Michael McGillicutty, who is the grandson of Larry "The Axe" Hennig and the son of "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig, has been tweeting to fans over the last few days about why he doesn't use his real-name, Joe Hennig.
He re-tweeted the following message from a fan: "Joe Hennig > Michael McGillicutty, RT if you agree, the Hennig name should still be remembered!" He then tweeted the following:
"For everyone tweeting about my name: The Hennig name will be remembered no matter what my name is."
"Just get ready to witness the next generation and see why we ARE the greatest wrestling family of all time!"
"@xxDuke4Everxx: Just remember to never forget where you came from and who you are :) NEVER"
WrestlingInc.com exclusively reported earlier today that McGillicutty suggested to John Laurinaitis that he use his real name last week.
He was apparently told something along the lines of, "When you start performing like a Hennig, you can be a Hennig."
While doing a Q&A with his fans via Twitter, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson discussed his goals for his return to WWE. Here are the highlights:
"A few years ago when Cena - inexplicably - started talking trash publicly, I knew then I could turn this into a massive main event," wrote Johnson. "One that could elevate the WWE to unprecedented heights. The timing had to be right though. Wrestlemania 27: for me and the fans - the time was right.
"The build to Wrestlemania 28 will be like nothing the world has ever seen before. The match itself will be historic. I didn't come back to the WWE to become champion again. I came back for these reasons: entertain the fans like no-one else can. Elevate the WWE to new heights never seen before. Challenge and mentor some of the younger talent. Give the millions what they want which is to kick John Cena's f'n ass."
CM Punk and Steve Austin got fans riled up on Twitter after the two went back and forth with some friendly banter. Austin wrote to Zack Ryder that he shouldn't put a lime in a beer after Ryder talked about drinking Bud Light Lime. Punk replied that the lime is used "to make it not taste like piss" and that beer is "still poison." Austin replied with the following remark: "you oughta mind your own business…stay focused on Nash and leave the beer drinking to me…Punk." Punk replied to Austin with: "focus is my middle name…Steven." Austin then ended the conversation with the following: "my middle name is Whoop Ass…now go about your business before you step in a big pile of what did I get myself into now??"
Here is the full Twitter wrestling match...
Ryder - @SteveAustinBSR I won't drink BLL tonight. What do you recommend? Austin - @ZackRyder just go with regular Bud Light. Good beer. You'll thank me tomorrow....and it's cooler than BLL. Ryder - @SteveAustinBSR Can I put a lime in the Bud Light? Austin - @ZackRyder why HELL NO you can't put a lime in the damn beer!!! Punk (responding to above tweet) - To make it not taste like piss. It's still poison. Austin - @CMPunk you oughta mind your own business...stay focused on Nash and leave the beer drinking to me...Punk. Punk - @SteveAustinBSR focus is my middle name...Steven. Austin - @CMPunk my middle name is Whoop Ass...now go about your business before you step in a big pile of what did I get myself into now?? Jericho - "It's so cute reading @CMPunk and @SteveAustinBSR 's lil cyber b---h Punk - @IAmJericho Yeah. Way more entertaining than you and Miz. Styles - @CMPunk and @SteveAustinBSR can we move this twitter war to a slightly larger stage? Perhaps WrestleMania? Regal - @SteveAustinBSR and @CMPunk Please just fight and get it over with.
The August 2011 issue of the UK based wrestling magazine Power Slam reports that there is a sizable pay discrepancy among the female performers of TNA Wrestling. The magazine states that Mickie James and Christy Hemme are the highest-paid female talent in the organization: each earn more than $100,000 per year. Meanwhile, the rest of TNA's female wrestlers and personalities (Angelina Love, Brooke Tessmacher, Cookie, Jackie, Madison Rayne, ODB, Rosita, Sarita, SoCal Val, Tara, Traci Brooks, Velvet Sky and Winter) earn far less: $600 per appearance or less.
Karen Jarrett's salary is not stated, but the magazine indicates that she commands an above average fee.
Velvet Sky
Brooke Tessmacher
James and Hemme command the highest salaries because both were high-profile performers in WWE and thus are more valuable than the other women due to their name recognition. Though the magazine does not indicate which female talent earns more, it is noted that both make a similar low six-figure amount per year. Hemme, however, solely works televised events whereas James additionally appears on the company's live event tour.
Hemme's reported salary has drawn criticism from fans and colleagues who feel it's exorbitant for a non-wrestling female personality. The Honky Tonk Man claimed last year that her contract renewal with TNA last year was for three years at an annual rate of $175,000. He also said that Eric Bischoff, a huge supporter of the former WWE Diva and Playboy cover girl, helped Hemme obtain the high-end deal.
Angelina Love
Traci Brooks
Reports of Hemme's salary last year reportedly upset some of her female co-workers.
At the maximum second-tier rate, a TNA Knockout who appeared on every single television and pay-per-view event over the course of a calender year, 64 in all, would garner $38,400 at most. TNA solely covers airfare, leaving talent to cover all other expenses including lodging, wardrobe and medical. There is also no downside guarantee, thus meaning talent only get paid when they are used. And while the company holds numerous non-televised events, each tour features a rotation of two to five female performers.
Velvet Sky, who is arguably the organization's top homegrown female star, is believed to be earning the maximum rate of the second-tier salary cap. Her contract renewal with TNA last year reportedly called for her salary to be bumped from $300 per appearance to $600. However, she is an exception to the rule on salary hikes for female talent. Gail Kim, Awesome Kong and Shelly Martinez (Salinas) have all publicly stated that they left TNA because organization officials denied their requests for a pay raise.
Angelina Love - Knockouts Champion - $600/Show - $38,400/Year
Brooke Tessmacher - Best Ass In The World - $600/Show - $38,400/Year
The Beautiful People Put TNA Knockouts On The Map!
I think this is a total joke. How can the girl that interviews the wrestlers backstage make $100,000 while the top female wrestlers are only making $600 per show and at most $38,400 per year? Honestly, does anyone watch TNA to see Christy Hemme or Mickie James? No offense to either of them but I wouldn't even notice if they were both fired tomorrow. The two reasons I watch TNA are Velvet Sky and now Brooke Tessmacher! And sadly I make more than each of them. Hey, do you think that means I have a chance at marrying either of them? hehe.
Public records indicate that former TNA Wrestling performer Shannon Claire Spruill (Daffney) was arrested for Driving under the influence last month in Florida.
Spruill was arrested at 8:51 p.m. on July 19 in Hillsborough. She was officially charged with Driving under the influence with property damage with bond set at $500.
Spruill, who last performed for TNA, parted ways with the organization on March 15 as her contract expired and not renewed. She subsequently announced that she had filed a workers' compensation claim against TNA for injuries suffered while wrestling for the promotion.
I still want to marry her! hehe
Chokeslammed Through Barbed-Wire Name one other Diva or Knockout that is as tough as her!
There were lots of people backstage at the SmackDown tapings this past Tuesday night rolling their eyes at Sin Cara. If you haven't heard yet, WWE had to do two re-takes of Cara's match against Heath Slater due to a number of moves being botched during the initial taping. The man playing Sin Cara on Tuesday was WWE developmental talent Hunico. The real Sin Cara was in the building and dressed to wrestle, but management opted not to use him on TV.
I think this is just pathetic. Clearly the WWE put all their money in this Sin Cara thing because they were trying to make the next Rey Mysterio, but that is no easy task. Perhaps the original Sin Cara could have been good, but for whatever reason they chose to suspend him and try to replace him. They must have assumed once they made that character popular they could just hire any bum to put on the mask and do that trampoline entrance. Turns out they were wrong. I posted before about copyrights on the name, and failed drug tests, but this just reeks of salary issues to me. Sin Cara became a big star too fast and probably wanted adequate compensation but the WWE refused thinking as I mentioned that anyone could put on that mask. Well now that the new Sin Cara has embarrassed himself and surely ended his career with this severely botched match on Smakdown, maybe the WWE will finally give in and bring back the original Sin Cara?
Heath Slater vs Sin Cara You can hear the entire crowd booing when the match first starts because they are watching the same match done for the second time that night!
Trish Stratus and Angelina Love teased a confrontation at this weekend's Fan Expo Canada in Toronto, Ontario as both former champions will be on hand for the annual pop culture event.
Will They Ever Wrestle? Who Would Win?
Both posted on Twitter...
Trish: "Can't wait for Fan Expo Canada Sun! I hear Angelina Love is gonna be there, I also hear she wants to fight me #torontothrowdown #canuckcuddle."
Angelina:"I'm there on Saturday so maybe we can throwdown then and cuddle on Sunday!"
Love revealed last week on Twitter that her dream opponent is the seven-time WWE Women's Champion. Both women are from Toronto Ontario Canada. Both are arguably the best female wrestlers in their respective companies. But they have never faced each other, and it seems like a dream match that needs to happen! So will they ever wrestle? If so, who will win? And will it happen in TNA or WWE?
Grantland.com, a sports and pop culture affiliated with ESPN.com, has published a major expose on Ric Flair comparing him to a real life version of The Wrestler. In the 2008 film, Mickey Rourke plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson, an aging professional wrestler who continues to compete in spite of his failing health in an attempt to cling on to his glory days.
In tremendous detail, the article examines the wrestling legend's personal struggles, financial issues and allegations of physical abuse by his ex-wives. The story states that Flair continues to perform for TNA Wrestling despite suffering from alcoholic cardiomyopathy (a heart problem) and that almost everything he earns from the "second-tier outfit" goes toward paying off old debts: lawyers, ex-wives, the IRS, former business partners and "anyone who made the mistake of lending him money." In April, a judge evicted Flair from his home in Charlotte, NC because he couldn't afford to pay rent.
The story of Ric Flair was once about a college dropout who rose through the ranks of professional wrestling to become a legend. It was about his nickname, "The Nature Boy," and his signature figure four leglock, both lifted from an older wrestler named Buddy Rogers. It was about his multiple championships, his bleach-blond hair, his fast-talking patter (by his own reckoning, Flair was a "stylin', profilin', limousine-riding, jet-flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin'-n'-dealin' son of a gun!"), and his signature, trademarked cry: "WOOO!"
Trish Stratus
Today the story is about a man known in the court system as Richard Morgan Fliehr, 62, born in 1949 and adopted by parents who raised him in Minnesota. That's what he was called this past April, when a judge ejected Fliehr from his Charlotte home because he couldn't pay his rent. That's what he was called in May, when he faced an arrest order for an unpaid $35,000 loan. That's what he's called on the paychecks from Total Nonstop Action, a second-tier outfit where he's still compelled to perform despite suffering from alcoholic cardiomyopathy, and where almost everything he earns goes toward old debts: lawyers, ex-wives, the IRS, former business partners, and anyone who made the mistake of lending him money.
The Mecklenburg County courthouse in Charlotte contains thousands of pages documenting Fliehr's legal adventures. There, it's possible to unearth the gory specifics of a lifetime: how he passed out after attacking his son Reid in a fit of anger after the boy broke his drunken mother's arm by pushing her out of an elevator; how he lost a fistfight with his daughter's boyfriend; how he exposed his genitalia to airline attendants.One can also read how Fliehr allegedly flew into steroid-induced rages against his wife and children; how he suffered anxiety attacks and at least one nervous breakdown, how he broke his back in a 1974 plane crash; how he was mistreated by powerful bosses such as Eric Bischoff; how he bought millions of dollars' worth of jewelry for the women in his life; how he was cited for letting a drunk 20-year-old woman drive his car in North Carolina; how he used the same NWA title belt as collateral for two different loans.
Jacqueline Beems
Taken together, the information produces a rough timeline that illustrates Fliehr's self-destructive impulses. It includes excesses that Hollywood screenwriters wouldn't have the audacity to invent, and yet it follows its own logic — one bad decision comes after another, each magnifying the damage of the one to follow.
1991: In August, Fliehr switched from WCW to the WWF. The NWA filed a lawsuit against him, angry that he was using his NWA title belt from 1990 in televised WWF promotions. Fliehr refused to return the belt, but a judge ruled that he could not use it for any commercial purpose. Additionally, he was barred from referring to himself as the NWA champion. Mug Shot: his wife (Jacqueline Beems) was arrested for assaulting him...
Basically Ric didn't pay his taxes in the 1980s and by the 1990s was being taken to court. He was in lawsuits with various wrestling companies as well as anyone who would loan him money or do any kind of business with him. He has been married too many times and each wife seems to be worse than the one before and takes him for more than the one before. He has spent millions on his wives and lost millions to them in his divorces. If you need to buy a girl a 1,000,000 engagement ring and then 2 years later she is divorcing you and stealing all your stuff including jewelry that your mother left you in her will, I think you picked the wrong girl to marry. Just my opinion.
I tried to find pictures of each of Ric Flairs wives. This was all I could find.
Ric Flair and one of his wives at the movie The Wrestler
In 2009, Flair filed a criminal complaint against Tiffany Vandemark — wife no. 3 — whom he accused of "hitting him in the face with a phone charger."
Triple H was his best man when Ric married Tiffany
So to recap:
* He wrestles despite suffering from alcoholic cardiomyopathy because he needs money. * Using the NWA title belt for collateral for different loans. * Nonpayment of taxes throughout the 1980s. * The lawsuit filed against him for allegedly flashing his genitals to flight attendants. * Domestic and physical issues with several of his ex-wives.
Ric Flair's Reaction To The Story...
Black-Eye & Girls lol
TMZ.com is reporting that Ric Flair is "furious" over the recent Grantland.com article that stated that Flair was suffering from cardiomyopathy, a disease caused by years of alcohol abuse.
Flair claims that the report, which is mostly based on court documents, contains falsehoods and is especially angry about the cardiomyopathy allegations.
"While the information gleaned from courthouse records may be credible, Mr. Fliehr is currently evaluating his legal options with respect to falsehoods in the story, specifically the untrue statement that he suffers from alcoholic cardiomyopathy," a representative for Flair told TMZ.com. "Our client understands that these allegations are part of the territory when you are not only famous, but a living legend."
Contrary to Zanoni's statement, Flair admitted in his 2004 autobiography, Ric Flair: To Be the Man, that he suffers from alcoholic cardiomyopathy as a result of his "many years of partying."
"Through my many years of partying, I also developed something called "alcoholic cardiomyopathy," a weakening of heart muscles," Flair stated on page 304. "I first detected that there was something wrong when my heart began skipping beats. I went to a cardiologist friend who told me that when your heart pumps, it expands to a rubber band. But mine was doing it too much. Initially, I thought that steroids might be responsible, but the doctor dismissed this theory. My heart was fluttering from thirty-five years of hitting it hard.
"It's the part of the price of being Ric Flair. In exchange for the glory and the good times, I acquired a heart condition, self-esteem issues, and cataracts from tanning beds—and very nearly wrecked my marriage to a great woman. But incredibly, I remained ageless in other ways. And in 2002, at nearly fifty-three years old, I was about to see if I could show a new generation of fans what they missed in the 1970s and 1980s."
This is just sad. Possibly the two greatest wrestlers of all time! Why are they still destroying their bodies? How can they still need to money so badly that they have no choice but to keep going? This is just tragic!
Triple H announced he wanted to rebuild the WWE Tag-Team Division. However, his first move was crowning new Tag-Team Champions, and the team he chose, was never even a Tag-Team before lol. I guess he couldn't manage to buy a real Tag-Team like he said he would.
No offense to Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne, but they weren't the team I had in mind.
Not to mention, since Triple H supposedly took over the company in the middle of the CM Punk / John Cena WWE Championship controversy, they way he chose to handle it was to hype a huge match at SummerSlam just to ruin it with a bad call, then have his buddy Kevin Nash ruin everything and allow Alberto Del Rio to steal the title. What a joke!
Great job Triple H, way to give the fans what they want!
Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and former reality television personality, better known by his ring name The Miz.
Mizanin first gained fame as a cast member on MTV's The Real World: Back to New York, which first aired in 2001, and its spinoff series, Real World/Road Rules Challenge. He later entered the fourth season of Tough Enough, a televised competition that would award the winner a WWE contract, and became a finalist. Mizanin has also made appearances on television shows including Battle of the Network Reality Stars, Fear Factor, Identity, Ghost Hunters, Dinner Impossible and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?.
Mizanin trained and wrestled with Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Deep South Wrestling, where he became the first Deep South Heavyweight Champion. Mizanin was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), working in tag team action and winning the tag team title, the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship, on one occasion.
After signing with WWE, Mizanin became host of the annual WWE Diva Search competition in 2006. Following his hosting duties, Mizanin made his wrestling debut in September 2006, as a villain who went "undefeated".
The story I've heard is that the other wrestlers in the WWE did not like or respect The Miz at all when he arrived in the WWE. In fact, the other wrestlers did not even consider him a real wrestler but rather a "Reality TV Star" who wanted to be a wrestler. For that reason the other wrestlers would not even let The Miz change in the locker room with the rest of them. Instead The Miz was forced to walk around the arena and change in a public bathroom full of the fans who were attending the show. The Miz has said how embarrassing that time was for him, that he wanted to feel like he had made it and was a real wrestler and yet he wasn't even allowed in the locker room with the other guys, and fans who were at the shows would see him in the public bathroom and say things like "hey aren't you that Miz guy?" which must have been a shock for the fans, but a total embarrassment for The Miz.
Anti-Cena
However, The Miz did not let that stop him. He kept trying to get better and earn the respect of the other wrestlers and the fans. I mean if you think about it, he wasn't really handed anything too easily. He did not win the Touch Enough contract, (ironically the guy that did has never been heard from since lol), but he manged to earn a contract anyways. He was sent to ECW and was slotted to be an ECW Champion following after CM Punk and John Morrision. However, when CM Punk became ECW Champion the WWE decided to put The Miz and John Morrison together as a Tag-Team instead. This gave them both an even bigger push, while CM Punk was on ECW they went to Raw and Smackdown and became the Tag-Team Champions. The Miz and Morrison were also given a streaming segment on the WWE website named The Dirt Sheet in which they mocked other wrestlers and facets of pop culture, showing off their promo skills. Morrison and The Miz co-wrote each episode of The Dirt Sheet each week.
When The Miz was part of the Miz & Morrison team, his character was known as "The Chick Magnet" and he had those great shirts with the pictures of the Magnet and the Chick. It seemed like a funny character, but I guess it turned out to be true since The Miz is actually dating WWE Diva Maryse in real life! I think that's more impressive than winning the WWE Championship! hehe
The Miz, John Morrison, and Maryse!
Their Tag-Team would eventually be apart of the unification of the Tag-Team Championships with the Carlitos. Afterwards, their team would split up and be drafted to separate shows. The Miz was drafted to the Raw brand as part of the 2009 WWE Draft, and Morrison went to Smackdown. The biggest change however seemed to be in The Miz's character. The Miz went from his shorts, shirt, and hat, to wearing actual wrestling gear and looking more serious and determined. His wrestling skills seemed to improve greatly as well.
Chick Magnet
The Miz debuted on Raw with his old character but he was suddenly challenging Cena. This made The Miz a star. I think this is when I started to really take notice of The Miz. Honestly I thought he was a real joke when he started out. I hated him when he hosted that Divas show and when they put him with John Morrison I assumed John Morrision was the real talent, since he was already a Tag-Team star in the team MNM and also an ECW Champion on his own. So it seemed like Morrison didn't really need The Miz but the WWE was forcing Morrision to carry The Miz. But slowly they won me over as a Tag-Team and once they separated The Miz shocked me by debuting on Raw and calling out Cena. I think those matches with Cena are what put The Miz on the map and established him as a real star.
SVR 2011
But then I heard he was fired from the WWE and I thought this was a huge mistake, but then he returned to Raw with a whole new gimmick. For the first time ever The Miz was wearing actual wrestling gear, he was more serious and determined. No more joking around. No more Dirt Sheets. No more "Chick Magnet." Now The Miz was just "Awesome!" and I thought this was a great character for him. It caught on so fast, he won the United States Championship, he joined The Big Show to form "ShowMiz" and won the Tag Titles again. He then went on to win the United States Championship. This put The Miz on the map and made him a superstar. I think The Miz basically stepped up and took Chris Jericho's spot (since Jericho had been teamed with The Big Show as "Jerishow" and now The Miz took his place). He also won the WWE Tag Team Championship with John Cena.
Came To Play
Then in July 2010, The Miz won a Money in the Bank ladder match at the first WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view, earning a contract for a WWE Championship match, which he used in November to win the WWE Championship for the first time. I was shocked to see The Miz win the WWE Championship, and I assumed he would not hold it for long. But The Miz shocked me yet again by holding the Championship until Wrestlemania and defending it against John Cena in the main event. What shocked me even more was that The Miz defeated John Cena in that match to retain his title. Thus, The Miz went from a reality TV joke who wasn't even allowed to change in the locker room with the 'real' wrestlers, to a Tag-Team Champion, a United States Champion, a Money In The Bank winner, and a WWE Champion. More importantly, The Miz went form being considered a joke to main eventing Wrestlemania and defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship!
All The Gold
As Booker said, The Miz went from not being allowed to change in the same locker room as the other wrestlers and he's made it to the top! Recently, Jim Ross was asked on Twitter if he thought The Miz would make it into the WWE Hall Of Fame, and Jim Ross said even thought he has a long way to go, The Miz is already on his way! “@DrewB1018: @JRsBBQ do you think the miz will be a HOF'er? Miz has miles to travel before that one can be adequately addressed. On his way.
Awesome
Chick Magnet
Its hard to believe, but The Miz has gone from a reality TV star to main eventing Wrestlemania as WWE Champion and beating John Cena, and in the worlds of JR on his way to being in the Hall Of Fame. I think this may be the best story of a wrestler defying the odds and making it in the wrestling business despite all the obstacles in his way!
So what does the future hold for The Miz? Will be win the WWE Championship again? Will he main event Wrestlemania again? Will me one day be in the WWE Hall of Fame? What do you think?
"Just get ready to witness the next generation and see why we ARE the greatest wrestling family of all time!"
