WWE DVD Review: Wrestlemania XXVIII

WWE DVD Review: WrestleMania XXVIII By Phil Allely The WWE of course always throw not only a huge amount of money at their annual PPV extravaganza WrestleMania, but they do also attempt to load the card with matches that merit the stature of the event. This year the company built the pay-per-view around two very promising matches and padded the the remainder out with some interesting and potentially exciting encounters. The two main high points for fans were the matches between The Rock and John Cena (which had a year long build up) and the hugely hyped re-match between Triple H and The Undertaker, which this time around was held within the confines of the Hell in a Cell cage. This DVD set not only features all of the PPV matches and the arena only dark match, but there are also some classic matches from The Rock and the entire Hall of Fame ceremony. From a match point of view the Taker/Triple H and Rock/Cena ones are of course the stand-outs. Shawn Michaels presence as special guest referee in the Cell certainly gives the ageing combatants a helping hand and shows that even though he is no longer an active competitor in the WWE ring Michaels can still make is mark there. The Daniel Bryan/Sheamus World Title match is worth a viewing (after the debacle at Mania 27), Team Teddy V Team Johnny has its moments and the WWE Championship match between Chris Jericho and CM Punk is a nicely paced affair. For many fans the crowning glory of this three disc set is the Hall of Fame Ceremony. This is a great event to witness and will appeal to fans old and new. The inductees are all worthy of their inclusion and each man (or their representative) genuinely appear moved to be there. Watch out for the reaction The Four Horsemen receive (this is the classic Ric Flair, Barry Windham, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard and JJ Dillon line-up), especially when you consider the fact that Flair was still under contract to TNA when he appeared on WWE TV. Dusty Rhodes may be a slight bit hard to understand, but he does a great job of introducing us to the legendary WCW/NWA stable here. Also of note is Christian's induction of his long time friend Edge, Christian offers up a funny, emotional and poignant speech that hits all the right spots and will make even the most hardened wrestling fan have a lump in their throat with its tone and delivery, Edge matches this and much more with his speech. The Mike Tyson induction is a real surprise too, his inductee's DX (Shawn Michaels and Triple H) ,make a superb comedy double act and this really adds to what could have been a very flat induction. WrestleMania XXVIII is a DVD every wrestling fan should own, the main PPV works well for the most part and the extras are more than worth the cost alone. WrestleMania XXVIII is available now from all good retailers and www.silvervision.co.uk Three Disc DVD RRP £29.99/Blu-ray RRP £34.99 By Phil Allely

DVD Review WWE The True Story of Wrestlemania

WWE The True Story of WrestleMania By Phil Allely


It may seem odd to some that as the WWE try to step away from the word ‘Wrestling’ this latest DVD box set looks at the very wrestling event that put the company where it is today WrestleMania. Let’s concentrate on the main feature first. The two hour documentary style piece on offer here gives a pretty decent overview of how the concept for Mania grew out of Vince McMahon Jnr’s idea of combining rock and wrestling. With that collaboration initially between 1980s pop icon Cindi Lauper and the Hulk Hogan led (then) WWF, the seeds were sown to use the media, TV stars, pop stars and celebrities to boost the WWF’s profile and get the grapple game out of sweaty gyms and into the media spotlight.

Longtime fans will already know the story of how McMahon gambled most of his money on the first WrestleMania. Fortunately for him his dream of a wrestling supershow of epic proportions took the world by storm and has now evolved into the must-see event of the year for many of us (even the odd flop main event or lack of star power can’t harm the buzz Mania season brings).

The main feature houses a host of talking heads giving their insights, thoughts and stories of their Mania experiences. There are some vintage quotes from The Hulkster amongst other veteran stars, these sitting nicely with current WWE superstars and even celebrities who participated in the events.

Told in a semi-chronological order (some pieces skip forward to illustrate the event returning to a venue etc.) this is an at times warts and all look at how Mania has grown to become the jewel in the WWE crown, attracted some huge star endorsements and broken attendance records along the way. Of course this being a WWE production there are some of the more unsavoury pieces of history erased, but overall that is minimal and the fact that McMahon himself admits some ideas worked better than others certainly makes for welcome viewing. Diehard fans will enjoy the little trivia snippets sprinkled across the disc, anyone who has ever wondered why Flair/Hogan at Mania never happened or how Sgt Slaughter was convinced to portray an Iraqi sympathiser will be in their element.

This may be a slightly sugar-coated look at the ‘Grand daddy of the all’ but this is perhaps the best potted history of WrestleMania that we will ever see. By skipping at a reasonable pace through the years and pausing briefly on only key storylines and matches, the overall target of celebrating the success of the company’s annual extravaganza is met perfectly.

Of course the subject of best match ever is touched upon and whilst we all debate what that is, this release does let you glimpse some matches that maybe get overlooked for the more obvious Undertaker/Michaels bouts, Michaels/Flair and even Hogan/Rock outings. Some of these are luckily featured on discs two and three, including the exciting Warrior/savage scrap from Mania VII, Mania 2000’s three way ladder brawl for the tag team gold and a thoroughly enjoyable Shane versus Vince McMahon Street Fight from Mania 17.

WWE The True Story of WrestleMania is released on May 23rd by Silver Vision. www.silvervision.co.uk

Available on triple disc Blu-Ray and DVD, both RRP £29.99

New JR Blog (Jim Ross) Highlights

Jim Ross is back with another blog over on jrsbarbq.com. Here are some highlights:




- Do I think that Hulk Hogan will ever return to WWE? This is a classic, never say never answer IMO....BROTHER! Crazier things have happened BROTHER and one could theoretically see some sort of PR role for Hulk down the road. Who knows? Not something that I dwell on to be honest with you BROTHER.



- Owen Hart. He would have had a birthday a few days ago I'm told. The talented and proud Canadian was so underrated by so many seemingly until after Owen left us. I don't know when or if an Owen Hart DVD will be produced by WWE due to the seemingly endless and on going legal/PR issues with his estate. Too bad in my opinion as Owen's story would be a great one as he was one of the most well liked and skilled individuals I ever met in my career.



- Christian and Randy Orton had a great, TV match on Smackdown but I don't buy into the 'tragedy' that some fans flooded us with here on our site due to Christian losing the World Title. It isn't as if the loss ended Christian's career and who's to say that 'Captain Charisma' won't regain the title at a later date? Those that truly understand the nature of the genre have a different mindset than those who are knee jerking themselves silly.



- Referees names on WWE TV are not provided to viewers because that is a long standing instruction from management. This isn't a new development and has been this way for a long time. Next.

Injured Hurricane recieves Boost from TNA Knockout

Injured Hurricane Receives help from TNA Knockout


By Phil Allely

Former WWE/WCW star Gregory ‘Shane’ Helms and his girlfriend were involved in a motorcycle accident this past week near their home in North Carolina. Helms best known for his portrayal of the comic book style character The Hurricane in the WWE is reported to have received over 200 stitches and suffered amongst other injuries a broken leg, ankle, nose and dislocated jaw. His girlfriend Karen is reported to have broken her neck. Although Helms was reportedly not a hugely popular person backstage, no one within the industry wishes to see anything this horrific happen to one of their ilk. The wishes for a speedy recover go to Shane and Karen from all of here at Sun Sport and the wrestling community in general.

In a remarkable turn of events Helms former Girlfriend (with whom he had a tumultuous relationship which broke up in 2009, many people stating that this was the reason why TNA never hired the former WWE star) Talia Madison (aka TNA’s Velvet Sky) has announced that she is launching a web/twitter campaign to raise money and help Shane pay his hospital and surgery bills.

TNA Knockout Velvet said this on her website “I know I said I would never get on Twitter but I want to use it in a positive way and spread the word about donations for Helms.” Those wishing to donate can do so via PayPal.

You can learn more by visiting www.Talia-madison.net or via twitter.comVelVelHoller

WWE DVD Review - DX One Last Stand

WWE DVD Review – DX One Last Stand


By Phil Allely

D-Generation X at their peak were one of the wrestling world’s finest acts and biggest star attractions. Over the years the group has featured such performers as Chyna, Road Dogg, Billy Gun and X Pac (all of which featured in previous DX compilation discs), the leader always being either original frontman Shawn Michaels or his partner in crime Triple H, these days it is a joint deal with both men heading the 2000s version of DX.

This triple DVD set from Silver Vision showcases what must now be considered the factions last WWE hurrah (considering Shawn Michaels retirement) from mid-2009-mid-2010.

It was a slimmed down group this time around, no hangers on or lackeys threatened the limelight of our two headliners and the innuendo although there was some, was less in your face (if you pardon the pun) than previous tenures. This was down to Michaels own religious beliefs and the WWE toning down violence, sexual references etc. in favour of PG-rated output. DX 2009-2010 were a far more entertaining and less forceful team, and yet a frustratingly juvenile combo at the same time. But boy were they popular when they returned to the ring as a unit this incarnation, plus they shifted a heck of an amount of merchandise.

Across these discs we get to see the team reunite as Triple H locates Shawn and brings him back to the WWE. We see their decent feud with Legacy members Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase from its fruition to its end, their hilarious spats with Vince McMahon, Hornswoggle’s appearance as DX mascot and of course throughout the discs the lead pairing of Hunter and Shawn bicker, fight and have some crazy fun.

Alongside the collection of varying quality matches there are some priceless moments including a classic WCW influenced moment with Dusty Rhodes (featuring a guest appearance by Arn Anderson as the voice of the Shockmaster), a Mr McMahon birthday celebration plus much more shenanigans involving the DX posse. There are also skits with (US Price is Right host) Bob Barker, Ozzy osbourne and even boxer Mike Tyson, all of which keep things moving well and the momentum flowing nicely.

From a match point of view there are some nice meetings featured here, apart from the Legacy encounters (the Hell in a Cell match especially stands out due to Michaels performance), there are some fine outings against The Hart Dynasty, combos of Big Show tag teams (partnering Chris Jericho/Chavo Guererro etc.) plus the most memorable moments from this latest instalment of Triple H and Michaels mid-life crisis’.

The afore mentioned Cage match with Legacy is a prime example of just how well The Heartbreak Kid can play the crowd, work with anybody and how he had the unique ability to make anyone he entered the ring with into a star (just proving how much the man will be missed by fans, management and roster alike).

Running at almost 7 hours (standard DVD) and almost 8 hours (Blu-ray) this three disc set does just fall short of the previous D-Generation X DVD offerings (from a match quality point of view), but this does complete their story and for fans old and new does bring this chapter of the DX story to its logical conclusion. Rounding proceedings off is Michael’s emotional farewell from Raw and that really is the only way to do it.

DX – One Last Stand is available now from www.silvervision.co.uk for £29.99 (on both DVD and Blu-ray)

Original Kharma Pic/Awesome Kong Info

When Awesome Kong Debuted In WWE, The Name "Kharma" Trended Worldwide. Meet Jennifer Thomas, Professional Wrestling's Original "Kharma!"






Jennifer Thomas is a famous fitness model who trained in Ohio Valley Wrestling and Deep South Wrestling when both promotions were part of the WWE Developmental System. Although she never got a WWE contract, the 5'1'' hard body remains on the WWE radar through her modeling career and "men vs women" wrestling video series.



Jennifer recently started using the name Kharma on the California independent wrestling scene, and WWE liked the name so much, they purchased the name from her for use by KIA STEVENS aka AWESOME KONG



The Hawaiian Tropic and Flex Magazine uber-hottie is scheduled for a tryout with WWE in the near future, and considering her petite yet power packed physique, we think she'd be a most interesting opponent for the former Kong.

WWE Extreme Rules 2011 Pay-Per-View Review

WWE: Extreme Rules 2011 [Blu-ray] WWE: Extreme Rules 2011 [Blu-ray]WWE: Extreme Rules 2011WWE Extreme Rules 2011 Pay-Per-View Review


By Phil Allely

Coming hot on the heels of an at times iffy WrestleMania the WWE were always going to push hard with their next big event. Extreme Rules (a stipulation heavy affair) of course has a little bit less meaning these days in the organisation, yet like any gimmick matches they can work very well indeed to assist storylines and re-build momentum in feud that have been losing pace. Fortunately this year everything worked as best it could and Extreme Rules put many of those Mania bad memories to rest.

Kicking things off Randy Orton and CM Punk continued their bitter feud with an above average Last Man Standing brawl. Both combatants battling as if their lives depended on it, inside and outside the ring, each narrowly making it back to their feet before the ten count to keep things rolling along. After some give-and-take action and brutal hits all it took was an Orton RKO from the top rope to keep Punk down for the count.

United States Champion Sheamus saw himself make a PPV event (after he and Daniel Bryan being bumped from the main Mania card) once again, this time defending against Kofi Kingston in a Tables match. This battle of brawn versus speed had its moments and proved to be very enjoyable. Kofi winning the gold after a top rope move drove the Celtic Warrior through the wood.

The Country Whipping match between the teams of Jack Swagger/Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler/Jim Ross had great potential, but with two non-wrestlers in the mix and such an odd stipulation it really had its work cut out for it. Cole’s bubble-wrapped appearance (to cushion the leather strap blows) was a good move for his character though and the action, limited as it was had some nice moments. The short straps and the fans adoration for Ross/Lawler helped elevate this to very decent fayre. Cole snagging the win on a prone Ross, to keep his mini war with Lawler continuing.

Next up Cody Rhodes and Rey Mysterio went all out in their falls Count Anywhere scrap. Rhodes Mania win and Mysterio’s lingering injuries only seemed to fuel this particular series of bouts. This time however it was Rey’s turn to leave as victor, hitting a 619 and big splash combo for the popular win.

The Divas tried their best to keep things moving next, the deal here being that former co-champions/team mates Michelle McCool and Layla were going to put their one-time friendship aside to compete in a Loser Leaves WWE match. The action was pretty decent for those involved and the ending surprising as McCool (WWE superstar Undertaker’s real life wife) fell to a Layla backslide.

As the Lay/Cool team cried and Layla left a video package played and the artist formerly known as Awesome Kong in TNA made her way to the ring (as Kharma), Kharma making her debut by helping erase McCool from the WWE by way of an ’implant buster.’

Alberto Del Rio must have felt short changed by his Wrestlemania World Heavyweight Title match loss (especially considering the fact that his opponent Edge has now had to retire), Del Rio was seemingly on fine form for winning the gold after his Royal Rumble debut and well on his way into the history books. That attempt was cut short and now he faced Edge’s (storyline) brother Christian for the precious title Edge was forced to leave behind. The Ladder match between the two was always going to be more in ‘Captain Charisma’s’ area of expertise than WWE newcomer Del Rio’s, however both put their heart and soul into this one and the ladder stipulation whilst being more in Christian’s department proved itself to be yet another thing the talented Del Rio can do. After much ladder based shenanigans and close calls it was Christian who was able to scale the heights and take the belt. The post-match celebration with Edge and Christian’s jubilation made this match all the more special.

Unfortunately after the previous exciting attempts at extreme bouts the Lumberjack match between Elzekiel Jackson/wade Barrett and WWE Tag Team Champs Kane/Big Show to be a short and yet slightly enjoyable education in how the big guys in the WWE handle their challengers. Even with the interference of outside agencies the big guys were able to retain their gold.

The main event was an interesting if not as exciting as it could have been, WWE Champion The Miz of course has always been a guy who even the WWE made seem like an unlikely world champion. With R Truth out of the picture (until recently the third man in the match) and John Morrison/John Cena in as they were, this was a war. The Triple Threat cage match did tick a lot of boxes, but as Miz has been portrayed as a poor quality champ and defender of his gold this is perhaps how we will see him leave the title chase. Miz fell to an unpopular ‘Attitude Adjustment’ to lose his strap to John Cena.

Extreme Rules really did try to appease the fans who felt shot-changed by Wrestlemania, the card as a whole had many more hits that misses. The title changes, Wrestlemania’s results, and the (in attendance) crowd’s enthusiasm all made Extreme Rules a fore-runner for the WWE event of 2011.Post-mania many people were thinking WWE had dropped the ball or went too far down the TV/Movie star route, an event like shows how well they can do an event without the hype. We at Running the Ropes are eagerly waiting the next one to see.

Kelly Kelly Makes Maxim Hot 100

WWE Diva Kelly Kelly has been named #82 in this Maxim’s Hot 100 list for 2011. The US edition of the magazine is on sale form May 10th and will feature this picture of the gorgeous WWE employee, alongside 99 other delectable ladies.

The blurb to accompany Kelly Kelly’s nomination says “So nice they named her twice, this WWE Diva is the hottest blonde to hit the ring since Hulk Hogan.”

WWE DVD Review - Tagged Classics Rebellion 2001 & Insurrextion 2002

By Phil Allely




There was a time when the WWE didn't just film the odd Raw or Smackdown event here in the UK, they actually recorded special UK only pay-per-view evenst and considering this was the peak time for the company and the attitude era, they were very good indeed.



Disc one of this set houses Rebellion 2001 (filmed at Manchester's MEN), it was an event headlined by an in his prime WWE Champion 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin battling the hugely popular 'People's Champion' The Rock. This was a fine main event for a UK PPV and one that certainly showcases both mens in-ring skills to their best. Elsewhere Rebelion had some low points, but mainly they moved by too quickly to notice.



Match wise we had some fine outings with a Divas tag scrap featuring Mighty Molly, Stacy Kiebler, Torrie Wilson and Lita (with special referee Trish Stratus). Kurt Angle (again in his prime) faced Chris Jericho for the WCW Championship in an enjoyable brawl. Tajiri took on(then) WWE Commissioner William Regal in an entertaining match-up. The WCW Tag Team Championship Elimination match between The Dudley Boyz, APA and Hardy Boyz was a fairly good encounter. Big Show had a decent match with Diamond dallas Page and one-time crowd pleaser Scotty Too Hotty took on fellow comedy performer The Hurricane.



Rebellion 2001 was a huge success for the WWE and of course has paved the way for the afore-mentioned WWE Raw/Smackdown UK recordings.



Disc Two features Insurrextion 2002, this was the WWE's return to the UK after the success of Rebellion and amazingly they pulled it off once again, this time taking place in London's Wembley Arena.



So what sells this one to fans in this day and age? Well how about 'The Game' Triple H taking on The Undertaker in a grudge match (echoing their recent Wrestlemania feud). Or perhaps 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin versus Big Show may rock your boat, well it should, especially when you factor in Ric Flair as special guest referee.

Other bouts on the card feature an enjoyable European Championship Match between Spike Dudley and William Regal, Bradshaw versus X Pac, the Hardy Boyz taking on the odd-ball combo of (now UFC star) Brock Lesnar and Shawn (where is he now) Stasiak. Stevie Richards and Booker T had a nice Hardcore Championship brawl. Wrestling fans will savour the late Eddie Guerrero's spat with Rob Van Dam for the Intercontinental Championship and even a good looking divas tag team match with Jazz/Molly Holly v Trish Stratus/Jacqueline.



On the special features front there are some extra matches featuring The Rock, Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, Undertaker and Kurt Angle, all of which add to the interest in this DVD set.



The Pay-Per-Views on offer are a nice look back at the WWE's golden age and to a time when many of the top players in the game where at their peak. This was the short period of time where we as wrestling fans were aprehensive of a WCW/WWE/ECW feud that we had all dreamed of for years and the roster was at it's all time richest. Of course history has told us what happended, who won and what happened those who left the WWE. But for a snapshot of this period and the fact that it happended on UK shores you can't go wring with this unique look at early UK PPV events.



Tagged Classics - Rebellion 2001 and Insurrextion 2002 are on release now from www.silvervision.co.uk



Coming soon from Silvervision are:

Royal Rumble 2011

DX - One Last Stand

The Story of Wrestlemania

Ted DiBiase talks surgery, WWE and Chris Benoit

8Countnews.com spoke with WWE Hall of Famer "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase while he was at the Mississippi Braves baseball game signing autographs. 
DiBiase noted that he would be getting both of his knees replaced soon. He joked: 
"They call me The Million Dollar Man, but once I get two knee replacements and a hip replacement they will be calling me the Six Million Dollar Man." 
DiBiase also offered his thoughts on Chris Benoit: 
"Chris was one of the nicest guys that you could ever meet. I still struggle with this. Just like in any industry, there are always some idiots, but out of all of the WWE wrestlers in this industry, if I had to pick 5 guys that I held the highest regard and respect for, Chris would be one of them. Some say with as many times that Chris flew off of the ropes and hit his head that it may have had something to do with that, but I just don't get it, he was a great guy." 

Press Release: 2011 WWE Draft Confirmed - Huge RAW Next Week!

Press Release: 2011 WWE Draft Confirmed - Huge RAW Next Week!


Posted by: Ben Kerin of WrestlingNewsSource.com on Apr 18 2011

Source: WWE, USA Network





THE 2011 WWE® DRAFT TAKES OVER MONDAY NIGHT RAW,

MONDAY, APRIL 25 AT 9/8c



The entire roster of WWE Superstars and Divas will take part in the 2011 WWE Draft next week, April 25, on MONDAY NIGHT RAW live on USA Network at 9/8c.



In a thrilling night of television, all WWE Superstars and Divas, including WWE Champion The Miz, John Cena, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Big Show, Alberto Del Rio and SinCara along with WWE Divas Champion Brie Bella, Eve and Kelly Kelly could be drafted to either RAW or SmackDown.



After Monday Night’s momentous draft, John Cena could be on “Friday Night Smackdown,”

which airs each week on Syfy at 8/7c and Rey Mysterio could be coming to MONDAY NIGHT RAW.



The Annual WWE Draft is a chance to renew old rivalries or have WWE Superstars face off against each other for the very first time, bringing a new and fresh feel to each show.



For more details on the WWE Draft, log onto www.wwe.com.

WWE DVD Cover - Very best of WCW Monday Nitro

Wrestlemania 27 PPV Review

WWE: Wrestlemania 27 Collector's EditionWWE Wrestlemania 27 - Pay-per-view Review

By Phil Allely

Wrestlemania is the WWE’s biggest and grandest event of the year and it usually delivers on its promise of being ‘the granddaddy of them all’. However this year things were slow to build for the event and it was only when Undertaker and Triple H re-appeared on our screens to build up their match, that things picked up steam for many of us.  The inclusion of The Rock as host , Stone Cold Steve Austin as a special guest referee and even women’s legend Trish Stratus was stepping back into the ring, the stage was set for one memorable night, right?.

The mania card was looking very good indeed prior to the event and with some nice pre-show work there seemed to be a  lot of hype around many of the matches, of course with Shawn Michaels retired and Undertaker in pretty bad shape his match with Triple ?H was going to have to be something spectacular indeed for the ‘Dead Man’ to pull of another high profile win and retain his undefeated streak at Wrestlemania.

The Rock kicked things off with a long tirade, where he verbally sparred with John Cena and wound the full house into a frenzy with his antics. The only negative point being the proposed US title match was scrapped and replaced by Rock’s introductory speech.

In the first title match of the night there were high hopes that challenger Alberto Del Rio would leave the Georgia Dome with the World Heavyweight Title around his waist. Champion Edge was selling an injured arm and worked very hard indeed to make the WWE newcomer look even more impressive than he is naturally. Christian, Ricardo and Brodus Clay at ringside helped keep things moving on also, after some near falls and nice moves things ended swift enough after one distraction too many saw Edge nail a hard looking spear to retain his belt.

Cody Rhodes has finally found himself character wise in the WWE and now his protective face mask wearing persona has really got some heel heat on him. His opponent Rey Mysterio (this year in superhero costume) gave his all in this one, although fans seemed indifferent throughout. The finish came as Rhodes worked on Rey (legitimately) injured knee and used Rey’s own knee brace to assist his Cross Rhodes finisher for the surprise win.

Next up The Corre faced the team of Kane, Big Show, Santino Marella and Kofi Kingston. Not a huge amount to speak of here though, things quickly degenerated into a full on brawl and each man hit his finisher before a Cobra and Knockout Punch combo by Show and Marella put Heath Slater down for the three count.

Randy Orton and CM Punk’s feud continued in style as both went all out to impress the sell-out crowd. This one was a great was for each to showcase their talents, there were plenty of near falls, stiff exchanges, signature moves and a great finishing sequence. Orton pulled of the win after he intercepted a Punk aerial move with a mid-air RKO.

The 2011 Hall of Fame Inductees come out next to a nice ovation, introduced by Mean Gene Okerland it’s nice to see the lovely Sunny, Abdullah the Butcher, Road Warrior Animal, Paul Ellering, Bullet Bob Armstrong and Hacksaw Jim Duggan, comedy star Drew Carey is there too. The roof lifted off the arena when star inductee Shawn Michaels music hit.

A returning Jim Ross and Booker T joined the announce team as Jerry Lawler made his Wrestlemania debut against Michael Cole. Steve Austin as guest referee proved to be a good move indeed, he instantly wound up Cole’s second Jack Swagger and did his best to maintain order in a chaotic grudge match. Lawler did exact a fair measure of revenge on Cole, but Austin’s over-eager refereeing saw Lawlers tap-out victory overturned.

Triple H versus The Undertaker was a very good No Holds barred effort by both men. The fact that it had two superb Michaels/Taker matches from previous years to attempt to match was a downside though.  Taker as always really upped his game and showed some slowness, but no less willingness to absorb punishment in pursuit of a good match. Triple H was in fine form too, the pair hit some nice moves, risky manoeuvres and snatched a few near falls along the way. Things quickly went down the weapons route with chair shots, even Trips trusty sledgehammer being used, but ultimately proving to be no match for a determined Taker.  A Hells Gate submission hold saw a weary ‘Dead Man’ pull off another Mania win and clock up his 19th undefeated match at the annual event.

Snooki, Trish Stratus and John Morrison then took LayCool and Dolph Ziggler in a lively and short mixed tag team bout. This positioning was surely a move by the WWE to slow things down a bit intensity wise after such a gruelling match prior to it. Ziggler, Morrison and Vickie Guerrero all kept this one in its zone. Stratus didn’t seem to have missed a beat since her retirement, Snooki pulled off a few decent moves and LayCool played their roles well indeed. Snooki put Michelle McCool away to pull off the win for her team.

Finally it was main event time and both Miz and John Cena has an awful lot f work to do to appease a crowd who had yet to witness a real true Wrestlemania moment in the ring or a title change. Cena and Miz do work well together and they put forth a heck of a match. The crowd just seemed to drift off at times during it though. As the action ramped up Alex Riley stuck his nose into proceedings to distract the referee, however it failed as Miz inadvertently knocked Riley out with the briefcase instead of Cena. The action spilled out to ringside where both men got counted out for the No Contest decision.

Luckilly The Rock decided to ignore the Raw GM’s email messages and restart the bout. This time it was no DQ, No Count out etc., it didn’t last long though as Rock blasted Cena with a Rock Bottom to allow Miz the win and to keep his cherished gold.

Wrestlemania was in no way a flop of a show, many of the matches were above par and well received by those in attendance too, there just wasn’t that spark and tingle of excitement that Mania usually brings with it. Perhaps it is the fact that according to reports many of the matches were rewritten early in the day, or perhaps it was because the WWE at present is short of real top line talent, Batista, Jericho, Michaels are all out of the equation for now at least. Two of the star attractions were retired grapplers Steve Austin and The Rock, plus of course the Undertaker/Triple H feud was hastily thrust upon us after the other ideas for them were put on the back burner for now. But WWE then pulled off the coup of the century during the following nights Raw, on that show (which usually draws one of the highest ratings of the year) The Rock made the announcement that he would step back into the ring and face John Cena at Wrestlemania 28. So there you have it this years Mania was all one big build up to next years one, interesting, different and a wonderful swerve by the WWE, roll on 2012s event.

New WWE Statement Re: Future Plans

It was reported last week that WWE dropped World Wrestling Entertainment as their name in an attempt to move past the boundaries of being labeled a professional wrestling (a term which has also been dropped) organization.




They issued a press release this morning, outlining their future plans and revealing a new marketing tagline. They also acknowledge Triple H's new corporate role:



The New WWE® Expands Beyond Wrestling



STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To better reflect the company’s global entertainment offerings, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) announced today a new business model for future growth, including formally rebranding itself, WWE.



“The new business model of the company better reflects what WWE is all about, being a global entertainment company”



Two key components to WWE’s brand expansion will be the active pursuit to acquire entertainment content companies and the outsourcing of WWE’s core competencies – television and film production, live event production and licensing. As part of the new business model, the company will also focus on the development of new television products including scripted, non-scripted and animated programs, as well as the launch of a new WWE network in the next 12-18 months. The first new program of the brand expansion is Tough Enough®, WWE’s non-scripted program that debuted on the USA Network on Monday.



“The new business model of the company better reflects what WWE is all about, being a global entertainment company,” stated Vince McMahon, Chairman and CEO, WWE. “We will always be loyal to our core business that made WWE a globally known entity, however, the future of WWE will be the addition of new entertainment content opportunities beyond the ring.”



This new rebranding initiative will be highlighted through a national consumer and business-to-business advertising campaign entitled “Bigger. Badder. Better.™” The campaign kicked off at WrestleMania® XXVII on Sunday and will be featured on cable TV, print and online.



In addition to focusing on the expansion of the company, the company will bolster its core business with the launch a new talent development department headed by Paul “Triple H®” Levesque. The new department will put a greater emphasis on worldwide recruitment, training and character development to identify future WWE Superstars and Divas. The first recruit acquired under Levesque’s new department was the signing last month of future WWE Superstar, Sin Cara™, formerly known worldwide as Mistico

Torrie Wilson and Lilian Garcia Pics

WWE Top 50 Superstars Of All Time - DVD Review

WWE Top 50 Superstars Of All Time - DVD Review

By Phil Allely

This recently released triple disc DVD box set does something that many of us fans do each and every time we watch a wrestling match, it puts forward it’s list of top grapplers in history and then justifies that choice. The nice touch here is that rather it being yourself and a few friends debating who your favourite is, this is a list of 50 wrestlers as chosen by the current WWE roster.

Now for more die hard fans some of the choices here will seem a bit odd and the short vignettes covering each superstar are minus many high points and career highlights, but we have to accept that 50 names and long histories does take some time, so fat does need trimmed as it where to ensure this first disc runs smooth.

So who can you expect to see featured in this run down of top WWE superstars? Well lets just say that the ranking of some of the worlds most famous grapplers such as Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and ‘ Rowdy’ Roddy Piper may shock quite a few viewers. Elsewhere though there are some nice inclusions that will please and interest fans old and new, these included Killer Kowalski (the man who trained Triple H), Rick Rude, The Funk Brothers (Terry & Dory Junior), Nick Bockwinckle, Jake’The Snake’ Roberts, ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage and many other stars from today and yesteryear.

What’s nice about this release is that even if the wrestler is now working for another company, retired or left under a cloud, the WWE have still put together a nice career retrospective short film to suit them, mostly featuring talking heads from the current WWE roster and the stars peers. The footage even the vintage stuff looks well and there has been some care put into this package.

The other two discs house some 20 matches of varying quality featuring many of the top 50 and are well worth the price of the release alone. There are some rare and never seen before on DVD bouts here and even the slowest old school style one has something to offer modern fans and collectors. If only to see how many of today’s top stars have modelled their acts on some of the legends of old.

Without wanting to ruin the fun and joy of reading the entire match list on your new DVD, here are a few of my personal highlights featured here. Harley Race versus Terry Funk, Gorilla Monsoon versus Andre The Giant, Hulk Hogan versus Iron Sheik, Jerry ‘The King’Lawlere versus Curt Hennig and the much hyped Bret ‘Hit Man’ Hart match against Ric Flair in Saskatoon for the WWE Championship. The majority of the matches on offer are perfect examples as to why the featured superstars have made the grade and been nominated for their spot on this set.

WWE Top 50 Superstars of All Time available now from www.silvervision.co.uk

Watch out for other new Silversvision WWE DVD releases, including:

WWE Survivor Series 2010
WWE Raw - The Best of 2010
WWE Tagged Classics - Wrestlefest 88 & 90
WWE Live in the UK - November 2010

Shawn Michaels Interview Highlights and Links

The Score Television Network's Arda Ocal & Renee Paquette interviewed future WWE Hall of Famer, Shawn Michaels. Highlights:




Was WrestleMania 14 being the "toughest day at the office" in his career? (2:00)

"Yeah. Yeah it was. I wasn't in a good place physically, obviously. But also mentally. It was just bad, all around. It was the culmination of a lot of things - a lot of bad things. And I would love to tell everybody that I was faking - and fooling - everybody, but it was a pretty rough day at the office, to say the least. And I guess, because I was in such a horrible place at that time, I never really envisioned people really grasping the fact that - 'holy cow man, I don't care if I don't like him, that dude is beating the heck out of himself and he's not in any shape to be doing it'. Over time, people now get it. But when you're doing it, you don't realize that people are sort of uncomfortable watching you while you're doing it."



How he felt emotionally & physically after WrestleMania 14 (3:45)



His thoughts on Triple H vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 27 (5:45)



How he would feel if Triple H is the one to break the streak (7:40)



What he felt when wrestling Vince McMahon at WrestleMania 22 (9:10)

"What I really enjoyed about that WrestleMania is that I didn't feel the pressure as I did in every other one. Because that one wasn't so much - 'hey, Shawn Michaels has got to be Mr. WrestleMania and steal the show' - because I was in there with Vince McMahon, I don't think people expect a phenomenal wrestling match. Just from a pressure standpoint, that being off my shoulders allowed me the fact the enjoy that I was out there with my boss and I get to beat the heck out of him."



What he thinks of Vince McMahon, as a performer (10:00)



What was bigger for his career: the infamous barbershop incident or the creation of DX? (11:40)



Why a charity raffle draw to be HBK's guest at WrestleMania 27 (enter here: http://www.celebritiesforcharity.org/raffle/shawn-michaels-wrestlemania-raffle/)?



And lots more.



The full interview is here: http://radio.thescore.com/episodes/hbk-interview-mar-23-2011

DieHard Wrestling Interviews WWE Diva Trish Stratus

DieHard Wrestling Interviews WWE Diva Trish Stratus




Trish Stratus is perhaps one of the most recognizable female athletes in all of sports entertainment. The fitness model turned pro wrestler has held the World Wrestling Entertainment Women's championship on seven occasions and her name is constantly up for consideration for induction into the illustrious WWE Hall of Fame.



Prior to her return to the WWE, where she will partake as a trainer for the revamped Tough Enough series on MTV, DieHard Derek had the chance to briefly sit down and chat with the diva about her thoughts on the retirement of the original WWE Women's title, comparisons between WWE Divas and TNA Knockouts, and the prospect of her posing for Playboy Magazine.

http://player.vimeo.com/video/16730613?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ff9933";

http://www.diehardprowrestling.com">DieHard Pro Wrestling




This video is provided by DieHard Pro Wrestling

Candice Michelle New Candid Pics

Cody Rhodes Interview Highlights

Cody Rhodes recently spoke with The Toronto Sun to promote his match with Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania 27. Here are the highlights:




The match with Mysterio:

“I’m not one for false promises, exaggeration or hyperbole. In sports entertainment, you hear a lot of those. But I really believe this match has potential to steal the show. We’re stacked up against some beautiful matches and this is my hometown so that would be an added bonus. It’s our best superstars. I wouldn’t feel comfortable without having a< quality story. I used to think I should be on Mania, but looking back, no, shouldn’t have been. I wasn’t ready."



His “Dashing” nickname:

“It’s always been a running gag. My dad always tells people how good looking I am, with the movie-star looks … that kind of garbage. So (my character) does a lot of things men do every day, (grooming things). I’m fully on board with all of them, and he’d hate to hear this, but a lot of them really come from Randy Orton.”