Bleacher Report - Articles by Colin Vassallo

RAW, Nuggets NBA Game Clash On Same Date, Time and Arena

Colin Vassallo — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:11:21 -0400

Wrestlers won't be the only ones clashing on May 25 when RAW is scheduled to hold an event in the Pepsi Center.

The date falls on the same night and time as Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers.

Officials for the Pepsi Center are trying to find an alternate venue for WWE as the Nuggets will not be kicked out from their own home for WWE. A statement from the Pepsi Center to Denver's 7NEWS said that the NBA game is certainly on for Monday night.

WWE also released their own statement saying, "The WWE and Denver Nuggets are currently at an impasse in resolving a scheduling debacle by the team and the Pepsi Center."

The responsibility of booking events at the arena and making sure that there are no double bookings even though it involves taking chances ultimately lies in the hands of the Pepsi Center staff.

"Even though the Denver Nuggets had a strong team this year and were projected to make the playoffs, obviously Nuggets and Pepsi Center owner Stan Kroenke did not have enough faith in his own team to hold the May 25th date for a potential playoff game," WWE Chairman Vince McMahon said.

Brit Model and Body Double Aims To Be Next WWE Diva

Colin Vassallo — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:39:34 -0400

British tabloid newspaper The Sun is reporting that Rachael Carr, a British model who has been used as a body double for Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Kylie Minogue in the past, is training at the WWE's developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling, hoping to secure a WWE deal.

"I met a guy who recruits for the WWE, called Lou Maggio, who asked me to come for an audition. That went well and now I’m in training," Carr said.

Last year, BBC3 in the UK aired a television show called "Body Double" where Carr was featured.

"My body is a temple but it does need occasional refurbishment: I've had two boob jobs and I've had my bottom re-sculpted. It would be hard to survive in this game without it, especially when all the celebrities have work done," she said at the time, noting that she has Minogue's butt, Britney's boobs, and Aguilera's abs.

You can check out ten photos of Carr at Wrestling-Online.com.

MVP Visits the Ladies of "The View" on ABC

Colin Vassallo — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:11:52 -0400

Current U.S. champion MVP appeared on ABC's The View yesterday, much to the enjoyment of co-host Sherri Shepherd.

Shepherd was a guest of MVP at last week's SmackDown TV tapings in Madison Square Garden, and she even accompanied the champ to the ring, sporting a Ric Flair-like robe.

Shepherd recorded a backstage segment with Hornswoggle, The Great Khali, Santina Marella, and Cryme Tyme. The funniest moment came when Khali, through his interpreter, said that he liked the view....from up there, obviously referring to Shepherd's cleavage birds-eye view he had while Shepherd adjusted her chest for a better look!

MVP joined the ladies on stage after the six minute recap and gave his title to Shepherd, which she called her "chastity belt." MVP had trouble reminding Linda McMahon's job title, that of a CEO, when he was being quizzed regarding the power of women in the WWE.

Oops!

You can check out the full segment at Wrestling-Online.com.

McMahon Talks About Wanting to Kill His Stephfather on ESPN E:60

Colin Vassallo — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:21:17 -0400

ESPN's E:60 aired the WWE special yesterday with Vince McMahon covering subjects such as his younger years, buying his father's business, WrestleMania, Chris Benoit, steroids and much more.

The twelve minute segment also had comments from WWE Hall of Famer's Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan. It included a tour backstage with Stephanie McMahon and footage from a production meeting before McMahon kicked the cameras out as soon as storylines were starting to being discussed.

McMahon also talked about him wanting to kill his stepfather for the brutal beatings he got when he was a child. He never got the chance to do it though because he died before he was able to do it.

It's a very interesting piece on McMahon and WWE in general and you can see it all at Wrestling-Online.com.

Civil Trial Against Hogan Family Set for March 2010

Colin Vassallo — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:16:09 -0400

The civil trial between the John Graziano family and the Hogan family will be kicking off in March 2010 according to the St. Petersburg Times in Florida.

Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge W. Douglas Baird will be presiding over this three week trial which comes thanks to Nick Bollea's crazy driving accident that sent his best friend and former Marine John Graziano in a hospital bed, brain dead for life.

The Hogans will have their own divorce trial that will start in October of this year.

Hulk Hogan is featured in an interview in the new edition of Rolling Stone magazine where he discusses his wife going out with her 20-year-old boyfriend and after what's he is going through how he understand how O.J. Simpson felt.

"You live half a mile from the 20,000-square-foot home you can't go to anymore, you're driving through downtown Clearwater and see a 19-year-old boy driving your Escalade, and you know that a 19-year-old boy is sleeping in your bed, with your wife...I totally understand OJ. I get it."

WWE On ESPN's E:60; Two Minute Preview Shows Creative Meeting

Colin Vassallo — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 19:34:15 -0400

World Wrestling Entertainment will be featured on ESPN's E:60 on Tuesday, April 14, starting at 7PM EST with an in-depth profile on WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and his company.

Among the topics that will be discussed will be memories from McMahon's childhood including being abused as a child, reuniting with his birth father and more.

E:60 correspondent Jeremy Schaap also talked with McMahon about Chris Benoit, a topic which is usually avoided by anyone in WWE.

The piece will conclude with a backstage tour with Stephanie McMahon-Levesque as E:60 meets some of the most popular WWE Superstars.

It should be noted that WWE gave ESPN some of the best backstage access ever given to produce this show including letting ESPN cameras attend a creative meeting.

You can see a two minute preview at Wrestling-Online.com.

Smackdown Announcer Tazz Walks Out of WWE After Contract Expires

Colin Vassallo — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:48:10 -0400

PWInsider.com is reporting that Smackdown announcer Tazz walked out of WWE after yesterday's Smackdown television tapings in Dallas, TX. His contract expired today according to the website and the former ECW champion is totally done with the company, leaving Jim Ross high and dry for WrestleMania.

Tazz made his WWE debut at the 2000 Royal Rumble, ending the undefeated streak of Kurt Angle in Madison Square Garden. After several injuries forced him out of the squared circle, Tazz took on the role of announcing and became a trainer for the Tough Enough reality TV show.

After RAW and Smackdown split, Tazz was given a full time announcing role on Smackdown and then later moved to ECW with Joey Styles only to find himself back on the Friday night show after Mick Foley left the company.

During his time with the company, Tazz won the Hardcore title three times and the tag team title once with Spike Dudley. He is also a former two time ECW Heavyweight champion and won the Television and Tag Team titles in ECW as well.

More information on Tazz' departure will be updated at Wrestling-Online.com.

The Rock Dresses Up As Miley Cyrus, Gets Slimed With The Jonas at KCA 2009

Colin Vassallo — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:03:33 -0400

Can you imagine Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson dressed up as Miley Cyrus? Well, no need to imagine it because he actually did it.

Johnson hosted Nickelodeon's the 22nd Annual Kids' Choice Awards live telecast yesterday and just before Cyrus was presented with the best female singer award, presenter Marlon Wayons introduced The Rock who came out wearing an orange mini dress just like Cyrus was wearing complete with a wig and an ear mic.

"You have a wardrobe malfunction, Dwayne," Cyrus said as the host arranged the dress to cover up his little "slippage." Wayans then asked The Rock if he was wearing a thong which got laughs from Rock himself, Cyrus and people from the crowd.

The Nick Choice Awards, known for the green sliming of guests, had the biggest, greenest sliming in the show's history with host Dwayne Johnson and The Jonas Brothers on the receiving end.

John Cena was also at the show presenting an award. You can see some photos and video of Johnson dressed up as Cyrus and the slime fest with the Jonas at Wrestling-Online.com.

Bobby Lashley Wins Second MMA Fight, Video Available

Colin Vassallo — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:14:18 -0400

Bobby Lashley won his second MMA fight yesterday in Pensacola, defeating Jason Guida during a show that featured both mixed martial arts and boxing matches.

The event was broadcast on pay-per-view.

Lashley and Guida went the maximum three rounds and the judges unanimously scored in favor to the former ECW champion, 30-27.

Guida, now with a record of 17-20-2, managed to hook Lashley in the guillotine choke in the third round after he went for a double-leg takedown.

However, Lashley managed to escape the hold, which could have given him his first MMA defeat.

Lashley was supposed to take on UFC Hall-of-Famer Ken Shamrock, but Shamrock was disqualified for a year after testing positive for steroids in his last fight.

You can see the fight at Wrestling-Online.com.

Andrew "Test" Martin Found Dead In His Tampa Apartment

Colin Vassallo — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 06:13:49 -0400

Andrew "Test" Martin passed away yesterday in his Tampa apartment at the age of 33. No details have been released regarding his death, and Tampa police are refusing to comment.

Born in Canada, Martin signed with WWE in 1998 and made his debut as a bodyguard for the band Motley Crue. He then joined The Rock at the end of 1998, and eventually aligned himself with The Corporation.

Perhaps Test's biggest TV angle was when he was supposed to marry Stephanie McMahon on RAW, but Triple H ended up getting one up on him, drugging Stephanie and taking her to Las Vegas to get married.

His first run with WWE ended in 2004 after he had back surgery.

In 2006, he returned to WWE but only lasted till a year later and was released again after he failed the Wellness Program test, and was suspended for 30 days. Martin said that the release was something he requested and had nothing to do with the Wellness failure.

In 2007, he joined TNA Wrestling as "The Punisher," but he didn't last very long.

Last year, he was booked for DUI and arrested in Pasco County, Fl. but was released a day later.

During his time in WWE, he won the European title once, Hardcore title once, Intercontinental title once, Tag Team title once with Booker T, and also the WCW tag team title during the Invasion angle once with Booker T.

For more coverage on his death please follow Wrestling-Online.com.

Hulk Hogan and Wife's Attorney Face off in Court: Unedited Video Available

Colin Vassallo — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:18:11 -0400

"You're an actor, you're acting now!"

That's what Linda Bollea's attorney, Ray Rafool, had to say to the Hulkster when Hulk Hogan confronted him while he was giving his comments to press reporters after a court hearing on Thursday.

Hogan, on crutches, interrupted the attorney and Rafool cut his own promo on the WWE Hall of Famer while in front of him. Hogan's lawyer, David Houston, then jumped in to make it a two-on-one handicap match, but Linda's attorney held his own and eventually Hogan and his legal man exited the court.

"I guess I got the feeling what it's like to be in the WWE now," said Linda's attorney to the reporters who were present for the whole face off.

"You know what, you don't get reporters speechless much," he joked, noting that none of the reporters opened their mouth during the confrontation.

The funny thing is that Rafool requested an autograph from Hulk Hogan for his son before the court session started.

"I hope your son enjoys the autograph," Hogan said before he left. "Thank you Hulkamaniac brother."

You can check the unedited video at Wrestling-Online.com.

Sting Vs Foley For Lockdown PPV; Pay-Per-View Poster Available

Colin Vassallo — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:32:16 -0400

The poster for the TNA Lockdown Pay-Per-View which will take place on Sunday, April 19 at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia has been revealed and it features the Lockdown logo with blood stains and a photo of Sting's face and Mick Foley's face popping out from behind the steel cage.

The official preview reads: "Two decades in the making. Two of wrestling’s biggest legends. One historic showdown inside the infamous six sides of steel cage. Hardcore legend Mick Foley. "The Icon" Sting. The battle of a lifetime."

The last time Sting and Foley wrestled each other was in 1992 in WCW in a Falls Count Anywhere match during the Beach Blast event.

You can see the poster at Wrestling-Online.com.

Batista Backs Pacquiao in Boxing Fight Against Ricky Hatton

Colin Vassallo — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:26:12 -0500

The injured Batista is currently in the Philippines doing media rounds for World Wrestling Entertainment. Earlier today he was at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ortigas participating in a round table talk with sportswriters; he talked about the upcoming boxing fight between Britian's Ricky Hatton and Filipino's Manny Pacquiao.

"I am also a fan of Ricky, but Manny will kill him," said Batista, whose father is Filipino as well. "Manny is in the league of his own. Nobody can touch him."

The former champ went so far as to say that not even the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr., can measure up to him.

Batista plans to join the Pacquiao’s entourage on May 2 for the fight. The Undertaker and Christian did the same in 2005 for Pacquiao's fight against Mexican Hector Velasquez.

Ricky Hatton is also a big wrestling fan and is always present when WWE or TNA visit his home town of Manchester.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Legends of WrestleMania: Renderings of Each Superstar from the Video Game

Colin Vassallo — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:25:08 -0500

On March 24, THQ and JAKKS Pacific will release the newest WWE video game titled Legends of WrestleMania, which will feature tons of past and present WWE Superstars who in some way, shape, or form made an impact at any of the past 24 WrestleManias. The game will only be available for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Over the past few days, THQ has announced the full roster, which includes 42 Superstars and managers, but no Divas. Two noticeable individuals who were left out from the roster are Mick Foley and Macho Man Randy Savage.

Here's the full lineup, in alphabetical order:

Andre the Giant, Animal, Arn Anderson, Bam Bam Bigelow, Big Bossman, Big John Studd, Bobby The Brain Heenan, Bret Hitman Hart, British Bulldog, Brutus Beefcake, Dusty Rhodes, Greg Valentine, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Hawk, Honky Tonk Man, Hulk Hogan, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Iron Sheik, Jake The Snake Roberts, Jim The Anvil Neidhart, Jimmy Hart, Jimmy Superfly Snuka, Junkyard Dog, Kamala, King Kong Bundy, Koko B. Ware, Michael Hayes, Mr. Fuji, Mr. Perfect, Nikolai Volkoff, Paul Bearer, Ravishing Rick Rude, Ric Flair, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Sgt. Slaughter, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ted DiBiase, The Rock, The Ultimate Warrior, Undertaker, and Yokozuna.

Wrestling-Online.com has received the impressive renderings of each Superstar on the roster for the game as well as the latest footage from the game involving Bret Hart, Ultimate Warrior, The Rock, and more. You can check them out at Wrestling-Online.com.

Hogan Talks WrestleMania On His Twitter, Later Changes Message

Colin Vassallo — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:21:12 -0500

WWE Hall of Famer and former WWE—and WCW champion—Hulk Hogan is hoping for one more match.

The Hulkster updated his Twitter account with a message saying, "I spoke with Vince, he is open to me coming back and doing something, maybe at Wrestlemania. Stay tuned Maniacs."

He later replaced it with a new message which reads, "Contemplating my professional future. May have an announcement in April....may or may not start with the letter U?!?!"

Hogan has been rumored to be facing Chris Jericho at WrestleMania after McMahon reached out to the Hulkster to be a part of the angle. Mickey Rourke is expected to be in the corner of whomever faces Jericho on the show.

New WrestleMania Sponsor Involved in Cheating Scandal

Colin Vassallo — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:30:32 -0500

The recently announced new sponsor for WrestleMania 25, UltimateBet.com, was involved in a cheating scandal from 2005-2007 which cheated online players out of thousands of dollars.

Employees of the former owners of UltimateBet.com apparently inserted codes into the online poker website that transferred hole-card information of other players to them during play.

Wrestling-Online Newsletter subscriber and poker player Joel Alpert was one of the many who was cheated out of a lot of money.

"I am a regular full time poker player online and I refuse to give UltimateBet or their sister company Absolute Poker any business in the future," Alpert said.

Alpert added that just last week the company called to clear up their name.

"I prefer to go with proven safely encrypted sites and I hate to think my fellow wrestling newsletter readers would be led to a company that may still not be shuffling a fair deck. Though the web site is now claiming a 100 percent honest game, it is hard to risk money on an Internet poker web site that has been previously compromised since it is such a sensitive issue to never have a poker site that your opponent can see your hole cards."

1994 World Series of Poker winner Russ Hamilton was named as the mastermind and the person who benefited from the whole scandal by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission after they found "clear and convincing evidence." In February of last year, the company began issuing refunds to all players who were cheated.

Now owned by Tokwiro Enterprises, UltimateBet.com's headquarters is located in Malta and gaming servers are located thousands of miles away in Kahnawake, Canada.

WWE Hall of Famer Verne Gagne Suspect In Death Investigation

Colin Vassallo — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:53:14 -0500

WWE Hall of Famer Verne Gagne is currently a suspect in a death investigation, a Fox affiliate in Minnesota is reporting.

Gagne, the former owner and promoter of the AWA, is believed to have contributed to the January death of his roommate in the the Bloomington living facility, Friendship Village. His roommate, Helmut R. Gutmann, was 97 years old and both of them suffer from Alzheimer's-related dementia.

The two got into a fight in late January and Guttman suffered a broken leg and a head injury. Although he was released from hospital, Gutmann was hospitalized again due to complications and died four days ago.

The official cause of death has not been determined yet, but Bloomington Police are investigating the death as suspicious after being contacted by an elderly rights group.

Gagne was dismissed from the living facility after the altercation. Gutmann was a former cancer research scientist at the University of Minnesota, who escaped Nazi Germany.

You can see MyFox9's video report at Wrestling-Online.com.

Lacey Adkisson, Daughter of "Texas Tornado" Kerry von Erich, Does Playboy

Colin Vassallo — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:08:02 -0500

Lacey Adkisson, the daughter of former NWA Heavyweight champion and WWE Intercontinental champion the "Texas Tornado" Kerry von Erich, left a status update on her MySpace account saying, "Playboy next Thurs. at 12:15! Wish me luck! I’m scared!!"

The update was done last week and its believed that she has posed nude for the popular magazine. The 22-year-old mother of one signed a deal with WWE in August 2007 but didn't stay long in the company and never managed to make her television debut.

In the past, she has expressed her desire to make it into Playboy magazine, and it seems that it finally has happened.

With that look and killer body, it's not a surprise she has actually made it. Her father, Kerry Von Erich, will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this coming April, along with his brothers and father.

You can see a few revealing pictures of Lacey at Wrestling-Online.com.

Von Erich Family To Be Inducted into WWE Hall of Fame

Colin Vassallo — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:38:42 -0500

PWInsider.com is reporting that one of the greatest families in professional wrestling, the Von Erichs, will be inducted into the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame.

The family, consisting of dad Fritz and his six sons Kevin, Jack, David, Kerry, Mike, and Chris, are all dead, except for Kevin. Kerry's daughter Lacey also signed with the WWE, but was let go before making her debut.

Jack is the only sibling who had nothing to do with wrestling, as he died at the age of seven. David died in 1984 from a heart attack, followed by Mike, who committed suicide in 1987 by overdose. Chris also committed suicide in 1991. Kerry, who wrestled as the Texas Tornado in WWE, committed suicide in 1993 by shooting himself in the heart, and their father Fritz died of cancer in 1997.

Kevin Von Erich appeared during the RAW Homecoming three-hour episode in Dallas and received a thunderous ovation from his hometown crowd. He now hosts a show on WWE 24/7.

PWInsider adds that one of the family's greatest rivals, Michael Hayes, will be doing the induction. Kevin and the Von Erich children will accept the honor.

Chris Jericho, Fans Fight In Parking Lot After Show In Victoria

Colin Vassallo — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 07:01:36 -0500

Chris Jericho was involved in a fan invasion attack yesterday after the WWE show in Victoria, BC.

Following the show, Jericho got in his rental car and drove away from the parking lot as fans started to give him trouble. After stopping on a stop sign, one rowdy fan decided to attack his vehicle which prompted the former WWE champ to get out and take action.

Several friends of the attacker jumped on Jericho, including a female who spit in his face but received one in return and Jericho also ended up shoving her down.

All hell continued to break lose before some security guys decided to step in. Jericho eventually managed to get himself free after a few more shoving and punching and drove off with the police arriving minutes later according to an eye witness report.

Two videos are already online documenting the incident. The second video clearly shows the woman get in Jericho's face as he's getting in the car and Jericho reacts by shoving her away.

One of the fans calls Jericho a "disgrace to Canadians" while another one calls him a "m'fer". You can also hear Jericho yelling at the security to do their "f*cking jobs."

Please note that the videos contain very strong language. You can see both videos on Wrestling-Online.com.

UPDATE 1:

The Times Colonist reported earlier that the man who gave Jericho a hard time and his girlfriend who was punched and spit on by Jericho himself were arrested by police officers but were later released without a charge.

Police came on the scene several minutes after Jericho left the parking lot where the altercation with the fans occurred. Const. Theresa Tuttle said no charges have been laid and the incident is under investigation.

WWE then issued a statement saying that Jericho's car was "attacked by a mob" and after he got out to clear the path he was "physically and verbally assaulted."

The fan who started all the chaos, Kalen Johl, said that Jericho made a derogatory remark towards him. Johl is South Asian.

His girlfriend, 20 year old Ashley Levey, stuck her nose in as well and said that Jericho spit on and punched her after she called him a racist.

Mickey Rourke Backs Out From WrestleMania XXV Deal

Colin Vassallo — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:33:13 -0500

The deal between Mickey Rourke and World Wrestling Entertainment for WrestleMania XXV apparently fell through over the past day as his publicist released a statement via e-mail to clarify the situation.

"Mickey was very honored to be asked as he has the greatest respect for WWE, however he is not participating in WrestleMania. He is focusing entirely on his acting career," said the short statement.

Last Sunday at the SAG Awards, Rourke confirmed he would be at the biggest sports-entertainment show of the year and warned Chris Jericho to "get in shape."

Rourke, along with Jericho appeared on CNN's Larry King Live on Tuesday to promote the movie and their on-screen feud.

His publicist also said that Rourke's schedule is full and would not be participating in any interviews.

More on this story at Wrestling-Online.com.

Ric Flair In New Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Game

Colin Vassallo — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:52:13 -0500

Electronic Arts today announced the cast of the live action movie cast for Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Uprising.

Sixteen-time World Heavyweight champion and WWE Hall of Famer Nature Boy Ric Flair has made the list, playing the character Commander Hill, a commander players will have to take on in the new Commander’s Challenge mode.

"I had a great time on set and while I may have retired from the ring, I think my fans are going to love seeing the ‘Nature Boy’ style and profile his way to victory. I know my kids are going to have a great time trying to take it to me on the battlefield," Flair said.

Other cast members hired include Malcolm McDowell from "Heroes", Jodi Lyn O’Keefe from "Prison Break", and Holly Valance from "Neighbours".

The game will be available for download in March.

You can see two promotional photos of Flair from the game here.

Mickey Rourke To Wrestle at WrestleMania XXV

Colin Vassallo — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:38:28 -0500

Riding on the success of 'The Wrestler,' WWE has invited Academy Award nominee Mickey Rourke to appear at the twenty fifth anniversary of WrestleMania in Houston, Texas.

Rourke confirmed this on the red carpet at yesterday's SAG Awards and said that he talked to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and agreed to the deal.

"The boys from the WWE called me and asked me to do it," Rourke told Access Hollywood. "I said, 'I want to.' I'm talking with Rowdy Roddy Piper about it."

Rourke suggested he'll be in a match with Chris Jericho. "Chris Jericho, you better get in shape. Because I'm coming after your ass."

As reported earlier, McMahon, who hated the movie 'The Wrestler,' changed his mind completely once the Golden Globe awards wins and Academy Award nominations were announced.

Having Rourke appearing at the most important pay-per-view of the year will give the company extra exposure from outlets which usually do not cover the event.

Report: WWE Closes Down Australia Office

Colin Vassallo — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:54:26 -0500

Dave Meltzer of the Observer reported last week that WWE has closed down its Australia office in Sydney as part of its recent cost-cutting efforts.

The Sydney office was one of the 10 offices that the company has worldwide. The others are in Stamford, New York, Sao Paulo, Chicago, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Toronto, London, and Shanghai.

WWE spokesman Robert Zimmerman and Jonathan Sully, president of WWE Asia Pacific who headed up the Sydney office, refused to comment when Wrestling-Online.com contacted them.

Sully was not part of the 10 percent cut and is still employed by the company. WWE still lists Sydney as one of the offices on their global website at WWEGlobal.com.

Steve Austin Requests Ric Flair to Induct Him In The WWE Hall Of Fame

Colin Vassallo — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 09:00:35 -0500

Mike Johnson over at PWInsider.com is reporting that Stone Cold Steve Austin has requested that Ric Flair should induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame.

The pick certainly raises some red flags as the Nature Boy is no longer associated with the company and the final say on who inducts who ultimately rests in the hands of Vince McMahon and his team.

Having Ric Flair at the ceremony however would be something special and will help the hype for the Hall of Fame event.

In his latest blog, Jim Ross addressed the situation.

"If I was asked once I was asked a dozen times who was going to induct Steve and I, for one, hope it is Ric Flair as that would be like Babe Ruth inducting Mickey Mantle into MLB's HOF," said Ross.

Sgt. Slaughter, Ron Simmons Fired From WWE

Colin Vassallo — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:14:14 -0500

Robert Remus, better known to all wrestling fans as Sgt. Slaughter, was given the pink slip after a total of 24 years of service to the company.

Slaughter was employed first in 1980 and stayed there till 1994 and then again in 1998 until his release.

The WWE Hall of Famer won the WWE title once during his career, beating the Ultimate Warrior at the 1991 Royal Rumble. After his wrestling career ended, Slaughter was given the role of a road agent and made occasional appearances both in the ring and during backstage segments.

Sgt. Slaughter wasn't the only one released yesterday as Ron Simmons was also shown the door after 13 years with the company.

He was first hired under the gimmick of Faarooq Assad and later became the leader of Nation of Domination. Simmons' biggest success came teaming up with John "Bradshaw'" Layfield as the two joined forces to become The Acolytes and later as the APA.

Simmons was fired in a storyline in 2003 by then Smackdown! General Manager Paul Heyman however once he got backstage he found out that he was really fired for "inappropriate conduct" although he was hired a few months afterwards.

Since then he barely wrestled and just made occasional appearances in comedy roles just saying "DAMN!" on camera.

In WWE, Simmons won the Tag Team title three times with Bradshaw and was the first ever African American WCW Heavyweight champion.

For more up-to-date information regarding the WWE layoffs please visit Wrestling-Online.com

Hulk Hogan Ready to Put Over Steve Austin at WrestleMania XXV

Colin Vassallo — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:21:41 -0500

A couple of days ago, Jim Ross was a special guest on the Bubba the Love Sponge radio show in Florida and talked about WrestleMania XXV.

The host, who is a big friend of Hulk Hogan, said that a Steve Austin vs. Hulk Hogan match should be done, with Ross saying that it probably will never happen.

Noting that neither man would job for the other, Ross said that maybe a double-disqualification would be the best finish, with another tag team like The Miz and John Morrison interfering, giving them the rub while sharing the spotlight with the two legends.

Moments later, Hulk Hogan called into the show and said he didn't agree with Ross' finish of the match, saying a match of that importance should have a definite winner.

The former WWE and WCW champion then said that he would have no problem putting over Steve Austin if the match ever takes place.

It should be noted that every year, a few months before WrestleMania, Hogan starts sending signals that he'd like to appear, knowing a big paycheck would be coming his way!

WWE Continues Massive Layoffs

Colin Vassallo — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:07:57 -0500

World Wrestling Entertainment issued a press release this morning, announcing a 10 percent reduction of its workforce across all areas of its global operations.

The layoffs will give the company an annual savings of around $8 million while they will also incur an approximate $3 million one-time restructuring charge in the first quarter of 2009. The goal is to reduce all costs by $20 million this year while increasing earnings and margins.

"These efficiencies will help position the company for the long term, by placing it in a stronger, more flexible position," said Linda McMahon, WWE CEO. "With these actions, we believe we can execute our key strategic initiatives, including our digital strategy and international expansion, in a more profitable manner."

The dark days at WWE headquarters in Stamford, CT, will continue as the company keeps handing out pink slips to their employees to offset costs due to a weak economy.

Several agents, TV production and office workers are currently being terminated, with the human resources department next up on the chopping block. The amount of cuts are to total around 60.

WWE spokesman Robert Zimmerman said that wrestlers are not directly affected by the job cuts, although it's believed some of them will get cut as well.

Usually, massive layoffs follow after the WrestleMania event, but 2009 didn't start off how it was planned.

All employees who were fired were to be escorted out of the building by security.

Kurt Angle Wants Man United's Ronaldo "Detained" While MEM Are In Manchester

Colin Vassallo — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:17:34 -0500

In a week's time, TNA Superstars will travel to the United Kingdom for their biggest tour yet. One of the stops is Manchester, home of one of the world's top soccer clubs, Manchester United.

United's biggest star, Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo yesterday crashed his £200,000 ($300,000) Ferrari super car and former TNA Heavyweight champion Kurt Angle told British tabloid newspaper The Sun that the government should "detain Ronaldo" for the time he and the rest of the Main Event Mafia are in Manchester!

"His inability to drive, combined with his natural weakness as a soccer player, would make navigating the United Kingdom far too risky for an international celebrity such as myself with a pathetic fool like that out on the streets."

That's funny coming from Kurt Angle who was arrested for driving under the influence in 2007, but eventually was found not guilty in September of last year.

"Soccer is a girl's game in the United States, and since we set the rules across the globe, Ronaldo should abandon the sissy English game and get in the six-sided ring of TNA like a real American," added the Olympic gold medalist.

WWE Superstar JBL Reacts to The Movie "The Wrestler"

Colin Vassallo — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:19:50 -0500

A couple of weeks ago, Darren Aronofsky gave Vince McMahon a private screening of "The Wrestler." While it wasn't a surprise to the majority of the people, the WWE Chairman didn't like the movie one bit for its portrayal of professional wrestling.

A statement from TNA followed later, praising the movie for giving the wrestling mainstream attention and Rourke's spectacular acting in the leading role.

In his latest blog on the WWE Universe website, former WWE champion John "Bradshaw" Layfied said the movie "was awesome and extremely well written," something that will not go down well with the Chairman.

"This was the business I broke into many years ago. However, that business has changed," JBL said, noting the different tests that have been introduced lately to protect the performers.

"Even with all the negative stereotypes in the movie, this was a part of what I did to get to WWE and it was fun to watch. A little scary to watch, but fun," he concluded.