Some of the worst ’selling’ I have ever seen, courtesy of up-and-comer ‘Judo’ Joe Black.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEZgvid1ckk

Captain Lou Albano

RIP 1933-2009

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.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fk3XfZq0Ok

www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8LE69g9lI0

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.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yOOPHe3QHU

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.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwb3i738Zh8

Read the whole story at The Commercial Appeal…

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.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7hKQ8XBYyc

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!

The Day.com reports…

Rell Names WWE Executive To State School Board

Many of the state’s public school students are familiar with the grapplers of Stamford-based World Wrestling Entertainment.

Now the woman behind the storylines and promotion of stars such as John Cena, Triple H and the Undertaker, will be helping determine the state policies that oversee their education.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced Saturday that she has appointed Linda McMahon of Greenwich, the WWE’s chief executive officer, to the 11-member Board of Education.

McMahon and her more well-known husband Vince, began the company in 1982 and have since transformed it into an enterprise with annual revenues of almost $500 million.

”Linda clearly understands the skills and education needed to succeed in business and the type of highly educated and skilled workforce that must be available to ensure that success,” Rell said in statement.

Viva Hot Rod!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW8-zP5WibU

The Iron Sheik defeats Bob Backlund for the WWF World Championship at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, ending Backlund’s nearly six-year run at the top and in many ways, ending an era in the WWF.

The next month, Hulk Hogan would win the WWF Championship and usher in the new era of Rock ‘n Wrestling.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=snM6BC0zykk

George “The Animal” Steele vs. Rick Bolton

A tribute to one of the greatest pro wrestling minds of all time, Captain Lou Albano!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJNrsNe54AE

S.D Jones
RIP 1945-2008

SLAM Wrestling reports…

S.D. Jones dies in Antigua
By GREG OLIVER

Special Delivery Jones, one of the regular faces in the World Wrestling Federation heyday of the 1980s, died Sunday in Antigua, following a stroke two days ago. He was 63.

Remembered fondly by fans as a solid competitor who could believably get in the ring with the superstar giants, even if he didn’t win very often, Jones was last seen on a national broadcast at the WrestleMania 22 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in Chicago, where he inducted “Mr. U.S.A.” Tony Atlas.

Born Conrad Efraim on March 30, 1945, in Antigua, in the West Indies, he befriended Johnny Rodz in New York City while he was still working for the phone company. His wrestling career began in the mid-’70s, working for the WWWF, and heading on the road to the Mid-Atlantic territory, and Los Angeles, where he would win the NWA Americas Tag Team Championship with Porkchop Cash; Jones would later team with Tom Jones (no relation) to win the titles again. For some of the time, he was known as Roosevelt Jones, before the more familiar S.D., or Special Delivery, Jones came into prominence.

Irregardless of his success elsewhere, the 6-foot-1, 260-pound Jones will always be remembered as a quality carpenter for the WWWF and WWF, capable of winning matches or losing believably. Often, Jones would team with bigger name stars, like Andre the Giant or Rocky Johnson to battle some despicable tag teams.

At the first WrestleMania, in 1985 at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Jones lost to King Kong Bundy is nine seconds. In March 2004, Jones told SLAM! Wrestling’s Steven Johnson that he was concerned that such a beating in front of a national audience would damage his career.

“I didn’t want to do it,” Jones said. But McMahon persuaded him that a humiliating loss to Bundy would achieve the company’s goal of developing a monstrous rival to the likes of Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. After some contemplation, Jones took his medicine. “Bundy was the man then,” he said. On the plus side, Jones was not in the ring long enough to risk injury and, for good measure, “made a big, big, big, big payday.”

In a 2005 interview with SLAM! Wrestling’s Dave Hillhouse, Jones matter-of-factly addressed his career, and his role as enhancement talent. “Everybody knows it’s a show — promoters call the shots. Everybody knows that. Sometimes you don’t care, sometimes you care. Honestly, I knew there was no way I was going to get to that main championship, that’s for sure. I never even thought about it. A lot of us guys, we knew there was no way we were going to get up there,” he explained. “I was comfortable because I knew what they wanted. They want you to be there for Hulk Hogan and Pedro Morales; they want you to be an S.D. Jones, to be a Johnny Rodz. After a while you just get comfortable where you are, and that’s it. You’re doing a job, you’re making a living, and you just keep on going.”

At the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony for Atlas, Jones told stories about being on the road with his “best friend,” including impromptu weightlifting challenges in Egypt, Norway and Spain. No shrinking violet himself, Jones talked about lifting over 500 pounds himself; of course, Atlas could lift over 600 pounds.

Jones and Atlas met in 1980 in Allentown, Penn., and soon were a tag team, aiming for the WWWF tag titles. “We tried and we tried and we tried. I could not do it. I was the one that killed the tag, so I had to step aside,” Jones told the WWE Hall of Fame audience. Rocky Johnson replaced him in the tag and he and Atlas were soon champs — but they couldn’t get along, losing after three weeks.

After 22 years in the ring, Jones called it quits, lost a significant amount of weight, and began working for the New York Daily News, driving newspapers.

About eight months ago, he retired and moved back to his native Antigua. His remains are at Straffie’s Funeral Home in St John’s, Antigua.

The place, The Philadelphia Spectrum. The day, June 4, 1983.

Big John Studd was facing his arch enemy, the legendary Andre the Giant. After some preliminaries, the action took to the mat for a mind boggling 8 minute, 35 second front facelock.

For years, I was convinced that the notoriously alcoholic Andre had just passed out in the ring and Studd was just stalling, hoping Andre would come to his senses long enough to do an actual finish in the match.  Truth is, we may never know the ’story behind the story’ in this case.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB4QOH5vsR4

Great to see an elected official honor one of the all time greatest pro wrestlers, Nature Boy Ric Flair!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrAe21fi_4c

Thank you Mr. Speaker

I would like to honor the career of a man whom I am proud to call both a constituent and a friend.

Ric Flair’s professional wrestling career of 36 years, in which he entertained millions of people around the world, recently came to a close.

He will forever be known as an innovator, a pioneer, and perhaps the greatest that his industry has ever seen. By any standard, Ric Flair is a living legend.

His name is recognized all over the world, but he calls Charlotte, NC home.

On his way to being named a record 16-time world champion, Flair became famous for his bleached blond hair, designer suits, and charismatic on-stage persona, while dishing out his trademark chops-and of course, the dreaded Figure Four Leglock.

On March 29, 2008, Ric Flair became the first active wrestler to ever be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Often imitated, but never duplicated, Ric Flair’s legacy will forever be synonymous with the world of professional wrestling.

A fixture at Carolina Hurricanes and Panthers games in my home state, the joy and emotion Ric Flair’s very presence evokes will certainly continue on for a very, very long time.

Today I honor the outstanding career of the “Nature Boy”-and congratulate Charlotte’s favorite son-Ric Flair.

WHOOOO!

Way back in the mid-1980s, Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation was making its big national expansion, riding high on the popularity of Hulk Hogan and to a lesser extent, ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper. But the WWF universe was filled with many stars: Greg Valentine, The British Bulldogs, The Wild Samoans, and especially Don Muraco and his manager, Mr. Fuji.

At one point, the Muraco & Fuji duo took off for Hollywood, to take over the film & television industries. They prepared three pilots, offered here in their entirety!

Fuji General – A soap opera featuring the passions at a major metropolitan hospital.

Fuji Bandito – A wild western with action and mayhem!

Fuji Vice – When murder and drugs are involved, leave it to these stylish vice cops!