An absolute must read by Steve Anderson of wrestelzone.com:
Hating Triple H is a popular sport. Actually, it has been for going on for nearly a decade. He is a favorite punching bag. He is a heat magnet.
He is a master politician. And I don’t mean that in a negative way.
Look at his WWE career. He was, at best a mid-card performer when he debuted in that silly, bowing snob gimmick. He was de-pushed and punished following the ’96 MSG Incident (I hate that overused term as much as the “Calgary Screwjob”). After he served his sentence, he led DX in a war against WCW and became a major player in the launch of the attitude era.
By 1999, he was WWE champion and has held that title (including the World Heavyweight championship version) multiple times. His detractors, and there are many, say that he got where he is today by working the system, marrying the boss’ daughter, and man*pulating like a master politician.
There’s that term again…master politician.
Those who know the business fully realize that the cream does not always rise to the top. The best ring performers do not always get the main event push, nor do they always wear a championship belt. That is not to say that the wrestling/sports entertainment business is not about talent. It is. But it is also about marketability and the ability to politic.
Triple H has that skill and it has brought him great success...More?
August 5, 2008
Steve Anderson is tired of Triple H Haters
Eric Bischoff comments on Ric Flair leaving the WWE
"But I cant help to wonder about Ric Flair’s motivation to leave WWE. In some ways, Ric Flair is in a similar position to Brett Favre. In May I wrote in my blog “Finally” about how happy I was for Ric, that he could retire on a grand stage like Wrestlemania with the love, support, and respect from the people around him. To have the opportunity to retire in a way that put a proud period at the end of the last sentence of a great book that was Ric’s career is rare and should be appreciated.
If Ric asked for his release from WWE in order to pursue a career as a public/corporate speaker, I wish him the best. Ric is great in front of a crowd, and if charm and charisma were publicly traded commodities on the New York Stock Exchange, Ric would be a walking Fortune 500 company.
But if Ric is being driven by his “sense of self”, and is contemplating a return to the ring as a result, I fear,that the special moment that was Ric’s retirement and in many respects his legacy, will be diluted forever in the process."
www.ericbischoff.com
WWE Superstars taking over Venice Beach
Saturday, August 9 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Live in the Beach, Venice Beach, CA
WWE’s SummerFest is taking over Venice Beach for a FREE all day event that includes live wrestling, performances by Prima J & Omar Cruz, fun & interactive activities for everyone to enjoy, contests, give-aways & appearances by Mr. Kennedy, Carlito, Tommy Dreamer, The Miz, John Morrison, Elijah Burke, Jimmy Wang Yang Funaki, Lilian Garcia, Layla, Lena Yada & Candice Michelle! Hosted by 2005 Hall of Famer & WWE Legend the “Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart.
*Pick up a wristband at the photo booth area for a guaranteed photo with our WWE Divas! Distribution begins at 11am. Limited amount of wristbands available.
JBL & Meredith Whitney in Fortune Magazine
source: money.cnn.com
WWE PPV buyrates
WWE Backlash: 200,000 buys (194,000 buys in 2007)
WWE Judgment Day: 252,000 buys (242,000 buys in 2007)
WWE One Night Stand: 194,000 buys (186,000 buys in 2007)
WWE Night of Champions: 273,000 buys (243,000 buys in 2007)
source: corporate.wwe.com
More than just looks
If two heads are better than one, what about two beautiful heads? Angelina Love and Velvet Sky got the look, no doubt, but they offer so much more -- combining athleticism, wrestling skill, smarts and creativity for a very successful tandem in TNA.
Collectively known as The Beautiful People, Love and Sky help lead a very talented women's division, the TNA Knockouts, proving quality women's wrestling matches can draw fans and ratings at a sound level...More?
source: miamiherald.com
New WWE World Tag Team Champions
John Cena and Batista won the World Tag Team Championships from Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes after Batista pinned Ted DiBiase on tonight's edition of Raw from Knoxville, Tennessee. After the show went off the air, John Cena told the crowd that it was the largest crowd that had been in the venue in 20 years.
source: wrestlingnewsworld.com
August 4, 2008
Truth revealed: Michaels' double injury
In his storied career, The Showstopper has endured multiple knee surgeries and, as the entire WWE Universe knows, it was a severe back injury that kept Michaels from competing in a WWE ring for four years. What even HBK’s most committed supporters did not know – until now – is that he also cracked his ribs at WrestleMania 24, when an errant moonsault connected Michaels’ midsection with the announce table...More?
More on Ric Flair
From Georgiann Makropoulos at wrestlingfigs.com:
Many of you fans have written to me asking about Ric Flair's personal problems, I wrote about yesterday. I didn't want to be the first person to put this out there, but I am told by many reliable sources that Ric is separated from his wife Tiffany. Many were questioning why Tiffany wasn't with Ric at the Smackdown tapings in Charlotte last month. That is the reason.
I personally don't think Ric Flair should be married. His lifestyle of stylin' and profilin' is his real life. He lives a very frivolous lifestyle and that will never change after all these years...More?
Rumor Mill - Mick Foley Unhappy?
Mick Foley is said to be unhappy with his role as SmackDown! announcer and may be leaving WWE television shortly, reports prowrestling.net. Several sources indicate that Foley is fed up with getting yelled at in his headset by Vince McMahon and is disgruntled with the current arrangement.
