World Wrestling Entertainment® (NYSE: WWE) today announced the creation of a new online ticket hub for all WWE live events, available at WWE.com. The comprehensive destination provides WWE fans with access to all WWE live event tickets in North America as well as premium seats to select events through Ticketmaster, a wholly owned subsidiary of Live Nation.

The Ticketmaster partnership provides fans convenient and safe access to tickets for the WWE’s premier events throughout North America as well as premium access to some of the most sought-after seats via the WWE’s Official Platinum Seats program. Additionally, the WWE has established a platform through TicketsNow, the “Official Resale Partner of the WWE,” which enables their fans the ability to purchase or resell their tickets from a convenient WWE-sanctioned resale marketplace.

“WWE’s new ticket hub offers one-stop shopping for all of our fans’ ticket needs. Our new relationship with Ticketmaster ensures that our fans have convenient and safe options to secure some of the best seats to WWE’s live events,” said Michelle Wilson, EVP, Marketing, WWE.

Fans can access the WWE ticket resale marketplace at www.TicketsNow.com/wwe or through direct links from WWE.com.

World Wrestling Entertainment® and Syfy today announced the next generation of reality television with the debut of WWE NXT, Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 10:00 PM ET/PT on Syfy.

WWE NXT is a hybrid live event/reality show featuring eight well-known, popular WWE Superstars (“Pros”) mentoring eight WWE “Rookies.” These Rookies, who are learning the ropes, are athletes who epitomize pop culture and personify strong attributes – they are opinionated and aggressive – which means inherent conflict between Rookies and other Rookies, conflict between Rookies and Pros, as well as, conflict between Pros and Pros. The trials and tribulations of the WWE NXT cast ensure action-packed, innovative entertainment – WWE Style.

“Once again, WWE will bring something entirely new to the television landscape as WWE meets reality TV,” said Vince McMahon, Chairman and CEO, World Wrestling Entertainment. “As we introduce this brand new franchise exclusively on Syfy, WWE NXT will have a completely different look and feel from our other WWE television programming.”

“Syfy is excited to continue our partnership with WWE, Vince and his team with this innovative live event/reality show,” said Syfy President Dave Howe. “This is a unique combination of heart-stopping entertainment and gritty behind-the-scenes reality. The NXT Rookies take the challenge of our new tagline ‘Imagine Greater’ to heart as they embark on their ultimate dream quest to be the next generation of revered heroes and champions in the fantastic arena of the WWE.”

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 96 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

The Monday Night Wars Are Back!

“TNA iMPACT!,” Spike TV’s highly-rated two-hour weekly series, is moving from Thursday nights to Monday nights beginning Monday, March 8 (9:00-11:00pm ET/PT), it was announced today by TNA President Dixie Carter and legendary pop culture icon Hulk Hogan at a press conference at the “TNA iMPACT! Zone” at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.

“TNA iMPACT” will air live on March 8, with subsequent telecasts live every other week. The series features many of the biggest names in wrestling including Hogan, Ric Flair, Mick Foley and Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle, as well as the hottest young talent in the industry: TNA World Heavyweight Champion “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles, “The Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe and “The Blueprint” Matt Morgan.

The first ever Monday live “TNA iMPACT” broadcast on Spike TV, ran as a three-hour special head-to-head against WWE RAW on Monday, January 4, 2010, and drew a franchise-record 2.2 million viewers. Two wrestling companies have not broadcast head-to-head weekly since the “Monday Night Wars” in the late 1990’s between WWE and WCW.

“On January 4 wrestling fans showed us they’re ready for a new professional wrestling alternative on Monday nights, and we’re answering that call. Bringing iMPACT!’ to Mondays is our most exciting move yet in a year that’s already been filled with huge milestones for TNA” said Carter.

“Monday nights are now officially the best night of the week to be a fan of professional wrestling,” Hogan said. “My mantra has been ‘change is coming’ since partnering with Dixie Carter and TNA Wrestling. This change is great for the business and all fans of professional wrestling will benefit because of it.”

“TNA iMPACT! has emerged as one of cable’s top performers with young men, said Spike TV President Kevin Kay. “With NFL Football off the television schedule and with “TNA iMPACT’s” expanding roster of top wrestling talent, we see this as an opportunity to tap into the millions of wrestling fans on Monday nights.”

Since its founding in 2002, Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling has become the world’s fastest growing professional wrestling company, currently airing in over 120 countries worldwide.

Check out the full press conference below:

Bubba The Love Sponge

It would appear that TNA Wrestling could be trying to distance themselves from larger-than-life radio personality, Bubba The Love Sponge, in wake of his recent controversial comments about Haiti.

The “Shock Jock”, who is also a personal friend of legendary wrestler and current face of TNA Wrestling Hulk Hogan, was apparently scheduled to attend a production meeting Monday morning in Orlando, but was called and told not to come.

“Here in orlando things r all messed up. Was suppose to be at the prod meeting @11 they called and said not 2 come??? This is starting 2b not fun. All because of my Haiti comments Sorry people can’t handle the truth,” Tweeted Bubba.

The radio host attributed the situation to controversy over his “F**k Haiti” comment in response to the US’s ongoing aid campaign for the earthquake-ravaged nation.

“And what does my Haiti comments have to do with tna wrestling. I didn’t say them on dixies air. I don’t think tna is ready 4someone like me,” added Bubba. “I just don’t understand how I can b in trouble for my opinon.”

Bubba’s stint on TNA Wrestling began just two short weeks ago. Of his relationship with TNA president Dixie Carter, he said: “I shoot hard from the hip and ms Carter (although i have a ton of respect 4her) has never had a guy that is as outrageous as I am and has a Nationwide delevery method. So right now I would describe our relationship like oil and water. And it’s not good.”

Update: Bubba recently weighed in with this tweet: “I am going to say this one time and one time only. First of all a real man sometimes has to take a step back and maybe look at something. They said or did so that being said I would like to apologize for my comments regarding Haiti in the world of live radio that I operate. Sometimes u say things that u can’t take back. So I’m man enough now to say I’m sorry for those I offended. Bubba”

Get all the latest info on Bubba The Love Sponge at his official website www.btls.com and see what he has to say, straight from the source on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BTLSRadio!

Bubba The Love Sponge can currently be heard on Sirius XM radio as well as terrestrial radio.

The biggest name in professional wrestling history, Hulk Hogan, will make his first live appearance on Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling’s “TNA iMPACT!” in a live 3-hour special on Spike TV Monday, January 4, 2010 at 8:00PM ET/PT. Hogan and TNA President Dixie Carter attended “The Ultimate Fighter Heavyweights” Finale in Las Vegas where Hogan made the announcement in an interview with Joe Rogan.

“TNA iMPACT!” will be going against “WWE Monday Raw” on USA Network, the first time two wrestling companies have broadcast live head-to-head since the “Monday Night Wars” in the late 1990’s between WWE and WCW. This “iMPACT!” special will broadcast live from the TNA iMPACT! Zone at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fl.

Hogan’s first appearance inside the six-sided ring of TNA Wrestling will follow weeks of speculation after Hogan and Carter announced their partnership on October 27 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Hogan has hinted in various media interviews that he’ll have multiple surprises in store for TNA Wrestling fans.

“I knew when I signed with TNA, that it would be important to make a statement with the first episode. Going head-to-head on January 4th, makes the statement loud and clear: Game on!” Hogan said.

“TNA is kicking off 2010 in the biggest way possible with the biggest name in the history of our sport. Hulk Hogan is a pop culture icon, and his arrival will change not only TNA, but the entire professional wrestling landscape. We’re firing that first shot,” Carter said.

Joining Hogan for the three-hour live “iMPACT!” will be TNA World Heavyweight Champion “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles, Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, Kevin Nash, “The Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe, “The Boss” Bobby Lashley and “The Blueprint” Matt Morgan.

“TNA iMPACT!” will resume its normal timeslot on Thursday, January 7th at 9:00 PM ET/PT with an encore viewing of the live “iMPACT!” special.

He was part of dangerous missions as a Navy SEAL. He body-slammed giants in the ring as a WWE superstar. He conquered politics as governor of Minnesota. Now, Jesse Ventura is about to face his greatest challenges yet in truTV’s new series Conspiracy Theory WIth Jesse Ventura. With the help of an investigative team, Ventura will examine nefarious plots, schemes and claims. Conspiracy Theory is set to premiere on truTV Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT).

Ventura has a reputation as a rebel and free-thinker. He’s passionate about the world of conspiracy theories, holds many non-mainstream opinions and has no qualms about questioning authority. He’ll plunge viewers into a world of secret meetings, midnight surveillance, shifty characters and dark forces.

Conspiracy Theory puts Ventura on the road with investigative producers June Sarpong and Alex Piper and executive producer Michael Braverman. They’re on a mission to examine possible conspiracies surrounding secret societies, global warming, alleged 9/11 cover-ups, a research center in Alaska that could be a secret government weapon and apocalyptic prophecies, to name a few. They talk to experts, eyewitnesses and examine available evidence.

“This is my personal journey to prove that there is more to these stories than you know about,” Ventura said. “We have credible sources stating their beliefs, and we look into those theories, but ultimately, you will have to be the judge.”

Conspiracy Theory is executive-produced by Ventura, A. Smith & Co.’s Arthur Smith, Kent Weed and Frank Sinton, and B2 Entertainment’s Michael Braverman and Barry Bloom. For truTV, Robyn Hutt is the executive in charge of production, while Jon Crowley serves as executive producer.

truTV is television’s destination for real-life stories told from an exciting and dramatic first-person perspective. Currently seen in 91 million U.S. households, the 17-year-old network is enjoying its best deliveries ever in key demographics. truTV features high-stakes, action-packed originals that give viewers access to places and situations they can’t normally experience. truTV’s primetime fan favorites include the original series Black Gold, Operation Repo, The Smoking Gun Presents…, Speeders and Forensic Files. During the daytime, the channel features expert trial coverage under the name IN SESSION.

Rowdy Roddy Piper is a man that needs no introduction. He started as a small town boy chasing a dream. Through the years, he would battle some of the fiercest warriors ever to grace the squared circle, fight evil aliens hellbent on world domination and capture the hearts of millions of fans around the globe on his rise to super-stardom! His most recent project is no less of a challenge as he takes on the cast of FX’s ‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’ in one of his most interesting matches to date! The last chapter in the story of Rowdy Roddy Piper has yet to be written. To hear him tell it, he is just warming up!

Icon Vs. Icon’s Jason Price recently sat down with this legendary performer to discuss his amazing career, the recent rumors regarding his health, his excitement about working with the cast of ‘It’s Always Sunny’, his son’s blossoming career in MMA and what he has in store for his fans in the years to come! That’s right fight fans, Rowdy Roddy Piper is back once again to chew bubble gum and kick ass…and he’s all out of bubble gum!

A Young Roddy Piper

Hey Roddy! How are you doing today?

Good Jason, how are you doing?

No complaints! You?

No complaints. I am doing well. I am on this side of the grass, ya know! [laughs] And I have more kids then I know what to do with! [laughs] Do you have any children, Jason?

Nope. Not yet.

Would you like some! [laughs]

I’d don’t know, Roddy. I hear that they can be quite a handful!

Well, I have a couple, you could have your choice! I want them back eventually because I sure love ‘em! But you could have a couple of them right now! [laughs] So what do you have going, Jason?

First off, with all due respect, I want to ask you about your health and how you are doing. I know there had been some internet rumors circulating over the last week and I just wanted to clear that up if we could.

Absolutely! It was actually a very ugly piece of business. I did have some health problems and I was in a hospital in West Palm Beach. While I was in there, I wasn’t in contact on a daily basis with my family and somebody in the press put out a story that I was dying of cancer, terminally, with Lymphoma and that I only had a couple of weeks to live. People sent flowers to my home. My younger kids that are in school, kids came up to them and said that they were sorry about that news. My son that is a mixed martial artist and my daughter that is an actress got it too. None of it was true. I’m not sure where it came from and I don’t know why. Because my family couldn’t get to me, they got rather upset. But the bottom line is that as far as I know, I’m still going to be kicking pretty hard!

Well that is good! That is exactly what we all want to hear!

Thank you very much. I appreciate the chance to clear it up!

When you started out wrestling all of those years ago, did you have any idea that your career would take you to the heights that it has?

No, no. I was living on the street and I just grabbed onto something. I wasn’t doing well scholastically and I just grabbed onto a chance. I didn’t know where else to go and I just held on. I was so scared that I just tried as hard as I could and here we are. At the time it was just a means to get a quick twenty five dollars. God takes care of fools and babies and he is still taking care of me!

What do you attribute the longevity of your career to?

I think the way that I started. I was fifteen. It was a very hard-knock school but if you made it through that school, you had a basis that was not only an athletic basis but a showmanship and theatrical basis that was hard to beat. By that I mean, as far as getting the basics down and understanding what you were doing and what you were selling and how you had to back it up, ya know? It is easy to come out and say a lot of words but the trick is that every night you have to back it up. I think that is one of the bigger lessons that I learned. It was due to a bunch of wonderful people, old-timers and competitors that were very kind to me in a very evil way! [laughs]

Let’s touch on one of your latest projects. How did you get mixed up with the gang from ‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’?

They are a wonderful bunch of people, man! Unbelievable! I am an experimental model as far as my business goes! With the explosion of wrestling in ‘85 and in ‘87 I did ‘They Live’ with John Carpenter, so my point is that there are a lot of very nice people that grew up watching different events that I did. The same is true with the cast of ‘It’s Always Sunny’. Danny DeVito, you can look this up on YouTube I think (watch the clip here), 1985 was the last time that I saw him. He was doing an interview and I was a little forward back in those days! [laughs] I burst right into it! It was great to see him again and he is a great guy! Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day are fantastic! Kaitlin Olsen, she is great! They all were so kind when I came onto the set. They let me improv, and being as talented as they are they didn’t have any problem keeping up! It made the episode really special. I wanted to do this piece of work. ‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’ is a very hip show to do right now. It’s a good career move and it’s good to keep ya alive, ya know! And it keeps you out there in new ways, sometimes that is hard to do. So I went, and I haven’t done this in twenty years, but I had to audition for it!

Really!?!!

Yeah! I went and auditioned for it and I got the part. Ya know, I remember when Tom Hanks did his baseball movie about ladies baseball, set during the second World War. Madonna was in that film and they made her audition for it. I think it says something for the artist and the clout of the show. I wanted it from the ground, so I was very appreciative when I got it!

Did you teach those guys a thing or two while on set?

[laughs] I showed them how to put someone to sleep real quick! [laughs] So if they have any problems with paparazzi, they can choke them out real quick! Rob was good at it! Charlie was really cute. [laughs] I guess I can be a little intimidating, you don’t realize that when you are in my shoes. We were doing this scene right at the bar and I locked right into Charlie there and grabbed him by the pants! He didn’t know me yet, as I was only on the set for maybe five minutes. They thought maybe I was getting a little rowdy! I was gonna take a hard left hand turn on them! [laughs] They tried to get through the scene but they broke down. That broke the ice all the way around cuz I started laughing! I wasn’t meaning to be that mean! It started a really wonderful bonding experience with everybody there. When you see the scene when they are at their home, the bar, know that about three and a half minutes, check Charlie out cuz you will see him breaking down! Now you know what happened! I guess I scared him! [laughs]

Now that you have broken through on ‘It’s Always Sunny,’ are we going to see some more acting or comedic work in your future?

Ya know, there is a company that did ‘The Real World’ called Bunim-Murray. I am in negotiations with them right now to do a sitcom, a developmental deal for a sitcom. I don’t want to ruin it for ya but I am going down to LA tomorrow and I think that will be the next piece of work that I do.

Awesome! That sounds like it is going to be great for you!

Yeah!

You have mentioned your family quite a bit and we know that people from the wrestling world like Hulk Hogan have dabbled in the world of reality television. Is that something that you and your family had ever given thought to doing?

It surely has been brought up. I have never included my family in my business. But the same time I have a daughter, Ariel Toombs, that is an actress in LA and my son Colten Toombs is a mixed martial artist, so it would be good for them to help gain in their careers. I have all the respect in the world for Hogan but I just wouldn’t want to make those mistakes, so being honest and frank with you as a dad, that is what bothers me with it.

You mentioned your son being involved in the world of MMA. Were you a fan of MMA and being someone who has taken his share of lumps along the way in a very physical profession, did you have any worries with him becoming involved in the sport?

Interesting question, very good. Mixed martial arts is something that has been in the bowels of professional wrestling since wrestling started back in the 1700s, so I was familiar with the style but had no idea that it would come to the heights that it has come to now. My son started when he was eighteen, he is with Team Quest and a wonderful silver medalist from the Olympics, Matt Lindland as his coach. You know, when I started out, they beat me up a lot, man. With Colt, they didn’t do him any favors but I could stop the normal [pauses] “hazing” maybe, that would take its course and does absolutely no good. So, I was worried about that. He has just finished his fourth fight, he has not been beaten yet, he’s turning pro, he’s twenty. I don’t like it, but I sure love him! It’s unconditional love. I would rather him do mixed martial arts then pro-wrestling. With pro-wrestling, the politics and the amount of damage to the body from night after night after night… wheewwww! and I don’t know what they would expect of him. I am glad he is flourishing in his own field but I need a doctor or a lawyer! I don’t need another fighter! A psychiatrist preferably! [chuckles] But I love him, so be a smart fighter, Colt!

Good advice! I am curious, what is the best piece of advice that someone has given you along the way in your career?

Wow! Holy cow! I’ve got many. A lot of the guys that I fought in the eighties, I fought their fathers. One of the fathers was Johnny Valentine. He is the father of Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, who I had a horrendous match with and I lost fifty percent of the hearing in my left ear. It was in the very first Pay-Per-View ever in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1983, maybe. His father, when I was about sixteen or seventeen and wrestling in Houston, was an unbelievably rough, tough guy. Loooooong matches, he hit real hard. It was the main event in Houston and he was coming back to the dressing room. I had just showered down and changed. I don’t know what got into him but he grabbed me by the throat and slammed me against the wall! He almost knocked me out because my head banged against the wall. He looked at me and he said “I can’t make you believe that wrestling is for real, but I sure to hell can make you believe I am!” I based fifty percent of my career on that! That was a good piece of advice!

That’s definitely one for the ages!

Oh, man! [laughs] He was serious too!

The rumor is that we may soon see you gracing WWE’s Monday Night RAW sometime in the near future!

[laughs] What do you think of that?

Well, I know that you have indicated that you were looking for one more match to put a cap on the remarkable career that you’ve had, so I wondered if that wasn’t going to pave the way for last match.

Very astute. I wasn’t very happy with Wrestlemania XXV. In my mind, I want to put a cap on it as you say, with one more match, an extraordinary performance. Yeah, ya know the clock is tickin’, let’s be honest, so sooner rather then later. So, I think if you saw me in RAW that it would be leading into that match. I don’t know what it is yet. But yeah, you are correct.

Even though you have stepped away from the sport in recent years, do you still follow the world of professional wrestling?

You know, it is funny, to me anyway, I have never watched wrestling. When I was performing, I never watched the show. When you watch the show, you get preconceived notions and it hinders your performance. This is the easiest example that I can give you: when I first came to Madison Square Garden, the match that I told you about with Greg Valentine that I lost fifty percent of my hearing, I was still pretty bad. They had me in the stable but I couldn’t wrestle. There is a fella named Paul Orndorff and they had me managing him, talking on the stick for him until I healed up. At the Garden, they said “Ok, go out with Orndorff.” I had never seen anything because I didn’t watch. I went out with him and he gave me his robe, I threw it to the guy that brought us down and I stayed out there the whole match. They almost had a riot! When I came back, they had all of these ideas and plans. The truth of the matter is this, Freddie Blassie, Capt. Lou Albano, The Grand Wizard, all of those managers… the way they are supposed to do it and the way the law read… was that they go down to the ring, take the robe and walk back. Nobody ever stayed out. If I hadn’t stayed out, I might not have gotten the attention from Vince McMahon, Sr. at that time that I did get. If I would have watched the show, I would have come back, but I didn’t know any better. Sometimes in my world, that is the best way to come out, man.

Well it certainly looks like it worked out for you in the long run!

Thank you, thank you, man!

I know that you did a autobiography a few years back but a lot has happened in your life since that time. Is there another chapter to be told there or possibly another book in your future?

Oh man, good for you! You have done your homework! Ya know, the first book, they took sixty thousand words out of it. It made the first book stutter a little bit and there is information that needs to be known. Boy was it hard to do! Holy cow! So much has happened since then. I had a guy try to kill me in a car, while I was finishing writing it and before I went on tour. I was five days in intensive care at Cedars Sinai. I broke my right ankle and four ribs. One rib went into my liver, my spleen and my back in two places. They thought I was gonna die! Somehow I got off the table I guess and went into that tour! So, there is a lot missing. I don’t know, I don’t know! It’s really difficult and now with my reputation, it would be a hard book to write. Ya know what? It’s looming, it’s looming! I don’t know the answer to that one, Jason.

I have to ask you about Ethan Dettenmaier’s Sin-Jin Smyth movie. You had indicated earlier in the year that you were kinda giving it until the end of the year to see what happened before giving up on it. Any movement on that front?

Unfortunately, I have heard nothing from the director/producer. It’s unfortunately that I don’t think I will be able to promote that movie or hang with it. It has been too long. Nothing is happening and I think someone is pulling the wool over someone’s eyes.

Last one for you, Roddy. Do you have any words for the critics or the fans?

For the critics, I would say that you need to see the story unfold before you cast your opinion. Sometimes, the critics on Roddy Piper are harsh and they try to figure out what he is doing. Sometimes he keeps secrets, that way, you enjoy it more when it all unfolds. The critics are hard on me. I don’t know, man… the critics are hard on me. I have been doing this since I was fifteen years old. There’s nobody, NOBODY living right now that has done what I have done in my business. For the fans, without them, I couldn’t have done it and I say to you… hang in there, keep you heart on the right side of life, God on your side and I will see you down the road someplace. I’m not finished yet!

Thank you very much, Roddy. All the best to you and your family!

Cheers, man!

- -

For all the latest news and updates on Rowdy Roddy Piper, check out his official site at www.rowdyroddypiper.com!

You can learn more about what Rowdy Roddy Piper’s two talented kids, Colt and Ariel Toombs, by visiting www.thetoombsclan.com!

You can get the latest and greatest on ‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’ at www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/sunny!

Larger-than-life wrestling legend Captain Lou Albano died on Wednesday morning (October 14) at the age of 76, according to the WWE and Wrestler’s Rescue (an organization that helps raise money for retired wrestlers’ health care).

Wrestler’s Rescue reported that Albano had been in hospice care earlier this week, but no cause of death has been revealed.

Known for his wild goatee and his half-open Hawaiian shirts, Albano became a fixture in the wrestling world fixture for more than a half-century. Albano is best known to non-wrestling fans as the father in Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” video. That helped kick off the Rock ‘n Wrestling connection that launched the then-WWF to national prominence in the 1980s.

He was inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame in 1996, paying tribute to Albano’s management of 15 WWE tag team champions and WWE title holder Ivan Koloff. He was dubbed “The Guiding Light” for his “management” work.

“One of the company’s most popular and charismatic legends,” the WWE said in a statement. “He will be greatly missed.”

Albano parlayed his MTV exposure into Hollywood fame, appearing on TV shows ranging from “Miami Vice,” “227″ and “Hey Dude” to the movies “Wiseguys” and “Body Slam,” as well as starring in the “Super Mario Bros. Super Show” as Mario. He also briefly managed the long-running jam-rock precursor band NRBQ, who penned a song in his honor, “Captain Lou.”

He will be missed.

For more information on Wrestler’s Rescue, please visit www.wrestlersrescue.org.

Wrestling legend and pop culture icon Hulk Hogan recently sat down with Rolling Stone to do a revealing interview about his life outside of the ring and Reality TV. The superstar wrestler revealed the most intimate parts of what’s left of his private life to Erik Hedegaard for a feature in the new issue of Rolling Stone (which features Kings of Leon on the cover), including how he “could have turned everything into a crime scene, like O.J.” after learning his soon-to-be ex-wife Linda had abandoned him (but not his 20,000-square-foot Florida mansion) for a 19-year-old boy her daughter had gone to high school with.

Grab the new issue for Hedegaard’s fascinating profile — which features Hulk expounding on the greatness of Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, recalling his earliest days in the ring and grappling with the prospect of life outside the spotlight — and revisit the Hulk’s life from his childhood as a chubby kid named Terry Bollea to the height of Hulkamania, Hulk Knows Best and beyond, in photos. Plus, check out Rob Sheffield’s breakdown of eight romances destroyed by reality TV, including Britney & Kevin, Nick & Jessica, Whitney & Bobby and more.

Source: Rolling Stone

The Road To Wrestlemania: A Brief History

Part 2: Wrestlemania 2 & 3

By: Duke Foster

Wrestlemanias 2 and 3 continued the growing legend of WWE and Wrestlemania. Wrestlemania 2 was an ambitious project that was held in three locations: New York (Nassau Colosseum), Rosemont, Illinois (Rosemont Horizon) , and Los Angeles (Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena). Fans at each location could view the goings-on at the other locations via closed circuit television.

In New York, we were introduced to Randy Savage and George Steele, as well as the Magnificent Muraco. The main event of the New York portion of Wrestlemania 2 was a boxing match between Mr. T and Roddy Piper. This was a nice, back-and-forth match until the end, at which time Piper bodyslammed Mr T., suffering a disqualification loss. It was nice to see Mr. T back in the ring, as he added a lot of energy and charisma to the event.

In Rosemont, fans got to witness the British Bulldogs win the WWE tag team titles, and also got to see a future hall of famer, the late Lillian Ellison, a.k.a. �The Fabulous Moolah�. However, the highlight of this portion of Wrestlemania 2 was a fantastic battle royal between NFL players and WWE wrestlers. It was quite a sight to see �Big� John Studd battle it out with William �Refrigerator� Perry, with Studd eliminating Perry, and Perry, in turn, eliminating Studd. The match, however, would belong to the late Andre the Giant, who tossed Jim �Anvil� Neidhart over the top rope, then tossed Bret �Hitman� Hart on top of him to win the match. It was nice to see Andre smiling and waving at his fans; what a difference a year made by the time Wrestlemania 3 rolled around.

Before we get to Wrestlemania 3, I have got to tell you about the steel cage war between Hulk Hogan and �King Kong� Bundy that was the main event in Los Angeles. Aside from matches with Hercules, Ricky Steamboat, and the Funks, this one took the proverbial cake. Weeks earlier, Bundy assaulted Hogan at �Saturday Night�s Main Event�, hurting Hogan�s ribs. As soon as this match started, Hogan�s ribs were attacked again by Bundy. Bundy uses his size advantage effectively at first, but Hogan eventually made his comeback. After a back and forth mid-match, Hogan gained a clear advantage, hit his famous legdrop, and climbed out of the cage to retain his title.

Now, on to Wrestlemania 3, which took place in Detroit, Michigan. To this day, this was the largest Wrestlemania attended 97,173), with many fans coming to see the main event between Hogan and Andre. At this titanic event, we were treated to a �retirement� match with Piper and Adrian Adonis, as well as appearances from such classic superstars as Harley Race, Junkyard Dog, The Hart Foundation, Hillbilly Jim, and many more. Since this was such a massive event (and reviewing it entirely would end up being book-length!), I have chosen two matches to highlight for you, the readers.

First up is the Intercontinental title match between Ricky �Dragon� Steamboat (with George �Animal� Steele in his corner) and Randy �Macho Man� Savage (with the late �Miss� Elizabeth in his corner). This is a match that is still considered by many to be the greatest match of all time. It was a back and forth affair that saw both men nearly win the match several times. In this match we saw signature moves from both men: the elbow drop of Savage and the arm drag of Steamboat. Both men were working overtime during this contest, as many fans were standing for the whole match! The match ended with Steamboat rolling Savage up into a small package to win the Intercontinental title. After the match, both men were clearly exhausted after their classic battle.

Next up is probably the most famous match ever: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant, with his manager Bobby �Brain� Heenan. Andre dominated Hulk in the early going, after Hulk tried to bodyslam Andre and his back gave out. It seemed that Hogan would not be able to battle back against the strength and size of the Giant; Andre seemed to be toying with Hogan, able to put him away at any given time. However, Hogan was able to battle back, slamming Andre and getting the pin after a grueling match that left both men in exhausting pain.

Wrestlemanias 2 and 3 definitely fed the wrestling hunger for many fans. There were so many entertaining matches that fans could not wit for the next go-around. But, could anything top Wrestlemania 3 and Hogan/Andre? Stay tuned to find out�

Check out Icon Vs. Icon’s Wrestlemania 25 Contest at this location!