Dreaming of stardom in the ring

Bodies were flying and weights were clanking throughout his red-, white- and blue-painted gym, but Booker T. Huffman — better known as Booker T and, now, King Booker — lowered his voice when he talked about fellow wrestler Chris Benoit.

"He was a really good friend of mine," said Huffman, referring to the World Wrestling Entertainment pro wrestler who last month allegedly committed murder-suicide. "I just really think that he was under a lot of pressure and a lot of stress. Whatever it was, it was just too much for him to bear."

Despite the cloud cast on the professional wrestling community, young men and women across the city continue to crowd into dark, hot rings with dreams of being the next WWE superstars. Houston offers lots of opportunity...More?

Chris Benoit & Son Go Swimming Before Murders?

The Wrestling Observer is reporting more details on the Benoit tragedy:

Chris Benoit spoke to a pool boy (not named) during a period on Saturday. Meltzer reports that multiple sources have stated that this pool boy saw both Chris and Daniel Benoit. One of those sources claim the two were swimming in the Benoit pool. This would have been while Nancy was already dead inside the home. Just hours later, Chris wound up killing Daniel and then himself.

Re-cap of Fit Finaly on Nancy Grace

WWE’s Fit Finlay appeared on Nancy Grace last night along with Marc Mero, Bryan Alvarez from Figure 4 Wrestling Online and others. Finaly said WWE’s testing is “very comprehensive“, and went on to say this:

“They watch us every test we do. It’s very strict. It’s probably one of the best screening things out there. No other wrestling company has done this. WCW tried. We have done it. We tried it, I think in the late-’80s, early-’90s, and now in the last year and a half. Guys are being suspended or fired if they’re caught. As regards to someone turning up with a script and getting away with whatever you want, that is absolutely not true. Their doctors need to communicate with Dr. Black. If that is a legitimate cause for the prescription, they take it from there. It is not a Get out of Jail free card. That is absolute garbage.”...

...Finlay said he’d been in the business over 30 years without drugs. He said if you’re under contract to WWE, you can ask for time off and that if you’ve not been in the WWE in the last two years, you’re not in a position to comment...More?

Giambi meets with Mitchell

Yankees slugger Jason Giambi met with George Mitchell on Friday, becoming the first active player known to talk with baseball's steroids investigator...More?

Snoop Dogg's Life to Be E! Reality Show

Snoop Dogg's home and work lives will be on display in a new reality series, E! Entertainment Television said Friday.

The series, scheduled to debut in late 2007 and described by the cable channel as "hilarious and heartwarming," will show the hip-hop heavyweight trying to balance his different worlds.

"The juggling act that Snoop faces day-in, day-out between career and family is certain to resonate with our viewers," said Ted Harbert, president and CEO of Comcast Entertainment Group, which operates the E! channel.

The rapper, whose real name is Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr., has three children, is active in community causes and is involved in a youth football league he founded, E! said...More?

Wrestling Fans Going to War with Nancy Grace

The wrestling forums are lighting up with wrestling fans that are outraged at Nancy Grace for her coverage of the Chris Benoit murder/suicide story. Wrestling fans are saying she did not have her facts straight before reporting the story.

Her angle of attack on the story was that anabolic steroids had to have played a part in the actions of Chris Benoit. Nancy Grace quoted the WWE in the statement that anabolic steroids did not play a part in the murders. She attempted to make a statement that the WWE would "of course deny the possibility."

The fans of wrestling became angered because of the fact that the police have announced that they are looking into the possibility that Chris Benoit had been giving the steroids to his child in an attempt to make him grow to average size for his age. Being a former lawyer, the WWE fans would have thought that Nancy Grace would have argued this case after researching it...More?

Spike TV To Shell Out Over $100 Million To Keep UFC

Spike TV is on the verge of pinning down a multiyear, multimillion-dollar renewal of its Ultimate Fighting Championship distribution deal, according to sources close to the network.

The new deal, which is expected to cost Spike in excess of $100 million, will allow the men’s-targeted network to keep its popular Ultimate Fighter reality series. The pact will also give Spike more live UFC events than the previous agreement, which expired at the end of last year.

Diamond Dallas Page & Jay-Z Agree in Principle to Settle Lawsuit

It appears as if former wrestling superstar Diamond Dallas Page is close to settling his trademark infringement lawsuit with hip hop mogul Jay-Z. The two sides reached a settlement in principle on June 15th after a lengthy period of mediation.

The settlement will be presented in court on August 10th. If the court signs off on it, the case will then be dismissed. For those that do not remember, Page sued Jay-Z (and a number of his companies) for allegedly infringing on his “Diamond Cutter” hand gesture.

source: PWInsider.com

Anything Goes

IT IS WELL PAST MIDNIGHT WHEN MARIO YAMASAKI DECIDES HE WANTS TO CHOKE SOMEONE UNCONSCIOUS AT HIS BARBECUE. The Brazilian jiujitsu expert unfolds his brawny arms, tanned from a weekend of boating on the Potomac, and leans forward in his chair. A floodlight flickers on and off. His Rockville neigh...

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Fit Finlay on Nancy Grace

WWE is sending SmackDown star Fit Finlay to debate Marc Mero on the WWE/Benoit/steroids story on Nancy Grace on Friday night at 8:00 p.m. on CNN Headline News. Finlay is the first wrestler WWE has allowed to appear on a cable talk show that wasn't Larry King's. TV producers have made several requests to WWE asking for someone to represent the company in the debates, but WWE officials have repeatedly turned down the requests. Furthermore, WWE put talent on a three-week media ban.

source: wrestling observer

Benoit News: Big Argument Before Killings?

The Police Department believes (but are not absolutely certain) that the argument between Nancy and Chris Benoit that resulted in Nancy Benoit's murder was the result of Nancy telling Chris she was leaving him.

Apparently Benoit actually spoke to next door neighbor Holly McFague sometime on Saturday, after the killing of Nancy Benoit, but before the killing of Daniel Benoit.

Benoit gave neighbor McFague a cover story of how sick Nancy and Daniel Benoit were (the same story that was reported in the phone calls to WWE workers). This was again after the killing of Nancy Benoit, but before the killing of Daniel Benoit. McFague has previously been reported by many sources as the person who actually led police into the Benoit property and first discovered the bodies of all three Benoit's. She came out of the house screaming.

source: Wrestler Observer

Triple H Return Update

It is rumored that Triple H will make his return at the August 13th Raw at Madison Square Garden.