August 13, 2013
WWE, Anchor Bay Team For Jason Momoa’s Directing Debut ‘Road To Paloma’
WWE Studios and Anchor Bay Films has acquired distribution rights in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia/New Zealand to Road to Paloma, the directorial debut of Jason Momoa. Momoa played the title role in Conan the Barbarian, and was last seen playing Khal Drogo in HBO’s Game Of Thrones. Road To Paloma will be released in the U.S. later this year, and is produced by Momoa and Brian Andrew Mendoza’s Pride of Gypsies with Jamey Pryde serving as executive producer. Robert Homer Mollohan co-wrote the film with Jonathan Hirschbein and Momoa.
In Road to Paloma, Momoa stars as Robert Wolf, a Native American, who is being hotly pursued by the FBI for taking the law into his own hands after thugs rape and kill his mother on their reservation. Wolf crosses paths with Cash (Mollohan), a down and out musician, and an unlikely bond is formed as they motorcycle across the vast highways of the American West in search of redemption.
Momoa is currently starring in The Red Road, a scripted series for The Sundance Channel. He seems like a pretty decent guy; when I interviewed Game Of Thrones exec producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, they said that while they have become accustomed to routinely killing their cast, the guy that was hardest was Drogo, because they so loved hanging out with Momoa.
“Jason is a genuine triple threat with his writing, directing and, of course, acting talent. He has delivered a gritty, provocative and powerful film. We couldn’t be more excited to introduce it to audiences through our continued collaboration with our partners at Anchor Bay,” said WWE Studios President Michael Luisi, who made the deal with Anchor Bay’s Kevin Kasha.
The film also stars Lisa Bonet, Sarah Shahi, Michael Raymond-James, Wes Studi, Timothy V. Murphy, and Chris Browning.
source: deadline.com
WWE Takes Over Los Angeles With SummerSlam
For the fifth straight year, WWE will entertain the city of Los Angeles with a week-long lineup of events that place an emphasis on community and charitable outreach in celebration of SummerSlam, taking place this Sunday, August 18 live on pay-per-view at 8 p.m. ET from Staples Center. The events begin today and include:
• SummerSlam Press Conference – Tuesday, August 13, Beverly Hills Hotel
For the first time, WWE will host a press conference to kick off SummerSlam Week. Days before John Cena® defends the WWE Championship against Daniel Bryan®, the two will come face-to-face at The Beverly Hills Hotel. The SummerSlam headliners will be joined by the biggest names in WWE to offer a preview of this year’s event. The press conference will also be streamed live on WWE.com, YouTube and Facebook.
• Children’s Hospital Visits – Wednesday, August 14
WWE Superstar The Miz® will be joined by Divas Champion AJ Lee™ and WWE Legend Eve™ at the Mattel Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. On both occasions, children will be provided with toys donated by Mattel.
• “Be a STAR” (Show Tolerance and Respect) Anti-Bullying Rallies – Thursday, August 15
WWE and The Creative Coalition will host two anti-bullying rallies at a local youth center and school in Los Angeles on Thursday, August 15. Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, actor Ryan Ochoa and “Anger Management’s” Daniela Bobadilla will join WWE Superstars Big Show®, Hornswoggle® and Alicia Fox™ at the Cathy Hensel Youth Center in Montebello, delivering anti-bullying messages to more than 400 children between the ages of 5-13. Later that day, Sanchez, Ochoa, Bobadilla, WWE Superstars The Prime Time Players™ and ring announcer Lilian Garcia™ will host a second Be a STAR rally at Samuel Gompers Middle School for approximately 300 8th grade students.
• Superstars for Hope to benefit Make-A-Wish – Thursday, August 15, Beverly Hills Hotel
WWE and E! Entertainment will host the Superstars for Hope (#STARS4HOPE) red carpet party on Thursday, August 15 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. On July 22, WWE and E! Entertainment launched the first-ever Superstars for Hope fundraising initiative to support Make-A-Wish, featuring chances to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences available to anyone who makes a contribution. For every $10 fans and supporters contribute through fundraising partner Omaze, they will receive five chances to win one of two packages donated by WWE and E!
• Susan G. Komen Mobile Mammogram Units – Friday, August 16 & Sunday, August 18
As part of WWE’s partnership with Susan G. Komen, WWE will host mobile mammograms units at select locations where under insured women will be able to receive a mammogram free of charge. On Friday, August 16, WWE Diva Layla™ and ring announcer Lilian Garcia will take part in a meet and greet at Northgate Gonzalez Grocery store to promote the importance of early detection. The two will be joined by WWE Superstar Alex Riley™ for Sunday’s meet and greet at SummerSlam Axxess in Nokia Plaza at LA Live.
• SummerSlam Axxess – Saturday, August 17 & Sunday, August 18, Nokia Plaza at LA Live
Get ready for the ultimate WWE fan experience when SummerSlam Axxess (#AXXESS) takes over the Nokia Plaza at LA Live Saturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18. This year, the WWE Universe will get unprecedented access to meet their favorite WWE Superstars, Divas and Legends, with more live matches and autograph signings than ever before. WWE Superstar Q & A’s and interactive activities will take place all throughout the plaza.
• Make-A-Wish Celebration – Saturday, August 17
WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio® will host this year’s Make-A-Wish Celebration, granting wishes to nine children and hosting their families for an afternoon of fun at Lucky Strike. As part of its 30-year partnership with Make-A-Wish, WWE is also hosting the wish children and their families at SummerSlam.
• SummerSlam Mamarazzi – Sunday, August 18, Lexus Club, Staples Center
Approximately 40 mom bloggers and their children will be in attendance for a panel discussion with WWE Executive Vice President, Creative and mom of three Stephanie McMahon. WWE Superstars The Miz and Rey Mysterio will be on hand for a meet and greet with the moms and children.
August 12, 2013
WrestleMania 29 Nominated for a 2013 “SportsTravel Award”
The readers of SportsTravel Magazine have spoken and WrestleMania 29 has been nominated for a 2013 “SportsTravel Award” in the Best Professional Sporting Event category! The record-breaking 2013 Show of Shows – which emanated from the NY/NJ area and saw over 80,000 members of the WWE Universe pack into MetLife Stadium – is nominated alongside renowned sporting events such as The Ryder Cup, The U.S. Open Tennis Championships, the NFL’s NFC Championship Game and the Nike U.S. Open Surfing Championships.
The selection is based on WrestleMania’s superior organization, fan experience and venue. In addition to the “SportsTravel Award,” WrestleMania 29 and the other nominees are also eligible for the overall “Sports Event of the Year Award.”
The balloting process is open at http://vote.schneiderpublishing.com/ballot/ and will continue through September 15, 2013. Winners will be announced at the TEAMS '13 Conference & Expo, November 4-7, in Salt Lake City. Make your voice heard and vote for WrestleMania!
Special Guest Referee Announced For WWE Championship Match
During WWE Raw, Vince McMahon came out and was about to announce Brad Maddox as the special guest referee for WWE SummerSlam, but Triple H interrupted. Triple H would declare him as the special guest referee and then connect with a Pedigree. Vince left upset and it looks like Triple H will be the referee for John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship.
Cory Ledesma, Triple H reveal ‘30 Years of WrestleMania’ with WWE 2K14 video game project
The upcoming WWE 2K14 is shaping to be one of the most impressive and ambitious sports entertainment video games in history.
Creative director Cory Ledesma revealed the single player campaign for this year’s installment of the popular franchise would be centered on the rich history of WrestleMania. The milestone event will turn 30 when it emanates from New Orleans in 2014.
“This is an announcement all of our fans have been waiting for because it’s such an important part of the game and the mode itself ends up defining a large portion of the game’s roster,” Ledesma said during a conference call with Paul Triple H Levesque.
“…Our new single-player campaign is called ‘30 Years of WrestleMania.’ This will be a nostalgic journey spanning three decades that will allow players to relive the greatest moments and matches of WrestleMania history. It’s all of the unforgettable moments that have defined the greatness of what WrestleMania has become over the last 30 years.”
Gamers will have the opportunity to play in more than 45 matches, reliving some of the biggest showdowns in the most interactive way possible. Among them is the colossal battle between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant from WrestleMania III.
“That’s right. We just announced Hulk Hogan is in the game,” Ledesma said. “[There is also] WWE 2K14 cover superstar Dwayne The Rock Johnson versus Hulk Hogan billed as an ‘Icon vs. Icon’ match at WrestleMania and also WrestleMania 28’s much anticipated main event of The Rock versus John Cena. This is just a small sampling.”
Ledesma believes the game, which is the first published by 2K Sports, will have the greatest roster ever assembled in a WWE videogame. The official roster reveal occurs Saturday, Aug. 17 at WWE’s SummerSlam Axxess at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles.
A close attention to detail was made to ensure all the unique presentation elements were recreated in each historic contest. Everything from the arena, tailored graphics and crowds to superstar ring attire and entrances replicate the matches as it happened.
Ledesma says the vintage screen effects during the 1980s and ‘90s will transform gamers back in time. WWE-produced video packages were made and placed before several bouts as a refresher to the storylines that led to the ‘Mania mat classics. Fans can also look for in-game cinematic cut scenes and historical in-game objectives to reproduce matches as they transpired, rewarding players with unlocked goodies.
Levesque is no stranger to creating history during his legendary career at the biggest spectacle in sports entertainment. WWE’s executive vice president of talent and live events says the company is extremely excited about the videogame concept of “30 years of WrestleMania.” He thinks WWE 2K14 will appeal to all ages, casual and hardcore fans alike.
“A lot of them may have watched all 30 years of WrestleMania as it grew from a closed circuit event to a pay-per-view event with 90,000 people watching at the historic Pontiac Silverdome between Hulk Hogan versus Andre the Giant, which you will be able to play in this game,” Levesque said, “to the global phenomenon it is today, stadiums every year and the global impact that WrestleMania has, and the long-lasting impact WrestleMania has for 30 years. As it has grown, WrestleMania has become the Super Bowl of WWE...It has become an event city after city all across the United States are coming in to bid just like they would a Super Bowl as to who is going to get WrestleMania. We are getting years ahead…
“It has become a cultural event that even if you are not a hardcore WWE fan, it becomes a cultural event that is water cooler talk, if that still exists. I guess that would be social media. It’s a must-see event for everyone. I think this game is going to represent the nostalgia of that, the excitement of that. I’m a real big believer in history and knowing where you came from is important to where you’re going to go. As WrestleMania continues to grow, I think it’s important to see where WrestleMania has been in seeing these iconic moments…”
Levesque, whose nickname is “The Game,” says they are excited about the superstar alum brought back in videogame form. These include “Macho Man” Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior, who was recently announced as pre-order exclusive playable character.
“I’ll go out on a limb and say my match with the Ultimate Warrior might not make it into the greatest moment’s aspect of the greatest moments of WrestleMania history,” Levesque said of his encounter with the man from “Parts Unknown” at WrestleMania XII.
“Although it was a phenomenal moment for me, the opportunity for me to step into the ring with probably one of the greatest icons that there have ever been in this industry, the rest of it didn’t matter. The fact that I stepped in the ring with him on the biggest stage in the world at WrestleMania was all I needed to know at that time. It was moment that I will absolutely never forget. So for me, it is an absolutely incredible WrestleMania moment.”
Levesque has been credited with helping what may have been considered unheard of take place. He was a big part of securing Bruno Sammartino in the WWE Hall of Fame this year. Now the Ultimate Warrior has started working with the company on projects such as the videogame under his watch.
“For me I’m a real big believer in the history of our industry and of WWE,” Levesque said. “I come to this maybe differently. It’s a business, but also just every day I come into my office, and I’m a six-year-old kid on Saturday morning watching Saturday morning wrestling on my TV and thinking it’s the greatest thing I’ve ever seen. So to me, you look at a Hulk Hogan. You look at Ultimate Warrior, these are the guys I grew up watching, and they should be a part of this great business and WWE.
“This is what it is. Vince McMahon had a vision of one global brand that encompasses it all, and I think he succeeded in that vision. They should be a part of it and participate in it. As time goes on, people have their reasons as to why they are here or not here, day-to-day. Everything falls into where it does I guess, but I look at it from a bigger picture.
“Is there not some way we can work together because at the end of the day this is all about the WWE Universe, our fans and what they want and what they want to see. I think they want these people to be a part of it. They want to remember their childhood and remember the past. This is not the only way for them to watch back but participate in it and be a part of it. With this videogame franchise, to me, that is just huge.”
It has been years since Warrior has been associated with a WWE-related production. Levesque thinks the colorful performer was excited about coming back into the fold.
“A lot of water passed under the bridge,” Levesque said. “A lot of time goes by, and I think everybody realizes, ‘What are we doing?’ Everybody grows and everybody becomes different people. I think it happened on all sides. We just decided it was the right time. Him jumping into this videogame I think is a tremendous step forward.
“We are working on a continued relationship. Obviously, this is a great partnership with Warrior, who is one of the most well-known and iconic brands in WWE history. We are excited to have him in this game and that the WWE Universe will be able to play that character and be the Ultimate Warrior. How cool is that? I think he is excited about it, and I look forward to the future in working together in making everything exciting for the fans or our fans.”
source: miamiherald.com
August 9, 2013
WWE Scores 20 Million Viewers
WWE amassed 20 million viewers during the past week across all of its action-packed, drama-filled programming including: SmackDown® on Friday, August 2 on Syfy; WrestleMania® 29: The World Television Premiere on Saturday, August 3 on NBC; Total Divas™ on Sunday, August 4 on E! Entertainment Television; Raw® on Monday, August 5 on USA Network; and Main Event™ on Wednesday, August 7 on ION Television.
Key highlights include:
Friday Night SmackDown – Friday, August 2 on Syfy
• SmackDown was the most watched program on cable among all Males
WrestleMania 29: The World Television Premiere – Saturday, August 3 on NBC
• WrestleMania 29: The World Television Premiere ranked #1 with A18-34, M18-34, M18-49 and K2-11
• The television special was up +39% with A18-49 from the prior 4-weeks in the time period on NBC and generated more than 3 million unique Viewers
Total Divas – Sunday, August 4 on E! Entertainment Television
• In its second week, Total Divas built week-to-week viewership in key demos including P18-49 (+4%), W18-49 (+5%), Viewers (+14%) and HH (+13%)
• The telecast ranked as the most-watched unscripted series for the time period among P18-34 (557), W18-34 (367), and M18-34 (189) on all of cable
• The episode paced above prior 4-week averages by double-digit percentages across key targets including P18-49 (+42%) and Viewers (+48%)
Monday Night Raw – Monday, August 5 on USA Network
• Raw generated 8 million unique Viewers
• The show was watched by more M18-34 than every other program on broadcast TV
WWE Main Event – Wednesday, August 7 on ION Television
• Main Event was the most watched program on ION across all demos
• The program was watched by more Viewers than every program on The CW, AMC, Spike TV or Bravo
August 8, 2013
Why DirecTV has dropped TNA's "One Night Only" PPV events
DirecTV dropped the recent "TNA One Night Only: TNA 10 Reunion" PPV special that debuted on 8/2. According to a report by Dave Meltzer, the decision was made "last minute" by DirecTV to drop the show and all going forward.
To have all the shows completely pulled going forward by DirecTV indicates a low number of purchases for the events that started airing back in April.
source: wrestling observer newsletter
August 7, 2013
Sheamus Suffers Injury
MRI results indicate that Sheamus has suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will require surgery, scheduled for next week. As a result, The Celtic Warrior is expected to be sidelined for four to six months, WWE.com has learned.
The injury occurred during the Money in the Bank All-Stars Ladder Match and was further aggravated over the following weeks. During that intense match, Sheamus was thrown off the top rope and sent crashing through a ladder at ringside, landing hard on his left leg and left shoulder.
"My mindset heading into Money in the Bank was to risk everything to get that WWE Title contract,” Sheamus told WWE.com. “That night I went out there putting it all on the line.”
While it seemed as though his leg had taken the brunt of the impact, swelling to twice the size of his uninjured right leg, The Celtic Warrior soon found out that his battle scars from that night ran deep.
During WWE’s tour of South Africa, Sheamus’ leg started to heal, but he discovered his range of motion limited in his shoulder and he experienced sharp pains radiating down his arm, he said. During a pre-Raw workout, Sheamus felt another sharp pain in his shoulder and notified WWE medical staff.
“We performed a specialized MRI with a dye inserted to highlight the structures within the shoulder joint," said WWE ringside physician Dr. Chris Amann. "Doctor Samson and I both reviewed the film, and it appears that Sheamus has a cartilage [SLAP] tear.”
As a result, Sheamus will undergo arthroscopic surgery next week to fix the tear, which doctors hope will offer him the best chance of recovery and the best outlook for a normally functioning shoulder.
"I’ve never in my whole life had to have surgery,” Sheamus said. “I’ve always worked through pain. For the first time in four years, I’m going to be out of action.”
He continued, “To say I’m devastated would be a serious understatement, but I’m determined to take this time to go home to Ireland to see my family, to see my friends, learn a different language, read a lot of books, and come back bigger, stronger and better than ever.”
Intent to stay positive through his injuries, Sheamus emphatically said, “I’m determined to be a champion again, and when I come back I am going to rock this place like it’s never been rocked before!”
source: wwe.com
Mexico’s Female Professional Wrestlers Do It for the Love
At this point lucha libre, Mexico’s version of professional wrestling, is famous the world over—the superheroesque masks, the muscled men preening and acting out storylines in the ring, the acrobatic aerial maneuvers. But what’s not as well-known is that the sport isn’t exclusive to dudes. Luchadoras, masked female competitors, are becoming more and more prominent in Mexico, and not just as sexy sideshows. Journalist Marta Franco followed a handful of these women through Mexico City's pro wrestling scene and used the material she gathered to create her graduate-school thesis, "Las Luchadoras," a series of videos that documents and celebrates these women’s role in lucha libre as well as their difficulties acheiving the same recognition as men.
Mexican women have been invovled in pro wrestling since the 1940s, but they were barred from competing in the county's capital until 1986. At first, many entered the ring as eye candy (they were there to "blow kisses and show off" to the crowd, one luchadora told Marta) rather than actual competitors. It's only recently that the sport has allowed women to fight men. Yet there’s still widespread discrimination despite the efforts of luchadoras and their fans. I recently sat down with Marta in San Francisco to talk about her project and what place women occupy in lucha libre...More?
source: vice.com
August 6, 2013
Details on WWE SummerSlam Axxess Sessions
WWE released the following schedule information for next week's AXXESS sessions in Los Angeles as part of Summerslam 2013 weekend:
General Admission Tickets - $25*
General Admission sessions
Saturday, August 17 — 11 a.m.
The Miz, Jack Swagger, Zeb Colter, Antonio Cesaro, Curtis Axel, Paul Heyman, The Wyatt Family, Mick Foley, Damien Sandow, Jerry “the King” Lawler, and more!
Saturday, August 17 — 4 p.m.
Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, Fandango, Summer Rae, Booker T, The Bellas, AJ, Big E, Zack Ryder, R-Truth, The Funkadactyls and more!
Sunday, August 18 — 11 a.m.
Rob Van Dam, Christian, The Usos, Kaitlyn, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Brodus Clay, Zack Ryder, Justin Gabriel, Tensai, Rosa, Tamina, and more!
Limited VIP Tickets - $95*
VIP Tickets include:
- (1) 8x10 glossy photo of the appearing Superstar
- (1) Autograph and professional photo with the appearing VIP Superstar
- Exclusive VIP line at the event entrance
VIP sessions
Saturday, August 17
Session 1
Meet WWE Superstars The Shield 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Sheamus 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Session 2
Meet WWE Superstar Ryback 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Big Show 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Randy Orton 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Kane 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday, August 18
Meet WWE Superstar Mark Henry 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Meet WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Limited Premium VIP Tickets - $150*
Premium VIP Tickets include:
- (1) SummerSlam Axxess Premium VIP commemorative ticket
- (1) Special matted Premium VIP Superstar photo
- (1) Autograph and professional photo with the appearing Premium VIP Superstar
- Exclusive VIP line at the event entrance
Premium VIP sessions
Saturday, August 17
Session 1
Meet WWE Superstar John Cena 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Session 2
Meet WWE Superstar Triple H 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar CM Punk 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
WWE Studios, Lionsgate Scare Up ‘See No Evil’ Sequel
WWE Studios is bringing “See No Evil” back to life, producing a sequel with Lionsgate to the horror film that will again star wrestler Kane as a psychopath that goes on a killing spree.
“See No Evil” was the first film that WWE produced through its film division, and went on to earn $19 million worldwide when it was released in 2006 — its biggest hit until this year’s Halle Berry thriller “The Call,” which generated $52 million to date.
Production on “See No Evil 2″ will start in the fall, with identical twin helmers the Soska Sisters Jen and Sylvia (“American Mary”) set to direct. They are also among the directors that will contribute to the anthology series “ABCs of Death 2.”
Kane will return as the reclusive madman Jacob Goodnight, who rises from the dead in the city morgue after his killing spree at the Blackwell hotel and goes after a group of medical students who fight to survive. Nathan Brookes and Bobby Lee Darby are co-writing the script...More?
source: variety.com
WWE EVP Stephanie McMahon Sells 114,972 Shares
WWE EVP Stephanie McMahon sold 114,972 shares of World Wrestling Entertainment stock on the open market in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.39, for a total value of $1,194,559.08. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 51,945 shares of the company’s stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.
A number of research firms have recently commented on WWE. Analysts at Zacks downgraded shares of World Wrestling Entertainment from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note to investors on Friday...More?
source: zolmax.com
August 5, 2013
WWE Studios Film Helps Company Reach Milestone
“The Call” not only helped WWE turn around its film division, becoming the biggest hit for WWE Studios when the Halle Berry thriller went on to earn nearly $52 million domestically in March. But the movie has now become the 3 billionth rental for Redbox...More?
source: variety.com
Rumor Mill - Early Plans for WrestleMania XXX
The Rock is still saying privately that he is not working WrestleMania XXX next year. If he sits out, WWE will look to do Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker, John Cena vs. Triple H and possibly CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan.
While these plans will probably change several times before now and then, we continue to hear that Punk and Bryan are hoping to be kept apart until Wrestlemania XXX.
Vince McMahon may choose to go in a different direction but that was the update as of early last week. The Rock was quoted last week about his wrestling future, saying that he would like to leave it open.
source: wnw premium news
August 4, 2013
August 3, 2013
Rumor Mill - DX/Chyna/Ultimate Warrior in the WWE Hall of Fame
Recently there was speculation that Degeneration X would headline the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame inductees with all the members of the group including Chyna being inducted together. However, now it appears the inclusion of Chyna is unlikely due to her recent and continued involvement with the porn industry. There was talk of induction for DX last year as a group but this never materialized due to reports that Triple H wanted to be inducted by himself. Furthermore, the growing speculation is that the Ultimate Warrior will headline the 2014 Hall of Fame class. It is unlikely that either Triple H or Shawn Michaels would want to play second fiddle to the Warrior nor would Warrior want to be pegged behind DX.
source: wrestling observer
Q&A with Sting
WCW and TNA wrestling legend Steve “Sting” Borden co-stars with Brian Bosworth in Revelation Road—on DVD now—and recently spoke with M&F about training, steroids, and how much gas he has left in the tank.
Muscle & Fitness: Tell us a little bit about your character in Revelation Road.
Sting: My character is a bad guy in a biker gang. Brian is the leader of the gang and we’re creating havoc everywhere we go. I’m a guy who’s had the short end of the stick his entire life so I end up in a biker gang. This is the story of the end times, a story of how God is trying to grab hold of each one of us and get through to us. The reason why I wanted to do it is because of the message. It’s not just an action movie. It’s a movie with a message. It’s something beyond pro wrestling and beyond entertainment, and beyond this life.
Sounds pretty close to your heart.
It is. In August of 1998 my life was turned upside down. I gave my life to Jesus Christ who became my Lord and Savior, right at the peak of my career where I had all the money and power and fame you could ever want. It’s just like in this movie. God kept trying to reach me, to open my eyes. And I was like, “Don’t talk to me about Jesus. My life is fine.” But in August of 1998, I had a moment of truth with a confession I made to my wife. There was drugs, alcohol, adultery, the whole package, and I wound up coming clean and confessing it all.
In your prime, what was your training like?
I never did the powerlifting thing, but the goal was to lift heavy. Four plates squatting for reps – 4-5, 8-10, 315 for 20, 225 for 50 – leg extensions, leg curls and that’s how we trained every single week. On the bench , my best was 435 – I was younger and I was on the gas, too. There were guys who weighed a lot less than I did who could easily do that. But I didn’t really train for power or strength. I trained for size. That’s all I was training for. My knees are arthritic now. I don’t have a whole lot of flexibility left. Thankfully, I got smart somehow or another in 1990 and stopped taking steroids – totally stopped. A lot of the guys I ran with all those years continued to take steroids year after year – those guys are having their knees and their hips replaced. I’m not saying everybody who gets their knees and their hips replaced took steroids. I just noticed that the guys who did that were too big, too bulky, too heavy, and the body couldn’t handle it and it took its toll. So that was my one saving grace, but I would train differently now. I’m actually doing pretty good for a guy my age – I just turned 54 – and I’m still hanging in there. I can move a little bit in the ring. I can’t do half of what I used to be able to do, but I get around.
Did you know Brian Bosworth before doing this movie?
No, but years ago he wrote his autobiography and in it he dedicated a paragraph to me, saying, “Oh, yeah, and there’s this wrestler named Sting, who copied my haircut. I should get a cut of the gate at every event he does.” I thought it was funny at the time, but never did meet him until we did this movie. So we’re on the same set and I leaned over and said, “By the way, I had the haircut first.” He laughs, and is like “Did you really?” And I said, “Yes, I did.”
Who were some of the toughest guys to get in the ring with?
The best and most memorable feuds were with Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. One of the toughest opponents was Kurt Angle. He’s an Olympic gold medalist and they call him “the Wrestling Machine” and that’s exactly what he is. His pace and work ethic in the ring is top notch. There’s nothing he can’t do... Lex Luger, aesthetically he trained to look good like I was doing, but he had freakish strength as well. I saw him squat 500 easily. I saw him bench 405 for reps. It was easy for him. I saw him incline 405. He was just a really strong guy.
You’re 54 years old now and still wrestling with TNA. How much longer do you want to stay in the ring?
I’ve learned not to give a time. I can’t go on wrestling much longer. I’m taking it, literally, one month at a time. I’m under contract until January of next year, so we’ll see what’s happening. I do want to do more movies. I’m looking at a few different things, reality shows being one of them. I’m just trying to move onto the next season of my life. As far as wrestling goes, I’ve stayed away from the creative part of it all these years, I just don’t want to sit in on the meetings and babysit wrestlers and personalities and all that. But, there are things I’d like to see happen in pro wrestling and I may try to make it materialize. I don’t know.
source: muscleandfitness.com
Backstage News on Big E. Langston
Big E. Langston has been receiving praise for his singles matches as of late, especially his matches on their oversees tour. He has reportedly been having some really good matches against "The Viper" Randy Orton.
Eric Bischoff Praises WWE Total Divas
Had a chance to check out Total Divas on E! via TiVo. Props to WWE (Kevin Dunn). Basic “Kardashian” format, but will grow the brand! Smart!”
Kurt Angle Enters Rehab; Dixie Carter Comments
TNA star Kurt Angle announced via Twitter that he is entering rehab in light of his DWI arrest last night in Texas. Angle tweeted, "I am blessed to have the support of my family, my friends and my company. In light of recent events I will immediately be entering a rehabilitation center. I realize that this is a pivotal time in my life and I ask for your understanding as well as your prayers and continued support. I am confident that in taking these steps I can begin to address necessary changes in my life."
TNA President Dixie Carter wrote the following on Twitter in regard to Kurt Angle's latest DWI arrest and announcement he was going to rehab:
"The TNA Family is very supportive of the steps @RealKurtAngle is taking in his recovery. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers."
