The Rock Recalls Getting Emotional After Recent WWE Headquarters Tour With Triple H

With The Rock recently confronting Triple H and the WrestleMania 40 Kickoff, and Triple H firing shots at The Rock on SmackDown, there has been a lot of speculation about the two names’ dynamics backstage.

Speaking with ET ahead of the Kickoff event, The Rock revealed that Triple H recently gave him a tour of WWE Headquarters. Admitting that he got choked up at one point during the tour, The Rock said: “(Triple H) goes, ‘Hey, I got one more thing to show you,’ and we went downstairs, (where) you see on the wall these pictures of these wrestlers. He goes, ‘Oh, look at that one.’ And over in the corner is this incredibly well-lit picture, black-and-white, of my dad and Tony Atlas, the day they made history and became the first Black tag team champions.” 

“I have never seen that picture before and I was so choked up… I was really moved. In that moment, I thought, ‘Man, they were wrestling in what was a field house back then and wrestling has changed!’ My dad just made history and the bumps and the bruises and the sacrifices that he made and that all those guys made. “Now we’re talking about the biggest WrestleMania of all time and the company signs a $5 billion deal with Netflix. It’s just incredible.”

The Rock’s father Rocky Johnson won the World Tag Team Championship alongside Tony Atlas in 1983 to become the first black tag-team champions in WWE history. 

WWE Hall Of Famer Says Sasha Banks 'Made The Biggest Mistake Of Her Wrestling Career'

Since her match at WrestleMania 35 along with Bayley against the IIconics, Natalya & Beth Phoenix, and Nia Jax & Tamina, Sasha Bankshas been missing from television. Reportedly, this is due to her frustrations with creative, particularly with her late notice of losing the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship to the IIconics at MetLife stadium.

Over the past couple of years, Banks has expressed dissatisfaction with her direction in WWE in previous interviews. In addition to it being nearly two years since she has been Women's Champion, her four title reigns spanning from July 25, 2016 to August 28, 2017 lasted only a total of 82 days.

Despite these factors, WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas adamantly disapproves of Banks' desire to quit the company. In a recent interview with Boston Wrestling MWF, Atlas shared his thoughts on the situation, feeling that Banks is making a bad decision to hold WWE up while she is sitting at home. To Atlas, Banks is making a "power play," which will backfire. He feels that WWE will fire Banks for "putting fear into her employee."

"They never fire you on the spot," said Atlas. "You always get it at home. That's why they say go home and think about it. Now what they do, they have a meeting. Now, if she [does] decide to come back, they're going to destroy her. Her career is over. They'll job her out. She lost [reliability], because what she... just told them, 'you can't trust me.' That's all she did. She let the wrestling world [down], and not just the wrestling world; everybody [who is] affiliated with the WWE is looking at it the same way."

Atlas stated that "WWE don't need Sasha Banks; Sasha Banks needs WWE, "and Banks will find herself going "lower and lower on the totem pole" without the backing of WWE. He also believes that "every woman in the WWE celebrated" when word got around that she wants to quit, because it opens up an opportunity for them.

"You know how many women right now [are] kissing up to Triple H, kissing up to Stephanie [McMahon] and saying, 'who are you gonna put in that spot?' She left a spot. They're glad she's gone. Every woman there is glad Sasha's gone. She's gone. Vince is not going to let [her do that]. If Vince let her do that, [this is] what you gotta understand, he just told every wrestler there that they could do that."

Knowing that Vince McMahon is a smart businessman and "don't get into nothing without first having a way out," Atlas feels that Banks could be making the worst decision of her wrestling career.

"She made the biggest mistake of her wrestling career," said Atlas. "They would never push her like that again." Atlas believes that anyone who leaves WWE after using the company to gain popularity is "working their way down," instead of up, because "everything [else] out there is beneath him." He adds that Vince will "make it hard" on Banks and use her as an example to the other women.

Source: Boston Wrestling MWF

WWE's sordid history of racism makes its swift justice vs. Hogan ring hollow

Everyone knows that the WWE and professional wrestling are fake—a group of finely chiseled athletes, orchestrated by a scripted theater of controversial plots, story arcs and over-the-top characters. Against that backdrop, cult icon Hulk Hogan became the most recognizable face of the WWE after winning the world championship against The Iron Sheik in January 1983, and last week its most stunning big-name dismissal.

Known previously as the WWF, the franchise branded Hogan as The Hulkster and capitalized off of his alluring, patriotic, good-guy persona. In the words of Hogan himself, “Hulkamania was running wild, brother!” Still, while Hulkamaniacs rejoiced, what wasn’t fake was the WWE’s sordid history of exploiting racial stereotypes. For decades the organization capitalized and profited off racist undertones, even while receiving countless criticism over its portrayal and treatment of minority characters. It also has been chided for the fact that in the company’s 63-year history there has never been a unified African-American World Champion. (The Rock, a seven-time WWE champion and noted Hogan nemesis, is bi-racial, having been born to an African-American father and a Samoan mother.)

Nevertheless, the criticism regarding professional wrestling’s premiere franchise never thwarted the company’s multi-million dollar cash machine. While Hogan—a blond, 6’7” Tampa native who first gained famed as Thunderlips in Rocky III in 1982—became an All-American folk hero (before he briefly went to the dark side with the nWo in the rival WCW in 1996), some of the WWE’s most popular characters have been its most controversial. Rowdy Roddy Piper, a Canadian wrestler who wore a kilt and was billed as being from Glasgow, Scotland, was a WWF superstar in the '80s alongside Hogan. Unlike Hogan, Piper was a textbook villain whose entire shtick was built upon spewing brash, lewd comments regarding race and gender. In his on-air segment Piper’s Pit, he once asked wrestler Tony Atlas, who is black, “To get them big arms, do you eat all of that soul food stuff? Do you eat pigs' feet?” After Atlas seemingly took offense to the line of questioning, Piper responded, “Let me tell you something in your own language, I don’t let the thieves stop me from enjoying my watermelon.”

In another interview segment, this time with Fijian wrestler Jimmy (Superfly) Snuka, Piper asked his rival if he grew up climbing trees like a monkey to get coconuts. Piper also once said that Mr. T’s lips looked like “a catcher’s mitt,” and later told him that he would “whip him like a slave.”

Then there was wrestler Ted (The Million Dollar Man) DiBiase, whose black sidekick/bodyguard Virgil was often subjugated and debased as a part of DiBiase’s emerging storyline. In a video from 1987, DiBiase can be seen boasting about how he could easily buy Virgil, to which Virgil responds “Yes-suh!” Throughout their pairing, DiBiase often referred to Virgil as a slave, even having him rub his feet.

And the list doesn’t stop there. Kamala, The Ugandan Headhunter, was billed as being from “Deepest, Darkest Africa,” and exhibited mannerisms and grunts that were almost inhuman. He wrestled with a spear and wore tribal paint on his face and belly. The Junkyard Dog’s gimmick was crafted in the frame of textbook Negro shuck and jive, with him prancing around wearing a dog collar and chains. Former WWE legend and color commentator Jesse (The Body) Ventura once referred to the Junk Yard Dog as having “a mouth full of grits.” Ventura also commonly called fan favorite Tito Santana, a Mexican-American, “Chico” and dubbed his finishing move the “flying burrito.”

Former WWE champ Triple H, who mocked African-American wrestler Booker T for his "nappy hair, once said that “people like Booker T couldn’t win championships," and that in the WWE “they were just there to dance and entertain.” Then there was Cryme Tyme, a tag-team made up of wrestlers JTG and Shad Gaspard and who brandished themselves as thugged out, gangsta rappers. Their catch phrase was, “Yo yo yo, pop a 40 and check ya rollies-it’s Cryme Time,” and they were often shown assaulting police officers and committing robberies.

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Superstars and Divas' Bodybuilding Pasts

Being in prime physical condition is a requirement for any Superstar or Diva mixing it up in the squared circle. But several competitors have also showcased their amazing physiques on the bodybuilding stage...More?

source: wwe.com

New Name Confirmed for WWE Legends House

Hall of Famer Tony Atlas has been confirmed for the WWE Legends House reality show. We know that the Legends traveled to a local Gold’s Gym to tape footage there. Names confirmed include Atlas, Roddy Piper, Jim Duggan, Gene Okerlund and Jimmy Hart.

This Day in Wrestling History

Mayor Bosse and the Sheriff of Evansville, IN confiscate the $2,756 in ticket sales from the previous night's match on the basis that they believe the Stecher-Lewis match was "not on the square" and was in fact "rigged." Mayor Bosse then proclaims that there would be no more wrestling in Evansville. Show promoter W. F. Barton is left with just $13 after the incident and claimed to owe $400 to the wrestlers.
October 21, 1915

All Japan Pro Wrestling holds it's first ever show at Machida City Gym in Tokyo, Japan. The show is headlined by a two out of three fall tag team match, with Bruno Sammartino & Terry Funk defeating Giant Baba & Thunder Sugiyama. Funk pinned Sugiyama to win the first fall, Sugiyama pinned Funk to win the second, and Baba & Sugiyama were counted out in the final fall.
October 21, 1972

Ernie Ladd defeats Carlos Colon in San Juan, Puerto Rico for the WWC North American Heavyweight Title.
October 21, 1974

Ken Patera defeats Tony Atlas to win his second NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title in Greensboro, North Carolina.
October 21, 1978

Triple H defeated Marc Mero for the WWF(E) Intercontinental title.
October 21, 1996

Chris Jericho defeated The Rock for the WCW Heavyweight title.
October 21, 2001

Triple H simulated sex with a mannequin while dressed as Kane, in the infamous Katie Vick necrophilia skit.
October 21, 2002

Interview with Tony Atlas

'Atlas: Too Much...Too Soon' One of the Most Truthful Wrestling Books Ever

The rise, fall and recent resurrection of the life and career of Tony Atlas is perfectly told in his new book, Atlas: Too Much ... Too Soon. The book, co-written by Scott Teal, tells the truthful journey of Atlas, who was groomed for professional wrestling, only to let his own career and life turn to despair by his own actions....More?

source: slam wrestling

This Day in Wrestling History

Mayor Bosse and the Sheriff of Evansville, IN confiscate the $2,756 in ticket sales from the previous night's match on the basis that they believe the Stecher-Lewis match was "not on the square" and was in fact "rigged." Mayor Bosse then proclaims that there would be no more wrestling in Evansville. Show promoter W. F. Barton is left with just $13 after the incident and claimed to owe $400 to the wrestlers.
October 21, 1915

All Japan Pro Wrestling holds it's first ever show at Machida City Gym in Tokyo, Japan. The show is headlined by a two out of three fall tag team match, with Bruno Sammartino & Terry Funk defeating Giant Baba & Thunder Sugiyama. Funk pinned Sugiyama to win the first fall, Sugiyama pinned Funk to win the second, and Baba & Sugiyama were counted out in the final fall.
October 21, 1972

Ernie Ladd defeats Carlos Colon in San Juan, Puerto Rico for the WWC North American Heavyweight Title.
October 21, 1974

Ken Patera defeats Tony Atlas to win his second NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title in Greensboro, North Carolina.
October 21, 1978

Triple H defeated Marc Mero for the WWF(E) Intercontinental title.
October 21, 1996

Chris Jericho defeated The Rock for the WCW Heavyweight title.
October 21, 2001

Triple H simulated sex with a mannequin while dressed as Kane, in the infamous Katie Vick necrophilia skit.
October 21, 2002

Tony Atlas Released

Standard line from wwe.com:

WWE has come to terms on the release of WWE Superstar Tony Atlas as of today April 30, 2010. We wish Tony the best in all future endeavors.

ECW Results: Dominant Farewell

The WWE Universe bid an emotional, historic farewell to ECW on Syfy from the Sprint Center Arena Tuesday night. But as WWE closes the door on the Land of the Extreme, we’ll soon say hello to the new evolution of reality television with the debut of WWE NXT.

It took Ezekiel Jackson months, but The Guyanese Goliath and his mentor, William Regal, finally accomplished what they set out to achieve on ECW on Syfy – total domination. In the final ECW match, Big Zeke conquered ECW Champion Christian under Extreme Rules, becoming the last Superstar to ever hold the ECW Title. Full results.

source: wwe.com

Interviews with Mark Henry & Tony Atlas

Tony Atlas makes an appearance on ECW

WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas made a special, Extreme appearance on Tuesday night as a guest ring announcer on ECW on Sci Fi during a non-title match between Tommy Dreamer and ECW Champion Mark Henry. While Atlas exchanged words with Henry earlier in the evening, and Dreamer offered Atlas a chance to be in the ECW Original’s corner, Atlas proved to be more than a guest ring announcer on Tuesday night...More?

CM Punk /Tony Atlas Altercation

There was an altercation between ECW Champion CM Punk and WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas last week. Atlas was sent to developmental to so some mentoring and help the talents if he could with advice and other needs. While there, Atlas rubbed many the wrong way as he constantly put himself over and only said that the talents were doing stuff wrong. Atlas made a comment to CM Punk who was working the tapings, that he wore his wrist tape oddly and looked like he had broken arms. Punk basically shrugged off the comments.

After the tapings, they had the normal post meeting. This is the time where Al Snow and other WWE veterans critique what the developmental talents do right and wrong during the show. Atlas started with his critique, and every time he said something negative he would stare down Punk...More?