Eddie Fatu just passed away from a heart attack at the age of 36. WWE fans know him as Umaga. Longtime wrestling fans remember him from the Island Boyz, Samoan Gangtas, and 3-Minute Warning teams. Fatu was part of the legendary Anoa’i wrestling family, which includes The Wild Samoans Afa and Sika, Rikishi, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He was one of my favorite big men for the last few years and it’s sad to see him go so young.
– Last night’s fight between Ali Funeka and Joan Guzman was fantastic…until the decision was announced. While Guzman boxed excellently for two and a half rounds, Funeka pretty much dominated the rest of the fight. Inexplicably, two of the judges scored the fight a draw. This was the worst decision I’ve seen in 2009, by far. It’s sad that Funeka traveled all the way from South Africa to America to get jobbed. Whether the judges were inept or corrupt, bad decisions are way too common in boxing and one of the big reasons the sport is no longer as popular as it was.
– I picked up the two Sinestro Corps War
Alleged drug trafficker and former WWE Superstar Jeff Hardy has a new look and new DVDs to sell. Check it out!
What do you think of Hardy’s new hair? He kind of reminds me of Austin Aries now…but with less talent. Ha!
– I watched my Star Trek
– It’s such an interesting time in the WWE right now. Established headliners like Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, and Triple H only have a few years left. This leaves the younger main-event players like Edge and Randy Orton waiting for some new dance partners. The WWE has been pushing The Miz, John Morrison, Dolph Ziggler, and Kofi Kingston successfully. Seamus and Drew McIntyre have been getting decent pushes as well. I’m especially high on Ziggler and Morrison. Do any of these guys stand out to you? Do you see any of them headlining WrestleMania in 2015?
The artist formerly known as Cactus Jack, Mankind, and Dude Love recently appeared on The Daily Show. I’m talking about best-selling author, former WWE Superstar, and current TNA wrestler Mick Foley, of course. Check out this clip of the hardcore legend busting out his comedic chops with Jon Stewart.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Gaywatch – Peter Vadala & William Phillips | ||||
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If you haven’t seen Ric Flair’s first promo for Hulk Hogan’s Australian Hulkamania tour, go check it out. If you have seen it, prepare for part II. The Nature Boy and The Hulkster meet to try to drum up interest in the tour.
This promo made me a little sad. Although Flair can still put on a good match with a solid partner like Shawn Michaels or Kurt Angle, he can’t do much with an old, broken down, and extremely limited wrestler like Hogan. I found it amusing that Flair mentioned “the big boot”, but didn’t mention Hogan’s leg drop, which he can’t do anymore because of his hip problems. At least neither of them are as pathetic as “Nasty Boy” Brian Knobbs, who was never that good and is only on the tour because he kisses Hogan’s ass.
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To promote the Australian Hulkamania Tour, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair cut a promo on YouTube. While Flair is still money on the microphone, I’m sad that he’s getting back in the ring. Don’t get me wrong, he was the best in-ring performer of all time and it’s up to him if he wants to make money getting in the squared circle…but his send-off from the WWE and his WWE WrestleMania 24
– I received the Wrestlemania 24
– Speaking of HBK, what a remarkable career he’s had — especially the second half. I never bought into the “boyhood dream” and I only started really enjoying his matches just before his first hiatus. Since his comeback from back surgery, it’s crazy how good he has been. While he can’t do some of things he used to in his younger days, his storytelling and psychology are the best they’ve ever been. Plus, nobody sells moves as good as Shawn does these days.
– I’m still wondering why the hell R-Truth is on the cover of the WrestleMania 25 box. What’s up?
Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling has announced that it has signed Hulk Hogan (brother), marking the return of Hulkamania. Hogan will perform on its TNA Impact shows and pay-per-view events (brother). In today’s press release (brother), Hogan said:
I’m thrilled to be jumping back into the world of professional wrestling. My fans have been asking me to return to the business for many years on a full time basis, but the timing or the opportunity has never been right until now. TNA Wrestling is a great company with an already excellent fan base, business and broadcast partner. I firmly believe now is the time for some change at TNA as they are positioned to jump to the next level in their development and I’m here to work with Dixie to help make that a reality.
This is a huge move for TNA (brother). Even though Hogan isn’t 10 percent of what he used to be (and let’s face it, he was never that good in the ring), there’s no denying that fans still go nuts for The Hulkster (brother). Despite his extremely limited abilities due to various hip ailments (dude can’t even do his famous leg drop), Hogan will sell tickets and PPVs (brother).
It will be interesting to see how Hogan impacts the ratings of…er…Impact (brother). It will also be interesting to see how well he works with Vince Russo. The two had some pretty huge conflicts in WCW and Hogan has been known to hold grudges (brother).
Hit the break for a TNA teaser video and let me know what you think of Hogan working for the company (brother).
