Wrestling

Keith Elliot Greenberg, an author who has written a number of books both on wrestling and other subjects, including one of the most underrated wrestilng autobiographies on Billy Graham, has an article today on the last days of Randy Savage. The article is at http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643969-the-final-days-of-randy-macho-man-savage Today is the two year anniversary of the death of Randy Savage. The article talks in detail about the circumstances of his death, things he had said prior to his death, and gives a very detailed look at his thoughts on the WWE Hall of Fame.  Lanny Poffo, his brother, who said Randy was insistent on the entire family going in, because the Von Erichs went in as a family, said he would not oppose Randy going into the Hall of Fame on his own, but would not support it either. He also indicated that a perceived slight by Vince McMahon in not inviting Angelo into a 1987 old-timers Battle Royal was something Randy spoke of, even in the last year of his life.

Keith Elliot Greenberg, an author who has written a number of books both on wrestling and other subjects, including one of the most underrated wrestilng autobiographies on Billy Graham, has an article today on the last days of Randy Savage. The article is at http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1643969-the-final-days-of-randy-macho-man-savage Today is the two year anniversary of the death of Randy Savage. The article talks in detail about the circumstances of his death, things he had said prior to his death, and gives a very detailed look at his thoughts on the WWE Hall of Fame.  Lanny Poffo, his brother, who said Randy was insistent on the entire family going in, because the Von Erichs went in as a family, said he would not oppose Randy going into the Hall of Fame on his own, but would not support it either. He also indicated that a perceived slight by Vince McMahon in not inviting Angelo into a 1987 old-timers Battle Royal was something Randy spoke of, even in the last year of his life.

Previously on Monday Night Raw Or, more importantly I guess, Previously on Extreme Rules... Chris Jericho's quest to best (and in the process, make) ballroom dancer Fandango continued through a dance-off that never included any footwork, to a pay-per-view (PPV) victory that was given a lot of time last night in St. Louis. We've got a bevy of young talent wearing mid-card title belts. Despite both matches being booked one week ago on the Monday night flagship, Dean Ambrose and his Shield-mates Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins can all call themselves champions this morning. Ambrose took down Kofi Kingston for the United States championship and R & R beat the long-reigning Daniel Byran and Kane of Team Hell No. This despite the group taking their first loss as a unit when the now-deposed tag champs and WWE champion John Cena (well, mostly Cena) earned a disqualification victory over the trio last week. AJ Lee, still steaming over her man's concussion at the foot of Jack Swagger, was unable to help her BFF Big E Langston in his match against the Real American. She did break out her submission finisher for a big win over Natalya, but it wasn't enough to get her a match at the big show last night. Speaking of The Big Show, his issues with Randy Orton didn't end well for the giant when the hometown boy punted him in the head at Extreme Rules last night. The sister feud between Mark Henry and Sheamus also saw the babyface (and I use that term loosely) go over. All of the current events angles were poured into the Swagger - Alberto Del Rio "I Quit" bout in WWE's continued quest to get both men over by hook or by crook. In addition to tea party and immigration politics, we can now add instant replay in sports to the list. A decision for the big Oklahoman was overturned after referee Mike Chioda went to the monitors, and ADR is now the #1 contender for Dolph Ziggler's World Heavyweight Championship (WHC). In the story of the other major title, Cena battled through his ankle injury but may have picked up several new ones in a brutal spotfest with Ryback. Big Hungry also failed to answer the official's call in time, and their last man standing match ended in a no-contest. HHH and Brock Lesnar did manly things that don't matter a whole lot. More interesting and equally depressing for this writer, Damien Sandow and Antonio Cesaro continued to get jobbed out on Raw and then didn't merit a PPV appearance. TONIGHT Cena couldn't overcome the odds enough to win his match and end the Ryback feud, but he did no-sell an ambulance and refuse to go to the hospital. The challenger who claims to #Rule did manage to stand up and walk away under his own power, just outside the window of a ten count. As shitty as a non-finish to a match you paid to see is, there is plenty of storyline fodder over which the two men can posture. Daniel Bryan didn't take well to losing the bronze eagles. Kane's best efforts to convince him that he should apply Dr. Shelby's anger management techniques weren't working, and it looks like don't-call-me-goatface might be about to snap. If standard WWE booking is in effect, Hell No and Kingston will probably get immediate rematches for their just-lost straps tonight. The WHC should show his face in some capacity tonight. With Swagger seemingly out of the way for now, there's a program with the guy that Ricardo Rodriguez personally announces to be built. I'd expect Langston to continue to do the heavy-lifting for Ziggler, as WWE will hopefully treat a real concussion issue more seriously than any that the viper's punting may create in kayfabe. The Divas will probably do something, even if that something is have lackluster matches, push their E! show and forget they had a secret admirer angle going. Fallout shows have a history of being better than go-home shows for WWE of late, so that's something to be hopeful about. On the other hand, they've announced that Kevin Jonas of the Jonas Brothers will be ton

Two years gone, and it still stingsPhoto Credit: WWE.comTwo years ago today, "The Macho Man" Randy Savage was called to history, the same history that beckoned him at WrestleMania III and for his entire career. At the time, I was oddly at peace with his passing, but as time has passed, I miss him more and more. The man was truly a unique wrestler, one who was more a fit for being in his profession than almost anyone else I can think of. After the jump is his famous pre-WrestleMania III promo, which to me is still one of the best of all-time. It's one people who want to get into wrestling should watch, and dare I say emulate.

A weekly column on ImpactWrestling.com by writer/contributor Jason Grand, taking a special look at the TNA landscape before each week's IMPACT broadcast! Bracing For Impact: We All Need a GutCheckBy Jason Grand Someone may want to check on Sam Shaw and Alex Silva.  This Thursday, these two compete in TNA's GutCheck Tournament.  The goal – to earn a spot in the upcoming Bound For Glory Series, and possibly, a shot at the World Heavyweight Title. The problem - never before has being a part of TNA required so much. Ask AJ Styles.  Here's someone who ate, breathed, and slept Total Nonstop Action for nearly ten years. From the first moment of the first show, Styles has been a loyal member of the TNA Family.  But now, he's lost.  Bully Ray's promise to "patch in" AJ on Thursday's Impact shows how hard it is to stand by the side of good when faced with such odds.  With Aces and Eights running through the company on a regular basis, our concerns turn to worry and worry turns to despair.  We all feel it.  If the Phenomenal One turns his back on us, it could be the final psychological blow in a war that's been just as mental as physical. Some people are blaming Kurt Angle for the AJ exodus.  Had it not been for Kurt's heated confrontation with Styles last week, AJ's loyalty might still be assured.  But the hot-headed Olympian doesn't have patience for waffling.  He's always been a firm believer in firm decisions.  He's been saying "ain't nobody got time for that" long before it was viral. But, at a time when diplomacy seems to the key to victory, Kurt's anger is raging.  Hopefully he can harness that and use it in his match with Mr. Anderson on Thursday.  If you think Angle is seething now, just imagine what he'll be like after another loss to Aces and Eights. I'd hate to think that Hulk Hogan is blaming Kurt Angle for what happened, but who knows anymore?   All Hogan wants is for TNA - and all he believes it to be - to step up and vanquish the Aces and Eights threat.  It's pretty safe to assume that he wishes this problem would have been taken care of long ago. But with wrestlers being injured, vying for attention, or just running to the rafters, he doesn't know who to trust to finish the job anymore. It all makes you thankful for Mickie James and Velvet Sky.  While so much seems to be "up in the air", one thing remains constant.  The Knockouts Division is on fire and these two women deserve nothing but praise.  On this week's Impact, it's time for the match we've been waiting for as Velvet defends her Knockouts Championship against former champ James.   Whichever side you're on, one thing is certain. This is a bout you'll want to see.  Sometimes mutual respect and admiration can bring out the best in someone far more than violence and aggression.   …and sometimes it doesn't.  That's why Sting isn't taking any chances.  Our World Champion Bully Ray doesn't shake hands.  He breaks hands.  Heading towards his title defense against the Stinger on June 2nd's Slammiversary, Bully's match strategy is obvious.  He's looking to end things early.  How early?  About ten days.  Sting better watch his back.  I can't imagine a world where Aces and Eights let him get to Slammiversary without some sort of beating. So please.  Call Alex Silva.  Call Sam Shaw.  Explain to them that a TNA GutCheck Challenge means more today than it ever has before.  Heck, call Suicide.  The masked star returns to Impact too, but it's not the Impact he may remember.  All I'm saying is that it's a different world now.  You're either TNA or you're not.  It's time we all stand up and take a real GutCheck.  Decide now if you can handle it.  We don't have any more time for maybes.

The WWE championship match between John Cena and Ryback that took place last night (Sun., May 19, 2013) at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view (PPV) at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, did not have a finish, or at least it didn't appear to when watching it live. It turns out, it did. Here's what happened: The two battled hard through a Last Man Standing match until Ryback picked Cena up and put him through the stage set up. Both men were incapacitated to the point that trainers and referees interrupted the proceedings to tend to each man, though Ryback was able to get up and walk away with assistance while Cena did a stretcher job. That left everything in doubt. Oddly enough, WWE cleared it all up in a small blurb in its preview of Monday Night Raw later on this evening on WWE.com: Last night's brutal Last Man Standing Match between WWE Champion John Cena and Ryback ended in viciously indecisive fashion - neither man was able to answer the 10-count after crashing through the stage, causing Cena to retain his title by default. With Ryback having come closer than ever to seizing the WWE Title for himself, look for the "Human Wrecking Ball" to make another play for the title as WWE Payback approaches. As for Cena, he dodged the proverbial bullet Sunday, so look for Ryback to strike while The Champ is still in his weakened state. So Cena won by default because neither of the two could answer the 10 count, even though it wasn't clear on the broadcast that a referee even counted to 10. Got it. So what of the stretcher job? That blurb makes it seem as though Cena won't be missing much time at all. Apparently, that's exactly the case, based on the video WWE.com posted showing Cena refusing to go to the hospital: #WWE VIDEO: John Cena refuses to go to the hospital: WWE.com Exclusive, May 19, 2013 wwe.me/2x0ghy — WWE (@WWE) May 20, 2013 Essentially, there was no reason at all to do this match and the stretcher job was completely pointless. No one won, no one lost, and no one actually got hurt. Thanks, WWE!

What could have been...Photo Credit: WWE.comLast night marked Brock Lesnar's fourth match since returning to WWE the night after WrestleMania XXVIII. In the span of over a year, what had generated so much hope and promise for the company has, in my estimation, been a creative flop. I'm not one to harp on wins and losses, and a .500 record in part-time duty isn't exactly bad, per se, if the overall presentation around it is good. But that's the big thing. It hasn't. I know this is going to surprise you guys, but I blame this almost never-ending feud with Triple H for the big lag.In all honesty though, there have been maybe, what, two, three guys who have feuded with Trips and come out looking better for it? Batista and He Who Shall Not Be Named are two, and The Rock is questionable. It's not exactly a track record for success. While in theory, putting these two "big stars" together should amount to a draw (I can't say whether that pairing has been a financial success, because WWE's numbers are so muddled right now that I don't know what individually draws anymore outside of The Rock), when you have a physically imposing beast with real life fighting credentials like Lesnar, putting him against a guy for whom selling is goddamn impossible is the opposite of having a good story being told.There's no doubt in my mind that Lesnar's services could have been used better since returning. There are probably a billion ways that they could have told his story so far in WWE, so for me to pretend I have the only way would be arrogant. However, the following retroactive plan of action, I hope, would be among that coterie of options that would have been better than what we've gotten. So, without further ado...Night after Mania through Extreme Rules: I would do absolutely nothing different here EXCEPT for the finish of the match with John Cena. Rather than eating a pinfall, I would have Lesnar kick out of the Attitude Adjustment on the steps, much to the incredulity of Cena. As Cena paces the ring in disbelief, Lesnar recovers, snatches him, and F5s him on the steps for the pinfall victory. What this does is it establishes Lesnar as every bit the monster he was before he left for UFC, and it makes the "John Cena had a terrible year" narrative ring truer than it would do in the real timeline when WrestleMania 29 rolls around.Night after Extreme Rules: Lesnar claims that he's done all there is to do in WWE and walks out.RAW 1000: The Rock, as he does in the real timeline, announces he's getting the title shot at the Royal Rumble. CM Punk walks out and interrupts him, claiming that he is planning on not only having the longest title reign in WWE history, but that he's going to do it on "all-star difficulty" in the process. After defeating John Cena later that night, he calls out Lesnar for SummerSlam, refuting the claim that he's done everything there is to do in WWE because he's never beaten Punk. Punk does not turn by attacking Rocky at the end of the night, but instead, Big Show, still beefing with Cena, knocks both men out to close the show. What this does is spare us the triple threat match at SummerSlam, gives Lesnar something to do other than engaging in THIS BUSINESSing with Triple H, and it lets Punk have a fresh match.Build to SummerSlam: Lesnar accepts the challenge through his lawyer and agent, Paul Heyman. Punk and Heyman spend the weeks between RAW 1000 and SummerSlam verbally jousting on the microphone.SummerSlam: Punk vs. Lesnar happens as the main event on the show. Lesnar looks like he's going to pounce on Punk towards the end of the match, but Punk grabs the ref and uses him as a human shield. With the ref out, Heyman enters the ring and low blows Lesnar, allowing Punk to get a couple of chair shots in before a Go 2 Sleep in front of the dizzy but conscious referee. He gets the cheap win, he and Heyman embrace after the match, and Punk continues to work over Lesnar after the match.After SummerSlam: Punk and Heyman Bond villain

WWE Divas don’t often have merchandise made for them. AJ Lee is one of the few Divas in history to receive her own T-Shirt. WWE Shop has released a brand new T-Shirt for the pint size Diva. The shirt is black and pink with the phrase “Love Bites” on the front. On the back is AJ’s logo. It looks like WWE is going to be playing up the “black widow” persona with AJ. Of course, it wouldn’t be an AJ shirt if it wasn’t cut up. Look for her to be wearing it soon or pick up one fot yourself to show the Diva some love!

Pro Wrestling Syndicate’s Bombshells held its fourth women’s wrestling event Saturday May 11, 2013 in Iselin, New Jersey where La Rosa Negra was crowned the promotion’s new champion. In the opening match La Rosa Negra defeated Santana Garrett via submission in a fast paced match that received “this is awesome chants” reminiscent of the prior PWS Bombshells event opener between La Rosa and Mia Yim.  Bright futures for both of these girls. Alicia pinned Sumie Sakai in a back and forth match that held the crowd’s approval. Much of the NJ crowd has been familiar with these two local veterans for quite some time. The former ECW “Prodigette” , Angel Orsini fell short to Canada’s Silvie Silver in a lackluster match which included Silvie Silver headbutting her friend Jay in the front row for some unknown reason. Amazing Kong defeated Amy Lee in a First Blood Match which featured various weapons included chairs, guard rails, wire hangers, and a singapore cane amongst other things.  This was a vicious back and forth brawl was restricted to the ringside area as a result of their prior Bombshells encounter which saw them brawl around the building.  The crowd was evenly split as these two monsters screamed vulgarities at each other while hitting hard.   This may have been Amy Lee’s last match anywhere as the retired veteran had come out of retirement just to face Kong at PWS Bombshells and has now lost both times. Popular youngster Amber Rodriguez made quick work of veteran Cherry Layne scoring the pinfall in her Bombshells debut. Cherry Layne was a last minute substitution by PWS after Annie Social had to back out for personal reasons. Shelly Martinez pinned Serena Deeb in a great match which had the crowd evenly split with “lets go shelly / lets go serena” chants throughout.  At one point it appeared as if Serena had suffered another concussion as she held her head as she was cared to by Ref Kevin Keenan.  Serena got to her feet with the aid of Keenan then stumbled and collapsed which lead to PWS co owner Pat Buck hopping the guardrail while an ambulance was called.  Serena was carried to the locker room only to storm the ring and attack an unsuspecting Shelly.   The action continued with Shelly eventually scoring the pinfall. Missy Sampson defeated Mickie Knuckles whom came to the ring to The Golden Girls sitcom theme song to retain The PWS Bombshells Title.  This was a hard hitting affair and perhaps the best match of Missy Sampson’s veteran career. After the match Missy ran down a list of names she defeated to win the belt which included Katarina “Winter” Leigh, Sienna Duvall, Sumie Sakai, Lucious Latasha, and Marti Belle.  She then said she would defend the belt anytime anywhere which lead to La Rosa Negra blitzing to the ring.  La Rosa quickly mounted Missy and striking her repeatedly in the face. Ref Keenan tossed La Rosa off Missy after reaching a 5 Count and La Rosa quickly reasssumed the mounted position and laid in vicious hard strikes to Missy’s face which lead to a defenseless Missy covering up and the ref subsequently stopping the bout and awarding the belt to La Rosa. This was met with some controversy as wrestling fans may not be accustomed to seeing a ref stoppage finish.  After Missy recovered she had the full support of the crowd which was interesting in itself as prior to this moment there was no real emotional connection established between her and the fans and now the fans all wanted to see her get even with La Rosa for what appeared to be a legitimate beat down. La Rosa will go on to defend The PWS Bombshells Title on June 8th at Pro Wrestling Syndicate’s live event in Monroe NJ against Angelina Love.  This event also features Dusty Rhodes, Stan Hansen, Disco Inferno, Necro Butcher, Colt Cabana, Starman, and The Headbangers amongst others.  One would have to assume that Missy will be watching La Rosa closely as whet

Tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw is live from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. WWE.com is teasing the return of World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler, following Alberto del Rio's #1 contender win at Extreme Rules. Ziggler has been out for the past week with a major concussion, that resulted in retrograde amnesia. At this time, there has been no word on whether or not he is cleared to return to in-ring action. Originally, tonight's Raw was being advertised as the return of CM Punk, but the former WWE Champion has since been removed from all scheduled appearances. It is possible Punk could still return tonight, to begin the build towards Payback in Chicago, IL. As previously reported, it is very likely that the Divas Championship match between Kaitlyn and AJ Lee will take place on Raw tonight as well. Wrestlezone will have full coverage of tonight's Raw at 8PM EST tonight, with all the fallout from Extreme Rules.