“HULKAMANIA – LET THE BATTLE BEGIN”
PRESS CONFERENCE AT STAR CITY
11AM, 18 NOVEMBER
Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, The Nasty Boys, Jimmy Hart and many more wrestlers to launch Hulkamania Oz Tour
Some of the biggest names in professional wrestling - Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, The Nasty Boys, and Jimmy Hart - will be kicking off the start of the first ever “HULKAMANIA - Let the Battle Begin” Australian tour with a press conference at the Sports Theatre, Star City, on Wednesday 18th of November at 11am. The first 200 wrestling fans to arrive at Star City will be invited into the press conference (first 50 fans will also receive a free Hulk t-shirt) to see the wrestlers in action as they gear up for their Australian tour starting in Melbourne on Saturday 21st November.
Following Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair’s well documented feud, Ric Flair is coming out of retirement to wrestle Hulk Hogan in Australia for one last time. Expect to see tempers flare as the two meet face to face for the first time down under.
HULKAMANIA – LET THE BATTLE BEGIN will be held at arenas in Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Sydney from the 21st – 28th November 2009. This will be the only chance to see Hulk Hogan live in Australia.
For over two decades Hulk Hogan has been synonymous with sports entertainment and professional wrestling. Having set live attendance records all over the world including a live gate of more that 96,000 fans at the Pontiac Silverdome, Hulk Hogan has set his sights on Australia as his next frontier.
HULKAMANIA will feature some of the world’s top wrestling stars including Hulk’s nemesis Ric Flair, Brutus the ‘Barber’ Beefcake, The Nasty Boys, Jimmy Hart, The Count of California, Vampire Warrior, Lacey Von Eric and many more iconic wrestlers. This two and a half hour production includes 10 bouts and is set to be the ultimate wrestling spectacular. The arenas will feature giant screens allowing audiences to view each match in full detail as well as to see the wrestlers back stage in between matches. Billed as a night of family entertainment, each show will also include audience participation, a huge pyrotechnics display and much more.
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Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wrestling News Media - 12th November 2009
Hulkamania Let The Battle Begin major press announcement expected today, Spin Communications tie in
Hulkamania official YouTube account updated with Hogan - Flair video promo
WWE Raw to be hosted by Rowdy Roddy Piper at Madison Square Garden next Monday
WWE's Edge collaborates with Irwin family at Australia Zoo
Shane McMahon's business plans remain unknown, following his WWE departure
WWE Hulk Hogan DVD set "Unreleased Collectors Series" set to release
Media Man leak and tip offs to Wrestling Observer Newsletter re Australia, stay tuned for developments
TNA - mixed reports on Hogan sign up factor for buzz, ratings, media clout, game deals et al
Stone Cold Steve Austin rapt to be in Stallone's "The Expendables", Austin's "Damage" flick gets very mixed reports
CM Punt rise to the top continues
Linda McMahon political campaign looses some steam, but critics can't halt despite dirty tactics
WWE programing remains mega popular on Australian pay TV
WWE exploring own TV network, JR's blog comments
WWE Hall of Fame names being tossed around: Ted DiBiase, Randy Savage, Honky Tonk Man, Jake "The Snake" Roberts
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Hulkamania official YouTube account updated with Hogan - Flair video promo
WWE Raw to be hosted by Rowdy Roddy Piper at Madison Square Garden next Monday
WWE's Edge collaborates with Irwin family at Australia Zoo
Shane McMahon's business plans remain unknown, following his WWE departure
WWE Hulk Hogan DVD set "Unreleased Collectors Series" set to release
Media Man leak and tip offs to Wrestling Observer Newsletter re Australia, stay tuned for developments
TNA - mixed reports on Hogan sign up factor for buzz, ratings, media clout, game deals et al
Stone Cold Steve Austin rapt to be in Stallone's "The Expendables", Austin's "Damage" flick gets very mixed reports
CM Punt rise to the top continues
Linda McMahon political campaign looses some steam, but critics can't halt despite dirty tactics
WWE programing remains mega popular on Australian pay TV
WWE exploring own TV network, JR's blog comments
WWE Hall of Fame names being tossed around: Ted DiBiase, Randy Savage, Honky Tonk Man, Jake "The Snake" Roberts
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Sunday, November 08, 2009
Hulk Hogan a 'Mo' Mentor - 7th November 2009
Hulk Hogan, one of the biggest names in professional wrestling, has been appointed an official "Mo" Mentor for this year's Movember.
The moustache-growing charity event is held each November to raise funds for and awareness of men's health.
"To all my Hulkamaniacs, say your prayers, take your vitamins and grow a moustache for Movember this year," Hogan said.
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The moustache-growing charity event is held each November to raise funds for and awareness of men's health.
"To all my Hulkamaniacs, say your prayers, take your vitamins and grow a moustache for Movember this year," Hogan said.
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Saturday, October 17, 2009
Shane McMahon leaves WWE, by Kevin Elk - 16th October 2009
The first thing I did this morning after reading on wwe.com that Shane McMahon had resigned from WWE was check my calendar to make sure it wasn’t April 1.
As surreal as it sounds, McMahon really is leaving the company that has been in his family for more than five decades. McMahon’s resignation from his position as executive vice president of global media takes effect January 1, 2010.
“I have never even considered a future outside the walls of the WWE,” McMahon, 39, said in a statement on wwe.com. “However, sometimes life takes an unexpected turn, and while it is the most difficult decision I have ever made, it is time for me to move on. … This is the opportune time in my career to pursue outside ventures.”
His father, WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon also issued a statement on the Web site: “Even though I am personally saddened by Shane’s decision to leave the company, I am proud of the enormous contributions he has made. He will unquestionably bring passion, commitment and extensive business experience to any endeavor he pursues.”
Obviously, there is a lot more to this story, and I’m sure it won’t be long before information starts leaking out in regard to the specific reasons for McMahon’s departure.
In the ’90s and early part of this decade, it was assumed by most that it was Shane’s birthright to one day be Vince’s successor. However, after Shane’s sister, Stephanie, became the head of creative, the perception was that she wielded more power than her brother and he no longer was a sure thing as the heir apparent. The popular opinion over the past few years has been that either Stephanie or her husband, Triple H, would eventually replace Vince. Shane was no longer even in the discussion.
Perhaps Shane is looking for a new challenge, something he can build and call his own. If he has learned anything from his father it’s the philosophy of nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Shane is the second McMahon to leave WWE in the past month. On Sept. 16, his mother, Linda, resigned as CEO to run for Senate in Connecticut. (Credit: Baltimore Sun)
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As surreal as it sounds, McMahon really is leaving the company that has been in his family for more than five decades. McMahon’s resignation from his position as executive vice president of global media takes effect January 1, 2010.
“I have never even considered a future outside the walls of the WWE,” McMahon, 39, said in a statement on wwe.com. “However, sometimes life takes an unexpected turn, and while it is the most difficult decision I have ever made, it is time for me to move on. … This is the opportune time in my career to pursue outside ventures.”
His father, WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon also issued a statement on the Web site: “Even though I am personally saddened by Shane’s decision to leave the company, I am proud of the enormous contributions he has made. He will unquestionably bring passion, commitment and extensive business experience to any endeavor he pursues.”
Obviously, there is a lot more to this story, and I’m sure it won’t be long before information starts leaking out in regard to the specific reasons for McMahon’s departure.
In the ’90s and early part of this decade, it was assumed by most that it was Shane’s birthright to one day be Vince’s successor. However, after Shane’s sister, Stephanie, became the head of creative, the perception was that she wielded more power than her brother and he no longer was a sure thing as the heir apparent. The popular opinion over the past few years has been that either Stephanie or her husband, Triple H, would eventually replace Vince. Shane was no longer even in the discussion.
Perhaps Shane is looking for a new challenge, something he can build and call his own. If he has learned anything from his father it’s the philosophy of nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Shane is the second McMahon to leave WWE in the past month. On Sept. 16, his mother, Linda, resigned as CEO to run for Senate in Connecticut. (Credit: Baltimore Sun)
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Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wrestling legend Lou Albano dead at 76
Beloved pro-wrestling figure "Captain" Lou Albano died at his home Wednesday morning, reports the Los Angeles Times. He was 76.
Best known to the '80s mainstream as the man who played Cyndi Lauper's dad in the video for "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," Albano was instantly recognizable for his unkempt beard, rubber-band accessories, garish outfits and boisterous personality in and out of the ring.
Louis Vincent Albano (July 29, 1933 – October 14, 2009) was an American professional wrestler, manager and actor. With an over-the-top personality and a penchant for boisterous declarations, "Captain" Lou Albano was the epitome of the antagonistic manager that raised the ire of wrestlers and incited the anger of spectators. Throughout his 42-year career, Albano guided 15 different tag teams and four singles competitors to championship gold. A unique showman, with an elongated beard, rubber band facial piercings, and loud outfits, he was the forefather of the 1980s Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection. Collaborating with Cyndi Lauper, Albano helped usher in wrestling's crossover success with a mainstream audience. Capitalizing on his success, he later ventured into Hollywood with various television, film, and music projects. (Credit: Wikipedia)
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Best known to the '80s mainstream as the man who played Cyndi Lauper's dad in the video for "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," Albano was instantly recognizable for his unkempt beard, rubber-band accessories, garish outfits and boisterous personality in and out of the ring.
Louis Vincent Albano (July 29, 1933 – October 14, 2009) was an American professional wrestler, manager and actor. With an over-the-top personality and a penchant for boisterous declarations, "Captain" Lou Albano was the epitome of the antagonistic manager that raised the ire of wrestlers and incited the anger of spectators. Throughout his 42-year career, Albano guided 15 different tag teams and four singles competitors to championship gold. A unique showman, with an elongated beard, rubber band facial piercings, and loud outfits, he was the forefather of the 1980s Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection. Collaborating with Cyndi Lauper, Albano helped usher in wrestling's crossover success with a mainstream audience. Capitalizing on his success, he later ventured into Hollywood with various television, film, and music projects. (Credit: Wikipedia)
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Sunday, October 11, 2009
Wham! WWE now stressing family friendly wrestling - AP - 9th October 2009
NEW YORK — Bob Barker, Shaquille O'Neal, Ozzy Osbourne, Al Sharpton and Cedric the Entertainer aren't who you'd expect to see when turning on World Wrestling Entertainment programming. OK, maybe Ozzy.
All are featured guests this fall with the WWE as Vince McMahon's machine undergoes some image polishing and stresses a family friendly approach.
They've toned down the language, gotten rid of the fake blood. The lingerie matches are gone, with the Divas now wearing the type of workout clothes common at the gym.
Characters who are popular with youngsters, such as John Cena and Rey Mysterio, get more screen time, and the WWE Kids magazine debuted last year.
The WWE has worked with networks that air their programming to change parental guidance ratings from TV-14 to PG.
"We just followed our audience and tried to listen to them," McMahon, WWE chairman, said. "It's a more sophisticated product. It's just the right move business-wise, but more specifically the right move in terms of reaching our audience."
McMahon said it's been a gradual process, with the company now trying to spread the word to potential viewers and advertisers who might not have given the soap opera in tights a second look.
The WWE's programming is spread across several networks: "Monday Night Raw" airs for two hours on USA; the SyFy network shows "Extreme Championship Wrestling" on Tuesdays; WGN America shows "WWE Superstars" on Thursdays; and "Friday Night Smackdown," which just celebrated its 10th anniversary, is on My Network TV.
During the peak of what the company refers to as its "attitude era" a decade ago, the WWE's audience was dominated by young men. While its popularity has waned, the fan base has simultaneously grown older and younger with new constituencies, according to audience research. A little more than a third of its audience is female. The audience is ethnically more diverse that most shows: 62 percent of audience is white; 20 percent of the viewership is black and 23 percent is Hispanic — Hispanics were counted as both white and Hispanic. It's the most-watched English-language show on cable among Hispanics, the company said.
With the Ultimate Fighting Championship and mixed martial arts becoming more popular as competitors, it made little sense for the WWE to ramp up the attitude with violence and sexuality, McMahon said.
"You really can't compete with that," he said. "Why not deliver a more sophisticated product and not go to those extremes? If the audience wants those extremes, they know where to go and how to get it."
Going PG has helped the company draw advertisers who might have looked away before. Pepsi, 7-Eleven stores, Mattel toys and the Army National Guard are among the sponsors that have signed up since the shift, the company said.
The association with steroids also hurt. Anabolic steroids were found in the home of wrestler Chris Benoit after he killed his wife, 7-year-old son and himself in their suburban Atlanta home two years ago. McMahon toughened the WWE's drug testing rules.
"Their public image was pretty bad," said Dave Meltzer, publisher of the trade publication Wrestling Observer Newsletter. "They took a major hit, and said 'we've got to become a kinder, nicer company.'"
Both Meltzer and Jim Varsallone, who covers professional wrestling for the Miami Herald, said they can tell the difference in the programming. The changes are subtle, though and they're not sure the casual fans will notice.
"I do not get complaints from fans," Varsallone said.
The work courting kids has paid off, said Varsallone, who sees many more young faces at WWE shows. The promotion of Cena, who has a hip-hop attitude popular with young fans, and Mysterio, who has lots of high-flying moves, has helped. They have an underdog mentality that many of their fans find very appealing.
It may not be a coincidence that Vince's wife, Linda McMahon, has just stepped down as WWE CEO to become a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. Her husband said the changes at the WWE were in motion long before he knew she was interested in a political career.
The guest stars are a way to give the WWE more of a variety show atmosphere and some juice in a traditionally slow season, when football siphons off many of its fans.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was a recent guest. Shaq was particularly popular.
Osbourne, in fact, could be a role model. The heavy metal singer thrived in a career considered threatening by many parents, before becoming an unexpected star cutting across all age groups with the reality series about his family life.
The non-wrestling celebrities also get publicity for the WWE on entertainment shows such as "Access Hollywood" that have otherwise ignored the company.
"They want to attract as many people as they can," Varsallone said. "That's why they don't label themselves as wrestling anymore. They label themselves entertainment." (Credit: San Jose Mercury News)
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All are featured guests this fall with the WWE as Vince McMahon's machine undergoes some image polishing and stresses a family friendly approach.
They've toned down the language, gotten rid of the fake blood. The lingerie matches are gone, with the Divas now wearing the type of workout clothes common at the gym.
Characters who are popular with youngsters, such as John Cena and Rey Mysterio, get more screen time, and the WWE Kids magazine debuted last year.
The WWE has worked with networks that air their programming to change parental guidance ratings from TV-14 to PG.
"We just followed our audience and tried to listen to them," McMahon, WWE chairman, said. "It's a more sophisticated product. It's just the right move business-wise, but more specifically the right move in terms of reaching our audience."
McMahon said it's been a gradual process, with the company now trying to spread the word to potential viewers and advertisers who might not have given the soap opera in tights a second look.
The WWE's programming is spread across several networks: "Monday Night Raw" airs for two hours on USA; the SyFy network shows "Extreme Championship Wrestling" on Tuesdays; WGN America shows "WWE Superstars" on Thursdays; and "Friday Night Smackdown," which just celebrated its 10th anniversary, is on My Network TV.
During the peak of what the company refers to as its "attitude era" a decade ago, the WWE's audience was dominated by young men. While its popularity has waned, the fan base has simultaneously grown older and younger with new constituencies, according to audience research. A little more than a third of its audience is female. The audience is ethnically more diverse that most shows: 62 percent of audience is white; 20 percent of the viewership is black and 23 percent is Hispanic — Hispanics were counted as both white and Hispanic. It's the most-watched English-language show on cable among Hispanics, the company said.
With the Ultimate Fighting Championship and mixed martial arts becoming more popular as competitors, it made little sense for the WWE to ramp up the attitude with violence and sexuality, McMahon said.
"You really can't compete with that," he said. "Why not deliver a more sophisticated product and not go to those extremes? If the audience wants those extremes, they know where to go and how to get it."
Going PG has helped the company draw advertisers who might have looked away before. Pepsi, 7-Eleven stores, Mattel toys and the Army National Guard are among the sponsors that have signed up since the shift, the company said.
The association with steroids also hurt. Anabolic steroids were found in the home of wrestler Chris Benoit after he killed his wife, 7-year-old son and himself in their suburban Atlanta home two years ago. McMahon toughened the WWE's drug testing rules.
"Their public image was pretty bad," said Dave Meltzer, publisher of the trade publication Wrestling Observer Newsletter. "They took a major hit, and said 'we've got to become a kinder, nicer company.'"
Both Meltzer and Jim Varsallone, who covers professional wrestling for the Miami Herald, said they can tell the difference in the programming. The changes are subtle, though and they're not sure the casual fans will notice.
"I do not get complaints from fans," Varsallone said.
The work courting kids has paid off, said Varsallone, who sees many more young faces at WWE shows. The promotion of Cena, who has a hip-hop attitude popular with young fans, and Mysterio, who has lots of high-flying moves, has helped. They have an underdog mentality that many of their fans find very appealing.
It may not be a coincidence that Vince's wife, Linda McMahon, has just stepped down as WWE CEO to become a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. Her husband said the changes at the WWE were in motion long before he knew she was interested in a political career.
The guest stars are a way to give the WWE more of a variety show atmosphere and some juice in a traditionally slow season, when football siphons off many of its fans.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was a recent guest. Shaq was particularly popular.
Osbourne, in fact, could be a role model. The heavy metal singer thrived in a career considered threatening by many parents, before becoming an unexpected star cutting across all age groups with the reality series about his family life.
The non-wrestling celebrities also get publicity for the WWE on entertainment shows such as "Access Hollywood" that have otherwise ignored the company.
"They want to attract as many people as they can," Varsallone said. "That's why they don't label themselves as wrestling anymore. They label themselves entertainment." (Credit: San Jose Mercury News)
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Saturday, October 10, 2009
Stone Cold Steve Austin in new movie Damage - 10th October 2009
WWE Hall Of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin plays an ex-convict forced into the illegal and brutal world of underground fighting. It will be available on DVD and Blu-ray within a week.
Austin is also in Sly Stallone's "The Expendables" (in post production) and Robert Lieberman's "The Stranger" (filming)
Credit: Google News, Pro Wrestling.com, Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Pro Wrestling Torch, The Sun, IMDB, Wires
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Austin is also in Sly Stallone's "The Expendables" (in post production) and Robert Lieberman's "The Stranger" (filming)
Credit: Google News, Pro Wrestling.com, Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Pro Wrestling Torch, The Sun, IMDB, Wires
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Sunday, September 27, 2009
Hulk Hogan to check out Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia
Word on the street in Australia is that The Hulkster, Hulk Hogan, is keen to spend more time in Australia, and take a look at Sydney's Bondi Beach.
Hogan fans will be aware of his past strong connection with Venice Beach, California.
If the Hulk is fair dinkum about Australia, Bondi Beach is a must visit destination.
Sydney's Daily Telegraph has been tipped off that Hogan and his wrestling mates may like to check out Bondi Beach's outdoor gym, and that it may suit Hogan's single status these days.
Other famous folks that have recently checked out include, but are not limited to Paris Hilton, Pam Anderson and Richard Branson, and we know that quite a few frequently come down unannounced, such is the appeal of Bondi Beach.
It seems Australia's news media and general public can't get enough of Hogan, and Hogan has really taken to the land down under.
Hulk Hogan's Hulkamania Let The Battle Begin wrestling tour of Australia starts on 21st November 2009.
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Hogan fans will be aware of his past strong connection with Venice Beach, California.
If the Hulk is fair dinkum about Australia, Bondi Beach is a must visit destination.
Sydney's Daily Telegraph has been tipped off that Hogan and his wrestling mates may like to check out Bondi Beach's outdoor gym, and that it may suit Hogan's single status these days.
Other famous folks that have recently checked out include, but are not limited to Paris Hilton, Pam Anderson and Richard Branson, and we know that quite a few frequently come down unannounced, such is the appeal of Bondi Beach.
It seems Australia's news media and general public can't get enough of Hogan, and Hogan has really taken to the land down under.
Hulk Hogan's Hulkamania Let The Battle Begin wrestling tour of Australia starts on 21st November 2009.
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WWE's Jim Ross on WWE Hall of Fame
"Two more WWE HOF suggestions would include Antonio Inoki and Ted 'The Million Dollar Man' DiBiase. I hope that I just didn't jinx either man. Both men have made significant and diverse contributions to the business."
"The 2010 WWE Hall of Fame class has yet to be finalized and made public but one name that I am hoping to see be inducted is Ron Simmons. Ron is in the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana and recently was inducted to the State of Georgia Hall of Fame. I could theoretically hear JBL inducting Ron and that being an entertaining piece of business." (Credit: JR's Place blog)
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"The 2010 WWE Hall of Fame class has yet to be finalized and made public but one name that I am hoping to see be inducted is Ron Simmons. Ron is in the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana and recently was inducted to the State of Georgia Hall of Fame. I could theoretically hear JBL inducting Ron and that being an entertaining piece of business." (Credit: JR's Place blog)
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Saturday, September 26, 2009
World Wrestling Entertainment News
John Cena still top money maker for WWE
South Florida in the running for WrestleMania
CM Punk rising to the top, John Morrison, Jack Swagger on fire
WWE to tour Australia early 2010
Linda McMahon strong in political race
Triple H - Mayweather WWE - professional boxing links a huge win - win
WWE may potentially do a deal with Jeff Jarrett's TNA - Australian tour
Bret Hart - WWE talks in progress, indicated Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Pro Wrestling Torch, others
Randy "Macho Man" Savage and Jake "The Snake" Roberts decent chance for upcoming WWE Hall of Fame, insiders agree
WWE videogame sales going well, more releases to follow
WWE could show industry leadership with wrestling health plan, insurance et al following Wellness program
Chris Jericho already a living legend of wrestling, insiders and fans agree
WWE to release more films, aiming for stronger box office success
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South Florida in the running for WrestleMania
CM Punk rising to the top, John Morrison, Jack Swagger on fire
WWE to tour Australia early 2010
Linda McMahon strong in political race
Triple H - Mayweather WWE - professional boxing links a huge win - win
WWE may potentially do a deal with Jeff Jarrett's TNA - Australian tour
Bret Hart - WWE talks in progress, indicated Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Pro Wrestling Torch, others
Randy "Macho Man" Savage and Jake "The Snake" Roberts decent chance for upcoming WWE Hall of Fame, insiders agree
WWE videogame sales going well, more releases to follow
WWE could show industry leadership with wrestling health plan, insurance et al following Wellness program
Chris Jericho already a living legend of wrestling, insiders and fans agree
WWE to release more films, aiming for stronger box office success
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Thursday, September 24, 2009
Dreamseekers Foundation bestowing Humanitarian Award on Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan to Receive Humanitarian Award at the Global Gaming Expo 2008
September 2008
LAS VEGAS, NV. On Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 12 noon, Hulk Hogan will be honored by National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr. in conjunction with the Global Gaming Expo 2008 in Las Vegas, NV. He will receive the “Humanitarian Award” for his work on behalf of the “Dreamseekers” Foundation.
Working with the Spirit of Sovereignty Foundation at the National Indian Gaming Association, Hulk and Dreamseekers have committed to building the non-profit organization in partnership with Indian Country to provide needed assistance to Native America youth and their families.
Hulk Hogan, one of the most successful entertainment personalities and Executive Producer/host of the “Celebrity Championship Wrestling” series on CMT, will participate in the foundation’s activities by providing a familiar public face and forwarding the organization’s goal: providing greater opportunities for youth in Indian Country. Hulk Hogan has made it a priority to start this program in areas of Indian Country with the most need.
Once the project is implemented, the Dreamseekers Foundation hopes to provide a significant amount per annum to tribal nations that face adversities such as poverty, violence and lack of various resources. “We’re specifically focusing on efforts to improve healthcare and education for Native youth and their families around the country, as well as give them access to as many other critical opportunities as possible,” said Ernie Stevens Jr., co-founder of the foundation.
The Hulkamania Experience TM, a multilevel progressive video-slot series based on the adventures of the iconic superstar, is expected to debut at the 2008 Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas and roll out nationally during the next several months. As a part of the foundation’s fundraising initiative, a portion of the proceeds from The Hulkamania Experience TM will go towards the various health and education initiatives yet to be determined by the foundation.
The game, developed in conjunction with Rainmaker Gaming Technology and ID Interactive, LLC, represents a fundamentally new approach towards community involvement in Indian Country. Hulk’s efforts alongside that of the National Indian Gaming Association are a first of their kind, and it all spawned from an initial conversation between Ernie Stevens, Jr. and Hogan. “Hulk simply asked what he could do to help Indian Country, and we both agreed that it all starts with our children,” Stevens said.
“American Indian children are more likely to live in poverty than any other racial or ethnic group in this country“, Hogan noted, citing recent U.S. Census Bureau data. “It’s time to change that, and I’m proud to be associated with that effort,” said Hulk Hogan.
"This is an exciting opportunity to use the Hulk Hogan brand in a fulfilling way that makes a difference in people’s lives at the local level,” says Eric Bischoff of Bischoff Hervey Entertainment, Hogan’s partners in the project.
Last year Hogan was a recipient of a very high honor on behalf of the tribal leaders and the traditional community of South Dakota for his help in Indian Country while attending the Lakota Nation Invitational in Rapid City, SD. It was one of very few times in history that someone from outside the community has received such a prestigious honor. Hulk continues to feel the energy of that ceremony that took place ten months ago and looks forward to doing so much more.
* * *
KEY DATA / NEWS HOOKS:
Nearly a third of all American Indian and Alaska Native children live in poverty
32.8 percent of Native American children in single-parent homes live below the poverty level. This is the highest rate among minorities, and more than twice the rate for White children in similar homes.
SOURCE: "Children and the Households They Live In," a special report released by the Census Bureau.
About HULK HOGAN
Known most recently as the host of NBC’s top-rated “American Gladiator”, and host and Executive Producer of CMT’s series, “Celebrity Wrestling”, Hulk Hogan is one of the best-recognized celebrities in the United States.
A twelve- time world wrestling champion, including six WCW World Heavyweight belts, six WWE Championships, and a World Tag Team championship belt, Hulk Hogan is arguably the greatest wrestler in sports entertainment history. Rarely has an athlete held so many professional titles to his name in such a vast career.
Hulk Hogan is also well known among young fans for his four "demandments": which include training, saying prayers, eating vitamins, and believing in one self. As a result, he is one of the most-requested celebrities for the Make-a-Wish Foundation children’s charity.
About ERIC BISCHOFF
Eric Bischoff began his TV career in syndication and sales for an organization in Minneapolis known as the AWA in August of 1987. His transition from an obscure “office” position to an on-camera host for the company’s daily program on ESPN and in syndication was an event that truly defined the phrase “right time…right place”.
Being in the right place at the right time isn’t always simply coincidence. Indeed, in many respects it’s really all about passion, instinct, commitment, and risk.
Bischoff’s move from the AWA to Turner Broadcasting in 1991 and his subsequent path that began as on camera talent at Turner Broadcasting culminated in 1999 when he was named President of Turner/Time Warner’s WCW division.
During this period he had the opportunity to take a fledgling division of Turner Broadcasting that happened to be a personal favorite of Ted Turner, from a money losing-content producing lost leader (from a corporate point of view) to a $300+ million dollar leader in the industry that had ABC Television up at night wondering how to shore up the male audience that was making “Monday Nitro on TNT” their preferred destination during the NFL season.
Today, Bischoff and Jason Hervey own their own production company (BISCHOFF-HERVEY ENTERTAINMENT), developing television content for NBC, VH1, CMT, E! and many other outlets as well as developing licensing opportunities for entertainment brands..
About ERNIE STEVENS, JR.
Stevens is the Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association, representing 184 tribes in gaming, based in Washington, D.C. Stevens is a former councilman for the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, as well as former 1st Vice President of the National Congress of American Indians. He is currently serving his fourth consecutive term as chairman for the association.
About the NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING ASSOCIATION (NIGA)
NIGA is a non-profit trade association comprised of 184 American Indian Nations and other non-voting associate members. The mission of NIGA is to advance the lives of Indian people; economically, socially, and politically. NIGA operates as a clearinghouse and educational, legislative and public policy resource for tribes, policy makers, and the public on Indian gaming issues and tribal community development. For more information, visit www.indiangaming.org.
About ID Interactive
ID Interactive LLC, producer of the Hulkamania multilevel progressive, is an independent game developer, designer and distributor with a domestic US focus on Indian Country and a history of commitment to charitable community programs. ID distributes games in the US, Western and Eastern Europe, Mexico, Central and South America and Asia. CEO Jon Goldstein is a founding partner of the Dreamseekers Foundation.
About Dreamseekers and the Spirit of Sovereignty Foundation
Dreamseekers and the Spirit of Sovereignty Foundation recognize students that are exceptionally talented and demonstrate skills that positively represent the Native American community. Recipients are qualified based on criteria such as, but not limited to: Course study, GPA, and Enrollment. The selection process for scholarship is competitive, and the award is distinct and prestigious.
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September 2008
LAS VEGAS, NV. On Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 12 noon, Hulk Hogan will be honored by National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr. in conjunction with the Global Gaming Expo 2008 in Las Vegas, NV. He will receive the “Humanitarian Award” for his work on behalf of the “Dreamseekers” Foundation.
Working with the Spirit of Sovereignty Foundation at the National Indian Gaming Association, Hulk and Dreamseekers have committed to building the non-profit organization in partnership with Indian Country to provide needed assistance to Native America youth and their families.
Hulk Hogan, one of the most successful entertainment personalities and Executive Producer/host of the “Celebrity Championship Wrestling” series on CMT, will participate in the foundation’s activities by providing a familiar public face and forwarding the organization’s goal: providing greater opportunities for youth in Indian Country. Hulk Hogan has made it a priority to start this program in areas of Indian Country with the most need.
Once the project is implemented, the Dreamseekers Foundation hopes to provide a significant amount per annum to tribal nations that face adversities such as poverty, violence and lack of various resources. “We’re specifically focusing on efforts to improve healthcare and education for Native youth and their families around the country, as well as give them access to as many other critical opportunities as possible,” said Ernie Stevens Jr., co-founder of the foundation.
The Hulkamania Experience TM, a multilevel progressive video-slot series based on the adventures of the iconic superstar, is expected to debut at the 2008 Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas and roll out nationally during the next several months. As a part of the foundation’s fundraising initiative, a portion of the proceeds from The Hulkamania Experience TM will go towards the various health and education initiatives yet to be determined by the foundation.
The game, developed in conjunction with Rainmaker Gaming Technology and ID Interactive, LLC, represents a fundamentally new approach towards community involvement in Indian Country. Hulk’s efforts alongside that of the National Indian Gaming Association are a first of their kind, and it all spawned from an initial conversation between Ernie Stevens, Jr. and Hogan. “Hulk simply asked what he could do to help Indian Country, and we both agreed that it all starts with our children,” Stevens said.
“American Indian children are more likely to live in poverty than any other racial or ethnic group in this country“, Hogan noted, citing recent U.S. Census Bureau data. “It’s time to change that, and I’m proud to be associated with that effort,” said Hulk Hogan.
"This is an exciting opportunity to use the Hulk Hogan brand in a fulfilling way that makes a difference in people’s lives at the local level,” says Eric Bischoff of Bischoff Hervey Entertainment, Hogan’s partners in the project.
Last year Hogan was a recipient of a very high honor on behalf of the tribal leaders and the traditional community of South Dakota for his help in Indian Country while attending the Lakota Nation Invitational in Rapid City, SD. It was one of very few times in history that someone from outside the community has received such a prestigious honor. Hulk continues to feel the energy of that ceremony that took place ten months ago and looks forward to doing so much more.
* * *
KEY DATA / NEWS HOOKS:
Nearly a third of all American Indian and Alaska Native children live in poverty
32.8 percent of Native American children in single-parent homes live below the poverty level. This is the highest rate among minorities, and more than twice the rate for White children in similar homes.
SOURCE: "Children and the Households They Live In," a special report released by the Census Bureau.
About HULK HOGAN
Known most recently as the host of NBC’s top-rated “American Gladiator”, and host and Executive Producer of CMT’s series, “Celebrity Wrestling”, Hulk Hogan is one of the best-recognized celebrities in the United States.
A twelve- time world wrestling champion, including six WCW World Heavyweight belts, six WWE Championships, and a World Tag Team championship belt, Hulk Hogan is arguably the greatest wrestler in sports entertainment history. Rarely has an athlete held so many professional titles to his name in such a vast career.
Hulk Hogan is also well known among young fans for his four "demandments": which include training, saying prayers, eating vitamins, and believing in one self. As a result, he is one of the most-requested celebrities for the Make-a-Wish Foundation children’s charity.
About ERIC BISCHOFF
Eric Bischoff began his TV career in syndication and sales for an organization in Minneapolis known as the AWA in August of 1987. His transition from an obscure “office” position to an on-camera host for the company’s daily program on ESPN and in syndication was an event that truly defined the phrase “right time…right place”.
Being in the right place at the right time isn’t always simply coincidence. Indeed, in many respects it’s really all about passion, instinct, commitment, and risk.
Bischoff’s move from the AWA to Turner Broadcasting in 1991 and his subsequent path that began as on camera talent at Turner Broadcasting culminated in 1999 when he was named President of Turner/Time Warner’s WCW division.
During this period he had the opportunity to take a fledgling division of Turner Broadcasting that happened to be a personal favorite of Ted Turner, from a money losing-content producing lost leader (from a corporate point of view) to a $300+ million dollar leader in the industry that had ABC Television up at night wondering how to shore up the male audience that was making “Monday Nitro on TNT” their preferred destination during the NFL season.
Today, Bischoff and Jason Hervey own their own production company (BISCHOFF-HERVEY ENTERTAINMENT), developing television content for NBC, VH1, CMT, E! and many other outlets as well as developing licensing opportunities for entertainment brands..
About ERNIE STEVENS, JR.
Stevens is the Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association, representing 184 tribes in gaming, based in Washington, D.C. Stevens is a former councilman for the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, as well as former 1st Vice President of the National Congress of American Indians. He is currently serving his fourth consecutive term as chairman for the association.
About the NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING ASSOCIATION (NIGA)
NIGA is a non-profit trade association comprised of 184 American Indian Nations and other non-voting associate members. The mission of NIGA is to advance the lives of Indian people; economically, socially, and politically. NIGA operates as a clearinghouse and educational, legislative and public policy resource for tribes, policy makers, and the public on Indian gaming issues and tribal community development. For more information, visit www.indiangaming.org.
About ID Interactive
ID Interactive LLC, producer of the Hulkamania multilevel progressive, is an independent game developer, designer and distributor with a domestic US focus on Indian Country and a history of commitment to charitable community programs. ID distributes games in the US, Western and Eastern Europe, Mexico, Central and South America and Asia. CEO Jon Goldstein is a founding partner of the Dreamseekers Foundation.
About Dreamseekers and the Spirit of Sovereignty Foundation
Dreamseekers and the Spirit of Sovereignty Foundation recognize students that are exceptionally talented and demonstrate skills that positively represent the Native American community. Recipients are qualified based on criteria such as, but not limited to: Course study, GPA, and Enrollment. The selection process for scholarship is competitive, and the award is distinct and prestigious.
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Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Hulkamania: Let the Battle Begin
Ric Flair has been coaxed out of retirement to battle Hulk Hogan himself in what may well be the ultimate grudge match. HULKAMANIA will also feature some of the top stars that compete all over the world including Brutus Beefcake, Aumaga, Kishi, Black Pearl, Mr Ken Anderson, Shanon Moore, Heidenreich, King V, Godfather, Brian Knobs, Nasty Boys, Orlando Jordan, Vampire Warrior, Val Venise, Stephanie Pietz, Koa Marie Gabric, Jimmy Hart and more in THE ULTIMATE WRESTLING SPECTACULAR!". (Credit: Hulkamania.com.au)
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Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Hulk Hogan still the showman at the age of 56, by Nick Walshaw - The Daily Telegraph - 22nd September 2009
HULKAMANIA is why his back concaves on the right. A souvenir from muscle ripping straight off the bone.
It's those scars on a knee torn by Diamond Dallas Page. On a leg broken by first coach Matsuda. On those matching hollows revealed when flexing both biceps.
"Yeah, tore them lifting Andre the Giant," Hulk Hogan shrugs. "It was Wrestlemania III and, while we hadn't planned it, Andre said 'if you reckon you can lift me brother, go for it'.
"Now you have to remember he'd weighed in earlier that day at Detroit airport. Exactly 308 kilos. But when I got in position man, I just went f... it and lifted."
Sitting in a tiny room on the second floor of Sydney's InterContinental Hotel, it's easy to see why Terry Gene Bollea - all bright pink shirt and matching bandanna - is universally loved.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
Why some 20 years after first telling us train hard, say your prayers and take your vitamins, this mustachioed marauder is still barred from doing his interviews in hotel foyers.
"No, we've tried that," says his female publicist, weighed down with a pile of schedules and flight plans. "Mr Hogan was mobbed."
It's why, at age 56, Hollywood Hulk Hogan is once again donning those famed yellow tights to bring us his Let The Battle Begin Tour in November.
Letting us Hulkamaniacs finally see live this image that's adorned energy bars, mixmasters and A-Team episodes. Who in the 1990s outrated Disneyland as the No. 1 Make a Wish Foundation pick.
Who even today needs submission moves learned in Japan to ward off lunatic fans.
"On Sunday we were in Melbourne, going into a restaurant when this guy - you know what a Hells Angel looks like, right? - well, he came screaming across the room at me," Hogan shrugs.
"So I blocked him, hooked him and took him down. It was all over fairly quickly."
But this, Hogan stresses quickly, is all part of Hulkamania, brother.
"And I can accept that, yes, these days I'm getting older, slowing down," the 131kg millionaire grins. "That there will come a point in time when I have to retire gracefully.
"But there's a big difference between retirement and being tired. And brother, I'm not tired yet." (Credit: The Daily Telegraph)
Reader Comment
Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Piper, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and too many more to list, thank you for the memories. Hulk Hogan's legend lives on and is alive and well down under in Australia. Australian's appreciate Hulk's hard work over the years and his own comeback of the decade. The way Hulk Hogan communicates his real life story is ultra impressive, and its great to see him putting in the hard yards, pounding the pavement and jetting around Australia to let the Australian public know that this upcoming tour is the real deal. The entertainment industry has been fuelled considerably by pro wrestling over the years, and guys like Hogan, Flair and Piper carried it on their backs, with switched on promoters at the likes of WWE, WCW and
NWA kicking it along. It appears that Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Jimmy Hart and Eric Bishcoff and co are putting together a great event here. For my money, having Hogan here means the show has already began. The coverage in the newspapers and Australian TV sure beats the hell out of some of the other stuff passed off as "entertainment news". Hulkamania forever. Wooooo! Just when they think they have the answers, Hogan and Flair change the questions.
Greg Tingle, Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia
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It's those scars on a knee torn by Diamond Dallas Page. On a leg broken by first coach Matsuda. On those matching hollows revealed when flexing both biceps.
"Yeah, tore them lifting Andre the Giant," Hulk Hogan shrugs. "It was Wrestlemania III and, while we hadn't planned it, Andre said 'if you reckon you can lift me brother, go for it'.
"Now you have to remember he'd weighed in earlier that day at Detroit airport. Exactly 308 kilos. But when I got in position man, I just went f... it and lifted."
Sitting in a tiny room on the second floor of Sydney's InterContinental Hotel, it's easy to see why Terry Gene Bollea - all bright pink shirt and matching bandanna - is universally loved.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
Why some 20 years after first telling us train hard, say your prayers and take your vitamins, this mustachioed marauder is still barred from doing his interviews in hotel foyers.
"No, we've tried that," says his female publicist, weighed down with a pile of schedules and flight plans. "Mr Hogan was mobbed."
It's why, at age 56, Hollywood Hulk Hogan is once again donning those famed yellow tights to bring us his Let The Battle Begin Tour in November.
Letting us Hulkamaniacs finally see live this image that's adorned energy bars, mixmasters and A-Team episodes. Who in the 1990s outrated Disneyland as the No. 1 Make a Wish Foundation pick.
Who even today needs submission moves learned in Japan to ward off lunatic fans.
"On Sunday we were in Melbourne, going into a restaurant when this guy - you know what a Hells Angel looks like, right? - well, he came screaming across the room at me," Hogan shrugs.
"So I blocked him, hooked him and took him down. It was all over fairly quickly."
But this, Hogan stresses quickly, is all part of Hulkamania, brother.
"And I can accept that, yes, these days I'm getting older, slowing down," the 131kg millionaire grins. "That there will come a point in time when I have to retire gracefully.
"But there's a big difference between retirement and being tired. And brother, I'm not tired yet." (Credit: The Daily Telegraph)
Reader Comment
Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Piper, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and too many more to list, thank you for the memories. Hulk Hogan's legend lives on and is alive and well down under in Australia. Australian's appreciate Hulk's hard work over the years and his own comeback of the decade. The way Hulk Hogan communicates his real life story is ultra impressive, and its great to see him putting in the hard yards, pounding the pavement and jetting around Australia to let the Australian public know that this upcoming tour is the real deal. The entertainment industry has been fuelled considerably by pro wrestling over the years, and guys like Hogan, Flair and Piper carried it on their backs, with switched on promoters at the likes of WWE, WCW and
NWA kicking it along. It appears that Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Jimmy Hart and Eric Bishcoff and co are putting together a great event here. For my money, having Hogan here means the show has already began. The coverage in the newspapers and Australian TV sure beats the hell out of some of the other stuff passed off as "entertainment news". Hulkamania forever. Wooooo! Just when they think they have the answers, Hogan and Flair change the questions.
Greg Tingle, Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia
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Wrestling gaming connection
Celebrate the iconic wrestlers, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, with their gaming and igaming offerings.
The campaign is on the way that will see wrestling living legends Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair wrestle in Australia this November.
Wrestling fans and gaming fans may be interested in this bit of history:
Hulk Hogan was once a bank teller and played guitar in a rock band. One discovered he was trained in Japan by Hiro Matsuda, who broke his leg just to test his will. Hulk recovered from the injury, returned to training, and later found fame and fortune in the WWE (then World Wrestling Federation)
Starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in Rocky III as Thunderlips
Hulk Hogan's first WWE match was against Ted DiBiase where Hogan was billed "The Incredible Hulk Hogan". WWE and later Terry "The Hulk" Bollea came to terms with Marvel Comics (Marvel Entertainment) and purchased the rights to use the name "Hulk".
Hogan defeated the late Andre The Giant in front of 93,173 people at WrestleMania III
Ric Flair was born Richard Morgan Fliehr on February 25, 1949
Flair is a recognized 16-time World Heavyweight Champion
*other pro wrestlers with a gaming connection include Kevin "Big Sexy" Nash, once going under the stage name of Vinnie Vegas" and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who legend has it has frequented a well known land based casino in New Zealand. NextGen Gaming is rumoured to have developed an Andre The Giant themed online slot game.
Gaming connections include:
The Hulk online slot game
The Incredible Hulk online slot game
Wooooooo! North Carolina Education Lottery scratch ticket featuring Ric Flair
WWE Legends of Wrestling
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Media Man Australia
The campaign is on the way that will see wrestling living legends Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair wrestle in Australia this November.
Wrestling fans and gaming fans may be interested in this bit of history:
Hulk Hogan was once a bank teller and played guitar in a rock band. One discovered he was trained in Japan by Hiro Matsuda, who broke his leg just to test his will. Hulk recovered from the injury, returned to training, and later found fame and fortune in the WWE (then World Wrestling Federation)
Starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in Rocky III as Thunderlips
Hulk Hogan's first WWE match was against Ted DiBiase where Hogan was billed "The Incredible Hulk Hogan". WWE and later Terry "The Hulk" Bollea came to terms with Marvel Comics (Marvel Entertainment) and purchased the rights to use the name "Hulk".
Hogan defeated the late Andre The Giant in front of 93,173 people at WrestleMania III
Ric Flair was born Richard Morgan Fliehr on February 25, 1949
Flair is a recognized 16-time World Heavyweight Champion
*other pro wrestlers with a gaming connection include Kevin "Big Sexy" Nash, once going under the stage name of Vinnie Vegas" and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who legend has it has frequented a well known land based casino in New Zealand. NextGen Gaming is rumoured to have developed an Andre The Giant themed online slot game.
Gaming connections include:
The Hulk online slot game
The Incredible Hulk online slot game
Wooooooo! North Carolina Education Lottery scratch ticket featuring Ric Flair
WWE Legends of Wrestling
Global Gaming Directory Profiles
Hulk Hogan
The Incredible Hulk
Ric Flair
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Andre The Giant
Sylvester Stallone
WWE Shop
Marvel Entertainment
Websites
Hulkamania Let The Battle Begin official website
Hulk Hogan official website
North Carolina Education Lottery
PartyCasino.com
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Media Man Australia
Education Lottery Introducing New Game with a Lot of Flair
-Two Additional Instant Games Also Headed to Stores-
RALEIGH- Wooooooo! That’s the name and hopefully what many players will be exclaiming after winning prizes on this new instant scratch-off game. Wooooooo!along with Blue Tripler Crossword and Lucky Gold will all be in stores starting Tuesday, Sept. 22.
Wooooooo! is a $5 scratch-off ticket featuring world-renowned retired wrestler Ric Flair. The game has eight top prizes of $100,000 and over 500,000 prizes between $10 and $200. Players have 16 chances to win on each ticket, which represent Flair’s 16 championship belts.
The NCEL is pleased to be teaming up with Flair in its effort to maximize revenue for the education programs it supports. We believe the Wooooooo! game has the potential to attract new players.
Blue Line Tripler Crossword is a $3 ticket that features over $6.6 million in total prizes in the game. Those prizes include six top prizes of $30,000 and 60 second tier prizes of $1,000 plus much more!
Lucky Gold is a $2 ticket with eight top prizes of $25,000. It also features over $7 million in total cash prizes in the game. Players who scratch and reveal a “moneybag” symbol win double the prize shown.
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RALEIGH- Wooooooo! That’s the name and hopefully what many players will be exclaiming after winning prizes on this new instant scratch-off game. Wooooooo!along with Blue Tripler Crossword and Lucky Gold will all be in stores starting Tuesday, Sept. 22.
Wooooooo! is a $5 scratch-off ticket featuring world-renowned retired wrestler Ric Flair. The game has eight top prizes of $100,000 and over 500,000 prizes between $10 and $200. Players have 16 chances to win on each ticket, which represent Flair’s 16 championship belts.
The NCEL is pleased to be teaming up with Flair in its effort to maximize revenue for the education programs it supports. We believe the Wooooooo! game has the potential to attract new players.
Blue Line Tripler Crossword is a $3 ticket that features over $6.6 million in total prizes in the game. Those prizes include six top prizes of $30,000 and 60 second tier prizes of $1,000 plus much more!
Lucky Gold is a $2 ticket with eight top prizes of $25,000. It also features over $7 million in total cash prizes in the game. Players who scratch and reveal a “moneybag” symbol win double the prize shown.
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Sunday, September 20, 2009
Media Man Australia public support of Hulk Hogan Hulkamania tour of Australia
Media Man Australia public support of Hulk Hogan Hulkamania tour of Australia via The Baltimore Sun online
As long as both Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair do some of their signature moves have the in ring charisma, I think the match up is still worth paying for. There will only every be one Hulk Hogan and one Ric Flair, and both are apparently prepared to put in all on the line to entertain the fans while they still can, and make a pay day in the process, which will help go towards the massive expenses they have both endured in the past few years. I think wrestling fans owe it to the guys and themselves to pay to see the match. You also can't blame them for wanting to have a working holiday down under here in Australia, and make a pay day and party with us Australians. Enjoy the match up and take the opportunity to see both legends go at while they can. Let's also see some technical wrestlers and other entertaining talent get locked into the card. Hulk and Flair, thanks for the memories over the decades, and we look forward to seeing you do your thing in Australia. Greg Tingle, founder and director, Media Man Australia
The Sunday Telegraph - reader feedback - 20th September 2009
There will only ever be one Hulk Hogan, and one Ric Flair. I think fans owe it to see and support living legends such as The Hulk and "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair, while they can still do their thing. Hogan, Flair, Roddy Piper and the crew... thank you for the memories. New talent also have their chance to shine in the indy's, WWE feeder promotions and the WWE. Hulkamania for ever. Hulkamania has indeed run wild down under in Australia.
Bondi Beach #1 Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Roddy Piper fan. Woooo!
Greg Tingle
Media Man Australia Profiles
Hulk Hogan
Wrestling
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As long as both Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair do some of their signature moves have the in ring charisma, I think the match up is still worth paying for. There will only every be one Hulk Hogan and one Ric Flair, and both are apparently prepared to put in all on the line to entertain the fans while they still can, and make a pay day in the process, which will help go towards the massive expenses they have both endured in the past few years. I think wrestling fans owe it to the guys and themselves to pay to see the match. You also can't blame them for wanting to have a working holiday down under here in Australia, and make a pay day and party with us Australians. Enjoy the match up and take the opportunity to see both legends go at while they can. Let's also see some technical wrestlers and other entertaining talent get locked into the card. Hulk and Flair, thanks for the memories over the decades, and we look forward to seeing you do your thing in Australia. Greg Tingle, founder and director, Media Man Australia
The Sunday Telegraph - reader feedback - 20th September 2009
There will only ever be one Hulk Hogan, and one Ric Flair. I think fans owe it to see and support living legends such as The Hulk and "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair, while they can still do their thing. Hogan, Flair, Roddy Piper and the crew... thank you for the memories. New talent also have their chance to shine in the indy's, WWE feeder promotions and the WWE. Hulkamania for ever. Hulkamania has indeed run wild down under in Australia.
Bondi Beach #1 Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Roddy Piper fan. Woooo!
Greg Tingle
Media Man Australia Profiles
Hulk Hogan
Wrestling
News
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Saturday, September 19, 2009
Triple H to accompany Money in Vegas - 17th September 2009
Floyd Mayweather Jr will be escorted to the ring by WWE superstar Triple H when he takes on Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The Pretty Boy is no stranger to the world of wrestling entertainment, having faced off against The Big Show at WrestleMania XXIV as well as hosting Monday night RAW earlier this summer.
And he will not be the first to be accompanied to the ring by a wrestler either, as Manny Pacquiao was joined by Batista on his way out to fight Ricky Hatton in May.
There could be divided loyalties for wrestling and boxing fans to contend with if Mayweather and Pacquiao do finally meet in a showdown next year, but for now the WWE is wholeheartedly backing the undefeated American.
Collaboration
Mayweather said: "Triple H is one of the greatest guys in the world and represents a whole universe of WWE fans that appreciate what he does.
"He and his stature are huge and I can't think of a better person to escort me to the ring for my return to boxing."
There is no doubt who D-Generation X star Triple H expects to prove victorious in Las Vegas on Saturday either.
"It is an honour to walk the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world back into the ring," said the WWE superstar.
"Floyd 'Money' Mayweather has shown WWE tremendous support and it is my pleasure to return the favour this Saturday by standing at his side as he defeats Marquez in what I am sure will be boxing's fight of the year."
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The Pretty Boy is no stranger to the world of wrestling entertainment, having faced off against The Big Show at WrestleMania XXIV as well as hosting Monday night RAW earlier this summer.
And he will not be the first to be accompanied to the ring by a wrestler either, as Manny Pacquiao was joined by Batista on his way out to fight Ricky Hatton in May.
There could be divided loyalties for wrestling and boxing fans to contend with if Mayweather and Pacquiao do finally meet in a showdown next year, but for now the WWE is wholeheartedly backing the undefeated American.
Collaboration
Mayweather said: "Triple H is one of the greatest guys in the world and represents a whole universe of WWE fans that appreciate what he does.
"He and his stature are huge and I can't think of a better person to escort me to the ring for my return to boxing."
There is no doubt who D-Generation X star Triple H expects to prove victorious in Las Vegas on Saturday either.
"It is an honour to walk the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world back into the ring," said the WWE superstar.
"Floyd 'Money' Mayweather has shown WWE tremendous support and it is my pleasure to return the favour this Saturday by standing at his side as he defeats Marquez in what I am sure will be boxing's fight of the year."
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New Ticket with a Lot of “Flair”, by Greg Tingle
If anyone wondered about how hot pro wrestling is right now, wonder no more. Wrestling is more Hollywood than Hollywood, and many of the professions top stars have massive crossover and mainstream appeal.
Look at "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair for example. The North Carolina Lottery has a Flair themed lottery ticket. Flair, the man known for taking ladies to "Space Mountain" and trademark "Whoooooo!" is also scheduled to wrestling Hulk Hogan down under in Australia starting on 21st November.
Casino and gaming buffs may also be aware that Hulk's "The Hulkamania Experience" land based slot machine is scheduled to soon hit some American casinos. The casino deal was done in conjunction with the National Indian Gaming Association, Dreamseekers Foundation, ID Interactive and Rainmaker Gaming Technology.
Hulk Hogan is arguably the biggest moneymaking and brand licensing machine pro wrestling has ever seen, with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin also said to be on his level.
Hogan and the the WWE (formally known as WWF) previously did business deal with Marvel Entertainment, thus securing the rights to use the name "Hulk". Marvel Entertainment, who were recently purchased by Disney, actually have "The Hulk" and "The Incredible Hulk" online slot machines.
Both Terry "The Hulk" Bollea (Hogan) and Ric Flair could both do with some strong pay days, be it from gaming or stepping back in the right, as both have endured some expense legal battles over the past few years. Hulk is playing up his single status to the ladies of Australia, and "Slick Ric" certainly has a reputation for Wooooing the ladies.
Hogan VS Flair, and Hogan and Flair, be it wrestling or gaming enterprises - Jackpot! Australian production companies are also talking reality television business with Hogan and Flair. "The Goanna" would be proud.
Media Man Australia is the agent for a number of Australia wrestling stars including John "Vulcan" Seru (from James Bond fame) and Steve "Crusher" Rackman (Crocodile Dundee).
*Greg Tingle is the founder and director of Media Man Australia, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory, and a long time pro wrestling fan!
Press Release below
NC Education Lottery Unveils a New Ticket with a Lot of “Flair”
RALEIGH- The North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL) today unveiled a new sports-themed instant scratch-off ticket featuring world-renowned pro wrestler Ric Flair. The NCEL and “The Nature Boy” teamed up on the new game that will be available at lottery retail locations statewide starting Tuesday, Sept. 22.
“All of us at the NCEL are thrilled about this partnership and the potential it has for bringing in a different group of players, which could result in increased sales,” said Tom Shaheen, NCEL executive director. He added, “We are always looking for ways to appeal to new players so we can maximize sales and generate as much money as
possible for education.”
During the event that took place at the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, Flair expressed that education is important to him as well. To help get the word out about the ticket and to help the NCEL raise money for education, Flair said that he will make appearances at upcoming fairs around the state.
“Wooooooo!” is a $5 scratch-off ticket. The game features eight top prizes of $100,000 and over 500,000 prizes between $10 and $200. Players have 16 chances to win on each ticket, which corresponds with Flair’s 16 championship belts.
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Look at "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair for example. The North Carolina Lottery has a Flair themed lottery ticket. Flair, the man known for taking ladies to "Space Mountain" and trademark "Whoooooo!" is also scheduled to wrestling Hulk Hogan down under in Australia starting on 21st November.
Casino and gaming buffs may also be aware that Hulk's "The Hulkamania Experience" land based slot machine is scheduled to soon hit some American casinos. The casino deal was done in conjunction with the National Indian Gaming Association, Dreamseekers Foundation, ID Interactive and Rainmaker Gaming Technology.
Hulk Hogan is arguably the biggest moneymaking and brand licensing machine pro wrestling has ever seen, with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin also said to be on his level.
Hogan and the the WWE (formally known as WWF) previously did business deal with Marvel Entertainment, thus securing the rights to use the name "Hulk". Marvel Entertainment, who were recently purchased by Disney, actually have "The Hulk" and "The Incredible Hulk" online slot machines.
Both Terry "The Hulk" Bollea (Hogan) and Ric Flair could both do with some strong pay days, be it from gaming or stepping back in the right, as both have endured some expense legal battles over the past few years. Hulk is playing up his single status to the ladies of Australia, and "Slick Ric" certainly has a reputation for Wooooing the ladies.
Hogan VS Flair, and Hogan and Flair, be it wrestling or gaming enterprises - Jackpot! Australian production companies are also talking reality television business with Hogan and Flair. "The Goanna" would be proud.
Media Man Australia is the agent for a number of Australia wrestling stars including John "Vulcan" Seru (from James Bond fame) and Steve "Crusher" Rackman (Crocodile Dundee).
*Greg Tingle is the founder and director of Media Man Australia, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory, and a long time pro wrestling fan!
Press Release below
NC Education Lottery Unveils a New Ticket with a Lot of “Flair”
RALEIGH- The North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL) today unveiled a new sports-themed instant scratch-off ticket featuring world-renowned pro wrestler Ric Flair. The NCEL and “The Nature Boy” teamed up on the new game that will be available at lottery retail locations statewide starting Tuesday, Sept. 22.
“All of us at the NCEL are thrilled about this partnership and the potential it has for bringing in a different group of players, which could result in increased sales,” said Tom Shaheen, NCEL executive director. He added, “We are always looking for ways to appeal to new players so we can maximize sales and generate as much money as
possible for education.”
During the event that took place at the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, Flair expressed that education is important to him as well. To help get the word out about the ticket and to help the NCEL raise money for education, Flair said that he will make appearances at upcoming fairs around the state.
“Wooooooo!” is a $5 scratch-off ticket. The game features eight top prizes of $100,000 and over 500,000 prizes between $10 and $200. Players have 16 chances to win on each ticket, which corresponds with Flair’s 16 championship belts.
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Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Hulkamania - Let the Battle Begin Hulk Hogan @ Rod Laver Arena
Press Release
For the first time ever, Wrestling Legend Hulk Hogan will tour Australia. His new event HULKAMANIA - Let the Battle Begin, will be playing arenas in Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Sydney, November 2009.
For over two decades the name Hulk Hogan has been synonymous with sports entertainment and professional wrestling. Having set live attendance records all over the world including a live gate of more that 96,000 fans at the Pontiac Silverdome, Hulk Hogan has set his sites on Australia as his next frontier.
“I have been blessed with the opportunity to perform in front of fans around the world,” said Hogan. “I have always wanted to perform in Australia as I have heard Aussies are some of the greatest wrestling fans ever. I am grateful for this opportunity, and hope that this is just the beginning of a great thing!”
“In 2002 there were rumours of Hulk Hogan coming to Australia which sent wrestling fans into meltdown,” said promoter Michael Condon. “This time it’s real and confirmed and the Hulk is bringing some of the greats of wrestling with him.”
HULKAMANIA will also i some of the top stars that compete all over the world, and will include state of the art production. The arenas will be plastered with large screens to show the audience what is happening back stage in between wrestling matches. The night will also contain audience participation, a huge pyro techniques display and more.
From his early beginnings as a young wrestler training under the Tutoledge of the famed Hiro Matsuda who intentionally broke Hulk Hogan’s leg on his first day of training just to test his desire. Hulk Hogan’s larger that life persona and matching arms have turned the industry into the phenomenon it is today.
“We are thrilled to be working with Condon Sports and Entertainment group and KnokX Pro Entertainment” said Eric Bischoff of Bischoff Hervey Entertainment Television who is helping to bring Hulk Hogan to Australia for this tour.
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For the first time ever, Wrestling Legend Hulk Hogan will tour Australia. His new event HULKAMANIA - Let the Battle Begin, will be playing arenas in Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Sydney, November 2009.
For over two decades the name Hulk Hogan has been synonymous with sports entertainment and professional wrestling. Having set live attendance records all over the world including a live gate of more that 96,000 fans at the Pontiac Silverdome, Hulk Hogan has set his sites on Australia as his next frontier.
“I have been blessed with the opportunity to perform in front of fans around the world,” said Hogan. “I have always wanted to perform in Australia as I have heard Aussies are some of the greatest wrestling fans ever. I am grateful for this opportunity, and hope that this is just the beginning of a great thing!”
“In 2002 there were rumours of Hulk Hogan coming to Australia which sent wrestling fans into meltdown,” said promoter Michael Condon. “This time it’s real and confirmed and the Hulk is bringing some of the greats of wrestling with him.”
HULKAMANIA will also i some of the top stars that compete all over the world, and will include state of the art production. The arenas will be plastered with large screens to show the audience what is happening back stage in between wrestling matches. The night will also contain audience participation, a huge pyro techniques display and more.
From his early beginnings as a young wrestler training under the Tutoledge of the famed Hiro Matsuda who intentionally broke Hulk Hogan’s leg on his first day of training just to test his desire. Hulk Hogan’s larger that life persona and matching arms have turned the industry into the phenomenon it is today.
“We are thrilled to be working with Condon Sports and Entertainment group and KnokX Pro Entertainment” said Eric Bischoff of Bischoff Hervey Entertainment Television who is helping to bring Hulk Hogan to Australia for this tour.
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Hulk Hogan's Hulkamania tour of Australia
Said to be on board for Hulk Hogan's Hulkamania tour of Australia: Ric Flair, Val Venis, The Godfather, Diamond Dallas Page, Umaga, Gangrel, Shannon Moore, Ken Anderson, The Nasty Boys, Jimmy Hart, Brutus Beefcake, and Lacey Von Erich. Rob Van Dam is in negotiations in addition to a number of former WWE Divas. Jeff Hardy talks advised numerous wrestling news media outlets. Headliner to be based on Hogan v Flair and talk of filming a reality TV show.
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Saturday, September 05, 2009
Wrestling News Updated - Media Man Australia Network
WWE.com has removed the "Industry News" section from the front page of its website
Vince McMahon more open to ideas from lock room, insiders say product improving
John Cena doing fantastic community support work, Make-A-Wish Foundation et al
Jeff Hardy says goodbye to WWE family
Rey Mysterio Jr. suspended for 30 days
WWE ramps up Europe, dedicated websites for European regions and more tours upcoming
Bob Barker to host Monday Night Raw
Linda McMahon, CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, is considering running for the United States Senate
WWE Offers Free Tickets to US Military
More details on the WWE.com website and WWE Corporate website
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Vince McMahon more open to ideas from lock room, insiders say product improving
John Cena doing fantastic community support work, Make-A-Wish Foundation et al
Jeff Hardy says goodbye to WWE family
Rey Mysterio Jr. suspended for 30 days
WWE ramps up Europe, dedicated websites for European regions and more tours upcoming
Bob Barker to host Monday Night Raw
Linda McMahon, CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, is considering running for the United States Senate
WWE Offers Free Tickets to US Military
More details on the WWE.com website and WWE Corporate website
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Wednesday, August 12, 2009
WWE Living Legend News Update
Hulk Hogan turns 56 years old today.
Vince McMahon turns 64 years old on the 24th August. McMahon will be spending his birthday in Las Vegas, where WWE Raw will emanate from that night.
Ric Flair has been doing the news media rounds with Harley Race.
Roddy Piper continues to add excitement and ratings to wrestling shows.
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat will one of the best on WWE current roster.
Andre The Giant online slot game strongly rumored via NextGen Gaming.
Shawn Michaels to work feud and angles with Triple H.
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Vince McMahon turns 64 years old on the 24th August. McMahon will be spending his birthday in Las Vegas, where WWE Raw will emanate from that night.
Ric Flair has been doing the news media rounds with Harley Race.
Roddy Piper continues to add excitement and ratings to wrestling shows.
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat will one of the best on WWE current roster.
Andre The Giant online slot game strongly rumored via NextGen Gaming.
Shawn Michaels to work feud and angles with Triple H.
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Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Flair News: Ric Flair on the radio - Flair scratch-off Lottery card, Horsemen road stories, NWA Fanfest - 1st August 2009
Ric Flair had a 20-minute segment on the "Primetime with Packman" radio show on Friday afternoon in Charlotte, N.C. talking the Ric Flair lottery, the NWA Fanfest, and old Four Horsemen road stories.
Flair didn't "break any news" or talk update his WWE status, but he said will become the "official face" of the North Carolina Lottery on September 22. To coincide with the announcement, the lottery will be releasing a "Woo!" scratch-off card.
Flair also promoted the NWA Legends Fanfest in Charlotte next weekend that will feature the first Original Four Horsemen reunion in nearly 20 years, plus a Q&A session with Flair and Harley Race.
Most of the interview was Flair talking Charlotte sports and sharing some road stories, including a few recent stories involving Chicago White Sox GM Kenny Williams. (Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)
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Flair didn't "break any news" or talk update his WWE status, but he said will become the "official face" of the North Carolina Lottery on September 22. To coincide with the announcement, the lottery will be releasing a "Woo!" scratch-off card.
Flair also promoted the NWA Legends Fanfest in Charlotte next weekend that will feature the first Original Four Horsemen reunion in nearly 20 years, plus a Q&A session with Flair and Harley Race.
Most of the interview was Flair talking Charlotte sports and sharing some road stories, including a few recent stories involving Chicago White Sox GM Kenny Williams. (Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)
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Sunday, July 19, 2009
Jim Rose returns wrestling to its roots, By Marc Graser - Variety - 17th July 2009
Former WWE stars hope to pin hardcore fans
Just as more people are tuning in to watch men fight it out in a ring -- especially bouts produced by the WWE, TNA or UFC -- Jim Rose wants to return wrestling to its roots.
The colorful showman behind the Jim Rose Circus, an outrageous hour of comedy and stunts not for the faint of heart, has been selling out clubs across the country with a new show incorporating former headliners of Vince McMahon's WWE.
Woven into a loose narrative, Rose's new act has Jake "The Snake" Roberts, whose career inspired Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler," and Sinn Bodhi, formerly known as the tattooed circus freak Kizarney, break into fistfights, smash through tables, get hooked through the tongue, sprayed in the face with bear repellent, and encounter live scorpions and a 22-foot albino python. At one point, Bodhi is sealed in a "plastic bag of death," as air is vacuumed out of it.
"It's a soap opera like you'd see in wrestling (during a WWE show), but every night is different," Rose says. "There's a running theme but they're ad libbing. They're doing 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' but one night you might get hurt a little more than the night before."
The over-the-top and very adult nature of the show reflects a time when fights were staged outside circus tents in order to sell tickets to crowds that would gather, Rose says. "The format is where wrestling came from," he says.
Word-of-mouth has drummed up most of the interest for Rose's show, which doesn't involve a traditional ring, just a stage. His show launched from Seattle in the 1990s, and opened for the likes of Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson and headlined Lollapalooza. The Troubadour in L.A. hosts the show on July 22.
Rose also hopes to grow his audience beyond its cult following, producing videos for his site on MySpace and YouTube. A TV show is also being mulled.
"This is a very crazy reality show that's happening," Rose says. "If a television show is going to be fun, then let's go do it." (Credit: Variety)
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Just as more people are tuning in to watch men fight it out in a ring -- especially bouts produced by the WWE, TNA or UFC -- Jim Rose wants to return wrestling to its roots.
The colorful showman behind the Jim Rose Circus, an outrageous hour of comedy and stunts not for the faint of heart, has been selling out clubs across the country with a new show incorporating former headliners of Vince McMahon's WWE.
Woven into a loose narrative, Rose's new act has Jake "The Snake" Roberts, whose career inspired Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler," and Sinn Bodhi, formerly known as the tattooed circus freak Kizarney, break into fistfights, smash through tables, get hooked through the tongue, sprayed in the face with bear repellent, and encounter live scorpions and a 22-foot albino python. At one point, Bodhi is sealed in a "plastic bag of death," as air is vacuumed out of it.
"It's a soap opera like you'd see in wrestling (during a WWE show), but every night is different," Rose says. "There's a running theme but they're ad libbing. They're doing 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' but one night you might get hurt a little more than the night before."
The over-the-top and very adult nature of the show reflects a time when fights were staged outside circus tents in order to sell tickets to crowds that would gather, Rose says. "The format is where wrestling came from," he says.
Word-of-mouth has drummed up most of the interest for Rose's show, which doesn't involve a traditional ring, just a stage. His show launched from Seattle in the 1990s, and opened for the likes of Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson and headlined Lollapalooza. The Troubadour in L.A. hosts the show on July 22.
Rose also hopes to grow his audience beyond its cult following, producing videos for his site on MySpace and YouTube. A TV show is also being mulled.
"This is a very crazy reality show that's happening," Rose says. "If a television show is going to be fun, then let's go do it." (Credit: Variety)
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Donald Trump’s commercial-free Raw does big rating, by Kevin Eck - Baltimore Sun - 23rd June 2009
Whether it can be attributed to the publicity WWE received from the Donald Trump story line, the commercial-free format, the advertised main event of a Last Man Standing Match for the WWE title between Randy Orton and Triple H, or some combination of the three, one thing is for sure: Monday’s episode of Raw was a huge ratings success.
Raw drew a 4.5 rating (4.3 first hour; 4.8 second hour), a significant increase from last week’s 3.7. The show’s 6,813,000 viewers made it the most-watched episode of Raw since March 25, 2002, according to wwe.com.
You have to hand it to Trump. WrestleMania 23, which was built around his hair versus hair match against Vince McMahon, did a company-record 1.2 million pay-per-view buys in 2007, and now he is the central figure on the highest-rated Raw in more than seven years.
Based on the rating, I wonder if the Trump story line, which appeared to end on Monday after just one week, might continue at some point. A story on wwe.com about Trump’s appearance on Raw said “this may not be the end of the feud between these two world class promoters.” (Credit: Baltimore Sun)
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Raw drew a 4.5 rating (4.3 first hour; 4.8 second hour), a significant increase from last week’s 3.7. The show’s 6,813,000 viewers made it the most-watched episode of Raw since March 25, 2002, according to wwe.com.
You have to hand it to Trump. WrestleMania 23, which was built around his hair versus hair match against Vince McMahon, did a company-record 1.2 million pay-per-view buys in 2007, and now he is the central figure on the highest-rated Raw in more than seven years.
Based on the rating, I wonder if the Trump story line, which appeared to end on Monday after just one week, might continue at some point. A story on wwe.com about Trump’s appearance on Raw said “this may not be the end of the feud between these two world class promoters.” (Credit: Baltimore Sun)
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Monday, June 22, 2009
Wrestling News Media
Donald Trump appears on WWE RAW
Jake "The Snake" Roberts to go on tour
WWE releases Sim Snuka, Umaga
Tommy Dreamer wins ECW Championship
Filsinger Games releases Legends of Wresting game featuring Rob Van Dam
WWE Randy Savage Macho Madness DVD enjoys strong sales
WWE acknowledges passing away of Japanese pro wrestling legend Mitsuharu Misawa
Foxtel WWE buy rates hold firm
USA Network has best ever May results, assisted by WWE RAW
John Cena featured in Make-A-Wish latest 'Wish Stores'
Andre The Giant rumoured to feature in NextGen Gaming online slot game this year
Australian pro wrestling scene still moving forward, however unlikely to return to glory days success
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Jake "The Snake" Roberts to go on tour
WWE releases Sim Snuka, Umaga
Tommy Dreamer wins ECW Championship
Filsinger Games releases Legends of Wresting game featuring Rob Van Dam
WWE Randy Savage Macho Madness DVD enjoys strong sales
WWE acknowledges passing away of Japanese pro wrestling legend Mitsuharu Misawa
Foxtel WWE buy rates hold firm
USA Network has best ever May results, assisted by WWE RAW
John Cena featured in Make-A-Wish latest 'Wish Stores'
Andre The Giant rumoured to feature in NextGen Gaming online slot game this year
Australian pro wrestling scene still moving forward, however unlikely to return to glory days success
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Filsinger Games teams up with Rob Van Dam for "Legends Originals"
Filsinger Games has announced that former WWE and ECW champion Rob Van Dam will be part of an expansion pack of their Legends of Wrestling card game along with 11 other wrestlers. You can find out more at www.filsingergames.com
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Vinnie Brings The Donald Back Into The Act, by Mike Mooneyham - 21st June 2009
Last year Vince McMahon gave away a million dollars in an attempt to lure viewers to Monday Night Raw.
Now he’s pretending to have sold Raw, WWE’s flagship show, to the even richer and perhaps more megalomaniacal Donald Trump.
Last week’s “shocking” announcement on Raw didn’t produce the effect McMahon had hoped for. That’s because fans rarely believe anything the WWE owner says these days.
But even if the WWE Universe faithful didn’t buy the prank, Vince was betting on selling the angle to the mainstream media. It’s happened before, although the non-wrestling press has become smarter over the years.
Some media outlets, such as TV Guide and Bloomberg, initially reported it as fact. FoxBusiness.com posted the release itself. But they were the exceptions.
The hope now is that Trump, who once was brought in for a storyline feud with McMahon that culminated with The Donald shaving Vince’s head at Wrestlemania 23, will again produce some magic with McMahon.
McMahon, however, is in no danger of losing his company or Raw, which remains one of the top-rated shows on cable television.
WWE and USA Network even issued a bogus joint press release last week to announce the change in ownership. It was, McMahon stated, an undisclosed offer he “couldn’t refuse.”
USA was forced to release an apology Thursday.
“We intended the release to be promotional for that ongoing story arc on the series,” USA said in the statement. “There is no such actual ‘sale.’ We apologize for any confusion.”
The takeover plot continues Monday when the real estate mogul appears on a commercial-free episode of the show as its new owner.
It will mark the first time in more than 838 episodes that Raw will be commercial-free.
“I’m going to do things on the show that have never been done or seen before,” Trump boasted last week.
Whether or not that’s a good thing remains to be seen. Trump looks out of his element on a wrestling show. He’s certainly no Vince. And, like most non-wrestling personalities attempting to do pro wrestling, his delivery is forced and contrived.
- Hall of Famer and WWE fixture Jerry Brisco recently suffered what was believed to be as many as three strokes in a period of several days. Doctors also discovered a small hole in his heart and a heart valve irregularity, and have scheduled surgery for next week.
“Jerry is confident, as am I, that he will make a full recovery as he has been an athlete all his life and has never been a smoker, isn’t overweight, is in excellent physical shape for a man a little north of 60 who was still working out on the mat with his amateur wrestling team at a high school in Tampa where he volunteers,” Jim Ross posted on his blog.
Jerry is one of pro wrestling’s “good guys,” and our thoughts and prayers go out to him, brother Jack and the Brisco family.
- Mitsuharu Misawa, one of Japan’s greatest wrestlers over the past three decades, died last weekend during a tag-team bout in Hiroshima.
Misawa, just days shy of his 47th birthday, was competing in a tag-team match when he took a belly to back suplex from Akitoshi Saito and lost consciousness. The match was stopped and Misawa was administered to before being taken from the arena. He was declared dead at the hospital.
Misawa initially rose to fame in the pro ranks as Japan’s high-flying Tiger Mask, the second wrestler to use that name, during the mid-’80s. His popularity peaked in the early ‘90s when he and top rival Kenta Kobashi engaged in a classic series of matches that were considered among the greatest for that time period. Both were headliners for All Japan Pro Wrestling, a promotion that was considered the most physically demanding in the world, and both operated at extremely high levels.
A national amateur wrestling champion in high school, Misawa was discovered by All Japan owner Shohei “Giant” Baba and trained by Baba, The Destroyer (Dick Beyer) and Dory Funk Jr.
Misawa inherited the position of AJPW president following the death of Baba, but disagreements with widow Motoko Baba led to his departure from the company in 2000 and the formation of Pro Wrestling NOAH.
Misawa was owner of Pro Wrestling NOAH at the time of his death.
- WWE released both Candice Michelle and Sim Snuka on Friday.
Michelle, a former WWE women’s champ, has been recovering from an injury.
Snuka, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Superfly Jimmy Snuka, hasn’t been on WWE TV since January when he and Manu were kicked out of Randy Orton’s Legacy stable. Snuka made his WWE debut in 2006 as part of the Deuce and Domino tag team.
- Lucha star Dos Caras Jr. from Mexico’s EMLL promotion reportedly has signed a three-year contract with WWE.
- TNA’s Kurt Angle told a Detroit radio station Friday that he’d be open to one final run with WWE before he retires from the business.
“I can’t tell you where I’m going to be in three years. I’d like to be in TNA, but I can’t guarantee it,” Angle said on Sports Radio WDFN. “If I could have one last run, heck, I’d do it. Why not? Rumors are going to be flying now that Kurt Angle wants to go to WWE ... That’s completely untrue. I’m very happy where I am.”
“I’m no longer bitter about WWE. Vince McMahon and I had a falling out, but everything is cool now,” added Angle. “Him and I have kind of made peace with each other.”
- WWE will return to the North Charleston Coliseum on July 18 with a Smackdown show.
Tentative top bouts include Jeff Hardy vs. Edge, and a Fatal Four-Way with Christian, Finlay, Jack Swagger and Tommy Dreamer for the ECW crown. Others on the bill include C.M. Punk, Great Khali, John Morrison, Shelton Benjamin, Vladimir Kozlov, Evan Bourne and WWE divas Gail Kim, Melina, Natalya and Maria. (Credit: The Post and Courier)
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Now he’s pretending to have sold Raw, WWE’s flagship show, to the even richer and perhaps more megalomaniacal Donald Trump.
Last week’s “shocking” announcement on Raw didn’t produce the effect McMahon had hoped for. That’s because fans rarely believe anything the WWE owner says these days.
But even if the WWE Universe faithful didn’t buy the prank, Vince was betting on selling the angle to the mainstream media. It’s happened before, although the non-wrestling press has become smarter over the years.
Some media outlets, such as TV Guide and Bloomberg, initially reported it as fact. FoxBusiness.com posted the release itself. But they were the exceptions.
The hope now is that Trump, who once was brought in for a storyline feud with McMahon that culminated with The Donald shaving Vince’s head at Wrestlemania 23, will again produce some magic with McMahon.
McMahon, however, is in no danger of losing his company or Raw, which remains one of the top-rated shows on cable television.
WWE and USA Network even issued a bogus joint press release last week to announce the change in ownership. It was, McMahon stated, an undisclosed offer he “couldn’t refuse.”
USA was forced to release an apology Thursday.
“We intended the release to be promotional for that ongoing story arc on the series,” USA said in the statement. “There is no such actual ‘sale.’ We apologize for any confusion.”
The takeover plot continues Monday when the real estate mogul appears on a commercial-free episode of the show as its new owner.
It will mark the first time in more than 838 episodes that Raw will be commercial-free.
“I’m going to do things on the show that have never been done or seen before,” Trump boasted last week.
Whether or not that’s a good thing remains to be seen. Trump looks out of his element on a wrestling show. He’s certainly no Vince. And, like most non-wrestling personalities attempting to do pro wrestling, his delivery is forced and contrived.
- Hall of Famer and WWE fixture Jerry Brisco recently suffered what was believed to be as many as three strokes in a period of several days. Doctors also discovered a small hole in his heart and a heart valve irregularity, and have scheduled surgery for next week.
“Jerry is confident, as am I, that he will make a full recovery as he has been an athlete all his life and has never been a smoker, isn’t overweight, is in excellent physical shape for a man a little north of 60 who was still working out on the mat with his amateur wrestling team at a high school in Tampa where he volunteers,” Jim Ross posted on his blog.
Jerry is one of pro wrestling’s “good guys,” and our thoughts and prayers go out to him, brother Jack and the Brisco family.
- Mitsuharu Misawa, one of Japan’s greatest wrestlers over the past three decades, died last weekend during a tag-team bout in Hiroshima.
Misawa, just days shy of his 47th birthday, was competing in a tag-team match when he took a belly to back suplex from Akitoshi Saito and lost consciousness. The match was stopped and Misawa was administered to before being taken from the arena. He was declared dead at the hospital.
Misawa initially rose to fame in the pro ranks as Japan’s high-flying Tiger Mask, the second wrestler to use that name, during the mid-’80s. His popularity peaked in the early ‘90s when he and top rival Kenta Kobashi engaged in a classic series of matches that were considered among the greatest for that time period. Both were headliners for All Japan Pro Wrestling, a promotion that was considered the most physically demanding in the world, and both operated at extremely high levels.
A national amateur wrestling champion in high school, Misawa was discovered by All Japan owner Shohei “Giant” Baba and trained by Baba, The Destroyer (Dick Beyer) and Dory Funk Jr.
Misawa inherited the position of AJPW president following the death of Baba, but disagreements with widow Motoko Baba led to his departure from the company in 2000 and the formation of Pro Wrestling NOAH.
Misawa was owner of Pro Wrestling NOAH at the time of his death.
- WWE released both Candice Michelle and Sim Snuka on Friday.
Michelle, a former WWE women’s champ, has been recovering from an injury.
Snuka, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Superfly Jimmy Snuka, hasn’t been on WWE TV since January when he and Manu were kicked out of Randy Orton’s Legacy stable. Snuka made his WWE debut in 2006 as part of the Deuce and Domino tag team.
- Lucha star Dos Caras Jr. from Mexico’s EMLL promotion reportedly has signed a three-year contract with WWE.
- TNA’s Kurt Angle told a Detroit radio station Friday that he’d be open to one final run with WWE before he retires from the business.
“I can’t tell you where I’m going to be in three years. I’d like to be in TNA, but I can’t guarantee it,” Angle said on Sports Radio WDFN. “If I could have one last run, heck, I’d do it. Why not? Rumors are going to be flying now that Kurt Angle wants to go to WWE ... That’s completely untrue. I’m very happy where I am.”
“I’m no longer bitter about WWE. Vince McMahon and I had a falling out, but everything is cool now,” added Angle. “Him and I have kind of made peace with each other.”
- WWE will return to the North Charleston Coliseum on July 18 with a Smackdown show.
Tentative top bouts include Jeff Hardy vs. Edge, and a Fatal Four-Way with Christian, Finlay, Jack Swagger and Tommy Dreamer for the ECW crown. Others on the bill include C.M. Punk, Great Khali, John Morrison, Shelton Benjamin, Vladimir Kozlov, Evan Bourne and WWE divas Gail Kim, Melina, Natalya and Maria. (Credit: The Post and Courier)
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Monday, June 15, 2009
Pro wrestling legend dies in the ring - NineMSN - 15th June 2009
Mitsuharu Misawa, one of the most popular professional wrestlers in Japan, has died after being given a back suplex in a tag team match.
Misawa, 46, and Go Shiozaki were taking on Akitoshi Saito and Bison Smith in a GHC World Tag Team title match in Hiroshima on Saturday when the move was carried out on him.
PHOTOS: Deaths that shook the wrestling world
He suffered a cardiac arrest and was taken to hospital but doctors confirmed his death shortly afterwards, a local police official told AFP by telephone.
Japanese sports newspapers said thousands of shocked spectators watched efforts to resuscitate him in the ring.
The back suplex involves a wrestler picking up his opponent and dropping him onto the mat.
Making his professional debut in 1981, Misawa became popular partly for wearing his trademark mask designed to look like a tiger's head.
He set up wrestling organisation Pro-Wrestling Noah in 2000 and became its president. (Credit: NineMSN)
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Misawa, 46, and Go Shiozaki were taking on Akitoshi Saito and Bison Smith in a GHC World Tag Team title match in Hiroshima on Saturday when the move was carried out on him.
PHOTOS: Deaths that shook the wrestling world
He suffered a cardiac arrest and was taken to hospital but doctors confirmed his death shortly afterwards, a local police official told AFP by telephone.
Japanese sports newspapers said thousands of shocked spectators watched efforts to resuscitate him in the ring.
The back suplex involves a wrestler picking up his opponent and dropping him onto the mat.
Making his professional debut in 1981, Misawa became popular partly for wearing his trademark mask designed to look like a tiger's head.
He set up wrestling organisation Pro-Wrestling Noah in 2000 and became its president. (Credit: NineMSN)
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Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Wrestlers and Arnold Schwarzenegger Gambling, Poker Connection - Gambling911 - 4th May 2009
Ric Flair recently signed a deal to be a spokesperson for the lottery in the Carolinas... The Shelby, NC Star ran a story noting that Ric, David, and Reid Flair are scheduled to appear on Saturday at the Rec Center for a charity show to raise for the Shelby City Parks and Police Department. If he attends this would be Reid's first public appearance since his arrest last weekend.
"This is of course totally the opposite direction to Jesse Ventura's stance on gambling, at least publicly," notes Media Man, Greg Tingle.
Tingle made reference to Ventura's support of an online gambling enterprise, BetUS.com, where he was a paid spokesperson for more than two years. Interestingly enough, the state of Minnesota for which Ventura served as Governor, announced last week it will try to block access to online gambling websites from citizens of that state.
Then there is California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, a one time friend of both men, who reportedly would support an initiative in his state to legalize online poker.
In November 2004, an advertisement began airing in California featuring Ventura. In it, Ventura voices his opposition to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's policies regarding Native American casinos, the very casinos that stand in the way of the proposed poker legislation. Schwarzenegger and Ventura have not spoken in years, according to reports.
In September 2005, Ventura announced on The Mike Malloy Show that he was leaving the U.S. and planned to "have an adventure". In late October 2005, he went on the The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch and reiterated that he was leaving the U.S. due to, among other things, censorship. He has since moved to Baja California, Mexico. (Credit: Gambling911).
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"This is of course totally the opposite direction to Jesse Ventura's stance on gambling, at least publicly," notes Media Man, Greg Tingle.
Tingle made reference to Ventura's support of an online gambling enterprise, BetUS.com, where he was a paid spokesperson for more than two years. Interestingly enough, the state of Minnesota for which Ventura served as Governor, announced last week it will try to block access to online gambling websites from citizens of that state.
Then there is California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, a one time friend of both men, who reportedly would support an initiative in his state to legalize online poker.
In November 2004, an advertisement began airing in California featuring Ventura. In it, Ventura voices his opposition to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's policies regarding Native American casinos, the very casinos that stand in the way of the proposed poker legislation. Schwarzenegger and Ventura have not spoken in years, according to reports.
In September 2005, Ventura announced on The Mike Malloy Show that he was leaving the U.S. and planned to "have an adventure". In late October 2005, he went on the The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch and reiterated that he was leaving the U.S. due to, among other things, censorship. He has since moved to Baja California, Mexico. (Credit: Gambling911).
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Sunday, April 05, 2009
WWE Hall Of Fame 2009
Websites
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Pro Wresting Torch - WWE 2009 Hall Of Fame report
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Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The Wrestler 'really got to me': Piper, by Brian Elliott - SLAM! Wrestling -
If there is one feeling that you get when you read through SLAM! Wrestling's archives, it's that the wrestling business is full of incredible highs, but also torturous lows. For all the adulation, there's a hefty price pay, a price which was recently explored in the movie The Wrestler, which earned Mickey Rourke a Golden Globe award for Best Actor, though controversially, not the Oscar.
One man oft-mentioned by Rourke in interviews about the film, was "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Piper, of course, embodies the highs and lows of professional wrestling, and is a veteran in Hollywood too, with roles both big (They Live) and small. When he spoke to SLAM! Wrestling about the film, and about how it really was true to life for some wrestlers, it was clearly a highly emotional experience for him.
"As someone who has been in the business for a long time, I don't mind saying that the movie really got to me," Piper said. "I had the chance to speak to Mickey, and I told him, 'I don't know what kinda research you did, but you hit the nail right on the head.' What stood out to me as a wrestler was that at no time did that character ever get physical outside the ring. And that's very typical; most of us are pretty soft outside of the ring.
"But even moreso than that, the thing that probably grabbed me the hardest was the way it ended. All my brothers (wrestling peers) are dead, man. So, at the end, it caught me because it just went to black, and that's how it happens in our world. Look at Curt Hennig (who died in 2003 due to cocaine intoxication) -- he was the picture of health. And boom! Black. Not fade to black, just black. I've been to so many funerals."
A strong theme in the film is that wrestling's mortality rate amongst its high-profile performers is staggering in comparison to that of any other athletic endeavour. A study in the wake of the Benoit tragedy showed that 104 professional wrestlers under the age of 40 had died in the period 1997-2007. Forty of those were full-time professionals, who would were well-known to anyone who had followed the sport for even a short time.
"Thinking about the friends, the brothers I've lost, makes me feel lonesome. I lived with these guys, literally. I wonder why no-one on the outside catches on to what's happening? I guess it's because they don't care.
"Can you imagine what would happen if four Manchester United players died, all in separate instances?" Piper continued, using a European analogy as he prepared to visit the continent with his daughter. "Or if a soccer player killed himself, how much attention it would get? People would wonder what on earth is going on, and there'd be an investigation. But there's no investigation for these guys. When a professional wrestler dies, sure, they do an autopsy, but then they shuffle them on.
"In professional wrestling, we're always making contacts, finding a chemistry. Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier had a chemistry. Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan had a chemistry. Roddy Piper and Ric Flair had a chemistry. That's the reason these people drew money together. But you can't put all those chemistries in one room, and then start killing every second one. When someone you were that close with dies, it's part of you that goes, too."
The high death rate among professional wrestlers is made all the more poignant by the fact that a large percentage of them are due to heart attacks, believed to be caused largely by the use of steroids, which not only enhance muscularity, but the body's internal organs, too. This practise is also alluded to in the film, as Rourke's character suffers a heart attack, but even though he has an emergency bypass operation, continues to wrestle and even uses recreational drugs. Piper has seen the damage that all kinds of drugs -- performance-enhancing, painkilling, and recreational -- have done to wrestling's performers, and notes that when he wrestled, such activities were close to a necessary evil.
"It's a little different for the wrestlers today, but the schedule I had to keep left you not knowing who you were," said the 54-year-old. "In 1991, I did an afternoon show in Manchester, England, and an evening show in the same building. Then, I got on a plane from Manchester to Heathrow, and Heathrow to Connecticut. I went in and did five hours of voiceovers for television. Then I got on a plane to Alaska, wrestled there, flew back as far as Seattle, and then I rented a car and drove 160 miles home. And that was all in one loop, without a break.
"It's tough to make that route without a shot of whiskey," he continued, using the drink as a nom de plume for other substances. "I can recall being in Pittsburgh and being dragged out of my bed at 11 a.m. to go and kick off 60 interviews for television, and only then could I go back to my bed. So imagine the time-zones; the stop-start, quick, let's go kinda life. It's very difficult do these things, and be on at the same time."
Perhaps of all the overall themes of the movie, the most poignant is that of the lead character, 20 years past his prime but still having had success while at the peak of his powers, cannot afford to pay his rent, even while working at a deli during the day, and wrestling on weekends. For in the real wrestling world of WWE, there is no pension plan for its performers, who are labelled as independent contractors; Piper's recent appearances on Monday Night Raw and expected Wrestlemania 25 gig are paid on a per night basis. For those full-time WWE employees, it is understood that bookings for other companies are out of the question despite their "independent" status. A recently-dismissed lawsuit by three former WWE wrestlers brought this matter into the spotlight, and has noted that while the office staff at the company are entitled to the benefits in later life, the wrestlers are not. In turn, this has led to oft-heard calls for a wrestler's union to finally become a reality.
"You know, wrestling today really just means the WWE, and they're the only ones that could afford to do something like this," Piper said with an air of sadness. "The WWE have done some wonderful things for wrestlers. But we can't keep on dying. The wrestlers give their hearts -- they give the best part of their lives. So as the success goes on, why aren't they being taken care of?
"My generation and the generation before me -- these guys today shouldn't have to go through what we went through. They've got masseurs and therapists now, whereas to save money on the road, we would've ordered old pizza if we could. So we've taken the pain. I just think, 'C'mon guys, if it's a billion-dollar business, which it is, give it (a union) to them.' But wrestlers are afraid for their jobs, so it's probably only going to be pressure from the public that makes it happen."
Be that all as it may -- the drugs, the schedule, and the losses -- Piper's energetic tones, which only change with these more sombre recollections related to the film -- show that if it could be true of anyone, Piper was born to be a professional wrestler. In fact, he believes the wrestling lifestyle may have had the opposite effect on him, than it did for others; whereas some crumbled in the face of wrestling's harsh realities, the business gave him something to cling to.
"Before I got into wrestling, I wasn't going anywhere with my life. I was 15 years old and living in a youth hostel. I was an amateur wrestling champion, a Golden Gloves boxing champion, and I [later] earned my black belt in judo from Gene LeBell, but I didn't know what I was gonna do with my life," Piper said, continuing the story that has become folklore. "Then, I was at a wrestling show at the Winnipeg Arena in Canada, and one guy didn't show up. So my amateur wrestling coach, who was a professional wrestling referee, said 'I can get you $25.' I didn't know anything about professional wrestling, but I went in there and had probably the shortest match in the history of that arena.
"After that, I kept wrestling for the money. I went from doing nothing, to working as much as I could. It was the only kind of economic entity that I could cling to at the time. There were no questions asked; all that the other wrestlers asked was that you gave 100%.
"They were last of the Gorgeous George-era guys, who were finishing as I started, and they were really bitter about the business. But to me, they were great Dads; if you ever needed to learn how to take care of a family, or any advice, you had 300 miles driving in a car to listen to them. Wrestling gave me a shot -- I had to get on the field at some time in my life. For that, I'm eternally grateful."
The end of The Wrestler leaves open for interpretation the fate of Randy "The Ram" Robinson, and if life imitates art, in a similar way the destiny of professional wrestling current combatants is as of yet unknown.
Fans can only hope that more of them find the rewarding life in wrestling that Roddy Piper did, and not the pitfalls that befell Davey Boy Smith, Hercules Hernandez, Curt Hennig et al.
Author's note: Following this interview, Roddy Piper asked that we send a shout-out to Freya Miller. (Credit: SLAM Wrestling).
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One man oft-mentioned by Rourke in interviews about the film, was "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Piper, of course, embodies the highs and lows of professional wrestling, and is a veteran in Hollywood too, with roles both big (They Live) and small. When he spoke to SLAM! Wrestling about the film, and about how it really was true to life for some wrestlers, it was clearly a highly emotional experience for him.
"As someone who has been in the business for a long time, I don't mind saying that the movie really got to me," Piper said. "I had the chance to speak to Mickey, and I told him, 'I don't know what kinda research you did, but you hit the nail right on the head.' What stood out to me as a wrestler was that at no time did that character ever get physical outside the ring. And that's very typical; most of us are pretty soft outside of the ring.
"But even moreso than that, the thing that probably grabbed me the hardest was the way it ended. All my brothers (wrestling peers) are dead, man. So, at the end, it caught me because it just went to black, and that's how it happens in our world. Look at Curt Hennig (who died in 2003 due to cocaine intoxication) -- he was the picture of health. And boom! Black. Not fade to black, just black. I've been to so many funerals."
A strong theme in the film is that wrestling's mortality rate amongst its high-profile performers is staggering in comparison to that of any other athletic endeavour. A study in the wake of the Benoit tragedy showed that 104 professional wrestlers under the age of 40 had died in the period 1997-2007. Forty of those were full-time professionals, who would were well-known to anyone who had followed the sport for even a short time.
"Thinking about the friends, the brothers I've lost, makes me feel lonesome. I lived with these guys, literally. I wonder why no-one on the outside catches on to what's happening? I guess it's because they don't care.
"Can you imagine what would happen if four Manchester United players died, all in separate instances?" Piper continued, using a European analogy as he prepared to visit the continent with his daughter. "Or if a soccer player killed himself, how much attention it would get? People would wonder what on earth is going on, and there'd be an investigation. But there's no investigation for these guys. When a professional wrestler dies, sure, they do an autopsy, but then they shuffle them on.
"In professional wrestling, we're always making contacts, finding a chemistry. Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier had a chemistry. Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan had a chemistry. Roddy Piper and Ric Flair had a chemistry. That's the reason these people drew money together. But you can't put all those chemistries in one room, and then start killing every second one. When someone you were that close with dies, it's part of you that goes, too."
The high death rate among professional wrestlers is made all the more poignant by the fact that a large percentage of them are due to heart attacks, believed to be caused largely by the use of steroids, which not only enhance muscularity, but the body's internal organs, too. This practise is also alluded to in the film, as Rourke's character suffers a heart attack, but even though he has an emergency bypass operation, continues to wrestle and even uses recreational drugs. Piper has seen the damage that all kinds of drugs -- performance-enhancing, painkilling, and recreational -- have done to wrestling's performers, and notes that when he wrestled, such activities were close to a necessary evil.
"It's a little different for the wrestlers today, but the schedule I had to keep left you not knowing who you were," said the 54-year-old. "In 1991, I did an afternoon show in Manchester, England, and an evening show in the same building. Then, I got on a plane from Manchester to Heathrow, and Heathrow to Connecticut. I went in and did five hours of voiceovers for television. Then I got on a plane to Alaska, wrestled there, flew back as far as Seattle, and then I rented a car and drove 160 miles home. And that was all in one loop, without a break.
"It's tough to make that route without a shot of whiskey," he continued, using the drink as a nom de plume for other substances. "I can recall being in Pittsburgh and being dragged out of my bed at 11 a.m. to go and kick off 60 interviews for television, and only then could I go back to my bed. So imagine the time-zones; the stop-start, quick, let's go kinda life. It's very difficult do these things, and be on at the same time."
Perhaps of all the overall themes of the movie, the most poignant is that of the lead character, 20 years past his prime but still having had success while at the peak of his powers, cannot afford to pay his rent, even while working at a deli during the day, and wrestling on weekends. For in the real wrestling world of WWE, there is no pension plan for its performers, who are labelled as independent contractors; Piper's recent appearances on Monday Night Raw and expected Wrestlemania 25 gig are paid on a per night basis. For those full-time WWE employees, it is understood that bookings for other companies are out of the question despite their "independent" status. A recently-dismissed lawsuit by three former WWE wrestlers brought this matter into the spotlight, and has noted that while the office staff at the company are entitled to the benefits in later life, the wrestlers are not. In turn, this has led to oft-heard calls for a wrestler's union to finally become a reality.
"You know, wrestling today really just means the WWE, and they're the only ones that could afford to do something like this," Piper said with an air of sadness. "The WWE have done some wonderful things for wrestlers. But we can't keep on dying. The wrestlers give their hearts -- they give the best part of their lives. So as the success goes on, why aren't they being taken care of?
"My generation and the generation before me -- these guys today shouldn't have to go through what we went through. They've got masseurs and therapists now, whereas to save money on the road, we would've ordered old pizza if we could. So we've taken the pain. I just think, 'C'mon guys, if it's a billion-dollar business, which it is, give it (a union) to them.' But wrestlers are afraid for their jobs, so it's probably only going to be pressure from the public that makes it happen."
Be that all as it may -- the drugs, the schedule, and the losses -- Piper's energetic tones, which only change with these more sombre recollections related to the film -- show that if it could be true of anyone, Piper was born to be a professional wrestler. In fact, he believes the wrestling lifestyle may have had the opposite effect on him, than it did for others; whereas some crumbled in the face of wrestling's harsh realities, the business gave him something to cling to.
"Before I got into wrestling, I wasn't going anywhere with my life. I was 15 years old and living in a youth hostel. I was an amateur wrestling champion, a Golden Gloves boxing champion, and I [later] earned my black belt in judo from Gene LeBell, but I didn't know what I was gonna do with my life," Piper said, continuing the story that has become folklore. "Then, I was at a wrestling show at the Winnipeg Arena in Canada, and one guy didn't show up. So my amateur wrestling coach, who was a professional wrestling referee, said 'I can get you $25.' I didn't know anything about professional wrestling, but I went in there and had probably the shortest match in the history of that arena.
"After that, I kept wrestling for the money. I went from doing nothing, to working as much as I could. It was the only kind of economic entity that I could cling to at the time. There were no questions asked; all that the other wrestlers asked was that you gave 100%.
"They were last of the Gorgeous George-era guys, who were finishing as I started, and they were really bitter about the business. But to me, they were great Dads; if you ever needed to learn how to take care of a family, or any advice, you had 300 miles driving in a car to listen to them. Wrestling gave me a shot -- I had to get on the field at some time in my life. For that, I'm eternally grateful."
The end of The Wrestler leaves open for interpretation the fate of Randy "The Ram" Robinson, and if life imitates art, in a similar way the destiny of professional wrestling current combatants is as of yet unknown.
Fans can only hope that more of them find the rewarding life in wrestling that Roddy Piper did, and not the pitfalls that befell Davey Boy Smith, Hercules Hernandez, Curt Hennig et al.
Author's note: Following this interview, Roddy Piper asked that we send a shout-out to Freya Miller. (Credit: SLAM Wrestling).
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Friday, March 06, 2009
"Legends of WrestleMania" video game demo to be released this week, Details on legal process involved - Pro Wrestling Torch - 4th March 2009
THQ will release a playable demo of WWE's "Legends of WrestleMania" video game tomorrow ahead of the video game's official release later this month.
The video game's marketing has focused on the Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant match at WrestleMania III. That match and characters involved, including Bobby Heenan, will be playable in the preview demo.
The process of adding the "legend" characters to the video game started with THQ's creative department, then went through the legal department to obtain licenses for each wrestler.
"First off the process starts here with the Creative team (we basically ask for everybody) and then it gets passed of to our awesome legal team," THQ's Paul Edwards said in a recent WWE chat. "They actually take on most of the work."
Edwards says if an obvious legend is not included on the game, it's most-likely because they could not obtain legal rights to the character.
"Once legal has it they have to go out and secure all of the deals for the talent," Edwards said. "Sadly, they can't always get the talent we want, due to various reasons that our out of our control."
The special edition video game took about a year and half to develop. That included creating new entrance music for wrestlers who never had theme music when they were with WWE.
THQ simplified the gameplay to make it easy for anyone to pick up and play. They eliminated referees, used arenas from WrestleManias 1-15, and limited the game's availability on video game system.
"We didn't make a PS2 version of the game because we really wanted to focus all our effort on the next-gen systems to make the game as high quality as we possibly could," Edwards said. "Basically we didn't want to get too distracted trying to over do it." (Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)
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The video game's marketing has focused on the Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant match at WrestleMania III. That match and characters involved, including Bobby Heenan, will be playable in the preview demo.
The process of adding the "legend" characters to the video game started with THQ's creative department, then went through the legal department to obtain licenses for each wrestler.
"First off the process starts here with the Creative team (we basically ask for everybody) and then it gets passed of to our awesome legal team," THQ's Paul Edwards said in a recent WWE chat. "They actually take on most of the work."
Edwards says if an obvious legend is not included on the game, it's most-likely because they could not obtain legal rights to the character.
"Once legal has it they have to go out and secure all of the deals for the talent," Edwards said. "Sadly, they can't always get the talent we want, due to various reasons that our out of our control."
The special edition video game took about a year and half to develop. That included creating new entrance music for wrestlers who never had theme music when they were with WWE.
THQ simplified the gameplay to make it easy for anyone to pick up and play. They eliminated referees, used arenas from WrestleManias 1-15, and limited the game's availability on video game system.
"We didn't make a PS2 version of the game because we really wanted to focus all our effort on the next-gen systems to make the game as high quality as we possibly could," Edwards said. "Basically we didn't want to get too distracted trying to over do it." (Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch)
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The Wrestler - The New York Times
Review Summary
Everyone knows professional wrestling is fake. Everyone knows the same about movies. In both cases the eager spectators simultaneously admire the artifice and pretend it isn’t there, allowing themselves to believe that those people down in the ring or up on the screen are truly inflicting pain on one another. “The Wrestler,” Darren Aronofsky’s fourth feature (and winner of the top prize at the Venice Film Festival this year), cannily exploits this parallel and at the same time shows that, in both movies and wrestling, the line between reality and play-acting may be less clear than we assume. Shooting his battered hero mainly in trudging, hand-held tracking shots, Mr. Aronofsky, whose earlier movies include the brain-teasing “Pi” and the swooning, fantastical, unwatchable “Fountain,” here makes a convincing show of brute realism. The supermarkets, trailer parks, V.F.W. halls and run-down amphitheaters of New Jersey are convincingly drab, and the grain of the celluloid carries a sour and salty aura of weariness and defeat. But the story that emerges is disarmingly sweet, indeed at times downright saccharine — a familiar parable of squandered hopes and second chances. It’s a bit phony, perhaps, but to refuse to embrace the movie’s deep hokiness would be to cheat yourself of some of the profound pleasure it offers. — A. O. Scott, The New York Times (Credit: The New York Times)
Media Man Australia Profiles
The Wrestler
Wrestling
Everyone knows professional wrestling is fake. Everyone knows the same about movies. In both cases the eager spectators simultaneously admire the artifice and pretend it isn’t there, allowing themselves to believe that those people down in the ring or up on the screen are truly inflicting pain on one another. “The Wrestler,” Darren Aronofsky’s fourth feature (and winner of the top prize at the Venice Film Festival this year), cannily exploits this parallel and at the same time shows that, in both movies and wrestling, the line between reality and play-acting may be less clear than we assume. Shooting his battered hero mainly in trudging, hand-held tracking shots, Mr. Aronofsky, whose earlier movies include the brain-teasing “Pi” and the swooning, fantastical, unwatchable “Fountain,” here makes a convincing show of brute realism. The supermarkets, trailer parks, V.F.W. halls and run-down amphitheaters of New Jersey are convincingly drab, and the grain of the celluloid carries a sour and salty aura of weariness and defeat. But the story that emerges is disarmingly sweet, indeed at times downright saccharine — a familiar parable of squandered hopes and second chances. It’s a bit phony, perhaps, but to refuse to embrace the movie’s deep hokiness would be to cheat yourself of some of the profound pleasure it offers. — A. O. Scott, The New York Times (Credit: The New York Times)
Media Man Australia Profiles
The Wrestler
Wrestling
Former pro wrestler accused in nursing home death, by Steve Karnowski
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — During his glory days as a pro wrestler, Verne Gagne shared the spotlight with other burly men in trunks, guys with names like Killer Kowalski, Mad Dog Vachon, The Crusher and Baron Von Raschke.
But all of that seemed well in the past until just weeks ago, when authorities say Gagne, 82 and suffering from Alzheimer's disease, apparently body-slammed a 97-year-old fellow patient at the suburban nursing home where they both lived, causing the man's death.
Bloomington police are investigating, but not even the victim's widow wants to see the dementia-stricken Gagne prosecuted.
"It's been so hard on both families," said Greg Gagne, Gagne's son and a former wrestler himself.
Helmut Gutmann, a former cancer researcher who suffered from dementia himself, died Feb. 14, about three weeks after breaking his hip in the confrontation. Authorities ruled his death a homicide.
Police said there was no clear indication of what set Gagne off, and neither man could remember the incident afterward. Behavior and personality changes are common as Alzheimer's progresses, and victims of the mind-robbing disease can become agitated.
Like others with the disease, Gagne had all but lost his short-term memory, while his recollections of long-ago events were vivid. But whether he was suffering a flashback to his days in the ring, as some have speculated, is anybody's guess.
Police said they plan to forward the case to prosecutors by the end of the week for possible charges. Gagne, who has since turned 83, has been moved to another institution.
Joseph Daly, a former prosecutor who is now a professor at Hamline University Law School in St. Paul, said he doubts Gagne will be charged. State law prohibits prosecuting anyone who is too mentally deficient to understand the proceedings or offer a defense. Daly said that would appear to apply to Gagne.
"It's a tragedy for the man who was killed, it's a tragedy for the man's family, but it's equally a tragedy for the family of Verne Gagne," said Daly, who has warm memories of Gagne from his youth.
In the ring, Gagne (pronounced GAHN-yuh) drew on his background as a college wrestling champion in the 1940s, and typically finished off opponents with his trademark "sleeper hold" — a headlock that appeared to make the beaten man pass out.
Gutmann's widow, Betty Gutmann, said she was told by residents and staff members at the nursing home that Gagne picked her husband up and threw him to the ground. She said that they had had one scuffle before, when her husband had been shouting at other residents and Gagne put a chokehold on him. Gutmann wasn't hurt in that incident.
But Betty Gutmann is not blaming Gagne, saying he didn't know what he was doing.
She said most Alzheimer's victims are old and frail, and when they lash out, they don't usually cause much harm. The difference with Gagne is that "he was a professional athlete and was trained to do certain moves. This is what makes him much more dangerous than the ordinary person" with dementia.
Helmut Gutmann fled Nazi Germany in 1936, became a U.S. citizen and joined the Army, where he worked to try to develop an antidote for mustard gas, among other projects, according to his family. He spent 40 years as a cancer researcher at a veterans hospital in Minneapolis.
The company that runs the nursing home refused to comment, citing federal privacy laws.
Gagne was the founder and owner of the American Wrestling Association and wore its championship belt. In the 1960s and '70s, his "All-Star Wrestling" was a TV sensation. The show was a modest affair, taped before small audiences at various Minneapolis TV stations. But it was syndicated on up to 120 channels across the Midwest and as far away as San Francisco, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Winnipeg, Canada.
He mostly stopped wrestling in 1981 but remained active in the business. He trained more than 140 wrestlers from the late 1950s up until 1990, including Blackjack Lanza, Larry "The Axe" Hennig, The Iron Sheik, Sgt. Slaughter and Jesse "The Body" Ventura, who later became governor of Minnesota.
Times turned tough for Gagne in the early 1980s with the rise of the glitzier World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment), which went national on cable TV. Vince McMahon's WWF lured away the AWA's flashiest star at the time, Hulk Hogan, and other fan favorites, Greg Gagne recalled. The AWA, founded in 1960, folded in 1991.
In the 1990s, Hennepin County took Verne Gagne's 58 acres and home on Lake Minnetonka for a park, paying him only a fraction of what the family thought it was worth, Greg Gagne said. By the time that fight was over and the bills were paid, he said, his parents had little money left.
Another blow came three years ago when Gagne was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the Mayo Clinic, his son said.
"His short-term memory is not there," Greg Gagne said. "But we were up there the other day, and if you talk about his first-grade teacher he can discuss that." He said his father also reminisces about his days as a wrestler and football player at the University of Minnesota.
Daly, the law professor, counts himself among the many saddened by what happened at the nursing home. He fondly recalled a day when he was a teenager working at a local drug store and Gagne came in and struck up a conversation.
"Here he was, talking to a teenager about wrestling, about sports, about life," Daly said. "I remember thinking, `Wow, what a nice person.'"
On the Net:
Gagne Wrestling Association: http://www.gagnewrestlingacademy.com
Media Man Australia Profiles
Wrestling
But all of that seemed well in the past until just weeks ago, when authorities say Gagne, 82 and suffering from Alzheimer's disease, apparently body-slammed a 97-year-old fellow patient at the suburban nursing home where they both lived, causing the man's death.
Bloomington police are investigating, but not even the victim's widow wants to see the dementia-stricken Gagne prosecuted.
"It's been so hard on both families," said Greg Gagne, Gagne's son and a former wrestler himself.
Helmut Gutmann, a former cancer researcher who suffered from dementia himself, died Feb. 14, about three weeks after breaking his hip in the confrontation. Authorities ruled his death a homicide.
Police said there was no clear indication of what set Gagne off, and neither man could remember the incident afterward. Behavior and personality changes are common as Alzheimer's progresses, and victims of the mind-robbing disease can become agitated.
Like others with the disease, Gagne had all but lost his short-term memory, while his recollections of long-ago events were vivid. But whether he was suffering a flashback to his days in the ring, as some have speculated, is anybody's guess.
Police said they plan to forward the case to prosecutors by the end of the week for possible charges. Gagne, who has since turned 83, has been moved to another institution.
Joseph Daly, a former prosecutor who is now a professor at Hamline University Law School in St. Paul, said he doubts Gagne will be charged. State law prohibits prosecuting anyone who is too mentally deficient to understand the proceedings or offer a defense. Daly said that would appear to apply to Gagne.
"It's a tragedy for the man who was killed, it's a tragedy for the man's family, but it's equally a tragedy for the family of Verne Gagne," said Daly, who has warm memories of Gagne from his youth.
In the ring, Gagne (pronounced GAHN-yuh) drew on his background as a college wrestling champion in the 1940s, and typically finished off opponents with his trademark "sleeper hold" — a headlock that appeared to make the beaten man pass out.
Gutmann's widow, Betty Gutmann, said she was told by residents and staff members at the nursing home that Gagne picked her husband up and threw him to the ground. She said that they had had one scuffle before, when her husband had been shouting at other residents and Gagne put a chokehold on him. Gutmann wasn't hurt in that incident.
But Betty Gutmann is not blaming Gagne, saying he didn't know what he was doing.
She said most Alzheimer's victims are old and frail, and when they lash out, they don't usually cause much harm. The difference with Gagne is that "he was a professional athlete and was trained to do certain moves. This is what makes him much more dangerous than the ordinary person" with dementia.
Helmut Gutmann fled Nazi Germany in 1936, became a U.S. citizen and joined the Army, where he worked to try to develop an antidote for mustard gas, among other projects, according to his family. He spent 40 years as a cancer researcher at a veterans hospital in Minneapolis.
The company that runs the nursing home refused to comment, citing federal privacy laws.
Gagne was the founder and owner of the American Wrestling Association and wore its championship belt. In the 1960s and '70s, his "All-Star Wrestling" was a TV sensation. The show was a modest affair, taped before small audiences at various Minneapolis TV stations. But it was syndicated on up to 120 channels across the Midwest and as far away as San Francisco, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Winnipeg, Canada.
He mostly stopped wrestling in 1981 but remained active in the business. He trained more than 140 wrestlers from the late 1950s up until 1990, including Blackjack Lanza, Larry "The Axe" Hennig, The Iron Sheik, Sgt. Slaughter and Jesse "The Body" Ventura, who later became governor of Minnesota.
Times turned tough for Gagne in the early 1980s with the rise of the glitzier World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment), which went national on cable TV. Vince McMahon's WWF lured away the AWA's flashiest star at the time, Hulk Hogan, and other fan favorites, Greg Gagne recalled. The AWA, founded in 1960, folded in 1991.
In the 1990s, Hennepin County took Verne Gagne's 58 acres and home on Lake Minnetonka for a park, paying him only a fraction of what the family thought it was worth, Greg Gagne said. By the time that fight was over and the bills were paid, he said, his parents had little money left.
Another blow came three years ago when Gagne was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the Mayo Clinic, his son said.
"His short-term memory is not there," Greg Gagne said. "But we were up there the other day, and if you talk about his first-grade teacher he can discuss that." He said his father also reminisces about his days as a wrestler and football player at the University of Minnesota.
Daly, the law professor, counts himself among the many saddened by what happened at the nursing home. He fondly recalled a day when he was a teenager working at a local drug store and Gagne came in and struck up a conversation.
"Here he was, talking to a teenager about wrestling, about sports, about life," Daly said. "I remember thinking, `Wow, what a nice person.'"
On the Net:
Gagne Wrestling Association: http://www.gagnewrestlingacademy.com
Media Man Australia Profiles
Wrestling
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