As an aspiring young rapper, Killings thought he was destined for the entertainment industry, but he took a detour in his late teens and early twenties. “I thought I could make a living selling drugs,” he says. While incarcerated he was discovered by Jack Crockett, son of the late Jim Crockett, who brought wrestling to Charlotte in the 1940s. Jack Crockett offered to pay for his training. Each night after he wrestled, Killings would break down the rings. The next day, he would help put them back up. Killings, who had already been in and out of jail numerous times when he started working with Crockett, says his benefactor helped put him on a better path.
“I felt like I’d been in three or four car wrecks back to back,” says Killings of those first few times in the ring. But he didn’t give up. “I was tired of the way I was living. I credit wrestling with getting my life together.”...More?
source: charlottemagazine.com
August 18, 2011
R-Truth Makes It Big
Syfy Presents First Ever Live WWE SmackDown Special
Syfy and WWE announced today its first ever WWE SmackDown live special, "SuperSmackdown Live," on Tuesday, August 30 at 8-10PM/ET on Syfy, originating from the INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas.
The Tuesday night special will feature WWE's biggest Superstars and Divas, including World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton(R), Christian(R), Sheamus(TM), Mark Henry(R), Sin Cara(TM), Cody Rhodes(TM), Wade Barrett(TM), Daniel Bryan(TM), Brodus Clay(TM), Natalya(TM) and Alicia Fox(TM).
The special will re-air in SmackDown's regular time slot on Friday, September 2 from 8-10PM (ET/PT).
This Time, A Softer Approach
Earlier this summer, Linda McMahon laced up a pair of white sneakers and boarded an oyster-farming boat to learn about the shellfish business.
As Ms. McMahon held a wiggling crab and joked about steering the boat, gone was the image of an exacting CEO in a tailored suit and pearls that beamed across Connecticut during her unsuccessful bid for Senate last year.
The former wrestling league chief, who ran on the Republican ticket as a steely executive, is trying a new approach: She's playing up her softer side and distancing herself from the lucrative career that first launched her into the race...More?
source: wsj.com
TNA Makes Office Cuts
The Wrestling Observer is reporting that TNA recently made office cuts at their Nashville headquarters, and that Public Relations Director Steven Godfrey and Vice President of Marketing Al Ovedia were among the many to be laid off.
This Day in Wrestling History
Happy Birthday to Tom Prichard
August 18, 1959
Ricky Steamboat defeated Paul Orndorff for the WCW Television title.
August 18, 1993
Shawn Michaels defeats Vader to retain the WWF(E) World Title at SummerSlam.
August 18, 1996
August 17, 2011
Chris Masters Feels WWE Release Unjustified
Chris (Masters) Mordetzky cites that a speech given by Triple H after WrestleMania XXVI made him see the big picture, realizing that he could offer WWE a lot more than he was doing and that he could be a star.
"I got real hungry once I heard the Triple H speech. He was talking about how well Sheamus had done, Sheamus this, Sheamus that, trying to rally the whole crew and it just clicked with me that I thought I could be the guy that Triple H was talking about, I wanted to kick ass and reach for the brass ring.
"Over the last year and a half I became 100% focused and I was trying to become one of the best in-ring workers that company had. I felt I could do more and that it was my destiny to be in a higher spot in that company, doing something of more substance."
Unfortunately for "The Masterpiece" his dreams of becoming the companies next big star were dashed when he was released from WWE on August 5th. Having received no word on why he was cut loose, Mordetzky still remains confused by the company's decision, especially when at the beginning of the year, Triple H told him of some plans he and Vince McMahon had for him.
"I was pulled aside by Triple H on a couple of occasions and he told me that he and Vince had noticed how much progress I had made in the ring, how they were going to use me in a big way, that they would be taking me off TV for three months and then after that, repackaging my gimmick. All of this seemed very genuine, so I had high hopes.
"I thought I had good things coming, everybody was seemingly realizing how hard I had worked so I thought my time was coming. I can't think of why they released me, maybe I should have taken the initiative and gone to Hunter a few more times with ideas. I wasn't under any impression at all that I was on a chopping block at all...More?
source: slam wrestling
WWE Registers 3 Very Interesting Trademarks
According to PWInsider, WWE has registered the following trademarks:
Future endeavored
Future endeavor
Mr. Future Endeavor
August 16, 2011
Linda McMahon: Enough Already
Linda McMahon, wife of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, has wrote an opinion piece on the Stamford Advocate website, in which she reinforces her need to run for the United States Senate. Click here.
