TNA Rumors: Christy Hemme Upset over Austin Airies Incident?

If you watched Impact this past Thursday, you saw a rather odd moment where ring announcer Christy Hemme made a mistake in announcing Austin Airies and Bobby Roode as their opponents Christopher Daniels and Kazarian.  The heel immediately reacted of course and hit the ring, with Airies forcing Hemme to correct her mistake and announce them again.  What followed in the next few seconds is what has people asking if Airies crossed the line.

Airies had Hemme backed into a corner when she made the correct announcement, and after she did, he proceeded to climb up the ropes over her....which pretty much put his crotch right in her face.  Now many are seeing this in different ways.  Some say this was obviously an unplanned spot and should be taken as sexual harassment.  Others say this was a typical wrestling "rib" in which someone gets a little heat for making a mistakes.  Sure there are those who say women have endured much worse in various angles over the years, but those were all planned (and agreed upon) moments which make them totally different. 

Some people are saying this was just plain wrong such as Mark Madden over at Wrestlezone.com, who thinks Airies should straight be fired for his actions.  Christy Hemme is a married woman now and no longer an active competitor in the ring, so it's hard to say how she really feels about the incident.  Her only mention of it was on her Twitter page when she said it was "unacceptable," but the tweet has since been removed so take that for what you will.

I believe Austin Airies actions were a spur of the moment thing he didn't put a whole lot of thought into.  I don't think it was planned at all (even though some people think it may have been) and they probably moved past it pretty quick.  I'm sure neither Hemme or Airies wanted to make it a bigger deal than it already is, but being it was on national TV it's hard to avoid.  With the treatment of women and women's rights being much bigger movements than they were years ago, actions like this won't be ignored.  I'm willing to bet TNA never brings the incident up again and lets it fade away.

So here is the video of the incident; do you think it was sexual harassment or just another rib? 

 

WWE Rumors: Is John Morrison Set to Return?

Yesterday WWE.com ran a story featuring an interview with John Morrison where a variety of topics were discussed, mainly Morrison's new fitness program.  What's odd about this is WWE rarely features a Superstar that isn't currently on the roster unless it's a legend type.  So why would WWE take the time to give John Morrison such spotlight?  Is a return to WWE imminent?

It would seem that all signs point to a return to WWE for John Morrison in the near future.  He was asked the directly in the interview about a WWE return, to which he replied "By the time you hear the thunder, it will be too late because the lightning would have already struck."  So it sounds like something is definitely in the works, after all...they wouldn't be giving a guy any attention on their site if it was possible he'd pop up in TNA any time soon.

Morrison seemed like a guy that was poised to be a huge star in WWE, he almost gave me the vibe of a young Shawn Michaels.  But for whatever reason, he got lost in the mix and he seemed to be going nowhere toward the end.  His face turn was a flop in my eyes because any guy that does slow motion poses for his entrance and is labeled the "Shaman of Sexy" is a natural heel, and anything less just doesn't work unless he changed his character.  Morrison is a hell of an athlete that does amazing things in the ring, but the time away could be just what his character needed.

So if/when Morrison does return, who does he feud with?  He mentions Dolph Ziggler, Ryback, and The Miz in his interview.  Of course if they acknowledge the way he went out at the hands of The Miz that could turn into something.  Either way hopefully Morrison can get a bit of a character and reach the level he seemed to be destined for.

Book Review: The Three Count: My Life in Stripes as a WWE Referee by Jimmy Korderas

If you were a huge wrestling fan in the 80s, can you imagine being given the opportunity to work in the wrestling business at that time around legends such as Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and Randy Savage?  That's exactly what happened to longtime WWE referee Jimmy Kordereas when his wrestling career started.  Jimmy tells the story of his journey in his new book "The Three Count: My Life in Stripes as a WWE Referee."

I remember seeing Jimmy Korderas referee when I was a kid growing up in the 80s, as his name was mentioned quite often back in the day when referee's names were mentioned more on commentary.  It was very interesting to read how Jimmy got involved in the business and how the iconic figurehead of the then WWF at the time, Jack Tunney, played a big role in Jimmy doing so.  Jimmy tells some great stories about being a fan and moving his way up in the business and being around many of the biggest stars of all time.

Mr. Korderas took part in multiple pay-per-views and of course WrestleManias, and has some great stories to tell from many of the events; probably the biggest of which is the World Heavyweight Title match Jimmy refereed at WrestleMania 24 between The Undertaker and Edge (who wrote the foreword for this book.)  Of course with so much time spent in WWE come some great and sometimes hilarious road stories from his many years with WWE.

While the tone of the book is overall lighthearted, upbeat, and humorous at times, Jimmy was also very close to some of the most tragic deaths in wrestling including Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, and Christ Benoit.  Many of you may not realize that Jimmy was scheduled to be the referee and was actually in the ring the night Owen Hart fell to his death.  Jimmy's re-telling of the events from the night Owen died are a real eye opener as he was unbelievably close to it all.  Korderas's friendship with Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit also gives a behind the scenes look at what kind of men they were.

This book is great if you are looking for an unbiased look at the goings-on in WWF/WWE from the mid-80 all the way to the mid-2000s.  Jimmy traveled the world with WWE and truly has some fun stories to tell.  It's a nice look at the inner workings and the role of a pro wrestling referee as well.  Ever wonder what it's like for a referee to mess up a match and then have to face Mr. McMahon himself in the locker room?  You will find out what it's like in this book.  Pick up your copy of Jimmy Korderas's "The Three Count: My Life in Stripes as a WWE Referee" below:

 

Dolph Ziggler Cashes In and Wins the World Heavyweight Championship

In front of what can be described as the most wild and insane crowd for RAW in many many years, Dolph Ziggler gave them what they wanted by finally cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Alberto Del Rio and winning the World Heavyweight Championship.

Del Rio had just wrestled a handicapped match against Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter during which the fans almost immediately began a "We Want Ziggler!" chant.  As Del Rio sold a leg injury after the match, sure enough Ziggler's music hit and he headed toward the ring with AJ Lee and Big E Langston in tow.  The electric atmosphere was all too perfect for Ziggler to finally cash in and win the title.  The crowd blew the roof off the IZOD Center in New Jersey as Ziggler scored the pinfall and Ziggler was fired up to finally have his moment.

The fans tonight will be something that is talked about for a very long time.  As we all know RAW can sometimes drag and put out matches no one cares about, but these post-WrestleMania fans made every bit of RAW worth watching. Ziggler's title win was electric, and definitely got more or a reaction than anything at WrestleMania 29.  A rematch with Del Rio will probably be the first obstacle for the new champion, but judging by the crowd's reaction Dolph Ziggler is due for a lengthy title reign.

WrestleMania 29 Delivers Major Predictability

The results of WrestleMania 29 have the Internet buzzing, and for mostly negative reasons.  I gave it a night to let it all sink in and really think about what happened last night at MetLife Stadium.  The atmosphere was there, the crowd was rabid at times, and the matches themselves were overall very good and felt WrestleMania worthy.

The problem (at least for me) lies with the fact that this might have been THE most predictable WrestleMania ever.  We speculated almost 2 months ago on potential WrestleMania 29 matches and results, and the actual results were almost everything we hoped would NOT happen.  We hoped Cena didn't beat The Rock just to get his win back (which he did,) we hoped Brock Lesnar wouldn't have to give Triple H his win back (he did, which has destroyed Lesnar's image as a legit killer from UFC,) and the rest of the results were nothing that shocked anyone.

The Undertaker defeated CM Punk in what was probably the best match of the night.   This result didn't upset me since The Undertaker's streak is something that has become WrestleMania tradition, and The Undertaker STILL goes out there and outperforms just about everyone on the card.  The only title changes that occurred were The Miz winning the Intercontinental Championship from Wade Barrett (on the pre-show) and of course Cena winning the WWE title.  Maybe the only somewhat surprising result was Mark Henry beating Ryback clean, which I for one did not expect (so much for Ryback's push as well.) 

The biggest possible surprise that could have happened was the John Cena heel turn that everyone is still hoping for.  The night seemed so run of the mill up to the main event, that it seemed like something BIG was possible in the main event.  The way WWE had the 3 top matches back to back to back was very different, and the way Cena and The Rock just hit the ring with no special entrances or anything all seemed to signal that the ending was going to be big.  Instead we got the dreaded situation where The Rock acts like he's just fine with Cena suddenly, shakes his hand, and salutes him as if to pass the torch.  Only problem was, no one clapped or cheered, the whole situation was met with boos as ANYone with a brain could've seen coming miles away. 

WWE forced us to endure more of the same with John Cena, and now we're left with more repetition.  Is there ANYone in WWE you would care about Cena feuding with?  He's faced almost everyone multitudes of times, and now guys that still had fire like Brock Lesnar have been deflated by losing matches that could have kept them strong.  WWE simply refuses to shake things up, and now we are left hoping they have some big plan under wraps for RAW to make things interesting after WrestleMania gave us no surprise results, cameos, or turns.

Trish Stratus Announces Pregnancy at WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony

Congratulations are in order as newly inducted WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus saved a little surprise for her induction speech over the weekend, as she announced she will be "delivering a little...Stratusfaction" this September.  Trish is indeed pregnant with her first child and the timing couldn't have been better to make her Hall of Fame induction even more special.

Of course with Trish's induction and being the fact that she is only 37 years old, any talk of a "surprise" this weekend would have had to do with her returning to the ring.  It's obviously going to take a little longer now, but Trish's inductor Stephanie McMahon as well as Trish herself made reference having at least one more match in the future. 

Trish is without a doubt an innovator in the Divas division that deserves to be in the WWE Hall of Fame, and it was very cool for her to save something special under wraps until her induction.  Congrats to Trish Stratus and her husband Ron.

Related:
Remember When...Trish Stratus Returned to Raw?

Will Fandango Be the Star of WrestleMania 29?

Yes, many of you probably have confused looks on your faces right about now.  Fandango?  Star of WrestleMania 29?  But he hasn't even wrestled a match!  And that's exactly my point.  This year's WrestleMania is filled with rematches and rushed scenarios to get all the major players on the card, so the in-ring debut of a new character with a lot of hype (and heat) really stands out.

The promos for "Fandango" started months ago, and quite frankly they seemed like it would be a goofy character straight out of the mid 90's that would undoubtedly flop.  Surprisingly the way they've debuted the former Johnny Curtis as Fandango has created rabid crowd reactions since the fact is he has yet to have an actual match.  As you've seen all these weeks, the guy is stuck on how everyone pronounces his name, and refuses to wrestle every time it is mispronounced.  This has given Fandango the unique opportunity to have his first actual match at WrestleMania 29 against Chris Jericho.

This character is said to already be a favorite of Vince McMahon, and we can see why.  While it is a character straight out of the 90s, that isn't a bad thing at all.  Fandango is a cocky heel that does a lot of talking, but can get in the ring and kick some ass when the time comes as we've seen with his beatdowns on Jericho.  With all the heat the guy has, seeing Jericho finally get his hands on Fandango at WrestleMania of all places should create an electric atmosphere.  It reminds me of a passing the torch moment, as Fandango will most likely (and should) defeat Jericho which will immediately elevate him as a major player.

If you think about it, are you really into the build for the main WrestleMania matches?  Sure they'll be entertaining, sure they will have the Mania vibe with all those people in MetLife Stadium, but the card is no doubt lacking a feeling of freshness.  Mania used to be the place to see matches and moments you couldn't see the rest of the year.  This year, while it might be sad, the most fresh thing on the card is......F-A-A-A-N-D-A-N-G-O.

Ric Flair's Son Reid Dead at 25

Shocking and sad news to report today as Ric Flair's 25 year old son Reid was found dead this

morning at the age of 25.  Reid is known to many wrestling fans for being involved on WCW Nitro in the late 90s as a kid at his dad's side.  Reid had since become a pro wrestler himself and was actively competing on the independent scene as well as in Japan.

There are no details as of yet on Reid Flair's cause death as of this writing, and we are all in hopes there is no connection to his 2009 arrest for drug possession therefore we won't speculate.

Reid was always talked about as a great amateur who had the ability to make it in pro wrestling, unlike his brother David who obviously didn't inherit his father's skill.  Reid debuted in 2008 in a much talked about match where he teamed with his brother against the Nasty Boys, with very special referee Hulk Hogan.  Since then it had been expected that it was only a matter of time before Reid popped up in TNA or WWE. 

This is without a doubt a devastating day for Ric Flair who as we all have seen is always highly emotional about his family.  Our condolences are with the Nature Boy as are those of the entire wrestling community.  Below is a match featuring Reid Flair from Japan that happened less than 2 weeks ago, and shows what a promising young talent he was.

 

Watch "GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling" Online Free

If you were a wrestling fan in the 80s, you no doubt either watched or have at least heard of GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.) GLOW was an all girl wrestling show that was syndicated across the country right alongside wrestling giants of the time like the WWF, NWA, and AWA.  But GLOW just wasn't any plain old women's wrestling promotion; those that watched it knew it was like nothing wrestling had ever seen.  These ladies were setting a standard before the term "Diva" or "Knockout" were even thought of, and had quite a story in the process of making it as far as they did.

 

The documentary "Glow: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling" tells the entire story of how it came together and talks to many of the show's stars.  Mt Fiji, Matilda the Hun, Godiva, Tina Ferrari (who later became WWE's Ivory,) Little Egypt, Hollywood and Vine, and Americana were just a few of the names that really give you an idea of how diverse the characters on this show were.  If that's not enough, just take a look at the now famous GLOW intro that included a group rap (hey it was the 80's):

 

 

 That intro might give you an idea of what was so different about GLOW.  It wasn't just women's wrestling; it was way over the top characters, it was comedy skits in between the matches, it was a ring with pink ropes and neon signs, it was in a word....FUN. 

This show obviously never took itself too seriously; it's tongue in cheek humor were a welcome change at the time, especially for a kid like me who turned on this show and saw all these crazy cartoony characters.  There were clearly defined "good girls" and "bad girls," and every one of them had a character of some sort.  Some may have not appreciated at the time for it's campy nature, but now many look back at GLOW as one of the most unique shows in wrestling history.

 

The documentary below is very well done, and not only tells the story of GLOW from the performers themselves but also catches up with what many of the girls have done since.  The highlight is the GLOW reunion organized by Little Egypt which sees many of the girls reunite for the first time in 20+ years.  If you were a fan from that era or just enjoy wrestling documentaries this one is definitely worth viewing:

 



 

The Bella Twins Return to WWE

In what was a bit of a surprise on RAW last night, the Bella Twins made their return to WWE in a backstage segment with Team Rhodes Scholars and Kaitlyn.  It's been almost a full year since we reported the Bellas were leaving WWE and the angle where Eve Torres "fired" them to explain their departure occurred.  Now the Bellas are back to aid what can only be described as a floundering Divas division.

We mention that the Bella Twins' return is a bit of a surprise mainly because there had not been any rumors of their return, but maybe it's not all that surprising since as far as anyone knows the Bellas are both still dating WWE Superstars.  A few pics landed online a few months ago revealing that Brie Bella is dating Daniel Bryan while Nikki Bella is with John Cena.  If those 2 relationships are indeed still in tact, their return to WWE makes a lot of sense.

The Bellas have always been a unique act and really could've done a lot more if they were given more of a spotlight.  Of course WWE's TV-PG stance holds a lot back, mainly the divas.  Imagine if it was the Attitude Era and we still had bra and panties type matches mixed in with meaningful Diva matches, the Bella's star would shine brighter than ever and they would no doubt get more notice.

Nikki and Brie Bella are back to hopefully bring some much needed interest to the Diva division.  Oh, and if you had trouble distinguishing which Bella is which, one noticeable change will help you out now that the Bellas are back.  Yes, Nikki Bella got breast implants during the twins time away, so just remember - Nikki is the one with the boobs!