Former WWE Champion “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will be attending Saturday Night’s Main Event.
The Rattlesnake was last seen by our fans as special guest referee for the Battle of the Billionaires at WrestleMania 23, where Bobby Lashley defeated Umaga. Mr. McMahon had his head shaved after the match by real-estate magnate Donald Trump.
Madison Square Garden will host Saturday Night’s Main Event, and the World’s Most Famous Arena holds a special place in Austin’s heart.
“That is a special building, and a magic place, because of everyone that’s performed there,” Austin told MSG Network in an interview in May. “We’re lucky enough to call it our backyard. When [WWE Superstars] go to the Garden, they crank it up a notch.”
Since every WWE visit to The Garden is a special one, is Stone Cold coming to New York City to get an up-close view of the action? Or will Austin look to leave his fingerprint on an exciting night of action in a more physical way?
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Montel Vontavious Porter was the one who challenged Matt Hardy to a Boxing Match at Saturday Night’s Main Event, but it will not be the United States Champion who laces up the gloves against Hardy at Madison Square Garden. Instead, MVP has found a more than suitable replacement: boxing legend Evander Holyfield.
While sources say the United States Champion has been cleared by doctors to return to the ring after learning of a heart ailment last week, he will step aside and let one of the biggest stars in boxing history take his place on Saturday Night’s Main Event. Despite the questionable circumstances, no one can deny that MVP has found quite a replacement in “The Real Deal.”
At age 44, Holyfield is currently vying to win boxing’s Heavyweight Championship for an unprecedented fifth time; he will get the chance to do so on Oct. 13 in Moscow when he fights Sultan Ibragimov for the WBO Heavyweight Title. Win or lose there, Holyfield’s already the only man to do it four times, and the Atlanta native brings an impressive list of accomplishments into the bout, from Olympic medals to World Titles to his own boxing video game.
Quite frankly, his career record of 42-8-2 speaks for itself. Following an amateur career that saw him rack up a 169-11 record and a bronze medal in the 1984 Olympics, Holyfield turned pro later that year and quickly won the WBA Cruiserweight Championship. Six years later, he ascended to the peak of the highest mountain in boxing, becoming undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World by knocking out James “Buster” Douglas on October 13, 1990.
Throughout his 20-plus year career, Holyfield has been no stranger to big – or unusual – fights. After losing the undisputed title to Riddick Bowe in 1992, Holyfield rebounded to regain it a year later in one of the most infamous fights in boxing history. During the seventh round, a fan known as “The Fan Man” parachuted into the ring, causing a 20-minute delay; “The Real Deal” eventually won the bout via majority decision.
In 1997, after regaining a share of the Heavyweight Championship for a third time by defeating Mike Tyson, Holyfield met the former champion in a rematch in Las Vegas. In one of the most nefarious moments in boxing history, Tyson bit off a chunk of Holyfield’s left ear, drawing a disqualification to allow Holyfield to retain the title.
Most recently, Holyfield’s last MSG fight was a unanimous decision loss to Larry Donald in 2004. Now, just two months before he tries to become the second-oldest man to ever win part one of boxing's Heavyweight Championships, he will return to the MSG ring to face Matt Hardy, who has no professional – or amateur, for that matter – boxing experience whatsoever.
Holyfield, has already fought twice this year – defeating both Lou Savarese and Vinny Maddalone – and brings more experience, ability, and knowledge of the “sweet science” to the table. But while the bout between Holyfield and Hardy looks like quite the mismatch on paper, but stranger things have happened in boxing, WWE and Madison Square Garden to guarantee this match a “Real Deal” victory just yet.
If anything, Holyfield vs. Hardy be part of another historic night in “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”
While sources say the United States Champion has been cleared by doctors to return to the ring after learning of a heart ailment last week, he will step aside and let one of the biggest stars in boxing history take his place on Saturday Night’s Main Event. Despite the questionable circumstances, no one can deny that MVP has found quite a replacement in “The Real Deal.”
At age 44, Holyfield is currently vying to win boxing’s Heavyweight Championship for an unprecedented fifth time; he will get the chance to do so on Oct. 13 in Moscow when he fights Sultan Ibragimov for the WBO Heavyweight Title. Win or lose there, Holyfield’s already the only man to do it four times, and the Atlanta native brings an impressive list of accomplishments into the bout, from Olympic medals to World Titles to his own boxing video game.
Quite frankly, his career record of 42-8-2 speaks for itself. Following an amateur career that saw him rack up a 169-11 record and a bronze medal in the 1984 Olympics, Holyfield turned pro later that year and quickly won the WBA Cruiserweight Championship. Six years later, he ascended to the peak of the highest mountain in boxing, becoming undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World by knocking out James “Buster” Douglas on October 13, 1990.
Throughout his 20-plus year career, Holyfield has been no stranger to big – or unusual – fights. After losing the undisputed title to Riddick Bowe in 1992, Holyfield rebounded to regain it a year later in one of the most infamous fights in boxing history. During the seventh round, a fan known as “The Fan Man” parachuted into the ring, causing a 20-minute delay; “The Real Deal” eventually won the bout via majority decision.
In 1997, after regaining a share of the Heavyweight Championship for a third time by defeating Mike Tyson, Holyfield met the former champion in a rematch in Las Vegas. In one of the most nefarious moments in boxing history, Tyson bit off a chunk of Holyfield’s left ear, drawing a disqualification to allow Holyfield to retain the title.
Most recently, Holyfield’s last MSG fight was a unanimous decision loss to Larry Donald in 2004. Now, just two months before he tries to become the second-oldest man to ever win part one of boxing's Heavyweight Championships, he will return to the MSG ring to face Matt Hardy, who has no professional – or amateur, for that matter – boxing experience whatsoever.
Holyfield, has already fought twice this year – defeating both Lou Savarese and Vinny Maddalone – and brings more experience, ability, and knowledge of the “sweet science” to the table. But while the bout between Holyfield and Hardy looks like quite the mismatch on paper, but stranger things have happened in boxing, WWE and Madison Square Garden to guarantee this match a “Real Deal” victory just yet.
If anything, Holyfield vs. Hardy be part of another historic night in “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”
The showdown between King Booker and Triple H at SummerSlam will be about more than a royal title. It is about two potential future Hall of Famers who are at a crossroads in their careers and feel like they have something to prove.
For weeks, the mere suggestion that there can be another king in WWE has whipped King Booker into a royal snit. Jerry “The King” Lawler’s 30-year-claim to the throne threw Booker in a bug-eyed rage. But no other “blasphemous” claim has enraged the former World Heavyweight Champion more than the notion that Triple H is The King of Kings. King Booker could not control his outrage when Lawler informed him of his SummerSlam match during his coronation ceremony on Raw. Booker gave Lawler a savage beating and was clearly sending Triple H a message.
SummerSlam will mark the long-awaited, much anticipated return of Triple H, who has been sidelined since New Year’s Evolution with a quadriceps injury. The term “King of Kings” is not just a catchy moniker for Triple H. He is a 10-time World Champion who has won and done it all in WWE. He has had classic matches with a who’s who of all-time greats. Triple H loves to compete – and win – on the grandest stages in sports-entertainment. His thirst for gold is unquenchable and he has said that he wants to win an 11th World Championship.
Triple H has had to stew on the sidelines for almost eight months, rehabbing his injury and watching others bask in the spotlight. At SummerSlam, he will feel like he has to send a message. He will feel like he must eliminate all the “pretenders” to his throne. He will feel like he has to remind others who he is – The Game, the measuring stick by which all other Superstars are measured. In Triple H’s mind, he begins his journey back to a World Championship at SummerSlam, and King Booker stands in his way.
However, King Booker will not be a royal steppingstone for anybody. Although his British brogue is questionable at times, he also has a legitimate claim to the title “king.” Booker became king after winning the King of the Ring last year. However, he was sports-entertainment royalty before he ever wore a crown. King Booker is not only a former World Heavyweight Champion, but he is also a five-time former WCW Champion. He has one more than 30 championships in his illustrious career. Booker has seen and done it all and has always amazed skeptics with his ability to pull out a victory in high-pressure situations. Like The Cerebral Assassin, he knows how to win and will do anything to have his hand raised. And in critical situations, you can always count on his lovely, devious wife, Queen Sharmell, to help him out.
Make no mistake about it: King Booker may want this victory as badly as Triple H. Like Triple H, he has had a Hall of Fame career. But he is offended that experts so willingly refer to his opponent as The King of Kings yet see his monarchy as a punchline. Defeating Triple H at SummerSlam would put an exclamation point on King Booker’s career.
Triple H and King Booker are not strangers to one another. They met more than five years ago when Triple H successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XIX. But that was a long time ago, and so much has changed for both Superstars. Will King Booker cement his claim to throne and spoil Triple H’s return? Or will he be forced to bow down to The King of Kings?
For weeks, the mere suggestion that there can be another king in WWE has whipped King Booker into a royal snit. Jerry “The King” Lawler’s 30-year-claim to the throne threw Booker in a bug-eyed rage. But no other “blasphemous” claim has enraged the former World Heavyweight Champion more than the notion that Triple H is The King of Kings. King Booker could not control his outrage when Lawler informed him of his SummerSlam match during his coronation ceremony on Raw. Booker gave Lawler a savage beating and was clearly sending Triple H a message.
SummerSlam will mark the long-awaited, much anticipated return of Triple H, who has been sidelined since New Year’s Evolution with a quadriceps injury. The term “King of Kings” is not just a catchy moniker for Triple H. He is a 10-time World Champion who has won and done it all in WWE. He has had classic matches with a who’s who of all-time greats. Triple H loves to compete – and win – on the grandest stages in sports-entertainment. His thirst for gold is unquenchable and he has said that he wants to win an 11th World Championship.
Triple H has had to stew on the sidelines for almost eight months, rehabbing his injury and watching others bask in the spotlight. At SummerSlam, he will feel like he has to send a message. He will feel like he must eliminate all the “pretenders” to his throne. He will feel like he has to remind others who he is – The Game, the measuring stick by which all other Superstars are measured. In Triple H’s mind, he begins his journey back to a World Championship at SummerSlam, and King Booker stands in his way.
However, King Booker will not be a royal steppingstone for anybody. Although his British brogue is questionable at times, he also has a legitimate claim to the title “king.” Booker became king after winning the King of the Ring last year. However, he was sports-entertainment royalty before he ever wore a crown. King Booker is not only a former World Heavyweight Champion, but he is also a five-time former WCW Champion. He has one more than 30 championships in his illustrious career. Booker has seen and done it all and has always amazed skeptics with his ability to pull out a victory in high-pressure situations. Like The Cerebral Assassin, he knows how to win and will do anything to have his hand raised. And in critical situations, you can always count on his lovely, devious wife, Queen Sharmell, to help him out.
Make no mistake about it: King Booker may want this victory as badly as Triple H. Like Triple H, he has had a Hall of Fame career. But he is offended that experts so willingly refer to his opponent as The King of Kings yet see his monarchy as a punchline. Defeating Triple H at SummerSlam would put an exclamation point on King Booker’s career.
Triple H and King Booker are not strangers to one another. They met more than five years ago when Triple H successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XIX. But that was a long time ago, and so much has changed for both Superstars. Will King Booker cement his claim to throne and spoil Triple H’s return? Or will he be forced to bow down to The King of Kings?
For WWE Champion John Cena, the main event on Raw at historic Madison Square Garden was like carrying a lit match through a fireworks factory. Something was likely going to explode in his face.
On one side, his SummerSlam opponent and No. 1 Contender to his WWE Championship, Randy Orton, was teaming up with dangerous Caribbean bad apple, Carlito -- both looking to weaken The Champ just 13 days before the Biggest Party of the Summer.
On the other side, his own partner was the Samoan Bulldozer and Intercontinental Champion, Umaga. Despite the fact that the duo both owned Raw’s top titles, they didn’t speak the same language, and the savage had no love for the Chain Gang commander. Umaga had pushed Cena to the limit in several wars earlier this year.
Despite the communication barrier and several very tense moments between the champions, the unlikely pair rose above the barriers and defeated Orton & Carlito under the famed arena lights of Madison Square Garden.
But Orton gave The Champ something to think about before he was able to celebrate his victory. The third-generation Superstar has had a penchant for headhunting, taking out Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Dusty Rhodes and Sgt. Slaughter with severe concussions. Tonight, he appeared to send a message to Cena, consistently targeting his head with repeated stomps.
Ultimately, a woozy Cena was able to tag Umaga. The Samoan Bulldozer helped rally his team until Cena delivered the FU to Carlito to earn the pinfall victory.
On one side, his SummerSlam opponent and No. 1 Contender to his WWE Championship, Randy Orton, was teaming up with dangerous Caribbean bad apple, Carlito -- both looking to weaken The Champ just 13 days before the Biggest Party of the Summer.
On the other side, his own partner was the Samoan Bulldozer and Intercontinental Champion, Umaga. Despite the fact that the duo both owned Raw’s top titles, they didn’t speak the same language, and the savage had no love for the Chain Gang commander. Umaga had pushed Cena to the limit in several wars earlier this year.
Despite the communication barrier and several very tense moments between the champions, the unlikely pair rose above the barriers and defeated Orton & Carlito under the famed arena lights of Madison Square Garden.
But Orton gave The Champ something to think about before he was able to celebrate his victory. The third-generation Superstar has had a penchant for headhunting, taking out Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Dusty Rhodes and Sgt. Slaughter with severe concussions. Tonight, he appeared to send a message to Cena, consistently targeting his head with repeated stomps.
Ultimately, a woozy Cena was able to tag Umaga. The Samoan Bulldozer helped rally his team until Cena delivered the FU to Carlito to earn the pinfall victory.
Monday, 6 August 2007
Rey Mysterio returns at SummerSlam
Irish author James Joyce once stated, “Mistakes are the portals of discovery.” Well, if Mr. Joyce’s words ring true, then Vickie Guerrero has undergone an incredible odyssey since last May, and emerged from it as a great Assistant General Manager on SmackDown.
The evidence of her startling self-excursion? That lies not within our stars, but within our DVRs and TV sets, which this past Friday night showed Vickie taking steps to rectify a year-old mistake she made (“My greatest,” she clarified for WWE.com), when she turned her back on a lifelong family friend and former World Champion. Her solution? To name the returning Rey Mysterio as Chavo Guerrero’s opponent at SummerSlam three weeks from today.
Of course, Vickie’s nephew-in-law refuses to view his shameful treatment of Mysterio the same way as she does these days. As Chavo explained to WWE.com last week, he defended the Guerrero family name against the longtime family friend whom he believed had been exploiting it. Clearly, he feels no remorse over the mental anguish he and Vickie caused Mysterio throughout the latter part of 2006. Worse, he’s prouder than ever of the tremendous physical suffering he inflicted with a chair during their “I Quit” Match on SmackDown last October. And he positively beams at the end result beyond his victory in that brutal contest: Career-threatening surgery for Rey’s ruptured ACL and torn patella tendon, from which the former World Champion required nine grueling months of rehabilitative physical therapy.
A year ago, Vickie applauded Guerrero’s heinous actions toward Rey. A year later, she made certain that her nephew-in-law knew that she’d no longer join in his sadistic Mysterio-bashing. Sitting with WWE.com in the G.M.’s office shortly after the conclusion of Friday’s SmackDown in Phoenix, she only wants the best for a man whom her late husband, WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero, hailed as both mejor amigo and hermano.
From a business standpoint, the Assistant G.M. is also fully aware what the Master of the 619 represents for the Friday night brand. “Rey’s an enormous asset to SmackDown. He’s a great wrestler and one of our finest Superstars. I think our fans can’t wait for his return at SummerSlam; I know I’m looking forward to seeing him there in the ring.”
It’s a remarkably different and pleasing sentiment, though surely Vickie must realize what she did Friday night; by putting Mysterio in a SummerSlam contest with the Superstar who nearly ended his career, there’s a distinct possibility that Chavo could suffer a similarly vindictive fate. Vickie claims that she’d rather not worry about things that haven’t happened yet, though it’s clearly on her mind, judging from the way she clasps onto her Styrofoam cup of water while talking.
Though she maintains having learned from her past mistakes, Vickie knows she can’t excuse them – particularly those she imposed in Mysterio’s direction. Instead, she simply hopes that neither Superstar will be irreparably harmed at their upcoming SummerSlam clash in New Jersey, and that her decision to sanction the match ultimately serves as a method to heal long-open wounds.
The evidence of her startling self-excursion? That lies not within our stars, but within our DVRs and TV sets, which this past Friday night showed Vickie taking steps to rectify a year-old mistake she made (“My greatest,” she clarified for WWE.com), when she turned her back on a lifelong family friend and former World Champion. Her solution? To name the returning Rey Mysterio as Chavo Guerrero’s opponent at SummerSlam three weeks from today.
Of course, Vickie’s nephew-in-law refuses to view his shameful treatment of Mysterio the same way as she does these days. As Chavo explained to WWE.com last week, he defended the Guerrero family name against the longtime family friend whom he believed had been exploiting it. Clearly, he feels no remorse over the mental anguish he and Vickie caused Mysterio throughout the latter part of 2006. Worse, he’s prouder than ever of the tremendous physical suffering he inflicted with a chair during their “I Quit” Match on SmackDown last October. And he positively beams at the end result beyond his victory in that brutal contest: Career-threatening surgery for Rey’s ruptured ACL and torn patella tendon, from which the former World Champion required nine grueling months of rehabilitative physical therapy.
A year ago, Vickie applauded Guerrero’s heinous actions toward Rey. A year later, she made certain that her nephew-in-law knew that she’d no longer join in his sadistic Mysterio-bashing. Sitting with WWE.com in the G.M.’s office shortly after the conclusion of Friday’s SmackDown in Phoenix, she only wants the best for a man whom her late husband, WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero, hailed as both mejor amigo and hermano.
From a business standpoint, the Assistant G.M. is also fully aware what the Master of the 619 represents for the Friday night brand. “Rey’s an enormous asset to SmackDown. He’s a great wrestler and one of our finest Superstars. I think our fans can’t wait for his return at SummerSlam; I know I’m looking forward to seeing him there in the ring.”
It’s a remarkably different and pleasing sentiment, though surely Vickie must realize what she did Friday night; by putting Mysterio in a SummerSlam contest with the Superstar who nearly ended his career, there’s a distinct possibility that Chavo could suffer a similarly vindictive fate. Vickie claims that she’d rather not worry about things that haven’t happened yet, though it’s clearly on her mind, judging from the way she clasps onto her Styrofoam cup of water while talking.
Though she maintains having learned from her past mistakes, Vickie knows she can’t excuse them – particularly those she imposed in Mysterio’s direction. Instead, she simply hopes that neither Superstar will be irreparably harmed at their upcoming SummerSlam clash in New Jersey, and that her decision to sanction the match ultimately serves as a method to heal long-open wounds.
Jerry “The King” Lawler didn’t have to go far to find inspiration and motivation for his royal rumble with King Booker. A trip home to Memphis, Tenn., helped him focus on teaching the arrogant monarch a lesson.
In a city that Lawler helped make a mecca of sports-entertainment, he competed in a independent match the weekend prior to his battle with Booker. The response from the fans that grew up watching The King battle legends such as Curt Hennig and Kerry Von Erich helped energize Lawler, who hadn’t stepped in the WWE ring for more than nine months.
And that encouragement showed. The revitalized legend impressed many fans and Superstars alike with his showing against King Booker, pounding the former World Heavyweight Champion with powerful right-hand punches. Lawler won the match as Booker got disqualified for not following the referee’s commands.
Despite the impressive showing, Lawler stressed that this battle with Booker is not about who should wear the crown. It’s about respect, plain and simple.
And for the naysayers in the locker room that whisper that Lawler should abdicate his throne to the stronger King Booker, the Memphis monarch feels that he’s still able to hang tough with today’s Superstars.
In a city that Lawler helped make a mecca of sports-entertainment, he competed in a independent match the weekend prior to his battle with Booker. The response from the fans that grew up watching The King battle legends such as Curt Hennig and Kerry Von Erich helped energize Lawler, who hadn’t stepped in the WWE ring for more than nine months.
And that encouragement showed. The revitalized legend impressed many fans and Superstars alike with his showing against King Booker, pounding the former World Heavyweight Champion with powerful right-hand punches. Lawler won the match as Booker got disqualified for not following the referee’s commands.
Despite the impressive showing, Lawler stressed that this battle with Booker is not about who should wear the crown. It’s about respect, plain and simple.
And for the naysayers in the locker room that whisper that Lawler should abdicate his throne to the stronger King Booker, the Memphis monarch feels that he’s still able to hang tough with today’s Superstars.
The mere act of spitting apple into someone’s face is egregious enough to insinuate a brawl; but on Raw, when Carlito covered WWE Champion John Cena in saliva-drenched bits of a Granny Smith, he may have bit off more than his (loud) mouth can chew.
With Randy Orton next in line to challenge The Champ for his gold, spreading his focus between the two has a few possible outcomes for Cena: he spends too much time thinking about Carlito and doesn’t give enough attention to his upcoming SummerSlam match with Orton; or, he keeps Carlito at an arm’s length and centers all his attention on Orton.
If the latter scenario occurs, it would be Orton that receives no benefit. For the better part of the year, Cena has stepped up to every challenge that presents itself. That said, one could make an argument that an alert Cena would exponentially lower Orton’s odds of causing a title change.
There is also a way that Carlito and Orton could both profit if their scheme works (that’s assuming they’re working in collusion and that it is, in fact, their scheme). If Cena loses at SummerSlam, Carlito would immediately have an ally in the new WWE Champion, Orton, while Orton would regain a World Title for the first time since becoming the WWE’s youngest World Heavyweight Champion in 2004.
There’s no way to know for sure if Carlito and Orton are working together; that’s purely speculation, but being that two of WWE’s most notoriously underhanded Superstars are involved, our fans should not put it past them.
Even with all the uncertainty revolving around the situation, Cena says he cannot bring himself to worry about backroom politicking that may or may not be occurring.
Lately, a handful of Superstars have been following examples set by The Great Khali and Bobby Lashley that a surefire way to get Cena’s attention is through physicality. The mentality of “knock him around a little bit” and he’ll notice me has seemed widely accepted among contenders.
The weeks leading to SummerSlam will prove to be extremely important and telling for the WWE Champion, as well as all the Superstars who are immediately involved in attempting to unseat him. Will their disdain towards Cena prove to be a coincidence between two young, arrogant Superstars or a calculated plot to rip the title from The Champ’s grasp?
When Raw went off the air last week, an infuriated WWE Champion John Cena was wiping apple and spit off his face and staring lasers into Carlito, who thanks to Randy Orton, got a pinfall victory over The Champ. The Caribbean Superstar, who had argued that he deserved to be the No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship, now seems to have further ammunition to his claim.
Tonight, Cena will be a guest of the Carlito's Cabana, and knowing the history between these two Superstars, fireworks are practically guaranteed.
Speaking of fireworks, there were plenty between the two kings of WWE, Jerry "The King" Lawler and King Booker last week. Their match on Raw settled nothing in the debate over who should be considered the real king in WWE, as Booker was disqualified. Tonight, Lawler and Booker will meet in the ring again and try to settle their conflict once and for all.
Another Superstar who made a powerful statement was Mr. Kennedy, who also wants to be recognized as the No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship. Kennedy did the nearly-impossible – put Bobby Lashley on the sidelines with a shoulder injury. How much will the loudmouth from Green Bay, Wis., boast about his latest conquest? And what is Lashley’s condition?
Tonight, Cena will be a guest of the Carlito's Cabana, and knowing the history between these two Superstars, fireworks are practically guaranteed.
Speaking of fireworks, there were plenty between the two kings of WWE, Jerry "The King" Lawler and King Booker last week. Their match on Raw settled nothing in the debate over who should be considered the real king in WWE, as Booker was disqualified. Tonight, Lawler and Booker will meet in the ring again and try to settle their conflict once and for all.
Another Superstar who made a powerful statement was Mr. Kennedy, who also wants to be recognized as the No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship. Kennedy did the nearly-impossible – put Bobby Lashley on the sidelines with a shoulder injury. How much will the loudmouth from Green Bay, Wis., boast about his latest conquest? And what is Lashley’s condition?
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