The Wrestling Thread

I would think there's going to be twists and turns.

 

Monday's WWE RAW, featuring the Festival of Friendship with WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens turning on WWE United States Champion Chris Jericho plus Bayley winning the RAW Women's Title from Charlotte Flair in the main event, drew 3.087 million viewers. This is down from last week's 3.115 million viewers.

For this week's show, the first hour drew 3.199 million viewers, the second hour drew 3.153 million viewers and the final hour drew 2.909 million viewers.

 

They look happy.

 

The new Authority

 

Delighted to see that Gilberg has returned.

 

That smackdown main event last night

 

A solid Smackdown this week, the main event was excellent. Randy Orton at the end was a bit of a head scratcher, can't see him not taking on Wyatt at Mania. Next week should be good.

 

This week's WWE SmackDown, featuring the fallout from the WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view with WWE Champion Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena vs. AJ Styles in the main event, drew 2.626 million viewers. This is down just a bit from last week's 2.627 million viewers for the go-home episode.

 

George "The Animal" Steele passes away

WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer William James Myers, known to fans as George “The Animal” Steele, has passed away at the age of 79.

Steele was one of the wildest and most unpredictable Superstars in sports-entertainment history. Yet, despite his green tongue, hairy torso and insatiable appetite for turnbuckle pads, "The Animal" was a very well-educated man. Prior to breaking into sports-entertainment, Steele received his Master’s Degree from Central Michigan University and became a high school teacher and wrestling coach in the Detroit area.

It was during his teaching stint that he began moonlighting in sports-entertainment, working in the Detroit-area promotions. Steele’s first WWE appearances took place in 1967, when he began a heated rivalry with WWE Champion Bruno Sammartino. For nearly 20 years, Steele was a reviled villain, managed by the likes of fellow WWE Hall of Famers The Grand Wizard, "Classy" Freddie Blassie, Capt. Lou Albano and Mr. Fuji. His classic main events against Sammartino, Pedro Morales and Bob Backlund saw him come close to winning the WWE Championship on many occasions.

In 1985, however, Steele was embraced by the WWE Universe and changed the course of his career. After The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff abandoned him during a match, Steele fell back under the tutelage of the then-beloved Albano. His transformation was remarkable, as one of the most hated men in the sport became one of its most loveable figures. Long after his in-ring retirement and WWE Hall of Fame induction, George “The Animal” Steele’s name still evoked terror for one generation of WWE fans and warm smiles for another.

WWE extends its condolences to Steele’s family, friends and fans.

 

It was reported by multiple sources on Thursday night that former WWE and ECW star Nicole Bass had passed away, including a report from Nicole's friend on her official Facebook page.

Pro Wrestling Sheet spoke with the front desk at the hospital that Bass was admitted to and they were told that she is still on life support but that she will be taken off life support later this Friday evening.

Bass is currently brain dead, which is why she is being taken off life support. It was reported on Thursday that Bass suffered a massive stroke earlier in the week and never recovered. PW Sheet's source says her girlfriend put the word out via Facebook, before Bass actually passed, because she felt like Nicole was already gone. PW Sheet adds that doctors told those at the hospital yesterday that she became brain dead after suffering a heart attack, and that there's nothing else they can do for her.

 

Former WWWF Heavyweight Champion "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff passed away on Friday at the age of 74. PWInsider reports that Koloff passed away after a battle with liver cancer.

http://www.wwe.com/article/ivan-koloff-passes-away?sf57143142=1

 

WWE going through a death spurt right now * is going on

 

Spent a few hours last night watching videos on youtube. So much *. It was quality.

Hitman calling Triple H an *.
Everyone calling Hogan a *

Was really dissappointed to hear JBL is a *

Anyways. Some great vids if you like gossip.

Warrior calling Hogan out on Macho Man and Miss Elizabeth's divorce

 

Diamond Dallas Page to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017

Diamond Dallas Page, a world champion-turned-fitness guru, will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2017 during WrestleMania 33 Week. The news was first reported by RollingStone.com.

DDP’s journey to the Hall is an unlikely one, to say the least. The Jersey Shore native broke into sports-entertainment in his 30s, starting out as a manager in Verne Gagne’s AWA while still working as a nightclub manager in Florida. Page took his flashy aesthetic from the clubs, coming to the ring clad in leather, studs and diamond-encrusted jewelry, and accompanied by beautiful bombshells he called “Diamond Dolls” on each arm. He backed up his brash look with trash talk on the microphone and cunning intellect in the corner. DDP led Badd Company to the AWA Tag Team Championship before heading to WCW.

Page took charge of the Fabulous Freebirds as Michael “P.S.” Hayes and Jimmy “Jam” Garvin turned from southern rebels to glam rock megastars, leading them to the WCW Tag Team Titles. DDP also guided the early careers of Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Raven before stepping into the ring himself on a full-time basis in 1991. As a 35-year-old rookie, Page’s chances of success seemed slim, but his unmatched work ethic and determination to succeed would pay off in the long run.

Though he found moderate success as a villain in WCW, capturing the company’s Television Championship, he broke out on a worldwide scale after turning down membership in the nWo. DDP found himself an unlikely man of the people, but embraced the love of fans around the world, who continued to be amazed by the seemingly infinite ways Page found to catch his opponents out of nowhere with his signature move, the Diamond Cutter.

DDP skyrocketed into stardom through his rivalry with the nWo and one of its top members, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, taking part in a thrilling series of matches throughout 1997. Page soon became one of WCW’s top heroes, and the man that celebrities like Basketball Hall of Famer Karl Malone and late night television icon Jay Leno wanted to team with when they stepped through the ropes.

Years of hard work finally paid off for DDP at Spring Stampede 1999, when he defeated a trio of wrestling legends – Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan and Sting – to capture his first WCW World Championship. Page went on to capture the title on two more occasions before WCW was purchased by WWE in 2001. During his career in WWE, Page tried to show the WWE Universe and some of the squared circle’s most sour Superstars what a positive attitude could do for them. His efforts resulted in a reign as WWE European Champion, which he successfully defended on The Grandest Stage of Them All, WrestleMania.

Yet for all his accomplishments inside the ring, DDP is also a Hall of Fame human being. After stepping away from the squared circle, he dedicated his life toward helping people take control of theirs. He developed DDP Yoga, a fitness program based around the exercises that helped him stay in the ring game for so long. Page also used DDP Yoga to pay back two of his friends and mentors – WWE Hall of Famers Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Razor Ramon – by having the two legends move into his home and work toward getting back into shape.

It is for his accomplishments in and out of the ring that Diamond Dallas Page is more than deserving of induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.

 

Tonight's WWE RAW will take place from the Staples Center in Los Angeles as the Road to WrestleMania 33 continues.

Confirmed for tonight's show is Braun Strowman vs. Big Show in the main event but no other matches have been announced.

WWE is focusing on the following points in their official RAW preview:

* Strowman and Big Show to battle on Raw

* Is Bayley’s Raw Women’s Championship victory tainted?

* Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho: Best friends no more

* Who can stop Samoa Joe?

 

Still feel * distraught over this, what the * is wrong with me?

 

Because it had to happen.