Marty Jannetty news

Marty Jannetty revealed the severity of his ankle injuries stemming from his prolonged wrestling career on Facebook Sunday with a photo; one ankle is positioned sideways, and the other one requires a cast.

Jannetty is in dire need of surgery, but cannot afford it. He recently criticized his former employer, WWE, on the social networking website for financially assisting former talent with substance abuse problems and not those with debilitating injuries stemming from their time laboring for the company. He questioned whether he needs to abuse pain medication before he can receive financial assistance from the sports-entertainment organization.

Jannetty also ripped his former tag team partner and best friend, Shawn Michaels, for displaying little sympathy toward his ailments as well as his "fallen brothers," at an autograph signing last month in California. The tag team specialist showed Michaels an old wrestling program and said how sad it was that eight of the sixteen individuals who competed at the event died prematurely. Michaels' response was that he doesn't keep up with "that kind of stuff" and that he has other things to do, such as ride his tractor. Then, when Jannetty showed his shot ankle to Michaels, he only said "Damn!" and did nothing more. Bret Hart, on the other hand, who was never his tag team partner nor his best friend, vowed to take action in assisting him.

Here is Jannetty's post: "hey thanx for all of you expressing wonder and concern over them ugly looking ankles I got..maybe I shouldnt say too much right now for.. certain reasons.. but just know, they still work..and some days they dont really hurt that bad..it took a ton of hard work, training the ass off so that I could make it to the level where yall all know me at all..unlike Shawn, I wasnt a natural gifted athlete.. which is one of the reasons I tend to lean towards my students at the wrestling schools, who work the hardest, over those who may be a lil bit better but are naturals...oh, speaking of our Golden Boy Shawn..some of yall may have seen a lil while back where I said a couple of negative things about him, and..take it for what it is..I recently texted him about it..saying I wanted to apologize for things said in moments of extreme pain.. well, the Golden Boy yall love so much returned text saying, "I told you Marty, Im out of touch with the internet so I dont know what youre talking about"(the dude tweets more than anyone I know)..then he send a 2nd text saying, "are you still in high school?"....

"hmm, for apologizing ?? no one made me do that, I just felt it in my heart, and the lil bi### comes back with that?..I guess thats something the spoiled rich kid didnt learn about in high school or other wise...this is the same brat, who recently in an LA Rockers Reunion show, when I showed him an old wrestling program and said to him, "bruh, isnt this sad, look at all our fallen brothers just off this one card (it was about 8 of the 16 guys on the card had died, all fairly young..Curt hennig, Big Boss Man, Rick Rude Road Warrior Hawk, etc) and his response was.."Marty, I dont really keep up with that kind of stuff, I just got other things to do, like ride my tractor"...well, anyway, I said all that to say>> when he saw my f"ed up ankles, he had the same reaction Bret Hart did when he saw them..a Ron Simmons moment, they both said>>>"DAMN!!"...difference being, Bret, who was never a tag team partner, nor best friend at one time..took action..told me what we can do to get it fixed or burn the people who should but wont fix it..Shawn on the other hand, never did more than say DAMN!..well, moving on..for all of you sports peeps out there and you in particular Donut, yall all know that when you have one injury or ailing part, you focus on it during the next event trying to protect it..which Donut, yep, thats how I broke the collar bone last night in a match(Hedges, you were a pleasure to work with, wasnt anything you did and I think our match was GREAT!!)..bumping is an art, a must, and a thing you have to protect yourself with when doing...bumped a bit different last night, got a new injury now..one that will heal..but Im tired or this sh##..Im tired of being in such pain daily, when it could all be fixed..or should I go out and snort Peru and drink up Russia b4 the ones who I served, serve me???? and only need serving in a just way..aint wanting SH## for free..this is OWED!!..but...this post was just to say THANK YOU!! to all those who expressed concern on the emails..love ya all..we'll be fine!! and back again!!"

WWE Raw Review - Belfast 7/11/2012

WWE Live Review : Raw in Belfast Nov 7th 2012 The WWE tour the UK/Ireland only a couple of times a year. As such as long as they can maintain a high TV profile and promote the events wisely, the company are pretty much assured a sell-out series of events. However in the past the organisation seemed to believe that sell-out crowds at house shows did not warrant the rosters big name players attending the shows. Thankfully times have changed and the WWE are now offering event the most remote house show a decent list of wrestling talent. The sea of John Cena merchandise in Belfast's Odyssey proved the fact that even though smart fans hate him, Cena is the main merch mover in the WWE. The fun opener saw the combo of Santino and Brodus Clay put away Primo and Epico with relative ease. Next up Michael McGillicutty had the unenviable task of battling the huge Tensai. Tensai controling most of the bout, with his power moves. The Albert chants were more interesting than the match however. McGillucutty did scrape himself the win though. Whilst not on par with their competitors (TNA's Knockouts) matches the WWE divas can pull off a fine match given the right talent. The triple threat match for the Divas Title was one such highlight in Belfast. Pitting (champion) Eve against challengers Layla and AJ the encounter balanced the right amount of titillation with wrestling action and comedy to please all in attendance. In a nice touch AJ seemed to win the gold for a title change on Irish soil, only for Vickie Guererro to interupt the celebrations and re-start the match. Eve swiftly took down AJ to retain her belt. A lot earlier than expected John Cena hit the ring to take on Dolph Ziggler (with Guererro). The crowd were pumped for this one and the 'let's go Cena/Cena sucks' chants engulfed the arena throughout. Vickie proved to be a thorn in Cena's side until she raised the ire of the referee. With her ejected from the ringside area Cena/Ziggler continued to trade near falls and signature moves. But a convenient ref bump saw the sneaky Vickie return (Money in the Bank) steel case in hand, to assist her beau. Fortunately for Cena a revenge seeking AJ decided to help him out, the feisty young lady helping not only to distract Ziggler, but provide the funniest moment of the night. As Guerrero attempted to attack Cena she was struck by AJ with the case. Vickie then fell to her knees and landed in Cena's crotch (as fans beside me began to chant 'you suck' Vickie) to a he crowd pop. Cena pulled off the win to leave the Irish Cenation faithful happy. One irritation on the night was the length of time devoted to the dull Zach Ryder and Antonio Cesaro battle for the United States championship. Cesaro was barely able to evoke a reaction throughout and Ryder had little chance to shine. Cesaro's win was painfully too long coming here. Thankfully the following scrap made up for it. The inspired team of Kane and Daniel Bryan are one of the years most fulfilling combos in wrestling. Their opponents Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes (the Rhodes Scholars) were on fine form too. This was what we wanted, in-fighting between teams. Rhodes and Sandow being afraid of Kane. Bryan attempting to out do his partner at every turn and Kane showing that he is by far the most proficient wrestler under a mask ever. Team Hell No prevailed and retained their Tag Team Belts with ease, the post match stare-down and hug between the pair was superbly timed too. The main event between (Goldberg wannabe) Ryback and WWE Champion CM Punk was a it should rightly be the match of the night. Your reviewer was wonderfully surprised to see his hero Paul Heyman had made the trip to Ireland as well. Heyman is not only a legend in the business, but an old school manager who knows how to play a live crowd to perfection. Heyman's presence at ringside was a joy to behold and really kept things moving along. Maybe more such managers should be employed to do the same. Ryback's character is perfect for todays WWE and his appeal is well founded. Punk on the other hand is on the top of his game and can easily handle any opponent or crowd he is presented with with ease. The match ended with a succession of run-ins, Tensai, Rhodes and the other event heels ran-in to save Punk. Then the faces Kane, Cena et al evened things up. The show ended with Ryback pummelling Punk and winning by DQ. WWE Raw Live was one of the best shows Belfast has seen in years. We may be missing such big names as Triple H, Undertaker etc, but the roster on hand we were presented with did on whole give their all. The matches were well-paced and the live crowd lapped them up. The nice touch was that this house show veered more into less family friendly territory than the WWE TV product does. As was heavily promoted during the show the company will return to these shores in April 2013, we cannot wait to see what happens then. By Phil Allely

Triple H Interview Highlights

Triple H spoke to the New York Post about several Mania-related topics. Here are some highlights. On Brock Lesnar's WWE Return: "Brock Lesnar has been discussing his return being at WrestleMania." Not being retired and wrestling at WrestleMania: "I'm sure as we get closer to the event I’m going to get very excited about maybe throwing the trunks back on and getting back in there for WrestleMania." Attempting to breaking The Undertaker's Streak for the third straight year: "It’s New York, it’s WrestleMania, there’s going to be 70,000 people going crazy in MetLife stadium, it’s going to be tough for me not to want to be involved in that." Will Steve Austin ever wrestle again? "One thing I have learned in the WWE is never say never. I’d be surprised if Austin ever threw the trunks on again. You get to a certain point in your life where your mind thinks you can do a lot of things that you maybe can’t. I’d be surprised but I’ve learned in this business to never say never so you never know." Why WWE has not announced a headline match a year in-advanced: "Here’s the thing, Rock versus Cena being announced a year prior, that’s the first time we’ve ever done that. WrestleMania itself is a big-enough build. I think that having something like that is a double-edged sword because it could lose its luster over the course of the year, if you hear about it enough, or it can be the attraction that you have to go see at the end of that year."

Tim Horner Talks Passing Brad Armstring

Tim Horner, who teamed with the late Brad Armstrong as part of the “Lightning Express,” spoke to Busted Open on Sirius 92 XM 208. Here are some highlights. On Brad: “My heart is heavy, I’ve lost a great friend. My dad passed away a couple of weeks ago, so I’m just emotionally drained at this point. I’ve gotten several calls that you guys were talking about Brad, so I just wanted to call in on behalf of the family and ask for prayers. Brad was one of the greatest guys that I have ever met. He was a heck of a guy. “Brad and I teamed up back in May with Ted Dibiase on a show locally here in Tennessee in my hometown for the football team. People caught it on the internet and then we got another booking this past Saturday which I ended up cancelling because I had shingles and then my father passed, but that was another legends thing that was sold out here down South. I hate now I didn’t go. I talked to Brad on Friday and he was up for it. Brad was one of those guys who could work with a broom. That’s a rare find these days.” On the Lightning Express: “We were champions in Georgia. Then we went out to the UWF in 1987 and our first match was with Sting and Rick Steiner, who we had never met, but we ended up going 29 minutes with them on TV and took the titles from them. I told a lot of guys these days, you couldn’t work in the business 20 years ago, because there were many times when we met the guys in the ring for the first time in the ring. You guys were talking about how Brad never got that push, He was just one of those guys and you might call them mid-carders, and I was in that mold too, but were a guy that could work anywhere on the card. We were more valuable to the companies making their stars. Everybody cant be a quarterback, someone has to block. That’s what the guys don’t understand today. It’s a team effort.” On the difference in wrestling from 20 years ago: “No one was under contract. You got paid on what the house drew. So at that point everybody busted their hump to be in a good position on the card. With that being said, Brad and I wanted to be in a good spot on the card because it meant more money so you hustled. When contracts came along, it took away the initiative for guys to really want to learn and bust their humps because they are going to get paid anyway.” Why weren’t the Lightning Express pushed more on Georgia Championship Wrestling: “Well if you recall, that’s when Vince came in and took over TBS on that Black Saturday. When he came in, we were offered to go. Brad and I both being young, we felt that we owed it to Ole Anderson because he had given us our break. So we opted to stay and of course Georgia Championship Wrestling couldn’t exist and didn’t have the power to stay. So Brad and I went to Mid South to compete there.” On Brad Armstrong the wrestler: “He was a man’s man. He was a fantastic wrestler and performer and a great athlete. He was able to go out there, get himself over and get other guys over who had no clue on what they were doing. There were many guys like that. For example, Ole wanted to make another Road Warriors and he had the Master Blasters. Ole said at that point, I’m going to put Horner and Armstrong with them because if they cant get them over, they will never get over. Which I guess was giving us kudos. It didn’t do anything for us at that point but they felt like that was the way our talent was utilized. They asked us to get other guys over. Brad probably got a little more opportunities than I did. His dad was in a situation to give him a little more notoriety in the beginning of his career. It was amazing to watch him work. Guys have matches and have no clue on what they should be doing. Anybody who wants to go on YouTube and watch some of the old stuff, it’s incredible.” If he has talked to the Armstrong family since Brad’s passing: “I talked to Steve yesterday. They were pretty much in shock. They were all in Pensacola, Florida and Brad lived in Marietta, Georgia. Everyone is kind of in the dark here with what happened. I know there will be an autopsy performed. First indications was a possible massive heart attack. Other than that, that’s speculation from things that have been said, and probably things being said on the internet. I just want people to keep them in their prayers because its been tough and I have been like a family member to them. I was always the fifth Armstrong. growing up in the business with them and constantly keeping in touch with them. Bob and his mother, they are all just great people. I appreciate any prayers to them and all the people up in the Northeast.”

WWE DVD Review: Rock Versus Cena - Once in a Lifetime

WWE DVD Review: Rock Vs Cena – Once in a Lifetime. Over three discs this special WWE DVD box set gives us the viewer an inside peak at the hype that surrounded the year long build up to the eventual match-up between The Rock and John Cena. Starting with the in-ring banter and bickering that hyped up a possible feud we get to see both men in fine form on the microphone. The Rock proves very quickly that his Hollywood hiatus hasn't slowed him down, he is still a master of the mic and one of the all time greats in the world of the WWE. As the story unfolds we get to see Rocky return to a WWE ring, his encounters with Cena and challenges get issued. It may seem a bit extreme to have three discs housing all of these events, but in all honesty it takes it to cover each of the year long series of events, that the WWE compiled to make the inevitable one-on-one scrap the one not to miss at WrestleMania. On the match front we get a few key ones and they are quite rightly the best examples of how the back story to this gathered pace. The John Cena and Mizz match-up has a few nice surprises (which we will not spoil), the Survivor Series teaming of Rock/Cena against Miz/R-Truth is a well-paced affair that not only highlights Cena's love-hate relationship with the WWE faithful, but how well he and Rock gel together. This match really did its job and made us all long for the WrestleMania match between the two. That match of course is featured here and rounds off the set nicely. Rock Vs Cena – Once in a Lifetime is the perfect example of just how good the WWE can be. They took a potential one-off match between a former superstar and current one, they hyped it up, built it well and finally pulled the trigger at just the right point. The wrestling world has a reputation for pulling the plug on such lengthy storylines and never explaining them or reducing them to a farce by over complicating them. This is the exception to the rule and one that every fan should indeed own if they can. Www.silvervision.co.uk RRP £29.99 By Phil Allely

Brad Armstrong Dies

Farewell to the Candyman! By Phil Allely Brad Armstrong (son of WWE HOF'er 'Bullet' Bob Armstrong) has passed away at the age of 51. The official WWE website has announced that they were 'Saddened to learn of the passing of Brad Armstrong (aged 51), one of four sons of Bob Armstrong. WWE understands that Brad saw his physician last week for a medical issue and was found in an unresponsive state this morning. WWE extends its sincerest condolences to the entire Armstrong family'. Brad was a popular grappler for the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) and WCW in the 1980s and 1990s, plus a short stint with the WWE. Brad's last in-ring appearances were for ECW in 2006. Most veteran wrestling fans will know Brad as the fun loving (and talented) sweet giving Candyman character he portrayed in WCW and as the masked Fantasia member of the Fabulous Freebirds combo of Michael 'PS' Hayes and Jimmy 'Jam' Garvin. Brad was a gifted wrestler who could have been a wonderful road agent or mentor to up and coming stars, he will be sorely missed in the industry. He is survived by brothers Scott (WWE referee), Brian (former Road Dogg/Agent for the WWE) and Steve (the less well received Lance Cassidy in WWE 2002). I wish to offer our condolences to the Armstrong Family also, Phil Allely like many other loyal WCW fans remember Brad in his prime and how much he meant to the industry.

TNA Bound For Glory 2012 Review

TNA Review - Bound For Glory 2012 By Phil Allely TNA's annual PPV Bound For Glory is an event the entire roster and loyal fan base cannot wait to be a part of. This is the companies biggest event of the year it features a weekend full of fan interaction events and guest appearances by roster members old and new. This year BFG not only promised to deliver in the ring (Ace's &8's vs Bully Ray/Sting, Roode vs Storm, Hardy vs Aries), but also paid homage to the Icon Sting with the first TNA Hall of Fame induction. After a few sub par PPV's BFG really needed to deliver. The first surprise of the night came as Rob Van Dam prised the X Division Title from the grasp of Zema Ion. RVD as champ may well open up the recently lacking Division, which was once such a highlight of TNA Programming. Former tag team partners Magnus and Samoa Joe had a pretty decent scrap for Joe's TV Title next. Both traded near falls and high impact moves. However Brit Magnus failed in his quest, falling to a Joe choke-out. Surprisingly a match the magnitude of the Storm/Roode Streetfight was relegated to third of the night. The good news was that the pair really had their work boots on here and risked life and limb to put forth one hell of a match-up. Weapons we used frequently, blood flowed and special enforcer King Mo kept his distance, allowing the former best friends to pulverise each other in and out of the ring. The match ended with Storm's hand held high and Roode lying in pool of blood and thumbtacks. This was a feud that culminated perfectly (well done TNA). The Joey Ryan/Al Snow encounter had potential, but failed to ignite the crowd. Fortunately Snow producing his mannequin head and a surprise appearance by Matt Morgan brought them back on board. Ryan capitalised the interference to earn a TNA contract. Of the three thrown together teams in the Tag Team Title match (Styles/Angle, Kazarian/Daniels) the combo of Hernandez/Chavo may have the most potential. They do that old school thing of combining strength, speed and experience. Making their team a formidable one. The match was fun and well-paced. A criticism could be that there were too many men involved to allow them to fully showcase their wares. Hernandez/Chavo pulled off the win and won the tag gold with relative ease, following a 'border toss' 'frog splash' combo move. As revealed in a exclusive interview here the pair will now be in the sights of the team of Robbie's E & T. Former friends and knockout tag champions Tara and Miss Tessmacher faced off for Tessmacher's Knockouts Title next. As women's matches go this was above par and allowed each the chance to shine. Tessmacher is definitely improving with each outing and Tara can still work with the best of them. Tara's experience however came to the fore and allowed her to snag herself one more gold belt for her collection. Highly anticipated (due to the pacing of the storyline) was the Ace's & 8's versus Sting/Bully Ray match. With numbers changing weekly the members of the gang are unknown and rumours are rife as to who they will be, when finally revealed. This was a good old fashioned brawl, no finesse at all in the moves and it suited the ageing Stinger and rough-housing Ray to perfection. Sting and Ray fared well until the numbers game got the better of them. Joseph Park ran one off, but that could only delay the inevitable loss for the TNA team. Post-match the gang attacked our valiant losers, Hulk Hogan made a (slow) save and in the final shock of the night one of the gang was revealed to be the former Team 3D member Devon. Rightly in the main event spot was the World Heavyweight Title encounter between Champ Austin Aries and the back in form Jeff Hardy. This was a match to re-view a few times as moves came thick and fast, both men chose their spots and for the main hit them perfectly. Your reviewer does wonder what a match between an in his prime Hardy and Aries would have been like. The bout flew along at a decent rate and allowed both to take risks. The ending came as a total surprise to many, Aries losing his belt to a Hardy Swanton. BFG did exceed expectations, the clips of Sting's induction were nice to see. The title changes were mostly for the greater good of the company and the first Ace's & 8's reveal did throw many smart fans. The big thing is now to see how the company capitalise on these storyline twists and just what Matt Morgan meant when he said we was there to take out the roster. By Phil Allely www.impactwrestling.com