't there," says Jericho, who composes the lyrics while Ward writes the music and plays lead guitar alongside guitarist Sean Delson, drummer Frank Fontsere and guitarist Billy Grey. "We're a very heavy band but with a lot of melodies." But from groove-driven metal compositions, such as Under Blackened Skies and Martyr No More to the epic 14-minute prog-metal tune Wormwood, Jericho finds inspiration from the unlikeliest of bands: The Beatles. "They are my favourite band of all time. There are a lot of harmonies and melodies in our vocals and much of that comes from listening to them." The Winnipeg-raised Jericho (his real name is Chris Irvine, the son of former NHLer Ted Irvine) admits he always chased two childhood dreams. "Wrestling just kind of took off first before the music did," he says. "But now that the music is starting to catch up, it's very gratifying and rewarding because we've been working hard on it." Jericho left the WWE in September after his contract expired. It's his second departure after a two-year hiatus in 2005 during which he said he was disheartened with wrestling. But he remains a busy entertainer. He has written two New York Times best-selling books chronicling his wrestling career and is working on a third book. And there's been numerous TV appearances include competing on ABC's Dancing With The Stars. But wrestling fans are clamouring to know when, or if, Y2J will ever step inside the ring again. "That's a big question and I really don't know. "When I left in September, I had no plans of coming back and had no plans of not coming back and I still feel the same way. I love them both but right now my main focus is on Fozzy because of all the great stuff we have going on. "I still like watching wrestling and I keep track of it very diligently and know exactly what's going on in all aspects of it. I'm still enjoying it as a fan." Fans of Jericho share his passion for music and wrestling. "We have fans from all aspects -- your Chris Jericho fans and your die-hard Fozzy fans. "And there will be the people who will come check out Chris Jericho 'the wrestler guy' and see what we're about. "I always like to say the only people that don't like our band are the ones who have never heard it." Something tells us that Jericho is way too good to stay away from the wrestling ring forever, and when the WWE needs him to spark new energy into the show, he will be there. Perhaps the most rounded sports entertainer ever - that's Chris Jericho.

John "Vulcan" Seru

One of the biggest superstars of the Australian pro wrestling scene of all time. Today Seru runs the Muscle Mania gym in South West Sydney. Seru recently told Media Man on Randy "Macho Man" Savage that he was one of the very best pro wrestlers ever and that the industry had lost a great one. Savage was the best 'Oh Yeah'!

WWE Films Wrestles With Gorgeous George - 27th April 2011

EXCLUSIVE: In an age where books routinely get tiny movie options and languish in development, one could do worse than make a deal with wrestling mogul Vince McMahon's WWE Studios. In a mid-6 figure outright buy, WWE acquired the 2008 John Capouya book Gorgeous George: The Outrageous Bad-Boy Wrestler Who Created American Popular Culture. Not only was the deal brokered by Justin Manask generous for the author, but WWE Films has committed to a 2011 start date for a film about a journeyman wrestler who remade himself into a preening, vamping villain and became a national TV star at a time when there was little on the boob tube but wrestling and Milton Berle. WWE Films set John Posey to write the script for a film that will be the last of nine features WWE will generate in less than two years. The fourth, Killing Karma, is shooting now.

While early WWE films were schlocky action showcases for its spandex stars, WWE Films head Mike Pavone said the company has morphed into a family film factor with better scripts that draw actors like Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, Patricia Clarkson, Danny Glover and Parker Posey to work alongside ring fixtures like Triple H, The Big Show and John Cena. Each film costs around $7 million after rebates for location shoots in Louisiana and Pavone said they save about $1 million for each film by never really wrapping production. Crews get a couple weeks rest after each film completes its 20-25 day shoot, and then the next one gets going.

A Gorgeous George film was McMahon’s idea, an exception to his unwritten rule not to make pictures about wrestlers. Pavone said George’s flamboyant persona not only set the tone for future stars like Hulk Hogan and The Rock, but also helped Bob Dylan come out of his shell and influenced the likes of Muhammad Ali, James Brown, and Liberace.

“George Wagner was a good wrestler who couldn’t get over the top until he developed this character that people loved to hate,” Pavone said. “He had this effeminate, aristocratic persona that he and his wife Betty created from whole cloth, down to the robes and platinum blonde hairstyle his wife copied from Betty Grable. George realized that they don’t come to see the good guy win, they come to see the bad guy lose. He paraded as this effeminate man in the 40s and 50s in Texas and the South, with 12,000 people screaming and throwing things.” Wagner, who made his entrance to Pomp and Circumstance, rubbed elbows outside the ring with Hollywood stars, and made as much--$100,000 per year--as Joe DiMaggio. His fortunes flagged, though, and George stayed too long in the ring. His final payday: a humiliating match, pre-arranged for him to lose and have his signature blond locks shaved in the ring by his opponent, Dick the Destroyer.

Pavone said McMahon is committed to fully finance the Gorgeous George pic as well as the other eight WWE Films. It's a bold play, because McMahon won't know if the film program works until the pics start getting released in September. Samuel Goldwyn distributes the first few, and WWE Films will handle the marketing.

“We’ve been making these movies in a vacuum, confident that our model will prove itself,” Pavone said. (Credit: Deadline.com)

Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan is still 'The Main Event', By Jon Robinson...

Every birthday from about 8 years on, I begged and pleaded with my parents for the same present: tickets to see the WWF live at the Cow Palace. My aunt was actually a regular at wrestling matches from the days of Gorgeous George and once almost got kicked out of the arena for throwing her high heels at some heel who was hitting her favorite fighter with a foreign object every time the referee turned his back. Funniest thing about this is my aunt was the most uptight, old-money, stuck-in-her-old-ways woman I knew. She was someone who might throw a fit if someone spilled soda or even sat on her all-white couch that for some reason was never sat on (why someone would feature furniture you couldn't sit on, I'll never know), but I could never imagine her throwing a shoe.

But that's what the wild and wacky world of professional wrestling is all about. It's more than just the soap opera for men it's so commonly referred to as. It's more like a rock concert of kung fu fighting acrobats complete with fireworks and the occasional dead man, masked man and/or midget. It's a place where good battles evil between the ropes while bringing the thousands in attendance along for the next chapter.

And that showmanship that helps drive the action is what the new video game, "Hulk Hogan's Main Event" is all about. Because wrestling is more than just men in tights rolling around and getting sweaty (not that there's anything wrong with that), Hogan is using the power of Kinect to bring gamers into the ring with him while teaching them the taunts, poses and posturing that made him a worldwide phenomenon.

I caught up with Hogan inside video game publisher Majesco's booth at E3 to talk wrestling, showmanship and his time inside the ring, from his days rocking a mask to his nights as "Hollywood." Here's what one of the most influential wrestlers in the history of the business had to say.

Jon Robinson: I'm about to play your game for the first time. What's your advice on how I can become the next Hulk Hogan?

Hulk Hogan: You're very lucky because instead of looking for a coach, you have now found the greatest coach of all time. I don't know too much, but I do know a lot about wrestling, and in "Hulk Hogan's Main Event" I'm your coach, brother. I teach you the moves, get you all excited, and then it's up to you to get the crowd booing or cheering and get them ramped up. The whole entertainment aspect gets you rolling right into the ring, and then you get to turn the moves up and either do some scientific wrestling or cheat like the bad guys. And what's cool is, you can't sit on the couch for this one. Since it's on Kinect, you actually have to get up, get moving and move your bum around.

Jon Robinson: You are one of the best showmen professional wrestling has ever seen. How did you learn to get the crowd so moved during your matches?

Hulk Hogan: I played music for about 10 years before I ever got into the wrestling business, so I was used to being on stage and being in front of people. I really wasn't a great singer, so we had a couple of guys who would sing, but in between songs, I would grab the mike and talk to the crowd, so I got over any shyness I had in the music business before I ever got into wrestling. Then when I got into wrestling, it was all about that scientific stuff and rolling around on the ground and putting each other in arm locks and leg locks, but the first time I ever looked out into the crowd -- I was wearing a mask back then, and they called me The Super Destroyer -- the reaction from the crowd was a lot louder than I got for the actual wrestling. So the reaction from the crowd made the wrestling easier for me, and I worked that in my whole career. Most of the time when I wrestled, the crowd wasn't just cheering, they were standing up and cheering or carrying on, and that's what's cool about this game, it really plays up that entertainment aspect. As soon as you enter the arena and walk down that ramp, it's up to you to get the crowd going, and that parlays right into the fact that now you're on your feet and doing the wrestling moves using Kinect. It really takes you from wanting to be a wrestler to putting you right on the spot and in the spot.

Jon Robinson: So, how did you go from some strange dude in a mask to arguably the most popular wrestler of all time?

Hulk Hogan: That transmutation or transformation took quite a while. I started wrestling 35 years ago, and I had a pretty intense attitude back then when I was young and injury free. The wrestling promoters back then had me start under a mask because they were hoping that one day I might turn into something. When you start out in the wrestling business, you make a lot of mistakes, tripping over your own feet and looking like a fool. The Super Destroyer mask was really to protect me because I was so big and back then I was one of the few guys who actually looked like I trained. A lot of the guys I was wrestling had big arms, but they also had big stomachs. So under the mask, I could learn my way while everyone beat me. Then this whole transformation started happening, but becoming Hulk Hogan took quite a few years. I quit wrestling a few times, then I was Terry Boulder, then the promoter starter calling me Sterling Golden, then I was Terry "The Hulk" Boulder, then I was Terry Hogan, then I became Hulk Hogan. It actually took me eight or nine years before I was able to put it all together. That's why it's so hard for these young wrestlers who all think they should be in the main event. There's a lot more to it than just having a scientific match. You have to put the whole thing together.

Jon Robinson: What do you think of your persona living on in all of these video games like "Main Event" and "WWE All-Stars"?

Hulk Hogan: It's crazy. WWE owns my intellectual properties and all of my old footage, so Vince McMahon is repackaging all of that old stuff. It's a great compliment, though, because at the end of the day, I'm so grateful to anybody who contributed or helped me become who I am today. A large part of my career and a large part of my life, I'm very grateful to Vince McMahon Sr., Vince's father. I'm also very grateful to Vince McMahon because he and I were best friends and business partners. I was an employee, and we went down a lot of twisty roads together. Even right now, if I was to call him and tell him, "Hey, Vince, I need help," I guarantee Vince would be there for me. So I am very grateful for the fact that I have "Hulk Hogan's Main Event" coming out and that I'm on the cover of "WWE All-Stars." It's kind of like Hulk Hogan has found his niche, not only in Americana but in the video game world. It didn't have to be this way. The fans could've totally forgotten about me, but the fact that the fans have been so loyal, I'm still in the game. Right now, I'm with Impact Wrestling, formerly TNA, and, after two years of back surgeries, I'm working there creatively and helping out, but you never know, I might just slide back into the ring someday. It's not like I could take any crazy bumps, but then again, I never did. [laughs] I have to be really careful with my back.

Jon Robinson: When you think back to your favorite matches, do you have one moment that stands out as your personal favorite?

Hulk Hogan: I'm torn between my match with Andre the Giant and my match with The Rock. Andre was huge, and it was a defining moment for me because Andre passed the torch when I body slammed him. That was a huge deal, and I'm not trying to downplay it, but then later on in my career, when I finally returned to WWE after all those years of working for Ted Turner, Vince told me, "Hey, if you're coming back, then you better bring it." So when I went back, I was the ultimate bad guy, and when they put me in the match against The Rock, the fans were supposed to boo me out of the building. But it was a defining moment because the fans cheered me so loud and they booed The Rock. The fans were letting everyone know that they loved Hulk Hogan so much, that they were so loyal to Hulk Hogan, that nobody was going to tell them who to boo and who to cheer. It was like the fans slapped me in the face and told me, "Don't you know who you are? You're Hulk Hogan!" It was a huge moment in my career.

Jon Robinson: After so many years of drinking your milk and eating your vitamins, was it fun flipping it on everyone and doing the "Hollywood" character?

Hulk Hogan: I talked to Ted Turner about it before we did it, and I told him, "We're either going to ruin this business, or we're going to capture lightning in a bottle and it's going to be the greatest thing that ever happened." When I turned into a bad guy, the ratings shot up, the numbers went through the roof, and for two and a half years, we were able to beat WWE in the ratings.

Jon Robinson: One of the guys you fought with and against for years in both WCW and WWE was Randy Savage. What are some of the memories you have of him?

Hulk Hogan: Randy and I were stuck together like glue for about 15 years. We did everything together -- we traveled together, we worked out every day together -- and then we went on to have some great matches. I know this sounds horrible, but we made a lot of money together, and then we had this huge falling out that to this day, I still don't know why he got mad. He went through a lot with his divorce from Elizabeth and stuff, but we just started talking again a few months before he died. I don't do many independent wrestling shows, but I finally did one and [Randy's brother] Lanny was there, and he was telling me how tough it was after their dad passed away, but his dad was really happy that Randy and I had started talking again. But then Lanny was really worried about his mom, so they were going to throw a big barbecue at his mom's house with Randy and I, and that was supposed to be the next weekend, but Randy died in the middle of the week. Out of all the guys who have died, that one hit me the hardest. I've known a lot of guys, I've walked into hotel rooms where there have been bad situations, but that one was a tough one.

Jon Robinson: You talked about your back problems earlier, but I was just curious if there's somebody out there you'd like to have that one last match with?

Hulk Hogan: Well, if there is that one last huge match that really, really meant something to the fans, that would have to be against "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. I can see him already making appearances back on TV, and he's already starting to get full of himself. I heard him say for a while that his back and his neck were too messed up to wrestle, but from what I've been seeing lately, I think he's getting geared up to do something, and I'd like to be a part of it.

Jon Robinson: How about in Impact Wrestling? Do you see a guy in Impact who might have the ability to carry that brand to another level?

Hulk Hogan: I've really tried to be optimistic when looking at the talent that is there, and I've already tried to give the football to a couple of guys who are there, and they are just so off into that: "TNA Wrestling, this is TNA Wrestling, I have a five-star match every week." But that's not the big picture. I think the one guy I really need to focus on is Matt Morgan. There are a couple of things that need to be fixed, and one of the main things is his interviews. When Scott Steiner looks at you and calls you a punk and says you look like a tiny turd in a toilet bowl, you need to come back and say something about how you can look over the top of Steiner's head. Instead, he's out there talking about how he respects Steiner as an athlete. His whole rap needs to change. I think if we sit down and really dial Matt Morgan in, he can be somebody who can really turn things around and lead Impact Wrestling to the promised land. (Credit: ESPN)

Bob Marella (aka Gorilla Monsoon) To Be Inducted Into Wrestling Hall of Fame...

Waterloo, Iowa – Bob Marella, a 1959 Ithaca graduate who rose to fame in professional wrestling as Gorilla Monsoon, will be inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. Marella will enter the hall of fame, which is located at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, July 23.

Marella, a member of Ithaca's Hall of Fame, was the wrestling program's first all-American, placing second at the 1959 NCAA Championships. Wrestling in the heavyweight class (which was then called the unlimited weight class), Marella upset the second and third seeds (from Northern Colorado and Iowa State, respectively), before dopping a 2-0 overtime decision to a wrestler from Oklahoma State in the title bout. Marella, who was nicknamed "Tiny" during his collegiate career, also starred in track & field as a Bomber.

Induction into the professional wrestling hall of fame includes a substantial impact on professional wrestling, general respect within the profession, and a strong amateur background.

“Bob helped raise money for the first mat that I bought at Ithaca,” said John Murray, Ithaca's head wrestling coach from 1980 to 1995. “He was probably the alumnus who had the greatest impact on our program through money he raised and the awareness he brought to the program.”

Monsoon had a distinguished professional wrestling career that included many titles, including the WWWF (now WWE) United States Tag Team title. He was also known for his successful career as a commentator for the WWE. Monsoon died on Oct. 6, 1999.

The Rock And John Cena

Wrestling News Media: The Rock VS John Cena At WWE WrestleMania, by Greg Tingle

The Rock's return to pro wrestling er... sports entertainment, or whatever it is now, has little to do with wrestling as such.

The booking The Rock vs. John Cena at WrestleMania 28 twelve months in advance has strong merit, but will both competitors be as hot then, as they are now... probably.

This is one of the smartest moves ever by WWE head honcho Vince McMahon, as it plugs right back into mainstream entertainment, with a hot main event which has star power and money written all over it, plus news media is going to have it as a media darling to boot. I don't see Rock or Cena "stuffing up" with real life situations that would stop the match, and hopefully both will remain injury free.

What's were doing here is getting Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the living legend himself, and putting him in the squared circles with one of the most popular pre-teen megastars ever. This is the pop culture main event of the decade, if not century!

Wrestling fans will go for this big, and spend, plus it should be a decent match to keep the loyal fan base happy too. Most mainstream news media companies should cover it also, and the buzz and coverage leading up is already there, so just imagine. Bigger than the MTV Hulk Hogan VS "Rowdy" Roddy Piper 'War To Settle The Score', Andre The Giant at WrestleMania III, and perhaps even up there with the very first WrestleMania back in 1985 which came from sports and entertainment mecca in New York - Madison Square Garden.

The Rock VS John Cena at WrestleMania is tipped to break all sorts of records and have mega success written all over it. As The Rock would say, Just Bring It!

Stay tuned to Media Man, Wrestling News Media and our friends at Google News as the saga continues.

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Shane McMahon Focuses You On Demand In China, by Greg Tingle - 18th July 2011

2011-06-18T16:47:00.001+10:00

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Internet Television Shane McMahon WWE Wrestling Hollywood China United States Warner Bros.

Shane McMahon has been pounding the pavement hard in the past few years... all part of leaping out of a famous father's shadow.

Make no mistake, these days Shane McMahon is his own man...and on a global scale - U.S, China and most points in between.

Recently word leaked that when young Shane was 5 years old his old man, Vince McMahon (wrestling king of the world) and WWE Chairman...got him working hard pacing from from barber shop to barber hanging up wrestling fliers and posters. It's a tough job, and Shane was man enough for it.

The young McMahon stayed loyal to his father to circa 2009, working as the WWE's executive vice president of global media. He was a big part of getting WWE content and events in almost 150 countries.

The 41 year old McMahon is aiming to do for Hollywood what he did for the WWE. Earlier this week his company You on Demand formed a strategic partnership with Warner Bros. to get the entertainment giant's content into China via pay-per-view and video-on-demand cable platforms. You on Demand has access to homes in China through a 20-year deal with China Home Cinema, the pay-television arm of that country's CCTV-6 network. Cable operators can deliver the content into homes. You on Demand advised it expects to have as many as 3 million subscribers this season.

China, home to 1.3 billion, has become a business priority for Hollywood. The Motion Picture Assn. of America is attempting to get the Chinese government to ease up on its restrictions on foreign films and double the current quota to as many as 40.

In the meantime, Hollywood is trying to find other avenues into China. Earlier this month, Legendary Pictures, a Burbank company that co-financed "The Hangover" and "The Dark Knight," unveiled a joint venture with a Chinese entertainment conglomerate to make English-language films in China that would be exported around the world. Cable represents another window into the market and Warner Bros. will make current as well as older product available through You on Demand.

McMahon was previously working his tosh off for his famous father at WWE. He had been working there professionally since graduating from Boston University...holding positions in marketing, sales, promotion and production. He even reffed some matches and got in the squared circle on occasion and then as "Shane-O-Mac."

Rising high up the executive ranks, McMahon was seen as a potential successor to his father. There was only one problem. "He wasn't going anywhere," he said and laughed.

As a favor to a friend, McMahon took a meeting with Marc Urbach, who was chief financial officer of what was then known as China Broadband Inc. The company had just secured a license to operate in China and Urbach, who grew up as a fan of the WWE, wanted to pick McMahon's brains about the region. McMahon had spent a lot of time schmoozing government officials to get WWE content inside the country.

"At first I didn't believe them," McMahon said when he was told the company had a green light to set up shop in China. "Getting the license is the hardest thing in the world." He did his due diligence, even flying to China to visit the company's offices there.

Initially, McMahon was approached about joining China Broadband Inc.'s board of directors. The more time he spent studying the company, the more intrigued he became. He joined the company in late 2009 as its chairman and chief executive and invested a cool $4 million.

"It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make," McMahon said of his leaving WWE to strike out on his own. "I didn't want to wake up when I was 70 and say, 'I should have done that.'" Telling his father he wanted to leave was "brutal" and now, almost two years later, there remains some residual tension. "It's still hard," he said.

McMahon is confident that he is entering a buyer's market in China. The heavy piracy there has convinced him that consumers are hungry for content.

"If you give them access and it's better quality, why aren't they going to watch it," he said.

McMahon said he is "very far down the road" with other studios about signing deals similar to the Warner Bros. agreement.

Probed if he'd be striking any deals with his father for WWE content on You on Demand, McMahon cracked, "I don't know, I'm a tough negotiator."

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Wrestling News Media: Jim Ross Website Update: Tuesday Ramblings..RAW Thoughts...UFC..Strikeforce..'Death Clutch'..Store Still TEMPORARILY Closed.

2011-06-15T13:42:00.001+10:00

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Thanks for stopping by for a quick hitting portion of Tuesday Ramblings.....

Watching Monday Night Raw from Norman brought back lots of memories of the Nassau Coliseum. Great arena with lots of WWE heritage plus when I lived in Connecticut it was a Raw that did not necessitate an airplane ride. Long Island is a beautiful part of the northeast and I wish I had spent some time out there while I was stationed in the Nutmeg State.

Both former WWE alums Mick Foley and Taz call that part of the world home.

Raw thoughts:

@steveaustinBSR and @R_Roddy_Piper were the two highlights for this old schooler on Monday's Raw. They both know how to fully command an audience and still have 'it.'

Austin can be so intense that it bleeds through the TV screen. His Clint Eastwood-esque delivered line to CM Punk...."punk" was golden. @CMPunk and Austin have excellent on screen chemistry and back in the day they would have had a helluva run. Nothing but money.

R Truth' s professional career has never been more elevated. He fits the role that he's in well and it would not shock me to see, by hook or crook, R Truth upset @JohnCena this Sunday on PPV to win the WWE Title. Long shot? Perhaps....but stranger things have occurred on a WWE PPV and no one can argue that a Truth title win wouldn't 're-shuffle the deck.'

@MikeTheMiz is so easy to dislike which is a marketable necessity for any villain. Guys that can talk as well as Miz, who I Tweeted reminded me of a male Kardashian, are essentially Teflon coated. Essentially no matter what occurs in the ring, more often than not, they are right back to where they need to be when provided the opportunity to speak.

Austin's mic work with Miz, Vickie Guerrero, and CM Punk were three of the most memorable moments of the three hour Raw.

BTW Vickie is looking great and her change in diet and exercise are working for her.

Ever notice how stunning Alicia Fox is especially when watching the Anti Bullying promos that aired within Raw? She's a very nice young lady with a main event look that could take her beyond the squared circle.

Thought Booker T had his best nite to date at the announce table with King and Cole. Way to go Book! Announcing live TV for WWE isn't an easy job especially when one is 'green' in that area and have had little or no formal training or ample practice.

WWE.com did a list of WWE's top 25 managers. These lists always encourage plenty of debate. It isn't the list that I would have complied but I enjoyed the feature. Check it out at http://www.wwe.com. Leaving off Gary Hart and JJ Dillon made no sense until it was made clear that the list was for WWE alums only. I do agree that Bobby Heenan is a clear cut #1 and is miles ahead of the competition. 'The Brain' is THE BEST MANAGER EVER for my money. Bobby is still battling health issues and I think about him every day. Keep 'The Wease' in your prayers.

One of my pet peeves over the years is showing a wrestler "Running to the ring" as many grapplers have had knee issues, etc and don't run well. I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the Big Show moved when he ran to the ring Monday night. The big guy is dropping pounds and let's not forget that he was a former collegiate basketball player where running is a big part of the game.

We received a ton of Tweets @JRsBBQ and emails to this site about Long Island's Zach Ryder not being on Monday Night Raw from his 'home town.' Not exactly sure what it was that some thought I could do about it but they vented nonetheless. Lighten Up, Francis.

@RealKevinNash defended his wife against a drunk dude with a beer bottle in hand and it was Kevin who got arrested and where it was made to look like a big deal by TMZ. Must have been a slow news day. Kevin protecting his wife isn't a crime the last I looked and it sounds as if the police over reacted. When Kevin told me this story last week, I never dreamed that it would actually become national gossip/news. I'd love to do a sit down DVD interview w/ 'Big Sexy' about his career.

Emailers.....Our Restaurant is CLOSED and has been for over a year. We still get fans emailing us wanting to come by and eat and say hello. Sorry we can't accommodate.

Upon reading @brocklesnarDC and @HeymanHustle 'Death Clutch' again it seems that, simply put, the reason for Brock Lesnar's premature departure from WWE was a gross lack of communication. Again, wrestling fans in particular will enjoy this quick read, I read it in less than three hours but for the anal media I don't have an EXACT time, as Lesnar was always somewhat private and this book gives those that have been fans of 'The Next Big Thing' in WWE or UFC a peek behind his well positioned curtain. It's obvious if Lesnar's schedule had been managed more efficiently by all involved that there's a good chance that Brock might not have ever left WWE but that's purely speculation and certainly no guarantee. Bottom line is that Lesnar got into a line of work that fits his personality and his skill set famously and I for one hope that he kicks diverticulitis ass and can resume his UFC career in 2012.

For the record, with Junior Dos Santos or Cain Velásquez being the UFC heavyweight champion in all likelihood upon Brock's return, hope the monster from Minnesota will sharpen his striking defense skills as JDS and Cain are deadly with their hands.

I would also like to see a fight when Lesnar returns against Frank Mir as it would be their 'rubber match' and the two men don't like each other whatsoever which would add to the imperative, personal issue a bout needs especially when there is no title at stake. Doesn't seem logical that Brock's first fight back in UFC be against Velásquez or Dos Santos.

If the State of New York doesn't fully license/sanction UFC in their state then the whole, damn crew of Empire State politicos are "Wieners." What a no brainer it is to bring another revenue producing sport to America's #1 market and throughout the state.

Our trip down to Dallas this weekend to watch the Strikeforce show live is in the TBD category at this hour due to my surgery which is only hours away. If I don't or am not allowed to travel, I will certainly watch the event on TV Saturday night. Too bad Gina Carano couldn't get right and make her fight. Rumor has it she has 'weight issues' with which many of us can identify but also many of us aren't trying to make weight for a fight/payday.

With UFC buying Strikeforce, is the window of opportunity closing for female MMA fighters once the existing Strikeforce deals in place have been honored? I feel the female athletes are marketable over the long haul and if UFC bails on the gender someone else will likely give it a shot.

We are working to get all the internal tweaks done to re-open our store and will know more in a few days. Thanks for everyone's patience and support.

Follow us on Twitter @JRsBBQ and I'll keep every one updated on what's going on this week as I can. However, there will be NO Tweeting while I'm attached to any sort of IV's. :)

Boomer Sooner!

J.R. (Credit: JR's Blog)

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Wrestling News Media: PartyCasino Wins Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Award

2011-06-13T09:39:00.002+10:00

PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".

PartyGaming's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.

The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both WPT Casino Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com

The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".

The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.

PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.

The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.

The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $2 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.

PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis, Alice's Wonderland, Glamour Puss, Super Cubes, Heist, Palladium Slot and Circus Slot.

PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.

PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.

Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.

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Wrestling News Media Website Network Updated

2011-06-02T11:23:00.002+10:00

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2011-05-31T11:07:00.002+10:00

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Vince McMahon Writes About "Macho Man" Randy Savage In Time Magazine

2011-05-28T10:42:00.001+10:00

The June 6, 2011 issue of TIME features an article on the late Randy Savage written by WWE chief Vince McMahon. A preview of the article was released: "It’s important in sports and it’s important in entertainment to stand out. Randy knew that. Right away, he wanted to leave his mark, and to do that he was aware he had to make himself different from everyone else. "One way he did this was concentrating on his outfits, those brightly colored costumes with foot-long fringe that became his trademark. He brought to wrestling a unique look and style. Randy, who died in a car crash May 20 at age 58, was one of the building blocks of what is now WWE (previously known as the World Wrestling Federation). He had…" To read the article in its entirety, pick up a copy of TIME at your local newsstand or download the TIME iPad app. Oh Yeah!

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2011-05-26T12:28:00.002+10:00

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Casinos To Host Pro Wrestling Talk By Hulk Hogan And Friends, by Greg Tingle - 22nd May 2011

2011-05-22T14:08:00.001+10:00

Famous pro wrestlers including Hulk Hogan are going to share true and previously kayfabe stories from the road at popular American and Canadian casinos. Oneida Casino in Green Bay, Wisconsin has signed up, with Boulevard Casino in BC said to keen, with many more expected to follow. Media Man and Gambling911 continue to probe the curious tie-ins between land based and online casinos with the pro wrestling sector, with Hulk Hogan now challenging Ric Flair as wrestling king of the gambling sector...

There's a curious relationship between pro wrestling, land based and online casinos, and to be frank, we like it. Let's face it, they're all in the entertainment business right, looking for their cut of the entertainment dollar. As if you didn't know, just being in business these days is a gamble.

Back in the old days... circa 1950, pro wrestling used to be sometimes held in smoke filled arena's, some doubling as above board casinos, some being underground gambling dens littered with vice... and all things nice and naughty. Ah, those were the days hey kids.

Pro wrestling living legend, Hulk Hogan, has proved himself in the ring many times over the past 3 decades, but now he's showing himself to be quite a study of the gambling and casino industry. Already featured in The Hulk-A-Mania Experience slot game and Hulk Hogan online slot, out within months we hear, he's about ready to spill his guts kayfabe style at select land based casinos throughout the United States and just maybe Canada and BC also. Not only that, many of Hogan's old wrestling mates will also join in the talkfest, which is bound to have wrestling fans on the edge of their seats.

Don't worry about Hogan mate Ric "The Nature Boy" Flair, who won't be appearing. Flair still has his deals with the Carolina's Education Lottery, and he still feels very Woooooo! about it.

A Media Man insider said "When Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair did their shoot angle at Star City Casino in Sydney, Australia a few years ago that drew strong heat, blood and major headlines. They incorporated some kayfabe, inside talk into the script. Hogan is old school and knows just about all the secrets of pro wrestling since the 70's. His talkfests to be held at American and perhaps Canadian and BC land based casinos should be something special...as long as you like pro wrestling, or at least find it interesting".

It's understood that Hogan and some of his wrestling buddies don't mind a punt, but it's not known if they will play the casinos games before or after the talks at this stage. Wrestling and casino trivia buffs will be interested to know that the old WWE bought a the Debbie Reynold's land casino casino in Las Vegas circa 1999, but never went ahead with development plans, opting to sell it for a tidy profit. The casino was later redeveloped and is today known as the Clarion Hotel and Casino.

The current wrestling talk fests are expected to net Hogan, mates, the casinos and the promoters thousands of dollars, with Hulk set to get the biggest payday of all we understand, which is fair enough.

Hogan nemesis and sometimes friends Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka and Kevin 'Diesel' aka 'Vinnie Vegas' Nash are understood to be aware of the wrestling talk tour but are not appearing due to prior contractual arrangements. Nash has some online casino games listed in his official website. The Hulk's online casino game is set to be released before the end of this year in a deal with Endemol UK. bwin.party digital entertainment is understood to be looking for a b2b deal with Endemol.

'Hogan and Friends' are set to tear the house down, as much as a talkfest is capable of.

The shows have previously been postponed, but at this stage 3rd time looks to be a charm. Insiders hope Hogan’s back is ok and won't stop him appearing. The nostalgia tour is set to arrive next week at Oneida Casino in Ashwaubenon.

Hogan will be sharing the mic with Jimmy "Mouth of the South" Hart, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, The Nasty Boys, Koko B. Ware and Hacksaw Jim Duggan about their days on the old school wrestling circuit, both WWE - World Wrestling Federation and other promotions. Stories may including things like real life fights at bars, drug use, crazy nights with women ala "ring rats", real life heat, the time Duggan got busted with his supposed enemy The Iron Sheik for some green stuff, the real life Hogan - Randy Savage (RIP) feud, near meets with death, Andre The Giant stories, and god knows what else. Even if your more a casino player and not so much a wrestling fan, it still sounds like loads of fun.

It's rumoured that both Sydney's Star City casino and Melbourne's Crown Casino are interested in the wrestling talk concept, but to bring out Hogan and friends for this would be cost prohibitive at this stage, opting to stick to their loyalties to Vince McMahon's WWE, set to tour Australia from July 1.

Kudos to you Hulk, you're quite the wrestling legend, and there's no doubting your success as a gambling and gaming entrepreneur either.

Friends, good punting, know your limits and bet with your head, not over it. Ladies and gentlemen, kids of all ages... your winner - the fans!

Punters, er readers, stay glued to Media Man reports via Gambling911 for more "can't miss" information on Australian pokies, gaming and casino wars.

Hulk Hogan & Friends Tour

Oneida Casino, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Ashwaubenon - 26th May, doors open at 5pm.
http://www.oneidabingoandcasino.net

Boulevard Casino, Coquitlam BC - tentative, not confirmed - To Be Advised

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*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming. Media Man also publishes Media Man News and Wrestling News Media

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WWE Annual General Meeting 2011: Video

2011-05-21T22:55:00.002+10:00

WWE Annual General Meeting: Video

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Pro wrestling legend Randy 'Macho Man' Savage dies in car accident, by Greg Tingle - 20th May 2011

2011-05-21T09:49:00.000+10:00

Randy Savage VS Ric Flair

RIP Randy Savage (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011)

Professional wrestling superstar Randy "Macho Man" Savage passed away after having a heart attack while driving his Jeep Wrangler in Seminole, Florida.

A witness told the press that he "suffered a heart attack while driving and hit a tree."

Florida Highway Patrol said Savage, 58, leapt a concrete median, veered into oncoming traffic and smashed into a tree head on.

He died from his injuries at largo Medical Center.

Savage, whose birth name is Randy Poffo, had recently celebrated his first wedding anniversary with his wife Lynn. It was his second marriage.

His wife was in the car at the time of the accident, which was first reported by TMZ. She suffered only minor injuries.

He married his first wife Elizabeth Hulette best known as "Miss Elizabeth," in 1984. They divorced in 1992. She ended up dying from a drug overdose in 2003.

World Wrestling Entertainment, in progress of rebranding to WWE, advised in a statement that Savage's death was a huge loss.

"WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the greatest Superstars of his time, Randy Poffo, aka Randy "Macho Man" Savage. Poffo was under contract with WWE from 1985 to 1993 and held both the WWE and Intercontinental Championships. Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends. We wish a speedy recovery to his wife Lynn. Poffo will be greatly missed by WWE and his fans."

The wrestling world posted thousands of comments Twitter to grieve over the former wrestler.

"He had so much life in his eyes & in his spirit, I just pray that he's happy and in a better place and we miss him. We miss him a lot. I feel horrible about the ten years of having no communication. This was a tough one." Hulk Hogan posted on his Twitter account.

"RIP Randy 'Macho Man' Savage - you were one of my childhood inspirations and heros. Strength, love and prayers to the Savage/Poffo family," Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said on Twitter.

"I lost a close friend today. If anybody in heaven is wondering who the cat in the ugly cowboy hat is it's Randy. Love you Bro. Never another," Kevin Nash tweeted.

Twitter queen Alyssa Milano was also among those offering condolences, tweeting, "Rest in peace, Macho Man Randy Savage."

Savage helped put WWF wrestling on the global map in the 1980s and '90s, becoming, along with Hulk Hogan, one of its biggest draws of all time. His outrageous ring attire and his "Oooh Yeah!" catchphrase made him a fan favorite. He had also been pitchman for Slim Jims media and advertising campaigns.

"I feel so fortunate that I had a second chance to marry my first love, here where it all began," Savage said a year ago, after his Lido Beach wedding to Payne, whom he'd met there decades before.

Savage had recently returned to the wrestling scene with the release of the WWE Wrestling All-Stars video game. There was also a push to see him be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, many insiders and fans saying he was the greatest wrestler never to have been inducted, with rumours circulating that the reason he may not have got the green light was a fling with WWE boss Vince McMahon's daughter, but that is speculation, not fact.

Savage, who announced the release of a Macho Man action figure at Comic-Con in July 2010, was known for his catch phrase "Ooooooh yeaahhh" and his affiliation with Slim Jim snacks.

His pro wrestling success including numerous reigns as WWE (then WWF) and WCW champion...Savage appeared as Bone Saw McGraw, the wrestler Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker squares off with in "Spider-Man" (2002), among other occasional acting parts, and released a rap album, "Be a Man" (2003).

Savage had a numerous of other wrestling accomplishments and was the 1987 WWF King of the Ring and the 1995 WCW World War 3 winner.

His WrestleMania III match with Steamboat was considered a classic by both fans and critics and was named 1987's Match of the Year by both Pro Wrestling Illustrated and the Wrestling Observer.

He drew a lot of money in just about every wrestling territory he entered, be it Memphis, Florida, Atlanta or New York.

Savage signature moves included the flying elbow off the top rope, sometimes even from the top of cages, double ax handle, and had an extremely fast brawling style, as well as being a solid technical wrestler, often using a variety of suplexs in his matches.

His greatest wrestling feuds were with Hulk Hogan, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Ric Flair, Andre The Giant, The Honky Tonk Man, Tito Santana, George 'The Animal" Steele,
Bruno Sammartino and prior to the WWE, Jerry "The King" Lawler. He's biggest out of the ring feuds with with Hulk Hogan and wrestling boss, Vince McMahon.

Under his real name Randy Poffo, he played minor league baseball in the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnatti Reds systems in the early 1970s. Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was also among those expressing condolences Friday.

A Media Man staffer was overhead "Savage was one of the greatest ever and a true legend. He was up there with Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, Flair and Steamboat. It would be nice to see a classy tribute by the WWE and also see him finally inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Thanks for the awesome memories Randy".

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Australian Sports Betting Worries Sport Bosses, by Greg Tingle - 20th May 2011

2011-05-20T11:51:00.002+10:00

The sports betting sector continues to be red hot political and legal potato in Australia, and it has many a sports boss worried, as well as administrators of Australia's Olympic body, with Aussie Olympic athletes being red the riot act. Media Man and Gambling911 get you up to speed with the latest in the Australian sports betting industry, which is already having international consequences...

Aussie Sports Bosses Worried About Sports Betting...

Think you know all there is about the politics and proposed laws re sports betting in Australia? Think again.

The money men - the top brass behind the elite sports codes in Australia just yesterday expressed their unease at the full on advertising delivered by enthusiastic promoter types in the betting agencies.

The money stream for the sporting codes has been a financial shot in the arm for pro sports, but many now question at what cost.

Most advertising budgets in Australia have slowed over the last few years, but not sorts betting, a close cousin to gambling.

Live betting - exotic betting - are the forms of sports betting which have the majority of sports code bosses very worried, and we all know there's been a few scandals with the "exotics", and we're not talking about casino babes or sports babes folks.

The prestigious Tattersall's CEO's Sports Luncheon was held yesterday with reps from the AFL, NRL, ARU, FFA and Cricket Australia going on record that they felt somewhat uneasy with the tactics being employed by gambling firms, despite the big bucks they made from the association with sports betting.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say some of that more aggressive 'bet now' advertising is concerning us," NRL boss David Gallop said. "We would prefer to see that in a less aggressive mode. But it's difficult when the media outlets are going to take that advertising anyway, so the sports need to be in control of it."

After demonstrating initial caution, the Australian Football League has embraced the gambling universe, even permitting teams to accept gambling organisations as jersey, sports and internet sports sponsors, as plugging live odds on the AFL website during matches and showing live match odds on the scoreboard during games as part of an agreement with Betfair.

AFL chief exec Andrew Demetriou said it was issue beyond sport. "If it's in your face at the football, it can be really off-putting," he said. "But let's not delude ourselves; don't just concentrate this on the sports. The newspapers are littered with advertising about sports betting. Let's look at issues across the board, not just in sport. We're genuinely trying to do the right thing. Once sports betting became deregulated … everyone became exposed to it, not just kids at the football."

Australian Rugby Union top dog John O'Neill stated the massive money being thrown around by gambling firms had inevitably bought them a slice of power.

"We certainly do express a view if it's in your face, it's over the top. But that's the level of influence [they now have]," he said. "There is a source of revenue there." Assurances that all professional sporting events are not tampered with by bookmakers - or that players, coaches or officials are not betting on outcomes - has added another layer to the complex relationship between sports and agencies.

Cricket Australia exec James Sutherland advised all sports had to retain their integrity to survive.

"The critical issue for us is that the success of sport is built on the connection between the fan and the sport. They need to know this is a real contest, this is the real thing," he said. "If there is any question or taint around that then the integrity and value of the sport is significantly downgraded. That's something we're very conscious of. We can't have corruption in our game."

Federal Sports Minister Mark Arbib has expressed his support for tougher match-fixing laws, and is due to meet his state counterparts next month.

Just when all the confusion will come to an end is anyone's bet.

Gambling continues to be one of the world's most successful industries and most popular pastimes, and Aussie gamblers - sports betters are some of the most popular in the world.

With the Aussie news media and internet push on it seems unlikely that sports betting offline or online are going to decline in popularity any time soon. All gambling sub sectors are generally on the increase with the public, and now it just seems that all regulations across the board need to get up to speed with the reality of internet sports betting. You can bet legal eagles will continue to be busy and media reports will continue to be pumped out, keeping punters, politicians and all other interested parties abreast of the latest news. What else is left to say than good punting, and bet with your head, not over it.

Australian Olympic Committee Says Illegal Sports Betting Biggest Risk...

Aussie Olympic athletes set to head off the Olympic Games in London next year will be required to obey new laws designed to stop illegal betting.

The Australian Olympic Committee annual general meeting was held yesterday.

Plenty of top brass was present including AOC president John Coates and the Federal Minister for Sport Mark Arbib. They are so worried they rate illegal betting as big a risk as doping in the 1980s and 1990s.

Coates wants a national sports betting authority independent of any sport and their official bodies and handed federal powers and resources.

In a curious tactic, the AOC's 2012 team membership agreement has also been tweaked to limit the prospect of a selected Aussie athlete betting on themselves or anyone else during the Games in London.

Coates is happy to punish offenders by "naming and shaming" them. Arbib said he supported a prop for jail sentences of up to a decade for anyone found guilty.

The illegal betting industry, Arbib said, is worth roughly $140 billion a year, and has now spread like wildfire globally. He thinks that the battle to combat illegal betting will need the co operation of governments, sporting federations and legal betting agencies if it is to be won.

Coates said that athletes who still did not fully comprehend what was at stake would certainly do so by the time they had put on their green and gold team colours and were on a flight to London. He advised athletes will all be fully briefed before the Games, and the changed clauses in their agreements will be outlined. "In our team membership agreements, we have always had clauses in there that prohibited involvement by our team members in betting on Olympic Games, on other athletes or themselves," Coates said after the meeting. "We are just making [it] more specific."

"We have added the references to prohibition to illegal and irregular gambling betting to our ethical behaviour by-laws … that will be in place, the athletes will be briefed on it. It will be made very clear to them that we will not tolerate any betting during the Olympic Games."

Coates also advised that punishment for an infraction would not only come from the AOC.
Senator Arbib didn't shy away from outlining how strong a stand he plans on taking.

"The NSW Law Reform Commission have talked about penalties for up to 10 years for match fixing. That is something I support," he said.

"This is a very serious crime and there are large sums of money involved internationally.
''We need to send a strong message to those people who are involved in match fixing [and] those people involved in illegal gambling that government will act.

"We will act together with the sports and the betting agencies and we are going to take the toughest stance possible."

Coates went thought a 7-point mandate for the national sports betting authority. He's hopeful that Prime Minister Julia Gillard will endorse it and see it become a reality.

Investigate cheating and fraudulent conduct with necessary powers to phone tap, subpoena and seize information and exemption from privacy legislation.

Undertake effective national liaison and information sharing with the Australian Federal Police, Australia Tax Office and other federal agencies, and the State and Territory police.

Undertake effective international liaison and information sharing with other governments, international sports bodies and agencies.

Establish a comprehensive code of conduct for all sporting bodies.

Establish guidelines for minimum and consistent penalties across sports at all levels and the means to ensure they are applied.

Record the names of offending athletes, officials, clubs and third parties of ill-repute on a public register, and undertake education of coaches and officials.

Folks, with list or will it come to pass and become written in law? Tipsters advise we may know in the coming weeks, and no, we are not taking bets on it before you ask, but feel free to check out other gaming and betting promotions right here.

Punters, er readers, stay glued to Media Man reports via Gambling911 for more "can't miss" information on Australian sports betting, pokies, gaming and casino wars.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming. Media Man also publishes Media Man News

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Jesse “The Body” Ventura On Bin Laden, 9/11 and more, by Greg Tingle - 18th May 2011

2011-05-18T20:23:00.003+10:00

Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger

The man is no stranger to controversy. Media Man, newsrooms around the world... from Bondi Beach to New York...Mexico, the Wrestling News Media outfit and friends have followed his exploits in and out of the wrestling ring and political arena for decades. Many call him a living legend and a true American hero. Meet Jesse 'The Body' Ventura, aka 'The Mind'.

It's been suggested that the last thing Osama Bin Laden saw was what Jesse Ventura used to be...one of the Navy Seals from the U.S.

Navy Seals by default need to be able to fight, having got some of the best hand-to-hand combat available in the United States we understand.

How would have Ventura faired in a real fight about a Brock Lesner, Dan Severn, Frank Mir or even Kurt Angle? We will never know, but leaks say Ventura was and is one hell of a tough S.O.B.

Ventura is not only a former Navy Seal, officially known as a Naval Underwater Demolitions team (UDT) member , the precursor to the "Seals".

It would be been interesting to see Ventura fight MMA - UFC - no holds barred style in his prime. In the pro wrestling with his time at AWA and the old WWF, it seemed apparent he was a tough dude, but his style of pro wrestling made it difficult to see just how tough he may have been for real. How about his wrestling exploits with Rowdy Roddy Piper, Randy "Macho Man" Savage, Hulk Hogan, the late Adrian Adonis and WWE head honcho, Vince McMahon - the stuff of wrestling folk law.

It's hard not to dig Ventura's real life rock n roll wrestling connection, being a former bodyguard for The Rolling Stones, pro wrestling champion, ex-Governor Of Minnesota, TV talk show host and now, he’s a well-respected and best selling author with some extremely controversial things to say about the U.S government.

If you haven't done so already, grab yourself a copy of his latest book '63 Documents the Government Doesn't Want You to Read'. He gives his take on what he believes really happened before, during and after 9/11.

It's hard not to dig Ventura's movies like 'The Running Man' and who can forget 'Predator', where he played opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The world awaits to see if Ventura will run for President, perhaps with Schwarzenegger as Vice... no, not that sort of vice friends. For a while it looked like Donald 'The Don' Trump was heading for that big white office in Washington, only just deciding to opt out of the presidential race.

Of course, Ventura might like to just jump back into corporate sports endorsements and the like, ala WWE, UFC and maybe even a bit of gaming and sports betting.

A few things are for sure. He will keep 'em guessing and we'll be hearing lots more from one of America's most powerful pens and voices.

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Wrestling News Media: The Rock VS John Cena At WWE WrestleMania, by Greg Tingle

2011-05-15T15:58:00.000+10:00

The Rock's return to pro wrestling er... sports entertainment, or whatever it is now, has little to do with wrestling as such.

The booking The Rock vs. John Cena at WrestleMania 28 twelve months in advance has strong merit, but will both competitors be as hot then, as they are now... probably.

This is one of the smartest moves ever by WWE head honcho Vince McMahon, as it plugs right back into mainstream entertainment, with a hot main event which has star power and money written all over it, plus news media is going to have it as a media darling to boot. I don't see Rock or Cena "stuffing up" with real life situations that would stop the match, and hopefully both will remain injury free.

What's were doing here is getting Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the living legend himself, and putting him in the squared circles with one of the most popular pre-teen megastars ever. This is the pop culture main event of the decade, if not century!

Wrestling fans will go for this big, and spend, plus it should be a decent match to keep the loyal fan base happy too. Most mainstream news media companies should cover it also, and the buzz and coverage leading up is already there, so just imagine. Bigger than the MTV Hulk Hogan VS "Rowdy" Roddy Piper 'War To Settle The Score', Andre The Giant at WrestleMania III, and perhaps even up there with the very first WrestleMania back in 1985 which came from sports and entertainment mecca in New York - Madison Square Garden.

The Rock VS John Cena at WrestleMania is tipped to break all sorts of records and have mega success written all over it. At The Rock would say, Just Bring It!

Stay turned to Media Man, Wrestling News Media and our friends at Google News as the saga continues.

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2011-05-15T15:53:00.002+10:00

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WWE Gambles On Cigy Angle; WWE Lights Up Debate With Tobacco In Media, by Greg Tingle - 20th April 2011

2011-04-20T16:10:00.001+10:00

WWE Lights Up Debate With Tobacco In Media...

Regular readers will know all too well that Media Man and and Gambling911 cover all matter of vice in their news reports. Usually its gambling or casino news, but we also cover crime, technology, odds on events and from time to time, cigarettes.

Cigarettes - tobacco or ciggies if you prefer, are back in the news, especially when it comes to the United States and Australia.

Down under the debate is on the way as to if plain packaging should be used at the point of sale (which may help them loose their appeal)... then again, it may work out the opposite also, as when products and services become more controversial, they also often become more popular!

Now leading American owned and operated media company, WWE (formally World Wrestling Federation - before they decided they we not so much wrestling, but sports entertainment), has been dragged into the tobacco in news media debate with one of their stars lighting up a cigarette as part of a story line.

The WWE superstar - the curiously named R-Truth (Ron Killings)... not Cig Killings, lit her up and has raised the ire of anti tobacco advocates across the global including Patrick Reynolds from Tobacco Free.org, who is calling for an apology on the stunt.

TMZ broke the story earlier today, but news media wires across the globe and running with it hard, including heated debate at Wrestling Observer Newsletter and the Pro Wrestling Torch.

Reynolds said on the wrestling superstar, "If he wants help in quitting, I'll be happy to be his personal coach."

The WWE issued a statement to TMZ defending the cigarette incident -- saying, "The negative effect smoking has on one’s health and physical performance was a part of a storyline on last night’s Monday Night Raw. Negative depictions of tobacco use on television are not unusual and can be seen on other TV-PG shows."

A Media Man spokesperson said "We're going to back up the WWE and Killings all the way on this one. It's a storyline, not unlike the sort of thing you would see on other American sitcoms, TV series and the like. The WWE audience is not stupid and audiences realise it's showbiz. Most of the programming is clearing PG-13, but somethings things get blurred. It's no secret that smoking is not good for you, and that the way WWE and Killings presented it. Last Monday Night may have been more Raw that usual, but we believe that they did not cross the line. It was interesting and entertaining television in our estimation. As is often the case, it was a small but vocal number of people who complained. For the record, none of our staff smoke either, but most enjoy WWE programming.

A few months ago the WWE also attracted mixed press coverage when it was discovered they offered WWE Poker on their website.

Punters may also be interested to know that a decade ago the then World Wrestling Federation, formally also known as Titan Sports and World Wide Wrestling Federation purchase a land based casino in Las Vegas, however they never developed the sites and chose to sell it for a profit. Returned WWE superstar Kevin "Diesel" Nash also once played a smooth talking Vegas character 'Vinnie Vegas' in World Championship Wrestling.

WWE superstars gamble with their life and risk their neck and back every time they step into the squared circle wrestling ring.

We like one of the WWE slogans 'Don't try this at home', but when it comes to gambling as a whole its hard to beat 'Bet with your head, not over it, and have fun'.

WWE will be touring Australia from July 1st.

Australian Government To Try Boring Cig Packaging In Attempt To Reduce Consumption...

Down under in Australia the government in all their wisdom is pushing hard for a new tool in goal to cut smoking rates: extremely boring cigarette packages!

The government has announced legislation that would ban logos, colors, brand imagery, and promotional text, while mandating that all packages be olive green-determined in studies to be the least appealing color. The move would "take away the tobacco industry’s final capacity to promote its product," says a professor of public health.

Australia has long been a leader in war on tobacco, the Christian Science Monitor reports, but this time Aussie land will face a hell of a fight fight from the tobacco industry. A legal challenge has been threatened, alleging that the proposed legislation infringes on international trademark laws.

Should the government's plan comes to pass, brand names will appear on each cigarette package in a standard font, and the rest of the box will be covered in health warnings.

Summary: boring packages, but will that really stop folks from lighting up, or even trying a cigy for the first time. We're not sold, how about you?

Cigy moving for readers interested: 'Coffee and Cigarettes'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379217
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_and_Cigarettes

WWE profile
http://www.mediamanint.com/profiles/wwe.html

Sin City profile
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*The writer is a regular contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They also publish Wrestling News Media http://www.wrestlingnewsmedia.com

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2011-04-19T21:41:00.002+10:00

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Pro Wrestling Stars Ramp Up Gambling: Lottery, by Greg Tingle - 10th April 2011

2011-04-11T03:01:00.002+10:00

G'day punters, sports nuts, entertainment news junkies and wrestling fans. Today we take another look at the popularity of gambling in pro wrestling and martial arts circles. Former WWE, TNA and WCW champion, Ric Flair has done another deal with the Carolina's Education Lottery and now WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels has got a lottery deal too. Michael's mate Kevin 'Diesel' Nash has also ramped up his online casino promos, and WWE Poker is full speed ahead, plus the UFC has done a deal with Full Tilt Poker. Word is an Andre The Giant slot game will also soon be hitting a bwin.party digital entertainment website too, via NextGen Gaming, so there's lots to get excited about. Media Man and Gambling911 with a bodyslamming report from ringside...

Ric Flair Does North Carolina Education Lottery Woooooo! 2 Deal...

Lottery players across the Carolina's may once again be calling out Ric Flair’s trademark “WOOOOO!™” as the winning wrestler’s newest scratch-off ticket “WOOOOO!™ II” launched March 29. “WOOOOO!™II” is a $5 scratch-off ticket featuring renowned wrestler and North Carolinian Ric Flair®, whose four decade spanning career has made him one of the most recognizable entertainment athletes in the world. Players scratch off 16 wrestling belts, which are representative of the 16 championship belts Flair won throughout his career. The game has five top prizes of $100,000 and more than $3.3 million in prizes between $15 and $80. Players who reveal a "money bag" symbol win the associated prize instantly and players who reveal a "chair" symbol win double the prize shown. If a player scratches to reveal a “Woo” symbol, they automatically win all 16 prizes.

Flair will appear at several of the lottery’s sponsored events across the state, including the Azalea Festival in Wilmington on April 9, the Dogwood Festival in Fayetteville on April 30, the NCEL 200 truck race in Concord on May 20 and Speed Street in Charlotte on May 28.

Two other scratch-off games are launching Tuesday, Sizzlin' 7's and The Money Game.

Sizzlin' 7's is a $2 ticket with six top prizes of $20,000. The game is played by matching any of your 10 numbers with one of two winning numbers. Revealing a black "seven" symbol doubles the prize shown, and revealing a red “seven” symbol wins all ten prizes shown. More than $7.5 million in prizes can be won in the game, including more than 81,000 prizes between $20 and $100.

In The Money Game, a $1 ticket, players try to match their center prize with the prizes on each corner of the ticket. The game has more than $4.1 million in total prizes, including a $4,000 top prize and more than 89,000 prizes between $10 and $40. If a "Bill" symbol is revealed, the player automatically wins $20.

NCEL net proceeds are used for pre-kindergarten programs for at-risk four-year-olds, reduction of class size in early grades, school construction and need-based college scholarships. For prizes of $5,000 and greater, 25% federal tax and 7% tax are automatically withheld.

For more information, contact Ryan Kennemur, Public Information Officer, North Carolina Education Lottery, 919-301-3306.

North Carolina wrestling icon Ric Flair signed autographs last Saturday at the Azalea Festival in Wilmington as part of his partnership with the N.C. Education Lottery in a new instant scratch-off game. Flair agreed for a second round of the ticket, called “Wooooo! II.” The $5 ticket, named after Flair’s trademark wrestling yell, went on sale in March. Here are details of the autograph session.

Shawn Michaels Follows Mate Ric Flair Into Lottery Promotions...

WWE living legend Shawn Michaels wants you to buy a raffle ticket for a chance to win a trip to a WWE Event. The proceeds from the raffle will go to several charities, including Operation Homefront. Operation Homefront will receive a contribution from 2011 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee Shawn Michaels through an online charity raffle. The winner of the raffle will receive a prize package that includes two premium seats at WrestleMania XXVII. Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit that provides emergency financial and other assistance to military families and wounded warriors. Fans and supporters can buy raffle tickets for a chance to win the prize and help military families. Raffle tickets are $2.00 each, and there's a minimum purchase of five tickets. The draw occured at 11:00 AM EST on Friday, March 25, 2011. The winners name is a mystery. More information here
http://www.celebritiesforcharity.org/raffle/shawn-michaels-wrestlemania-raffle

Multimedia

Ric Flair Woooooo! 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK5561MkxqE&feature=player_embedded

Kevin Nash (Vinnie Vegas)
http://www.youtube.com/user/wrestlingnewsmedia#p/a/u/0/Z2a0YsMtflo

Pro Wrestling - Gambling Trivia...

Kevin 'Diesel' Nash, recently returned to WWE, used to be known in WCW as 'Vinnie Vegas'. Nash still has some gaming links on his official website.

Hulk Hogan, the most famous pro wrestler of all time, will have an online slot game out later this year in a deal done with Endemol. The story goes...

Endemol, along with the licensing division of Bischoff Hervey Entertainment, have partnered with Hulk Hogan to launch online game Hulk Hogan's Hulkamania. The game, created by recently launched Endemol Games U.K., is expected to hit early next year worldwide and will be distributed internationally by Endemol Worldwide Brands. MX Gaming is co-producing Hulkamania with Endemol and Bischoff Hervey Entertainment. "Endemol Games U.K. is expanding into new areas and this deal marks one of our first third-party licensing partnerships," says Jurian van der Meer, managing director of Endemol Games U.K. "Hulk Hogan is an icon with massive global appeal and we aim to attract his fans with creative online slot games. This is a great addition to our portfolio."

Hogan also has 'The Hulk-A-Mania Experience' land based slot games which is available in some American casinos. Some of the proceeds of the Hulksters slot go to The Dreamseekers Foundation, associated with native American casino tribes.

Ric Flair 'The Nature Boy' is apparently keen to explore an online casino game deal featuring his likeness.

The late, great, Andre The Giant is expected to have a slot game out in his likeness within 6 months. The two brands strongly rumoured to be in on the deal are bwin.party digital entertainment and NextGen Gaming.

World Wrestling Entertainment once owned a land based casino, that was never fitted out with company branding. They were miraculously were able to sell it for a profit circa 2000. WWE is understood to be very happy with their WWE Poker.

The UFC is delighted with their recent deal with Full Tilt Poker, but it isn't clear why they choose that poker brand over others. Last year Full Tilt did a deal with Richard Branson's Virgin Games. That Virgin deal happened around the same time that PartyGaming signed up a couple of F1 drivers, and Pommie cricket legend Phil "Tuffers" Tufnel.

It appears it's a case of what pro wrestling personalities and tie ins will happen next, rather than if.

A Media Man spokesperson said "Be watching out for pro wrestling names to start to appear on online and offline branded slot games. Hulk Hogan was first and we understand that Andre The Giant is second cab off the rank. Ric Flair tipped for third. WWE and UFC are tipped to make more noise about their gaming and gambling involvement also".

YouTube Footage...

WWF Casino
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UJ8Ye6lNT0

Star City Casino, Sydney, Australia (Ric Flair attacks Hulk Hogan)
http://www.youtube.com/mediamanoz#p/u/50/8xsh9NT7bnw

As always, know the odds, bet with your head, not over it, and have fun. Good luck.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming. The also publish Wrestling News Media

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