Wrestling

Mickie James became a three-time Knockouts Champion tonight on Impact Wrestling. In a Knockouts Title match granted to her last week by VP of Knockouts Brooke Hogan, Mickie defeated champ Velvet Sky, taking advantage of her bad leg to earn the victory. That ups Mickie’s title reign total–including five with the WWE Women’s Title and one with the WWE Divas Title–to a whopping nine. Congratulations, Mickie! Are you happy to see the title back around Mickie’s waist?

On tonight’s Impact Wrestling, a Knockouts match was added to the card of TNA’s Slammiversary Pay-Per-View, and it promises to leave at least one woman lying. Gail Kim and Taryn Terrell, whose animosity has led to Taryn trading in her referee stripes for wrestling gear, will be facing off in a Last Knockout Standing match. This won’t be the first time the Knockouts have competed in a Last Man Standing match. At 2011′s Against All Odds, Madison Rayne successfully defended her Knockouts Title against Mickie James in a match that bore the stipulation. TNA’s Slammiversary takes place June 2nd. Are you excited to see this match?

Source: Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel Earlier today in an interview with Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, TNA Wrestling’s on-screen General Manager Hulk Hogan worked over the idea of him possibly getting back in the ring. In his response to the question, Hogan clearly indicated that he is not physically able to wrestle any more. However, he did make a good point that he could play a bit part by coming in at some point during a 6-man tag team match and cleaning house. Here are Hogan’s exact words: “You never say never, brother. The only thing the doctors know is what they know. They don’t know what The Big Man Upstairs says, and I’m on His team. Anything is possible. I still get the itch to get in (the ring) and I still love the business. You can always put ol’ Hulk in a six-man tag and let me clear the ring out, you know what I mean? I don’t have to get out there and wrestle for an hour. People just want to see me with ripped shirt, posed down and sucker punching a few guys.” You can listen to the full interview by clicking here. Hogan is obviously working over anyone who might eventually read his responses to this question. This has been Hogan’s method of answering questions for some time now. He did the same thing in WCW and he did the same thing during his second major stint with WWE. It’s the way he operates. And on a personal note, I can see why he does operate this way… people actually believe him!

In the thread where the Muscle Buster is battling the Stone Cold Stunner for finisher dominance, there was a lively discussion about burials and rather or not Austin buried other wrestlers. When it comes to the topics of burials, Stone Cold Steve Austin is usually not the first person to come to mind for some wrestling fans. The term itself has become widespread and popular with the IWC, because we know everything there is about the wrestling industry and can do TNA's job better than they can. One of those things in the last sentence is probably true. So let's do it, let's talk about burials in pro wrestling. There is one man and one man only, who is always present in every burial that has occurred in pro wrestling. I think we all know who I'm talking about. None other, than the Undertaker. We all should have seen it coming. He was the Undertaker, he was obsessed with corpses and funerals and had some fat, pale guy with him carrying an urn. We should have known from when he first stepped out onto television. This man was here to bury other pro wrestlers. Sure, it all seemed innocent enough, a casket match here and there every once in a while. But underneath was the sinister urge to bury pro wrestlers, effectively ending their prosperous careers. He of course, would then bill the families for the funerary services he rendered. The first burial in pro wrestling took place on October 20, 1996. The person to be buried was Mankind. Evidently burying one wrestler wasn't enough, the Undertaker wanted to bury the entire species. Who could stop this madman and his evil schemes? He has supernatural powers! Those powers were used in the work of evil and Mankind was the first pro wrestler to ever be buried. Mankind's wife, who is still looking for him in Cleveland, says that her husband was a good man. She continued, "you might even say, he was a kind man." If there was anyone who didn't deserved to be buried live on PPV, it was certainly this lovable husband and father. Not satisfied with his perverse need to fulfill his gimmick requirements, the Undertaker attempted a second burial on December 13, 1998. This time, against the opponent of Stone Cold Steve Austin. In an ironic twist of fate, Austin managed to turn the tables on the demon. The Undertaker became the second wrestler to ever be buried in pro wrestling history. This obviously did not sit well with the "Phenom" as the Satan worshiping kids call him. The Undertaker would return with the Big Show and successfully bury the Rock and Sock Connection on September 9, 1999. This would make it the second time that Mankind has been buried on PPV. Why no one has ever thought to call the police to arrest this monster, has yet to be explained. There was a brief period of quiet on the burial front as the Undertaker was replaced by an alien who thought Limp Bizkit music was cool and badass. Upon seeing this nu-metal crap in his company, Vince McMahon had no choice. On November 16, 2003, Vince McMahon buried this bizarre creature and killed it for good. He was then hailed as a hero in both the wrestling industry and the music industry, as Limp Bizkit's career as rock stars were seemingly buried with it. Unfortunately, the real Undertaker returned to start is reign of burial terror anew. However it was not meant to be. Kane managed to bury his own brother on October 24, 2010. It was also broadcast on PPV. Fortunately, no one saw it because no one was watching wrestling anymore. Fans had a difficult time seeing their top wreslter John Cena and Randy Orton is boring. That was the last burial. No professional wrestler has ever been buried since. When you add it all up. No one in the wrestling industry has been buried more than the Undertaker with Mankind coming a close second. Still, the Undertaker remains the most buried wrestler in the history of the world. What an abysmal and uneventful career he must have had. This op-ed has been written and is sincerely signed by, Tyrion Lannist

Rob speaks to British Wrestling legend Nigel McGuinness and gives his thoughts on Extreme Rules.

The best part about Ryback's ambulance shtick? Every time I hear the sirens, I invariably think, "Holla! If ya' hear me!" I know all the cool kids have been rallying for John Cena to turn heel over the past several months and I'm kinda okay with him being the promotion's top babyface. He's the perfect guy for the job and to be honest, he's been on this current path for so long, I'm not convinced he could go back with any degree of success. The fans who still like him would probably reject it and the smarks would nitpick him to death. What's frustrating is that John Cena could be a great character if WWE had an inkling of trust. But they don't trust their own creative team, nor do they trust the vaunted "Universe." After all, Vince knows what the fans want better than the fans do. Right? When I first heard Cena's pre-match bologna for WrestleMania, about the personal and professional crises he had after losing to "The Great One" back in 2011, how his life unraveled and he couldn't win a match, I thought, "Wow, now there is a compelling storyline that would have been a home run." But it never happened. That's one of the sacrifices you have to make when your in-ring persona mirrors your public image. Cena is a fixture for Make-a-Wish and a bunch of other feel-good endeavors, so having him be the evil Kal-El from Superman III for an entire year ain't happening. But to play Superman against Ryback? No excuses. Maybe WWE thinks the Cena fans will cheer him less if he becomes vulnerable, but I don''t think that's true. They'll probably cheer him more. I used the Superman reference because this reminds me of the early 90s when the Superman comics were bleeding DC dry. Seriously, you couldn't give them away. Why? Everyone still loved Superman, but it was the same old story. Clark is dicking around at the Daily Planet, Lois isn't giving it up, something catastrophic happens, Supes flies in -- but wait, oh noes, he's in danger -- oh nevermind, he came back and won because he's Superman. Repeat ad nauseam. Then DC went and killed him (War Doomsday!) and the comic was so hot they reprinted the damn thing like three times over and "the man of steel" was back on top. Sure, they eventually bungled it, much like WWE bungled the Invasion, but it proved that people like their heroes vulnerable. It makes them more relatable and quite frankly, less boring. Now, I'm not suggesting Ryback kills John Cena at next month's Payback pay-per-view (PPV), but it sure would have been nice to see him lay down for the big galoot when the situation called for it. Why should I care about this feud if you can't convince me that Ryback can actually win? The ambulance is a great prop when you use it correctly. At Extreme Rules, it was wasted (see why here) and WWE continues to try to play both sides and book everyone to look strong. It's like that bullshit in my town's junior soccer league, where everyone gets a trophy and everyone is a winner. Why? Because they are scared to death to let anyone feel like a loser. Losing builds character folks, as does failing. WWE doesn't trust its audience enough to put John Cena down during a program. I don't care if he comes back and wins, but goddamn it, make him earn it. Make me care. If you don't want to do it for the fans, do it for Ryback. With CM Punk gone, he's the top heel right now, let's keep him there. He happens to be doing a pretty good job. Take into consideration how long he's been around and how green he still is. Also consider how rushed his heel turn was due partly to Punk's hiatus. He's definitely trying and I see steady improvements. Ryback can lose and still look strong, but that requires John Cena to meet him halfway. (cue sirens) He'll have that chance on June 16, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Impact Wrestling Results By Bill Pritchard for Wrestlezone.com May 23rd 2013 Hulk Hogan starts the show by saying how great it is to be home, then he plugs his Hogan's Beach restaurant and says they make him feel like family. He says this is his home, but they also have a TNA family, and AJ Styles looks like he is crossing to the dark side. Hulk says AJ is defecting to the Aces and Eights, but he wants some positive vibes and he wants to bring out someone on his side. Sting makes his way to the ring and Hulk says he's in charge, and he doesn't have to be banned from title shots if he doesn't want to. Sting says Hulk should keep things the same, and he wants it this way because he told Hulk to trust Bully Ray. Sting says he is going to take the power and the title from Bully, and he only needs one shot to get things done at Slammiversary. Hulk tells him again that he could get rid of the stipulation, then Brooke Hogan comes out and says neither one of them should take the blame. She says she fell for Bully and she drove a wedge between them, and she also strained her relationship with her dad too. Hulk tells her it's not necessary but Brooke says it's her fault, and as much as she loves the Knockouts and her job, she needs to resign. Hulk says she doesn't have to do that, then the Aces and Eights theme cues up and Bully Ray makes his way through the crowd. Bully tells them to shut up, and he asks why they are taking the blame for everything because it's his fault that he stabbed them in the back. He says he runs the show, not Hulk, but he does have to blame one person, and that's Brooke because he still thinks of her and the connection they have. Bully says he still loves her and always will, and he will never take his wedding ring off, then he holds up his hand and leaves through the crowd. Joey Ryan vs Petey Williams vs Suicide Suicide dropkicks Ryan outside and puts Petey in an underhook submission, then he goes for a pin before Petey charges him in the corner. Suicide avoids a dive and does a headstand on the turnbuckles, then Petey trips him and throws him outside just as Ryan surprises Petey with a suplex. Ryan taunts the crowd but Suicide drops him with a hurricanrana, then he puts Ryan in a STO variation while also putting Petey in a headlock. Petey fights out and sends him to the mat, then he calls for a Canadian Destroyer but Ryan breaks it up and tries to throw Suicide outside. Suicide holds onto the ropes as Petey dives on Ryan on the floor, then Suicide jumps on them both from the top turnbuckles. Suicide rolls Ryan in and Petey tries to legdrop him, but Ryan avoids it so he goes for a powerbomb on Suicide but he gets rolled up for a near fall. Petey goes for another Destroyer but Ryan kicks him in the face, then Suicide knocks him down with a crossbody before ending it with an inverted double underhook gutbuster. Winner - Suicide Chris Sabin is shown greeting James Storm, and he hears Storm needs a tag partner and they were part of two of the best teams in history. He says they should get together, but Storm says as much as he appreciates it, he can't let him do that. Storm says he could become the X Division champion and trade it in for a World title shot, and he can't get in the way of it. Sabin says he gets where he's coming from, then they shake hands and Sabin leaves the locker room. We get back from a commercial to see Brooke Hogan running up to Bully Ray and asking what he meant before, and Bully says yes, he still loves her. We cut to Mickie James and Velvet Sky talking about her match tonight, and Mickie wants to make sure Velvet can wrestle tonight. She says she can go to Brooke and have the match postponed, but Velvet says she's ready and she doesn't want Gail Kim to get away. Mickie says OK and says she'll see her out there, then they hug and Mickie leaves as Velvet continues to get ready. We a

Get your weekly dose of Knockouts action on tonight’s Impact. Tune in to Spike TV at the start time of 8pm ET. Discuss the show in the comments!

As any close follower of WWE history knows, Vince McMahon has a habit of taking real life worries and turning them into storyline fodder. The latest example of this trait is Triple H becoming woozy and almost passing out in the main event of the May 20th episode of Monday Night Raw against the newly repackaged Michael McGillicutty, Curtis Axel. Indeed, this was clearly an angle to kickstart a storyline where Hunter is out of action with post concussion syndrome due to Brock Lesnar's sledgehammer shot to the jaw at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view on Sunday. Head trauma has suddenly become a major concern to WWE management after Dolph Ziggler suffered the worst concussion of his career and retrograde amnesia from an errant kick by Jack Swagger at the Smackdown tapings on May 7th, 2013. WWE has already responded by giving a $1.2 million donation over three years to Chris Nowinski's Sports Legacy Institute to help fund their research into Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive degenerative brain disease that both the late Chris Benoit and Andrew "Test" Martin were diagnosed with postmortem. The performers at Extreme Rules were also told to keep the risks to a minimum and avoid blows to the head because they don't want a repeat of what happened to Ziggler. Thus, this concussion angle could be an attempt to educate the WWE audience about the dangers of head trauma and prepare them for a toned down, safer, in ring style. As Dave Meltzer revealed in this week's subscriber only Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it's also a way to reintroduce the McMahon family soap opera to our screens, a favourite old chestnut of the WWE creative team when they are running low on new, innovative ideas: "Regarding the HHH angle, apparently the working idea is to lead to Stephanie, Vince (and perhaps even the kids) going on television and begging HHH to stop wrestling for fear of the damage it has already caused him. As of right now, one story we were told is that several family members will be on television when it comes time for his return. However, another source said there are several different ideas and nothing is certain on where the angle is going." It's unsurprising that they haven't mapped out a finish to the angle that they've just shot. The obvious idea would be to build to yet another rematch with Brock Lesnar, but that feud has been done to death already by now. So who knows where this will go, other than this storyline will obviously lead to a much hyped in ring return and possibly his retirement match at WrestleMania 30. I don't have high hopes for this serious concussion storyline, as whenever similar ideas have been done in the past, they've always fallen flat, partly because fans want feel good entertainment from invincible superheroes, not to be constantly reminded of the stark dangers that the performers face when they step into the squared circle. We've been here with TNA before when their creative team had concussions on the brain after Mr. Anderson suffered a serious one from a reckless chair shot to the back of the head by Jeff Hardy. That genuine injury was sewn into the company's main plot, but babyfaces Matt Morgan and Mick Foley telling Ken about the Sports Legacy Institute's work and encouraging him to take time off whilst heel Eric Bischoff tried to force him back into the ring ASAP, only managed to bore and confuse their viewers. It was also hypocritical, as TNA mishandled Anderson's concussion leading to a longer layoff than he should have required and the promotion was simultaneously refusing to pay the medical bills of performers who had sustained serious concussion issues while working for them, like Shannon "Daffney" Spruill. More recently, fans at Ring Of Honor's May 5th television tapings booed when Nigel McGuinness announced that Paul London wouldn't wrestle on the show due to suffering a genuine concussion the prior night from a misplaced top rope double foot stomp to the head by Davey Ric