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Rey Mysterio’s reputation walks ahead of him in the WWE. The high-flying, high-octane, exciting performer has enthralled the WWE ring ever since he first appeared in the WWE in 2002.

The luchador built his reputation as a masked, no-nonsense performer, earning the respect of both fans and fellow wrestlers through his dedication and work ethic in the ring. However, few people know that Rey Mysterio had a very different image early in his career, thanks to a rather surprising ring name he used as a young wrestler.

Rey Mysterio had a rather amusing nickname as a youngster Rey Mysterio at Aaa Worlds Collide. (Image Credit: WWE)

Rey Mysterio has had a long relationship with nicknames. The former World Heavyweight Champion cherished several nicknames, which are as old as his professional career. However, the most striking nickname was the one he kept for the initial 3 years in his wrestling life. ‘The...

Randy Orton is one of those rare WWE superstars who’s managed to stay at the top of his game for over two decades. Out of the famous Ohio Valley Wrestling class of 2002, he’s the only one still wrestling full-time in WWE today. From his chilling entrance music to his sharp promos and legendary in-ring skills, “The Viper” continues to prove why he’s one of the very best, even in his 40s.

Wrestling runs in his blood. Orton is a third-generation WWE superstar. He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Bob Orton Sr., and his father, “Cowboy” Bob Orton Jr. But what makes Orton truly special is how he carved his own legacy. Starting off as “The Legend Killer,” he slowly transformed into a future Hall of Famer himself, collecting countless championships and unforgettable moments along the way.

Randy Orton | Credit: WWE

But let’s be honest...

Ted Dibiase was one of the most iconic figures in the WWE. The aura and charm of the character he played in the company left a lasting impression in the hearts of the WWE universe throughout his career. The Hall of Famer competed at the highest level for several years.

As the WWE veteran edged toward the other side of his life after his career at the WWE came to an end, Dibiase made his political affiliations evident during the 2024 presidential campaign as he gave a striking comment on the billionaire mindset for the country.

Ted Dibiase expressed his support for Donald Trump. (Image Credit: WWE) Ted Dibiase made it evident that he is an astute Donald Trump supporter

During the last presidential election, Ted Dibiase openly supported Donald Trump. His admiration for the Republican candidate was not a surprise since his theme song in the WWE was also based on Donald Trump’s show,...

WWE Legend Randy Orton is one of the most decorated superstars WWE found to charm history — he made it a long journey from being a mainstay to becoming ‘The Viper’ for no good reason. But it turns out his persona is not just an act; his off-screen life has been described as unsettling, volatile, and even narcissistic.

There have been multiple wrestlers who have shared their stories about Orton, like Cody Rhodes and more notably, Rey Mysterio, who both have had a rough time with him. He was incredibly talented from a young age but suffered from substance abuse and behavioral problems that landed him in hot water, and he was often suspended.

Randy Orton at Monday Night Raw | Credits: WWE

He was both feared and respected for his unpredictable temperament, which always made backstage tense. But over time — following a series ofstints in rehab that did not end well...

WWE Rivalries are the heartbeat of a world where athletic prowess meets gripping drama. From weaving tales of betrayal and triumph to keeping the audience on its toes, they just make things a lot more interesting. As we move closer and closer to WrestleMania 41, there is one rivalry that absolutely stands out at the moment – Gunther vs Jey Uso. Now, it looks like Jey Uso’s brother, Jimmy Uso, had to pay the price.

Remember back in 2009 when Randy Orton pulled off something as brutal as making Triple H watch while he kissed his unconscious wife in front of him? Well, Gunther may have taken things to another level at WWE Raw.

Gunther & Jey Uso on WWE Raw | Credits: WWE Gunther forces Jey Uso to watch him assaulting his brother at WWE Raw Gunther brutalizes Jimmy Uso while Jey Uso is made to watch | Credits: WWE

Going into Wrestlemania 41, Jey...

John Cena is about to embark on a farewell tour this year as he announced his retirement from professional wrestling. The legendary wrestler and actor has been in the WWE for the past twenty-five years and has made a name for himself as one of the most popular superstars in the ring.

While the icon can be seen (pun intended) in Hollywood in multiple roles, he has still kept his wrestling roots intact, being the second-most popular WWE star to transition to Hollywood after Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. The actor has been in popular films such as the Fast and Furious franchise and the Dcu. Will his retirement from WWE significantly impact his earnings?

John Cena earns millions at his WWE appearances John Cena | Credits: WWE

John Cena is one of the most popular WWE stars in the world, second only to Dwayne Johnson. The star began his career in...

Wrestler-turned-actor John Cena built his second career on star turns in franchise hits like Peacemaker and the various Fast & Furious sequels. It's a particularly impressive Hollywood ascension considering Cena's first leading role was in one of this generation's most infamous B-movie flops: The Marine. The so-bad-it's-good rookie effort was recently announced to receive a streaming spotlight, the film landing on Tubi March 1.

John Cena's First Leading Role Finds Streaming Home At Tubi The Marine Offers A Glimpse Into Cena's Unlikely Shift From Ring to Screen Image via 20th Century Fox

The Marine hit theaters in 2006 as WWE grappled with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's departure from the company in pursuit of greener movie-star pastures. It's no coincidence, then, that the production marked both WWE Studios' first major theatrical release and its, at the time, rising star, John Cena's silver-screen debut. The film flopped, earning a measly $22.2 million, barely lapping a reported $15 million budget.

Former pro wrestler Mike Jones of WWE and WCW fame has passed away.

Mike Jones, best known to wrestling fans for his run as Virgil in WWE (then WWF), died on Wednesday, per WrestleZone. The wrestler had recently been hospitalized amid ongoing health issues following a dementia diagnosis in 2022. He'd also suffered two minor strokes, and a social media post in 2022 stated he had stage 2 colon cancer. Jones was 61 years old.

“My dear friends, it is with great sorrow that I bring news from the Jones family of the passing of our beloved Michael Jones, whom we know and loved as Virgil, Vincent, Soul Train Jones and more,” pro wrestling referee Mark Charles III said of the news when announcing Jones' death on social media. “Virgil passed peacefully at the hospital this morning and I ask that you pray for him and for his family. May his memory be eternal!

The Marine is back in action, finding new popularity on Netflix almost two decades after release.

Originally hitting theaters in 2006, The Marine featured John Cena in his very first starring role. It was not a huge success upon release, earning less than $23 million worldwide against a $15 million budget. More than 17 years after its theatrical release, however, the film has cracked the global Top 10 rankings for movies streaming on Netflix for the week of Dec. 18-24. It ranked at No. 10 with 7.6 million hours viewed and 5 million views. According to Netflix, one "view" is the total viewing hours divided by the length of the series.

Related John Cena Discusses Peacemaker's Future in the DC Universe Actor John Cena plays coy about his future in James Gunn's DC Universe beyond the upcoming second season of his Max series, Peacemaker.

On the other end of the list was Zack Snyder's new film,...

Standalone sequels exist because some series want to try something different or make a quick buck, resulting in varying quality. Films like Son of the Mask and I Spit on Your Grave 2 are terrible and unrelated to their successful predecessors. The Suicide Squad and 10 Cloverfield Lane are tonally different from their predecessors, offering a more enjoyable and suitable experience.

A sequel, by definition, is a direct follow-up to another movie, but some sequels have little or no relation to their predecessors. They're called standalone sequels, and a surprisingly high number of them exist. Sometimes, it's simply because the series wants to veer off and try something new — perhaps to start an anthology series. However, in other cases, it's because putting a "2" after the original's title is an easy way to capitalize on the first film's success.

Therefore, the quality of sequels that don't connect to their original movies varies greatly.

Let’s go back to Chicago in 1978. Phillip Jack Brooks was born into a family, the brother of four siblings. He grew up in a household with issues, predominantly with his father’s alcohol struggles. It was in these early years that Brooks leaned on punk rock and became straight edge. This would be a tattoo on the fabric of his life from then on. As well as his love for punk rock and comic books, Brooks grew up watching pro-wrestling, and became a huge fan. There are some pictures out there with him meeting guys like Steve Austin when he was in his teens. The wrestling business entered his bloodstream, and by the time he was in his late-teens, he was wrestling in backyards in Chicago.

The guys who Brooks wrestled with back then weren’t necessarily serious about becoming fully fledged professional wrestlers, but he was. He wanted to take it further,...

Gavin Jasper Apr 3, 2017

As the Undertaker announces his retirement, we look back at his Wrestlemania record...

This article is from Den Of Geek Us.

WrestleMania XXX was an eventful show. It calmed the fears of those afraid that it would crash the WWE Network and cause major damage to the company's latest venture. Cesaro broke away from his tag team and broke out by winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Trophy. Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, and the Rock hung out in the ring and had a blast. Mr. T and Roddy Piper buried the hatchet. Daniel Bryan went through an endless supply of punishment before being defeating Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista.

That was a big moment and a major story, but the thing people will be talking about for a long time is the end of Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar. For the first time ever, Undertaker lost at...

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The TLC go home show. How quickly are WWE pay per views coming round these days?

This week’s episode looked set to be a bumper edition after a couple of new factions were established last week. Sheamus ‘recruited’ King Barrett, Rusev and Alberto Del Rio to form the League of Nations, while Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose joined forces with The Usos to form a family, of sorts. The powers that be have a lot of explaining to do as to why the factions are together now which would be sure to take up a very boring opening 20 minutes of the show.

The other main talking point heading into this week’s Raw was who would be the fourth man? Last week’s episode saw the shock return of Tommy Dreamer to a WWE ring, as the Ecw Original assisted The Dudley Boyz against the Wyatt Family.

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The 1990 Survivor Series event was a unique show that featured a main event match where the winners of the undercard tag team elimination matches teamed up in the main event.

The babyface side consisted of Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior and Tito Santana going against the heel team of Ted Dibiase, Rick Martel, The Warlord, Hercules and Paul Roma. You might think that the heels would be favored to win since they had the numbers advantage 5 to 3, but to nobody’s surprise it was Hogan and Warrior that emerged as the winners.

Even though it was a great idea, WWE never went back to the “Ultimate Survivors” in a grand finale match like they did in 1990. It was likely a time issue, because it’s hard to fit in another match on a three hour show, but it would definitely have made future events more exciting.

Today’s...

If you’re a wrestling fan you’ll know just how much the WWE loves Christmas. Seasonal shows have been a staple of their television output for as long as I can remember going as far back as Captain Lou Albano reading Christmas stories on WWE programming; through the Attitude era, where the fun of Xmas was juxaposed with the more hardcore on-screen action; to more recent episodes of Raw and the likes of the “Good Santa vs. Bad Santa” match between Mark Henry and Damien Sandow in 2013.

The WWE Christmas Collection sees Christmas come early to the WWE universe as “The Hardcore Legend” Mick Foley and his daughter Noelle (side note: I’m sure Foley’s daughter takes after her mothers side of ther family…) as they go on a quest to find Santa Claus, all the while reminiscing about classic WWE moments and matches from Christmas’ past. Yes...

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Another month, another WWE special event. Hell in a Cell is entering its 7th year, emanating this year from Los Angeles with a main event consisting of Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker doing battle for the final time in the demonic structure. There will also be another Cell match, as Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt continue their never-ending blood feud. The cell represents their final chapter.

But what of the six Hell in a Cell events that have preceded the 2015 edition? The cell match itself has main-evented all six to date, with matches varying from D-Generation X taking on Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase all the way to Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose continuing the implosion of The Shield last year.

Who have been the major winners and losers over the years? Last month we learnt that Daniel Bryan is undefeated at Night of Champions, how has he...

A new TV spot has been released for WWE 2K16 which puts the spotlight on a number of fan-favourite WWE Superstars meeting around a campfire to confront their demons. That includes Stone Cold Steve Austin looking back on his battles with Mankind, while current WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins reflects on his lucky escape earlier this year from Brock Lesnar.

In other WWE 2K16 news, it has been revealed today that the managers set to be included in the game are Paul Heyman, Paul Bearer, Bobby Heenan, Brad Maddox, Lana, Rosa Mendes, Gerry Brisco, Jimmy Hart, Col. Robert Parker, Pat Patterson, Sherri Martel, Mr. McMahon, Corporate Stephanie McMahon, Miss Elizabeth, Ted Dibiase and Zeb Colter. That’s a very diverse and interesting selection, and there’s not really anyone who has been forgotten about.

With some cool new gameplay additions such as the ability to use the ropes during...

WWE.com

It’s funny how things work out, isn’t it. It’s almost 25 years since The Undertaker made his official WWE debut at Survivor Series 1990 and wouldn’t you just know it, the event happens on exactly the same date this year as it did a quarter of a century ago.

The Undertaker: November 22, 1990 – November 22, 2015.

Taker’s debut in the company was as monumental as they come. He was the mystery partner of Ted Dibiase’s Million Dollar team and was depicted as someone who was impervious to pain. He eliminated Koko B. Ware and Dusty Rhodes, no less. He would, of course, debut alongside the enigmatic Bother Love before ditching him for Paul Bearer no too long after.

The rest as they say is history; with absolutely no end is sight.

It will be interesting the see what is done to celebrate the milestone after WWE shunned...

WWE.com

Settling on a gimmick is arguably one of the most difficult starting points of a professional wrestler’s career. Even the greatest names in the history of the business went through a few stinkers to get to the ones that made them great.

Before he was ‘Stone Cold’, Steve Austin was a blander than bland Ted Dibiase protege called The Ringmaster. The Rock had to go through an initial run as Rocky Maivia. Triple H was a aristocrat called Hunter Hearst Helmsley. The list goes on and on and on.

More often than not, superstars will settle on a gimmick that works and run with it, making only minor tweaks throughout their career.

All of which makes Cody Rhodes even more special. Ever since making his debut on WWE television in July of 2007, Cody has taken on many different faces and many different roles, all of which manage...

WWE

As previously reported this summer, WWE will be releasing a brand new DVD about the life of the late great Owen Hart titled, “Owen: Hart Of Gold.” There will be a comprehensive documentary that will serve as the main feature of the DVD/Blu-Ray that is scheduled for release in the United States on December 8 and the United Kingdom on December 7.

In addition to the documentary, there will be several of Owen’s best matches include as well. The DVD is available as a pre-order on Amazon.com right now.

A preview of the documentary was released by WrestlingDVDNetwork.com.

Some of the names associated with WWE that comment in the documentary are his brother Bret Hart, brother-in-law Jim Neidhart, Jerry Lawler, Ted Dibiase, Chris Jericho, Triple H, Ron Simmons, Kevin Owens and Daniel Bryan. There were also interviews done with his niece Natalya and her husband Tyson Kidd.

2K Games

A new video posted by IGN has apparently revealed the (almost) full roster for WWE 2K16.

It is common knowledge now that the new game will have a bumper roster of 120 unique characters, but the list below falls a few short of that while Hulk Hogan is still a part of it. The Hulkster has been removed from the game altogether for reasons that you don’t need me to tell you about.

There are a number of shocking inclusions, including Superstars down the pecking order in Nxt and Attitude Era stars who had very little to do with cover star Stone Cold Steve Austin. While there are also a number of notable exclusions, including the Legion of Doom, who seemed to be nailed on for a place in the new title after leaked video footage appeared to show Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler and Jim Ross recording commentary...

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The wrestling world is dealing with another sad death this year as WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper (real name Roderick Toombs) has died of a cardiac arrest, aged 61.

TMZ broke the news saying that he died in his sleep on Thursday night and was discovered on Friday.

Piper had cancer in 2006, but he noted in November that he was cancer free and a family member told TMZ that he was all clear at the time of his death.

A family member issued this statement: “Our family is saddened by the sudden passing of our father and beloved husband, Roderick Toombs aka Rowdy Roddy Piper.”

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Piper will be remembered by wrestling fans as one of the best talkers in the history of the business as well as one of the best heels. His villainous role at WrestleMania 1 was huge, acting as a perfect anthesis...

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Traditionally, SummerSlam is regarded as one of the ‘Big 4′ annual Pay-Per-Views on the WWE supershow calendar. Alongside the likes of the Royal Rumble, Survivor Series and of course WrestleMania, SummerSlam is routinely one show the company put a lot of focus on. Admittedly, Survivor Series has fallen by the wayside over the years, but the ‘Biggest Event Of The Summer’ has retained a lot of its luster.

Bridging the gap that extends from WrestleMania right through towards the end of the year, SummerSlam is the kind of event that still gets people excited. This year’s show will be no different, as Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker prepare to do battle in what is sure to be an epic main event. As exciting as that match will be, it’s not the first to get people talking in the history of the event.

The first SummerSlam took place...

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What can you say about WWE in 2009?

The company had a fairly forgettable year, truth be told. Things seemed to be on autopilot, in many respects, with the company returning to tried-and-tested (read: worn out) feuds such as Randy Orton versus Triple H, John Cena versus Randy Orton and reforming tired acts like Dx.

To their credit, however, they did try a few different things with great results. Cm Punk’s transformation into the arrogant straight edge heel and programme with the red-hot Jeff Hardy was a thing of beauty. Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho had a tremendous first-time-in-WWE feud which yielded awesome matches and segments and WWE seemed serious about pushing the promising Ted Dibiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes (for a couple of months, anyway).

Outside of the ring, there were a couple of notable happenings. Jeff Hardy was arrested just days after leaving WWE when...

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Over the years, many an in-ring performer has made the transition to becoming a wrestling commentator or analyst.

To name a few; Gorilla Monsoon, Lord Alfred Hayes, Jesse Ventura, Jerry Lawler, Tazz, Booker T and Jbl are just some of the names to have had prolonged spells behind the desk after their in-ring days came to an end. Then there’s others such as Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, Mr. Perfect and Ted Dibiase who have had shorter runs calling the action.

The use of such names to talk viewers through the action playing out on their screens has always brought a certain sense of credibility and legitimacy to the action. After all, these guys have supposedly been there and done it themselves, so who better to comment on what’s playing out in the squared circle?

To be a great, memorable commentator one needs to obviously be good on the mic,...

Stars: Curtis Caravaggio, Fraser Aitcheson, Mike ‘The Miz’ Mizanin, Summer Rae, Josh Blacker, Matthew MacCaull, Primo Allon, Todd Jenkins, Melissa Roxburgh, Paul McGillion | Written by Alan B. McElroy | Directed by William Kaufman

Former reality star and current WWE superstar Mike ‘The Miz’ Mizanin returns for a second crack at the title role in this fourth instalment of The Marine franchise and this time he’s bringing a WWE Diva along for the ride. Yes, after three installments featuring the WWE’s beefy muscle-men in the title role, The Marine 4: Moving Target sees fit to add a female wrestler into the mix – and she’s no damsel in distress either! Summer Rae – WWE Diva, former partner of the hip-jiggling Fandango and bitchy nemesis of the Bella Twins – stars alongside The Miz as one of a group of mercenaries tasked with tracking down the titular Marine. In other words, she...

WWE.com

At Elimination Chamber, the WWE World Heavyweight Title match had the kind of finish that makes fans groan so hard that they’re in danger of rupturing their spleens. Dean Ambrose was diving from the top turnbuckle onto Seth Rollins, who pulled the referee into harm’s way instead. While the ref was nursing his boo-boo on the outside, Ambrose hit Rollins with Dirty Deeds and covered him, a new referee rushing to the ring to count the 1-2-3. Ambrose won the WWE World Heavyweight Title for two minutes, during which the internet exploded.

Of course it was not to be, and in a booking decision that would make Dusty Rhodes proud, the original ref ruled that Rollins was disqualified for attacking him, meaning that while Ambrose won the match by Dq, he didn’t win the belt. Ambrose thought, ‘well knackers to that’ and announced that,...

WWE.com

The 1991 Royal Rumble was a show that was built around American pride. That’s not a new concept because WWE always does shows to put over the Us, but it was an especially strong sentiment in early 1991.

With the Us taking part in the Gulf War that involved Iraq trying to take over Kuwait, a lot of military personnel were sent over there. It was something that was discussed on the news on a daily basis, so it was a huge part of American culture at that time. Since WWE loves to take advantage of real stories that they can use on their shows, there was a strong theme of Americana all night long.

In the WWE Title match, The Ultimate Warrior was set to defend the gold against Sgt. Slaughter. Warrior was the champion for about ten months going into this match. Slaughter turned into an Iraqi sympathizer months before this,...

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The 1990 Royal Rumble came at a time when it felt like WWE was ready to make some big changes. Even though Hulk Hogan was still the man, it was the 1990s and there were questions about how long he was going to keep being featured as the top guy.

The Ultimate Warrior was really catching fire and gaining popularity while Hogan was in his sixth year as the top guy. Both were in the Rumble match, so if we were looking at it the way we look at wrestling 25 years later, the smart thinking would be for Warrior or somebody else to win the match. That’s not what happened, though.

It was also a time when the roster wasn’t really that good on the heel side. There were the likes of Mr. Perfect, Ted Dibiase and Randy Savage in heel roles. They are some of the best heels ever,...

Tune in to Monday Night Raw and you will inevitably hear Michael Cole tout the lineage of a second- or third-generation superstar. Legacies are a big part of professional wrestling right now. WWE currently is chock-full of wrestlers whose fathers competed in the squared circle (although some of them are never referenced): Randy Orton, Curtis Axel, the Usos, Goldust, Stardust, Bo Dallas, Bray Wyatt, Diego, The Rock and Roman Reigns. If you look at the roster about a year ago, you could add Camacho, Alberto Del Rio, Road Dogg and Ted Dibiase to that list.

While second-generation wrestlers are often highly touted due to their lineage, the distinction is not limited to the men. There are a significant number of women who followed their fathers (and in some cases, their mothers) into the world of professional wrestling. Some have made their way to WWE and are currently competing on Raw and Smackdown,...

You don’t have to be a fan of WWE for too long before you notice that they tend to like their superstars to be larger than life. Some of them aren’t just large in attitude but also have the appearance of being huge monsters, often towering over other superstars and using their height and strength to dominate matches. With WWE: True Giants we take a look at some of the larger behemoths.

Featuring some superstars you would expect, and lacking a few that should really be there the main documentary is a good look at some of the wrestlers from the past and present that we’ve come to love (or love to hate). Some of them have been “faces” often others were “heels” but they still had their place in the history of the squared circle and have also many made their way into the Hall of Face.

When you think of the golden age of WWE (or WWF as it was) there are a handful of personalities that stand head and shoulders above the rest and who define the identity of not only the company but the profession.

Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Bruno Sammartino, Andre The Giant – they are all pivotal in the WWE and have all been graced with entrance into the Hall of Fame, even if Sammartino and Warrior have only recently been deemed worthy of this honour.

One name that is very noticeably absent from the Hall of Fame, though, is that of Macho Man Randy Savage, who until very recently was practically persona non grata with WWE and Vince McMahon for reasons that have never really been clarified, although rumours persist of an incident of over familiarity with the boss’ daughter way back when Stephanie was in her teens and which is obliquely...

He was once the fiendish darling of the professional wrestling world, stepping into the ring and holding his own with such legends as André the Giant and Hulk Hogan. But now James Harris, known to fans as the face-painted Ugandan tribal warrior Kamala, is struggling to make ends meet, living life in rural Mississippi as he deals with the ravages of diabetes that have left him a double-amputee who must survive on disability checks and dialysis, according to Bleacher Report. Harris, who had both legs amputated in recent years, says he did not earn the big bucks of his star wrestling counterparts and is struggling,...

He was once the fiendish darling of the professional wrestling world, stepping into the ring and holding his own with such legends as André the Giant and Hulk Hogan. But now James Harris, known to fans as the face-painted Ugandan tribal warrior Kamala, is struggling to make ends meet, living life in rural Mississippi as he deals with the ravages of diabetes that have left him a double-amputee who must survive on disability checks and dialysis, according to Bleacher Report reports. Harris, who had both legs amputated in recent years, says he did not earn the big bucks of his...

WWE.com

A great gimmick can mean so much to any performer in WWE. For every amazing character that has lasted a long time like The Undertaker or Kane, there’s a long list of terrible ones like Kwang, The Sultan, Aldo Montoya and so many others. If you lined up all the terrible gimmicks in wrestling history it would be a pile that would last miles long.

If a great wrestler is saddled with a terrible gimmick then they will never succeed. Look at Ricky Steamboat as “The Dragon” when he was breathing fire or Steve Austin starting out as The Ringmaster with Ted Dibiase managing him before really breaking out as “Stone Cold” on his own.

There are a lot of characters that appeared to be great and then for whatever reason they were dropped too early. As we know in wrestling, there are always other circumstances. Vince McMahon...

When I first began watching professional wrestling, some 22 years ago in 1992, the one wrestler who made me sit up and take notice was “Macho Man” Randy Savage. My first wrestling event I ever saw features Savage and Ric Flair wrestling for the WWF Championship in Indiana at WrestleMania 8. Randy Savage has been a favourite of mine ever since, a remarkable performer, he truly had the “it” that promoters in wrestling look for year after year. A top-class wrestler who, in many ways, was ahead of his time, Savage was also truly original on the microphone with his trademark growl-voice and catch-phrases like “Ooh Yeah”, “Dig it!” and “Snap into a Slim Jim!” The latter of which, as silly as it sounds, helped solidify Savage as a household name, someone that even non-fans of wrestling had heard of.

I was excited when I heard that WWE were releasing this set. The...

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When WWE announced the merging of the WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship last winter, they held a “Championship Ascension Ceremony” on Raw, with every world champion on the roster and several Hall of Famers in attendance. The ring was overflowing with such luminaries as Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, The Miz, Jack Swagger and Great Khali present.

It was intended to be a poignant moment, illustrating the significance of the pending title unification, but it also served to show just how many current WWE wrestlers could call themselves world champions. The current roster boasts 15 wrestlers who have held either the WWE Championship or the World Heavyweight Championship, and that doesn’t include part-timers like Booker T., The Rock, Triple H or Undertaker.

But there is a solid group of WWE superstars who have held numerous titles during their tenure with the company, without every winning a world championship.

WWE

Pro wrestling is, and should be, wacky. It’s a live action puppet show that kids and adults alike can go to so they can cheer and boo their hearts out. Theater for all ages

Just look at the above photo: There are likely few wrestling-related images in history evoke “live action puppet show” like this. It appears to be “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan (in is King Duggan guise) visiting Hershey Park…where he’s greeted by anthropomorphic chocolate and what I’d hope is some kind of tour guide in…what is that? Is it an elf costume? A chocolate-making elf? But it’s a pro wrestler who’s best known as a living, breathing cartoon character being flanked by costumed confectionaries and, well, it actually looks kind of normal.

Pro wrestling has a long, storied history of great photography, first with decades of magazines all over the world,...

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The 50-year history of World Wrestling Entertainment is littered with Superstars and Divas who have been failed by a system specifically put in place to make them sports-entertainment stars. Some were plagued by their own inability to perform up to the level of a main roster talent. Others were victims of the political minefield that is the behind the scenes atmosphere of the professional wrestling industry. Then were those who, for whatever reason, simply could not convince management to give them an adequate push, regardless of how hard they worked or how over they eventually became. That is not to mention those whose personal demons ultimately dictated the level of success they would, or would not, achieve.

Both the Rock N’ Wrestling and Attitude Eras featured numerous guys and gals who failed to live up to expectations for a number of reasons. Superstars such as “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith...

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SummerSlam is one of the most famous WWE events there is. Yet there’s so much about this August extravaganza you perhaps don’t know! As we approach the 2014 instalment of the event, we reflect on little known facts about WWE’s ‘Biggest Party Of The Summer.’

But firstly, some background information on SummerSlam that you perhaps did know about. The show debuted way back on August 29th 1988 at Madison Square Garden. Airing on pay per view, the event was headlined by Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage defeating Andre The Giant and Ted Dibiase. The 20,000 New Yorkers in attendance lapped it up, beginning a summer tradition of enduring quality. As we approach the 27th SummerSlam, we have to say that it has arguably been WWE’s greatest event ever. Think back over SummerSlam history, then compare it to WrestleMania history. You’d have to say that the August...

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Sunday, the biggest party of the summer (if you’re a WWE fan) will kick up in full force for the 27th year. SummerSlam is one of the original “Big Four” WWE PPVs (WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and Survivor Series are the others) that the company has maintained for the last quarter-century.

Whereas Royal Rumble is viewed as kicking off the “Road to WrestleMania,” SummerSlam in recent years has become the major summer show, capping off major storylines that began in the wake of Mania four months prior. SummerSlam has produced some truly amazing matches throughout the years, and it’s given us some turkeys – and that range of match quality applies to the main events of each of the previous 26 SummerSlams. Some main events have bored fans to tears, while others have brought them to their feet.

Ranking some of these matches are easy based on match quality...

Hard-hitting action thriller with wrestling star Mike 'The Miz' Mizanin stepping into the combat boots previously worn by his WWE ringmates John Cena and Ted Dibiase Jr. As the titular military man, The Miz is forced to bring down a nutjob with a Robin Hood complex (Neal McDonough) who intends to redistribute America's wealth with a campaign of homeland terrorism. Unfortunately, kidnapping a battle-hardened marine's sister is one radical idea too many.

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SummerSlam has been one of WWE’s “big four” Pay-Per-View events since it first took place in August of 1988. At that time, WWE had already aired four WrestleManias and they figured they could add SummerSlam as the PPV that followed it about four months later. It was a smart move right off the bat because it allowed WWE to continue certain storylines from WrestleMania or begin new angles. With Survivor Series and the Royal Rumble also in place, fans had four major events to look forward to every year.

Now that we live in an era where there’s a PPV every month, an event like SummerSlam could seem less important just because there are so many shows. However, WWE has done a great job of making it feel special after all these years because SummerSlam is generally regarded as one of the best PPVs of the year.

2K Games has released the first images from this year's version of their WWE games (and they look pretty slick), but on top of that, they've also given out some details on their collector's edition of the game, featuring the ultimate wrestler, Hulk Hogan. Come inside for all the details!

Yesterday, 2K revealed the first image from the upcoming WWE 2K15 game, giving us a good look at John Cena's character model in the game:

It looks pretty impressive, definitely taking advantage of the current generation's hardware. The more exciting details, however, came today in the announcement of the Hulkamania collector's edition of the game:

2K today announced that WWE Hall of Famer, Hulk Hogan®, will be featured through the “Hulkamania” Edition of WWE® 2K15, the forthcoming release in the flagship WWE video game franchise. The edition will be available exclusively for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One,...

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One of the departments WWE has no worries about turning a profit is their always successful home video releases. Today, new details emerge about a highly anticipated release, featuring all-time great “Macho Man” Randy Savage.

The Macho Man DVD, titled “Macho Man – The Randy Savage Story,” will be released on November 18th in North America, and will have several editions available. This will be the first feature length released on Savage, one that many fans expected in 2009 during the WWE’s first Savage DVD release.

A six-disc version, also featuring the 2009 “Macho Madness” match collection will be released as a collector’s edition, and will also contain a Randy “Macho Man” Savage T-shirt, bandana, and Savage’s trademark sunglasses.

A basic three disc DVD and two-disc blu-ray will also be available. The WWE interviewed several subjects for the project, including Hulk Hogan, Lex Luger, Diamond Dallas Page, Bret “The Hitman” Hart,...

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Randy Orton has never been accused of being the most fan-friendly WWE superstar of all time, but he wasn’t hesitant to sound off on fans via Twitter this weekend.

A fan criticized Orton for his military career, saying “Dishonorably discharged marine. Screw you dude. #Shame on you and Vince McMahon. Shame on you dishonorably discharged Marine.”

This tweet didn’t sit well with Orton, who replied with “Bad Conduct Discharge, not Dishonorable. Fact check next time ya D bag.”

During Orton’s run in the Marines, he went Awol twice, and disobeyed orders from a commanding officer, and subsequently received a bad conduct discharge for doing so. After serving 38 days in a military prison, Orton was finally sent home. The offenses occurred in 1999, three years before his WWE debut.

Orton’s bad conduct discharge actually cost him the role in The Marine 2 a couple of years ago,...

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Earlier this year, wrestling fans were shocked beyond belief on multiple occasions, as the events surrounding the Daniel Bryan situation at the Royal Rumble leading to WrestleMania unfolded and, of course, when The Deadman went on his presumed Last Ride.  Unpredictable moments have been a staple of entertainment for as long as drama has existed.  Climactic plot twists were themes in literature that found their way to the stage and, ultimately, were adopted by professional wrestling when it stopped being a legitimate sport and morphed into what we know it to be today.

So, what are the most shocking results in modern wrestling lore?

10. Andre The Giants Becomes Champion; Sells Title To Million Dollar Man (The Main Event, February 1988)

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It was a simpler time, the 1980s. Insider news was reserved for a select few. Kayfabe still reigned supreme over the wrestling industry. Championships changed hands so...

Batista's agent told him that it was "a real long shot" when he went to read for the part of Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy.

In a clip taken from new DVD Batista: The Animal Unleashed, the WWE Superstar - real name Dave Bautista - choked up when he talks about going for the role.

Guardians of the Galaxy trailer: New look at Marvel's cosmic superteam

Batista: The Animal Unleashed is available now on DVD and Blu-ray and - in addition to a feature-length programme - the full details of the release are below.

Disc One:

Ovw - 28 July 2001: Leviathan vs. Brock LesnarSmackdown! - 27 June 2002: Reverend D-Von & Batista vs. Faarooq & Randy OrtonRaw - 22 March 2004: World Tag Team Title Match - Evolution (Batista & Ric Flair) vs. Rob Van Dam & Booker TSmackdown! - 9 September 2005: Bull Rope Match for the World Heavyweight Championship - Batista vs.

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This is a look at former WWE talent who never quite got the exposure or opportunity. Some were the victim of timing, while others just floundered as another face in a crowded roster. Despite working for the company for several years, most of their appearances were on the C-level shows (programs such as International Heat, Jakked or WWE Superstars).

They may be gone and to many, they were forgotten. For every Undertaker, there’s a Braden Walker. Some went on to stardom in other companies while many just faded away. It’s a tough business.

12. Trent Barreta (2010-2011)

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Barreta actually spent more than five years under WWE contract with long stints in Florida (Fcw/Nxt) developmental. Barreta’s real debut on WWE television was in a tag team with Caylen Croft known as “The Dude Busters” on Ecw TV at the end of November 2009. As the...

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Arguably the biggest star in professional wrestling history, Steve Austin at times seemed like just another guy when he first entered the World Wrestling Federation in 1995 as “The Ringmaster.” Hardcore wrestling fans already knew him as a gifted wrestler from his days in WCW and Ecw as “Stunning” Steve Austin, but very little was done early on in the WWF to set him apart from the rest of the roster when he debuted with the “Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase serving as his manager. That would all change with one famous promo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in June 1996: the night Austin 3:16 was born.

Austin took the wrestling business to heights it had never been to as the torch bearer of the late 1990s Attitude Era, and it was during this time that Austin himself experienced success that he himself could have never envisioned possible. Just a few years earlier,...