Vince McMahon’s WWF ran into a bit of a bump when allegations of gay sexual harassment, rampant drug use, and more converged in 1992. Watch Vince and friends visit Donahue for a hard-hitting episode, brother!
LordsofPain.com just reported that WWE Hall of Famer Captain Lou Albano (Louis Vincent Albano) has passed away. He was 76 years old.
Captain Lou enjoyed a 40+ year career in the pro wrestling business as a wrestler and manager. He was a one-on-a-kind personality and a longtime favorite of wrestling fans.
The “manager of champions” guided 15 different tag teams and 4 singles competitors to championship gold. Fans may remember that his association with Cyndi Lauper helped usher in The Rock & Wrestling Connection, which helped mainstream pro wrestling and helped lead to the first Wrestlemania.
I’d like to extend my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Captain Lou Albano. He shall be missed.
Kanye West rushes the stage and interrupts Taylor Swift’s accepting a Video Music award, and the slow-witted Swift just stands there speechless – I suppose if the words aren’t on the teleprompter for her, she is lost and doesn’t know what to do.
The August 10, 2009 issue of Dave Metlzer’s The Wrestling Observer reports that none other than Rev Al Sharpton is scheduled to host a future episode of WWE RAW. That’s crackerjack booking from the House of McMahon for you.
TNA pro wrestler and former Olympian Kurt Angle starts in this upcoming low budget thriller. File this one in the ‘it’s so bad, it’s good’ category! Enjoy the trailer for End Game.
Wrestler Jerry Lawler running for Memphis mayor
By Zack McMillin
The ‘King’ is getting back into the political ring.
Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler of local and national wrestling fame said this morning in a scheduled appearance on WGKS-FM KIX 106 that he is going to run in the City of Memphis’ special mayoral election.
Long the dominant personality in the Memphis wrestling scene, Lawler’s fame has expanded nationally because of his presence on WWE broadcasts. That role also means he spends ample time away from Memphis, something that did not help him when he ran for mayor in 1999 and gained less than 12 percent of the vote.
In interviews this week, Lawler has contended that Memphis politicians have made the city “a laughingstock” outside of town, and stresses his experience as a marketer and businessman as proof that he would bring a valuable skillset.
He also believes his celebrity in this community guarantees a base of voters. Whether he can convince more voters that electing a celebrity wrestler will help solve Memphis’s image problems will be one of his main challenges.
Lawler said he will not actively raise funds for the race, stressed his “common sense” and pointed to his popularity across racial lines.
It’s no secret that I am a lifelong fan of pro wrestling, but it’s not common knowledge that my alltime favorite pro wrestling gimmick is the WWF’s version of The Honkytonk Man.
Wrestler Roy Wayne Farris had used the gimmick of the wrestling Elvis impersonator for years with moderate success in territories like Memphis and Calgary, but he hit the big time with his first run in the WWF in the mid 1980s. He was originally introduced as Hulk Hogan’s pal but the fans were sour on him, prompting a heel turn after losing a fan balloting vote of confidence.
The Honky Tonk Man would go on to score a stunning upset against WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat, winning the coveted title at a WWF television taping in Buffalo, NY. Under the guidance of his manager, Jimmy Hart, he would soon christen himself “The Greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time,” and he did his best to live up to that standard by holding the championship for 64 consecutive weeks.
To this day, that accomplishment remains a record Intercontinental championship title run.
It was only natural that the WWF’s second album, Piledriver, would feature a song by the Honky Tonk Man, and it certainly did not disappoint. He would go on to steal the show at the 1987 Slammy Awards with the live rendition of his theme song. A true showstopper! Enjoy!