Wrestling News

Preview:Rated-R for rematch



With the support of his love, General Manager Vickie Guerrero , plus literally Major assistance from Edge imitators Brett & Brian, Edge turned Armageddon’s Triple Threat Match against Batista and Undertaker into the “ultimate opportunity,” winning the World Heavyweight Championship. But on SmackDown this Friday, the Ultimate Opportunist will find himself in The Animal’s path, as Batista has invoked his rematch clause for the championship. Will Edge be able to keep the gold around his waist, or can Batista make sure that this Rated-R title reign is short-lived?
Meanwhile, the living ring legend who’s no stranger to gold – former 16-time World Champion Ric Flair -- will also be on hand for Friday Night SmackDown. The “Nature Boy” hasn’t been seen on SmackDown since Mr. McMahon informed him on Raw several weeks ago that the next time he loses in singles competition, he’ll be forced to retire. Could Friday night mark the final SmackDown appearance for Flair, especially since after defeating Umaga on Raw Monday, he learned he’ll square off against longtime friend Triple H on New Year’s Eve?
And what will SmackDown commentator JBL have to say in his Farewell Address on Friday night? The self-proclaimed “wrestling god” announced this past Monday night that he would be leaving SmackDown’s color commentary duties to join the Raw lineup of Superstars. Will the always-outspoken JBL choose to make an amicable exit Friday night, or does he have some harsh parting words for the SmackDown roster? And does he have any response to the comments made this past Monday on Raw by Chris Jericho?

For the answers to these and other questions, be sure to watch Friday Night SmackDown, 8/7 CT, only on The CW Network.

Raw's 15 Anniversary celebration heats up ratings



Monday Night Raw's special three-hour episode celebrating its 15th anniversary drew an incredible 4.4 rating last Monday night on USA Network during its regular 9 pm ET timeslot, up a spectacular 38 percent, illustrating why it has been a smashing success on TV for the past 15 years and counting.
WWE Superstars from the past and present were brought together under one roof as legends such as Hulk Hogan, "Stone Cold"Steve Austin and Mick Foley returned to help celebrate Raw XV.

Besides the returns of Hogan, Austin and Foley, Raw’s 15th Anniversary celebration saw the homecoming of Divas Sunny, Trish Stratus and Lita, the reunion of Evolution and a special Battle Royal featuring some our fans’ favorite Superstars from years past. It also featured Mr. McMahon naming the Greatest Superstar in Raw History – an honor he bestowed on himself.
In its 15-year history, Raw has produced more original episodes than any program, surpassing Gunsmoke’s 635-episode milestone in 2005. It has put a premium on putting smiles on people’s faces and will continue this mantra in less than two weeks when Raw presents the fifth annual Tribute to the Troops, where the Superstars bring holiday cheer to our forces serving overseas in Iraq. That very special broadcast will air on Christmas Eve at 9/8 CT on USA Network.

Bacon, Bagels & Biceps


On Monday morning, tickets go on sale for another WrestleMania tradition: The Bacon, Bagels & Biceps Brunch. The event, taking place on Sunday, March 30 at the Rosen Centre Hotel on International Drive in Orlando, Fla., will be presented by The David Maus Foundation for the benefit of Make-A-Wish.
The Bacon, Bagels & Biceps Brunch was first presented by Donald Trump in 1988 on the morning of WrestleMania IV. For the following 20 years, it would be the jump-start to WrestleMania Sunday for our enthusiastic fans.
Tickets are available Monday, Dec. 17 at 10 a.m. ET at www.Ticketmaster.com for $125 each. Purchases include a full brunch, exclusive WrestleMania souvenirs and interaction with a dozen WWE Superstars before heading over to the Citrus Bowl for WrestleMania XXIV.

Bacon, Bagels & Biceps



Longtime in-ring rivals Kevin Von Erich and Michael “P.S.” Hayes both solidified their sports-entertainment legacies in World Class Championship Wrestling – Von Erich alongside his brothers and father, and Hayes as a member of The Fabulous Freebirds. The bitter rivalry between the Von Erichs and Freebirds defined World Class Championship Wrestling, but so too did the heartbreaking circumstances that befell the Von Erich family. Now, these two rivals have come together to tell our fans the amazing story of WCCW, and Tuesday’s release of The Triumph & Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling brings both men back to the days when they fought for supremacy in Texas.

Did you have a favorite moment on this DVD?
KEVIN VON ERICH – It was good to see so many of the guys again. The whole experience brought back a happy memory. So many people think that the story of the Von Erich family is sad, and there were sad spots, but it really is a triumphant story.
MICHAEL “P.S.” HAYES – I really enjoyed hearing everyone’s take on the launch, the growth and the explosion of WCCW, including Kevin’s. I was shocked by his honesty; I lost a brother, too. I didn’t lose five. When I heard his spin on it – about how most people feel sorry for him, but he doesn’t because at least he had that many years with them it really helped me open up. It got my respect because it was like, “Wow, that’s a really different and really cool perspective.”
I haven’t even gone through all the matches yet, just the documentary part. But I enjoyed seeing the clips of Fritz, hearing how WCCW started, and I really enjoyed seeing the Christmas thing again, which really catapulted the whole [rivalry]. There were a lot of favorites, let’s just put it that way.
Were any moments on this DVD difficult for you to sit and watch?
VON ERICH – Watching this DVD will be hard. My brothers were good men; they did their best, and some things will be very difficult to relive. Finding Chris when he died and holding his body, the stories of David and Kerry … it was extremely tough. There is a lot on this DVD that nobody knows, things I have never talked about and it really hit hard. Nobody had ever asked these questions before.
HAYES – The part about David is extremely sensitive to me; it especially was at the time. I remember being in Texas Stadium and they played a video tribute to him, and I had to go into the bathroom and break down. All the stories are hard for me to hear, but the stories on David are especially tough.
Did you find it difficult for you to discuss anything about WCCW or your career?
VON ERICH – I did have reservations, because I have my children and some of the story is rough. Life on the road is tough, but I have no regrets. I did my best, and so did my brothers. There is nothing to gain by not being honest about everything. There were a whole lot of good moments not to be eclipsed by my brothers’ deaths.
HAYES – No. As I said on MVP's VIP Lounge the other night, this DVD has a very strong message. People should adhere to the message and learn from other people’s mistakes, because for every action, there is a consequence. In this case, there were a lot of actions that brought about the ultimate bad consequence. So I didn’t have any reservations, and one of the main reasons why is because WWE was doing it. I knew it would be done best this way, and it will live on forever – a lot longer than we will – in its beauty.
What does the release of this DVD mean to you on a personal and professional level?
VON ERICH – I feel like I had a responsibility to my father and brothers that the story of WCCW came out the way it really was. It was important for me to keep the integrity of this story intact. I always wanted WWE to have the tape library. WWE can do more with the tapes than I could have. I couldn’t do the proper justice to the tapes. I would never be able to make this DVD available to as many people as WWE could, so I am very proud that WWE has them, because they are in the right hands.
HAYES – It means everything to me. This story had to be told. All of it hasn’t been told yet. You could easily do a Von Erichs DVD. You could easily do a Fabulous Freebirds DVD. The fact that the story has been told, though, and told so well, I was proud to be involved with the cover of it and producing it.
When you get to my stage in this career, there are certain things you want to have achieved. Having this DVD done by WWE and told this well is one of those things that if you go to the house and never come back again, it will put a smile on your face. I feel that this DVD is riveting. It is heart-wrenching. It does show you tragedy, but it also shows the triumphs.
The beauty of this DVD is that if you never knew about World Class Championship Wrestling – the Von Erichs, The Freebirds and all the other cast of characters – you are enthralled within the first 15 minutes. You fall in love with the characters, and then it breaks your heart with the characters. It is a greatly told story, and an absolutely true one. I’m very biased here, but I believe it is the best [DVD] WWE has ever done.
Is there a moment in your WCCW career that you can pinpoint as your best?
VON ERICH – There are two kinds of moments to have. One is an in-ring accomplishment like winning a title or wrestling a great competitor. But to me, the things that always stick out are the tag matches or the Eight-Man Tag Matches where I fought alongside my brothers, and sometimes my father.
HAYES – Everybody is defined by certain rivalries, whether it’s sports or politics or whatever the case may be. You think of Andre The Giante and all the people he ever faced, the first name you are going to say is Hulk Hogan. When you say Von Erich, the first name you are going to say is Freebird and vice versa. Both groups had other rivalries, but the one between us was the defining moment for not just myself and The Freebirds, but for the Von Erichs too.
Is there anything you wish could have been included on the DVD?
VON ERICH – I wish the DVD could have been two days long to include everything. Specifically, I wish they could have just shown the amount of people who came and supported us at David’s funeral, and also the fans in Israel during our tour there in 1985. There were so many people, and they just treated us great. But like I said, the DVD was done great. I really like how it turned out.
What message do you hope our fans take from this DVD?
VON ERICH – Life is short and it is beautiful. Enjoy every minute you can with the people you love. If you love what you are doing, grab it, chew it up and enjoy it. Because when it is gone, it won’t come back.
HAYES – I think they can see the growth of WCCW. I hope people understand the message. To me, the worst drug ever is fame. The ’80s were what they were, but unfortunately, a lot of people aren’t here because of the way it was. It wasn’t “just say no” back then; it was “just say yes,” and again there are consequences for that. I just hope people see that a lot of competitors made some wrong decisions and paid the ultimate price.
What did the appearance in the cult classic Highlander mean to The Freebirds?
HAYES – My experience with Highlander wasn’t all that much. Verne Gagne set up the deal, and in my opinion, we didn’t get paid s***. We went out there and wrestled, and they shot it and used what they wanted to. It was good exposure, but it didn’t put The Freebirds on the map.
Can you talk about your re-emergence as The Hardys’ manager during WWE’s “Attitude” era?
HAYES – Matt & Jeff and I are really close, and I am very proud of their success. At the time, I was living vicariously through them, hoping for one more run or a new Freebirds, but that just wasn’t going to happen. Sports-entertainment was heading in a new direction. But back then, we did our promos from town to town. The reason you got into the business back then was because you already loved it. That’s not the case anymore. It’s a great job now, with perks and money.

WrestleMania XXIV: A Logistical Challenge



Hoisting power lines, telephone lines, fencing; building parking lots, production offices and dressing rooms; calculating lighting angles, grids and proper placement of video monitors … it sounds like an episode of Extreme Home Makeover: Arena Edition.
But it’s not; it’s actually part of the logistical puzzle that WWE’s 12-year veteran set engineer Jason Robinson and his team must complete before WrestleMania XXIV arrives in Orlando’s Citrus Bowl on March 30.
In order to create the monstrous set design and elaborate pyrotechnics display that our fans have come to expect, Robinson says his team has already started preparing.
“We started a few months ago,” he said. “Logistically, this will be the most challenging WrestleMania I’ve been involved with, but trust me, we’ll make it WrestleMania by the time it’s complete.”
The Citrus Bowl is an outdoor venue, and will require three to four weeks of load-in (unloading trucks to create structure), which will have to be done twice. The first time will be for the inside of the arena, where WWE and WrestleMania banners are placed, the public announce system is installed and the pyrotechnics and lighting are situated.
Once Robinson and his team are finished, they will have to repeat the process all over again.
“We don’t have to do it twice design-wise,” says Robinson, “but the physical challenges are met in the entrance way, and some of the other issues like building dressing rooms, the backstage area, parking lots and production offices must be done as well … not only from the logistic side but a creative side. This all will have to be figured out.”
Although these challenges are seemingly daunting on paper, Robinson says it’s the experience and talent of WWE’s crew that will ensure this year’s spectacular is a giant success.
“Other industries do this for concerts and other productions, so we’ll be drawing a wealth of knowledge from people who work at WWE and have involvement with those types of productions,” Robinson said. “Many of our vendors use lighting like what we’ll use in this year’s WrestleMania so we’ll have experience on our side.”
Another issue is that “other productions” like the Olympics, for example, can use broader lighting. Since the Citrus Bowl is an outdoor arena with no roof, it’s a special case.
“We’d like to light the ring and light the PA, but at the same time we’ll be worrying about rain, so that has to be factored in,” he said. “The video is a major issue for us because there is no scoreboard, and usually we use the scoreboard from the basketball or football teams.”
Even with the dilemmas, the excitement that the crew has for hosting WrestleMania in the Sunshine State is indescribable for Robinson and his team. It’s an opportunity to put WWE’s production team on stage before the Superstars and Divas steal the show; the chance to prove that the people who work behind the scenes are Superstars in their own right.
“We’re excited and like I said, trust me,” Robinson assured. “It will be WrestleMania by the time March 30 comes around.”