WWE wants Undertaker to 'retire' Triple H with ref Shawn Michaels at 'Mania

Michael Essany WWE Examiner

 

The WWE Universe is buzzing Friday in response to the news that World Wrestling Entertainment executives have apparently decided on a storyline for the Undertaker at WrestleMania 27. And it could result in one of the biggest WrestleMania matches in the event's 27-year history.

* WWE LEGEND THE ROCK PLANS HIS RETURN

Given Triple H's plan to retire "soon," the WWE may hive the "Game" his opportunity sooner than anyone expected.

As it now stands, The Undertaker will face Triple H in a "career vs. streak" match. Shawn Michaels will serve as the guest referee, a situation rife with drama as WWE fans will be forced to speculate if HBK will either "screw" The Undertaker (the man who ended his career at WrestleMania 26) or count the shoulders of his best friend (Triple H) to the mat, effectively ending his career while extending The Undertaker's streak.

It could high drama in Atlanta, Georgia on April 3rd, at WrestleMania 27.

* NFL SUPER BOWL QUARTERBACK MAY HEADLINE WRESTLEMANIA 27

According to sources inside WWE, the build-up to The Undertaker's return will commence as soon as the "Deadman" is healthy enough to return to WWE programming.

Last Tuesday it became clear that WWE officials may have accidentally revealed a major spoiler two weeks ago on WWE Monday Night Raw following the broadcast vignettes addressing WWE's "big announcement" on February 21st - the evening of Monday Night Raw. This particular installment of Raw, however, will take place the night after the WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.

The February 21st broadcast of WWE RAW will originate from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. Presently at the venue, there are posted advertisements for the Undertaker's WWE return. While the "big announcement" could, conceivably be reserved for another major announcement of some sort, most fans in the WWE Universe would consider The Undertaker's return to be the granddaddy of all announcements. As a result, it may be safe to expect to see The Undertaker return to WWE programming before the end of February, as the road to WrestleMania picks up speed.

On January 26th, WWE Examiner reported that WWE CEO Vince McMahon informed an individual who reported to pro wrestling blog Rajah that current WWE WrestleMania 27 plans call for The Undertaker to wrestle Wade Barrett in the main event. Those plans have now been scrapped.

Last year, the Undertaker became 18-0 at WrestleMania against Shawn Michaels - HBK's final match in WWE.

* EDGE BUMPS DOLPH ZIGGLER BACK TO THE MIDCARD AT WWE ROYAL RUMBLE

Given The Undertaker's decreased health, he is no longer expected to perform on the same level as previous years. Wrestling Wade Barrett of WWE SmackDown would have reduced expectations for the match and guarantee The Undertaker a relatively easy contest and likely victory. That may be difficult to pull off if The Undertaker is challenged by Triple H.

Would you rather see The Undertaker face off against Wade Barrett or Triple H at WWE WrestleMania 27? Please weigh in with a comment or thought below.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: WWE wants Undertaker to 'retire' Triple H with ref Shawn Michaels at 'Mania - National WWE | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/wwe-in-national/wwe-wants-undertaker-to-retire-triple-h-with-ref-shawn-michaels-at-mania#ixzz1DhSiba15

 

WWE's Edge to retire in 2012

 

Rick Rockwell : Fight Sports Examiner

 

There are internet reports from last night and this morning that WWE's Edge is allegedly retiring by the end of 2012 after his contract expires with the WWE. As of right now, these reports are nothing more than rumors. Edge nor the WWE have even acknowledged these rumors. According to PWInsider, these reports/rumors haven't been confirmed either way.

Edge has had a long and successful career in the WWE. Unfortunately, he has also sustained some serious injuries over his career which could lend credence to these rumors that he might retire next year. I don't see Edge retiring from pro-wrestling for a few more years. However, I can see him jumping to TNA with their lighter workload.

In related news, F4wonline is reporting that Edge and Randy Orton might be reunited after the Royal Rumble. The two stars formed a very popular tag-team 'Rated RKO' a few years ago. In my opinion, this would be a quick stop-gap as the WWE tries to figure out what to do with them next on the Road to WrestleMania. 

 

Continue reading on Examiner.com: WWE's Edge to retire in 2012 - National Fight Sports | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/fight-sports-in-national/wwe-s-edge-to-retire-2012#ixzz1ByUQCmVP

WWE champion The Miz makes major WWE main event blunder

 

Michael Essany WWE Examiner

 

On Friday, pro wrestling news blog Rajah highlighted a new interview with WWE champion The Miz.

When asked his opinion on a possible unification of the WWE Title and the World Heavyweight Title, the Miz said the following:

* TRIPLE H TO COMPETE AT ROYAL RUMBLE

I would love to take on the World Champion, Edge, at WrestleMania and combine the titles. I don't know what they're going to do. You never know. That's the best part about WWE. They're all about shock value. You never know what's going to happen next.

Shortly after the interview was published, many within the WWE universe lashed out at The Miz for apparently "not knowing how WWE works."

Traditionally, the winner of the WWE Royal Rumble becomes the number one contender and goes on to compete for either the WWE title or the World Heavyweight Title. This year, the winner of the Royal Rumble has alreday been advertised as the man who will compete in the main event at WrestleMania for one of the two titles.

* WWE CEO VINCE MCMAHON APPROACHES STING ABOUT WWE HOF?

In other words, it is impossible for Edge - the current World Heavyweight Champion - to compete against The Miz - the WWE Champion - at least at WrestleMania 27.

Tonight, many WWE fans are wondering if The Miz knows how the WWE really works.

Or does The Miz know something the rest of us don't?

Please weigh in with a comment or thought below.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: WWE champion The Miz makes major WWE main event blunder - National WWE | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/wwe-in-national/wwe-champion-the-miz-makes-major-wwe-main-event-blunder#ixzz1B4c0JEa3

WWE claims Undertaker will meet UFC star Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania

 

Rick Rockwell Fight Sports Examiner

January 13th, 2011 3:22 pm ET

It's common knowledge that the WWE is all about its brand of "Sports Entertainment". And the latest buzz is probably more in line with the entertainment aspect of business rather than the sports side of things. 

According to SBNation, Dave Meltzer is reporting that Vince McMahon, owner of the WWE, is still claiming that Brock Lesnar will be the Undertaker's opponent at this year's WrestleMania.

"Vince today was saying Undertaker's Mania opponent is Lesnar. Not making this up. I can't say 100%, but can say 99.5% that Vince has offered Dana plenty of money as part of this deal. That was always the idea of what they needed to do to get the deal. Maybe part of the deal is Dana is sworn to secrecy till it happened, remember how many times he denied Tito was hurt and Liddell was fighting Franklin. Maybe Dana turned him down. It's not like Vince has the money and would spend it on this show that will make Dana do something he doesn't want to. But I'm pretty sure that offer was made many months ago."  Meltzer

It's hard to truly know whether or not Vince is genuine in his comments because he is a "showman" first and an honest man a distant second. But, if Meltzer is reporting this then there has to be some merit to these reports/rumors.

I think it would be huge for Brock Lesnar to return to the WWE and face The Undertaker at WrestleMania. In fact, it would draw a huge PPV ratings and plenty of attention to Lesnar especially his upcoming appearance on TUF 13.

I think this could be a win-win scenario for all parties involved and I'm sure the UFC would make plenty of money. It would draw more heat for Lesnar in the MMA world which is a good thing especially after his devastating loss to Cain Velasquez. It would be huge for wrestling fans and an appropriate way to send both the Undertaker and Lesnar off into retirement. 

 UFC star Brock Lesnar opens as underdog to Junior Dos Santos

Continue reading on Examiner.com:  http://www.examiner.com/fight-sports-in-national/wwe-claims-undertaker-will-meet-ufc-star-brock-lesnar-at-wrestlemania#ixzz1AwxC3bOl

WWE superstar Shawn Michaels compared to Hitler by disgruntled former WWE star

- National WWE | Examiner

On Wednesday, former WWE wrestler Gregory Helms unleashed a verbal attack of epic proportions on retired WWE superstar Shawn Michaels. From questioning Shawn Michaels' professed Christianity to his alleged drug use, Helms struck a cord with many WWE fans who said the ex-WWE star sounded like a jealous, disgruntled hack.

This week, following the news that Shawn Michaels will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, Helms took to Twitter yet again to continue the attacks on Shawn Michaels.

"The HOF is great but I take more pride & comfort in the fact that I've never "screwjobbed" ANYONE in life or the biz! $$$ isn't everything."

Helms later tweeted:

"And wearing a cross doesn't make u right. Hitler wore one too! Don't be FOOLED by a TV persona!! I'm always honest. NO ONE can accuse me."

Did Gregory Helms go too far with his latest comments? Please weigh in with a thought or comment below.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: http://www.examiner.com/wwe-in-national/wwe-superstar-shawn-michaels-compared-to-hitler-by-disgruntled-wwe-star

Mike Adamle arrested for DUI

Mark Satrang - Pro Wrestling Examiner

 

Former WWE personality Mike Adamle was arrested at approximately 1 AM on Monday, January 10, on suspicion of Driving Under the Influence. 

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Adamle was pulled for failing to observe a flashing stoplight.  The officer felt that Adamle had been drinking and performed a field sobriety test.  Adamle failed the test and was arrested.  At the police station, it was determined Adamle was displaying “erratic behavior,” and he was taken to the hospital for a drug screen. 

He was charged with disobeying a traffic control device, DUI, and failing to inform the Security State's office of an address change. He is scheduled to appear in Cook County Circuit Court in Skokie on February 14.

Adamle is currently a sportscaster for WMAQ Channel 5 NBC in Chicago.  Adamle is also a former NFL player who played through the 1970s.  However his probably most famous for hosting the original American Gladiatorsshow from 1989 – 1996. 

He also spent 2008 as a part of World Wrestling Entertainment.  He originally debuted as a backstage correspondent for pay per views and Monday Night RAW.  He then transitioned into being the play-by-play man for Extreme Championship Wrestling from April until July.  From there he was positioned as the General Manager for the RAW brand from July until November.  He resigned from the on-air position and November and resigned from WWE altogether shortly thereafter. 

His tenure in WWE was marred by constant on-air mistakes from Adamle, which were then turned into part of his on-air character as a way to mask his errors.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Mike Adamle arrested for DUI - National Pro Wrestling | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/pro-wrestling-in-national/mike-adamle-arrested-for-dui#ixzz1Ao9kf558

UFC Fighter Calls Out President Barack Obama, Gets A Visit From the Secret Service

 Jan 5, 4:10 pm EST 

UFC lightweight Jacob Volkmann, following his UFC 125 win over Antonio McKee, declared that he wanted to fight President Barack Obama for his next fight.

His words got him a visit from the Secret Service on Tuesday.

Volkmann, who is based out of Minnesota, told MMAFighting.com after his win over McKee that he wanted to face Obama because he disagreed with many of his policies.

After defeating McKee, Volkmann was asked who he would like to fight next. Volkmann first requested Clay Guida, then said “Actually, Obama. He’s not too bright … Someone needs to knock some sense into that idiot. I just don’t like what Barack is doing.”

That comment got the government’s attention, as just days later, the Secret Service came to chat with the fighter.

“It happened on Tuesday, I was coaching youth practice, and then two guys came up and one of the other coaches that was helping me out, they said there was a cop and another guy out there waiting for me,” Volkmann told MMAWeekly.com. “I went out there and the guy introduced himself and said he was from the Secret Service and he wanted to ask me some questions about UFC 125 and my quote. He said there were people calling in to D.C. telling them that somebody, me, was threatening the President.”

The Secret Service showed up both at his residence and during a youth wrestling camp he coaches.

The interview is a formality, as the Secret Service investigates all potential threats made against the President, but Wednesday should be the close of the matter for Volkmann.

“This guy had the whole interview on a piece of paper and it had my picture and everything,” said Volkmann. “He was like ‘is this what you said?’ and I said, ‘yes it is.’ He’s like ‘I want to let you know I’m a little embarrassed for coming here and doing this because obviously nothing happened.’ He actually apologized for coming, but he had to come. He wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to D.C to hurt the President.

“The thing is, I got home and I checked my e-mail and I had about 20 e-mails and one of them, one of ladies had actually contacted the FBI and the Secret Service, and she was telling me that she was going to do it.”

The person who contacted Volkmann, according to the fighter, was a member of the election committee that worked for President Obama’s campaign.

Volkmann, who is also a chiropractor, wanted to clarify the statements he made in the original interview as well, because he says that was the reason most people seemed upset with him in the first place.

Volkmann, a chiropractor, says that he was trying to make a point about the health-care law, with which he disagrees. “People were misunderstanding the point of view I was going for with the health care plan. That’s why they were getting so upset. I’m thinking about the provider, I’m a chiropractor, so I’m thinking about my point of view, not everyone getting insurance. They don’t have to worry about getting denied, which is good I guess, just not good for health care providers,” said Volkmann.

For all the latest MMA news, go to MMAWeekly.com

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AkPS94eW5I.6m1uc2HBwXPFzfNdF?slug=mmaweekly-b0eb628c4e352ae5a67151dca2a17281

Top 50 Superstars DVD informative but flawed

Mark Satrang Pro Wrestling Examiner

 

One of the most controversial and talked about WWE DVD releases in recent memory is The Top 50 Superstars of All Timethree disc set that was released on December 14, 2010. 

Frankly all the discussion and controversy is well warranted.  The main feature of the set features a countdown of the top 50 wrestlers in history, as supposedly voted on by the current roster, and is hosted by Todd Grisham.  Each of the 50 inductees gets a brief 5 – 10 minute highlight package and discussion based on their career and why they are on the list.  While it is highly entertaining and informative to hear about 50 wrestlers talked about in glowing terms by their peers, the controversy comes in with the actual rankings and/or omissions of some the wrestlers. 

While they pretty much nailed the top 5 (The Rock, Bret Hart, Steve Austin, The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels) in regards to their contributions and relationship with the company currently, much of the rest of the list leaves a lot to be desired.  Clearly politics and current associations with the competition (TNA Wrestling) factored into the rankings a fair bit.  The most famous pro wrestler in history, Hulk Hogan, was ranked way down at #23, even something host Todd Grisham took umbrage with.  Then the National Wrestling Alliance’s two biggest exports, Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair, were tied at #17 when it reality they are both top ten stars in every sense.

The list also includes legitimate wrestling pioneers likeGorgeous George, Lou Thesz and “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers.  While it is great to see them included in a list such as this it is hard to truly compare them to the stars of today, as the industry has changed so much since the heyday of Thesz and George. 

However that is also the beauty of a countdown such as this.  Five hundred wrestlers and fans could be tasked to make such a list as this and every one of them would come back different. 

The other two discs are completely full of hidden gems, forgotten matches and historical classics that truly supplement the documentary piece.  While it would have been easy to pad the other two discs with well-known and fondly remembered matches like Savage-Steamboat, Hogan-Andre, Undertaker-Michaels or Rock-Austin, instead long forgotten matches from free TV like Edge & Triple H versus Chris Jericho & Kurt Angle and an eight man tag match featuring Undertaker, Kane and The Hardy Boyz taking on Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Edge &Christian. 

Plus there is plenty of old school footage for wrestling history buffs, including Lou Thesz versus Antonio “Argentina” Rocca, Jack Brisco versus Dory Funk and Gorilla Monsoon’s encounters with Andre the Giant and Muhammad Ali. 

While the documentary portion and list itself is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, overall this set is a good pick up for wrestling history buffs.  It introduces new fans to older stars they may not be familiar with and pays homage to some wrestlers who more than likely will not ever get their one standalone DVD compilation. 

Complete Top 50 listing:

#50 – Killer Kowalski
#49 – Batista
#48 – "Ravishing" Rick Rude
#47 – Bob Backlund
#46 – Dory Funk, Jr.
#45 – Jeff Hardy
#44 – Nick Bockwinkel
#43 – Kane
#42 – Sgt. Slaughter
#41 – Jack Brisco
#40 – The Big Show
#39 – Jake "The Snake" Roberts
#38 – "Superstar" Billy Graham
#37 – Junkyard Dog
#36 – Gorilla Monsoon
#35 – "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers
#34 – Kurt Angle
#33 – Mick Foley
#32 – "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka
#31 – The Iron Sheik
#30 – Pat Patterson
#29 – Randy Orton
#28 – "Classy" Freddie Blassie
#27 – The Fabulous Moolah
#26 – "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
#25 – Chris Jericho
#24 – Bruno Sammartino
#23 – Hulk Hogan
#22 – Terry Funk
#21 – Lou Thesz
#20 – Jerry "The King" Lawler
#19 – Edge
#18 – Dusty Rhodes
#17 – Ric Flair
#16 – John Cena
#15 – "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig
#14 – "Macho Man" Randy Savage
#13 – Gorgeous George
#12 – Triple H
#11 – Eddie Guerrero
#10 – "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
#9 – Rey Mysterio
#8 – Andre The Giant
#7 – Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
#6 – Harley Race
#5 – The Rock
#4 – Bret "Hit Man" Hart
#3 – Stone Cold Steve Austin
#2 – The Undertaker
#1 – Shawn Michaels

http://www.examiner.com/pro-wrestling-in-national/top-50-superstars-dvd-informative-but-flawed