Pro Wrestling News, WWE Rumors, Divas

TNA Star Jesse Sorensen Seriously Injured at Against All Odds

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:21:00 +0000

Last night in the opening match at TNA's "Against All Odds" pay per view, Jesse Sorensen was seriously injured after taking a dive to the outside of the ring from Zema Ion. Sorensen appeared to take Ion's knees to his head and immediately fell limp. At first the referee checked Sorensen and gave the "he's OK" sign.....but after a few minutes of not moving, the referee checked again and gave the "X" sign that Sorensen was legitimately hurt and the match was cut short as TNA personnel rushed to the scene.

Dixie Carter tweeted soon after that Sorensen was being transported to the hospital for evaluation. Throughout the night many TNA stars took to Twitter to ask fans to pray for Sorensen as the situation was serious. Today the news is that last night Sorensen lost feeling in his extremities, but has regained feeling in his arms and hands, with only tingling in his legs. This of course is a very serious situation any time any type of paralysis is involved.

Sorensen is still a relative newcomer to TNA and to the wrestling business, so it makes it even worse to see something like this happen. Here's to hoping Sorensen has a speedy recovery and no long term damage after sustaining this very serious injury. You can send your thoughts and prayers to Jesse directly via Twitter @TNASorensen

DVD Review: The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Jennings) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:25:00 +0000

On June 5, 2011 the WWE released the DVD set "The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro", it was the third WCW DVD set released by the WWE. And after watching this DVD set I was left a little more satisfied than with the first two releases.

The first two DVD sets released by the WWE was "The Rise and Fall of WCW" and "Starrcade: The Essential Collection". Both of those releases were well done but sadly had alot of WWE bias in the commentary by Jim Ross and other current WWE employees. But on "The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro" the bias was gone as all the commentary was provided by the 3-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page. And although DDP is currently under contract with the WWE, he still an honest recap about what happened on WCW Monday Nitro.

So, I highly recommend that you go pickup "The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro", it doesn't matter if you're a WCW fan or just a pro wrestling fan period.

Brodus Clay's "Funkasaurus" Debut: Superstar or Superfail?

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:21:00 +0000

One of the most unexpected and most talked about stories of the week is the re-debut of Brodus Clay as a dancing, fun loving, "Funkasaurus." For weeks there has been build up and hype for Clay who was being pushed as getting angrier and angrier every week that John Laurinaitis held off his debut. There was even rumor that Clay would be the guy to come out in the Royal Rumble this year and clear the ring, making a huge impact. When Clay finally debuted this past Monday, he was the exact opposite of everything that was expected.

As soon as the name "Funkasaurus" was announced and the music hit (which was the same music used by Ernest "The Cat" Miller in WWE for anyone that didn't catch that) it was clear that this new character was going to get some strong reactions. In Run DMC-esque gear, smiling, dancing, it was an all new Brodus Clay. My first thought was....."Wow, they have totally ruined this monster and given him a corny goofy character." But after talking to some of our other writers and seeing the reaction its garnered, maybe a crazy over the top gimmick is a change that WWE needs. As one of my fellow writers put it: "What else was he going to be? Another Mark Henry?"

He's "funky," he's got dancers, he's got some Dusty Rhodes like lingo, but he's still a big man that can move in the ring. Should Clay have been a monster that destroyed everyone? Or is this crazy Funkasaurus gimmick going to make him a hugely popular star? It's really to early to tell, but it seems WWE is happy with all the reactions it has brought so far. What are your opinions on the new and funky Brodus Clay?

Edge and The Four Horsemen the first 2012 Hall of Fame Inductees

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:10:00 +0000

WWE kicked off Hall of Fame inductee announcements earlier than ever last night on RAW, when it was announced that Edge and the Four Horsemen were the first announced inductees this year. A couple of months ago in Mexico, it was announced by Triple H that Mil Mascaras will also be inducted even though the segment wasn't shown on TV, so technically Mascaras was the first inductee announced.

Edge feels a little rushed, even though he is deserving. I guess I personally feel like guys that are WAY overdue like The Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, and Jake Roberts should be going in before someone that retired a year ago. None the less, apparently the WWE locker room voted on it and everyone feels good about it so it makes sense. Christian will most likely induct Edge which comes as no surprise.

The real surprise of the night was that The Four Horsemen will also be inducted this year. Surprising mainly because Ric Flair, who was always the main guy in the group, currently works for TNA. I don't see how it is even possible to induct the Horsemen without Flair there. Judging by the picture shown on RAW, it looks like they will be inducting the Flair/Windham/Anderson/Blanchard/Dillon version of the Horsemen. Of course Windham has had medical problems recently that have kept him in the hospital for a few months, so it will be interesting if he can make it. If they don't expect Flair to be part of this, I hope they're ready for some thunderous "we want Flair" chants to erupt.

The 2012 WWE Hall of Fame is stacking up nicely with plenty more names out there to make it even bigger. The event takes place as usual the night before WrestleMania, but no word yet on when the edited version will air on USA.

Joe Gagne's Funtime Pro Wrestling Arcade Videos

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:45:00 +0000

I've been sitting back enjoying these videos so I figured I would share here at PWR. Joe Gagne has taken to Youtube and is doing great (and hilarious) reviews of all the old classic wrestling games many of us grew up with. From the arcade classics to some of the terrible Nintendo titles, this is a great series to relive all the magic from that era.

These videos bring back so many memories if you grew up playing each game and seeing how most of them improved over time. The first wrestling game I remember playing at home was "Title Match" for the Atari 2600. It was terrible...and made my next wrestling game (WrestleMania for NES) ALMOST seem good. Looking back now, almost all of the first few games were on different levels of terrible. As time went on there was an emotional roller coaster for wrestling game fans since the arcades had awesome games like "WWF Superstars" and "Wrestlefest," but the home consoles just couldn't capture the fun of the arcades until years later.

The late 90's/early 2000's were a glory period for wrestling games, and we're looking forward to Joe Gagne reviewing those games as well. Check out the full series on Youtube where you can view the latest video, which is a review of King of the Ring for NES (quite possibly the worst wrestling game ever, seriously, it went FAR backward instead of forward.) Below we will feature the review one of the most fun wrestling games ever that was way ahead of it's time, WWF Wrestlefest:

Chris Jericho Returns to WWE...and Says Nothing

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:20:00 +0000

Well the big "1-2-12" promos had sparked some interest the past few weeks, but most everyone was predicting either the return of Chris Jericho or The Undertaker. If you saw RAW, you know that the promos were for the return of Chris Jericho. As the final promo played with the little girl and the little boy, I was trying to figure out what it could all mean and what the significance of the girl was....but little did I know that the promos with the kids were only the BEGINNING of the night's confusion.

As the final promo ended, the screen started to shake and the lights went out, which definitely felt like The Undertaker was on his way out. The crowd started a "Y2J" chant, and sure enough there was Jericho in his trademark pose while wearing an LED lit jacket. The place went crazy and it looked like the over the top good guy Jericho was back. He got in the ring smiling, and seemed to be ecstatic to be in front of the WWE Universe again. The celebration continued, as Jericho got out of the ring and made the rounds high fiving fans. Jericho got back in the ring, grabbed the mic, but then decided to work the crowd even more and keep the celebration going. I think it was about 5 minutes into this when I started to feel like Jericho might be overdoing it, and he needed to go ahead and say whatever he was going to say....but that didn't happen.

When Jericho finally did grab the mic and ALMOST started to talk.......he dropped the mic in the ring, and for a second i expected a complete heel turn on the crowd as if he suckered them all in. But then, Jericho started smiling and celebrating all over, and things just got more and more odd. Jericho then proceeded to hop out of the ring, slap some more hands, and then he left. The crowd didn't know what to think, but some boos could be heard and there was a definite vibe that there was more to this story. We were expecting a "I'm back and I'm entering the Royal Rumble" type of promo, but it was almost like Jericho was making a mockery of wrestling returns.

As odd as all of this was, I can at least say it was different. The idea of Jericho returning didn't really interest me all that much since it doesn't feel like he's been gone all that long. The way things were handled at least got people talking because it was so odd and different, but it will be interesting to see where it goes from here. I have a feeling it was Jericho himself that came up with this, since he's talked in the past about reinventing himself and keeping things interesting. One thing is for sure, Chris Jericho is back even though we don't know why or where he stands. What did you think of Chris Jericho's return? Was it stupid? Or did it make you wonder where this story is going?

Brock Lesnar Retires from UFC

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:12:00 +0000

Just yesterday we previewed the Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem fight at UFC 141, and now tonight we can report that Brock Lesnar's career in the UFC is officially over. Lesnar was defeated with ease by Overeem, and the once explosive Brock we used to see in UFC was long gone. Leading in to the fight, tons of experts said that the key to Brock winning was using his wrestling skills and avoiding stand up with Overeem. Brock pretty much did the opposite by trying to stand up with Overeem, and eventually a couple of knees to the body and finally a liver kick from Overeem sent Lesnar to the ground before the referee stopped the fight.

All of this happened in just over 2 minutes. Lesnar barely got a couple of punches in, and failed at taking Overeem down at all. After his horrible showing, Brock Lesnar announced his retirement from the UFC. Lesnar has been given much credit from the MMA community and fans after the fight for even attempting to fight again after the surgery that removed a foot of his colon. Lesnar also claimed that had he won, he had already promised his wife (Sable) that he would have retired after winning the title one more time.

Within seconds of Lesnar's retirement, the Internet was buzzing with rumors and predictions that Lesnar would be on his way back to WWE. While I think that is definitely possible at some point, I don't think we will see it for a good while. It would be hard for WWE to promote Brock's return so close to such a crippling loss. I think when the time is right, WWE will use Brock for a big match but not for a full time return.

Brock Lesnar had a good run in UFC that created a ton of interest whether fans loved him or hated him. Brock created "must see" fights that made money for all parties involved. Brock retiring is a big loss for many crossover fans from the wrestling world that may have tuned in just to see Brock's fights. It will definitely be interesting to see where Brock Lesnar's career goes from here.

Brock Lesnar Returns to the UFC Tomorrow Night (12/30/11)

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:59:00 +0000

After 14 months away from the UFC due to surgery, Brock Lesnar returns tomorrow night to do battle with Alistair Overeem. Overeem was the last Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion before the division was absorbed by UFC, and he will make his UFC debut tomorrow night. I mention the date because UFC 141 isn't on the usual Saturday night, but is on Friday night due to the holiday.

The heavyweight battle at UFC 141 will determine the number 1 contender for the UFC Heavyweight Title, and will be a battle of explosive beasts that isn't expected to go the distance. Most everyone has said this will be a classic striker vs. wrestler battle, with Overeem going for a KO and Lesnar looking for a takedown. Lesnar last fought 14 months ago when he was knocked out by Cain Velasquez, which has many questioning if he is fully prepared for this major fight. Overeem hasn't lost a fight in 4 years, but UFC President Dana White pointed out that he doesn't feel Overeem has fought any of the best fighters in the world lately. Can he hang with UFC's big boys in the heavyweight division?

The trash talking has been going on for weeks, with Overeem claiming he's going to send Lesnar back to WWE. Lesnar claims he feels better than ever after his surgery, and seems hungry to get the UFC Title back. Unlike wrestling these days which doesn't give us anything on holidays, UFC is giving us a great kickoff to the New Year's weekend. Lesnar vs. Overeem will be explosive, and will give us a pretty clear view of the heavyweight action we will see in the UFC in 2012.

As wrestling fans we can't help but go for Brock in his big comeback fight, but one has to wonder if Overeem's striking will bring Lesnar down, especially if it's a body shot coming off such major surgery. If your around the Las Vegas area, tickets to UFC 141 are still available, be there for this epic showdown tomorrow night!

Randy Orton Injured...or is he?

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Jennings) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:39:00 +0000

Randy Orton was injured at last friday night's Smackdown taping in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was in a Falls count anywhere match against Wade Barrett, where the finish of the match saw Orton thrown down a flight of stairs. Randy Orton's Twitter account posted a message last friday night that said "Randy was injured at tonight's Smackdown event and more details to follow on WWE.com as they become available."

Now the next question has to be "Is he really injured?" So often when WWE superstars get injured it's just so they can have some time off to spend with their family or so the WWE can workout the storyline. In Orton's case it's probably so the WWE can tweak the storyline a little bit. The World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan will be defending his newly won title against the Big Show. Once the Daniel Bryan vs. Big Show storyline is over you will probably see Orton make his return and be the new challenger for the title. So if you're a Randy Orton fan, don't worry, I'm sure that he's just fine. This "injury" is just so the WWE can do some creative work and so that Orton can take a break and spend some time with his family.

Daniel Bryan Wins the World Heavyweight Championship at TLC

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:12:00 +0000

The biggest news coming out of the TLC pay per view is the World Heavyweight Championship win by Daniel Bryan. Bryan of course was not scheduled in a match on the PPV, but rather cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase after Big Show defeated Mark Henry for the title. Just after winning, Big Show was attacked by Henry and laid out, prompting Bryan to hit the ring and cash in.

So Daniel Bryan is now officially the World Heavyweight Champion. I use officially because just a few weeks ago WWE tested the waters by having Bryan "win" the title by cashing in on Mark Henry, only to have Teddy Long reverse it due to Henry not being cleared to wrestle. Well this time around word is that Henry is legitimately injured and the decision was made to do the title change tonight at TLC.

Now the question is, how long will Daniel Bryan hold the belt. My prediction....not very long. I think Bryan could be pushed as a legit champion that even though small, has an arsenal of submissions that can defeat any one at any time. But my gut feeling is that WWE won't run with a smaller guy as champion for very long, and I could see him dropping the belt to Big Show or even Henry soon.

Other results from TLC:

CM Punk retained the WWE title over Miz and Alberto Del Rio
Cody Rhodes retained the IC title over Booker T
Sheamus defeated Jack Swagger
Triple H defeated Kevin Nash
Beth Phoenix retained the Divas Championship over Kelly Kelly
Randy Orton over Wade Barrett after an RKO through a table
Air Boom retained the tag titles over Epico and Primo
and Zack Ryder defeated Dolph Ziggler for the United States Championship

Lita Arrested

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Jennings) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Former WWE Diva Lita (Amy Dumas) was arrested December 9th in Columbia County, Georgia. She was pulled over for excessive speeding, then it was discovered that she was driving on a suspended/revoked license. She was arrested and taken to jail, she was later released on a $2,200 bond. So now all three former members of "Team Extreme"(Lita, Matt Hardy, and Jeff Hardy) have been in legal trouble this year.

But Lita isn't taking it too seriously, she posted a response on her Twitter account saying "You guys make a Team Extreme jailbird graphic yet? Get to work! Slackers!" She may make fun of the whole situation but one thing she can't make fun of is her upcoming trial. She will be facing the charges of excessive speeding and driving while her license was suspended/revoked. So from everyone here at the Pro Wrestling Roundup, we wish Lita good luck in her trial and we hope it all turns out well.

Lilian Garcia Set to Return to WWE

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:53:00 +0000

A bit of unexpected breaking news from WWE.com today, as it has been announced that Lilian Garcia has re-signed with WWE and will be the new full time Smackdown ring announcer.

For anyone that isn't aware, Lillian was the WWE ring announcer for 10 years beginning in 1999 and retiring in 2009 to pursue other interests. Lilian was also known for her powerful renditions of the national anthem that she performed on a regular basis during that time frame. Since she left, WWE has tried out a few different female ring announcers but none of them had the presence of Garcia.

Lilian Garcia had been hosting the RAW Aftershow on Afterbuzztv.com and featuring former WWE talent on the show, but it remains to be seen if she will continue in that role now that she is back full time with WWE. While everyons is happy to see Lilian is returning, many wish Lillian was coming back to RAW and we can't argue that we would rather look at her every Monday than Justin Roberts, but time will tell how the ring announcer situation will work out.

Skip Sheffield returns to the WWE

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Jennings) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 23:14:00 +0000

Skip Sheffield returned to action for World Wrestling Entertainment November 3, 2011 at the Raw house show at the Bank Atlantic Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This was his first appearance since he broke his ankle at a WWE house in Hawaii in August of 2010. His appearance was a big surprise because last week he was removed from the official WWE roster page on WWE.com. While it is not known who he was introduced as, he told a fan last week that he was going to be re-introduced in the WWE as "Ryback", and the WWE recently trademarked the name. The name change was due to the fact that the WWE wants to push him as a "Babyface" character, so the injury may have been a good thing. It enables Sheffield to distance himself from the "Heel" character that he was when he was a member of the "Nexxus" and now he can reappear in the WWE as "Ryback". So now the question is "Will Skip Sheffield be able take his new persona and become one of the top "Babyface" characters in the WWE?" Well, I guess we will just have to wait and see if "Ryback" really is going to be a big part of the future in the WWE.

"Piper's Pit" Returns via FunnyOrDie.com

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:33:00 +0000

Recently on Twitter, WWE Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper has talked about many of the project he would be involved in once he recovered from his recent neck surgery. Today FunnyOrDie.com brings us one of those projects, which is the return of Piper's Pit as a "cable access show." Now we're not talking about the version of the Pit we've seen in WWE over the years where Piper interviews 2 guys in the ring and mediates between them, but this is the old school version with the set and the craziness of the ORIGINAL Piper's Pit. Roddy acting like a nutcase and bringing on crazy guests was what made the Pit famous, and now it's back and crazier than ever! There really are no words for this, all you can do is watch:

Piper's Pit with Rowdy Roddy Piper from Roddy Piper

Where to Find the Best Deals on the "WWE '12" Game

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 07:14:00 +0000

As you've all seen lately on WWE programming, the huge "WWE '12" video game is coming out this week for PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii etc. Months ago we reported on the awesome roster on the game that even includes legends like Demolition, the Legion of Doom, Vader, Brock Lesnar and more. It's coming out a little later this year than game releases in the past few years, and this time it happens to fall on Black Friday week which limits the deals you can find on it.

The game is already getting rave reviews and seems to have finally fixed just about everything that was previously wrong with WWE games. Along with the already awesome roster, a stellar line up of DLC is on the way for the game including Trish Stratus, Kharma, Batista, Mick Foley, and even "Macho Man" Randy Savage

So far it looks like if your wanting to buy the game in a store, Target will be the place to get it as they will have it available on November 22nd (this Tuesday) on sale for $47. This price includes The Rock as a playable character without pre ordering. It looks like this price will only be in effect at Target for a couple of days before going back to the normal $59.99 price.

If you don't mind ordering online, then Amazon.com is the place with the best overall deal on WWE '12. They are offering the $47 price, The Rock playable character, AND a $10 dollar credit toward your next Amazon purchase. So far these are the only 2 special Black Friday week deals on WWE '12, if you have seen any other let us know below in the comments.

Wrestling Legend Kamala Has Career Ending Surgery

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Pro wrestling legend "The Ugandan Giant" Kamala (James Harris) has undergone a career ending surgery to amputate part of his leg due to complications from diabetes. Kamala has made cameo appearances for TNA and WWE in recent years, and was still active on the indy scene. Sadly at age 61, Kamala will have no choice to retire after a very successful career.

Kamala began wrestling in the late 70's under the moniker "Sugar Bear Harris" before taking on the Kamala persona that was created by Jerry "The King" Lawler. From them on Kamala was seen in every promotion around the country, doing battle with everyone from Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant to the Von Erichs and Bruiser Brody. Kamala was one of the wrestlers that made you know you were watching something that you couldn't see anywhere else but wrestling, and made you want to see all the crazyness live. I remember first seeing Kamala in a cage match with Andre the Giant. The idea of a giant savage beast battling Andre in a bloody cage match was a thought that would make any fan want to buy a ticket to see it. Kamala was an attraction and a unique character the likes of which we don't see hardly at all in today's wrestling.

Kamala posted this video from the hospital to let everyone know that he is in good spirits and still feels blessed:

video platform video management video solutions video player

Shimmer Celebrates it's 6th Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Jennings) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:35:00 +0000

Shimmer held it's first event on November 6, 2005 and not much was probably thought about it. All female professional wrestling organizations have been coming and going since the 80's, all of them would last two to three years and then they would go under. Many fans and pro wrestling insiders probably thought the same thing would happen to Shimmer. But Shimmer would take female professional wrestling to another level, and that's why Shimmer is celebrating it's 6th anniversary.

If you watch a WWE Diva's match or a TNA Knockout's match you won't see a match like you do in Shimmer. Yes, there are some talented female wrestlers in WWE and TNA like Mickie James, Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Tara, and Gail Kim but they only make up a small part of the female wrestler roster. The rest of the female wrestlers you will see in WWE and TNA are nothing but a bunch of models pretending to be wrestlers. In Shimmer you will see great matches between great wrestlers, that's why Shimmer calls itself "Shimmer:Women Athletes". At that first show in 2005 there would be a match between Allison Danger and future WWE Women's Champion and WWE Diva's Champion Beth Phoenix. There would be a great match between two of the best female wrestlers in the world today, Mschif and Cheerleader Melissa. Other Shimmer stars that wrestled at that first show were Daizee Haze, Lexie Fyfe, Christie Ricci, Mercedes Martinez, and current Shimmer Champion Sara Del Rey. And this was just the first show, these great matches and great shows have been going on for six years now. Another reason why Shimmer has been so successful is because they release their shows straight to DVD instead of trying to get a deal to be on cable television.

So many of the all female wrestling promotions before Shimmer would get cable TV deals but when the ratings didn't pan out, they would get cancelled and that would be the end of their promotion. But with Shimmer taking the approach of releasing their shows straight to DVD it would give them a better way of connecting with their fanbase. Shimmer has put together a package that has proven to be an absolute success, something those promotions before them couldn't do. So if you haven't seen Shimmer yet, I highly recommend that you go to http://www.shimmerwrestling.blogspot.com/ and order their DVDs, you won't regret it.

Legends of the Ring: Magnum T.A.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Jennings) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 22:04:00 +0000

Terrence Wayne “Terry” Allen was born June 19, 1959 in Tidewater, Virginia. Terry attended high school at Norfolk Collegiate School in Norfolk, Virginia where he was a member of the varsity wrestling team. He won the state championship in the 167 pound division, after high school he attended Old Dominion University but didn't graduate.

In 1977 Terry began his wrestling career, he joined the National Wrestling Alliance and began wrestling for Championship Wrestling from Florida and Pacific Northwest Wrestling. While in the CWF he won the Global Tag Team Championship five times before moving on to Mid-South Wrestling. Upon moving to Mid-South Wrestling he changed his name to Magnum T.A. and developed a character known as the “American Heart Throb”. While in Mid-South Wrestling Terry would get a big assist from one of the true legends of pro wrestling as Andre the Giant would suggest that he change his name. Andre thought that Terry resembled Tom Selleck's “Magnum P.I.” character, so he told him to use the Magnum and to put his initials in place of the “P.I.”. Terry would follow the advice of the pro wrestling legend and Magnum T.A. was born. On May 13, 1984 Magnum T.A. defeated Mr. Wrestling II for the North American Heavyweight Championship, a title he would hold 5 times while in Mid-South Wrestling.

In late 1984, Magnum would sign with Jim Crockett promotions, shortly thereafter he would begin fueding with Wahoo McDaniel. Their feud would climax on March 23, 1985 when Magnum would defeat him for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. A few months later Magnum would begin feuding with the Four Horsemen, on September 28, 1985 Magnum would lose a near 30-minute match to the Four Horsemen's leader, Ric Flair. This match would earn Magnum a tremendous amount of respect and prove him to be a serious contender for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Apparently the Four Horsemen realized what a threat Magnum T.A. was to Ric Flair's World Title, as they would mount an assault and come after him.

The Horseman that would carry out that assault would be Tully Blanchard,Tully would strike a big blow as he would beat Magnum for the NWA United States Heavyweight Title. But this was only the beginning of this war, a war that would culminate November 28, 1985 at Starrcade inside the confines of a steel cage. Jim Crockett Promotions and the NWA knew that this war had to end and the only way to end it would be with a surrender. So this final battle between Magnum T.A. and Tully Blanchard would be an “I Quit Match” for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. This match would steal the show at “Starrcade '85” as it was one of the most intense, hard fought, bloody battles that had ever been witnessed in the history of professional wrestling. Each wrestler tried numerous times to get his opponent to say “I Quit” but neither man would give up. Both men used multiple weapons trying to get the advantage and it would be one of these weapons that would make the difference. Magnum would find a screwdriver outside the ring, he would begin to use it as he would dig into Tully's head with the screwdriver. Tully couldn't withstand the punishment and he would scream the words “I Quit!!!”. Magnum T.A. would leave the ring that night with two very important things, the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship and the revenge that he sought against the Tully Blanchard and the Four Horsemen.

In April of 1986, Magnum began fueding with Ivan Koloff, who had startiing saying that his nephew Nikita Koloff was going to beat Magnum for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. Jim Crockett,Jr would setup a press conference where Magnum and Nikita would sign the contract for their match. Magnum would bring his brother Marion to the contract signing, while Nikita had his uncle Ivan Koloff with him. Nikita would insult Magnum and Marion's mother, a fight would then breakout. Then, NWA president Bob Geigel would reprimand Magnum for behavior unbecoming of a champion, Magnum's response would be “Reprimand this!” and then he would clothesline the NWA president. Bob Geigel would then strip Magnum of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship, but Magnum would be put in a best of 7 series of matches against Nikita Koloff to determine a new champion. Nikita would win the first three matches, but then Magnum would come back and when the next three matches. In the seventh and final match, Nikita would defeat Magnum with help from Ivan Koloff and Krusher Khruschev to become the new NWA United States Heavyweight Champion. It looked as if there was a rematch coming but unfortunately tragedy would prevent that from happening.

On October 14, 1986 Magnum T.A. was driving his Porsche in the rain when he lost control and crashed only a couple miles from his home in Charlotte, North Carolina. The injuries he suffered from the crash would end his wrestling career, as his C-4 and C-5 vertebrae would explode. He was paralyzed and doctors told him that he would never walk again, but Magnum trained hard and would regain the use of his legs. Although his in ring career was over he would continue to work for Jim Crockett Promotions, he worked as an announcer and also as Dusty Rhodes manager. He would also work for WCW after they purchased Jim Crockett Promotions, he would do his last work for WCW in 1993.

Magnum T.A. Continues to live in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife Courtney Shattuck-Blanchard, she is the ex-wife of Magnum's long time rival Tully Blanchard. Magnum and Courtney have two children, twins, Lucy and Tucker that they had in 2007. Magnum runs a community hedge fund and a communication towers business, Magnum's father started the Communications tower business but after his death in 2008 Magnum took over running the family business. So Magnum T.A. Continues to be a success, years ago it was in the ring, now it's outside the ring in business and in his personal life. Magnum T.A. Has just proven himself to be a Champion inside the ring and out.

Maryse Released by WWE

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:39:00 +0000

Some very surprising news to report today, as Maryse Ouellet was released by WWE. The move is quite a surprise because Maryse was always said to be a favorite of Vince McMahon (and who can argue) since she is obviously hot, but also unique and has great charisma. Maryse had also reportedly been dating The Miz for a while now, which also makes this release surprising since The Miz is still receiving a sizable push in WWE. Prior to her release, Maryse has been sidelined with an abdominal hernia that required surgery, but was said to be close to being able to return.

Maryse signed debuted in WWE in 2006 after competing in the Diva Search competition. She was molded into a great character over time and eventually became decent in the ring as well. Prior to her time in WWE, Maryse posed for Playboy and won Miss Hawaiian Tropic Canada in 2003.

Maryse had a presence unlike any other WWE Diva, and eventually had a great run as Divas Champion. She would be a huge pick up for TNA if she is interested in going there, and I'm sure they're already looking into it. Maryse didn't seem to broken up about her release, as she wrote on her Twitter:

"I'M OUT and sexier than ever! Thanks to all my fans, colleagues and @WWE Universe. Time to party! "Release" party tonight at @trousdale LA"

"Im Happy, im Smiling, and FREE, now its time to get Naughty ............BE SEXY"

So it seems like Maryse might be happy to be free from WWE and their TV-PG ways. Maybe (hopefully) we'll see her return to doing some Playboy or other type modeling, or maybe in TNA where things are a little more free. Maryse will definitely be popping up somewhere since she has star power that will bring her success wherever she goes.

Video: The Scott Hall Story on ESPN E: 60

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:43:00 +0000

One of the most talked about topics in the wrestling world this week was the piece done by ESPN on Scott Hall. "The Scott Hall Story" aired on ESPN's E: 60 this week, and showed just how bad Scott Hall's life has deteriorated. While the piece has almost universally been said to have done a great job, it is quite depressing and reveals some things that many of us hadn't heard about Hall's early life and what lead to his current state.

This type of mainstream piece on a current wrestler who is having major troubles as opposed to a wrestler that has passed away makes the show quite unique. It's become apparent that everyone from Hall's closest friends (such as Kevin Nash and Sean Waltman) to Hall's own family have tried to help him. WWE has even paid for multiple stints in rehab for Hall, but there just doesn't seem to be anything else anyone can do. It's amazing to think that around a year and a half ago, Hall was in TNA and looked to be in shape and ready for one more run. Now he looks like an old man that can hardly get around. We also learn in the story that Hall's son Cody (who looks to be at least 6"7) is trying to follow his father's footsteps into the wrestling business, but the relationship still can't be held together due to Hall's substance abuse.

Check out the full Scott Hall story from ESPN below:

Huge TNA Spoilers: New Heavyweight Champion Crowned

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:18:00 +0000

**Warning, spoilers for this Thursdays Impact ahead, don't read if you want to be surprised**

Coming off TNA's biggest pay per view of the year, Bound for Glory, there have been many reports about the locker room being unhappy that Bobby Roode didn't beat Kurt Angle for the TNA Title. Hulk Hogan has been very vocal recently in the media on his Twitter page recently about many of the TNA talents. He stated last week that he didn't think Bobby Roode was "the guy," and word was that Hogan himself lobbied to change the original finish in the Bound for Glory main event which had Roode winning the belt.

Hogan had also mentioned last week that he believed James Storm should get a big push over Roode, and tonight at the Impact tapings that belief became apparent to all as James Storm defeated Kurt Angle and won the TNA World Title. This was a pretty big swerve, as many believe Roode would still end up winning the title soon. Storm is more of a character than Roode, and it seems like Hogan saw much more in him since Storm is now the reigning TNA Champion. It should be interesting now to see where this story goes, since a Roode heel turn and feud with Storm seems like a natural direction, but it's hard to tell where they will go at this point.

In another spoiler from the Impact tapings, Gail Kim returned to TNA and looks to have returned as a heel alongside Karen Jarrett judging by the couple of pics we've seen. Gail was a huge part of building the Knockout Division, and her classic matches with Awesome Kong (Kharma) set the tone for the success of the Knockouts. Gail's return is a major boost to the Knockout division, and many more potential great Knockout matches will no doubt be on the way with Gail in the mix.

Check out Impact this Thursday on Spike and see all of these major developments unfold!

Related Content:
TNA Knockout Gail Kim poses nude in Korean Magazine

Tyson Tomko Arrested for Robbery

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:37:00 +0000

On the heels of the Matt Hardy rehab story, more bad news to report for another former WWE and TNA Star. Tyson Tomko was arrested in Florida yesterday for stealing several bottles of oxycodone from a CVS Pharmacy, and allegedly threatening a pharmacist to get the drug. Next Tomko went to a local Chili's and used their bathroom to shoot up the drugs after melting them down. TMZ reports that cops busted Tomko in the process, and he admitted to stealing the drugs but said he didn't threaten the pharmacist. He also apparently told cops that he had a major drug problem.

So now Tomko sits behind bars with a $7,500 bond. It's sad that these guys admit to having such problems, but don't take advantage of the WWE sponsored rehab that is readily available to any former Superstar. Hopefully Tomko can get a grasp on things before things spiral even further out of control.

Brock Lesnar Returns to WWE in "WWE 12" Video Game

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:41:00 +0000

A couple of months ago we revealed the roster for the "WWE 12" video game, and it was awesome to see that THQ stacked the roster this year with legends like The Legion of Doom, Demolition, Vader, Arn Anderson, and many more. With The Rock on the cover of the game and playing a huge role in the push for the game, it's been apparent that THQ is going all out to make WWE 12 the biggest WWE game in years.

With all the hype and stacked roster, there has also been rumor of a "mystery superstar" that would make a huge impact on the game. Now today we can confirm that Brock Lesnar will be featured in the WWE 12 game. The story of Brock being featured in the game leaked over the past few days, with UFC owner Dana White even voicing his approval of Brock being in the game. Brock was on the cover of the classic "Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain" video game that was regarded as one of the best in the series, and this is Brock's first appearance in a WWE game in years. There is even a Brock Lesnar trailer for WWE 12 to announce his return, which was said to be shot in the past few days by Paul Heyman himself.

As if WWE 12 didn't sound awesome enough, this huge announcement should put the game over the top as far as hype goes. Everyone that has watched Brock Lesnar in UFC and wondered how cool it would be to see Brock come back to WWE and kick ass will now get the chance to make it happen. Brock has his current look in the game with his chest tattoo, but is sporting his classic WWE tights and gear. Be sure and pre-order WWE 12 now and lock in your copy of the game as it will be available on November 22. Here Comes the Pain indeed:

Video: Rare Bruiser Brody Shoot Interview

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 06:51:00 +0000

Today I felt the need to share this piece of history here after viewing it. It may not be what we've become accustomed to when it comes to a "shoot interview," but it is the closest thing we are ever going to get from the legendary Bruiser Brody. This interview was done sometime in the mid 80's (there has been question on the exact date, while the video states 1983, he seems to talk about some things that happened a bit later) and was done in St. Louis. In the interview, Bruiser Brody is out of character, and gives his views on the wrestling business as a whole at the time. This is super rare being that Brody talks about a few things that he later mentions to the interviewer "people shouldn't know," such as his real name.

It is so rare to find footage like this, especially from a guy like Brody who wasn't exactly the "sit down and give a nice interview" type. He talks about how he produced World Class Championship Wrestling in Dallas and booked the talent there, two piece of information that weren't exactly freely talked about in that era. He also talks about how he felt he had 10 good years left in the business, and talks about going to small towns across the country instead of just the big arenas and working for "McMahon."

Sadly, Bruiser Brody was murdered in 1988 in Puerto Rico. He has left a legacy as being one of the most unique characters in pro wrestling history. His mention of "having another good 10 years in wrestling" only makes us question even more what the ECW era would have been like if Brody was still around. Check out this awesome one of a kind interview with the one and only Frank "Bruiser Brody" Goodish:

Bruce Prichard Named New Head Writer for TNA

noreply@blogger.com (The Midnight Writer) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:36:00 +0000

It looks like we aren't the only ones who realize that TNA has become boring, repetitive, and directionless over the past few months. Some would say it's always been that way, but these past few months have gotten really bad with all the guys flip flopping between heel and face and the stories being almost impossible to follow.

Last month there was word that Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff's deals were up and they were done with the company. Then in the past week it came out that Hogan has signed a new deal and will be sticking around, and now today it was no surprise to hear that Bischoff also renewed his deal. So with those guys staying, it didn't seem like there would be much of a change from what we've seen recently. Yes they've branded "Impact" for the TV show, they've gave things a fresh look and brought in a few good new talents, but it's the writing that seems to be suffering horribly.

Of course behind all the Bischoff and Hogan presence, it's been Vince Russo who has been the head writer for TNA the past few years. Russo has been around off and on since the beginning of TNA, but since his work in the Attitude Era, I can't think of anything great Russo has done. It seems someone has finally realized that Russo has been stagnant for a long time, and a change was in order. Earlier today it was annnounced that Bruce Prichard has been named TNA's new head writer.

Just a couple of months ago Bruce Prichard was brought in to replace Terry Taylor's spot behind the scenes in TNA. Prichard was also instrumental in WWE's Attitude Era and was one Vince McMahon's right hand men for years. Of course if the name doesn't ring a bell, our pic in this post serves as a reminder that Bruce Prichard was most well known as "Brother Love" in WWE.

Now the big question is, will Bruce Prichard make a difference? Over a year ago when there was word that Paul Heyman was negotiating with TNA, it seemed like change might happen and the next red hot wrestling promotion would be TNA. I'm not sure what direction Prichard will take things, but hopefully he will be bold enough to get some real change going and step away from the Russo style that has become unwatchable. Heyman would be my number one choice, but here's to hoping Prichard can at least make some sort of difference.